Ok, was trying to stay out of this, but so far the "no way Jose" list: - Tulsi Gabbard (Fox hawk if not Russian asset in Hawaiian hulu skirt with jackboots) - Howard Schultz (latte corporate vulture with an odd sense of "centrist" looking more like "blame the Dems for asking for nice things" misguided conception of "independent", while pitching a well-tarnished "businessman saves America" deficit-scold message. 15 years ago maybe - plus a business run only on young hipster easily-exploited youth hardly seems like it offers a breakthrough message for the rest of us) 7th Taihe Forum opens in Beijing Xinhua) 08:54, October 13, 2025 Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 7th Taihe Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. The 7th Taihe Forum, organized by the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, was held in Beijing on Saturday. The Taihe Forum, initiated by the Palace Museum in 2016, serves as an international collaborative platform dedicated to promoting exchange and cooperation in cultural heritage. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) Wang Xudong, curator of the Palace Museum, addresses the opening ceremony of the 7th Taihe Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. The 7th Taihe Forum, organized by the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, was held in Beijing on Saturday. The Taihe Forum, initiated by the Palace Museum in 2016, serves as an international collaborative platform dedicated to promoting exchange and cooperation in cultural heritage. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) This photo shows the opening ceremony of the 7th Taihe Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. The 7th Taihe Forum, organized by the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, was held in Beijing on Saturday. The Taihe Forum, initiated by the Palace Museum in 2016, serves as an international collaborative platform dedicated to promoting exchange and cooperation in cultural heritage. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) Chase F. Robinson, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in the United States, addresses the opening ceremony of the 7th Taihe Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. The 7th Taihe Forum, organized by the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, was held in Beijing on Saturday. The Taihe Forum, initiated by the Palace Museum in 2016, serves as an international collaborative platform dedicated to promoting exchange and cooperation in cultural heritage. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) This photo shows the cultural and creative products of the Palace Museum at the site of the opening ceremony of the 7th Taihe Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. The 7th Taihe Forum, organized by the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, was held in Beijing on Saturday. The Taihe Forum, initiated by the Palace Museum in 2016, serves as an international collaborative platform dedicated to promoting exchange and cooperation in cultural heritage. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) This photo shows the opening ceremony of the 7th Taihe Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. The 7th Taihe Forum, organized by the Palace Museum and the Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, was held in Beijing on Saturday. The Taihe Forum, initiated by the Palace Museum in 2016, serves as an international collaborative platform dedicated to promoting exchange and cooperation in cultural heritage. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) With the EL9, Electra is pioneering Direct Aviation, a new model of efficient, point-to-point regional air mobility. Post this Evolito will provide Electra with high-performance EPUs that integrate lightweight motors, high-integrity motor controllers, and advanced thermal controls. Engineered for aerospace-grade reliability and efficiency, these EPUs drive the eight propellers along the edge of the EL9's wing. This distributed electric propulsion system enables the EL9's ultra-high lift, delivering low airspeeds and precision landings. "Our production contract with Evolito is a significant step forward for our vision for Direct Aviationsafe, quiet, and affordable air mobility that connects communities in ways never before possible," said Marc Allen, CEO of Electra. "Evolito's lightweight, durable, and cost-effective design will provide exceptional long-term value for operators through low maintenance, long life, and proven reliability." "We are thrilled to partner with Electra on the EL9, a game-changing aircraft that aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable aviation," said Dr. Chris Harris, CEO and Co-founder of Evolito. "Our engine technology is designed for type-certification and scalable production, making it ideally suited to support Electra's vision for clean, accessible, and efficient regional air travel." "Evolito's EPUs deliver exceptional performance and reliability on a technology chassis with a proven heritage," noted JP Stewart, Electra's Senior Vice President, Product Development. Electra's nine-passenger EL9 Ultra Short combines patented blown-lift technology and distributed electric propulsion to take off and land in just 150 feet (45 meters), dramatically reducing noise and emissions while unlocking thousands of new access points for air service. Using electric engines to blow air over the wing and large flaps significantly increases wing lift at very slow speeds, allowing the EL9 to take off and land in just 1/10th of the space needed by conventional aircraft. Powered wind tunnel tests of the EL9's blown wing have validated lift coefficients greater than 20, or seven times greater than the range typical of unblown wings. With the EL9, Electra is pioneering Direct Aviation, a new model of regional air mobility that saves travellers time, maximizes existing infrastructure, and connects underserved communities. The first test flights are planned for 2027, with certification and commercial service entry anticipated in late 2029, into 2030 under FAA Part 23 regulations. With over 2,200 pre-orders from more than 60 commercial customers worldwide, including both airlines and helicopter operators, the EL9 is already one of the most in-demand aircraft in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector. Learn more about how Electra's blown-lift technology (video) opens a new era of Direct Aviation (video) at these links. About Evolito Evolito is leading electric propulsion and power generation for aerospace with world-leading, light weight axial-flux motors and integrated systems designed for certification and scalable production. Evolito's electric propulsion systems offer the highest power and torque densities in class. Evolito supports VTOL and fixed-wing applications with propulsion and generation solutions that deliver unmatched power density, efficiency, and safety. The privately held company is based in Oxford. Evolito's investors include B-Flexion, Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) and HostPlus. About Electra Electra.aero, Inc. (Electra) is an advanced aerospace company building hybrid-electric Ultra Short airplanes that achieve unprecedented performance advantages to fly people and cargo seamlessly without airports, emissions, or noise. With the EL9 Ultra Short, Electra is pioneering Direct Aviation, the next level of connectivity that brings air travel closer to where we live, work, and play. Electra's Ultra Short technology delivers 2.5x the payload and 10x longer range with 70% lower operating costs than helicopters and eVTOLs with significantly greater safety and far less certification risk. Electra's team includes some of the most respected and successful entrepreneurs and engineers in novel aircraft design, with over 40 prior aircraft successfully developed and/or certified. Lockheed Martin Ventures, Honeywell, and Safran are among Electra's strategic investors along with Prysm Capital, Statkraft Ventures (Norway's sovereign fund), the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), and other private investors. Electra's contracted customers include NASA, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy, along with over 2,200 letters of intent from 60+ commercial customers, including both airlines and helicopter operators. Media Contacts: Electra [email protected] Evolito [email protected] SOURCE Electra.aero The release of the Israeli hostages was live streamed to crowds in Tel Aviv - Chris McGrath/Getty In a triumphal address to the Israeli Knesset, Donald Trump heralded a new dawn of peace in the Middle East. As the US president joined other world leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, in Egypt to hammer out the next steps of his 20-point plan for Gaza, many are waiting anxiously to see if the ceasefire will hold. What does this breakthrough mean for the region, and what will happen next? Heres everything you need to know. What happened? After the striking of a deal on Friday, all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza after being kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 2023 attacks were freed on Monday. Large crowds of Israelis watched the hostage transfers at public screenings across the country. In Tel Aviv, relatives and friends cheered as television channels announced that the first group was in the hands of the Red Cross. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear. At the same time, Israel said it had released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, and crowds gathered to meet the detainees as they were transported by bus into the occupied West Bank. Mr Trump was hailed as a colossus by Israeli politicians for his unwavering support during the two-year war, as he addressed the countrys parliament. After a standing ovation and an introduction as Israels best friend, the US president heralded a new dawn of peace in the Middle East. Today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, and the sirens are still, he said. This is not only the end of a war; it is the end of an age of terror and death, and the beginning of an age of faith, hope, and God. Mr Trump then left for the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, for an official signing ceremony of the first phase of his Gaza plan and a summit on the future of the Strip. Donald Trump addressed Israels parliament on Monday - Jalaa Marey/AFP Whats next in the ceasefire plan? The ceasefire and the release of hostages and prisoners are pivotal steps in the first stage of the ambitious peace proposal put forward by Mr Trump late last month. The halt in fighting and the releases have been met with widespread relief on both sides. But whether this becomes a permanent truce will depend on progress on the rest of the peace plan, which requires Israeli troops to withdraw, and for Gaza to become a de-radicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours. Aid has already started flowing into the territory, which will be rebuilt and be governed by a temporary technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee supervised by an international committee. Hamas will not play a role. Only the very earliest parts of this are already happening. Ahead of the release of the hostages, Israeli troops have already withdrawn to an agreed line that has left them in control of 53 per cent of Gaza. A multinational force of around 200 troops, overseen by the US military, will monitor the ceasefire, according to a senior US official. It is believed the force includes troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Could the peace deal unravel? While both sides have endorsed the plan and world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh will throw their weight behind it very little of the detail has been nailed down. Hamas, in particular, has appeared to sidestep several of the most contentious points about the future of the group, or how Gaza will be governed in the future. Key sticking points include the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarising of the strip. Both of these feature in the Trump plan and are central objectives for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. Hamas has not publicly agreed to either. Another likely obstacle is what influence Hamas will have on the governance of Gaza. Under the Trump plan, it will agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. Yet when responding, Hamas has said that any plans for the future of the Strip could only be discussed by a comprehensive Palestinian national framework that should include the group. Palestinian militants stand guard in Gaza - Ramadan Abed/Reuters Meanwhile, on Israels side, it is unclear if Mr Netanyahu will be able to live with a plan that may open the door to a Palestinian state. There is also doubt over the inclusion of Sir Tony Blair in Mr Trumps proposal to create an international supervising panel. The US president said on his way to Israel: I like Tony, Ive always liked Tony, but I want to find out that hes an acceptable choice to everybody. What next for the Middle East? The two-year war has not only devastated Gaza and traumatised Israel, it has also reshaped the Middle East. A chain of events set off by the October 7 attacks and Israels response have led to the near destruction of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the mauling of Irans nuclear programme. Whether the Gaza ceasefire holds or not, Mr Trump immediately moved his focus on to Iran, telling the Knesset he was ready to make a deal with Tehran. Buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip - Ramadan Abed/Reuters Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks before the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking key Iranian nuclear sites. Mr Trump said: We are ready when you are, and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made, and its going to happen. The hand of friendship and cooperation is open. Im telling you, they [Iran] want to make a deal... it would be great if we could make a deal. Which war will Trump end next? The Gaza conflict is only one of seven that Mr Trump claims to have resolved since he took office in January. While the Nobel Committee last week decided not to award him the Peace Prize he craves, if his Gaza plan is still holding when the decision comes around next year, the committee will have a difficult choice. If he is on a roll, he may try to continue his momentum with the tackling of other conflicts. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, immediately hailed the extraordinary Gaza ceasefire as bringing hope that Mr Trump could broker an end to the Russian invasion of his country. When peace is achieved for one part of the world, it brings more hope for peace in other regions, he said. If a ceasefire and peace have been achieved for the Middle East, the leadership and determination of global actors can certainly work for us too in Ukraine. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, also urged Mr Trump to carry his Gaza momentum into efforts on Ukraine, saying: We also hope that the American president will now use the influence he has exerted on the parties involved in the [Middle East] to work with us on the Russian government. Yet Mr Trump has appeared to become disillusioned with peace-brokering efforts in Ukraine and frustrated with his inability to influence Vladimir Putin. He had once vowed he could end the war in a matter of hours, but despite several rounds of talks and a summit with Putin, there has been no significant progress towards a peace deal. Russia has refused multiple calls for a ceasefire and outlined uncompromising demands, essentially calling for Kyiv to capitulate in exchange for peace. The US leader has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin in recent weeks and recently said he could see Ukraine reclaiming every inch of territory seized by Russia. Greenpeace UK claimed the crown estate is treating the seabed as an asset to be milked for profit and outrageous bonuses, and warned it could take the public body to court. The campaigning organisation accused the crown estate of monopoly profiteering, claiming this is inflating energy bills and driving up costs for offshore wind developers and billpayers. The intervention comes days before a highstakes auction in which energy companies will compete for rights to build new wind farms on the seabed. The crown estate, which manages land and property owned by the King and provides revenue to the Treasury and royal household, controls leasing of the seabed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland though not Scotland. Developers pay option fees and rents to secure sites, generating significant income for the estate. Greenpeace said its threat of legal action comes after a lengthy correspondence and a face-to-face meeting with the crown estate management (PA) The estate made over 1bn in 2024-2025 with profits having skyrocketed in recent years, Greenpeace said, turning the seabed into its most lucrative source of revenue. The group also said the Kings official income will jump from 86.3m this year to 132.1m, almost exclusively because of the profits derived from offshore wind. Greenpeace said its threat of legal action comes after a lengthy correspondence and a face-to-face meeting with the crown estate management. The campaign group is now asking for an urgent review of the bidding process, which, in its current form, passes a hefty burden onto UK billpayers. The group said the current system risks double charging billpayers first through higher leasing costs, and again when power generated by turbines in Scotland cannot be transmitted south to England where demand is higher, so operators are paid to switch turbines off. Without sector reform, Greenpeace warns, the UKs push to expand offshore wind will be undermined by unnecessary costs and inefficiencies. The seabed is the crown estates most lucrative source of revenue, Greenpeace said (PA) The crown estate should be managing the seabed in the interest of the nation and the common good, not as an asset to be milked for profit and outrageous bonuses, Greenpeace UK co-executive director Will McCallum said. We should leave no stone unturned in looking for solutions to lower energy bills that are causing misery to millions of households. Given how crucial affordable bills and clean energy are to the governments agenda, the chancellor should use her powers of direction to ask for an independent review of how these auctions are run. He added: If the problem isnt fixed before the next round, we may need to let a court decide whether or not whats happening is lawful. Greenpeace also called for the excess profits from the last auction round to be invested in marine recovery the restoration of damaged marine habitats to a healthier state. In an email to The Independent, the crown estate said it did not recognise the basis of Greenpeaces concerns. Greenpeace has misunderstood the crown estates legal duties and leasing processes, the body said. Option fees are not fixed by the crown estate. They are set by the developers through open, competitive auctions and reflect market appetite at the time. As our net revenue is returned to the Treasury, option fees help to ensure that taxpayers benefit from the requisite value from the development of our scarce and precious seabed resource. The statement added: The crown estate is accelerating offshore wind in line with government policy to move forward the energy transition at pace and improve energy security. The row comes following news that more than 100 countries have cut their dependence on fossil-fuel imports, saving themselves hundreds of billions of dollars by continuing to invest in renewables, according to new figures released by the International Energy Agency last week. All 20 remaining living Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas after more than two years in captivity in Gaza. Parents were reunited with sons and children with fathers as those held were handed over to the Red Cross before finally rejoining their families with the help of the Israeli army. Even before their release, Hamas had allowed some of the hostages to make video calls home on Monday morning. Emotional footage was shared by Israeli broadcasters to an estimated 65,000 people gathered in front of large screens on hostages square in Tel Aviv and to millions more watching the coverage at home. In a statement the family of Omri Miran, 48, who was abducted in front of his wife and two children during Hamass attack on Israel of 7 October 2023 at Nahal Oz kibbutz, said his return was a victory for an entire people. They said: After more than 700 long, painful, and agonising days, Omri will finally receive from [his children] Roni and Alma a healing embrace. We want to thank the people of Israel from the bottom of our hearts for standing by us in the darkest hours and on days when this moment seemed like a distant and impossible wish. This moment, today, is not a personal victory but a victory of an entire people. We also want to express our deep gratitude to the security forces and the heroic [Israel Defense Force] soldiers. We are at the beginning of a complex and challenging, yet moving, journey of recovery. We remain committed to the struggle until the last hostage returns, and until the complete recovery of our beloved country. May Omris return mark the beginning of this recovery and the unity of our people. The family of Matan Angrest, 22, an Israel Defense Force soldier captured when his tank was attacked by Hamas near the Gaza perimeter fence, who have been critical of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the continuation of the war, praised Donald Trump. They said: We can breathe again. Our Matan is home. Our beloved boy has been returned to us after two complex years, and we are so proud of him A huge, historic, eternal thank you to the president of the United States and his team who worked with dedication and persistence for the rescue and return of our loved ones. The joy in our family is mixed with sadness for those murdered and for those who were not returned alive. Israeli ministers had approved overnight a list of 1,718 Palestinian prisoners set also to be released. That is due to follow the handover of 28 dead Israeli hostages. The day had begun with Hamas issuing a list of the 20 living hostages all men they intended to release. It provided the first firm confirmation to many of the families that their loved ones had not perished. Then the crowd at hostages square in Tel Aviv on Monday morning roared their approval shortly after 8.15am local time as it was announced from a stage that the first seven live hostages had been released to the Red Cross. Soon after, the crowd erupted again as it was announced that Air Force One carrying Donald Trump was flying over the square as the US president made his way to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem where he was due to give a speech later on Monday. The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, welcomed the release of the first hostages by Hamas and said Israel was awaiting the release of all remaining captives. With thanks to God we welcome our loved ones. We are waiting for everyone every last one, Herzog said. At about 11am local time, the Israeli media reported that the final 13 missing living hostages had been received by the Red Cross. The crowd chanted their thanks to Trump, who is widely credited as bringing about the return of the hostages. On his arrival at the Knesset, Trump wrote a message in the guest book: This is my great honour a great and beautiful day. A new beginning. Related: Israeli hostage release: all living captives now freed, says Hamas, as Trump due to address Knesset latest updates Speaking by the side of Netanyahu, Trump added: As far as Im concerned, the war is over. Trump is expected to meet families of the hostages and may join some of those released by Hamas. He will continue to Egypt, where the office of the president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, said he would co-chair a peace summit on Monday with regional and international leaders. People have been gathering every day for the past two years at hostages square to show solidarity with the families of those in Hamas captivity after their abduction on 7 October 2023. For two years, protesters occupied the square, which faces the Israeli military headquarters, and held rallies demanding hostages be returned from Gaza. Hundreds were there from the early hours of Monday and tens of thousands more joined them as the morning went on where they watched live footage of events from large screens on two sides of the square. Julie Kupershtein, the mother of hostage Bar Kupershtein, who was working at the Nova music festival as a paramedic when he was taken, spoke to her son in a video call before his release. She said: Seeing my child after two years everything is fine. Thank you to the soldiers, thank you to everyone. We were in the compound, and suddenly I had a conversation, suddenly I saw Bar. I screamed to the sky. Crazy. To see them, these pure, righteous children, alive. Im shaking all over. Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, said: Today is the first, crucial phase in ending the war in the Middle East. Now we must deliver lasting peace and a secure future for the whole region. The UK is providing additional humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, and we will lead efforts to accelerate its reconstruction. The EUs foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, welcomed the release of the first of the hostages and praised Trumps role in this crucial milestone towards peace, saying: President Trump made this breakthrough possible. The ceasefire and release of hostages and prisoners in exchange for a limited withdrawal by the Israeli military is just the first phase of a 20-point peace plan. The issues of the future of Hamas and Gaza and whether the militant group will disarm remain to be decided. A security guard who was jailed over a plot to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby is set to have his appeal bid heard later this month. Gavin Plumb was found guilty of soliciting murder and inciting rape and kidnap following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court. The 38-year-old from Harlow, in Essex, was sentenced at the same court in July to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years. According to court listings, his case will now be heard at the Court of Appeal in London on October 21. Earlier this year, court officials said they received applications for permission to appeal against his convictions and the sentence. Gavin Plumb was jailed earlier this year (Elizabeth Cook/PA) At his sentencing earlier this year, judge Mr Justice Murray described some of the plans Plumb had discussed online as particularly sadistic, brutal and degrading. Plumb was snared after a US undercover police officer infiltrated an online group called Abduct Lovers and became so concerned about Plumbs posts that evidence was passed to the FBI. US law enforcement in turn contacted police in the UK, and when Essex Police officers raided Plumbs flat in Harlow they found bottles of chloroform and an abduction kit complete with cable ties. Jurors heard Plumbs kidnap plans involved attempting to ambush Ms Willoughby at her family home even discussing taking time off work in order to organise the attack. Plumb had argued in his defence that it was just online chat and fantasy. But Mr Justice Murray dismissed this, saying: I have no doubt that this was all considerably more than a fantasy to you. Israelis gathered in hostages square in Tel Aviv watched a live broadcast of hostages being released by Hamas on Monday. Photograph: Oded Balilty/AP There was a rare moment of joy among Israelis and Palestinians on Monday as Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages in Gaza as part of a swap deal for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, on a day world leaders met in Egypt to try to ensure the current limited truce is extended into a durable peace. The prayers of millions have finally been answered, Donald Trump declared at the peace summit, with his counterparts lined up behind him. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East. The Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, called for the ceasefire in Gaza to usher in a new era in the Middle East. Let the Gaza war be the last of wars in the region, the president said, amid widespread anxiety over how long the current truce will last. In Tel Aviv, an estimated 65,000 Israelis gathered in hostages square and cheered when a military helicopter carrying the 20 freed Israelis flew over the crowd on the way to a nearby hospital. Live footage of their release and their family reunions was broadcast on large screens around the square. The plaza has been the centre of the national campaign for their release since 250 Israelis were abducted on 7 October 2023 in the surprise Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities that killed 1,200 people and ignited the conflict. The bodies of four hostages held in Gaza and handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas on Monday were brought back to Israel, the army said. A large crowd also massed in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis on Monday to celebrate the return of nearly 1,700 Palestinians detained over the course of the war, while in the West Bank capital of Ramallah people welcomed the arrival of 88 Palestinian detainees who had been serving life sentences imposed by Israeli courts. At least one had been imprisoned for 24 years. About 160 more were deported through Egypt after their release. The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel said almost all Palestinian detainees had been held without trial as unlawful combatants. It noted that there were 22 minors among those released, some of the 360 Palestinian minors held in Israeli custody. The ceasefire appeared to be holding in Gaza on Monday after a two-year Israeli military onslaught that has killed nearly 68,000 people. But 2.1 million surviving Palestinians there still face a deep and complex humanitarian crisis in a sealed coastal strip where the overwhelming majority of homes have been destroyed or severely damaged, and which has been starved of humanitarian supplies for many months. Tom Fletcher, the head of the UNs humanitarian relief branch, OCHA, said aid deliveries had begun arriving in Gaza, with far more poised to enter in the coming days. Millions of Palestinians counting on life-saving aid getting through at scale. We must make it happen, Fletcher said while attending the peace summit at Sharm el-Sheikh. Trump, who brokered the ceasefire last week, arrived in the Red Sea resort after a short visit to Israel. He declared a new day is rising and signed a joint declaration with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, intended to turn the ceasefire into a coherent peace plan. The last Gaza ceasefire broke down after two months in March when Israel resumed its offensive. There are fears in the region that this truce may also prove precarious, especially given the resistance from the far-right wing of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition. Trump insisted his 20-point proposal for maintaining peace and rebuilding Gaza would take root. The document sets out a whole series of rules and regulations and is very comprehensive, the US president said. The contents of the declaration signed in Sharm el-Sheikh were not immediately made public and the aspirations expressed in Trumps 20 points, involving the disarming of Hamas and the deployment of a stabilisation force under a technocratic Palestinian committee overseen by a peace board chaired by the US president, present an extremely challenging task. The summit for peace was a virtual whos who of Middle Eastern and European politics, while attracting other unlikely power brokers in the Trump era of international diplomacy such as the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino. Leaders from at least 27 countries, many in Europe and the Middle East, joined the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. The leaders of the major Arab and regional states, including Sisi, Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the leaders of the Gulf states Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, were present. Keir Starmer and European leaders from France, Germany, Italy and Hungary also attended. However, representatives from Israel or Hamas were absent from the signing ceremony. A last-minute plan by Trump to invite Netanyahu was scuppered after Erdogan said he would not land his plane if the Israeli prime minister attended. In Sharm el-Sheikh, Trump said he had been watching videos of the Israeli hostages being reunited with their families. The level of love and sorrow, Ive never seen anything like it. Its amazing. They havent seen their loved ones in such a long time, he said. In one sense, its so horrible that this could take place. In another, its so beautiful to see a new and beautiful day is rising. Beyond the welcoming crowd in Khan Younis, the response across Gaza to the mass detainee release was muted by the desperate circumstances and the nervousness over whether the ceasefire would stick. It was unclear how many of those freed on Monday were militants from Hamas or other armed groups, and how many had simply been swept up by Israeli forces. Some returned to meet new children born during their captivity. Others came back to find their relatives had been killed in a conflict that has seen a historically high rate of civilian casualties among Palestinians. A UN human rights commission has assessed Israels actions constitute genocide. Haitham Salem, one of the detainees freed on Monday, discovered on his release that his wife and children had been killed and he was the sole survivor of his immediate family. Naji al-Jafarawi returned on the same day his brother Saleh, a social media journalist and activist, was being buried. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which oversaw the hostage and detainee transfers, conducted brief interviews with all those released on Monday, said it had also transferred the remains of four dead hostages to the Israeli authorities. Related: The Guardian view on peace in Gaza: the relief is real, but Trumps promise of a golden age rings hollow | Editorial Aid workers said it was now a race against time to rush humanitarian assistance into Gaza. It has been reported that, under the ceasefire agreement, Israel will open five crossings into Gaza, including one leading from Egypt. Only one crossing, at Kerem Shalom between Gaza and Israel, has been open for aid deliveries throughout much of the conflict. With easing of movement and access restrictions in multiple areas, we were able to pre-position medical and emergency supplies to where they are needed most, assess key roads for explosive hazards, and support displaced families in flood-prone areas, Fletcher said, adding that Israel had given security clearance for 190,000 metric tons of humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza, including food, tent components, medicine and other essentials. John Oliver is sounding the alarm over Paramounts hiring of contrarian pundit Bari Weiss as CBS News new editor-in-chief while purchasing her anti-woke digital media outlet The Free Press for $150 million, warning that Weiss has engaged in irresponsible and deeply misleading journalism in recent years. The HBO late-night star also took particular aim at Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison, noting that hes just the latest in a string of billionaires who have taken over our journalistic institutions and made worrying changes, all while observing that Ellison could soon be his new boss. Ellison, the son of Oracle founder and close Trump ally Larry Ellison, is exploring a bid to take over Warner Bros. Discovery, the media conglomerate that owns HBO and CNN. It was reported over the weekend that WBD rebuffed Paramount Skydances initial merger offer, stating that the $20 per share price was too low. Ellisons attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which would have the backing of his ultrawealthy father, comes just two months after he closed on the $8 billion Paramount merger following a politically strained process that has sparked a Democratic-led probe into possible anti-bribery violations. Besides the $16 million payoff Paramount made to Donald Trump to settle a meritless lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview and the presidents claim he reached a secret side deal with Ellison, Democrats are also looking into Skydances pre-merger assurances to Trumps handpicked FCC chair Brendan Carr. Late-night host John Oliver took aim at Paramount's decision to hire Bari Weiss to run CBS News, criticizing her for a history of irresponsible and deeply misleading journalism. (HBO) That included the installation of an ombudsman to field complaints of bias at the news network. Weeks after the merger was complete, Paramount announced that Kenneth Weinstein a former Trump appointee and conservative think tank leader who has never worked in journalism to serve as CBS News ombudsman. During his main story on Sunday nights broadcast of Last Week Tonight, Oliver spent more than a half-hour running down Weiss journalistic history while dissecting her heterodox website The Free Press, which included digging into several stories its published that have sparked controversy over their disputed or outright false claims. Shes been given editorial control of a massive news organization even though shes never run a TV network, has no experience directing television coverage and, as one 60 Minutes producer pointed out, is not even a reporter, Oliver pointed out. That is true. She didnt come up through the news side of a newspaper but through the opinion pages, which are a very different thing. Noting that The Free Press has devoted itself to the pronounced theme that the left has gone too far, he added that Weiss has also been extremely outspoken against diversity hiring policies. Notably, just before the Paramount-Skydance merger was approved, Ellison assured Carr that the new company would eliminate all diversity practices. Basically whatever issue you feel that is true for Israel, campus politics, DEI or police reform youll find articles there to reinforce your opinion, Oliver remarked. And look, Im not saying the left never goes too far or that its immune from criticism at all. But it can sometimes feel like the Free Press conclusions can get out ahead of its evidence, which brings us to the fact that some of its pieces can be pretty poorly fact-checked, and in ways that feel important. Oliver particularly referenced three articles that the site published whose facts have come into question or were outright debunked, such as a piece this year alleging that malnourished children in Gaza werent suffering from starvation because they had other health issues. Or a story claiming that crime rates in Austin had spiked under a progressive prosecutor, when in fact theyd gone down. Or the 2023 report from a supposed whistleblower of a gender clinic, which was repeatedly refuted by the families who attended the clinic. He also took aim at Weiss pre-Free Press tenure at The New York Times, which he said saw her engage in some weapons-grade whataboutism while simultaneously making amateurish mistakes such as the time she cited a well-known hoax site and the official Antifa Twitter account. At the same time, Oliver mocked Weiss over her history of self-aggrandizement, such as likening her resignation from the Times to the infamous quitting scene in Jerry Maguire. Ultimately, after spending the bulk of his show eviscerating Weiss journalism credentials while questioning the legitimate value of The Free Press, Oliver defended why he was spending so much time talking about the former New York Times op-ed writer. The truth is, we wouldnt even have done this story were it not for the fact that Bari Weiss has just been named editor-in-chief of CBS News, and that feels different because there are many opinion-heavy outlets out there from left to right and with low to high editorial standards, Oliver proclaimed. This show is, among other things, an opinion outlet, and while our staff works incredibly hard to research stories before we write something and vigorously check our facts afterwards, were also not the news. He added: And I wouldnt want anyone who led a pure opinion outlet, not even one that I happen to agree with, to suddenly be running CBS News. But it is especially alarming to have someone doing it who has spent years putting out work that, in my opinion, is at best irresponsible and at worst deeply misleading. He then turned his attention back to Ellison and how the billionaire has his sights on the parent company of Olivers show and cable network, wondering what that means for the media industry at large. If what he likes about Bari is that she forces him to have hard conversations that get a bit uncomfortable, maybe hell like this?! Oliver quipped about David Ellison. (HBO) And look, it is not just about Bari Weiss being at CBS. It is about the fact that CBS is now under the control of someone who thinks that she and her editorial sensibility make her a good fit for the job, and who, incidentally, is now preparing a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, home of CNN and, uh-oh, HBO, he said, before quipping: Which isnt ideal. Although, Ive got to say, if what he likes about Bari is that she forces him to have hard conversations that get a bit uncomfortable, maybe hell like this?! After asserting that other long-respected legacy news organizations have seen billionaire owners grow increasingly meddlesome with their editorial direction, Oliver expressed concern that this will soon become the norm across the American media landscape. It is worth keeping an eye out for subtle changes there, because while Im sure many of CBS News good journalists will continue to do great work, if you start seeing people resigning or getting fired, or you start seeing stories that seem off in some way, especially if it involves the left going too far on a topic Bari Weiss cares about, he concluded. Its worth asking yourself why that might be. Because unfortunately, the much bigger answer might be that a billionaire has chosen to inject contrarian, right-leaning opinion journalism into an American icon. Meanwhile, it would definitely appear that many of the journalists and reporters at CBS News arent exactly thrilled with the prospect of working for Weiss, who describes herself as a radical centrist and politically homeless. Even before Ellison officially named her as the Tiffany Networks top editor, staffers were literally freaking out over the possibility of Weiss running the show, largely over her lack of broadcast network experience and stridently pro-Israeli stance. During her first week on the job, she has prompted literal eye rolls from staff with her Sorkinesque call to arms to do the f***king news while also going full Elon Musk by asking employees to give her a breakdown of their workday. Were all being DOGEd. And shes also looking out to see who will kiss up to her, one staffer told The Independent, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency missive that Musk once spearheaded. Harriet Recker, 82, is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime after allegedly shooting and killer her husband last month (Beaufort County Sheriffs Office) An 82-year-old woman who friends have described as the nicest person in Sun City is accused of murdering her husband inside a coastal South Carolina nursing home a shooting investigators believe was planned. Harriet Kay Recker, 82, shot and killed her 81-year-old husband, Dennis Recker, on September 12, at the Preston Health Center on Hilton Head Island, according to the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office. She is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Investigators say notes found in her purse, at her home, and sent to a neighbor, along with interviews and financial documents they reviewed, suggest the shooting was premeditated. Just one day before the shooting, Dennis Recker was admitted to the facility because of health issues that required additional care, according to testimony in court reported by WTOC. A neighbor who had driven the couple to the facility walked out of the room for a moment when a loud noise rang out. They ran back to find Harriet Recker holding a gun and her husband with a gunshot wound to his chest, police said. Harriet Kay Recker, 82, shot and killed her 81-year-old husband, Dennis Recker, on September 12 (Beaufort County Sheriffs Office) Despite life-saving efforts, Dennis Recker died from his injuries. A witness told investigators that before he died, Dennis appeared shocked and said, She shot me. Recker reportedly told investigators: He was a good man, and described the incident as a sad situation. But during the investigation, authorities reportedly found a note in her purse about her declining health and emotional struggles. An identical note was later found at her home along with financial papers, and another version had been sent to her neighbor, WTOC reported. Part of the note, which was read in court, stated: To you all, this has just been too much for me. I so wish I could do it with the wonderful family we have, so many good friends. We cant have a life without someone, and that someone cant be me, as I am not strong enough or smart enough to do all this. Recker was booked into the Beaufort County Jail that same day and is being held without bond. Family members told deputies they had never known Recker to own or carry a gun. Others who knew the couple were stunned by the news. Ted Dwemoh, who provided pest control services at the couples Sun City home, described Recker as the nicest person in Sun City. When I saw her picture, I was dumbfounded, like there is no way that this woman did what they are saying she did, Dwemoh said. She would try and help you out with anything, he added. When you went to her house to do pest control, she would walk and talk with you, give you snacks and water. Shes the nicest person in Sun City. The investigation remains ongoing. Kamala Harris appears to blame people not voting for 2024 loss to Trump as book tour gets off to rocky start Former Vice President Kamala Harris is back in front of the public this time as a private citizen as she promotes her 2024 campaign-memoir, 107 Days. But as she returns to the public eye for the first sustained time since her defeat, the onetime standard-bearer of the Democrats is coming to terms with the fact that her party remains bitterly divided over the manner by which the Biden administration and her campaign treated the issue of the war in Gaza throughout 2024, and especially after she became the nominee. Rather than the war in Gaza, in her memoir, Harris blames the Biden family for not realizing sooner that the president was not up to the task of running for re-election, and explains away her defeat as the result of taking on an insurmountable challenge. Not everyone attending her tour agrees with that version of events, however, as proven in footage shared by left-leaning commentator Kaivan Shroff. In the video from Harriss appearance in Chicago, the former vice president is seen clapping back at a heckler whod shouted a comment about her legacy. Nonvoters, she argued, had earned a legacy of Donald Trumps return to the presidency by refusing to support her campaign. Im not president, and if you want to talk about legacy, lets talk about the legacy of mass deportations, of not voting, and Donald Trump, said a clearly incensed Harris in the clip. Kamala Harris has released her latest memoir, 107 Days (Getty) Are you the same person that was telling people not to vote? she also asked the protester, according to Newsweek. The crowd, which was made up entirely of Harriss supporters, cheered in response. But the vice presidents quip to the heckler is likely to feed criticism from her detractors in the party, a group that has swelled in size since she lost the last election. Especially those who are fiercely critical of the Biden administrations response to the war in Gaza. At another point in the evening in Chicago, Harris was interrupted by hecklers blaming her and Bidens stance on Gaza for her defeat to Trump. A similar episode played out in New York City, where Harris was repeatedly shouted over by protesters during an event in Times Square. I understand your concern and how you feel I think I do, she told one heckler, according to PBS. And the reality of it is where we are right now didnt have to be this way in terms of the blank check that this president has given [Israel]. Writing in 107 Days, the former vice president laid the blame for those decisions on Biden, claiming that shed urged her former boss to show more public compassion for Palestinians. Campaign officials, meanwhile, disputed that there was ever daylight between the two politicians. As she recovers politically from the defeat to Trump last year, many have questioned whether Harris will run again for public office. Earlier this year she said in a statement that she would not run for governor in California, her home state, in 2026. Harris said she hadn't spoken with her former boss directly since news broke that he was beginning radiation therapy (X - MSNBC's The Weekend) Harris has not ruled out serving in other settings as her party gears up for the next presidential election cycle in 2028. Though she hasnt indicated any clear interest in running, her name has been floated as a potential contender for the Democratic nomination. On Sunday, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly said in an interview that shed be an incredibly strong candidate in the next cycle. In an interview with MSNBCs Eugene Daniels that aired Sunday, Harris said that she hadnt spoken with Biden since news broke that the former president was due to begin radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer, but told Daniels shed left him a message and called him a fighter. However, should she make a run for president, many in her party will have questions over how the White House deflected criticism about his age, the issue Harris says ended up costing her the election. King to host German president in third state visit of the year The King is set to host the first incoming state visit by a German president in 27 years next month. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be welcomed by Charles and the Queen at Windsor Castle from December 3 to December 5. This marks an unusually busy year for the monarch, as it will be the third incoming state visit hosted by the King, who also welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron in July. Charles is still undergoing treatment for cancer but showing no let-up in his busy schedule. The monarch, 76, is also travelling to Italy at the end of this month for an outgoing state visit to Vatican City to meet the Pope. The King travelled to Germany with Camilla in 2023 for the first state visit since his accession. The King and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (centre) meet members of the public at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, in 2023 (Adrian Dennis/PA) (PA Archive) He received a standing ovation when he delivered the first speech by a British monarch during a session of the Bundestag federal parliament and told a packed chamber he wished to "renew the pledge of friendship between our nations". President Steinmeier, who attended the King and Queen's coronation two years ago, will be accompanied by his wife, Elke Budenbender - a former judge. Further details of the visit will be released in due course but are set to include a ceremonial welcome, a grand state banquet in the castle's St George's Hall, and talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Last month, the King hosted a historic second state visit for US president Donald Trump which featured a lavish state banquet. President Trump is expected to invite the King to the White House for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next July. Dan Jarvis, the security minister, has pointed the finger at Matthew Collins - Heathcliff O'Malley Labours security minister has blamed Jonathan Powells deputy for the collapse of the Chinese spies case. Dan Jarvis said Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, was given full freedom to provide evidence about two alleged spies who were accused of passing intelligence to Beijing. The case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry collapsed last month after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the Government had refused to provide crucial evidence that proved China was a national security threat. On Monday, Mr Jarvis told the Commons that Mr Collins was given the task of providing three witness statements to the CPS, most recently in July, none of which were seen by Mr Powell or Labour ministers. Mr Powell is a special adviser who was directly appointed by Sir Keir Starmer after last years election, while Mr Collins is an unelected civil servant. The decision to blame Mr Collins fuelled claims that Labour had made him a scapegoat for the scandal. Matthew Collins was blamed for a failure to provide witness statements to the CPS The statement to MPs marked the first time that the Government had named a person responsible for making key decisions on official evidence in a legal case that has become a national security and public relations fiasco. Speaking in the Commons for the first time since The Telegraph broke the news of the scandal 10 days ago, Mr Jarvis defended Mr Collins decision not to name China as a threat. He said: This was a matter for the deputy national security adviser a hugely experienced, highly capable senior official who provided evidence under the previous administration. Ministers were aware that evidence was being provided to support CPS. They did not take advice and they were not sighted on the contents. The deputy national security adviser was given full freedom to provide evidence without interference. He said that legal test had become the central issue in the Cash and Berry trial because of antiquated legislation from 1911 that hamstrung the Government, and new case law from a trial of Russian spies earlier this year. The case against Christopher Berry (left) and Christopher Cash (right), who were suspected of spying for China, collapsed earlier this year - Jeff Moore/PA The CPS said it spent many months requesting further information from the Government apparently meaning Mr Collins to prove that point but it was not forthcoming. Ministers have argued that Mr Collins evidence could only contain official government policy on China from the time the alleged offences took place. That argument has been challenged by a series of legal experts and veteran civil servants, including two former cabinet secretaries and two former directors of MI6. The claim that Mr Collins alone provided evidence in the case will be viewed as an attempt to distance Sir Keir and Mr Powell, a former aide to the Blair government, from the collapse of the trial. On Monday night, Sir Keir said he had full confidence in his adviser, adding that he was doing an excellent job. But Lord Gove, the former Conservative Cabinet minister, led criticism of Labours decision to blame Mr Collins. Are we really asked to believe a single civil servant is alone responsible? he wrote on X. I fear he may be being made a scapegoat. Why not publish the evidence, publish the correspondence between NSA and Deputy NSA, and have the NSA answer parliamentarians questions? Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory MP and China hawk, described the Governments claim that Mr Powell was not involved in the case as an absolute matter of substantial absurdity, asking: What is the point of the national security adviser who does not then involve themselves in matters of national security, as in this case? Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, said Labours explanation set up more straw men than a Russian disinformation campaign and advertise[d] that the UK is not willing to defend itself against threats from hostile threats. He also appeared to accuse the Government of throwing Mr Collins under the bus, and told BBC Newsnight: The idea of throwing Matt Collins under the bus, I think, is frankly pretty low. Matt Collins has served our country with integrity for many, many years and is a very, very fine public official. Steve Reed, the Housing Secretary, denied that the Government was blaming the official for the cases collapse. He told Sky News on Tuesday: Nobody is alleging any fault on the part of that official. The official did what was asked of him, which was to provide evidence to the CPS. Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said Mr Jarviss statement was nonsense and accused ministers of deliberately avoiding describing China as a threat to avoid angering Beijing. She said: Is it seriously the Governments argument that no minister knew anything about this until the trial collapsed? If this is the case, it is astonishing. After MPs voiced concern that they could be targeted by spies in future, on Monday MI5 issued new guidance outlining some of the methods hostile states and their proxies use to manipulate elected officials. They include seeking to influence policy through financial donations and spear-phishing attempts to elicit sensitive information. Row comes ahead of embassy decision Earlier on Monday, Downing Street pointedly referred to Chinese threats to national security, including spying operations within Parliament, in an apparent hardening of the UKs official line on China. Sir Keirs official spokesman also confirmed reports that Mr Powell attended a meeting about the case, but said it was not used to take decisions about Mr Collins evidence. Whitehall sources told The Telegraph that the discussion was convened to discuss fallout from the case, on the assumption that it would continue and Mr Cash and Mr Berry would face jail for their alleged crimes. Both men have always denied the charges. The row comes ahead of an official decision by the Government on whether China should be allowed to build a huge super-embassy compound on the former site of the Royal Mint in London. Government officials are concerned that China could take revenge on the UK if Mr Reed rejects the application. But security experts and intelligence officials and ministers are worried about the buildings potential for espionage, because it could contain a spy dungeon that would give Chinese spies access to underground cables that serve the City of London. 07:36pm Thats all for today Thanks for following our live coverage of the security ministers announcement on the collapse of the China spy case. Heres a round-up of the key issues: Dan Jarvis, the security minister, insisted that the Government did not withdraw or conceal any evidence in the case, blaming an antiquated law for the CPSs decision. He named deputy national security advisor Matthew Collins as the official responsible for collapsing the trial. Kemi Badenoch claimed it was a deliberate decision to collapse the case, and refuted the security ministers suggestion it came as a result of the legislation. Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat said that Labours version of events is pure fabrication. Richard Tice said the move has given China carte blanche to carry on spying in the United Kingdom. 07:26pm Jarvis fails to disclose whether China has spied on Parliament Dan Jarvis declined to comment on whether China is responsible for espionage on Parliament. Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans asked: He is the security minister, and I have been in here for about an hour and a half, and I havent actually heard him say was China spying on Parliament? Or is it even a consideration that it is spying on Parliament? Mr Jarvis replied: I think I have been crystal clear that Chinaurm. If honourable members will allow me, China poses a series of threats to the United Kingdom. I was very clear about what they were and specifically referenced a number of particular issues. I couldnt have been clearer about that. 07:20pm Tice: Stench emanating from the collapse of case Richard Tice has said that there is a stench emanating from the collapse of the China spy trial. The deputy leader of Reform suggested that the move gives Beijing licence to continue spying on the UK. Mr Tice said: The stench emanating from the collapse of this Chinese spy case makes the manure heap seem positively floral. The bottom line is that everyone is disappointed, everyone thinks that there is enough evidence, and everyone seems to agree that China is a security threat. And yet the case has collapsed and China has essentially been given carte blanche to carry on spying in the United Kingdom. I have it on good authority that senior figures in Washington now fear that five eyes has become six eyes. The one thing that has changed since charges were made in April in 2024 was the national security advisor. So will the minister commit that the national security advisor will appear and answer questions in person to any parliamentary committee that wishes to have those questions answered? Mr Jarvis responded: The honourable member talks about stench, hes got some brass neck given what has gone on in his party recently. The national security advisor is a special advisor and given the reference to the United States, I would again point the honourable member in the direction of President Trumps policy advisor who has praised the contribution made by the NSA. 07:05pm Tugendhat: Labour story pure fabrication Tom Tugendhat has claimed that Labours version of events is pure fabrication. He suggested that the security ministers statement tells Britains enemies that the Government is not willing to defend the country. Mr Tugendhat said: The statement that he has read out today, no doubt under instruction, has thrown out more chaff, set up more straw men than a Russian disinformation campaign. Its pure fabrication that those are the relevant points. Sadly he knows it. He knows it because we discussed many of these issues when he was in opposition. Why have we not had the information in time for these cases to proceed? He did not say that the evidential threshold wasnt met, if it had not been met then the arrests should never have happened. The words of the DPP is that the threshold is no longer met. No longer means that there has been a change. That change can either be a commission or an omission. It sounds much more likely that something has not been done than that it has. What this statement does is advertise that the UK is not willing to defend itself against threats from hostile threats. 06:57pm IDS mocks Government position as substantial absurdity Sir Iain Duncan Smith has mocked the Governments position that the national security advisor was not involved in the China spy case. The former Conservative leader described Labours version of events as an absolute matter of substantial absurdity. He said: I really want to ask about this absurdity about the role or lack of role of the national security advisor. The Government says that he wasnt involved in any matters of substance but I simply say that isnt it the role of that they are involved in all matters of substance when it comes to national security. So I ask what is the point of the national security advisor who does then not involve themselves in matters of national security as in this case. But instead we are meant to believe that the deputy national security advisor is allowed in this case to involve themselves in matters of national security, but not allowed to discuss these substantial matters of national security with the national security advisor. This does seem to me to be an absolute matter of substantial absurdity. 06:47pm Gove suggests Collins is Labour scapegoat Former minister Michael Gove has questioned Labours position to hold Matthew Collins entirely responsible for the collapse of the China spy case. He said on X: Are we really asked to believe a single civil servant is alone responsible? I fear he may be being made a scapegoat. Why not publish the evidence, publish the correspondence between NSA and Deputy NSA, and have the NSA answer parliamentarians questions? 06:42pm Jarvis: Security adviser Matthew Collins responsible for case Dan Jarvis has claimed that the deputy national security advisor was responsible for the China spy case. The security minister pointed to Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, as the man responsible for the evidence given to the CPS in the trial Mr Jarvis said: This was a matter for the Deputy National Security adviser, a hugely experienced, highly capable senior official who provided evidence under the previous administration. He added: Ministers were aware that evidence was being provided to support CPS. They did not take advice and they were not sighted on the contents. The deputy national security adviser was given full freedom to provide evidence without interference. 06:32pm Jarvis hits out at Badenoch for baseless smears The security minister has hit out at Badenoch for claiming the Labour Government deliberately collapsed the China spy trial. Mr Jarvis said: It is important that on matters related to national security we should seek to discuss these in a reasonable and consensual way and that is the approach of this Government. I am genuinely really sorry that she has taken the opportunity to make a whole series of baseless smears, but perhaps we shouldnt be too surprised because the statement that we have heard from the Leader of the Opposition is sadly typical of what we have heard from some of her colleagues in recent days. 06:15pm Badenoch: It looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case Kemi Badenoch has suggested that the decision to collapse the spy case wasnt a mistake and wasnt a misunderstanding. The Leader of the Opposition stated that it looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case. She said: China spied on this Parliament and the Government is issuing us with leaflets. The CPS had what it felt was a clear and compelling case to prosecute, but the trial has collapsed because for months and months the Government has been refusing to give the CPS vital information. This wasnt a mistake, this wasnt a misunderstanding, this looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case and curry favour with the regime in China. And instead of admitting this, the security minister has come here to blame the Official Secrets Act, but we know that its deficiencies had nothing to do with the Governments failures. If the Government does not prosecute those who spy on us, it sends a message to the public that the Government does not care about their safety. It sends a message to our allies that Britain cannot be trusted, and it sends a message to those who spy on us that we can get away from it. 06:05pm Security minister wants pragmatic approach to China Dan Jarvis has said he was to see both UK-Chinese economic engagement without compromising on national security. He said: We fully recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, yet we must also be alive to the fact that China does present us with opportunities. It is the worlds second largest economy and, together with Hong Kong, the UKs third largest trading partner. The only way to act in the UKs best interests is to take a long-term and strategic response. This means working in close coordination with wider allies to build collective resilience against the threats that China poses, and being unequivocal about our position on human rights. It also means developing a consistent and pragmatic approach to economic engagement without compromising on our national security. 05:55pm Government did not interfere in spy case, insists Jarvis Dan Jarvis has insisted that the Government did not withdraw or conceal any evidence in the China spy case. The security minister said: Every effort was made to provide evidence to support this case. The decision about whether to proceed with the prosecution was ultimately taken by the CPS, who were hamstrung by antiquated legislation that had not been updated by the previous Conservative government, despite the evolving nature of the state threats we face. The DPP (director of public prosecutions) has given his assurance that the CPS was not influenced by any external party, any member of this Government, nor any senior civil servant or special advisor working within it. Suggestions that the Government concealed evidence, withdrew witnesses or restricted the ability of witnesses to draw on particular bits of evidence, are all untrue. 05:50pm Jarvis points to previous Conservative Government for antiquated law The security minister has suggested that the Conservatives failed to update the law used in the spy case during their time in government. Dan Jarvis said: This law is clearly no longer fit for purpose. It has been clear for many years that this legislation is not fit for the threats that we face today. It was evident that the Official Secrets Act was no longer fit for purpose when Conservative ministers tasked the Law Commission with reviewing this antiquated legislation 10 years ago. In 2020, the Law Commission and the Intelligence Security Committee of this House were both clear that this legislation, drafted before the war, needed to be updated as a matter of urgency. 05:44pm Speaker angry and disappointed at spy case collapse Speaker Lindsey Hoyle has expressed his anger at the security threat from China. He said: I continue to seek advice from officials on what steps can be taken. I will be issuing an updated security guidance to members later today. It is MPs opposite who have been infiltrated and at this moment I do not feel we have had the protection. I certainly do not blame the minister. I feel angry and disappointed. My job is to protect Parliament and I feel we arent getting that protection. 05:38pm Recap: Why did the spy trial collapse? Labour secretly sabotaged the trial of two alleged spies by refusing to brand China an enemy. The Telegraph revealed earlier this month that prosecutors dropped charges against Christopher Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, after a star witness tasked with testifying that Beijing an enemy was withdrawn by ministers. The pair were accused of passing information about the Governments foreign policy to a high-ranking member of the Chinese government. At the time, Sir Keir Starmers spokesman said that it was extremely disappointing that the two men would not face trial, adding that the charges were gravely concerning, despite withdrawing the witness. Under the Official Secrets Act 1911, Mr Cash and Mr Berry were accused of collecting and passing information that would be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy. 05:17pm Powell advised on diplomatic ramifications of spy case Jonathan Powell discussed the repercussions the Chinese spy case would have on Britains relationship with Beijing before it collapsed, Downing Street has suggested. The Government has consistently denied that Sir Keir Starmers national security advisor played a role in selecting evidence against the two alleged spies. Mr Powell has been blamed for the decision, but No 10 has said he had no part in deciding on evidence and that officials were tied to using the public statements about China from the previous government. However, Sir Keirs official spokesman acknowledged on Monday that Mr Powell had attended meetings about the case, which he said concerned Britains bilateral relationship with China in light of a major espionage trial. He said: The national security adviser will take part in discussions on matters of national security that can affect bilateral relationships. While insisting that China cant be reduced to a single word, the spokesman was happy to describe threats against the UK from Beijing. 05:07pm Collapsed spying case reveals economic dependency on China Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that the UK is too dependent on borrowing from Beijing and is at risk of falling into a Chinese debt trap. Senior economists and politicians have raised the alarm over the hundreds of billions of pounds of British debt owned by overseas investors. They fear that this reliance on China will allow it to meddle in British affairs, with the warnings coming as Labour refused to brand Beijing a security threat. Read the full story here. 05:00pm Labour ministers face questions over Chinese spy case The Government is to make a statement in Parliament about the collapse of the Chinese spy case and the Britains relationship with Beijing. Dan Jarvis, the security minister, will announce new support from MI5 to protect MPs from foreign interference in the House of Commons. But Labour will face questions about why the case against alleged spies Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry collapsed in September, and which government officials were responsible. The Telegraph first revealed earlier this month that the case was abandoned because the Government refused to provide evidence that China was an enemy in court. PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "We see hundreds of marketing messages daily while driving, scrolling, opening the mail," said Jonathan Lebowitz, M.D., President of Princeton Radiology, which owns and operates imaging centers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. "When combined with rapidly spreading misinformation, it's difficult for potentially lifesaving facts to get through, especially when it comes to women." Women across New Jersey and Greater Philadelphia may encounter a surprising message from Princeton Radiology this month: "It's smart to go topless here once a year." The bold headline is the centerpiece of Princeton Radiology's Breast Cancer Awareness campaign to underscore a critical point: women 40 and over should stay current with potentially lifesaving screening mammograms in a climate of utilization rates that remain below their historical peak. Common misconceptions include fears that mammograms are dangerous, painful, or unreliable. Many are also unaware that potentially more lethal breast cancer can affect women in their 20s and 30s, often due to risk factors that warrant screening before age 40. "Misinformation can be countered," Dr. Lebowitz said. "Evocative campaigns have succeededfrom this year's 'Your Attention, Please' Super Bowl spot to a pharmaceutical ad featuring a patient who introduces herselfand then introduces her breasts. While controversial, these campaigns spotlight critical concerns in women's health care." Princeton Radiology's campaign, spanning digital and social media, community outreach, and referring physician education, uses a similarly evocative approach to highlight the lifesaving impact of early detection. "Too often, misunderstandings lead to skipped mammogramsand lives at risk," Dr. Lebowitz said. "We aim to spark conversation, clarify facts, and reiterate that annual screenings save lives." The campaign also emphasizes Princeton Radiology's SmartMamm, combining AI-assisted 3D mammography with breast density information and a Claus-model breast cancer risk assessment for personalized care at no additional cost. The practice also provides related online resources, including a risk calculator and breast density education. "Through this campaign, SmartMamm, and community outreach, we hope to empower women, their physicians, and their support networks with information supporting smart healthcare choices," Dr. Lebowitz said. About Princeton Radiology For over 65 years, Princeton Radiology has been a regional leader in diagnostic imaging, providing patients and physicians with cutting-edge technology and comprehensive diagnostic services. With multiple locations across New Jersey and now Pennsylvania, Princeton Radiology remains committed to enhancing healthcare through the highest standards of patient care and imaging excellence. For more information, visit PrincetonRadiology.com. Contact: Brigid Peterson Marketing Coordinator [email protected] SOURCE Princeton Radiology Under Right to Buy, council tenants can buy their home at a discount if they have lived there for at least three years (Getty) A London council purchased a home originally sold under Margaret Thatchers controversial Right to Buy scheme at almost four times its original cost, an investigation has found. Data obtained through freedom of information laws by the Big Issue shows that some former council tenants are making more than 200,000 on their homes as a result of increased property values. In one case, Hackney Council sold a property for 95,050 in 2014, only to buy it back for 365,000 in 2021, the report found. Data from 53 councils in England shows that they sold 20,836 homes under the Right to Buy scheme in the past five years, earning 2.25bn. However, the same councils bought 8,590 properties in that time, at a cost of 2.12bn. Analysis by the Big Issue suggests that more than half of these properties 4,414 of them had previously been sold under Right to Buy. Despite spending over 2bn on house purchases, the local authorities ended up with 12,246 fewer homes, the investigation found. Under Right to Buy, council tenants can buy their home at a discount if they have lived there for at least three years. The scheme, which was introduced by Thatcher when she was prime minister, has been blamed by housing charities and experts for fuelling the housing crisis and contributing to the dwindling stock of affordable homes. Data obtained through freedom of information laws by the Big Issue shows that in some cases, former council tenants are making more than 200,000 on their properties (Getty) The chair of parliaments housing select committee, Florence Eshalomi MP, said the findings were really worrying, especially when you look at the fact that across England, a number of councils are struggling in terms of day-to-day finances. She added: A number of those councils are facing budgetary pressures because of temporary accommodation costs. If we had these homes, people could be rehoused. In Isleworth, west London, a council tenant bought their home under Right to Buy for 272,662 in 2016. Just over six years later, in 2023, Hounslow Council re-purchased the home for 575,000 losing 302,338, the analysis found. Another property in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, was sold for 16,000 under the scheme in 2016, only for Cheshire West and Chester Council to buy it back for 170,000 in 2024. Nick Gallent, a professor of housing and planning at University College London, told the Big Issue: Weve always known that Right to Buy was the biggest sale of public infrastructure, at massive discount, that has ever been seen in the UK. This study appears to show very clearly that the housing that was sold should have been retained, hence local authorities are trying to buy it back to meet urgent needs at huge cost. According to the latest government data, there were 1.33 million households on waiting lists for a council home in March 2024 the highest the figure has been since 2014. A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: Local authorities see the long-term benefits from recent reforms of the Right to Buy scheme for boosting their stock of social housing, despite the sharp uptick in applications from people wanting to buy their council houses. Local government is central to addressing the housing crisis that the country is facing, and these reforms will help councils maintain their existing housing stock, as well as expanding. A spokesperson for the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: There are simply not enough social homes because of the housing crisis we inherited, and Right to Buy has directly contributed to this. That is why we are reforming the scheme to better protect social housing stock, and supporting councils to deliver new homes, including buying back properties sold under the Right to Buy. Cllr Guy Nicholson, cabinet member for housing management and regeneration at the London Borough of Hackney, said: Like all London boroughs, Hackney is facing a huge demand for homes. Around 8,500 households are on the housing waiting list, and rents in the private sector continue to rise to levels that for many are unaffordable. All London council budgets are under ever increasing pressure, primarily because of the demand for and costs of adult social care, childrens services and temporary accommodation. Despite this pressure, Hackney Council has been, and still is, delivering one of the countrys largest building programmes of new affordable council homes in a range of affordable tenures. But the scale of the demand for affordable homes means that the council cannot just rely on building new homes. Alongside this, the council also buys back homes that have been sold via the Right to Buy initiative. This buyback programme makes an important contribution to the supply and availability of council homes. But to do this requires significant sums of money, which can only be raised through drawing on central government and mayor of London grants to complement the councils own capital resources. How long we dreamt of this day: Joy and pain as families reunite across Israel and Palestine After two years of heartache and many failed ceasefires, the family of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal did not dare to believe their long nightmare was over. Seized at the Nova music festival during the bloody October 7 attack and held mostly in underground tunnels, the emaciated 24-year-old was filmed twice during his captivity once, cruelly, showing him watching someone else being given their freedom. But he was finally released on Monday one of 20 hostages freed after one of the bloodiest conflicts of this generation amid scenes of joy and deep pain for families across both Israel and Palestine. How long we have dreamt of this day, said his father Ilan, locked in a group family hug. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal (in black) is embraced by his family (Israeli Army/AFP/ Getty) In Tel Aviv, destroyed Gaza and the occupied West Bank, families were finally reunited, hugging and crying uncontrollably in scenes that would be repeated throughout the day. In a deal brokered by Donald Trump, all 20 living Israeli hostages and captives were released back to their families and nearly 2,000 Palestinians were freed from Israeli prisons. Among them were hundreds of Palestinians arrested in Gaza, who were sent back home to find only destruction and devastation. Despite gaping holes in the US presidents 20-point plan for peace, and huge questions of what will happen to Gaza, the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination, there were moments of real joy. Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped on 7 October by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Centre (Reuters) In Hostages Square, central Tel Aviv, thousands of supporters had gathered from midnight to await the moment they had been waiting two years for. Spontaneous dance parties broke out in the streets, and shortly after 8am, grainy images of those held started to appear on massive screens set up in the square. Thin, pale and mostly dressed in army fatigues, the now-familiar faces emerged from Red Cross vehicles and Israeli military helicopters into the sunlight. Loud cheers rang out whenever Mr Trump who spent a few hours in Israel being feted by an adoring audience at the Knesset before flying on to Egypt for a post-deal victory lap summit of peace appeared on the screens. Donald Trump poses for a photo with Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion airport (AP) He told Israeli lawmakers that theyve won, adding: Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. A grinning Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Mr Trump as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House, and he promised to work with him going forward. Protesters who have taken to the streets every weekend to call on the Israeli prime minister to agree to a ceasefire deal described the feeling as unbelievable. It wouldnt have happened if it was up to Netanyahu, says Diti, 27, as another round of releases was announced on the loudspeakers. Hopefully, we will have a normal country and peace. Hopefully, Palestinians in Gaza can return to their lives again we hope this is the beginning of peace. A freed Palestinian prisoner is greeted after he was released from an Israeli jail as part of the ceasefire deal (Reuters) In Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, families of the hundreds of released Palestinians also waited anxiously for news outside Israels notorious Ofer Prison. One mother who had not seen her son Nadir Dar Ahmed, sentenced to life in jail, for more than two years dropped to the floor, head to the ground in tears when the buses finally appeared. But their celebrations were curbed by Israeli security forces control. Palestinian families described soldiers raiding homes of relatives on the eve of their release, warning them not to celebrate and even smashing decorations and furniture laid out for guests in advance. Among those freed were over 150 life-sentence prisoners who were not permitted to go home but were deported to Egypt, Turkey or Qatar. Israel was reported to have imposed travel bans on a hundred relatives of the prisoners, effectively separating families. Even that didnt stop the moments of joy in central Ramallah. Weeping on the ground by the buses were the family of Dar Ahmed, released four years into a 20-year jail sentence for planning a stabbing in Jerusalem, an accusation he always denied. Freed Palestinian prisoners look out of a bus after they were released by Israel (Reuters) Its an indescribable feeling, says his sister Hidayah, explaining that the family had not seen him since the war began. In Gaza, frantic families descended on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, scouring prisoner lists for news of their missing loved ones. Of the roughly 1,700 Palestinians arrested in Gaza since 7 October, 22 were children. It is understood that all have been held without trial or conviction under the deeply controversial unlawful combatant law. The Independents own investigation into the treatment of Palestinian detainees revealed evidence of abuse, torture, sexual violence and even deaths in detention. Despite the destruction of the besieged enclave, which has been bombed into oblivion and where local authorities put the known death toll at 67,000, families still played patriotic songs, danced and cried when the first buses snaked through the crowds at 3pm. People survey the destruction after an Israeli strike on buildings and a mosque in Rafah, Gaza, in February last year (AP) At one point, one young man could be seen scaling the side of a bus and embracing a freed prisoner through the window of the moving vehicle. But it was not all joy. Naseem al-Radea from northern Gaza, 30, arrested and held without charge since December 2023, returned to find almost his entire family killed and his home destroyed. His wife, son, two daughters and mother-in-law all died in Israeli strikes. The only family left is his four-year-old daughter and his mother. I left the prison today thinking of my family and of meeting them, he said. Their image has never left my memory, and they were the first people I wished to meet. All the scenes of longing and meeting them have disappeared; all of that has become a mirage. I am now a prisoner of grief. This day has turned into a nightmare. My heart is filled with immeasurable pain. Michael John Edwards (Met Police) A man has been charged with manslaughter following the death of another man in Southwark last month. Metropolitan Police were called to reports of a disturbance involving a group of men in the early hours of September 13. Upon arrival, officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service found a man with serious injuries. He was rushed to hospital where he later died on September 17. The man has since been named as Michael John Edwards, 43, from Nuneaton in Warwickshire. His family continue to be supported by specialist officers. Lewis Macleod, 36, of Hadleigh Road, Sunderland, appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, where he was charged with manslaughter in connection with Michaels death. He had previously been charged with one count of causing grievous bodily harm. A trial will begin at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, 13 April 2026. Potential returners: Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Rayan Ait-Nouri (London Standard) Manchester City come out of the international break with reason to be positive about on the injury front. Pep Guardiolas side take on Everton on the return of the Premier League this weekend, as City look to move into the top four of the table. Rodri continued his comeback from his latest hamstring setback by playing some minutes for Spain, while those who have been sidelined for longer periods are nearing a return to action. Rayan Cherki was back amongst the substitutes for the 1-0 win at Brentford before the international break, and the French international will be a welcome returner for Guardiola, who will want as many bodies available to him as possible as we enter a busy window of the campaign. There is further good news around Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Abdukodir Khusanov, who could all be in line for a comeback. Heres all the latest Man City injury news... Rayan Ait-Nouri The summer signing from Wolves has been out since the home defeat by Tottenham back in August, and he has missed eight games on the spin with an ankle issue. The Algerian has been touted as being able to return after the international break, although he was not called up for his countrys most recent squad. Potential return date: Unknown Omar Marmoush The Egyptian is expected to return upon the ending of the international break, having been out for an extended period with a knee ligament injury. That was sustained playing for Egypt against Burkina Faso back in September, and Guardiola said that the forward would be back available before the October international window. That hasnt happened, but there is a positive air around Marmoush, who could be fit to face Everton this weekend. Potential return date: October 18, 2025 vs Everton (H) Abdukodir Khusanov Guardiola had ruled that versatile defender Khusanov would miss three games after he was withdrawn injured at half-time against Arsenal, where Gabriel Martinellis injury-time equaliser cancelled out Erling Haalands opener. The Uzbekistan international played at right-back that day, and has since been replaced in that position by both Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes. The recent win at Brentford was the third game that Khusanov has not been fit for, and he has not featured for his country either. That could mean he is working towards a potential comeback this weekend. Potential return date: October 18, 2025 vs Everton (H) Mrs Thatcher had a complicated relationship with the European Union, says her son Mark - Popperfoto Margaret Thatcher would have voted for Brexit to keep power at Westminster, says her son. Speaking on the 100th anniversary of his mothers birth, Sir Mark Thatcher hit back at claims that Britains first female prime minister would have been a Remainer. Thatcher, who died in 2013, backed the Keep Britain in Europe campaign during the 1975 vote on membership of the European Community, famously wearing a sweater featuring all the flags of the then-member states. During the EU referendum in 2016, Charles Powell, Thatchers former foreign policy aide, sparked anger among Brexiteers when he claimed that she was far too sensible to have backed Brexit. But Sir Mark suggested that while she had a complicated relationship with the EU, she would ultimately have voted to leave. Sir Mark rejects a referendum campaign claim that his mother would have voted Remain - Julian Simmonds He told the Sun newspaper: Whilst it was an economic community, she was wholly in support of it. She became less enthusiastic when it became a political union. The debate within her mind would have been, is the potential loss of economic benefits a price that she would afford to pay in respect of recovering our sovereignty over Parliament and the management of our own political and financial affairs. She was deeply conscious of the fact that our parliament has an extraordinary history going back hundreds of years, and she firmly believed that our parliament in Westminster should be the one that actually governs the nation, and not Brussels. Thatcher initially supported the 1986 Single European Market Act, in the belief that it would help to liberalise trade by removing non-tariff barriers between the 12 member states. However, just two years later, she delivered a scathing speech at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, which criticised the centralisation of power in the European community. She emphasised the importance of national identity in a public clash with European Commission president Jacques Delors, who was campaigning for increasing federalisation between member states. In 1990, the former prime minister delivered her famous No. No. No speech to the House of Commons in response to Delors proposals to make the European Parliament the democratic body of the EEC, the Commission the executive, and the Council of Ministers the Senate. Sir Mark suggested that his mother did not like the amalgamation of countries under an incoherent political union, such as the USSR - another reason she would have been a Brexiteer. He told the Sun: I always found it extraordinary that in time when the Soviet Union was collapsing ... because it was a large, multinational, amorphous mass of a wide range of nationalities and the countries there wanted their own representation, Europe was trying to do exactly the opposite, which was agglomerate all of the European countries together into a single amorphous mass. Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt have been awarded the Nobel prize in Economics Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt have been awarded the 2025 Nobel economics prize for "having explained innovation-driven economic growth," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. The American, French and Canadian economists will share the 11 million Swedish crowns (867,000/$1.1m) prize that comes with every Nobel award. The laureates have taught us that sustained growth cannot be taken for granted, the prize-awarding body said in a statement on Monday. Economic stagnation, not growth, has been the norm for most of human history. Their work shows that we must be aware of, and counteract, threats to continued growth. Mokyr is a professor at Northwestern University, in Evanston in the United States, while Aghion is professor at the College de France and Insead, in Paris, and at the London School of Economics and Political Science, in the UK. Howitt is a professor at Brown University, in Providence in the United States. Mokyr was awarded half the prize, with the other half being shared between Aghion and Howitt. Mokyr, 79, won one half of the prize "for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: European stocks rise as Trump takes sting out of fresh US-China trade spat Aghion, 69, and Howitt, 79, shared the other half "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction", it added. Mokyr "used historical sources as one means to uncover the causes of sustained growth becoming the new normal", the jury said in a statement. Aghion and Howitt then created a mathematical model for "creative destruction", which refers to the process "when a new and better product enters the market, the companies selling the older products lose out". The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said: "With the understanding of the mechanisms of creative destruction provided by the laureates and the follow-up research, we have a better chance to make sure growth can continue and be guided in the direction that benefits humankind." "I can't find the words to express what I feel," Aghion told reporters via telephone during the prize announcement. "I'm still speechless. It came really as a huge surprise," he continued. Speaking about what could risk upsetting growth, he mentioned the threats of steep tariffs introduced since US president Trump's return to the White House. "Openness is a driver of growth. Anything that gets in the way of openness is an obstacle to growth," Aghion said. The award is formally known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Instituted by the Swedish central bank in 1968, the award was created to honour Alfred Nobel, best known for his invention of dynamite and establishment of the five Nobel Prizes. Read more: Gold hits another record high on US-China trade war fears and Fed rate cut expectations The inaugural laureates of this award were Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen, who received the prize in 1969 for their pioneering contributions to the development of econometric models. Over the years, the prize has evolved into a cornerstone of economic scholarship, honouring key advancements in the field of economics. Last year, Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A. Robinson were awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics "for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has announced. The Nobel Committee praised the trio for explaining why societies with a poor rule of law and institutions that exploit the population do not generate growth or change for the better. The previous year, Claudia Goldin, a professor at Harvard University, was awarded the prize for her groundbreaking research on gender disparities in the workforce. Goldins work sheds light on the reasons behind the lower employment rates of women compared to men globally, as well as the wage gaps that persist even when women are employed. She was only the third woman among the 96 economists who have received the award since its inception. Despite the ongoing debate among Nobel purists regarding the economics prize's status some assert it is not a "true" Nobel Prize it is traditionally presented alongside the other Nobel honours on 10 December, the anniversary of Nobels passing in 1896. The youngest person to be awarded the prize was Esther Duflo, at the age of 46. Leonid Hurwicz was the oldest, at 90 years old. This past week, the latest Nobel laureates in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and peace were announced. The economics prize is always the last to be awarded and, like all other Nobel Prizes, is worth 11 million Swedish crowns. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage blamed Sir Keir Starmer after Britains youngest council leader was allegedly pushed in the street during a row. George Finch, 19, claims a suspect branded him a racist and fascist while he was out early on Friday. Farage told the Daily Mail: Im deeply upset that our young council leader was assaulted. The words used against him echo the Prime Ministers disgraceful attack on Reform during Labour conference week and wholly irresponsible comments from the leader of the Green Party. Labour hit back saying it was categorically incorrect to suggest Sir Keir or the party had in any way been responsible for the incident now being investigated by police. Finch, the teenage leader of Warwickshire County Council, claimed he and a female friend were physically attacked in Nuneaton town centre by a young man. They were then followed, it is said. The alleged attacker had been wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens, Finch alleged. George Finch, leader of Warwickshire County Council (Stefan Rousseau) (PA Wire) He said the incident didnt cause any lasting injury but came as a massive shock to me and my friend and was completely out of the blue, adding: Im extremely concerned about the state of political discourse in Britain. Reform UK activists at all levels are suffering intimidation and violence at the hands of left-wing instigators. The politicians they follow know this, but are willingly allowing it to happen. They have a duty to speak out and quell the increased threat faced by my friends and colleagues. A bitter row broke out after the Prime Minister branded Reform's immigration policies 'racist' and claimed Mr Farage was an 'enemy' of Britain during his Labour Party conference speech in September. On Monday, Reforms head of policy Zia Yusuf posted on X, formerly Twitter: The assailant shouted fascist, racist - exactly the language used by the Prime Minister and the leader of the Green Party. They know exactly what theyre doing. Last month Farage said Sir Keirs branding of Reform plans as racist will incite and encourage the radical left and directly threatens the safety of his campaigners as he accused the PM of descending into the gutter. Sir Keir said anyone who argues that people who have lived here for generations should now be deported is an enemy of Britain. Green Party leader, Zack Polanski, alleged Reform fascists plan to deport our friends, our neighbours, our family members. A Labour spokesman told the Mail: Violence, harassment or intimidation is completely unacceptable and has no place in our politics or our society. Any such incidents must be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. Warwickshire Police said: Officers are investigating an assault after we received a call at around 2am on Saturday, October 11, in which a man stated he had been pushed by another man in Nuneaton. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call 101, giving incident number 26 of 11 October. A Green Party spokesman added: There is no place for violence or intimidation in politics and using the disgraceful attack of a councillor to score cheap points is distasteful. The Green Party is committed to offering a message of hope to counter those looking to fuel division and hatred. And we will work to bring communities together and provide them with the investment they need to thrive. Labour were approached by the Standard for comment. The North East of England was the hotspot for buy-to-let investors in the third quarter of this year, according to a report. Investor activity is increasingly concentrated in northern England, where yields are higher and stamp duty costs are lower, property firm Hamptons said. It estimated that 28.4% of homes sold in the North East were bought by a landlord in the third quarter of 2025, compared with 8.0% in London, 7.1% in Scotland and 6.9% in Wales. Across Britain, the average rent for a newly-let home fell by 0.3% over the year to September down 4 per month from 1,402 to 1,398, Hamptons said. It said the fall marks a notable shift from annual growth of 4.2% recorded a year earlier. London drove the slowdown, with rents falling by 2.7% annually or 65 per month. By contrast, average rents across Britain for renewed contracts increased by 4.6% over the previous 12 months. The average renewal rent was 1,307 per month, surpassing the 1,300 per month mark for the first time, Hamptons said. Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons, said: Landlord purchases havent collapsed in the face of higher taxes and tighter regulation but they have shifted. New landlords have increasingly become an endangered species in markets across southern England, where big stamp duty bills and flatlining prices have nudged investors northwards. But in places like the North East, landlord activity remains close to all-time highs, showing that the buy-to-let market is adapting rather than retreating. The Hamptons lettings index uses data from the Connells Group to track changes to the cost of renting. The index is based on achieved rather than advertised rents. Here are the percentages of home sales where properties were bought by a landlord in the third quarter of 2025, according to Hamptons: London, 8.0% South East, 10.5% South West, 8.1% East of England, 8.2% East Midlands, 15.4% West Midlands, 13.1% North East, 28.4% North West, 13.3% Yorkshire and the Humber, 11.2% Scotland, 7.1%. Wales, 6.9% And here are average monthly rents on new lets in September, followed by the annual percentage increase or decrease, according to Hamptons: London, 2,332, minus 2.7% East of England, 1,227, 1.2% South East, 1,476, 0.6% South West, 1,294, 1.4% East Midlands, 1,015, 1.3% West Midlands, 1,095, 1.4% North East, 928, 2.1% North West, 1,052, 0.9% Yorkshire and the Humber, 954, 0.4% Wales, 864, minus 0.4% Scotland, 1,076, 2.2% The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing was held in Manchester (Google) A doctor in north London has been sanctioned after prescribing drugs to her boyfriend to help him lose weight while trying to hide her true identity. Dr Josevania Martins was handed a nine-month suspension by an independent medical tribunal earlier this month after prescribing Ozempic and Wegovy to a man, named only as Mr B, whom she was dating. During this relationship, she made efforts to conceal her status as a doctor, a tribunal heard. The panel found she had not only deceived colleagues but had gone as far as to invent the name of a clinic in order to maintain her story, even as she used her professional status to source the diabetic treatment drugs. Despite her ruse, in the two-month period when Mr B was prescribed the treatments which contain the appetite-suppressing chemical semaglitude Dr Martins wrote the prescription herself. But this did not arouse the mans suspicions. I thought that was some random doctor, he told the General Medical Council (GMC). It was only when Mr B realised Dr Martins was also using a fake name on dating apps that he raised concerns to the GMC. He later revealed that during the course of their relationship she never let [him] come to her house. The tribunal judged that she had invented the clinic to conceal her identity and her address from him. Dr Martins defended her actions, which she said were compassionate and in Mr Bs best interests because his need to lose weight was a medical emergency. According to GMC guidance, medical professionals must avoid prescribing for themselves or anyone they have close personal relationships with. Unlike Ozempic, Wegovy is approved by the NHS for weight loss. Dr Martins had asked to be kept anonymous and to be treated as a vulnerable witness during the process, but this was denied. The panel added that the doctor had hurt her unusual case by not apologising for her dishonesty, though accepted she showed genuine remorse later on. Yet while she went on to accept that her emotional involvement with Mr B had risked blurring her personal and professional life, Dr Martins insisted there was no doctor/patient relationship between them. She also said there was no evidence she meant to mislead anyone and denied that any of her actions amounted to serious misconduct. The tribunal disagreed, and suspended Dr Martins for nine months to protect the public and give her time to reflect. Dr Martins runs a private gynaecology and fertility clinic in Hampstead. Having practised medicine in the UK for more than three decades, until now she had enjoyed a long and unblemished career, the tribunal added. The 22 nuns who lived at the Bernaga Monastery were evacuated without any harm - Vigili del Fuoco More than 20 nuns were evacuated from a historic monastery in Italy after the building went up in flames. A huge fire tore through the 17th-century Bernaga Monastery, in La Valletta Brianza, near Milan, at the weekend. The 22 nuns who lived there were evacuated without any injuries, but priceless artworks and religious artefacts were destroyed. Nine firefighting teams were sent to attempt to extinguish the fire. Firefighting teams were dispatched to put out the blaze at the monastery, which was founded in 1628 Parts of the building are at risk of collapse The cost of the damage is likely to run into millions of euros, with parts of the building at risk of collapse. It is badly damaged. The roof has gone, and the stability of what remains needs to be assessed, said Father Emanuele Colombo, a Catholic priest. The fire, which broke out on Saturday, engulfed the entire building. Images released by the Italian fire service showed the structure ablaze against the night sky. The cost of the damage is set to run into millions of euros Marco Panzeri, the mayor of La Valletta Brianza, said it was a disaster, an immense, incalculable damage. He added that the blaze may have been caused by a short circuit. Drones were being used on Monday to assess the damage and to try to establish where the fire started. The monastery, founded in 1628, was where British-born Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Churchs first millennial saint, took his First Communion. The teenager, who was born in London but raised in Italy, created websites documenting miracles during his short life, before his death at the age of 15. He was canonised by Pope Leo XIV in an open-air Mass in St Peters Square last month. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Flux Capital, a leading venture capital fund founded by Los Angeles investor Ari Stiegler, today announced it has been named Allocator One's "Breakout Fund of the Year." The honor follows a competitive review of hundreds of emerging managers on the Allocator One platform and underscores Flux Capital's strong track record in portfolio construction, rigorous risk management, and commitment to transparent reporting. Allocator One serves as a critical fund of funds in the venture capital industry, by reviewing over 800 funds per year, and choosing the highest quality funds to invest in. As a platform they act as a filter for investors, provide tools for due diligence, document management, and performance monitoring. The "Breakout Fund of the Year" designation reflects strong performance metrics alongside operational quality evaluated through the platform's assessment process. The competition, which drew participation from hundreds of emerging venture capital fund managers seeking institutional and professional investor capital, judged participants on a combination of performance metrics, and operational capability. By winning this award, Flux Capital has demonstrated its ability to meet the stringent criteria set by institutional investors worldwide. "Today's venture market rewards discipline over hype," said Ari Stiegler, Founder of Flux Capital. "This award recognizes our focus on underwriting rigor, operational excellence, and delivering real outcomes for limited partnersnot just paper markups. We're grateful to our LPs, our portfolio founders, and the team whose work made this possible." Flux Capital invests in category-defining companies at the earliest stages, emphasizing repeatable sourcing, concentrated conviction, and active portfolio support to deliver differentiated results for its investors. This latest recognition further solidifies its position as a forward-thinking manager in the increasingly competitive alternative investment landscape. The firm plans to build on this momentum in 2026. About Flux Capital Flux Capital is a venture capital fund focused on delivering absolute returns through rigorous research and dynamic portfolio management. Founded by Ari Stiegler, the firm is committed to transparency, disciplined risk management, and fostering long-term partnerships with its investors. Contact: Ari Stiegler Flux Capital 619.985.1889 [email protected] SOURCE Flux Capital A reward of up to 20,000 has been offered for information relating to the murder of an innocent father who was shot dead in an east London car park last year. Hanif Redwood, 32, was killed outside the Factory 15 Bar in Linton Road, Barking, at around 4.35am on Sunday October 13, 2024. The father-of-two was leaving a party when he was shot dead while in the car park in the early hours of the morning. A post-mortem revealed he died from a single gunshot wound to the head. One year on, Met detectives are offering a significant reward for information that could lead to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person or people responsible. Mr Redwoods family continue to be supported by specialist officers. Hanif Redwood, 32 (Met Police) Hanifs mother said: Words cannot comprehend how I felt, and how I still feel. That's my baby, he's my baby boy and he's gone. As a family, we are utterly speechless and still at a loss one year on. I pray to God that we may get closure and justice for Hanif. Anyone who may have seen or heard anything unusual in the area, or who may have information that could assist with the investigation, please come forward. Even the smallest detail could be crucial in helping us understand what happened. Detective Inspector Emma Sharp, who is leading the investigation, said: We continue to support the family of innocent Hanif Redwood. His death devastated his family and friends, as well as many in the local community. Hanif was not the intended target. A year on from his murder, we are appealing for any new information. While we have made progress with our investigation, we still need those who know what happened to come forward. Someone must have seen or heard something, they must know why this shooting took place. No piece of information is too small, it could be the crucial clue that leads us to identify Hanifs murderer. We hope the reward of up to 20,000 will encourage anyone with information about this incident to come forward and help the investigation. Can you assist the police and help Hanifs family seek the justice they deserve?" A number of arrests have been made in relation to the investigation, however none of these have resulted in any charges. To provide information call 101 or message @MetCC on X, giving the reference 1295/13OCT24. You can also call the incident room on 0208 345 3715 quoting Op Burnham. To provide information anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They are an independent charity, separate from the police. They wont ask for your name and cant trace your call. Doug Chalmers, chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will head the new Ethics and Integrity Commission. Photograph: Gov.uk The much-criticised watchdog that scrutinises the jobs UK ministers can take after leaving office will be formally scrapped on Monday as part of a wider shake-up of the ethics structure in government. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), described by critics as fundamentally toothless, has been closed, a Cabinet Office announcement said, with its functions taken over by two existing regulators. At the same time, a new organisation called the Ethics and Integrity Commission will oversee the work of a series of other regulators, the centrepiece of what Keir Starmer has promised will be a robust new approach to government and to any ministerial misdeeds. Also from Monday, a previously announced ban on severance payments for ministers who lose their job after a serious breach of the ministerial code comes into force. In the change, first revealed by the Guardian in July, former ministers who take up new jobs in a serious breach of the rules for post-government appointments could be asked to hand back any severance payment. The standard severance payment for a departing minister is a quarter of their ministerial salary, as long as they are not given a new frontbench post within three weeks. For cabinet ministers this equates to just under 17,000. Under the new system, those who serve for fewer than six months will be expected to not take the payment, while those who get a new ministerial job within three months will be asked to not take a salary until the end of that three-month period. With Acoba abolished, Sir Laurie Magnus, Starmers independent adviser on ministerial standards, will adjudicate on job appointment rules for ex-ministers. The Civil Service Commission, which regulates recruitment into the civil service, will do this for former civil servants and government special advisers. The Ethics and Integrity Commission is, however, not an entirely new organisation, but takes on the work of the existing Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), which was tasked with giving the prime minister advice on broader ethical standards. The commission will be headed by the CSPLs existing chair, Doug Chalmers, a former soldier who ended his military career as deputy chief of defence staff. In a letter to Chalmers marking the new commission, Starmer said one of the organisations tasks should be to make sure ministers and civil servants help other public servants meet their responsibilities under the still-to-be-passed Hillsborough law, which obliges them to act with honesty and candour and avoid cover-ups. The announcement said: The prime minister has made clear public service is a privilege and is committed to showing how politics can be a force for good. The governments manifesto pledge to set the highest standards in public life to restore trust between the public and politics. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister of state for the Cabinet Office, said the Ethics and Integrity Commission will play a central role in ensuring the government delivers its pre-election promise to uphold the highest standards in public office. It remains to be seen how big an impact will come from a minor reorganisation of the framework for monitoring ethical standards, and the creation of a new, top-level watchdog, the job of which is not to enforce rules but to help make sure others to do so. As well as Magnuss office and the Civil Service Commission, other ethics-related bodies for public life include the parliamentary standard commissioner, parliaments Independent Complaints and Grievance Service, the House of Lords Appointments Commission, the Electoral Commission, the UK Parliamentary Standards Authority and the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists. 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Rachel Reeves has been warned against a tax raid on pensions and levying an annual wealth tax, as the chancellor weighs up options to fill a black hole of at least 30bn at the upcoming budget. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned that restricting income tax relief on pension contributions should be avoided and repeated its cautions against an annual wealth tax, which it says would penalise savers, or increasing stamp duty. Instead, they said the chancellor could raise tens of billions from tax reforms without breaking Labours manifesto pledges - but urged her to avoid half-baked fixes to Britains economic woes at the Budget. They also said a windfall tax on existing wealth, conducted through an unexpected and credibly one-off assessment of wealth, could be an economically efficient way to raise revenue, as it would be unlikely to change peoples future behaviour. Rachel Reeves is looking at different options to rescue Britains troubled finances (PA Wire) It comes after reports the government is considering a tax raid on wealthier individuals in order to balance the books at Novembers budget, amid warnings of a black hole estimated to be between 30 and 50 billion in the public finances as a result of sluggish productivity, U-turns and higher than expected interest payments. In a wide-ranging report, the IFS urged the chancellor to resist simply hiking rates without making other changes to an unfair and inefficient tax system. Among the options suggested by the IFS are: Ending capital gains tax relief on death, which allows for assets to be inherited without paying CGT on the increase in value over the deceased persons lifetime, to raise 2.3bn in 2029-30. Doubling council tax rates on the top two property bands to raise 4.4bn Reforming death duties to abolish the additional 175,000 tax-free allowance that can be used when passing on a primary residence to a direct descendant, raising around 6bn Increasing the bank levy and the bank surcharge, which taken together will already raise a total of 2.4bn in 2025-26. A one percentage point increase in the bank surcharge would raise around 0.4bn in 2029-30, the IFS said Tackling non-compliance to narrow a widening corporation tax gap between the amount of tax the government thinks should be paid and how much it actually collects The think tank says it would be possible for the chancellor to raise tens of billions of pounds a year more in revenue without breaking the letter of Labours manifesto promise not to increase the big three taxes but they admitted it would not be straightforward. Ms Reeves is facing increasing pressure to rescue the UKs troubled finances in the Budget, but Labour only has limited options as a result of the partys manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance contributions for working people. The IFS also called for a wider overhaul of the council tax system, arguing that banding is still based on the value of properties as of 1991 and must be updated to end a regressive and hard to justify rate structure. It said a good end goal would be to replace stamp duty on housing and council tax with a new recurrent property tax proportionate to updated values. Changing rates and thresholds is all very well, but unless the chancellor is willing to pursue genuine reform it will be taxpayers that shoulder the cost of her neglect, the report, which forms a chapter in the IFS wider budget assessment for 2025, says. Isaac Delestre, a senior research economist at the think tank and an author of the chapter, said Ms Reeves would have fallen short if she limits her ambition to a dash for revenue without wider reform. Almost any package of tax rises is likely to weigh on growth, but by tackling some of the inefficiency and unfairness in our existing tax system, the chancellor could limit the economic damage, he said. The last thing we need in November is directionless tinkering and half-baked fixes. There is an opportunity here. The chancellor should use this Budget to take real steps down the road towards a more rational tax system that is better geared to promoting the prosperity and well-being of taxpayers. Their report came after Treasury sources told the Telegraph the chancellor will target those with higher incomes or more wealth at the budget. But Sir Keirs cabinet is deeply divided on the issue, with senior ministers fearful further measures to target the rich in next months Budget could accelerate the wealth exodus from Britain. Cabinet ministers last week told the The Independent they believe Ms Reeves has already gone too far with measures targeting the wealthy and businesses, urging the chancellor to change course if she is to have any hope of achieving growth. They cited anti-aspiration measures such as the abolition of non-dom status and VAT on private school fees as key drivers of wealth away from the UK, saying they are harming this country. Further measures reportedly being considered include a property tax on high-value homes and a new bank profits tax. It is understood that officials currently believe the Office for Budget Responsibility will lower its forecasts for productivity growth, which would mean an extra 20bn worth of tax rises would be required. Another 5bn would be needed to pay for the governments decision to row back on welfare reforms earlier this year, while a further 5bn is thought to be needed to pay for higher than expected interest payments. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says tax on the UKs wealthiest households could be an economically efficient way for Rachel Reeves to raise funds - Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images Now that the party conference season is over, attention has fully turned to next months Budget and the regular lobbying that proceeds such events is in full swing. The latest takes the form of a set of tax recommendations from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The influential think tank urges the Chancellor to reject tax rate increases alone and instead consider reforms that would make any increases less damaging, putting forward several suggestions that it says would take steps towards a fairer and more growth-friendly tax system. This obviously sounds reasonable, attractive even. The whole idea that the Chancellor has only to reform the system to magic away the damage done by tax rises is an incredibly appealing political and economic concept. But if it sounds too good to be true, that is because it is. Higher taxes are higher taxes, however much you dress them up under the guise of fairness. And pushing the tax burden ever higher can never be growth friendly. Nowhere is this fundamental flaw in the IFSs pitch starker than in the suggestion that aligning overall tax rates across different forms of income would be growth friendly. Their report rightly points out that income is taxed differently depending on whether it is derived from employment, self-employment or by working as an owner-manager of a business. The fact that the latter two types of income are taxed at a lower rate is then ridiculously described as a tax penalty on employment. In the IFSs world, having lower rates of tax for the 4.3 million people in the UK who are self-employed has nothing to do with the fact that this is a riskier and far less secure form of work. Instead, it sets up the nations plumbers, electricians, cleaners, delivery drivers, hairdressers, personal trainers and thousands of others as tax dodgers holding back growth. Changing the way their income tax is levied or increasing their National Insurance contributions would be hugely damaging. Likewise, the couple of million people who have set up limited companies and therefore receive dividends as well as salaries arent the enemies of growth or fairness. The fact that dividends are taxed less than income is not an accident. Nor is it a tax penalty on those who perhaps do not pay such taxes. It is because dividends from owner-manager businesses are less regular and far more uncertain. Then there is capital gains tax. The IFS frames it simply as a way for the better off to lower their tax bill. The think tank similarly wants rates to be aligned with income tax. While a proposal to allow full tax deduction for any savings or investments would partially mitigate some of the negative consequences, raising capital against tax in such a way would still amount to a penalty on risk-taking. Somewhere between 70pc and 90pc of businesses fail. Setting one up is economically illogical already. Yet wealth creators do so for many different reasons. One of which is that in the unlikely event that they do succeed, they will get the lions share of the spoils not the taxman. If successful exits are taxed at the same rate as salaried income, then the potential upside to this incredible gamble collapses even if investments are tax deductible. Things would be even worse if Business Asset Disposal Relief were abolished. The result would be fewer start-ups, less innovation and less growth. The current lower rates on capital gains and dividends arent loopholes or mistakes; they are deliberate encouragements to take risk something the economy needs more of, not less. Finally, even though they reject the idea of a recurring wealth tax, the IFS argues that an unexpected and one-off levy on wealth would work. This really would be the final nail in the coffin for entrepreneurs in the UK. There isnt much that is one-off about the tax system. Just look at the freeze on fuel duty. Who is going to want to start a business if theres a chance their company could be raided in a one-off event at some point in the future? The IFS dismisses all these arguments by saying these different rates cannot be justified by differences in social security benefits or employment rights and are poorly targeted at incentivising entrepreneurship. But this displays a breathtaking misunderstanding of what it feels like not to have the benefits and security of a salaried job. You cannot accurately price in something as emotional as risk-taking, but our tax system should surely at least try. It is, after all, the foundation of economic growth. The Chancellor must ignore these calls for a damaging war on wealth creation. Any attempt to frame her tax rises as pro-growth reforms, as the IFS has suggested, will backfire for one simple reason: they would raise billions in additional revenue but straight from the pockets of the very people we need to grow the economy. The leader of a Reform UK-led council has vowed to lie in front of bulldozers to stop Ed Milibands net zero projects in the area. Several nationally significant infrastructure projects are planned for Lincolnshire, including solar farms and a corridor of pylons between Grimsby and Walpole, in Norfolk. Reform UK has been vocal about its opposition to net zero plans, which are being backed by the energy secretary Ed Miliband. While local councils do not have the power to stop such projects, Sean Matthews, the leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has promised to take drastic action to stop them going ahead in the area. Ed Miliband is hell-bent on destroying Lincolnshire with his energy developments but Im going to put my wellington boots on and lie down in front of his bulldozers, he told The Telegraph. I want a better environment for my grandchildren. Sean Matthews, the leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has promised to take drastic action to stop projects going ahead in the area (Lincolnshire County Council) He added: I dont know what Ed Miliband has got against Lincolnshire, but he seems determined to turn it from a beautiful rural county to an industrial wasteland of pylons and electricity factories. Its heartbreaking. About a quarter of Englands infrastructure and energy developments are being planned in Lincolnshire. It really strikes me that Ed Miliband is hell-bent on ruining our county. Mr Matthews, a former member of the Met Polices elite armed royal protection squad, said that while his opposition to net zero is genuine, he also acknowledged it was a vote-winner. Earlier this year, Mr Matthews joined Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice at a press conference in Lincolnshire, where he said he was starting a renewables war against Mr Miliband. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice (PA Wire) He said: We are basically going on a renewables war against Mr Miliband and his merry band of fellows, the eco-zealots. Mr Tice also wrote to energy companies, urging them not to invest in the latest round of green energy contracts. The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero said all projects are subject to rigorous planning processes, and the views of the local community must be taken into account. A spokesperson said: We are making the decisions our children and grandchildren depend on us to make. Families have seen their energy bills go through the roof due to our reliance on volatile gas markets controlled by dictators like Putin. Solar and an upgraded grid is central to our mission to become a clean energy superpower, delivering energy security so we can get bills down for good. Green groups have also warned that Reform should start thinking seriously about how to tackle climate change in the UK, and that there is no getting away from the need to develop the UKs energy system. A recent poll found that more than half of Reform UK voters approve of their pensions being invested in green energy despite the party launching a renewables war. A survey by YouGov found 79 per cent of voters overall are in favour of their pensions being invested in renewable energy, including 53 per cent of Reform UK supporters. The findings have led to claims that politicians who oppose investment in the sector have grossly misjudged voters views. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, says: To my Democratic friends: I am not going to vote to extend these subsidies. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/AP Lindsey Graham and Mark Kelly, respectively Republican and Democratic senators, have dug their heels in over the government shutdown which is now approaching two weeks, with the former saying that the closure will not push him to meet Democrats demands for a restoration of Obama-era healthcare subsidies. Graham said on NBC Newss Meet the Press on Sunday that he was in favor of the Senate voting to reopen the government and prepared to have a rational discussion with Democrats but not with the government shut down. Im willing to vote to open the government up tomorrow, Graham said. To my Democratic friends: I am not going to vote to extend these subsidies. Graham, speaking to Democrats, added: Its up to you. If you want to keep it shut down, fine. Its not going to change how I approach healthcare. The senators comments came as Vice-President JD Vance warned that permanent cuts to the federal workforce will only get deeper as the shutdown continues. Vance told Fox Newss Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures that the longer it goes on, Maria, the more significant theyre going to be. If you remember, we went nine days before announcing any significant layoffs. The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be, Vance continued. More than 4,000 federal workers have so far been identified for job terminations. The Senate has voted multiple times over the last two weeks on a stopgap funding measure but not enough Democrats have joined the proposal to reach a 60-vote threshold. Grahams comments may indicate a hardening approach to negotiations over healthcare subsidies with or without a functioning government. The subsidies were talking about here, Graham told NBC. If the [Obamas] Affordable Care Act is so affordable, why, every time I turn around, are we spending $350bn to keep it afloat? The dispute on the network continued with the Arizona senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat, criticizing Republicans for refusing to negotiate with Democrats. We need a real negotiation, and we need a fix. We need this corrected for the American people. This is for so many people their healthcare is running towards a cliff, and if we dont fix this, its going to go right over it, Kelly told host Kristen Welker on Meet the Press. Against increasing pressure to reach a deal, with both sides weighing the political cost of a lack of a resolution, the House speaker, Mike Johnson, said on Monday that Republicans had probably a hundred different ideas about how to fix it but we cant do that overnight. He said Democrats demands for a resolution to the healthcare subsidies issue without lengthy discussions were impossible and inappropriate. Its not a deliverable and they know it, Johnson said. They chose that issue because they thought it would sell well to the public and it would show they were fighting Trump. Its all a big facade and Im so frustrated by it. Maret Anne Sara in front of the 92ft-high display of 72 reindeer hides that features in her Tate Modern showcase - Tate Turbine Hall Seventy-two reindeer hides bound by electrical power cables greet visitors to Tate Modern. Like a peculiar, 92ft-high piece of rigging, or a macabre totem pole, this is one of two large sculptures in this years disappointing Hyundai Commission inside the gallerys Turbine Hall, an installation advocating ecological justice by the 41-year-old Sami artist Maret Anne Sara. Sara pits indigenous, or native, knowledge against Western science (which, a voiceover informs us, is motivated by the pursuit of control). Goavve-Geabbil, as Saras work is titled, foregrounds, in an uninspired fashion, the concerns of the indigenous Sami people, whose territory spans Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Seventy-two reindeer hides bound by electrical power cables greet visitors to Tate Modern - Joanna Chan/AP I dont doubt the perils faced by the Sami, whose reindeer-herding way of life is under threat thanks to climate change and, as a wall text puts it, Nordic colonisation. I do, though, bridle at art thats so baldly, unimaginatively issues-driven. A sense of wild creative force is absent. Instead, Sara (who attended the press view in traditional Sami dress, like a participant in a bygone worlds fair) provides a series of Instagram-friendly visuals that remind me of slick sets dreamed up for a lavish fashion show or concert. Or the sort of decor you find nowadays at those exorbitantly priced light trails that, when the temperature drops, pop up in the grounds of Britains stately homes. Maret Anne Sara provides a series of Instagram-friendly visuals that remind me of slick sets dreamed up for a lavish fashion show or concert - Sonal Bakrania/Tate After encountering Goavve-, that reindeer stairway to heaven by the gallerys west entrance, visitors pass down the ramp and underneath the halls bridge, before entering a maze. This is -Geabbil, a word that apparently, but not pithily, signifies the importance of adaptability and mutual support in the face of ongoing crisis. Palisades evoke the internal anatomy of a reindeers nose, which (fun fact) can heat air by 80C in a single second. Inside these enclosures which are fashioned from birch poles and decorated with reindeer skulls, as well as indentations evoking the patterns used for generations by Sami people to differentiate their herds visitors are invited to sit on benches covered with bristly hides and don headphones. The audio I heard was an essayistic celebration of indigenous knowledge and customs narrated by Sara, who says, at one point, that she likes to commune with nature. Saras installation features a maze, which signifies the importance of adaptability and mutual support in the face of ongoing crisis - Joanna Chan/AP Photo The installation advocates ecological justice - Joanna Chan/AP Otherwise, throughout the hall, a scene-setting soundscape is perceptible, consisting of random clangs, whistling gusts of wind, and mournful chanting showcasing joik (a traditional form of Sami singing). It sounds like atmosphere for a gloomy new Netflix series or a play, and intensifies the overarching sense of staginess. Supposedly, although I couldnt really detect anything (perhaps Ive caught my daughters cold), Saras installation also encompasses scent, including smells of fear and hope. In recent years, as demonstrated by the theme of the last Venice Biennale, Foreigners Everywhere, indigenous art has become a preoccupation for curators of contemporary art. There are 370 million indigenous peoples worldwide, according to Saras soundtrack. But, to me, Goavve-Geabbil feels sadly unambitious. Its too tame, too pat. Although it may appeal to those most worried by the climate emergency, it lacks any of the imaginative vitality, ferocity or mystery that often accompanies great art. Instead, its uncomfortably adjacent to the mise en scene of smooth, middlebrow theatre. Sami culture is captivating. What Tate needs, though, isnt a lesson about it, but a stronger work of art. The collapsed spy trial scandal has exposed the depth of the China problem for Britain and its governing classes. The Beijing Communist regime is considered one of the most dangerous threats to the UK and Western allies, sitting at the heart of a new axis of evil with Russia and Iran. But at the same time, it represents a tantalising pot of gold for the British and other Western governments to dip into to fund their debt-laden economies and pay for much-needed infrastructure. Prime minister Keir Starmer and Chinese president Xi Jinping at the G20 summit late last year (Getty) The spy trial scandal has lifted the lid on the alleged close links to Beijing of key figures in this and the previous government. It has played out against a backdrop of continued concerns over the treatment of political prisoners in Hong Kong, the operation of illegal Chinese courts in the UK. The spy trial controversy explained The prosecution of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher, collapsed last month amid allegations from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that the government refused to provide the evidence required to go ahead with the trial. Sir Keir Starmers defence was that the previous Tory government under Rishi Sunak had not put the right laws in place for there to be a trial because China had not been properly designated as a national security threat. National security adviser Jonathan Powell allegedly pushed for the spy trial case to be withdrawn (PA) The Sunday Times reported that the Treasury and national security adviser Jonathan Powell had pushed for the case to be withdrawn, for fear it could prompt economic giant China to withdraw investment in the UK. Downing Street has robustly denied suggestions that officials or ministers had taken any such approach. The Chinese super embassy All this is playing out on the eve of a decision on whether China will get permission to build its super embassy at the Royal Mint Court site in London. The suspicion is that Labour will give permission despite the protests against it, serious security concerns about it being used for spying, and ongoing issues about Chinese operations in the UK. If it goes ahead, many will be quick to link the spy trial issue and that of the new embassy, with the current government looking like the desire for China trade is trumping everything else. Is Labour too close to Beijing? The trial has again lifted the lid on links to the Beijing regime with Sir Keirs government. But his former ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, and his current national security adviser, Mr Powell, have had close ties on a business level with China. Labour MP Barry Gardiner received 500,000 in donations from a Chinese agent (PA) It does not end there, though. A key adviser to Sir Keir in opposition, Professor Thom Brooks of Durham University, was a freelance commentator for the Chinese propaganda channel CGTN. It had its licence withdrawn by Ofcom in 2021 over serious concerns about its activities. Meanwhile, this is far from the first spy controversy. Labour MP Barry Gardiner received 500,000 in donations from a Chinese agent, Christine Lee, and gave her access to parliament. Are the Tories to blame? Labour has pointed out that the issues with the trial in fact dated back to the previous Tory government under Mr Sunak and its policy. In fact, arguably, Labour has just continued the policy articulated by Sir James Cleverly when he was foreign secretary. He said: It is an important country, its a large country, an influential country and a complicated country, and therefore our relationship with China will necessarily be just as complicated and sophisticated. One could argue Labour has just continued the policy articulated by James Cleverly when he was foreign secretary (PA) We are clear-eyed about the areas where we have fundamental disagreements with China and we raise those issues when we meet. But I think its important to also recognise that we have to have a pragmatic, sensible working relationship with China because of the issues that affect us all around the globe. Sir Keir himself also questioned the suitability of Mr Cleverlys successor, David Cameron, as foreign secretary because of his business links with China. The end of the golden era? The problem is that the UK has not been able to find a sweet spot between friend and enemy over its relationship with Beijing. The Blair, Brown and Cameron governments turned a blind eye while British universities like Imperial College, Durham and Oxford courted China for funding, in doing so accepting massive influence from Beijing. In fact, Lord Camerons drive to increase trade ties with China while he was prime minister has since been dubbed a golden era. The failure to tackle the way China stole international copyright has been a problem. Then there was the attempt by the Cameron and Theresa May governments to allow China through Huawei to build the UKs 5G network and to be involved in building UK nuclear reactor capability. The Huawei deal collapsed largely thanks to the actions of former defence secretary Sir Gavin Williamson but only after a huge row in cabinet. Former defence secretary Gavin Williamson played a key part in the collapse of the government Huawei deal (PA) The argument, though, has always been that Chinese investment is crucial to allow projects to go forward, and cooperation with China is vital to tackle issues like the climate crisis. All the time, leading figures like Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former security minister Tom Tugendhat have been flagging up warnings about Chinas ambitions and agenda. To their disgust, the UK government has only voiced concerns about the treatment of Chinese dissidents, especially in Hong Kong. This included the detention of British citizen Jimmy Lai. The world has turned a blind eye to the desperate plight of the Uyghurs in internment camps, subject to sterilisation programmes and forced medical experiments. And the economic threat posed by China was underlined when Sir Keir had to effectively nationalise British Steel after a Chinese company was accused of trying to close down the plant in Scunthorpe. Britain and the West under siege But whatever the pros and cons of Chinese engagement, there is no doubt that the UK and the West are under siege. A senior Whitehall source told The Independent: We are at war but our governments past and present do not want to acknowledge it. Earlier this year, the UKs National Cyber Security Centre joined security bodies from more than a dozen countries in warning that organisations in crucial sectors should proactively hunt for activity by Chinese hackers and patch up weaknesses. Meanwhile, Beijing is underpinning Russias war in Ukraine and is quietly supportive of Irans efforts to spread international terrorism. A report by the intelligence and security committee outlined very serious concerns that have existential issues for the West. Yet it is understood that it is just gathering dust in Whitehall and not being acted upon. There is little doubt, according to sources on both sides of the Atlantic, that US worries about Chinese influence in the UK are harming security relations and information sharing. It is why Lord Mandelsons credentials were almost rejected by Donald Trump when he was proposed as the UKs ambassador to Washington DC. Sources have told The Independent that the China issue is coming to a head in Britain. A choice needs to be made soon, but the question may be whether the UK with its stagnant economy and high debt payments can afford outright hostility with Beijing. A campaign has been launched to encourage Londoners to become a friend to fellow passengers being harassed on the capitals public transport network. A hard-hitting film showing real-life examples of people being targeted on the bus, Tube and train platform is being shown from Monday in cinemas and on TV. Transport for London wants to encourage passengers to become active bystanders and use distraction techniques to help victims, or to offer support and information about what they have witnessed in the immediate aftermath of an incident. TfLs customer director Emma Strain said the aim was to encourage customers to act like a friend and know how to de-escalate threatening situations. A total of 679 hate crimes the vast majority based on the victims race, religion or sexual orientation - were reported to the police in the first half of 2025. Over the same period, 500 sexual offences and 271 cases of sexual harassment were also reported to the authorities. TfL says the overall crime rate on its services is very low, at 13.5 crimes reported for every million journeys. However, in the two years between 2022/23 and 2024/25, reports of sexual offences or harassment on the TfL network increased by 14 per cent, from 1,675 to 1,910 incidents. Over the same period, there was a nine per cent in passenger numbers. Of the offences recorded in 2024/25, 929 were on the Tube, 777 on buses, 100 on the Elizabeth line, 65 on the London Overground, 29 on the DLR and 10 on the Croydon tram. Real life event: one of the TfL campaign posters (TfL) Siwan Hayward, TfL's director of security policing enforcement, said: This campaign speaks to the very heart of our mission at TfL. We want every journey that is made in London to not only be safe but to feel safe. Every day, millions of journeys are made that are utterly forgettable and go without any incident at all. But we also know that, for many women and girls, and those in marginalised communities, it doesnt always feel that way. TfL is aware that sexual predators will target the Tube but says it is committed to making the transport network a hostile place for offenders. More than 2,000 police and police community support officers and 500 TfL enforcement officers patrol the network. TfL was unable to say how many of the crimes reported this year had resulted in arrests. Ms Hayward admitted the crime statistics were sobering and incomplete and added: These statistics dont tell the full story. Many victims, many of those targeted, never come forward. She added: There is a really significant ripple effect. If you witness crime or anti-social behaviour, that is going to impact on you, on wider communities, and contribute to fear of crime and fear of making journeys. Active bystander campaign: TfL wants to make the Tube safer (TfL) She said victims found their experience was worsened by the decision of bystanders not to intervene. TfL hopes its campaign will provide other passengers with the skills and confidence to de-escalate threatening situations and become active bystanders as long as they dont put themselves at risk. Ms Hayward said: Being an active bystander does not mean policing the network. It does not mean confronting the offender and putting yourself at risk we strongly discourage that. What it does mean is recognising when something isnt right and choosing some very simple, safe and supportive ways to support the individual being targeted. These small actions send a really powerful message about the standard and behaviours we expect on our network, and that those hateful, vile offences that we do see are categorically not accepted. It also helps the victim to feel that they are not alone, and that the offenders know that they are being watched. Its about building a culture where passengers choose to support rather than sitting in silence. How to 'act like a friend' on public transport Strike up a conversation with the person being targeted, ignoring the perpetrator if it is safe to do so. Speaking directly to the victim can provide a distraction and help defuse the situation Make a note of what is happening, (what line, station, bus number or Tube/train carriage number), what time it is, what the perpetrator looks like, what they're wearing and any other important details. Reporting what a person witnesses helps with the investigation and can stop it happening to someone else. Use these details to report what's happened. For Tube and rail, text British Transport Police on 61016. On buses call the Metropolitan Police on 101 or online at met.police.uk. In an emergency or if the suspect is still on scene, customers should call 999. Check whether the victim is OK. Assure them that what happened isn't OK, offer them support and let them know that you will report the incident too. This can make them feel less isolated and more confident to report it themselves. Speak to a member of TfL staff for help. Directly challenging the offender about their behaviour is risky and people need to assess the situation very carefully before speaking up. The initiative coincides with National Hate Crime Awareness Week, when TfL will hold awareness-raising events at Edmonton and Stratford bus stations, London Bridge Tube station and Euston and Waterloo train stations. Detective Chief Inspector Nia Mellor, of the British Transport Police, said efforts were being made to make it easier to report crime. We still recognise there is a huge issue around under-reporting, particularly sexual harassment and sexual offences, she said. She said the increase in hate crime does tend to correlate with world events. She said: There is no better time for us to be coming together in London and looking out for each other, and looking out for those behaviours that are not to be tolerated. England boss Thomas Tuchel says Marcus Rashford is not living up to his potential and warned him not to waste his career. Rashford is currently on loan at Barcelona, where he has scored three goals and produced five assists in 10 games, after several years of indifferent performances at Manchester United. The 27-year-old suggested his struggles which have been on and off the pitch were down to the changing surroundings at Old Trafford. In an interview with ITV, posted on social media on Monday and later deleted, he said: I feel like Ive been in an inconsistent environment for a very, very long time. Englands Marcus Rashford during a training session on Monday (Joe Giddens/PA) Tuchel, who called Rashford up out of the blue for his first squad in March, is yet to be fully convinced by the forward and wants more from him. I think that is the headline for him (consistency), the German said. To keep on pushing himself to the limit. I think the limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others. He has the potential but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports. You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis, that is what is demanded on this kind of level and that is the challenge for him. Its not a question of talent, its a question of whether he can prove the point at club and international level. This is his task, whether he starts for us or comes off the bench he has to constantly prove himself. He can be one of the best in the world because the quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head. He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air, so where are the limits? There are no limits but the numbers dont reach the potential, it is as easy as that. He need to push himself into goal involvements, that means goals and assists, it is as easy as that. Despite his promising start in Spain, which included two goals in a Champions League win at Newcastle, Tuchel has warned Rashford that his career is not yet saved. I think he is still on that, Tuchel said. He still has to make these decisions. He is still in that moment, he is still young enough to take the right decisions, and not let go. Jude Bellingham was not called up for England this month (Nick Potts/PA) Because otherwise he will be disappointed in 10 years at what could have been and what he made of it. Tuchel has raised eyebrows by excluding Jude Bellingham from the squad for this camp as he came back from shoulder surgery over the summer. The Real Madrid star was previously in a leadership group, which includes Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice and John Stones, and Tuchel says he would return to it should he be recalled in November. Asked if he would be back in it, Tuchel replied: I guess so. He was (in it) when he was in camp with us. If you want to call it a leadership group, they are the leaders, they are the drivers of this group at this moment. There is an ongoing thing. They behave like captains and they are like captains. They are at the moment the drivers of the standards, and the drivers of the mentality, and the drivers often on the pitch, so they are my captains. TAIPEI, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- InPsytech, a subsidiary of Egis Technology (6462.TWO) specializing in high-speed interface intellectual property (IP) development, announced today that it will participate in the Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit 2025, to be held in San Jose, California, from October 1316, 2025. At the event, InPsytech will showcase its latest 3nm UCIe high-speed interface technology demo, featuring support for the newest UCIe 3.0 standard, 3D packaging integration, and ultra-high-speed, low-power performance. This demonstration highlights InPsytech's advanced R&D capabilities in Chiplet interconnect technology and its role in supporting Egis Group's broader strategy in semiconductor design and heterogeneous integration. Industry-Leading 3nm 64G UCIe Technology High Speed, Low Power, Full UCIe 3.0 Support InPsytech has long focused on high-speed and low-power interface IP technologies. Its UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express) portfolio supports advanced process nodes from 22nm down to 2nm, optimized for 3nm production. The IP achieves data transfer rates up to 64 GT/s, while supporting 2.5D and 3D packaging architectures to enable high-efficiency chip-to-chip interconnects and heterogeneous integration. The showcased 3nm UCIe 3.0 demo fully complies with the latest UCIe 3.0 specification, demonstrating InPsytech's leadership in next-generation process technology and Chiplet ecosystem development. Collaborating with Alcor Micro to Advance the Arm Chiplet Ecosystem InPsytech's UCIe technology has been successfully adopted in Alcor Micro Corp.'s latest Arm-based CPU platform Mobius100 (CSS V3), which will also be featured at the OCP 2025 Summit. The platform is built on Arm Neoverse CSS architecture, supporting CPU die-to-die interconnects and flexible integration with GPUs, NPUs, and various AI accelerators driving advancements in heterogeneous computing and Chiplet design. Both InPsytech and Alcor Micro are members of the Arm Total Design (ATD) program, jointly fostering collaboration and innovation across the Arm Chiplet ecosystem. "We are proud to demonstrate our leadership in this field alongside Alcor Micro," said David Hsu, COO of InPsytech. "We have strong confidence in the future of UCIe within the Arm Chiplet ecosystem and believe that InPsytech's UCIe technology will accelerate Chiplet adoption, bringing new innovation and breakthroughs to the global semiconductor industry." Exhibition Details Event: OCP Global Summit 2025 Date: October 1316, 2025 Location: San Jose Convention Center, California, USA Exhibit Zone: Innovation Village Zone Showcase: 3nm UCIe 3.0 Demo (with 3D Package Support) Partner: Alcor Micro Corp. The mayor of Tower Hamlets has backed inclusive sport following a row over ban on women taking part in a charity run in the borough. East London Mosque has been accused of breaching the Equality Act, after it imposed the restrictions on the event held in Victoria Park on Sunday. The website claimed the event was family friendly and inclusive, open to men, boys of all ages and girls under the age of 12, adding everyone is welcome at the park to cheer on the runners. Prizes were presented by Tower Hamlets mayor, Lutfur Rahman, who referred to the event as a truly inspiring community effort. It was a pleasure to attend the prize-giving ceremony at the 12th Muslim Charity Run in Victoria Park, London, organised by the East London Mosque, he wrote. Over 1,600 runners of all ages and abilities participated, raising funds for 40 different charities a truly inspiring community effort! However, the post received backlash, with a number of people branding the entry requirements as sexist. Mr Rahman later said: We attended the event, which was also attended by the Labour Mayor and Deputy Mayor from the previous administration, to support charitable fundraising and it was assumed womens races were being held. The Council contacted East London Mosque to seek urgent clarification and the Mosque have said in their statement that womens races were not held at this event because of low take up but that they will organise womens races going forward and work to increase women's participation. Providing inclusive and accessible leisure and sport in Tower Hamlets and tackling barriers to women's health and fitness, has been one of my top priorities, which is why I brought our leisure centres back into public hands to make them more affordable and why I introduced free swimming lessons for all women and girls in the borough, as well as men over the age of 55, to tackle health inequalities." Baroness Gohir OBE, the chief executive of the Muslim Womens Network UK, said organisers were likely in breach of the Equality Act from barring women and girls over the age of 12 from participating. Aisha Ali-Khan, a human rights campaigner, also said the decision to ban women and girls under the age of 12 was wrong. Its wrong for the East London Mosque to ban women and girls over 12 from taking part in their annual park run. Being healthy and fit is a big part of Islam for all Muslims, not just the men! Another person wrote: Its deeply disappointing to see you celebrating an event that explicitly excluded women and girls over the age of 12. Community initiatives should bring people together, not reinforce discrimination. No event that excludes women should be celebrated by elected representatives. Equality and inclusion are fundamental British values, they must be non-negotiable and applied to everyone. President Donald Trump highlighted Jared Kushners contributions to the newly inaugurated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in a bizarrely tangential anecdote about his son-in-laws marriage to daughter Ivanka as he addressed Israels parliament Monday. Trump was roughly three quarters through an hourlong speech to the Knesset in Jerusalem when he began thanking his administrations negotiating team of Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for their work on the ceasefire. After hailing Witkoff as a great negotiator who was really good at real estate in the years before Trump tapped him as his roving presidential envoy, Trump turned his attention to Kushner, who was brought in to help close Israeli negotiators on the deal even though he has no official role in the presidents second administration. As Kushner looked on from a balcony above the Knesset floor, Trump said Kushner, whose family has had a long friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, truly loves Israel. In fact, he loves it so much that my daughter converted ... I didn't know this was going to happen, he said. Trump in his hourlong speech to the Knesset in Jerusalem Monday said son-in-law Jared Kushner loves Israel so much that my daughter converted ... I didn't know this was going to happen. (REUTERS) Kushner, who is an observant Jew, married Trumps oldest daughter Ivanka in 2009. She converted to Judaism under supervision of an Orthodox rabbi prior to the wedding. Turning to Netanyahu, he quipped that the development in Ivankas life was not in the cards for me before telling Knesset members that she and Kushner were so happy. At least, I think they're happy. If they're not, we have a big story, right? They have a great marriage, and they're they get along great. They're best friends. They have a very special relationship, he said. Kushners role in closing the long-awaited peace deal, which has resulted in the return of all 20 living hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 terror attacks, follows his work on a series of normalization agreements between Israel and several gulf Arab states known as the Abraham Accords. Trump added that Kushners work during his first term had been something very special. Donald Trump urged Israel to shift focus from waging war against Hamas to what he called the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity in the Middle East region as he became just the fifth American president on Monday to address the Knesset. In remarks to the Israeli parliament that were equal parts triumphant and rambling, he said the implementation of a ceasefire agreement and the return of the remaining living hostages marked the historic dawn of a new Middle East and an incredible triumph for Israel and the world. He also publicly urged Israeli president Isaac Herzog to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu on the breach of trust, bribery, and fraud charges he faces. However, Trumps remarks concentrated on the peace deal. Trump and Netanyahu in the Knesset on Monday (AP) Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, Trump said. As the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed, and the ashes clear from the air, the day breaks on a region transformed and a beautiful and much brighter future appears suddenly within our reach. He also hailed the implementation of the peace deal hed floated just weeks earlier alongside Netanyahu at the White House as not only the end of the two-year-old war, but the end of what he called the age of terror and death in favor of the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God. It will be the golden age of Israel, and the golden age of the Middle East, he added. The presidents remarks followed a rapturous reception as he entered the Knesset chamber, with members chanting his name as well as the name of his roving peace envoy, Steve Witkoff. Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, Witkoffs negotiating partner, also received a standing ovation. He spoke just hours after the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that all 20 of the remaining living hostages taken by Hamas were back in Israeli custody and on Israeli soil, ending more than two years of captivity, and just days after Israel finished the years-long bombing campaign against Gaza that has claimed roughly 70,000 lives. Released Israeli hostage Eitan Mor, centre, poses for a picture with his family (Israeli Army/AFP via Getty Image) After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace, he said. But he also cautioned the Israelis about renewing the military campaign that Netanyahu had insisted on carrying on despite international condemnation as the death toll mounted and famine spread in Gaza. Trump said Israel had won all that can be won by force of arms and instead called on the Knesset to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. Together, we have shown that Peace is not just a hope we can dream about, it is a reality we can build upon day by day, person by person, nation by nation, he said. At the same time, the president also urged the people of Gaza to abandon the violent ways of Hamas, which had led to two years of war. He said it had been made clear to everyone in the Middle East that decades of fomenting terrorism and extremism, jihadism and anti-Semitism had backfired completely and totally by delivering nothing but misery, suffering and failure in Gaza and Iran. He said Gazans total focus going forward should be on restoring the fundamentals of stability, safety, dignity, and economic development to have the better life their children deserve. It is more obvious than ever that the productive and responsible nations of this region should not be enemies or adversaries; you should be partners, and eventually even friends, he said. Security officials remove a Knesset member who interrupted Trumps speech (AP) Trump also said virtually the entire region of the Middle East had endorsed his plan, including provisions for Gaza to be immediately demilitarized with Hamas disarmed so Israels security will no longer be threatened in any way, shape or form in the future. Only by embracing the opportunities of this moment can we achieve our goal of ensuring that the horrors of recent years will never happen again, he said. Netanyahu, who spoke to the Knesset earlier after greeting Trump in Tel Aviv, said Trumps plan had opened the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region and said he was committed to the peace plan alongside Trump. Mr President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, Mr President, we will achieve this peace, he said while introducing the president, following Knesset speaker Amir Ohana and opposition leader Yair Lapid. Trump in the Knesset, Jerusalem, on Monday (Reuters) It remains to be seen whether Netanyahus commitment to the peace plan will hold. The Israeli PM had accepted an invitation from Egypts president to attend a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh but cancelled the trip. It became known that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas would attend as well, although Netanyahus office cited the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah as the reason for the reversal. The historic dawn Trump spoke of comes after a long series of fits and starts at pushing through a ceasefire across two White House administrations. For over two years, there were multiple attempts brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to push through a comprehensive ceasefire deal to secure the release of all hostages and captives from Gaza and bring an end to the devastating war. A freed Palestinian man is greeted by friends and relatives in Ramallah (Reuters) Two truces at the end of 2023 and the start of 2025 both ultimately collapsed, leading to a return of the unprecedented slaughter in Gaza and the deaths of additional hostages in captivity. In September, in the wake of Israels bombing of Qatar which threatened to drag the entire Middle East deeper into region-wide conflict Trump proposed a 20-point peace plan he claimed would be the breakthrough. If the truce holds, the remains of 350 slain Palestinians currently held by Israel will also be returned. In tandem, the deal includes the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces to the yellow line, which still leaves Israel in control of more than 50 per cent of the enclave, but has seen troops leave populated areas such as Gaza City. This has allowed tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to the devastated remains of their homes. The plan also calls for a surge in badly needed aid to the tiny territory, where the UN-backed global hunger monitor has concluded that famine is already unfolding. Early in the morning, before Trumps address, Hamas began the transfer of the remaining 20 living hostages, who were seen being handed over to the Red Cross before being transferred into Israel and flown to hospitals to be reunited with their families. Shortly afterwards, busloads of Palestinian detainees began leaving Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where they were reunited with their families in Ramallah. If this section of the peace deal holds, negotiations for phase two will begin, which should include a further withdrawal of Israel forces, the disarmament of Hamas, a transitional authority of technocrats that will take over the running of Gaza, and an international stabilization force to run security. Letitia James speaks at a campaign rally for Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor - Angelina Katsanis/Reuters Letitia James, a long-time foe of Donald Trump, has headlined a rally for Zohran Mamdani in her first public appearance since being charged with mortgage fraud. The New York attorney general was indicted by a federal grand jury just weeks after Mr Trump publicly called for charges to be brought against her. The rally on Monday night brought together two of the US presidents staunchest opponents in his home state of New York for what Mr Mamdanis aides have said represented the breadth and depth of his coalition. Mr Mamdani, a New York mayoral candidate, holds a double-digit lead over his closest rival, Andrew Cuomo the former New York governor, and is launching a voter registration drive ahead of the election on Nov 4. The rally is set to focus on a vision for a more affordable New York for all residents, regardless of their race, means, or political beliefs. In front of thousands of New Yorkers, the campaign will say goodbye to the broken, billionaire-funded status quo and build a future politics where everyone can afford to live a dignified life, Dora Pekec, a spokeswoman for Mr Mamdani, told The New York Times. Zohran Mamdani, who holds a double-digit lead over his closest rival, speaks at a campaign rally in New York on Monday - Ted Shaffrey/AP Ms Jamess indictment has served as a rallying cry for Democrats who claim the charges against her are politically motivated, and are a result of her feud with the president. In 2018, when campaigning for New York attorney general, Ms James promised to shine a bright light into every dark corner of Mr Trumps real estate dealings. [Mr Trump] should know that we here in New York and I, in particular we are not scared of you, she warned on the night she was elected. Her indictment came just over two weeks after Mr Trump fired Erik Siebert from his role as United States attorney for the eastern district of Virginia for failing to bring charges and replaced him with Lindsey Halligan, one of the presidents personal lawyers. Days after Ms Halligan was installed, James Comey, another political foe of the president, was charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements to Congress. Mr Mamdani has been one of Ms Jamess staunchest defenders, condemning the indictment on Friday and leading crowds in chants of hands off Tish at a rally on the evening of her indictment. We say to Donald Trump that if you want to get to the attorney general, you are going to have to get through every single one of us, Mr Mamdani said. Ms Jamess campaign for re-election has been flooded with donations since the indictment was announced, raising $1m (750,000) since Thursday, 80 per cent of it from new donors, a source close to the attorney general told The New York Times. Ms James has said her prosecution is politically motiviated - SARAH YENESEL/EPA/Shutterstock Despite listing Mr Mamdani third on her ranked-choice ballot for the Democratic primary, Ms James has since emerged as one of his most powerful backers, comparing the 33-year-old Democrats rise to Barack Obamas first presidential run. Ms James is viewed as a bridge between moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party and could crucially sway black voters, whom Mr Mamdani struggled to win over in Junes primary. In the citys black neighbourhoods, he won less than 30 per cent of the vote, according to New York Times analysis. Speaking to CNN on Friday, Mr Mamdani called the indictment against Ms James a weaponisation of justice. He added that the Trump administration was targeting her as somebody who has put the city, the state, the people of it, first. Since Mr Mamdanis primary win, his Left-wing policies have frequently placed him in the crosshairs of the president, who has called the Democrat a communist lunatic and threatened to deport him. The mayoral candidate, who calls himself a Democratic socialist, has advocated for rent controls and state-owned grocery stores. He has also previously backed calls to defund the police, a position he has since rowed back on. The charges against Ms James centre on her purchase of a house in Virginia in 2020, on which prosecutors claim she saved tax by listing it as a second home, then renting it out. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Norfolk, Virginia, on Oct 24. Last month, Mr Trump directed Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, to pursue charges against Ms James, Mr Comey and Adam Schiff, a Democratic Senator, in a since-deleted social media post. We cant delay any longer, its killing our reputation and credibility, he wrote on Truth Social. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), over nothing. Justice must be served, now! Abbe Lowell, Ms Jamess attorney, said she would fight these charges in every process allowed in the law. Mr Lowell added: We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trumps desire for revenge. This is nothing more than a continuation of the presidents desperate weaponisation of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as a New York state attorney general, Ms James said in a statement. Donald Trump arrived in Israel to meet the families of returning hostages on Monday as Hamas released its first captives under a U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement. The U.S. president landed at Ben Gurion International Airport at 9.45 am local time, met by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog. Speaking to reporters at the back of Air Force One, Trump hailed his own role in the ceasefire agreement, saying that people were dancing in the streets, brushing off a question about a crowd in Israel booing Netanyahu on Saturday. Everybody is happy, whether its Jews or Muslims or the Arab countries, every country is dancing in the streets, he said. Its a point in time I dont think youll ever see it again. Theyve never seen it in 3,000 years. Israel rolled out the red carpet for the U.S. president, who briefly greeted Israeli officials on the tarmac as a military band played before leaving in a large motorcade. Donald Trump greets Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after landing (AP) President Donald Trump flanked by Isaac Herzog (L) and Benjamin Netanyahu (R) on Monday (AP) Key American figures there to meet him included special envoy Steve Witkoff, advisor Jared Kushner and Trumps daughter, Ivanka. Trump is expected to meet the families of hostages with Netanyahu at the Knesset before addressing the Israeli parliament and leaving early on Monday afternoon. He is set for a hero's welcome when he addresses Israel's parliament. Red MAGA-Style hats branded with TRUMP THE PEACE PRESIDENT were handed out ahead of his address on Monday, POLITICO reported. Trump will also be awarded Israels highest civilian honour later this year, Israel's President Isaac Herzog said. Later on Monday, Trump will co-host a peace summit of more than 20 world leaders with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in Sharm el-Sheikh. The visit comes as Hamas said on Monday that it had handed over all living hostages, in line with a delicate ceasefire agreement made with Israel last week. Donald Trump gestures after touching down at Ben Gurion airport on Monday (AFP via Getty Images) Air Force One touches down at Ben Gurion International Airport (Sky News) Trump heralded the progress towards peace as he made his way to Israel, though concerns remain around vague details and phases yet to be agreed. He said his so-called Board of Peace to help govern Gaza would be established very quickly. He also spoke to reporters about the prospect of former British prime minister Tony Blair having a role in overseeing a transitional government in Gaza. First I want to find out that Tony would be popular because I just dont know that, the US president told reporters on Air Force One. I like Tony, Ive always liked Tony, but I want to find out that hes an acceptable choice to everybody. "The war is over," Trump told reporters as he flew from Washington to Israel on Sunday. Asked about prospects for the region, he said: "I think it's going to normalise." Trump meets with Netanyahu and Herzog after stepping off the plane (Sky News) Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre, right) and president Isaac Herzog (centre, left) await Trumps arrival (Sky News) As Trump disembarked from Air Force One on Monday, a convoy of vehicles carried into Israel the first hostages released by Hamas as part of the deal. The first phase of the deal includes the release of 48 people held for the course of the two-year conflict, which erupted during Hamas October 7, 2023 incursion into southern Israel. Progress towards a lasting peace now hinges on global commitments that may be taken up at the Sharm el-Sheikh resort. Sir Keir Starmer landed in Egypt on Sunday ahead of the summit. Israel will not send a representative, Netanyahu said on Sunday. People react in Hostages Square, Israel as news emerged of the release of the first hostages (REUTERS) The Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday it was anticipating the signing of a document ending the war in Gaza at the historic gathering in Egypt. A ceasefire came into effect on Friday with the withdrawal of the Israeli military to an agreed line in Gaza, making way for thousands of displaced Palestinians to begin the long walk home. The ceasefires implementation gave Hamas 72 hours to release all hostages, alive and deceased, under the agreement. More follows on this breaking news story.... At the summit co-hosted with Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh, Trump said phase two of his Gaza plan was already under way. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/PA Donald Trump has vowed to use the power of his presidency to ensure that Israel recognises it has achieved all that it can by force of arms, and begin an age of cooperation in the Middle East that may ultimately extend as far as peace with Iran. In a speech to the Israeli Knesset, made hours after the last remaining Israeli hostages were released from Gaza, Trump hailed the historic dawn of a new Middle East and an end to the long and painful nightmare of the Gaza war. This is not only the end of war this is the end of an age of terror and death, the US president said. Israel, with our help, has won all that it can by force of arms. Now its time to translate those victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. Repeatedly insisting that Israels military victory was complete, Trumps remarks were intended as a reassurance to Arab states that he would neither allow Israel to reopen the conflict with Hamas nor permit Hamas to re-establish itself inside Gaza. Trump then flew to Egypt to take the message of optimism to a summit of more than 20 world leaders dedicated to endorsing his peace plan, the rebuilding of Gaza and a limited form of Palestinian self-rule. The guarantors of the peace agreement the US, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt also signed a comprehensive document setting out their responsibilities in ensuring peace, and an eventual path to Palestinian self-rule. The summit was jointly hosted by Trump and the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. At the opening of the summit, Trump told reporters that phase two of his Gaza plan, concerning the reconstruction of the strip, was already under way. He told reporters: Phase two has already started. The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other. You can start cleaning up. You look at Gaza, its a lot of clean-up. The US is already asking wealthy Arab states to commit large sums to Gaza, a place he described as debris times 10. Estimates for the reconstruction costs have reached more than $30bn. A confident Trump predicted: Gaza will be demobilised, Hamas will be disarmed, and Israels security will no longer be threatened. The US president also sent out a thinly coded message that Israel had been losing public support due to its reliance on force. He said: There was getting to be a period of time over the last few months when the world wanted peace and Israel wanted peace. If you had gone on for another three or four more years, keeping fighting, fighting, fighting, it was getting bad, it was getting heated. So the timing of this is brilliant. I said: Bibi [referring to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu], you will be remembered for this far more than if you kept the thing going, going kill, kill, kill. Trump also indicated he was going to put pressure on Arab states to sign the Abraham accords quickly and without games. The accords require Arab states to recognise Israel. Iran, he insisted, was also ready for peace. European diplomats are privately warning that the speed of the ceasefire means plans for an international stabilisation force and a Palestinian civil police force need to be accelerated if proposals for Hamas to be disarmed are to bear fruit. Hamas, which has governed Gaza alone since 2007, has said it is willing not to be part of the new technocratic government of Gaza, but has insisted it will only disarm on certain conditions to a Palestinian-led force. Israel has said it will not withdraw the Israel Defense Forces further from its current positions inside Gaza so long as Gazas network of tunnels and guns remain under the control of Hamas. France, the US and the UK have said they are willing to act as backstops to the international force, but it is recognised that the forces credibility stems from troops coming from Muslim countries such as Indonesia and Turkey, two countries that attended the summit. France is also pressing for the force to be given a UN mandate, similar to that of the UN force in Lebanon. A separate Palestinian National Authority civilian police force has also been trained, mainly in Egypt and Jordan, to enter Gaza, but French diplomatic sources said that, unless it is deployed rapidly, it risks finding itself in conflict with a resurgent Hamas. Neither Hamas nor Netanyahu attended the summit. Trump insisted he would play his part in the future of Palestine by chairing the board of peace that will supervise the vast reconstruction programme and oversee a largely Palestinian technocratic government. He added that he wanted Sisi to sit on the board, but said he was testing opinion in the region to see if there was support for Sir Tony Blair to be on it as well. Trump, for the first time in eight years, met with the Palestinian National Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, shaking his hand and giving a thumbs up sign. Only a fortnight ago, Trump had banned Abbas from New York and the UN general assembly. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, one of the politicians most involved in keeping the two-state solution alive, said on arriving in Egypt that Abbass attendance was a very good signal Its a recognition of the role the Palestinian Authority has to play as a legitimate entity. On the questions of governance, we will have a particular role to be by the side of the Palestinian Authority and to ensure it plays its part, and also that it conducts reforms for the day after. The authority has promised to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within a year. Macron also called for the position of the West Bank, which is the subject of accelerated settlements by Israel, not to be forgotten and for continuing efforts to create a formal Palestinian state alongside Israel. We must make the connection between Gaza and the West Bank and ensure that there is a path to two states, the only political perspective that truly allows for lasting peace, he said. On the security front, Macron indicated that the Europeans would step up the training of Palestinian police officers in Gaza, but that France would not participate directly in the stabilisation force that is to be put in place. There is a consensus to have especially regional forces and perhaps contributions from certain countries like Indonesia, he said. These countries, however, are asking that this be done within an international framework that is, at the UN. France will also co-organise a conference on humanitarian aid to Gaza with Egypt, which it will host in the coming weeks, Macron also specified. There is no proper business case for making these redundancies. TikToks revenues are booming with a 40% increase for the UK and Europe alone, the letter says. Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters Trade unions and online safety experts have urged MPs to investigate TikToks plans to make hundreds of jobs for UK-based content moderators redundant. The video app company is planning 439 redundancies in its trust and safety team in London, leading to warnings that the jobs losses will have implications for online safety. The Trades Union Congress, Communication Workers Union and leading figures in online safety have signed an open letter to Chi Onwurah MP, the Labour chair of the science, innovation and technology committee, calling for an investigation into the proposals. The letter warns the cuts could expose children to harmful content, citing estimates from the UKs data watchdog that up to 1.4 million TikTok users are under 13. TikTok has more than 30 million UK users. These safety-critical workers are the frontline of protecting users and communities from deepfakes, toxicity and abuse, the letter said. It also claims that TikTok is looking to replace the moderators with artificial intelligence-driven systems and with workers in countries such as Kenya and the Philippines. The signatories also accuse Chinese-owned TikTok of union-busting by announcing the job cuts eight days before workers were due to vote on union recognition with the CWUs tech branch. There is no proper business case for making these redundancies. TikToks revenues are booming with a 40% increase for the UK and Europe alone, the letter said. Yet the company has decided to cut corners. We believe this decision is an act of union-busting at the cost of workers rights, user safety and the integrity of online information. The letter is also signed by Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, a British teenager who took her own life after viewing harmful content online, the Meta whistleblower Arturo Bejar and Sonia Livingstone, a professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics. It asks the committee to examine the implications of the redundancies for online safety and workers rights and what legislative steps can be taken to prevent offshoring of content moderation or replacing human moderators with AI. Asked to comment on the letter, Onwurah said the jobs cut plans indicated that TikToks commitment to content moderation was under review, which given the clear role that the recommendation algorithms used by TikTok and other platforms play in exposing users to large volumes of harmful and misleading content is a matter of significant concern. Onwurah said the planned redundancies jarred with TikToks recent appearance in front of her committee in which the company outlined its commitment to keeping the platform safe in terms of financial investment and personnel. She said: TikTok told the committee of its commitment to upholding the highest standards in protecting both its users and its employees. How does this announcement align with that commitment? A TikTok spokesperson said: We strongly reject these claims. We are continuing a reorganisation that we started last year to strengthen our global operating model for Trust and Safety, including concentrating our operations in fewer locations globally, ensuring we maximise effectiveness and speed as we evolve this critical function for the company with the benefit of technological advancements. According to TikTok, the company has been engaging with the CWU voluntarily and has offered to continue discussions with the union once the current redundancy consultation has concluded. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject, you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select Secure Messaging. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post If you can safely use the Tor network without being observed or monitored, you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform. Finally, our guide at theguardian.com/tips lists several ways to contact us securely, and discusses the pros and cons of each. Donald Trump has threatened to send longe-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Vladimir Putin does not end his invasion. I might talk to him [Putin]. I might say, look, if this war is not going to get settled, Im going to send them Tomahawks, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to the Middle East. The US president said Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked for Tomahawks in a call on Saturday when they were discussing a fresh supply of weapons for Kyiv. Tomahawks are a new step of aggression, added Trump. Do they [Russian forces] want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I dont think so. Trump has been mulling potential supplies of the long-range missiles to Kyiv via European allies ever since his meeting with Putin in Alaska in August failed to produce a peace deal. Putin has previously warned against supplying Kyiv with Tomahawks, saying it would be a major escalation and affect relations between Washington and Moscow. Trump said last week that he has sort of made a decision on whether to send Tomahawks to Ukraine, without elaborating. Zelenskyy said we will see when asked on Fox News whether Trump had approved the supply of Tomahawks. After his call with the US president, Zelenskyy told the Sunday Briefing: We work on it And Im waiting for president to yes. Of course we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see. He said Friday that he was in talks with US officials about the possible provision of various long-range precision-strike weapons, including Tomahawks and more ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. A senior Ukrainian delegation is set to visit the US this week. Moscow expressed extreme concern over the US potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in remarks published on Sunday that the topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern. Now is really a very dramatic moment in terms of the fact that tensions are escalating from all sides, he told Russian state media. Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, also said in comments released on Sunday that he doubted the US would provide Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles. I think we need to calm down in this regard. Our friend Donald sometimes he takes a more forceful approach, and then, his tactic is to let go a little and step back. Therefore, we shouldnt take this literally, as if its going to fly tomorrow, Lukashenko told Russian state media. Russia attacked Ukraines power grid, part of a campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter. Kyiv regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said two employees of Ukraines largest private energy company, DTEK, were wounded in Russian strikes on a substation. Ukraines energy ministry said that infrastructure was also targeted in the regions of Donetsk, Odesa and Chernihiv. Russia continues its aerial terror against our cities and communities, intensifying strikes on our energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy wrote on X, saying that Russia had launched more than 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and around 1,360 glide bombs over the past week. Ukraines energy sector has been a key battleground since Russia launched its fullscale invasion more than three years ago. Zelenskyy called for tighter secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil. Sanctions, tariffs, and joint actions against the buyers of Russian oil those who finance this war must all remain on the table, he wrote, adding he had a very productive phone call with Trump, in which they discussed strengthening Ukraines air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities, along with details related to the energy sector. Their discussion followed an earlier conversation on Saturday, Zelenskyy said, during which the leaders agreed on Sundays topics. A powerful nor'easter brings coastal flooding to the Jersey Shore on Sunday afternoon, with high tide sending water into streets in Avalon, New Jersey. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images New Jersey and parts of New York City were under a state of emergency on Monday as slow-moving noreaster moved up the easter US seaboard, while in western Alaska remnants of Typhoon Halong lashed coastal hamlets and ripped houses off their foundations. In Alaska, rescue aircraft were sent to the villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where there were reports of up to 20 people possibly unaccounted for. We have received reports that peoples homes have floated away and that people were potentially in those homes, Zidek, a spokesperson for the state division of homeland security and emergency management, told the Associated Press. The area is among one of the most isolated in the US, where some communities have few roads and residents use boardwalks, boats and snowmobiles to get around, Zidek said. The Alaska governor, Mike Dunleavy, extended a disaster declaration to communities in the Yupitt, Pribilof Island and Lower Kuskokwim education districts. Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm. Help is on the way, Dunleavy said in a statement on X. Separately, the storm making its way up the east coast prompted flooding and high winds in coastal areas from the Carolinas to New England. In Delaware, emergency management officials activated the state national guard in response to rising floodwaters and harsh winds. In North Carolinas Outer Banks, seawater washed over highway 12 at a motel near Buxton. Flooding was reported as widespread in Georgetown county in South Carolina, where several motorists had to be rescued when rising water; in Charleston, many downtown streets were closed because of rising waters; and in Myrtle Beach, heavy rain overwhelmed that citys stormwater system. Please be safe and stay home, if possible, Myrtle Beach officials posted on Facebook. As the storm moved up to the coast, all of New Jersey was placed under a state of emergency. The New York governor, Kathy Hochul, issued a similar declaration for eight southern counties, urging people to monitor forecasts and avoid travel. The National Weather Service placed New York City, Long Island and southern Westchester county under a coastal flood warning and wind advisory through at least Monday afternoon. The emergency declaration, which included the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester county, forced the cancellation of the annual Columbus Day parade in Manhattan, news outlets reported. Among the areas hardest hit were coastal areas of suburban Long Island, where up to 3in of rain and winds packing peak gusts of 45 to 50 mph inland away from the shore, and 55 to 60 mph on the coast. The highest tides and worst of the coastal flooding along the Jersey Shore are expected Monday afternoon. Gusty winds from the north-east can push in tremendous amounts of water into bays and inlets, AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said. This storm may create some of the highest tides that the north-east has seen in more than a decade. Some beaches may be completely underwater as this storm passes off the coast, he added. This storm may not have a name, but it is causing some serious problems and disruptions along the coast. Police in Nassau and Suffolk counties said they had received calls about downed tree limbs but no reports of injuries or any significant road closures. Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy said the village received nuisance flooding and experienced extra high tides. Ghislaine Maxwells unexpected arrival at a cushy Texas prison this August has left other inmates unsettled, with some claiming it seems that she receives preferential treatment, according to a report. Maxwells arrival at Bryan Federal Prison Camp, a minimum-security facility known for its relatively relaxed environment, has drastically disrupted the daily lives of her fellow inmates, The Wall Street Journal reports. On a weekend in mid-August, not long after her arrival, inmates at the prison were forced to stay indoors during their usual outdoor time as Maxwell met with several visitors in the prison camps chapel, people familiar with the matter told the WSJ. The arrival of the 63-year-old former Jeffrey Epstein associate, who was convicted in 2021 of trafficking underage girls for the (by then deceased) financier, has led to more frequent lockdowns, more armed guards on campus, and other changes at the prison, according to the report. Current and former inmates at the usually docile prison also the home of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah said it seemed as though Maxwell had been receiving better treatment than other inmates. Ghislaine Maxwells arrival at the cushy Texas federal prison to which she was transferred in August reportedly disrupted the daily lives of other inmates, according to a report (Federal Bureau of Prisons) A majority of the inmates held there have committed white-collar crimes and face shorter sentences, or have served a larger portion of a longer sentence and are considered a low flight risk. Because of this, Federal Prison Camp Bryan is known as being relatively low-security, without any of the towering fences, barbed wire or high-security cells found at stricter facilities. The Bureau of Prisons typically prohibits sex offenders from serving time in such prisons, though they can be admitted under a special waiver, according to the report. Maxwell, who was handed down a 20-year sentence in 2022, has the fourth-longest remaining sentence out of the prisons 600 inmates. It was not known whom Maxwell met with in the chapel that day, though some of her fellow inmates heard rumors that the lockdown was meant to accommodate important visitors, according to the report. Later that day, one inmate said they saw Maxwell return to her dormitory with a smile on her face. When asked about her mysterious meeting, Maxwell said it went well, but didnt share any other information, according to the report. Meanwhile, less than a week later, the Department of Justice released a transcript of an interview Maxwell had had with senior official Todd Blanche weeks earlier in July. During the interview with Blanche, Maxwell said she had never seen President Donald Trump doing anything inappropriate or illegal with Epstein when they were friends. Soon after, she was transferred to Federal Prison Camp Bryan. Federal Prison Camp Bryan is a minimum-security prison in Texas, typically home to inmates who have committed white-collar crimes (Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle via AP) At the time, Maxwells lawyer, David Markus, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the transfer was for safety reasons and had come after she faced serious danger in Tallahassee. It was not immediately clear what kind of safety concerns she had faced at the higher-security prison. In addition to causing some minor inconveniences for the other inmates, Maxwell was also greeted with a wave of hostility from some. According to the report, fellow prisoners taunted her, calling her a pedophile and a chomo a prison slur meaning child molester. During one incident, Maxwell politely asked an inmate to leave her room, prompting the other woman to begin screaming at Maxwell that she didnt belong there. The inmate was then transferred to another dormitory, the report said. Soon after, the warden organized a town hall and warned that if inmates made threats to Maxwell, put her in danger or talked to the press about her, they would be taken to a harsher facility, sources told the WSJ. Meanwhile, inmates told the WSJ that Maxwell mostly kept to herself, especially as there was a media frenzy soon after her transfer. Still, she reportedly received preferential treatment, as guards would bring her meals to her dormitory or escort her to the recreation area for late-night workouts. Maxwell was also allowed to shower after other inmates were confined to their bunks, according to the report. Soon after her arrival, the prison also stationed armed special operations response teams, known as SORT, at the camps entrance and rear gate, and kept them there around the clock. According to the inmates, once prison officials added a black tarp to block the view out of the camp, Maxwell went outside more. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in sex trafficking young women and girls to be abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein (US District Court for the Southern District of New York) With that addition, she also began getting her hair cut and colored at the prison-run salon, and visiting the cafeteria, though she would give away her vegetarian meals, claiming she couldnt eat the food, one inmate told the WSJ. Her lawyer, Markus, declined to comment to the WSJ on its report. A spokesperson for the Justice Department, which oversees the Bureau of Prisons, also declined to comment. News of Maxwells mysterious meeting comes as the Supreme Court on Monday denied her appeal after asking the nations highest court to review her case. After the ruling, Trump was asked if he would consider pardoning Maxwell, to which he replied: Id have to take a look at it. He then said he would have to speak to the DoJ and stressed that he did not know anything about the matter, despite the case having dominated headlines for months after a bipartisan effort to force the release of case files from the Justice Departments attempt to prosecute Epstein. Company to highlight advanced composite armor and its proprietary Accelerated Innovation at AUSA 2025 in Washington. WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Integris Composites has been named an armor partner for American Rheinmetall in the U.S. Army's $45 billion XM30 Combat Vehicle program, positioning the company at the forefront of nextgeneration survivability solutions. The announcement comes as Integris showcases its advanced composite armor at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition, Oct. 1315 in Washington at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. You can find Integris at Booth 2717 in Hall ABC. The XM30 program represents a $45 billion modernization effort. "This transformational program will deliver unmatched capabilities to modernize the Army's maneuver force, strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and create high-tech American jobs," said Andrew Bonham, CEO of Integris Composites. "We are pleased to be a part of this." American Rheinmetall is one of two U.S. defense prime contractors selected by the U.S. Army to compete to design, develop, build, and support the XM30 Combat Vehicle. As the official replacement for the aging M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the XM30 will serve as the backbone to the Army's Armored Brigade Combat Teams for decades. Accelerated Innovation in Survivability "During AUSA, we're displaying our advanced composite armor solutions and presenting our proprietary Accelerated Innovation," said David Cordova, chief commercial officer. Accelerated Innovation is a unique approach that leverages the company's extensive database of ballistic and blast solutions, advanced modeling and simulation, and rapid prototyping to develop targeted armor solutions faster than traditional methods, Cordova continued. This capability draws on more than 30 years of composite armor expertise and thousands of tested material combinations to deliver optimized protection systems, he added. "Our partnership with American Rheinmetall on the XM30 program demonstrates our commitment to supporting the Army's most critical modernization priorities," said Bonham. "The XM30's modular open-systems architecture aligns perfectly with our design philosophy." Tier One Supplier with Global Platform Wins "The XM30 announcement is the latest in a series of premier contracts," said Cordova. He said Integris holds Tier One supplier credentials with leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and prime defense contractors worldwide. Major contracts across multiple defense platforms include: Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer: ballistic protection systems contract with BAE Systems U.S. Army Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA): armor systems with Bell Textron Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf: armor systems for the U.S. Air Force helicopter program C-130J transport aircraft: armor systems through QinetiQ partnership CV90 combat vehicle: armor solutions for the European infantry fighting vehicle platform used by multiple NATO allies Strategic Industrial Base Impact The XM30 program exemplifies the Army's commitment to strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base through domestic manufacturing and innovation. "Integris operates major U.S. facilities including its technical design and engineering center in Hebron, Ohio; a vehicle design center in Goleta, Calif., and global headquarters in Tysons Corner, Va.," Cordova said. "This transformational XM30 program will deliver unmatched capabilities to modernize the Army's maneuver force, strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and create high-tech American jobs. Our partnership with American Rheinmetall positions us at the forefront of next-generation combat vehicle development," he continued. About Integris Composites Integris Composites is a global engineering company specializing in composite armor for land vehicles, aircraft, naval vessels, protective housings for optronics and other sensitive technologies, and personal protection. With more than 30 years of experience, the company has earned Tier One supplier status with major aerospace OEMs including Bell, Boeing, Airbus and Embraer. Formerly TenCate Advanced Armor until 2023 when the company was renamed Integris Composites, the business has built a reputation for innovative survivability solutions across military, law enforcement and security applications worldwide. PHOTOS M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle: this backbone of the U.S. Army's Armored Brigade Combat Teams will be replaced by the XM30 Combat Vehicle. Integris Composites has been named an armor partner for American Rheinmetall, one of two U.S. defense prime contractors selected by the U.S. Army to compete to design, develop, build, and support the XM30. Photo credit: U.S. Army. DESIGNING ARMOR: Integris Composites operator designing custom armor protection. The company designs, develops, manufactures and supports composite armor for land vehicles, aircraft, naval vessels, protective housings for optronics and other sensitive technologies, and personal protection. Photo: Holy Cow Media Media Contact: David Cordova Chief Commercial Officer [email protected] +1 704 458 7796 Photos: https://www.prlog.org/13104498 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Integris Composites, Inc. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping of China, November 18, 2024 - Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Sir Keir Starmer is a distinguished lawyer. That was why he was knighted, and partly why he rose to the top of a Labour Party sick of the extremism and sheer ignorance of Jeremy Corbyn. Then he became Prime Minister. By common consent, he is not very good at the job, but you would have thought that one thing he would handle skilfully is its legal aspects. So how does one explain Sir Keirs actions in relation to the collapsed case of the two British men accused of spying for China? As is customary in such cases, the British Government would not have had to reveal any secrets in court. All the director of public prosecutions (DPP) wanted from the Government was official confirmation in some form that Chinas actions threaten our national security. Such confirmation exists in, for example, the Integrated Review of 2023, which says that the Chinese Communist Party (which runs China) poses a threat to our people, prosperity and security. In April last year, the then-security minister Tom Tugendhat confirmed at the Commons dispatch box that China posed a threat to the security and wellbeing of the British people. He personally knew of what he spoke because China had earlier attempted to penetrate his China Research Group (which gave rise to the case in question). Parliament itself has been spied upon by China. In a rare display of public anger, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle today expressed his displeasure at the collapse of the trial. Sir Keir was once DPP himself. He is familiar with the processes. He must have known that, as Prime Minister, he need not get personally involved at all. The relevant officials would simply have sent the necessary confirmation. Instead of which, Sir Keir went public itself highly unusual for a prime minister in relation to a pending court case to explain why that confirmation had been withheld. He said the law required the Government to designate a country as an enemy before anything could be done. His hands were tied because the previous government had not done so in relation to China. But contrary to what the serving Security Minister Dan Jarvis repeated in the Commons, the archaic Official Secrets Act did not prevent the China prosecutions. As shown by a court case (R. v Roussev and others) about Bulgarian spies in 2023, the word enemy is not needed for the case to proceed. There is also no legal need for designation here. If a foreign powers actions breach our national security, the court needs only an official government statement that they do to get on with its work. The current DPP, Stephen Parkinson, must have been amazed that he got public obfuscation from a former one after having received no answer to his repeated requests. He has said almost as much in public. So Starmer the lawyer now, as Prime Minister, wishes to impede or evade the processes of law. Just as bad, Sir Keirs intervention seems to be against the national interest. Whose side is he on? The beneficiary of his behaviour is China. The victim is British justice. The consequence is that China, emboldened by the Starmer cringe, will be able to spy on us even more freely, including from the huge, partly subterranean embassy it wants to build on the former site of the Royal Mint in London. The phrase Trojan horse springs to mind. If the Government intervenes to insist on letting China have that site, there will be room for an entire stable of Trojan horses. The Royals are won over to reading, at last The Cliveden Literary Festival, which I attended and addressed at the weekend, is, so far as I know, the first to enlist royal prestige. Traditionally, our Hanoverian/ Windsor dynasty has not gone big on books. Another damnd fat book! Scribble, scribble, scribble, eh Mr Gibbon? was a famous royal response on being presented with one of the greatest works of history, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Books tend to provoke controversy and so can be tricky ground for a constitutional monarchy. On Saturday, however, the Queen, known to be a keen reader, blessed our proceedings. Her presence came at a time when reading for pleasure is known to be declining. Nowadays it is not just infant schools but also universities which find themselves teaching young people how to get through a whole book. What economists call the producer interest otherwise known as authors need all the help we can get. As always happens when writers gather together, we who were briefly enjoying the opulence of Cliveden talked among ourselves about our lonely and underappreciated existence in our garrets, and moaned about rights, money, sales, publishers etc. One of our number, not himself a writer but a businessman, put to me a brilliant idea. Look at all these agitators in former British colonies, he said, They say we owe them reparations for what we have taken from them. But how do we value what we have given them? Where would they be without the English language? His suggestion was that every time anything was published or publicly uttered in their countries in English, a small copyright fee would be paid to the British state. My thought not his is that all British writers should get their cut of this everlasting income. Yeats and the Beast President Trumps official car is known as The Beast. As he set off in it from Tel Aviv, I heard Yeatss famous poetic question echoing in my mind: And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, /Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? But perhaps the rough beast isnt doing too badly. Katie Mitchell said her donor and surgeons at Papworth hospital had given her the gift of a normal life. Photograph: NHSBT/PA At the age of 15, Katie Mitchell was told by medics that she was nearing the end of her life after suffering irreversible lung damage and heart failure from a rare congenital disease. But she defied the odds thanks to a heart and lung transplant, and at the age of 53 she has become the UKs longest-surviving recipient of such a procedure. Mitchell was diagnosed with Eisenmenger syndrome when she was 11. She had high blood pressure in her pulmonary arteries, which caused an increased resistance to blood flow through the lungs, which led to irreversible lung damage and heart failure. Mitchell had her combined transplant at Royal Papworth hospital in September 1987, a procedure so rare that only about five are carried out in the UK each year. Thanks to organ donation, I was given the gift of a normal life, she said. I think about my donor a lot, especially on the anniversary of the transplant. I think about their family and what their family must have felt at the time. I just know my donor was a young female. Her family made that decision at a terrible time in their lives. I am so grateful. Its quite difficult to put into words how it feels to know I am now the longest-lived heart-lung recipient in the UK. Its mixed feelings. People I know who had the same transplant have passed away in front of me, but its a blessing and amazing to feel Ive had all this extra time. I dont really know why it has worked so well. Perhaps the immunosuppressants suit me well. Everybody has so many different reactions to the medications, and everyone has their own regimen. There are currently 8,124 people on the UK transplant waiting list, including 12 waiting for a heart and lung transplant. Mitchells transplant is functioning well. She also had two kidney transplants from deceased donors in 1994 and 2015. Mitchell, from Sidcup in south-east London, said: I went to an event at Papworth and there were a couple of young women who had their heart-lung transplants recently. I think it did them good and their parents good to see how long I and other people have lived. Very often people are told they might only get five or 10 years with a heart or a lung transplant. To be able to see me and other people who had lived for many years made a big difference to them. I think my story is just proof that organ donation and transplantation does work and you can live a normal life. Mitchell, who is married and has a stepdaughter, is backing NHS Blood and Transplants call for people to confirm their support for donation on the NHS organ donor register. Marius Berman, the surgical lead for transplant at Royal Papworth hospital NHS foundation trust, said: Its fantastic to see Katie continuing to live life to the full, 38 years on from her transplant. To see it succeed so profoundly is testament to the skill of many NHS teams, the generosity of donors and the resilience of patients like Katie. Her journey offers real hope to others currently waiting for transplants and reminds us all of the importance of organ donation. Julia Wandelt appeared on the Dr Phil show in the US to discuss her Madeleine McCann claim - YouTube A Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann left the missing girls mother voicemails recalling the night she was abducted, a court heard. Julia Wandelt, 24, claimed to remember Kate McCann telling her she loved me and would find me on the night the child went missing. In lengthy voicemails, she insisted she also had memories of family barbecues with Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry, as well as feeding Madeleines younger siblings in a high chair. Ms Wandelt denies stalking Mr and Mrs McCann, as well as their other two children, between June 2022 and February this year. Madeleine was three years old when she went missing from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007 - REAL MADRID TV / HANDOUT Jurors at Leicester Crown Court, on Monday, heard voicemails which had been left on Mrs McCanns phone by Ms Wandelt. Madeleine was three years old when she went missing from her familys apartment in the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in May 2007 as her parents dined at a nearby tapas bar. Ms Wandelt left numerous messages detailing claims of why she thought she was Madeleine. Speaking about the night the child went missing, she said: I remember how you hugged me. I remember how you came to the room before [the] abduction happened, rubbing my head, saying you loved me and you would find me. I beg you to call me. Prosecutors allege Ms Wandelt, from Lubin in south-west Poland, peddled the myth that she was Madeleine while stalking her parents by sending emails, making phone calls and turning up at their address. The court heard messages shared between Ms Wandelt and Karen Spragg, who is also accused of stalking, in which they planned to raid the bins outside the McCannss home to retrieve DNA samples. We can steal their garbage [laughing], bin will be full of it, one message said. Ms Spragg, 61, of Caerau, Cardiff, then contacted a separate friend and said: We are sat outside the McCann home like private investigators never thought I would be stalking the McCanns. In other messages left to Mrs McCann, Ms Wandelt said: I remember how I was feeding my younger brother in the kitchen. I was using a spoon to feed him. Kate and Gerry McCann in an appeal in 2012 to find their daughter Madeleine - Sang Tan She also claimed to have memories of playing Ring a Ring o Roses with other children and the McCanns. I remember doing a barbecue with you and Gerry, said Ms Wandelt. I remember I was playing with other kids, there was a tree next to us. I cry when I hear your voice. I think you even dont listen to these messages. I dont know what I can do. Im not crazy. Please try to take me seriously. I feel this connection, I dont know how to explain it. You are the only person who can help me. What if Im her? The court previously heard Ms Wandelt bombarded Mrs McCann with up to 60 calls and messages in a day throughout April 2024. Michael Duck KC, prosecuting, said that from June 2022, Ms Wandelt began trying to persuade anybody prepared to listen that she was Madeleine. Ms Wandelt and Ms Spragg deny the stalking charges. The trial continues. Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister, delivered her speech at the SNP conference alongside First Minister John Swinney - Jane Barlow/PA The SNP has been accused of portraying its political opponents as un-Scottish after claiming Labour wants to make the country more like England. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes used her speech on the final day of the SNP conference in Aberdeen to attack the UK economys unhealthy and unstable reliance on London. She told delegates that Labours solution was for Scotland to mirror Westminster. Her intervention prompted fury from Douglas Alexander, the Labour Scottish Secretary, who posted on X: I & my Scottish Labour colleagues are just as Scottish as her, but she chooses to other the SNPs opponents by questioning our patriotism. Scotland belongs to all of us. Douglas Alexander, Labours Scottish Secretary, said Scotland belongs to all of us in response - James Manning/PA Ms Forbes speech raised eyebrows at the conference as senior SNP figures usually focus their criticism on Westminster rather than making overt attacks on England. She argued there had been two decades of Westminster austerity, despite the Chancellor handing the Scottish Government almost 5 billion extra to spend. This has undermined living standards, hampered productivity growth, and stifled innovation, she said, before attacking the persistent level of geographic inequality between London and the rest of the UK. Ms Forbes, who is also the SNPs Economy Secretary, said: So whats Labours solution to these terminal problems? Labours ambition for Scotland is to be more like England. For our national Parliament at Holyrood to mirror Westminster. For Edinburgh to emulate London, and Glasgow to replicate Manchester. They claim that is what would deliver economic success. Desperate spin from Forbes, say Scottish Tories Senior Labour figures have argued that Scotlands cities would benefit from having English-style metro mayors, with too much power being concentrated in the hands of SNP ministers in Edinburgh. But Ms Forbes cited recent figures showing that the value of goods and services produced in Edinburgh per head of population had surpassed London for the first time. The ONS statistics disclosed a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of 69,809 in Edinburgh, compared to 69,077 for London. Ms Forbes said Greater Glasgows GDP was also higher than that of Greater Manchester, where Labours Andy Burnham is mayor. I hate to break it to Labour, but trying to be more like England would actually make Scotland poorer, she concluded. She also accused Labour of double standards over Sir Keir Starmers decision to save British Steels Scunthorpe site south of the border, but not the Grangemouth oil refinery near Falkirk. Ms Forbes confirmed the SNP would continue using its planning powers to block the construction of any new nuclear power plant, saying: Scotland will not be the UKs nuclear playground. Stephen Kerr, the Scottish Tories shadow employment and investment minister, said: This was some desperate spin from Kate Forbes to try and talk up her partys woeful record on the economy. Under the SNP, Scotlands economy is lagging behind the rest of the United Kingdom and nationalist ministers treat economic growth as an afterthought. John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland, delivers his keynote speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen - Jane Barlow/PA A network of walk-in GP centres is to be set up across Scotland, John Swinney has announced, despite medical leaders claiming its a waste of money. The First Minister said ill Scots who struggled to be seen at their GP practice could visit the new centres without an appointment. Delivering his speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Mr Swinney said they would open seven days a week between 12pm and 8pm, so people could attend after work. Millions of English patients have used NHS walk-in centres since they were rolled out in 2000, with more than 230 opened in the following decade. However, Mr Swinney admitted only one would open in Scotland in the next year, and there would initially only be 15 across the country, raising doubts that they will alleviate the 8am rush for GP appointments. Tony Blair, then prime minister, talks to NHS staff at the opening of a GP walk-in centre in Peterborough in 2002 - Rui Vieira/PA Medical leaders in Scotland criticised the plan and questioned how the centres would be staffed amid a dire shortage of GPs. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) said the plan would not tackle the major barriers to getting an appointment, which it said were critical workforce shortages and unmanageable workload. The British Medical Association (BMA) also said walk-in centres have not demonstrated good value for money south of the border, and warned against diverting resources to schemes with limited potential. Mr Swinneys announcement comes ahead of next Mays Holyrood election when the SNPs management of the NHS is expected to be a key issue. Major research unveiled last week showed that only 22 per cent of Scots were satisfied with the NHS the lowest level on record. It emerged in June that cancer waiting times in Scotland had risen to their worst levels on record, while health leaders said the NHS was dying before our eyes. The state of the NHS in Scotland will be a key issue for voters at next Mays Holyrood election - Jane Barlow/Getty The BMA said it was abundantly clear that there is a divide in Scotland between those who can afford private healthcare and those languishing on record waiting lists. A separate review by Audit Scotland warned that difficult decisions may be needed about whether some NHS services can continue, with major reform urgently needed to cope with growing demand. Mr Swinney unveiled his NHS recovery blueprint in January and admitted there were crises in parts of the health service. Nicola Sturgeons government set a target to recruit 800 new GPs within the next decade, but an official audit published two years ago found the plans were not on track. Mr Swinney told the conference that a key issue raised by voters was the 8am rush to telephone GP practices for an appointment. That is why I can announce today that this SNP Government will open a nationwide network of walk-in GP services, he said. Based in your community, on your local high street, near your childs school or close to your workplace. They will break from the status quo. Walk-in centres dont address major barriers to healthcare He said they would be staffed by GPs and nurses and the initial tranche of 15 centres would deliver more than a million appointments a year. However, his official spokesman could not provide a timetable for when they would open. He also refused to be drawn on whether it could take a decade for enough centres to make a difference. Walk-in centres in England have proved popular with patients, with attendances at many centres exceeding expected levels. However, critics say they have created demand for self-limiting, minor conditions, and their cost is better spent elsewhere in the NHS. Dr Chris Provan, chair of RCGP Scotland, said: Our concern is that this proposal does not address the major barriers to good access: critical workforce shortages and unmanageable workload. While there has been a modest increase in whole-time equivalent GPs over the past year, Scotland still has fewer GPs today than it did a decade ago. This is the fundamental problem. GPs will have serious concerns about the delivery and impact of this proposal, and we will await clarity on the implementation detail. Who will staff these new services and their extended, weekend hours? Mr Swinney also used his speech to announce that the Scottish Government would sponsor social care workers from overseas to work in the countrys care homes. Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labours deputy leader, said: John Swinneys tired, rehashed and hopeless speech shows that the knackered SNP are a spent force with nothing to offer Scots. John Swinney laid out his three key priorities independence, independence and independence in a speech filled with grievance, grudge and disinformation. Getty Black bear roams in North Japan (stock image) NEED TO KNOW Authorities in Japan said three people were killed by bears in the span of one week, including one elderly man who was picking mushrooms in a forest and another man who was decapitated as he was mauled "We suspect he was attacked by a bear based on scratch marks," an official said of the elderly man's death Japan has seen a record number of bear attacks this year Three people in Japan were killed by bears in the span of one week, including one man who was picking mushrooms in a forest and another man who was decapitated as he was mauled. Police in the country's Iwate Prefecture told AFP that a man said to be in his 70s was first reported missing after going scavenging in the woods. On Friday, Oct. 10, police said he was found dead. "We suspect he was attacked by a bear based on scratch marks," an official said of the elderly man's death. In a separate incident on Wednesday, police said they found a man dead, seemingly attacked by a bear in another part of the prefecture. Local outlet TV Iwate said the man's head and torso had been separated. Meanwhile, a 78-year-old man was found dead on Saturday in the Nagano Prefecture with multiple claw marks on his body. Police told AFP that while they suspect a bear attack is to blame, the man's cause of death is still under investigation. Getty Asian black bear (stock image) Japan is home to two species of bears: the Asian black bear and the Ussuri brown bear. Brown bears can weigh up to 1,210 lbs. and are mainly vegetarian, though they are known to kill any prey they encounter in their habitats. Asian black bears can weigh as much as 440 lbs. and are omnivorous, eating insects, fruit, nuts, small mammals, and birds. Japan has seen an increase in its wild bear attacks and encounters in the past several years, due to factors such as climate change and a decline in population in certain regions. Between April and September this year, 103 people nationwide experienced injuries caused by bears, the country's Environment Ministry reported, per AFP. The death toll since April has reached at least six, and with the past week's three suspected bear attacks, the agency could report a record number of deaths. One of the most public incidents involving a bear occurred last week, when one animal wandered into a supermarket and injured two people. According to the Gunma Prefectural Government Office, the attack in a supermarket occurred around 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Numata City. A bear entered a supermarket, injuring one man, and another man was attacked and injured by the bear when he noticed the bear at the entrance and tried to escape, officials said. The two men sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported, adding that the bear charged through the fish and sushi sections of the supermarket. There were about 40 people inside the supermarket when the attack happened, per NHK and news agency United Press International. 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. "It looked to me as if the bear was confused. It was in the store for 10 to 15 minutes. It didn't look like it was foraging," recalled a store manager, the news agency reported, citing Japan Wire. The bear ran away as customers were evacuating, CNN reported. Additionally, in August, a body was found on a mountain in the prefecture of Hokkaido belonging to a missing hiker who was attacked by a brown bear. Read the original article on People 10/7/25 Press conference in Tacoma with Let's Go Washington founder Brian Heywood responding to dozens of attacks on signature gatherers for two initiatives. Screenshot from vids | Carleen Johnson (The Center Square) - Last month, the Snohomish Police Department issued a statement telling people not to call 911 in response to initiative signature gatherers operating outside stores such as Fred Meyer and Safeway. Many of the 9-11 callers reported to the nonemergency line such activities as trespassing, but others expressed concerned about nature of the initiatives themselves. I just have a big problem with people up front petitioning and causing a disturbance for something that's so crappy, basically. I just have a problem with what they're petitioning for, one woman told Snohomish 911. "It's really disturbing what he's asking signatures for, another caller told Snohomish 911. Prior stories by The Center Square reported at least 32 incidents involving intimidation, threats, destruction of property and physical assaults connected to Lets Go Washingtons efforts to gather signatures for their initiatives regarding parental rights and transgender athletes since the organization started gathering signatures on Sept. 22. On Sept 29, the Snohomish PD posted a Facebook statement instructing people to not call Snohomish 911s emergency line to report initiative signature gatherers. Records obtained by The Center Square revealed that numerous individuals working either at a store or a self-described customer called Snohomish 911s nonemergency line to report signature gatherers for being on the property ostensibly against the consent of the store managers, who they claimed already contacted the police and received no response. However, some of the callers also expressed non-criminal reasons for calling, with one person telling Snohomish 911: "I don't have patience for people who spout hate." According to one Snohomish 911 call transcript, an individual called the non-emergency line to report some racist rhetoricand homophobic. "What he is doing is hate against trans people, one 911 caller said about a signature gatherer. Another 911 caller reported initiative signature gatherers operating in public space in Edmonds, claiming they were obstructing traffic and peoples ability to walk on the sidewalk. According to the 911 transcript, the caller said they were collecting signatures without a permit. However, the police report noted that officer stood by and observed them and did not see traffic issues. RP [respondent] understood not being able to trespass people from public areas. Snohomish PD police reports obtained through the public records request revealed that officers are refusing to trespass initiative signature gatherers per the guidance of the Snohomish Prosecutors Office. One Snohomish PD officer wrote that a suspect was gathering legit signatures for an initiative related to protecting girls sports. He was cordial with me and we had a good discussion about how signature gathering was a constitutionally protected 1st Amendment right. I contacted the store employees and advised them that the signature gatherer was leaving on his own accord and that our department would likely not have trespassed him from the location unless he was obstructing customer traffic from moving freely in and out of the store. Another Snohomish PD officers report showed that someone had called 911 on signature gatherers because these political agendas are being thrown in kids faces. The officer wrote I explained to the RP [respondent] that the activity is not illegal and that there was a response to Fred Meyer yesterday in person. Also explained to the RP about how what they are doing is protected by the courts and Fred Meyer was given the steps they needed to take in order for LE [law enforcement] to have the ability to deal with the issue legally. In one incident outside the Mountlake Terrace Safeway, a signature initiative gatherer was allegedly verbally harassed and had her table flipped over. When Snohomish PD responded and told the signature gatherer to call them if anything else happened, she told the officers that she would never call you guys (in a polite way). When The Center Square reached out to the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office for comment, Chief of Staff Michael C. Held wrote that initiative signature gathering is a protected activity under the Washington State Constitution and the First Amendment of the Federal Constitution. First Amendment rights are zealously protected by the courts. Citizens may gather signatures in the common areas of shopping malls and on private property (such as grocery stores or chains) under certain circumstances. He also wrote that whether such circumstance exists at a particular store or chain involves considering multiple factors related to the business, activity and location. A court is in the best position to weigh these factors and determine whether signature activity is permitted. If Fred Meyer wishes to obtain a court order restraining initiative signature gatherers from soliciting signatures on their property, they certainly can do so, at which time law enforcement can trespass them for violating the court order. The bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens came from humble beginnings; it was first isolated from dirt in a ditch in Norman, Oklahoma. But now, the surprisingly remarkable microbes are the key to the first ever artificial neurons that can directly interact with living cells. G. sulfurreducens communicate with each other through tiny, protein-based wires that researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have harvested and used to make artificial neurons that can, for the first time, process information from living cells without an intermediary device amplifying or modulating the signals, the researchers say. While some artificial neurons already exist, they require electronic amplification to sense the signals our bodies produce, explains Jun Yao, who works on bioelectronics and nanoelectronics at UMass Amherst. The amplification inflates both power usage and circuit complexity, and so counters efficiencies found in the brain. Yaos teams neuron can understand the bodys signals at their natural amplitude of around 0.1 volts. This is highly novel, says Bozhi Tian, a biophysicist who studies living bioelectronics at The University of Chicago and was not involved in the work. This work bridges the long-standing gap between electronic and biological signaling and demonstrates interaction between artificial neurons and living cells that Tian calls unprecedented. Real neurons and artificial neurons Biological neurons are the fundamental building blocks of the brain. If external stimuli are strong enough, charge builds up in a neuron, triggering an action potential, a spike of voltage that travels down the neurons body to enable all types of bodily functions, including emotion and movement. Scientists have been working to engineer a synthetic neuron for decades, chasing after the efficiency of the human brain, which have so far seemed to escape the abilities of electronics. Yaos group has designed new artificial neurons that mimic how biological neurons sense and react to electrical signals. They use sensors to monitor external biochemical changes and memristorsessentially resistors with memoryto emulate the action potential process. As voltage from the external biochemical events increases, ions accumulate and begin to form a filament across a gap in the memristorwhich in this case was filled with protein nanowires. If there is enough voltage, the filament completely bridges the gap. Current shoots through the device, and the filament then dissolves, dispersing the ions and stopping the current. The complete process mimics a neurons action potential. The team tested its artificial neurons by connecting them to cardiac tissue. The devices measured a baseline amount of cellular contraction, which did not produce enough signal to cause the artificial neuron to fire. Then the researchers took another measurement after the tissue was dosed with norepinephrinea drug that increases how frequently cells contract. The artificial neurons only triggered action potentials during the higher, medicated trial, proving that they can detect changes in living cells. The experimental results were published 29 September in Nature Communications. Natural nanowires The group has G. sulfurreducens to thank for the breakthrough. The microbes synthesize miniature cables, called protein nanowires, that they use for intraspecies communication. These cables are charge conductors that survive for long periods of time in the wild without decaying. (Remember, they evolved for Oklahoma ditches.) Theyre extremely stable, even for device fabrication, Yao says. To the engineers, the most notable property of the nanowires is how efficiently ions move along them. The nanowires offered a low energy means of transferring charge between human cells and artificial neurons, thus avoiding the need for a separate amplifier or modulator. And amazingly, the material is designed for this, says Yao. The group developed a method to shear the cables off of bacterial bodies, purifying the material and suspending it in a solution. They lay the mixture out and let the water evaporate, leaving a one-molecule-thin film made from the protein nanowire material. This efficiency allows the artificial neuron to yield huge power savings. Yaos group integrated the film into the memristor at the core of the neuron, lowering the energy barrier for the reaction that causes the memristor to respond to signals recognized by the sensor. With this innovation, the researchers say, the artificial neuron uses 1/10th the voltage and 1/100th the power of others. Chicagos Tian thinks this extremely impressive energy efficiency is essential for future low-power, implantable, and biointegrated computing systems. The power advantages make this synthetic neuron design attractive for all kinds of applications, researchers say. Responsive wearable electronics, like prosthetics that adapt to stimuli from the body, could make use of these new artificial neurons, Tian says. Eventually, implantable systems that rely on the neurons could learn like living tissues, advancing personalized medicine and brain-inspired computing to interpret physiological states, leading to biohybrid networks that merge electronics with living intelligence, he says. The artificial neurons could also be useful in electronics outside the biomedical field. Millions of them on a chip could replace transistors, completing the same tasks while decreasing power usage, Yao says. The fabrication process for the neurons does not involve high temperatures and utilizes the same kind of photolithography silicon chip manufacturers do, he says. Yao does, however, point out two possible bottlenecks producers could face when scaling up these artificial neurons for electronics. The first is obtaining more of the protein nanowires from G. sulfurreducens. His lab currently works for three days to generate only 100 micrograms of materialthats about the mass of one grain of table salt. And that amount can only coat a very small device, so Yao questions how this step in the process could scale up for production. His other concern is how to achieve a uniform coating of the film at the scale of a silicon wafer. If you wanted to make high-density, small devices, the uniformity of film thickness actually is a critical parameter, he explains. But the artificial neurons his group has developed are too small to do any meaningful uniformity testing for now. Tian doesnt expect artificial neurons to replace silicon transistors in conventional computing, but instead sees them as a parallel offering for hybrid chips that merge biological adaptability with electronic precision, he says. In the far future, Yao hopes that such bio-derived devices will also be appreciated for not contributing to e-waste. When a user no longer wants a device, they can simply dump the biological component in the surrounding environment, Yao says, because it wont cause an environmental hazard. By using this kind of nature-derived, microbial material, we can create a greener technology thats more sustainable for the world, Yao says. By Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang BEIJING (Reuters) -China's export growth bounced back in September, but renewed trade threats from Beijing and Washington have rekindled worries about jobs and further deflation in an economy heavily reliant on selling its manufactured goods overseas. The world's second-largest economy has greatly diversified its export markets this year to insulate itself from U.S. President Donald Trump's 35-percentage-point tariff hikes, helping to keep GDP growth on track towards a roughly 5% target for the year. However, this strategy could get a reality check should Trump carry out his threat of re-imposing triple-digit tariffs on China in retaliation for Beijing announcing sweeping rare earth export controls last week. "While China's economy has proven more resilient in the face of U.S. tariffs than many had feared, there is still significant potential downside from a deeper rift with the U.S.," said Capital Economics analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard. China's exports rose an annual 8.3% last month, customs data showed on Monday, beating a 6% increase in a Reuters poll and registering the fastest growth since March. They compared with a 4.4% increase in August. While the faster export growth is welcome news for a still-fragile economy, Trump's latest threat to raise U.S. tariffs above 100% would deal a deflationary shock to China and put smaller exporters and jobs of factory workers at risk. China's choke on rare earths and magnets, where its near-monopoly position gives it great leverage in the trade war, could also paralyse global supply chains in industries from autos to green energy and aircraft. These global risks have most analysts predicting that Beijing and Washington will work towards de-escalation in the coming weeks, and potentially preserve some chances that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may still meet at an APEC summit in South Korea at the end of the month, as previously expected. But the range of outcomes is now much larger than it was only a few days ago - a level of uncertainty investors may have to get used to as the U.S.-China rivalry intensifies. "We believe both sides, after testing the other's boundaries, will likely make concessions again, and we still see a decent chance of a Xi-Trump in-person meeting during the upcoming APEC summit in South Korea at end October," Nomura analysts said. "We view this cycle of tension, escalation and truce as the new normal for U.S.-China relations." Monday's trade data was overshadowed by the fresh salvos in the U.S.-China trade war, denting Asian markets and sending Chinese stocks sinking sharply in volatile trade. EXPORTS UP IN NON-U.S. MARKETS Exports to the U.S. fell by 27% year-on-year, the data showed, while shipments bound for the European Union, Southeast Asia and Africa grew by 14%, 15.6% and 56.4%, respectively. "Chinese firms are actively tapping into new markets with the relative cost advantage of their goods, that's for sure," said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing. "The United States now only accounts for less than 10% of China's direct exports," he added. "100% tariffs would no doubt add to the pressure China's export sector is under, but I don't think the impact will be as large as before." But Chinese exporters have described the scramble to grow market share elsewhere as a "mad rat race," squeezing their profit margins and prompting cost-cutting measures at home, such as reducing staff and wages. DEPRESSED DOMESTIC DEMAND Factory owners face little choice but to slash prices in pursuit of overseas buyers as domestic consumers are keeping their wallets shut. This puts pressure on Beijing to introduce more stimulus measures to boost household incomes and domestic demand. Indeed, while China's imports grew 7.4%, their fastest pace since April 2024, against a 1.3% gain a month prior, and a forecast rise of 1.5%, analysts attributed the uptick to stockpiling by the world's biggest buyer of commodities. China's steel imports rose again last month, keeping the country on track for an all-time record this year, while coal purchases rose to a nine-month high, as rising prices spurred buying. Soybean imports reached the second-highest level on record, driven by strong purchases from South America, with Chinese buyers still spurning U.S. soybean cargoes. Earlier this month, Trump said he hoped to discuss soybeans with Xi during their planned meeting in South Korea. China's trade surplus fell to $90.45 billion in September, from $102.33 billion a month prior, and missed a forecast of $98.96 billion. China hoped to get back to the negotiating table with its U.S. counterparts, Wang Jun, vice customs minister, told a press conference ahead of the data release. The trade outlook greatly depends on how the high-stakes game of threats between Beijing and Washington unfolds in coming weeks. Lynn Song, chief Greater China economist at ING, expects that neither would want to return to "mutually damaging tit-for-tat escalations and retaliations." "However, the past few weeks show that the possibility of miscalculation is always present," Song said. (Reporting by Joe Cash, Ellen Zhang in Beijing and Marius Zaharia in Hong KongEditing by Shri Navaratnam) FILE PHOTO: A view shows the BHP Group logo at their headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, March 24, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo FILE PHOTO: A view shows the BHP Group logo at their headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, March 24, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo (Reuters) -Several cargoes of BHP iron ore were put up for sale in China on Thursday and at least one was sold to a local trader, potentially defusing concerns in Australia that Beijing had imposed a ban on iron ore sales from the world's biggest miner. BHP sold a 170,000-metric-ton cargo to a Chinese trader on Thursday, the first day of trading after China's week-long national holiday, according to two traders with direct knowledge of the matter. The cargo was paid for in dollars, they said. The same day, the Shanghai branch of China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG) - set up in 2022 to centralise iron ore purchasing and win better terms from miners - offered eight cargoes of BHP iron ore totaling 1.14 million tons to steelmakers, according to an offer sheet reviewed by Reuters. AUSTRALIAN FEARS OF CHINESE BAN ON ITS IRON EXPORTS Bloomberg reported last month that CMRG had told major steelmakers and traders to temporarily halt purchases of all new BHP cargoes, escalating an earlier pause on purchases of BHP's Jimblebar fines product, a type of iron ore, during a standoff in negotiations over new term contracts. That news triggered fears in Canberra that China was preparing a ban on Australia's most profitable export, much as it did with coal and other commodities in 2020. While CMRG told steelmakers last month during negotiations with BHP not to buy BHP's Jimblebar fines, purchases of other grades of iron ore can be made with permission from CMRG, two other sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. TRADE IN BHP'S JIMBLEBAR FINES STILL FROZEN None of the cargoes sold or offered on Thursday were Jimblebar fines, whose trade remains frozen according to all four sources. Reuters could not determine when CMRG bought its cargoes from BHP or how many cargoes have been sold. CMRG did not respond to Reuters' emailed request for comment. A BHP spokesperson said that BHP does not comment on commercial negotiations. Jimblebar is a small but liquid product, with roughly 40 million tons a year produced, for which a limited shortage would be unlikely to trigger a rally in iron ore prices, the two trader sources said. Rio Tinto's flagship Pilbara fines product could also act as a substitute, they added. Last week, BHP CEO Mike Henry doused concerns about CMRG's decision in talks with Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, according to local media, saying the move was part of commercial negotiations. The Treasurer's office did not respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Reuters staff in Beijing and Melbourne; Editing by Joe Bavier) NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Braskem S.A. ("Braskem" or the "Company") (NYSE: BAK). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Braskem and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On September 26, 2025, Braskem announced "that it has retained financial and legal advisors to support the Company in preparing a diagnosis of economic-financial alternatives to optimize its capital structure." On this news, Braskem's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $0.45 per ADR, or 14.71%, to close at $2.61 per ADR on September 26, 2025. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP WAVERLY, TN Pastor Daron Brown comforted a grieving congregation on Oct. 12 with prayer, an all-too-familiar calling in recent years. The Waverly Church of the Nazarene lost community members and its building in a 2021 flood. The son of a family in the congregation is among those presumed killed in last week's explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems. Members of the victim's family sat in the front row during Brown's service. During the procession for communion, fellow parishioners embraced and offered comforting words to the family. "Were better at this than we should have to be," Brown said in a prayer during the service, at the church founded in 1946 as a rural tent revival. People missing after explosion at Tennessee manufacturing plant A Metropolitan Nashville Police Department bomb squad vehicle tows a containment trailer at Accurate Energetic Systems on Oct. 10, 2025, in McEwen, Tennessee. An explosion this morning at Accurate Energetic Systems military munitions plant has left over a dozen people missing, with multiple fatalities reported. Prayer and unity Throughout Humphreys County and Hickman County, people gathered with their churches for support and comfort in the days after the tragedy. An older woman sat alone in a pew at a McEwen church in Humphreys County during an afternoon prayer service on Oct. 11 and shook with sobs over the loss of a loved one, among those killed in the explosion. Others gathered together and knelt at the Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church altar, also in McEwen. Men prayed in unison for the 16 people who were killed. During the church vigil, a teenager sat on the floor in the hallway with another church member and cried over lives lost in the blast. They shared the loss of a community member, a mother, a father, and a son. "It's going to be a sad, sad day for our community for a while," said Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church member Jamie Brown, who grew up in Waverly. Her friend lost a son in the explosion. "This is not the time to worry about why it happened, but to worry about who it happened to." Sissy Stine is comforted by her husband, Jamie Denson, as they pray with their son B.J. Denson, left, during a candlelight vigil at the Maple Valley Baptist Church on Oct. 11, 2025, in Nunnelly, Tennessee. 'Tears and stunned silence' Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee described the response to the Oct. 10 explosion at the plant as extensive and deliberate, emphasizing that crews are proceeding with caution as they work to secure the site. Speaking at a news briefing on Oct. 12, Lee stood alongside officials from the Humphreys and Hickman County sheriffs departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Earlier that day, Lee surveyed the wreckage from the air aboard a helicopter before joining grieving families at a local church. Inside, he said, the atmosphere was heavy with emotion. Tears and stunned silence, Lee said when asked about the scene inside the church where he met with the victims families. There was also a spirit of love, concern, care, and prayer, Lee added. Explosion flattened building, rocked communities Longtime Hickman County residents Dale and Dwana Hicks said they heard the explosion but didn't think anything of it, at first. They said they often heard explosions as tests were conducted at the facility. But as news spread of what really happened, they feared the worst. The explosion destroyed one of the plant buildings in a remote area split between Humphreys and Hickman counties. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis paused to fight back tears while briefing reporters in the days following the blast. He spent time with relatives of the missing workers and then told reporters that the rescue mission had shifted to a recovery. "More than 300 people have been over every square inch and found no survivors," Davis said. Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation worked to conduct DNA testing and confirm the identities of those who died. Pastors ask community to 'go with prayer in your heart' About 36 hours after the blast, Davis and Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft joined people gathered for another vigil at Maple Valley Baptist Church in Nunelly, about a five-minute drive from the blast site. About 100 people gathered, holding candles as they sang, prayed, and cried together. "It's good for the community to get together," Dale Hicks said as he looked out over the crowd gathered at the evening vigil. "There's good people looking out for them. We're praying for the families." Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church pastor Tim Farris said he spent hours comforting and praying with victims' relatives at their homes before hosting a prayer vigil at his church. "Most of you here today knew someone" who was killed, the pastor said to about two dozen vigil attendees. "I've seen some ugly comments on social media saying, 'What does prayer do?' Prayer is a powerful thing. When you leave here, go with a prayer in your heart." Farris said he visited with a young man the night before, who lost a relative in the explosion. "He said, 'I wish that tomorrow was Sunday, so I could be with my church family,'" Farris said. "We told him, 'We're still here.'" The pastor said some community members lost relatives during the 2021 floods that devastated the area and killed 20. Now, he added, they've lost someone in the explosion. Jason Yates, second from left, is comforted as he arrives at Hurricane Chapel Freewill Baptist Church for a prayer service for victims of the explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant. 'We have learned to be the community that's needed' Brown, pastor of Waverly Church of the Nazarene in Humphreys County, said in an interview that the response to the latest tragedy will be drawn out like the flood, but a sense of closure will be less immediate. Whereas those killed in the flood were recovered soon after, it will be longer for families of blast victims to have funerals. Amid this disorienting set of circumstances, Brown said he and his congregation are focused on providing support. What does it mean to shape a community of faith to see the light, to be the light? Brown said in an interview. Brown scrapped his sermon for Sunday mornings service soon after the explosion. Instead, he preached on what it really means to be in a community of grief with each other and for each other." Meanwhile, Brown said he plans to attend a community vigil later on Oct. 12. Waverly Church of the Nazarene has volunteered to help feed first responders working at the blast site. "For all the tragedies our community has experienced ... we have learned to be the community thats needed," Brown said in an Oct. 12 sermon. "If youre grieving today ... know that youre surrounded by people with you and for you." Contributing: Evan Mealins, The Tennessean This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tight-knit community leaning on its past to heal after plant explosion Food & Wine / Walmart / Costco Wholesale Key Points Costco and Walmart both offer private label marinara sauces that are popular, convenient, and affordable options for home cooks. We compared every detail of the two sauces to find out which marinara tastes better and if one is more affordable. If you're looking for a sauce with no added sugar and a short ingredient list, Costco will be your best bet, but Walmart does offer lower prices. For anyone who buys jarred sauce, convenience is the goal. Its meant to be an ingredient you can open, pour, and trust not something you have to make from scratch or invest a ton of time into. In addition to convenience, we want a jarred marinara sauce that tastes good and doesnt break the bank. Perhaps you already have a favorite brand, but for many of us, strolling through the grocery store aisles to pick up marinara can lead to a moment of extreme indecision when faced with seemingly endless options. The most affordable marinara sauces often come from private-label grocery store brands, making them an appealing option. But are they actually good? To find out, we compared every detail of the private-label pasta sauces from two of the most popular grocery stores, Costco and Walmart. Heres everything you need to know. The ingredient list really sets these two sauces apart When you line up the two jars Costcos Kirkland Signature Organic Marinara Sauce and Walmarts Great Value Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce the ingredient panels reveal a clear story about how each brand defines quality. Costco's offering leans on simplicity, featuring organic vine-ripened California tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, and a short list of recognizable ingredients, including organic sauteed onions, organic garlic, organic basil, salt, and black pepper. There is no tomato paste or added sugar. The result is a slightly looser sauce that tastes fresh and allows the tomato's flavor to shine, with olive oil providing a subtle hint of richness. Walmart's Great Value Organic Marinara, by contrast, has a more intense and sweet flavor. Its base starts with a tomato puree made from water and organic tomato paste and organic diced tomatoes. (This is a chunkier marinara, so if thats not for you, skip it!) This tomato base is sweetened with cane sugar, and organic soybean oil replaces olive oil. Walmarts marinara includes plenty of dried seasonings, giving it a more aromatic and herb-forward flavor thanks to ingredients like organic dried onion, organic garlic powder, organic dried basil, and organic dried oregano. For shoppers looking for a product with no added sugar and more traditional ingredients, Costco's jar stands out. The ingredient list is short, and the bright acidity of the high-quality tomatoes really comes through. Related: Trader Joes vs. Costco: Which Olive Oil Deserves a Spot in Your Kitchen? Theres also a difference in price What might really attract more customers to Walmarts marinara is the price difference between the two sauces. Although the exact cost may vary slightly depending on location, Costco sells its marinara in a three-pack of 32-ounce jars for about $15.65, which breaks down to roughly 16 cents per ounce. In contrast, a single 24-ounce jar of Walmart's organic marinara costs $2.36, or about 10 cents per ounce. The numbers may not look far apart, but the price difference gets bigger the more marinara youre buying and this is a household staple for many home cooks, especially those with families. Costco offers another private label marinara worth trying If you like the sound of Costcos tomato sauce, theres a common point of confusion among many shoppers that you might want to be aware of: Costco sells two different organic marinara sauces under the Kirkland label. The jar most customers find in U.S. stores is made with vine-ripened California tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil. Occasionally, you might come across a similar organic marinara from Kirkland Signature, labeled "from Tuscany" on the front of the jar. This sauce is imported from Italy, uses Tuscany-grown tomatoes, and contains Tuscan extra virgin olive oil. Many of the rave social media reviews for Costcos marinara center on the Tuscan import, which bears a "Product of Italy" label and the prestige of European sourcing. While the California jar is sometimes overshadowed by the mystique of its Italian counterpart, it stands on its own merits: a short ingredient list, no added sugar, and fresh flavor. Related: Costcos Kirkland Signature Turns 30 Heres Why Shoppers Cant Get Enough Is one definitively better? Value depends on what a shopper is looking for. Costco's jar is the better investment for home cooks who want a sauce that tastes like something homemade. (It would also likely be the better option for making pizza, a dish where simple, pure tomato flavor works best.) However, its impossible to ignore the benefits of Walmarts marinara, which may be preferable for many households. To start, price is the bottom line for many home cooks, and Walmart wins when it comes to cost. If you have kids, they might prefer the sweeter flavor profile of this marinara yes, theres added sugar, but when youre trying to get a picky child to devour their dinner, sometimes you have to make compromises. Theres no right or wrong answer to which sauce is definitively better, but there might be one thats decidedly better for you. And now you can easily decide exactly which option to spend your money on. Read the original article on Food & Wine If you're a nature lover and live in Utah, more than likely, you've been to Zion National Park. Die Hard adventurers have hiked the strenuous Angels Landing Trail to soak up the jaw-dropping views of sunrises and sunsets along the dramatic ridgeline. Other less skilled hikers (like me) will trek the easy one-mile Zion Canyon Overlook Trail to see the vast canyon and the impressive red rock formations that the park is known for. Sure, these bucket-list-worthy Utah hiking trails are a must, but there is another hike in Zion National Park that will leave you with lasting memories. At five miles long, the Taylor Creek Trail has one of the greatest rewards. However, to complete the hike, you'll have multiple creek crossings, unstable pathways, and a high elevation gain. Is this moderately challenging hike in Utah worth the final view? I think so, and chances are, you will too. Located in the quieter Kolob Canyons portion of Zion National Park, Taylor Creek Trail is not the most popular hike in the park, but it's one that will leave you coming back for more. From the trailhead located next to a small parking lot off Kolob Canyons Road, you'll immediately descend 100 wooden steps to get to Taylor Creek. As you make your way inside the canyon, the sandy path can be tricky to navigate, and depending on when you visit, it might be slippery and muddy, too. One of the things that will stand out to you as you continue your trek is the number of creek crossings along the way. There are more than 30 spots (yes, that many) where you'll need to hop the creek bed, so be prepared to get wet, especially after heavy rain. Of course, it's important to wear sturdy waterproof boots, and trekking poles will also come in handy. I enjoy hearing the gurgling of water while I hike, and you'll have plenty of that as you make your way to the end of this trail. About one mile into the trek, nestled among the juniper and pine trees, you'll come across a historic site that might come as a surprise. The Larson homestead cabin was built in the 1930s, offering a brief glimpse into the past lives of those who attempted to settle the area. This will be a great spot to take a break and snap pics of the cabin with the towering red rock mesa in the backdrop. As you continue to climb the narrow box canyon, you'll have an elevation change of about 450 feet. After about three miles of hiking, the trail ends at the Double Arch Alcove, a gigantic, multicolored sandstone grotto that will literally take your breath away. You'll want to have your camera in hand to snap photos of the formation from different vantage points. Not too far down the tree-lined pathway, there will be another cabin and archaeological site for you to explore. Needless to say, please don't remove anything from these areas as they're part of the history of Zion National Park. Although it's not a traditional arch like the others at the park, this "double arch" formation that was carved from erosion is truly unique. The lower arch is a cave-like opening sheltered by a massive wall, and the upper portion is a dramatic arch in the canyon walls. The grotto becomes even more spectacular when the glow from the sun casts shadows on the Navajo sandstone cliffs. I'd suggest that you carve out extra time to explore this unique natural wonder in Utah. You might not have this trail to yourself, but the good news is, this hike is far less crowded than the other, more popular hikes at Zion. Plus, you'll be surrounded by the iconic red rocks as you walk through the canyon walls. Seeing these geological features up close and personal is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. And if you ask me, the reward at the end is worth all the creek crossing and every step to get here. Have you ever hiked to the Double Arch Alcove? What is your favorite Utah hiking trail or your top spot in Zion National Park? Sound off on our nomination page. And when you're feeling inspired, check out Only In Your State's itinerary planner to personalize your own adventure in Utah. caption Tanya Edwards I love taking a day trip to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, a quaint neighborhood with Gilded Age history. Watch Hill is even more beautiful during the offseason and it's a lot less crowded. I always like to stroll down the beach, visit the historic Ocean House, and walk to the lighthouse. Some people love nothing more than embracing the autumn and winter months with an escape to the woods or mountains. I, on the other hand, still prefer the sand, salt, and sound of crashing ocean waves even after the summer months have come to a close. I live on the Connecticut coast, and whenever I need an ocean fix, I drive about 30 minutes east to Watch Hill, Rhode Island. This quaint neighborhood, located in the southernmost region of the state, is home to one of the most beautiful beaches I've visited, some slightly spooky history, and plenty of Gilded Age charm. Watch Hill is gorgeous and popular in the summer, with its sunny beach and a seasonal scoop shop. Personally, though, I love visiting during the fall, when there's ample parking and the crowds have cleared yet many stores and cafes that close for the winter are still open. There's no shortage of Gilded Age glamour, charm, and history caption Walter Bibikow/Getty Images One of the neighborhood's most historic centerpieces and a personal favorite spot of mine is the Ocean House hotel, which was first built in 1868. The historic hotel was demolished and then reconstructed in the 2000s, though the current version features over 5,000 artifacts and antiques from the original hotel. Whenever I take a day trip, I love swinging by the lobby's bar and restaurant to enjoy a seasonal drink while watching the ocean crash against the sand out the window. Just slightly south of Ocean House, you'll find tons of gorgeous homes, including a historic mansion that Swifties know all too well: Holiday House, which Rebekah Harkness acquired after marrying oil heir William Harkness. Her presence at Holiday House, with its many renovations and high-society gatherings, left a lasting mark on the local culture (as described by Taylor Swift, the house's current owner, in "The Last Great American Dynasty"). There's some tragic history here, too. Whenever I visit, I walk by Watch Hill's memorial dedicated to locals killed in one of Rhode Island's defining catastrophes, the Hurricane of 1938 (also known as the Great New England Hurricane), which devastated the state's coastline. caption Tanya Edwards Another unmissable historic spot is the Olympia Tea Room. Walking into this 109-year-old space truly feels like stepping into a bygone era: There are classic black and white tiles on the floor, funky paintings, and fancy martinis. In terms of food and drinks, I also love grabbing a to-go lunch from Ten Sandwiches and snacking at the beach. And I always stop at Junk & Java, a locally owned coffee shop filled with bright vintage furniture and specialty coffee drinks. Its chocolate-chip-cookie latte is my favorite. The scenery is unbeatable, especially in the fall and winter caption Tanya Edwards Of course, almost any beach is going to be beautiful during the summer months, but Watch Hill's Napatree Point Beach is truly sublime in the fall and winter. The gray sky meets the ocean, making it hard to tell where the air begins and the water ends. In my opinion, there's nothing more grounding than standing alone on a quiet beach with the cool salt air in my face. For more gorgeous scenery, I always recommend a walk to the Watch Hill Lighthouse, which was constructed in 1745. From the end of the peninsula, you can see the entire neighborhood along with views of Block Island on a clear day. Although a warm summer day spent on a beach packed with people is fun, I'd take the chilly emptiness and coziness of fall in Watch Hill any day. Read the original article on Business Insider Former Vice President Kamala Harris said shes unsure whether Americans can trust the Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Trump. I dont know if we can trust whats coming out of the Department of Justice right now, Harris told MSNBC on Sunday. And that pains me to say that as someone who spent the majority of my career as a prosecutor where the work of a prosecutor should be to do justice. In recent weeks, former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James have been indicted by federal grand juries in the Eastern District of Virginia. Comey is charged with making a false statement to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, while James faces charges of bank fraud and false statements to a financial institution. Both have denied wrongdoing. Prior to the indictments, Erik Siebert, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned amid pressure from the White House over his refusal to bring a case against Comey, James and other Trump foes. The president then tapped Lindsey Halligan, a top White House aide, as the districts interim U.S. attorney. He also publicly called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute Comey, James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Ca.) last month, an order that reportedly was meant to be a direct message. Harris said Sunday she believes Trump is on a vengeance campaign that is exposing the petty nature of who he is and his deep level of insecurity. Comey was dismissed by Trump in May 2017 and has since been a sharp critic of the president. James, in 2022, brought a civil fraud case against Trump, with a state judge ordering the president to pay $355 million in penalties. An appeals court voided the fine in August, a decision James appealed in September. The former vice president, who lost to Trump in the 2024 election, said that those who are manipulating the justice system are impacting all Americans, not just those being prosecuted. This affects all of us who believe that, flawed though it may be, that a justice system is actually supposed to be blind in the way that it does its work not targeting people because of who they are or for that matter what they look like, Harris added. Copyright 2025 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. In September 1972, John Denver released his sixth studio album, but its lead single quickly sparked controversy, and some radio stations banned it for all the wrong reasons. The album Rocky Mountain High featured a lead single of the same name. It told the story of what appeared to be Denver's magical night camping alongside his wife, Annie Martell, and friends in the state of Colorado. However, some radio stations believed the song contained drug references and refused to play it, citing a 1971 FCC warning prohibiting songs that could be interpreted as promoting drug use, according to The New York Times. The paper wrote that "stations were responsible for knowing the content of the records they played." The "Rocky Mountain High" line in question? Per Genius, "Friends around the campfire, everybody's high." Denver later addressed the ban before Congress in a statement about rock lyrics and record labeling in 1985, as reported by American Rhetoric. Parade Daily SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox His statement read, "I've had in my experience two encounters with th[is] sort of censorship. My song 'Rocky Mountain High' was banned from many radio stations as a drug-related song." "This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains and also had never experienced the elation, the celebration of life, or the joy in living that one feels when he observes something as wondrous as the Perseides meteor shower, on a moonless and cloudless night, when there are so many stars that you have a shadow from the starlight, and you're out camping with your friends, your best friends, and introducing them to one of nature's most spectacular light shows for the very first time," he concluded. "Obviously a clear case of misinterpretation." John Denver's 'Rocky Mountain High' was inspired by his move to Aspen John Denver co-wrote Rocky Mountain High with guitarist Mike Taylor, drawing inspiration not only from his transformative camping trip but also, a move to Aspen, Colorado, with his wife, Annie Martell. However, writing the song didn't come easily. In 1975, Denver told Rolling Stone, "'Rocky Mountain High' took about nine months to write. I had the chorus to it that I had gotten from a camping trip at Williams Lake, about 26 miles from Aspen." He described, "We were up at about 11,000 feet, and there are so many stars and the sky gets to be so deep and so clear that you have a little pool of shadows from the starlight. And then these guys were saying, all right, shooting stars. And then pretty soon there were balls of fire going across." "It goes all the way across the sky, you can see the smoke, you can see it, and you can hear it. Its great, its so far out, and I was saying, 'Rocky Mountain high, Ive seen a ray of fire in the sky and the shadow of the starlight,' look at that. And then it took me a while to write that song, to put the story around that song, which is totally autobiographical." "Rocky Mountain High" would peak at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973. John Denver died in 1997 when his airplane crashed into Monterey Bay near Pacific Grove, California. He was 53. This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Heavy rain and high winds from a nor'easter made a mess up and down the East Coast Monday, downing trees, knocking out power and causing extensive travel delays at airports in the region. Get complete forecast details on the storm here. Below are our updates on the impacts as they came in throughout the day Monday: (03:57 p.m. EDT) Overnight Forecast For The East Coast From meteorologist Robert Shackelford: If youre already tired of hearing about the noreaster, I hear you and have some good news! The bulk of coastal flood warnings and high surf advisories are set to expire across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this afternoon and evening as conditions will continue to improve tomorrow. Some scattered alerts associated with this event will linger into Tuesday, and it will take some time for all the waters to fully recede. Some river gauges could still reach moderate flood stage on Tuesday, but this is better than the major flood stage we saw over the weekend and Monday. So if youve been wondering if we are out of the woods yet, the answer is almost. (03:27 p.m. EDT) Jersey Shore Flooding Worsens Floodwaters are rising quickly in Tuckerton Beach, New Jersey, where water is nearly topping fire hydrants and mailboxes in some areas. Footage shows tree trunks and fences already halfway underwater as the tide climbs. In some spots, water is even creeping up the steps of homes. (03:05 p.m. EDT) Flight Frustrations Grow In The Northeast The storms heavy wind and rain are making flying a real challenge, and causing quite the ripple effect for airports in the region. Most of the flight chaos is hitting New York and Boston. As of right now, Boston Logan is dealing with 76 delays and 43 cancellations according to FlightAware.coms Misery Map. Over at LaGuardia Intl. Airport in New York, travelers are facing 94 delays and 21 cancellations. (02:43 p.m. EDT) Atlantic City Shelter Is Staying Open New Jersey residents have been able to shelter at Atlantic Citys Convention Center since Saturday. Officials say the shelter will remain open through tomorrow as a safety net for anyone forced to evacuate their homes as flood levels are expected to peak in the region today. (02:16 p.m. EDT) Cape Cod Owns Highest Wind Gust From This Noreaster (So Far) From senior writer Chris DeWeese: Adding to Robs earlier post about highest wind gust speeds from this noreaster, it looks like Cape Cod in Massachusetts has clocked the highest one yet, with a 65 mph gust clocked there earlier today! (01:50 p.m. EDT) State Of Emergency In NY, NJ The weather hammering the Northeast has prompted New York City, Long Island and Westchester County to declare a state of emergency. New York Governor Kathy Hochul stressed that safety is a top priority and urged everyone to stay cautious until the storm passes. New Jersey has also declared a state of emergency as rough surf and coastal flooding batter the Jersey Shore. (01:25 p.m. EDT) So What Exactly Is A Noreaster? From managing editor Sean Breslin: Glad you asked! As you can probably tell with this weeks storm, it doesnt just mean a really big snowstorm is hitting the Northeast. With this noreaster, theres no snow at all. It actually has to do with the wind and more specifically, the wind direction. Ready to learn more? We explain it all here. (12:51 p.m. EDT) Additional Flooding Likely After Peak Monday Afternoon From meteorologist Sara Tonks: While the coastal flooding threat peaks on Monday afternoon with the high tide, many coastal areas in the mid-Atlantic and New England could see minor to moderate flooding through Tuesday afternoon at high tide as the large swells begin to recede. The National Weather Service office in Philadelphia/Mt. Holly is also warning that floodwaters may be slow to drain, so anyone in affected areas should continue to be careful and potentially avoid roads prone to flooding if possible. (12:28 p.m. EDT) New Jersey Coast To See Peak Surge Today From Meteorologist Robert Shackelford: I know the residents of New Jersey are tired of seeing the ocean on their favorite roads and salt water a little too close to comfort with respect to their homes, but you are not out of the woods yet. Part of the states coastline could see its highest levels of inundation with the upcoming high tide this afternoon. The area to watch is Barnegat Bay at Barnegat Light, where tides could reach a peak of 5.5 feet between 1 and 2 p.m. EDT, which just reaches major flood stage. Water at this level could cause structural damage and flood roadways in Lacey Township, Ocean Township, Barnegat Township, Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars and any communities nearby. These waters are life-threatening and could isolate neighborhoods and damage vulnerable homes and businesses. A person wearing a rain coat stands in knee-deep floodwaters (11:52 a.m. EDT) Parts Of North Carolinas Highway 12 Still Closed After stunning pictures showed the ocean washing over Highway 12 in the Outer Banks on Sunday, North Carolinas Department of Transportation provided an update today: The highway remains closed on Ocracoke, Hatteras and Pea islands as crews work to clear out all the sand. In a post on X, the DOT asked for patience, because the afternoon high tide could clog everything up again. (11:35 a.m. EDT) Massachusetts Highway Plane Crash Update From managing editor Sean Breslin: Sad news to report: According to Boston 25 News, at least two people died when a plane crashed onto Interstate 195 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this morning. The two victims were in the plane when it crashed, and a person on the ground was also injured, the report added. The official cause of the crash remains under investigation. (11:13 a.m. EDT) Who Got More Than 11 Inches Of Rain? From Meteorologist Robert Shackelford: Here are the latest storm totals from this event, beginning Saturday morning at 10 a.m. EDT: Georgetown, South Carolina: 11.52 inches Whiteville, North Carolina: 7.81 inches Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: 4.02 inches Orleans, Massachusetts: 3.35 inches Virginia Beach, Virginia: 1.38 inches Central Park, New York: 1.17 inches (10:54 a.m. EDT) A Full Throttle Noreaster Moment While we always want you to play it safe during storms, Darius Aniunas got out early this morning to feel everything raw and electric, as the storm moved close to Nauset Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Listen to how the wind roared as the rough waves crashed ashore. (10:35 a.m. EDT) Highest Winds From The NorEaster So Far From Meteorologist Robert Shackelford: Here are some of the highest and most notable wind gusts from this event: Island Beach State Park, New Jersey: 62 mph Jennettes Pier, North Carolina: 62 mph McClellanville, South Carolina: 56 mph South Bethany, Delaware: 55 mph Wachapreague, Virginia: 53 mph Ocean City Municipal Airport, Maryland: 51 mph LaGuardia, New York: 46 mph (10:13 a.m. EDT) Plane Crashes On Massachusetts Highway A small plane crashed onto a highway in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this morning as heavy rain and winds hit the area. The plane burst into flames on impact, shutting down both sides of I-195 at exit 19. The closure is expected to last several hours. Local reports indicate the plane may have been trying to land nearby at the New Bedford Regional Airport. No word yet on the condition of the pilot or possible passengers, and its not yet known if the weather played a role in the crash. (10:00 a.m. EDT) Flight Delays Pile Up Around Northeast From senior writer Chris DeWeese: Were seeing flight delays and cancellations begin to pile up across multiple airports in the Northeast. This morning, airport tracking website Flight Aware reported that Bostons Logan International Airport has already canceled 27 flights and delayed 30 others. New York Citys LaGuardia, meanwhile, already has had 93 delays and 15 cancellations. Travelers planning on flying either to or from the Northeast today should definitely make sure to check the status of their flight and be prepared for possible delays in travel. (09:32 a.m. EDT) Tens Of Thousands Without Power From senior engagement editor Ron Brackett: Nearly 50,000 homes and businesses had no electricity Monday morning. New Jersey had the highest number of outages with more than 18,000, according to poweroutage.us. Connecticut was next with almost 11,500 outages. New York was reporting just under 10,000 outages. (09:00 a.m. EDT) Columbus Day Parades Canceled New York City canceled its biggest Columbus Day parade. The Columbus Citizens Foundation, the organizers of the annual parade, said the event was called off due to the state of the emergency from the nor'easter. In New Jersey, the Belleville-Nutley Columbus Day Parade has been postponed until Oct. 19. Courtesy Louisiana Fish Fry Authentic Louisiana gumbo at home just got a little bit easier. Louisiana Fish Fry, the makers behind many delicious Cajun and Creole cooking products, just announced the launch of a new Dark Roux Gumbo Base, creating a premium, yet quick and convenient, solution for home chefs. In Louisianas classic gumbo, a dark roux is essential, cookbook author and Louisiana Fish Fry spokesperson Poppy Tooker said in a release shared with Southern Living. Louisiana Fish Frys new gumbo base completely demystifies the process for any home cook seeking authenticity in their pot. Its a huge timesaver and completely eliminates the guess work in creating a pot of gumbo anywhere, anytime. According to the release, the new Dark Roux Gumbo Base combines the perfect blend of seasonings, spices, and aromatics to give consumers a robust, savory gumbo without the time or complexity of making a roux from scratch. In short, all the deep and rich flavors of gumbo in half the time. Courtesy Louisiana Fish Fry "The enthusiastic reception since its launch marks an exciting moment for the brand, as it makes the heart of Cajun cooking accessible to a wider audience," the release states. The roux joins the brand's collection of popular mixes and seasons and was "developed by Louisiana Fish Frys team to deliver the deep, rich flavor that is the hallmark of traditional Louisiana dark roux to consumers." Louisiana Fish Fry's Dark Roux Gumbo Base is available at retailers nationwide, as well as Amazon, and at LouisianaFishFry.com. Read the original article on Southern Living The U.S. Supreme Court stands in Washington. Photo: mana5280 / Unsplash (The Center Square) Louisiana will argue on Wednesday at the U.S. Supreme Court that part of the Voting Rights Act is is inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Though the arguments are the crescendo of a years long legal battle within the state, they could also settle an even longer battle on how to interpret the Voting Rights Act in accordance with the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Louisiana took a sharp left turn the other week after the Supreme Court remitted the case back to the states to decide on a new question: whether the States intentional creation of a second majority-minority congressional district violates the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The question hinges on a congressional district map drawn in 2022, which decides which people will vote in which races for the U.S House of Representatives. That map was drawn with two districts where Blacks in the districts outnumbered any other race. These majority Black districts were created intentionally. These two districts were originally being defended by the state. Now, they are not. When the federal courts "forced us to draw a new majority-minority district, we did so under protest and defended it because the Supreme Courts backwards precedents permit that district, state Attorney General Liz Murrill wrote in a statement. Murrill thanked the Supreme Court for sending her on a road less traveled to decide whether this entire system is constitutional. My answer: it is not, Murill continued. Our Constitution sees neither Black voters nor white voters; it sees only American voters." Originally, Louisiana was going to argue what it had been doing since the case began: that the congressional map drawn by the state was legal and should be upheld. But with the case kicked back by the highest court, the state is arguing something radically different that has transformed the case from a familiar dispute seen before to one of major historical significance. Now, the state will challenge Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, arguing that its race-conscious provisions cannot be justified by current needs. Louisiana contends that Section 2s framework for ensuring minority voting power has evolved into discriminations main source and aggravator, rather than a remedy for it. The state argues that Congress has failed to show any present-day justification for maintaining what it calls an extraordinary remedy that forces states into presumptively unconstitutional race-based districting. Louisianas filing urges the justices to apply strict scrutiny the highest level of judicial review to Section 2 and to strike it down as incongruent with the 14th and 15th Amendments. The brief claims that Section 2 imposes race-based remedies without the requisite showing of need and that the Voting Rights Act has come to balkanize us into competing racial factions. The plaintiffs who originally sued Louisiana the Robinson appellants told the curt in their filing that such a move would upend nearly 150 years of precedent. Their brief, led by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and ACLU, defends Section 2 as a permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting, enacted under Congress broad enforcement powers following the Reconstruction Amendments. Racial discrimination and racially polarized voting are not ancient history, the brief says, citing the continued effects of racial bloc voting and modern efforts to dilute Black political power in Louisiana and elsewhere. Section 2 did not create this problem; to the contrary, Congress enacted it to hasten the waning of racism in American politics. The Robinson appellants warn that overturning Section 2 would strip it of its foundational context and erase decades of precedent in which courts found that discrimination in redistricting persists. The history of constitutional violations supporting Section 2s enactment is massive and well-documented, they wrote, pointing to a century of discriminatory tactics in Louisiana from poll taxes to gerrymanders that sliced Black communities to weaken their voting strength. Even now, it appears that Louisiana is planning to roll back Black representation in its congressional delegation. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the state, a new map will have to be drawn one that is not bound by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. A group of elementary school students with backpacks walk up the steps toward their school building. Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (The Center Square) Maine's charter schools cost less money and have higher academic standards than traditional public schools, according to a new report by a conservative fiscal watchdog, which calls on the state to lift a cap on the taxpayer-funded private schools. The report by the Maine Policy Institute, released Monday, found that the state's charter schools perform "as well or better" than traditional public schools on academic and operational standards, despite receiving far less funding and serving greater rates of disadvantaged students. "Charter schools are playing by a much stricter rulebook," Matt Gagnon, CEO of Maine Policy Institute said in a statement. "If we applied those same standards across the board, a large number of Maines traditional public schools would be considered failing. "Thats a double standard that deprives Maine families of educational opportunities and reduces fairness in public education," Gagnon added. The report surveyed more than 500 public schools using nine accountability metrics used by the Maine Charter School Commission to gauge their academic standards. It found more than 60% of traditional public schools fail at least one charter school performance standard, while roughly 14% fail three or more standards. Meanwhile, traditional public schools spend more than $10,000 more per pupil, on average, than charter schools, with student outcomes not markedly better in these learning environments, according to the report. Nearly 30% of traditional public high schools fail to graduate enough students to meet the standards of charter schools, the report's authors found. Maine has a cap allowing up to 10 state-approved, publicly-funded charter schools and Democrats who control the state Legislature have been reluctant to increase that number, despite repeated efforts by education reformers to lift the restrictions. Gov. Janet Mills, a second-term Democrat, has opposed efforts to lift the cap on charter schools. Supporters of expanding charter schools argue that the schools are performing well and deserve to grow to meet demand. Critics say they siphon scarce education funds and cherry-pick the best students from regular schools, some of which are struggling academically. The schools get an annual allocation from the state, and some have agreements with local governments to get a portion of property tax revenue to fund their operations. The report's authors urged state leaders to lift the "arbitrary" cap on the number of charter schools, lift the enrollment cap on attendance at virtual charter schools, and apply "fair standards" to all public schools, among other recommendations. This isnt about picking sides, or winners and losers in public education," Harris Van Pate, Maine Policy Institute's policy analyst and primary author of the report, said in a statement. "Its about fairness, transparency, and giving every Maine student the best shot at success, whether their school is a charter or not." NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Brunello Cucinelli S.p.A. ("Brunello Cucinelli" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: BCUCY). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Brunello Cucinelli and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On September 25, 2025, Morpheus Research published a report entitled "From Moscow to TJ Maxx - How Brunello Cucinelli Continues To Lie About Its Russian Business While Aggressive Discounting Damages Its Exclusive Positioning." The report alleges that, contrary to its own representations, Brunello Cucinelli has continued to unlawfully conduct business in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. On this news, Brunello Cucinelli's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $2.01 per ADR, or 16.54%, to close at $10.14 per ADR on September 25, 2025. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP People wave Israeli flags during a street demonstration. Photo: Levi Meir Clancy / Unsplash (The Center Square) New York's top political leaders are praising the Trump administration for brokering a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, ending more than two years of conflict. Under the peace deal, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire built on President Donald Trumps 20-point plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza that includes the release of 20 Israeli captives and more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The deal, which went into effect Monday, followed three days of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel in Egypts Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. In New York, which has one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, the state's political leaders praised the ceasefire deal and the Trump administration for brokering an end to the hostilities. After two years of immense suffering and loss, the Israeli hostages have finally returned home," Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday in a statement. "I join their families in celebrating this long-awaited homecoming and pray they find peace and comfort in the days ahead." Hochul, a Democrat, praised "the administration" for working to secure the ceasefire deal and the hostages release but didn't mention Trump by name in the statement. "With their return and a permanent ceasefire, Im hopeful that vital aid will soon reach families suffering in Gaza and that today marks the beginning of a new chapter of lasting peace and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike," Hochul added. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, called the ceasefire an "extremely welcome development" and said he welcomes "freeing the remaining hostages and bringing an end to years of pain, suffering and destruction. "The world will be a better place with a safe and secure Israel living side by side in peace and prosperity with the Palestinian people able to achieve the dignity and self-determination they deserve. We must all recommit to achieve that outcome," he posted on social media. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the ceasefire "brings a huge sigh of relief to the hostage families, to all of Israel, and to Palestinians who have suffered for so long in this horrific humanitarian catastrophe." The work is not over, but any step to end this nightmare is one that should be celebrated and carefully implemented and followed through on," he said in a statement. New York Republicans also praised the agreement and Trump's negotiating team for making the peace deal happen, with some calling out Democrats for their lukewarm praise of the president's involvement. "The release of every living hostage is a testament to the power of strength, unity, and diplomacy rooted in moral clarity President Trump and his team Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Marco Rubio once again proved that peace through strength works," U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a Hudson Valley Republican, said in a statement. "And by working alongside our greatest ally, Israel, and our Arab partners, we have achieved what many thought impossible." Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is considering a run for governor next year, also praised Trump for brokering the "historic" peace deal but criticized Hochul and other Democrats for "disingenuous" comments about the settlement for not mentioning Trump's involvement in the agreement. She also blasted Hochul's endorsement of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who has criticized Israel's war against Hamas. "Not only does she egregiously and purposefully fail to acknowledge President Trumps leadership in bringing the hostages home, Hochul endorses the Antisemite Jihadist who has praised Hamas terrorists," Stefanik posted Monday on social media. "Truly the Worst Governor in America is @KathyHochul." Israels offensive in Gaza began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Israels war against Hamas has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and wounded almost 170,000, according to a tally from Gazas Hamas-run Health Ministry. It has also displaced 2 million people, the group says. Displaced Palestinians walk with their belongings along the heavily damaged Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. Credit - Abdel Kareem HanaAssociated Press Tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to areas of Gaza where Israeli forces had withdrawn on Sunday to find scenes of vast destruction and bodies hidden beneath the rubble, as President Donald Trump headed to the region to finalize a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. In the three days since the ceasefire was announced across Gaza, some 500,000 are estimated to have returned to Gaza City, which has borne the brunt of Israel's firepower in recent weeks. Palestinians shared images showing entire neighborhoods razed to the ground. Some posted videos expressing relief that their home was still standing after two years of one of the most devastating aerial bombardments in modern history, the primary weapon in an assault that international experts have declared a genocide. Read more: How the Trump Administration Sealed the Gaza Ceasefire Deal Rami Mohammad-Ali, 37, described seeing bodies scattered along the roadside as he returned to Gaza City. "We couldn't believe the destruction we have seen," he told Reuters by phone after walking nearly ten miles from Deir Al Balah to Gaza City. "We are joyful to returnbut at the same time we have bitter feelings about the destruction," he said. It came as preparations were underway in Israel to receive 20 living hostages and 28 bodies that had been held by Hamas since the group launched a surprise terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In Gaza, the same preparations were being made to receive 250 Palestinian prisoners convicted of serious crimes, and 1,700 who were seized by Israel during the war and held without charge, including 22 children. President Trump arrives in Tel Aviv on Monday to address the Knesset, Israel's parliament, and meet with the families of Israeli hostages. Speaking to reporters ahead of his flight, he was confident about the prospect of a long term peace. "The war is over, you understand that," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he began a flight from Washington to Israel. After his visit to Israel, Trump will then travel to Egypt for a summit with world leaders on a more permanent end to the Gaza war, and discussions on post-war governance of the territory. Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that Trump was also hoping to meet with the newly freed hostages. "Knock on wood, but we feel very confident the hostages will be released and this president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person," Vance told CBS' "Face the Nation." Read more: I Spent 491 Days as a Hostage of Hamas. This Is My Story While Israel and Hamas have accepted the two-phase agreement, many of the more difficult issues have been left unresolved. Hamas has not yet agreed to fully disarm, it is not yet clear who will govern Gaza after the war, and the full scope of Israels withdrawal has yet to be determined. The fate of a long-term peace will be determined at the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, which is being hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and attended by 20 world leaders, among them German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump, who until recently touted U.S. tutelage of Gaza, mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza, and an internationally-owned "Riviera" in the territory, is hoping to build on the immediate success of the ceasefire to forge a lasting peace with the involvement of Arab countries and Israel. "I think you are going to have tremendous success and Gaza is going to be rebuilt," Trump said Friday ahead of the summit. "And you have some very wealthy countries, as you know, over there. It would take a small fraction of their wealth to do that. And I think they want to do it." There was hope and trepidation among the families of hostages over the weekend as the ceasefire held. White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner addressed a crowd of thousands at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening in Hostages Square, where the crowd booed the mention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and cheered Trump. Many hostage families have criticized Netanyahu for not doing enough to secure the release of their loved ones and for in their viewprolonging the war for his own political benefit. Two Palestinian girls pull a cart loaded with belongings as they walk along the heavily damaged Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. Abdel Kareem HanaAssociated Press To the hostages themselves, our brothers and sisters, you are coming home, Witkoff told the crowd, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Rotem Cooper told the BBC that he was waiting to receive the body of his father, Amiram, who was killed in Hamas captivity, so he could begin the process of mourning. Everybody is on edge, wanting to make sure that none of the sides are breaking the agreement in any way. Everybody is worried that Hamas might be saying it cant locate [their loved one], he told the BBC. Meanwhile, aid agencies were urging the removal of all restrictions on aid to address the famine conditions that had been confirmed in Gaza City. The United Nations said it has only been able to deliver around 20% of the aid needed in Gaza due to Israeli restrictions and danger caused by the fighting. Those restrictions caused widespread hunger across Gaza, and famine in Gaza City. The United Nations World Food Program said on Saturday that it had begun scaling up its operations in Gaza, as other aid groups said they still had not been able to gain access to the territory due to Israeli restrictions on entry. U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher outlined on Friday a 60-day plan to flood Gaza with aid. Our supplies, 170,000 metric tons food, medicine and other suppliesare in place. And our teamcourageous and expert and determinedare in place, he said at a press briefing. We will scale up the provision of food across Gaza to reach 2.1 million people who need food aid and around 500,000 people who need nutrition. Famine must be reverted in areas where it has taken hold and prevented in others, he added. The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, said it was still being blocked from bringing supplies into the territory. Displaced Palestinians walk amid destroyed buildings in the heavily damaged Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. Abdel Kareem HanaAssociated Press Attention will now also turn to the huge task of reconstruction inside Gaza. Over the course of two years of Israeli ground operations and airstrikes, 92% of Gazas housing units have been destroyed or damaged, according to the United Nations. Only 39% of hospitals in the territory are functional, and 89% of the U.N.s water, sanitation, and hygiene assets have been destroyed or damaged. Famine in Gaza was confirmed in August by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a food security body backed by the U.N. Nearly 55,000 children younger than 5 were suffering from a life-threatening type of malnourishment by early August, according to a study published Wednesday by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the main healthcare provider to Palestinian refugees. The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGC) also concluded in August that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Weeks later, a U.N. commission of inquiry found that Israel had met four of the five genocidal acts in Gaza laid out by the 1948 U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. These included killing Palestinians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians, and imposing measures intended to prevent births. Israel has consistently denied accusations of genocide. In his address to the U.N. General Assembly in September, Netanyahu said regarding genocide claims that the opposite is true, citing millions of leaflets dropped by the IDF and millions of texts sent ahead of military operations in Gaza. Israel's attack on Gaza was launched in response to a Hamas attack on southern Israel in which it killed 1,200mostly civiliansand took 250 hostage. Over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 169,000 also injured in the time since, according to Gazas Health Ministry, and health officials said over the weekend that more bodies are being discovered under the rubble in areas where the Israeli army has withdrawn. In the absence of independent monitoring on the ground, the ministry is the primary source for casualty data relied upon by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international bodies. The ministrys figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it says around half the deaths were women and children. The ministrys figures cannot be independently verified by TIME, but the Israeli armys own casualty figures suggest a Palestinian civilian death rate of 83%. With additional reporting by Callum Sutherland. Contact us at letters@time.com. Samir Hussein/WireImage; Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Prince Andrew, in April, and Jeffrey Epstein, in 2004 NEED TO KNOW Details of Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein's relationship have emerged with the publication of an alleged 2011 email The Duke of York, who is King Charles' brother, allegedly sent Epstein a note of "concern" saying, "We are in this together" It follows the emergence of an old email from Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, in which she called him a "supreme friend" Fresh evidence of the closeness between Prince Andrew and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has emerged in a newly-revealed email which purportedly shows Andrew telling him, "We are in this together." The alleged email, citing Andrew's "concern," was sent a day after the infamous picture of the prince with his arm around Virginia Giuffre was published in 2011. The picture was initially published by The Mail on Sunday in the U.K. in February of that year. The following day, on Feb. 28, Andrew reportedly wrote, "I'm just as concerned for you! Don't worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Queen Elizabeth's second son added, Otherwise, keep in close touch, and we'll play some more soon!!!!" Before signing off with A, HRH The Duke of York, KG (a reference to him being a knight of the prestigious Order of the Garter). HANDOUT/US District Court - Southern Dis/AFP via Getty Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell The newly-discovered email was published on Oct. 12 concurrently by The Mail on Sunday and The Sun on Sunday in the U.K., and PEOPLE has reached out to Prince Andrew for comment. The email heaps more scandal on the Duke of York. The sympathetic, supportive message from Andrew, 65, to Epstein would appear to prove that the royal was in contact with the shamed financier for months despite telling the BBC that he had cut ties with him. King Charles brother told BBC Newsnights Emily Maitlis that he had visited Epstein in New York in December 2010 to end their association in person. The pair were pictured walking in Central Park during Andrew's visit. However, the email revealed by the papers on Oct. 12 is from the following February. Epstein was convicted on June 30, 2008, in a Florida state court after being charged with one count each of soliciting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Prince Andrew at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent in London on Sept. 16, 2025 The picture, showing Prince Andrew with his arm around Virginia Giuffre (then Roberts) at what was said to be Ghislaine Maxwells mews house in London, has dogged Andrew ever since it was first published. When the photo was first uncovered, Giuffre who died by suicide in April this year made public her claims about Andrew. She said she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex three times with Prince Andrew in London and elsewhere when she was 17. The royal has consistently denied the claims and, in 2022, he settled a case brought by her for a reported $13 million, without admission of any wrongdoing. In his BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew claimed, I have absolutely no memory of that photograph ever being taken, Andrew told Maitlis, before going on to question the authenticity of the photo. He said he was wearing his traveling clothes as opposed to his regular suit and tie and suggested that his left hand had been photoshopped onto Giuffres side in the image. I dont remember that photograph ever being taken, he said. I dont remember going upstairs in the house because that photograph was taken upstairs and I am not entirely convinced thatI mean that isthat is what I would describe as me in thatin that picture but I cantwe cant be certain as to whether or not thats my hand on her whatever it is, left left side. Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds an image of herself when she was a teen Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. The revelation of the email comes only weeks after another email published by The Sun and The Mail on Sunday on Sept. 20 in which Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, sent Epstein praising him as "a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family." That 2011 email was sent after she had said in an interview that she regretted accepting money from him and vowed not to contact him again. Since then, several charities have cut ties with Ferguson. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Cathedral in London on Sept. 16, 2025 A spokesman told PEOPLE at the time that Ferguson, popularly known as Fergie, "spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been her first thoughts are with his victims." The rep added, "Like many people, she was taken in by his lies. As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia. She does not resile from anything she said then. This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats." More revelations could come soon. Guiffres posthumously published memoir, Nobodys Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, is set to be released later in October 2025. Read the original article on People An employee works with a wafer in a production line of Dutch semiconductor company Nexperia, in Hamburg, Germany, June 27, 2024. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Dutch government has taken control of Chinese-owned computer chipmaker Nexperia, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing as a global fight brews over technology intellectual property, especially around semiconductors. The government said late on Sunday that it has intervened in Nijmegen-headquartered Nexperia, which manufactures chips for cars and consumer electronics. It cited worries about the possible transfer of technology to Nexperia's Chinese parent company, Wingtech. The Hague invoked never-before-used powers under a Dutch law known as the "Availability of Goods Act." The decision led to a 10% fall in Wingtech's shares in Shanghai on Monday. The Dutch government will not take ownership of Nexperia, but it will now have the power to reverse or block management decisions it considers harmful. The company's regular production is continuing. WINGTECH SAYS DECISION DRIVEN BY 'GEOPOLITICAL BIAS' U.S. President Donald Trump is ratcheting up pressure on Chinese tech firms as part of a broader trade war that saw him threaten 100% tariffs on China's exports last week. The U.S. and the Netherlands typically cooperate closely on computer chip industry export controls. A Dutch Economic Affairs Ministry spokesperson, however, said there was no U.S. involvement in its decision regarding Nexperia and the timing was "purely coincidental". Washington last month expanded a list of blacklisted firms seen as threats to national security to include subsidiaries. Wingtech had already been placed on the United States' "entity list" in December 2024 for its alleged role "in aiding China's government's efforts to acquire entities with sensitive semiconductor manufacturing capability." Nexperia, which is 100%-owned by Wingtech, said at the time that it would comply with the U.S. rules, though it said its operations were kept at arm's length from its Chinese parent. Wingtech called the Dutch government's intervention in Nexperia, once part of Dutch electronics group Philips, "excessive interference driven by geopolitical bias". Wingtech also alleged that non-Chinese Nexperia executives had tried to forcibly alter the company's equity structure through legal proceedings in a "cloaked power grab" on the company. A copy of an Amsterdam commercial court ruling dated October 7 and seen by Reuters showed that the court decided on October 1 to suspend Wingtech CEO Zhang Xuezheng from his position as executive director at Nexperia after finding "well founded reasons to doubt" the company was pursuing correct management policy or actions under Dutch civil law. It appointed Dutch businessman Guido Dierick to take Zhang's position with a "deciding vote", and transferred control of almost all of Nexperia's shares to a Dutch lawyer for management. The Dutch state and the company's labour council had supported the moves, the document showed. Wingtech could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday outside of normal business hours in China. Wingtech said in a statement on Sunday that it was consulting with lawyers and seeking government support to "protect the legitimate rights and interests of the company". Nexperia, which Wingtech bought for $3.63 billion in 2018, said it complied with all relevant laws and regulations. COURT ORDERED WINGTECH CHAIR SUSPENDED FROM NEXPERIA BOARD In its statement, the Dutch government said that administrative problems at Nexperia posed a threat to the company's "crucial technological knowledge" without elaborating. "The loss of these capabilities could pose a risk to Dutch and European economic security," it said. Nexperia is one of the world's largest makers of simple computer chips such as diodes and transistors, though it also develops more advanced technologies such as "wide gap" semiconductors used in electrical settings and useful for electric cars, chargers and AI data centres. Wingtech said in a filing to the Shanghai stock exchange on Monday that its control over Nexperia would be temporarily restricted due to the Dutch order and court rulings, affecting decision making and operational efficiency. In addition to the United States, Wingtech has had run-ins before with other Western governments over its operations, with Britain ordering it to divest ownership of a facility in Newport. The Netherlands scrutinised Nexperia's purchase of startup Nowi in 2023. (Reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Additional reporting by Samuel Shen and Brenda Goh in Shanghai. Editing by Edmund Klamann, Michael Perry, Joe Bavier and Matthew Lewis) Four people died and nearly two dozen were wounded in a mass shooting at a South Carolina bar over the weekend. Gunfire erupted at Willie's Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island in the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 12, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. "This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone. We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their loved ones." Here's what we know about the shooting. At least 4 dead, 20 injured in shooting at St. Helena Island, SC bar A man uses a power washer to clean blood off front steps at Willie's Bar & Grill on Oct. 12, 2025 in St. Helena Island, South Carolina. An early morning shooting left at least 4 dead and 20 injured. Has anyone been arrested? Authorities are investigating persons of interest in connection with this shooting. No arrests have been announced as of Monday, Oct. 13. What to know about the victims The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said the shooting took place just before 1 a.m. At least 20 people were injured, and multiple victims were transferred to local hospitals. At least four people were reported in critical condition as of Sunday, Oct. 12. On Oct. 13, the local county coroner's office confirmed to USA TODAY that all of the dead had been struck by gunfire. The office identified them as Kashawn Glaze, 22; Chiraad Smalls, 33; Ashantek Milledge, 22; and Amos Gary, 54. Glaze and Smalls are both of Beaufort, South Carolina. Milledge is from Burton, South Carolina, and Gary is from St. Helena. USA TODAY has reached out to local authorities for more information. More news: 4 killed, a dozen injured in shooting after Mississippi homecoming game Where did the shooting occur? Willie's Bar & Grill after an early morning shooting on October 12, 2025 in St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The shooting left at least 4 dead and 20 injured. St. Helena Island, about 40 miles north of Hilton Head Island, is known as the epicenter of a culture of people descended from African slaves known as Gullah Geechee. The bar and grill where the shooting occurred describes itself as serving authentic Gullah cuisine. It was hosting a Battery Creek High School alumni party when the gunfire started. Owner William Turral spoke with local news outlet WJCL about the scene, describing it as "a fantastic time" until it shifted to "mayhem." Hundreds of people were at the scene when law enforcement arrived. "Things happened so fast, just bodies on the ground, people just trying to duck for cover," he told the television station. Victims and witnesses rushed to the nearby establishments to dodge the gunfire, authorities said. One of the bar's security officers was among those killed. Community left stunned; vigil honors the dead Willie Turral, owner of Willie's Bar & Grill, pauses while speaking to reporters after an early morning shooting on October 12, 2025 in St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The shooting left at least 4 dead and 20 injured. Photos posted by WSAV on Facebook show a vigil outside Willie's Bar and Grill to pay tribute to the victims. The comment section is flooded with people offering their prayers and condolences. It is very scary to have something like this happen so close to home," resident Jindia Blount told WLTX. You never want to be like, Oh, we made national news, but for the wrong reasons. Its just unfortunate for those families and for Willie and his family. This is their business." Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What we know about the St. Helena Island, SC shooting that left 4 dead PORTLAND, OR Its a typical fall Sunday afternoon here, locals say. Dreary and wet. Temperatures hover in the low 50s, but the cold rain brings a chill to the core. Parents push their children in strollers during downpour breaks, walking and clinging to their coffee cups for warmth. Friends are holed up in bars near downtown, watching NFL games and sharing laughs over brunch plates. Everytown, USA, some might say: football, friends and family. But at the Oregon Convention Center Plaza, things look a bit different. A piece of Portland is in protest mode. Naked bike riders on a rain-soaked Sunday in Portland. Scenes from the wet, wild protest Over a thousand protesters ride their bicycles through the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 12, 2025, in protest of Trump administration policies. Hundreds of people gather to cruise the city on bikes. In the cold rain. Naked. Bits and pieces everywhere. Protesters gather in downtown Portland, Oregon, for the Emergency World Naked Bike Ride on Oct. 12, 2025, in protest of Trump administration policies. Organizers of the World Naked Bike Ride scheduled an emergency ride Oct. 12 to bring global attention to President Donald Trumps plans to deploy National Guard troops to the city. More: Can a sea of naked people on bikes change Trump's mind on Portland, Oregon? There were speeches from local organizers and activists, leading the crowd of young and old in chants. It was fascinating to watch as riders who were full-on naked mingled with those in clear ponchos, underwear some topless, others bottomless. There was whimsy, of course. Costumes of cartoon characters and puffy pigs, leopard outfits, Halloween masks and fuzzy hats. If their naked bodies werent message enough, their signs made quite clear the intent. And many riders wore their messages painted on their bodies. End occupation. End deportation. No one is illegal on stolen land. Kick yourself out youre an immigrant too. Were cold, but not as cold as ICE. Skin color is not probable cause. The UniPiper joins over a thousand protesters for the Emergency World Naked Bike Ride through the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 12, 2025, in protest of Trump administration policies. Trump has a narrative about this place. Portland is filled with antifa and the radical left anarchists, as he calls them. These criminals have created a war-torn environment where federal law enforcement officers are being attacked and the city is burning to the ground, he says. There have been clashes outside of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland in recent weeks. People at the rallies dont want ICE agents rounding up fellow Portlanders. They dont approve of the heavy-handed approach to deportation. They dont want to live in a militarized state of existence among National Guard troops. More: Trump's National Guard deployments in Chicago, Portland face legal tests And they rode out to the ICE facility on Sunday nearly 4 miles to continue their protests naked and unafraid. The people are willing to be vulnerable and stand up for something they believe in, artist Tyler Wolters, 35, told me, rocking a block-head yellow cartoonish costume that read: Im here to party. Wolters was wearing one thing below the waist: flip-flops. Protesting is peaceful, and we are showcasing that by doing what were doing, he said. A federal judge has blocked Trumps efforts to deploy troops twice, writing on Oct. 4, This country has a longstanding and foundational tradition of resistance to government overreach, especially in the form of military intrusion into civil affairs. Over a thousand protesters ride their bicycles through the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 12, 2025, in protest of Trump administration policies. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was appointed during Trumps first term, wrote in the ruling, This historical tradition boils down to a simple proposition: This is a nation of constitutional law, not martial law. Even those who didnt join the bike ride came to bear witness. I noticed a woman fully clothed on the sidewalk watching as the throngs of riders made their way down Grand Avenue. She was smiling widely, yet emotional and near tears. Damn, this is a good place to live, Jennifer Frykman, 70, told me. I know that this city has at its heart a very beating heart of love and compassion. Her tears began to flow in earnest. And just a few minutes later, the sun came out. Suzette Hackney is a national columnist. Reach her on X: @suzyscribe This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Portland naked bike protest against Trump's ICE policy, National Guard U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the Knesset, Israels parliament, on Oct. 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. Credit - Chip SomodevillaGetty Images As U.S. President Donald Trump flew to Israel on Monday, his plane passed over the words THANK YOU written on the beach in Tel Aviv. Aboard Air Force One, Trump declared to reporters that the war is over, referring to the more than two-year conflict in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. As part of a new cease-fire the U.S. helped to broker last week, seven Israeli hostages were set free just before Trump touched down, and the other 13 remaining living hostages were handed over to the Red Cross, while over 1,700 Palestinians detained by Israel were prepared for release to Gaza and 250 to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and other countries later Monday in exchange. When Trump arrived, he was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, Its a great day. Maybe your best day, to which Netanyahu responded, This is history. Trump was received like a hero in Israelin Jerusalem, a billboard said You are our winner, with an image of him on a medal, just days after Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize that Netanyahu had nominated him for. Herzog, for his part, said he intends to award Trump with Israels Presidential Medal of Honor, the nations highest honor for a civilian. From his unwavering support for the State of Israel, to the advent of the Abraham Accords which expanded the circle of peace in our region, from the two historic agreements that brought our dear hostages home and saved countless lives, to the decisive strike on Irans nuclear program, President Trumps voice has always been one of courage and leadership, and of steadfast commitment to the pursuit of peace and humanity, Herzogs office said in a statement. Still, not everyone wantsor is ableto celebrate. The swapping of hostages is only one part of the two-phase cease-fire deal. A second phase remains tenuous and is still up for negotiation, given how aspects of itlike the scope of the Israel Defense Forces withdrawal from Gaza and future deployments, as well as who governs Gaza after the warmay be difficult to reach an agreement on. Israel has also been less willing than Trump to characterize the war as over, especially as Hamas has said it will not disarm unless a sovereign Palestinian state is established, which Israel opposes. From the airport, Trump proceeded to the Knesset, Israels parliament, to address Israeli lawmakers. Former President George W. Bush was the last U.S. President to speak before the Knesset, in 2008. Knesset staff reportedly distributed red MAGA-style caps that read, TRUMP THE PEACE PRESIDENT, to those in the audience. A man holds caps that read Trump the Peace President before U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to the Knesset. Evelyn HocksteinPool/Getty Images After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace, Trump said to the Israeli lawmakers, as he entered the Knesset plenum hall about two hours behind schedule, after meeting with the families of some hostages, and took the microphone after Speaker Amir Ohana, Netanyahu, and Leader of the Opposition Yair Lapidall of whom showered praise on the U.S. President and said he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of a age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of god. Its the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region, Trump continued. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East. Trump was briefly interrupted by a protester who was quickly ushered out of the hall while he was thanking and praising his negotiating teamincluding U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Marco Rubio, whom Trump said would go down as the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the United States. Trump also thanked Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and he praised his own peace through strength doctrine. After Trumps speech, he will fly next to Egypt, where he is expected to join a Middle East summit, which gathers some 20 international leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, though Netanyahu will not attend. Contact us at letters@time.com. NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against KBR, Inc. ("KBR" or the "Company") (NYSE: KBR). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. The class action concerns whether KBR and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. You have until November 18, 2025 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired KBR securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . [Click here for information about joining the class action] On June 19, 2025, HomeSafe Alliance ("HomeSafe"), a KBR joint venture, announced receipt of "a notice from the U.S. Department of Defense's Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) terminating the Global Household Goods Contract, which HomeSafe won in 2021 to transform the military move system for the benefit of service members and their families." Then, on June 20, 2025, KBR issued a substantively similar press release about the termination of the Global Household Goods Contract. On this news, KBR's stock price fell $3.85 per share, or 7.29%, to close at $48.93 per share on June 20, 2025. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP An Israeli soldier stands near military vehicles, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, at the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel October 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad An Israeli soldier stands near military vehicles, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, at the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel October 12, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Steven Scheer, Alexander Cornwell and Steve Holland (Reuters) -The war in Gaza has ended and the Middle East is going to "normalize," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday as he flew to Israel, which was waiting for Hamas to release Israeli hostages as world leaders were gathering to discuss the next steps toward peace. "The war is over, you understand that," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he began a flight from Washington to Israel. Asked about prospects for the region, Trump said, "I think it's going to normalize." A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held in Gaza for a third day on Sunday ahead of the expected release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and a scheduled address by Trump to Israel's parliament. Thousands of Palestinians continued to travel north towards Gaza City, the focus of Israeli attacks over the past two months, hopeful the ceasefire would bring an end to the war. Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path. A path of building, a path of healing, and I hope a path of uniting hearts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement. Such optimism was shared broadly. "There is a lot of joy among the people," said Abdou Abu Seada, a resident of Gaza who added that the joy was tempered by exhaustion after two years of war that has destroyed much of Gaza. Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said Israel expected hostages to start being released early Monday morning with the 20 living hostages to be released together. In the event that hostages were released earlier, Israel was ready to receive them, she said. Their release is to be followed later by the handover of bodies of the remaining 28 deceased hostages. TRUMP DUE TO ADDRESS THE KNESSET Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is due by noon on Monday (0900 GMT) to release the remaining hostages. They were taken captive on October 7, 2023 when the group's militants launched the surprise attack on Israel that ignited the war. Israel's hostages coordinator Gal Hirsch said on Thursday a task force would be formed to help find the remains of any dead hostages that Hamas could not locate. Trump is due to arrive in Israel on Monday to address the Knesset, the parliament, before travelling to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt for a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will also attend the summit, an Axios reporter said on Sunday, citing a senior Palestinian official. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner addressed a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday, which many Israelis hoped would be the final one urging the release of hostages and an end to the war. The U.S., along with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, mediated what has been described as a first phase agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas and prisoners and detainees by Israel. "For two years we (have been) waiting for this day for this moment... All of us feel happy for the family, for the hostages, that finally...we will see them," said demonstrator Dalia Yosef, thanking Trump. GAZANS RETURNING TO NORTH FIND DEVASTATION The Israel Prison Service said it had transferred some Palestinian prisoners to other facilities ahead of their expected release. The Israeli Ministry of Justice has released the names of 250 Palestinians, convicted of murder and other serious crimes, who are to be freed under the deal. The list does not include senior Hamas commanders that the Islamist militant group had sought to free, or prominent figures from other factions such as Marwan Al Barghouti or Ahmed Saadat. Although that was not expected to derail the agreement, Hamas' prisoners information office said talks were ongoing with Israeli mediators over the list of prisoners to be freed. Israel is also to release 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and 22 Palestinian minors, along with the bodies of 360 militants. Israeli government spokesperson Bedrosian said the prisoners would be released once the living hostages reach Israeli territory. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that once the hostages were returned, the military would destroy underground tunnels in Gaza built by Hamas. Palestinians returning to northern Gaza have described widespread devastation. Rescue workers warned there could be unexploded ordnance and bombs in the area. Amjad Al Shawa, who heads a Palestinian organisation coordinating with aid groups, estimated 300,000 tents were needed to temporarily house 1.5 million displaced Gazans. "We couldn't believe the destruction we have seen," Rami Mohammad-Ali, 37, said by phone after walking 15 km (9.5 miles) with his son from Deir Al Balah to Gaza City. "We are joyful to return to Gaza (City) but at the same time we have bitter feelings about the destruction," he said, describing seeing human remains scattered along roads. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, Alexander Cornwell and Steven Scheer in Jerusalem; additional reporting by Maayan Lubell; Writing by Nidal al-Mugrahbi, Alexander Cornwell, Phil Stewart and Richard Cowan; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Ros Russell, Edmund Klamann and David Gregorio) President Donald Trump said he is considering providing Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia in their three-year-old war, a move the Kremlin has warned would increase tensions with the West. Trump said he had a good conversation on Oct. 12 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who asked for additional weapons. "They need Patriots very badly," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. "Theyd like to have Tomahawks. Thats a step up." The latest threat reflects another way Trump is losing patience with Russia over settling the war, with the deaths of 5,000 to 7,000 troops every week. Trump has warned that additional sanctions against Russia are possible and that Ukraine could retake the territory it has lost. Vice President JD Vance has said Russia should "wake up and accept reality" with serious negotiations. Supplying Tomahawk missiles, which can travel 1,500 miles, could enable Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, including military bases, logistics hubs, airfields, and command centers. But Russia has said that if the United States provides Tomahawks to Ukraine, it would trigger a new round of dangerous escalation between Russia and the West. Trump said he would first call Russian President Vladimir Putin to warn him that if the war didnt end, he might provide the cruise missiles to NATO, which would pass them along to Ukraine. Trump called Tomahawks "a new step of aggression." "I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest with you, about Tomahawks," Trump said. "Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I dont think so." Trump said the threat of Tomahawks would impress upon Putin that he wanted the war to end. "I might say, 'Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I might send them Tomahawks," Trump added. "I may say that. We may not, but we may do it." Zelenskyy said on Oct. 12 that he saw Russia's concerns as reason to press forward. "We see and hear that Russia is afraid that the Americans may give us Tomahawks that this kind of pressure may work for peace," Zelenskyy said. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump may give Ukraine Tomahawk missiles to defend against Russia WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to still meet in October after Trump threatened to skip their meeting and impose massive tariffs on Beijing in retaliation to new Chinese export controls. Bessent said Oct. 13 that the Trump administration and China had "substantial communication" over the weekend after Trump threatened to impose a new 100% tariff on imports from China that would take effect Nov. 1. "He will be meeting with Party Chair Xi in Korea. I believe that meeting will still be on," Bessent said in an interview on Fox Business. "The idea is to give them time to meet and work this out." More: Trump announces additional 100% tariff on China imports, reigniting trade war with Beijing The planned meeting with Xi is at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, set for Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Bessent said Trump now believes China's new export controls on rare earth minerals which triggered Trump's tariff threat might have come from a "lower-level official," not Xi. "The Chinese system is quite brittle, so this may not have come from Xi Jinping himself," Bessent said. "This may have come from a Chinese hard-liner. They have hard-liners on their side too who are always trying to undermine the relationship." President Donald Trump laughs with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent after asking him if he wants to be Fed Chair, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 5, 2025. Trump, in a post on Truth Social Oct. 12, suggested the situation with China will work out. "Dont worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesnt want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!!" the president wrote. Speaking later to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel, Trump said: "I think we'll get along just fine. I have a great relationship with China." Trump threatens China with 'massive' tariff hike, sees 'no reason' to meet with Xi The stock market, which tumbled after Trump's tariffs threats, soared on Oct. 13 as Trump and his administration softened the tone with China. Still, Bessent called it "highly inappropriate" for China to announce the expanded export controls on the same day Trump announced a long-awaited peace deal between Hamas and Israel to end the fighting in Gaza. "Trying to get leverage before a meeting with Donald Trump is a bad idea, and (Trump) turned the tables," Bessent said. "It was a miscalculation, but we are communicating now. I am confident that we can move forward." President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One en route to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal. Bessent said Trump administration officials plan to speak with Beijing officials this week, and Bessent plans to speak with his Chinese counterpart, before Trump meets Xi. He said Trump could choose not to move forward with the tariffs. "The 100% tariff does not have to happen," Bessent said. "The relationship, despite this announcement last week, is good. Lines of communication have reopened, so we'll see where it goes." Contributing: Reuters Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump meeting with Xi back on as US softens tone on China Cameroonian President Paul Biya, 92, who is seeking an eighth term reacts after he casted his ballot during the presidential election in Yaounde, Cameroon on Sunday. - Zohra Bensemra/Reuters Cameroon voted in an election Sunday that could see Africas oldest leader the worlds oldest president extend his rule by another seven years. Analysts have predicted a victory for President Paul Biya. Now 92, he would be 99 by the time his term finishes. He first came to power in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroons first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, and has ruled the country since then. Biya was declared the winner of seven subsequent elections. Cameroon has seen just two leaders since independence in 1960. However, cracks may be appearing in Biyas image. His health has routinely been a topic of speculation as he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving day-to-day governing to key party officials and family members. Dr. Benjamin Akih, an activist and professor at Syracuse University, believes that the opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary may win due to Biyas age and his long track record of running Cameroon. I think this election is different. Mr. Biya was the weakest candidate the CPDM could put forward on account of his age and the poor state of the country after his 43 years in power, he said. Paul Biya and his wife in 1980. - Claude Pavard/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images In the face of increasingly difficult international environment, the challenges facing us are more and more pressing, Biya said in announcing another run. In such a situation, I cannot shirk my mission. Biya faces nine opposition candidates, including some former allies and appointees. They include Bello Bouba Maigari, who was minister for tourism, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who until recently served as the minister of employment. Biya voted at a primary school in the capital Yaounde, telling reporters that he wouldnt comment on his plans until the results were in. Results are expected at the latest by Oct. 26. Joshua Osih, an opposition candidate for president for the Social Democratic Front and a member of parliament who came fourth in the 2018 election, told The Associated Press his party was worried about voter fraud but stressed that the process of counting the votes will be long. There is still a lot of room for progress to make things smoother. Unfortunately, the bottlenecks as we usually say are the multiple ballots instead of single ballots and also the fact that the process is really cumbersome, said Osih. The system makes it such that the elections cannot be free and fair, that we know. There is a single round of voting in Cameroon and whoever gets the most votes is the winner. Cheukam Ginette, a 34-year-old environmentalist and first-time voter, said she wont choose Biya. Joshua Osih, an opposition candidate for president for the Social Democratic Front and a member of parliament who came fourth in the 2018 election. - Sunday Alamba/AP Things have to change. First of all, life is expensive, getting medical care is not easy, she said outside of a polling station in Yaounde. There are no roads, we have potholes everywhere. Everything is ruined. Thats why I voted for the opposition. I do not have confidence in the electoral process because we know our country but Im hopeful. At a campaign rally last week in the northern city of Maroua, Biya promised change for one of Cameroons poorest areas. The predominantly Muslim north accounts for nearly 20% of the eligible voters, and Maigari and Bakary command strong followings there. Cameroon faces escalating security crises. In the western region, a secessionist war is being fought between mainly English-speaking separatists who claim they are marginalized by the French-speaking majority, and government forces. In the north, the Boko Haram insurgency spills over from neighboring Nigeria, with armed groups routinely attacking border towns. At least 43% of the population live in poverty as measured by core living standards such as income, education and health, according to UN estimates. Around 8 million voters, including over 34,000 overseas, are eligible to vote at more than 31,000 polling stations in the Central African nation. Cameroon has a population of over 29 million people, a majority overwhelmingly young. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A teacher writes notes on a digital whiteboard during a math lesson. Photo: Allison Shelley / EDUimages / CC BY-NC 4.0 / Cropped from Original (The Center Square) A half-dozen school districts in New York state reported spending more than $70,000 per student recently, with two districts spending almost or more than $100,000, an investigation by The Center Square found. Each of the six districts were among the smallest in the state, with fewer than 340 students. Still, the figures dwarfed those of a typical pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school district in the Empire State in 2023-24. According to the New York State Department of Education, the median figure for per-pupil spending was $35,095. The Empire States highest spending schools were comparable not to their public counterparts but rather the nations most elite boarding schools and expensive private colleges. Woodside Priory, a private-school run by Benedictine monks in Portola Valley, California, charged its boarding students more than any other in the country $84,660 in 2023-24, according to the schools website. Pepperdine University, a private Christian school in Malibu, California, charged $90,012 for an on-campus student the same school year. By contrast, Fire Island Unified School District, a small island off the coast of Long Island, reported spending nearly $50,000 more $132,196 per pupil, according to state data. A school district spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment. Even less munificent New York school districts compare themselves to private schools. Consider Tuxedo Unified School District, an outer suburb of New York City, which reported spending $69,818 per student in 2023-24. Its website boasts that schools there offer a private school atmosphere in a public-school setting. A school district spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking commenty. Zilvinas Silenas, president of The Empire Center, a non-profit, non-partisan watchdog, called the spending figures among the highest in the world. A former high school teacher in his native Lithuania, Silenas said taxpayers should cast a skeptical eye at school district spending. New York State has spent increasing amounts of money on the public schools since 1969, and what results have we gotten? he said. Silenas added that The Empire Center plans to release a report on out-of-control public school spending this month. The study would come at a time when the topics of affordability and government spending have been obsessive issues in New York Citys mayoral race. Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman, has proposed universal childcare, government-run grocery stores, and fare-free city buses. His plan would cost $7 billion, with $6 billion of that from free childcare for children five and younger. The other New York school district that spent more than the countrys most elite boarding schools, at $92,586, was Bridgehampton Union Free School District in Suffolk County. Superintendent Dr. Mary T. Kelly cited the districts small size 198 students in 2023-24 as a cost-prohibitive feature. In very small districts, fixed operational costs (staffing, facilities, utilities, transportation, technology infrastructure, and required services such as special education and health/safety compliance) are distributed over a far smaller student population, Kelly wrote in an email. "This means that even though our expenditures are prudent and often below average on a per-program basis, the per-pupil ratio is naturally much higher. She added that the school district offers Advanced Placement courses, career and technical education, performing arts, special education, and transportation in a far-flung district. All must be provided regardless of enrollment size, she said. Fire Island had even fewer students 34 in 2023-24. A resort town, the island has no paved roads, an all-natural feature that the school district addresses by using an all-terrain bus to take students to its lone school, The Woodhull School. Despite Fire Island's and Bridgehamptons small enrollments, other small school districts in the Empire State reported spending significantly less than both. Roxbury Central School District, in the rural town of Roxbury within the Catskill Mountains, spent $47,732 for its 227 students from pre-kindergarten through high school, according to state figures. Colton-Pierrepont Central School District, in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, spent $30,806 per pupil for its 381 students. One difference between Roxbury and Colton-Pierrepont school districts and its high-spending counterparts was teacher salaries. The median annual teacher salary in Roxbury was $60,517 and in Colton-Pierrepont it was $62,742 in 2023-24, according to The Empire Center. By contrast, the typical annual salary for a teacher in Fire Island was more than twice as much $135,401, according to the state figures. In Bridgehampton, the figure was $97,345. Kelly, Bridgehamptons superintendent, disputed that teacher salaries were the main reason for high district spending. Our teacher and staff salaries are in line with surrounding East End districts and regional labor market standards, she wrote in an email. Salaries are not the primary driver of our higher per-pupil expenditure. Rather, it is the fixed cost structure and breadth of services relative to a small student body. Three other school districts spent more than $70,000 per pupil in 2023-24. Two were in Suffolk County in eastern Long Island Quogue Union Free School District at $86,163, and Amagansett Union Free School District at $78,916. The other was in Westchester County, a suburb of New York City, Pocantico Hills Central School District, at $71,439. A person in an orange jumpsuit stands near jail bars with hands cuffed behind their back. Photo: Kindel Media / Pexels (The Center Square) Ohio Attorney General Yost believes the state is shrinking from its responsibility by not executing prisoners sentenced to death. Yost recently told lawmakers in the House of Representatives victims should be the top priority and called the states capital punishment system costly and long broken, adding it shows a dishonorable abdication of responsibility. Yost said all that while pushing for a bill that would approve the use of nitrogen hypoxia for executions in the state. An additional method of execution is necessary, Yost recently testified before the House Judiciary Committee in support of House Bill 36. Lethal injection is the only form of execution allowed by Ohio law. Nine states allow lethal gas for execution, including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma, which specifically allow nitrogen hypoxia. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine began a moratorium on Ohio executions in 2019 when he first took office and has said he does not expect any to take place throughout the end of his term in 2027. In 2020, DeWine said the state could not get lethal injection drugs and told lawmakers they would have to find a different method to put inmates to death. The states last execution came July 18, 2018, when Robert Van Hook was put to death by lethal injection for killing a man he met at a Cincinnati bar in 1985. From 1981 through the end of last year, 336 people have received a combined 341 death sentences, according to Yosts Capital Crime Report presented earlier this year. Fifty-six of those have been carried out. There are 119 inmates on death row. However, another Republican-led bill before the Judiciary Committee would get the state out of the death business completely. It would stop the death penalty, while also prohibiting taxpayer funds from being used for assisted suicide and clarify current law of funding abortion with taxpayer money. House Bill 72 had its only hearing in March. Jeremy Siegel is a Wharton finance professor and author known for his work on long-term stock market returns. (Matt StroshaneBloomberg/Getty Images) Chinas tightening grip over the minerals that power advanced technologies has moved from long-term strategic concern to immediate economic threatand the U.S. is woefully unprepared, Whartons Jeremy Siegel warned. Its scandalous that we dont have a rare earth strategic reserve, Siegel told CNBCs Squawk Box Monday, calling it a major security failure. We let China monopolize 90% of refining rare earth materials. Where were we, realizing the importance of these? Siegel urged the U.S. to build a rare earth stockpile similar to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which was created in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo left the country exposed to geopolitical blackmail. His warning comes just days after Beijing unveiled sweeping new export controls that would require companies worldwide to seek Chinese approval before shipping thousands of products containing even trace amounts of rare earths. The move sent shockwaves through U.S. manufacturing and defense supply chains, which rely heavily on Chinese mineral processing. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that President Donald Trump will still meet Chinas Xi Jinping later this month and is ready to respond with whatever it takes to counter Chinas export restrictions. Bessent, speaking in a Fox Business interview, said there had been substantial communication between U.S. and Chinese officials over the weekend and confirmed the much-watched TrumpXi bilateral remains scheduled during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, sometime in late October. The meeting had been thrown into doubt after China abruptly moved to tighten exports of rare earth elements: critical minerals used in advanced weapons systems, electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, and semiconductor manufacturing. This is China versus the world, Bessent said, warning Beijing had pointed a bazooka at the supply chains and industrial base of the entire free world. Rare earths as leverage Getting repetitive While the U.S. once led the industry, refining shifted to China in the 1980s and 1990s due to lower costs and looser environmental regulation. But the U.S. is also scrambling to reduce its long-term reliance on Beijing. The Pentagon has funded new rare-earth processing facilities in Texas and California, while the Department of Energy has backed partnerships with alternative suppliers such as Lynas Rare Earths in Australia. Beijing has repeatedly signaled willingness to weaponize its mineral dominance during geopolitical disputes. In 2010, it briefly halted rare-earth exports to Japan over a territorial disagreement in the East China Sea. More recently, during the U.S.China trade war in 2019, Chinese state media hinted rare earths could be used as Chinas counterweapon. The announcement last week enraged U.S. officials. Trump initially threatened to cancel his meeting with Xi and unveiled plans for an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods beginning Nov. 1. The White House has framed the move as retaliation for what it calls Chinese economic coercion. Whatever it takes Bessent said Monday the U.S. would respond forcefully if China maintains its restrictions. We have plenty of straight brute-force countermeasures we can pull, he warned. He cited leverage over semiconductor software exports, access to U.S. financial markets, aircraft components from companies like GE and Honeywell, and even the presence of more than 300,000 Chinese students studying at American universities. He also hinted the U.S. may use export controls similar to those deployed against Huawei and Chinas AI chip sector in 2022 and 2023, when Washington moved to choke Beijing off from advanced technology and chipmaking tools. But were willing to do whatever it takes and to adopt whatever posture it takes, Bessent said. As President Trump says, we do have more cards. The Treasury secretary said the administration aims to rally support from Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and European allies, many of whom also depend on Chinese refined minerals. The issue is expected to dominate discussions this week in Washington during the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, where Bessent said Chinese and American officials will hold lower-level talks. Siegel, for one, expects the economic fallout to be temporary. Once its resolved, given all the other good things that are happening, I see no reason why we cant continue on to new highs, he said, noting the S&P 500 was already rebounding after Fridays sell-off. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com ANDERNACH, Germany, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG ("LTS"), a leading pharmaceutical technology company today announces the acquisition of Renaissance Lakewood, LLC ("Renaissance"), a US-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in nasal sprays and sterile dosage forms. With the acquisition, Renaissance facilities will become part of the worldwide operations network of LTS, along with LTS' existing facilities in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, US, St. Paul, MN, US and Netanya, Israel. The acquisition of Renaissance marks a significant milestone in LTS's strategy to expand its capabilities in the CDMO space. Renaissance brings deep expertise, state-of-the-art manufacturing infrastructure, and a talented workforce of approximately 500 employees. This move enables LTS to offer a broader range of drug delivery solutions and strengthens its position within the CDMO community. Founded in 1979 and currently owned by RoundTable Healthcare Partners, Renaissance is headquartered in Lakewood, New Jersey. The company operates multiple manufacturing suites for unit-dose, bi-dose, multi-dose nasal sprays, and small-volume parenteral fill-finish vials. Its laboratories support R&D formulation development and spray characterization, making Renaissance a comprehensive partner from development through commercial launch. This acquisition aligns with LTS's commitment to innovation and excellence in drug delivery. By integrating Renaissance's capabilities, LTS will be better positioned to serve pharmaceutical and biotech partners across a wider spectrum of therapeutic modalities. Bas van Buijtenen, CEO of LTS, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Renaissance Lakewood to the LTS family. This acquisition marks a significant step in our strategy to expand our CDMO capabilities and strengthen our position as a global leader in innovative drug delivery solutions. Renaissance's expertise in nasal sprays and sterile dosage forms perfectly complements our existing portfolio and will enable us to offer even greater value to our partners and patients worldwide. We look forward to working together to drive innovation and deliver high-quality solutions across a broader range of therapeutic modalities." Serge Maltais, President & CEO of Renaissance added: "I am incredibly proud of what we have built at Renaissance thanks to the hard work and dedication of our employees. Now, as part of the LTS family, our combined strengths will position us even better to meet the complex needs of our clients and deliver greater value to the industry. We are excited to begin this new chapter and look forward to achieving success together." The transaction is expected to close before end of November 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. About LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme AG We CARE. We CREATE. We DELIVER. The driving philosophy behind LTS. As a trusted technology partner for the pharmaceutical industry, we develop and manufacture innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches ("TTS") and Oral Thin Films ("OTF") as well as wearable drug delivery devices ("OBDS"). LTS commercial offering encompasses more than 20 marketed products and a diverse pipeline of more than 40 development projects targeting multiple disease indications. LTS's innovation pipeline contains both partner-funded as well as proprietary, LTS-funded projects. LTS maintains its leading position through the continuous refinement of its core TTS and OTF technologies and by advancing emerging drug delivery technologies, including Microneedle Array Patches ("MAP") for the transdermal delivery of small and large molecules, biological actives and vaccines. With its SorrelTM wearable drug delivery platform LTS offers patient friendly solutions for complex drugs delivery at home. Founded in 1984, LTS operates today from four sites: in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, USA, St. Paul, MN, USA and Netanya, Israel. LTS has also a representative office in Shanghai, China. Learn more about LTS www.ltslohmann.com. About Renaissance Lakewood, LLC ("Renaissance") Renaissance is a US-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for pharmaceutical and biotech. With over 20 years of experience in nasal sprays and sterile dosage forms, Renaissance has a consistent track record of providing exceptional service and resources to clients from the development stage through commercial launch. Learn more about Renaissance at: www.renpharm.com For further information, please contact: LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme AG Dr Iris Schnitzler: [email protected]; +49 2632 992589 Renaissance Media Contact [email protected] 732-730-3262 Scores of members have been arrested in at least six cities in what ChinaAid calls "the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution in the last 40 years against underground Evangelical communities. Rev Jin Mingri was also arrested. A former Tiananmen Square protester, he founded the Zion Church, reportedly numbering thousands of members. The accused were charged with illegal use of information networks just days after Xi Jinping stressed the need to accelerate the sinicisation of religions. Milan (AsiaNews/Agencies) Chinese authorities have carried out simultaneous raids in various cities across the country, from Beijing and Beihai to Shanghai and Chengdu, in what Rev Bob Fu, founder of US-based ChinaAid Association, calls the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution against house Churches in China in more than 40 years. The large-scale crackdown against the Zion Church was unleashed last Thursday. The latter is one of Chinas most vibrant house Churches, i.e. Protestant groups that refuse to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the official agency for Protestantism in the People's Republic of China, the equivalent of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. About 30 Zion Church clergymen and staff were detained in at least six cities, while approximately 150 lay members were questioned. Zion Church followers number at least 10,000 followers. Founder Rev Jin "Ezra" Mingris home in Beihai, Guangxi Province, was extensively searched on Friday, while he was taken away in handcuffs. His family, who have moved to the United States, said they have lost contact with him, but said that he is being held at the Beihai Detention Centre No. 2 on charges of illegal use of information networks. As AsiaNews recently reported, this kind of offence is interesting. A few weeks ago, China introduced new regulations that further restrict online religious activities, the only possible venue for Zion Church, which relies extensively on video calls for its meetings. The crackdown comes after Xi Jinping spoke on 29 September at an ad hoc study session on religious policy of the Communist Party's Politburo in which he called for measures to "accelerate the sinicisation" of the five officially recognised religions in China (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism). Rev Jin Mingri's profile explains what is wrong with the Zion Church in the eyes of Chinese authorities. Aged 56 and an ethnic Korean, Jin grew up in the northeast of the country and converted to Christianity after the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, which left him disillusioned him about the communist regime. Breaking away from the "official" Protestant community, he founded the Zion Church in 2007 with 20 others, which became one of the largest unregistered house churches in China over the next decade. For this reason, the authorities closed his Beijing church in 2018; located on the third floor of an office building, it was matched with a Christian cafeteria and bookstore. In a letter released on Saturday with a call to prayer, the Zion Church listed other house Churches recently persecuted in China. In May, Xi'an police detained Rev Gao Quanfu of Zion's Light Church for using "superstitious activities to undermine the implementation of justice." In June, the authorities detained 10 members of the Golden Lampstand Church in Linfen on fraud charges. Rev Yang Rongli was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The world of house churches and their online meetings also includes the story of Zhang Zhan, a Christian blogger who was among the first to report the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. A few weeks ago, she was sentenced to four more years in prison. The wave of repression against the Zion Church is causing a stir in the Evangelical community in the United States. The Trump administration, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, condemned the arrests, urging China to allow people of all faiths, including members of house Churches, to worship without fear of retaliation. This crackdown further demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches, Secretary Rubio said in a statement. Fierce fighting along the border has reignited tensions between the two countries following a Pakistani raid on Kabul against the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Islamabad claims 200 Taliban fighters were killed, while Kabul reports 58 Pakistani soldiers killed. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are trying to broker a truce. In Pakistan, the Islamist Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) movement has resumed protests, sparking clashes in Islamabad and Lahore amid growing tensions. Islamabad/Kabul (AsiaNews) Pakistan has asked Afghanistan to re-engage diplomatically following violent clashes between the two countries on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in the deaths of scores of soldiers on both sides. The violence broke out after Pakistan struck targets in Kabul and Paktika, aimed at eliminating the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan, TTP), specifically the group's leader, Noor Wali Mehsud. His death has not yet been confirmed. The clashes, which began overnight on Saturday, affected several border areas, including the Afghan provinces of Paktika and Helmand and the districts of Kunar and Kurram on the Pakistani side. According to Islamabad, the Taliban attacked several Pakistani border posts. In a statement yesterday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry reiterated the need to maintain dialogue with the Taliban regime, despite the military escalation. Pakistan greatly values dialogue and diplomacy and a mutually beneficial relationship with Afghanistan, reads a statement from the ministry. At the same time, the Government of Pakistan continues to closely monitor the situation and would take all possible measures to safeguard its territory and the lives of its people. For Islamabad, The fight against terrorism is a common cause. The Pakistani army reported 23 deaths and 29 wounded among its soldiers, as well as 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists have been neutralized". It also claimed to have temporarily seized 21 Taliban-controlled border posts before withdrawing. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that his country carried out a "retaliatory operation following Pakistani strikes, claiming to have captured several positions and killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, while nine Afghan soldiers were killed. "We acted on precise information in response to aggression," said Mujahid, who accused the Pakistani army of fuelling the conflict between the two countries. The recent attack on Kabul took place while a Taliban delegation led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was visiting India, further exacerbating tensions. Pakistani officials often refer to the TTP as an India-backed terrorist group. Afghan sources said that hostilities have eased thanks to mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while Iran has called for restraint and "mutual respect for sovereignty. In recent days, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump waded into the affair. I hear there's a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he told reporters on Air Force One as he flew from Washington to Israel on Sunday. I'll have to wait till I get back. You know, I'm doing another one, because I'm good at solving wars, I'm good at making peace," he said. Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, the main border crossings between the two countries (Torkham and Chaman) remain closed to trade and civilian traffic, leaving hundreds of lorries loaded with goods stranded on both sides. This is one of the most serious incidents between Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Relations have increasingly deteriorated after Islamabad accused the Taliban regime of providing protection, training, and funding to the TTP, charges the latter has repeatedly denied. The Islamist group has been fighting the Pakistani state for years with the aim of setting up its own Islamic Emirate modelled after the one in Afghanistan. Over the past four years, their attacks have become increasingly violent and sophisticated. In an attempt to stabilise the situation, a group of 80 village chiefs and tribal leaders travelled to the Tirah Valley, calling on the TTP to peacefully withdraw from the border area. According to the Khorasan Diary, mediators will have 7-10 days to strike a deal. During this period, a ceasefire between Pakistani forces and the Taliban will remain in effect until this evening, but the armies of both countries remain on high alert. In Pakistan, the situation is further complicated by the fact that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif flew to Egypt for talks regarding the Gaza Strip agreement. In recent days, representatives of the Islamist Tehrik-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, banned in 2021, have protested against Trump's peace agreement. The unrest began on Friday, when the group attempted to reach the capital, Islamabad, from the city of Lahore, in Punjab province. According to the authorities, a police officer and three protesters were killed in Lahore today, but members of the TLP estimate the death toll to be much higher. The group's leader, Saad Rivzi, and his brother, Anas, were shot during demonstrations in the town of Muridke, where protesters stopped on their way to Islamabad. Security forces have again closed roads and highways in the two cities (they had reopened yesterday) to prevent further violence, but tensions remain high across the country. Today's headlines: dozens of fighters and soldiers killed in border clashes between the Pakistani army and Afghan Taliban; World Expo 2025 closes today in Japan; Jakarta doubles key allowance for parliamentarians; Beijing and Pyongyang ready to develop relations and strategic cooperation; Dhaka launches national typhoid vaccination campaign. ISRAEL - PALESTINE - USA Hamas has released the first seven Israeli hostages - of the 20 still alive - as part of the multi-stage peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, who is travelling to the Middle East, and signed with the Israeli government. Others - but not the Nepalese man who is not on the list of those still alive - are expected to be released in the coming hours, with their families celebrating the end of a nightmare that has lasted more than two years. 1,950 Palestinian prisoners are ready to be released. Hamas confirms its intention to respect the ceasefire. Trump is arriving in Israel, where he will speak to the Knesset before travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh for a summit with representatives from 30 countries, which will also be attended by PNA President Abu Mazen. PAKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN Dozens of fighters were killed in overnight border clashes over the weekend between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in the most serious violence between the two neighbouring countries since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul. The Islamabad army reports at least 23 soldiers dead, while the Afghan Taliban say nine fighters were killed. Yesterday, Pakistani officials announced the closure of border crossings along the 2,600 km Durand Line drawn by the British in 1893. The Taliban speak of retaliation in response to attacks by Islamabad troops. JAPAN Greeted and inaugurated with some trepidation, it ultimately proved to be a success. After six months, Japan is closing the curtain today on the World Expo, with over 27 million visitors and the main attraction, the Grand Ring - the largest wooden structure in the world, surrounding all the country pavilions - the subject of a student petition to preserve it. The event, which involved around 160 countries and regions, generated revenues of 7 million. INDONESIA Jakarta has almost doubled a key allowance for MPs, a month after cancelling some benefits for the political class in an attempt to appease public anger and demonstrations against caste privileges. The increase in the break allowance - granted to support their work while Parliament is not in session - came into effect on 3 October. Each member will receive approximately 30,000 for each break, for an average of five allowances per year for the 580 MPs. CHINA - NORTH KOREA Beijing is ready to develop relations with Pyongyang to strengthen strategic cooperation in international and regional affairs. In a letter sent to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Chinese President Xi Jinping described the relations as good neighbours, good friends who share a common destiny and help each other, and for this reason, a joint project is being developed. BANGLADESH Dhaka yesterday launched a national vaccination campaign to protect millions of children from typhoid, a deadly and increasingly drug-resistant disease that poses a growing threat to public health. The goal is to immunise about 50 million children between the ages of nine months and 15 years with a single dose of Tcv, which provides protection for five years. RUSSIA - MONGOLIA The authorities in Buryatia have banned citizens from eating targabany, or Mongolian marmots, due to the spread of 13 cases of bubonic plague in neighbouring Mongolia, one of which resulted in death. It is also recommended not to come into contact with sick or dead rodents, not to camp near their burrows and not to walk in these areas wearing shoes that are too light. KAZAKHSTAN The Central Bank has raised interest rates to 18%, from the previous level of 16.5%, in response to a new acceleration in inflation and excess demand compared to the real possibilities of fiscal policy. The aim is to stabilise price dynamics and avoid the risk of an increasingly serious inflation spiral, as predicted by many analysts, despite assurances from the authorities that rates would remain unchanged during the year. by Purushottam Nayak At the celebration for the 375th anniversary of the foundation of the institute, which has been present in this Indian region for more than 150 years, six priests welcomed by children in their schools serving orphans and the poor paid tribute to the service of the religious sisters together with 20,000 other people. A reflection of God's care among us. Bhubaneswar (AsiaNews) - In the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, in the Indian state of Orissa, where they have been present for over 150 years, the Sisters of the Congregation of St Joseph of Annecy recently celebrated the 375th anniversary of their foundation in France. Six local priests who were educated in their schools gave particular thanks for this long service. Three of them were fatherless, one motherless. Honour to our Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy whose loving hands shaped our childhood at the Saint Vincent orphanage in Mondasoro, in the district of Kandhamal, said Dushmonth Nayak, one of these priests, during the celebration held in honour of the religious on 8 October with over 20,000 people in attendance. Their loving service during our childhood was truly a sacred reflection of God's care. By caring for us orphans with love and faith, these sisters became a sacred expression of God's compassion. We honour our sisters for their love and care in our early years. According to another former student priest, Manoj Nayak, current parish priest of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Mondasoro, the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy extended their care beyond the classroom. Many of them dedicated their lives to serving orphans and disadvantaged children, offering not only education but also love, protection and hope. Their tireless efforts are a living testimony to the words of Christ: Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph was founded by Jesuit Jean Pierre Medaille in Le Puy, France, in 1650, to care for the sick and poor in their homes. In 1849, the sisters arrived in India through the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS) and settled in the diocese of Vishakapatnam. In March 1872, the mission in Cuttack was started, followed by those in Jokalandi and Mondasoro in Orissa. The most recent is the Sankarakhol mission, which began in 2005. There are currently 13,000 Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy worldwide, in addition to approximately 5,000 co-workers who work in their facilities. They are involved in education, healthcare, personal services and environmental care in 55 countries. Israels prime minister pulls out from the signing of the agreement, ostensibly because of a Jewish holiday, but the most likely reason is the presence of Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli media announced a historic visit by Indonesian President Prabowo to Israel tomorrow, which Indonesias foreign ministry quickly denied. Modi snubs the summit, sending his Minister of State for External Affairs. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) Some 20 heads of state and government were expected to attend the much anticipated Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt, for the signing of the peace plan for the Middle East. The event was held amid a whirlwind of announcements and denials, rumours and official statements seeking to clarify matters regarding a meeting pushed by US President Donald Trump, the architect of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, that goes beyond the niceties of diplomacy and still has more phases ahead. But not everyone was there, starting with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, who decided not to go at the last moment. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi too skipped the meeting, choosing to send a junior minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, who is Minister of State for External Affairs, a political message that was anything but symbolic. This morning, the Times of Israel had reported that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto would visit to Israel tomorrow, the first ever by the head of state of the world's most populous Muslim nation. The story began circulating this morning, while other governments were focusing on Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Todays signing ceremony of the Middle East peace plan at the tourist resort on the Red Sea saw the presence of 20 world leaders, including Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, France's Emmanuel Macron, King Abdullah II of Jordan, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Pakistani Prime Minister Sheikh Baz Sharif. Despite a last-minute invitation from Egypt, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu was a no-show, ostensibly due to the timing's proximity to the Jewish observance of Sukkot. But the real reason was likely the presence of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom Netanyahu has not met in years and whom he wants to exclude from any role in post-war Gaza. Other leaders, like Turkish President Recep Erdogan reportedly said that they would take part in the summit if Netanyahu was present. No Iranian official was present. Since the 12-day war with Israel (and the United States) last June, Iran has been increasingly marginalised in regional and international affairs. An official statement issued by the Indonesian foreign ministry also denied the story that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto planned to visit Israel, a story that made the headlines for a few hours. Indonesia currently has no relations with Israel, but has been considerable active in recent weeks in seeking a solution to the crisis in Gaza, offering to send at least 20,000 peacekeepers to help stabilise the Palestinian territory. Some sources, speaking anonymously, had suggested that the Southeast Asian country would join the US-brokered Abraham Accords, already signed by some important major Muslim-majority countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono explained that Prabowo would return home right after the meeting in Egypt. For her part, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang denied the story, stressing that a visit by the president to Israel is not under consideration. The Sharm el-Sheikh summit also highlighted New Delhi's frosty attitude towards Trump's Middle East peace plan, as India was the only country present at the signing to be represented by a lower-ranking official. This choice reflects tensions and trade disputes with the US, combined with Prime Minister Modi's behind-the-scenes policy of rapprochement with Israel, which ended decades of support for the Palestinian cause. The most obvious factor that may have influenced India's decision, however, was the presence of Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif, and the desire to prevent Modi from sharing the spotlight with his Pakistani counterpart. The other factor may have been the risk that Trump, who is co-chairing the summit, would use it to reiterate his claim to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. The Indian prime minister welcomed the 20-point peace plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas, but he likely wants to keep the two issues separate to avoid giving Trump another opportunity to take credit for easing tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, which are far from subsiding, as evinced by the recent escalation in Afghanistan. ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Falcon Finance, the first universal collateralization infrastructure, today announced a comprehensive $10 million strategic investment from M2 Capital Limited (M2 Capital), the proprietary investment arm of M2 Group (M2), a UAE-headquartered conglomerate, with a diversified portfolio spanning digital asset solutions and financial innovation. The round also included participation from Cypher Capital, a UAE-based multi-strategy investment firm known for backing high-impact blockchain infrastructure projects. This investment marks a major milestone in Falcon's mission to redefine stability and capital efficiency in decentralized finance. M2 Invests $10M in Falcon Finance to Accelerate Universal Collateralization Infrastructure (PRNewsfoto/Falcon Finance) The investment comes at a time of rapid growth for Falcon Finance. In recent months, the protocol has surpassed $1.6 billion in USDf circulation, placing it among the top ten stablecoins by market capitalization. Falcon also established a $10 million on-chain insurance fund, seeded with protocol fees, to serve as a protective buffer for users and safeguard yield obligations in times of stress. In parallel, the team successfully completed the industry's first live mint of USDf against tokenized U.S. Treasuries, bridging DeFi liquidity with real-world assets and advancing the integration of institutional-grade instruments into the decentralized ecosystem. Falcon has also expanded the reach and utility of USDf through new exchange listings and integrations across DeFi protocols, from perpetuals and real-world asset trading venues to yield markets. Supported by Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and Proof of Reserve, Falcon delivers real-time verification that USDf remains fully overcollateralized, further strengthening trust and transparency. With M2 Capital's investment, Falcon will accelerate its global roadmap, focusing on expanding fiat corridors, deepening ecosystem partnerships, and enhancing the resilience of its universal collateralization model. Commenting on the investment, James Greenwood, CEO of M2 Group said: "Our investment in Falcon Finance reflects M2's conviction that the next era of digital assets will be defined by combining resilient, transparent infrastructure with pioneering products and investment opportunities. Falcon's universal collateralization model and synthetic dollar protocol are precisely the kind of innovations that enable M2's family office, institutional investor and high-net-worth clients to access digital asset markets with confidence, liquidity and real-world integration." "This partnership with M2 marks a new chapter for Falcon Finance," said Andrei Grachev, Founding Partner at Falcon Finance. "It is a powerful endorsement of the progress we've made, from surpassing a billion USDf in circulation to pioneering on-chain insurance and bridging DeFi with real-world assets. With M2's support, we are accelerating toward our vision of building the most resilient and inclusive financial infrastructure in the digital economy." About Falcon Finance Falcon Finance is building a universal collateral infrastructure that turns any custody-ready asset, including digital assets, currency-backed tokens, and tokenized real-world assets, into USD-pegged onchain liquidity. By bridging onchain and offchain financial systems, Falcon gives institutions, protocols, and capital allocators a simple way to unlock stable and yield-generating liquidity from the assets they already hold. Learn more: falcon.finance. About M2 Group: M2 Group is a UAE-headquartered conglomerate committed to delivering secure, regulated, and forward-looking digital asset solutions for individuals and institutional investors through its regulated entities and affiliates: M2 Custody Limited (M2CL), licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) M2 Global Wealth Limited (M2GW), licensed by the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) M2 Capital Limited (M2CL), the proprietary investment arm established in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) The affiliate entities of M2 Group are licensed and regulated by the FSRA (ADGM) in Abu Dhabi and the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB) and provide clients with access to institutional-grade custody, tailored yield strategies, digital asset financing, and deep OTC liquidity. Guided by strong governance and global standards, M2 combines regional insight with international reach to create exclusive opportunities and deliver a seamless digital wealth experience. For more information, interested parties can visit: www.m2.com. Contact : Founding Partner Andrei Grachev Falcon Finance [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794392/M2_Falcon_Finance.jpg SOURCE Falcon Finance 13 October 2025 16:42 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more On October 13, the Baku Military Court continued the trial of citizens of the Republic of Armenia accused of committing war crimes and crimes against peace and humanity, Azernews reports. During the court session, a series of secret documents belonging to the Armenian armed forces were disclosed. Photographs of the documents were displayed in the courtroom, providing evidence that various combat tasks were assigned by Armenias military leadership to its armed formations, including the so-called army, for operations on Azerbaijani territories previously under occupation. One of the key pieces of evidence presented was a classified order, No. 0119, dated May 4, 2016, signed by the then Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Colonel General Yuri Khachaturov. The order instructed the commander of the so-called army to fortify anti-tank ditches and trench systems in the 6th Defense District, integrate the defensive lines of the 9th Defense District, and conceal military vehicles within battle formations. Another document made public was the joint secret order No. 016, dated December 24, 2016, prepared in Yerevan by Lieutenant General Movses Hakobyan, then Chief of the General Staff, and Colonel V. Sargsyan, Chief of the Intelligence Department. The document outlined a plan for the 24th Special Purpose Separate Radio Technical Regiment to conduct an inspection trip from Yerevan to Khankendi, Aghdara, and Sugovushan between January 1014, 2017. The purpose of the mission was to identify suitable positions for radio-electronic reconnaissance (REK) units, with oversight assigned to Armenias military intelligence chief. The trial continues against Armenian citizens accused of a range of serious crimes, including war crimes, genocide, terrorism, and violations of international humanitarian law, committed during Armenias military aggression against Azerbaijan. 13 October 2025 19:55 (UTC+04:00) The open court hearing in the criminal case against citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Gukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan and others who are accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including planning and waging an aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure of power, its forcible retention and numerous other crimes, continued on October 13. Azernews reports that at the hearing of the Baku Military Court, chaired by Judge Zeynal Agayev with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev sitting (reserve judge Gunel Samedova), each of the defendants was provided with an interpreter in the language they understand as well as defense counsel. Present at the hearing were the accused persons, their defenders, some of the injured parties, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as the prosecutors representing the state prosecution. The hearing continued with the announcement of documents. One of the documents states that while the self-styled entity existed, a weekly military program titled Qoyamart (translated into Azerbaijani as fight to live) was aired in the media. Episodes of that program were monitored and analyzed, and records were kept of the activities of senior officers serving there in terms of promoting the occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and increasing the combat readiness of Armenian armed forces located in Azerbaijans formerly occupied territories. One such officer is Major General David Manukyan, who holds a high military rank and is currently an accused. Based on the Qoyamart military program episode broadcast on May 16, 2020, exemplary exercises were held in the divisions of the largest armed formation of the Armenian armed forces in Azerbaijans formerly occupied territories on the topics of methods and forms of firing from small arms in defense battles and usage of grenade launcher squads in defense battles. The exercises were led by the armed formations commander, Lieutenant General Jalal Arutyunyan, and his first deputy, Major General David Manukyan, who gave the necessary instructions. One of the announced documents related to the creation and activities of the Krunq organization. Subsequent documents concerned the establishment and formation of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Armenia. It was reported that by the decision of the Government of Armenia dated January 28, 1992, the Special Defense Committee under the Council of Ministers was liquidated and all its property was transferred to the newly created Ministry of Defense. Vazgen Sargsyan was appointed Minister of Defense. Thereafter, a number of classified documents belonging to the Armenian armed forces were announced. Photographs of each of those documents were also shown in court. The documents prove that various military tasks were assigned to different structures of the Armenian armed forces, as well as to the self-styled entitys army (the largest armed formation of the Armenian armed forces ed.), for execution in the territories of Azerbaijan that were formerly under occupation. For example, from Secret Order No. 0119 a combat task dated 04.05.2016 of the Chief of the General Staff of the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia, Colonel-General Yuri Khachaturov, it is evident that the commander of the army of the self-styled entity was ordered to arrange anti-tank ditches and the soil layers of ditch approaches in the 6th defense sector and use them as intermediate trenches and defensive lines; to obligatorily link and integrate the anti-tank ditches and approaches of the 9th defense sector; and to camouflage the assets in combat formations. At the hearing, a joint secret order a combat task No. 016 dated 24.12.2016, compiled in Yerevan by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces, Lieutenant General Movses Akopyan, and the head of the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the armed forces, Colonel V. Sargsyan, was also disclosed and its photograph shown. The secret document shows that to survey the area in the north-eastern direction of the self-styled entitys army and to select positions for radio-electronic reconnaissance (RER) units, from January 1014, 2017, a working group of the 24th Special Purpose Separate Radio-Technical Regiment was to be organized to make a trip along the YerevanKhankendiAgdereSukhovushanKhankendiYerevan route; oversight for execution of that order was entrusted to the head of the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces. Also disclosed and displayed at the hearing was Secret Order No. 0261 dated 24.09.2019, compiled in Yerevan by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces, Lieutenant General A. Davtyan. The document shows that the head of armaments of the Armenian armed forces was ordered to provide 46 sets of 120 mm M-75 (M-74) mortars replacement equipment with 20 sets of 82 mm M-69 and 26 sets of 82 mm BM-37 mortars to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th defense sectors of the self-styled entitys army. The same document ordered the army commander of the self-styled entity to take delivery of the specified weapons and ammunition and arrange their distribution to those defense sectors, and to report on the completion of these tasks to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces within five days. The secret Order No. 0671 dated 25.09.2020 of the first deputy commander chief of staff of the self-styled entitys army, Major General Kamo Vardanyan, titled On the destruction by fire of the enemys populated areas, was also disclosed. The order shows that by September 28, 2020, the commanders of units and military formations in Khankendi were to target the populated areas attached to the order for fire engagement, calculate firing positions and include them in combat application documents, refine combat calculations, prepare one BM-21 system (YARS) unit for firing with 40 km-range G-2000 rockets in artillery units and keep 40 of the 80 rockets intended for it permanently in the combat vehicles transport-loading vehicle, with the remaining 40 to be loaded onto the combat vehicle before it is deployed in combat formation, and equip the BM-21 YARS with replacement devices. The list of populated areas designated as fire-destruction targets attached to the order includes Azerbaijans cities of Mingachevir and Naftalan, and the districts of Tartar, Yevlakh, Beylagan, Aghjabadi and others, as well as a number of towns and villages. Based on the announced documents, directives were also presented for the destruction by Armenian armed forces of civilian-populated localities in Azerbaijan that were not under occupation prior to the Patriotic War; precise coordinates of the populated localities to be destroyed and the types of rockets to be used were provided. It was reported that the coordinates indicated in that document as targets were checked by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan and were confirmed to correspond to settlements of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The court proceedings will continue on October 16. It should be noted that 15 accused persons are charged in the criminal case concerning numerous criminal acts committed in the course of the aggressive war carried out by the Armenian state, including through the direct leadership and participation of its state bodies and officials, its armed forces and illegal armed formations, the orders, instructions and directives given orally and in writing, the material, technical and personnel support provided, centralized management and tight control and also involving Robert Kocharian Sedrak, Serzh Sargsyan Azat, Vazgen Manukyan Mikael, Vazgen Sargsyan Zaven, Samvel Babayan Andranik, Vitaly Balasanyan Mikael, Zori Balayan Haik, Seyran Ohanyan Musheghi, Arshavir Gharamyan Surenovich, Monte Melkonyan Charles and others who were created in violation of domestic and international legal norms to carry out military aggression against Azerbaijan. Those persons Harutyunyan Arayik Vladimiri, Gukasyan Arkadi Arshaviri, Sahakyan Bako Sahaki, Ishkhanyan Davit Rubeni, Manukyan David Azatini, Babayan David Klimi, Mnatsakanyan Levon Henrikovich, Beglaryan Vasili Ivani, Ghazaryan Erik Roberti, Allahverdyan Davit Nelsoni, Stepanyan Gurgen Homeri, Balayan Levon Romiki, Babayan Madat Arakelovich, Martirosyan Garik Grigori, Pashayan Melikset Vladimiri are charged under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan with Articles 100 (planning, preparation, initiation and waging of an aggressive war), 102 (attacks on persons or organizations enjoying international protection), 103 (genocide), 105 (extermination of the population), 106 (enslavement), 107 (deportation or forcible transfer of population), 109 (persecution), 110 (forcible disappearance of persons), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114 (mercenarism), 115 (violation of the laws and customs of war), 116 (violation of international humanitarian law norms during an armed conflict), 118 (military pillage), 120 (intentional homicide), 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 218 (creation of a criminal organization), 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, carriage or carrying of weapons, their components, ammunition, explosive materials and devices), 270-1 (acts endangering aviation security), 277 (attempt on the life of a state or public figure), 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional order of the state), 279 (creation of armed formations and groups not provided for by law), and other articles. 13 October 2025 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The long and bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas may finally see a turning point. Between the days of October 8 and 10, 2025, Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas reached an agreement on the first stage of a peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The negotiations, held in Egypts Sharm el-Sheikh, were mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye. The agreement, which took effect with a ceasefire on Friday, has already allowed humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza after months of blockade and devastation. As part of phase one, Hamas is set to release 20 surviving Israeli hostages and the remains of several others, while Israel will free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and an additional 1,700 detainees from Gaza. According to the plan, Israel will withdraw its forces to a designated line, retaining control over about half of Gaza, and a multinational monitoring force led by the United States will oversee the ceasefire. The force will include contingents from Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE, marking the first multinational peace monitoring presence in the Strip. President Trump described the development as a historic step toward lasting peace in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a great day for Israel and thanked Trump for his mediation efforts. Hamas also confirmed its commitment to the deal, emphasizing the ceasefire, humanitarian access, and prisoner exchanges as core components. While this agreement represents a significant diplomatic achievement, deep uncertainty remains over later stages of the plan. Israel insists that Hamas must disarm and renounce control of Gaza, while Hamas continues to demand the establishment of a Palestinian state before laying down its arms. The ambiguity over troop withdrawals and Gazas future governance raises the risk of renewed clashes if either side feels betrayed or cornered during upcoming negotiations, and simply raises the question, will the war really be over this time? Azerbaijans participation The South Caucasus, long seen as a crossroads between the Middle East and Central Asia, has often been relegated to the status of a periphery, a region on the margins of global power games. Whether viewed from Moscow, Brussels, Beijing, or Tehran, the South Caucasus is frequently cast in a supporting role. But perhaps its time to rethink this narrative. Rather than lament its peripheral status, the region could embrace its unique position as a bridge between worlds, one whose strategic value is only growing in todays complex geopolitical landscape. Since the early 1990s, the South Caucasus has witnessed a steady rise in engagement from Middle Eastern countries. Now, the region stands at a pivotal momentemerging as a key player in the wider Middle East, both politically and economically. High-profile meetings like the Abu Dhabi talks between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders, surging trade volumes, and a flurry of diplomatic visits all signal the South Caucasuss growing relevance. These developments challenge old assumptions and invite us to see the region not as a remote outpost, but as an increasingly vital hub at the heart of Eurasian affairs. Amid this shifting geopolitical landscape, Azerbaijans invitation to the upcoming Middle East Peace Plan summit, initiated by the United States, stands as an important diplomatic milestone. President Ilham Aliyevs current visit to Egypt coincides with the summits preparatory phase, underscoring Azerbaijans growing reputation as a credible and balanced actor in global affairs. This development might surprise some international observers, yet it aligns perfectly with Azerbaijans long-standing foreign policy, one built on pragmatism, neutrality, and constructive engagement. Over the years, Baku has managed to preserve strong relations with both Muslim and Western countries, including Israel, without compromising its principles or values. Although Azerbaijan has occasionally faced biased criticism due to its close cooperation with Israel, its position on Gaza has been transparent and consistent. At the extraordinary summit of Arab and Islamic countries held in Doha, Azerbaijan supported resolutions defending the people of Gaza and calling for a just and sustainable peace. This was not mere rhetoric but a reflection of Azerbaijans genuine commitment to Islamic solidarity and international law. Azerbaijans participation in this peace initiative further illustrates how its independent diplomacy has earned the trust of multiple power centers, Washington, Cairo, and Doha alike. By maintaining a delicate balance between East and West, between the Islamic world and its Western partners, Azerbaijan demonstrates that small states can exercise meaningful influence when guided by principle and foresight. Why Azerbaijan? Azerbaijan, as a secular state with a predominantly Muslim population, holds a unique position that makes its growing engagement with the Middle East particularly significant. This balanced presentation of its national identity and foreign policy serves as an important example for the wider region. Baku maintains constructive relations with all major actors across the Middle East. It enjoys a deep alliance with Turkiye, is developing strategic partnerships with Gulf states, and sustains diplomatic contacts with Iraq and Egypt. Baku also maintains multidirectional interactions with Iran while leveraging its own instruments of influence, and continues its strategic cooperation with Israel. The country's activity in Syria, meanwhile, opens a new chapter, providing the country with an opportunity to operate on the ground for the first time and to play the role of both mediator and active participant in emerging multilateral frameworks. The invitation itself is a signal of confidence from the international community, not only in Azerbaijans diplomatic professionalism but also in its ability to bridge divides. As President Aliyev has often underlined, Our foreign policy is based on balance and respect, not confrontation. The same approach that helped secure stability in the South Caucasus is now being recognized in the Middle East. For Washington, Azerbaijans involvement adds a layer of legitimacy to the process, particularly within the Muslim world, where skepticism toward U.S.-led initiatives remains strong. For the Islamic community, it highlights that a nation can be both a partner of the West and a defender of Muslim causes a stance that reflects the nuanced diplomacy Baku has cultivated. In essence, Azerbaijans growing diplomatic footprint symbolizes a new model of engagement: independent yet cooperative, principled yet pragmatic. At a time when polarization dominates global politics, Bakus ability to engage with diverse partners, from the United States to Israel, from Egypt to Qatar underscores the value of strategic flexibility and credibility. The coming days will reveal whether Trumps ambitious plan can deliver lasting peace or merely another temporary truce. But one fact is already clear, Azerbaijans presence at the table signals that its voice is now heard far beyond the borders of the South Caucasus. Ultimately, the priority for Azerbaijan is to minimize risks while capitalizing on new opportunities. If the course of history draws the country more deeply into the Middle Easts evolving dynamics, the most effective approach is a pragmatic one, to make the best use of its diplomatic flexibility and pursue policies grounded in national interest. 13 October 2025 13:43 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. As a result of improved treasury fund management, Azerbaijan earned a total of 75.1 million manats in interest income as of October 1, 2025 including 65.8 million manats from funds in the national currency and the equivalent of 9.3 million manats from foreign currency assets, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Finance. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 13 October 2025 18:15 (UTC+04:00) "Cybercell" emerged as the as the vice-champion among 25 teams The CIDC 2025 Critical Infrastructure Defence Challenge, jointly organized by the State Service of Special Communication and Information Security and the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has successfully concluded in Baku. In the Cyberwarfare in Smart Cities competition held within the framework of the event, Azercell Telecoms cybersecurity team - Cybercell earned the coveted title of Vice-Champion. Over the two-day contest, specialists from the companys Security Department demonstrated outstanding performance, successfully completing a series of complex tasks based on realistic cyber threat scenarios. This years challenge brought together 20 local and, for the first time, 5 international teams from the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The competition aimed to strengthen participants knowledge and practical skills in cyber-defence, as well as their ability to effectively manage information systems during crisis situations. Competitors represented key sectors such as government institutions, critical infrastructure facilities, banking and telecommunications. As part of CIDC 2025, a cybersecurity exhibition showcased solutions from 41 local and international companies presenting cutting-edge innovations in information security, risk management, and network protection. Azercells own innovative solutions attracted strong interest and positive feedback from participants and visitors. In addition to providing reliable cybersecurity solutions for its business clients, Azercell Telecom places strong emphasis on developing professional expertise in this field. The company remains committed to supporting the strengthening of the national cybersecurity ecosystem and fostering the development of skilled professionals. 13 October 2025 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more For the first time in the country's history, the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is launching a large-scale cultural project titled "Ballet Days," Azernews reports. The symbolic motto of this artistic forum, "A History Written in Movement," encapsulates the essence of the initiative, the reflection of destiny, emotions, and beauty through the language of dance. This new project aims to reveal the diverse world of the academic stage, unite art enthusiasts, and give them the chance to once again experience the magic of ballet. The grand opening of "Ballet Days" will take place on October 15 at the Heydar Aliyev Palace with a performance of the legendary ballet "One Thousand and One Nights" by Fikrat Amirov. From October 15 to November 11, the festival will include performances of outstanding works of national ballet art, master classes featuring renowned ballet artists, a scientific conference, and public discussions. The "Ballet Days" project combines the rich heritage of classical art with modern artistic trends, opening a new chapter in the history of national culture. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az. 13 October 2025 12:01 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Turkmenistan Culture Days will be held in Baku and Ganja from October 13 to 15, Azernews reports. A large delegation of cultural figures and artists from Turkmenistan will visit Azerbaijan for this special event, organized by Azerbaijan Culture Ministry. Throughout the Culture Days, Turkmenistan's rich heritage will be showcased, including music, decorative and applied arts, museum exhibits and culinary traditions. The event will offer a comprehensive presentation of Turkmen culture, providing Azerbaijani audiences with a unique experience. Moreover, Turkmen Literature Corner will be officially inaugurated at the Azerbaijan National Library, further enhancing cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Turkmenistan Culture Days will play a significant role in deepening the bond between the two nations and fostering the growth of cultural relations. 13 October 2025 17:45 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The European Union (EU) Delegation to Azerbaijan, together with the embassies of EU member states, has hosted the much-anticipated third edition of the European Delights Culinary Festival, Azernews reports. Held outdoors, the vibrant event celebrated the rich and diverse flavors of European cuisine, offering a unique opportunity for the Azerbaijani public to explore European culinary traditions. EU Charge d'Affaires Gediminas Varanavicius expressed his excitement, noting that visitors from abroad were captivated by Azerbaijan's culinary heritage and renowned hospitality. "We are delighted to bring the third 'European Delights' festival to Baku. We invite everyone to join us on this flavorful journey through the kitchens of Europe and indulge in unforgettable tastes, live music, fun culinary quizzes, and so much more. I'm confident that this experience will inspire you to learn more about the European Union and its member states," he said. Throughout the festival, the embassies of Belgium, France, Greece, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine each showcased the best of their national cuisines, offering an exciting array of dishes for attendees to savor. The EU Delegation's stand featured renowned food bloggers Elmira Gadirova and Nazaket Jafarova, who led engaging cooking master classes. Local farmers, supported by an EU project, also presented a selection of fresh, organic products for sale, adding to the festival's celebration of quality ingredients. Festivities included lively quizzes, with winners receiving a variety of prizes, including the 'European Delights' cookbook, published by the EU Delegation. This collection of traditional recipes from all 27 EU member states, translated into Azerbaijani, is also available digitally on the EU Delegations website. In the lead-up to the festival, "Azeri Home Chef" Facebook page hosted a culinary competition featuring European dishes, alongside an art contest. The awards for both competitions were presented during the festival, where the participants' creations were also showcased. The event was further enlivened by performances from local musicians, filling the air with vibrant tunes in both Azerbaijani and European languages,creating an unforgettable celebration of food, culture, and community. 13 October 2025 15:02 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan National Art Museum will host a lecture titled "Diego Rivera: The Promise of a Better Future" on October 15, Azernews reports. During the lecture, director of the Anahuacalli Museum, Maria Teresa Moya Malfavon, will provide detailed information about the "Diego Rivera: The Promise of a Better Future" exhibition, which was held at the Azerbaijan National Art Museum as the first major international project led by her museum. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the world-renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera, who was known for his strong social stance. The lecture will explore Rivera's famous mural paintings created for various buildings in Mexico and abroad, which reflect the spirit of the people, the working class, and ideals of social justice. Attendees will also gain insights into Rivera's artistic philosophy, his vision for the future, and the social messages conveyed through his works. The event starts at 16:00. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az. 13 October 2025 16:21 (UTC+04:00) On October 17th and 18th, the world premiere of the ballet "Two Carpets" will take place at "Astana Ballet," promising to be a true masterpiece on an international scale and to offer the audience an unforgettable immersion into a world of beauty, mysticism, and history. Ahead of this momentous event, the artistic director, director, and choreographer of the production, Alexander Mogilev, shared with Trend Life about his work on this international project. Q: In ballet, directing is the art of creating a harmonious performance by creatively organizing all elements of the production based on the choreographer's vision, guiding the work of all participants in the performance. In this project, you embody the unity of the creative process. Alexander, tell us about the creation of the ballet "Two Carpets." A: The idea of creating the ballet belongs to Mosaic Del Arte, whose main goal is to revive interest in ballet and prove that art knows no boundaries. But we understand that classical ballet today might not be entirely understood by modern audiences. Therefore, our task is to speak the modern language while still respecting traditions. The idea and spirit of Mosaic Del Arte are embodied in this international project, which involves participants from Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Brazil. The general producer of Mosaic Del Arte and the author of the ballet's libretto *"Two Carpets"* Valery Kopeikin was inspired by the history of the Shirvan carpet a black and red work from the Louvre collection. As we know, Azerbaijani carpets are masterpieces that reflect the inner world of the craftsman. The story we present is one of love very touching and profound. The plot centers around a girl named Leyla who weaves a carpet, beginning with red threads a symbol of love. After hearing of the death of her beloved Samir in the war, she switches to black threads. Later, it is revealed that he did not die but was wounded, captured, and lost his memory in Europe. There, he meets Margot, a woman from Vienna, and they develop feelings for each other and live together. But fate brings that very carpet, woven by Leyla, into their home. Gazing at the patterns on the carpet, Samir's memory is restored, and he decides to return to Baku. Margot, despite her love, lets him go, realizing that she cannot oppose the light and true feelings Samir now has in his heart. Upon returning to Baku, Samir sees Leyla weaving a second carpet with black threads, but the joy of their reunion transforms her work into red tones. Hence the title "Two Carpets." Q: The large-scale ballet "Two Carpets," involving more than 140 people, is indeed impressive! You have been involved in many projects as a dancer, choreographer, and director. What personal ideas have you brought to this project? A: Indeed, this project is significant for us, and a large team of professionals is involved. Out of these 140 people, 50 are orchestra musicians, 33 are ballet performers, and there is also the technical staff, artists, projectors, decorators, etc. There are even children playing young Samir and Leyla, and "four hooligans" who appear on the streets of Baku and Vienna. An invited violist will also appear on stage, playing the role of "the fate of destiny," appearing at key moments and performing a touching solo. The specially composed music for the ballet by composer Arseniy Smirnov also includes a script that I wrote. The production features many special effects and projections, along with grandiose and colorful decorations created by artist Anastasia Kapustina, including the design of the carpet with unique patterns. The carpet itself was specially woven for the premiere by the craftswomen of the Azerkhalcha OJSC in a unique piece. The costumes were designed by the famous designer Igor Chapurin. I would like to note that delving into history and legends is a special pleasure for any director. Its a very deep and thoughtful job! I turned to Azerbaijani culture, studying the symbolism and meaning of gestures, positions, and folk dances. This was all incredibly interesting. But my task was not to reproduce purely folk dances, but to integrate their elements into classical and modern ballet, creating a neoclassical language of movement. Additionally, Im interested in working with visual effects, which can be integrated into classical ballet, where there is a storyline, a narrative, and a legend, and to try to tell this story in a modern language. For example, in the ballet, there is a scene when the First World War begins, featuring absolutely modern choreography. But then, there is a ballroom scene where Samir invites Leyla to dance. This is a completely classical scene of art pointe shoes, ballet movements. The harmony of classical and modern dance, special effects, visual solutions, decorations, and costumes gives the ballet a unique charm and aura. Moreover, I personally took lessons on handling a Simonov rifle to realistically portray how cadets at the Suvorov Military School practice with guns. For this, I consulted with an officer from the Kremlin Regiment. Everything has been done with maximum authenticity. I delve so deeply into the plot and the dance itself that I can confidently take responsibility for every movement, every gesture, and the placement of the performers on stage. Q: How important is ballet for you as a means of expression? A: Ballet is one of the deepest forms of art; it is a language of feelings that does not need to be understood it needs to be felt. It allows each viewer to interpret what is happening in their own way. It is an art that speaks without words but is stronger than words. When you watch a ballet performance, youre not told what emotions to feel you are free to choose and interpret the images, discovering new meanings for yourself. This is much more interesting, especially for intellectual and cultured people who enjoy solving metaphors on their own. Q: What do you expect from the world premiere of "Two Carpets?" A: "Two Carpets" is my second collaboration with Valery Kopeikin. The first was the rock-ballet "Blind Forgiveness," presented in Greece. The ballet premiere in Astana deserves an international stage, as a tremendous amount of work has gone into it. We hope that the performance will tour Europe, Asia, and, of course, be presented in Azerbaijan. Art enriches a person, and I believe that the audience will not remain the same after the performance, but will change for the better. I hope that they see not just a show, but experience it. I hope they feel the connection between art, passion, and the individual. I hope the ballet "Two Carpets" will touch the hearts of the audience just as it touched ours during its creation. China's Gen-Z dough artisan and his "Huabobo lab" Xinhua) 09:09, October 13, 2025 This photo taken on Oct. 6, 2025 shows Zhou Tiancong's dough figurine work of a tiger in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua) JINAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- When 22-year-old Zhou Tiancong from Yantai in east China's Shandong Province returned to his college after the recent eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, his luggage stood out: a bag of flour and several freshly made, cartoon-style fruit-shaped Huabobo -- steamed buns representing Chinese folk dough art. Back at the college's intangible cultural heritage research center, Zhou's fellow students were eagerly waiting to exchange ideas with him about their own holiday creations. A centuries-old craft recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Shandong, Jiaodong Huabobo is far more than just steamed buns. Significantly larger than ordinary ones, they are skillfully molded by artisans into symbolic forms like mandarin ducks, carp, dragons, phoenixes and longevity peaches, all carrying auspicious messages in Chinese culinary tradition. After steaming and cooling, they are painted in vibrant colors, transformed into vivid artworks that symbolize prosperity and a thriving life. They play a central role in Chinese folk customs for weddings, birthdays and festivals. Now, this traditional art is gaining fresh momentum from China's post-2000s generation. In the hands of Zhou, Huabobo has been reinvented with modern twists and creative concepts. His latest design, celebrating both the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, features a two-tiered "cake" adorned with exaggerated cartoon figures of the Lunar Goddess Chang'e and her pet -- Yutu (jade rabbit) -- in Chinese mythology. Zhou's fascination with Huabobo began in childhood. He would linger at festive banquets, captivated by the intricate dough sculptures, reluctant to look away. His passion was ignited during a primary school session on intangible cultural heritage, where he first tried making Huabobo himself -- an experience that sparked a lasting devotion. China joined the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2004. To date, the country leads the world with 44 items inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage lists. In recent years, China has been actively building systems to nurture intangible cultural heritage talent, promoting heritage workshops and integrating traditional mentorship with modern education. This has attracted growing numbers of post-2000s youth, who are breathing new life into traditional crafts through creative innovation. At the intangible cultural heritage research center of Taishan College of Science and Technology, Zhou and his fellow students experiment weekly in their "Huabobo Lab," a dough modeling workshop he established with the college's support, where he regularly guides students alongside instructors. "Making Huabobo is a nuanced art," Zhou said. "Seemingly minor variables -- the batch of flour, water hardness, temperature, humidity -- can spark completely different artistic outcomes." "Huabobo is a centuries-old treasure, and I want to create innovative works that express the vitality of youth," Zhou said. His dough creations, along with those of his peers, range from traditional figures like ancient court ladies and opera roles to popular animation characters and his own original cartoons. He aspires to build his own brand and develop a unique cultural IP. In August, Zhou took his first entrepreneurial step by opening a Huabobo store in his hometown, which quickly became a hit. During holidays, he would sometimes work from 7 a.m. until after 2 a.m. the next morning. "It's tiring, but deeply satisfying," he said. The creative process brings him a sense of fulfillment and inner peace. Looking ahead, he plans to launch Huabobo DIY kits, aiming to make them not only visually appealing and tasty but also a medium for emotional connection. Through these efforts, he hopes to transform this tradition from festive food into a cultural symbol embraced by the younger generation. Zhou Tiancong guides a girl to make Huabobo in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 12, 2025. (Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MIT Technology Review has unveiled its "2025 Climate Tech Companies to Watch" list, highlighting the most promising companies making real progress in addressing climate change on the planet. Envision Energy, a global leader in green technology and renewable energy solutions, has been named among this distinguished group for its pioneering work in smart wind technology, net zero industrial park model and integrated digital energy systems. Regarded as one of the most influential in the climate tech space, the list is curated through rigorous evaluation by MIT Technology Review editors, academics, and industry investors. Companies are assessed across multiple dimensions, including innovation, emissions-reduction potential, the development of scalable green technologies or industrial models, and resilience to policy or market uncertainties. The list emphasizes global representation and prioritizes tangible impact over quantity. This year's list comes with an exclusive essay by Bill Gates, highlighting that "ingenuity is our best weapon against climate change" and introduced the concept of the Green Premium, emphasizing the importance of scaling technologies that lower carbon costs across industries. Envision Energy has expanded far beyond wind turbine into energy storage, green hydrogen, renewable energy system and net zero industrial parks. Its smart wind turbine use artificial intelligence to optimize performance, boosting output while enhancing grid reliability. The company delivered on the world's largest off-grid green hydrogen and ammonia facility in Chifeng and powered the world's first green marine ammonia bunkering operation this July - a milestone for clean energy and decarbonizing shipping. Envision is also replicating its net zero industrial park model in Spain, Brazil, and other regions, offering a blueprint for decarbonizing heavy industry globally. MIT Technology Review emphasize that Envision's innovations address critical challenges in energy reliability and industrial emissions while showcasing the global potential of advanced energy technologies. With the expansion of smart wind turbines, green hydrogen, and net zero industrial parks, Envision Energy is poised to accelerate industrial decarbonization worldwide and contribute significantly to global carbon neutrality goals. SOURCE Envision Energy 13 October 2025 11:43 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Baku is hosting a high-level trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia, aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy, transport, logistics, energy, and customs. Azernews reports that Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said during the meeting that such trilateral dialogues play an important role in deepening collaboration in areas of mutual interest. The talks are co-chaired by Mustafayev, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Overchuk, and Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadeghi. The discussions we are holding in this trilateral format are of great importance for expanding trade, economic, transport, and energy ties among our countries, Mustafayev stated. I am confident that our constructive dialogue will further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation among Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia. He stressed that Azerbaijan remains committed to the principles of good-neighborliness, mutual understanding, and equal partnership with both Iran and Russia, expressing confidence that relations with both countries would continue to develop in the spirit of friendship and cooperation. Highlighting the need to enhance interstate relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, Mustafayev emphasized the importance of peace, stability, and prosperity for regional collaboration. He noted the growing relevance of the 3+3 regional consultation platform, initiated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which complements existing bilateral and trilateral mechanisms, strengthens regional security, and opens new opportunities for economic growth. Mustafayev recalled that the trilateral cooperation format was also established at the initiative of President Aliyev. The first AzerbaijanIranRussia Summit was held in Baku on August 8, 2016, followed by the second summit in Tehran on November 1, 2017. Speaking about key areas of cooperation, the deputy prime minister underscored the strategic importance of the NorthSouth International Transport Corridor, which plays a vital role in boosting trade between the three nations. He noted that the volume of freight transported along the corridor grew significantly in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year. As the only country with land borders with both Iran and Russia, Azerbaijan occupies a strategic position on the western segment of the corridor. This geographic advantage allows our nation to play a central role in enhancing the corridors efficiency and regional transport connectivity, he said, adding that joint efforts are underway to increase the corridors capacity and transit potential. Mustafayev recalled that the Baku Declaration, adopted after the 2022 trilateral meeting, envisions raising the corridors freight capacity to 15 million tons. He also referred to bilateral agreements signed among the three sides to further improve infrastructure and connectivity. The deputy prime minister pointed out that an agreement between the governments of Iran and Russia on the construction of the RashtAstara railway was signed in May 2023, while another agreement between Azerbaijan and Russia was concluded in December 2024 to enhance cooperation in freight transit along the NorthSouth corridor. He added that construction of the South Cargo Terminal in Irans Astara city, owned by Azerbaijan Railways and considered a key component of the NorthSouth Corridor, is nearing completion. Mustafayev further reminded that in December 2023, a new automobile bridge and border checkpoint over the Astarachay River on the AzerbaijanIran border were commissioned. Meanwhile, construction of the AgbandKalaleh Bridge over the Araz River continues under an intergovernmental memorandum signed between Azerbaijan and Iran in March 2022. The bridge, part of the Araz Corridor, is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with associated customs infrastructure to follow in the first quarter of next year. The HoradizAgband highway and railway projects are also expected to be finalized next year, creating a new segment that will connect both the EastWest and NorthSouth transport corridors. This crucial infrastructure will not only serve as a new link between the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea but also enhance Azerbaijans role as a vital transit hub in the region, Mustafayev concluded. 13 October 2025 12:21 (UTC+04:00) Nazrin Abdul Read more On October 13, the third trilateral meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkiye commenced in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The event began with an Executive Session, Azernews reports. According to the Press and Public Relations Department of Azerbaijans Milli Majlis (Parliament), the meeting was attended by Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye Numan Kurtulmus. The parliamentary leaders emphasized the strong brotherly ties among the three nations and their legislative bodies. They expressed confidence that the meeting would provide significant momentum toward advancing the goals of trilateral parliamentary cooperation. During the Executive Session, participants engaged in an in-depth exchange of views on key items on the agenda. Following that, the official opening ceremony of the trilateral meeting took place. The event will continue today with speeches by the parliamentary speakers and broader discussions involving members of parliament from all three countries. 13 October 2025 15:23 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia in Baku is being held as part of ongoing consultations and coordination efforts in the regional framework, Azernews reports. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated during a press conference in Tehran that the discussions are focused on several key areas, including economic and trade cooperation. Baghaei emphasized that the meeting demonstrates Iran and its neighboring countries commitment to strengthening regional stability through coordination and dialogue. It should be noted that the trilateral meeting in Baku today is addressing the North-South International Transport Corridor, as well as issues related to energy, customs, and trade cooperation. 13 October 2025 08:00 (UTC+04:00) Former US President Joe Biden is receiving radiation therapy as part of his treatment for prostate cancer, his spokesman has said, Azernews reports via BBC. The spokesman also said that Biden, 82, was undergoing hormone treatment, without giving any further details. The radiation treatment was expected to span five weeks and marked a new point in his care, a source told NBC News. In May, Biden's office announced that he had been diagnosed with a more aggressive form of the disease, which had spread to his bones. The discovery came after the Democratic politician reported urinary symptoms that led doctors to find a small nodule on his prostate. The Biden office said at the time that "he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone". "While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management." A Gleason score of nine meant his illness was classified as "high-grade" and the cancer cells could spread quickly, according to Cancer Research UK. A person close to Biden has said the former president is doing well and responding to treatment, the BBC's US news partner CBS reported, with another source telling the outlet that the radiation started "a few weeks ago" in Philadelphia. Biden left office in January as the oldest serving US president in history and questions about his health dogged his first term, leading him to end his run for re-election late in his campaign. His former Vice-President, Kamala Harris, ran instead as the Democrats' presidential candidate, losing to current US President Donald Trump. For many years, Biden has advocated for cancer research. In 2022, he and his wife Jill Biden relaunched the "cancer moonshot" initiative with the goal of mobilising research efforts to prevent more than four million cancer deaths by the year 2047. Biden lost his eldest son, Beau, to brain cancer in 2015. The former president and vice-president has also been treated twice for skin cancer, in 2023 and 2025. In recent months, Biden has largely retreated from the public eye. In May, he sat down for an interview with the BBC - his first since leaving the White House - where he admitted that the decision to step down from the 2024 race was "difficult". Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer affecting men, behind skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 13 out of every 100 men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives. It says age is the most common risk factor. 13 October 2025 09:00 (UTC+04:00) United States President Donald Trump said that he would be ready to send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if the war with Russia remained unresolved, Azernews reports. While boarding Air Force One on his way to the Gaza peace conference, Trump said that he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would tell Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles if the war remained unresolved. Writing on X, the Ukrainian president called his latest conversation with Trump very productive, noting that they had discussed strengthening his countrys air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities. It was the second time the pair had spoken in as many days. On Monday, Trump said he would only agree to provide Kyiv with Tomahawks if he knew what it planned to do with them. He added, without giving further details, that he had sort of made a decision over the issue. Given that their range is 2,500km (1,550 miles), Ukraine could use the weapons to strike deep inside Russia. In comments published on Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the topic was of extreme concern to Russia. Now is really a very dramatic moment in terms of the fact that tensions are escalating from all sides, he told Russian state television reporter Pavel Zarubin. Peskov said Moscow would have to bear in mind that some versions of the missile are able to carry nuclear warheads. The Kremlin spokespersons remarks came as French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the latest Russian strikes on Ukraines energy infrastructure. After speaking with Zelenskyy on Sunday, Macron said: As the agreement reached in Gaza offers a glimmer of hope for peace in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine too must come to an end. If Russia persists in its obstinate warmongering and its refusal to come to the negotiating table, it will have to pay the price, he said. 13 October 2025 19:45 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more The Afghanistan-Pakistan border has erupted into violent clashes over the past several days, marking a dangerous escalation in regional tensions. According to reports from both sides, casualties have already mounted. Pakistani officials claim that nearly 200 Afghan fighters were killed in retaliatory strikes, while the Taliban-led Afghan government asserts that 58 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives in the conflict. This flare-up comes at a time when global attention is already strained by ongoing crises, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the recent ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. The emergence of a new conflict in South Asia has sparked alarm across the international community, particularly given Pakistans status as a nuclear-armed state. The border, which spans over 2,600 kilometers, has been closed following the exchange of fire, halting trade and civilian movement. Analysts warn that this could trigger a humanitarian crisis in the region, especially for communities dependent on cross-border access. With tensions running high and diplomatic channels strained, international organizations and neighboring countries are urging both sides to exercise restraint and seek peaceful resolution. The prospect of a broader conflict looms large, threatening to destabilize an already volatile region. Speaking to Azernews, political analyst Imran Khalid, who is in Pakistan now emphasized that the clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan erupted over the weekend, stemming from long-simmering tensions along the Durand Line, the disputed border that has divided Pashtun communities for over a century. What started as isolated skirmishes escalated into heavy fighting when Afghan forces reportedly attacked Pakistani border posts in the Torkham and Spin Boldak areas. Pakistan responded with artillery, airstrikes, and ground operations, capturing at least 19 Afghan positions according to local reports. The trigger appears to be Pakistan's frustration with Kabul's alleged support for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has launched deadly attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan soil. Islamabad has long accused the Taliban regime of providing safe havens to TTP fighters, allowing them to orchestrate cross-border terrorism that has killed Pakistani soldiers and civilians. This isn't new; the TTP's resurgence since the Taliban's 2021 takeover has turned the border into a powder keg, Imran Khalid said. The political analyst detailed that the Afghan government's overconfidence played a big role in this flare-up. Their foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, spent eight days in India starting October 9, marking the first high-level Taliban visit to New Delhi since Kabul fell. During that trip, Muttaqi met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and issued a joint statement that irked Pakistan, including references to Kashmir that Islamabad saw as meddling. Bolstered by Indian diplomatic overtures and potential economic ties, the Taliban seemed emboldened, perhaps miscalculating that such backing would deter Pakistani retaliation. India has been engaging Kabul quietly, maintaining a technical mission there, but this visit felt like a green light for Afghan assertiveness. The timing is no coincidence - the clashes intensified right as Muttaqi wrapped up his tour, suggesting Kabul thought it could push boundaries without consequence, he said. Imran Khalid added that Pakistan's response has been swift and decisive, practically bulldozing Afghan checkpoints in retaliatory strikes. He noted that Pakistani forces used jets and tanks to overrun Taliban positions, claiming over 200 Afghan fighters killed while suffering 23 losses themselves. Afghanistan countered by saying it killed 58 Pakistani troops, but the asymmetry is clear: Kabul's forces, despite their bravado, are no match for Pakistan's conventional military edge in airpower, artillery, and logistics. The border crossings are now sealed, halting trade and stranding thousands, which hurts Afghanistan's fragile economy far more than Pakistan's. As for whether these clashes will end soon or spiral into full-scale war, I doubt we'll see a prolonged conflict, but a quick resolution seems unlikely without major concessions from Kabul. Muttaqi, fresh from India, is now calling for negotiations and a ceasefire in public briefings, urging de-escalation to avoid broader fallout. Even U.S. President Trump, en route to a Middle East summit, has offered to mediate, boasting about his track record in solving wars. But from Islamabad's perspective, talks are pointless until Afghanistan stops harboring TTP elements and expels them. Pakistan has conducted airstrikes targeting TTP leaders like Noor Wali Mehsud in Afghan provinces such as Paktika and Khost, underscoring that counter-terrorism is non-negotiable. Iran has voiced concerns too, stepping in to urge restraint amid fears of regional instability. If Kabul continues to play host to militants while courting external support, these skirmishes could drag on, eroding trust further. Yet a full war benefits no onePakistan holds the upper hand militarily, and Afghanistan can't afford another front. The ball is in Kabul's court: expel the TTP, and we might see borders reopen. Until then, expect more tension, not peace, Imran Khalid concluded. 13 October 2025 22:21 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Dutch government has invoked the provisions of the Accessibility of Goods Act in relation to Nexperia Corporation, one of Europes largest semiconductor manufacturers, Azernews reports. The decision was made "due to serious management violations" within the company, which allegedly pose risks to "the continuity and security of a critical technology supply chain" in both the Netherlands and the wider European Union. According to an official government statement, the application of this law enables authorities to "prevent corporate decisions that could potentially harm the interests of the company or the European economy." The government emphasized that this is "an extraordinary measure reserved for exceptional circumstances." Nexperia, owned by the Chinese Wingtech Group, plays a crucial role in producing microchips for the European automotive industry and consumer electronics sectors, making its stability vital for regional technological supply chains. Over the past year, there has been increasing debate in the Netherlands and across the EU about limiting the influence of Chinese investments on critical industries. At the same time, Beijing has repeatedly maintained that Chinese companies operate in full compliance with international laws and contribute positively to the global technology ecosystem by fostering interconnectedness. Industry experts suggest that this case could set a precedent for how European governments balance openness to foreign investment with safeguarding strategic assets, especially in sectors deemed critical to economic and technological sovereignty. 13 October 2025 23:51 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The Philippines has officially lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domesticated and wild birds, including poultry products, from New Zealand, the countrys Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Monday, Azernews reports. In a memorandum, Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel ordered the lifting of the import freeze following the resolution of recent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases in New Zealand. The ban was initially imposed in January after reports of an avian influenza outbreak in New Zealand raised concerns about the safety of poultry imports. "New Zealand is now declared free from HPAI," said Tiu Laurel, citing the DAs comprehensive risk assessment which concluded that the likelihood of contamination from imported poultry and related products is now negligible. "Import transactions for the specified commodities, slaughtered or produced after the issuance of this order, may resume in full compliance with existing DA rules and regulations," he added. The resumption of imports is expected to help stabilize poultry supply in the Philippines, which had faced pressure due to previous restrictions. Industry stakeholders are optimistic that renewed trade with New Zealand will contribute to maintaining affordable prices and ensuring product availability for Filipino consumers. 13 October 2025 19:28 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva For the first time in nearly two millennia, visitors to Rome can now walk the Secret Passage of Emperor Commodus a hidden corridor beneath the Colosseum once reserved for emperors and cloaked in mystery, Azernews reports. The newly restored underground tunnel, dating back to the 2nd century AD, was designed to allow Roman emperors discreet access to the heart of the Flavian Amphitheater. The passage retains traces of its ancient grandeur, including fragments of marble paneling, faded frescoes of wild boar hunts, and mythological scenes depicting Dionysus and Ariadne. Opening to the public for the first time since the time of Caesar, this exclusive corridor known as the Passage of Commodus is now part of the Colosseum Archaeological Park. Guided visits are available to small groups (up to eight people) every Monday and Wednesday at 1 p.m., with tickets requiring advance booking through the parks official website. Currently, a 30-meter section of the corridor is accessible, with restoration work underway to extend it to 55 meters by 2026. This is an extraordinary rediscovery, said Alfonsina Russo, director of the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum. After 2,000 years, the world can once again witness a hidden gem of ancient Roman architecture. What was once known only to archaeologists and scholars is now revealed to the public. Built beneath the southern stands of the Colosseum shortly after the amphitheaters inauguration in 80 AD, the corridor follows an S-shaped route, cleverly concealed from public view. Scholars continue to debate whether it was linked to the Ludus Magnus (the gladiator training school) or extended toward the Caelian Hill, one of Romes legendary seven hills. Named after Emperor Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from 180 to 192 AD, the passage evokes the atmosphere of ancient imperial power. Commodus was notorious for his obsession with gladiatorial combat and is said to have entered the arena himself, disguised as a gladiator. Now, visitors can retrace his footsteps, imagining the emperor emerging from the shadows to take his place in the royal box. Though much of the original marble cladding was stripped away by looters over the centuries, traces remain, along with painted plaster later added by workers. Restorers have uncovered barely visible hunting scenes, mythological murals, and symbols believed to reflect the imperial cult. To enhance the experience, a new LED lighting system brings the space to life, casting mythological hues across the walls. Using QR code projections, visitors can view digitally reconstructed frescoes, offering a glimpse into the artistic splendor once hidden beneath the Colosseums foundations. This rare opening not only enriches the visitor experience but also strengthens Romes mission to blend heritage preservation with modern technology. As Russo put it, This passage isnt just a physical space its a journey into the imagination and inner world of the Roman emperors. Charleston Attorney and Democrat Candidate's Campaign "Built on Courage, Not Contributions" CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mullins McLeod, Democratic candidate for Governor of South Carolina, announced today that his campaign has raised an impressive $1.4 million in its first fundraising quarter. The majority of those funds came directly from McLeod himself, through personal contributions rather than loans or political donors. This choice was deliberate. It reflects not only a financial commitment to the campaign but a moral one. McLeod, a Charleston attorney and lifelong advocate for fairness and public accountability, says his decision to invest his own resources represents his deep belief that South Carolina is ready for a new kind of leadership; one unbought, unbossed, and unwilling to compromise the truth. "Admittedly, it is hard for a truth-teller like me to raise money in a corrupt system, particularly considering that I am not for sale," McLeod said. "Where I come from, you put your money where your mouth is. That is exactly what I have done, and it is something my opponents have not done. Too many politicians operate like jukeboxes. They sing whatever song their large donors tell them to sing. I am not a politician. I am a servant leader who has spent the last twenty-five years in the private sector preparing to clean up the corruption that has become the cancer of our state government. The people of South Carolina deserve a voice that cannot be bought or silenced. I am determined that my voice will be heard because when it is, South Carolina will find hers again." McLeod's campaign is built around the belief that South Carolina's best days are still ahead, but only if leaders have the courage to tell the truth and act in the interest of the people rather than political elites. His platform focuses on four foundational priorities that speak to the everyday challenges facing South Carolina families: 1. Strengthening public education. Every child in South Carolina deserves the chance to succeed, regardless of their zip code or economic background. McLeod believes that investment in public education is an investment in the future of the state's economy and democracy. 2. Protecting women's rights. McLeod stands firmly for women's right to make their own healthcare decisions without government interference. He has vowed to protect the dignity, freedom, and equality of women in every corner of the state. 3. Restoring integrity to government. McLeod's career as an attorney has shown him firsthand how corruption corrodes trust, wastes taxpayer money, and holds back progress. His plan for reform includes stronger ethics laws, increased transparency, and new accountability measures that ensure politicians answer to the people, not special interests. 4. Making healthcare and childcare more affordable. McLeod has seen the toll that rising costs take on South Carolina families. He is committed to policies that expand access to healthcare and make childcare affordable and accessible for working parents who are struggling to stay afloat. McLeod's decision to personally fund the majority of his campaign is a clear statement of intent. It is not just an act of independence; it is a declaration that he will lead by example. In an era when public trust is at an all-time low, his approach signals a return to something rare in politics; principled leadership that puts the people first. "The people of this state are hungry for authenticity," McLeod said. "They want someone who understands the cost of doing the right thing and is willing to pay it. I have no interest in being a career politician. I am entering this race to serve, to fight for the people who have been left behind, and to help build a South Carolina that my children and grandchildren will be proud to inherit." The $1.4 million raised not only establishes McLeod as a serious contender in the Democratic primary but also signals that his campaign is grounded in conviction rather than convenience. His message of courage, integrity, and service is already resonating with voters across the state who are ready to see a leader with both the backbone and the heart to stand up for what is right. Discover more at https://mcleodscgov.com/ Contact: Whitney McDuff ***@whitneymcduff.com Photos: https://www.prlog.org/13104399 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Mullins McLeod A massive climate power grab by the European Union against American companies is being heavily resisted by President Trump. EU legislation requires compliance with draconian and expensive EU climate rules for the entire supply chain of products sold to Europe. This impacts not just a company selling goods directly, but also its entire supply chain. These arrogant EU climate fanatics are seeking to make their rules apply to lots of American companies here on our own shores. Trying to enforce their rules in other countries is a complete outrage and President Trump is right to push back. This is nothing short of an attack on American sovereignty, and now the EU commissars are pitching a tantrum because Trump is rejecting their power grab. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/10/stop-lunacy-eu-tries-push-back-against-us/ Even within the EU, the climate policies of the EU commissars are under attack. They are wrecking national economies such as Germany's. European farmers have held mass demonstrations blocking roads, airports, and other facilities to denounce what they call "climate communism". https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/evonik-ceo-kullmann-calls-end-co2-cult-wake-call-europes-economy In recent elections, Poland elected a new president who is opposed to EU climate policies and the Czech Republic elected a new parliament majority committed to fighting against EU climate policy. The incoming prime minister called it "green madness" during the recent campaign. Parties that oppose EU climate policies now lead in the polls in Germany, France, Austria, and the Netherlands and are already in power in Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia. The UK's Channel 4 broadcast nationally a great documentary debunking the CO2 theory on climate entitled "The Great Global Warming Swindle" which can be watched below: A Co Down maker of gear for tradespeople has invested nearly 1m to launch the worlds first trackable tool bag. Velocity Pro Gear was acquired by Adam Gilmore in late 2023, and was then relocated to Newtownards. Growth at the firm more than doubled in its first year under new ownership, and now the firm has invested 0.9m to support its expansion. Its investment was supported by Danske Bank under the British Business Banks Growth Guarantee Scheme, the successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme. It provides funding of up to 2m and provides the lender with a 70% government-backed guarantee. From left, Adam Gilmore, Velocity Pro Gears managing director and Ian Moore, senior business manager at Danske Bank Velocity Pro Gear said the launch of the trackable tool bag and companion app would cement its position as the benchmark brand for tradespeople across the globe. The company, which has 17 patents granted and pending, was set up by tradespeople to design hard-wearing gear for on-site use. The trackable tool bag combines smart tracking technology with a secure tool register app, developed with insurance providers to prevent tool theft and improve on-site efficiency. Products are now distributed across the UK and EU, and its expanding into France, Sweden, Greece and soon Italy. It has even received direct to consumer orders from as far away as Japan and Australia. Mr Gilmore said: This investment allows us to expand Velocity Pro Gear globally. Launching the worlds first trackable tool bag is just the beginning, were setting a new worldwide standard for how tradespeople protect and manage their tools. "Danske Banks support has gone far beyond finance; theyve taken the time to understand our business and open doors we never thought possible. From left, Adam Gilmore, Velocity Pro Gears managing director and Ian Moore, senior business manager at Danske Bank News Catch Up - Monday 13th October Ian Moore, senior business manager at Danske Bank, said: Velocity Pro Gear exemplifies the kind of innovative, high-growth business that Danske Bank is proud to support, and that Northern Ireland can be proud of. "Their relentless focus on quality, customer insight and technology is driving global change in the industry. Were excited to support their journey and look forward to seeing Velocity continue to scale worldwide from its base in Newtownards. Mr Gilmore is also managing director of AG Electrical NI, which he founded, and managing director of Tool Monster. We have Daniel ODonnell in the ladies toilets and Kneecap love us: The new entry on Americas best restaurants list The Donegal duo behind the gastropub are bringing a taste of Ireland to city and have just made New York Times best American restaurant list McGonagle's owner Oran McGonagle (right) with business partner and head chef Aidan McGee. Photo: Amy Donohoe Amy Donohoe Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 13:03 For the first time ever, an Irish bar has made history by being named on the New York Times best American restaurant list, less than 12 months after opening its doors, securing its place in the culinary history books. Some homes in Ballymena were emblazoned with Union flags in the hopes it will keep those inside safe Police recorded a total of almost 2,300 hate crimes in Northern Ireland over a 12-month period. The figure has been released to coincide with Hate Crime Awareness Week, and takes in the period from June 2024 to June 2025, with the number of reported incidents soaring after race riots plagued towns and villages in early June. The PSNIs Hate Crime Lead, Chief Superintendent Sue Steen, said the increase should urge everyone across communities to stand together to challenge and report hate crime and hate incidents. In a modern and diverse society, any act of hatred or intolerance is entirely unacceptable, said Ms Steen. This week is a chance not only to raise awareness, but to reflect on how each of us can help make sure everybody feels safe, respected, and included. No one should ever have to endure abuse, intimidation or violence simply because of who they are, she added. In the past 12 months (up to June 30, 2025), the PSNI recorded almost 2,300 hate crimes and behind those statistics is an individual or a family. But we believe many more go unreported and without reporting, we cannot support victims, detect patterns, allocate resources, or bring perpetrators to justice. A sustained period of rioting broke out across Northern Ireland after two Romanian-speaking teenagers were charged with attempted rape after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Ballymena at the start of June. Police said the disorder was targeted at ethnic minorities as well as law enforcement. This week I want to encourage people who witness or experience hate-motivated abuse, harassment or criminal damage, to please report it to police via 101 (or 999 in an emergency) or online via the PSNI website, Ms Steen continued. Hate crime reports receive enhanced oversight, daily review, and where possible, dedicated problem-solving by neighbourhood policing teams. We also work closely with a range of community and voluntary groups, statutory partners, and advocacy organisations to ensure victims are supported and their voices heard. If someone feels unable to report directly to police, then the Hate Crime Advocacy Service (HCAS) can provide independent, confidential assistance to help you navigate your option. HCAS offers a safe and confidential space to provide support to victims of hate crimes across the different protected characteristics. They can support you whether or not you have reported the crime to the police. Every person in Northern Ireland deserves to live without fear or intimidation. During Hate Crime Awareness Week and beyond, I urge all of us to think about our words and actions, to challenge prejudice where we see it, and to support victims in coming forward. Figures from the PSNI show that while there were more race incidents in the period covered compared with the previous 12 months, there were fewer sexual orientation, sectarian, disability and transgender identity incidents. Crimes with a race hate motivation saw the largest increase, with smaller increases also seen in sectarian and faith/religion identity crimes. Sexual orientation crimes saw the largest decrease, with smaller decreases in disability and transgender identity crimes. Coloured smoke billows as anti migrant demonstrators rioted in Ballymena in June Belfast History Explained: Who was Mary Ann McCracken? There were 646 more race incidents and 434 more race crimes recorded. The number of both race incidents (2,049) and race crimes (1,329) are the highest 12 month levels recorded since the data series began in 2004/05. Four of the five highest monthly levels of race incidents ever recorded here were between July 2024 and June 2025. The 349 race incidents recorded in August 2024 was the single highest monthly level in the data series, followed by the 345 race incidents recorded in June 2025. There was, though, a decrease of 48 sectarian incidents, while the number of crimes rose by one. Sexual orientation incidents and crimes fell from 376 to 355 and from 230 to 205 respectively. Disability incidents decreased from 88 to 69 and crimes fell from 47 to 43 and faith/religion incidents were unchanged with 94 and crimes increased from 59 to 71. Transgender identity incidents fell from 73 to 60 and the number of transgender identity crimes fell from 41 to 34. Hate Crime Awareness Week runs until Saturday, October 18 across the United Kingdom. Music and Gigs Behind the scenes documentary on Taylor Swifts Eras Tour to launch on Disney+ World-renowned flautist Sir James Galway is to be honoured at Ulster University next month. Sir James, who was born in Belfast, is to be conferred with an honorary doctorate for his extraordinary contributions to classical music and his connection to Northern Ireland, the university said. The honorary doctorate will be formally conferred at a ceremony on November 15 at Ulster University. Sir James, nicknamed The Man with the Golden Flute, has collaborated on film soundtracks such as The Lord Of The Rings and played alongside the likes of Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell and Sir Elton John. For years, Sir James and his wife, fellow flute player Lady Jeanne Galway, have worked to teach the next generation of classical musicians through their Galway Flute Academy. Ulster University said Sir Jamess journey to global stardom is one of remarkable talent, perseverance and innovation. One of the founding members of the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra, he later became principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic, and went on to become a solo artist. He has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and collaborated with Luciano Pavarotti and The Chieftains, among others. Sir James said of the honour that it was deeply fitting to receive it just a stones throw from where I grew up and first played with the Youth Orchestra on York Street, where Ulster Universitys beautiful new home stands proud. Belfast shaped me, not just musically, but personally, and Ive always carried that spirit with me throughout my career. Ulster University is doing something truly special by investing in education and the arts in a way that reaches into the heart of our communities. Its giving young people, regardless of background, the chance to discover their talents, pursue their passions, and believe in their potential. I hope this recognition serves as a reminder to aspiring artists across Belfast and Ireland that their voice matters, their creativity matters, and their journey can take them anywhere. Music has the power to transform lives, and Im so happy to see Ulster University helping to make that transformation possible for future generations. Professor Paul Bartholomew, vice-chancellor of Ulster University, said his career embodies brilliance, boldness and belonging. From the streets of Belfast to the grand stages of the world, he has not only redefined what it means to be a classical musician, but he has shown generations of young people that talent, when nurtured with determination and heart, can transcend boundaries. Chancellor of Ulster University Dr Colin Davidson said: Sir James Galway is not just a musical icon, he is a symbol of resilience, creativity and global impact. His journey from Belfast to the Berlin Philharmonic and beyond is a story that resonates deeply with the universitys mission: to empower individuals to reach their full potential, regardless of background. His artistry has touched millions, but it is his unwavering connection to his roots and his commitment to education that make this honour especially meaningful. As chancellor, I see in Sir James a reflection of what Ulster University stands for excellence with purpose, and success grounded in community. We are privileged to count him among our honorary graduates. Minister accused of 'cynical waiting game amid mystery over Casement Park paper one year on The SDLP has hit out after failure of Executive parties to confirm whether Gordon Lyons has brought paper a year after GAA President Jarlath Burns request The derelict grounds of the Casement Park stadium (David Young/PA) Garrett Hargan Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 08:32 The redevelopment of Casement Park is lost in limbo, the SDLP has said. Mid and East Antrim councillors have agreed to defer a decision on the demolition of the former Danske Bank premises at High Street in Carrickfergus until later this month. The location has been earmarked for a visitor centre as part of the 42m Carrickfergus City Deal regeneration after the building was purchased by the borough council. The former High Street outlet closed in June of last year after customer transactions decreased by 40 per cent between 2017 and 2023. The building was on the market for 240,000. The 5,521 sq ft three-storey property in the town centre has a double frontage onto High Street and Marine Highway with views over Belfast Lough. A report presented to a meeting of the borough councils Environment and Economy Committee last month indicated plans for the demolition of the former bank premises and construction of a replacement new-building. It was proposed by Carrickfergus Castle Ulster Unionist Councillor Robin Stewart and seconded by Knockagh Alliance Cllr Aaron Skinner to defer a decision until the next meeting of the Environment and Economy Committee to be held later this month to enable the public consultation to be held as well as a meeting of Carrickfergus councillors. A vote resulted in six councillors in favour with six against. There were four abstentions by councillors from the Ballymena area. The proposal was carried following a deciding vote by committee chair Ballymena Alliance Cllr Jack Gibson. The Carrickfergus regeneration is one of three projects set to benefit from Belfast Region City Deal funding totalling 80m in Mid and East Antrim. The others are the delivery of phase two of development of The Gobbins visitor experience in Islandmagee and the creation of an i4C Innovation Centre in Ballymena. The Carrick proposals were unveiled at a public consultation event in the town last month. Former Danske Bank at High Street, Carrickfergus. Pic: Google News Catch Up - Monday 13th October The design team says online that the visitor centre will serve as both a flagship landmark and a welcoming gateway, guiding visitors to Carrickfergus Castle, town centre and seafront while celebrating the towns rich heritage and culture. The vision for Carrickfergus Castle is to transform it into a world-class attraction and a landmark gateway to the Causeway Coastal Route. Proposed works to Carrickfergus Town Hall are expected to include an arts centre and refurbishment of Jubilee Hall with reconfiguration of the adjacent civic centre and improvements to the adjacent courtyard area. Repairs to the town walls, gates and wider public realm works are also scheduled in the town centre and harbour areas. In addition, there are plans for the celebrated schooner The Result to be returned to Carrickfergus, subject to agreement. 'Independent Republicans Armagh' parade in Armagh City Centre in commemoration of IRA men Martin McCaughey and Dessie Grew who were shot dead by there SAs at a farm in Loughgall in 1990. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye A republican commemoration parade for two IRA terrorists took place without incident on Sunday in Armagh, despite calls from the DUP for it to be cancelled. The parade honoured IRA members Martin McCaughey and Dessie Grew, who were shot dead by the SAS at a farm in Loughgall 35 years ago. Organised by Independent Republicans Armagh, the event was attended by four bands and around 800 participants, including approximately 200 supporters, according to the Parades Commission. Police were present during the commemoration, and a PSNI spokesperson confirmed that it passed off without issue. Last month, DUP councillor Scott Armstrong said he had raised concerns about the event with the Parades Commission and the PSNI. He said at the time: It is deeply concerning that in 2025 we have parades that commemorate IRA men who inflicted nothing but pain and misery on people within the Armagh area and further afield. For example, Dessie Grew was arrested for a robbery and had an arrest warrant that was issued on suspicion of the murder of an RAF communications operative and his six-month-old daughter. IRA terrorists are not heroes, and their violent actions should not be romanticised. Mr Armstrong said such events are an insult to the families who were left bereaved by the actions of the IRA. In response to the criticism, the organisers said that they were honoured to commemorate McGaughy and Grew. In a statement posted on social media, they said: British rule inflicted nothing but pain and misery on the vast majority of the Irish people over the course of many centuries. Independent Republicans Armagh are honoured to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of IRA Volunteers Dessie Grew and Martin McCaughey. We will continue to cherish the memory of our fallen heroes with dignity and pride. Martin McCaughey and Desmond 'Dessie' Grew The IRA said McCaughey (23), who was a former Sinn Fein councillor, and Grew (37) were on "active service" when they died. Two AK47 rifles were found at the scene but no shots were fired by the men. That led to claims by some that McCaughey and Grew could have been arrested. The Co Armagh farm was believed to have been under surveillance on the night of October 9 1990. It was reported the SAS fired more than 70 rounds. However, in 2012, an inquest found the SAS were justified in shooting the men. 'Independent Republicans Armagh' parade in Armagh City Centre in commemoration of IRA men Martin McCaughey and Dessie Grew who were shot dead by there SAs at a farm in Loughgall in 1990. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye News Catch Up - Sunday 12 October "Mr Grew and Mr McCaughey put their lives in danger by being in the area of the sheds in the vicinity of a stolen car, which was expected to be used in terrorist activity," the coroner found. "They were both armed with guns, wearing gloves and balaclavas and were approaching soldiers who believed that their lives were in immediate danger." The killings were among a series of incidents that prompted allegations of a shoot-to-kill policy by the security forces. Dessie Grews older brother, Seamus, was shot dead by the RUC eight years earlier, in 1982. WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) issued a decision on October 9, 2025, to retain the "Endangered" status determination for long-tailed macaque ("LTM") monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). The latest issuance by the IUCN follows a 2023 petition filed by the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) challenging the IUCN status determination. NABR's petition demonstrates that reviews by Hansen et. al., which the IUCN has used as the basis for its status determinations, misrepresent existing scientific data.1 More information regarding the NABR petition is available online at www.nabr.org. Discrepant trends, misrepresented data raise questions about the IUCN's classification of "LTM" monkeys as endangered. Post this A separate petition filed with the IUCN by Dr. Hank Jenkins asserts that the Hansen et al. authors possess conflicts of interest that require further investigation by the IUCN. It is unclear if such conflicts exist, or if the authors of the IUCN review possess conflicts requiring disclosure or recusal. On October 7, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ("the Service") rejected a petition filed by advocacy groups to list "LTM" monkeys under the Endangered Species Act ("ESA"). The petition contains the same information submitted to the IUCN which is the basis for the IUCN's current assessment. In rejecting the petition, the Service stated "the petition did not present credible information to support impacts to populations or the species as a whole." The full findings from the Service on the petition to list long-tailed macaques under the U.S. Endangered Species Act is published in the Federal Register and is located here: "LTM_Petition.pdf." No government in the world considers "LTM" monkeys to be endangered. Peer-reviewed scientific publications demonstrate the latest IUCN determination, and information used in the determination, are flawed and unsupported.2 "The NABR scientific review team is disappointed that the IUCN has failed to objectively consider scientific information that has been presented," stated Dr. Ray Hilborn, a world-renowned scientist and member of NABR's scientific review team. "The lack of data on trends in abundance, and misrepresentation of data that do exist, raise serious questions about the scientific process employed by the IUCN to reach this determination," added Dr. Hilborn. "LTM" monkeys are used extensively throughout the world in biomedical research given their physiological and genetic similarities with human beings. Five of the 20 most used prescription drugs were developed with the help of long-tailed macaques. Research with "LTM" monkeys has been crucial for advances in regenerative medicine, immunology, cancer, vaccine development, and pharmacology, as well as development of the COVID-19 vaccine.3 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently published a review confirming the importance of "LTM" monkeys in conducting biomedical research. "NABR is disappointed that in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, the IUCN has bowed to pressure from animal activists to suggest the 'LTM' monkey as at risk," said Matthew R. Bailey, president of NABR. "Available scientific information clearly shows this species is not at risk and in fact is considered to be invasive in several countries. It is beyond comprehension that the IUCN claims the species is at risk while simultaneously claiming it is one of the world's most invasive species. NABR will continue to educate policy makers and the public on these issues to protect public health and the integrity of the scientific process." According to a publication entitled "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species," "LTM" monkeys are recognized by the IUCN to be an "invasive" species.4 The conservation status of "LTM" monkeys and PETA's involvement in government programs was recently the subject of a U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee hearing in September 2024. Witnesses at this hearing testified that PETA and other animal advocacy groups have improperly attempted to influence government investigations of private parties and foreign governments for political reasons. About the National Association for Biomedical Research Founded in 1979, NABR is the only 501(c)(6) non-profit association dedicated to sound public policy for the humane use of animals in biomedical research, education, and testing. Members include more than 340 universities, medical and veterinary schools, teaching hospitals, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, patient groups, and academic and professional societies who rely on humane and responsible animal research to advance global human and animal health. Learn more about us at www.nabr.org. 1 See Hilborn, R., & Smith, D. R. (2023). Is the longtailed macaque at risk of extinction? American Journal of Primatology, e23590. (Available at https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23590). 2 See Hilborn, R., & M. Chaloupka (2025). Estimating the abundance of widely distributed primates. American Journal of Primatology (accepted for publication). 3 See Albrecht, L., E. Bishop, B. Jay, B. Lafloux, M. Minoves, C. Passaes (2021). COVID-19 Research: Lessons from Non-Human Primate Models (2021) doi: 10.3390/vaccines9080886 (available at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8402317/. 4 See IUCN, 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species (available at www.iucngisd.org). Contact: Eva Maciejewski [email protected] (202) 967-8305 SOURCE National Association for Biomedical Research Police at the scene of a suspicious death in Newtownabbey (Photo by Kevin Scott) A man arrested in connection with the death of a woman in Newtownabbey has been released on bail pending further enquiries, the PSNI has confirmed. The young mother, who was in her 20s, has been named locally as Mary McAdorey. Neighbours paid tribute to the young woman, saying she was the nicest girl. On Monday night police confirmed that a man in his 40s has been released. Detective Chief Inspector Tom Phillips, from the Major Investigation Team, said: My thoughts are, first and foremost, with the womans family who are left trying to come to terms with the loss of their loved one. Following a post-mortem examination, the womans death is not being treated as murder at this time. Our enquiries, however, are continuing to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the death. The detective added: I would appeal to anyone with information to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 701 of 12/10/25. Cordons, and a police presence, remain in place at this time. Police at the scene of a suspicious death in Newtownabbey (Photo by Kevin Scott) Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph at the scene on Monday, Taylor McGrann, a Sinn Fein councillor for the area, said it was absolutely awful news. "All I can really say is my heart goes out to the family, and my thoughts are with all of the young womans family and friends at this time, he said. She is a young woman in her 20s. She is a mother of two, she is from the local community and I believe she was living her in Old Mill Drive. Alliance councillor Billy Webb told the Belfast Telegraph: I know the community of the Old Mill Drive very well and the general area very well and I know they will be absolutely shocked at what has happened. Mary McAdorey Community deeply shocked as man arrested over suspected Newtownabbey murder DUP councillor Matthew Brady said: The community is deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event. "Our thoughts are with everyone affected as they come to terms with the loss. Convicted torturer and former Sinn Fein councillor just days away from freedom and a new identity Prisoner had asked to be relocated to California but request was refused Convicted torturer Jonathan Dowdall is expected to enter witness protection when freed from jail Ali Bracken Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 10:03 Former Sinn Fein councillor turned Irish state witness Jonathan Dowdall is due to be released from jail in little over two weeks time, on October 29, and he and his family will then be relocated overseas as he enters the Witness Security Programme. Presidential hopeful Heather Humphreys said she made a mistake in appointing a supermarket owner, with no previous experience, to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern art. Speaking on The Katie Hannon Interview Live on RTE on Monday, the Fine Gael candidate was questioned about a number of cases relating to her time as a TD and minister. Ms Hannon suggested the board appointment was because party leader Enda Kenny wanted to burnish his credentials so that he (the supermarket owner) could stand in a by-election for the Seanad cultural panel. Ms Humphreys blamed her political inexperience, saying: I was a new minister at the time and I made a mistake, and I learned from that mistake. She also said she was sorry if a bereaved mother felt that I didnt do enough for her. Lucia OFarrell has been been critical of Ms Humphreys support during her campaign for justice for her late son Shane, who was hit by a car driven by a man who should have been in jail. Ms Humphreys said: Im sorry if she felt that I didnt do enough for her, because anybody that came through my door as a TD, I always did my best, but Im glad that she has received a state apology. Ms Hannon then put a comment by Ms OFarrell to Ms Humphreys: If this is your best, its very poor. She listed a number of actions Ms OFarrell said Ms Humphreys could have, but did not take, including asking parliamentary questions about Shane, taking part in Dail debates about the case and supporting a 2018 vote for a public inquiry. Ms Humphreys said that as minister for justice she didnt want to derail that process by interfering in it. Some of the lighter moments in the interview included Ms Humphreys explaining how the demands of the campaign meant she almost forgot her 38th wedding anniversary, and which of her pets would make it to Aras an Uachtarain with her, saying that while her dog would join her, the cat might be happier at home. Irish presidential candidate Catherine Connolly (PA/Brian Lawless) Later on Monday night her rival in the race for the Aras, Catherine Connolly appeared on Virgin Medias The Big Interview. The independent candidate was pressed by presenter Colette Fitzpatrick to clarify some of the episodes that have dogged her campaign. Quizzed about her decision to hire a woman who was convicted of a gun crime she said: This is a woman who served her prison sentence, was a model prisoner, was recommended highly. She added that former Fianna Fail minister Eamon O Cuiv was among those who had provided a recommendation. On accusations that her 2018 trip to Syria could have been used as propaganda by former president Bashar Assads supporters Ms Connolly said: It would be very hard to use me as propaganda or to stage manage me. She added: Im an Independent candidate, with an independent mind. Questioned about her relationship with fellow Independent TD Clare Daly, she outlined her stance on Russia saying: I have repeatedly, openly condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, utterly against international law. However, there were issues she was less forthcoming on, refusing to speculate on a number of matters including who she would appoint to the Council of State and whether US President Donald Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She also refused to specify how she would use her presidential salary, but said she would use at least some of it for different projects on the ground. The horrors, genocide and famine in Gaza cannot be forgotten, Irelands deputy premier has said, as he welcomed the release of hostages in the Middle East. Simon Harris said the freeing of prisoners and hostages by Israel and Hamas represents a ray of hope for people in the region, as he announced Ireland would provide an additional six million euro (5 million) to aid organisations in Gaza, including Unicef and the World Food Programme. After the most horrific humanitarian catastrophe, a loss of life on a scale that is almost unimaginable we finally see cause for hope: Hostages released, bombing stopped, aid beginning to flow into Gaza, Mr Harris said. He added: I also today think of all of the hostages that have been released. I cannot imagine what they have endured for the last period of time, cannot imagine the fears and worries that their families have lived with and today, their loved ones are reunited in the arms of their families and we think of them today too. The latest contribution brings Irelands support for the people of Palestine since October 2023 to more than 89 million euro (77.2 million), and support in 2025 to over 35 million euro (30.4 million). 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 There are likely to be further announcements in the coming period in relation to Irelands aid commitments in the region. Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings in Dublin on Monday, Mr Harris said: Ireland stands ready to do everything we can to help with the huge humanitarian effort which is now needed. However, he said it is highly unlikely at this stage that Irelands support will see Irish peacekeepers deployed to the region. Its very clear that its a long way to go to the next steps on the peace plan. Ireland and our peacekeepers always stand ready to serve where there is peace, but at the moment what were simply seeing is a cessation of hostilities. So I think theres a long way to go of being able to determine that. Asked whether the fact Ireland was not attending a summit in Egypt to mark the ceasefire was a signal the country would not be playing a large role in the region, the Tanaiste said: I dont think so. I think the majority of European countries are not at the peace summit today. Theres a small number of European countries, a lot of Arab nations. Weve worked extraordinarily hard on this. Ive worked very closely with the Arab nations, as has Ireland. He added: Ireland will continue to talk to everybody and anybody and help in every, in any way that we can. We have long-standing relationships with many, many countries in the region. Were also a country that knows a lot about peace and about peace processes. Peace is never easy. Theres no such thing as a perfect peace plan but the opposite to peace is the utter devastation and horrors that weve seen over the last number of years. Mr Harris, who is also the countrys foreign affairs minister, said the most practical assistance Ireland can currently provide is funding and logistics around the provision of humanitarian aid. Israel has frequently criticised Ireland over its response to the war in Gaza since October 2023, including its recognition of Palestine and its plans to introduce an Occupied Territories Bill to limit trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The country also closed its embassy and withdrew its ambassador from Dublin. Asked about the future of Irelands relationship with Israel, Mr Harris said: Ireland has kept bilateral relations with Israel. We took a decision to keep our Embassy in Tel Aviv it was the Israeli decision to close their embassy in Ireland but even theyve kept an ambassador to Ireland. So diplomatic relations continue to exist between the countries but this is about step by step. I mean what has happened the horrors, the genocide, the famine in Gaza none of that can be forgotten, none of that can be airbrushed. What has happened over the last number of years, the violation of international law. All of that is important and extremely significant. Pressed on whether Ireland would proceed with the Occupied Territories Bill, he said: The Governments position hasnt changed in relation to that, the occupied Palestinian territories are still illegally occupied. Obviously, if that reality changes, thats a different situation. He added: But today, and I want to be clear from my perspective, is not a day about saying anything provocative. Today is a day about recognising that after the most unbelievable horrors, pain, loss of life, famine conditions, we now see cause for a hope. Tory former education secretary Michael Gove knows all about crazy mathematics given his vocal support for Brexit, a Treasury minister has said. Lord Livermore threw back the jibe as the Conservative peer and Spectator editor challenged the Labour front bench over the decline in the number of teachers in state education, despite a pledge to bolster recruitment by levying VAT on private school fees. At the same time, Tory critics pointed out the Government would not have been able to introduce the controversial measure without Brexit. Independent schools previously did not have to charge 20% VAT on their fees because there was an exemption for the supply of education. The policy, aimed at helping to fund 6,500 new teachers in state schools, has previously been condemned by opponents as wicked, stupid and cruel. Tackling the Government at Westminster, Lord Gove said: The Government pledged at the last election that this tax increase would pay for 6,500 new teachers in state schools. Over the past year, this Government have seen the number of teachers in state schools drop by more than 400. How can minus 400 be an addition, even in the crazy mathematics of His Majestys Treasury? Responding, Lord Livermore said: He mentions crazy mathematics I think he was one of the leading proponents of Brexit, so he would know all about crazy mathematics. This measure raises 1.7 billion to spend on state schools. Conservative peer Lord Leigh of Hurley said: Would the minister like to confirm that, without Brexit, his Government would not be able to put VAT on private schools? Lord Livermore said: Without Brexit, GDP would be 4% higher, so we would not need to. Tory shadow Treasury minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said: I believe that taxing education is a shabby policy, and we have seen some 50 schools close since the VAT on private schools was introduced. This is another example of Labour attacking the sectors of Britain that are most successful in this case, our private schools. They are very well regarded internationally and key to our countrys academic successes. Has the minister learned anything from this regrettable episode about how and where we tax? Lord Livermore said: What I have learned from this episode is not to listen to scare stories from the party opposite. He added: Yes, 49 private schools have closed but 70 private schools have opened, so obviously there is a net increase in the number of private schools in our country. There has historically been a significant turnover in this sector, with around 75 private schools in the UK opening and closing each year and the overall number of private schools remaining broadly stable. Security minister Dan Jarvis making a statement to the House of Commons, London, about the Official Secrets Act case (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) China poses a series of threats to national security, the Government acknowledged as ministers continued to face pressure over the collapse of an espionage case. Security minister Dan Jarvis blamed the previous Conservative administration and archaic legislation for the Crown Prosecution Services decision to drop the case. Charges against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher, were dropped last month, prompting fury across the political divide. The director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson has said the case was dropped after the Government failed to provide evidence that would support the assertion that China represented a threat to national security. The Conservatives have written to Mr Parkinson asking him whether the CPS could resume its prosecution of Mr Cash and Mr Berry if the Government provided evidence that China had represented a threat to national security. Mr Jarvis told MPs every effort was made to provide evidence to support this case within the constraints of the previous governments reluctance to classify China as a national security threat. The decision about whether to proceed with the prosecution was ultimately taken by the CPS, who were hamstrung by antiquated legislation that had not been updated by the previous Conservative government, he said. Setting out the current Governments position, Mr Jarvis said: We fully recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, yet we must also be alive to the fact that China does present us with opportunities. It is the worlds second-largest economy and, together with Hong Kong, the UKs third-largest trading partner. The only way to act in the UKs best interest is to take a long-term and strategic approach. This means working in close co-ordination with Five Eyes and wider allies to build collective resilience against the threats that China poses, investing in our intelligence services and being unequivocal about our position on human rights. It also means developing a consistent and pragmatic approach to economic engagement without compromising on our national security. Christopher Berry (left) and Christopher Cash, who had denied the spying allegations (Jeff Moore/PA) Kemi Badenoch urged ministers to admit it, if they decided that closer economic ties with China were more important than due process and national security. Speaking in the Commons, the Conservative Party leader said: Is it seriously the Governments argument that no minister knew anything about this until the trial collapsed? If this is the case, it is astonishing. But my suspicion is that it is not the case. My suspicion is that ministers did know. Mrs Badenoch had earlier sought to defend her partys record in government, telling MPs: For starters, the 2021 integrated review described China as listen carefully the biggest state-based threat to the UKs economic security. The 2023 Integrated Review Refresh said China posed lets listen carefully a threat several times. Mrs Badenoch also said former security minister Tom Tugendhat had warned China poses a serious threat from the despatch box. Mr Jarvis described Mrs Badenochs contribution as a whole series of baseless smears, and referred to comments she made at last years Conservative party conference in Birmingham, when she said she had shied away from calling China a threat. He also quoted from Mrs Badenochs Sky News interview in September 2023, when she said: We certainly should not be describing China as a foe but we can describe it as a challenge. Mr Jarvis and Downing Street rejected suggestions the Government influenced the collapse of the case because of concerns Beijing could withdraw investment in the UK. The Sunday Times reported that the Treasury and national security adviser Jonathan Powell had pushed for the case to be withdrawn, for fear it could prompt economic giant China to withdraw investment in the UK. But Downing Street robustly denied suggestions that officials or ministers had taken any such approach. The Prime Ministers official spokesman told reporters: It is entirely false. He added: There was no role for any member of this Government, no minister, or special adviser, to take any decision in relation to this case. That is entirely for the CPS. Kemi Badenoch said the Government must provide transparency over the case (Jonathan Brady/PA) Kemi Badenoch has written to Sir Keir Starmer asking him to address unanswered questions in Parliament over the collapse of a case against two alleged Chinese spies. The Tories said they were insisting on clarity and honesty from the Prime Minister, with a call for the Government to make a statement to the Commons about the dropped prosecution on Monday. Sir Keirs Labour administration is likely to face scrutiny over the case, in which Downing Street has denied Government involvement, as MPs return to Westminster from conference recess. Sir Keir is likely to face further scrutiny over the case this week (James Manning/PA) The Conservative Opposition is seeking an urgent question on the case, while Tory grandee and China hawk Sir Iain Duncan Smith was understood to have put in for an emergency parliamentary debate. In a letter to the Prime Minister, who on Monday will be in Egypt attending a summit of world leaders on the Gaza peace plan, Mrs Badenoch said: Your Governments account of what has happened has changed repeatedly. Instead of setting out the full facts before the House of Commons today, you are planning to travel to the Middle East. If you will not make a statement yourself, will you instruct a senior minister to clear things up once and for all through a full parliamentary statement? The public and Parliament deserve answers and transparency. 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 Official Secrets Act charges against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher, were dropped last month, prompting consternation across the political divide. Britains most senior prosecutor has since said the case collapsed because evidence describing Beijing as a national security threat could not be obtained from Sir Keirs administration. Mrs Badenoch said ministers must say whether it was still your Governments position to claim that it would have been impossible to argue that China was a threat in court. The Conservative leader also demanded answers to claims that national security adviser Jonathan Powell had discussed the case in a meeting last month. The Sunday Times reported that the senior aide had revealed the Governments evidence would be based on the national security strategy, which was published in June and does not refer to China as an enemy. The paper also quoted a source saying a minister was told during a call with a Cabinet minister around six weeks ago that the case was about to fall, with the accusation being that Jonathan Powell in cahoots with the Treasury had been driving through that decision. Speaking to broadcasters on Sunday morning, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said Mr Powell, a diplomat and former chief of staff to Sir Tony Blair, played no role in the decision. Bridget Phillipson said Jonathan Powell played no role in the decision (Jeff Overs/BBC) Yes, I can give that assurance, she told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. Were very disappointed that the CPS were not able to take forward the prosecution. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said last week that the Crown Prosecution Service tried for many months to obtain the evidence it needed, but it had not been forthcoming from the Government. Mrs Badenoch asked the Prime Minister whether it was still your argument that no minister knew anything of the Governments interactions with the CPS over this time period. The White House is said to have concerns about the UKs reliability following the dropping of charges, while two former civil servants have also questioned Sir Keirs explanation of how the case collapsed. Lord Mark Sedwill, a predecessor to Mr Powell, expressed confusion about why the trial fell apart because Beijing was of course a threat to the UK, while former Cabinet secretary Lord Simon Case said intelligence chiefs had publicly warned of the threat from China for years. The Prime Minister has blamed the Conservative administration in power at the time of the alleged offences between December 2021 and February 2023, suggesting the only relevant evidence would relate to this period. Sir Keir pointed to the stated foreign policy position towards Beijing of the then-Tory government, which was to describe the country as an epoch-defining challenge rather than a threat. The evidence was the evidence as it then was, thats the only relevant evidence, and that evidence was the situation as it was under the last government, the Tory government, rather than under this Government, he said last week. Its not a party political point. Its a matter of law. You can only try someone on the basis of the situation as it was at the time of the alleged offence. HS2 Ltd has completed the digging of major tunnels on its route between Birmingham and west London (HS2 Ltd/PA) HS2 Ltd has completed the digging of major tunnels on its route between Birmingham and west London. The company building the high-speed railway said a tunnel boring machine (TBM) broke through at Washwood Heath, north-east Birmingham, on Monday after an 18-month journey to create the Bromford Tunnel. The twin-bore tunnel stretches 3.5 miles to near the Warwickshire village of Water Orton. HS2 workers watch as a tunnel boring machine breaks through (HS2 Ltd/PA) This marks the end of excavation for the total of 28 miles of deep bore tunnels on the route from Curzon Street, Birmingham, to Old Oak Common, west London. Old Oak Common will be the capitals terminus for HS2 services when they launch because of delays in developing Euston station. Alan Morris, HS2 Ltds construction delivery director, said: Todays breakthrough is a major milestone for the tunnelling team here in Birmingham and for the HS2 project. (PA Graphics) All eight of the TBMs digging our tunnels between Old Oak Common and Curzon Street have now broken through, which means that the focus is now on the internal concrete work, ventilation shafts and cross passages. Im immensely proud of the men and women who have worked round the clock to bring our TBMs and their crews home safely, and I look forward to seeing more progress inside the tunnels in the years ahead. Two more TBMs will launch next year to dig a pair of 4.5-mile tunnels between Old Oak Common and Euston. But uncertainty remains over the development of Euston. Workers at the completion of the digging of major tunnels on the route between Birmingham and west London (HS2 Ltd/PA) In October 2023, then prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that the project would be reliant on private investment. This was aimed at saving 6.5 billion of taxpayers money. Major HS2 construction work at a site alongside the existing Euston station has been halted since March 2023 because of funding doubts. The entire high-speed railway project is undergoing a reset led by Mark Wild, who became HS2 Ltd chief executive in December last year amid rising costs and delays. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for the momentum from the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to be seized (Leon Neal/PA) Sir Keir Starmer will call for the momentum of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Donald Trump to be seized to secure lasting peace in Gaza as he attends a summit on Monday. The US president and fellow negotiators, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, will sign off the peace plan in Sharm El Sheikh, joined by leaders from more than 20 countries. The summit, co-hosted by the US leader and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, comes as part of efforts to secure the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that has been holding since Friday. President Donald Trump as he heads to the Middle East for a summit marking the ceasefire (Evan Vucci/AP) Mr Trump, who will first travel to Israel to meet with hostage families and address parliament there, said he was very excited about this moment in time before Air Force One took off. He said many in both Israel and Arab countries were cheering the agreement and that everybodys amazed and theyre thrilled and were going to have an amazing time. Speaking to reporters while in the air, Mr Trump deemed the conflict over, adding: I think people are tired of it. He also said he hoped to one day visit Gaza, telling travelling reporters: Id like to put my feet on it, at least. Under the first phase of the agreement brokered by the US President, the remaining hostages held by Hamas are due to be returned to their families and Palestinian prisoners are to be released by Monday morning. Israel said just after 6am Hamas had released the first seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross. Sir Keir will urge those at the Sharm El Sheikh summit to build on the momentum to bring about the second phase of plans to end the conflict. He is expected to heap praise on Mr Trump and the diplomatic efforts of the other negotiators, as well as commit the UK to playing a key role in rebuilding Gaza. Sir Keir will say: We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region. Today is the first, crucial phase of ending this war and now we must deliver the second phase, in full. The UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan, so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security. National security adviser Jonathan Powell has been speaking to Mr Trumps Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff almost daily, it is understood. After the UK last month confirmed recognition of Palestinian statehood without Hamas leadership Sir Keir is understood to want to draw on the Northern Ireland peace process as talks move towards decommissioning Hamas. A suggestion from one of his Cabinet ministers on Sunday that the UK played a key role in securing the Gaza ceasefire was roundly rejected by top US and Israeli figures, which could prove awkward for Sir Keir. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the ceasefire will allow for humanitarian efforts in Gaza to be urgently scaled up (Charles McQuillan/PA) US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called Bridget Phillipsons comments delusional, while Benjamin Netanyahus deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, rejected her characterisation of the UKs role. Sir Keir will also announce a 20 million humanitarian aid package for Gaza as the UK is set to host a three-day conference on Gazas recovery and reconstruction. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: Gaza has been completely devastated. The ceasefire gives us the opportunity not just to urgently scale up humanitarian efforts but also to look to the future of Gazas recovery. Rubble must be cleared, infrastructure repaired, healthcare restored and homes rebuilt. The 20-point plan set out by the US President calls for Israel to maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza along its border with Israel. Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair is said to be poised to join a Board of Peace supervising the governance of Gaza (Victoria Jones/PA) An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside the enclave. The Israeli military has said it will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50% of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to the agreed-upon lines. There are no plans to send British troops to be part of the multinational force that will monitor the truce. Meanwhile, former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, who was poised to potentially join a Board of Peace supervising governance of Gaza under the plans, met the deputy chief of the Palestinian Authority on Sunday. Mr Trump was asked whether he had spoken with Sir Tony about the possibility of his involvement in the peace plan. As he travelled to the Middle East, the US president told reporters: I have, but first I want to find out that Tony would be popular with all, because I just dont know that. I like Tony, I have always liked Tony. But I want to find out that he is an acceptable choice to everybody. NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Dow Inc. ("Dow" or the "Company") (NYSE: DOW) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Northern Division, and docketed under 25-cv-12744, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Dow securities between January 30, 2025 and July 23, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are an investor who purchased or otherwise acquired Dow securities during the Class Period, you have until October 28, 2025, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Dow is an American materials science company, serving customers in the packaging, infrastructure, mobility, and consumer applications industries. Dow conducts its worldwide operations through six global businesses organized into three operating segments: (i) Packaging & Specialty Plastics, (ii) Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure, and (iii) Performance Materials & Coatings. Historically, Dow has touted its "industry-leading dividend," which is of particular importance to investors. On conference calls with investors and analysts, Dow's Chief Executive Officer, Defendant Jim Fitterling ("Fitterling"), has variously stated that the Company's "dividend is a key element of our investment thesis," and that "north of 65% of our owners count on that dividend." Notwithstanding an ongoing slump in the materials science industry, as well as the recent onset of tariff-related market uncertainties, at all relevant times, Defendants represented that Dow was well positioned to weather macroeconomic and tariff-related headwinds while maintaining sufficient levels of financial flexibility to support the Company's lucrative dividend. Specifically, Defendants cited various purported strengths and advantages unique to Dow in its industry, including, inter alia, the Company's purported "differentiated portfolio," "cost-advantaged footprint," and "industry-leading flexibility to navigate global trade dynamics." Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding Dow's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Dow's ability to mitigate macroeconomic and tariff-related headwinds, as well as to maintain the financial flexibility needed to support its lucrative dividend, was overstated; (ii) the true scope and severity of the foregoing headwinds' negative impacts on Dow's business and financial condition was understated, particularly with respect to competitive and pricing pressures, softening global sales and demand for the Company's products, and an oversupply of products in the Company's global markets; and (iii) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On June 23, 2025, BMO Capital downgraded its recommendation on Dow to "Underperform" from "Market Perform" while also cutting its price target on the Company's stock to $22.00 per share from $29.00 per share, citing sustained weakness across key end markets and mounting pressure on the Company's dividend. On this news, Dow's stock price fell $0.89 per share, or 3.21%, to close at $26.87 per share on June 23, 2025. Then, on July 24, 2025, Dow issued a press release reporting its financial results for the second quarter of 2025. Therein, Dow reported a non-GAAP loss per share of $0.42, significantly larger than the approximate $0.17 to $0.18 per share loss expected by analysts. Dow also reported net sales of $10.1 billion, representing a 7.3% year-over-year decline and missing consensus estimates by $130 million, "reflecting declines in all operating segments." The Company further reported, inter alia, that "[s]equentially, net sales were down 3%, as seasonally higher demand in Performance Materials & Coatings was more than offset by declines across the other operating segments." Defendant Fitterling blamed these disappointing results on "the lower-for-longer earnings environment that our industry is facing, amplified by recent trade and tariff uncertainties," while providing a dour outlook marked by "signs of oversupply from newer market entrants who are exporting to various regions at anti-competitive economics." In a separate press release issued the same day, Dow revealed that it was cutting its dividend in half, from $0.70 per share to only $0.35 per share, citing the need for "financial flexibility amidst a persistently challenging macroeconomic environment." Following these disclosures, Dow's stock price fell $5.30 per share, or 17.45%, to close at $25.07 per share on July 24, 2025. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Frances newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu named a new government on Sunday, as he faces pressure to urgently produce a budget and quell political turmoil that is scaring businesses and investors and staining the countrys image. The Cabinet includes several members who served in previous governments, from French President Emmanuel Macrons centrist camp and allied conservatives, as well as some people from outside the political sphere. It is unclear how long this new team will last. Mr Macron, whose term ends in 2027, lacks a majority in the deeply fractured parliament. Opposition legislators have called for new elections or his resignation. Frances President Emmanuel Macron (Thomas Samson, Pool Photo via AP) Mr Lecornu, a 39-year-old centrist and close ally of Mr Macron, and his government will now have to seek compromises to avoid an immediate vote of no confidence in the National Assembly, deeply fractured among far right, centrist and left-wing camps. Among new appointments is a new defence minister, former labour minister Catherine Vautrin, who will help oversee French military support for Ukraine and address threats to European security posed by Russia. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez, who oversaw security for the 2024 Olympics, becomes interior minister, in charge of national security. Roland Lescure will be finance minister, a crucial job as France tries to produce a budget that tackles ballooning debt and growing poverty. Among those keeping their jobs is foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who travels on Monday with Mr Macron to Egypt for an international ceremony marking the Gaza ceasefire. Mr Lecornu, Frances fourth prime minister in a year, appointed his first government a week ago then resigned hours later amid protests by a key conservative coalition member. That unleashed days of political uncertainty. Mr Macron persuaded Mr Lecornu to stay on as prime minister and renamed him on Friday. Mr Lecornu acknowledged on Saturday that there were not a lot of candidates for his job and that he might not last long in the post given the countrys deep political divides. Mr Lecornu may be forced to abandon an unpopular pension reform that was one of Mr Macrons signature policies in his second presidential term. Put through parliament without a vote in 2023 despite mass protests, it gradually raises the retirement age from 62 to 64. Opposition parties want it scrapped. Mr Macrons shock decision last year to dissolve the National Assembly produced a hung parliament and political paralysis as it faces a debt crisis that has worried domestic businesses, global financial markets and EU partners. Thousands of people have gathered in Tel Aviv to celebrate the hostages release (AP) Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummelled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. The releases came as American president Donald Trump was in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East. Under the deal, Israel will release more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and allow food and aid supplies into Gaza. Mr Trump met Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv (AP) Hamas released 13 remaining living hostages to Red Cross officials on Monday, the Israeli military said. Seven of the hostages were released earlier on Monday, while the remaining 13 were freed a few hours later. The 20, all men, are being reunited with their families and expected to undergo medical checks. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remains unclear. Meanwhile, two Red Cross buses carrying Palestinian prisoners being released as part of exchange have begun leaving Ofer Prison. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attending a Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said. According to Egypt, both Mr Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are attending the summit in the Red Sea resort on Monday. The summit is co-chaired by Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and US leader Mr Trump, and will be attended by over two dozen world leaders. Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country. Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The photos of the first seven hostages released on Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January. Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. In the West Bank, an armoured vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd waiting near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called terrorist organisations risked arrest. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. US president Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans with other leaders. Gali Berman was released from Hamas captivity in Gaza (AP) The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swathes of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. 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 Much of Gaza is a wasteland, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Sunday. The hostages return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. Thousands of people have gathered to celebrate in Tel Aviv as the release unfolds (AP) With the hostages release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over. It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. Meanwhile, buses lined up in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning in anticipation of the release of prisoners. The exact timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. The Israeli military has taken custody of seven living hostages freed by Hamas from captivity in the Gaza Strip. The military said it had the seven after they were handed over by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The seven hostages have now crossed into Israel, and will be transferred to a military base where they will be reunited with their families. They will then be taken by helicopter to Israeli hospitals. Hamas earlier said it would release 20 living hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange comes as part of the ceasefire reached in the two-year Israel-Hamas war. The Israeli military said later on Monday that the Red Cross is on its way to a point in southern Gaza Strip to take custody of the second group of living hostages. Donald Trump has arrived in Tel Aviv (AP) Meanwhile, American president Donald Trump landed in Israel to mark the US-brokered ceasefire. Air Force One touched down at Ben-Gurion International Airport at 9.42am local time (7.42am BST) after flying over Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where tens of thousands were gathered, on the way to landing. Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis are watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv. 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 Meanwhile, Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. Mr Trump and other leaders are in the region to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans. A surge of humanitarian aid is expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. Tens of thousands of people are watching events unfold in Israel (AP) The hostages return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. 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 With the hostages release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over. The living hostages were handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which took them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families. It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned at the same time. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. The timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. The release place as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas (AP) They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after people are released, according to a prisoners family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. Mr Trump is scheduled to meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament. Vice president JD Vance said Mr Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages. The war is over, Mr Trump asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold. The US leader will continue to Egypt, where the office of that countrys president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said he will co-chair a peace summit on Monday with regional and international leaders. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, will attend, sources said. Mr Trump is arriving in the Middle East as the ceasefire takes hold (AP) Mr Netanyahu has rejected any role in post-war Gaza for Mr Abbas, though the US plan leaves the possibility open if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. Other key questions in the ceasefire deal have yet to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a billion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Mr Netanyahu has warned Israel could do it the hard way. Hamas has refused to disarm and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza. The Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gazas far north and the wide strip along Gazas border with Israel. Gaza has been devastated by the war (AP) Under the US plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gazas government should be worked out among Palestinians. The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 American troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state another non-starter for Mr Netanyahu. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. Much of Gaza is a wasteland, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Sunday. He said the UN has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tonnes of food and fuel and remove rubble. President Donald Trump told Israeli politicians that their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace in the Middle East after two years of war against Hamas and skirmishes with Hezbollah and Iran. Mr Trump also used his speech to the Knesset to urge the Israeli president to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges. Although the US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, Mr Trump is determined to seize an opportunity to chase an elusive regional harmony. President Donald Trump was welcomed to the Knesset like a hero (Evan Vucci/AP) Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, he declared to the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero. Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms, Mr Trump said. Youve won. I mean, youve won. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. President Donald Trump was hours behind schedule as he delivered his speech in the Knesset (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP) Mr Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza, which has been devastated during the conflict, and urged Palestinians to turn forever from the path of terror and violence. After tremendous pain and death and hardship, now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down. Mr Trump even plans to make a gesture to Iran, where he bombed three nuclear sites during the countrys brief war with Israel earlier this year, by saying the hand of friendship and co-operation is always open. We merely want to live in peace, he said. We dont want any looming threats over our heads. World leaders gathered in Egypt for the summit (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP) The US president will continue on to Egypt for a summit with more than two dozen other nations, although he was running hours late as speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected.They might not be there by the time I get there, but well give it a shot, Mr Trump joked after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much. There was a chance that Mr Netanyahu would join him, and Egypt even announced his attendance. However, Netanyahus office said later that he would not be going because the summit was too close to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Israeli politicians chanted Mr Trumps name and gave him standing ovation after standing ovation throughout the speech. Members of the Knesset applaud as President Donald Trump addresses the body (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP) Some people in the audience wore red hats that resembled his Make America Great Again caps, although these versions said Trump, The Peace President. Mr Netanyahu hailed the American leader as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House and he promised to work with him going forward. Mr President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace, he said. And together, Mr President, we will achieve this peace. US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russia he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow does not settle its war there soon Mr Trump suggested he could be ready to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putins government using a key weapons system. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he said: I might say, Look: if this war is not going to get settled, Im going to send them Tomahawks. The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that. I might tell them that if the war is not settled that we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think its appropriate to bring up. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland., as he heads to the Middle East (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Mr Trump said he mentioned possibly sending Tomahawks during a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I dont think so, Mr Trump said of Russia. I think I might speak to Russia about that. Tomahawks are a new step of aggression. Mr Trump said on board Air Force One: I really think Putin would look great if he got this settled and that Its not going to be good for him if not. His suggestions followed Russia having attacked Ukraines power grid overnight, part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter. Moscow also expressed extreme concern over the US potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Mr Putin himself has previously suggested that the United States supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine will seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks during a press conference in Kyiv (AP) For his part, Mr Zelensky described his latest call with Mr Trump as very productive, and said the pair had discussed strengthening Ukraines air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities, along with details related to the energy sector. In an interview with Fox News Channels The Sunday Briefing after his call with the US president, Mr Zelensky was asked whether Mr Trump had approved the Tomahawks and said, we work on it. Im waiting for president to yes, Mr Zelensky said. Of course we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see. The Ukrainian president said on Friday that he was in talks with US officials about the possible provision of various long-range precision strike weapons, including Tomahawks and more ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in remarks published on Sunday that the topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern. Mr Trump, who has been frustrated by Russia in his efforts to end the war, said last week that he has sort of made a decision on whether to send Tomahawks to Ukraine, without elaborating. A senior Ukrainian delegation is set to visit the US this week. The US president in recent weeks has taken a notably tougher tact with Mr Putin, after the Russian leader has declined to engage in direct talks with Mr Zelensky about easing fighting. Last month, Mr Trump announced that he now believes Ukraine could win back all the territory lost to Russia a dramatic shift from his repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end Russias war in Ukraine. But Mr Trump has resisted Zelenskys calls for Tomahawks. They would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory and put the sort of pressure on Putin that Zelensky argues is needed to get the Russians to seriously engage in peace talks. The amount of aid entering Gaza is expected to ramp up now the ceasefire has been agreed (Mohammed Arafat/PA) Anticipation built across Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Sunday as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held before a critical day for all sides and the region. Preparations appeared under way for the freeing of the 48 hostages both alive and dead still in Gaza, and for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. More ramped-up aid was being readied for Gaza, much in ruins after two years of war that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,600 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to Gazas Health Ministry. US President Donald Trump was scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday, staying a few hours before heading to Egypt. This is what is known and what remains unknown: 737 days since hostages taken Sunday was day 737 since the hostages were taken a number many Israelis have updated daily on strips of adhesive tape worn in national commemoration. Israel said on Sunday that it expects the 20 living hostages to be released together on Monday. They were then to be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to the Israeli military, which planned to take them to the Reim military base in southern Israel to be reunited with their families. Israel then planned to take the hostages to centres around Israel but asked the Red Cross to have ambulances ready in case a hostage needs immediate care after more than two years in captivity. It appeared unlikely that the remains of up to 28 others will be returned at the same time. Medical experts and advocates say that would be crucial to begin the healing process for many families, and for society at large, but one ceasefire document contains stipulations for remains that are not returned within 72 hours. On Sunday, Israel said an international body will help locate the remains if they are not released tomorrow. Volunteers prepare Israeli flags as people gather at so-called Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv (Emilio Morenatti/AP) Palestinian prisoners listed for release As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel is to release around 2,000 Palestinians. Among them are some 1,700 people who troops seized from Gaza during the war and who have been held without charge since. Also among those being released are some 250 Palestinians serving prison sentences. Many are members of Hamas and the Fatah faction who were imprisoned over shootings, bombings or other attacks that killed or attempted to kill Israelis, as well as others convicted on lesser charges. They will return to the West Bank or Gaza or be sent into exile. It is unclear who will be among the prisoners released back into Gaza, and whether any will be deported. Aid expected to surge in Gaza Humanitarian organisations said they are preparing to surge aid into Gaza, especially food that has been in short supply in many areas. That includes some 400 trucks from Egypt on Sunday that will have to undergo Israeli inspection before being allowed into the strip. The Israeli defence body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said around 600 trucks of aid per day will be entering soon, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. The worlds leading authority on food crises said in August Gazas largest city was gripped by a famine that was likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said famine was devastating Gaza City home to hundreds of thousands of people. That famine was expected to spread south to the cities of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by around now if the situation did not change. The larger task of rebuilding Gaza is daunting, as much of it is in rubble and most of its two million residents displaced. People walk past a large American flag decorating a building in Jerusalem (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP) Trump to travel to Israel and Egypt Mr Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. A giant US flag enveloped a building in Jerusalems City Hall complex, and US and Israeli flags were projected onto the Old Citys walls on Saturday night. The White House schedule has Mr Trump meeting families of hostages and speaking at the Knesset, Israels parliament, before travelling to Egypt for a peace summit attended by regional and international leaders later on Monday. From there, he was slated to return to the White House, arriving overnight on Tuesday. Daunting issues remain unsolved The ceasefire and release of hostages is the first step in the proposed peace plan. Competing demands remain on the next steps, casting uncertainty on whether the conflict is indeed over. Israel wants Hamas to disarm, and Hamas wants Israel to pull its troops out of all of Gaza. The future of Gazas government, which has been in Hamass hands for two decades, also remains to be worked out. Gazas Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the 67,600 deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. After many years, Im so pleased we were able to have a successful camping experience that was enjoyed by all, says Bonnie Jamieson, Director of Developmental Services at UCS. Clients are already talking about next year. 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. PITTSFIELD As election season heats up, many residents and even some candidates may not be entirely clear on what city councilors actually do. The City Council is Pittsfields legislative branch. Councilors write and vote on ordinances, resolutions and rules. They also act as liaisons between residents and city staff, often fielding calls about potholes, speeding or fallen trees. Pittsfield has 11 councilors, each serving two-year terms. Four are elected citywide as at-large members, while seven are elected by residents of individual wards. All have the same powers, though ward councilors often deal more directly with neighborhood concerns. Most councilors have other jobs the role pays $8,000 annually, with the council president earning an extra $2,000. The president, chosen by colleagues after each election, runs meetings, approves agendas and appoints subcommittees. They dont typically weigh in during meetings unless the vice president, whose job is to fill in for the president, takes the chair. While the council does shape city policy, its authority only goes so far heres what council members can and can not do. ORDINANCES Councilors can propose new ordinances or amendments to existing ones, City Clerk Michele Benjamin explained. But its not as simple as a councilor suggesting something and it instantly becomes law. Almost everything requires group approval, Council President Pete White said. Thinking one counselor can do anything by themselves [is] a misconception when you need six to pass anything, and you need seven others if something needs super majority, he said. If a councilor wants to change a law or put a new one on the books, they start by filing a petition or making an amendment. That proposal usually goes to a subcommittee, such as Ordinance and Rules, where members look it over and suggest any tweaks. It then returns to the full council for a vote. A majority can pass it though the mayor has the power to veto. So, if someone is campaigning on passing something without backing from the rest of the council, chances are its not realistic. BUDGET When it comes to the city budget, the councils authority is limited. Councilors review and vote on the budgets for each department, but the only line theyre allowed to increase is the schools. For everything else, they can only make cuts to the mayors proposal. If the council wants to add funding for something outside of the schools, the only option is to reject the mayors entire budget for that department and send it back but the mayor doesnt have to revise it. A lot of times, people will make promises that they will lower taxes, or they will cut something or add something, White said. It's very rare that the council can get away with adding something to the budget. RESIDENT CONCERNS City councilors often act as a bridge between residents and city government, but their authority has limits. If a councilor wants a department to handle an issue, like removing a fallen tree, they can contact the appropriate department head or submit a formal petition. They cannot, however, directly order city workers to take action. We cant tell city departments or employees what to do. They dont work for councilors. They work under their department and for the mayor, White said. We can pass laws, but city employees are the ones who handle the day-to-day work. For example, if residents complain about speeding on a street, councilors can flag the concern to the Police Department and request extra patrols or a speed study. But its ultimately up to the department to decide whether and how to act. The only way councilors could directly address the issue through legislation would be to propose a new law, like a speed limit change which would then go through the council, the Traffic Commission, and back to the full council for final approval and codification. The councils authority doesnt extend to utilities either. City councilors have no jurisdiction over companies like Berkshire Gas or Eversource, which provide residents with natural gas and electricity. COMMITTEES AND APPOINTMENTS City councilors are assigned to serve on subcommittees by the council president, who can consider each members preferences. Councilors typically submit their top three choices as they usually serve on more than one subcommittee, White said. Subcommittees include Ordinance and Rules, Finance, Community and Economic Development, Public Health and Safety, Public Works, Buildings and Maintenance and the Committee of the Whole, which includes the entire council. However, many high-profile city committees are appointed directly by the mayor, not the council. This includes the Homeless Advisory Committee, the Mobile Home Rent Control Board, the Conservation Commission, the Board of Health, the Historical Commission the Licensing Board and more. These boards are usually made up of professionals in their respective fields, chosen by the mayor. Police and firefighter appointments are also strictly mayoral, though they are generally recognized by the City Council. The council does have the power to approve appointments for board commissions and department heads. Councilors can request to serve on a board or commission, but the mayor has the final say and can deny the request. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The City Council has limited influence over which businesses come to Pittsfield. Decisions about economic development funds are primarily handled by the Department of Community Development and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority. The process typically starts with the business development manager and the mayor reviewing potential businesses, considering factors like how many jobs the company would create, how far city funds would go to support it and what state or federal incentives might be triggered. The City Council only has a say when a project includes a drive-through, like the Dunkin Donuts on First Street, which caused traffic problems because of the lines it created. White emphasized that there are strict terms for the use of economic development funds, including that the jobs created have to have a full-time equivalent of at least $35,000 per year, so the funds can not be used to support just any business. It has to be an overwhelmingly positive thing for the city, he said. SCHOOLS The City Councils authority over schools is limited to the overall budget. Day-to-day operations and policy decisions are handled by the School Committee and the School Department. There will be several city councilors saying they will solve the issues of the schools. No thats why we have a school department and a school committee, White said. We can voice our opinion, but no one is required to follow it. WHY IT MATTERS For residents, all of this means councilors are accessible points of contact but not all-powerful. They can pass laws, shape budgets at the margins and elevate community concerns. But on many issues, from schools to city services, their role is limited. NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Fluor Corporation ("Fluor" or the "Company") (NYSE: FLR) and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, and docketed under 25-cv-02496, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Fluor securities between February 18, 2025 and July 31, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are an investor who purchased or otherwise acquired Fluor securities during the Class Period, you have until November 14, 2025, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Fluor provides engineering, procurement, and construction ("EPC"), fabrication and modularization, and project management services worldwide. The Company operates through three segments: Urban Solutions, Energy Solutions, and Mission Solutions. Throughout 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, Fluor's Urban Solutions segment accounted for the largest portion of the Company's revenue and profit. The Urban Solutions segment offers EPC and project management services to the advanced technologies and manufacturing, life sciences, mining and metals, and infrastructure industries, as well as provides professional staffing services. The Company's infrastructure projects in this segment include work on, inter alia, the Gordie Howe International Bridge ("Gordie Howe"), as well as the Interstate 365 Lyndon B. Johnson ("I-635/LBJ") and Interstate 35E ("I-35") highways in Texas. In February 2025, Fluor provided financial guidance for the full year ("FY") of 2025, including adjusted EBITDA of $575 million to $675 million and adjusted earnings per share ("EPS") of $2.25 per share to $2.75 per share. Defendants reaffirmed the foregoing financial guidance in May 2025, notwithstanding their acknowledgement of the potential negative impacts of ongoing economic uncertainty on Fluor's business resulting from trade tensions and other market conditions. Contemporaneously, Defendants touted, inter alia, the purported health and stability of Fluor's and its customers' operations and the strength of the Company's risk mitigation strategy, both for itself and its clients. The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding Fluor's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) costs associated with the Gordie Howe, I-635/LBJ, and I-35 projects were growing because of, inter alia, subcontractor design errors, price increases, and scheduling delays; (ii) the foregoing, as well as customer reduction in capital spending and client hesitation around economic uncertainty, was having, or was likely to have, a significant negative impact on the Company's business and financial results; (iv) accordingly, Fluor's financial guidance for FY 2025 was unreliable and/or unrealistic, the effectiveness of the Company's risk mitigation strategy was overstated, and the impact of economic uncertainty on the Company's business and financial results was understated; and (v) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On August 1, 2025, Fluor issued a press release reporting its financial results for the second quarter ("Q2") of 2025. Among other results, the press release reported Q2 non-GAAP EPS of $0.43, missing consensus estimates by $0.13, and revenue of $3.98 billion, representing a 5.9% year-over-year decline and missing consensus estimates by $570 million. Defendants blamed these disappointing results on, inter alia, growing costs in multiple infrastructure projects due to subcontractor design errors, price increases, and scheduling delays, as well as reduced capital spending by customers. The same press release also provided a negatively revised financial outlook for FY 2025, guiding to adjusted EBITDA of $475 million to $525 million, down significantly from Defendants' prior guidance of $575 million to $675 million, and adjusted EPS of $1.95 per share to $2.15 per share, down significantly from Defendants' prior guidance of $2.25 per share to $2.75 per share, citing "client hesitation around economic uncertainty and its impact on new awards and project delays and results for the quarter[.]" The same day, Fluor hosted a conference call with investors and analysts to discuss the Company's Q2 2025 financial results. During that call, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Defendant James R. Breuer, disclosed that the infrastructure projects that had negatively impacted Fluor's Q2 2025 results were the Gordie Howe, I-635/LBJ, and I-35 projects. Following the foregoing disclosures, Fluor's stock price fell $15.35 per share, or 27.04%, to close at $41.42 per share on August 1, 2025. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP GREAT BARRINGTON Should Berkshire Hills Regional School District taxpayers spend $89 million on a brand new building for Monument Mountain Regional High School or put that money toward repairing the current one? Thats the question voters in Great Barrington, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge will answer Nov. 4 when they decide whether to allow the district to borrow $152 million and if the towns can override the Massachusetts Proposition 2 1/2 that limits how much property taxes can increase each year. No matter what, taxpayers will be on the hook for major expenses. The 60-year-old school has reached the end of its natural life and requires significant repairs if its not replaced. VOTING INFORMATION Polls in the three towns will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 4. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. There is no in-person early voting, but absentee voting is available for both questions as long as ballots are requested by Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. and returned by Election Day. Early voting by mail is not available for the district-wide ballot, which is question one. Mail-in ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE VOTING ON? The vote will ultimately tell the building committee whether it can move forward in its plan to create a new building by presenting voters with two yes-or-no questions. Question 1 will ask if the district can borrow $152,067,064 and is a district-wide vote. If this one passes with a simple majority, the project may continue. Question 2, however, is a town-by-town vote that will ask to override Massachusetts Proposition 2 1/2 limits that restrict how much property taxes can increase each year. This one will determine how the town pays for its share of the debt. WHO PAYS WHAT? Of the $152 million, the Massachusetts School Building Authority will cover $61 million and MassSave incentives will contribute $1.5 million, leaving $89 million for local taxpayers. A $600,000 home in Great Barrington would have an estimated annual tax increase of $867, in Stockbridge it would be $863 and in West Stockbridge it would be $748. For a personalized tax estimate, check the district's tax impact calculator. The bond would be paid off over about 30 years. WHAT COMES NEXT? If it passes, the building committee can move forward with its plan to build an entirely new school in front of the existing building. The plan is for a three-story, all-electric school that is built to be net-zero ready with a secure main entrance and a major upgrade for Career and Vocational Technical Education students studying automotive, electricity and horticulture. The building committee will work on a detailed design as soon as the vote passes and construction will begin in 2027. The school would open in 2029 and the old building would be demolished. WHAT IF ONE QUESTION FAILS? In 2014, the district rejected a $51 million proposal for a new building. If that happens again, the building will need to undergo major, costly renovations. Repairs are estimated to be at least $89 million the same as the town's share of the remodel and would act as a Band-Aid. That bill would be for replacing the roof, plumbing, electrical systems and other facility issues that would not bring the facility up to modern standards. Those repairs would take five to 10 years to complete and would be disruptive to students, school officials say. The committee said making repairs to the current building is not a viable long-term solution because of its outdated infrastructure The district would also lose MSBA funding and is unlikely to get it again for several decades. MSBA would not help pay for repairs, as it has determined that repairing the school would still not meet the needs of the students. The committees main point is that, based on current estimates, taxpayers will likely spend roughly the same amount whether they choose to build a new school or repair the old one but only the new school would come with state funding and a fully updated facility. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CURRENT SCHOOL? Built in 1968, the current building is in dire need of upgrades to support modern education and keep students and staff safe. It lacks fire sprinklers, has doors and windows that dont lock, and needs a new roof, boilers, plumbing and electrical systems. According to the building committee, some classrooms have no windows, there are signs of asbestos, and the school suffers from poor ventilation, limited natural light, outdated educational spaces and insufficient security measures. Over the course of the project process, the committee has emphasized that the building is at the end of its life, isn't up to modern code and does not offer high-quality learning opportunities that other schools in the county do. The school has grandfather status, which exempts the building from having to follow new building codes meaning it lacks fire sprinklers, has inadequate fire alarms and does not meet accessibility requirements. The Apostle Pauls life was one of evolution and passion. As Saul, he aggressively pursued the early church, prosecuting them and aiding in condemning them to death. After Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus, Paul changed radically. He became one of the Lords most vocal champions, sharing the gospel and planting churches all across the Mediterranean. Paul knew he would suffer, but he obeyed the Lord anyway. One of the ways he suffered for the gospel included spending a lot of time in prison. Five of His letters were canonized as Spirit-inspired Scripture, and he wrote these during stints in prison. Four of them, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon, were written during his time under house arrest in Rome. One of his pastoral letters, 2 Timothy, was also written during his time in prison, but much closer to the end of his life. These books contain unique lessons, written during a time when Paul had limited access to the outside world but still worked tirelessly for the Lord. There are many lessons to be learned from these books, including important facts and verses all Christians should know. They serve to inspire people to find ways to honor the Lord no matter their circumstances. Photo credit: Getty Images/allanswart BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. Indias first patented emotional wellness screening tool to transform global mental health October 13, 2025 | Monday | News Supported by a strategic partnership with Apollo Telemedicine image credit- shutterstock Dr Sandeep Vohra, a globally respected psychiatrist and pioneer in digital mental health, has unveiled Indias first patented emotional wellness screening tool the Emotional Wellness Index (EWI). Developed over a decade of research in collaboration with Houston University, USA, the EWI is a 55-point digital screening scale designed to assess stress and emotional well-being in students and adults accurately. Patent-protected in India, this innovation positions India at the forefront of global emotional wellness solutions. Recent data indicate that over 35% of Indian college students experience high stress or anxiety, highlighting the urgent need for proactive mental health interventions. The EWI enables mass screening on an unprecedented scale through digital platforms, facilitates the early identification of emotional distress, and promotes timely intervention, all while being cost-effective, confidential, and stigma-free. It also provides data-driven insights that help shape mental health policies, wellness programmes, and personalized care strategies. International Universities like the University of California, San Diego, have successfully integrated emotional wellness screening with structured counselling programs to support at-risk students. In India, Dr Vohra and his team have partnered with Manav Rachna University to implement a similar model, beginning with comprehensive emotional well-being screening followed by ongoing support from on-campus counsellors. The role of EWI at platforms is also being used across 20 colleges of Pune University in partnership with Apollo Telemedicine to provide mental health access to college students, demonstrating the power of combining technology with counselling to reach large populations. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. A former Christian Brothers teacher sexually assaulted primary school boys throughout the entire course of his 30 year teaching career, a court has heard. On Monday, Judge Elva Duffy sentenced the 83-year-old Dublin man, who cannot be identified at this point for legal reasons, to a prison term of four and a half years for the sexual assault of nine young boys. Most of the boys were between 11 and 13 years old when abused, though one victim was abused from the age of eight to the age of 13. The 38 offences took place in a Dublin city school between 1980 and 1995. The man was previously convicted of sexually assaulting young boys during the 1960s and 70s. The sentence hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard how the man would call boys up to the top of the class where he would put them across his knee and smack them, often with an implement, before indecently assaulting them by rubbing their buttocks or groin. Advertisement Another victim told the court that in an incident during the 1981 to 1982 school term, the man called him to the top of the class, put the child over his knee and slapped him extremely hard on the buttocks. When the man began rubbing the child's buttocks, the child lashed out and hit the man in the face. The boy was sent to the principal's office and his mother called in. The boy told his mother what had happened and the woman stood up for her son and called the defendant a dirty bastard. Another man described how he was twice molested by the defendant while in his class in the 1983 to 1984 school term. He said he felt so traumatised that he began making up reasons to avoid being sent to school. His mother became suspicious and the boy told her about the teacher's behaviour. She went to the school and spoke to personnel and the man told the court he could see her giving out. The man said he was left alone afterwards by the defendant, who continued to teach until 1995 when he became principal. In that time he abused three more boys, including one boy who was eight years old when the man began indecently assaulting him in 1987. Over the next five years this child, who came from a significantly disadvantaged background, was subjected to an ever greater level of sexual abuse. On one occasion this victim, whose mother was addicted to heroin, told the man that he was going to tell his mother. The man told the boy that if he did this, his mother would go to jail and the boy would be put in a home. Advertisement The man was convicted last March after a trial. He continues to deny any offending and does not accept the verdicts of the juries in any of the trials, defence counsel, John Griffin BL, told the court. Judge Duffy said that the victim impact reports handed into court detailed the long term impact the offending has had on the lives of the victims and made for distressing reading. Ireland Serial sex offender who raped two escorts fails to have 18-year sentence reduced Read more She said the defendant's actions have caused untold trauma and damage and impacted on the education and aspirations of the victims. She noted that the abuse left many of the men with a life long distrust in authority and she commended them for the dignity and bravery with which they gave their evidence during the trial. Mr Griffin told the court that since the trial last March his client has suffered a brain haemorrhage and he asked the court to take his client's age and medical ailments into consideration. Noting that he has not taken any responsibility for his actions or shown any remorse Judge Duffy ordered the sentence to start from Monday. The man is currently serving a four year prison term for some of his other offending. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. Online news outlet Gript has been granted permission by the High Court to challenge the Press Council's decision to uphold an earlier finding that an article entitled "Inside the DCU SPHE Course - Fisting, writing sex scenes, porn terms examined" had breached codes of journalistic practice. The High Court this morning, granted permission to Gript Media Limited, Gardiner Place, Dublin 1, to challenge the June 2025 decision of the Press Council upholding a previous decision of the Press Ombudsman regarding codes of practice. The Press Ombudsman found that Gript provided "no evidence that DCU gave adult teachers to understand that sexually explicit exercises used during their training were to be replicated in school classrooms". "Adaptation of material so that it is age appropriate is not replication and to suggest otherwise, as the publication does, is distortion," it found. Advertisement Gript is seeking the quashing of the Press Council's decision and a re-hearing of its appeal on grounds that the regulatory body failed to provide sufficient reasons for its decision. Gript claims the Press Council erred in applying the incorrect standard of review in assessing the Press Ombudsman's original decision. Gript further claims it was denied the right to be heard at an oral hearing and was therefore denied a right to fair procedure. The DCU SPHE/RSE course is a graduate diploma for teachers in Social, Personal and Health Education and Relationships and Sexuality Education, which DCU's website describes as "the first of its kind in an Irish context". DCU said the course is to assist teachers in helping children and young people in "what can be an incredibly challenging" time in their lives regarding mental health, consent, sexuality, respect and relationships. The government-funded one-year course is described as "a programme of teacher professional development, specifically designed to upskill and enable registered post-primary teachers to acquire, develop and advance their core competencies in the teaching of SPHE/RSE at Junior and Senior Cycle levels". In papers lodged to the High Court, Gript submits that the article, "Photos: Inside the DCU SPHE Course - Fisting, writing scenes, porn terms examined", was published on October 4, 2024, on "foot of a video that went viral". Gript claims that the article outlined the content and context of the video, the responses by then Minister for Education Norma Foley and the funding backdrop for the course. Advertisement DCU's complaints that the article allegedly breached the principles of truth and accuracy, fair procedures and honesty and the right to privacy were upheld. Gript says DCU released a public statement on 23 October, 2024, stating that the video used "completely misrepresented the course" and that there had been associated "disinformation" surrounding it, leading to "threats of violence and misogynistic and homophobic slurs" against academic staff who teach the course. DCU course participants The next day, 24 October, 2024, Gript published another article, titled 'Audio: DCU course participants discuss talking "fisting" with students'. Gript says the story outlined a dispute between a teacher who attended the course and Minister Foley as to the content to be taught in SPHE classes. "The article quotes multiple sources as to their impression of the course content and its use, versus what Minister Norma Foley and the Department of Education stated", claims Gript. The company is taking the challenge against regulatory body The Press Council, while the Press Ombudsman and Dublin City University (DCU) are listed as notice parties. Ireland Serial sex offender who raped two escorts fails to have 18-year sentence reduced Read more Gript says its articles discussed testimonies from teachers who attended the course and what they perceived of the course's applicability to classrooms, featured course content provided by an attending teacher and outlined the official stance of the Department of Education on the course as well as that of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland. Gript says that DCU wrote a letter of complaint about a number of their articles on the subject, including other stories titled "Government seeks to make your kids sexperts. That's wrong", "On DCU's SPHE Course: Prof who challenges "children's presumed sexual innocence" and "SPHE: The Irish sex-educators challenging the idea of children's innocence". At the High Court today, Gript was represented by Maura McNally SC and Conor Rock BL, instructed by Robinsons Solicitors. Counsel successfully applied to Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty for permission to challenge the Press Council's refusal of Gript's appeal, which claims the applicant was given "insufficient reasons" in the decision being upheld. Ms Justice Gearty adjourned the matter to November. SUPERIOR, Ariz., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rio Tinto, the majority owner of Resolution Copper, has donated $1 million to support flood relief efforts in the City of Globe and Town of Miami, following devastating flash floods in late September and additional flooding that occurred this past weekend, causing widespread damage to local communities and businesses. The donation to the United Fund of Globe-Miami, Arizona, will help provide emergency cleaning supplies, support flood mitigation planning within the region, and assist with long-term recovery for families and businesses impacted by the flooding. For residents, the funding will support temporary shelter, home repairs, and utility assistance. For businesses, it will help cover equipment and construction costs. Resolution Copper General Manager Vicky Peacey said, "Our thoughts are with our friends and neighbors in Globe and Miami who these devastating floods have impacted. The road to recovery will be long, and we're committed to standing alongside the community every step of the way." Immediately after the flooding, Resolution Copper actively contributed to emergency response efforts with funds, employee volunteers, and by enlisting the aid of third-party help to assist our neighbors in need. The company mobilized local contractors, Oddonetto Construction and 4-Winds Contracting, for immediate street and road cleanup. It also donated cleaning supplies, fans, and shovels to help local businesses begin recovery. Many Resolution Copper employees live in the affected areas and have personally volunteered their time to support neighbors, local businesses, and nonprofit organizations impacted by the floods. This includes participating in a community cleanup at Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, where we partnered with Superior Environmental, who generously donated time and equipment to help clear debris from bridges and drains. Resolution Copper continues to work closely with local officials to assess and respond to evolving community needs. About Resolution Copper Resolution Copper is Arizona Copper. The Resolution Copper Project is operated by Resolution Copper Mining, a limited liability company owned 55 percent by Resolution Copper Company (a Rio Tinto PLC subsidiary) and 45 percent by BHP Copper Inc. (a BHP PLC subsidiary). Learn more at resolutioncopper.com. SOURCE Resolution Copper A legal challenge brought against the Minister for Housing's planning guidelines for new apartments will be heard by the High Court in December. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys on Monday gave permission to several county councillors and a journalist to bring the challenge against the guidelines, which increase the number of studio apartments developers could put in a project, as well as other changes aimed at bridging a viability gap the Government said had stymied apartment buildings. The judge granted an expedited hearing date for the case, listing it for early December. The challenge against the guidelines issued in July by Minister James Browne has been taken by former Irish Times Environment Editor Frank McDonald, alongside Labours Darragh Moriarty, the Green Partys David Healy and Dan Boyle, and Independent councillor Padraig McEvoy. Advertisement They are seeking several orders, including one quashing the ministers new apartment guidelines. Their case argues that the Minister breached legislation by failing to carry out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the guidelines. David Browne SC, appearing for the Minister, said his side intends to robustly defend the action. Mr Browne said the case was a matter of profound concern for the Minister. He said that the action, in the context of a housing crisis, jeopardises the delivery of apartments in the foreseeable future. Tom Flynn SC, instructed by FP Logue and appearing with barrister Ellen OCallaghan for the applicants, said his side considers the guidelines to be important, and added that it was important their legality be determined quickly. Mr Justice Humphreys granted the expedited hearing sought by Mr Browne, and unopposed by Mr Flynn. In his sworn statement, Mr Moriarty alleges the guidelines were issued with zero engagement or consultation with local authorities and without environmental reports. This, Mr Moriarty alleges, constituted a gross undermining of the role of local government and of local democracy itself. Ireland Spend by State planning watchdog on legal proceedings increases ninefold to 437k Read more Mr Moriarty claims the guidelines will lead to darker and more cramped apartments with less storage space. In a sworn statement to the court, Mr McDonald says he believes the guidelines conjure up a dystopian future for apartment dwellers in Irelands urban centres. Mr McDonald claims new guidelines will ensure that build-to-rent developers will construct apartment blocks consisting solely of studio apartments for single people, with floor areas as minuscule as 32 square metres accessed from long corridors redolent of budget hotels, with a minimal number of lifts and other amenities. The new guidelines provide that the minimum size for a studio apartment is 32 square metres. This is a reduction on previous guidelines, when the minimum was set at 37 square metres. Mr McEvoy, in his statement to the court, claims the guidelines are inconsistent with Irelands social equity goals, climate commitments, and the need for resilient, liveable communities. The horrors, genocide and famine in Gaza cannot be forgotten, the Tanaiste has said, as he welcomed the release of hostages in the Middle East. Simon Harris said the freeing of prisoners and hostages by Israel and Hamas represents a ray of hope for people in the region, as he announced Ireland would provide an additional 6 million to aid organisations in Gaza, including Unicef and the World Food Programme. After the most horrific humanitarian catastrophe, a loss of life on a scale that is almost unimaginable we finally see cause for hope: Hostages released, bombing stopped, aid beginning to flow into Gaza, Mr Harris said. He added: I also today think of all of the hostages that have been released. I cannot imagine what they have endured for the last period of time, cannot imagine the fears and worries that their families have lived with and today, their loved ones are reunited in the arms of their families and we think of them today too. Advertisement The latest contribution brings Irelands support for the people of Palestine since October 2023 to more than 89 million, and support in 2025 to over 35 million. Tanaiste @SimonHarrisTD has announced that Ireland will provide an additional 6 million in humanitarian aid to support people in Gaza. The funding will be channelled through our UN partners. pic.twitter.com/tzWhDrCNbL Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) October 13, 2025 There are likely to be further announcements in the coming period in relation to Irelands aid commitments in the region. Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings in Dublin on Monday, Mr Harris said: Ireland stands ready to do everything we can to help with the huge humanitarian effort which is now needed. However, he said it is highly unlikely at this stage that Irelands support will see Irish peacekeepers deployed to the region. Its very clear that its a long way to go to the next steps on the peace plan. Ireland and our peacekeepers always stand ready to serve where there is peace, but at the moment what were simply seeing is a cessation of hostilities. So I think theres a long way to go of being able to determine that. Asked whether the fact Ireland was not attending a summit in Egypt to mark the ceasefire was a signal the country would not be playing a large role in the region, the Tanaiste said: I dont think so. I think the majority of European countries are not at the peace summit today. Theres a small number of European countries, a lot of Arab nations. Weve worked extraordinarily hard on this. Ive worked very closely with the Arab nations, as has Ireland. He added: Ireland will continue to talk to everybody and anybody and help in every, in any way that we can. We have long-standing relationships with many, many countries in the region. Advertisement Were also a country that knows a lot about peace and about peace processes. Peace is never easy. Theres no such thing as a perfect peace plan but the opposite to peace is the utter devastation and horrors that weve seen over the last number of years. Mr Harris, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the most practical assistance Ireland can currently provide is funding and logistics around the provision of humanitarian aid. The horrors, the genocide, the famine in Gaza - none of that can be forgotten, none of that can be airbrushed Simon Harris Israel has frequently criticised Ireland over its response to the war in Gaza since October 2023, including its recognition of Palestine and its plans to introduce an Occupied Territories Bill to limit trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The country also closed its embassy and withdrew its ambassador from Dublin. Asked about the future of Irelands relationship with Israel, Mr Harris said: Ireland has kept bilateral relations with Israel. We took a decision to keep our Embassy in Tel Aviv it was the Israeli decision to close their embassy in Ireland but even theyve kept an ambassador to Ireland. So diplomatic relations continue to exist between the countries but this is about step by step. I mean what has happened the horrors, the genocide, the famine in Gaza none of that can be forgotten, none of that can be airbrushed. What has happened over the last number of years, the violation of international law. All of that is important and extremely significant. Pressed on whether Ireland would proceed with the Occupied Territories Bill, he said: The Governments position hasnt changed in relation to that, the occupied Palestinian territories are still illegally occupied. Obviously, if that reality changes, thats a different situation. He added: But today, and I want to be clear from my perspective, is not a day about saying anything provocative. Today is a day about recognising that after the most unbelievable horrors, pain, loss of life, famine conditions, we now see cause for a hope. Kodaline have announced farewell shows at Cork's Virgin Media Park and Dublin's Malahide Castle next summer. The band announced their separation on Thursday, saying that it was a "difficult decision to say goodbye to Kodaline". They will play Virgin Media Park on Friday, June 19th, before heading to Malahide Castle on Saturday, June 20th. Tickets priced from 54.85 - 65.70 go on sale at 9am on Friday via Ticketmaster. When announcing their split, the band said: "We know this might come as a surprise, and its definitely bittersweet for us too. "What weve shared with you has changed our lives forever. From busking on the streets of Dublin to selling out shows and arenas across the world, it really has been the stuff that dreams are made of. "We want to end on a high, so before we say goodbye, were heading into the studio one last time, to record our 5th, and final album, as Kodaline. "We are, and always will be, forever grateful for your love and support. Its been a journey that we will never forget and we hope the music stays with you long after were gone. "To celebrate the final album and final chapter of Kodaline, were going to play in Dublin and Cork next summer. We cant wait to see everyone. Thanks for all your support over the years its been an incredible journey." Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said on Monday that she had not ruled out sanctioning the construction of an additional hospital or reopening former accident and emergency departments to increase bed capacity in the mid-west region. As the Minister for Health visited University Hospital Limerick (UHL) to launch the new 105 million, 96-bed block, the hospital was again the most overcrowded nationally. There were 100 patients waiting on trolleys for beds, including 40 in the Emergency Department and 60 on wards, according to figures published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, which has previously stated UHL overcrowding has reached dangerous levels. Ms MacNeill told reporters that all of the options are on the table. She said she had until before Christmas to decide which of the three options, as outlined in a HIQA report, were her preferred choice. Advertisement The health watchdogs review of emergency healthcare in the mid-west recommended the construction of an additional hospital; extending the UHL site; and/or providing additional capacity off the UHL site. The HIQA report said the core issue is that there are not enough inpatient beds in the region, and that immediate action was required to add capacity to address current risks to patient safety in the shortest timeframe and safest way possible. Ms MacNeill said while she was open to all three options that HIQA have identified, her priority was to provide capacity in the short term. Works have already begun on a second 96-bed block on the UHL site, with a third proposed. The Minister said the current plan to add capacity at the UHL site will transition the region from having the lowest per capita in-bed ratio in 2020, to having the second highest in the country by 2028. The 96 additional beds provided at UHL today was a significant step towards addressing the bed capacity deficits in the mid west, she said. Ms MacNeill pledged to discuss with all stakeholders in the region, including patient groups, their ideas to build bed capacity, and added, Im thinking about twenty years ahead about what this region is going to need. The Mid West Regional Hospital Campaign Group, which includes families of loved ones who have died on trolleys at UHL during severe overcrowding conditions, has repeatedly called for the reopening of A&E departments in Ennis, Co Clare and Nenagh, North Tipperary, and St Johns Hospital, Limerick, which was closed in 2009 and reconfigured to UHL. Advertisement When asked if she was open to reopening the A&E units, as a means of relieving pressure on the overcrowded emergency department at UHL, she said the A&Es would require additional support services, but she repeated, all of the options are on the table at the moment. Ms MacNeill added that several other measures have already been implemented to ease pressure on the Limerick ED, including placing more beds into Model 2 hospitals that provide step-down supports to the Model 4 UHL; increasing Medical Assessment Units; and providing virtual wards, because we dont want people coming to the emergency department unless they really need to. Ireland HSE confirms 'imminent' 96-bed block at University Hospital Limerick to help curb overcrowding Read more However, she acknowledged that a twenty-year vision is not going to be enough and additional capacity plan strategies would be required. An estimated 400 staff are required for the 96-bed block that opened today. Its understood that 300 staff were recruited and the remaining 100 staff were being provided by agency staff as well as a complement of staff already within the hospital. When asked if the unit was fully staffed, HSE Chief Executive Bernard Gloster replied: Were not in the habit of opening facilities that are not safely and properly staffed. All of the beds are open, the unit is staffed. This unit would not be open if the beds were not properly staffed and the patients being able to be cared for. Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come. Fianna Fail reeling from presidential fiasco Jim Gavin's decision to suspend his presidential campaign has led to much anger and soul-searching within Fianna Fail, and it will pile pressure on Taoiseach Micheal Martin. There was huge speculation about a heave against Mr Martin, with all eyes turning to the first Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting since Mr Gavin dropped out of the race after a tenant claimed he tried to recover 3,300 in overpaid rent from Mr Gavin 16 years ago. According to sources, Mr Martin appeared nervous as he addressed the meeting and told party colleagues he was "deeply sorry". He said: Clearly we need to have a new procedure for deciding when we run a candidate for president and who that candidate is to be. Advertisement I for one support the idea that we move to a process which is in tune with the wider reforms which we have introduced in the past. Tonight, we think of Jim Gavin and his family, who have gone through a very traumatic time. Jim Gavin has made a very significant contribution to our country as UN peacekeeper, public servant and in his impactful work in the North East inner city of Dublin, where he is hugely respected. This needs to be said. While the Taoiseach appears to be out of trouble for now, there is still discontent within the party. There have been numerous calls for a review into the selection process, including from MEP Billy Kelleher who sought the nomination but lost out to Mr Gavin, who was heavily backed by Mr Martin. Many backbenchers are still understood to be angry at Mr Martin. While he has insisted he will lead the party into the next general election, Mr Martin may well face opposition. Some have tipped his appointed deputy leader, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, as a future Fianna Fail leader. However, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan may be the main rival to Mr Martin. Speaking at a press conference after the Budget, Mr O'Callaghan said he was not seeking the leadership... for now. "Yeah, I would have thought so at some stage in the future, but its not an immediate concern for me." Mr O'Callaghan is widely seen as an ambitious politician who aims to be party leader. Advertisement While he was appointed to Cabinet after the last election, eyebrows were raised when he was not previously given a senior role, with rumours that he did not see eye to eye with Mr Martin on many issues. He was one of the later Fianna Fail senior figures to endorse Mr Gavin for the presidential election. Connolly accuses Fine Gael of engendering fear against her Fine Gael is engaging in a campaign that is engendering fear, presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has said. Ms Connolly is running against Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys in a race to become the next president, with voting to be held on October 24th. On Monday, the Independent Galway TD accused her opponents political party of running a negative campaign about her foreign policy positions on the US, Nato, the Middle East and Russia. She said: Whats happening here in the last few weeks is a policy of fear, of diminishing the candidate. And I say youre actually not just diminishing me, youre diminishing the role of the presidency, and youre also diminishing the people on the ground who are all actively canvassing for me, actively looking for hope. Tanaiste says genocide in Gaza cannot be forgotten The horrors, genocide and famine in Gaza cannot be forgotten, the Tanaiste has said, as he welcomed the release of hostages in the Middle East. Simon Harris said the freeing of prisoners and hostages by Israel and Hamas represents a ray of hope for people in the region, as he announced Ireland would provide an additional 6 million to aid organisations in Gaza, including Unicef and the World Food Programme. Advertisement After the most horrific humanitarian catastrophe, a loss of life on a scale that is almost unimaginable we finally see cause for hope: Hostages released, bombing stopped, aid beginning to flow into Gaza, Mr Harris said. He added: I also today think of all of the hostages that have been released. I cannot imagine what they have endured for the last period of time, cannot imagine the fears and worries that their families have lived with and today, their loved ones are reunited in the arms of their families and we think of them today too. Abroad All eyes are on Gaza as a fragile ceasefire holds with US president Donald Trump currently in the Middle East. However, many questions remain over Palestinian statehood and the rebuilding of Gaza. Buyers in all 26 counties have now been approved by the First Home Scheme. Launched in July 2022, the 740 million fund was established to support first-time buyers in purchasing their first property. The scheme works by bridging the gap between the available mortgage, deposit, and the price of the new home. As of the end of September 2025, 8,399 buyers had been approved. In total, over 19,200 potential buyers or self-builders have registered their interest in the scheme, with the average price of house purchase, or home built, standing at 387,000. The fund provides on average 66,000 per property - 17 per cent of the average purchase price. The Government recently announced an extra 80 million in government funding, to top up the fund, which has been depleted by 273 million to fund 4,118 homes. Housing Minister James Browne said: This Government believes in home ownership and is taking concrete steps to support home ownership. Advertisement The First Home Scheme has been a key part of these efforts and has proven to be a vital support for thousands of first-time buyers. That is why I have extended the scheme." Buyers in Dublin, Kildare, Cork, Meath and Wicklow are the heaviest users of the Scheme, constituting 72 per cent. Further, 66 percent of First Home Scheme users are also availing of the Help to Buy scheme. First Home Scheme Chief Executive, Michael Broderick, said: Our latest numbers show continued strong interest. Were continuing to enhance the scheme in response to customer demand and local market conditions so that we can help even more first-time buyers and other people who qualify. Ireland House prices now eight times average earnings as affordability hits 16-year low Read more "Its noteworthy that two-thirds of scheme users are combining it with the benefits available from the Help to Buy scheme. By combining both schemes, these buyers are able to access additional financial support, allowing them to assemble the necessary deposit while also bridging the funding gap between their mortgage and the price of the new home. "This dual approach places participants in a stronger position to achieve their goal of owning their own home. The Scheme is a joint venture between the State and three banks, currently AIB (including subsidiaries EBS and Haven), Bank of Ireland and PTSB, and remains open to other authorised mortgage lenders in the Irish market to join the scheme. For more information on the scheme, including eligibility requirements, visit www.firsthomescheme.ie. The four-year sentence handed down to a man for the systematic and calculated sexual abuse of his stepdaughters from when they were aged seven and eight left was too lenient and should be increased, the State has argued. Gerard Nevin, 42, of Grove Park, Rathmines, Dublin 6, pleaded guilty to 22 counts of sexual assault committed between 2012 and June 2020 at various locations in Clondalkin, Lucan and Palmerstown. In November 2024, Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain imposed a global sentence of six years on Nevin, with the final two years suspended. The victims were Nevins stepdaughters, Catalina Grancea and Alexa Grancea, who indicated they wished to waive their right to anonymity to allow Nevin to be named. The sentencing court heard that Nevin abused Catalina Grancea when she was aged between eight and 16. Alexa Grancea was aged between seven and 15 when the abuse occurred. Advertisement Appealing against the leniency of the sentence imposed on Nevin at the Court of Appeal on Monday, Caroline Latham BL, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, described the sexual assaults as an egregious breach of trust. She emphasised that Nevin had acted in loco parentis when the girls mother was working, and it was during those times that the offending took place. Counsel submitted the sentence imposed was inadequate, disproportionate and unduly lenient. She argued that Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain fell into error in the discount given to the headline sentence after mitigation was taken into consideration and the way in which she dealt with the totality element. Counsel noted the offending didnt just happen in the home; there were also instances that took place in his car and in a shop. Ms Latham said the reduction to the headline sentence of almost 30 per cent - from nine to six years - was too high, given the age of the victims at the time and prolonged nature of the offending, which she described as regular and frequent. She said the judge gave too great a reduction from the headline sentence for the plea of guilty, which was entered as the trial was due to get underway. Counsel said the judge also fell into error in the application of the totality principle. While she appreciated the importance of not imposing a crushing sentence, I say the sentence she ultimately came to was not proportionate, taking into account the gravity of the offending by the respondent, said Ms Latham. Advertisement The sexual abuse was systematic and calculated and greatly damaged the lives of the victims. Ms Latham also contended the judge made an error in suspending the final two years of the sentence, saying there was no evidential basis for this other than rehabilitation. Tim OLeary SC, representing Nevin, argued there had been no error on the part of the sentencing judge. He said one of the principal mitigating factors in the case had been Nevins plea of guilty, which he said was significant and of value. He said his client had no previous convictions, had a good work history and had led a completely pro-social life up to that point. Counsel also highlighted the remorse expressed by Nevin in letters to the victims. Mr Justice John Edwards said the court would reserve judgement and deliver its decision at a later date. The sentencing court heard that during specialist interviews, Catalina Grancea said when she first moved into the house, Nevin had been very nice, but after a few months things changed, and he began to grab her breasts and buttocks regularly. On many occasions she asked him to stop, but he didnt, she told gardai. She described multiple specific incidents, including a time in 2013 when she had been lying on her stomach on her mother's bed, scrolling through her phone. Nevin came into the room and lay on the bed beside her, then sexually assaulted her. He then threatened that if she told anyone, it would be her fault that the family broke up. Advertisement The court heard that Nevin pleaded guilty to 12 counts in total relating to Catalina Grancea, which included inappropriate touching of her buttocks, breasts and thigh. Alexa Grancea was also interviewed by specialist gardai. She said the offending happened regularly but gave specific details regarding ten incidents. Ireland Man (80) sexually abused child 25 times while she was between 5 and 9 years of age Read more She said on one occasion, she had bent over to put something in the wardrobe when Nevin came up behind her and put his hand on her leg; he then moved it up her leg and touched her genital area over her clothes. She told gardai that there were many occasions of inappropriate touching of her breasts, buttocks and thighs. On one occasion, she threatened the accused with a knife. Most of the offences took place in the family home, but they also occurred in his car. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. A serial sex offender who lured an escort to his home before violently raping her while under investigation for a previous attack in which he violated his victim in every conceivable way - and who later attempted to rape a third woman - has failed to have his 18-year prison sentence reduced on appeal. Aaron Barwell (30) of Coldcut Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, pleaded guilty to one count of oral rape, one of rape and one of attempted rape on dates between January and August 2021. The three victims were all working as escorts at the time and each had a profile on a website listing their services. He arranged for each victim to come to his residence on separate occasions, where he carried out the offences. Cable ties During a search of Barwells apartment following the first attack, gardai found a knife and cable ties in his pockets when the defendant opened the door. A small silver hammer was also seized. Advertisement Barwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the final two years suspended by Mr Justice Tony Hunt at the Central Criminal Court in July 2024. The judge originally set a total headline sentence of 36 years to reflect the gravity of the offending. He said the court was conscious that 36 years is a significant period and after considering the principles of totality and proportionality, he reduced the headline sentence to 27 years. Having considered mitigation, the judge gave a further discount of seven years and suspended the final two years of the sentence. Dismissing Barwells appeal at the Court of Appeal on Monday, Mr Justice John Edwards said the court had no hesitation in rejecting the suggestion that the sentencing judge had erred in either the band in which the offending was placed or the headline sentences set. He said on no view of it could these crimes fall into the ordinary category of offending. 'Significant degradation' The first victim was falsely imprisoned and terrorised by Barwell, the judge noted. There was significant degradation as she was forced to have sex without a condom when she had clearly indicated that she did not want this, he said. Mr Justice Edwards said the second victim was raped every conceivable way - orally, vaginally and anally - there was violence involved in the production of a screwdriver and the woman was in fear for her life and hugely traumatised by the whole experience. In relation to the third victim, the judge said that whilst this was an attempted rape there were significant aggravating factors and considerable violence used. Advertisement He said a screwdriver was produced and the woman was attacked. Only the resistance she put up saved her from being fully raped, the judge added. He said the judge in the case was assiduous in ensuring that the ultimate sentence imposed was proportionate and would not be crushing. The ultimate term imposed was undoubtedly a long sentence but was deservedly so, the judge added. He said the judge also made a substantial adjustment to the headline figure to reflect the mitigating factors in the case. We are satisfied sufficient generosity was shown in that regard, he said. Barwells personal circumstances were also properly taken into account and were reflected in the reduction of seven years to a baseline sentence of 20 years, Mr Justice Edwards said adding the judge then went further and suspended two years to incentivise rehabilitation. We consider this was generous, he added. Appeal At the appeal hearing today, Dara Foynes SC, for Barwell, argued that the headline sentence set by the judge was too high and that this tied the courts hands when it came to looking at how to apply and balance mitigation against the severity of the sentence. She said the judge failed to express how he had calculated the value of the guilty plea and did not reference the remorse expressed by Mr Barwell, both in the dock and in letters to the victims. The ultimate sentence handed down was crushing, counsel contended, and the cumulative term exceeded the culpability of Mr Barlow taking into account the probation report, the forensic psychologists report and his other personal circumstances. Advertisement She said it was accepted by gardai that Barwell was in the throes of cocaine addiction at the time. She said the offending happened in the midst of the Covid lockdown and Barwell also seemed to be in the grip of an addiction to pornography at the time. I say the sentence was excessive, she said. In response, Shane Costelloe SC, for the State, said there was absolutely no error in principle on the part of the sentencing judge. 'Pre-meditated attack He said this had been a pre-meditated attack; Barwell had given a false name, had lured the women to his address and had used violence or the threat of violence in each case. Mr Costelloe said the attacks had had a huge effect on the victims lives. In so far as credit is being given for a plea, he was given a discount of seven years in circumstances where the plea was given the day after a jury was empanelled and the three complainants made it clear they were ready and willing to give evidence, said counsel, adding a further two years had been suspended on top of that. The sentencing court heard that on January 29th, 2021, a two-hour appointment was agreed between Barwell and the first complainant. When they went to his residence, Barwell directed her to the bedroom before holding a rope and a hammer. He pushed the woman onto the bed and demanded she perform oral sex on him. She later told gardai Barwell tapped on the soles of her feet using the hammer. He then pushed her face into the bed, tied her hands and masturbated over her. Advertisement Gardai subsequently carried out a search of Barwell's residence and a knife and cable ties were found in his pockets when he opened the door. Several items were seized during the search, including a small silver hammer. He was not arrested following this search as the garda investigation was ongoing. Second victim Barwell arranged for the second victim to come to his residence on August 13th, 2021. seemed to be under the influence of drugs and asked the woman the cost of her services. He took out a screwdriver and held it to her neck, saying: Don't mess with me, motherfucker and threatening to kill her. Barwell then dragged the terrified woman to his bedroom and shouted at her to remove her clothes. He pushed her face down onto the bed, then forced her to perform oral sex before raping her vaginally and anally. The court heard he was holding the screwdriver throughout. Barwell apologised afterwards and described what happened as role-playing. The court heard that gardai did not become aware of this second incident until after the third victim contacted them. Two weeks later, on August 27th, an arrangement was made between the third victim and Barwell. He brought her to the bedroom, shouted at her to remove her clothes and held a screwdriver as he told her they were going to have sex or he would kill her. Ireland Ukrainian lawyer loses appeal against extradition to US over ransomware conspiracy charges Read more The woman screamed and banged on the window for help. Barwell threatened to kill the victim if she didn't shut up, then threw her onto the bed. He still had the screwdriver in his hand. She fought back, kicking and slapping and one kick connected to his nose, causing it to bleed. Barwell called her a crazy bitch and told her to get out. The woman ran out of the apartment and a passersby contacted the gardai. The Garda Armed Response Unit attended the scene and Barwell was arrested and taken to a nearby garda station. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. A Ukrainian lawyer who fled his homeland due to the war and sought refuge in Ireland has lost his appeal against a High Court decision ordering his extradition to the United States, where he is accused of using ransomware to extort over 600,000 in cryptocurrency from victims. In February this year, the High Court granted an extradition request from US authorities for Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko (42), who is wanted to stand trial on charges of conspiracy to commit computer-related fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. It is alleged that he was involved in the use of ransomware against a government entity and two businesses in Tennessee from 2020 to 2022 and that payment by two of the victims of the alleged ransomware was made in the sum of $634,000 in cryptocurrency. Lytvynenko, who has been in custody for two years, had brought an appeal against Mr Justice David Keanes order directing his extradition to America. Advertisement In a judgement delivered at the Court of Appeal on Monday, Ms Justice Tara Burns said the court was not upholding any of the grounds advanced by Lytvynenko and dismissed the appeal. Tim OLeary SC, representing Lytvynenko, asked the court for a week to consider the judgement before the implementation of the extradition order and the court acceded to this request. Russian invasion Lytvynenko was granted temporary protection in Ireland in September 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His wife and child had earlier been granted temporary protection after arriving in Ireland the previous July. In his High Court judgement granting Lytvynenkos extradition last February, Mr Justice David Keane said the respondent was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in the Middle District of Tennessee on May 22, 2023. The indictment alleges that Lytvynenko and co-conspirators agreed to infect victims computers and defraud them with Conti ransomware, a type of malicious software which encrypted some or all of the data stored on victims computers. Lytvynenko and his conspirators are also accused of demanding that the victims pay a cryptocurrency ransom in exchange for a decryption key for the encrypted data and a promise not to publicise the breach of the victims networks on the internet. The indictment further alleges that Lytvynenko and his co-conspirators deployed Conti ransomware on at least three victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, including a government entity and two businesses. Cryptocurrency ransom Two of the victims paid a combined ransom of approximately $634,000 in cryptocurrency. The other victim declined to pay the ransom and ransomware actors published its data. Advertisement Lytvynenko appealed the extradition order on the grounds that it breached his right to a fair trail under the European Convention on Human Rights. He submitted that having sought reunification with his family in Ireland after fleeing the war, he was deprived of an opportunity to gather and obtain evidence and witnesses from his war-torn country for the purposes of the extradition proceedings and for his defence in the US trial. Ireland Serial sex offender who raped two escorts fails to have 18-year sentence reduced Read more He said he was denied access to the evidence in his laptop and phones which were seized when he was arrested and this had obstructed his right to properly meet his case, both in the extradition proceedings and criminal proceedings against him in the USA if extradited. Lytvynenko argued this was an abuse of process and denial of justice. Lytvynenko had also contended that his human rights would be breached because his extradition to the US was incompatible with the States obligations under EU law to offer temporary protection and reunification to those fleeing war in the Ukraine. Lytvynenko emphasised that he had not applied for international protection, but only for temporary protection in Ireland. He argued that extradition to the United States could result in the loss of this temporary protection, as no equivalent status exists there. Monday's front pages focus on a range of stories, including the Government preparing for anti-drone defences, to 'shock' and 'disbelief' over the death of a postman in Cork. The Irish Times reports the Government is planning to fast-track the acquisition of anti-drone defences at Baldonnel military airport in preparation for the visit of EU leaders to Dublin next autumn, when Ireland holds the presidency of the EU. The Irish Examiner leads with a piece that gardai are preparing to launch a murder inquiry after a man died in a violent assault outside his home in North Cork in the early hours of Sunday. The Echo focuses on five overdoses at a Cork prison in 14 months. PLANO, Texas, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Revells, a leading value-added solution provider of wireless networking solutions, and Miliwave, a pioneer in 60GHz millimeter-wave technology, today announced a new strategic partnership. Under the agreement, Revells has been selected as Miliwave's North American Partner for its entire line of 60GHz millimeter wave products. Miliwave a Korean company, founded in 2016, specializes in 60GHz unlicensed spectrum solutions that offer throughput up to 2.3Gbps, point-to-point reach of up to 15km, and point-to-multipoint scalability to 32 nodes. Its AirPath60 line incorporates channel 5/6 operation to overcome oxygen absorption limits, heated radomes for extreme weather resilience, and automated fallback to 5GHz links for robust availability. This partnership is poised to provide the US market with high-performance 60GHz mm wave solutions designed to meet the growing demand for reliable, high-speed wireless connectivity. Revells will focus on serving a wide range of applications, including Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Wi-Fi Backhaul, CCTV Backhaul, fiber backup links, and secure enterprise connectivity. "This partnership combines Revells' edge and private 5G strengths with Miliwave's cutting-edge 60GHz wireless technology," said Ken Sandfeld, CEO of Revells. The two companies will officially debut their partnership at WISPALOOZA 2025 in Las Vegas October 13-16, where they will be exhibiting their collaborative offerings and meeting with industry professionals. Attendees are invited to visit them at Miliwave booth #124 to learn more about their comprehensive 60GHz portfolio. Revells and Miliwave are actively seeking distributors, resellers, and system integrators to collaborate on U.S. deployments. "We are excited to bring our AirPath60 platform into the North American market with Revells," said Yung Han, Founder and CEO of Miliwave. "By leveraging Revells' market presence, we can accelerate adoption of 60GHz connectivity in smart cities, factories, enterprise campuses, and for the deployment of FWA applications." About Revells Revells is a trusted US-based master value added distributor specializing in the latest wireless networking and connectivity solutions including Private 5G networks. With a commitment to innovation and customer service, Revells provides a curated selection of products to empower its partners and clients to build robust and scalable networks. Media Contact: [email protected] About Miliwave Founded in 2016 in Korea, Miliwave is a pioneer in 60GHz mmWave networks for smart connectivity. Its award-winning AirPath60 platform delivers secure, high-performance wireless for fixed wireless access, smart city, smart factory, AR/VR, and enterprise applications. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Revells.ai LLC Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross on Monday, the first to be released as part of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. There was no immediate information on their condition. Hamas has said 20 living hostages will be exchanged for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The living hostages will be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which will take them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families. Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis are watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv. Advertisement The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday it had begun a multi-phase operation to oversee the release of hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Hamas released a list early on Monday morning of the 20 living hostages it will free as part of the ceasefire, and a list of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it said will be released by Israeli authorities. Major Israeli TV stations were airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. The timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. US President Donald Trump was first visiting Israel on Monday, where a White House schedule said he will meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament. Mr Trump will continue to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissis office said he will co-chair a peace summit Monday with regional and international leaders. Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza as part of a ceasefire, pausing two years of war that pummelled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and left scores of captives in militant hands. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the hostage transfers at public screenings across the country. In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages broke into wild cheers as television channels announced that the first group was in the hands of the Red Cross. Omri Miran was reunited with his loved ones after being released by Hamas (IDF via AP) The freed hostages, all men, were later reunited with their families and footage released by Israeli authorities showed tearful reunions, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately. Advertisement The Israeli military said Monday that it was escorting the bodies of four deceased captives who had been held by Hamas in Gaza. It was not immediately clear when the remaining 24 deceased captives would be handed over by Hamas. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank rejoiced as buses carrying dozens of released prisoners from Ofer Prison arrived in Beitunia, near Ramallah, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal. The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis. Later, giant crowds gathered to greet buses carrying other prisoners arriving at Nasser Hospital in Gazas southern city of Khan Younis. Mr Trump met Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv (AP) More than 150 of those freed were sent to Egypt by Israel and arrived at Gazas Rafah crossing with Egypt early Monday afternoon The freed men, with their heads shaved, descended from the bus, flashing V-for-victory signs; some were lifted up onto the shoulders of the crowd, while others sank into chairs nearby, exhausted. Palestinian prisoners were greeted after being released from an Israeli prison (Majdi Mohammed/AP) Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old Fatah member from the West Bank town of Tulkarem, said: It was an indescribable journey of suffering hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses more than anything you could imagine. His face gaunt, he said he lost 139 pounds (59 kilograms) in prison. Advertisement Mr Shanabs niece, Farah Abu Shanab, said: We dont recognise him. Hes not the person we knew. Our uncle doesnt look like our uncle. Gali Berman was released from Hamas captivity in Gaza (AP) Earlier, while Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel, an armoured vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called terrorist organisations risks arrest. Today is the first, crucial phase in ending the war in the Middle East. Now we must deliver lasting peace and a secure future for the whole region. The UK is providing additional humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, and we will lead efforts to accelerate its reconstruction. Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 13, 2025 Israels military did not respond to questions about the flier. Ziv Berman, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip (Leo Correa/AP) While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners has raised hopes that it marks the end of the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Thousands of people have gathered to celebrate in Tel Aviv as the release unfolds (AP) US President Donald Trump is in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas before continuing on to Egypt for a key summit that he hopes will solidify an end to the war and pave the way for a more durable peace in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he was committed to this peace in a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Advertisement Mr Trump also addressed the Knesset, telling Israeli officials that their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work towards peace after two years of war against Hamas and conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran. Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, he declared. President Donald Trump talks with Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset (Evan Vucci/AP) Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms, Mr Trump said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. We have started a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Read more: https://t.co/jZoFK1t9u1 pic.twitter.com/L0IAZjaB9Y ICRC (@ICRC) October 13, 2025 Later, Mr Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Mr Netanyahu will not attend the summit, despite Cairo earlier announcing that the Israeli prime minister would take part. In a statement, Mr Netanyahus office said that he had been invited by Mr Trump to participate in the meeting of world leaders but declined due to the timings proximity to the beginning of (a Jewish) holiday. Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummelled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. The releases came as American president Donald Trump was in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East. Under the deal, Israel will release more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and allow food and aid supplies into Gaza. Mr Trump met Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv (AP) Hamas released 13 remaining living hostages to Red Cross officials on Monday, the Israeli military said. Seven of the hostages were released earlier on Monday, while the remaining 13 were freed a few hours later. Advertisement The 20, all men, are being reunited with their families and expected to undergo medical checks. I very much welcome the release of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. I am profoundly relieved that they have regained their freedom & will soon be reunited with their loved ones after the immense suffering they have endured. I reiterate my call for the release of the remains pic.twitter.com/jKbUAkvyjY Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 13, 2025 The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remains unclear. Meanwhile, two Red Cross buses carrying Palestinian prisoners being released as part of exchange have begun leaving Ofer Prison. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attending a Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said. According to Egypt, both Mr Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are attending the summit in the Red Sea resort on Monday. The summit is co-chaired by Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and US leader Mr Trump, and will be attended by over two dozen world leaders. Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country. Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately. Today is the first, crucial phase in ending the war in the Middle East. Now we must deliver lasting peace and a secure future for the whole region. The UK is providing additional humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, and we will lead efforts to accelerate its reconstruction. Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 13, 2025 The photos of the first seven hostages released on Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January. Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. In the West Bank, an armoured vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd waiting near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered. Advertisement The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called terrorist organisations risked arrest. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. US president Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans with other leaders. Gali Berman was released from Hamas captivity in Gaza (AP) The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swathes of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. We have started a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Read more: https://t.co/jZoFK1t9u1 pic.twitter.com/L0IAZjaB9Y ICRC (@ICRC) October 13, 2025 Much of Gaza is a wasteland, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Sunday. The hostages return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. Advertisement As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. Thousands of people have gathered to celebrate in Tel Aviv as the release unfolds (AP) With the hostages release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over. It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. Meanwhile, buses lined up in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning in anticipation of the release of prisoners. The exact timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. The last surviving hostages from Gaza have been returned home to Israel in a defining exchange in the fragile ceasefire that has paused two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Ziv Berman, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip gestures from the window of a helicopter (Leo Correa/AP) Matan Angrest, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip puts his hands on his face after disembarking from a helicopter (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP) Freed Israeli hostage Alon Ohel was released from Hamas captivity (Ariel Schalit/AP) The Red Cross helped to bring the hostages, including Eitan Mor, back into Israel (Ariel Schalit/AP) A freed Israeli hostage holds an Israeli flag (Francisco Seco/AP) Eitan Mor meeting his family for the first time since he was taken hostage by Hamas (IDF via AP) Eitan Mor celebrates his release with a family selfie (IDF via AP) Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel as part of the deal, and hundreds boarded buses and arrived to welcoming crowds in the West Bank and Gaza. A Palestinian prisoner makes the victory sign after being released from an Israeli prison (Majdi Mohammed/AP) More than 1,750 prisoners are to be released as part of the ceasefire deal (Majdi Mohammed/AP) Hundreds in Gaza and the West Bank waited for coaches to bring their loved ones back (Mahmoud Illean/PA) Madagascars President Andry Rajoelina has left the country after an elite military unit turned against the government in an apparent coup, an opposition official said on Monday. The politicians comments came shortly before Mr Rajoelina was due to appear on national television to make a speech to the people of Madagascar. Mr Rajoelinas office said that his speech would be broadcast on state television and radio at 7pm local time, but didnt say if the president was still in Madagascar amid reports he had fled following weeks of deadly anti-government protests. Those protests, which were initially led by youth groups, reached a turning point on Saturday when soldiers from the elite Capsat military unit accompanied demonstrators to a square in the capital, Antananarivo, and called for Mr Rajoelina and several government ministers to leave office. Advertisement The unit, which helped Mr Rajoelina first come to power as transitional leader in a military-backed coup in 2009, said that it had taken charge of all the armed forces in Madagascar. Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, the leader of the opposition in parliament, said that Mr Rajoelina ran away from the country on Sunday after soldiers turned against him. On Sunday, Mr Rajoelinas office said that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force was underway in the nation of 31 million off the east coast of Africa. The presidents current whereabouts are unknown and a spokesperson for the president did not respond to phone calls and messages. Amid reports that France had flown Mr Rajoelina out of Madagascar, the French Foreign Ministry referred The Associated Press to a statement from the French Embassy that said no French military intervention is underway or planned in Madagascar, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity France fully respects. Madagascar is a former French colony, while Mr Rajoelina reportedly has French citizenship, which has previously been a source of discontent among Madagascans. Mr Rajoelina has not identified who was behind the attempted coup, but the Capsat military unit appeared to be in a position of authority and on Sunday appointed a general as the new head of Madagascars armed forces, which was accepted by the defence minister. A commander of Capsat, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, said that his soldiers had exchanged gunfire with security forces who were attempting to quell weekend protests, and one of his soldiers was killed. But there was no major fighting on the streets, and soldiers riding on armoured vehicles and waving Madagascar flags were cheered by people in Antananarivo. Advertisement Col Randrianirina said that the army had responded to the peoples calls, but denied there was a coup. Speaking at the countrys military headquarters, he told reporters that it was up to the Madagascan people to decide what happens next, and if Mr Rajoelina leaves power and a new election is held. The US Embassy in Madagascar advised American citizens to shelter in place because of a highly volatile and unpredictable situation. The African Union urged all parties, both civilian and military, to exercise calm and restraint. The Israeli military has taken custody of seven living hostages freed by Hamas from captivity in the Gaza Strip. The military said it had the seven after they were handed over by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The seven hostages have now crossed into Israel, and will be transferred to a military base where they will be reunited with their families. They will then be taken by helicopter to Israeli hospitals. Donald Trump has arrived in Tel Aviv (AP) Hamas earlier said it would release 20 living hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange comes as part of the ceasefire reached in the two-year Israel-Hamas war. The Israeli military said later on Monday that the Red Cross is on its way to a point in southern Gaza Strip to take custody of the second group of living hostages. Advertisement Meanwhile, American president Donald Trump landed in Israel to mark the US-brokered ceasefire. Air Force One touched down at Ben-Gurion International Airport at 9.42am local time (7.42am BST) after flying over Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where tens of thousands were gathered, on the way to landing. Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis are watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv. We have started a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. More details here: https://t.co/IE7zX7zlM1 pic.twitter.com/dbdEHsg8iq ICRC in Israel & OT (@ICRC_ilot) October 13, 2025 Meanwhile, Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. Mr Trump and other leaders are in the region to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans. A surge of humanitarian aid is expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. Tens of thousands of people are watching events unfold in Israel (AP) The hostages return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Advertisement Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. Only UNRWA can deliver lifesaving aid at the scale #Gaza needs. We have the network, the experience, and the trust of the community. The State of Israel must let UNRWA bring in the huge amount of aid that has been blocked in our warehouses in Jordan and Egypt since 2nd March. pic.twitter.com/kE3lcKYIGl UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 13, 2025 With the hostages release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over. The living hostages were handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which took them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families. It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned at the same time. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. The timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. The release place as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas (AP) They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after people are released, according to a prisoners family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. Mr Trump is scheduled to meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament. Vice president JD Vance said Mr Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages. The war is over, Mr Trump asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold. Advertisement The US leader will continue to Egypt, where the office of that countrys president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said he will co-chair a peace summit on Monday with regional and international leaders. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, will attend, sources said. Mr Trump is arriving in the Middle East as the ceasefire takes hold (AP) Mr Netanyahu has rejected any role in post-war Gaza for Mr Abbas, though the US plan leaves the possibility open if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007. Other key questions in the ceasefire deal have yet to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a billion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Mr Netanyahu has warned Israel could do it the hard way. Hamas has refused to disarm and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza. The Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gazas far north and the wide strip along Gazas border with Israel. Gaza has been devastated by the war (AP) Under the US plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gazas government should be worked out among Palestinians. The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 American troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. Advertisement The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state another non-starter for Mr Netanyahu. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. Much of Gaza is a wasteland, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Sunday. He said the UN has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tonnes of food and fuel and remove rubble. US President Donald Trump set off for Israel and Egypt on Sunday to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas and urge Middle East allies to seize the opportunity to build a durable peace in the volatile region. It is a fragile moment with Israel and Hamas in only the early stages of implementing the first phase of the Trump agreement designed to bring a permanent end to the war sparked by the October 7 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants. Mr Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the Middle East and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours. It is a moment, the Republican president says, that has been helped along by his administrations support of Israels attacks on Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Knock on wood, but we feel very confident the hostages will be released and this president is actually travelling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person JD Vance Very excited about this moment in time, Mr Trump told reporters before Air Force One took off. He said many people in both Israel and Arab countries were cheering the agreement, adding that everybodys amazed and their thrilled and were going to have an amazing time. Advertisement The White House says momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States. I think you are going to have tremendous success and Gaza is going to be rebuilt, Mr Trump said on Friday. And you have some very wealthy countries, as you know, over there. It would take a small fraction of their wealth to do that. And I think they want to do it. The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final 48 hostages held by Hamas, including about 20 believed to be alive; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main cities. Israeli troops on Friday finished withdrawing from parts of Gaza, triggering a 72-hour countdown under the deal for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages, potentially while Mr Trump is on the ground there. He said he expected their return to be completed on Monday or Tuesday. Mr Trump will visit Israel first to meet hostage families and address the Knesset, or parliament, an honour last extended to President George W Bush during a visit in 2008. Advertisement US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said Mr Trump also was likely to meet newly freed hostages as well. Knock on wood, but we feel very confident the hostages will be released and this president is actually travelling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person, Mr Vance told CBSs Face the Nation. US President Donald Trump with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month (Evan Vucci/AP) Mr Trump then stops in Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East. It is a tenuous truce and it is unclear whether the sides have reached any agreement on Gazas post-war governance, the territorys reconstruction and Israels demand that Hamas disarm. Negotiations over those issues could break down, and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not met. I think the chances of (Hamas) disarming themselves, you know, are pretty close to zero, HR McMaster, a national security adviser during Mr Trumps first term, said at an event hosted by the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies on Thursday. He said he thought what probably would happen in the coming months is that the Israeli military is going to have to destroy them. Israel continues to rule over millions of Palestinians without basic rights as settlements expand rapidly across the occupied West Bank. Despite growing international recognition, Palestinian statehood appears remote because of Israels opposition and actions on the ground, Advertisement The war has left Israel isolated internationally and facing allegations of genocide, which it denies. International arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister are in effect, and the United Nations highest court is considering allegations of genocide brought by South Africa. Hamas has been militarily destroyed and has given up its only bargaining chip with Israel by releasing the hostages. But the Islamic militant group is still intact and could eventually rebuild if there is an extended period of calm. Mr Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would continue with its demilitarisation of Hamas after the hostages are returned. Hamas agreed to the deal only when it felt that the sword was on its neck and it is still on its neck, Mr Netanyahu said Friday as Israel began to pull back its troops. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and rebuilding is expected to take years. The territorys roughly two million residents continue to struggle in desperate conditions. Under the deal, Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings, which will help ease the flow of food and other supplies into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Mr Trump is also standing up a US-led civil-military co-ordination centre in Israel to help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into Gaza. Roughly 200 US troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organisations and private-sector players. Advertisement US troops will not be sent to Gaza, Admiral Brad Cooper, the US military commander for the region, said in a social media post on Saturday. The White House has signalled that Mr Trump is looking to quickly return attention to building on a first-term effort known as the Abraham Accords, which forged diplomatic and commercial ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. A permanent agreement in Gaza would help pave the path for Mr Trump to begin talks with Saudi Arabia as well Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, toward normalising ties with Israel, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. Such a deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state, has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israels standing in historic ways. But the kingdom has said it will not officially recognise Israel before a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Donald Trump told Israeli politicians that their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace in the Middle East after two years of war against Hamas and skirmishes with Hezbollah and Iran. Mr Trump also used his speech to the Knesset to urge the Israeli president to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges. Although the US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, Mr Trump is determined to seize an opportunity to chase an elusive regional harmony. President Donald Trump was welcomed to the Knesset like a hero (Evan Vucci/AP) Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, he declared to the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero. Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms, Mr Trump said. Advertisement Youve won. I mean, youve won. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. President Donald Trump was hours behind schedule as he delivered his speech in the Knesset (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP) Mr Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza, which has been devastated during the conflict, and urged Palestinians to turn forever from the path of terror and violence. After tremendous pain and death and hardship, now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down. Mr Trump even plans to make a gesture to Iran, where he bombed three nuclear sites during the countrys brief war with Israel earlier this year, by saying the hand of friendship and co-operation is always open. We merely want to live in peace, he said. We dont want any looming threats over our heads. World leaders gathered in Egypt for the summit (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP) The US president will continue on to Egypt for a summit with more than two dozen other nations, although he was running hours late as speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected.They might not be there by the time I get there, but well give it a shot, Mr Trump joked after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much. There was a chance that Mr Netanyahu would join him, and Egypt even announced his attendance. However, Netanyahus office said later that he would not be going because the summit was too close to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Advertisement Israeli politicians chanted Mr Trumps name and gave him standing ovation after standing ovation throughout the speech. Members of the Knesset applaud as President Donald Trump addresses the body (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP) Some people in the audience wore red hats that resembled his Make America Great Again caps, although these versions said Trump, The Peace President. Mr Netanyahu hailed the American leader as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House and he promised to work with him going forward. Mr President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace, he said. And together, Mr President, we will achieve this peace. US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russia he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow does not settle its war there soon Mr Trump suggested he could be ready to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putins government using a key weapons system. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he said: I might say, Look: if this war is not going to get settled, Im going to send them Tomahawks. The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that. I might tell them that if the war is not settled that we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think its appropriate to bring up. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland., as he heads to the Middle East (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Mr Trump said he mentioned possibly sending Tomahawks during a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I dont think so, Mr Trump said of Russia. Advertisement I think I might speak to Russia about that. Tomahawks are a new step of aggression. Mr Trump said on board Air Force One: I really think Putin would look great if he got this settled and that Its not going to be good for him if not. His suggestions followed Russia having attacked Ukraines power grid overnight, part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter. Moscow also expressed extreme concern over the US potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Mr Putin himself has previously suggested that the United States supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine will seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talks during a press conference in Kyiv (AP) For his part, Mr Zelensky described his latest call with Mr Trump as very productive, and said the pair had discussed strengthening Ukraines air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities, along with details related to the energy sector. In an interview with Fox News Channels The Sunday Briefing after his call with the US president, Mr Zelensky was asked whether Mr Trump had approved the Tomahawks and said, we work on it. Im waiting for president to yes, Mr Zelensky said. Of course we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see. Advertisement The Ukrainian president said on Friday that he was in talks with US officials about the possible provision of various long-range precision strike weapons, including Tomahawks and more ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in remarks published on Sunday that the topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern. Mr Trump, who has been frustrated by Russia in his efforts to end the war, said last week that he has sort of made a decision on whether to send Tomahawks to Ukraine, without elaborating. A senior Ukrainian delegation is set to visit the US this week. The US president in recent weeks has taken a notably tougher tact with Mr Putin, after the Russian leader has declined to engage in direct talks with Mr Zelensky about easing fighting. Last month, Mr Trump announced that he now believes Ukraine could win back all the territory lost to Russia a dramatic shift from his repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end Russias war in Ukraine. But Mr Trump has resisted Zelenskys calls for Tomahawks. They would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory and put the sort of pressure on Putin that Zelensky argues is needed to get the Russians to seriously engage in peace talks. Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire deal and Israel sent home busloads of Palestinian detainees, as UD president Donald Trump declared the end of the two-year long war that has upended the broader Middle East. Hours later, Mr Trump convened Muslim and European leaders in Egypt to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip and the possibility of a wider regional peace, even as Hamas and Israel, both absent from the gathering, are yet to agree on the next steps. The Israeli military said it had received all 20 hostages confirmed to be alive, after their transfer from Gaza by the Red Cross. The announcement prompted cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv. In Gaza, thousands of relatives, many weeping with joy, gathered at a hospital where buses brought home some of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees to be freed by Israel as part of the accord. Advertisement "The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace," Mr Trump told the Knesset, Israel's parliament, saying a "long nightmare" for both Israelis and Palestinians was over. The US, along with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, mediated what has been described as a first phase agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas and prisoners and detainees by Israel. Peace summit At the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh later on Monday, Mr Trump and president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hosted more than 20 world leaders for a summit intended to cement the truce. At the opening of the summit, Mr Trump signed a document with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey's leaders welcoming the agreements on Gaza and pledging to "work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy". Egypt's presidency said that discussions included the governance, security and reconstruction of Gaza. "Now the rebuilding begins," Mr Trump said at the summit, delivering an expansive speech where he described in grand terms the Gaza agreement he helped broker, saying it could be "the greatest deal of them all". Israel and Hamas were not represented at the summit, while the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates did not attend. Mr Trump at one point greeted Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke to the US leader at length. The Palestinian Authority wants to play a significant role in the future administration of Gaza, despite objections from Israel. Advertisement Formidable obstacles remain The Israeli hostages freed on Monday were the last still alive in captivity from 251 seized in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7th, 2023 that killed 1,200 people and triggered the war. The ceasefire and partial Israeli withdrawal agreed last week halted one of Israel's biggest offensives of the war, an all-out assault on Gaza City that was killing scores of people per day. Since then, huge numbers of Palestinians have been able to return to the ruins of homes in the Gaza Strip, swathes of which were reduced to a wasteland by Israeli bombardment that killed 68,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. Formidable obstacles remain, even to securing an enduring ceasefire, much less to bringing a wider, more durable peace. Among the immediate issues still to be resolved: recovering the remains of another 26 Israeli hostages believed to have died and two whose fates are unknown. Hamas says recovering the bodies could take time as not all burial sites are known. Israel's military said it had escorted four coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages to Israel and that those remains were being identified. Aid supplies Aid supplies must be rushed into the enclave, where hundreds of thousands of people face famine. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher underlined the need to "get shelter and fuel to people who desperately need it and to massively scale up the food and medicine and other supplies going in". Beyond that, crucial issues have yet to be resolved, including how to govern and police Gaza, and the ultimate future of Hamas, which still rejects Israel's demands to disarm. Advertisement Hamas gunmen, seeking to assert their presence, launched a security crackdown in Gaza City after Israel's pullback, killing 32 members of a rival group, a Palestinian security source said. Tensions have also been rising in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Jewish settlements have expanded in land Palestinians envision as part of a future state. Mr Trump, speaking on his flight to the region, said Hamas had been given a temporary green light for fighters to keep order: "They do want to stop the problems, and they've been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time." The Gaza War has also reshaped the Middle East through spillover conflicts, with Israel imposing punishing damage in a 12-day war against Iran and campaigns against Tehran's regional allies, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. Mr Trump, who has presented his plan to end the war in Gaza as the catalyst for a wide regional peace settlement, said more countries would join the Abraham Accords initiative and even floated the idea of a peace deal between arch Middle East enemies Iran and Israel, telling the Knesset he thought Iran wanted one: "Wouldn't it be nice?" Joy, relief on both sides Beaming with relief and joy, two released hostages waved to cheering crowds from vans on the way to an Israeli hospital, one hoisting a large Israeli flag then forming a heart with his hands. Video footage captured emotional scenes of families receiving phone messages from their loved ones as they were being released, their faces lighting up with disbelief and hope after months of anguish. Advertisement "I am so excited. I am full of happiness. It's hard to imagine how I feel this moment. I didn't sleep all night," said Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, as she travelled to Reim, an Israeli military camp where hostages were being transferred. US president Donald Trump speaks while world leaders listen during a summit of European and Middle Eastern leaders on Gaza on October 13th, 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Palestinians meanwhile rushed to embrace prisoners freed by Israel. Several thousand gathered inside and around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, some waving Palestinian flags, others holding photos of their relatives. "I am happy for our sons who are being freed, but we are still in pain for all those who have been killed by the occupation, and all the destruction that happened to our Gaza," a Gaza woman, Um Ahmed, told Reuters in a tearful voice message. Freed prisoners arrived in buses, some of them posing from the windows, flashing V-for-Victory signs. The appearance of armed and masked Hamas fighters at the scene underscored the difficulty of resolving Israel's demand that they disarm. Israel was due to release 1,700 detainees it captured in Gaza, as well as 250 prisoners from its jails convicted or suspected of security offences, including attacks on Israelis. Luxury award designer and manufacturer and craft brewer celebrate excellence and winning in a fun collaboration CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Society Awards , the premier designer and manufacturer of luxury, custom, and limited edition awards, has partnered with Sycamore , the number one independently-owned craft brewery in North Carolina, to create a beer that celebrates winning in all forms. "Taste of Victory" (7.5% ABV) is Sycamore's first packaged West Coast-style IPA a bold, hop-forward brew bursting with classic citrus, pine, and floral notes, and balanced by a smooth, dry finish: perfect for post-win toasts or everyday triumphs. David Powell (PRNewsfoto/Society Awards) The collaboration came to life at The Line, an office and retail hub in the South End, where both companies are located. "At Society Awards, we believe in celebrating excellence, whether it's poured into a glass or polished into gold," said David Moritz, CEO of Society Awards. "This collaboration with Sycamore is about local Charlotte pride and toasting the wins that shape this city." The name is a playful nod to the spirit of celebration because while it might not literally taste like victory, whatever that means, it's a fun way to toast one. The exclusive "Taste of Victory" IPA will be available for a limited time at Sycamore's taproom. "As Charlotte's largest hometown brewery, supporting and collaborating with local businesses has always been part of who we are. And of course, nothing pairs better with a big win than a bold and tasty IPA," said Richard Magrath, Sycamore president. Since its founding in 2007, Society Awards has set the gold standard for recognition. Their custom-designed awards are seen on the biggest stages, including Golden Globes, MTV, and YouTube. Sycamore, founded in Charlotte in 2013 and known for its fan-favorite Mountain Candy IPA, has grown into one of the region's leading craft breweries, with a flagship taproom, a second location at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and distribution across six states. This is one trophy you can drink from. About Society Awards Society Awards is the premier designer and manufacturer of luxury, custom and limited edition awards. The Charlotte-based company makes more famous, prestigious and televised awards than any brand in history. Its awards and recognition products are crafted with an artistry and mastery that has propelled them to be the unparalleled industry leader. Clients include the Academy of Country Music, Billboard, MTV, YouTube Creator Awards, NAACP, NBC's The Voice, American Music Awards, BET, CFDA, ABC's Dancing with the Stars, the Recording Academy, and many others. Learn more about the world's best awards maker at https://societyawards.com/ About Sycamore Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Justin and Sarah Brigham, Sycamore has been creating award-winning craft liquids since 2013. Since then, production volume has soared, and Sycamore has now become the largest Charlotte-born brewery as well as the number one independently owned craft brewery in North Carolina. In 2023, Sycamore opened one of the largest taprooms in the United States in Charlotte's South End neighborhood, further establishing itself as a gathering place for good times and great beer. Also, in 2023, Sycamore opened a taproom at the Charlotte airport (CLT). Sycamore has plans to open another taproom in 2026 in Charlotte's Cotswold neighborhood. From year-round mainstays and IPAs to seasonal offerings and cafe-inspired brews, Sycamore beer is available at major retailers in NC, SC, VA, WV, TN and GA. For more information, visit www.sycamorebrew.com . Stay connected with Sycamore on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X ( @SycamoreBrewing ). SOURCE Society Awards Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. This years Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, which took place from October 23 to 26, was the perfect time to celebrate how this city has become one of the most diverse dining scenes on the planet. Put a pin in any region on a world map, and chances are youll find its food showcased beautifully in Hong Kong. The latest edition of the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau recognises 51 different cuisines a testament to how the citys dining scene has evolved into one of the most diverse on the planet, where chefs from across the globe bring their heritage and creativity. Some stay true to tradition; others joyfully fuse flavours into something entirely new. The citys compact geography means you can graze through continents in a single evening; Thai boat noodles for lunch, French brasserie classics for dinner, a mezcal nightcap, and a late-night roti in between. The citys history as a crossroads of trade and culture inspires chefs to innovate while still celebrating tradition. For diners, its a playground: you can travel the world in 24 hours without leaving the city, and every meal tells a story of heritage, migration, collaboration and creativity. Advertisement Eating outGood Food Guide Whats up, whats down: Which restaurants gained (and lost) hats in the new SMH Good Food Guide While talent flourishes in Sydneys west and CBD, some of the restaurants in the citys eastern suburbs lost a hat at the launch of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2026. Scott Bolles Updated October 14, 2025 ,first published October 14, 2025 Save 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 SMH Good Food Guide 2026 Awards collection. See all stories . Advertisement As Sydneys Red Rooster Line creeps east, the Good Food Guide Awards dine line is pushing west. Guide co-editor Callan Boys said Sydneys inner west and greater west continued their dining ascent: Lidcombe snared its first hat in the 41-year history of the Guide. It added to last years western gains, where Sinclairs in Penrith and Cricca in Windsor bore fruit. Yeodongsik may not be what some people have traditionally considered a hatted restaurant, Boys said of the Korean diner in Lidcombe. The setting is modest, but Boys said the restaurant provides a high level of hospitality, and every dish is terrific, especially the haejangguk soup of rounded flavour built on long-simmered beef bones When youre queuing outside at Yeodongsik, and theres always a queue, owner Justin Shin will also bring you a cup of barley tea while you wait. Service is super-efficient and friendly, and staff are always happy to guide newcomers through the short no-filler menu. Advertisement The cluster of restaurants on Australia Street in Newtown Mister Grotto, Osteria Mucca and Continental Deli all picked up hats, while a few blocks away, restaurateurs Alessandro and Anna Pavoni put the sugar on the cannoli with a hat at Vineria Luisa on Enmore Road. King Street, Enmore Road and the surrounding streets have got to be the most exciting place to eat and drink in Sydney, said Guide co-editor David Matthews. There are incredible bars, nine hatted restaurants. The Pavonis moving in is another tick of approval for all the operators whove invested so much in building up the areas culture. Yeodongsik in Lidcombe. Jennifer Soo With fork and pen in hand, the Guide team picked over more than 600 restaurants this awards season. The crowning of Eleven Barrack as Best New Restaurant came from a highly competitive field in the Sydney CBD. Boys said The Grill at The International and Garaku at Prefecture 48 were nipping at Eleven Barracks heels all the way to the finishing line. Advertisement With its strong Japanese focus, the new Prefecture 48 hub on Sussex Street led the way for a strong showing for the cuisine. Prefecture 48 is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Japanese; out of its four restaurants three of them have hats, Boys said of the contribution of the hub to the rush of newly hatted Japanese venues. It was also great to acknowledge tiny Amuro in Darlinghurst for its singular menu of regional Japanese cuisine and sake-led drinks list. In an awards season in which Balmains The Dry Dock, Chinese newcomer Grandfathers and Infinity the sky-high revolving restaurant marking a Sydney return for chef Mark Best all joined the one-hat club, there were still a few quirks. Neil Perry pulled off a Houdini-like move at Double Bay, flipping the Cantonese Song Bird into Italian Gran Torino without dropping a hat. Sadly, there were a few bumps for the rest of the field, with the plush Armorica in Surry Hills and Martin Place restaurant Morena both dropping out of the hats category. Corner 75 in Randwick received a hat. Edwina Pickles Further afield, Boys said one of the most significant trends in regional and ACT dining was the continued rise of great wine bars. Im quite sure Paranormal Wines in Canberra is the first bottle shop to ever be awarded a Good Food Guide hat. Well done to owner Max Walker and chef Reece Inkpen for delivering such great service and dishes such as mackerel XO noodles and beetroots with pickled green peaches, almonds with a shishito dressing. Advertisement Meanwhile, wine bars Hey Rosey in Orange and Tenterfields Stonefruit were awarded a hat for the first time. While Orange has always been well represented in the Guide, Stonefruit is the first hatted venue for New England in many years. Related Article The ultimate guide to the Good Food Guide Photo: Good Food A free 80-page Good Food Guide liftout with all the award winners and Critics Picks will be inserted in The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, October 14. The Good Food app is the home of the 2026 edition of the Good Food Guide, with more than 600 reviews. The app is free for premium subscribers of the SMH and also available as a standalone subscription. You can download the Good Food app here. * Note: NEW denotes a venue that has opened in the past 12 months Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share 192 View all comments Where does western Sydney begin and end? Its a question that has perplexed Sydneysiders for generations, and could have endless answers based on who is asked. Does it begin at Lakemba? Burwood? Sydney Olympic Park? Or further west, at Parramatta? And if it starts at any of these areas, does that mean the inner west extends that far? Or are there two western Sydneys, an inner and outer western Sydney? Or two inner wests? Considering one in 10 Australians lives in the region, and that it has grown into a cultural and economic powerhouse, it has become more essential than ever to define it. And while there have been previous attempts to draw the border, whether it be via the latte line or the Red Rooster line, the Herald has looked through ABS data to reveal a series of data-backed boundaries that reflect a more updated understanding of our city. Sydney Olympic Park with the Sydney CBD in the background. Is this where western Sydney begins? James Brickwood Based on rates of languages spoken at home, median house prices, or ABS statistical level 4 categories, the border could be at three different locations: Ashfield, Lakemba and Auburn, respectively. Advertisement Adam Leto, chief executive of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, says each option also presents a cultural calculation, because of the many sub-cultures in the region. If you speak to some of these areas, theyve all got their own views on what they consider to be western Sydney as well, he said. Lots of these places, like Lakemba, have their own subculture that is tied to events or activities. The same goes for Parramatta, Penrith, Campbelltown, they all have their own brands and their own sub-identities. Lakemba, with its own identity, celebrates the end of the day during Ramadan. Wolter Peeters And it is hard to tie them all neatly around a certain concept or theme. But that is what western Sydney is: mixed. But with infrastructure changes due in the next decade, including two metro lines opening, in addition to the Western Sydney International Airport, these borders may change again. Dr Angela Smith, a lecturer at UNSW in human geography, said that while borders would always be mobile and dynamic, defining western Sydney was an important step towards recognising it as the face of modern Australia. Greater western Sydney is literally half of Sydney, its 2 million people. Its the third-biggest economy in Australia, and I think western Sydney gets marginalised too much. I think this is a powerful reminder that its not small and its not insignificant. Advertisement She said the value in deciding on a border was to end the minoritisation of people from western Sydney. These are statistical reminders about the size of the voting bloc, she said. There is value in a greater western Sydney bloc because it is a powerful reminder of just how important the region is. Border One: The language line A defining perception of western Sydney is that it is home to much of Sydneys migrant population, meaning a higher rate of multilingualism. Since 2011, the ABS has tracked the rates of which people speak a language other than English at home, with the statewide average sitting at 26.6 per cent in 2021. But, looking at the rates of multilingualism suburb by suburb, a trend emerges. Moving from east to west, suburbs broadly increase in the rates of people who speak a language other than English at home. Advertisement Those rates spike to more than 50 per cent in some areas, around the middle of the city, revealing a border. To the west of Burwood and Canterbury, the rates of multilingualism rise exponentially, placing those suburbs at the edge of this rough border. Border Two: The house price line The second option for a border is based on the ABSs tracking of the median price of established house transfers. This tracks the median house prices, and an analysis of the dataset shows that house prices suddenly drop around Lakemba, to below $1.4 million. A line can be drawn through the city based on that figure. To the east of the line, median house sales remain firmly above $1.4 million, dropping off steeply on the western side of the border. This border cuts out Burwood, Homebush, Canterbury and Hurstville from western Sydney, and has a somewhat jagged shape, but clearly distinguishes between two different housing markets, and two different Sydneys. Advertisement Border Three: The ABS Statistical Area The ABS has itself also marked out western Sydney. It organises data into different levels and statistical areas level 4 includes a naming system that indicates which areas are and are not included in western Sydney. These are areas named by the ABS to represent specific labour markets and population centres, usually areas with populations above 100,000, and up to 500,000 in cities. Based on that, the ABS categorises Canterbury-Bankstown as inner south-west, cutting it out of western Sydney and leaving Auburn the furthermost suburb of the region, and where the border with the inner west lies. This means the inner west is expanded to include areas such as Canterbury, Punchbowl and Bankstown, making it one of the biggest areas in the city. Advertisement A Sunshine Coast council says it was defrauded of almost $2 million by international crime gangs over the Christmas period last year, but was told by police not to make the incident public. Noosa Council CEO Larry Sengstock. Noosa Council CEO Larry Sengstock said sophisticated, strategic and targeted tactics were used to commit the crime. The criminals used social engineering AI techniques, and we will not go into specifics to avoid revealing the tactics of the criminals, and because of our legal obligation to protect Council staff, Sengstock said. He said the fraud was not related to cybersecurity, and no data was stolen. The incident was reported to the Queensland Audit Office and the state government, Sengstock said. The alleged perpetrators of the fraud were already under investigation by the Australian Federal Police and Interpol, and the council was able to recoup some of the money, according to Sengstock. Despite having processes and procedures to mitigate this type of event, unfortunately, in this instance they were not effective enough, as this crime was committed by highly organised, professional criminals who found a way through our processes. Advertisement Exclusive NationalQueenslandGreyhound racing Government sits on report into deadly Queensland greyhound track Cameron Atfield October 14, 2025 5:00am Save 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 7 View all comments The Queensland government has quietly launched a post-design and construction review into The Q, a deadly greyhound track that opened at Ipswich earlier this year. And while the investigation has been completed, its findings and recommendations will remain secret at least for now. Documents obtained by this masthead through Queenslands Right to Information legislation show a government scrambling to deal with the fallout of 11 deaths at the new three-track facility. The fall that killed Cool Hand Rio, the 12th greyhound to die as a result of racing at The Q, on July 22. Racing Queensland In letters sent to both Racing Queensland and the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission on July 9, Racing Department director-general Andrew Hopper acknowledged the scandals toll on the industry. Advertisement This series of incidents have eroded public and stakeholder confidence in the greyhound industry, he said. Related Article Greyhound racing Racing suspended at Australias deadliest greyhound track Hopper asked RQ and QRIC to assist in the investigation, the terms of reference of which state The Q was the only greyhound centre in the world with different tracks to suit the size, age, running gait and athletic abilities of different greyhounds. The terms of reference focused on whether the tracks were built and commissioned according to contracted plans, including a review of all construction deviations and approvals. They also examined safety preparations, including all trials, track maintenance, and risk mitigation strategies implemented before and during the facilitys initial opening. Advertisement Finally, the investigation assessed whether current operations and curation standards meet a world-leading level for animal welfare including track camber and surface incorporating direct feedback from trainers and stakeholders who had raised concerns. The investigation has been completed, but its findings and recommendations will not be made public until the reports release. The Q officially opened in June, at a cost of more than $80 million. The Q A spokeswoman for Racing Minister Tim Mander said the investigation was thorough, but its details were not ready to be made public. This $90 million facility was commissioned and built under the former Labor government, but the Crisafulli government is determined to ensure it upholds animal welfare standards, she said. Advertisement We are confident in the work that has been done to ensure this happens and the recommendations will be released in the near future. The identity of the entity tasked with conducting the review would also remain secret until the reports release, but the terms of reference called for a detailed desktop and physical investigation of all three tracks at The Q a large one-turn track, a two-turn track and a straight track. In designing The Q, Racing Queensland established a panel of leading industry experts with the intention to provide the optimal track for racing safety and injury reduction, the Racing Department says in its terms of reference. Since its opening, The Q has faced increasing scrutiny due to growing concerns over animal welfare, placing increased pressure on the greyhound racing industry and on government oversight. The documents say the tracks were designed with surface banking designed to reduce excessive limb forces acting on greyhounds with modern cambers and a world-class racing surface. Advertisement Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds president Amy MacMahon said the RTI was the first official acknowledgement she had seen of the 11 greyhound deaths, but The Qs body count had risen to as many as 16 since the investigation was launched. The most recent death was Bad Boy Red, who was euthanised after an off-foreleg injury at The Q the Sunday before last. A high-speed collision during a greyhound race at The Q in May at one of the new venues warm-up races. Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds We are really keen to see the results of this review, but we know that theres actually nothing you can do to make a greyhound track safe, MacMahon said. So even if the review comes back and says that everything was done as the plan intended, you would still end up with a greyhound racing track that isnt safe. Advertisement A spokesman for the Labor opposition called for the reports immediate release. Related Article Opinion The Fitz Files Dog racing is on its last legs and heres another hammer blow Peter FitzSimons Columnist and author If the investigation into The Q has completed, why is it gathering dust on Tim Manders desk? he said. If the minister was serious about addressing the issues raised at The Q, he would release the report and its recommendations as a matter of priority to give industry and community certainty. The extent of animal welfare concerns at the facility remained unclear, with a separate RTI application to RQ hinting at major issues. Advertisement That application identified almost 1400 documents produced since March, but RQ imposed a $17,160 charge for this masthead to access them. In August, Tasmanian Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced plans to phase out greyhound racing in the Apple Isle by June 30, 2029. Rockliffs pledge came almost nine years after then-NSW Liberal premier Mike Baird announced a ban on greyhound racing in his state, only to capitulate three months later following intense industry pressure. There does not appear to be much appetite for such a ban from Queenslands LNP government. In July, Premier David Crisafulli described greyhound racing as an important part of the fabric of who we are as Queenslanders. This weeks planned release of the governments separate, far-reaching review into all three racing codes thoroughbred, harness and greyhound has also been delayed. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement NationalCBD The beloved independent supermarket thats fallen to Coles Madeleine Heffernan and Kishor Napier-Raman October 14, 2025 4:00am Save 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 Big news for fans of Leos Fine Food & Wine supermarket in Glen Iris. CBD can reveal that the beloved upmarket supermarket, home of bougie essentials such as European chocolate and lasagne made on the Mornington Peninsula, will shortly become a Coles store. There goes another independent. Its understood there was a competitive sales process for the site, which is close to the Burwood train station on the sleepy Alamein line. It is also, handily, not far from Coles head office in Hawthorn East. Leos Fine Food & Wine in Kew will become luxury housing. Joe Armao Leos Fine Food & Wine Glen Iris will stop trading on December 2 and reopen as a Coles Local early next year. Coles describes its local stores as offering the convenience of a supermarket with the character of a specialty food store. The ones that still exist, that is. Coles told CBD it was excited to be delivering a newly refreshed Coles Local for the Glen Iris community - which will open its doors early next year. Advertisement The supermarket said the store would showcase some of the very best products from local suppliers, introduce them to new customers, and still deliver the same great value youd find in any Coles supermarket. Pino Paolucci, general manager of Le-Max Group, confirmed the purchase for an undisclosed sum and said its Maxi Foods store in the outer eastern suburb of Upper Ferntree Gully would continue trading. A Coles store near the companys headquarters in Hawthorn East. Eamon Gallagher The site is yet to change hands. Property records show that Rose Blake, who founded Leos with her late husband Leo, owns the property at 2 Summerhill Road, which was bought for $2.66 million in 2006. The sale marks almost the end of Leos supermarkets in Melbourne. The family-owned business Le Max Group sold its Kew and Heidelberg Leos stores earlier this year, and announced both would close at the end of 2026. Advertisement As The Age has reported, Leos in Princess Street, Kew, will be turned into housing in a joint venture by luxury developer Orchard Piper and billionaire James Packer. Leos Heidelberg supermarket is to close at the end of 2026. Joe Armao Melbourne developer Banco Group has bought the Leos supermarket in Burgundy Street, Heidelberg. Banco has called the purchase an investment. Big techs lobbying blitz December 10 is D-Day for big tech giants, when the Albanese governments planned teenage social media ban is slated to come into force. Advertisement This week, representatives from TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and Google will descend on Canberra for meetings with Communications Minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. Representatives from TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and Google will descend on Canberra for meetings with Communications Minister Anika Wells. Dominic Lorrimer With details of exactly which platforms are going to be banned still fuzzy, and the threat of retaliatory tariffs from the Trump administration looming, we expect big techs lobbying blitz to continue right down to the buzzer. Representatives from some of those platforms might feel a bit miffed at last weeks Senate estimates hearing revelation that 4Chan, notoriously the internets filthiest sewer, has managed to escape the naughty list. Especially since 4Chan doesnt have any smooth-talking former staff pleading its case in the Canberra bubble. Unlike the other tech giants, who have their share of former ministerial apparatchiks on the books and often more than one external lobbying firm retained. Advertisement Michael Photios is representing Google as the government prepares to ban young teens from social media. Christopher Pearce Take Google, for example, which despite having three firms registered as lobbyists, is now, as of this month, also being represented by Premier National, run by Liberal moderate powerbroker Michael Photios. One might expect Anthony Albaneses sweeping election victory in May to have been a kind of extinction-level event for Liberal-aligned lobbying firms. But it appears business isnt going too badly for Premier National, which has added 11 new clients since the federal election. It looks like Photios, a former NSW minister saw the writing on the wall earlier than most, moving his firm towards a more bipartisan footing in January by promoting Tom Kenny, fresh out of Albaneses office, and ex-Kevin Rudd staffer Kathryn Conroy to partners. Advertisement More recently, the firm has become, as far as we can tell, the first major lobbying shop to land someone from the Greens. Former ACT Greens MP Amanda Bresnan joined in July. The message to Liberals is pretty clear: evolve or die. Ah-ha moment Until this week, the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association operated as the national peak body for public hospitals. But no longer. This week, news filtered out that the AHHA had been put into voluntary administration, and would no longer be operating as the national peak body. Although there had been no communication from the AHHA itself on the matter, beyond a statement from administrators McGrath Nicol confirming that theyd taken over. Advertisement Due to the financial position of AHHA, we regret to advise that the administrators are unable to trade the business and have no alternative other than to undertake an orderly wind-down of operations, McGrath Nicol said. Our calls to AHHA chief executive Tony Farley went unanswered. Farley was appointed interim CEO in May on a short-term contract to steer this national peak body through a critical period. That, it certainly was. Before being hired by the AHHAs chair, former NSW health minister Jillian Skinner, Farley last popped up on CBDs radar when, in his previous job as executive director of Sydney Catholic Schools, he put noses out of joint with a ritzy Christmas cocktail soiree. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement PoliticsFederalPolitical leadership AFP investigating Lidia Thorpes burn down Parliament House comments Nick Newling Updated October 13, 2025 4:22pm ,first published October 13, 2025 2:22pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share The Australian Federal Police are investigating whether independent senator Lidia Thorpe breached legislation by saying she would burn down Parliament House to make a point about Palestinian and Indigenous rights at a rally over the weekend. In a statement to this masthead, an AFP spokeswoman said the force was aware of Thorpes comments and had initiated an investigation into a possible breach of legislation by the senator, following criticism of Thorpes comments from across the political spectrum. Senator Lidia Thorpe made the comments at Sundays pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne. Luis Enrique Ascui The AFP is aware of comments made at a protest regarding Australian Parliament House. The AFPs National Security Investigations team in Victoria began investigating almost immediately into whether the comments breach legislation. This will be done methodically, a statement to this masthead read. The AFP would not say what legislation may have been breached. It is not the usual practice of the AFP to provide a running commentary on matters. However, noting the public commentary and concern, the AFP is seeking to reassure the community that this issue is being appropriately considered and undertaken in a timely manner. Advertisement On Sunday, while speaking at a Melbourne pro-Palestinian protest, the senator said: We will fight every day ... and if I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point ... I am not there to make friends. Im there to get justice for our people. Related Article Israeli-Palestinian conflict Lidia Thorpes protest remarks spark controversy as Israeli hostage release nears We stand in solidarity because we know what its like to have a boot on our neck every moment that we are alive. But we have survived, Thorpe told the protest. The senator has since clarified the statement, saying it was a metaphor for the pain in our communities. Thorpe issued a statement before the AFP said it was investigated, saying her comments should not be taken literally. They were obviously not a literal threat, she said. Advertisement This mock outrage is ridiculous. While people are dying and starving in Gaza, politicians and media are once again clutching their pearls and chasing a scandal. Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash rebuked Thorpe for the comments, saying they were disgraceful and shocking but unfortunately unsurprising. The Coalition has flagged a potential censure motion against the senator when the upper house sits again at the end of the month. On Monday morning, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was critical of Thorpes speech, saying that the domestic temperature needed to be turned down. I echo what the prime minister said about us needing to turn the temperature down, regardless of the fact that now is a time for hope ... the concept of wanting to inflame, push the temperature up, is not what anyone should be doing, least of all a Member of Parliament, Burke told ABC Radio National. Im not going to respond to that by increasing the heat in the opposite direction. I really think its a time for just turning the temperature down ... there are two things that Australians have been wanting. Advertisement Theyve been wanting the killing to end, and theyve been wanting to make sure that the conflicts not brought here, we might be looking right now at the chance for the killing to end. So, lets also try to calm things down here. Burke said a censure motion would be a matter for the Senate. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek told Nines Today on Monday that a censure motion or similar repercussions for Thorpe were a matter to be decided down the track. Senator Thorpe has been contacted for comment. With AAP Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement Updated PoliticsFederalSuperannuation Chalmers backs down on super indexing, puts in higher tax rate for accounts with $10m Shane Wright, Nick Newling and Millie Muroi Updated October 13, 2025 3:40pm ,first published October 13, 2025 11:23am Save 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 705 View all comments Months of mounting internal pressure including from Labor legend Paul Keating has forced Treasurer Jim Chalmers to overhaul his plans to lift tax on the superannuation accounts of wealthy Australians while setting up a battle with the Greens in the Senate. After constantly pushing back at suggestions he would radically change his 2023 budget announcement, Chalmers on Monday revealed the government would establish a 40 per cent tax rate for earnings on super balances above $10 million, while earnings on balances above $3 million will be taxed at 30 per cent. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announces the changes to Labors plans on Monday afternoon. Alex Ellinghausen Plans to tax unrealised gains the increase in the paper value of unsold assets at 30 per cent have been ditched, and the thresholds will now be indexed alongside inflation or wages growth. The low-income super tax offset (LISTO) payment will also be raised from $500 to $810. Currently, people earning under $37,000 a year receive $500 from the government, deposited directly into their super account. From 2027, the threshold will be raised to an income of $45,000, and the annual deposit will be $810. Advertisement The announcement followed the news that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had sought a briefing from Treasury on objections to the original super tax changes. At a meeting of the Expenditure Review Committee on Friday, Chalmers and Anthony Albanese agreed to the changes which were then signed off by cabinet on Monday morning. Related Article Superannuation Super tax plan in question with Treasury in conversation with PM Chalmers said the changes to the superannuation system will make the system fairer, saying that the new system is reflective of a period of consultation. We always try and find the best way through. We always try and work through issues in a considered and methodical way. And thats whats happened here. We found another way to satisfy the same objectives, Chalmers said. It means a fairer superannuation system from top to bottom. It means better outcomes for people on the lowest incomes and better targeted concessions for people with the biggest balances. And thats a good outcome from our point of view. Advertisement The changes were first announced in early 2023, with Chalmers then describing them as a modest reform that would ensure the long-term sustainability of superannuation. The Treasury estimates the government will forego more than $55 billion in revenue because of the concessional tax treatment of super. Paul Keating has backed Jim Chalmers changes to the governments superannuation reforms. Oscar Colman But the changes attracted increasingly strident attacks, with claims the taxation of unrealised gains would large compliance problems and hurt investment in sectors from venture capital to farming while the lack of indexation would ultimately hit people on average incomes. Paul Keating, who oversaw the creation of modern superannuation, said the problems Chalmers was trying to address dated back to changes made by John Howard and Peter Costello in 2007 when they abolished the then so-called reasonable benefits test. The former Labor PM had been an internal critic of Chalmers original plan but said the changes would restore much-needed equity following the Howard-Costello rampage of 2007 when the then reasonable benefit limit was abolished. Advertisement Bringing equity and an important measure of tax justice to supers current runaway arrangements with the nomination of a $3 million limit taxed at 15 per cent and 30 per cent thereafter, is a huge policy achievement by the Treasurer, as is the added increment of a higher rate of tax on accumulations above $10 million, he said. Related Article Exclusive Superannuation Heres what the average person with $3 million in super looks like It is reform of a kind that shares substance with necessity. Necessity that every government since 2007 has conveniently overlooked or simply regarded as too difficult. The change will substantially reduce the amount of tax to be raised by the measure. Chalmers said in its first full year of operation, which has been pushed back 12 months to the start of the 2026-27 financial year, the changes will raise about $2 billion compared to the $2.5 billion expected from the original package. Shadow treasurer Ted OBrien said the proposal had always been super big and super bad while demanding Chalmers reveal how he would cover the expected shortfall in revenue left by the move. Advertisement The treasurer has to explain where he is going to get $4 billion to plug the black hole that now exists in the budget. Todays decision creates that black hole, he said. Independent MP Allegra Spender said there had been strong support for reducing superannuation concessions but the original proposal, particularly the taxation of unrealised gains and the lack of threshold indexation, had gone too far. Explaining the key terms Unrealised gains: Earnings which have not yet been cashed out. For example: the value of shares you own may rise, but you do not get to pocket that gain until you sell those shares. The latest super tax changes reverse the proposal to tax unrealised gains. Earnings which have not yet been cashed out. For example: the value of shares you own may rise, but you do not get to pocket that gain until you sell those shares. The latest super tax changes reverse the proposal to tax unrealised gains. Threshold: The point at which the new super tax applies. I.e. the super balance threshold for the 30 per cent tax is $3 million, and the threshold for the 40 per cent tax is $10 million. The point at which the new super tax applies. I.e. the super balance threshold for the 30 per cent tax is $3 million, and the threshold for the 40 per cent tax is $10 million. Indexation: tying a number (such as the threshold for the super tax) to another metric or gauge. The treasurer has said the $3 million and $10 million thresholds will move indirectly with inflation (the consumer price index). tying a number (such as the threshold for the super tax) to another metric or gauge. The treasurer has said the $3 million and $10 million thresholds will move indirectly with inflation (the consumer price index). Low-income superannuation tax offset (LISTO): a payment received by those earning under a certain amount (currently $37,000, to be raised to $45,000 from 2027) to give those taxpayers back some of the tax they have paid. The amount of the payment will also be raised from $500 to $810. I believe super concessions should focus on supporting a dignified retirement and while I will be looking carefully at the details of whats actually proposed, the packaged changes as announced today appear to be a reasonable compromise, she said. The government, which hopes to legislate the proposals early next year, will need the support of the Greens to get the reforms through the Senate. Advertisement Greens economic justice spokesman Nick McKim accused the government of watering down its changes to appease the nations richest people, saying the reforms would cost the budget billions in foregone revenue. This is a capitulation to the wealthiest people in the country, and a slap in the face to everyone else who pays their tax straight out of their pay packet, he said. Superannuation lead for CPA Australia, Richard Webb, urged the Parliament to pass the proposals and said the move to index the thresholds was a positive step. Bracket creep already has a silent eroding effect on personal finances. Allowing further erosion of superannuation savings would have been contrary to the fundamental principles of our tax system, he said. Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia chief executive Mary Delahunty warned the changes would create extra work for Australias super funds, but said she welcomed the changes. Advertisement We will work with Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office on behalf of the sector to make sure the changes are smooth and achievable for our member funds, she said. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement PoliticsFederalCyber security The weakest link: Stolen staff passwords now the biggest cyber threat to workplaces Natassia Chrysanthos October 13, 2025 9:30pm Save 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 42 View all comments Australians stolen usernames and passwords are increasingly being used by cybercriminals to gain access to workplaces, with two in five critical security incidents hitting large companies, governments and academic institutions now coming from compromised accounts or credentials. China-linked cyber actors are also using Australians vulnerable home internet connections and smart devices to create larger networks that conceal their identities when they launch cyberattacks across the world. The Australian Signals Directorate warned that artificial intelligence would accelerate cyber attacks. Dylan Coker The warnings are contained in the latest annual threat report from the Australian Signals Directorate, one of the governments key intelligence agencies, which received a report every six minutes last year as cybercriminals leveraged new technologies to escalate attacks on Australians. The prevalence of artificial intelligence almost certainly enables malicious cyber actors to execute attacks on a larger scale and at a faster rate, the report says. Advertisement The potential opportunities open to malicious cyber actors continue to grow in line with Australias increasing uptake of and reliance on internet-connected technology. Director-general Abigail Bradshaw said the agency responded to 1200 cybersecurity incidents in the latest financial year up 11 per cent and notified critical infrastructure entities about potential malicious activity affecting their networks 190 times, more than double that of the previous year. Over the last year, ASD has observed networks are increasingly not just being hacked, but are being breached through compromised or stolen credentials to gain unauthorised access, Bradshaw said. Compromised accounts or credentials accounted for 42 per cent of incidents impacting large organisations, government, academia or supply chains. Australia is increasingly targeted by cybercriminals looking to steal credentials. Once access is gained, they mimic legitimate user behaviour to steal sensitive personal or corporate information, install ransomware or malware, and take over accounts. Advertisement The ASD report said cybercriminals were continuing an aggressive campaign of credential theft, where they purchased stolen usernames and passwords from the dark web to access peoples personal email, social media or financial accounts. Related Article Cybersecurity My Qantas data is on the dark web now what do I do? This can lead to financial losses, privacy breaches and an increased risk of identity theft. The average person lost $33,000 when they were a victim of cybercrime last year. But these stolen or compromised credentials are also being used to access corporate systems. The report said cybercriminals were seeking to buy and use stolen credentials associated with corporate accounts to gain initial access to the devices of the persons employer, their clients and other systems. Once a cybercriminal has logged on to a corporate account using stolen details, it is much more difficult to determine there has been a compromise. Afterwards, the impact on the company may be ransomware, extortion or theft of intellectual property. Advertisement The frequency of ransomware attacks, the number of reported data breaches and average reported financial losses all went up last year. Businesses affected by cybercrime lost $80,850 on average, and large businesses suffered $202,700 on average each incident, which was an increase of more than 200 per cent since last year. Threats to cybersecurity continue to come from both independent and state-sponsored criminals. The ASDs focus when it comes to cybercrime is top-tier financially motivated criminals, typically from eastern European and Russian-speaking cyber gangs. State-sponsored hackers and spies, meanwhile, continue to pose a serious and growing threat to our nation. They target networks operated by Australian governments, critical infrastructure and businesses for state goals, the report said. State-sponsored cyber actors may also seek to use cyber operations to degrade and disrupt Australias critical services and undermine our ability to communicate at a time of strategic advantage. Advertisement One way that state-sponsored cyber organisations, such as a China-linked group known as APT40, have been operating is by targeting home internet devices such as routers, firewalls or VPN products to help build a network for them to launch other attacks. These home devices are attractive to cybercriminals because internet-facing vulnerabilities in them are common and often difficult for people to monitor or configure securely. Related Article Cybersecurity Private school students personal data proves prime target for hackers Exploiting these devices helps them blend their malicious traffic activity with the legitimate traffic of the device owner, complicating detection and prevention efforts. The ASD and other agencies found state cyber actors linked to China had compromised thousands of internet-connected devices, including home office routers and smart appliances, to create a network that concealed their identities as they conducted further malicious activities. Advertisement In one example, agencies detected a network made up of more than 260,000 devices, including in Australia. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said there were simple steps Australians could take to stay safe online. Always install latest software updates, use unique passphrases, enable multifactor authentication wherever its available, and if you receive an unexpected cold call, hang up and call back through the official line, he said. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Ohio Manufacturing Facility Supports U.S. Infrastructure Development COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- StarCharge proudly announces that its Titan Series DC fast charging products have successfully passed CSA certification and are now fully compliant with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). This milestone demonstrates not only the company's strong manufacturing capabilities but also its readiness to actively participate in U.S. federal and state infrastructure projects. [Figure: Titan DC fast charger with BABA certification marking, CSA-audited and ready for deployment] Three years ago, StarCharge made a significant investment to establish a research, development, and manufacturing center in Ohio, underscoring its long-term commitment to the U.S. market. Today, the facility is equipped with core capabilities including complete assembly, metal enclosure and busbar processing, and charging adapter assembly. By combining global resources with local production, StarCharge has built a model of global collaboration and local innovation. All equipment undergoes comprehensive quality inspections before delivery, ensuring the highest standards. The Ohio facility currently operates two production lines with an annual capacity of 800 DC fast chargers. Plans are underway to expand to five lines with a capacity of 1,600 units, as well as to introduce Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to the U.S. market. In parallel, StarCharge's Aries / Nova 720kW ultra-fast charging platform is advancing through the BABA certification process, further enriching the company's product portfolio. The Ohio facility has already created dozens of local jobs, with the workforce expected to grow to around 100 employees in the near future. This expansion represents not only job creation but also deeper integration with the local community. Looking ahead, StarCharge will continue to advance with innovation, compliance, and responsibility, working closely with government and industry partners to modernize U.S. energy infrastructure and accelerate the path toward a zero-carbon future. SOURCE StarCharge Advertisement InspirationTravel tips Opinion Ive done my fair share of risk taking overseas, but Ive changed Lee Tulloch Travel columnist October 14, 2025 4:00am October 14, 2025 4:00am Save 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 22 View all comments This week I was staying in a picturesque hotel built into a fortress on a Greek peninsula. The hotels rooms were scattered over the castle, and mine opened directly to a small courtyard that was crawling with tourists, even at night. Not knowing who these people were and not trusting the lock on my ancient door, I felt unsafe. So, I dragged a heavy ottoman stool against the door before I went to bed. I didnt really expect that anyone would break in, but lifelong experience taught me I wouldnt sleep if I were nervous. I felt foolish for a nanosecond, but I slept well. Erring on the side of caution, Lee Tulloch turned down the opportunity to go hot air ballooning in Turkey. Getty Images Ive always been cautious, so I wasnt the kind of young person who travelled without inhibition. Still, Ive done some potentially foolish things such as riding on the back of scooters in Bali and in Vietnam. Advertisement Ive been locked in a room in the Uffizi gallery in Florence by an amorous guard because I trusted him when he said hed show me some Michelangelo sketches. Ive boarded a train in Italy, heading to Paris with no money and no hotel at the other end, trusting that someone would help me (they did). When I see parents waving off their children on their first adventure overseas, whether its a holiday with friends or a gap year, I understand the anxiety. From the unintended consequences of partying too hard (we now need to worry about contaminated alcohol) to the horrifying accidents caused by careless selfies taken on cliffs, theres a lot of danger out there for over-confident young people, especially those who feel they are invincible. Learning judgment and making good decisions are foundation lessons of travel. So is learning to trust strangers. But these things are sometimes at odds. Youre obviously lost in a foreign destination and a seemingly kind stranger pulls over in their car and offers to take you there. Do you take up the offer? A friend wants you to go on the back of their scooter to your hotel and insists its safe, but youre not sure. Do you go? Everyones having fun throwing back tequila shots at a bar that looks dodgy and you feel like a spoilsport not joining them. Do you drink? Advertisement Sometimes being unnecessarily cautious can limit your ability to discover new things, meet new people, open yourself to new ideas. There have been a lot of opportunities Ive turned down because my vivid imagination focused on what might happen, however unlikely. Perhaps this is good judgment born of experience, but it has stopped me taking part in what are considered reasonably safe experiences, such as (recently) going ballooning in Cappadocia, Turkey. I balance the pleasure I expect to get from the experience with the small, although real, possibility something might go wrong. Its a risk-benefit assessment that we learn to make with maturity. But the dangers associated with travel are not always the ones you expect. Life has the habit of throwing you curve balls and youre more vulnerable when youre away from what grounds you. Advertisement One that rarely makes the news? Being knocked down by a car when you look the wrong way in a country where they drive on a different side of the road. Making the news last month was a danger of a different kind that occurred somewhere we should feel safe. A man was charged with indecently assaulting a woman as she slept on board a flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne. The man allegedly groped the woman inside her clothes as she tried to sleep during the flight. Related Article Opinion Air travel Airlines need to deal with creeps more seriously Lee Tulloch Travel columnist When you think of the dangers of travel, this possibility doesnt immediately spring to mind. The intimacy of sleeping next to strangers on a flight is a necessary unpleasantness. But its another example of something we all need to be vigilant about. In this case, the woman spoke up and reported the man to airline staff, who responded correctly and moved her to a different seat for the remainder of the flight and alerted the Australian Federal Police. The man was charged. Advertisement Finding our voices when things go wrong or look like theyre about to go wrong is an important weapon. For anxious parents waving farewell to their children at the airport gate, the best thing they can arm them with is the strength to say no in a sea of yes. Which is something that independent travel is best placed to teach them. Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now. Traveller Guides Advertisement WorldMiddle EastIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Israel, Hamas were not ready for a comprehensive peace deal, mediator says Adam Rasgon October 13, 2025 11:56am Save 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 Paris: The mediators who helped reach the Gaza Strip ceasefire deal decided to delay talks on more difficult issues, such as Hamas arsenal, because the warring parties were not ready for a comprehensive agreement, Qatars prime minister said in an interview. The prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, was one of the central mediators in efforts to end the war in Gaza, and the Qataris have maintained close contacts with Hamas leadership for years. He spoke to The New York Times soon after Israel and Hamas agreed to halt hostilities in Gaza and exchange all the remaining hostages in the territory for about 2000 Palestinian prisoners. Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani addressing the press in Doha earlier this year. AP The deal left some of the thorniest issues in the conflict for a later stage, including the future of Hamas weapons and how Gaza would be governed after the end of the war. If we went for full-package negotiations, we wouldnt have reached these results, Sheikh Mohammed said Friday in Paris. He spoke after a meeting there with President Emmanuel Macron of France, and Arab and European foreign ministers about post-war Gaza. Advertisement Sheikh Mohammed said Hamas had expressed a willingness to talk about a different kind of relationship with Israel. Related Article Israeli-Palestinian conflict Gaza hostage release: All October 7 hostages released by Hamas; Trump lands in Israel, speaks at Israeli parliament Hamas are actually open to have a discussion about how they wont pose a threat for Israel, the prime minister said. Hamas officials, the Israeli prime ministers office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hamas has previously expressed willingness to agree to a long-term truce with Israel. In March, Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas chief negotiator, told US officials in Qatar that the group was open to a five- to 10-year truce, in which the group would lay down its weapons. Advertisement More recently, Hamas has maintained publicly that it is opposed to disarmament. It has suggested convening a Palestinian national dialogue about the future of Gaza, including on the fate of its arms. The war with Israel has significantly weakened Hamas, and there are splits within the group on important questions about its future direction. Serious unresolved questions remain about what happens after the hostage release including Hamas disarmament, Israels withdrawal timeline and the future governance of Gaza. AP Some leaders and members want Hamas to refuse to give up its weapons, even if that comes at the price of renewed war and the deaths of more Palestinians. Others say the group needs to be more pragmatic on weapons and other matters. By giving up the remaining hostages in Gaza, Hamas traded away significant leverage with Israel with no certainty that it would achieve all its goals in return. Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently said that Hamas must be disarmed before the war in Gaza can permanently end. Hamas has long regarded that demand as tantamount to surrender and views armed struggle as a legitimate form of resistance against Israeli control over Palestinian lands. Loading Netanyahu vowed this month that Hamas would be disarmed and Gaza would be demilitarised, either through diplomacy or by force. Either it will be achieved the easy way, or it will be achieved the hard way, he said. But it will be achieved. Advertisement Some Arab mediators said they believe that they can persuade Hamas to partially disarm, as long as President Donald Trump guarantees Israel will not restart the war. Sheikh Mohammed said one question that needed to be addressed was to whom Hamas would hand over its weapons. He said there was a marked difference between Hamas giving its weapons to a Palestinian authority and the group giving them to another entity. Related Article Analysis Israeli-Palestinian conflict One group holds key to Gaza ceasefire but a devilish question remains It is still not clear when negotiations about the outstanding disputes between Israel and Hamas will begin. Trumps road map for ending the war in Gaza calls for the establishment of a temporary international stabilisation force. Sheikh Mohammed said the next step should be the discussion on the formation of such a force, which he views as connected to Hamas disarmament and further withdrawals of Israeli troops from Gaza. Advertisement As the force takes control, the Israeli military should withdraw based on agreed-upon standards, milestones and time frames linked to demilitarisation, the US plan says. The stabilisation force should also train Palestinian police officers and help secure border zones, according to the plan. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter. Advertisement WorldMiddle EastIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Evyatar David thought he was walking to his grave. Today, he walked to freedom David Crowe Updated October 13, 2025 10:22pm ,first published October 13, 2025 6:15pm Save 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 Israeli hostages have returned to home soil in a vital step towards peace in Gaza after two years of brutal war, with crowds erupting in joy at their freedom and families weeping at their reunion. The hostage release was greeted with celebrations around Israel and live broadcasts around the world as US President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli parliament to mark the historic moment after the ceasefire negotiated last week. Trump is planning talks with more than 20 world leaders at a summit in Egypt after the hostage release in a bid to negotiate a lasting peace now that the opening steps in the ceasefire deal have been confirmed. The Israeli Defence Force released this image of Gali and Ziv Berman embracing on the Gaza Strip after being released by Hamas on Monday. Israeli Defence Force Freed Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. AP Advertisement Freed Israeli hostage Eitan Mor gestures from a van as he arrives at Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel. AP Gaza hostages Ziv and Gali Berman wave to supporters as they are transported in a vehicle. Getty Images Among those released was Evyatar David, a young man last seen in a video posted by Hamas in August that showed he was emaciated and anticipating his death in captivity. David, 24, was with friends at the Nova music festival in southern Israel when Hamas launched an assault on October 7, 2023. Two of his friends were murdered; he was kidnapped. Im walking directly to my grave, said in the video released in August, as he dug at the sand at the base of a narrow tunnel. This is the grave where I think Im going to be buried. Advertisement David was named on Monday as one of the freed hostages, who were taken to an Israeli hospital as soon as they were transferred by the Red Cross. His best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, was also kidnapped at the Nova festival and also released on Monday. Finally, our Evyatar is home, his family said after releasing a photo of him being hugged by his parents, Avishai and Galia. Evyatar David with his parents Avishai and Galia. Evyatar David gestures to the crowd outside Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre. Inset: A still showing David from a video released by Hamas in August. Getty Images From the first moment, we knew he would return, and here, after two years of suffering, he is here. Advertisement Even in our incomprehensible joy, our hearts are with the families who lost their most precious. The joy at return of the hostages was marked with grief over those who died in captivity as well as the deaths of 1200 Israelis when Hamas a designated terrorist group in Australia and other countries launched the attack two years ago. Related Article Israeli-Palestinian conflict Gaza hostage release: All October 7 hostages released by Hamas; Trump lands in Israel, speaks at Israeli parliament Hamas fighters handed the hostages to Red Cross aid workers as agreed in the ceasefire terms, with the first seven crossing into Israel about three hours ahead of the deadline of noon on Monday in Israel (8pm AEST). In a move that angered families, Hamas did not transfer the bodies of 28 dead hostages as agreed; only four were released. Advertisement The moments were shown live as crowds cheered at gatherings across Israel when officials confirmed the hostages were being returned alive as expected after 736 days in captivity. Loading One of the first hostages to emerge was Alon Ohel, a young man who was set on a career in music before he was taken by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. Ohel, a pianist, had only just returned to Israel from a holiday in Asia ranging from Thailand to India and Nepal when he chose to join friends at the music festival. He was trapped in a group at a bomb shelter and seized while others were slaughtered. Two others released were twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman, taken by Hamas from their home in the Kfar-Aza kibbutz along with their friend Emily Damari, a young British Israeli woman. While Damari was released in January in a temporary ceasefire, the brothers were kept as bargaining chips. Advertisement Hostages had been released before, some through negotiated prisoner exchanges during the war and some by determination of Israeli troops to find Hamas tunnels and do everything necessary to free those inside. The search for the hostages became daily proof to the world of the relentless nature of the war and the fact that Israel would never rest until every possible citizen had been rescued. What some saw as a merciless war, inflicting unbearable civilian casualties, Israel saw as a just cause. The hostage transfer cleared the way for Israel to release almost 2000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who were jailed for life, to ensure the ceasefire continues under terms agreed last week. Palestinian prisoners are greeted after being released from Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. AP Advertisement US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv. Getty Images President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. AP Related Article Analysis Israeli-Palestinian conflict One group holds key to Gaza ceasefire but a devilish question remains Trump raised hopes that the ceasefire could be turned into a long-term peace after further talks with global leaders at a summit in Egypt that will include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads a governing authority that is meant to help restore stability to Gaza. The war is over, you understand that, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel. Advertisement In his address to the Knesset after the hostage release, the US president reminded the Israeli parliament that US weapons had been key to the war against Hamas and that it was time for Israel to end the fighting. The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace, he said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. But there is no agreement on the power structure to manage Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli troops over the past few days. The Israeli Defence Forces said the country remained in a multi-front war and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled there could be more fighting to come. Advertisement This is a historic event that blends sorrow over the release of murderers and joy over the return of hostages, Netanyahu said in a televised address on the eve of the hostage release. And I want to say: Everywhere we fought we won. But in the same breath, I must tell you: the campaign is not over. There are still very great security challenges ahead of us. Some of our enemies are trying to rebuild themselves to attack us again. And as we say Were on it. People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv. AP People celebrate in hostages square. AP Advertisement Hamas fighters have returned to parts of Gaza following the withdrawal of Israeli troops under the terms of the ceasefire, fuelling speculation about further conflict. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces, said the country was in the midst of a multi-front war with more challenges ahead. Netanyahu is not expected to attend the summit at the Sharm El-Sheikh resort in Egypt. Those planning to attend include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordans King Abdullah II and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Related Article Israeli-Palestinian conflict Who are the hostages believed to still be alive in Gaza? Advertisement United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Council President Antonio Costa are expected to attend. Netanyahu appeared to be aware of the heated opinions about his leadership ahead of the hostage release. Netanyahu was booed when his name was mentioned in front of the crowd in Tel Aviv on Saturday, when about 500,000 people gathered to commemorate those killed and kidnapped. Several media organisations with reporters in the square now known as Hostage Square reported the booing. ICRC vehicles transporting released Israeli hostages head toward the Israeli border in Khan Younis. AP ICRC vehicles carrying released Israeli hostages make their way through groups of Palestinians and Hamas gunmen on their way to the Israeli border, in Khan Younis. AP Advertisement I know there are many disagreements among us, Netanyahu said in his televised address to Israel on the eve of the hostage release. But on this day, and I hope also in the period ahead, we have every reason to put them aside. Because through joint efforts we achieved enormous victories. Victories that astonished the entire world. As the third day of the ceasefire held, Associated Press footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian Red Crescent said they carried medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel. Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter. Noa Argamani pleads for her life while being driven away from the Nova festival on October 7. Argamani was seen on an all-terrain vehicle, crying, Dont kill me! and reaching out her arms to Or, who was being marched away by militants. The Hamas video of Avinatan Or and his partner Noa Argamani being abducted from the Nova music festival in southern Israel became one of the defining images of October 7, 2023. In the hours that followed, the released hostages held tearful reunions with partners and relatives, many of whom had feared they would never see their loved ones again. Here are some of the reunions, in footage released by the Israeli government. Tel Aviv: Hamas release of the 20 living Israeli hostages on Monday brought one of the conflicts darkest chapters to a close, amid hopes that the new ceasefire deal may also signal an end to two years of war in the devastated Gaza Strip. Guy Gilboa-Dalal was shown being greeted by relatives in an emotional homecoming video on Monday. He was also abducted from the Nova music festival, along with his childhood friend Evyatar David, while his brother managed to escape. Citing Channel 12, The Times of Israel reported that Or had been held entirely in isolation and did not see any other captives until his release. Or is then taken to a room where he finds Argamani, 28, who was rescued by Israeli special forces in Gaza along with three other hostages in June 2024. The two embrace and kiss, apparently overwhelmed by the moment. On Monday, the pair was finally reunited. An Israeli government video showed Or, 32, first hugging and kissing his parents as his mother Ditza chants the Jewish shehecheyanu blessing, voicing gratitude for new experiences on his return from two years in captivity in Gaza. The condition of the hostages in the videos horrified Israelis, with tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets to demand a ceasefire deal, in one of the largest turnouts for the weekly hostage protests in months. Evyatar David was shown being greeted by cheering crowds outside Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, before meeting relatives after 738 days in captivity. He was also taken hostage at the Nova festival with his friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Another video released on Monday showed him reuniting with David in hospital. According to Israels Channel 12, the pair had been kept together in captivity before being separated about two months ago. His son made binoculars in kindergarten, which he often uses to go out and look for his father, according to Bohbots mother, Ruhama. Bohbot was also kidnapped from the Nova music festival and, in the past year, Hamas has published multiple videos of him, filmed under duress, including one where he has a fake telephone conversation with his wife and son and his mother and his brother pleading with them to help him get out of Gaza. Elkana Bohbot appeared in a video reuniting with his wife, Rivka, and their young son, Reem David. In July, Sharon shared a photo of the twins marking their fifth birthday, their second without their father, writing on Facebook that the girls have changed so much while hes been in captivity that theyre not the same little girls he knew. Ariel and David Cunio with their family at the initial reception point after their release. David Cunio was also kidnapped with his wife, Sharon, and their three-year-old twins from the Nir Oz kibbutz. Sharons sister, Danielle, and her five-year-old daughter, who were visiting, were also kidnapped. All were released in November, except for David. The youngest of the four brothers, Ariel was kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz with his partner, Arbel Yehoud, and her brother, Dolev, a married father of four who was later killed in captivity. Yehoud was released during the ceasefire in January. The Cunio brothers, David and Ariel, were reunited with their partners, Sharon and Arbel, as well as their parents, Sylvia and Luis, and their other brothers, Eitan and Lucas. Eitan Mor was filmed reuniting with his parents at an Israeli military base. Mor was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival, where he helped evacuate people injured in the attack. His parents helped found the Tikva Forum, a loosely organised group of hostage families. Freed Israeli hostage Eitan Mor gestures from a van as he arrives at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. AP They advocated for military pressure, not an immediate ceasefire or hostage release deal, as the best chance for bringing the hostages home; a stance that put Mors father at odds with many of the other hostage families. Matan Zangauker, 25 Loading Matan Zangaukers tearful reunion with his mother, Einav, was shown in Israeli military footage. Youre my life, she tells him. My life. My hero. Come, come. Zangauker was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz along with his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky. The two met while working on a medical cannabis farm there. Gritzewsky was released after 55 days and advocated tirelessly for Zangaukers release, wearing his hat, which she rescued from their burnt home. His mother has been a constant presence at protests, giving impassioned speeches and even being hoisted in a cage above the crowd to draw attention to the hostages plight. Einav Zangauker, who said she was previously a Netanyahu supporter, has emerged as one of his harshest critics Matan Angrest, 22 Loading Matan Angrest, an Israeli soldier kidnapped from his tank in southern Israel on October 7, was released in the first group of hostages to be returned and later filmed reuniting with his family in hospital. His mother, Anat Angrest, told Israels Channel 12 her son had suffered very severe torture because he was a soldier. He was alone for a long period, under special guard, she said, adding that Matan told her he refused to break for the monsters who held him hostage. Matan is the oldest of four children from Kiryat Bialik, outside of Haifa. His family has been among the most vocal protesters and very critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gali Berman and Ziv Berman, 28 Gaza hostage Ziv Berman celebrates from a helicopter as he arrives at Chaim Sheba Medical Centre in Israel. Getty Images Gali and Ziv Berman embrace on the Gaza Strip after being released by Hamas on Monday. Israeli Defence Forces The fraternal twins were taken from their homes in kibbutz Kfar Aza, on the border with Gaza, during the October 7 attack. Seventeen others were also abducted from Kfar Aza, but the Berman twins are the only hostages from the kibbutz who remain in captivity. The family has heard from hostages who returned in a previous deal that, as of February, the brothers were alive but being held separately. Liran Berman, their older brother, said its the longest the two have ever spent apart. In Kfar Aza, the twins lived in apartments across from each other. Gali is more outgoing, while Ziv is more reserved and shy with a sharp sense of humour, their brother said. Alon Ohel, 24 Freed Israeli hostage Alon Ohel gestures from a van as he arrives at Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel. AP Alon Ohel, who also has German and Serbian citizenship, was kidnapped at the Nova music festival from a mobile bomb shelter along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli who was killed in captivity in August 2024. Ohel is a talented pianist, and his family has placed pianos across Israel and several sites around the world to raise awareness of his plight. Three other hostages who had been held with Ohel for more than a year were released during the previous ceasefire, including Eli Sharabi, who said Ohel was like his adopted son. Sharabi said they were kept chained for the entire period of their captivity and subsisted on a mouldy pita per day. Ohel has shrapnel in his eye from the attack on the bomb shelter, and his family is worried he may be partially blind. Omri Miran, 48 Loading Hostage Omri Miran was filmed reuniting on Monday with the children he had not seen for two years. Miran was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz kibbutz. During the attack, militants held his family, including his two-year-old and six-month-old daughters, hostage in the kitchen of a neighbours house and broadcast it on Facebook Live. Hostage Omri Miran, 48, reunites with wife Lishay at the initial reception point in southern Israel. Israeli Defence Forces Miran and the father of the other family, Tsachi Idan, were both kidnapped. Idans body was released during the last hostage exchange after he was killed in captivity. Lishay Miran Lavi, Mirans wife, said their younger daughter knows Daddy Omri only through photos and videos, and doesnt really understand what a father is. Maksym Harkin, 37 Maksym Harkin, right, meets with his family after being released from Hamas captivity. AP Maksym Harkin was abducted from Nova, which was the first festival he had ever attended, according to his family. Harkin was born in Ukraine and moved to Israel with his family, where he lived in Tirat Carmel in the north. He has a three-year-old daughter and was the primary provider for his mother and 11-year-old brother. Just before he was taken, his mother said he sent a final text message that said, I love you. In July, Hamas released a video of him filmed under duress several months prior. Rom Braslavski, 21 Rom Broslavski meets his family after his release. Israeli Defence Forces Braslavski was working as a security guard at the Nova festival. He attempted to help festival-goers evacuate and was wounded in both hands before being kidnapped, witnesses said. In August, the Islamic Jihad militant group released a video of a skeletal Braslavski sobbing and pleading for his life, adding that injuries to his foot prevent him from standing. The videos of Braslavski and Evyatar David digging his own grave horrified Israelis, sparking some of the largest attendance in months at weekly protests. His father, Ofir, said Rom is usually a strong, happy-go-lucky kid, and that video is the first time hes seen his son cry. Nimrod Cohen, 21 Loading Nimrod Cohen and his family were flown to a hospital in Tel Aviv in a helicopter piloted by Israeli Air Force chief Major General Tomer Bar, the Times of Israel reported. A soldier, Cohen was kidnapped on October 7 from a tank near where he was stationed in southern Israel. Cohen is obsessed with Rubiks cubes, his family said, and a burned Rubiks cube was found in the tank he was abducted from. He was the only survivor of the four-member tank crew. Eitan Horn, 38 Loading Eitan Horn was filmed reuniting with his brother Iair, who was also taken hostage and released under an earlier deal. Eitan, originally from Kfar Saba, was visiting his brother at the Nir Oz kibbutz on October 7. Both were kidnapped, and for most of the war, they were held with three other hostages in a filthy cell underground. In early February, militants filmed the emotional interaction between the brothers as they were told that Iair would be released and Eitan would stay in Gaza. Since his release, Iair Horn campaigned for his brother and the other hostages, flying frequently to the United States and meeting with politicians. Segev Kalfon, 27 Gaza hostage Segev Kalfon arrives at Chaim Sheba Medical Centre at Tel HaShomer after his release. Getty Images Segev Kalfon was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was last seen attempting to flee militants along the highway. Before the attack, he worked at his familys bakery in Dimona, in southern Israel. The middle child of three, Kalfon, had recently been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, a condition his family has highlighted in urging his release. Kalfons family received a sign of life from him after the last ceasefire, when some of the hostages said they were held with him for months. Kalfons family has focused on religious rituals in their fight for his release, including travelling to the grave of prominent rabbis and dedicating a Torah scroll in his honour. Bar Kupershtein, 23 Loading Bar Kupershtein was greeted by his family, including his wheelchair-user father, Tal, who managed to stand and hug his son on his return from captivity. A paramedic, Bar Kupershtein was working at the Nova festival when he was abducted. Witnesses said he stayed at the festival to try to provide first aid to people who had been shot and injured. Kupershtein was the main financial support for his family after his father was severely injured in an accident several years ago, his aunt, Ora Rubinstein, told reporters. She said that his father had worked with a physical therapist to regain the ability to speak, so he could meet politicians to advocate for his sons release. Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25 Yosef-Chaim Ohana, front, meets with family members after being released from Hamas captivity. AP Yosef-Chaim Ohana was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a bartender. Witnesses saw him attempting to help others escape before he was kidnapped. He is the oldest of three brothers, one of whom previously died from an illness. The two hostages determined to be dead Bipin Joshi, 24 Bipin Joshi, 24. Bring Them Home Now Bipin Joshi arrived in Israel from his native Nepal a month before the attack. He is the only non-Israeli hostage believed to be alive in Gaza. He came to Israel on a student exchange to work and study agriculture at the Alumim kibbutz on the Gaza border. Ten of the 17 Nepali students in the program were killed during the attack. Joshi, who was able to throw a number of live grenades out of the bomb shelter where they were hiding, was injured and kidnapped. Joshis sister, 17-year-old Pushpa Joshi, regularly travels eight hours each way on buses to Kathmandu from her home in western Nepal to lobby officials to secure her brothers release. In August, his family travelled to Israel to meet with President Isaac Herzog and join families demonstrating in Tel Avivs Hostage Square. Last week, Joshis family released footage of him in captivity filmed under duress from around November 2023. Tamir Nimrodi, 20 Tamir Nimrodi, 20. Bring Them Home Now Tamir Nimrodi was kidnapped from Erez, a crossing on the northern border of Gaza that had been the main route for people entering and leaving the territory. He had been serving with the Israeli defence body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza. Nimrodi was kidnapped with two other soldiers by militants who walked them to the Gaza gate and forced them to cross. Israel confirmed the deaths of the two soldiers who were kidnapped with Nimrodi. There has been no sign of life from Nimrodi in the two years since he was seen in footage walking into Gaza in shorts and a T-shirt without his glasses. Herut Nimrodi, his mother, has said she doesnt know what is worse: to think he has been killed in captivity, or that hes alive but being held in terrible conditions. Im scared to even imagine, she said. Prior to Mondays release, there were 48 hostages held in Gaza, including the body of one soldier from a previous war. Israel had determined that at least 25 of the hostages were killed on October 7, 2023, or died while in captivity. AP, Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter. NASSAU, The Bahamas, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Office of the Prime Minister last week announced that The Bahamas achieved a significant fiscal milestone, recording a 0.5% fiscal deficit for the budget year ending June 30, 2025. This result falls squarely within the government's target range of 0.3% to 0.7% and marks a dramatic improvement from the 13.7% deficit in 2021. These official numbers have been confirmed by the Ministry of Finance. Prime Minister Philip Davis KC, MP, described the achievement as a clear signal to international partners, investors, and the global community that The Bahamas is on a path of sustained economic stability and responsible governance. "Four years ago, The Bahamas faced one of the most challenging fiscal periods in its modern history. Today, we stand on solid ground. The disciplined choices we made to protect our economy are still delivering results not only for Bahamians, but for those we invest, trade, and collaborate with," said Prime Minister Davis. The Prime Minister emphasized that fiscal progress translates into tangible benefits for citizens and creates a more attractive environment for international engagement. "Every dollar we save on debt strengthens our capacity to invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and renewable energy. These are all areas that matter to our people and our global partners who are looking for sustainability, stability, and growth," he noted. The Bahamas' improved fiscal position comes alongside a broader national strategy, and one that is focused on resilience and sustainable development. This illustrates how The Bahamas plans to partner with its international counterparts, as the same fiscal policy that drives commitment to creating opportunities for Bahamians also permeates out to the international landscape. This fiscal discipline has earned international validation, with S&P Global Ratings recently upgrading The Bahamas' sovereign credit rating to 'BB-' from 'B+', citing 'strengthened economic performance' and 'sound fiscal management.' The agency projects that debt will fall to 66.3% of GDP by the end of 2025, down from 77.8% in 2020, and noted that 'refinancing risks have abated, given the government's commitment to fiscal discipline.' Prime Minister Davis said that for partners in the United States, United Kingdom, and beyond, this progress means greater confidence in The Bahamas as a secure destination for investment, a dependable ally in trade, and a committed participant in global economic and environmental initiatives. With its strategic location, strong tourism sector, and growing financial services industry, The Bahamas continues to position itself as a reliable international partner, specifically for the US, UK, and other international markets seeking opportunities in the Caribbean. "This is what responsible leadership looks like. It is steady progress that improves lives, strengthens our economy, and builds confidence among our partners worldwide. We are building a better future, one decision at a time, and we're doing it together," concluded Prime Minister Davis. This material is being distributed by The Burson Group LLC on behalf of The Bahamas, Ministry of Economic Affairs. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Contact: Brett Larson [email protected] 212-362-2848 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-bahamas-achieves-major-fiscal-progress-strengthening-its-position-as-a-stable-and-sustainable-financial-partner-302582542.html SOURCE The Bahamas, Ministry of Economic Affairs Sonya McLean A man who did not seek medical attention for his girlfriends nine-month-old baby when he noticed that she was injured has been jailed for 21 months. The 27-year-old Dublin man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to wilfully ill-treating or neglecting a child by failing to seek suitable medical aid for the child in March 2024. The childs mother is still before the courts. The man has previous convictions from the District Court for possession of knives, public order and criminal damage. A medical report indicated that the injuries were non-accidental and included fractures to the babys arms and legs, bruising to the head, face and body and historical injuries. Diana Stuart SC, prosecuting, told Judge Martin Nolan that it was the States case that the man was aware of the childs suffering and failed to seek medical treatment. A local detective told Ms Stuart that social workers had been involved with the child and her mother for a period of time, when it was discovered that the accused began a relationship with the woman in February 2024. A social worker called to the childs home and indicated to the mother of the child and the accused that he could not be alone with the child unsupervised until vetting forms had been completed. The social worker implemented a safety plan and told gardai that she believed that the accused understood and accepted the plan. Social workers were later alerted to the fact the despite these plans in place the accused began to drop the child to creche by himself. The detective said social workers were later informed by the childs creche that the woman and man had got a dog for the baby and there were some concerns as the creche staff had noticed that there were scratches on the babys face. Calls were made to the mothers home, and while it was thought that the couple were in at the time, nobody answered the door. The gardai were then later informed that the childs mother had dialled emergency services on March 19, 2024, looking for the baby to be taken to hospital. When gardai called to the home to follow up they found the place in disarray and noticed that there was no milk or food for the baby, that the cot mattress was stained with dry vomit and that the flat was in general disarray. The man later told gardai that he went to bed at 9pm that night and the baby was in their cot. He said the baby woke at 4am and was unsettled. He then woke at 7am with the alarm to take the child to creche. He said he noticed bruising to the babys face. The detective said the man gave a number of different accounts of what happened that night but she said that CCTV footage proved that both he and the childs mother were in the flat that night. The detective agreed with Damien Colgan SC, defending, that while the bruising was visible on the babys face, the other injuries were not obvious. She accepted that both he and the childs mother had drug addictions. Mr Colgan said his client should have done something that he didnt do he did not get the medical attention he should have. He asked the court to accept his plea of guilty and co-operation with the garda investigation. Counsel submitted that his client got caught up with the woman in her drug taking. Judge Nolan said the child was brought to hospital and had sustained quite serious injuries with medical practitioners concluding that the baby had suffered intentional violence. He said the man had pleaded guilty on the basis that he noticed a specific situation and didnt seek medical attention. This was a vulnerable child. It is the responsibility of appropriate adults to take care of children and in this case he failed to do so, Judge Nolan said. The judge said it was a valuable plea and that even though gardai have done everything they can in the case, it would have been a difficult case to prove. Olivia Kelleher A man in his 40s has been charged in relation to a stabbing incident in which a man was taken to hospital after he suffered a slash wound to one of his calves. Romeo Bruma, who is a native of Romania, appeared before a special sitting of Mallow District Court in Co Cork on Sunday, The 43-year-old was charged in connection with a stabbing incident in Mitchelstown in Co Cork on Saturday morning. Mr Bruma was charged with assault causing harm to another man at Upper Cork Street, Mitchelstown on October 11th. The alleged offence is contrary to Section 3 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Defence solicitor, Padraig OConnell told Judge John King that Mr Bruma was not applying for bail at this time. Sgt Dave Delea applied for the accused be remanded in custody to appear before Mallow District Court again on Tuesday. Judge King acceded to his request and granted free legal aid in the case. Mr Bruma (43) will also receive the assistance of an interpreter when he is back before the court on Tuesday. The injured party is being treated for non life threatening injuries at Cork University Hospital. Egypt moves to deliver aid to Gaza after ceasefire: president Xinhua) 09:20, October 13, 2025 Staff members from Egyptian Red Crescent stand near a truck carrying humanitarian aids as it enters Gaza from the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing on Oct. 12, 2025. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Friday that Egypt has begun sending urgent food and medical aid to the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Ali Mostafa/Xinhua) CAIRO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Friday that Egypt has begun sending urgent food and medical aid to the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Sisi made the remarks in a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressing the need to fully implement the ceasefire, the Egyptian presidency said. He reaffirmed Egypt's support for UN agencies operating in Gaza, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and for efforts to assist Palestinian refugees in host countries. Guterres said the path forward must include the creation of a Palestinian state under international resolutions and the unity of Gaza and the West Bank. He also called for the deployment of international forces in Gaza and UN Security Council backing for the ceasefire agreement. The UN chief stressed the urgent need to begin Gaza's reconstruction and welcomed an international conference that Egypt plans to host for that purpose. Israel and Hamas reached the ceasefire deal on Thursday after three days of talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the United States. The first phase of the plan includes Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Younis, and the north, the opening of five crossings for aid, and the release of hostages and prisoners. A Hamas source said the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is expected to reopen in the middle of next week to allow limited movement of people, though details on operations have not been announced. More than two years of Israeli military operations have devastated Gaza, killing over 67,000 people and triggering famine, according to Gaza health authorities. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) HOUSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Houston Law Center is presenting "Lawyers Who Lead: Ethics, Influence, and Impact," a continuing legal education program, on Thursday, Oct. 16. Discussions will cover the different leadership roles lawyers assume, such as trusted advisors, valued mentors or heads of organizations, and how strong leadership skills grounded in ethical integrity help lawyers better serve their clients and communities. "Lawyers help shape institutions, values and society," said UH Law Dean Leonard M. Baynes, who will deliver the opening remarks to set the stage for the conversation. "During these challenging and unprecedented times, lawyers with strong leadership skills and ethical integrity are needed more than ever. Our goal is to inspire lawyers and law students to be leaders and to make a positive impact." Each of the three featured speakers will present an in-depth talk as part of the program: Why Lawyers Need to Be Leaders by Andrew C. Gratz (J.D. '02), founder of the Initiative on Lawyers as Leaders, and creator and professor of the "Lawyers as Leaders" course at UHLC. by Andrew C. Gratz (J.D. '02), founder of the Initiative on Lawyers as Leaders, and creator and professor of the "Lawyers as Leaders" course at UHLC. Leaders, Legacies, and Legal Ethics by Renee Knake Jefferson, Joanne and Larry Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and Professor of Law at UHLC, and founder of the Legal Ethics Roundup on Substack. by Renee Knake Jefferson, Joanne and Larry Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics and Professor of Law at UHLC, and founder of the Legal Ethics Roundup on Substack. A Lawyer's Role in Corporate Governance by H. Stephen Grace Jr., president and founder of H.S. Grace and Co. Inc., a firm specializing in corporate/organization governance and commercial litigation-related services. The presentations will be followed by a round-table discussion among the panelists facilitated by Dean Baynes. The program is open to all legal professionals, faculty, students, and the public. Participating attorneys will receive two hours of Texas continuing legal education credit, including one hour of ethics. WHAT: A UH Law Center Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program "Lawyers Who Lead: Ethics, Influence, and Impact." WHERE: Online over Zoom WHEN: 3-5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 Click here for more information about the event. Media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected]; Rashda Khan Director of Communications, 713-743-2184 [email protected] About the University of Houston Law Center The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top-tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property and Information Law, Legal Writing Program, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 15. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 12 centers and institutes that fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian American-Serving institution with an enrollment of more than 47,000 students. SOURCE University of Houston Law Center Blog Archive: Dec 2025 (46) Nov 2025 (141) Oct 2025 (153) Sep 2025 (149) Aug 2025 (154) Jul 2025 (155) Jun 2025 (150) May 2025 (155) Apr 2025 (9) Mar 2025 (149) Feb 2025 (139) Jan 2025 (155) Dec 2024 (144) Nov 2024 (143) Oct 2024 (155) 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 (155) 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) As a Tennessee resident and Town Council member, I recently received a Final Notice from the Department of Revenue assessing a $25 coverage failure fee - with a warning that it will increase to $125 if I dont act within 30 days. The notice claims my vehicle is uninsured. The problem? I sold that vehicle long ago. I gave the buyer the bill of sale, as required. Whether they transferred the title or updated insurance records is entirely outside my control - yet Im the one being penalized. Even more concerning is the broader issue this represents. The Department is assessing monetary penalties before confirming whether a violation has occurred. Theres no evidence I broke any law. Tennessees Financial Responsibility Law (TCA 55-12-101 et seq.) applies only to vehicles operated on public roads - not cars parked at home, stored, already sold or used only on private property. This practice places the burden on citizens to prove innocence after a fee has already been assessed. Thats backward. It treats Tennesseans as guilty until proven otherwise, and its easy to imagine how many people - intimidated by official seals, short deadlines, and the threat of registration suspension - simply pay the fee to make the problem go away. Thats not fair governance. Its not transparent administration. And it erodes public trust. As an elected local official, I believe state agencies must hold themselves to the same standard we expect of citizens: due process, accuracy, and fairness. Notices like these should begin as inquiries, not fines. Tennesseans deserve a chance to verify insurance coverage, confirm a vehicle sale, or explain a non-operational vehicle before money changes hands. I respectfully call on the Tennessee Department of Revenue - and, if necessary, the General Assembly - to review this process and reform it so that citizens are not penalized based on incomplete data or assumptions. Government should serve its people - not surprise them with fees they dont owe. J. Miles Jorgensen Town Council member Signal Mountain * * * What youve discovered is just another state (and local?) government fee grab. As I understand it now, any car purchased in Tennessee must be immediately titled and licensed by the new owner, regardless of the buyer's intentions and the vehicles condition. Consider this bit of nonsense: Late in 2009 I bought a neglected little 1976 MG Midget roadster that hadnt run in many years. It had been bought by a local man as a gift for his wife in 1991. Since it didnt run then, he didnt bother to get a title and license for it. (How his wife regarded that immobile gift, I don't know.) Eventually he gave up and sold the car to another hopeful man, who finally gave up and sold it to another hopeful man, who got tired of trying to make it run and sold it to me. Experience had shown me that, if an engine could possibly be made to run, I could get it going. I mean, if youve got air and some compression, clean fuel and a spark, any engine should run, right? With high hopes and what appeared to be a clean title from 18 years before, I soon went to the license branch, only to be told that the state was not satisfied with the title I had. The state claimed that since the last buyer who wrote his name on the back of the title had not registered and licensed the decrepit little car in his own name, even though it did not run, the piece of paper I had was invalid. Eventually I located the man who had bought the MG in 1991 (somehow he was a friend of a friend), and we met at the license branch. For that non-running car that he hadn't seen in years, the state required him to (a) buy a legitimate new title with all of the fees attached, (b) pay full sales tax on his 1991 purchase price, and (c) buy a new 2010 license plate with all of the fees attached. He then immediately signed that new title over to me, and left the building. (What he did with the useless new license plate, I dont know.) Then the state allowed me to (a) buy a legitimate new title with all of the fees attached, (b) pay full sales tax on the purchase price that Id paid to some guy in East Brainerd, and (c) buy a new 2010 license plate with all of the fees attached. Because of the history and uncertain future of the little old car, I bought an Antique plate that conveys limited privileges of use, but doesnt require an annual renewal. So, on what should have been a very quick trip to the license branch and the simple transfer of title on a car that hadnt run in decades, the omnipotent state collected a couple of hundred dollars in just a few minutes. Fee grabbing is as good a term as any for the practice. Sadly, to my shame, in spite of my best efforts and many hours of trying this, that, and the other old mechanics tricks, I never got the little critter to run, either. So, in 2012 I sold it on to a couple of mature, experienced, and hopeful local brothers who were sure they could make it go and I must assume that the state soon collected another hundred and some dollars in the process. (Whether they got it to run, I don't know.) That one cute little old British buggy turned out to be a real cash cow for the state of Tennessee! And we all know its not the only one; many other cars and trucks, and many other hopeful buyers, could tell the same tale. And now, you indicate, the state has discovered yet another way to gouge unsuspecting citizens for not insuring vehicles they dont own, haven't owned and havent seen for years. If nothing else, the mere hassle of having to get such nonsense straightened out is time-consuming and nerve-wracking, something that none of us really needs to endure. As for me, the license plate that I bought at such great trouble and expense, and that never appeared on any street or road in Tennessee, still hangs on my workshop wall as a reminder ... of many things. Three people were displaced after a house fire early Monday morning. At approximately 1 a.m., a call came in for a residential fire at 6945 Hickory View Lane. The reporting person advised a fire in the garage. E8 (Blue shift) arrived on scene and found heavy fire and smoke in the garage that was advancing into the home. An aggressive interior attack knocked the fire down quickly and stopped any further spread into the living space.All residents were said to be out of the structure, but a primary and secondary search were conducted by L7 and E6 to make sure no one was missed. The fire was brought under control within 45 minutes. There was significant damage to the structure, no reported injuries, and the cause remains under investigation. The Red Cross is assisting the residents. In celebration of Americas upcoming 250 th birthday, the Chief John Ross Chapter, NSDAR dedicated a DAR Revolutionary War Patriot marker for Revolutionary War Patriot John Thompson. John Thompson served as a Private in North Carolina during the Revolutionary War. According to his pension record, he enlisted on the Western Frontier of North Carolina in the fall of 1781 under Captain Robert Kyle at the age of 16. His responsibilities included guarding frontier settlements, with his station at Hickory Cove, and his enlistment lasting nine months. In the fall of 1782, he enlisted for three months in a horse company under Captain Joseph Martin and Col. John Sevier. According to his fathers bible, John Thompson was born on May 18, 1765, in Rowan County, North Carolina. He lived in Rhea County, until his death on May 16, 1839, and is buried in the Thompson Cemetery in Spring City. The Chief John Ross Chapter, NSDAR has worked with the Rhea County Historical Society for the past two years in panning and researching John Thompsons service and family. The Rhea County Historical Society has also restored the headstones of John Thompson and other family members. Restoration of headstones over 200 years old involves careful and patient work. Members of the Tennessee State Society, Tennessee DAR Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, and Children of the American Revolution attended the dedication, as did a descendant of John Thompson. John Thompsons service is now recorded in the Daughters of the American Revolutions database, and female descendants are encouraged to join and document their family history with the Society. In recognition of their collaborative efforts, the Patriot to Pioneers book, a book of Tennessee Revolutionary War Patriots put together by the Tennessee DAR State Society, was presented to the Rhea County Historical Society, and a certificate of appreciation was given to Huber Manufactured Woods, custodians of the Thompson Cemetery. The Chief John Ross Chapter plans to continue collaborating with the Rhea County Historical Society on future markers. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a womens service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Todays DAR is dynamic and diverse, with over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and world. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Over one million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890. Here are the new marriage licenses from the County Clerk's office: VIRGINIA WILLIS IAN CALEB TOY JACKSON 485 UNION RD SE 485 UNION RD SE CLEVELAND, Tennessee 37323 CLEVELAND, Tennessee 37323 AUBREY SHARON FARROW RYLAN LESLIE HISSONG 5757 TALLANT RD 5757 TALLANT RD OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 CHRISTOPHER FRANCISCO VICENTE GUOX JENNIFER JIMENEZ MARTINEZ 5969 PINEHURST AVE APT B 5969 PINEHURST AVE APT B CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 FRANCISCO R. RODRIGUEZ MIRNA ELIZABETH CUETO4307 BENNETT RD 4307 BENNETT RDCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412CALEB ALAN WEIR ELIANNA GRACE LUEKEN210 HEADLYN DR 10477 SOVEREIGN POINTE DRHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379LINDA FAITH HUMBERD BENJAMIN RYAN RUSSELL71 CIRCLE DR 1705 LAKE GRASSLAND WROSSVILLE, Georgia 30741 GALLATIN, Tennessee 37066SCOTT LEE SINGLETON ALLISON MARGARET WEINBECKER9215 MISTY RIDGE DR 9215 MISTY RIDGE DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416ALLEN LEE STRUNK SAMANTHA GALE DREYER152 ANN DR 152 ANN DRROSSVILLE, Georgia 30741 ROSSVILLE, Georgia 30741MADISON BLAKE MUIR BORIS JOSUE LOPEZ1011 GADD RD APT 1007 1011 GADD RD APT 1007HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343TAYLOR MICHAEL JOE SWANSON ALEXIS CHASTAINE GRANT148 ARLIS AVE 148 ARLIS AVEDAYTON, Tennessee 37321 DAYTON, Tennessee 37321BRITTANY MORGAN HALL STEPHEN ANDREW JACKSON5348 ROSE GLEN CT 7513 JOHN HENRY RDOOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421ADAM MATTHEW RIVERA LILLIAN MACLAIN HIXSON4602 TENNESSEE AVE 4602 TENNESSEE AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37409 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37409CAMERON DRAKE PENNINGTON JORDAN ELISE DUNCAN621 MEMORIAL DR APT 1604 621 MEMORIAL DR APT 1604CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415JEANNETTE ARIELLE MARTIN THOMAS CLAUDE MEALER3922 LIGHTFOOT MILL RD 3922 LIGHTFOOT MILL RDCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37406 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37406JUAN JESUS PATINO GOMEZ BRENDA VELAZQUEZ383 WILLOW RD 80 N ELMWOOD STDAYTON, Tennessee 37321 ROSSVILLE, Georgia 30741LAURA ELLEN GRAY JESTIN KANE BELL1028 HIRAM AVE 1028 HIRAM AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415COURTNEY ANNE COX TIMOTHY JAMES HOLCOMBE115 REDFIELD DR 115 REDFIELD DRPOOLER, Georgia 31322 POOLER, Georgia 31322PRESTON HART WATERS ALEXIS PAIGE DEWEY4463 ENFIELD DR 921 MCCARTER RDGAINsville, Georgia 30506 LAFAYETTE, Georgia 30728BRODY CHRISTIAN-SKYLAR LIGHTFOOT KAITLIN HOPE BERKLEY936 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT R199 936 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT R199CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405MADUKA THARANGA MADALUWAGE AKILA NIMESHIKA PANAGE4909 SHORELINE DR 4909 SHORELINE DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416SETH WADE PATTON ERIN MELINDA SCAIFE1902 LEE PK 1902 LEE PKSODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379AARON CHRISTOPHER SIMPSON SESKA ANIJ LINN4006 LOST OAKS DR 4006 LOST OAKS DROOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363ERIK WARREN GRABOWSKI JESSICA LYNNE LOLLEY5864 SUNSET CANYON DR 5864 SUNSET CANYON DRHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343ALYSSA BRIANNA LEMBERGER STEFON ANTHONY STEPHENS9224 LAWFORD WAY APT 202 9224 LAWFORD WAY APT 202OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363NILS CHRISTIAN LEWIS FRANCES MEGAN MCNALLY328 CHEROKEE BLVD APT 150 328 CHEROKEE BLVD APT 150CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405MATTHEW CHARLES SILLIMAN CATHERINE ANNESE ARMSTRONG101 MORNINGSIDE DR 101 MORNINGSIDE DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404BRENDA SALGADO ALEXANDRA LEA MULLIGAN4105 HUGHES AVE 4105 HUGHES AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37410 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37410ALYVIA MARIA FIORITO JEFFREY ROBERT BROWN97 HATFIELD DR 97 HATFIELD DRRINGGOLD, Georgia 30736 RINGGOLD, Georgia 30736ALEXANDER SAMUEL LEPLEY COURTNEY ELIZABETH MORRIS8660 HOMECOMING DR 8660 HOMECOMING DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421ROBERT DARKEN ELLINGTON JAZZMINE BARROWS1730 N NORTHLAKE WAY UNIT 320 1730 N NORTHLAKE WAY UNIT 320SEATTLE, Washington 98103 SEATTLE, Washington 98103LINDSAY LEIGH CARLSON ELISABETH JEANNE POHLE2797 WEWATTA WAY APT 1013 2797 WEWATTA WAY APT 1013DENVER, Colorado 80216 DENVER, Colorado 80216COURTNEY NICOLE FINE CAMERON AUSTIN PRYOR6127 TALLANT RD 327 CEDAR LNMC DONALD, Tennessee 37353 DUNLAP, Tennessee 37327TRAVIS CHARLES TAYLO MELINDA JO EDGAR11256 S OAK ST 11256 S OAK STSODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379WALTER DARNELL NETTLES DAISY MAE RICHARDS3218 GLEASON DR APT 24 3218 GLEASON DR APT 24CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374121311 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374121311DEWAYNE JEFFREY RACHELS LAURIE LYNN GANDRE119 BLUEGRASS CIR 5700 ROPER STROSSVILLE, Georgia 30741 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412TORI ANN QUANDEL TIMOTHY JAMES YOUNGBLOOD2414 RANCH HILLS RD 2414 RANCH HILLS RDCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421RALEY AMANDA LAING FRANCISCO XAVIER FLORES117 FOURTH WAY DR 117 FOURTH WAY DRWHITWELL, Tennessee 37397 WHITWELL, Tennessee 37397MELINDA JASMIN URIBE CHLOE HENDERSON1011 GADD RD APT 619 1011 GADD RD APT 619HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343DAVID WAYNE MCINTYRE KIMBERLY PAIGE ROBBS215 CITYGREEN WAY APT 205 215 CITYGREEN WAY APT 205CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405COREY WAYNE DAVIDSON CHASITY DAWN GRAY218 JOHNSON RD 218 JOHNSON RDHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343SIQAUN DEVONT'E DOZIER ADAM STUART DORRELL235 CARRIAGE PARC DR 235 CARRIAGE PARC DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421MERYSSA TERRIE TENTHOREY STEVEN DEEWAYNE ROGERS9415 SEASONS DR 9415 SEASONS DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421GUERIN EMORY HIGGINS BRITTANY LEIGH WILLIAMS1489 SINCLAIR AVE 1489 SINCLAIR AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408JOSEPH WILLIAM MEEHAN ERICA LYNN JOHNSON5005 TENNESSEE AVE 5005 TENNESSEE AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37409 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37409STEVEN LEBRON MORGAN DANIELA SUSANNE BAKKEN105 N LAKE TERR 105 N LAKE TERRROSSVILLE, Georgia 30741 ROSSVILLE, Georgia 30741ANNA MARIE JOHNSON JASON DEAN ENNIS5575 TALLANT RD OFC 5575 TALLANT RD OFCOOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 373638237REILLY ELISABETH KELLEY RYAN MICHAEL DERVISHIAN1410 ASPENWOOD DR 1410 ASPENWOOD DRJACKSONVILLE, Florida 32211 JACKSONVILLE, Florida 32211JESSICA NCCOLE ERVIN JUSTIN JAMES SEXTON3722 SANTA MARIA DR 3722 SANTA MARIA DRGROVE CITY, Ohio 43123 GROVE CITY, Ohio 43123DANIEL CRUZ CYNTHIA YVONNE CANNON5344 COLLEGEVIEW DR 5344 COLLEGEVIEW DROOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363DILLON JAMES ALEXANDER ISABELLA GRACE MERRITT942 JOE ENGEL DR 942 JOE ENGEL DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421JOSHUA LEE SEYFARTH KAYLA LEE EFRECE5058 SHOALS LANE 5058 SHOALS LANECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416JESSICA MARIE PERRY THOMAS WARREN BARNES170 COX LN 514 S CHURCH CIRSODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 OLATHE, Kansas 66061HAYLI ELIZABETH MCLEAN MATTHEW ALFORD LINTZ1707 THRASHER PK 1707 THRASHER PKHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343SARA ELAINE RAGAN JONATHAN EDWARD BROWN ZECHES1315 CALIBRE CREEK PKWY 1315 CALIBRE CREEK PKWYROSWELL, Georgia 300764510 ROSWELL, Georgia 300764510ELIZABETH RYLEY NELSON DAWSON LEE MULLIS7915 SQUIRREL WOOD CT 8206 THRUSH HOLLOW LNOOLTEWAH, TENNESSEE 373634860 CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE 374215044STEPHANIE MARIE PENPEK FRANCISCO JAVIER SALINAS8482 HART LN 8482 HART LNOOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363VINCENT EARL CHAMBERLAIN DEBORAH ERIN PANCAKE6523 GAMBLE RD 6523 GAMBLE RDBIRCHWOOD, Tennessee 37308 BIRCHWOOD, Tennessee 37308MICKY GENE HARDIN HOLLY MARIE BRADFORD501 NATIONAL AVE 1599 BOYNTON VALLEY RDCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404 MANCHESTER, Tennessee 37355SAWYER ENOCH BURNS CAZ SKYLAR BILBREY4718 FAIRWOOD LN 4718 FAIRWOOD LNCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416AARON DOUGLAS HILLIARD MADISON OLIVIA ABLES121 ALAN DR 121 ALAN DRRINGGOLD, Georgia 30736 RINGGOLD, Georgia 30736RYLEIGH ADDISON QUARLES JASE ELY MOSES3909 FOREST HIGHLAND CIR 3909 FOREST HIGHLAND CIRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415FRANK JUDSON LEDFORD STEPHANIE DAWN BARBER4044E FREEDOM CIR 4044E FREEDOM CIROOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363TAYLOR JERIAH DAVENPORT JAYLEN TYQUAN POINDEXTER2109 SHARP ST 2109 SHARP STCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404GYLIAN RENEE FINCH DANIEL VONTHIN6504 RAMSEY RD 6504 RAMSEY RDHARRISON, Tennessee 37341 HARRISON, Tennessee 37341ANDREA JOYCE BAKER SAMSON NOWOTARSKI1770 SEVEN PINES LN 1770 SEVEN PINES LNCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415MARY ASHELYN ALLEN JACK EDWARD MARTINDALE2011 MCCALLIE AVE APT B 2011 MCCALLIE AVE APT BCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404LINDSAY ELAINE ADAMACK SHANNON RAY BRIGHT267 DUGGER DR NE 267 DUGGER DR NEROME, Georgia 30165 ROME, Georgia 30165CORMAC THOMAS O'SULLIVAN CAITLIN VIRGINIA MULLIKEN4725 TESSIE LANE 4725 TESSIE LANEHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343ZACKERY ALEXANDER KEATON MISTIDAWN JUANITA BURCHAM8212 COMMUNITY PL 8212 COMMUNITY PLOOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363TRENT ALLAN VANEREM KAYLA MARY SCARBROUGH3300 14TH AVE 3300 14TH AVECOLUMBUS, Georgia 31904 COLUMBUS, Georgia 31904CAITLIN LOUISE BURTON LANDON MACAULAY REED140 WINDY HILL DR 140 WINDY HILL DRRINGGOLD, Georgia 307363463 RINGGOLD, Georgia 307363463KIRI PATRICIA WALTZ CHRISTOPHER ALLEN OLIVER3527 CLAREMONT AVE 3527 CLAREMONT AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412IAN WESLEY HAGA DANELLE MAYARAM709 MANSION CIR APT J 709 MANSION CIR APT JCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405KAITLYN ASHLEY ROSE LYNN JACK LEE MADDEN1635 N CHESTER RD 1635 N CHESTER RDHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343KATHERINE ELIZABETH PIEVE SHANNON COLE JONES730 S GERMANTOWN CIR APT 728 730 S GERMANTOWN CIR APT 728CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412ASHLEY ELIZABETH MILLER DANIEL NICHOLAS ADAMSON172 GIBSON ST SE 172 GIBSON ST SEATLANTA, Georgia 30316 ATLANTA, Georgia 30316ROBERT WEST NAUGHER PATRICIA RENEE HARRIS635 STINSON ST 635 STINSON STCENTRE, Alabama 35960 CENTRE, Alabama 35960BRUCE TERRY SCOTT LAURA ELIZABETH HAMPTON5741 ANTONIO LN 5741 ANTONIO LNHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343GREGORY DYLAN VANCE BRITTNEY DEANN RAY3903 GODFREY AVE NE 3903 GODFREY AVE NEFT PAYNE, Alabama 35967 FT PAYNE, Alabama 35967CLAY BRIMER WHITFIELD HEATHER KELLEY WHITFIELD1032 E 4TH ST 1032 E 4TH STCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37403 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37403GAVIN NICHOLAS WILLOUGHBY BRIANNA NICOLE LENGEL5008 ELEVATED VW 5008 ELEVATED VWHIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343ASHLEY ANNE FRENCH HEATH EDWARD SLATEN626 MANCHESTER DR 626 MANCHESTER DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374154855 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374154855MICHAEL DALE CYREE PATRICIA JOANN WOODALL4715 BONNY OAKS DR APT 406 1111 ELAINE TRLCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421CALUM MITCHELL MCCULLOCH LAURA BETH MESCHKE1817 HENEGAR CIR 1817 HENEGAR CIRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421EMILY ROSE WEILER JONATHAN LUNA4876 TWIN LAKES TRL 4876 TWIN LAKES TRLATLANTA, Georgia 30360 ATLANTA, Georgia 30360MEAGAN ELIZABETH GRIM CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL CONRAD4113 13TH AVE 4113 13TH AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374072808 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374072808JONATHAN DAVID FLYNN SARAH BROOKE HILES726 MISSISSIPPI AVE 726 MISSISSIPPI AVECHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405LEONARD BLAIKE HENRY AUTUMN RAYN SERODINO913 WOODMORE TERR 913 WOODMORE TERRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411CHRISTIAN JOEL PEREZ TAMIA JACKSON1429 DUSTIN DR 1429 DUSTIN DRDALTON, Georgia 30720 DALTON, Georgia 30720DEQUEIS LAMON ARMOUR KEYANNA MIKEL GREEN502 SHAWNEE TRL 502 SHAWNEE TRLCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411MICHAEL POLITOPOULOS JANA SMITH LIND3400 JENKINS RD APT 702 4726 BUCKINGHAM DRCHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421KATIE BETH SKIDMORE BRANDON WAYNE RISNER141 W FOREST DR 141 W FOREST DRKILLEN, Alabama 35645 KILLEN, Alabama 35645 A former Chattanooga attorney and East Ridge judge has been arrested in Panama City, Fla., on a charge of threatening to kill his wife and her friend. Cris Helton, 63, was arrested on the felony count of making a written threat to kill or do bodily harm. Police said on Sept. 28 at approximately midnight, Helton texted Kimberly J. Helton a photograph of a large black and silver kitchen knife. Police said he also included a death threat text message under the photo stating, "I take that back I will kill both of you first. Don't forget she knows your worth." Police said Helton "referred at the time to the victim K.J.H. and a common friend that was included in a group message." Police stated, "The victim was afraid of her life and did not want to be close to the defendant due to the threats mentioned above." Officers said Helton admitted to taking the photo and sending it to the victim. Police also said, "It should be noted, from the photo, the knife was observed in his lap displaying his legs. The defendant was wearing the same color of pants and shirt worn as captured in the photo." Helton is free on a $50,000 bond and is due back in court on Nov. 3. As a doctoral student who has spent the last seven years in higher education, I have seen firsthand what happens when students are given the freedom to wrestle with uncomfortable truths: they grow sharper, more informed and more intellectually independent from mainstream views. This is precisely why states so-called Divisive Concepts in Education bills are not just misguided; they are an assault on the very purpose of the university. It takes an unusual mixture of cowardice and arrogance to decide that university students must be shielded from certain ideas because they are divisive. Yet this is the latest pearl of wisdom produced by conservative-majority states in prohibiting the teaching of subjects related to race, gender and diversity. It is difficult to overstate the grotesque irony: a party that purports to defend free speech and critical thinking now tramples both under the jackboot of state censorship. These bills are an insult to the very notion of education, which requires intellectual inquiry into a broad array of subjects. To insist that certain subjects are out of bounds for intellectual discourse is to champion ignorance. To decree, by law, that certain subjects cannot be taught is to legislate tyranny. Universities, if the word is to retain any meaning at all, must be a place for the rigorous and sometimes fiery clash of ideas and the confrontation of difficult truths. To demand that students not be taught about topics deemed divisive by the state because it might hurt someones feelings or rattle their inherited prejudices is to confess, openly, that one has no faith in the individual, education or democracy. The American experiment is premised on an informed citizenry capable of reasoning, debating and disagreeing- sometimes vehemently. To suppress discussion of subjects that some consider to be divisive is not in the interest of civility, as some would claim these bills are. It is historical erasure, propaganda masquerading as patriotism. The deliberate obscuring of past injustices and their impact is not a way to unify; it is a way to infantilize and mislead. A democracy cannot function if its citizenry is educated in a way that is anodyne or outright antithetical to fact, if they are treated like parishioners rather than citizens. Supporters of these bills opine on the dangers of exposing students to critical examinations of current and historical realities, as if it were the equivalent of planting a party manifesto in their heads. These are the same people who never blush at teaching children that the earth was made in six days, or that a man was swallowed by a whale and, after three days, spat out intact. They nod solemnly at the tale of a Nazarene carpenter rising from the dead. They believe all this, yet have the gall to cry indoctrination when asked to consider the residual effects of Jim Crow laws or redlining. Their hypocrisy could choke a horse. This is not a clash between indoctrination and civility; it is a clash between superstition and scholarship. These bills are a crusade of anti-intellectualism, an effort by those in power to dumb down the population to their level of ignorance. But history will not be rewritten by small-minded legislation. The bones of lynching victims remain in Southern soil, whether or not you mention them in a classroom. Reality is stubborn that way. The state has no place dictating what is appropriate for study. This assumes that adults cannot weigh arguments or encounter an idea without being corrupted and must therefore be protected like a child. To heck with these purported mental and emotional safeguards. Call it by its name: censorship. These new censors dress themselves as concerned parents and defenders of liberty, but their work is that of commissars. They wish to dictate the orthodoxy of grievance politics and wounded nationalism. They are not terrified of divisiveness; they are terrified of diversity. These divisive topics are the recognition that liberty and equality cannot exist unless they are taught, practiced and defended. To call this indoctrination is to admit ones preference for ignorance. To ban it is to invite the slow crawl of tyranny, the steady narrowing of the permissible, until universities are as barren of thought as the pews of a fundamentalist church. Or worse, finishing schools for state propaganda, sanctuaries for the frightened and intellectually feeble, or mausoleums for the mind. Better, then, to resist ruthlessly and unapologetically- offensively if needed. To remind these censorians that freedom of thought is not theirs to grant or withhold. It is the birthright of every citizen, secured not by legislative decree but by struggle, dissent, and the irrepressible human need to know the truth, however divisive it may be. Byron Russell * * * I would agree with Mr. Russell that states have no place banning so called Divisive Concepts. And would add that neither should the universities themselves. However I take issue with the idea that assaults on free speech only come from one side. We have seen right here, where effort was made to keep Turning Point USA off the UTC campus. I would remind Mr. Russell that the the jackboot of state censorship comes from both left and right. History tells us that censorship has been used by many. Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Fidel Castro and Ruhollah Khomeini. Tyrants all of them, with a variety of ideologies. Hypocrisy is also rampant today across all ideologies. You will be offended, you will not agree with a lot. That is the price of liberty. The path to liberty is a narrow one, with a slippery slope on both sides. George Odom The Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center announced the awarding of the 2025 Katie Fields Bell Teacher Fellow and newly-established General B.B. Bell Teacher Fellow recognition. Generously supported by the Fields and Bell families, the Heritage Centers Teacher Fellowship Program included 18 Teacher Fellows from Tennessee and Georgia this year. Hamilton County Schools teacher Haleigh Van Allen from Normal Park Museum Magnet was recognized as the 2025 Katie Fields Bell Teacher Fellow awardee, and Whitfield County Schools, GA, teacher David Veve was named the first recipient of the General B.B. Bell Teacher Fellow award. Each awardee was gifted $1,000 to be utilized in their classrooms or for further professional development.Education is a community effort, and we see it as our duty to support both teachers and students throughout the learning process, said Maranda Wilkinson, director of education at the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. We launched our Teacher Fellowship Program two years ago as a means of investing in educators, connecting them to the stories of Medal of Honor Recipients, and supporting their efforts to weave Recipient stories and the values associated with the Medalcourage, commitment, integrity, sacrifice, citizenship, and patriotisminto lessons and materials aligned with state standards.The Heritage Centers Teacher Fellowship Program is a year-long commitment, and fellows are compensated for their time. Fellows participate in book studies, field excursions along the famed Andrews Raiders route and Gettysburg Battlefield, lesson and activity crafting, and various other professional learning opportunities throughout the year. The program culminates with educator workshops hosted by Fellows at the Heritage Center where they introduce the lessons and activities they have crafted.Ms. Wilkinson said, Each year we select an outstanding Teacher Fellow as the Katie Fields Bell Teacher Fellow in honor of Katie Fields Belllate wife of General B.B. Bell. She was dedicated to supporting childrens education, and when she saw a need, she took action. This year, we added a new award in honor of General (Ret.) B.B. Bell who, throughout his 39 years in the U.S. Army, led from the front. Both Haleigh and David have been highly engaged in the program from the start and led from the front by committing themselves to developing thoughtful instructional materials, which creatively highlighted Medal of Honor Recipient stories.Several other awards were presented during the Heritage Centers Teacher Fellowship Awards Dinner:Above & Beyond AwardRebekah Reed, Tennessee Department of EducationBig StoriesCooper Bucha of Grayfus and Luke Chandler of ChattRboxBig EnergyKelsey Oliver, Hamilton County SchoolsBig ImpactDr. Clinton Cavett, MOHHC DocentEducation is a gateway to ensuring the values the Medal of Honor represents are passed on to our nations next generation of leaders, said Tom Mundell, Heritage Center CEO and president. Its encouraging to see teachers in the region so passionate about exploring this history and sharing with their students they, just like Medal of Honor Recipients, are capable of one more step forward.The Heritage Center aims to inspire all generations, through the stories of Medal of Honor Recipients, to be the best versions of themselves.Here at the Heritage Center, we share the BIG stories of Medal of Honor Recipients through our BIG energy programming, said Ms. Wilkinson. Our hope is that all who walk through our Centers doors to tour our galleries or participate in any of our programs recognize they, too, are capable of making a BIG impact in their spheres of influences just as Medal of Honor Recipients have.To learn more about the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, its mission, or its programs, visit www.MOHHC.org or call 423 877-2525. The Chattanooga Venturing Study Group is learning about Chattanooga Venture by organizing public speaker series. The next speaker will be former Tennessee Senator and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker on Oct. 23, at 1 p.m. Chattanooga Venture was an initiative that engaged thousands of residents in the 1980s to improve our community. It had astounding results, including the Tennessee Aquarium, Association for Visual Arts, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, Child Advocacy Center, Public Education Foundation, River City Company, and Room in the Inn domestic violence shelter. Today, Venture has been largely forgotten. Few people know about it and no one seems to know what made it so successful. Those who led the initiative are retired. Some key figures are no longer with us. The goal of the Study Group is to recapture knowledge from Chattanooga Venture before it is lost. So far the group has hosted talks by four key leadersJack Murrah, Maria Noel, Rick Montague, and Eleanor Cooper. It has plans for two other talks, one with Senator Corker and another focused on the work of renowned urban planner Stroud Watson. The group is planning future sessions and other ways to learn from Chattanooga Venture. Anyone interested in how to engage and mobilize community members for inclusive, positive, sustainable change is welcome to participate. The Tennessee Supreme Court, in Matthew Long v. Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Fund, has reinstated the Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Funds (Fund) denial of the plaintiffs pension benefits. Matthew Long was a firefighter, who in 2020 applied for job-related disability pension benefits due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. After a hearing with Mr. Long and the Board of Trustees, the Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Fund denied Mr. Long benefits. Mr. Long appealed to the Hamilton County Chancery Court. The Chancery Court reversed the denial and awarded benefits because it found that there was not sufficient and material evidence for the Funds decision to deny benefits. The Fund then appealed to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals determined that because the Disability Benefits Policy was ambiguous, it should have been interpreted in favor of Mr. Long rather than the Board of Trustees. The Court of Appeals then affirmed the Chancery Court because the Fund did not interpret the Policy to favor Mr. Long and he was eligible for benefits under that interpretation. On appeal, the Tennessee Supreme Court disagreed. The Court found that the Policy, where it outlines qualifications for a job-related disability, was not ambiguous. The Court applied a fair reading of the Policy using the plain meaning of the term unexpected, as it relates to a traumatic event. The Court then determined that the Funds initial denial of benefits should be upheld because there was substantial and material evidence in the record to support its decision. To read the Courts opinion in Matthew Long v. Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Fund, authored by Justice Mary L. Wagner, go to the opinions section of TNCourts.gov. A new material might contribute to a reduction of the fossil fuels consumed by aircraft engines and gas turbines in the future. A research team from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has developed a refractory metal-based alloy with properties unparalleled to date. The novel combination of chromium, molybdenum, and silicon is ductile at ambient temperature. With its melting temperature of about 2,000 degrees Celsius, it remains stable even at high temperatures and is at the same time oxidation resistant. The results are published in the Nature journal. High-temperature-resistant metallic materials are required for aircraft engines, gas turbines, X-ray units, and many other technical applications. Refractory metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, and chromium, whose melting points are around or higher than 2,000 degrees Celsius, can be most resistant to high temperatures. Their practical application, however, has limitations: They are brittle at room temperature and, in contact with oxygen, they start to oxidize causing failure within short time already at temperatures of 600 to 700 degrees Celsius. Therefore, they can only be used under technically complex vacuum conditions for example as X-ray rotating anodes. Due to these challenges, superalloys based on nickel have been used for decades in components that are exposed to air or combustion gases at high temperatures. They are used, for example, as standard materials for gas turbines. The existing superalloys are made of many different metallic elements including rarely available ones so that they combine several properties. They are ductile at room temperature, stable at high temperatures, and resistant to oxidation, explains Professor Martin Heilmaier from KITs Institute for Applied Materials Materials Science and Engineering. However and there is the rub the operating temperatures, i.e. the temperatures in which they can be used safely, are in the range up to 1,100 degrees Celsius maximum. This is too low to exploit the full potential for more efficiency in turbines or other high-temperature applications. The fact is that the efficiency in combustion processes increases with temperature. A Chance for a Technological Leap This limitation existing with the materials available today was the starting point for Heilmaiers working group. Within the Materials Compounds from Composite Materials for Applications in Extreme Conditions (MatCom-ComMat) research training group funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the researchers succeeded in developing a new alloy made of chromium, molybdenum, and silicon. This refractory metal-based alloy, in whose discovery Dr. Alexander Kauffmann, now professor at the Ruhr University Bochum, played a major role, features hitherto unparalleled properties. It is ductile at room temperature, its melting point is as high as about 2,000 degrees Celsius, and unlike refractory alloys known to date it oxidizes only slowly, even in the critical temperature range. This nurtures the vision of being able to make components suitable for operating temperatures substantially higher than 1,100 degrees Celsius. Thus, the result of our research has the potential to enable a real technological leap, says Kauffmann. This specifically remarkable as resistance to oxidation and ductility still cannot be predicted sufficiently to allow a targeted material design despite the great progress that has been achieved in computer-assisted materials development. INEOS has confirmed its intention to shut two production units in Rheinberg, Germany, with the loss of 175 jobs. The proposed closures are the direct result of crippling energy and carbon costs, and a lack of tariff protection. INEOS The intention to close, which has been shared with employees, reflects a deepening crisis across Europes chemical sector. Stephen Dossett, CEO of INEOS Inovyn, said: Europe is committing industrial suicide. While competitors in the US and China benefit from cheap energy, European producers are being priced out by our own policies and absence of tariff protection. Meanwhile, high-emission imports flood our market unchecked. Its completely unsustainable and if not immediately addressed will lead to further closures, job losses and increased dependency on other regions for essential materials. Both plants produce essential chemicals. The Allylics unit makes the key ingredient for epoxy resins vital in defence, aerospace, cars and renewable energy infrastructure. The electro chemical facility produces chlorine crucial for clean water, medicines, industrial processes and sanitation. These closures are part of a wider trend as Europes competitiveness collapses. Since 2019, output in Germany has dropped by 18%, driving job losses and reduced investment. INEOS has closed plants in Grangemouth (UK), Geel (Belgium). It is closing Gladbeck (Germany), and has mothballed assets in Tavaux (France) and Martorell (Spain). Weve reached the point where well invested, efficient European plants are closing, while global emissions rise, Dossett said. Its not just economic madness. Its environmental hypocrisy. INEOS will now focus on preserving its remaining PVC operations in Rheinberg to support around 300 skilled jobs. This requires urgent state support to help cover significant local transitioning costs. The business deeply regrets the decision to close Rheinbergs cell rooms and Allylics operations and is conscious of the impact it will have on staff and wider German supply chain. INEOS Inovyn will work closely with partners and employees to minimise the impact. said Dossett We are doing everything we can to protect what is still viable, but we cant do it alone. If governments want to keep strategic manufacturing in Europe, they must help manage this transition and restore competitiveness. Bishop Sarah Mullally, appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. | Screenshot: Facebook/ Archbishop of Canterbury The Church of Nigeria has openly expressed its opposition to the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. In its statement, the Church of Nigeria claimed that the October 3 appointment, described as a devastating decision that ignored longstanding doctrinal tensions over female leadership and the blessing of same-sex unions, marks a deeper shift by the Church of England away from biblical teaching. Archbishop Henry C. Ndukuba, representing the Church of Nigeria, stated that the appointment reflected a lack of regard for the convictions the majority of Anglicans who are unable to embrace female headship in the episcopate, and expressed particular concern over Mullallys support for same-sex marriage. The Nigerian leaders labeled the move a double jeopardy, referencing Mullallys comments in 2023 after a vote to permit prayers for same-sex blessings, where she described the outcome as a moment of hope for the Church. The Church of Nigeria declared that such positions are incompatible with Scripture and that they exacerbate the ongoing crisis within the Anglican Communion. This election is a further confirmation that the global Anglican world could no longer accept the leadership of the Church of England and that of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the statement said. The Nigerian church also reaffirmed its alignment with GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference), a traditionalist Anglican network. GAFCON, which includes bishops from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, issued a parallel statement through its Primates Council, expressing sorrow over the announcement and warning that it would deepen divisions within the 85 million-member Communion, according to Christian Daily International. The chairman of GAFCON, the Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, criticized the Church of England for chose[n] a leader who will further divide an already split Communion. She took an oath to banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrine contrary to Gods Word, he said. And yet, far from banishing such doctrine, Bishop Mullally has repeatedly promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality. Mbanda referenced Anglican Article XX, which states that the Church may not ordain anything contrary to Gods Word, asserting that Mullallys votes and comments have violated this standard. He also pointed to the Jerusalem Statement adopted by GAFCON in 2008, which calls for leadership that upholds the plain and canonical sense of Scripture. The Gafcon leadership said it had hoped the CofE would appoint someone capable of healing longstanding fractures, but now sees Canterbury as no longer viable as the Communions center. The Church of Nigeria, one of the largest Anglican provinces globally, declared that it would continue to uphold biblical doctrine irrespective of the ongoing revisionist agenda. It also encouraged members of the Church of England who oppose same-sex marriage to stand firm and contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Mbanda announced that GAFCONs next move would involve consolidating leadership among orthodox Anglican bishops at its G26 Bishops Assembly, scheduled for Abuja from March 36, 2026. Pastor Jin Mingri, Founder of Zion Church | Screenshot: YouTube/ Mingjingnews The Trump administration has urgently called for the release of a Chinese underground church pastor who has been detained. Pastor Jin Mingri, also known as Ezra Jin, was taken into custody last Friday at his residence in Beihai, Guangxi Province, according to his daughter, who is a U.S. citizen. Reports indicated that around 30 other individuals associated with Zion Church had either been detained or went missing across several Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, according to The New York Times. In response, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement criticizing the arrests and urging the Chinese government to permit people of all faiths, particularly those involved in house churches, to worship freely without fear of punishment. This crackdown further demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches, Rubio said in the statement. Pastor Jin Mingri, who is 56 years old, founded Zion Church, which is a non-denominational Evangelical community that began in 2007. Over the years, it expanded into one of the largest underground churches in China. He joined pro-democracy protests during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989, converted to Christianity shortly afterward, and later graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary in California. Zion Church was shut down officially in 2018 after authorities raided its church in Beijing, which led the church to shift its worship services online and to grow its network throughout China. According to The Wall Street Journal, Zions online services have attracted as many as 10,000 participants through platforms such as Zoom, YouTube, and WeChat. Grace Jin Drexel, Jins daughter and a staff member in the U.S. Senate residing in Washington, said her father maintained leadership of the church remotely despite constant surveillance and restrictions on leaving China. Pastor Jin's wife, Chunli Liu, is a Chinese national living in the U.S. since 2018, with their three children, all of whom hold American citizenship. They (China authorities) are afraid of my husbands influence, Liu stated in a video interview. Grace explained that her father had recently attempted to visit the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to renew his visa but was intercepted by authorities, taken to the airport, and compelled to leave the city. Since his detention, the family has had no contact with Jin, and it remains uncertain whether he has been formally charged with any crime. Concern grew on Sunday as members of the church community shared news about multiple detentions and disappearances, with some fearing the entire leadership might soon be incarcerated, according to the Wall Street Journal. Bob Fu, who is the founder of ChinaAid, described these events as the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution against underground churches in China in over four decades. Citing the severity of the crackdown, Corey Jackson of Luke Alliance, a group advocating for persecuted Christians, called this the sweep the most significant since 2018 and warned that further deterioration of the situation could be imminent. Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Rimon Mori Washington state has reached an agreement to stop forcing Catholic priests to report confessions of abuse, ending a legal dispute over a controversial new law. According to an agreement filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma, state officials have accepted a permanent injunction that prevents the enforcement of the law against the Catholic Sacrament of Confession and/or any other privileged communication. State Defendants and County Prosecutor Defendants agree not to appeal the Preliminary Injunction order or to appeal from or otherwise challenge the enforceability or validity of this Stipulated Permanent Injunction Order and Final Judgment, or any other rulings entered to date in this matter by this Court, in this or any other proceeding, the district court order stated. State Defendants and County Prosecutor Defendants agree that the Courts Stipulated Permanent Injunction Order and Final Judgment in this matter has the same force and precedential effect as if it had been entered following a dispositive motion or trial on the merits. Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket Law, which helped to represent the plaintiffs, stated in a Friday press release that the agreement was a victory for religious freedom. Washington was wise to walk away from this draconian law and allow Catholic clergy to continue ministering to the faithful, Rienzi commented. This is a victory for religious freedom and for common sense. Priests should never be forced to make the impossible choice of betraying their sacred vows or going to jail. The Office of the Attorney General of Washington issued a press release noting that, under the agreement, clergy in the state will still be mandatory reporters in circumstances outside of the confessional. Senate Bill 5375 added clergy to the list of professionals required to report instances of child abuse or neglect to law enforcement, even if the report is made through privileged communication. Critics, including Roman Catholic Church officials and conservatives, argued that the law violated religious freedom and Catholic teachings. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint intervening against the state law, claiming it unlawfully targets clergy and, specifically, Catholic priests. Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the law, stated that priests cannot comply with this law if the knowledge of abuse is obtained during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He emphasized that the archdiocese remains committed to reporting child sexual abuse, working with victim survivors towards healing and protecting all minors and vulnerable people. The archbishop added, People of every religion in the state of Washington and beyond should be alarmed by this overreach of our Legislature and governor. Home News Advocates warn EU commission against law that would silence speech in US, globally More than 100 free speech advocates, including former U.S. and European officials, have urged the European Commission to reconsider a key internet regulation that they say risks censoring global speech and undermining international free expression rights. In a letter to the executive body of the European Union, the 113 signatories warned that the EUs Digital Services Act creates a pan-European censorship infrastructure with vaguely defined limits that could suppress lawful content across borders, human rights group ADF International reported. The letter calls for an overhaul of the commissions review process, demanding that it include input from independent experts in constitutional law, digital rights and free expression. The review is due by Nov. 17. Signatories include former U.S. Ambassador at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, former Yahoo Europe Vice President Jean-Marc Potdevin, Princeton professor Robert P. George, Free Speech Union founder Toby Young, journalist Michael Shellenberger, and rights advocate Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Other signatories include Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky; Andrew. T. Walker, an associate professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; American conservative writer Rod Dreher; and Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon. The letter criticises the broad scope of illegal content under the DSA, arguing that it allows the EU to apply the strictest speech rules of any member state across the entire union and beyond. The broad definition of illegal content in the DSA, combined with existing jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) opens the door to worldwide takedowns, the letter reads. The authors contend that social media platforms, which often use standard content moderation policies globally, may adopt EU restrictions as default rules. The letter quotes a U.S. House Judiciary Committee statement warning that the DSA could establish de facto global censorship standards. The letter also urges the commission to publish a list of all NGOs, civil society groups and partner entities involved in the DSA review, along with selection criteria. It asks for a detailed legal analysis of the DSAs alignment with international protections under Article 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Virginie Joron, a member of the European Parliament from France who signed onto the letter, said she had been informed by Frances digital regulator ARCOM that the DSA could be used to remove online posts anywhere in the world. She cited a 2023 example after a knife attack in Annecy, France, in which a U.S. citizens social media post was taken down, although the content would have been legal under U.S. law. U.S. Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder warned that the DSA could restrict speech protected under the First Amendment. Speaking about the acts extraterritorial reach, he said, No President of either party, and I can tell you President Trump in particular, is going to tolerate a foreign government restricting the First Amendment fundamental free speech, free expression rights of American citizens, to an extent that the United States government cant even regulate those rights. Ambassador Puzder added that the United States plans to make formal submissions during the commissions review of the legislation. Google has also previously warned that the DSA could limit American speech online. Adina Portaru, senior counsel for ADF International in Brussels, said the commissions assertion that the DSA only creates a safer digital environment is contradicted by the letters findings. She argued that the law imposes an online censorship regime not just in the EU, but across the whole world. In February, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized European laws at the Munich Security Conference, calling them discriminatory against Christians and repressive of conservative voices. He cited arrests and fines of European citizens for religiously motivated speech and said Europes internal censorship was a greater threat than foreign adversaries. Vance described the DSA as part of a larger crisis of its own making, arguing that Europe had strayed from fundamental democratic values. He also condemned efforts to exclude populist parties like the Alternative for Germany (AfD) from political coalitions, calling them anti-democratic. His remarks drew strong pushback from German leaders, including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who challenged Vances views and reaffirmed Europes commitment to democratic norms. The speech drew praise from German opposition leaders, including AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, who called it an excellent speech! on X. Paul Coleman, ADF Internationals executive director, said earlier this year that the DSA represents a shift away from free expression. He described the law as part of a new bipolar order of speech, with Europe embracing censorship and the United States recommitting to open discourse. The DSA, adopted in January, requires online platforms to remove illegal content or risk penalties of up to 6% of their global revenue. EU lawmakers have described the law as a tool to fight foreign interference and protect users from harmful content. Home News Charlie Kirk National Day of Remembrance to be held this week A day of remembrance for assassinated conservative Christian figure Charlie Kirk is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, which would have been the political activist's 32nd birthday. Although the date has not been made an official national holiday, the Oct. 14 observance comes as both chambers of Congress passed resolutions honoring Kirk last month. The House of Representatives passed its resolution in a 310 to 58 vote on Sept. 19, with dozens of House Democrats voting against. The Senate passed a measure unanimously on Sept. 16. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who attended the public memorial for Kirk in Arizona last month, introduced the Senate resolution. During his remarks in favor of the resolution, Scott stated that millions of people "felt the impact of Charlie's work and were inspired by his devotion to God and his beliefs." "Charlie was a good man a devout husband, father, and friend. His life was shaped by his faith and the idea that in America, debate and discussion are crucial to the betterment of our country," Scott said. "He believed in God, the American dream, the value of family, and the principles of our great nation. Charlie dedicated his life to the idea that the power of our ideas can not only win the day, but start a movement. That's exactly what he did." Scott's resolution encourages educational institutions, civic organizations, and citizens across the United States to observe [Oct. 14] with appropriate programs, activities, prayers, and ceremonies that promote civic, engagement and the principles of faith, liberty, and democracy that Charlie Kirk championed. The co-founder and leader of Turning Point USA, a young conservative activist group, Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, leaving behind a wife and two small children. Soon after the shooting, police arrested Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old resident of Washington County, Utah, after a family member contacted authorities to state that he was likely the killer. While an official motive has not yet been established, evidence suggests that Robinson shot Kirk in opposition to the prominent activist's conservative viewpoints, especially on social issues. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at a press conference held after Robinson's arrest that he considered the tragedy to be a "watershed" moment, imploring people of all political backgrounds to repudiate political violence and to be more civil in disagreements. "This is our moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off ramp?" he said. "Again, it's a choice, it's a choice, and every one of us gets to make that choice." "It is also much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on ideals. This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been, and who we could be in better times." While 95 House Democrats voted to approve the ceremonial measure honoring Kirk, 58 voted against the resolution, 38 voted present and 22 abstained. Opponents of the House resolution from the Congressional Black Caucus claimed it would "legitimize" his worldview, calling it one that "many Americans find racist, harmful, and fundamentally un-American." They pointed to past comments Kirk made about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and to criticisms of prominent black politicians, such as Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and former first lady Michelle Obama. Opposition to the resolution from Democrats drew the ire of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who claimed the resolution was a "simple gesture of human decency to denounce political violence." "I wish I could say that this was only a fringe group, but 96 votes is nearly half of the entire House Democrat caucus," Leavitt said at the time. "And they didn't just vote against this basic resolution condemning political violence," she added. "A number of those same Democrats took to the House floor to smear Charlie Kirk's name. The man wasn't even buried yet, and Democrat members of Congress were denigrating his memory on the floor of the House of Representatives." Home News Conservative alternative to UMC grows to 6,000 member churches A denomination founded as a theologically conservative alternative to the United Methodist Church has grown to include 6,000 member congregations worldwide. The Global Methodist Church, which was launched on May 1, 2022, announced on its Facebook page last Friday that it had reached the 6,000-member church milestone. That's 6,000 pulpits preaching the Gospel, stated the GMC. 6,000 altars where hearts are renewed. 6,000 congregations worshiping in a variety of nations and languages. Join us in praying for the movement as we continue to welcome existing churches and plant new ones to spread the love of Christ to our communities and beyond. The formation of the GMC came in response to the decades-long divisive debate over whether the UMC should amend its Book of Discipline to allow the blessing of same-sex marriages and the ordination of those in same-sex sexual relationships. Although efforts to amend the Book of Discipline at General Conference always failed, many theological liberals within the UMC refused to follow or enforce the polarizing rules. In January 2020, a group of 16 UMC leaders from diverse theological backgrounds announced a proposed separation protocol that would provide a pathway for churches that wanted to disaffiliate from the Mainline denomination over theological differences. The protocol would also set aside funds to create a theologically conservative denomination for those congregations that were interested in launching such a church body. While the protocol was scheduled to be considered at the 2020 UMC General Conference, the gathering was postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. In March 2022, GMC organizers announced that they were launching their denomination that May, having decided to no longer wait for the postponed General Conference to approve the protocol. Over the next couple of years, thousands of congregations would disaffiliate from the UMC over the ongoing debate about LGBT issues, with most of them voting to join the GMC. By January of last year, GMC Transitional Connectional Officer Keith Boyette told The Christian Post that his denomination had more than 4,200-member congregations. The current member congregations are predominantly former UMC congregations, but we do have member congregations that have come from other denominations, or who were previously nondenominational or independent, or new church plants that have already been recognized as member congregations, he explained at the time. Months later, at last years UMC General Conference, delegates would finally vote overwhelmingly to amend the Book of Discipline to remove the rules, though the changes still allowed for regional bodies and local congregations to continue enforcing them. Home News Drug cartels now rule 70% of Mexico: Far from a holy nation 'The kingdom of darkness is in this nation because our leaders are invoking deities they should not be invoking' A Mexican lawmaker from the ruling party said that organized crime, not elected officials, controls much of the country, warning that Mexico is far from being a holy nation. Speaking at a Christian conference on the topic of Kings and Priests, or Kings or Priests, or Neither Kings nor Priests, Hugo Eric Flores Cervantes an Evangelical politician and deputy with the ruling MORENA Party told a large audience that 70 percent of Mexico is governed by drug cartels. Lets not deceive ourselves organized crime appoints mayors, Flores said during the event held at Centro Familiar Cristiano church. In the beginning, organized crime financed political campaigns; later, they began appointing rulers; and now, they are the rulers. Flores, a lawyer with a Ph.D. in legal sciences from Harvard University, described Mexicos political order as an inverted power pyramid and argued that the countrys moral decay has spiritual roots. If a spiritual government does not rise in this nation, a civil government will not rise either, he said. We are not seeing the fruits of Christians. His comments came amid continued violence and insecurity across Mexico, where drug cartels control large areas despite ongoing government crackdowns. Between late 2024 and the first half of this year, President Claudia Sheinbaums administration reported major anti-narcotics operations that included large drug seizures, the dismantling of hundreds of clandestine laboratories, and thousands of arrests for high-impact crimes. Still, security analysts say homicides and disappearances remain high, with several states described as war zones. Earlier this year, the U.S. government designated several Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. President Donald Trump later notified Congress that the U.S. was in an active armed conflict with the cartels. Flores Cervantes remarks drew attention partly because of his political affiliation. The MORENA Party, led by Sheinbaum, has often downplayed Mexicos crime rates. Flores has also been criticized for openly expressing his Christian faith in political settings. In April, he held a press conference inside the Legislative Palace of San Lazaro to promote the March for Jesus in Mexico City, standing alongside pastors and church members. Critics accused him of breaching the countrys secular principles. Flores defended his actions, saying his participation was protected by constitutional rights to free expression and religious belief. Respecting secularism does not mean being anti-religious, he told reporters at the time. Flores, known among Evangelicals as the founder of the now-defunct Social Encounter Party (PES), lamented during his recent lecture that believers have failed to influence society. We are neither kings nor priests, because if we truly had that identity, we would be influencing and governing, he said tearfully. Rejecting the idea of a single political savior, he added, That leader will not exist. What I hope is that this society will turn to my Lord and become a holy nation. He concluded his message by warning that Mexicos leaders are turning toward darkness. Something is wrong with the spirituality of our rulers, Flores said. The kingdom of darkness is in this nation because our leaders are invoking deities they should not be invoking. Original reporting by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition Home News Man pulls down pants to urinate on altar at St. Peters Basilica in front of tourists A man climbed onto the central altar at St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City on Friday and urinated in full view of tourists. The act was captured on video by onlookers and quickly drew the attention of plainclothes police and Vatican security. The desecration occurred at the Altar of the Confession, directly above the tomb of St. Peter, during visiting hours when the basilica was crowded with international tourists. The man pulled down his trousers before urinating on the altar under what Italian media described as the stunned gaze of hundreds. Security officers detained him and escorted him out of the church, according to reports. Footage of the act spread quickly across social media platforms, prompting widespread reaction and calls for accountability. Reports in the Italian press said Pope Leo XIV was informed of the incident and expressed shock upon hearing the news, according to Catholic News Agency. The Altar of the Confession is used by the pope to celebrate mass and is regarded as one of the most sacred places within Catholicism. The act marked the third such desecration involving the same altar in recent memory. In February, another individual climbed onto the altar and threw six ceremonial candelabras to the ground, damaging items used during papal services. Authorities did not release further details about the person responsible or the consequences, but the event prompted concerns about a rise in vandalism on Vatican grounds. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni confirmed the detention in a statement to the Italian news agency ANSA, saying, This is an episode of a person with a serious mental disability who has been detained by the Vatican Police and then placed at the disposal of the Italian authorities. According to the report, the man is a Romanian citizen. No further information about the mans identity or nationality was provided. A more widely reported episode occurred in June 2023, when a Polish man staged a protest by stripping near the same altar just before the basilicas closing time. He had the words Save children of Ukraine written in marker on his back and did not resist arrest. Under Canon 1211 of the Code of Canon Law, any grave acts committed in a sacred place that cause scandal to the faithful are considered violations of the sanctity of the site. In such cases, public worship must be suspended until a penitential rite has been performed. The rites, which may take the form of a Mass or a Liturgy of the Word, are guided by instructions in the Ceremonial of Bishops and are meant to occur as soon as possible after the desecration. Home News Pastor Che Ahn looks to bring 'revival and reformation' to California governor's race Says economic, crime woes linked to 'spiritual problem' Like so many of us, Pastor Che Ahn was waiting for a sign. Before announcing his candidacy for governor of California in June, the 69-year-old pastor, author and global ministry leader experienced what he calls a divine calling. On April 28th at 2:22 in the morning, I woke up and I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit, Ahn told The Christian Post on Wednesday. But when he realized he was being called to run for governor of California, Ahn recalled his initial response: Please God, not that. Seeking confirmation, Ahn says he prayed for an invitation to the White House, which materialized days later: I said, 'Lord, if this is of you, let me be invited by President Trump to the White House.' When he returned from a prayer meeting, Ahn received a text saying he would be receiving an email from the White House. When I got the email, I said, 'OK, Lord, Im in, I'll do it, he said. Born in post-war South Korea, Ahns parents later immigrated to the United States seeking a better life. Though my family arrived with little money and limited English, they carried a deep faith that fueled their pursuit of the American dream, Ahn said. Overcoming early challenges, he earned advanced degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary and, alongside his wife, Sue, founded Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena in 1994. What began as a small congregation grew into Harvest International Ministry (HIM), a network spanning over 70 nations. While the Republican field of candidates aiming to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is widely expected to announce his own bid for the White House in 2028, includes well-established public figures like Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton, Ahn believes his faith background will draw interest from voters who might be looking for a candidate grounded in a biblical worldview rather than politics. I have studied and devoured Gods Word, so I have a biblical worldview, and I feel that what we need is not just another politician ... but a perspective of what God says, His ways, His thoughts, His commands, His justice, he said, citing Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts a nation. Ahn sees Californias biggest crises economic struggles, homelessness and crime stemming from a spiritual problem. We need revival, he said. Im a revivalist. I got saved in the Jesus people movement, and I believe that Im to help be a catalyst for revival and reformation in California. He blamed Newsoms leadership, in part, for Californias recent economic and social decline. Newsom was mayor for eight years ... lieutenant governor for eight years, and now ... 24 years of his footprints all over California, said Ahn. And honestly ... its gotten worse during that time, he said, pointing to the Golden States crippling combination of economic disparities and what he sees as extreme environmental policies. Were the fourth-largest economy, but 35 percent are living in poverty in California. We pay the highest taxes, the highest gas prices, the highest electricity bill, he said. We have more oil in Kern County ... than in the state of Texas, but all of them are shut down because of extreme environmental policies. The pastor and political candidate is advocating for what he describes as common sense policies, like controlled burning to prevent wildfires. He's also critical of environmental lawsuits halting infrastructure projects like desalination plants. Even bills that have been passed by the people, the ideology is halting it, he lamented. Noting that over half of all Californians are people of color, Ahn said he believes its time for a change. I want to appeal to the people of California about giving a pastor an opportunity and a pastor of color, he said. We don't need another white male. I represent the people of California more than the other candidates who are of that descent. I'm not talking about diversity, equity, inclusion, he clarified. I'm just saying that I can be a voice. With a record that includes a landmark legal victory during the COVID-19 pandemic after suing Newsom in 2020 over the states lockdown mandate, Ahn said he envisions a California where parental rights are restored, small businesses thrive, and faith is respected. As California goes, its a trendsetter for good and for bad. ... If we had revival in Hollywood, it could impact the United States and the world, he said. While the governors race is still wide open, there are still a number of potential campaign-altering decisions to be made, including whether state Sen. Alex Padilla or former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will enter the race. Even amid such uncertainty, Democrats are expected to hold the seat with a nearly 2-to-1 advantage with registered voters. Even if Republicans havent won a statewide election in nearly 20 years, Ahn believes that while he might not have divine assurance of victory I didnt get a word Im gonna win, he admitted he is all in to win, believing Californias influence is worth the fight. Californias best days, he added, are still ahead. Home News Trump State Dept. demands China release detained underground church pastor, father of US citizens The Trump administration has called for the immediate release of an underground church pastor detained in China whose children are American citizens. The State Departments demand follows a sweeping crackdown by Chinese authorities on unregistered religious groups. Pastor Jin Mingri, also known as Ezra Jin, was detained Friday at his home in Beihai, Guangxi Province, according to his daughter. Around the same time, nearly 30 other leaders and members of Zion Church were either arrested or reported missing from multiple cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, The New York Times reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement condemning the arrests and urging Beijing to allow people of all faiths, including house church members, to worship without fear of retribution, a position that has become increasingly contentious amid growing U.S.-China tensions. This crackdown further demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches, Rubio said in the statement. Jin, 56, is the founder of Zion Church, a nondenominational Evangelical congregation that emerged in 2007 and grew into one of Chinas largest underground churches. The pastor, who joined the pro-democracy protests during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989, converted to Christianity soon after and graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary in California. Zion Church was officially shuttered in 2018 after authorities raided its Beijing sanctuary, prompting the church to move services online and expand its network across China. Zions virtual services often drew as many as 10,000 participants on Zoom, YouTube and WeChat, among other platforms, according to The Wall Street Journal. Jins daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, a U.S. Senate staffer living in the Washington area, said her father continued leading the church remotely while under constant surveillance and barred from leaving China. His wife, Chunli Liu, a Chinese national, has been living in the U.S. since 2018 with their three children, all of whom are American citizens. They are afraid of my husbands influence, Liu was quoted as saying in a video interview. Grace said her father had tried to visit the U.S. Embassy in Beijing recently to renew his visa, but authorities intercepted him, drove him to the airport and forced him to leave the capital. The family had no contact with him following his detention, and it remained unclear whether he had been formally charged. Pastor Sean Long, a Zion Church leader based in the U.S., was quoted as saying that the church expected Jin to face charges related to the online dissemination of religious content, an offense that has become more strictly regulated since new rules were issued in September requiring religious activity to be conducted only through state-registered channels. Long said church leaders were preparing for the possibility of Jin receiving a lengthy prison sentence. Grace Jin said her father had spoken of stepping back from his leadership role in order to reunite with his family. It seemed like something big was going to happen again, she told the Times. We just didnt know when or to what extent. Many members of Zion Church have expressed fear that the crackdown will expand further. On Sunday, concern mounted as congregants shared news of detentions and missing leaders, with some fearing that the entire church leadership could soon be imprisoned, according to the Journal. Bob Fu, founder of the U.S.-based group ChinaAid Association, said the detentions represent the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution against underground churches in China in more than 40 years. Corey Jackson, founder of Luke Alliance, another U.S.-based advocacy group for persecuted Christians, called the sweep the most significant since 2018, warning that the situation could deteriorate further. The Chinese Constitution nominally guarantees freedom of religion, but the Communist Party, which officially endorses atheism, only recognizes state-approved religious organizations. Tens of millions of Chinese Christians are believed to attend house churches, which operate without government registration and are often harassed by police. Even the government-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association for Catholics are subject to surveillance, censorship and control by state-appointed clergy. Some have also faced closures or demolition for resisting political directives. Under Xi Jinpings leadership, China has intensified its scrutiny of unofficial religious groups, branding some as cults and urging citizens to report them. Home News Trump touts 'age of faith, hope and God' at Israel's Knesset after hostage release U.S. President Donald Trump announced "the historic dawn of the new Middle East" and called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to receive a pardon in a speech before the Israeli Knesset after Hamas released the 20 living hostages from captivity. Trump spoke for an hour on Monday in Jerusalem as Israel celebrated the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, as part of an agreement that the president helped broker. "After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families," Trump said. "Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time." "And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace," the president added. Hamas may not return all of the bodies of the deceased hostages, according to Israeli intelligence reports and messages conveyed by Hamas and mediators during negotiations for the peace deal. The terror group, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, is reportedly unable to retrieve all of the bodies, as some of the hostages were held captive by factions in Gaza that are not under the complete control of Hamas. It remains to be seen whether this will impact the peace deal. "This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God," Trump said during his Knesset speech. "It's the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region." "I believe that so strongly. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East," the president continued. During his speech, Trump also addressed Netanyahu, praising the Israeli prime minister's patriotism and declaring that "his partnership did so much to make this day possible." "He's not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great," the president said about Netanyahu. Trump also called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who is on trial facing bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges. The remark prompted applause from the audience. "That was not in the speech, as you probably know, but I happen to like this gentleman right over here, and it just seems to make so much sense," Trump said. The president also brought up the topic of Iran, suggesting that a peace deal with the country could be next. Trump then criticized former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, both Democrats, accusing them of harboring a "hatred toward Israel," declaring the Iran nuclear deal brokered under Obama as a "disaster for Israel." The deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed by Iran and several other world powers in 2015. As part of the deal, Iran would receive billions of dollars worth of sanctions relief for agreeing to dismantle most of its nuclear program and open its facilities to more extensive international inspections. Critic of the deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, argued that it failed to address other security concerns, such as Iran's continued development of ballistic missiles while receiving billions in sanctions relief. "I terminated the Iran nuclear deal, and I was very proud to do it," Trump said during his speech on Monday. "Yet, even to Iran, whose regime has inflicted so much death on the Middle East, the hand of friendship and cooperation is open. I'm telling you, they want to make a deal." The president stressed that there's "nothing that would do more good" for the Middle East than for Iran's leaders to "renounce terrorists, stop threatening their neighbors, quit funding their militant proxies, and finally recognize Israel's right to existence." "And it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made," Trump added. "It's going to happen." Home News Church leaders warn UK govt its conversion therapy ban would make the Gospel illegal Senior Christian leaders in the U.K. have warned that a proposed ban on so-called conversion therapy would criminalize core elements of Christian belief. In a letter to the equalities minister, they stated that the legislation could make it illegal to share the Gospel or guide children on issues of gender and sexuality. The open letter, organized by the Let Us Pray campaign and backed by The Christian Institute, was signed by 24 leaders from various denominations and sent to Equalities Minister Olivia Bailey, The Telegraph reported. The leaders wrote that Labours planned ban on sexual orientation change efforts therapy, including pastoral counseling, could criminalize mainstream, historic Christian teaching on marriage and sexual ethics and make sharing the Gospel with some people illegal. The letter expressed concern that the legislation might prevent parents from urging caution if their child, who is experiencing gender confusion, shared an interest in irreversible trans procedures. It said existing laws already prohibit abuse and claimed that campaigners advocating for the new ban routinely conflate the ordinary work of churches with abuse. The signatories argued that prayer and pastoral conversations were being wrongly framed as forms of conversion therapy. They imply that merely expressing Christian beliefs on sexuality and gender in prayer and pastoral conversations constitutes conversion therapy and should be outlawed. The Christian Institute spokesperson pointed to comments made by Bailey at a recent Labour conference event, where she said she was working hard to bring forward a draft bill. The spokesman claimed that Labours repeated promises had failed to produce a workable law because drafting a workable, human rights-compliant bill is impossible. Labour revived efforts to pass the ban in 2024 with the launch of the Office for Equality and Opportunity. The party has committed to introducing a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices and described it as a legislative priority. The Church of Englands General Synod called for a ban on conversion therapy in 2017, saying the practice had no place in the modern world. In a recent statement, a Church of England spokesman said the denomination has consistently opposed coercive conversion therapies and supports the governments intention to ban such practices. Conversion therapy can allegedly range from prayer and talking therapies to more severe practices such as food deprivation, exorcism and physical abuse. About 5% of respondents to the U.K. governments 2018 LGBT survey reported being offered some form of conversion therapy, while 2% said they had experienced it, the Telegraph noted. The Christian Institute reported in June that the Labour government had begun talks with the Scottish National Party to align their legislative plans. The group also said a draft bill for England and Wales would be released very soon following demands from trans-activist campaigners after the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that the definition of sex in the Equality Act refers to biological sex. The Labour manifesto pledged a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity. The Scottish Government had paused its own draft legislation in September 2024 after concerns about a judicial review, stating it would instead pursue complementary approaches across the U.K. In May, SNP Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart warned that Scotland would introduce its own bill in the next parliamentary session if the U.K. legislation does not meet our priorities or does not go far enough. Home News UK Labour Party push for digital ID prompts concerns: 'Step toward mass surveillance' Opponents organize 'Resist Digital ID' protest; gov't says it's safe and efficient The U.K. Labour Party is pushing for a digital ID for its citizens, a reprisal of former Prime Minister Tony Blairs attempt under his premiership two decades ago, this time under the guise of using it to stop illegal immigration. Many, however, are raising concerns and warning about its implications for security and civil liberties. The Labour government released a statement on Sept. 26 announcing plans to institute a free digital ID for U.K. citizens, claiming it will thwart the employment of illegal migrants by enhancing Right to Work checks. It does not address the housing, monetary and educational assistance provided to illegal migrants who apply for asylum and receive benefits until their cases are decided. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has claimed the digital ID initiative is necessary to combat the illegal immigration that has been plaguing the U.K. Over 43,600 migrants arrived by small boats onto British shores this year alone, and a record of 111,084 asylum applications were filed in the second quarter of the year. In 2022, when illegal migration by boat also hit a peak of 43,500, 300 hotels were used to house asylum seekers at taxpayers expense, according to The Spectators data tracker. I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering, Starmer said. Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the U.K. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly rather than hunting around for an old utility bill, the prime minister added. The Labour government has indicated that digital ID will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of Parliament. There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it but digital ID will be mandatory as a means of proving your Right to Work. This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key pull factors for people who come to the U.K. illegally, the government added in its press release promoting the digital ID. It will send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to work, deterring people from making these dangerous journeys. On a recent episode of the Triggernometry podcast, co-host Konstantin Kisin, author of An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West, pushed back on the idea that a digital ID would help stop illegal immigration: We know that theres up to a million illegal immigrants in the country, and the government knows who many, if not most, of them are. Not least because a lot of them are staying in hotels and private rentals that were all paying for as taxpayers. So, we know exactly who they are and yet, theyre still here. Theyre not being removed, and more are coming every day. So, the reason we have an illegal immigration problem is not that we cant identify them. Its that were not removing them, he maintained. The government is lying to you. Kisin, who gained a wider international audience and plaudits for his Oxford Union speech about woke culture two years ago, provided additional examples of why he viewed the U.K. government as untrustworthy regarding digital ID. We have a government that locks people up for tweets, shuts you in your home because theres a bad flu going around and thinks half the country is far right, he warned. I remember very well there were people, quite a lot of people, during the pandemic going, Well, if you have not been vaccinated, you shouldnt be allowed into a hospital, you shouldnt be allowed this, you shouldnt be allowed that. I do not want to give that power to a government that has consistently proven, and not just this government, but an entire political class that has consistently proven itself not only untrustworthy but authoritarian every time theres been an opportunity for them to be authoritarian. The Labour government likened the proposed digital ID to the National Health Service app or contactless mobile payments. It vowed to hold a public consultation where it will listen to a range of views on how the service will be delivered and ensure that it works for those who arent able to use a smartphone, with inclusion at the heart of its design. While the U.K. government is promoting the digital IDs as a matter of convenience and an effort to crack down on illegal immigration, Kisin is not the only opponent of the effort to allege more sinister motives. A petition before the U.K. Parliament titled Do not introduce digital ID cards has accumulated more than 2.8 million signatures as of Monday afternoon. We think this would be a step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and that no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system, the petition states. The Labour government has responded to the petition, reiterating its assurance that digital IDs will benefit Britons by reducing bureaucracy and illegal immigration. Responding to the concerns laid out in the petition, the U.K. government insisted that It will not be compulsory to obtain a digital ID but it will be mandatory for some applications. According to the Labour government, It will not be a criminal offence to not hold a digital ID and police will not be able to demand to see a digital ID as part of a stop and search. Privacy and security will also be central to the digital ID program. We will follow data protection law and best practice in creating a system which people can rightly put their trust in, the government vowed. People in the U.K. already know and trust digital credentials held in their phone wallets to use in their everyday lives, from paying for things to storing boarding passes. While the U.K. government appears to have rejected calls to abandon the implementation of digital IDs, a major protest is scheduled to take place in London on Oct. 18. The Mass Non-Compliance campaign, which is spearheading the protest, has assembled a fact vault detailing its concerns about digital ID. The dangers stack: central points of failure (easy targets for hackers), mission creep (from right-to-work checks to benefits, health records, and travel), exclusion (those without smartphones or stable digital access left behind), and commercial capture (private firms getting monopoly control over public functions), the fact vault warns. A report compiled by the advocacy organization Big Brother Watch expressed concern that a digital ID system designed with a single unique identifier that records every interaction with public services and private companies risks creating an Orwellian database state, in which our sensitive data can be mined for insights. The calls for AI-enhanced digital ID that permits expansive profiling, surveillance and tracking in order to pre-empt behavior and justify interventions, undermine democratic norms and fundamental rights. Rather than empowering the citizen, at best, these types of digital ID systems help the state to administer itself, the report maintains. The concerns about the use of digital ID cards in the U.K. to police dissent come at a time when the U.S. State Department has warned that the human rights situation worsened in the U.K. during the last year, specifically highlighting restrictions on political speech deemed hateful or offensive,'" including speech outside abortion clinics, even silent prayer outside or within one's own home. Home Opinion European Parliament forget US no longer its colony Even though the Supreme Court has not yet released its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the European Unions Parliament decided to pass a resolution condemning the expected decision. The vote was 364 to 154 (37 abstentions) and was intended to remind the United States that it is vital to uphold Roe v. Wade. In so doing, the European Parliament condemned itself, sticking its nose where it did not belong while standing against the rights of innocent babies in the womb. This, of course, is no surprise, given the degree to which most of Europe has become post-Christian. As noted in a 2018 article in The Guardian, Europes march towards a post-Christian society has been starkly illustrated by research showing a majority of young people in a dozen countries do not follow a religion. The survey of 16 to 29-year-olds found the Czech Republic is the least religious country in Europe, with 91% of that age group saying they have no religious affiliation. Between 70% and 80% of young adults in Estonia, Sweden and the Netherlands also categorize themselves as non-religious. In the UK, where The Guardian is based, 70% of young people identify with no religion and 59% never attend religious services. In the words of theology and religion professor Stephen Bullivant, Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good or at least for the next 100 years. (I would add that this would be true barring a fresh wave of revival; it is not a fait accompli.) Not only so, but in much of Europe, where there is a profession of Christian faith, especially among the older generation, it is often so mired with either dead tradition or progressive liberalism that it is hardly Christian at all. (This is my own observation, not that of the The Guardian.) That means that, despite the rapid rise of the nones in America (speaking of those with no religious affiliation), we still have many more robust, Bible-believing Christians than does Europe. Thats why we continue to fight for the life of the unborn and continue to stand against LGBTQ+ extremism. And thats why these European lawmakers felt the need to condemn the courts expected pro-life ruling. To quote them directly, the MEPs [Members of the European Parliament] condemn the backsliding in womens sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide including in the U.S. and some EU countries, calling for safe access to abortion. In the words of Croatian socialist MEP Predrag Matic, The draft opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States is a shock and a nightmare. The resolution even condemned those states that have passed bills to protect pro-life legislation, such as bills banning abortion after 6 weeks. All of this leads me to ask the European Parliament: Who asked you for your opinion? Who appointed you the judge of America? And who put you in charge of the decisions of our individual states? As expressed by German MEP Christine Anderson, a right-wing lawmaker who voted against the resolution: The USA is no longer a colony ruled from Europe. Didnt you know that? Well said! Is it any surprise, then, that a growing number of European leaders have no children themselves? Is this unrelated to the decline of a Christian culture that esteems life and regards children as a gift from God? A 2017 article by Darrell Delamaide asked the question, Do childless leaders mean the death of Europe? He wrote, The election of Emmanuel Macron as the new French president now means that the leaders of the four European countries in the G-7 biggest economies Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni are all childless. Other prominent European leaders also have no children Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Does this mean anything? He continued, Those calling attention to it seem to think so. George Weigel, writing this week in the First Things website, talks of Catholic Lite and Europes demographic suicide. Earlier this month, James McPherson headlined his commentary in the Washington Examiner Emmanuel Macron and the barren elite of a changing continent. And late last month, even before Macrons victory, Britains Sunday Times carried a long book excerpt by Douglas Murray with the title Europe signs its own death warrant. While Delamaide himself downplayed these concerns, I agree with those who have drawn attention to the increased childlessness of many European leaders. Without children of their own, they can hardly grasp the full significance of bringing a child into this world. Without the Gospel, they can hardly grasp the importance of fighting for the life of that child while it is still in the womb. And with a declining birth rate, well under the 2.1 rate needed to sustain a society, Europe will continue to decline, not just spiritually and morally, but in numbers as well. May a culture of life, based on biblical principles, rise again in Europe! Home Opinion The Antichrist is making a comeback Its been about 50 years since the eyes of the world were aimed at the figure of the Antichrist through the movie, The Omen. If you havent seen it, the film's plot follows Damien Thorn, a young child replaced at birth by his father, unbeknownst to his wife, after their biological child dies shortly after he was born. Soon afterwards, a series of mysterious events and violent deaths occur around the family, and as Damien enters childhood, his parents realize that he is the prophesied Antichrist. Hollywood resurrected The Omen franchise last year with the release of The First Omen, a prequel that follows an American nun sent to work at a Catholic orphanage in Rome who uncovers a sinister conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist. If youre a horror movie fan, the film is worth a watch. Im guessing that Peter Thiel has seen it. A story in the Wall Street Journal recently profiled Thiel and said he wants everyone to think more about the end of the world. Unless youre an extreme prepper, thats not something most people do. A Silicon Valley investor, entrepreneur, and hedge fund manager who co-founded PayPal and Palantir Technologies, Thiel has made headlines for his lectures, which cover, among other topics, the personality of the Antichrist. According to the article, This is how Thiel says the end of the world might happen, according to a Wall Street Journal review of his recent lectures: Existential risks will present themselves in the form of nuclear war, environmental disaster, dangerously engineered bioweapons and even autonomous killer robots guided by AI. As humans race toward a last battle the Armageddon a one-world government will form, promising peace and safety. In Thiels reckoning, this totalitarian authoritarian regime, with real teeth and real power, will be the coming of the modern-day Antichrist, a figure defined in Christian teachings as the personal opponent of God who will appear before the world ends. Im not sure about the autonomous killer robots guided by AI part, but the rest sounds pretty biblically spot on. Of course, not everyone agrees with Thiels or my assessment of the end times and the Antichrist. An article by the Prophecy Reformation Institute says: In Scripture, there is no such thing as a final Antichrist. There is no place in the Bible that supports the current and popular view of a future-coming world dictator called the Antichrist. The United Church of God agrees in a post they made, saying: '[the Antichrist] is not recorded. It's not a title used for just a single end-time individual that would pop up right before the end time and be this evil sinister individual.' Tracing the Antichrist through Scripture Arthur Pink would disagree with that. Pink, who was born in Nottingham, England, was a Bible teacher and pastor who authored 22 books, one of which is entitled The Antichrist, A Systematic of Satans Counterfeit Christ. He starts his work out by stating: Across the varied scenes depicted by prophecy there falls the shadow of a figure at once commanding and ominous. Under many different names like the aliases of a criminal, his character and movements are set before us. Addressing the charge of critics that the word antichrist (Greek antichristos) is used only four times in Scripture (all in Johns epistles: 1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3; 2 John 7) and only one time possibly referring to a single individual (1 John 2:18) and thus not a significant figure, Pink shows the exact opposite by tracing the Antichrist through both the Old and New Testaments. The prefix anti can mean against or adversary of, but it can also mean in place of, with both meanings being illustrated in the Bible. The names in Scripture for the Antichrists character include: Antichrist (1 John 2:22), the man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3), the son of perdition (2 Thess. 2:3), the lawless one (2 Thess. 2:8), the beast (Rev. 11:7), the king of Babylon (Is. 14:4), the little horn (Dan. 7:8), the prince that shall come (Dan. 9:26), the willful king (Dan. 11:36), and the idol shepherd (Zech. 11:16-17). Of the one time antichrist is used for a single individual, Kistemaker & Hendriksen say in their commentary on 1 John: The early Christians in the latter part of the first century had heard about the coming of the Antichrist, and they knew that he would appear as a single person. That single person is present in more places in Scripture than you might realize. Pink narrates an interesting contrast between the Person of Jesus Christ and the Antichrist in his work that can be summarized as follows: Jesus Christ Antichrist Revealed at Gods appointed time (Gal. 4:4). Revealed at Gods appointed time (2 Thess. 2:6). A real man of God (1 Tim. 2:5). A real man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3). More than a man the God Man. More than a man the Satanic man. Made covenant with Israel (Heb. 8:8). Makes covenant with Israel (Dan. 9:27). King of kings (Rev. 17:14). King over earthly kings (Rev. 17:12-13). Performed miracles. Performs false miracles (2 Thess. 2:9). Died and rose again. Appears to die and rise again (Rev. 13:3). Object of universal worship (Dan 7:13; Phil. 2:10). Object of universal worship (Rev. 13:4). Seals followers on forehead (Rev. 7:3). Seals followers on forehead (Rev. 13:16-17). Followed by Holy Spirit who causes men to worship Him. Followed by False Prophet who causes men to worship him (Rev. 13:12). Rides white horse (Rev. 19:11). Antichrists false peace depicted by white horse (Rev. 6:2). Prince of peace (Is. 9:6-7). False prince of peace (2 Thess. 5:3). He that was, is, and is to come (Rev. 4:8). He that was, and is not, and shall ascend (Rev. 17:8). Man of sorrows (Is. 53:3). Man of sin (2 Thess. 2:3). Son of God. Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:3). Seed of Woman (Gen. 3:15). Seed of serpent (Gen. 3:15). Typified by Old Testament characters (e.g., Joseph). Typified by Old Testament characters (e.g., Cain). The Lamb (Is 53:7). The Beast (Rev. 11:7). The Holy One (Mark 1:24). The wicked one (2 Thess. 2:8). The Good Shepherd (John 10:11). The Idol Shepherd (Zech. 11:17). Came down from Heaven (John 3:13). Comes up from Abyss (Rev. 11:7). Does Fathers will (John 6:38). Does own will (Dan. 11:36). Humbled Himself (Phil. 2:8). Exalts himself (Dan. 11:36). Honors God of fathers (Luke 4:16). Refuses God of fathers (Dan. 11:37). Cleansed temple (John 2:14). Defiles temple (Matt. 24:15). Rejected by men (Is. 53:7). Accepted by men (John 5:43, Rev. 13:4). Leads His flock (John 10:3). Leaves the flock (Zech. 11:17). Slain for people (John 11:51). Slays the people (Rev. 13:7). Glorified God on earth (John 17:4). Blasphemes God on earth (Rev. 13:6). Received into Heaven (Luke 24:51). Received into Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20). Powered by Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14). Powered by Satan (Rev.13:4). Submits to God (John 5:30). Defies God (2 Thess. 2:4). Numerous direct and indirect mentions of the Antichrist underscore the significance of this figure and the Church's need to warn the world about the impending future fuhrer, as exemplified by Peter Thiel and others. Pink ends his book with a good admonition for us all on the person of the Antichrist: As we read prayerfully the teaching of Scripture concerning this Coming One, who shall embark upon the most awful course that has ever been run on their earth and, as we are made aware of the unspeakably dreadful judgments which God will pour upon the world at that time, and the fearful doom which shall overtake the Antichrist and all his followers; our heart will be stirred within us, and we shall not hesitate to lift up our voices in warning. The world is in complete ignorance of what awaits it. The nations know not what is in store for them. Even Israel discern not the dark night which lies before them. But as God instructs us concerning what He is about to do, it is positively criminal to remain silent. The voices of all whom God has been pleased to enlighten ought to be raised in solemn and united testimony to the things which God has declared must shortly come to pass. Warning the world about Antichrist is not about being sensational or spreading panic its about opening peoples eyes to what Scripture says through its prophecies. In a culture numb to both truth and deception, lets not be shy about stating what we believe. And in particular, when it comes to prophecy, we focus not so much on the evil thats coming, but the King of kings whos due to appear. Remember: The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10). Despite intensive efforts to reduce dependence on global resources and gain sovereignty over the technology stack and digital platforms, no European company will be able to completely move away from US hyperscalers by 2026, according to analyst firm Forresters 2026 European Predictions. Although individual industries are beginning to migrate to specific niche applications, Forrester sees the impact on the overall European cloud market as small, as a complete switch away from major players such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure to local providers is not realistic in the short to medium term. Pragmatism beats independence The European Union is making a concerted effort to become more competitive and reduce its dependence on global tech infrastructure, explains Dane Anderson, senior vice president of international research and product at Forrester. In reality, however, ongoing volatility and operational constraints are forcing European companies to pursue more pragmatic strategies, both in the short and long term. Shutterstock Changes to employers national insurance contributions (NICs) are stifling charity shops ability to raise money for their parent charities, sector retailers have said. Respondents to the Charity Shops Survey 2025 , published in the October issue of Charity Finance, said the changes have increased their wage bills and therefore reduced their shops profitability. Retailers have been affected by both an increase in the NICs rate (from 13.8% to 15%) and a reduction in the earnings threshold (from 9,100 to 5,000), which has brought more part-time shops staff into its scope. The Charity Retail Association previously estimated that the changes, introduced on 6 April after being announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves at the October 2024 autumn budget, could cost the charity shops sector an extra 20m a year. Charity retailers still reported being profitable last year, however, with average margins of 17-18% reported by survey respondents. Hundreds of thousands of pounds in NICs costs In response to the survey, the Childrens Society said the NICs changes have driven up its retail staff costs, meaning that its 101 shops overall contribution to the charity since April has not been as high as it would previously have been. Dame Hannah Rogers Trust said the additional NICs costs mean that fewer funds are going back to the charitable cause. The charity said that, as a whole, it is paying an extra 180,000 this year due to the changes, which has meant some projects have been cancelled or delayed as they cannot be funded. All Aboard Shops, which had 22 shops that generated 155,000 in profit overall in the financial year ending December 2024, said the NICs changes had cut its profitability further since then. Based on last years actuals, our profits have declined by approximately 75%, it said. These increased costs, when combined with rising rents, escalating utility bills and other governmental tax burdens, are placing unsustainable pressure on our organisation. As a small-to-medium-sized charity, the cumulative effect of these financial pressures poses a serious risk to our long-term viability. The Salvation Army Trading Company said it had seen a direct increase in costs of around 1m due to the NICs changes across its business as a whole. This has made us more cautious when considering resource levels at our shops, with a greater emphasis on creating a robust business case for any proposed changes, it said. St Margarets Hospice Care said costs across the charity overall had increased by 300,000 to cover the NICs changes, of which 72,131 was attributed to its retail function. Coupled with an annual pay award and commitment to meet the real living wage across a large part of our workforce, this has had a significant impact on our ability to grow profits, it said. Workforce capacity constraints Age UK, which had 268 shops as of 31 March, said the NICs changes accelerated the need to review its retail operating model to ensure future operational sustainability. Others, such as Bolton Hospice, said they are now thinking twice before recruiting and are potentially having to recruit part-time staff rather than full-time ones. Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, whose profits have also been impacted by NICs changes, said: All posts are reviewed when a member of staff leaves to check the contracted hours are correct, so we can reduce accordingly if possible to save on staff costs." Similarly, Queen Elizabeths Foundation for Disabled People said the changes have meant that it cant always cover a shop if theres paid sickness or holiday. We only cover a few key trading days and regularly clear donations at the front of the shop, it said. Charity Finance is packed with practical articles and analysis of the latest financial trends, as well as in-depth briefings on technical and legal changes, and benchmarking surveys to help busy finance teams get value for money. Find more information here and subscribe today! is packed with practical articles and analysis of the latest financial trends, as well as in-depth briefings on technical and legal changes, and benchmarking surveys to help busy finance teams get value for money. Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. In late July, a group of student-journalism advisers convened on Zoom to discuss a brewing controversy over opinion, reporting, and religion. They were preparing for MediaFestthe nations largest conference of student reporters and their mentors, which will take place in Washington, DC, this week. Steven Sandberg, a student media adviser at Oregon State University, had been browsing the event schedule when he came upon a list of speakers slated for a portion of the conference called the faith track. I saw pretty far-right, anti-LGBTQ language, he said. He raised his concerns with MediaFests organizersthe College Media Association (CMA), the Associated Collegiate Press, and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)which prompted a fierce debate about the ethics of platforming certain figures, and revealed that the world of student journalism can be just as polarized as the mainstream. Speaking with coordinators of the event, Sandberg said on Zoom that he wasnt willing to send his students to MediaFest if it included Virginia Allen, of the Daily Signal; Mary Margaret Olohan, the author of Detrans: True Stories of Escaping the Gender Ideology Cult, who writes for the Daily Wire; and Michael Ryan, of The Lion, a publication owned by the Herzog Foundation, a conservative nonprofit that promotes biblical values and covers Christian education, politics, and culture, often from an anti-abortion, anti-trans perspective. These speakers work doesnt exist in a vacuum, Sandberg recalled telling MediaFests planners. LGBTQ students are feeling targeted by our administration, by the government, and by society. So I was disappointed to see them bring in people who espoused anti-LGBT views. Some on the call suggested that Sandberg was trying to cancel the speakers; others said that he was attempting to shield his students from reality. A few of the events organizers stressed that speakers personal opinions shouldnt matter. I dont necessarily care if they lead sessions on A, B, C, when my issues with them are actually X, Y, Z, said Wesley Wright, the executive director of ReNews, a nonprofit that restarts dormant newspapers at historically Black colleges, who was part of a three-person committee that helped MediaFests organizers plan the faith track. That wasnt quite Sandbergs point. I said we should judge them based on the quality of their journalism and what theyre writing about, he told me. In the end, Sandbergs argument won over MediaFest, which promptly nixed the talks by Allen and Olohan. Ryan remained on the schedule but later dropped out, telling the organizers it was for health reasons. (None of the would-be speakers could be reached for comment.) We didnt eliminate them because of their opinion, Michael Koretzky, the SPJs ethics committee chairman, who set up the Zoom call and helped program the talks, said of Allen and Olohan. We did it because they were selectively quoting and manipulating the news to bolster their opinion. He doesnt believe in protecting students from anti-trans or anti-abortion views, or other rhetoric. If youre going to be a journalist, he said, youre going to run into a lot worse than this. Soon, the Zoom discussion gave way to yet more scrutiny of the faith tracks schedule, which initially had only Christian speakers on the list. Koretzky defended the lineup by noting that most religious schools associated with SPJ and CMA are Christian. If something is considered right or left, I dont give a crapI care about how many people believe something, he said. If a significant amount of people believe somethingsay, they believe the Earth is flatthen that needs to be addressed. But in recent weeks, MediaFests schedule has been amended to include people from other religious backgrounds. There will be more than twenty faith track speakers, on panels tackling such questions as Can the Bible inform reporters on how to cover the news? and discussing censorship on the basis of faith. We even have a Muslim coming, said Naomi Balkwho serves as the assistant director of the World Journalism Institute, the training branch of a nonprofit Christian news organization, World News Group, and was part of the committee that helped plan the faith track. Even though there have been tensions, I am just really grateful to live in the United States of America, where we have rights that can be protected, she told me. This convention is just a really wonderful opportunity to create a platform for different voices. For educators such as Sandberg, the discourse around the faith track has posed a challenge as he aims to train the next generation of journalists. Even with the revisions the conference has made, he said, hes decided not to attend. His students wont be there, either. The CMA and SPJ should have been a lot more cognizant of the impact of the speakers they were choosing, he told me. While I think they did the right thing in reviewing their work and taking them out, their response was very defensive and a little disingenuous. I want to see them do better in the futureand when they do, thats when Ill decide whether we want to go. Sign up for CJRs daily email Still, MediaFest anticipates a strong turnout. Danielle McLean, a trans journalist who has written for national publications, plans to go. I think its perfectly fine to have reporters that hold anti-trans views and characterize trans people in a negative light, she said. One of the main tenets of the Society of Professional Journalists is supporting the open and civil exchange of views, even if repugnant. WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Mike Rulli, a Republican from Salem, has introduced legislation that would cut federal funding to state and local governments that replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, positioning himself against a movement that has gained traction across the country over the past three decades. The Italian Heroes and Heritage Act, introduced Friday, would reaffirm Columbus Day as a national observance and block federal funds from going to jurisdictions that substitute the holiday honoring Christopher Columbus and Italian American heritage with one recognizing Native Americans. Within Ohio, the impact of his legislation would be particularly striking. Columbus, the states capital city, observes Indigenous Peoples Day rather than Columbus Dayan ironic situation given that the city shares its name with Christopher Columbus. If Rullis bill were to become law, the city would be stripped of federal money. For years, the extreme Left has desecrated statues of Christopher Columbus and sought to erase Columbus Day, replacing it with Indigenous Peoples Day, said a statement from Rulli, who is of Italian descent. This is not about inclusion, it is about erasing the contributions of millions of Italian Americans who helped build this nation. Indigenous peoples deserve recognition, but this day was created to honor us. The congressmans proposal comes as much of the nation has adopted Indigenous Peoples Day. According to Newsweek, a total of 17 states and Washington, D.C., honor Indigenous people on the second Monday in October. Six states including Ohio celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day as a paid holiday alongside Columbus Day, Newsweek reports. Four states designate it as a paid holiday on its own, and seven states recognize it as an unpaid holiday. President Joe Biden became the first president to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021, though Columbus Day remains a federal holiday. Columbus Day History Rulli rooted his defense of Columbus Day in its historical origins, stating that President Benjamin Harrison established the holiday in 1892 following the lynching of eleven Italian Americans in New Orleans, which Rulli called the largest mass lynching in United States history. However, the historical record presents a more nuanced picture. While Harrison did issue a proclamation in 1892 commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbuss landing, this was a one-time observance rather than the establishment of an ongoing holiday. Columbus Day did not become a regular national holiday until 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated it as suchmore than four decades after the New Orleans incident. While the New Orleans lynchings sparked international outrage and temporarily strained U.S.-Italy relations, historians note that Columbus Day became a national holiday through broader efforts by Italian Americans in the early 20th century to combat widespread discrimination and prejudice they faced as new immigrants, rather than as a direct response to the New Orleans tragedy. The legislation faces an uncertain path in Congress, where Indigenous Peoples Day has gained bipartisan support in various states and localities. Critics of such funding restrictions argue they interfere with state and local governance and dismiss the legitimate concerns of Native Americans about how history is commemorated. Rulli unveiled his bill the day after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 13 as Columbus Day and pledging to reclaim Columbus extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue from the left-wing arsonists who have sought to destroy his name and dishonor his memory. Outrageously, in recent years, Christopher Columbus has been a prime target of a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage, Trumps proclamation continued. " Before our very eyes, left-wing radicals toppled his statues, vandalized his monuments, tarnished his character, and sought to exile him from our public spaces. Under my leadership, those days are finally over and our Nation will now abide by a simple truth: Christopher Columbus was a true American hero, and every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination." The Indigenous Peoples Day Movement The push to replace Columbus Day emerged from Native American activism in the late 1960s and 1970s, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement. Indigenous delegates at a 1977 United Nations conference proposed observing Oct. 12 as a day of solidarity with Indigenous peoples of the Americas. For Native Americans, Columbus represents the beginning of colonization, displacement, and violence against Indigenous populations that inhabited the Americas long before European arrival. The movement seeks to shift focus from celebrating Columbus to acknowledging the resilience and ongoing presence of Native peoples. South Dakota became the first state to officially celebrate Native American Day in 1990, and Berkeley, California, adopted Indigenous Peoples Day in 1992. The observance has since spread to numerous jurisdictions. Native American leaders have described the day as an opportunity to address the erasure of Indigenous peoples from American historical narratives and to highlight contemporary issues affecting tribal communities, including sovereignty, land rights, and climate change. A group of Democratic Congress members has repeatedly introduced legislation that would replace Columbus Day as a federal holiday and designate the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples Day. Their legislation is backed by numerous tribal organizations. By replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, we acknowledge the resilience, wisdom, and enduring presence of indigenous communities, fostering unity and honoring the diverse tapestry of our nations heritage, said a statement in support of the switch from Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. Rullis bill frames Columbus Day as celebrating exploration, faith, and family values. Columbus Day was not given, it was earned through struggle and sacrifice, Rullis statement said. Italian Americans fought to be recognized as part of the American story, and we will not allow their memory or their day of honor to be erased. Ohio State Rep. Brian Lorenz at the 2024 State of the State address in Columbus. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A car condo is a garage that can cost more than a house. Owners add kitchens and bathrooms, but not bedrooms, as living in them is not permitted. Its a booming niche industry where car collectors buy into luxury garage communities that host car shows, social events and sometimes private racetracks. Now, a Delaware County Republican wants to reclassify storage condominiums as residential instead of commercial property. House Bill 17, sponsored by Rep. Brian Lorenz, would apply to any individually owned storage unit used to store personal property such as vehicles, boats, or household goods. Lorenz told the House Development Committee the bill is about fairness. People make no financial profit from these units. Yet, theyre taxed at a commercial rate, he said. These individuals are paying more taxes on these properties than they should. Residential property owners pay lower rates than commercial owners in 98% of Ohios 4,460 taxing districts, according to the Legislative Service Commission. The property owners of these garage condominiums are not rich guys looking to skirt laws or evade taxes, said Chip Vance, who owns Horsepower Farms in Delaware County. The majority of our property owners are middle-class people who need a place to store their extra belongings. Vance said no business takes place inside the units. He argued the bill would align with actual use and make taxes fairer for owners. Those wary of new tax breaks say a second home for cars and boats doesnt sound like something middle-class families need a tax break for. Last year, units at Horsepower Farms sold for between $142,000 and $649,000, according to NBC4. Thats a second mortgage, Policy Matters Ohio Zach Schiller said. Youre talking about a class of people who can afford that, which most people cant. Less than five percent of Americans own a second home, according to the National Association of Home Builders. It also comes at a time when lawmakers are hearing from homeowners who say theyre struggling to keep up with rising property taxes even retirees in their 80s are returning to work to pay the bills. LSC estimated that if every unit at Horsepower Farms were classified this way in 2024, the tax reduction would have been about $45,000. It is not unreasonable to expect the statewide loss in property tax collections due to the bill to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, according to LSC. Thats a small sum in a system that brings in about $24 billion annually from property taxes. But Schiller said these small changes add up. He pointed to a recent Policy Matters Ohio report showing the state has 177 tax exemptions, credits and deductions that cost Ohio $12 billion a year in lost revenue. A total that includes far more than property taxes. Read more: Property tax exemptions in Ohio: Who pays when others dont? Still, Schiller said, the broader point is relevant. To what degree are taxpayers paying more on their tax bills? Teachers from the Columbus area lead a demonstration at the Statehouse May 1 against the states diversion of tax money to private school vouchers. (Laura Hancock, cleveland.com) Laura Hancock, cleveland.com The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. (Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland.com) Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland.com A new coalition of Ohios public employee unions has formed to fight against legislative attacks on their pension systemsbut on cleveland.coms Today in Ohio podcast, hosts asked why these powerful groups arent taking the more direct approach of voting out the lawmakers targeting them. The podcasters discussed the formation of an umbrella group including the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Education Association, Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters, AFSCME Council 8, and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees. The organizations are uniting to protect their retirement systems from legislative interference. But Chris Quinn challenged the strategys effectiveness, pointing out the raw political power these groups could wield if properly organized: The thing is, when you look at this umbrella group, it is a boatload of people. Every teacher, every cop, every firefighter, public employees everywhere. Why arent they using the power of the ballot box to wipe out all these clowns who are targeting them? Thats the thing that strikes me. This provocative question cuts to the heart of a political paradox in Ohio. Despite representing tens of thousands of members across the state, the unions have struggled to translate their numbers into electoral victories against the Republican supermajority that frequently targets them. Laura Johnston agreed with Quinns assessment: Representation is how youre going to get anything changed in the Statehouse. And the unions do have political power when it comes to raising money. Quinn didnt hold back on what he sees as a missed opportunity: They can wipe out all these fringe people in the legislature with a concerted effort. Its just theyve never been able to get organized. The Democrats have fallen apart in this state completely. The podcast discussion highlighted that union members arent just concentrated in urban areas but are spread throughout Ohios rural and suburban districts. The geographic distribution could potentially give them influence in legislative races across the state if they coordinated their voting power. The threat to these unions isnt hypothetical. The Legislature has repeatedly targeted public pensions, which workers have paid into throughout their careers. Rather than forming defensive coalitions after attacks begin, Quinn suggested a more proactive approach: identifying and supporting candidates who would champion their interests. If they decided to, they could pick candidates and say, look, we want you to run against Joe Schmo because hes targeting public schools and all these other things. We need somebody whos going to stand for whats right, Quinn said. The discussion revealed a broader concern about the state of political organization in Ohio and the failure of opposition groups to effectively challenge the entrenched power structure despite having the numerical advantage. Its an essential conversation for anyone interested in understanding how political power actually operates in the Buckeye State. Listen to the episode here. Listen to full Today in Ohio episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston. SC State alumna Dr. Monifa McKnight speaks after receiving recognition as an Honorary Member of the university's Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College. ORANGEBURG, S.C. South Carolina State Universitys Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College recently honored a distinguished group of alumni and partners whose generosity, leadership and advocacy continue to advance the colleges mission of supporting exceptional scholars. Each name reflects a story a story of a class taught, a door opened, a burden lifted or a path made straighter, said Dr. William H. Whitaker Jr., the Honors Colleges dean. Together, they form a network of care that strengthens the Honors Colleges work and widens its reach." Honorary Members As the Honors College inducted its 2025 cohort of Clyburn Scholars on Friday, Oct. 3, it also recognized the champions whose generosity and advocacy make such moments possible. The Honors College named Honorary Members for the Class of 2025, acknowledging outstanding leadership and philanthropy: Hank Allen (SC State Class of 1978) facilitated a $10,000 donation from the SC State University National Alumni Association. Nathaniel Nate Spells Sr., CEO of Dynamics Construction Inc., provided the $10,000 sponsorship underwriting the breakfast. The College extended special thanks to Nathaniel Nate Spells Jr. as well. Attorney Cheryl Irvin (Class of 1980), criminal defense and personal injury attorney with the Irvin Law Firm, Houston, Texas, contributed $20,000 in support of the Honors College. Dr. Kris Harley (Class of 1995), chief of surgery and trauma surgeon line director at CaroMont Regional Medical Center, Gastonia, North Carolina, donated $10,182.69, reflecting a precise and purposeful commitment to student success. Dr. Monifa McKnight (Class of 1999), educator, deans fellow and superintendent in residence at the University of Maryland, made a personal contribution of $10,000. Douglas Gantt (Class of 1984), chairman of the SC State University Board of Trustees, was honored for facilitating several gifts from the North Augusta Chapter. Gantts leadership helped secure Spells $10,000 sponsorship for the days breakfast and Irvins $20,000 contribution. Gantt also made a personal gift of $5,000 supporting the breakfast. Affiliate Members: Partners in Purpose The Honors College also acknowledged Affiliate Members who have provided steadfast support through advocacy, mentorship, gifts, and partnership: Mr. Hank Allen Class of 78, Former President of the SC State University National Alumni Association and former ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. Ms. Deborah Blackmon, SC State retiree, Office of the President. Mr. Vernon Huggins, Zeus Industrial Products Inc. Mr. Roger Jackson, private donor. Liberty Hill AME Church, Summerton, South Carolina. Rev. Dr. George E. Hicks (Classes of 1981 and 1994), pastor and SC State professor of education. Mr. Jamal Miles, (Class of 1991), parent of Honors College Scholar Jamal Miles II. Ms. Anna Moorer, (Class of 1967), retired educator. Dr. Macie Smith (Classes of 1999 and 2002), vice chair of the Board of Trustees, a pledge of $10,000. A special acknowledgment The Honors College also recognized Trustee Monica R. Scott, honored as a 2024 Honorary Member for her $30,000 gift supporting student scholarships. Whitaker said her presence at this years ceremony served as a reminder that philanthropy is a relay, and each gift is both a culmination and a handoff to the next chapter of student success. On Sept 17, Speak up for Women (SUFW) posted on X (Twitter) comments by the president of the National Council of Women, Suzanne Manning. Manning had answered a question about whether there should be a word to describe the class of people of the female sex who usually have periods, have cervixes, have ovaries, can usually get pregnant and experience menopause by saying: Not necessarily. SUFW then commented: I wonder what Kate Sheppard would think of that? Kate Sheppard being the famous campaigner for voting rights for women, a battle won on Sept 19, 1893. SUFW was reporting and commenting on Mannings appearance as an expert witness at a proceeding before the Human Rights Review Tribunal. Manning said a number of other things in evidence, including that the concept of biological womanhood is outdated and that the presence of trans-identifying men in leadership positions is effectively the presence of women in leadership positions, and Mannings views might well have shocked Sheppard. The action before the tribunal was brought by two members of Lesbian Action for Visability Aotearoa (LAVA), Hillary Oxley and Margaret Curnow, against Wellington Pride Festival Incorporated after their booking for a stall at an Out in the City event in March 2021 was cancelled, essentially because LAVA doesnt accept that lesbians can have penises. Thats right: lesbians no longer have an automatic right of presence at Pride events, which are meant to celebrate the rights of lesbians and gay men, a cause that culminated in marriage equality. The suppression order Hearings of the case are ongoing, but the SUFW tweet led to the tribunal issuing a suppression order, at the request of Pride, banning any member of the public, other than accredited journalists, from publishing any report or account of the evidence. The suppression order also included a ban on anyone other than an accredited journalist taking notes or recording the proceedings. Since only a single journalist from The Spinoff has attended a single day of weeks long sessions of evidence, this was effectively a total ban on anyone else reporting on any of the evidence given to date. This is The Spinoff story published on Sept 8: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/08-09-2025/inside-the-clash-between-a-wellington-pride-festival-and-anti-trans-lesbian-activists Since I have been a journalist for more than 40 years and my career has included frequent reporting on legal proceedings, both in New Zealand and Australia, at which nobody ever questioned my right to do so, I am assuming that I qualify as an accredited journalist. LAVA appealed the suppression order and I observed an online hearing last week into whether the tribunal should lift its order. Free Speech Union was barred The Free Speech Union had petitioned for leave to intervene on the suppression order but was denied because the tribunal was satisfied that the FSU does not have an interest in the proceeding greater than the public generally. Victoria Casey, KC, representing Pride, requested that the tribunal make its suppression order permanent and argued that the offending tweet had fallen far short of being temperate and that the tweet and responses to it were an effort to harass and attack Manning. Casey did not assert that anything about the tweet had been factually incorrect, but she did complain that SUFW had made no attempt to moderate the comments its tweet elicited. Caseu did assert that the tweet and the ensuing comments constitute witness intimidation and could deter other witnesses that are yet to be heard from giving evidence and that the suppression order was necessary and appropriate to protect the proper administration of justice. Further, Casey asserted that journalists bring with them proper understanding of sub-judice rules but she is completely wrong in her inference that a journalist would not have reported as SUFW did on X. Had I been reporting on Mannings evidence, I would certainly have highlighted her views on what constitutes womanhood. Journalistic malpractice Id regard it as journalistic malpractice not to report on Mannings views, especially given as evidence under oath in a quasi-legal proceeding, because of their relevance to the general population, especially women. The idea that reporting on what a witness said, whether youre a journalist or not, could be construed as an attempt to harass and attack that witness or that such reporting constitutes witness intimidation is just extraordinary. If courts generally believed such assertions, there could be no reporting of legal proceedings. The basis for the request for the initial suppression order was simply ridiculous. Nevertheless, the tribunal was swayed sufficiently by such assertions to grant the initial suppression order it has undertaken to issue its decision on the appeal before hearings resume on Oct 6. The tribunals acceptance of Caseys arguments and its agreeing to the initial suppression order is even more ridiculous than Caseys actual arguments. Casey also asserted that the lack of media attention to the proceeding is a fair enough assessment of public interest. I would disagree strongly with that assertion it rather shows how captured by trans ideology the mainstream media is. It is well-documented that trans-activists have long argued that any questioning of their views is verboten, but such a view is antithetical to the concept of free speech. Nicolette Levy, KC, representing LAVA, argued that there was no evidence of harassment or attacks on Manning or the National Council of Women the only evidence presented was the tweet on X and the comments it elicited. She argued for the principle of open justice, that the SUFW tweet had been an accurate report of what Manning said, and its what the witness said that had elicited the comments that Casey had objected to. Please note that while the subject of this column doesnt strictly relate to business, the absence of other media attention persuaded me that somebody needed to report on it. And both free speech and the rule of law are fundamental to the conduct of business in a democratic society. For the original, please click here Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Comvita reaches agreement with lending partners December 11th Morning Report December 10th Morning Report CDI APPOINTS JULIAN SMITH AS INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR EROAD director Cameron Kinloch to step down in March 2026 RUA - Pro Rata Rights Offer December 8th Morning Report GEN - Dividend Reinvestment Plan Strike Price Fletcher Building Update on Funding Facilities December 5th Morning Report October 13, 2025: Over the past twenty years, small unmanned ground-based robots have undergone tremendous evolution. Initially, there was RoBattle, a seven-ton wheeled modular drone transport vehicle capable of carrying three tons of cargo. This innovative Israeli concept, however, never entered service. The PackBot 510 entered service in 2002. It operates on tracks and can climb stairs, navigate through rubble, mud, snow, and more. Weighing 24 kg, it includes accessories like cable cutters, a hook, and the ability to probe for and remove buried obstacles. Battery-operated, this tracked drone can function for four hours on a single charge. It is operated remotely via a wireless link using a touchscreen tablet controller. The PackBot 510 remains in service with several countries. The similar but smaller 13 kg XM1216 SUGV also operates on tracks and can carry 2.7 kg of accessories. Its capabilities mirror those of the PackBot 510. The Talon, a 2745 kg drone, operates similarly to the PackBot and SUGV but boasts additional capabilities. Entering service in 2000, it was primarily used to disable roadside bombs and other explosive devices. A combat version is armed with a 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun to provide protective fire for infantry. It can also operate a 12.7 mm sniper rifle, a 40 mm grenade launcher, and several other weapons. The lighter reconnaissance version can be equipped with chemical, temperature, and radiation sensors. It has an eight-hour operational life between recharges of its lithium-ion batteries and is controlled remotely using a game-style controller. The operator can be up to 1,200 meters from the robot, and day/night color cameras provide sufficient detail to guide the drone over rubble and into wreckage. The Talon was used during the recovery effort after the 2001 Islamic terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. Costing up to $6 million each, Talons remain in service. Between 2004 and 2007, over 6,000 ground drones were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Most were small, under 25 kg, and used to check for roadside bombs and lead searches into buildings and caves suspected of enemy activity. In 2025, Ukraine equipped its combat brigades with ground-based combat and transport robots alongside aerial drones. These ground robots come in various versions. Some are used for planting and removing landmines, while others advance along the ground, firing remotely controlled machine guns. These systems can accurately target moving objects day or night. Additionally, drones transport supplies to the front lines and evacuate casualties to first aid stations and field hospitals. The growing number of Ukrainian drone systems was developed based on feedback from frontline troops. These ideas were rapidly implemented due to wartime urgency. In 2024, Ukraine established a new military branch, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Force, separate from the Ukrainian Air Force, which operates manned aircraft. This Drone Force does not control the drones regularly used by Ukrainian forces but focuses on developing new drone models and organizing mass production for successful designs. These drones have been an unexpected development, significantly impacting how battles in Ukraines ongoing war are fought. Their success stems from being affordable, easily modified, and expendable. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have employed inexpensive quadcopter drones, controlled by soldiers a kilometer or more away using First Person View (FPV) goggles to see what the drones video camera captures. Each drone carries half a kilogram of explosives, enabling it to become a flying bomb that can fly into a target and detonate. This is a formidable and debilitating weapon when deployed in large numbers over the combat zone. If a target is stationary or requires more explosive power than the drones can provide, operators can call in artillery, rocket, missile fire, or an airstrike. Larger, fixed-wing drones are used for long-range operations, often over a thousand kilometers, targeting sites deep inside Russia. These small drones are difficult to shoot down until they are close to the ground and the shooter is within a few hundred meters, close enough to target a drone with a bullet or two. Troops are rarely positioned to do this, so most drones complete their missions, whether one-way attacks or reconnaissance and surveillance tasks. Reconnaissance missions are typically survivable, allowing drones to be reused. Both sides deploy enough drones to maintain constant surveillance over portions of the frontline, extending several kilometers into enemy territory. Ukrainian drones have largely halted Russian motorized transport within 2030 kilometers of the front lines. The widespread use of FPV-armed drones has revolutionized warfare in Ukraine, with both sides producing as many as possible. Ukrainian drone proliferation began with individuals and small teams designing and building drones, which served as candidates for widespread use and mass production. This diversity of designers and manufacturers led to rapid advancements in drone capabilities and applications. Less effective designs resulted in higher combat losses. One countermeasure, electronic jamming of drone control signals, is effective only temporarily. Drone guidance systems are continually modified or upgraded to counter jamming, often using multiple communication modes. Most drones have flight control software that returns them to their launch point for landing if their control signals are jammed. Jammers, located on the ground, can be targeted by drones programmed to home in on the jamming signal. Countermeasures are constantly overcome, and the side that adapts more quickly gains a temporary advantage. Both sides invest heavily in keeping their combat drones effective on the battlefield. Western armed forces, despite a century of efforts, still struggle to align air force perspectives with ground realities where battles and wars are decided. Meanwhile, the proliferation of surveillance and armed drones has, in many cases, replaced conventional air forces, particularly for operations close to the ground that require urgent target identification and engagement. October 13, 2025: After the war with Israel and the United States, the Iranian government and people are reconsidering what they want and how they will achieve it. The swift and effective Israeli and American attacks on Iran, especially those targeting individuals in the Iranian military, government, and nuclear program, left many Iranians wondering if the time for fundamental change in Iran is now. This is more likely now because the Israeli/U.S. operation devastated and diminished Iranian military power. Over the last few years, Iranians have become angrier and more outspoken about the wretched economy and brutal suppression of dissent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Worse, IRGC officers have acquired a substantial portion of the economy, enriching themselves and their families. The rest of Iran remains mired in poverty. Public expressions of criticism or calls for economic relief are met with violent IRGC suppression of such heretical talk. It gets worse. Iran has long been the Persian Gulf superpower. The name of the Gulf exemplifies that dominance. One thing all Iranians can agree on is that for thousands of years, Iran was often its own worst enemy. Internal squabbles weakened the mighty Persian Empire 2,500 years ago, allowing the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, to do the impossible and conquer the Persian/Iranian Empire. A similar situation occurred 1,500 years ago when the Arabs, inspired by their new Islamic religion, conquered the Sassanid Persian Empire. At that time, the Iranians were engaged in a centuries-long conflict with the Byzantine Empire. It took several decades for the Persians to abandon their ancient Zoroastrian faith, and many pretended to accept Islam while secretly continuing to practice Zoroastrianism. Currently, only about 40 percent of Iranians consider themselves Muslims, with most adhering to other faiths, including the ancient Iranian Zoroastrianism. Many Iranians believe Iran has not recovered from the Arab conquest and that Islam is more at fault than the Arabs. Many now believe that, without internal squabbling, Iran could have avoided the damage caused by the Greek, Arab, Mongol, and Western invasions. Moderates pay attention to history, while radicals do not. However, when radicals do examine the past closely, they often become moderates, which is how the moderates are gaining ground. Another reason is demographics. The generation that lived through the 1979 revolution and the subsequent ruinous war with Iraq is no longer the majority. The current generation sees the religious dictatorship for what it is: a coup by Islamic radicals who were part of the movement that overthrew the Persian monarchy and used the subsequent Iraqi invasion as an excuse to replace the promised democracy with a religious dictatorship. Senior clerics and IRGC leaders know this is a threat because opinion polls have shown, for several years, that more Iranians are abandoning Islam, with many secretly adopting other religions or none at all. The clerics label this as blasphemy, a crime punishable by death if done openly. The Iranian use of denial is not restricted to the current government but is a national survival trait that makes sense in many situations. Fewer Iranians are attending mosques or religious schools. If pressed by a local cleric, they plead poverty and the need to work more to feed their families. Local clerics understand there is much truth to this, and that Islam is losing believers for practical reasons. This is reported to senior clerics and eventually reaches the Council of Guardians. This group of elderly Shia clerics appears, on the surface, as wise and caring holy men. In reality, the Guardians preside over a corrupt and incompetent bureaucracy and senior clergy, and Iranians are taking to the streets to call them out on this. Meanwhile, Iran is aligning with Turkey and Russia, two ancient enemies, to maintain a position of power in the Middle East. This region has long been contested and occupied by Turks and Iranians. It was a major achievement for Russia, which lost its own empire in 1991, to challenge the Ottoman Empire, which collapsed in the early 1920s, and the former Persian Empire. A century ago, the growing economic importance of oil began reshaping the Middle Eastern political landscape. The Ottomans lost access to oil, while the Iranians secured a minority share. Most of the oil is now controlled by Arabs, former subjects of the Ottomans and Persians. To protect their new wealth, the Arabs formed alliances with their biggest customers: the new superpowers in Europe, the United States, and now China. Despite this, Russia, Turkey, and Iran still aspire to be empire builders. This has led to an unstable and unpredictable partnership among the three former foes, but Russia still sees itself as the key player. Meanwhile, Iranians continue to honor their Persian ancestors. In 2016, thousands of Iranians gathered in Pasargadae, 800 kilometers south of Tehran, to celebrate the birthday of Cyrus the Great, considered the founder of the Persian Empire 2,500 years ago. The religious dictatorship that has ruled Iran since the 1980s quietly tries to discourage this sort of thing without drawing much attention. This has proved increasingly difficult. This is a problem because this form of Iranian nationalism appeals to all Iranians to some degree, particularly to royalists and democrats who want to keep religion out of government. The Greeks still honor Alexander the Great and want to commemorate the Battle of Gaugamela with a monument outside the Iraqi city of Mosul. The battle took place 2,340 years ago when Alexander defeated a Persian army, destroying the Persian Empire that stretched from modern-day Turkey to modern-day Pakistan. The Iraqis were enthusiastic about the idea, even though the defeated Persian army included many Arabs. For the Iraqis, the battle represents a major defeat for Iran. Although most Iraqis share the Shia form of Islam with Iran, Iranians are not Arabs but an Indo-European people related to Indians and Europeans. Iran has long menaced, invaded, and generally oppressed the Arabs, and it now threatens the Arab world again. Thus, anything that celebrates the defeat of Iranian power is something to be encouraged. 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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 Israel says Hamas to free all surviving hostages Monday as Gaza ceasefire holds for third day Xinhua) 09:23, October 13, 2025 Relatives and friends of Israeli hostages celebrate the Gaza ceasefire deal in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 9, 2025. (Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Hamas is expected to release all 20 living hostages held in Gaza early Monday morning, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said on Sunday. Speaking at a press briefing, Bedrosian said an international task force would be established to help locate the remains of hostages who died in captivity and whose bodies Hamas has been unable to find. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held for a third consecutive day on Sunday, as both sides prepared for the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. Bedrosian said Israel expects all 20 living hostages to be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross Monday morning, before being transferred to Israeli forces in Gaza. From there, they will be taken to a military base in Israel and later for medical checks in hospitals, where they will reunite with their families. She said a convoy of ambulances will be on standby in case urgent medical assistance is needed, adding that the Israeli military and hospitals were ready to receive the hostages earlier if Hamas moves ahead of schedule. Under an agreement reached in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh, Hamas is to release 20 living and 28 deceased hostages within 72 hours of the Israeli army's withdrawal to the "yellow line" in Gaza, the first of three withdrawal stages, by Monday at 12:00 p.m. local time. Hamas has already indicated that it may not be able to locate all the bodies of deceased hostages by that deadline. Earlier on Sunday, media reports suggested that Hamas had told mediators it was ready to release the living hostages as early as Sunday, ahead of the agreed deadline, if Israel freed at least two of seven high-profile Palestinian prisoners who were previously removed from the release list. There was no official Israeli response. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning for a brief visit. He is scheduled to address the Knesset, meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and families of the hostages, and then travel to Egypt to co-chair a summit on Gaza with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, attended by around 20 world leaders. The deal, part of the U.S.-proposed 20-point plan aimed at ending the war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, also includes the release of about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and increased humanitarian aid access to Gaza, which has been devastated by Israeli bombardments. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that after the hostages are back home, all the remaining Hamas tunnels in Gaza will be destroyed by the Israel Defense Forces and an "international mechanism to be established under U.S. leadership and oversight." The war was triggered by a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led to the kidnapping of around 250. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza, including two years of airstrikes, shelling, and ground operations, has killed at least 67,806 people and injured 170,066 others, according to Gaza's health authorities, in addition to causing famine and destroying the vast majority of the enclave's infrastructure and buildings. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) For the first time in what seems like forever, Donald Trump was not the star of Saturday Night Lives cold open this week. Instead, host Amy Poehler broke out her impression of Attorney General Pam Bondi. Poehlers BFF, an almost unrecognizable Tina Fey, sported bloated lips for her version of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. It wasnt anywhere near the triumph of Fey and Poehler as Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton in 2008, but punches were thrown nonetheless. Whats up, nerds? Furious to be here, spat Poehler. My name is Pam Bondi. I spell it with an I cause I aint gonna answer any of your questions. My time is valuable. Im the rarest type of person in Washington, D.C., offered Feys Noem. A brunette that Donald Trump listens to. Don't Miss In the past, Trump has taken to Truth Social to blast such sketches as unfunny, performed by no-talent comics who suffer from low ratings. Cancellation is always around the corner for shows like Saturday Night Live, according to Trump. As Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel can attest, those arent always empty threats. On weeks when Trump cant stay up late enough to watch, the White House fills in. After last weeks season opener, spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued this brittle response: Reacting to this would require me to waste my time watching it. And like the millions of Americans who have tuned out from SNL, I have more entertaining things to do like watch paint dry. The typical White House reactions to SNL and late-night comedy make the administration appear thin-skinned and humorless, as easily injured by a monologue joke or a silly wig as by troubling economic statistics or civil unrest. But Bondi took a different approach after SNLs skewering, one that proves much more effective for shutting down satire. .@Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago? she posted. Loving Amy Poehler! Advertisement Reenacting a comedy sketch in Chicago, where troops are gathering to shut down civilian protests, is disgusting. But Bondis approach to SNL Ha ha! Great impression! likely dismayed Poehler and Fey. Nothing deflates political comedy faster than its targets laughing along and appreciating the joke. Was Bondi actually loving Poehler? Probably not. But laughing off the sketch stops the conversation cold. If Bondi had fired off an offended tweet, we might be talking about SNLs cultural relevance all week, applauding the shows ability to get under the skin of the people in power. Instead, SNL got an amused shrug. Its a good lesson for others in Trumps administration. Huffing and puffing draws attention to the jokes if comedy hits a nerve, there must be truth to the punchlines. Canceling Kimmel made him more popular than ever. Chuckling with SNL, on the other hand, makes its mockery irrelevant. CBS News, home to Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow and 60 Minutes, is one of the most trusted names in journalism, says John Oliver. But on the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight, Oliver says that reputation is in danger, thanks to its new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. Weiss paints herself as a liberal brave enough to disagree with other liberals, explained Oliver, earning admirers ranging from Jeff Bezos to Megan McCain and from Amy Coney Barrett to Joe Rogan. And if youre thinking, Wow, thats not a very ideologically broad from and to, you're starting to catch on. Oliver played a clip of Weiss speaking to the Federalist Society, joking that even though many conservatives in the room didnt approve of her marriage to a lesbian, its okay because we all want lower taxes. For someone who paints herself as politically homeless, Oliver pointed out, Weiss seemed awfully comfortable in that room. Don't Miss New media owners like Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong have meddled with the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, Oliver said, but this feels like the most sweeping change yet and at one of the few remaining prestige names in news. Hes especially concerned about Weiss, someone who has never run a TV network, has no experience directing television coverage, and as one 60 Minutes producer pointed out, is not even a reporter. So what qualifies Weiss for the job? Proponents point to her experience at the New York Times, where she wrote opinion pieces from a decidedly conservative perspective. While many on the right agreed with those rants, Weiss didnt get points for journalistic integrity, once quoting a hoax site pretending to be the official Antifa Twitter account as if it actually existed. You dont expect a Times writer to fall for online hoaxes like theyre your 75-year-old aunt on Facebook who keeps posting that message saying, I hereby state that I do not give my permission to use any of my personal data or photos, Oliver joked. That is fake, Linda. Also, why would anybody steal your photos? You exclusively post pictures of your elderly cat, youre going to be fine. Advertisement Weiss, after feeling bullied by her colleagues at the New York Times, quit and retreated to the safety of Substack, where she built her blog into what became the Free Press. Impressive, but head of CBS News impressive? Oliver doesnt think so, citing specific examples of Free Press journalism in which facts werent checked. An article about transgender teens was refuted by the families it featured, for instance. Another reported that crime was rising under a progressive district attorney, when the opposite was true. And so on and so on. Oliver knows all about opinion outlets Last Week Tonight, for example. But while our staff works incredibly hard to research stories before we write something and vigorously check our facts afterwards, he noted, were also not the news. Advertisement No one from a pure opinion outlet, not even one that I happen to agree with, should run CBS News, Oliver said. It is especially alarming to have someone doing it who has spent years putting out work that, in my opinion, is at best irresponsible and at worst deeply misleading. So Oliver is asking us to keep an eye on CBS News for subtle changes in its reporting. If you start seeing people resigning or getting fired, or you start seeing stories that seem off in some way, especially if it involves the left going too far on a topic Bari Weiss cares about, he cautioned, its worth asking yourself why that might be. A newly disclosed attack campaign linked to the IoT botnet Aisuru led to a massive surge in malicious traffic, temporarily disrupting major online gaming platforms, with nearly 29.6 Tbps of DDoS packets. According to logs shared by security engineers, the incident lasted only a few seconds on October 8, 2025, with the bulk of the botnets muscle lying in compromised devices home routers, IP cameras, and DVRs hosted under leading US ISPs like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Charter. ISPs hosting some of the Internets top gaming destinations have been hit with a relentless volley of gargantuan attacks that experts say are well beyond the DDoS mitigation capabilities of most organizations connected to the Internet today, investigative cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs said in a blog post. Krebs noted that while recent Aisuru attacks targeted only ISPs serving online gaming communities such as Minecraft, these DDoS sieges often result in widespread Internet disruption. Modified: Sunday, 12 October 2025 21:30 BST David Woodsmith STORY LINK Pound to Euro Forecast: Tax Fears Weigh on Sterling, 1.1430 Support in Focus GBP/EUR Forecasts: Budget Anxiety Caps Sterling Save on Your GBP/EUR Transfer Get better rates and lower fees on your next international money transfer. Compare TorFX with top UK banks in seconds and see how much you could save. Compare the Best GBP/EUR Rates Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound to Euro exchange rate (GBP/EUR) slipped back below 1.1500 on Friday as tax fears and fragile UK fundamentals kept Sterling under pressure despite broader Euro weakness.Currency analysts warn that a break under 1.1430 could trigger deeper losses ahead of the November budget.The British Pound Sterling struggled to gain traction on Thursday and Friday, with higher-tax expectations continuing to cloud sentiment.Any renewed increase in UK bond yields would risk further GBP selling. And a further test of support.Key support remains in the 1.1415-30 area with any break risking further sharp losses.Euro-Zone political developments will be watched closely on Friday with another day of drama in France.President Macron is scheduled to announce a new Prime Minister later in the day and will hold talks with most political parties later in an attempt to reach a consensus.There has been some speculation that Macron will reappoint Lecornu to head a technocrat government, although this is unlikely to be welcomed by the opposition.ING remains doubtful that there will be significant headway in dealing with underlying stresses. It added; The market-appeasing pledge by outgoing PM Lecornu about delivering on budget obligations is hardly enough to price out French risk.It did, however, add; That said, we still struggle to see material implications beyond the short-term for the euro, which can anyway benefit mildly from today's new PM announcement.Standard Chartered also noted underlying risks; while there could be a short-term technical rebound in French risky assets, the long-term story is still murky. There are still structural issues in the French economy, such as soaring debt and fiscal deficits. It remains in doubt whether the 2026 budget, including a much-needed fiscal consolidation, can be passed in time, due to the political deadlock.Overall confidence in the UK outlook remains notably fragile.The latest UK Rightmove survey recorded a slight improvement in the housing index to 15% from 18% previously, but underlying metrics were weak.RICS head of market research & analytics Tarrant Parsons commented; The housing market continues to struggle for momentum, with seemingly no clear catalyst on the horizon to spark a turnaround over the near-term. Buyer demand remains subdued, while agreed sales are still on a downward trend, reflecting a broader hesitancy in the market.He added; Ongoing uncertainty around potential measures in the upcoming Budget is also likely adding to the prevailing cautious sentiment.Capital Economics UK economist Ashley Webb commented; Whether this is the start of a marked downturn in the housing market will depend on the outcome of the budget. The prospect of tax rises has put the housing market on ice. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Euro Forecasts In 2025, English language education is undergoing a quiet revolution. Universities and schools are moving away from grammar drills toward critical thinking, communication, and confidence, skills that define success in today's global workplace. This shift is backed by data: a Harvard Business Review study shows that individuals with strong "basic skills" such as communication, collaboration, and reasoning advance faster in their careers. UNESCO likewise calls for soft skills to become core learning outcomes, not secondary goals. Yet the State of Higher Ed 2025 report reveals a gap: while 88% of employers value problem-solving, only 51% of undergraduates believe they develop it in university. In response, English teaching must focus on inquiry-based learning, project tasks, and learner agency over rote memorization, says Aygozel Yazmuradova, an educator who unites classical philology with modern, student-centered pedagogy. A philology graduate, she has taught English for over seven years and is now completing her Montessori teacher training at Bellevue Montessori School in Seattle. Her methodology directly addresses the long-standing divide between knowing English and using it. Applied first at the State Academy of Arts of Turkmenistan, her approach helped students win national English Olympiads and earned her a letter of appreciation from the Academy's Rector for excellence in teaching. But what makes this combination of linguistic rigor and creative learning truly effectiveand can it redefine how English is taught in universities today? How Academic Foundations Shape Modern Pedagogy The answer begins with what English teachers have long known but rarely act on: linguistic precision and communication skills are not oppositesthey depend on each other. Aygozel's background in classical philology gave her a deep respect for grammar and structure, yet her years in the classroom revealed that knowledge alone does not produce fluency. "I noticed that many high-performing students could analyze syntax perfectly but froze when asked to argue a point or speak spontaneously," she recalls. To close that gap, she designed a framework where accuracy and expression evolve together. Each lesson integrates three layers: Analytical mastery students dissect authentic texts to understand language patterns. Applied dialogue debates, role-plays, and project discussions transform analysis into spontaneous speech. Reflective writing creative essays and presentations consolidate vocabulary and argumentation. In practice, this framework takes shape through debates, creative writing, and project-based collaboration, tools that make language knowledge active rather than theoretical. "When students prepare for debates or creative projects, they stop memorizing and start connecting ideas," says Aygozel Yazmuradova. "They realize English is not a subject to studyit's a way to express who they are." Her classrooms confirmed this empirically: around 70% of participants improved their academic results within a year, while several became national Olympiad winners. "When students start asking questions and creating ideas in English, that's when real progress happens," she adds. "Inquiry and project work don't distract from grammarthey make it meaningful and memorable." Equally important is her emphasis on mentorship. "I try not to correct students from above," Aygozel explains. "We discuss their ideas togetherthey listen to themselves, notice patterns, and find better ways to express the same thought. When feedback becomes a conversation, students stop being afraid of mistakes and start using English to think." Such self-reflection, central to the Montessori philosophy she now studies in Seattle, encourages autonomy: learners start viewing English not as a school subject but as a tool for thinking. In essence, Aygozel's practice demonstrates how philological depth can support, not hinder, communicative freedom. It suggests a path forward for universities that still rely on lecture-based language instruction: shifting from grammar as the goal to grammar as the gateway, a foundation for curiosity, argument, and expression. Modern education often speaks of "student-centered learning," but few models embody it as consistently as the Montessori approach. Its core idea that curiosity drives understanding better than instruction aligns naturally with Aygozel's experience as an English educator. Now completing her teacher training at Bellevue Montessori School in Seattle, she explores how those same principles can work in language classrooms and even university settings. "In Montessori classrooms, students are guided, not directed," she says. "They learn to take responsibility for their progress. That mindset completely changes how they approach languageit's no longer about performing for the teacher, but about exploring the world through English." In practice, this means giving learners ownership of both pace and purpose. Instead of fixed lesson plans, activities evolve around students' questions, why a certain phrase works, how tone changes meaning, and what cultural context lies behind an idiom. This fosters critical inquiry, mirroring the research-based learning models now promoted in universities worldwide. The parallel is striking: in both Montessori and higher education, the goal is to move from dependency to self-regulation. When students see that language can express curiosity, not just correctness, they start thinking more deeply and communicating more confidently. For future teachers and academics, this is a vital shift that transforms the classroom from a space of instruction into a space of dialogue. "We can't teach communication by controlling it," Aygozel notes. "When students feel trusted to explore, they find their own voice and that's the real measure of language learning." As universities rethink how to prepare graduates for an uncertain world, this blend of Montessori autonomy and philological rigor offers a blueprint: education that values not only what students know, but how independently they can learn, question, and express. Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. 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Recent fares found by the company include a 188.70 return flight to Los Angeles (yes, really), a 173.05 return to Dubai, and 329.58 return to Bali - the possibilities are, quite literally, endless. If youre on a mission to tick as many countries as possible off your list, or to finally visit your dream destination, theres never been a better time to join Jacks Flight Club. Margaret Thatcher, who would be 100 today, was the target of many impersonators over the years. There was Janet Brown's eerily accurate impression. Then there was her supremely unflattering Spitting Image puppet, voiced by Steve Nallon. But many struggled to mimic Mrs T. Even Mike Yarwood, the most celebrated impressionist of the 1970s, admitted: 'I couldn't get the voice at all.' So who'd have thought one of the best imitations would come from a drag queen? The Iron Lady herself, it seems. During the 1975 Tory leadership contest, she asked Jim Prior who later served as her Northern Ireland minister who would impersonate her if she won. 'I suppose,' she said, according to the new book Margaret Thatcher: Life After Downing Street by Peter Just, 'they could always bring in Danny La Rue.' She was right. The grand dame of drag, who stood 7ft tall in heels, perfected her in a bouffant wig. Danny La Rue, the grand dame of drag, who stood 7ft tall in heels, perfected the Iron Lady in a bouffant wig Gordon's golden gambling debt to UK Gordon Brown has been back on the BBC, demanding a hike in gambling taxes in the Budget. Ex-Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie reminds us that Brown, as Chancellor, 'didn't mind gambling with all our futures when he ordered selling half our gold reserves for 2.6 billion'. With gold now at record highs, that would be worth 38 billion today. 'An effing money-losing Labour idiot,' says MacKenzie. 'There's a lot of them about.' By his own admission, Tory Party chair Kevin Hollinrake is a better politician than estate agent. Before entering Parliament, he once tried to charm a client by gesturing to a portrait and saying: 'That looks just like Sir Anthony Hopkins.' To which the woman replied: 'That happens to be my great-grandmother.' No sale. Boo-boo of the week: Reporting live on the Six O'Clock News about the sexual offence charges facing Tim Westwood, BBC media editor Katie Razzall accidentally referred to the DJ as 'Tim Davie' BBC director-general. Anchor Sophie Raworth struggled valiantly to keep a straight face, a studio observer reveals. Let's hope Katie's boss wasn't watching. On his election in 2015, Tory home affairs spokesman Chris Philp said to his wife: 'Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine you'd one day be married to an MP?' 'You have never been in my wildest dreams,' she tartly replied. One step from disaster Things nearly went horribly wrong for Hamish Badenoch at the close of the Tory conference. As his wife Kemi finished her rousing speech, Hamish bounded on stage for a congratulatory kiss unaware that the laces on his left shoe were untied. We were moments away from a full-blown Norman Wisdom moment with Hamish tripping up and taking his wife with him. Mercifully, disaster was averted. Despite the success of the Badenoch speech, all is not well at Tory HQ. Dozens of staff were handed redundancy notices on the eve of the conference some who had been on the payroll for more than 40 years. As consolation, they were offered a 68 conference ticket as part of their payoff. Unsurprisingly, few took up the offer. Was there ever a more tragic tale of unrequited love than the relationship between Sir Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission? Ursula has given every indication of being open to Keirs charms, such as they are. She despised Boris. She couldnt see the point of Rishi. But dear Sir Keir! Ursula is full of smiles whenever she sees him, and kisses him with a special warmth. Keir is of course infatuated. Unloved in his own country, he feels appreciated in Brussels. He wants to get closer to Ursula. Or, to be more precise, hed like to get closer to the EU, and has a generous list of prospective concessions hes willing to make in his well-thumbed notebook. The tragedy is that Ursulas actions dont match her ardour. Far from it. She wants much more from her love-struck admirer than she is prepared to offer him by way of return. Last week the European Union threatened Britain with tariffs of up to 50 per cent on our steel exports twice the rate President Trump has imposed. This could be fatal to our flagging steel industry since almost 80 per cent of its exports go to the EU. It certainly wouldnt be a friendly act to apply swingeing tariffs on what remains of the British steel industry but the message from Brussels, as conveyed by a Belgian MEP on the BBC last week, is that no exceptions can be made. Not even for dear Sir Keir. Many of us thought we had a gold-plated trade deal with the EU that should protect us from tariffs. In any case, there was good reason to believe that they were anathema to the European Union. After Trump announced his tariffs in April, European leaders were united in condemning the idea. President Macron called them fundamentally wrong. Spains prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, lambasted protectionist tariffs, which he said were contrary to the interests of American and European consumers. Dear Sir Keir! Ursula is full of smiles whenever she sees him, and kisses him with a special warmth, writes Stephen Glover The tragedy is that Ursulas actions dont match her ardour. Far from it. She wants much more from her love-struck admirer than she is prepared to offer him by way of return, writes Glover Evidently there has been a change of mind, and the EU is preparing to embrace measures that it previously excoriated. In fact, Brussels is planning to go much further than Trump in penalising a close ally. It is not just the threat of tariffs that should encourage our lovelorn PM to reconsider his obsession. Yesterday the European Union introduced its new Entry/Exit digital border system (EES) that will require visitors to have their fingerprints and their photographs taken on arrival in an EU country. Admittedly EES will inconvenience all non-EU citizens arriving in the bloc. But it will especially affect British visitors since many more of them visit the EU than do tourists from any other country. Yet no exceptions will be made. Brussels has been typically unhelpful in not declaring which EU countries will be implementing EES first. Possibly it doesnt know. I dont imagine that the laid-back Italians will be very quick on the uptake. However, the French authorities so lackadaisical in preventing illegal immigrants from crossing the Channel despite hundreds of millions of pounds being given to Paris may get officious when it comes to impeding law-abiding British tourists in Calais. Rather than bearing down on blameless visitors intending to spend a week or two in Europe, shouldnt the EU be concentrating on its still porous borders, across which tens of thousands of illegal immigrants continue to stream? The EES wont be the end of our tribulations. Brussels bureaucrats have also cooked up the European Travel Information and Authorisation Service (ETIAS), due to be introduced at the end of next year. Visitors to the so-called Schengen area (the EU minus Ireland and Cyprus, plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein) will have to make an online application and pay a 20-euro fee for a pass that will last for three years or until the expiry of your passport, whichever comes first. Its true that foreign visitors to the UK, including EU nationals, have to complete an online electronic authorisation form at a cost of 16. But the combined burden of EES and ETIAS is likely to be much greater. The apparent intention of ETIAS other than to drive millions of people mad is to monitor tourism and business travellers. It will also enable the authorities to track down British people who exceed the current limit of visa-free travel of 90 days in 180 days a consequence of inept Brexit negotiations. The threat of tariffs. Restrictions on travel that will particularly affect the British. It doesnt appear that Keir Starmer is getting an awful lot in return for his ardent wooing. In fact, the EU wants more. Brussels has set its heart on a so-called youth mobility scheme, which would allow EU nationals between the age of 18 and 30 to live, work and study in the UK, possibly for up to four years, and young British people to do the same in Europe. In principle it sounds an excellent idea. The trouble is that there are more than six times as many young people in the European Union as there are in Britain. In many EU countries the unemployment rate is higher than here. This country is bound to be a magnet. At a time of growing public resentment about uncontrolled immigration, is it really a good idea to allow tens of thousands of young Europeans to come to this country, and increase the pressure on housing, the NHS and other public services? Last year the Government thought not. It said it had no plans. But under pressure from the EU it has changed its mind. Starmer and Rachel Reeves now support a youth mobility scheme. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister in charge of renegotiating Britains relationship with the EU, is wildly in favour. Even so, the European Commission is reportedly contemplating linking a more generous youth mobility scheme to steel tariffs. Brussels might shave a few percentage points off tariffs if we offer even more generous terms for European youth to come and live here. This is my question. Exactly what has the Government obtained from the European Commission in the Prime Ministers reset with Europe? The traffic is all one way. Labour argues that a new agricultural deal scheduled to start in early 2027 will reduce EU restrictions on food exports. But a price has been paid for that namely the alignment of UK standards with those of the EU, which is welcomed by Brussels as it suggests that Britain is moving back into its orbit. That is of course what Sir Keir Starmer secretly pines for. He may not mind that all the concessions are on the British side because this former arch enemy of Brexit dreams of an eventual final concession to end all concessions our reabsorption into the EU. Yes, for now the constant rebuffs must be hard for him to bear. Ursula takes a lot and gives little or nothing back. Tariffs are threatened. But this seemingly tragic, unrequited love could one day have a triumphant outcome for Keir. The real tragedy may be for those of us who believe that Britain has a great future as an independent country outside the European Union, and could see it snatched away. The Merchant of Chaos has become the Colossus. And in politics, as in nature, size matters. Donald Trump has, for years, been dismissed by Washington's professional class as an arsonist: a man of instinct, improvisation, and self-promotion, lacking in policy expertise, allergic to process, and indifferent to tradition and precedent. But with his new Middle East peace accord, the president may have accomplished what generations of leaders, diplomats, think-tankers, and speechwriters have not. And the result is a moment that could reorder the American political landscape every bit as much as it could potentially reshape and help heal the region itself. The optics of this latest Trumpian victory may be inescapably transformative; should the peace hold, Trump's staunchest critics may be forced to proffer respect, no matter how grudging. Even Trump's controversial recent use of military power, as in Iran, may be further validated, since the Israeli-Hamas deal would have been impossible without the Iran piece deftly addressed. Trump's immediate triumph deprives Democrats of one of their favorite contrasts: the moral superiority of delicate diplomacy over bluster. Democratic leaders, including President Joe Biden, who campaigned on restoring America's steady hand abroad, now face a paradoxdo they congratulate Trump explicitly, or risk looking petty by ignoring the achievement? The Democratic attack machine, always swift to frame Trump as reckless or corrupt, finds itself momentarily disarmed. Criticizing a man who feasibly has brought Israelis and Palestinians into a new era of coexistence is a hard sell even for the most committed partisans. For the first time in years, late-night comedians and liberal columnists are searching for the right line, a plausible spinand coming up empty. Ironically, the accord in Gaza could also help the Democratic Party in the long run. The peace deal may act as a solvent for one of its deepest, most painful, internal divides. The optics of this latest Trumpian victory may be inescapably transformative; should the peace hold, Trump's staunchest critics may be forced to proffer respect, no matter how grudging Criticizing a man who feasibly has brought Israelis and Palestinians into a new era of coexistence is a hard sell even for the most committed partisans (Pictured: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauds while Trump addresses the Knesset on October 13) The Israel-Palestine question has fractured progressives and centrists, pitting activists such as New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani against traditional figures such as Andrew Cuomo, who has been eyeing a comeback. If the Palestinian issue fades from the front lines of moral urgency, Democrats may rediscover unity heading into 2026 and 2028. For Cuomo, in particular, the moment is political oxygen. With the conflict defused, his rival's animating cause evaporates. A quieter Middle East may make for a quieter and less volatile New York primary, with a focus on pragmatic urban governance instead of symbolic tribalism. Beyond the Beltway, the implications are cultural. The accord offers Israel and its American allies a priceless opportunity to rebuild goodwill after a bruising decade and poisonous two years. Public opinion toward Israel had collapsed not only on the left but increasingly on the populist right, where fatigue with foreign entanglements became fused with skepticism about elites. A credible peace allows Israel to reclaim its role as America's embattled but morally admirable allya narrative that once united liberals and conservatives alike. And the beneficiaries of this deal are not just Trump himself. The deal elevates Steve Witkoff, the New York real-estate impresario who, somewhat improbably, has become a preeminent envoy. Trump's confident selection of Witkoffa businessman without diplomatic credentialswas ridiculed by experts. Now it looks visionary. So too with Jared Kushner, long accused of blurring the lines between diplomacy and deal-making. For some, this agreement retroactively sanctifies that fusion. Kushner's critics see conflicts of interest; his defenders see the new model of twenty-first-century power, where commerce and geopolitics are two sides of the same coin. And many who sniffed at Kushner's nepo-baby-in-law status in the first Trump administration are now reluctantly recasting him as an bona fide emissary. Within Trump's circle, the vindication is near-religious. They argue that his methodsintuitive, transactional, personalhave unequivocally triumphed over the stale bureaucratic habits of Foggy Bottom. Kushner's (pictured with Ivanka Trump) critics see conflicts of interest; his defenders see the new model of twenty-first-century power, where commerce and geopolitics are two sides of the same coin Trump's confident selection of Witkoff (pictured, right) a businessman without diplomatic credentialswas ridiculed by experts In this telling, Trump is not the disrupter who stumbled into success but the architect of a new realism: cut through the jargon, find leverage, make the deal. Finally, this realignment could carry national electoral consequences. Moderate Jewish voters, some of whom have drifted from Trump out of exhaustion or distaste, may return to the Republican fold. Their affinity will not be with MAGA rallies but with the man who brought calm to Jerusalem. And for JD Vance, Trump's ideological heir apparent, the halo effect could prove invaluable: peace abroad as prologue to populist consolidation at home. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Trump peace deal is how faithfully it reflects his peculiar brand of statecraft. Every establishment rule he broke now looks like a stroke of genius. He ignored the experts, bypassed the diplomats, threatened allies, flattered enemies, and refused to take 'no' for an answer. He got leverage over Benjamin Netanyahu, a feat that has eluded multiple administrations. He operated by instinct, ego, and timingand it worked. The art of the deal, indeed. While Trump's admirers cheer and his detractors fret that norms don't matter, both sides believe that Trump's success will harden his faith in himself and make it more challenging for aides to restrain him. Having delivered peace once, he will assume he can do it againperhaps in Ukraine or Taiwan. Talk of a Nobel Prize no longer seems fanciful. For JD Vance, Trump's ideological heir apparent, the halo effect could prove invaluable: peace abroad as prologue to populist consolidation at home All sensible people are celebrating on this day, but America's ambivalence endures. The very traits that enabled Trump to broker this dealhis disregard for convention, his appetite for riskare the same ones that make many uneasy about entrusting him again with power. Is he a genius or merely lucky? A savant or a reckless gambler on a winning streak? Washington will debate the answer long after the ink on the Israel-Hamas treaty dries. But for now, one fact is undeniable: the man once written off as a political sideshow has captured his place on the center stage of history, redrawing, for the time being, the map of both the Middle East and American politics. He has seized the moral high ground and the media spotlight in a single stroke. And while his opponents fumble for talking points, Donald Trump stands talleran unorthodox behemoth, his imposing silhouette cast across a suddenly quieter world. I knew something was seriously amiss the day a pair of grim-faced MI5 spooks marched into my office, shut the door and told me to sit down. 'I'm David,' said one, 'and this is Sue.' My first thought was what average names for spies. My second was: they're not their real names. I'd been given a two-minute heads up they were on their way. I was Secretary of State at the time in the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport and had a busy diary. 'I can't see them now,' I said to a member of my private office staff who'd rushed into my office to warn me. 'I'm afraid you don't have a choice,' she said. As a Cabinet Minister with responsibility for digital and telecommunications, I was not unfamiliar with the world of spies. I was frequently called into the lead-lined departmental STRAP room STRAP being the codeword for a system that protects highly sensitive intelligence - where I received Rosa briefings. These involved vital information - held on a separate data system - printed on pink paper. Once briefed and the papers read, I would hand them back and give my opinion or instructions. Even more secure meetings - perhaps when we had to link into someone in another country - were held in the COBR rooms in Whitehall. I can never reveal what any of those meetings were about but what I can say is that I learned how effectively China had penetrated our communications network and how Russia, operating on a different level, also presented a grave threat to our national security. The Prime Minister's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, with Wang Yi, China's minister of foreign affairs, met for talks in Beijing in July I came to understand that everything from our mobile phone networks and the microchips that run our fridges can be compromised, and how frequently corporations and organisations are held to ransom by cyber-attacks, most of which the public never get to hear about. Had there been a damaging departmental leak? Was I in some way responsible? What they went on to say again, I cannot disclose what MI5 told me shocked me to the core. And as the latest 'spy' crisis convulses Westminster the eleventh-hour collapse of the court case against a parliamentary researcher and an academic accused of spying for China (which they deny) I've been reminded of that incident again. The focus is now on the alleged influence exerted by Starmer's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell. He may or may not be implicated the Government denied he played any part in the 'substance or the evidence' but in my view that's ignoring the real problem here. Let me explain: Westminster is overflowing with ambitious young researchers and aides. They are desperate to boost their career prospects by working for MPs, but are poorly paid and struggling with the expense of living in the capital. So, when they receive an email from an organisation purporting to be a London-based research firm asking if they would write a 5,000-word report on, say, NHS failings for one of their clients with a fee of 5,000 proposed, many take the bait. The organisation appears to be British, its website is impressive, and over a fine lunch the young researcher is told about a European client about to do business in the UK who wants a better understanding of how the country works. He/she is the perfect person to help! Two weeks after the report is received, another email arrives telling them the client was so impressed they want to commission another - this time on how the British state education system achieves meritocracy across social divides. The fee is now 10,000 AND the client would like to meet them in Paris! First-class travel and a five-star hotel and would they like to bring their partner, too? The impecunious young researcher accepts. Of course they do. It all seems innocent enough and a relationship is building. They are wined and dined and flattered, and they become friends with the 'firm's' representatives. They share life stories and secrets. More reports are commissioned, more money, more fabulous dinners and evenings out - until the crunch. Suddenly, they are asked to draft some parliamentary questions which are favourable to . . . China - and persuade their MP to ask them in the Commons. Or perhaps they are asked to leak information from the MP's office to what we now know is the 'handler'. The researcher at last smells a rat, tries to back out, but it's too late. And that's when the blackmail begins. This is a scenario played out in Westminster for decades. Keir Starmer knows it, Jonathan Powell knows it, as do the Commons authorities. Yet researchers are still being ensnared on a daily basis. How? Because no training whatsoever is given to MPs or to their junior staff on protecting themselves. Yes, a dedicated training unit and programme, written and delivered by MI5, to educate those who work in the House of Commons on the importance of national security, the duplicitous ways and means of foreign actors and digital safety would cost money. But can we really risk NOT providing this any longer? Recent events suggest not. Her half-sister is back on television as the host of Celebrity Traitors, and now Sophie Winkleman is set to return to screens next month in a new BBC series, Wild Cherry. The six-part show, dubbed 'provocative' by Tatler, examines mother-daughter relationships among the social elite and how those connections are impacted by social media. It's a topic that the wife of Lord Frederick Windsor, 45, who plays a character called Frances in the programme, has been vocal about in the past, and in 2023, she revealed that she removed her children, Maud, 11, and Isabella, nine, from school after pupils were told that they'd receive an iPad in class. Wild Cherry follows similar themes to Netflix's Adolescence, which saw a teenage boy arrested for murdering a schoolmate after coming across hateful content on social media. The BBC show will also examine how social media can lead to devastation among teenage school peers, the pressure it can cause, and the scandals that follow. The synopsis teased: 'Meet Lorna, a self-made, successful, mixed black businesswoman who has worked hard to be where she is and best friend Juliet, a woman born into the privileged gated community they both call home. 'Daughters Grace and Allegra are BFFs and live a life that other teenagers only dream of. 'A safe haven for the superrich and their little darlings, Richford Lake is a place where bad things never happen, until that is, Grace and Allegra are implicated in a shocking scandal at their exclusive private school. Sophie Winkleman will return to screens in BBC's new drama, Wild Cherry (pictured left as Frances in the show) 'Juliet and Lorna are forced to take sides, pushing their friendship to breaking point. 'As toxic secrets and lies ripple through the idyllic town, the facade starts to fracture, threatening to reveal the deep-seated elitism and ugliness lurking beneath. 'Set in a private enclave in the Home Counties, the six-part series is a provocative and deliciously honest look at mother/daughter relationships amidst the whirlwind of social media, hidden apps and relentless peer pressure that asks: how far will we go to protect our children? 'And just how much do teenage girls know about the women raising them? If the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, then who is leading these girls astray? ''Like mother like daughter' rings loudly in a complex world, and danger is never far from the surface - even in a perfect town.' The series stars the likes of House of the Dragon actress Eve Best as Juliet, and Your Honor's Carmen Ejoho as Lorna - with their daughters portrayed by Imogen Faires and Amelia May. News of the release comes after Sophie said she took her children out of school twice when she learned they were going to be given iPads to use from the age of six. Speaking to The Times in 2023, the former Peep Show actress revealed her concerns that devices handed out from a young age were affecting how children learned. Pictured: Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman at the St James Christmas Carol Concert, London, 2024 She said she 'immediately started looking for different schools' when she learned pupils were 'going to be given tablets, all of them from Year One to Year Six'. Her children, Maud and Isabella, attended the exclusive 20,000-a-year Thomas's Battersea with their cousins, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who have since left for a co-ed prep school in Berkshire. She praised the south London institution, which charges more than 8,000 a term in some cases, but said it did not suit her children and raised concerns the use of online learning is becoming normalised in UK schools. 'The internet is a toxic wilderness we're letting children stumble through without protection,' the actor said, concerned about the accessibility of extremist content online. Winkleman, who is married to Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael of Kent, rallied against the adoption of digital learning in UK schools, which she said she believed was driven by parents. She said her elder daughter was allowed to use a tablet for a limited period on Sundays, and said that she supported a parent group lobbying to outlaw smartphones for under-16s. UNICEF has warned too much screen-time for young people reduces empathy, as children need face time without FaceTime to develop an understanding of complex social cues. The organisation noted exposure to screens reduces infants' ability to read human emotion and control their frustration. A meta-analysis of studies looking at how young people watched TV and played games found the screentime was 'modestly associated' with later ADHD symptoms. And a study of pre-schoolers found more screen time was associated with worse inattention problems. The study claimed pre-schoolers spent an average of two hours a day in front of screens. Winkleman said in an ideal world she would combat this by setting up a school for young people in London, outlawing screens altogether - except in IT lessons, of course, and in some maths classes. It's a message that the Princess of Wales has similarly preached. Kate has also warned that excessive screen time can harm family life in a new essay published today by the Royal Foundation's Centre for Early Childhood. The essay titled, 'The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World', is written in collaboration with Boston-based Professor Robert Waldinger of Harvard University. The piece highlighted two core points: warm, loving, and meaningful relationships are the single greatest investment we can make for health, happiness and longevity; and modern life, rising loneliness, and fragmented attention are undermining our ability to form those connections, putting at risk the social and emotional development of babies and young children. Spending too much time online was said to be a factor contributing to the 'epidemic of disconnection', which in turn can disrupt family life. 'Our smartphones, tablets, and computers have become sources of constant distraction, fragmenting our focus and preventing us from giving others the undivided attention that relationships require,' the essay reads. 'We sit together in the same room while our minds are scattered across dozens of apps, notifications, and feeds. We're physically present but mentally absent, unable to fully engage with the people right in front of us.' The essay went on to explain the importance of a happy and nurturing family life on a child's current and future happiness, relationships, and success. Technology, they said, is threatening those safe environments. 'But just as science is confirming the lifelong importance of connections, we exist in a world that is more distracted than ever,' she wrote. An unassuming stone cottage tucked away in the Adelaide Hills has quietly captured the nation's attention - and not just for the glorious interiors behind its timber door. 'The Nook', a charming studio guesthouse designed as a peaceful escape for city dwellers and wine lovers alike, has just taken out a top honour at the annual Airbnb Host Awards. Owners Erin and Rory were named 'Best New Hosts', an award that recognises newcomers who have gone above and beyond for their guests. The couple, parents of four, moved to the Hills three years ago and fell in love with the warm community and lifestyle. 'We are so excited to share it with others even if its just for a few nights,' Erin says. That heartfelt connection, paired with meticulous attention to detail, earned them both the accolade and and a coveted 'Superhost' status. 'The Nook stands out for its authentic warmth, deep personal motivation, and community-minded hosting,' judge Sarah Huang said. 'What started as a healing project for a family has blossomed into a sanctuary where guests can celebrate life's moments. Erin and Rory provide a peaceful, well-designed space with all the thoughtful touches of a great host.' An unassuming stone cottage tucked away in the Adelaide Hills has quietly captured the nation's attention - and not just for the glorious interiors behind its timber door 'The Nook', a charming studio guesthouse designed as a peaceful escape for city dwellers and wine lovers alike, has just taken out a top honour at the annual Airbnb Host Awards Owners Erin and Rory (pictured) were named 'Best New Hosts', an award that recognises newcomers who have gone above and beyond for their guests Their heartfelt connection with the area, paired with meticulous attention to detail, earned them both the accolade and and a coveted 'Superhost' status Step inside and the appeal is instant. The rustic yet refined interiors speak to a quintessential Hills aesthetic - timber barn doors, sandstone columns, panelled feature walls and floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with light. Guests are invited to unwind by the fire, soak in the generous freestanding tub or enjoy a glass of local wine on the private patio. The open-plan layout ensures views are visible from almost every angle, while a slick kitchenette has everything guests need for a cosy feast in. Though private and fully fenced, The Nook sits on Erin and Rory's family property - and with that comes their genuine, memorable hospitality. The reviews speak volumes: the guesthouse holds an almost perfect 4.99-star rating, with visitors raving about its warmth, design and attention to detail. 'I had such a wonderful time at Erin and Rory's Airbnb. The place was beautiful and really clean, with lots of thoughtful touches. They were available and responsive whilst also allowing privacy and space. I will definitely be back,' one delighted guest wrote. 'Erin and Rory have truly thought of every detail, making it such a beautiful and welcoming place,' another raved. The rustic yet refined interiors speak to a quintessential Hills aesthetic - timber barn doors, sandstone columns, panelled feature walls and floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with light The reviews speak volumes: the guesthouse holds an almost perfect 4.99-star rating, with visitors raving about its warmth, design and attention to detail Guests are invited to unwind by the fire, soak in the generous freestanding tub or enjoy a glass of local wine on the private patio 'The thoughtful touches throughout made our stay feel really special. The fireplace was perfect for the rainy weather, creating the most relaxing ambience. We loved watching the kangaroos and cows out the back such a unique experience. 'Erin was always very responsive and made sure everything was perfect for our stay. The location is fantastic too, with so many amazing wineries and restaurants nearby. An absolute gem we cant wait to return!' And it's hard to argue. The Adelaide Hills region is home to some of the country's most celebrated wineries including the likes of Bird in Hand, Mount Lofty, Somerled and Sidewood Estate. Perhaps best of all? A stay at The Nook starts at $295 per night - a remarkably reasonable price for a serene retreat steeped in thoughtful design, warmth and a touch of winery magic. A little luxury, a lot of heart. Just how we like it. From amending park policy to stop staff from using gendered greetings to removing offensive imagery from rides and movies, there's no denying that Disney has taken numerous strides to become more inclusive in recent years - but some people feel the company has gone too far in its 'woke' decision making. In Disney's latest alleged move, Robert Zemeckis, the director of the animated classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, has claimed that the company refused to greenlight the sequel to the beloved flick. Why? Zemeckis said he believes it's because the character Jessica Rabbit may be a little too sexy for Disney's standards today. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was released by Disney's Touchstone Pictures in 1988 and follows an investigator with a grudge against cartoons; he's forced to help exonerate Roger Rabbit, who has been framed for murder. It was a massive success and raked in a whopping $351 million worldwide, and its witty humor and clever way of combining cartoon and live-action won the hearts of millions of viewers. Zemeckis explained during a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that a script has been written for a sequel to the movie, and while a part two would be a dream come true to its dedicated fans, he said it will likely never see the light of day. He explained that while Disney execs 'were full of energy' and seemed like 'they wanted to do it' when he first came to them with the idea of a sequel, the script ultimately never got approved. 'There's a good script sitting at Disney, but here's what you have to know, the current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today,' he said. Robert Zemeckis, the director of the animated classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, has claimed that the company refused to greenlight the sequel to the beloved flick Why? Zemeckis said he believes it's because the character Jessica Rabbit may be a little too sexy for Disney's standards today He theorized that Disney has a problem with the character Jessica Rabbit, Roger's glamorous wife known for voluptuous figure and signature revealing red dress. 'They can't make a movie with Jessica in it. So the [Peter] Seaman and [Jeffrey] Price sequel script isn't ever going to see the light of day, as good as it is,' Zemeckis continued. The acclaimed director pointed out that Disney dressed Jessica Rabbit in a much more reserved outfit when they included her on the Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin attraction at Disneyland. 'Look what they did to Jessica at the theme park, they trussed her in a trench coat,' he said. But he added that he wouldn't want to change her look in a potential sequel, stating: 'I'm making [the sequel to] Roger Rabbit the way I believe Walt Disney would have made it. 'Walt Disney never made any of his movies for children. He always made them for adults. And that's what I decided to do with Roger Rabbit.' The Daily Mail has reached out to Disney for comment. Zemeckis echoed his comments during a chat with the Daily Mail last year. 'There's a good script sitting at Disney, but here's what you have to know, the current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today,' Zemeckis (seen in 2022) said He theorized that Disney has a problem with the character Jessica Rabbit, Roger's glamorous wife known for voluptuous figure and signature revealing red dress 'You never know. I think everyone would have to wonder if they want Jessica to have a different wardrobe or not,' he said when asked about the potential Who Framed Roger Rabbit? sequel. 'But they want to change Jessica, and I am not interested in anyone changing her. Disney is not going to make that movie, it is just not going to happen. Don't hold your breath.' Disney has given many old classic animated films live-action remakes in recent years, and in doing so, many characters and stories have gotten progressive makeovers. Of course, this includes the live-action version of Snow White starring Rachel Zegler, which continuously made headlines due to its constant 'woke' changes, including reimagining the Seven Dwarfs as a diverse group of 'magical creatures' of all heights, gender and race. The brand has made numerous steps towards becoming more comprehensive recently - like including a gay kiss between two female characters in the movie Lightyear. Plus, Minnie Mouse swapped her classic red and white polka-dot dress for a more 'progressive' blue pantsuit designed by Stella McCartney back in January 2022. Over the years, many Disney parks have also made changes to their rides - removing various alleged racist undertones from attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise. Disney has taken numerous strides to become more inclusive in recent years - but some people feel the company has gone too far in its ' woke ' decision making Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was released by Disney's Touchstone Pictures in 1988 and follows an investigator with a grudge against cartoons but is forced to help exonerate Roger Rabbit It was a massive success and raked in a whopping $351 million worldwide, and its witty humor and clever way of combining cartoon and live-action won the hearts of millions of viewers It was also announced in December 2022 that Disney was going to permanently close Splash Mountain - which was based off of the 1946 movie Song of the South - to replace it with a ride based off The Princess and the Frog. Song of the South was previously removed by Disney from all streaming services due to allegations of racism stereotypes of African Americans. 'We want to make sure everybody has the best time - that guests from all over the world can connect with the stories we share and that how we bring those to life are respectful of the diverse world we live in,' Chris Beatty, Walt Disney Imagineering creative portfolio executive, previously told D23. And while many have praised the company for the changes, the question has lingered in recent months if they have taken it too far. Two Australian venues have been named among the world's best bars at a prestigious awards ceremony. Melbourne's 'smallest pub' Caretaker's Cottage and Sydney's Maybe Sammy were the only two Aussie venues to rank in The World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list. These bars came in at number 19 and number 42 respectively. Taking out the coveted first place position on this year's list was Hong Kong's Bar Leone. This also marked the first time an Asian bar has placed at the top of the list. Both of the Aussie bars to appear in this year's top 50 have previously made an appearance on the prestigious list. 2025 marks the fourth time that Caretaker's Cottage has been within the top 50, with the venue even rising two places after being placed at 21 on last year's list. And it's no surprise the bar - dubbed 'probably Victoria's smallest pub' - has earned a near perfect rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, with nearly 700 glowing reviews. 'I think this was the best service I've ever had. From the very beginning my partner and we felt we were welcomed into someone's home. The staff were so attentive, genuinely invested in your experience and so kind. They even brought out a couple of champagnes on the house for my boyfriend's birthday. Everything was so intentional and top end - 10/10 loved,' one customer raved. 'Caretaker's Cottage is one of those hidden gems that absolutely lives up to the hype. We waited about 10 minutes in line for a seat inside, but it was well worth it. The space is warm, intimate, and full of character - like stepping into a cozy, dimly lit home with great music and even better drinks,' another shared. Melbourne's Caretaker's Cottage (pictured) is a a multi-award winning Melbourne bar tucked away in the CBD. It came in at number 19 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list It's the seventh year in a row that Sydney bar Maybe Sammy has made the cut, although they slid down from last year's 26th ranking. The World's 50 Best Bars list has been running since 2009, with winners announced annually. The 2025 top 50 list was announced in Hong Kong on October 8 - you can see the full list below. Regarded as an international guide to the best bars and drinking destinations globally, the list is curated from the votes of The World's 50 Best Bars Academy, which includes expert bartenders, consultants, specialists and drinks writers. The final list is compiled from the votes of more than 800 experts worldwide. Maybe Sammy co-founder Stefano Catino was elated that their venue continued to be regarded as 'one of the best bars' in the world. In addition to its much-lauded martinis, Caretaker's Cottage is renowned for its exciting drinks specials. Recent menu additions were the tequila-based Double Think (left), garnished with a puffed rice paper cloud and the Mr Blonde (right), featuring whisky, coffee, vanilla tea and doughnut cream He told Concrete Playground: 'For seven years we've proudly put Sydney on the global cocktail map, and that consistency means everything to us. Australia is one of the best food and drink destinations in the world, and we're honoured to be part of it.' The Las Vegas-themed Sydney cocktail bar is located in The Rocks precinct. It takes its name from iconic American musician Sammy Davis and the decor is inspired by 1950s old Hollywood glamour with velvet furnishings, tropical wallpaper and a forest green bar front. The highlight is of course its stellar drinks menu, which includes their Mini Classic Cocktails, which are exceptionally well priced at just $8 during Happy Hour from 4.30pm-5.30pm daily. The bar also serves up a simple menu of snacks designed to accompany drinks, including oysters with mignonette, olives, mixed nuts and several varieties of tartare. Maybe Sammy is located at 111 Harrington Street in The Rocks, open 4.30pm to 1am Wednesday to Saturday. Caretaker's Cottage is a multi-award-winning Melbourne bar tucked away in Wesley Place precinct in a historic bluestone building. In addition to this year's 19th place ranking on the World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list, it also took out the Best Bar in Australasia award for 2025. Sydney cocktail bar Maybe Sammy (pictured), located in The Rocks precinct, placed on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list for the seventh consecutive year Las Vegas-themed Sydney cocktail bar is renowned for their classic cocktails. Their drinks menu also offers Mini Classic Cocktails, which are priced at just $8 during Happy Hour from 4.30pm-5.30pm daily Maybe Sammy also serves up a simple menu of snacks to accompany drinks, including oysters with mignonette, beef tartare (left) and pumpkin tartare (right) According to the World's 50 Best Bars Listing, the petite-sized bar is poetically described as follows: 'Beneath the skyscrapers in the middle of the Melbourne CBD, there's a small, humble-looking place that was once the residence of the caretaker of the church next door. 'It's here you'll find a small team taking care of the thirsty, the tired and those in need of a good timethe real feat they've achieved in a small place is ensuring that - despite being Melbourne's busiest cocktail bar - every guest feels like they've found a place of their own.' Caretaker's Cottage is regularly regarded as serving up the best martinis in Melbourne - and is also renowned for its exciting and ever-changing drinks specials. The small bar is also often praised for its inviting ambience. This is entirely intentional according to co-owner Rob Libecans, who previously told Boothby. The bar was designed to make patrons 'feel comfortable because it does feel like you're in someone's house. It doesn't feel like a bar'. The bar is located on 139-141 Little Lonsdale Street in Melbourne, behind Wesley Church and opens Monday through to Saturday from 4pm to 1am. A young shopper has shared the moment a Woolworths employee intervened after noticing a man was suspiciously following her from aisle to aisle. Nafela was doing a late night grocery shop at a Woolies store in Sydney when she spotted a man smiling at her from across the fruit and vegetable aisle - but she didn't think anything of it. When the unsuspecting shopper reached the checkout counter, a quick-thinking employee pulled her aside after noticing that a stranger had been quietly 'stalking' her throughout the store for 30 minutes. 'I experienced one of the scariest nights of my life. I actually wasn't going to speak about it, but I feel like I should because it might just save someone's life,' Nafela said in her video, adding: 'My heart is literally racing retelling what just happened to me.' The shopper said she was grabbing her groceries when she realised the store was closing at 10pm so she made her way to the counter. 'I was heading out to pay for my stuff when a staff member approached me,' she said. 'She's like, "Excuse me, come over here please". She's whispering at me and she's like... "Please come here." I was like, "Is everything OK?" She pulls me over to the side and she's like, "Do you know that man in the grey hoodie?" 'I said, "What man?" She goes, "That man over there". It was the guy that smiled at me when I had first entered the store. I said, "No, I don't know who that is, why are you asking?" Nafela has shared the moment a Woolworths employee intervened after noticing a man was suspiciously following her from aisle to aisle The employee told her she and her co-worker had noticed the man acting suspicious. 'She said, "He's been following you very suspiciously from aisle to aisle. He's been lurking from a distance and we noticed him, and we feel extremely uncomfortable for you",' Nafela explained. The shopper said she noticed the man getting a 'bit creepy' when she caught him staring at her a couple of times but thought he was just being polite. 'I just thought maybe he recognised me or maybe he was interested or something because he kept smiling at me and he kept making eye contact and giving me these weird looks, but I didn't know the guy, I've never seen him in my life,' she said. Daily Mail has contacted Woolworths for comment. Nafela said the employee then instructed her to pay for her groceries and wait inside until she got a male co-worker to walk her out to her car safely. 'So I paid for my stuff and I waited around while they organised someone to walk me out. Now, as I'm waiting for them to get a staff member to walk me out, that guy is now exiting the store, and what I notice is so weird,' she recalled. She noticed the man had already purchased his groceries but had left his bags outside the supermarket. Nafela believes the stranger returned to the supermarket empty-handed before he followed her around the store. 'He'd already purchased the stuff, left them outside, and then came back into the store to continue following me from aisle to aisle,' she said. 'If the employee and her male co-worker had not noticed he was following me, I would have been none the wiser.' She saw the man exit the store, pick up his grocery bags, and disappear. 'I think it's because all of the staff members at this point had gathered around the store, one because it was closing, but they saw the man stalking me because they had all become aware of him,' Nafela said. 'So he grabs his stuff and he hightails it out of there, and I'm waiting for them to organise for a male worker to take me out to my car.' Nafela was doing a late night grocery shop at a Woolies store in Sydney when she spotted a man smiling at her from across the fruit and vegetable aisle - but she didn't think anything of it (file image) A male employee walked Nafela to her car, making sure she was safe. 'So I hop into my car, lock my doors, and I start my car, and at that point, I look over, and I see the guy, the guy that was stalking me, he's in a ute... and he puts on his spotlights to try and blind me,' she recalled. 'I was like, what the hell, that's that guy, oh my god... Then he just speeds off and he drives away, so I thought he's gone, but little do I know he wasn't actually gone.' When she exited the carpark, she saw him wait at a roundabout down the road. 'So, as I'm exiting, what do I see? I see this guy, he's on the roundabout and he's just going around in circles, he's just doing his rounds, he's waiting for me to exit to figure out which way I'm going,' she said. The quick-thinking driver said she decided to go the opposite direction because she didn't want to lead him back to her home. 'So I headed onto the highway, and he's on my tail. I sped down the highway and he was following me,' she said. 'Not even joking, he was following me for 15 minutes until I got to a police station. 'So I took him all the way to a police station, then he disappeared.' Nafela said she has since reported the incident to the police. By sharing her experience, she wanted to urge women to be 'hyper vigilant' and 'hyper-aware' of their surroundings. 'If this employee had not noticed that this person was stalking me, I would literally have just been none the wiser, and I would have just left and gotten in my car and driven home, and this guy would have known my address,' Nafela said. 'I strongly believe that this person had intended to follow me home and probably do something, maybe break into my house later, or just know where I live because he had sick intentions. 'So please, girls, whenever you're shopping alone, or wherever you are, even if you're at a cafe late at night, just be hyper-vigilant of your surroundings because you really don't know who's lurking and what sick intentions people might have.' She added: 'That was honestly such a terrifying situation to be in, but I'm so grateful for the young employee at this particular Woolworths. If you see this, honestly, thank you so much, you may have just saved my life.' A doctor has warned everyone to always check toilet paper in public bathrooms after a dad-of-two made a disturbing discovery at a park. Dr Joe Whittington spoke out about a US dad's warning about public bathrooms after he spotted tiny suspicious marks on the toilet paper roll. The marks, including specks of blood, are believed to have been made by drug users who often push used syringes into the side of the toilet paper roll to clean needles. 'This is a real thing,' Dr Whittington said in a now-viral video. 'Check the toilet paper before you wipe. I wish this was a joke too. Some public restrooms have had toilet paper rolls used to clean needles... and then put right back like it's no big deal. 'Some people do use toilet paper rolls to clean their dirty needles. Sometimes it's obvious but other times it can be subtle.' The ER doctor urged everyone to look out for little punctures, often found on the side of the toilet rolls. 'Keep yourself safe,' he said. 'It's always best practice to carry with you in your car a set of flushable wipes. And if you can't do that, make sure to inspect the roll before you use the toilet paper. Dr Joe Whittington has warned everyone to always check toilet papers in public bathrooms after a dad made a disturbing discovery at a park 'If the dispenser is locked and you can't inspect it, make sure you say your prayers.' To avoid any unwanted surprises, Dr Whittington said if the toilet paper roll is damp, dirty or suspicious, it's best to steer clear. 'Don't use toilet paper that's not wrapped or hanging clean,' he added. 'Keep flushable wipes on hand. Wash your hands after touching public surfaces. If you've got open cuts - be extra careful. 'Your butt deserves better.' His video has been viewed more than 1.6 million times, with one saying: 'Oh my God, new fear unlocked.' 'I could have gone my whole life without being scared of public toilet paper, now this,' another shared. 'I never would have thought of this,' one added. The ER doctor spoke out about a US dad's warning about public bathrooms after he spotted tiny suspicious marks on the toilet paper roll Dr Whittington's warning comes just weeks after a young Aussie woman urged everyone to be cautious when using public bathrooms. Chloe Andrews used the public toilet at a riverside park in Sydney - and noticed some tiny, suspicious marks on the toilet paper roll. 'I came across the needle marks by chance while using the public toilets on the riverwalk, and it was a reminder of how important it is to be cautious in public spaces,' Chloe told Daily Mail. She only saw the marks by chance, as the dispenser case fell off the moment she sat down on the seat - indicating someone had previously pulled it off to get access to the side of the roll. 'I looked to my left, and there were needle marks in the toilet paper roll,' she said. 'It looked like the lockable case was faulty - it had sticky tape around it.' Chloe was concerned that people could unwittingly put tainted blood in contact with their intimate areas, so she reported it to her local council. Chloe Andrews was walking along a river at a park in Sydney when she dashed into a public bathroom - only to find tiny suspicious marks on the toilet paper roll 'I'm sure they'll take the right precautions to keep these toilets safe for the community,' she said. The young woman decided to make a video to warn everyone - particularly parents - to think twice about using public toilets. 'Especially mums, do not let your kids use the public toilets,' she said. Her video has been viewed more than 175,000 times - with many saying they had no idea about the marks found on toilet rolls in public bathrooms. 'No way, I did not think of this,' one said. 'That's so scary, this could be at any public toilet,' another pointed out. 'Every time I use a public toilet, I always look at the paper for this specific reason but now I'm paranoid,' one shared. 'That's so messed up,' another added. 'I never thought of this. Never using toilet paper in public loos again,' one revealed. 'Omg I never knew this,' another shared. Chloe observed suspicious marks on the toilet roll in the public toilet As a warning message to others, Chloe decided to post a video of her toilet roll finding According to South Australia Health, germs can spread indirectly from an infected person to the environment - including public toilets - and then to another person who comes into contact with the contaminated surface or object. You are unlikely to get infected from dried blood on a public surface because most viruses and bacteria quickly die or become inactive once they are exposed to air. However, many said they have always avoided using public toilets or checked the paper toilet rolls just as a precaution. 'This is one of my biggest fears! I always check the rolls. It's freaking disgusting and terrifying. So glad that the cover fell off and you didn't end up using it,' one shared. 'I NEVER use public toilets full stop. I'd literally rather wee myself than risk getting stuck by a dirty needle,' another revealed. Prince Leka II has announced his engagement to Blerta Celibashi after separating from his former wife of eight years last year. The 43-year-old officially introduced his wedding photographer fiancee into the fold at a gala dinner last year, and she has since gone on to accompany Leka at a string of official engagements in Albania. The engagement comes after Leka and Princess Elia Zaharia, who were married in 2016 and share five-year-old Princess Geraldine together, announced their separation in January 2024, citing that the union had 'lost its function'. Their separation led to a sour series of events, with the pair ordered to keep five metres from each other following an alleged incident of domestic violence, and Leka was told he could only see his daughter in the presence of a nanny. However, the Albanian royal appeared to put the past behind him as he shared news of his engagement on Instagram on Sunday, alongside two new portraits of the happy couple. The post read, 'The Royal Court is pleased to announce the engagement of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Leka II of the Albanians and Miss Blerta Celibashi. 'The engagement was joyfully celebrated on 11 October 2025, in Ksamil, Southern Albania, in the presence of family and close friends. 'The Royal Family shares their happiness with the Albanian people and extends heartfelt gratitude to all who have conveyed their kind wishes on this joyful occasion.' Crown Prince Leka has announced his engagement to wedding photographer Blerta Celibashi (pictured) Blerta, dressed in a floor-length white gown, and Leka put on a loved-up display, embracing one another in the sweet photographs. Leka welcomed her into life as a royal in September last year, inviting her to an official dinner. He outlined the event objective on Instagram, writing: 'Gratitude to Anton Konstantin and David Alexander Jenkins for hosting and organizing a wonderful gala dinner at Carpathia West Estate. 'An evening dedicated to strengthening ties between Albanian and American entrepreneurs, promoting cooperation and support for charitable causes.' It marks the end of a chapter for Leka and Elia, and despite being a claimant to a now defunct throne following the dissolution of the Albanian monarchy in 1943, the prince and his ex-glamorous wife had won over the public's hearts from the moment they wed eight years ago. Over 20 royal families from across the world, including Prince Michael of Kent, who is the second cousin of King Charles, attended the lavish ceremony. In a translation statement released at the time of their separation, a spokesperson maintained that Princess Geraldine remained the centre of the parent's attention, while also pleading with 'well wishers' to respect the family's privacy. The message read: 'Hello friends and well-wishers, by means of this post I officially inform you that Prince Leka and Elia Zaharia have agreed to end their marriage. 'Since the marriage has lost its function, they saw the way to resolve it by mutual consent by starting the necessary legal procedures. Prince Leka of Albania and Princess Elia announced their separation in January last year. Seen with their daughter Princess Geradine in 2021 'Despite the trust in the institution of the family, Prince Leka believes that the values of mutual respect and understanding will form the basis of the relationship in its continuity, which will have as its motive the growth and education of Princess Geraldine.' '[Her] spiritual and physical well-being of the girl will remain at the center of their attention, dedicated to ensuring a happy and safe life for Geraldine.' The statement also said that the prince would not be offering any further comment at this time - and requested that his 'right to privacy be respected regarding this matter'. However, months later in March, news came that Crown Prince Leka II sought police intervention following an alleged incident of domestic violence involving his ex-wife and ex-father-in-law. A video surfaced online of Leka allegedly involved in a physical altercation with Princess Elia and her father, Gjergj Polikron Zaharia. The Palace issued a statement after a clip of the fight surfaced online and claimed Leka was 'physically attacked with strong objects by his ex-wife and ex-father-in-law' and had handed the video to the police as evidence. Elia broke her silence on the 'terrible' conflict and claimed her involvement in the fight was merely her trying to stop it, according to Albanian Daily News. The glamorous mother-of-one claimed that she returned home to find Prince Leka in a tussle with her father. 'It is a very difficult situation for me and my family, as it is not easy to return home and find Leka trying to violate my 73-year-old father,' she wrote. 'The conflict has nothing to do with me, except that I tried to stop it. I am following the judicial path for everything,' she added. The Albanian royal court similarly issued a statement about the conflict via social media channels, and accused police of leaking the footage. The statement read: 'Prince Leka on the afternoon of March 5 was physically attacked with strong objects by his ex-wife and ex-father-in-law and the videos of this moment have been made public on social networks. 'The videos have been submitted only to the police station by Prince Leka ll Zogu, as material evidence for violence inflicted on him. But despite being considered a secret, these materials, together with the statement, circulated widely on social networks and in the media transmitting unpleasant images and with violent content. 'The Royal Court deeply expresses disappointment with law enforcement institutions that we suspect have violated the right to anonymity by distributing third-party videos. 'The Royal Court also seeks the intervention of the police and relevant institutions for deleting these images from social networks and media.' Shortly after, a court ruled that Crown Prince Leka II and his ex-wife must keep a distance of five metres from each other following an alleged incident of domestic violence. The Civil Court of Tirana signed two protection orders for Leka and Princess Elia Zaharia following an alleged physical altercation between the former couple and Elia's father, Gjergj Polikron Zaharia, 73. The couple, who were married in 2016 in the European nation's second ever royal wedding and the first since the end of communism, welcomed their daughter in 2020 at the Queen Geraldine Maternity Hospital in Tirana. They named their daughter Geraldine - a meaningful tribute to the little one's paternal great-grandmother, Queen Geraldine, who died on October 22, 2002, 18 years to the day before her namesake's birth. Queen Geraldine was married to King Zog I, who was the first monarch of Albania after it gained independence from the Ottoman Empire but fled his homeland in 1939 when Italy's fascists occupied the Balkan state. Despite the monarchy having been dissolved, Zog's son King Leka I remained head of the House of Zogu and claimant to the throne until his death in 2011 and was succeeded by his only son, Leka II. The Crown Prince, who attended Royal Military College Sandhurst and has worked as an adviser to Albania's president, took over from his father as head of the House of Zogu, and titular King of the Albanians. As Leka II currently does not have any sons, his current heir presumptive is Skender Zogu, his first cousin once removed. Leka II and Elia, who were engaged in Paris in 2010, also presided over the Queen Geraldine Foundation. The prince has also worked as an adviser within the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and the Albanian Presidents Office, while the princess works at the Albanian National Theater. Albania's royal family was expelled from the country in 1939 after it was invaded by Italian fascists. After World War II, when the Communists took over the country, King Zog and his family were considered traitors and stripped from power completely and removed from history books. Following their exile, the Albanian royal family spent time in Greece and Turkey before settling in England, where they briefly resided at The Ritz in London. King Zog and his family then moved to Egypt before the monarch spent the remainder of his life in France. She was known for her stellar performances and award-winning on-screen earnest; but when the cameras stopped rolling, Diane Keaton's influence was just as legendary, especially when it came to fashion. The actress, who passed away this weekend aged 79, leaves behind a poignant sartorial legacy, filled with statement hats, a penchant for menswear and a founding membership of the 'coastal grandma aesthetic'. Mixing fitted skirts with loose blouses, adding a bowtie and suspenders to flowy culottes - the star's looks were accentuated by uniquely blending the feminine and masculine to create a chic ensemble. It's always been a passion of Diane's, who got into clothing from a young age, by thrifting with her mother. 'She took me to Goodwill and let me express myself,' she told PEOPLE in 2024. 'She was my biggest supporter and manifester of my creativity. Later in life my inspiration came from countless hours of cutting and pasting my way through magazines like Vogue magazine.' Diane carved out a name in showbiz in the 70s, most notably by playing Michael Corleone's second wife Kay in Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather films. But it was 1977 that many site as her first foray into the world of being a 'style icon', playing the eponymous Annie Hall opposite Woody Allen. Diane carved out a name in showbiz in the 70s, most notably by playing Michael Corleone's second wife Kay in Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather films. But it was 1977 that many site as her first foray into the world of being a 'style icon', playing the eponymous Annie Hall opposite Woody Allen The film is still remembered, in part, for her stunning outfits, which included plaid shirts tucked into tailored high waist trousers, vests over turtlenecks and tinted shades. Much of the clothing in the movie was from Diane's own wardrobe, too. 'In the 1970s, I was finding my style and slowly finding my career,' she wrote in her book, Fashion First. 'Though The Godfather was a huge success, it didn't exactly put me on the map in terms of fashion. 'I look back on Annie Hall and can't talk about that movie without talking about the fashion, it was everything to me. I loved being able to dress like myself. 'My muses were the women of New York City who were walking the streets of Soho in baggy trousers and a blazer. I was layering pieces.' Throughout the 80s, her style began to evolve into the trends of the time, mixed with her fondness of the past decades collars, layers and flares. 'By 1990, I began to wear a lot more suits and also found an obsession with cross necklaces, typically layered upon one another like a very devoted nun,' she shared. 'I also threw in some bow ties and pocket squares.' When it came to the 2000s - by which point Diane was in her 50s and still inspiring new trends - she remarked, it was an 'accumulation' of all she had learned. Mixing fitted skirts with loose blouses, adding a bowtie and suspenders to flowy culottes - the star's looks were accentuated by uniquely blending the feminine and masculine to create a chic ensemble It's always been a passion of Diane's, who got into clothing from a young age, by thrifting with her mother. Pictured in 2023 When it came to the 2000s - by which point Diane was in her 50s and still inspiring new trends - she remarked, it was an 'accumulation' of all she had learned Crucial to Diane's looks were her accessories - be it chunky jewellery, eyewear or, of course, her myriad of hats, the latter of which she had about 40 of, crediting her obsession to 1940s actor Cary Grant. Pictured in 2018 It was during this era, she explained, that her love for black and white emerged as she 'toned down the colours'. Pictured in 2007 And despite it at times drawing mixed reactions, fashion was important to Diane as a way to feel at peace - and protect her privacy When asked how it felt to be seen as an 'icon' in the world of fashion by Vogue , Diane gushed: 'It's an honor!' Pictured in 1978 with Warren Beatty It was during this era, she explained, that her love for black and white emerged as she 'toned down the colours'. Crucial to Diane's looks were her accessories - be it chunky jewellery, eyewear or, of course, her myriad of hats, the latter of which she had about 40 of, crediting her obsession to 1940s actor Cary Grant. 'I started wearing hats as soon as I realised I hated my hair. A hat allows me to hide the worst part of the head,' the actress once said. 'You know, that strange area from your eyebrows to your hairline. A hat is the final touch to a great outfit.' It's not to say that while experimenting with fashion, Diane didn't draw any criticism - and has herself poked fun at style 'blunders' over the years. In 2023, she shared three photos that sparked fierce backlash, including a 2019 premiere, which saw her accessorise a plaid-print suit with dozens of silver cross necklaces. Another throwback photo showed the actress at an event, sporting a flowy, green polka dot dress, teamed with a white hat and matching ivory shoes. Elsewhere, Diane for another event had opted for a maxi skirt with a chunky leather jacket pseudo-cinched at the waist with a chunky belt. And despite it at times drawing mixed reactions, fashion was important to Diane as a way to feel at peace - and protect her privacy. Diane in 1978 would claim the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her work in Annie Hall, her first of four lifetime nominations. Pictured in Father of the Bride The actress leaves behind an amazing legacy in Hollywood, with some of her performances in the 1970's hailed as the decade's best. Pictured in The First Wives Club She would also receive nods for her work in movies such as 1981's Reds, 1996's Marvins Room and 2003's Somethings Gotta Give (pictured) 'A coat is perfection,' she once admitted. 'It is like a cellar. I am hidden. I can relax in a coat, which is a blessing for a person like me who tends to be anxious and worried most of the time. 'A coat gives me the opportunity to make my own decision about how my waist will look. I lock myself in with a nice big belt.' The same logic followed her penchant for suits. 'The pants don't have to be too tight,' she explained. 'Neither does the jacket. I like my sleeves to go down long, to cover me up. Suits make me feel comfortable.' When asked how it felt to be seen as an 'icon' in the world of fashion by Vogue, Diane gushed: 'It's an honor! Why me? I've been so fortunate and lucky. And I do love clothes; I love looking at them. 'I buy all the magazines, and I'm constantly cutting pages of things that I find interesting - a Dior outfit, hats, or how people decorate their homes. I'm an addict.' Fashion experts have shared that Diane's lasting style remains influential because it's personal - not 'performative'. 'She cultivated a visual identity that mirrors her confidence, individuality, and wit,' said Angela Kyte, a luxury stylist and psychotherapist. 'Her signature look of structured tailoring, wide-brimmed hats, and monochromatic palettes reflected a woman who knows herself and dressed with intent. 'Theres a psychological power in her consistency; it told the world shes not here to blend in but to express authenticity through every layer of fabric.' She added that, in particular, Diane's aesthetic 'rejected the fleeting nature of fashion trends'. 'Instead, shes built a wardrobe of self-expression anchored in comfort and character. Where others follow seasonal cycles, Diane Keaton remains timeless because she dressed from a place of self-awareness rather than conformity,' she shared. 'Shes proof that style becomes iconic not through extravagance, but through alignment with ones inner identity.' Diane also helped move fashion forward with her 'liberating refusal to adhere to "age-appropriate" dressing'. Fashion experts Angela Kyte (left) and Oriona Robb (right) said Diane's lasting fashion legacy is rooted in how honest her style was to her personality 'She embraced masculine silhouettes, oversized tailoring, and layering, styles often considered unconventional for women over a certain age and wore them with unapologetic grace,' the expert added. 'That quiet defiance has made her not just a fashion muse, but a symbol of freedom and individuality for women everywhere.' Elsewhere, Oriona Robb said that Diane had the 'extraordinary ability to turn simplicity into statement'. 'Her devotion to crisp shirts, full skirts, waistcoats, and tailored trousers created a look thats both artistic and intelligent,' she explained. 'She understood proportion and balance better than anyone, her style was architectural, composed, and endlessly distinctive. Every outfit felt like a masterclass in understated drama. 'What set her apart was her fearlessness. She broke every conventional rule, mixing masculine and feminine, playing with exaggerated shapes, and embracing head-to-toe monochrome when everyone else is chasing colour trends. 'Her wardrobe wasn't about decoration; it was about conviction. That level of commitment to ones aesthetic is incredibly rare and incredibly powerful.' The star's style endures, Oriona added, because it 'came from within'. 'She was not trying to look younger, trendier, or more glamorous; she was simply being Diane,' the expert continued. 'That quiet confidence, that refusal to apologise for standing out, is what made her an icon. In a world of fast fashion and constant reinvention, her authenticity was the ultimate luxury.' Diane's death was followed by emotional statements from Hollywood stalwarts such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Bette Midler, Francis Ford Coppola and a host of others. Leonardo called the Oscar-winning star 'brilliant, funny and unapologetically herself,' adding that 'she will be deeply missed'. Bette, meanwhile, said: 'She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she wasoh, la, lala!' The Godfather director Coppola said in an Instagram post, 'Words cant express the wonder and talent of Diane Keaton,' adding, 'Endlessly intelligent, so beautiful...Everything about Diane was creativity personified.' The actress leaves behind an amazing legacy in Hollywood, with some of her performances in the 1970's hailed as the decade's best. They included the titular role in the 1977 comedy Annie Hall, which was written and directed by Woody Allen, who she collaborated with on a number of memorable projects. Diane in 1978 would claim the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her work in Annie Hall, her first of four lifetime nominations. She would also receive nods for her work in movies such as 1981's Reds, 1996's Marvins Room and 2003's Somethings Gotta Give. Other notable movies she performed in throughout her decades-long career included 1987's Baby Boom; 1996's The First Wives Club; and the Father of the Bride films in 1991 and 1995. The parents of Britain's biggest family have been fined after taking their children out of school for a luxury 52,000 trip to Disney World in Florida. Hailing from Morecambe in Lancashire, the brood boasts more than 530,000 followers on Instagram and are the stars of the Channel 5 show, 22 Kids and Counting. Parents Noel and Sue Radford splurged on the trip to celebrate Sue's 50th birthday in April 2025. But after saying the family were 'feeling the pinch' last year, the costs of the no expense spared trip continue to rack up after they were hit with the fines last week. The parents, of Morecambe, Lancs, were found guilty of failing to ensure regular attendance at school for four of their children between March 24 and May 1, 2025 at Preston Magistrates Court. They were each fined 65 per child along with 118 court costs, adding a further 756 to the Florida trip. The star of Channel 5's 22 Kids and Counting shared snaps from the family holiday on Instagram during the break. The pictures included a photo of the family posing with Donald Duck as well as Sue posing in Minnie Mouse ears with a giant drink in her hand. The Radford family (pictured) is known for taking multiple holidays a year and has travelled to the Sunshine State multiple times in the past The bumper break saw Noel and Sue splash out on flights, accommodation and park passes for their own children and their 11 grandchildren. However, they were slammed for leaving daughter Chloe, 29, behind as she was due to give birth to her second child. And the celebration trip did not go without a hitch as 24-year-old Millie Radford and her two children were left at the airport when it emerged their ESTA certificates had expired. Noel stayed behind to help them reapply and the four joined the rest of the family in Florida the next day. Sue Radford turned 50 on March 22, 2025, insisting she was really '49 plus one.' Weeks after returning from her birthday celebration trip the family were seen returning to Florida for another trip in June. At the beginning of 2025, Sue had revealed she wanted to have a 'whole year of celebrations' to take the sting out of turning the big 5-0. As well as a romantic getaway alone with her husband of 32 years, Noel, she revealed they were planning the family trip to Disney in Florida, taking all their children and 11 grandchildren. Sue Radford (pictured) revealed in January that she was planning a number of holidays for 2025, as she was turning 2025 In an interview with The Mirror in January this year, Sue said: 'Turning 50 is such a big deal. I remember when I was 40 and that was a big deal. I absolutely hated it! 'So [this time], I said: "You know what, because I am turning 50, I am definitely having a whole year of celebrations!". 'I think if you are going to turn 50, to soften the blow a little bit, it's got to be bigIt will be nice to do a few things!' The family is known for taking multiple holidays a year and are a big fan of travelling to the Sunshine State - as they have done many times in the past. The Florida trip was thought to have marked their eighth holiday to the US alone in just three years. In addition, the family has taken trips around the UK and Europe in their 40,000 motorhome that was purchased in 2022. The Radfords have also jetted off to exotic locations such as the Maldives and Dubai. The clan also visited the Orlando resort in April last year, August and April 2023, as well as August and April 2022. Michelin have announced a new guide that will judge winemakers across the world. The guide, which is owned by the Michelin tyre company, recognises some of the best restaurants in the world - and has in the past been responsible for making or breaking reputations. Now the publishers of the famous red book of fine dining will bring its expertise to the world of Merlots, Sauvignon blancs and roses as part of a global expansion. It already owns the Wine Advocate, a review system founded by Robert Parker, previously hailed the world's most influential critic - but the new system will either build on this or expand it, being touted as being a 'powerful' new contender. So far reaching was Parker - dubbed 'The Pope of Wine' - that he singlehandedly changed the way some bottles were made in Bordeaux, after certain vineyards in the French region were so keen to earn his approval, that they tweaked their alcohol to suit his specific penchant for full-bodied reds with a high alcohol content. The new guide, however, is setting out to topple all others as the go-to for tastemakers. 'The Michelin brand is much more powerful,' the brand's chairman said. According the the French publication, Les Echos, the decision is park of a strategy to 'conquer the world'. It is not clear how the guide will work as details surrounding the evaluation criteria have been kept quiet for the time being. Inspectors of the Michelin Guide have announced they will now be judging winemakers. Stock image pictured In the last year, Michelin has also started reviewing hotels. Earlier this week at a ceremony, more than 2,000 venues were awarded a rating, which like the restaurant guide, is marked out of three. The Connaught and The Savoy in London are among 143 hotels awarded the maximum three stars. In February, meanwhile, it was revealed that the Michelin Guide had gotten a Gen Z makeover to rid itself of its stuffy image, seeking to stay relevant in an age of food influencers. While it was once arguably the only review that mattered to top chefs, the guide - first founded in the early 1900s to help motorists know where to dine - is now suffering from fierce competition. The rise of food influencers and online reviewers can now send restaurants viral almost immediately - offering a boost to local cuisines that can see long queues form overnight. As well as promoting previously unknown finds, the online world of social media stars also offers diners a world of choice at often far cheaper prices than any Michelin starred restaurant. As part of its makeover, the Michelin Guide brought in a new star to appear to younger generations and environmentally conscious foodies known as the green star. The award is given to restaurants assessed to be at the forefront of their field when it comes to sustainability. Adare Manor in the Republic of Ireland has been awarded three Michelin keys The guide has also begun operating in more countries than ever before - with another 20, including India, on the cards for the organisation to send its reviewers to. A recent addition has seen restaurants in Mexico become the latest recipients of the prestigious award. But far from the world of French fine dining, it is increasingly local venues that are benefitting. One such example is El Califa de Leon, a 56-year-old taqueria in Mexico City that measures 3m by 3m and serves four types of taco. With no room to sit and a devoted crew of longstanding regulars, the small store is a long cry from the likes of Fat Duck, The Ledbury and The Dorchester - all three-star restaurants in the UK. The changes are being welcomed by the brand after decades of the guide being 'unprofitable', international director Gwendal Poullennec, said, as reported by The Times. He explained that money was spent on the expensive meals while sales were slowly 'dwindling'. Now they have seen success, thanks to brand and government partnerships. However, speaking to AFP of the new model, one exert said it was important to ensure reputation management. 'If they work too much with governments, travel agencies and other related parties, there will be this question about credibility,' said Yiting Deng, associate professor of marketing and analytics at University College London. 'And how much their decisions are influenced by other parties.' But Alvaro Zarzoso, an academic who studied the brand's stars at the University of Seville in Spain, said that 'expanding into hotels makes strategic sense'. The guide's role, he explained, has 'shifted from solitary gatekeeper to anchor signal inside a network where media exposure and online reviews amplify, rather than replace, its certification'. A weight-loss drug user revealed an unpleasant side effect of the drug that has taken a toll on her mental and physical health. The woman, who posted on Reddit, said she was on Ozempic but did not specify how long she had used the drug or how much weight she had lost. She wrote: 'Since Friday, after I drank my usual protein smoothie with banana and chia seeds, I've been dealing with nonstop sulfur burps. 'It's now Monday night and still going.' She added: 'I've had short episodes like this before on Ozempic, but with diarrhea, usually lasting a couple days and then disappearing. 'But this time it's dragging on and it's honestly ruined my mood. I'm worried it could be something more serious.' Sulfur burps are burps with a strong, unpleasant odor, similar to rotten eggs, that can be caused by the buildup of gases in the digestive tract. The FDA does list eructation, or burps, as a potential side effect of Ozempic, but says these are rare, only occurring in one percent of patients. Clinics, on the other hand, have anecdotally reported that one in five patients on GLP-1 medications, which also include Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, experience them while on the drug. Amy Schumer, 44, is shown above in an Instagram photo posted this week. She said life was not 'livable' while she was taking Ozempic Your browser does not support iframes. It is one of many side effects linked to the drug, with nausea, vomiting and indigestion being the most common and experienced by up to one in five patients. Experts say the burps are caused by the drug because it slows the passage of food through the digestive tract, causing it to ferment in the stomach for longer and release foul-smelling gases. For those on Ozempic, reports warn that eating fat-heavy foods can raise the risk of having the burps because these foods will take even longer to exit the stomach. Dr Karen Berger, a community pharmacist, told Very Well Health that sulfur burps are generally harmless and not a sign of an underlying condition. She warned, however, that if burps were frequent or accompanied by other symptoms such as stomach pain or diarrhea, they could be a sign of something more serious and patients should see their doctor. About one in eight Americans have now tried a GLP-1, and about 5million US adults were taking the drugs as of May 2025, according to a report from non-profit Fair Health. The post on the subredit r/Ozempic by user BBW_1409 continued: 'What's weird is that right after I eat, the burps seem to go away or at least get masked, but then they creep back in. 'A bit of bloating but no pain, or diarrhea this time just the rotten-egg burps.' Comedian and actor Stephen Fry, 66, says he lost an astonishing 70lbs in just four months after taking the weight loss drug Ozempic, but suffered chronic bouts of vomiting She continued: 'Since it started, I stopped eating except for rusks, rice with some grated cheese. Yesterday I thought it stopped and added some creamier chicken with the rice, and it restarted.' Other users were quick to respond, also saying that they had experienced the burps after consuming fat-laden foods. One said: 'I used to get them constantly and then one day they just stopped; It was kind of shocking.' A second said: 'It was my enemy, found out that it happens only if I don't consume [a] good amount of protein... and when I skip some meals'. A third person said: 'In most cases, [the burps are] just [a] reaction to excess fat amounts in your food. Cut fats to minimal amounts for a week and it will likely go away.' Others said they found the burps subsided only after they cut down on red meat, onions, garlic, carbonated drinks and anything fried. GLP-1 injections can come with more serious side effects, as well, including suicidal ideation and life-threatening intestinal blockages. Amy Schumer is among the celebrities to reveal she lost weight after using Ozempic and then Mounjaro, but she said she had to stop because of the side effects. The 44-year-old took Ozempic in 2023, but said in an appearance on 'The Howard Stern Show' in January that she quickly had to quit the drug. She told Stern: 'So I tried Ozempic almost three years ago, and I was like bedridden. I was vomiting. And then you have no energy.' Weight loss drugs have taken the US by storm, with about one in eight Americans now having tried the drugs 'I tried it and I was vomiting and Im in bed and my sons like, "Can you play tag?" Im like, "I cant." I was shriveling.' In a separate interview in 2023 on the Watch What Happens Live show, she said that life was not 'livable' for her while she was on Ozempic. Actor and comedian Stephen Fry, 68, revealed a similar situation in March last year, saying he had also tried Ozempic for weight loss, but had to quit due to the side effects, although he did manage to lose 70lbs while on the drug. Speaking on the River Cafe Table 4 podcast, he said: 'I tried Ozempic years ago; I'm an early adopter of these things. 'I happened to be in America, and I'd read about it, and I asked my doctor in America, my physician as they like to call them, and he said, "I think I can get you some". 'He tried me on it, and the first week or so, I was thinking, "This is astonishing. Not only do I not want to eat, I don't want any alcohol of any kind. This is going to be brilliant". 'Then I started feeling sick, and I started getting sicker and sicker and sicker. I was literally throwing up four, five times a day and I thought, "I can't do this". So that's it.' A young woman was given just hours to live after kidney stones caused by a urinary tract infection sent her body into septic shock. In August, Lauren Carson, 31, from Belfast, woke up with a urinary tract infection (UTI) and started a standard week-long course of antibiotics. When her symptoms failed to improve, Ms Carson didn't think much of it, as she had been dealing with recurrent UTIs for years. But by the time she got back from a holiday in Majorca, the financial crime specialistcould barely walk due to agonising back painwhich she initially put down to a running injury. Just hours later, after calling her GP who immediately ordered her a taxi to the hospital, Ms Carson went into septic shock, and required urgent surgery to stop her organs from completely shutting down. 'As a woman, you just assume it's a UTI and you need to drink more water,' she recalled. 'I had a course of antibiotics, but it didn't seem to ease the symptoms and I ended up getting severe back pain on one side. 'I thought I could have strained a muscle from running, but it wasn't that at all. It was because the UTI had developed into kidney stones and I hadn't realised.' By the time Lauren was admitted to hospital, the infection was already in her bloodstream, triggering septic shock Lauren said that she initially dismissed her symptoms, having suffered with UTIs previously Within six hours of arriving at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Ms Carson's organs began to fail, triggering septic shock. 'I went from having a scan to being completely confused, to not remembering anything. 'I was basically told I had less than 24 hours to live if I didn't have the operation then.' She added: 'I never expected it to be something so serious. UTIs are so common with women, you never expect it to be fatal.' Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that occurs when the immune system overreacts and begins attacking the body's own tissues and organs. It can be triggered by a kidney infectiona painful type of UTI that can affect one or both kidneyscaused by a build-up of bacteria in the urethra. The symptoms of a kidney infection are similar to kidney stones but may also include a high temperature, feeling sweaty, a urine infection and pain in the side of abdomen or groin. Now recovering from surgery, which saw her spend five nights in hospital, Ms Carson wants to raise better awareness around UTIs, and the very serious complications of an infection. Sepsis symptoms can closely resemble the flu, so look out for a very high or low temperature, sweating, extreme pain, clammy skin, dizziness, nausea, high heart rate, slurred speech, and confusion Lauren was a very active person before her brush with death but now she can't do any activities that require a lot of walking 'I was quite an active person beforeI do yoga, Pilates, runningso it was a shock. 'I haven't been able to do anything like that. It's changed my entire life from just having a UTI. 'I still can't walk too far and still struggle with recurrent UTI symptoms,' she added. She is now urging women to take their symptoms seriously, and advocate for their health if they persist. 'If antibiotics don't work after three days, you should go to the doctors and explain the antibiotics haven't got rid of the infection,' she said. 'We need to start taking UTIs more seriously, because women are so prone to getting them. 'Don't ignore symptoms like tiredness and confusion, because they could be a sign of something more serious.' UTIs affect the urinary tract, which includes the bladder, the urethra and the kidneys. Lauren has shared her experience on social media, urging women to take UTIs more seriously According to the NHS, common symptoms include pain or a burning sensation when passing urine, needing to go more often than usual and lower abdominal or back pain. Up to 1.7million people in the UK suffer from recurrent UTIsclassed as three or more infections a yearwhich are one of the most common causes of sepsis. UTIs are the most common bacterial infection in women, affecting around half of women in the UK. There are lots of possible symptoms of sepsis but common symptoms in adults or older children include: blue, grey pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense, a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it and difficulty breathing. Sepsis needs to be treated as quickly as possible in hospital. If it's not caught early, it can turn into septic shock and cause life-threatening organ failure. Health officials have issued a warning after new figures revealed that cases of tuberculosis (TB), dubbed the world's deadliest infectious disease, are climbing rapidly across England. Doctors say that while many people now dismiss a lingering cough as flu or Covid, it could in fact be TBonce thought largely consigned to history but now spreading again in parts of the country. Data released today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows infections rose by 13.6 per cent in 2024, with 5,490 cases recorded compared with 4,831 the year before. Although the risk to the general public remains low, experts warn TB spreads easily and can be deadly if not diagnosed and treated early. Caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the infection most often attacks the lungs but can also spread to the brain, spine or kidneys. Symptoms typically develop slowly over weeks or months and include a persistent cough lasting more than three weekssometimes producing bloodalong with fever, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss and loss of appetite. If left untreated, TB can cause lasting lung damage or spread through the bloodstream, leading to potentially fatal complications such as meningitis or organ failure. It is often described as the world's deadliest infectious disease because it kills more people each year than any other infectionaround 1.25 million globally in 2023, according to the World Health Organization, surpassing deaths from HIV, malaria and Covid-19. Your browser does not support iframes. The illness is treatable with a course of antibiotics lasting at least six months, but patients must complete the full regimen to prevent drug resistance. TB spreads through prolonged close contact with an infected person when they cough, sneeze or speak, but it is not easily caught through casual contact. The infection is both preventable and curablewith more than 84 per cent of patients completing treatment successfully within 12 months. However Dr Esther Robinson, head of the TB unit at UKHSA, said: 'We must act fast to break transmission chains through rapid identification and treatment. 'It's important to remember that not every persistent cough, along with a fever, is caused by flu or Covid. A cough that usually has mucus and lasts longer than three weeks can be caused by a range of other issues, including TB. 'Please speak to your GP if you think you could be at riskparticularly if you have recently moved from a country where TB is more common.' England now has a rate of 9.4 cases per 100,000 peoplestill below this century's 2011 peak of 15.6 but moving steadily upwards. The UKHSA said 82 per cent of last year's cases were among people born outside the UK, though there was also a rise in infections among UK-born patients. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show 5,480 people were struck by the bacterial infection in 2024 a rise of 13 per cent on the previous year. Pictured, mycobacterium tuberculosis which is responsible for tuberculosis TB remains closely linked to deprivation and is more common in large citiesLondon recorded the highest regional rate at 20.6 per 100,000, followed by the West Midlands at 11.5 per 100,000. Of growing concern is the spread of drug-resistant TB, which reached its highest level since records began in 2012. Around 2.2 per cent of laboratory-confirmed cases showed resistance to multiple antibioticsmeaning longer, more complex treatment and greater strain on NHS services. The government said it remains committed to improving prevention, detection and control of TB by focusing on the groups most at risk and tackling health inequalities. UKHSA has also published new evidence from experts to inform the forthcoming National Action Plan for 20262031which will aim to drive down transmission rates and improve access to testing and treatment. The disease earned its 'Victorian' nickname because it was once the leading cause of death in 19th-century Britainfamously claiming the lives of figures such as the Bronte sistersbefore public health measures and antibiotics saw cases plummet throughout the 20th century. In February, UKHSA warned that rising migration and the return of global travel following the pandemic had fuelled a 'reemergence, re-establishment and resurgence' of TB in Britain. Officials said the increase was so significant the UK risked losing its World Health Organisation 'low-incidence' statusgranted only to countries with fewer than ten cases per 100,000 people. Then, Dame Jenny Harries, the agency's chief executive, told delegates at the UKHSA conference that, without intervention, the current rate of increase would soon see Britain lose that classification. She described TB as a 'serious public health issue' and highlighted a strong association between rising infections and migration from countries with high TB rates. Officials have seized more than 300kg of potentially contaminated illegal meat smuggled into London, food safety chiefs revealed today. The suspect meat and dozens of packets of dried noodles containing banned Chinese pork were seized by Westminster City Council officers. Meat imported legally into the UK must pass stringent health checks to ensure it is safe, but smuggled goods dodges these. The haul, which included vacuum-sealed chicken slices, marinated pork and sliced beef, was seized during routine visits to restaurants and stores in the capital's China Town. While the products were clearly labelled, there was nothing on the packaging that could trace it back to a registered supplier in the UK, officers said. Under UK law, pork cannot also be imported from China due to the potential risk of African Swine Fever. Although harmless to humans, the highly contagious virus can be fatal to pigs and has caused havoc to herds across the globe. It comes as a damning Government report last month also warned that 'alarming amounts' of illegal meat were being smuggled into the country and Britain was 'sleepwalking into its biggest food safety crisis since the horsemeat scandal'. The suspect meat and dozens of packets of dried noodles containing banned Chinese pork were seized by Westminster City Council officers Earlier this year, British tourists were banned from bringing cured meats and cheeses back into the UK from Europe, because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease on the continent. Westminster City Council deputy leader and cabinet member for public protection, Aicha Less, said: 'Millions of people visit Westminster to eat out, and our job as a local authority is to ensure that diners enjoy food that is safe. 'That means knowing the origin of imported food you cannot have mystery meat showing up in restaurant kitchens with no real idea of where it has come from. 'The meat we found was clearly intended for food businesses including Westminster restaurants. 'As well as a threat to humans, illegal food products are also a risk to livestock. 'Animal swine fever, even in prepackaged food products, can prove contagious and we need to stop any possibility of it spreading. 'Our environmental health teams will continue to ensure people visiting restaurants in the West End can have a safe and enjoyable experience.' The 300kg of meat was uncovered by officers during inspections on the affluent Wardour and Lisle Streets. In one incident, officers acting on a tip-off from the Food Standards Agency, confiscated 75 packets of flavoured dried noodles weighing over 18kg at a business in Gerrard Street The haul, which included vacuum-sealed chicken slices, marinated pork and sliced beef, was seized during routine visits to restaurants and stores in the capital's China Town Under UK law, pork cannot also be imported from China due to the potential risk of African Swine Fever. Although harmless to humans, the highly contagious virus can be fatal to pigs and has caused havoc to herds across the globe In a separate incident, officers acting on a tip-off from the Food Standards Agency, also confiscated 75 packets of flavoured dried noodles weighing over 18kg at a business in Gerrard Street. The noodles contained banned pork imported from China and listed pig bone and pork oil as ingredients. They were seized, sealed and sent for incineration. African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs and is different from classical swine fever and swine influenza. It is not harmful to humans, but can cause haemorrhagic fever in domesticated pigs and wild boars that almost always ends in death within a few days. China produces almost 700 million pigs a year, or about half of the world's total. Cases of African swine fever have been recorded across Europe, Russia, East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation. Nearly two months after the Texas measles outbreak was declared over, the virus continues to make a comeback across the US. On August 18, Texas officials declared the measles outbreak over after the state recorded 762 cases and two fatalities in eight months. Nationwide, the CDC has registered 1,563 measles cases this year, the highest tally since 1992 when there were 2,126 cases. However, many experts believe the true toll could be much higher. Leading vaccine expert Dr Paul Offit warned: 'If you talk to people on the ground... they all say the same thing, which is the numbers are much worse than that. Probably closer to 5,000.' Currently, public health officials are tracking two major outbreaks across three states, with infections mostly in unvaccinated individuals, while two other states have also recorded measles cases within the last week. In South Carolina, more than 150 unvaccinated children at two schools are now in 21-day quarantines after being exposed to the virus in classrooms, with officials confirming eight cases to date. In the Utah-Arizona outbreak, a total of 118 cases have now been recorded across both states, including six hospitalizations, with experts saying this outbreak has only just begun and that more cases are likely. There were also two new cases reported in Minnesota last week, taking the state's tally to 20 infections, and one in a schoolchild in Ohio, raising concerns that other children in the state could be infected. The measles outbreak in Texas may have been declared over, but cases are still being recorded in other areas of the country (stock image) Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Measles was officially declared eliminated in the US in 2000, after the country went 12 months without any local transmission of the disease, only reporting cases in travelers to the US. But experts fear that amid falling vaccination rates, this status is under threat. Measles can be prevented by the MMR vaccine, which slashes the risk of infection by 97 percent after two doses administered at the age of 12 to 15 months and four to six years. For the 2024-2025 school year, 92.5 percent of kindergarteners got the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, below the 95 percent in 2019-2020 and the 95 percent experts say is needed to prevent an outbreak. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior came under pressure this year during the West Texas measles outbreak after he said vaccination was a 'personal choice' and promoted alternative treatments such as vitamins and cod liver oil. In an editorial for the Wall Street Journal last month, however, he praised the CDC's handling of the outbreak and said it showed 'what a focused' agency 'can achieve'. South Carolina has recorded 11 measles cases so far this year, including eight linked to the current outbreak that began on September 25, well above the single case that was recorded in 2024 and the last measles outbreak in the state in 2018 when six cases were detected. It is not clear how many patients are unvaccinated, although the first patient was a schoolchild. In the current outbreak, concerns were sparked by the latest case recorded in Greenville County last week, in the state's upstate area, which has not been linked to others in neighboring Spartanburg County. Dr Linda Bell, the state's epidemiologist, warned at a press conference last week, reports NPR: 'What this new case tells us is that there is active, unrecognized community transmission of measles occurring.' Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. She urged all residents to ensure they were vaccinated against measles, with the vaccine slashing the risk of infection with the disease. In Utah, the state declared an outbreak of measles in September, and has recorded 55 cases to date and three hospitalizations, mostly in the southwestern part of the state. The case tally marks the state's biggest recorded outbreak since 1996. Only one of these patients was vaccinated against measles, with the first patient being an unvaccinated adult who was diagnosed with the disease without leaving Utah. State epidemiologist Dr Leisha Nolen warned to CNN that the outbreak was also only likely to continue to grow. 'Unfortunately, I think we still have quite a while to go with infections,' she said. 'We know that most of our infections have been localized down towards the southern end of our state, but I think we are starting to see now people get infected even at the very north end of our state. 'So, I do think that this is going to continue to bop around and spread in different communities. I suspect we are in the middle of it.' In Arizona, an outbreak was declared in September after cases spilled over its northern border from Utah. It has detected 63 infections and three hospitalizations with measles to date, mostly in the Colorado City area, which has a low vaccination rate. It is not clear what proportion of patients are vaccinated. The case tally is the highest in the state since 1991. The above shows the proportion of kindergarteners vaccinated against measles by state for the 2024 to 2025 school year. Many states make vaccination against the disease mandatory in order to attend school, although exemptions are available Robert F Kennedy Junior, the Health and Human Services Secretary, is pictured above on September 30 while announcing a deal with Pfizer to lower the price of drugs to Medicaid The above shows a sign for measles testing in Gaines County, West Texas, shown in February this year at the start of the state's outbreak Two cases were detected in Minnesota last week, in what state epidemiologist Dr Jessica Hancock-Allen warned in a press release was 'more than we would like to see in Minnesota'. And last week, Ohio reported a case of measles in a student in Columbus, in the center of the state, who was unvaccinated and had recently traveled out of state. Measles is the most infectious disease, with one infected person able to infect nine out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with the disease. In the early stages, patients suffer from a flu-like illness with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red and watery eyes. But three to five days after infection, the characteristic painful red rash appears on the skin, starting on the face before spreading downward across the body. Children, pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system are most at risk from a measles infection. The CDC estimates that among unvaccinated individuals, about one in 5 are hospitalized, while one in 20 unvaccinated children get pneumonia and about one to three out of every 1,000 infected unvaccinated children die from the disease. After two doses of the vaccine, the recommended dose, the risk of being infected is slashed by more than 97 percent. Skin conditions such as rashes or eczema could signal a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and depression, according to a new study. While they serve different functions, the skin and brain both originate from the same embryonic layer of cells in the womb called the ectoderm. This shared origin prompted a team of scientists at the Gregorio Maranon Institute of Health Research in Spain to look at a possible link between mental health conditions and skin complaints. The researchers looked at 481 patients who had experienced an episode of psychosis, such as loss of contact with reality, hallucinations and delusions. On testing, 14.5 percent were found to have dermatological symptoms such as rash, itching, and photosensitivity. This trend was more prevalent in females than males (24 percent versus 10 percent). All patients were given four weeks treatment with an antipsychotic and then rechecked for a range of mental health parameters. After four weeks of follow-up, patients who had experienced psychosis and who were suffering from skin conditions showed higher levels of depression and risk of suicide. Skin conditions such as rashes or eczema could signal a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and depression, according to a new study (stock image) Your browser does not support iframes. The researchers found that 25 percent of the patients with skin conditions had suicidal thoughts or attempts. While just seven percent of patients without skin conditions had suicidal thoughts or attempts. Lead researcher, Dr. Joaquin Galvan said: 'This discovery suggests that the presence of skin conditions indicates that these patients are more at risk for worse outcomes than patients who do not have skin conditions after a first episode of psychosis.' The researchers note that, if confirmed, this finding has the potential to act as an advance marker for mental health risk, similar to the way, a blood test might indicate a greater risk of cancer or heart disease. Dr. Galvan continued: 'It was already known that between 30 percent and 60 percent of people with skin conditions show psychiatric symptoms. 'What we have done is look at things from the opposite direction; do people with mental health problems have skin conditions, and if so, can this tell us anything useful? 'Our findings suggest that dermatological symptoms may represent a marker of illness severity and poor short-term outcomes in the early stages of psychosis, potentially identifying a subgroup of patients with a poorer clinical prognosis who may benefit from early tailored interventions.' The reason for the connection is still unclear, the researchers said, but their working hypothesis is that it may be due to the skin and neurological systems having common developmental origins. Visit rate for Americans with mental health disorders, substance use disorders, or both disorders at health centers, by age group in the US in 2022 (the most recent year for which data is available) Their findings were presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) meeting in Amsterdam. Dr. Galvan added: 'As far as we know this is the first study to show this link in patients with psychosis, so we need follow-up studies to confirm the finding. 'We also need to understand if this link applies also to a range of other psychiatric conditions, such as bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety or depression'. The American Psychiatric Association notes that 'there are many complex connections between skin conditions and mental health conditions' and more than one-third of dermatological patients have psychological concerns. It reveals that psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and eczema are among the skin diseases most associated with co-occurring mental health conditions. In a separate 2015 study conducted in 13 European countries, 10 percent of dermatological patients were found to have depression, compared with 4.3 percent of controls. Anxiety was reported in 17.2 percent of patients, while suicidal ideations were noted in 12.7 percent of patients. Psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, eczema, and leg ulcers were among the diseases most associated with these psychiatric comorbidities. Eli Sharabi assumed the emergency alarm was just another rocket attack the kind of everyday intrusion that his family had come to consider an unwelcome fact of life as they sheltered at home in Kibbutz Beeri, early on October 7, 2023, awaiting the all-clear as Israels Iron Dome defence system intercepted any missiles. But as Sharabi snuck out to his kitchen to brew a pot of tea, it quickly became clear that the threat far from everyday was unlike anything ever witnessed in the community where he had lived since his teens. As nightmarish reports grew of murderous terrorists running amok, WhatsApp buzzed with a message from a classmate of Sharabis youngest daughter, living a few hundred yards away: her mother had just been shot. Changed: Eli Sharabi is escorted by Palestinian fighters as he is handed over to the Red Cross on 8th February 2025 It was 10.45am when Sharabi and his family still in pyjamas were dragged out of their safe room (designed to protect them from rockets, not intruders) by balaclava-clad killers wielding Kalashnikovs. Balloons still decorated the house to mark his two daughters birthday celebrations (16 and 13) the previous week. Such is the unimaginable horror which opens this harrowing memoir. Reportedly the fastest-selling book in Israeli history, it describes in gruelling detail the 16 months that he endured in captivity as one of 251 hostages abducted by Hamas that morning. We see Sharabi taken away from his family to be driven blindfold to a house barely three miles away in Gaza, his legs bound so tightly that the flesh burns. Days pass without sleep amid the continual whine of drones and shattering bomb blasts as Israel begins its retaliation for the Hamas atrocities. Another captive, a Thai worker, cant stop crying. The elderly householder charged with looking after them puts slices of pitta bread in their mouths, pulling down their boxers when they need to pee, their hands and legs still tied. Soon Sharabi is driven away once more this time to a mosque, and through a trapdoor, ominously plunging 100ft down into the suffocating pitch-black of a tunnel. In a long, narrow chamber clanging with noise, stiflingly hot, he meets six other hostages, including survivors of the carnage at the Nova music festival, whose terrifying accounts of bloodshed haunt his sleep. Family: Eli Sharabi with his wife and daughters before they were killed (left) and with his mother and sister after he is released by Hamas (right) Yet as hes the eldest captive, Sharabi aged 51 at the time urges the others to stay strong and resist self-pity. Im focused on surviving... Ive been practising the art of self-sacrifice and living with people who need me for years, he says; his experience as a father, added to his decades as a business executive, equip him to navigate complex human dynamics and conflicts. Still, as weeks and months pass, bickering inevitably erupts, as the hostages argue over who snores or talks too much, or who is eating more than their fair share of the rations provided. Games of backgammon and cards bring a measure of respite as does Leigh Bardugos bestselling fantasy novel Shadow And Bone, re-read over and over again by Sharabis fellow prisoners (its not his thing). The uneasy routine is disrupted in January 2024 when the mosque is bombed, and everyone is evacuated to another tunnel. Surfacing, Sharabi walks through an apocalyptic landscape like an actor in a Hollywood movie with an outlandish storyline. The new tunnel is even more claustrophobic. Sharabi, weakening with dizziness, watches his fellow captives struggle with diarrhoea, vomiting and infection, as their clogged cesspit bubbles with sewage, maggots running rampant. As the men lose weight, their iron shackles loosen. Guards offer extra food to anyone who will recite verses from the Koran; all refuse. Armed: Palestinian fighters near the border in the central Gaza Strip One of the guards audibly watches footage from October 7 over and over on his iPad. Another beats Sharabi so badly he can barely move for a month. But another guard surprisingly takes time to handwash Sharabis shirt when he complains of being smelly an unexpected kindness that nonetheless does nothing to convince the author that each man wouldnt ultimately be hellbent on the others elimination. Sharabi, who speaks Arabic, gets an insight into his kidnappers from overhearing their conversation. Not only do they not believe in the state of Israel, he says, they dont believe in France or Britain or Sweden either a line liable to chill Sharabis international audience. He thinks his captors were brainwashed, but rejects any notion that they served Hamas to earn a livelihood. The men invading his home werent making ends meet, he says; they are medieval barbarians, whose hatred for Jews and Israel trumped their love of life itself. Sharabis story makes tough reading: how could it not? Yet there are rare moments of gentleness and fellowship, even comedy. He briefly manages to secure more rations for his fellow hostages by feigning illness, tricking a guard out of a bottle of Fanta. Banned from exercising, he and his fellow hostages continue in secret, using water bottles for dumbbells. All the while, Sharabi holds firm to his belief that his family are alive. Horribly, we know from the start of the book that this is not so. Hostage is available now from the Mail Bookshop Hostage is dedicated to the memory of Sharabis wife, Lianne, and their daughters Noiya and Yahel all murdered on October 7, as was his brother, Yossi, another dedicatee. Yet Sharabi makes us live through his emotions when he didnt yet know their fate. We experience his captivity as he lived it, with him yearning for the moment when his family will finally be reunited. He learns that they are dead only when after 491 days he is at last released. The longed-for taste of freedom is cruelly bittersweet. As a conclusion to the book, it is hard to bear. Given that Sharabi now campaigns for the release of the remaining hostages 20 are thought to be alive he must know too that is the only sense by which the books story can be said to have ended. JD Vance was cut off by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos after facing a tense grilling over over allegations against Donald Trump's 'border czar' Tom Homan. During the interview, the pair discussed the Trump-brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas, states sending National Guardsmen to Chicago and the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James. But the conversation quickly spiraled out of control when Stephanopoulos asked the vice president if Tom Homan was guilty of accepting a $50,000 bribe in an undercover FBI sting in September 2024. Homan was recorded saying he could help federal agents get government contracts should Trump win the election. Stephanopoulos, a former White House Communications Director for President Bill Clinton, wanted to know if Homan kept the money or gave it back. Vance said that Homan 'did nothing wrong' and when pushed by the host, tossed it off as a bias-filled distraction from the ongoing government shutdown. 'I think the American people would benefit much more from [talking about the shutdown] than from you going down some weird left-wing rabbit hole where the facts clearly show that Tom Homan didn't engage in any criminal wrongdoing,' Vance said. Stephanopoulos angrily fired back: 'It's not a weird left-wing rabbit hole. I didn't insinuate anything, I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000 as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024, and you did not answer the question'. JD Vance was cut off by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos (pictured) during a tense interview about corruption allegations against Donald Trump 's 'border czar' Tom Homan His interview with Vance spiraled out of control when Stephanopoulos asked the vice president if Tom Homan was guilty of accepting $50,000 in cash in an undercover sting 'Thank you for your time this morning,' he added, before Vance tried to cut in and explain himself. 'No, George, I said-' Stephanopoulos cut him off and said 'we'll be right back' before going straight to commercial. The Daily Mail has reached out to a spokesperson for both the White House and the vice president for comment. Last December, ABC News agreed to pay a total of $16 million to Trump to settle a lawsuit over assertions made by Stephanopoulos that the president was found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. Stephanopoulos had questioned Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican Congresswoman, as to why she was supporting a presidential nominee 'who's been found liable for rape.' A New York jury in May 2023 ordered Trump to pay $5million in damages for sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s, though he was not found liable for rape. Trump's lawyers accused Stephanopoulos - whom the president has derisively nicknamed 'Slopadopoulous' - of making the statements with 'malice' and a disregard for the truth. In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to Trump to settle a lawsuit over assertions made by Stephanopoulos that he was found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll The settlement stipulated that the network will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution towards Trump's presidential library. They also paid his legal fees as part of the settlement, which have totaled $1 million. ABC also posted a note on its website expressing regret over the claim in a March 10 segment on 'This Week' made by Stephanopoulos. Stephanopoulos was challenging the vice president on a controversy that has dogged Homan in recent weeks. The MSNBC report said Homan was the target of an FBI undercover operation last year, after the subject of a separate investigation accused Homan of soliciting payments in exchange for promises of contracts should Trump win reelection. In an undercover sting, the FBI recorded Homan accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating that he could help the agents win government contracts should a Trump 2.0 administration come to fruition. The FBI agents pretended to be business executives, and on September 20, 2024 hidden cameras recorded Homan accepting the money in cash at a designated meeting spot in Texas. While Homan was appearing alongside Trump on the campaign trail, he wasn't a public official at the time. Trump's lawyers accused Stephanopoulos - whom the president has derisively nicknamed 'Slopadopoulous' - of making the statements with 'malice' and a disregard for the truth Stephanopoulos was challenging the vice president on a controversy that has dogged 'border czar' Tom Homan (pictured) in recent weeks Sources told MSNBC that DOJ and FBI officials decided to wait to see if Homan delivered on the promises he made to the undercover agents once he joined the government again. The U.S. Attorney's office in the Western District of Texas worked with the FBI and the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, according to an internal Justice Department summary reviewed by MSNBC. The probe looked into the 'Border Czar and former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan and others based on evidence of payment from FBI undercover agents in exchange for facilitating future contracts related to border enforcement,' the document read. The president named Homan 'border czar' on November 11, 2024, just six days after he won the election. Homan is technically a White House official, meaning the job did not require Senate confirmation or an FBI background check. The case stalled after Trump was sworn in and MAGA-aligned officials filled the top of the FBI and Justice Department. It's unclear what official justification was given for shutting down the probe, but a Trump Justice Department appointee called it a 'deep state' investigation in early 2025, sources told MSNBC. Other Trump officials suggested they believed the case to be politically motivated. 'This matter originated under the previous administration and was subjected to a full review by FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors. They found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing. The Department's resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed,' FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told MSNBC in a statement. Donald Trump shut down a reporter for Politico as she attempted to ask a series of questions on Air Force One and claimed her employers were 'wrong about everything.' The president hosted the press for about 25 minutes of questions on board his presidential plane before he headed to Tell Aviv to oversee the first phase of the peace deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas. The questions ranged from the Middle East to the government shutdown, until Dasha Burns of Politico began a series of questions about China. At one point, Burns started to ask a question about ramping up the tariffs he proposed to 100 percent on China earlier this week, when Trump appeared to become amused. 'Wow, she asks a lot of questions. Who are you with?' he said. Burns, 33, responded with her name and advised she was working for Politico. Trump responded: 'Dasha Politico, oh, Politco's gone bad. They've been so wrong about everything! No, no, Politico's been so wrong about everything!' Burns attempted to push back before Trump ended her questioning: 'Let's get somebody else to ask some questions, you mind? Because Politico is fake news.' Donald Trump shut down a reporter as she attempted to ask a series of questions on Air Force One after he discovered the outlet she worked fo The questions ranged from the Middle East to the government shutdown, until Dasha Burns of Politico began a series of questions about China A national correspondent for NBC News from 2016 to 2025, Burns became the White House Bureau Chief for Politico in January. Burns also hosts a CSPAN show, Ceasefire, that attempts to bring guests from both parties together for a discussion of key issues. She was attempting to ask Trump about the new 100 percent tariff on China, set to take effect on November 1 along with export controls on critical software, will be added on top of existing rates, dramatically increasing the cost of imports. He made the announcement after Beijing imposed export restrictions on rare earth metals. Trump added that he was 'surprised' that China would do this given his 'good relationship' with President Xi Jinping. 'This is not something that I instigated, this was just a response to something that they did. They didn't really aim it us, they aimed it at the whole world. It was very bad,' he said in an Oval Office press conference Friday. During the press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump also claimed the 20 living Israeli hostages may be released 'a little bit early' as he hinted at the horrible conditions Hamas was keeping them in. The president said it was still up in the air the exact hour those still alive will be turned over but was optimistic when he spoke to the press on Air Force One as he took off for Tel Aviv Sunday. A national correspondent for NBC News from 2016 to 2025, Burns became the White House Bureau Chief for Politico in January. Burns also hosts a CSPAN show, Ceasefire Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One for a trip to the Middle East 'They have the hostages - I understand all 20 - and we may get them out a little bit early,' Trump said. 'Getting them back was amazing because we were involved and they were in places that you don't want to know about,' he added. The president is headed to the Israeli city, where he is scheduled to arrive just after 9am local time, or around 2am on the east coast of the US. Hamas plans to release all 20 living hostages this weekend, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, in exchange for roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza. Before boarding, Trump described the enormity of the conflict he was hoping to finally solve in the region. 'There are 500,000 people, yesterday and today, in Israel and also the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybodys cheering at one time - thats never happened before,' Trump said. 'Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isnt - the other is the opposite. This is the first time everybody is amazed, and theyre thrilled. 'Its an honor to be involved, and were going to have an amazing time, and its going to be something thats never, never happened before.' Upon arrival, the president will meet with families of hostages who have been in Hamas captivity, before delivering remarks to the Knesset - Israel's parliament. From there, he will head to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to participate in a Middle East Peace Ceremony before heading back to the White House. Trump announced on Wednesday night that both Israel and Hamas had signed off on the 'first phase' of his proposed peace deal - a substantial step in ending the war in Gaza. There is a sense of deja vu surrounding this weeks gathering of the worlds finance chiefs at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). When the good and the great last assembled here in April, Donald Trump had just unleashed his budgetary mayhem with Liberation Day tariffs on nations across the globe, from economic challenger China to the penguin inhabitants of the Marshall Islands. Now the nightmare is in danger of repeating itself with Washington and Beijing again at daggers, despite Trumps claims of a good relationship with supreme Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Markets are fearful. After the dizzying 57 per cent rise on the price of gold so far this year, it is on the move again at more than $4,116 per ounce in latest trading, dragging the price of silver ever higher. American investment banks suggest gold could reach $4,500 or beyond. UBS has raised its price target on bullion to $4,200. In the spring a smiling Peter Mandelson, Britains then-ambassador to Washington, seemed confident of delivering an early trade deal for Keir Starmers Government. Tariff row: Washington and Beijing are again at daggers, despite Donald Trumps claims of a good relationship with supreme Chinese leader Xi Jinping (pictured together) More broadly confident markets were spooked, fearing that tariff wars would fracture globalisation, stymie international trade, send stock markets skidding and lead to recession. Remarkably, it didnt happen. The IMFs World Economic Outlook report due today is expected to show a small upgrade in global growth. Fortunately, fears of retaliatory action, in the shape of 1930s-style beggar-thy-neighbour tariff wars, did not materialise. The UK achieved its trade deal, albeit full of holes, and many other countries across the globe did the same. Rather than retreat behind barriers, most countries including Britain chose to take the pain. If only cyber wars had not interrupted progress, Britains largest motor exporter to the US, Jaguar Land Rover, would have been back in business. British steel exports are paralysed not just to the US but also to Europe. Our leading drugs company AstraZeneca has avoided grief by doubling up with a full stock market listing in New York and breaking ground on a $4.5billion research and manufacturing centre in Virginia. It earned silky chief executive Pascal Soriot a prized appearance in the Oval Office alongside the President. Britains greatest export to the US, financial and professional services, avoided attention because of the White Houses obsession with physical commerce. Discussion this week will again be dominated by trade wars. Trump last week took to Truth Social to threaten a 100 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports on November 1 unless some kind of accommodation with Beijing could be reached. The President has been outraged at Chinas choice to impose new export controls on rare earths. In choosing these valuable minerals as a battleground, China is taking economic war directly to the US. Beijing dominates processing of the worlds rare earths, essential to the US leading-edge defence and tech industries, as well as to the motor industry. The latter is a huge driver of US consumption and production as the country switches towards electrical driving. Adding to the foreboding is Chinas move to match US port fees for Chinese-built or owned vessels with its own levies on port calls by ships built or flagged in America. It is axiomatic that markets loath uncertainty and there is plenty around at present. They are having to cope with the fall-out from shadow banking as shockwaves from the failure of motor components group First Brands are fully absorbed. There also is intense concern of an AI bubble. Trump, after his hostage triumph in the Middle East, is at peak power at present. Thats maybe why he posted on his Truth Social page: Dont worry about China, it will all be fine. For the 10,000 financial officials, central bankers and private bankers descending on Washington from 190 countries, renewal of the US-China feud is another blow for a world imperilled by public and private debt and a Wall Street boom which resists all dangers. Be prepared for when the band stops playing. Challenger bank Shawbrook hopes to raise 50million from the issue of new shares when the lender makes its debut on the London Stock Exchange early next month. The lender's initial public offering, which was delayed by market turmoil earlier in the year, could see Shawbrook valued at up to 2billion. Shawbrook's debut comes amid a flurry of other IPO announcements in a boost for the City after a prolonged drought of new listings in recent years. Beauty Tech Group whose products are favoured by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams and US data centre giant Fermi made their London debuts recently. Tinned tuna firm Princes, whose brands include Branston baked beans and Napolina olive oil, has also said it plans an IPO. And speculation is mounting that digital bank Revolut is considering a dual listing in London and New York. Shawbrook expects to list shares in London by early November Shawbrook on Monday said the IPO world comprise new shares and existing shares by the lender's existing sole shareholder, Marlin Bidco. A further 15 per cent of the offer could be made available under an over-allotment option. The lender also announced its loan book had grown to 18.3billion as of 30 September, up from 17billion at the end of June, thanks to 'a strong level of organic originations' of around 1.5billion over the period. Another boost came from Shawbrook's acquisition of small business lender ThinCats, which had a 600million loan book at the time of the deal. Shawbrook's savings franchise has also 'continued to perform well', the lender said, with customer deposits increasing to 17.6 billion from 16.7billion. Lloyds yesterday launched a fightback against the City watchdog over a compensation plan to pay millions of motorists who were mis-sold car loans hundreds of pounds each. The lender, which is on the hook for almost 2billion over the scandal, accused the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of botching the design of the scheme. Sources close to the bank said the 14.2m loans that the FCA has said are entitled to pay-outs include several million that should not qualify. They are expected to average 700 each leaving banks to foot an 11billion bill. Lloyds also hinted that it could yet take legal action if the plans set out last week by the FCA for pay-outs are not watered down. The scheme relates to motor finance agreements made between 2007 and 2024. Payouts: Lloyds, which is on the hook for almost 2bn over the motor finance scandal, accused the FCA of botching the design of the compensation scheme It centres on the practice of commissions being paid to car dealers for selling loans to customers on behalf of banks without telling the customers about it. In some cases, the dealers received bigger commissions if they sold higher interest loans. The FCA has found that some lenders broke the law and that 44 per cent of the car finance agreements made over the 17-year period were entitled to compensation. Its findings were worse than expected for some in the industry. Yesterday, Lloyds increased the sum it has set aside for the scandal by 800million to 1.95billion and delivered a stinging broadside against the way the FCA has set up the scheme. The bank said that while it was committed to ensuring customers receive appropriate redress, it did not believe the proposed scheme reflects the actual loss to the customer. Lloyds added that the plan did not achieve the aim of ensuring that consumers are compensated proportionately and reasonably where harm has been demonstrated and that the way it was designed does not align with a recent Supreme Court ruling on the issue. Executives believe the FCA included millions more claims than it should have due to the way it set a threshold for judging whether commissions on loans were too high, the Mail understands. Lloyds said the ultimate outcome of the scheme may evolve in response to representations made by various parties as well as further legal proceedings and complaints. That hinted at the possibility of a judicial review, this newspaper understands. The Times, meanwhile, reported that car-maker BMW which faces a potential hit of more than 200million from the scandal is seeking talks with the Chancellor over the issue. FirstRand, the South African owner of British motor finance business MotoNovo, reportedly warned last week that the watchdogs plan went beyond what can be considered proportionate or reasonable. Industry body the Finance and Leasing Association said the proposed scheme was so broad that it would compensate customers who suffered no loss, an approach that is neither proportionate nor reasonable. But it is the intervention of Lloyds which looks set to take the biggest financial hit from the scandal which will pack the biggest punch. An FCA spokesman said: We believe our scheme is the best way to settle the issue for both consumers and firms, and alternatives would be more costly and take longer. We recognise not everyone will get everything they would like. The National Lotterys operator has agreed to merge with a Greek firm to create a global gaming giant worth 14billion. Allwyn, founded and chaired by Czech tycoon Karel Komarek, already owns a controlling stake of nearly 52 per cent in Athens-listed OPAP. It will give Allwyn a presence on the stock market. OPAPs Athens listing will be retained for the merged group which will be named Allwyn but aims to launch an additional listing in either London or New York. The deal creates the largest listed lottery business in the world and second-largest listed gaming firm globally. Rachel Reeves has been urged to come clean over any planned changes to how pension savings are taxed after more than 10,000 signed an parliamentary petition. Speculation is mounting that the Chancellor may reduce the maximum amount that savers can withdraw tax-free from their retirement funds prompting some to pull cash out now. There are also fears she could cut tax relief on pension contributions in a desperate attempt to raise cash to plug a hole in her Budget plans. Former pensions minister Ros Altmann urged caution. 'Damaging policy changes could also undermine the whole concept of pension saving and destroy confidence for the future, leaving millions poorer in later life,' she said. An online parliamentary petition launched last week calling on the Government to rule out both options has now crossed the 10,000 signatures required to force the government to respond. If it hits 100,000, the petition will be considered for a debate in Parliament. Fears are mounting Rachel Reeves is plotting a Budget tax raid on pensions Tom Selby, director of public policy at broker AJ Bell, which launched the petition, said: Pension savers across the UK have sent a clear message to the Chancellor: we need a firm commitment to a Pension Tax Lock to allow people to plan ahead with certainty. Now the Government needs to step up and deliver its end of the bargain with a public pledge not to tinker with the cornerstone of long-term retirement planning. This government insists it is on the side of those who work hard. Now is the time to show it really means that. Anyone sacrificing take-home pay today to save for the future deserves a concrete promise from the Government that they will have the right to access their pension on the same terms as the generation that came before them. Savers are permitted to withdraw 25pc of their pension tax-free, up to a maximum level of 268,275, from the age of 55. Some think that will be a tempting target for a raid by the Chancellor as she bids to fill in a financial black hole estimated at 30bn in next months Budget. But opponents of such a move argue that it would be unfair to savers who have carefully planned their financial futures. Fear of such a tax raid ahead of last years Budget prompted an avalanche of withdrawals back then even though the tax changes did not materialise. Many later rued the decision. It is also feared Reeves could reduce tax relief on the pension contributions of higher-rate taxpayers in a bid to raise cash. Pension contributions are exempt from income tax, as are investment returns within a pension fund. Instead, tax is deferred to when the money is taken out in retirement. The petition calls on Reeves to rule out such a move, arguing: We believe this would help ensure retirement savings are protected and people can save with confidence. The Chancellor may have to find up to 30billion in tax rises or spending cuts in the Autumn Budget. The Office for Budget Responsibility is expected to downgrade its forecasts for future productivity growth, which means Rachel Reeves will need to make up the difference to meet her borrowing rules. She has recommitted to her manifesto pledge to not raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT, which are the Treasury's biggest revenue raisers, leaving other taxes at risk of being hiked. But short-term fixes to existing taxes could do more damage and dent any attempt at economic growth, critics say. A leading think tank says there is still a way that Reeves can raise tens of billions of pounds more in revenue, without breaking Labour's election promises. The Institute for Fiscal Studies' plan would require her to reform the tax system, though, as opposed to making what it calls 'a half-baked dash for revenue'. We look at its tax proposals and what it could mean for you. Revenue raisers: Income tax and National Insurance are the biggest sources of national income Rachel Reeves' tax conundrum Reeves has been adamant that she will meet her self-imposed fiscal rules, and so she will not borrow to meet the black hole in the public's finances. It leaves her with the option of reducing spending, which is politically risky and unlikely, or increasing taxation. Tax revenue as a share of national income is expected to reach a record 37.4 per cent in 2026-27, according to the IFS. While it would be unpopular, it remains lower than other Western European countries so the Chancellor can raise more tax if she needs to. Speculation about the Autumn Budget has thus far centred on changes to existing taxes, which some critics say amounts to just tinkering around the edges rather than taking bold steps. The IFS warns that if she 'limits her ambition to collecting more revenue, she will have fallen short.' Most discussion on tax rises centres on how much revenue they can raise, but it is as much about outcomes. Badly designed taxes can be counter-intuitive, says the IFS. Isaac Delestre, a senior research economist, said: 'Almost any package of tax rises is likely to weigh on growth, but by tackling some of the inefficiency and unfairness in our existing tax system, the Chancellor could limit the economic damage. 'The last thing we need in November is directionless tinkering and half-baked fixes. There is an opportunity here.' Property taxes Economists and commentators welcomed Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch's plans to scrap stamp duty on main homes, if they are elected in 2029. While it is very unlikely we'll hear something similar next month, the IFS says property taxation is in desperate need of reform. The think tank warns against any attempt at increasing stamp duty rates, which it says would discourage people from moving to take up new jobs. It also says that while council tax is in dire need of reform, increasing rates on more expensive properties would only boost local authorities rather than the Treasury. The IFS estimates that Reeves could raise 4.4billion if she introduced a new council tax surcharge that acted to double council tax rates on the top two bands. However, it proposes an overhaul of the system, with stamp duty and the current council tax system abolished in favour of reformed council tax bands that are in line with updated property values. The current council tax system is based on property prices from 1991. Needs reform? The IFS says the council tax system and stamp duty should be overhauled Inheritance tax Inheritance tax is widely reviled, particularly as changes announced last year mean pensions will be included in people's estates for IHT purposes from April 2027. Reeves could raise the headline 40 per cent rate by 1 percentage point, to raise 0.3billion, or reduce the threshold at which people have to start paying the tax which would mean more estates would be dragged into the net. Currently, individuals can pass on up to 325,000 of their wealth tax-free, with an additional 175,000 tax-free allowance if they're passing on a primary residence to children or grandchildren - an allowance known as the residence nil-rate band. Couples can double this, and potentially pass on up to 1million tax-free. Abolishing the residence nil-rate band could raise 6billion, according to the IFS. The Chancellor might also look at changing the gifting rules, extending the seven-year rule, or taxing gifts across people's entire lives, says the IFS. Pensions Experts think pensions will be targeted in the next Budget. One option is to slash tax relief for pension contributions. Contributions made into a pension get income tax relief. This means that if youre a basic-rate taxpayer and put 80 into your pension, it will be topped up to 100 by the taxman. Higher and additional-rate taxpayers need only put 60 and 55 in respectively to get 100. This takes you back to the position before tax was paid. If the Treasury capped relief at the basic rate of 20 per cent, it could raise as much as 22billion in 2029-30, but the IFS says this policy would be 'unfair and distortionary' but also be extremely difficult to put into place. It could also discourage people from saving into their pension. Instead, it proposes levying national insurance on employer pension contributions, which escape both employer and employee NICs entirely at the moment. It means employees join salary sacrifice schemes, which reduce salaries in return for employers making NIC-exempt contributions to their pensions. A 1 per cent employer NICs charge on all employer pension contributions could raise up to 1.5billion in 2029-30. Reeves may also look at pension lump sum withdrawals, up to 25 per cent of the pot. The IFS suggests replacing it with a taxable cash top-up on pension withdrawals. Capital gains tax There have been repeated calls for an annual wealth tax, but the IFS says this would have 'huge practical challenges' and Reeves has also ruled it out. The think tank says a wealth tax would penalise saving and incentivise some of the very wealthy to leave the UK entirely. If the Chancellor wants to raise more from the wealthy, the IFS says it would be better to fix the existing wealth-related taxes, including capital gains tax. This is the tax people pay when they sell certain assets, such as second properties and stocks and shares, and make a profit. HMRC estimates that a 1 percentage point increase in the higher rate of CGT could revenue revenues by around 30million in 2029-30, while a 10 percentage point increase would reduce revenue by about 3.7billion. Any increase in taxes on returns to capital... would do more economic damage than is necessary However, the IFS says any increase in taxes on returns to capital, like CGT, dividend and interest income or self-employment profits, without reform 'would do more economic damage than is necessary.' Its chief proposal is that the tax is changed so that there are full deductions for any amounts of money saved or invested. It would also include being 'more generous in the treatment of losses and removing the forgiveness of capital gains tax at death. 'With a reformed tax base in place, tax rates could be increased with little concern about weakening incentives to invest and take risks'. This kind of wholesale reform of CGT is, however, very unlikely in the Autumn Budget. Corporation tax Corporation tax made up 2.4 per cent of the national income in the 2010s and it is expected to reach 3.3 per cent in the current tax year. Raising the main rate by 1 percentage point to 26 per cent could raise around 4.1billion in 2029-30, according to the IFS, but it risks disincentivising investment into the UK and therefore reducing its yield. Labour has said it will not raise corporation tax or change any of the associated reliefs, but there are plans to shift some business rates from small retail properties to large ones. However, the IFS says that a land value tax for commercial property would be a better idea. The government has kept a bank levy and bank surcharge 'under review', which could raise 2.4billion. Income tax and NICs still biggest revenue raisers The IFS says that while there are ways to raise tax revenues without the 'big three' - income tax, NICs and VAT - it doesn't mean it would be sensible. These taxes have the largest tax bases, meaning that if the Chancellor wants to raise meaningful sums and avoid tinkering with smaller taxes, she may need to break her previous pledges. 'Many of the tax-raising options outside the 'big three' would have particularly damaging effects on growth and welfare,' it says. Raising all income tax rates by 1 percentage point would raise an estimated 10.9billion a year by 2029-30, but risks discouraging saving in taxed forms, like investing in companies or property. The same increase in NICs and VAT would yield 8.5billion and 9.9billion respectively, but raising NICs would see people shift how they take income, while changes to VAT would distort buying zero and reduced rate goods. Reeves could choose to extend the freeze on income tax rates, but the IFS says this is 'highly unsatisfactory'. One way Reeves could raise taxes meaningfully and technically keep her election promise is by introducing a new tax on income, according to the think tank. A 'defence and security levy' or 'national health charge' could effectively increase income tax or NICs, but it risks complicating the tax system further. A cowboy builder who appeared on the UK's most wanted list has been jailed for six years after fleecing a string of customers out of 100,000 - and persuading a woman he met on a dating website to give him 29,300. Steven Fidler, 39, and fellow rogue builder Kristien Hunt, 47, ripped off nine homeowners who were left with 'insecure' homes or properties in an unliveable condition. A court heard some of their victims were reduced to relying on the charity of friends or family. Others were left with dangerous structural damage that required remedial work after the pair took significant down payments before abandoning the proje A judge was told that while working under various company names, the defendants quoted modest initial prices before hiking up costs. At the same time, Fidler began swindling a woman he met on dating site Plenty of Fish. Warwick Crown Court heard the couple had a 'close romantic relationship' as the woman fell in love with the Romeo conman, who falsely told her he had lost his wife and daughter in a car accident. Between January and May 2021 Fidler - posing as an Irishman called Riley Doherty who had recently moved to England - persuaded the woman to hand over 29,000 in three payments claiming he needed the cash to settle a tax issue. Prosecutor Omar Majid said: 'They had a physical relationship and she thought that she was being treated well by him. 'He told her he needed money over a tax issue. He told her he was doing building jobs and that when they were concluded he would repay her. Cowboy builder Steven Fidler fleeced a string ov homeowners as well as a woman he met online 'She asked to make the payments by bank transfer but he said 'no' to that he knew it would leave a financial trace and insisted on cash.' The court heard the woman told career criminal Fidler she had a five-figure inheritance figure and Mr Majid said: 'Once he had this 15,000 (from her) he became less and less communicative.' But it wasn't long before the fraudster was back in touch telling her he still owed money and was being pursued by loan sharks. The victim agreed to hand over another 12,000 before Fidler once again withdrew contact. Mr Majid said: 'He started to insinuate that she was also in danger from the people that were chasing him.' Despite the woman becoming suspicious about his motives, Fidler convinced her to hand over another 2,000 to settle his debts before she eventually reported him to Action Fraud. The court heard that months later, Fidler got back in touch with the woman to ask why she had reported him then conned her out of another 300 as he managed to persuade her to resume their relationship. Earlier, the prosecutor outlined how Fidler conspired with Hunt to defraud a series of homeowners over a 27-month period up to February 2022 including one man who had previously fallen victim to another rogue builder. Fidler, pictured on a roof, and co-defendant Kristien Hunt left one couple 'financially ruined and emotionally drained', Warwick Crown Court heard The victim told police he ended up with water pouring through his skylight, no kitchen and eventually lost his job through the stress caused by Fiddler and Hunt's conduct, which also robbed him of his life savings. Mr Majid said that when he commissioned the work: 'Significantly, he had told Hunt he had received a significant inheritance from his mother.' The court heard what should have been a 40,000 project with 10,000 paid upfront - ended up costing the man 90,000 as the cowboy builders repeatedly failed to turn up to work, or told the customer problems with the build had come to light which required more funds. Another couple told how they ended up 'financially ruined and emotionally drained' at the hands of Fidler and Hunt, with the wife left on anti-depressants. The pair left properties covered in tarpaulins instead of completing proper roofing work, with one man forced to climb on his roof in the middle of the night during a storm in an attempt to halt leaks. Prosecutors said he had 13 buckets in his attic to collect rainwater. The court heard that following Hunt's arrest in December 2021, police made media appeals for information on Fidler's whereabouts. In May 2023 Fidler was added to the UK's most wanted list after the charity Crimestoppers told how several victims had advertised their projects on online bidding sites and were then contacted by Fidler using various unregistered company names. John O'Higgins, defending Fidler, said his client 'didn't set out to perform shoddy work' and said his relationship with the woman he defrauded was based on 'genuine feelings'. Warwick Crown Court, pictured, heard the pair left properties covered in tarpaulins instead of completing proper roofing work But the judge had been told that the 'romance fraud' mirrored a previous offence 12 years ago where Fidler stole 41,000 of jewellery from a woman he reeled in, and also took her father's Porsche. Fidler, of Hockley Heath, West Midlands, and Hunt, of Studley, Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation at earlier hearings. Fidler, who also admitted the separate romance fraud, appeared at court on a video link from HMP Hewell in Worcestershire. The court heard he had 13 previous convictions for 29 offences. Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Tom Rochford said the defendant, of Hockley Heath, West Midlands, had caused 'considerable' damage and disrepair to a string of properties. He said victims were left in 'invidious positions' deciding whether to walk away and find another builder or stick with Fidler and Hunt in the hope they would put damage right. Hunt, who threatened one victim with a sledgehammer when he refused to pay additional payments, failed to appear at court after claiming he was too ill to attend, suffering from breathlessness and anxiety. He has eight previous convictions for ten offences, and will be sentenced in a fortnight. Hayley Keegan from the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'Fidler and Hunt caused devastating financial and emotional harm to multiple families over a sustained period. 'The severity of their crimes is particularly stark when we consider one victim lost his entire life savings and another victim was forced into food poverty. 'This selfish behaviour is completely unacceptable - those who exploit vulnerable homeowners for profit can expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' Hunter Biden privately compared himself to the grieving families of Sandy Hook massacre victims, a new book has claimed. Author Ken Vogel made the claim in Devils' Advocates: The Hidden Story of Rudy Giuliani, Hunter Biden, and the Washington Insiders on the Payrolls of Corrupt Foreign Interests, which the Daily Mail obtained an early copy of. Vogel wrote: 'The comparison was meant to highlight the right-wing conspiracies that swirled around him and the families, who have been harassed for years by conspiracists claiming that the shooting was staged to create a pretext for gun restrictions.' The explosive revelation that shows just how besieged Joe Biden's son felt as his legal troubles mounted and threatened to tank his father's presidency. Vogel quoted a source who had overheard the grievance, which was expressed in the aftermath of Hunter's defiant press conference on the Capitol steps in December 2023. But, as the book lays bare, Hunter's legal troubles - stemming from unpaid taxes from his foreign influence clients from Ukraine, Romania and China, and a gun charge, when he was at the height of his crack cocaine addiction - were of his own making. 'Hunter endured some tough times, to be sure, but the comparison seemed to demonstrate an extreme lack of self-awareness and empathy,' Vogel added. Those personality flaws were fully on display throughout the book. Hunter Biden, the son of then-president Joe Biden, gave a defiant press conference in front of the Capitol on December 13, 2023, amid his legal troubles Hunter Biden (left) holds hands with his wife Melissa Cohen Biden (right) as they enter federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, last year as he was on trial on criminal gun charges When then-senator Joe Biden was being considered by the Obama campaign in 2008 to be the Democratic vice presidential pick, he was instructed by closer advisers that Hunter, the younger of his two sons, could no longer work as a lobbyist. Biden agreed to the deal. 'Hunter told people he resented being told to drop his clients. And Joe Biden didn't much care for what he interpreted as the holier-than-thou posture of the Obama folks,' Vogel explained. 'In the Biden family, there was nothing inherently wrong with trying to make a buck in the government-industrial complex.' The book even notes how Biden had once joked to a Vanity Fair reporter in November 2017, 'I should have raised one Republican kid' - interpreted to mean that he hoped one of his three children would make some real money. Despite being the politician for the everyman, Biden appreciated the finer things in life, buying a former DuPont family mansion in Wilmington in 1974, just two years after being elected to the US Senate to represent Delaware at age 29. After 2012, with Barack Obama and vice-president Biden firmly in place for four more years, Hunter became more open to taking on foreign clients, where he could amass millions. Hunter's relationship with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma is well-documented. In his 40s, without any experience in the energy sector and freshly discharged from the Navy Reserve over cocaine use, Hunter was courted on the banks of Italy's Lake Como in 2014 by Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky to serve on Burisma's board. When then-senator Joe Biden (right) joined Democratic nominee Barack Obama's (left) 2008 presidential ticket, he had to agree to have his younger son Hunter drop his lobbying clients, which Hunter 'resented' Hunter (left) with Biden and his late brother Beau Biden (right) at President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration The oligarch had served under the ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and made money by doling out oil and gas permits to companies that he secretly controlled. Zlochevsky would offer Hunter $1 million a year and perks that included 'a hefty gold commemorative Burisma coin, a fishing expedition to the Arctic Circle, and birthday gifts from Zlochevsky, including an expensive watch.' 'The gig would not be particularly taxing,' Vogel wrote. 'The biggest commitment was attending board meetings or industry confabs twice a year in exotic locales like Dubai and Monaco.' In May 2014, Hunter was officially announced as a Burisma board member - defiantly pushing back that he was profiting off his last name. In an email to one of the multiple public relations consultants hired to spin his new position, Hunter expressed that it was 'very frustrating' that they were forced to respond to this 'simply b/c some reporter wants to somehow draw a link btw my father and the president and my role at Burisma.' The company, he continued, 'may not have a perfect record - but what corporation does?' 'What if I had joined the board of Haliburton, or Walmart or Apple for that matter. They all have serious corporate image issues. What if I went to work for Goldman Sachs (like half this administration did). Would I be held to a different standard than any other private citizen?' Hunter asked. For Vogel, 'the lack of self-awareness was striking.' Hunter and Beau (right) at an event held for Obama's 2013 inauguration. After his father was reelected as vice-president, Hunter felt more open to working with foreign clients Hunter was recruited by Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky to serve on Burisma's board in 2014. Zlochevsky had worked under the ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and made money by doling out oil and gas permits to companies that he secretly controlled 'Not only was he the vice-president's son but media outlets routinely scrutinized political relatives and aides who went to work for companies that intersected with the government,' Vogel noted. 'In hindsight, Hunter's foreign work should have been more intensely scrutinized - not less - during the Obama administration.' A Burisma Group Facebook post from November 2014 shows the Ukrainian energy company touting Hunter's involvement When President Donald Trump came into power in 2017, Hunter's paycheck from Burisma dwindled, leading him to pursue even riskier business ventures with CEFC China Energy, China's largest energy company. 'Even at the time - but certainly with the benefit of hindsight - it was easy to detect many of the earmarks of a Chinese government influence operation in the targeting of Hunter and other prominent Americans on both sides of the political aisle,' Vogel wrote. In one unreported scheme, Hunter attempted to help Romanian oligarch Gabriel Popoviciu get out of legal hot water by inking a real estate deal with CEFC. Popoviciu had been convicted and was facing nine years in prison over charges related to acquiring land for way under value in Bucharest's Baneasa district - where the US embassy is located. Under the proposed deal, a Chinese-funded venture would buy a significant stake in Popoviciu's contested property and spend more than $1 billion on development. Some Western partners believed Popoviciu would be shown leniency if he no longer owned a controlling share. 'The proposal presented the incredible specter of the son of a former US vice-president - and possible future president - working with a team trying to sell an ownership stake in a development that included the US embassy, or at least the land around it, to a hostile foreign-government-linked entity,' Vogel wrote. Ironically, the late Beau Biden had dedicated the embassy in Bucharest as a 'bulwark against corruption.' Now Hunter's team was 'pushing a deal that would make them rich while minimizing the legal exposure of a client who was a top target of the anti-corruption crusaders that Beau had extolled.' Former vice-president Joe Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden appear at a campaign kickoff rally in May 2019. JoeBiden would go on to earn the Democratic nomination and a term in the White House, but was plagued by stories about Hunter's business deals Hunter, speaking to ABC News in October 2019, said he had never spoken to his father about his role at Burisma and discussed not attending his father's campaign rallies Hunter and his wife Melissa Cohen leave court after he pleaded guilty of tax evasion in Los Angeles in September last year. Joe Biden pardoned Hunter in December, one of his final acts as president While Hunter and his uncle Jim Biden made millions from CEFC, the Baneasa project never got off the ground. In the book, Vogel wrote about being targeted by Biden's 2020 presidential campaign for his reporting. Campaign spokesman Kate Bedingfield told his editors they were 'deeply troubled' by his coverage and accused him of spreading Russian propaganda in a letter to The New York Times's executive editor. The author caught the campaign muddling its story: Bedingfield claimed Biden never discussed Burisma-related matters with Hunter, though Hunter wrote in his own memoir that he briefly discussed his board seat with his father. In one of his closing acts as president, Joe Biden pardoned Hunter on December 1, allowing him to escape prison time. The pardon covered any crimes he 'may have committed or taken part in' starting from January 1, 2014 - a date roughly coinciding with his first interactions with Burisma. Undercover police officers slept with multiple women and secretly investigated the family and friends of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, an inquiry heard. Members of the Metropolitan Police Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) used fake identities - including those belonging to dead children - to infiltrate social justice groups, animal rights organisations and trade unions. They used intelligence garnered over years playing the part of deeply committed members to inform police bosses. The Met admitted the 'human toll of the SDS's dysfunction has been severe and wide-ranging'. The long-running Undercover Policing Inquiry resumed today to explore the practices of six covert officers in the shadowy SDS unit, amid claims of racism among the organisation. One of those is Peter Francis, who infiltrated anti-racism groups for four years in the 1990s, using the name of a dead child. He later blew the whistle on the SDS, helping prompt the inquiry. David Barr KC, the counsel to the inquiry, described how the latest strand of the investigation would examine claims bosses knew about undercover officers' behaviour, including forming sexual and romantic relationships with members of the protest groups they were tasked to investigate. He said the inquiry will hear from campaigners including Baroness Doreen and Dr Neville Lawrence, parents of Stephen Lawrence, and Sukhdev Reel, whose son Ricky died in what she believes was a racist attack. The inquiry heard claims an SDS boss gave Francis a list of names of people visiting the Lawrence family home following the 18-year-old's murder in 1993, and asked him to find out if any of them had 'particular political affiliations and were known to the SDS'. David Barr KC said some of the evidence before the Undercover Policing Inquiry was 'harrowing' as he made his opening remarks to the latest phase of the probe today Another officer, known only as HN81, infiltrated an anti-racism group and admitted taking part in public order disturbances related to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, Mr Barr said. He said Dr Lawrence found it 'particularly troubling that an officer who sought to justify surveillance on the grounds of public disorder actively contributed to it'. In his opening statement, Mr Barr said: 'The traumas experienced by each of these people are clearly set out in their deeply moving, at times, harrowing evidence.' He said: 'Mr Francis has stated on many occasions that he and others had sex or entered into sexual relationships with members of the public in their undercover identities. 'His written evidence to this inquiry is to the effect that he had one-night stands with two activists and a number of sexual encounters with non-activists during his deployment. 'He portrays a unit in which such conduct was well known and accepted as part of the job.' The inquiry heard two senior managers told him the SDS went 'where MI5 feared to go', implying sex was part of the role - even though some of the undercover officers already had families. One of them, married officer Mark Jenner, used the surname 'Cassidy' as he spent five years infiltrating left-wing protest groups, during which time he met a campaigner known as 'Alison'. Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack in south London in 1993 The pair were in a relationship for much of his deployment - living in Alison's home and going on foreign holidays together - until Jenner's sudden and unexpected departure from the role. Another agent known as 'Christine Green' became so involved with an animal rights activist during her deployment that she left her husband and quit the Met altogether, Mr Barr said. The inquiry heard that the then-Commissioner Sir Paul Condon praised the SDS team's work in its 1997 annual report. He said: 'Please convey my appreciation to all concerned for another year of outstanding courage and professionalism.' Mr Barr said there had been 'many examples' of 'racist content' within the SDS during earlier stages of the inquiry, and said the probe will spend the next three months looking to establish whether there was any conscious or subconscious racism in the SDS deployments under investigation between 1993 and 2007. The public inquiry into undercover policing was announced by then-home secretary Theresa May in 2015, after former officer Francis turned whistleblower. He said he had been tasked with gathering information to smear the Lawrence family, something the Met has always denied. Peter Skelton KC, representing the Met, said the organisation acknowledged 'the serious wrongdoing by some' undercover officers, and their mismanagement by bosses. He said undercover officers 'unnecessarily and unjustifiably reported on the activities of family justice campaigns and community group'. And he said 'there was a general failure by managers to pursue formal disciplinary proceedings' against undercover officers who engaged in sexual and other misconduct, including disobeying orders and breaking operational rules He said other failures included the use of deceased persons' identities, the welfare of undercover officers, and the effects of their work on their spouses, partners and families. He said: 'Some of the SDS's deployments wrongly gathered intelligence on individuals, groups, and campaigns that should never have been the subject of undercover reporting.' The latest stage of the public inquiry follows a parole hearing for one of Stephen's killers, David Norris, which concluded on Friday. Giving evidence on Tuesday, Norris expressed remorse for his role in the killing for the first time, but refused to reveal the names of the other members of the racist gang who killed Stephen. The Parole Board panel will make a decision in two weeks as to whether Norris is ready for release. The inquiry continues. For weeks now, the once-tranquil South Waterfront neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, has been transformed into something resembling a war zone. Residents of the low-income Gray's Landing housing block - a modern, glass-fronted complex that sits across from the city's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center - say they are living in fear, caught between angry demonstrators and heavily armed federal officers. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Jeyleen Maldonado, 61, said the nightly scenes of violence, tear gas and helicopters have become 'traumatizing.' 'I'm desensitized,' she said. 'I close my windows, turn up the music and pretend it's like they're filming a Hollywood movie.' Maldonado, a security guard who lives on the third floor, said she deliberately works the night shift so she doesn't have to be home 'around the chaos.' Others, she said, don't have that option. 'People are traumatized,' she told the Daily Mail. 'Especially those with small children - the kids have to hear the screaming and feel that scary vibe out there.' She said the chemical agents used to break up crowds 'get into the air' and affect everyone - 'elderly, veterans, children and animals.' Residents of the South Waterfront neighborhood of Portland say the area has turned into a war zone Locals complain of weeks of clashes between anti-ICE protestors and law enforcement While she insisted she 'prefer that it's secured,' she said the situation often spirals out of control. 'There's unnecessary fights. Even with people that are in harmony, they still get attacked.' One night, Maldonado said, she and her girlfriend 'had to run inside the building because it was chaotic out there.' Still, she stressed that most demonstrators are peaceful, blaming the outbreaks of violence on 'a few bad actors.' Her account paints a disturbing picture of life for the hundreds of working-class residents trapped in the middle of Portland's ongoing battle between anti-ICE activists and federal law enforcement. Neighbor Brennah Hammar, 57, told BBC the area feels like 'a war zone.' The protests begin after dark, she explained, and often continue until dawn - punctuated by the whir of police helicopters, the hiss of tear gas and the shouts of demonstrators. 'There are times I've had to have a gas mask on inside my own home,' she told the outlet. 'I sleep wearing it, just to protect myself.' Federal officers regularly fire tear gas canisters to disperse crowds, but the fumes seep through the vents and windows of nearby apartments. 'It's terrifying,' Hammar added. 'You never get used to it.' One resident described being forced to flee from a dangerously violent clash near her home Residents of the low-income Gray's Landing housing block (pictured) live right across from the city's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center Another Gray's Landing resident, Cloud Elvengrail, took the extraordinary step of suing the city. In her lawsuit, filed this summer, Elvengrail described how the nightly noise and chemical residue have turned her home into a 'nightmare.' She claimed that the shrill alarms, sirens and amplified screams that accompany the protests have left her anxious, sleepless and fearing for her health. 'I am living in constant pain, my ears are ringing, the sound is so loud it made my left ear bleed, and there is no peace or quiet because the sound weapons theyre using day and night are killing us,' she told the Willamette Week. She accused both city officials and federal authorities of failing to protect residents' rights. She said the constant noise has damaged her hearing and made it impossible to work or rest. A judge ruled in August that police did not need to alter their tactics in response to her concerns - a blow for Elvengrail, who insisted she and her neighbors, which include veterans, elderly residents and children, are effectively 'under siege.' Portland's ICE facility has long been a magnet for left-wing demonstrators, including immigrant rights activists, Antifa and the remnants of the Occupy ICE movement. But under Donald Trump's presidency, the nightly clashes have intensified. Protesters say they are opposing the government's immigration raids and family separation policies. Trump, however, has dismissed the demonstrators as 'insurrectionists' and 'domestic terrorists.' In September, Trump announced that he would be sending federal troops to Portland, claiming the city was 'burning to the ground.' Another night of clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers outside the ICE headquarters in Portland (pictured) Trump's deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard soldiers has been held up in the courts The White House later confirmed that 200 Oregon National Guard soldiers would be placed under federal control for 60 days - a move immediately challenged in court. This week, a federal appeals court in San Francisco is weighing whether to uphold a temporary ban preventing National Guard deployment, after Oregon's Democratic governor accused Trump of exaggerating 'small, mostly peaceful protests' to justify a show of military force. Back at Gray's Landing, residents are split over whether Trump's plan will make things better or worse. Maldonado is skeptical, saying a deployment 'would only bring more chaos.' Yet she also said she can see 'both sides.' 'I sympathize with protesters who are expressing themselves through art and music,' she told the Daily Mail. 'They're trying to support the families that have been profiled or separated.' She also criticized heavy-handed police tactics. 'Dragging people on the floor or spraying them in the face - that's extreme. If they're committing crimes, that's different. But if they're just going to their appointments or waiting for a bus, they shouldn't be attacked for that.' For the residents of Portland's South Waterfront, life has become a grim balancing act between empathy for the protesters' cause and exhaustion from living in the crossfire. The nightly cycle of marches, police sirens and helicopter noise has pushed many to their breaking point. Though they decry the chaos, residents are not sure Trump's deployment of guardsmen will make the streets safer One local woman said she had to sleep with a gas mask on because so much tear gas was being used in the streets outside Elderly residents huddle inside with towels stuffed under their doors to keep out the fumes. Families tape their windows shut. Pets cower under beds when the explosions start. Maldonado said she has learned to block out the fear. 'You get used to it,' she said. 'You don't have a choice.' As Portland braces for another round of protests - and as a federal court weighs whether troops can be deployed to the streets - those who live on this battered block can only hope the battle outside their windows will finally end. For now, the tear gas still drifts through the air each night, and the buzz of helicopters still echoes above the Willamette River. And for residents like Maldonado, Hammar and Elvengrail, Portland's 'war zone' shows no sign of calming. Prosecutors have already lodged an appeal against that sentence Erin Patterson was sentenced to life in prison, with a 33 year minimum Erin Patterson's bid to escape jail on the back of an appeal is fraught with danger, according to one of Australia's top legal minds. As Crown prosecutors prepare their case to ensure the evil killer remains behind bars for the rest of her life, the 51-year-old is putting together a crack team of legal minds to challenge her conviction. Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Christopher Beale sentenced Patterson to life in prison on September 8, but set a non-parole period of 33 years. Patterson was found guilty of the murders of Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. They died after consuming death cap mushrooms served in Beef Wellingtons during lunch at her Leongatha home on July 29, 2023. Pastor Ian Wilkinson survived the lunch after being critically ill, with Patterson also convicted of his attempted murder. Top Melbourne criminal lawyer George Balot, of Balot Reilly Criminal Lawyers, told Daily Mail on its latest The Trial Australia Podcast that Patterson's legal team might focus on picking holes in the judge's final address to the jury at her trial. Justice Beale's epic final address, known as the 'judge's charge', was delivered over five long days, spanning from June 24 to June 30. Erin Patterson is planning to appeal her convictions over three murders Patterson has reportedly engaged the services of barrister Julian McMahon - a Companion of the Order of Australia and a Senior Counsel who counts the heroin smuggling ringleaders of the Bali Nine among his highest-profile defendants. While Mr Balor said he was unsure who would defend Patterson, he believed Mr McMahon was well suited to the job. 'He's a brilliant lateral thinker, a good problem solver, a humble man with a great ability,' Mr Balot said. 'In my view, he's up there with the very best senior counsels we have in the country.' Mr Balot said Patterson's team would be looking hard at the Jury Directions Act to formulate her escape plan. 'If they file the appeal against conviction, then he might look into some of the Jury Direction Act requirements as to whether the jury received proper directions, whether there was an error of law,' he said. 'So these are some of the things that he's going to have to think about in formulating his appeal. 'It needs to be able to demonstrate that there was a miscarriage of justice. The Court of Appeal has recently allowed a number of appeals where judges had misdirected juries or failed to direct them. 'I'm not suggesting this has happened here, but what I am saying is it's something that he's going to have to consider and will consider, and he will do it on the highest level.' George Balot (right), of Balot Reilly Criminal Lawyers, thinks Patterson's attempts to overturn her convictions could backfire An artist's impression of Erin Patterson in court as she was found guilty Patterson's team is expected to challenge Justice Beale's summary of her defence, amid speculation it failed to adequately highlight her testimony and arguments, including her claim of accidental mushroom inclusion, her lack of knowledge about death caps' lethality, and her explanations for so-called 'incriminating conduct It could also argue Justice Beale selectively emphasised prosecution points without giving equal scrutiny to witness credibility, including 'hearsay evidence' from Patterson's dying victims. Patterson's admitted lies could also present difficulties in the Court of Appeal, with a potential argument about Justice Beale's framing of them, which may have encouraged an inference of guilt, particularly when linked to phone data and factory resets. Mr Balot said the Court of Appeal in Victoria appeared to have increasingly been entertaining appeals concerning trial directions over the past year. 'The Court of Appeal has recently been a lot more receptive,' he said. 'So whereas in the past not many appeals were getting through as successful appeals being upheld, now we're seeing in the last 12 months more appeals than I can ever remember being upheld and convictions quashed.' But Patterson's attempt to overturn her conviction carries its own risks to her liberty. 'So if she puts in an appeal against conviction and she's successful ... and a retrial is ordered, some of the evidence will be played on video for a new jury,' he said. Patterson had been defended by barristers Sophie Stafford and Colin Mandy, SC 'So not all the witnesses will have to go through the same process. In addition to that, evidence that might have been excluded in previous trials might not be excluded on this trial. 'So it's very important to keep that in mind and you know be careful as to what you wish for.' Patterson had been fortunate in having crucial police evidence withheld from the jury, which will likely be re-introduced should a retrial be ordered. 'And another interesting thing ... is if she succeeds on her conviction appeal, she might then be able to go back to the Supreme Court, plead guilty and receive a discount for a plea of guilty and saving the community a trial,' Mr Balot said. 'And so she could potentially do better than 33 years if she takes advantage of that.' Whatever the case, Mr Balot believes Patterson won't be getting out of jail anytime soon. 'The Court of Appeal might not sit for a long period of time. It won't, in my view,' he said. 'Firstly, she has to persuade the court that the court should grant leave for her to appeal. In other words, permission for her to appeal. Patterson had been fortunate in having crucial police evidence withheld from the jury, which will likely be re-introduced should a retrial be ordered Part of the leftover beef Wellingtons recovered by police 'And that needs to be a reasonable argument. And then once that's done, the Court of Appeal might not hear the appeal for quite some time. 'It might not happen until 2026 or even 2027. It might be a long time.' The test for appeals in Victoria depends on whether or not the grounds are reasonably arguable. London's phone theft hotspots were revealed today after police busted a gang who were exporting almost half of the mobile phones stolen on Britain's streets. The sting operation revealed by the Daily Mail last Monday was hailed by Scotland Yard's commissioner as the 'biggest counter-phone theft operation in the world.' It follows data from the Metropolitan Police released in August that showed 116,000 mobile phones were stolen in London last year, or 320 every single day. The London borough with the most phones stolen in 2024 was Westminster, with 34,039. Camden came second with 10,907, followed by Southwark with 7,316. There were 116,656 reported mobile thefts in 2024 the highest number on record and more than 50 per cent higher than the total in 2017 of just over 77,000. Last year's total was equivalent to 13 phones being stolen every hour and it was 1,300 incidents higher than in the previous 12 months. Despite the number of thefts, only 169 suspects were charged in the year, and seven were let off with a caution. The figures, obtained from the Met under freedom of information laws by campaign group Crush Crime, also showed a further 8,588 handset thefts in January this year. Some 61,000 of victims were female and just under 48,000 were male, with the rest not recorded. From 2017 to 2024 the total number of mobile phones reported stolen was almost 684,000 and they were estimated to have a value of 365million. Your browser does not support iframes. Officers with Tasers stop a specially adapted people carrier and arrest alleged gang leaders Body worn footage of one of the suspected gang leaders as he is wrestled to the ground The pair used a specially adapted vehicle that had been converted into a mobile 'chop shop' The number of phone thefts climbed to 91,000 in 2019 but dipped during lockdowns. It then went on to exceed the pre-Covid total in 2023, with just over 115,000 thefts. On Monday, the Met revealed police had disrupted an international network suspected of smuggling tens of thousands of stolen phones from the UK in its largest operation to tackle phone theft in London. The criminal organisation is believed to have smuggled up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China over the past 12 months up to 40 per cent of all phones stolen in the capital. The force launched Operation Echosteep in December 2024 after a box containing about 1,000 iPhones being shipped to Hong Kong was found at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Officers discovered almost all the phones had been stolen. They intercepted further shipments and used forensic evidence found on the packages to identify the suspects. A man was charged with handling stolen goods after being stopped with 10 suspected stolen phones at Heathrow Airport on September 20. Officers also discovered two iPads, two laptops and two Rolex watches. Further inquiries revealed the same man had travelled between London and Algeria more than 200 times in two years. Two other men aged in their 30s were arrested three days later in north-east London on suspicion of handling stolen goods. A number of phones were found in their car and around 2,000 more devices were found at properties linked to the suspects. Police chase and arrest two thieves on e-bikes who committed a series of phone snatches Some of the bundles of phones wrapped in tin foil seized in the Met's Operation Echosteep Undercover Mail reporters took this photo of phones inside the same office block in Hong Kong where Heron and Seagull had allegedly been sending devices stolen on Britain's streets Territorial Support Officers about to raid the home of a suspected phone thief in Enfield Officers arrest a Bulgarian woman accused of stealing phones across the capital They were subsequently charged and remanded in custody, police said. Two more men, also in their 30s, were arrested on September 25 on suspicion of money laundering and handling stolen goods after Met officers recovered about 40,000 in cash at a phone shop on Seven Sisters Road in Islington, North London. Officers also seized a number of stolen devices during the search. The men have since been bailed pending further investigation. Officers carried out a total of 46 arrests following a two-week operation, including 11 arrests made while police tackled criminal gangs robbing delivery vans for the new iPhone 17. Another 15 people were arrested over the past week on suspicion of theft, handling stolen goods and conspiracy to steal, the Met said. More than 30 suspected devices were also found during searches at 28 properties across London and Hertfordshire. Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, the senior investigating officer for Operation Echosteep, said smugglers specifically targeted Apple products because of their profitability overseas. Street thieves are being paid up to 300 per handset and stolen devices being sold for up to $5,000 (3,711) in China. This comes as cities around the world face a surge in mobile phone theft, with around 80,000 devices stolen in London last year, the Met said. Her demands for free extra plane seats for plus-size fliers made Jaelynn Chaney a controversial internet superstar, earning her gushing plaudits and furious criticism. Then earlier this year, the 29 year-old fat rights activist disappeared from her popular TikTok and Instagram channels without a trace. Chaney, who promoted her cause on CNN and The Washington Post, had hinted at troubles in her personal life in her final posts. That sparked concern among followers of the star's message that 'fat' fliers should get as many free additional seats as they need on planes so they can spread out. But no further information about Chaney's disappearance was forthcoming - until now. The Daily Mail has discovered that Chaney was accused of attacking police officers at a hospital in Kennewick, Washington, in February. The influencer's father Jerome Chaney told the Daily Mail he believed the incident had happened after his daughter - who publicly identifies as polyamorous - caught her ex-fiance, Jacob Ard, with another man, resulting in an alleged domestic assault. When officers arrived to arrest Chaney, they discovered the 6XL influencer was too big to fit into a police car sent to take her into custody. An evidence van then had to be dispatched so Chaney could be transported in the back of it. The 29 year-old fat rights activist disappeared from her popular TikTok and Instagram channels without a trace Chaney, who promoted her cause on CNN and The Washington Post, had hinted at troubles in her personal life in her final posts Chaney then claimed she was unable to manage the steps up to the van, police allege. That saw a foldable lift deployed so she could safely be placed in the rear of the van, according to court papers unearthed by the Daily Mail. Chaney was taken to Benton County Jail in Kennewick, where she was charged with third-degree assault and resisting arrest. The ordeal was a sad change in circumstances for Chaney, whose 140,000 TikTok followers and 93,000 Instagram fans propelled her to a life of glamorous free vacations and hotel stays. She shared tips for plus-size travelers and was a particular fan of Southwest's 'passenger of size' policy which offered free extra seats to larger passengers. Particularly controversial was Chaney's suggestion that regular ticket prices would have to rise to cover the cost of the free seats. But that pales in comparison to the scandal that has since engulfed her. Chaney's brush with the law began when officers with the Kennewick Police Department said they were called to Trios Medical Hospital for a disturbance involving Chaney. Staff there informed police that she was not present for any medical reason, and was actively causing disturbance, the papers said. Jaelynn Chaney's father Jerome, pictured outside his home in Pasco, Washington, on Thursday, told the Daily Mail his influencer daughter had caught her husband with another man Chaney was taken to the Benton County Jail earlier this year following the alleged altercation with officers Chaney and her ex Jacob Ard are seen here in a picture shared to his Instagram, her father claimed Ard had cheated on her with another man Police said they issued Chaney with a warning for trespassing which she ripped up in front of them, telling officers she was going to leave. The arresting officer described her as being very unpleasant to deal with, saying Chaney threatened to kill our families and was telling us to burn in hell. Officers said they had to escort her off the property in a wheelchair due to her physical ailments. While she was being wheeled out, the officer said Chaney told him she couldnt walk at all. The same cop said he had seen her walk just fine on prior contacts with her. Six days prior to her arrest, she had set up her own GoFundMe asking for her followers to donate so she could 'reclaim her life'. Chaney posted that she had nearly died from sepsis, while battling 'relentless trauma, isolation, and abuse' stemming from her relationship with Ard, she claimed. She raised $1,200 with a target set for $1,600, adding that the money would help her secure short-term housing, living essentials, and legal guidance. Alongside the fundraiser she shared images of herself in a hospital bed with a breathing tube in her nose, while others show her in the back of a car packed with luggage. Last year, Chaney blasted a staff member at Seattle-Tacoma Airport who refused to push her in a wheelchair because of her weight. Chaney claims the snub forced her to walk up a jet bridge and left her out of breath. During February's altercation with police, Chaney also allegedly struck one of the arresting officers in the shoulder and arm. She is then said to have tried to hit him in the face, but missed. While being placed under arrest, Chaney is said to have thrown herself to the ground and began yelling police were killing and sexually assaulting her. According to court papers, she said: Ramos knows what he did. KPD hands up. Dont f****** shoot. Im naked and they f****** raped me. Trios Southridge was trying to save me. FBI is watching. The identity of the 'Ramos' who Chaney referred to is unclear. Six days prior to her arrest, she had set up her own GoFundMe asking for her followers to donate so she could 'reclaim her life', saying she had survived having sepsis Chaney is seen here in the rear of a vehicle in a picture that she shared to her own GoFundMe page Her former partner Jacob Ard is seen here, the two had been in a relationship for six years according to Chaney The arresting officer noted in his report that 911 operators then informed him that Chaney had dialed 911 41 times from February 2024 until the day of the incident, February 28, 2025. Officers also noted that they had tried to have her placed under an involuntary hold but struggled to find a facility that could accommodate her. As a last resort, officers called her father who told police that while he loved his daughter he was unable to help due to her unruly behavior. The court paper adds: Overall, we afforded Jaelynn several opportunities to comply with our lawful request to reach a peaceful resolution, but she elected to take a different path. In March, while still in custody, Chaney's public defender filed an order for a competency evaluation, saying she was suffering from a mental disease or defect and may lack the capacity to understand the proceedings against him or her to assist in his or her own defense. Following that, she was ordered to undergo inpatient treatment by order of the state inside Eastern State Hospital after being found to be incompetent. That was on March 11, with the court later having to sign an order on March 14 allowing Benton County Jail officers to use force to move her to the hospital after she refused. In May, health officials handed over an inpatient evaluation saying in their opinion she was suffering from delirium due to sepsis, an unspecified personality disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. When approached for comment, Chaney declined to speak with the Daily Mail about her legal issues As part of the evaluation, Chaney told officials that she was recently single, having called off her engagement of six years with her fiance Jacob Ard. She claims that Ard, who is also a plus-size influencer, tried to kill us both on a business trip, saying she had found out who he was. Chaney added that the relationship was abusive, telling professionals she settled, like when you settle for crumbs, a guy who was way beneath you. Ard was not at home when the Daily Mail called at his address in Vancouver, Washington, on Thursday. As part of the evaluation, Chaney said her upbringing had involved human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, witnessing crime, guns, drugs and violence. She also said she was homeless at numerous times in her life. Throughout her time in state hospital, healthcare professionals noted she was not compliant with treatment and would frequently use her call light to request water, to have her alarm turned off, to ask for a chaplain, and to have her bed made. One doctor noted that she would frequently make conflicting requests, requesting for four sets of clean linens over five hours, before she is said to have thrown them on the floor and asked for more. The same doctor said she also asked to dial 911 from her hospital bed to have a catheter line inserted. The report said she would consistently use foul language while declining to shower and reported to them daily that she was either pregnant, in labor or having a miscarriage, despite negative pregnancy tests. At one point she refused an increase in her medication also due to her being pregnant and also declined to shower. Staff resorted to interacting with her from the hallway in the hospital or in pairs after finding her condescending and derogatory the report added. She told staff she wanted them to use their bare hands on her while treating pressure sores on her body caused by her weight. In May, after the report was submitted to the court, the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney filed a motion to dismiss the case. Chaney's father Jerome told the Daily Mail that his daughter was 'doing well' following her release from hospital. When contacted by phone, Chaney said she would 'have to check her schedule' before deciding whether she could chat to us. She subsequently said: 'I do not wish to comment.' While others chose to run, Tal Haimi, a father of four, decided to stay back and defend his family's kibbutz when Hamas militants attacked on October 7, 2023. 'He wasn't taken while hiding,' said Udi Goren, Haimi's cousin. 'He was fighting to protect others.' Haimia member of a rapid response local security forcewas killed and his body dragged into Gaza. His family didn't learn of his death until two months later, when the IDF confirmed the horrific news. 'It was heartbreaking,' he said sadly. More than two years after Hamas kidnapped 251 people from Israel, 48 hostages remain outstanding, with at least 20 believed to be alive at this time. President Trump is set to arrive in Israel on Monday morning and address the Knesset, making a quick visit to mark the ceasefire deal he helped broker. The president said hostages would be released on Monday or Tuesday. For Gorin, the stakes aren't abstract: The struggle is about recovering his family member's body a painful task made more difficult by reports that some bodies may not be returned under the proposed ceasefire deal. For his cousin, the loss isn't abstract: it's raw, unresolved and it drives every plea, protest and negotiation he now leads on behalf of other hostage families 41yearold civil engineer Tal Haimi, was defending their kibbutz, Nir Yitzhak, when Hamas militants attacked. Haimi was killed that day, and the family was later told of his death Udi Goren says he was at a delegation to the EU when Haimi's uncle called him, letting him know that the IDF confirmed he was murdered For hostage families like Goren's, each day without clarity or movement only reinforces the dread that promises could be delayed or broken His widow is now raising four children on her own. 'She's incredibly strong,' Goren said. 'She's focused on the kids. But they all need closure' 'For two years, we've lived with this,' said Goren, who has become a leading voice in the Hostage Families Forum. 'His wife, his kids they just need to know he's home. They need a grave to visit. That's the bare minimum' 'For two years, we've lived with this,' said Goren, who has become a leading voice in the Hostage Families Forum. 'His wife, his kids they just need to know he's home. They need a grave to visit. That's the bare minimum.' Haimi's widow is now raising four children alone. 'She's incredibly strong,' Goren said. 'She's focused on the kids. But they all need closure.' Now, with a fragile ceasefire in place, Haimi's family watches with guarded hopeand deep dread. A 72hour truce began with Israeli forces pulling back to new positions in Gaza. By Monday's deadline, hostagesliving and deadare set to be released alongside nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. But for Goren, promises mean nothing until bodies come home. 'We've been told before that a deal was close. Twice in the past six months alone,' he said. 'And then it fell through. It's not real until we see people coming home.' The fear that Hamas won't honor the agreement haunts him. Whether both sides will adhere to the timeline, guarantee safe passage, and fulfill all conditions remains uncertainand lives hang in the balance. 'I am very anxious about Hamas not holding up their end of the deal,' Goren said. Goren has traveled as part of international delegations to keep pressure on world leaders. He visited New York last September and continues to work with families of other hostages Of the 48 hostages named in the current agreement, only 20 are believed to be alive Asked what he would say to his cousin today, Goren paused. 'He should be proud of his family,' he said quietly. 'Of his wife, of his children, of how they've carried on. That's what I would tell him' For Goren and Haimi's family, each day without movement only deepens the dread that this deal, like others before it, could collapse. 'If they can't find all the murdered hostages in the 72hour window, what happens?' Goren asked. 'Do we abandon the deal? Do we give up? That's terrifying.' Goren and Haimi were born just months apart. Raised in different parts of Israel, Goren in the city, Haimi in the kibbutz they remained close throughout their lives. 'He was gentle, a problem solver, deeply devoted to his family,' Goren recalled. 'And on that day, he did what he always did he stepped up.' As public opinion around the conflict remains deeply polarized, Goren offers a broader perspective. 'A lot of people think they have to pick a side Israel or Palestine,' he said. 'But the real divide is between those who want a peaceful resolution and those who don't.' He emphasized that this deal is not just about Israel or Gaza it's about ending human suffering on both sides. 'You don't have to support Israel. You don't have to support Hamas. Just support this deal,' he said. 'Support bringing the hostages home. Support stopping the killing. That's what matters.' Asked what he would say to his cousin today, Goren paused. 'He should be proud of his family,' he said quietly. 'Of his wife, of his children, of how they've carried on. That's what I would tell him.' Miss USA hopeful Kada Scott, 23, was last seen by her family on October 4 when she left for work at a Philadelphia nursing home. Now, after more than a week without any sign of her daughter, Kim Matthews is revealing the details of strange phone calls that her daughter was receiving in the days before she vanished. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Matthews claimed her daughter received multiple calls, possibly from out of state, after reviewing phone logs from her daughter's carrier, T-Mobile. Matthew said the calls were made through an app called TextNow, a free messaging service that allows users to communicate anonymously without revealing their real phone number. Matthews told the Daily Mail: 'From what Ive heard, a few of her friends said she was scared and told them someone had been harassing or threatening her, but she never mentioned a name.' Law enforcement, she said, is still investigating who could be behind the phone calls. Kada Scott, 23, was last seen by her family on October 4 when she left for work at the Terrace at Chestnut Hill, a nursing home in Philadelphia Kim Matthews, Scott's mother, described the nature of the eerie calls her daughter was receiving before she disappeared Matthews also claimed that her daughter's employer has been silent amid the search for Scott. 'The job has not been speaking to me. I am concerned. You can't trust anyone. They have no record, no cameras inside, outside. It's all hearsay,' Matthews told the Daily Mail. 'She was there, she wasn't there, she left at this time. I was told when I called originally that she worked her full shift from 10pm to 6am. I called back, then they said she left at 10:40. Then they told me she left at 10:15 and she walked out with another co-worker. 'I definitely believe something is going on up there.' Scott was scheduled to work her usual overnight shift from 10pm to 6am last Saturday, but coworkers reported seeing her leave the building in her black scrubs shortly after she arrived, according to police. Detectives said the facility has no surveillance cameras, but that they found Scott's car - which is currently being analyzed for possible forensic evidence - parked outside. 'What's troubling about this case is number one, you have a 23-year-old young lady who has completely disappeared. We have no cellphone activity or social media activity, and she's not reached out to family or friends,' Captain John Craig, commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Department's Northwest Detective Division, said at a press conference on Wednesday. She was last seen at around 9:45pm leaving her job at The Terrace at Chestnut Hill, an assisted living facility in the northwest section of the city Mathews said she has not heard anything from her job and that something is 'definitely off' The nursing facility's management company, Bridge Senior Living, provided a statement addressing Scott's disappearance, saying that it remains 'hopeful for a positive outcome.' 'We take our associates' safety and well-being very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement's efforts to locate Ms Scott,' the statement read. 'As this is an active investigation, we are unable to share additional details at this time.' Meanwhile, Matthews and Scott's father, Kevin Scott, have been putting up flyers all around the neighborhood with her picture. Police described Scott as 5-feet-6-inches, 120 pounds with a thin build, brown eyes and black hair. 'It's my oldest daughter. I love her.' Kevin Scott told WPVI. 'The last few days have been crazy. Head's spinning. Trying to figure out what's going on.' Detectives are attempting to find any relevant surveillance video that may have captured Scott in the vicinity of the assisted living facility, as well as interviewing her friends and family. Police are also combing through her social media, looking through her private messages and posts. 'Any information, no matter how small, it would will be of great use to detectives investigating this case,' Craig said. 'No matter what information you have, think of it as a possible piece of a large jigsaw puzzle if there's a 100 pieces to a puzzle, you may think yours is insignificant, but without your piece, that jigsaw puzzle is not being solved.' Scott, a recent Pennsylvania State University graduate, was described by her family as 'creative' and 'very artistic.' She was also one of 32 women who competed this summer for the title of Miss Pennsylvania, the winner of which represents the state in the national Miss USA pageant. Scott, however, did not earn the title. 'I'm thinking positive. She's OK, wherever she's at, and we're going to find her,' her father Kevin said. 'That's what I'm thinking right now.' Anyone who has information can contact law enforcement at 215-686-TIPS. An iconic lakefront eatery in California has been forced to shutter as tourism dwindles and locals move away in search of cheaper living. Jake's On The Lake in Tahoe City announced it would be closing its doors for good at the end of October, with a goodbye celebration set for October 25. After rising costs and the Covid-19 pandemic caused locals to move away from the area, businesses like Jake's were left reliant on seasonal tourism to help keep them afloat. North Lake Tahoe saw more than a quarter of full-time residents disperse between 2010 and 2017, SFGate reported. Then, from 2019 to 2021, 94 percent of homes sold in Placer County were second homes or short-term rentals, according to Placer County data obtained by the outlet. Businesses such as Jake's began to feel the effect of losing many customers that would frequent their stores or restaurants, as many home buyers or renters moved away in search of a cheaper cost of living. 'Jakes makes its money in the summertime,' Managing partner Jeff Hill told the Sierra Sun. 'We lose money from November through May, and thats the way its been for a long time. But when youre nearing the end of a lease, its harder to justify that cycle.' Jake's On The Lake in Tahoe City announced it would be closing its doors for good at the end of October, with a goodbye celebration set for October 25 Businesses such as Jake's began to feel the effect of losing many customers that would frequent their stores or restaurants, as many home buyers or renters moved away in search of a cheaper cost of living The original owners, Sandy Saxten and Rob Thibaut, opened Jake's as their second establishment while building their own restaurant empire, TS Restaurants, which has locations in Hawaii and California Now, Jake's On The Lake, that has been running since 1978, faces being demolished. Redevelopment plans for the restaurant, part of Tahoe Citys Boatworks Mall, include destroying the mall and the businesses within to make way for a luxury hotel, SFGate reported. The plans, while not yet approved, have left locals heartbroken by the loss of the iconic eatery. 'Sad news, not just of Jakes and Boatworks Mall closing n being demolished for a luxury hotel but for a way of life, including my own, that enriched and gave joy n family to generations. Jakes On The Lake you will be missed. A new era is here. Lets see what it brings,' one user commented on Facebook. 'This is a tough one to swallow,' another wrote. 'Tragic whats happening.' One said: 'Lots of wonderful memories eating there.. four generations of my family have enjoyed meals at the beautiful location! It will be missed!' 'This makes me so sad. I worked there in the late 80s. Thanks for the fabulous memories,' another commented. Known for its view of the lake, Jake's was celebrated as a family-owned and friendly business where locals would frequent for birthday parties, wedding parties or fundraising events. Redevelopment plans for the restaurant, part of Tahoe Citys Boatworks Mall, include destroying the mall and the businesses within to make way for a luxury hotel Managing partner Jeff Hill said the business is currently in negotiations and hopes to reopen in May 2026, but it remains uncertain if it would be possible Its original owners, Sandy Saxten and Rob Thibaut, opened Jake's as their second establishment while building their own restaurant empire, TS Restaurants, which has locations in Hawaii and California. 'Thibaut wanted it to be a family place,' an employee told the outlet. 'And thats what I think is so special about Jakes, is its been independently owned since Thibaut took over.' But as customer numbers dwindled, businesses such as Jake's became more reliant on their seasonal work. Hill told the outlet: 'That cycle has only become more amplified with time.' He said the business is currently in negotiations and hopes to reopen in May 2026, but it remains uncertain if it would be possible. 'Jakes is heritage. Its history. People got married here, met here, even raised families through this place,' Hill added. 'The story of this place is long and beautiful. It would be hard to imagine Jakes in any other location and if you were to move it, it would lose that feeling.' Locals who frequented the restaurant shared memories of their happy times dining at Jake's, and named favorite items such as the eatery's hula pie The restaurant's closing party is set to take place at the end of the month, with live music and a hearty goodbye to the long standing icon. Locals who frequented the restaurant shared memories of their happy times dining at Jake's, and named favorite items such as the eatery's hula pie. 'If it is Jakes time to officially be over, then what an incredible run,' Hill said. 'Were so grateful for everyone whos been a part of it employees, patrons, families. Everyone whos helped make Jakes what it is.' A woman has slammed police after she was 'treated like an animal in a cage' during a strip search at a music festival. Monique Sellars attended a music festival in Wollongong, south of Sydney, in 2021. Ms Sellars explained it was her first year of university and her first year living out of home when she and a group of friends decided to attend their very first music festival. Upon entering the festival, a police sniffer dog jumped onto the then 19-year-old Ms Sellars, and she was immediately taken into a makeshift police tent for a strip search. Ms Sellars said the area had about three gazebos, each with three makeshift walls and one side completely open to the rest of the police search area. A female officer introduced herself and explained the process of the strip search before instructing Ms Sellars to remove her clothes. The officer patted down her body and felt around Ms Sellars' corset as she searched for any drugs or prohibited substances. 'I was told to sit on the floor. They took my clothes away. So I was just like sitting on the floor in a G-string and corset, exposed to the rest of the police search area,' Ms Sellars told 10 News. Western Australian woman Monique Sellars said she was 'treated like an animal in a cage' during a police search at a music festival Ms Sellars, who was 19-years-old at the time, was attending a music festival in Wollongong when a police sniffer dog jumped onto her No drugs were found, but police did find a pouch of vodka, which they confiscated. Ms Sellars claimed a male officer then entered the area unannounced and grabbed her bumbag containing all her personal belongings while she was still barely clothed. Sitting frozen on the ground, Ms Sellars said she did not know who had access to the area, who was allowed to enter, or whether people from the festival were able to see her. She added she felt like 'an animal in a cage' and that her entire strip-search ordeal was a 'very violating situation.' 'Even though I had done nothing wrong, they just made me feel really guilty. It was condescending, violating, not humane,' Ms Sellars said. 'Being told to just sit on a grass floor for 10 minutes with barely any clothes on whilst they take your other belongings away, to just search without you around, it was really degrading. 'I don't think that having a dog come up and touch me was enough to have that kind of degrading experience.' Ms Sellars is one of more than 3,000 Australians taking part in a class-action lawsuit against the NSW Police Force over their treatment during strip searches at music festivals. Ms Sellars was immediately taken to a makeshift police tent where she was told to remove all her clothes for a strip search (pictured, police dogs on display) Ms Sellars' said the experience was 'condescending, violating and not humane' and left her with long-lasting anxiety whenever she encounters security or police officers (pictured, police seen on patrol during Splendour in the Grass 2023) It comes after another woman, Raya Meredith, was awarded $93,000 in damages after the Supreme Court of NSW found her strip search unlawful. Ms Meredith was at the Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay in 2018 when a drug detection dog sniffed towards her. Police took Ms Meredith to a makeshift cubicle for a strip search and forced her to remove all her clothes, including her underwear and tampon. A male police officer walked into the cubicle without warning to return her bag while Ms Meredith was still naked from the waist down. Ms Meredith was detained for about 30 minutes and released after officers failed to detect drugs or any other prohibited items. NSW Police officers argued the strip search was justified because the drug detection dog had sniffed towards Ms Meredith. In September, Supreme Court of NSW Justice Dina Yehia condemned the humiliating and unlawful strip search and ruled in Ms Meredith's favour. [NSW Police's] conclusion was entirely wrong, Justice Yehia said. It comes after another woman was awarded $93,000 in damages after she was forced to remove her clothes, including her underwear and tampon, during a strip search at a Splendour in the Grass festival in 2018 (pictured, general view during Splendour in the Grass 2023) 'She recalled feeling disgusted that another woman was putting her through this. She felt like vomiting. Justice Yehia added the entire experience was degrading, humiliating and caused fear to Ms Meredith who felt compelled to obey police. Ms Sellars has not specified an amount for what she believes would be fair compensation for her ordeal. She added the experience has left her with heightened anxiety whenever she sees or has to pass through security, including at the airport. However, she would like to see NSW Police make changes to their strip searching laws so that others do not have the same experience. 'Strip searching, it's a very, very personal invasion, and it can be very triggering for a lot of people,' Ms Sellars said. 'I think that's something that's kind of forgotten just because they are the police... how I felt as a 19-year-old, I wouldn't want anyone else to go through that.' An out-of-the-blue tropical holiday for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and fiancee Jodie Haydon has drawn speculation that it might be an opportunity to tie the knot. A concise statement was published by the leader's office on Saturday published the Prime Minister was 'out of office', though did not suggest where. 'The Prime Minister will be on leave for seven days from Saturday 11 October 2025. 'During this time, the Deputy Prime Minister will be Acting Prime Minister.' It has since been revealed that Albanese and 'Australia's first lady' jetted off in economy class to a tropical location, spotted by fellow holidaymakers. One suggested that 'perhaps the nice thing to do would be to send them some decent bubbly', when speaking to news.com.au. A media blackout is in place on the location until after the couple return from the holiday which is privately funded - although the need for Australian Federal Police security will still see a charge to taxpayers. The week-long holiday is thought to be the first overseas break for Albanese since he took up the role of Prime Minister in 2022. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and fiancee Jodie Haydon (pictured in Sydney in September) have flown off - in economy class - to a secret tropical holiday destination for a week Albanese has travelled abroad for Prime Ministerial commitments since being elected in 2022, but only seems to have holidayed within Australia for the last three years The hush tone surrounding the holiday, paired with an announcement that failed to specify they were heading abroad, has set off speculation over whether the couple have rushed off to get married. Albanese and Ms Haydon revealed in February that they would officially be husband and wife by the end of the year while speaking with Australian Women's Weekly. 'It will be small, intimate. Possibly outdoors, in the second half of this year, with our family and loved ones,' Ms Haydon said. 'And you can be sure (pet cavoodle) Toto will make an appearance.' It was at a work conference in 2020 where Ms Haydon met Mr Albanese - who was then opposition leader to the Scott Morrison government. He had asked if there were any South Sydney NRL fans in the audience, at which Ms Haydon yelled out the team's catch cry of 'up the Rabbitohs'. 'We met up for a drink... it's a nice relationship,' he said of their first date. But the Prime Minister's office has confirmed that the couple are not getting married overseas during their holiday. There has been speculation that Albanese and Ms Haydon (pictured in London in September) might get married on the holiday but the Prime Minister's office has shut down rumours The declaration that Albanese has headed off on leave, although short and without detail on the fact it is 'abroad', is a step up from the infamous lack of communication from predecessor Scott Morrison while in Hawaii during the 2019 to 2020 bushfires. The then-Prime Minister faced fierce criticism for going on an unannounced family break at a time when fires were claiming lives and homes. Objections to Morrison's surprise holiday only grew when his office refused to confirm if he had gone on holiday, citing 'security concerns' and 'protocol'. Morrison said he had been receiving regular updates on the bushfires disaster as well as the ongoing search for and treatment of victims of the White Island tragedy. 'The Commonwealth's responsibilities have been well managed by the Acting Prime Minister, Minister Littleproud and Minister Payne,' he said at the time. 'As noted, given the most recent tragic events, I will be returning to Sydney as soon as can be arranged.' Eventually, Morrison returned to Australia early from the family holiday after extensive criticism. Mr Morrison's holiday led to the Twitter hashtag #wherethebloodyhellareya trending across the country all week. In 2019, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) came under fierce criticism for going on an unannounced family holiday to Hawaii while fires were claiming lives in Australia It's a reference to the famous $186 million ad campaign featuring model Lara Bingle, which was made when Mr Morrison was Tourism Australia's boss. During a press conference in December 2019, Morrison admitted he had caused 'great anxiety' by leaving Australia, saying he would have done things differently if he had the 'benefit of hindsight'. He said he had made a promise to his two daughters Abby and Lily to take them on a holiday after a long year. 'I'm sure Australians are fair minded and understand that when you make a promise to your kids, you try to keep it - but as prime minister, you have other responsibilities. 'I accept that. I accept the criticism.' Mr Morrison said his family normally went on holidays on the south coast of NSW in January, but those plans were cancelled due to work commitments in Japan and India. Instead, he wanted to surprise the girls with a trip to Hawaii before the year ended, a plan he said he was sure other mothers and fathers could relate to. 'I tried to give them a bit of a nice surprise and take them here,' he said. 'I think that's what dads try and do if they can, when they've been working hard all year. 'I know there are lots of dads and mums out there who've been working hard all year try to treat their kids at this time of year, and that's what I was trying to do. It's just unfortunate it's come at such an awful time, particularly for those living in and around Sydney and NSW.' A Democratic-run county at the heart of Washington state is under scrutiny after a whistleblower alleged that more than 100 unqualified immigrants, some with expired visas, were hired as jail guards in violation of state law. King County's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), which oversees the jail system for the Seattle metro area, is now the subject of a joint state and local investigation. According to a complaint filed with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC), the county's correctional leadership knowingly hired individuals who lacked legal work authorization - potentially putting the safety of inmates, staff, and the public at risk. 'Individuals have been hired while holding only temporary work visas, and in some cases, with expired work authorization altogether,' the unnamed whistleblower wrote in a formal complaint. 'These hires are in direct violation of the statutory requirements set forth by state law.' The whistleblower, identified only as a current King County corrections officer, claimed in a letter to a county council member that the violations have been occurring for 'several years' and remain ongoing. The warning, first obtained and reported by Jason Rantz on Seattle Red 770 AM, estimates that 'well over 100 corrections officers currently employed by DAJD may fall into this questionable status.' 'Some estimates place the number closer to 130 officers,' the letter continued. King County in Seattle is under scrutiny after a whistleblower alleged that more than 100 unqualified immigrants, some with expired visas, were hired as jail guards The whistleblower accused King County's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) Director Allen Nance, pictured, and the department's human resources division of 'knowingly hiring unqualified immigrants' and of showing an 'extreme inability to effectively run our jails.' 'If the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission revokes their certifications, these individuals would be unable to continue serving as corrections officers. The loss of this many staff would place the County's jail system on the brink of collapse.' The whistleblower accused DAJD Director Allen Nance and the department's human resources division of 'knowingly hiring unqualified immigrants' and of showing an 'extreme inability to effectively run our jails.' The letter further warns that the leadership's 'disregard for compliance with state law has put public safety in King County at unacceptable risk.' King County officials have denied knowingly violating state law, though they acknowledged possible mistakes in how eligibility requirements were applied. 'The officers in question are all authorized to work in the United States, are highly trained for their roles, have undergone an extensive criminal background check process, and are in good standing with King County,' the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention insisted in a statement. However, a county spokesperson conceded that 'it appears that King County may have improperly applied a requirement set forth by a Washington State statute that limits the categories of workers eligible to serve as corrections officers in our adult jail facilities.' The spokesperson added that the county 'takes this potential oversight seriously and is actively investigating and taking remedial steps as necessary.' Under Washington state law only US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and individuals covered under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are permitted to serve as peace or corrections officers. If the whistleblower's claims are substantiated, with allegations of more than 100 officers, roughly a third of the workforce under threat, the fallout could cripple King County's correctional infrastructure Those hired under temporary work visas or with expired immigration documents are not legally eligible to work in such roles. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, which trains and certifies correctional officers, confirmed to Fox News that it has received the whistleblower complaint and launched a formal review. 'The agency is aware of the complaint and we are conducting an open investigation into King County's hiring practices,' said WSCJTC spokesman David Quinlan. Quinlan added that four recent King County hires were expelled from the training program after the county itself acknowledged they did not meet eligibility requirements. The state commission emphasized that it is the responsibility of the hiring agency, not the state, to verify immigration and employment eligibility before submitting certification paperwork. Employers must sign a 'Notice of Hire' under penalty of perjury affirming that the officer meets all legal requirements. The King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle If the whistleblower's claims are substantiated, the fallout could cripple King County's correctional infrastructure. Losing more than 100 officers, roughly a third of the workforce, could lead to unsafe staffing levels, restricted jail bookings, or even the closure of entire facilities, the complaint warned. An independent source familiar with the case told Seattle Red that some recent hires, 'all Africans,' had openly admitted they might not have the correct paperwork to legally work for the department. The WSCJTC has placed the complaint in its initial review phase, with no set timeline for completion. If the state finds grounds to pursue charges, uncertified officers could be decertified within 60 days unless they request a formal hearing. King County, home to Seattle and nearly 2.3 million residents, operates the state's largest jail system. Officials insist they are reviewing all active personnel files and reaffirmed their commitment to 'full compliance with state and federal law.' A federal government scheme designed to help first homebuyers may backfire, with the Reserve Bank warning it could leave first homebuyers saddled with overpriced properties and mortgages larger than the property's value. The government's fast-tracked scheme allows eligible first-home buyers to avoid lenders mortgage insurance while purchasing a home with just a 5 per cent deposit. RBA boss Michele Bullock told a Senate economics committee on Friday that the federal governments homebuyer scheme could push up property prices She also warned that if the housing market were to decline, first-home buyers who purchased under the scheme with high loan-to-value ratios could face serious risk -potentially owing more than their property is worth if prices fall. 'If they do find themselves in difficulties - there's a risk that may not cover the loan,' she said. 'When you've got a high loan-to-valuation ratio, it doesn't take as long for housing prices to decline and you're in negative equity.' Ms Bullock said deep-rooted supply and demand issues were driving up both property prices and rents. 'We've got to get supply of housing moving,' she said. Reserve Bank of Australia govenor Michele Bullock (pictured) denies the central bank's monetary policy played a pivotal role in driving up house prices The latest construction figures from the ABS show Australia is falling short of its housing target 'Supply is the big thing here, and it's been structural issue for many, many years. 'It didn't just start.' The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the number of homes approved fell 6 per cent in August to just under 15,000 off the back of a 10 per cent fall in July. ABS head of construction statistics Daniel Rossi said the nation's two largest states were driving the fall in house approvals. 'The fall in private sector houses in August was driven by Victoria and New South Wales, which were down 8.3 per cent and 6.2 per cent, respectively' he said. 'In contrast, Queensland rose 2.9 per cent and Western Australia rose 1.7 per cent.' The number of apartments approved fell 33 per cent to 2,704 dwellings, the second lowest result in the past year with only 527 new apartments approved in NSW and and 342 new apartments in Victoria. Townhouse approvals were also down nearly 20 per cent. Anthony Albanese's plan to let all first-home buyers get in with five per cent mortgage deposit is expected to push up house prices AMP chief economist Shane Oliver said while improving housing completions are bringing the property market into better balance, there is still an accumulated housing shortfall that has built up over the past few years. 'We estimate this to be around 200,000 to 300,000 dwellings,' he said. 'With the Government expanding the low deposit guarantee allowing most firts homebuyers to get in with a 5 per cent deposit , support for first home buyers is ramping up again which will likely bring forward demand and so add to near term upwards pressure on prices. 'The Government's Help to Buy Scheme with 10,000 places a year which will see the Government take a 30 to 40 per cent equity stake is also expected to start soon.' Money and finance commentator Sarah Wells said grants and schemes, such as the Home Guarantee Scheme, were election winners but did more harm than good. 'Grants and schemes unfortunately make first homebuyer price ranges more competitive,' she said. 'Solutions such as affordable rentals, capping negative gearing and efficiencies to building and development costs and time schedules are long term factors that need to be considered to maintain affordable housing.' Labor ministers have joined the Opposition in condemning Senator Lidia Thorpe's incendiary claim that she would 'burn down Parliament House' to support Palestine. The independent Senator made the comments at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne on Sunday, days after Israel and Hamas reached a tentative ceasefire. The remark drew a roar of support from the crowd but sparked immediate backlash from the federal Opposition and members of Australia's Jewish community. On Monday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined the chorus of opposition, describing the Senator's comments as 'of course' not acceptable. 'The concept of wanting to inflame, push the temperature up, is not what anyone should be doing, least of all a member of parliament,' Mr Burke told ABC Radio National. Social Services Minister Taya Plibersek toed a similar line, describing the Senator's comments as 'absolutely irresponsible' but not worth giving further attention. 'We just don't want to give it extra air,' Ms Plibersek told Seven's Sunrise program. But Sunrise host Nat Barr hit back: 'I totally understand that. This is completely inflammatory. But when you have a senator saying she will burn down Parliament House, is there a step further than just (condemnation)? Can you censure her?' Senator Lidia Thorpe has drawn widespread condemnation after threatening to 'burn down Parliament House' before a crowd of onlookers at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne Tens of thousands attended pro-Palestine marches across Australia on Sunday. Demonstrators are pictured at Hyde Park in Sydney, where NSW Police said some 8,000 people attended Plibersek said the issue would be dealt with at a later date. 'That's a matter to be decided down the track, but truly the last thing I want to be doing is promoting her or giving her the attention she so desperately craves,' Plibersek said. 'We need to focus on what we can do here in Australia. That is support a two-state solution and support whatever we can do to bring and assure peace in the Middle East.' Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth, meanwhile, indicated the words risked raising the temperature on divides over Middle Eastern conflict in Australia. 'People have the right to protest, but it must be done in a respectful way and of course, any comments that inflame violence and hatred are inappropriate, Ms Rishworth said on Monday. 'I think if fighting can stop in the Middle East, we need to make sure that we are turning the temperature down here at home. 'And of course, people want to see the end of the violence and they don't want to see tensions brought here into Australia.' Senator Thorpe's fiery remarks were met with roaring cheers of support from the crowd of protesters gathered in Melbourne on Sunday. Labor frontbenchers have joined the chorus of opposition against the firebrand Senator. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke (pictured) said the comments were 'of course' not acceptable Senator Thorpe was suspended from the Senate last year after ripping up a motion by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. She is pictured storming out from the Senate chamber 'So we stand with you every day, and we will fight every day, and we will turn up every day and if I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point I am not there to make friends,' she said. During her address, she compared the plight of Palestinians to that of Indigenous Australians, saying both groups shared a history of resistance. Amid the fallout, the opposition said it would 'consider options' to hold the controversial Senator to account, with Senate opposition leader Michaelia Cash casting the comments as the latest in a 'long history of appalling conduct'. 'The opposition will consider options available within the Senate to hold Senator Thorpe accountable and ensure the safety of all those who work in our parliament,' she said in a statement. The former Greens Senator made a similar remark in 2021 when she said a fire at the Old Parliament House seemed like the 'colonial system is burning down'. Last year, she disrupted parliamentary proceedings by entering the press gallery viewing area of the Senate to yell pro-Palestinian slogans. She had been suspended from the Senate a day earlier after she ripped up a motion by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on the chamber floor. The motion sought to have former Labor senator Fatima Payman, who was born in Afghanistan, investigated for an alleged section 44 citizenship issue. Sunday's marches came ahead of a peace summit in Egypt on Monday where the Gaza peace plan is expected to be signed. A ceasefire took place on Friday. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Australia's major cities and regions to show their support for Palestine and doubts over the longevity of the recently brokered peace agreement. NSW Police estimated some 8,000 people marched from Hyde Park to Belmore Park, well below organiser Palestine Action Group's estimate of 30,000. Victoria Police said some 3500 pro-Palestinine protesters turned out in Melbourne, while hundreds of members of the Jewish community met in Caulfield to welcome Monday's expected peace deal. Daily Mail contacted Senator Thorpe's office for comment. A grieving family have demanded justice after their two dogs were stabbed with one left injured so severely that it had to be put down. Marcus Norton was walking his Mastiff puppy, Chief, and an elderly Staffordshire terrier, Molly, at an off-leash area in Pinjarra, south of Perth, on Friday. He told 9News that when the two dogs approached a stranger and his dog, Molly and Chief were stabbed. His daughter Chevonne McNamara Norton shared horrifying details of the gruesome attack. 'He cracked (Molly's) skull, he punctured her lung, he stabbed her so deep on the back,' she said. The family rushed both pets to local Waroona Veterinary Clinic, but associated veterinary surgeon Ashleigh Holgate found Molly's injuries were too severe. 'Molly had some secondary issues due to her age, (so) it was decided it was better off for her to not go through the trauma of surgery,' she said. The decision was devastating for the family, with Ms McNamara Norton tearfully saying: 'My childhood pet that I grew up with is gone.' Marcus Norton was walking Mastiff puppy, Chief (left), and old Staffordshire terrier, Molly (right), in Pinjarra, south of Perth, when the two dogs were allegedly stabbed Mr Norton's daughter Chevonne McNamara Norton mourned her childhood pet Molly, who was put down after the incident on Friday A veterinary surgeon said that, due to Molly's age, she would need to be put down rather than go through surgery for the severe injuries she suffered in the park Mr Norton added that Molly has been 'harmless' and that, while being approached by two dogs might have been intimidating, he was there if there was an issue. 'It might have been daunting there. You've got two dogs coming your way and you panicked,' he said. '(But) I was right there... I was talking to you. I was calling out to you, just hang on.' Chief, who was also injured, is recovering with wounds due to heal over a matter of weeks. 'This has cost us more than $5500 that we don't have, like, what the hell. He needs to answer for this' Mr Norton said. Western Australia Police have launched an investigation, and allege the dog belonging to the stranger had bite marks. They believe Molly and Chief were attacked with a multi-use tool. A husband and wife whose elderly cat had to be put down after they starved it for four weeks have been fined $18,000 and banned from caring or owning animals for two years. Craig, 38, and Rebecca Donnelly, 36, were charged in May this year after an RSPCA inspector discovered their 12-year-old cat Princess locked in the bathroom of their Wollongong home, south of Sydney. According to facts tendered in court, the inspector had been called to the property after the animal welfare organisation received a complaint about a cat being abandoned. The RSPCA spent two days trying to locate or contact the Donnellys after the inspector heard the cat meowing from inside the house. Inspectors obtained a search warrant and found Princess severely emaciated and living in squalor. She was confined to a filthy bathroom without food or water and her litter tray was overflowing, with faeces, dirty clothes, and rubbish scattered across the floor. There was also an empty cat food bag covering her litter tray and unopened packets of cat food placed outside the door, according to the facts. Princess was given urgent treatment at a local vet before being transferred to the Sydney Veterinary Hospital in Yagoona, where she was found to weigh just 1.65kg and suffering dental disease. Craig and Rebecca Donnelly are pictured together on their wedding day in 2023 Princess the cat had to be euthanised after she could not be rehabilitated from severe anxiety developed as a result of her ordeal RSPCA Inspectors found her locked in a filthy bathroom (pictured) without food or water She spent 65 days in the RSPCA's care, but despite the best effort of staff, Princess had to be euthanised. She had developed severe and inescapable fear and anxiety, compounded by distress around food provision from humans. As she could not be rehabilitated, staff determined it would be cruel to prolong her life. The Donnellys were each charged with four offences: failing to provide proper care and sufficient food to an animal, failing to provide proper and sufficient drink, and two counts of failing to provide vet treatment. During an interview with the RSPCA inspector, the Donnellys said they were unable to return due to having a sick child and expressed regret. But Magistrate Geraldine Beattie rejected this explanation when sentencing the couple at Wollongong Local Court on August 15, after they pleaded guilty to all charges. Ms Beattie noted the couple's new property was just a ten-minute drive away and one of them could have attended to the cat. 'Theres no excuse. No sentence will make up for what happened to the cat,' Ms Beattie said. 'The legislation is in place to ensure the welfare of animals. This is a companion animal that cannot look after itself. Princess was found emaciated, weighing only 1.5kg after being neglected for four weeks 'A companion animal that relies on its owner to look after it, provide it with food and water and to be taken to the vet when they need to. Not be locked in a bathroom for weeks. 'The cat was 12 years old. It had been your companion animal for 12 years but for the four weeks it was locked in the bathroom, you didnt give it a single thought.' The husband and wife were fined $9000 each, which consists of two $3000 penalties for failing to provide vet treatment, $1500 for failing to provide food, and $1500 for failing to provide water. The couple were also both placed on six-month community correction orders, barred from owning or caring for animals for 24 months, and were ordered to pay the RSPCA animal care costs totalling $2388. The distressing case continues to haunt the animal welfare workers who fought to save Princess. Officer in charge, Inspector Tyson, said he will carry the case with him 'forever'. 'Hearing the desperate cries of a cat locked in a bathroom with no access to food and water and seeing it for the first time in such poor condition when I opened the bathroom door was both heartbreaking and unacceptable,' he said. 'Often when speaking about my job I hear phrases like, "I dont know how you do it" or "How do people do that to their animals". The court heard the couple were staying at a property ten-minutes away from where Princess was locked up in the bathroom The Donnellys were each fined $9000 'This is one of those jobs where I share those thoughts, and I just dont have an answer for why this cat had to go through so much suffering. 'It was so easily avoidable.' The Daily Mail can reveal it is not the first time the couple have been embroiled in court matters. Court records obtained by the Daily Mail show a civil case was launched against the pair in September 2023 within the consumer and commercial division. Rebecca Donnelly has also been the subject of several civil cases launched by the NSW Land And Housing Corporation dating back to 2017. The Daily Mail understands they relate to social housing matters. A devout Christian couple has been stripped of their foster license after refusing to sign a gender-affirming policy they say conflicts with their faith. Lydia and Heath Marvin, from Woburn, Massachusetts, have looked after eight children under the age of four since 2020, including many infants and toddlers with serious medical needs. But the couple say social workers pulled their license because they refused to sign a clause requiring foster parents to 'support, respect, and affirm a foster child's sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.' It put them in a position where they were essentially forced them to choose between their religion and the vulnerable children they had dedicated their lives to helping. 'We were told you must sign the form as is or you will be delicensed,' Lydia told WBZ. 'We will absolutely love and support and care for any child in our home, but we simply can't agree to go against our Christian faith in this area. 'Our Christian faith, it really drives us toward that,' husband Heath explained. '[The Book of James] says that true, undefiled religion is to care for the fatherless.' The Marvins say they were blindsided by the decision. Their last foster child, a baby with complex medical needs, lived with them for 15 months. 'Every night for 15 months, we were up at least three times,' Lydia said. 'We certainly thought we would have young children in our home for we didn't know how long, but we were not done.' Lydia and Heath Marvin, a devout Christian couple from Massachusetts, have fostered eight children under the age of four since 2020 including many infants with serious medical needs The couple say the gender-affirming policy they refused to sign conflicts with their faith, leading to being put in the position of choosing between their religion and vulnerable children The couple had reconfigured their home to welcome foster children, setting up cribs, play areas, and baby monitors. One infant they cared for required medical attention every few hours. But officials from Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) informed the couple in April that their refusal to sign the new policy meant their license would not be renewed. This came despite the agency's own social worker describing them as 'uniquely dedicated' foster parents who had successfully cared for children most others would not take in. They are now considering legal options, while two other Christian foster families have already joined a federal lawsuit against DCF, represented by the Massachusetts Family Institute and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The suit argues that Massachusetts is effectively forcing foster parents to 'renounce their beliefs in both speech and practice', The pair say it is a violation of the First Amendment's religious liberty protections. The case drew national attention last week after the Trump administration sent a formal letter to DCF condemning its gender-affirming requirement and citing the Marvins by name. 'These policies and developments are deeply troubling, clearly contrary to the purpose of child welfare programs, and in direct violation of First Amendment protections,' wrote Andrew Gradison, acting assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families. Polly Crozier, director of family advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, says 'foster parents are not parents - they're just a stopgap' A report from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth estimated that around 30 percent of foster children in the state identify as LGBTQ, similar to California and New York The case drew national attention last week after the Trump administration sent a formal letter to DCF condemning its gender-affirming requirement and citing the Marvins by name, with Andrew Gradison (pictured) labeling the policies 'deeply troubling' The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families declined to discuss the Marvins' specific case, citing ongoing litigation, but defended its policy in a statement to the Boston Globe. 'Foster homes are a refuge from serious child abuse and neglect and a place for children to heal,' a spokesman said. 'The Department of Children and Families works in partnership with foster parents to understand a child's trauma and to meet their physical and emotional needs by providing safe, consistent, and supportive relationships to thrive.' Advocates for LGBTQ+ youth argue the state's rule is essential to ensuring vulnerable children feel safe and affirmed. 'The state has an obligation to make sure children are safe and well protected,' said Polly Crozier, director of family advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). 'Foster parents are not parents - they're a stopgap to ensure children can safely go back to their families of origin.' A report from the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth estimated that around 30 percent of foster children in the state identify as LGBTQ, a similar figure to data in California and New York. According to HopeWell, a statewide foster nonprofit, there are between 8,000 and 9,000 children in state care but only about 5,500 licensed foster parents. The Marvins, who have three children of their own, appealed the loss of their license, but were unsuccessful The DCF requires foster parents to 'support, respect, and affirm a foster child's sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression' Nearly half of those children are moved more than twice a year - one of the worst stability rates in the nation. The Boston Globe reported how that the state also has the fifth-highest number of children in group homes and the fourth-highest rate of abuse in foster care. For now, Lydia and Heath say their home remains quiet. 'Now it seems like there's no path forward,' Lydia said. 'We certainly thought we would have young children in our home for a long time. We weren't done having young children. 'We weren't just going to say we care for the fatherless and widows and give money to some entity. We were actually going to do it ourselves, together as a family, and our kids would be a part of that.' Bridget Phillipson sparked fury yesterday as she sought to blame the Crown Prosecution Service for the China spy scandal. The Education Secretary also claimed Keir Starmer has full confidence in his beleaguered national security adviser Jonathan Powell. Ms Phillipson insisted that Mr Powell had played no role in the collapse of a prosecution against two alleged Chinese spies amid mounting scrutiny over the decision to drop the charges. She admitted that the national security adviser did brief ministers on China but said he was not involved in discussions about the substance or the evidence of the case. Mr Powell a diplomat and former chief of staff to Sir Tony Blair has been blamed for the Governments failure to state that China represented a threat to national security. The prosecution against Chris Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, collapsed last month when the Government refused to classify Beijing as a threat to national security. Both men were formally declared not guilty and deny any wrongdoing. The Prime Minister has claimed his hands were tied, blaming the previous Tory administration for not designating China an adversary at the time of the alleged offences. But Britains most senior prosecutor said the case collapsed because Sir Keirs administration refused to provide evidence that China is a national security threat to the UK in court. Bridget Phillipson sparked fury yesterday as she sought to blame the Crown Prosecution Service for the China spy scandal The Education Secretary also claimed Keir Starmer has full confidence in his beleaguered national security adviser Jonathan Powell But yesterday Ms Phillipson was asked for assurances that Mr Powell played no role in the decision. Yes, I can give that assurance, she told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. Asked what the purpose of Mr Powells role was if he was not advising on such cases, Ms Phillipson said: He will be, but as I say, this was a decision taken by the CPS. And asked whether he had Sir Keirs full confidence, she replied: Yes. Ms Phillipson added: The Crown Prosecution Service are best placed to explain why they were not able to bring forward a prosecution, but what I can be absolutely clear about is that ministers and others, including the national security adviser, had no role to play in either the substance of the case or the evidence in question, and evidential questions are matters for the Crown Prosecution Service. Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns said the Governments attempts to blame the CPS are preposterous at this point. And Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said it is appalling that the scrutiny-shirking Government is blaming the CPS over the collapse of the China spying case. The White House is said to have concerns that the failure to prosecute the two alleged spies risks undermining the special relationship. Christopher Berry leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court, central London, where he appeared accused of an offence under the Official Secrets Act, Friday April 26, 2024 The prosecution against Chris Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, (pictured) collapsed last month when the Government refused to classify Beijing as a threat to national security And pressure was mounting on Downing Street and Mr Powell after it was reported that intelligence agencies were prevented from directly submitting spying concerns about the proposed Chinese super-embassy near the City of London. The planning application is being considered by ministers, but intelligence agencies have been prevented from submitting concerns to the Government because their evidence would be disclosed to Beijing. The Tories called on Downing Street to reveal whether Mr Powell has been involved in talks to allow a Chinese company to build a wind turbine factory branded a threat to UK national security. Ministers are still considering whether to approve the 1.5 billion investment by Ming Yang. The companys proposed wind turbine factory in Scotland, which was announced on Friday, would be the largest in the UK. Terrifying drone footage captured the moment two fishermen were circled by a four-metre great white shark while fishing from their boat. The pair were enjoying a day out on the water off the coast of Rockingham Beach, south-west of Perth in Western Australia, on Sunday. While monitoring the lines they had cast into the water, a curious great white shark approached the boat. The massive four-metre predator swam circles around them and lingered for several minutes before eventually disappearing into the ocean's depths. The sighting comes after the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) issued a shark warning for beachgoers further south. Beachgoers were urged to take extra caution in the waters between Meelup and the Bunker Bay area, about 260km south of Perth. The warning was issued due to an increase in white shark detections in the past three days. The DPIRD urged people to adhere to beach closures and stay informed by checking for shark activity before entering the water. The two men were fishing off the coast of Rockingham Beach, south-west of Perth, when a four-metre great white shark approached their boat The massive predator circled the boat for several minutes before it eventually disappeared into the water The department also urged people to report any shark sightings to Water Police. In early October, a five-metre great white circled a group of terrified kayakers at Hillarys Dog Beach, about 25km north-west of Perth. There have been three shark sightings every day since the start of spring, according to The West Australian. Between September 1 and October 1, 91 shark sightings had been reported. This comes after a teenager was left fighting for life after he was attacked by a shark in Far North Queensland. The boy was swimming off Cook Esplanade on Thursday Island shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday when the attack occurred. He was rushed to a Townsville University Hospital with significant abdominal injuries. The teenager remains in a life-threatening condition. Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to appear before Parliament to explain the Governments role in the collapse of the China spies case. The Tory leader has written to the Prime Minister to demand he or a senior minister address the Commons as a matter of urgency instead of jetting off to the Middle East. Sir Keirs Government will face scrutiny over the abandoned prosecution as MPs return to Westminster after recess today and Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is expected to grant an Urgent Question to the Conservatives on the China spy scandal. Meanwhile former Tory leader and China hawk Sir Iain Duncan Smith is understood to have asked for an emergency parliamentary debate which would pile yet more pressure on Labour. The Tory leader has written to the Prime Minister to demand he or a senior minister address the Commons as a matter of urgency instead of jetting off to the Middle East Sir Keirs Government will face scrutiny over the abandoned prosecution as MPs return to Westminster after recess today and Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is expected to grant an Urgent Question to the Conservatives on the China spy scandal In a letter to the Prime Minister today, Mrs Badenoch said: Your Governments account of what has happened has changed repeatedly. Instead of setting out the full facts before the House of Commons today, you are planning to travel to the Middle East. 'If you will not make a statement yourself, will you instruct a senior minister to clear things up once and for all through a full parliamentary statement? 'The public and Parliament deserve answers and transparency. Nigel Farage last night accused Keir Starmer of 'disgraceful' rhetoric after Britain's youngest council leader was physically attacked. Reform UK politician George Finch, 19, was branded a 'racist' and a 'fascist' during the street assault on Friday night. Party leader Mr Farage condemned the attack and said the language used 'echoes the Prime Minister's disgraceful attack on Reform during the Labour conference'. Warwickshire county council leader Mr Finch claimed the alleged attacker had been 'wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens'. It comes just days after Mr Farage accused Sir Keir of putting a target on his back and 'inciting' the 'radical Left' against him and his supporters. A bitter row broke out after the Prime Minister branded Reform's immigration policies 'racist' and claimed Mr Farage was an 'enemy' of Britain during his Labour Party conference speech in September. And last week Green Party leader Zack Polanski dialled up the rhetoric as he branded Mr Farage and Reform policy chief Zia Yusuf 'fascists', and said that Reform is a 'far-Right party'. Reform said that on Friday, Mr Finch and a female friend were 'physically attacked' in Nuneaton town centre by a young man. After the alleged unprovoked attack, the man began shouting abuse at Mr Finch, calling him a 'racist' and a 'fascist'. Reform UK politician George Finch, 19, was branded a 'racist' and a 'fascist' during the street assault on Friday night Party leader Mr Farage condemned the attack and said the language used 'echoes the Prime Minister's disgraceful attack on Reform during the Labour conference' A bitter row broke out after the Prime Minister branded Reform's immigration policies 'racist' and claimed Mr Farage was an 'enemy' of Britain during his Labour Party conference speech He then followed the council leader and his friend before the police were called. Mr Farage told the Daily Mail: 'I'm deeply upset that our young council leader was assaulted. The words used against him echo the Prime Minister's disgraceful attack on Reform during Labour conference week and wholly irresponsible comments from the leader of the Green Party.' Labour condemned the incident but said it was 'categorically incorrect' to suggest that Sir Keir or the party is in any way responsible. Police are investigating the alleged assault. Mr Finch, who became the UK's youngest council leader in July, said the attack didn't cause any lasting injury but 'came as a massive shock to me and my friend and was completely out of the blue'. 'It's clear that the man who attacked us was wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens,' he said. 'I'm extremely concerned about the state of political discourse in Britain. Reform UK activists at all levels are suffering intimidation and violence at the hands of Left-wing instigators. 'The politicians they follow know this, but are willingly allowing it to happen. They have a duty to speak out and quell the increased threat faced by my friends and colleagues.' Mr Finch became the UK's youngest council leader in July of this year It comes after a Channel migrant with an AK-47 rifle tattooed on his face was found guilty of making threats to kill Reform leader Mr Farage. Fayaz Khan, 26, from Afghanistan, will be sentenced tomorrow for the threat to kill and for entering the UK illegally. A Labour spokesman said: 'Violence, harassment or intimidation is completely unacceptable and has no place in our politics or our society. Any such incidents must be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.' Warwickshire Police said it was investigating 'an assault' after receiving a call at 2am on Saturday 'in which a man stated he had been pushed by another man in Nuneaton'. Labour's controversial digital identification scheme could see gender self-ID introduced by the back door, MPs have been warned. Experts and womens rights groups are concerned that the digital cards could allow people to pick their preferred gender instead of recording birth sex despite Labours pledge not to introduce self-ID. Elderly female NHS patients could be bathed by a biological man with a female ID and sex offenders who change gender after being convicted could use the scheme to mask their identity, they warn. Professor Alice Sullivan who carried out a Government-commissioned review of data on sex and gender called on the Government to commit to using accurate data on biological sex. Professor Sullivan, head of research at the University College London Social Research Institute, told the Daily Mail: If data is going to be recorded on an individual it needs to be accurate and data on sex should reflect the persons actual sex. If it doesnt, it shouldnt be recorded at all. That should just be an absolutely basic principle. 'The concern is that if data from systems that are not recording accurate data on sex are feeding into this then it will be inaccurate in turn. And so we would need a commitment for that not to be the case. The Government either needs to say this isnt meant to record peoples sex at all, or they need to ensure its only coming from accurate sources. Labour's controversial digital identification scheme could see gender self-ID introduced by the back door, MPs have been warned Experts and womens rights groups are concerned that the digital cards could allow people to pick their preferred gender instead of recording birth sex despite Labours pledge not to introduce self-ID Keir Starmer announced the digital ID scheme last month. The IDs will be used to prove a persons right to live and work in the UK from 2029 Earlier this year the Sullivan Review found that cancer screenings have been missed and crimes misrecorded as official statistics have become corrupted by extreme gender ideology. The review commissioned under the Tories found that the conflation of sex and gender has become widespread in official data. Maya Forstater, of sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, said the Governments digital ID plans are doomed to fail unless it accurately records sex rather than gender identity. She added: It doesnt take much imagination to understand the risks, such as people using a quick gender change (or two) to hide their identity . . . Once a digital ID system is in place, it will be too late to fix the problem. The time to act is now. Keir Starmer announced the digital ID scheme last month. The IDs will be used to prove a persons right to live and work in the UK from 2029. A Whitehall source said the IDs will contain a photo, name, date of birth and address, adding that we dont see the need to include gender. But the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has suggested that the scheme will expand with ID cards potentially needed to access a wide range of public and private sector services. A Government spokesman said: The new digital ID system will be designed to ensure everyone who has a right to work in the UK can prove it easily and securely. Other forms of ID may still be required. Roads have become rivers as floodwaters sweep away cars in Spain, trapping the masses as all trains to and from the country's biggest cities are cancelled. Torrential rain unleashed travel chaos, with dramatic footage showing locals and tourists in Catalonia trundling across the roads which have been engulfed by water thanks to Storm Alice. The weather has ground public transport to a halt, with a trains travelling through the Mediterranean corridor from Barcelona and Valencia suspended until further notice. Footage shows torrents of brown water tearing through the streets and completely submerging vehicles in its path, while video shared by local media showed emergency services rescuing drivers trapped on a flooded motorway outside the town of Amposta. Other videos show six-figure Lamborghinis and motorbikes almost entirely covered in muddy water while four-by-four cars struggle to make their way through the torrent. The storm hit the Ibiza after ravaging much of southeastern Spain this week, including Costa Blanca, which saw the country placed on high alert after officials warned of 'extraordinary danger'. It has prompted Spain's weather agency AEMET to declare a red alert in the province of Tarragona, warning locals to brace themselves for 180mm of rain in 12 hours. A spokesman for the Catalan fire service told local media people had been caught by surprise, with people trapped 'inside vehicles, in buildings, [and] on ground floors.' Santa Barbara Mayor Josep Lluis Gimeno described the situation as 'very tense.' Torrential rain has unleashed travel chaos in Catalonia, Spain, with footage showing fast flowing water Cars can be seen almost submerged by the water following from the torrential downpour Images and footage shows cars struggling to make it through the deep waters He said that local streams 'are completely overflowing and have invaded the entire centre of the town, dragging everything there is, containers and cars'. In the village of Godall, local Mayor Alexix Albiol told local media: 'All the cars that were in the streets near the ravine were swept away and are distributed throughout the village. 'I don't believe anyone in the village has seen the amount of water that has fallen in such a short time.' Elsewhere, internal areas of Ibiza Airport - which was entirely out of action for almost 90 minutes - were also closed off to travellers due to power cuts sparked by water pouring into the terminal on Saturday. Twenty-four flights were also cancelled from late afternoon onwards. Officials at Spanish airports authority AENA told local press: 'Because of the adverse weather conditions in Ibiza, airport operations were temporarily paralysed between 6pm and 7.20pm. 'During that time the runway was cleaned along with other areas that were affected by the storm.' A luxury Lamborghini supercar found itself submerged as Storm Alice ravaged Ibiza Revellers at the beach resort could also be seen running to shelter as the storm continued The scale of the flooding was laid bare in footage resembling an apocalyptic movie rather than a holiday destination Vans and four-by-four vehicles struggled to make their way through the flood-hit roads Twelve of the flights said to have been cancelled were incoming flights and the other 12 departing flights, with British holidaymakers among those affected. The main road to the airport was also rendered unusable in a repeat of the September 30 horror floods. Educational, sporting and social activities in Catalonia are set to be suspended on Monday in five vulnerable regions. Residents are being urged to avoid travelling and to work from home. Ibiza Town's mayor Rafa Triguero, confirming several road closures including main access avenues into the city said over the weekend: 'All the council teams and services are working tirelessly to drain water and re-establish normality as soon as possible. The most important thing is that no-one has been hurt.' As well as Ibiza Town, the holiday resort of Playa d'en Bossa and the towns of San Jose and Santa Eularia also suffered flooding. The neighbouring islands of Majorca and Formentera also experienced problems. One local described the situation on the island as 'devastating'. Tourists reaching Ibiza on ferries were pictured stepping into knee-deep water as they got off the boat. Before it caused problems in the Balearics, Storm Alice battered areas including Murcia on the Spanish mainland. Spain's Guardia Civil rescued people trapped in cars on flooded streets late into the night on Saturday The moment people trapped in their cars were rescued was captured on film On Friday the Foreign Office issued a warning to Brits planning to travel to Spain, warning of 'severe' weather conditions on its eastern coast Internal areas of Ibiza Airport were also closed off to travellers due to power cuts sparked by water pouring into the terminal Shops were seemingly forced to close early as a result of the devastating effects of the storm Several people had to be rescued from their cars in coastal areas of the province including San Javier and Los Alcazares. It also brought chaos among Britons holidaying and living in Spain's southeast as they fought over the final supplies of alcohol in supermarkets. On Friday the Foreign Office issued a warning to Brits planning to travel to Spain, warning of 'severe' weather conditions on its eastern coast. 'Severe weather warnings are in place today in Murcia and Valencia, including the province of Alicante. Disruptions to travel are likely,' it said in a statement. It continued: 'If you are in the affected areas, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local weather updates. If you are planning to travel, check for messaging from your travel provider or airline.' Authorities are taking heightened measures as the storm comes nearly a year after widespread flooding in Valencia killed more than 200 people, Spain's worst natural disaster in decades. The catastrophe sparked public fury over warning systems and the emergency response. Residents continue to protest, accusing officials of having failed to provide timely alerts. Heavy rains lashed the region again last month, forcing the closure of schools and universities, disrupting rail and road travel and causing localised flooding. Because a hotter atmosphere holds more water that evaporates from a rapidly warming Mediterranean Sea, climate change increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall in the region. Almost 240 people died in the country after torrential rains last October triggered floods that swept through eastern and southeastern Spain. The most severely hit area was Valencia's southern suburbs where more than 220 people died. Harrods is handing shoppers logo-free carrier bags in a bid to tackle mugging rates in London. Van Cleef and Arpels, a French jewellery company with counters in Harrods and Selfridges, confirmed its customers are offered 'anonymised bags' as well as branded ones. It comes as robbery and theft rates have skyrocketed in the capital in recent years, police figures show. Reported thefts from an individual in Westminster have increased from six per 1,000 people in September 2021 to more than 20 per 1,000 by September 2024. Victims have had expensive jewellery, watches and phones ripped from their person while walking along the street or on public transport. A spokesperson for Van Cleef and Arpels said: 'The Maison offers, for all its clients, the possibility of having anonymised bags for more discretion if they wish, in addition to the Van Cleef & Arpels classical bag.' The company added logo-free bags are a 'common practice' in luxury stores selling expensive items. Harrods is handing shoppers logo-free carrier bags in a bid to tackle mugging rates in London (File image of Harrods in London) A recent customer of the store explained the new wrapping process to tackle theft. 'After purchasing the item, I was told by the shop assistant that it would be wrapped first in branded packaging, and then placed in a much larger plain bag,' they told The Telegraph. It comes as at least 230 phones were stolen every day on average in the UK last year. This is twice as many as five years ago and the total is rising. London is the epicentre, with 75 per cent of phone thefts, but the problem is nationwide, with every major police force recording thousands of stolen phones every year. Even rural areas such as Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Gloucestershire cannot escape the problem. Policing minister Sarah Jones, whose two sons have both been robbed by phone thieves, said: 'Almost everyone knows somebody who has had their phone stolen in London.' The Met is hosting an international conference with 27 other countries next May where countering phone theft measures will be discussed with politicians and policing leaders. So far this year, personal robbery has dropped by 13 per cent and theft is down 14 per cent. The Daily Mail has contacted Harrods, Selfridges and Van Cleef and Arpels for comment. Scott Pape has issued a prophetic warning to a multi-millionaire worried about how his 'trust fund kids' will manage his amassed wealth when he dies. The Barefoot Investor was contacted by an anonymous 72-year-old whose four children, aged between 23 and 35, will inherit a total of $80million when he dies. 'But none of them are serious about money,' they wrote, adding that they were 'too busy making money' to teach them and instead hoped they'd learn through 'osmosis'. 'My son lost $100,000+ on cryptocurrency. My eldest has been in and out of rehab. My daughter wants me to fund a fashion label, despite having zero business experience. 'I dont want to rule from the grave, but Im terrified theyll blow it all within a few years of me being gone... should I hand it over to advisers to work with them now?' But Pape had a scathing view of the future for the millionaire's children unless they are taken in hand in his latest column on Sunday. 'Theyre like lotto winners. What they really need to learn is how to keep the money they didnt earn, and thats a skill very few trust fund kids ever master,' he said. If the concerned parent organised a financial adviser, Pape warned that they will be 'sacked after your funeral'. The Barefoot Investor Scott Pape (pictured) has warned parents of trust fund kids to get them involved in a business or they will squander the inherited wealth 'Ive seen it happen. Your kids will fire their financial babysitter the first chance they get,' he said. Referencing the 19th century American business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who owned shipping lines and railroads, Pape said there is a 'curse of unearned wealth'. 'He warned his kids not to blow it. Within a few generations theyd built mansions bigger than hotels and couldnt afford the plumbing bills. 'By their 1973 family reunion, not one was even a millionaire. Thats the curse of unearned wealth. It doesnt just get spent badly, it often destroys the people who inherit it.' Pape said the daughter could become successful in fashion and the son could learn his lesson about cryptocurrency but added: 'History says the odds arent good.' Instead, the Barefoot Investor offered a three-step approach to how the parent should organise their legacy. 'Id buy each child a modest home, say up to $1.25 million including stamps,' Pape said. He said it would provide the children with security but make sure they 'get out of bed to pay the rates', adding the total spent is 'life changing, but not life ruining'. The anonymous parent, who said they are worth $80million, said their children were unreliable His second piece of advice was to spend more time mentoring the children over the next decade. 'Get them involved in your business, fund their study, have them run small charitable projects, maybe even that fashion label, but with you watching closely,' Pape said. His third and final step was for the millionaire to donate the rest to a cause they care about. 'You could involve your kids in it, but tread carefully. Ive met plenty of trust fund kids who resent giving away what they see as their money,' Pape said. In a parting warning, Pape said the most priceless thing a parent can teach their children is 'choices have consequences'. Senator Lidia Thorpe has fired back against her critics, offering an extraordinary justification for her threat to 'burn down Parliament House' at a pro-Palestine rally. The independent senator said she would be willing to take the drastic step if it meant supporting Palestine before a crowd of demonstrators in Melbourne on Sunday. In a stunning show of indignation, Thorpe has defended her remarks as a 'figure of speech' accusing her critics of 'mock outrage'. 'My rally remarks were clearly a figure of speech - a metaphor for the pain in our communities and the urgent need to end genocide in Palestine and everywhere,' she told the Daily Mail on Monday. 'They were obviously not a literal threat. This mock outrage is ridiculous.' Thorpe claimed politicians and the media were focusing on her speech as a way to distract from the Middle-Eastern conflict. 'While people are dying and starving in Gaza, politicians and media are once again clutching their pearls and chasing a scandal instead of focusing on what really matters,' she said. 'This is just another political game designed to distract from the real issues. Senator Lidia Thorpe has drawn widespread condemnation after threatening to 'burn down Parliament House' before a crowd of onlookers at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne 'I have always rejected violence. Any suggestion otherwise misrepresents my long standing commitment to pursuing justice and self-determination for First Peoples and all oppressed peoples through peaceful, democratic means.' During her address on Sunday, she compared the plight of Palestinians to that of Indigenous Australians, saying both groups shared a history of resistance. 'So we stand with you every day, and we will fight every day, and we will turn up every day and if I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point I am not there to make friends,' she told the protesters. The remark drew a roar of support from the crowd but sparked immediate backlash from federal politicians and Jewish leaders. Members of the federal Opposition immediately called for the senator to face consequences for the comment, while Labor ministers issued a softer rebuke. Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek clashed with Sunrise host Nat Barr on Monday after claiming the 'absolutely irresponsible' comments didn't warrant 'extra air'. Sunrise host Nat Barr hit back: 'I totally understand that. This is completely inflammatory. But when you have a senator saying she will burn down Parliament House, is there a step further than just (condemnation)? Can you censure her?' Plibersek said the issue would be dealt with at a later date. Tens of thousands attended pro-Palestine marches across Australia on Sunday. Demonstrators are pictured at Hyde Park in Sydney, where NSW Police said some 8,000 people attended 'That's a matter to be decided down the track, but truly the last thing I want to be doing is promoting her or giving her the attention she so desperately craves,' Plibersek said. 'We need to focus on what we can do here in Australia. That is support a two-state solution and support whatever we can do to bring and assure peace in the Middle East.' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke took a similar approach, urging against 'raising the temperature' in response to the 'offensive' comments. 'I dont think thats in the interests of social cohesion,' he told reporters in Canberra on Monday. Meanwhile, Senate opposition leader Michaelia Cash said the Opposition would 'consider options available within the Senate' to hold her accountable. Victorian Liberal Senator Jane Hume agreed, claiming the independent senator had reached 'new lows' and that the threat should be taken seriously. 'Lets face it, (Thorpe) is far more of an activist than she is a legislator or a parliamentarian,' Hume told Sky News. 'But there is some cause for concern. In any other workplace, had a threat been made towards the workplace, well, theyd be out on their ear. Theyd be fired. Social Services Minister Taya Plibersek told Sunrise host Nat Barr Senator Thorpe's comments were 'absolutely irresponsible' on Monday morning 'Theyd be locked out of the building. That cant happen to Lidia Thorpe because shes an elected representative. 'And every time she makes one of these outrageous comments, Labor cower in the corner. They say, "Oh, thats just silly old Lidia." 'They treat her like some crazy relative at a Christmas party, rather than taking the threats seriously, rather than taking her disrespect for the institution of the Senate and indeed the parliament seriously.' Nationals leader David Littleproud made similar calls for the senator to face consequences, claiming Thorpe was unfit for parliament. 'Weve been given a privileged position to go to Canberra and represent the Australian people and to make our country better', he told Sky News. 'And to bring a cause thats not even relevant here to domestic politics, one in which she is side-by-side with the Greens movement they are extremists and Lidia Thorpe is an offshoot of that.' Britain is in danger of falling into a debt trap that would hand China ever-increasing influence over UK government policy, Sir Keir Starmer has been warned. The UK's national debt is currently around 3trillion, with nearly a third (30 per cent) of borrowing coming from foreign lenders - compared to only a fifth back in 2000. The precise extent to which Britain relies on China to furnish its debt is unknown as the Treasury does not make such figures public. But Chinese investment in the UK economy is substantial and leading economists have voiced fears that could lead to a dependence on the Asian superpower and its ruling Communist Party (CCP). Such policies have been dubbed 'debt trap diplomacy', with critics suggesting economic reliance could easily tip over into political influence. One example regularly cited is Sri Lanka, which had to hand China a 99-year lease on Hambantota International Port after the country ran out of money to repay its debts. Veteran bond analyst Edward Yardeni said: 'We have, over the past couple of years, seen accusations that the Chinese are using their leverage over emerging economies that they've lent money to actually acquire ports and mines that they've helped to build.' However, the idea of debt trap diplomacy is contested by some analysts, who argue that Sri Lanka's issues were caused by domestic political decisions rather than being the result of some unhanded Chinese plan. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shakes hands with President Xi Jinping of China while the two leaders were in Rio de Janeiro to attend the G20 summit on November 18, 2024 What is uncontroversial is that China's reach goes deep into multiple sectors of the UK economy, with investment in the UK's largest public firms soaring to close to 90billion. In April this year MPs passed emergency laws allowing the Government to seize control of British Steel's plant in Scunthorpe from its Chinese owners. The dispute between ministers and Jingye over the proposed closure of Scunthorpe's blast furnaces brought fresh scrutiny over China's role in critical UK infrastructure. It saw calls for the Government to block China from being allowed to further invest in 'strategic' sectors in Britain. There were also accusations that the Chinese government deliberately sabotaged British Steel to damage the UK, although these were dismissed by Downing Street. However, fears of China being able to strongarm the UK government have once again emerged as the Chinese spy scandal continues to unfold, The Telegraph reported. The trial of Christopher Berry and Chris Cash, on charges of passing secrets to China between 2021 and 2023, collapsed last month. It has since emerged that the Crown Prosecution Service asked repeatedly for the Government to state that 'at the time of the offence China represented a threat to national security', but it failed to do so. Both men were formally declared not guilty and deny any wrongdoing. Christopher Berry, 33, a former teacher in China, was accused of handing about 34 files to his alleged Chinese handler which contained sensitive information apparently gleaned by his friend, Chris Cash, who was working in Parliament at the time Chris Cash (pictured) was working for the China Research Group, which was a Parliamentary group consisting of China-sceptic MPs, originally founded by Tom Tugendhat, the former Tory security minister. Mr Berry and Mr Cash were set to face trial this month, but proceedings against them were stopped after the Crown Prosecution Service said it could 'no longer proceed to trial' due to a lack of evidence Tory MP Alicia Kearns, 37, revealed how she feared she might have been bugged during a 2022 trip to Taiwan on a fact-finding trip Both Mr Berry and Mr Cash were arrested at their homes in March 2023 and charged under the Official Secrets Act for passing data to China which was 'prejudicial to the safety and interests' of the UK and was 'directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy'. Both men strenuously denied the charges. The pair allegedly spied for China between 2021 and early 2023, by which time the China Research Group was headed by Ms Kearns. Mr Cash allegedly passed sensitive information to Mr Berry in China, who in turn sent 34 'reports' to an individual identified as a Chinese 'intelligence agent' who was said to have then sent the reports to Cai Qi, the fifth-ranking member of Communist Party's ruling Politburo. A source familiar with the investigation said British spies first became aware of UK-related intelligence circulating in the 'Chinese intelligence system', which led them to identifying Mr Berry first, and through him Mr Cash. The Tories are now threatening to force a Commons debate so ministers can be probed about the spy saga. Kemi Badenoch has written to the prime minister seeking 'clarity and honesty' over the debacle. In the letter she wrote: 'It seems that you and your ministers have been too weak to stand up to Beijing on a crucial matter of national security. 'Your Government is now on its fourth different story about this scandal. It leaves a strong impression that your Government undermined Britain's national security because you are too weak to do anything other than appease China.' Former security minister Tom Tugendhat plans to accuse the Government of 'selling out' to Beijing, while Tory MP Alicia Kearns is expected to grill Sir Keir on who made the call to deem China a non-threat. Turkey Twizzlers have been discontinued for a second time - decades after Jamie Oliver's battle to have them banned. The lunchtime favourite was launched in 1997 but quietly disappeared from supermarkets with no warning or announcement. They were previously axed in 2005 after Jamie Oliver's healthy-eating 'Feed Me Better' campaign to ban them in schools. The corkscrew-shaped turkey sausage creations were singled out by the TV chef in his campaign to improve school dinners and shamed for containing just 34 per cent meat. Shortly after the series was broadcast, sparking huge national conversations about whether school dinners were helping to fuel the child obesity crisis, Turkey Twizzlers were banned from school menus due to their poor nutritional value. The move sparked outrage among schoolchildren across the country, who, even 20 years later, still declare that Jamie will 'never be forgiven' for it. Turkey Twizzlers comprised of just 34 per cent turkey meat, whilst the rest of the ingredients included pork fat, rusk, multiple preservatives, and a coating that had 21 ingredients alone. A 2018 online petition for their return was signed 28,000 times and a healthier version was relaunched in 2020 which contained 63 per cent Turkey. Turkey Twizzlers have been discontinued for a second time - decades after Jamie Oliver's battle to have them banned They were previously axed in 2005 after Jamie Oliver's healthy-eating 'Feed Me Better' campaign to ban them in schools Rob Thornton and son Reign, age three in 2020, unveiled a 10ft (3m) statue of a Turkey Twizzler at its Great Witchingham Hall headquarters to reveal the release In what manufacturer Bernard Matthews described as the 'comeback of the century', a revamped version of the product went back on sale. Mr Matthews unveiled a 10ft (3m) statue of a Turkey Twizzler at its Great Witchingham Hall headquarters to reveal the release. Bernard Matthews told The Sun: 'Unfortunately, the Turkey Twizzler range has been discontinued and we have no plans to bring these back. 'The manufacturing site was closed back in March 2024, so the product sadly had to be discontinued thereafter.' Hillary Clinton has publicly praised Donald Trump for his role in brokering a landmark Gaza peace deal that could bring an end to two years of bloodshed in the region. The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said she 'really commended Trump and his administration' for their work in securing the agreement between Israel and Hamas. The statement, a rare moment of bi-partisan praise, marks a surprising reversal of tone for Clinton. 'I really commend President Trump and his administration, as well as Arab leaders in the region, for making the commitment to the 20-point plan and seeing a path forward for what's often called the day after,' Clinton told CBS News in a lengthy interview. Israelis on Monday welcomed home the last living hostages from devastated Gaza and mourn the return of the dead, in the key exchange of the breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war. Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. Trump was also in the region along with other leaders to discuss the US-proposed deal and postwar plans on Monday morning. Hamas agreed to Trump's 20-point peace plan, which calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in stages, the release of remaining hostages, and the disarmament of Hamas. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has publicly commended Trump for his role in brokering a landmark Gaza peace deal that could bring an end to two years of bloodshed in the region Trump holds an umbrella as gives a thumbs up while boarding Air Force One on his way to Israel where he will address parliament and meet with hostage families Israelis carrying Israeli flags, US flags and banners, gather at Hostages Square to celebrate the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel on Saturday The deal, already being hailed as the most significant breakthrough in Middle East diplomacy in decades, could finally end the two-year war that has devastated Gaza and strained Israel's international standing. During the interview Clinton said she was 'cautiously optimistic' but warned that the process would require patience and diligence from all sides. 'That's not self-evident,' she said when asked if she believed this would end the war. 'It's going to take a lot of work. It's going to take a lot of coordination.' Clinton also said she hoped the US and other global powers would throw their full weight behind the plan to ensure its success. 'Let's now support this process and bring it together, not just in a nonpartisan way in our own country, but literally internationally as a great global commitment to try to bring peace, security, stability, and a better future to the Middle East,' she said. The former secretary of state noted that Trump's negotiators capitalized on a critical opening after Israel's controversial strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar in September - an attack Clinton described as 'ill-advised' and a 'strategic error.' 'That provided an opening for both President Trump and his representatives to marshal all of the regional powers, including, of course, Qatar, but also to make it clear to Israel, "No, this is now enough. We cannot continue this. This conflict needs to end, and we've got to move on,"' Clinton said. Clinton said of US negotiators, 'They took advantage of an opening that was available and were able to be successful.' 'I really commend President Trump and his administration, as well as Arab leaders in the region, for making the commitment to the 20-point plan and seeing a path forward for what's often called the day after,' Clinton told CBS News in a lengthy interview Protesters hold placards showing their admiration for President Trump during a rally with 400,000 supporters at Hostages Square on Saturday Palestinians make their way past destroyed buildings in Gaza City on Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to a devastated Gaza City, after an Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect, and as both sides discuss implementing Trump's 20-point plan to end the war The praise from Clinton, who served as secretary of state under President Barack Obama and clashed repeatedly with Trump during and after the 2016 election, is almost unprecedented. Throughout her career, Clinton has been a staunch advocate for a two-state solution, a policy goal that eluded successive US administrations. Under Obama, her tenure at the State Department was marked by difficult relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two smaller conflicts in Gaza. But Clinton told CBS that this time the Trump administration's pressure on Israel to halt its military campaign appeared to be the decisive factor that pushed both sides to the table. 'The work of rebuilding Gaza will be arduous, laborious, and intensive,' she said. 'The international community has to commit together to bring peace to the Middle East.' She urged Israel to stop its expansion of settlements in the West Bank something she said has 'to cease' and called on the global community to prepare for the hard work of rebuilding Gaza. Clinton isn't the only prominent Democrat to recognize Trump's success in securing the deal. Former Vice President Kamala Harris agreed Trump should be praised for securing a peace deal. 'I don't think that we should hold any credit where it's due... I commend the people who have been a part of this process. I commend the Qataris, the Egyptians and the President,' Harris said on MSNBC. Jake Sullivan, President Biden's former national security advisor, told CBS that Trump's breakthrough was long overdue. 'It's only now, after all that time, that we have gotten to a deal,' Sullivan said. Secretary of State under Biden, Antony Blinken, also praised Trump in a lengthy tweet. 'President Trump and his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner deserve our collective thanks for producing this ceasefire and the renewed possibility of lasting peace,' Blinken wrote. Even former President Obama acknowledged the progress in a post on X although he notably did not mention Trump by name, instead emphasizing the 'long-overdue' need for a lasting peace in the region. Hamas was set to release 48 remaining Israeli hostages on Monday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken both agreed Trump should be praised for securing a peace deal The praise from Clinton, who served as secretary of state under President Barack Obama and clashed repeatedly with Trump during and after the 2016 election, is almost unprecedented A drone photo of people gathering in Hostages Square as they hold up a giant sign with the words Nobel President Trump written on it, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in Tel Aviv, Israel Saturday night's rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv was attended by families of the hostages, together with envoys of President Trump - Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump, who all spoke at the event Under the Trump's proposed roadmap, once Hamas have handed over the surviving hostages, Israel will begin releasing around 2,000 detainees in exchange. Trump's plan also outlines a gradual Israeli troop withdrawal from much of Gaza. In exchange, Hamas has agreed to disarm, and an international 'technocratic' body, excluding both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, will govern Gaza during the transition period. While the agreement describes an independent Palestinian state as 'the aspiration of the Palestinian people,' it stops short of committing to a timetable for sovereignty - a key point of contention for regional leaders and Western diplomats. Trump, who is making a lightning visit to Israel and Egypt has called it 'the first phase of a comprehensive 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.' Speaking to reporters on Air Force One at the start of the 'very special' visit, Trump brushed off concerns about whether the ceasefire would endure. 'I think it's going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It's been centuries,' he said of the fighting. 'The war is over. Okay? You understand that?' the president added. In Israel, Trump is due to meet the families of hostages seized by Hamas in the deadly cross-border attack two years ago that sparked the war, before addressing the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem. At 71 years of age, is Pauline Hanson enjoying a political renaissance? With high rates of immigration fuelling increasing resentment in sections of the Australian community, the One Nation leader claims that her past warnings are unfolding before our very eyes. Hanson first entered parliament way back in 1996 as an independent candidate, when John Howard was first elected Prime Minister. She had been discarded by the Liberal Party after controversial comments on the campaign trail, resulting in her being stripped of her Liberal pre-selection. Yet she won her Queensland seat anyway, fast becoming a thorn in the side of the Howard government. In her first speech to parliament, Hanson warned that Australia was at risk of being 'swamped by Asians' pleading that we needed to 'wake up' to the impact of rising immigration. Hanson lost her seat less than three years later, but not before her party won 11 seats and 23 percent of the vote at the 1998 Queensland state election, outperforming both the Liberal and National parties at the time. One Nation's momentum stalled in the years that followed, with all manner of internal party divisions coming to the fore, before Pauline Hanson made a surprise comeback, winning a Queensland Senate seat at the 2016 election that Malcolm Turnbull narrowly won. Since then, she's campaigned to ban the burka, complained about the veracity of climate change and the net zero emissions target, and argued for more manufacturing here in Australia. The pitch has helped her carve out a niche that's entrenched One Nation on the right of the political divide. Hanson's secret is that she has often said what some Liberals are thinking but won't dare say. That, however, might be starting to change, with anti-immigration sentiments and questioning of climate change on the rise within the Liberal and National parties. At 71 years of age, is Pauline Hanson enjoying a political renaissance? In her first speech to parliament, Hanson warned that Australia was at risk of being 'swamped by Asians' pleading that we needed to 'wake up' to the impact of rising immigration At the federal election in May, Hanson's One Nation party increased its Senate share to four seats, narrowly missing out on a fifth in Tasmania, with the real prospect that it can vie for the Senate balance of power at forthcoming half-Senate elections. The Greens secured the balance of power in the Senate in their own right at this year's election. Opinion polls now reveal that support for One Nation is surging. The most recent Newspoll clocked One Nation support at 11 percent, four percent higher than at the election. A weekend RedBridge poll put One Nation's support nationally at 14 percent, more than double the vote it secured at the federal election earlier this year. The RedBridge poll gave One Nation a higher vote than the Greens, well above support for the Nationals or any other minor party. One Nation has a real shot at becoming a major minor party, if it can turn more votes into extra seats, including in the regions where its vote is more concentrated, helping its chances of winning lower house seats. That's far from guaranteed, of course, but the rise in One Nation's polling certainly suggests that some of its populist complaints are resonating with a voting population increasingly despondent with everything from house prices to energy prices to broader concerns about social cohesion. While Hanson remains somewhat of a political outsider, a decade inside Parliament House has taught her how to steadily build a team around her, helping to entrench One Nation and its influence on the body politic. The question now is: are the times set to suit Pauline Hanson's agenda for Australia? And at 71 years of age, does she plan to continue in politics for the foreseeable future, or pass the baton on to those around her? One Nation has long relied on the Hanson brand, and without it, there is a real risk that her supporters fan out amongst other right-wing offerings. Was Hanson really ahead of her time when issuing warnings about rising levels of immigration? Or has the racial targeting behind many of her remarks consigned Hanson's broader commentary to the margins of politics by default? One Nation has long relied on the Hanson brand, and without it, there is a real risk that her supporters fan out amongst other right-wing offerings One million Australians voted for Hanson's party at the last election, and her support is now double that if the polls are to be believed Not according to the latest opinion polls. One million Australians voted for Hanson's party at the last election, and her support is now double that if the polls are to be believed. Because Hanson says out loud what the major parties won't or aren't willing to say, she has developed a loyal following. The fact that her support is increasing beyond that core group suggests something bigger might be unfolding. While the Greens have carved out a seemingly permanent place for themselves on Labor's left flank, One Nation is attempting to do the same on the Coalition's right flank. There is the potential for regional seats in the lower house to go One Nation's way, alongside enlarging the Senate team with the aim of controlling the balance of power. For the party to truly become entrenched, it needs to build party structures that can survive Hanson's eventual retirement. Or it needs to embrace a new figure capable of filling her void when the time comes. It's not out of the question that one day the Coalition might need One Nation's backing to form government. If that were to happen, the minor party would finally have gone mainstream. But there is an alternative way this all could go. With the divisions and resignations within the Liberal Party, alongside the tensions within the Coalition itself, it's conceivable that the right of politics fractures completely. That might include new parties touting more conservative credentials, even challenging One Nation's current niche in the process. Or defections from within the Coalition's parliamentary ranks to One Nation could further build the minor party's influence, injecting fresh talent into its parliamentary team - perhaps including future leadership candidates to take over from Hanson when the time comes. The teals might even formalise their ties as a new moderate inner-city party of the soft right in the coming years, piling further pressure on a Liberal Party already under siege. Hanson's career in public life has already spanned nearly 30 years, but the times might suit her now and going forward more than they ever have before. And with her daughter only narrowly missing out on winning a Senate seat out of Tasmania at the last election, with plans to re-contest next time, a political dynasty might also be in the offing - she develops into the new face of the party. With the last name and parental guidance to help make it happen. Billionaire hedge fund titan Ray Dalio, who famously predicted the 2008 financial crash, has sounded the alarm once again, warning that America is edging toward a 'civil war of some sort' with deep political, economic, and social rifts threatening to tear the nation apart. In a stark interview with Bloomberg, the Bridgewater Associates founder - the world's biggest hedge fund - said that the United States and much of the world are already engaged in multiple overlapping conflicts - not all of them fought with weapons. 'We're in wars. There is a financial, money war. There's a technology war, there's geopolitical wars, and there are more military wars,' Dalio said. 'And so we have a civil war of some sort which is developing in the US and elsewhere, where there are irreconcilable differences.' Dalio's remarks, highlighted by Newsweek, paint a grim portrait of an America fracturing from within as its global dominance fades. The billionaire said the forces that historically drive major societal shifts are now all under pressure at once: money, internal order and disorder, geopolitics, natural forces, and technological change. Dalio, whose Bridgewater hedge fund is the world's largest, has long warned that soaring national debt and widening inequality could tip the US into crisis. He noted that the federal debt, now nearly $38 trillion, and the country's debt-to-income ratio of around 120 percent could soon make it impossible for the government to meet its obligations without slashing essential services. Billionaire hedge fund titan Ray Dalio is warning that America is edging toward a 'civil war of some sort' as deep political, economic, and social rifts threaten to tear the nation apart Dalio famously predicted the 2008 financial crash. Pictured, a trader rubs his face while working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in October 2008 He cautioned that the US could face a self-reinforcing economic collapse, saying unsustainable debt could trigger what he called a 'death spiral' - a feedback loop where higher interest costs lead to even greater borrowing and instability. 'If you take the most analogous period, I would say we're in a period that's quite like 193738. You have a debt issue. You have the internal conflicts of wealth and how things should be run,' Dalio said in a disturbing comparison. 'Disorder existed - formed. Democracies stop being democracies. So we're in a period that's very much analogous. That's plenty to worry about.' Dalio added that political polarization, especially over wealth and governance, is eroding America's internal stability. 'The internal political landscape has become worryingly polarized thanks in part to rising wealth inequality,' he warned. Dalio has made repeated warnings in recent months about the state of the US economy. In April the billionaire spoke against Trump's decision to launch a global trade war via tariffs on America's trading partners. Dalio has joined a group of other bankers, analysts, and executives who believe the US is heading for a perilous economic moment. Dalio stopped short of predicting outright armed conflict but argued the US is suffering from a 'civil war of some sort' - one fought through politics, media, and money, rather than muskets While he stopped short of predicting outright armed conflict, he argued the US is already suffering from a 'civil war of some sort' - one fought through politics, media, and money, rather than muskets. He described this 'pseudo civil war' as a reflection of 'irreconcilable differences' between rival factions - an era when institutions falter, discourse breaks down, and disorder seeps into every corner of governance. 'We're in wars,' he reiterated. 'There is a financial, money war... there's a technology war... and a civil war of some sort developing in the US and elsewhere.' Dalio's analysis extends beyond America's borders. He argues that the same historical forces reshaping the US are transforming the global order - from the rise of China and the decline of Western dominance. 'The forces which shape the world,' Dalio said, 'are all now being disrupted, and America serves as a prime example of this.' Steve Bannon has slammed Donald Trump's decision to allow a Qatari military facility to be built on US soil. Bannon, who served as a political strategist in Trump's first administration, said Friday's announcement was 'screwed up' while appearing on a podcast with fellow commentator Eric Bolling. 'This whole thing is so screwed up,' he said. 'I have no idea what's going on, and I'm sure we'll find out more... This is part of the price we're paying for the Israel First Crowd... and others that had support for Netanyahu.' Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Friday the government had reached an agreement with Qatar to build a facility at an Air Force base in Idaho. Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said the facility will 'host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability.' Qatar, which hosts the biggest US military base in the Middle East, said in a statement it will cover the costs of building the training facility. 'This will not be a Qatari air base,' the spokesman for the embassy in Washington said in a statement posted on X. Steve Bannon , who served as a political strategist in Trump's first administration, said Friday's announcement was 'screwed up' Trump has worked hard to improve relations with Qatar (pictured with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani) and has faced criticism over his deals 'Rather, Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to construct and maintain a dedicated facility within an existing US air base, intended for advanced training and to enhance interoperability in defending and advancing our shared interests around the world.' The Qatari defense minister hailed the 'strong, enduring partnership' and 'deep defense relationship' shared by the two countries. But Bannon argued the move is still at a detriment to America. He has repeatedly urged Trump to take a more America-first approach, rather than focusing on solving crises in the Middle East and Ukraine. 'That shows you the price we're paying for this blind following of the Israel First crowd,' he said. Though the Idaho facility for Qatar had apparently been in the works since the last administration of Democrat Joe Biden, Bannon wasn't the only Trump ally to criticize the deal. Staunch Trump advocate Laura Loomer called the plan 'an abomination' and accused the Qataris of being associated with Islamic terror organizations. 'No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries,' Loomer wrote in one of several social media posts just hours after Hegseth's announcement. 'So what plans does the Department of War have to stop the inevitable construction of militarized Muslim Brotherhood Mosques all over Idaho to accommodate the animalistic, Qatari terrorist invaders our government is now forcing upon the majority white, Christian state of Idaho?' she wrote in another scathing X post. 'Just wait till one of those Qataris walks into a church and guns down Americans once they are on US soil. Does this mean the call to prayer will be broadcasted in Idaho five times a day?' Bannon is a longtime Trump advocate, but has been at odds with him over his handling of Israel and Qatar Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Friday the government had reached an agreement with Qatar to build a facility at an Air Force base in Idaho. He was pictured with Qatar's defense minister for the announcement Qatar says it will not be a Qatari military base, but will be a training ground within a US base (pictured) Loomer, 32, also previously slammed the Trump Administration for accepting Qatar's gift of a luxury Boeing jet earlier this year. 'I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million gift from jihadists in suits,' she wrote at the time. On Friday morning, she slammed Republicans for continuing to 'Islamify our country and continu[ing] to allow funders of Islamic terrorism from Qatar to come into our country when they have a documented history of funding Islamic terror.' She said she would forfeit voting in 2026 and 'encourage' others not to vote if the GOP continues in this manner. A powerful coastal storm with strong winds and potential flooding forecast has prompted a state of emergency to be declared in New York City as wild weather batters the US. Coastal flood warnings have been put in place for Long Island, New York City and Southern Westchester County beginning 12pm Sunday through 8pm Monday. The National Weather Service has also issued a high wind warning for much of Suffolk County, with a wind advisory in place for the rest of Long Island, New York City and Southern Westchester County. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for eight counties in southern New York and urged locals to prepare for flooding and power outages as the storm barrels toward the city. 'As the Noreaster continues making its way through New York, Im declaring a state of emergency across boroughs and counties most impacted by the storm,' Hochul said in a release. 'The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution until the storm has passed through the state.' Winds of up to 60mph and heavy rains - reaching between 1.5 and 3 inches - are expected across areas of the state. Around 1,600 additional utility workers have been made available since Friday to respond to potential outages, she added. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for eight counties in southern New York and urged locals to prepare for flooding and power outages as the storm barrels toward the city Coastal flood warnings have been put in place for Long Island, New York City and Southern Westchester County from 12pm Sunday through 8pm Monday Pictured: Avalon, New Jersey Streets and roadways in Avalon saw the beginnings of flooding on Sunday afternoon Coastal areas from South Carolina to New England are predicted to be hit with two to four inches of rainfall over the next few days. Pictured: Storms in Buxton, North Carolina, on Sunday New York is set to be hit with heavy rain - reaching between 1.5 and 3 inches - and winds of up to 60mph, with flood warnings in place through Monday Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Kennedy Airport saw 18 cancelled flights and more than 200 delays by late Sunday evening, according to FlightAware. The emergency declaration forced organizers of the city's annual Columbus Day Parade to cancel. 'Due to the governor's declaration of a State of Emergency this evening in response to the dangerous weather conditions brought on by the Noreaster, including high winds, heavy rain and flooding in surrounding areas, we must cancel the 81st Annual Columbus Day Parade for the safety of all participants and viewers,' organizers told Fox 5. 'While we cannot reschedule this years parade, we look forward to seeing everyone at our 82nd annual parade in 2026.' Coastal areas across South Carolina and up to New England are predicted to be hit with two to four inches of rainfall over the next few days. The announcement comes after New Jersey's acting governor Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency ahead of the oncoming storm. 'I urge all New Jerseyans to exercise caution, monitor local weather forecasts and warnings, stay informed on evacuation protocols, and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary,' Way said. Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Kennedy Airport saw 18 canceled flights and more than 200 delays by late Sunday evening Pictured: Lower Manhattan yesterday Winds of up to 60mph and heavy rains - reaching between 1.5 and 3 inches - are expected until Monday as stormy weather hit NYC on Sunday afternoon. Pictured: George Washington Bridge The emergency took effect from 10pm on Saturday. Maryland Governor Wes Moore told residents to stay vigilant along the coast and inland. Video in Avalon saw large waves battering New Jersey and lapping over the Townsends Inlet Bridge, as well as streets submerged by the rising water levels. 'Our beaches are taking a big hit,' mayor John McCorristin of Avalon told the New York Times on Sunday afternoon. He said waves reached around six to ten feet high. The unnamed storm sent sea water again into Charleston, South Carolina, where three dozen roads were closed as floodwaters reached well above ankles before receding. Friday morning's high tide reached 8.46 feet which was the 13th highest in more than a century of recorded data in Charleston Harbor. Authorities in Georgetown, South Carolina, rescued several motorists trapped in flooding on Sunday morning after nearly ten inches of rain fell over 24 hours Saturday into Sunday, Georgetown County Emergency Services Director Brandon Ellis told CNN. The persistent, strong winds from the unnamed nor'easter and unusually high tides, when the moon is closer than usual to the Earth, had forecasters predicting more problems this weekend along the North Carolina Outer Banks. A series of storms that moved well offshore have destroyed ten houses in the past month and breached dunes. The pilings of some homes in Buxton were already in the waves before the worst of the storm. Officials warned highway NC 12 on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands would likely have to close again because of ocean over wash. High tides and rainfall were seen flooding Avalon, New Jersey, as the storm hit on Sunday A powerful nor'easter brings coastal flooding to the Jersey Shore on Sunday afternoon, with high tide sending water over docks and into streets in Avalon, New Jersey Roads in Buxton, North Carolina, were pictured flooded on Sunday Video in Avalon saw large waves battering New Jersey and lapping over the Townsends Inlet Bridge, as well as streets submerged by the rising water levels Forecasters warned residents on the shores of Delaware and New Jersey to prepare for major coastal flooding with water levels rising to levels not seen in nearly a decade. The flooding could submerge roads and homes while also causing beach erosion. Gusts over 30mph have been already measured near the North Carolina coast. Further north, a high wind watch was issued for parts of New York City and Long Island where forecasters warned gusts of up to 60mph were possible Sunday. In New York, flooding could reach between 1.5 to two feet. The storms sent heavy rainfall to Florida on Friday and further soaking coastal Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia on Saturday. The Delaware Emergency Management Agency activated the state National Guard to help with any storm-related issues, according to a release. Around 10,000 customers in North Carolina and 5,000 in New Jersey were left without power on Sunday night, according to Poweroutage.us. Convicted baby killer Keli Lane has had her day release privileges sensationally revoked and is now under investigation over allegations of inappropriate behaviour, the Daily Mail can reveal. Lane, who'd been enjoying the privileges of a day job and weekend visits with loved ones, was reportedly blindsided on Friday when she was served an order for breaching strict conditions. The new allegations concern Lane's misuse of a prison-issued mobile used for work. The former Olympic water polo player is said to be devastated, convinced that she has been unfairly targeted because of her high-profile status behind bars. 'It's cruelty, there is no other explanation. Time and time again she is being punished for things,' a close friend told Daily Mail. 'So what if she used the phone a couple of times? She has access to calls in jail anyway and is allowed out on weekends with family - what difference does it make?' It was September 12, 1996, when Lane went to Auburn Hospital in outer western Sydney and delivered her baby girl Tegan in secret. Two days later, having not yet been discharged, Lane snuck out of the ward with Tegan around 12pm and arrived back at her parents' home on the Northern Beaches alone by 3pm. Lane (pictured) had been enjoying privileges including an external job and weekend visits with loved ones The former Olympic water polo player is said to be devastated, convinced she is being unfairly targeted That night, dressed in white, she attended a friend's wedding with her then-partner, former rugby player, Duncan Gillies. Her parents, partner and friends have all since claimed they had no idea she was pregnant, let alone that she'd given birth that day. It wasn't until a social worker noted inconsistencies in her file as to Tegan's whereabouts and filed a missing person's report that Lane was arrested. Lane has always maintained her innocence and claims she handed the newborn to the biological father, a man called Andrew Morris or Norris. In April, Daily Mail exclusively published photos of Lane enjoying a taste of freedom as she soaked up the sun at Fairlight Beach rockpool near Manly on Sydney's northern beaches with her long-term partner, Patrick Cogan, on Good Friday. The 50-year-old, wearing a red tropical-print bikini and a black electronic ankle monitor, looked almost unrecognisable with her once-blonde hair now brunette. On her ring finger was a chunky silver band from Cogan - a piece of jewellery she is banned from wearing while serving out her 13-and-a-half-year minimum sentence at Dillwynia Correctional Centre. She quickly slipped it back on after she was released. The pair, who have known each other since their teenage years, reconnected just before Lane's arrest in 2009. Lane and Cogan (pictured together before she went to prison) have known each other since their teenage years and reconnected just before Lane's arrest in 2009 The 50-year-old, wearing a red tropical-print bikini and a black electronic ankle monitor, looked almost unrecognisable on weekend release earlier this year The decision to grant Lane weekend day release came as a shock to many who have followed her notorious case, after she was sensationally denied parole just last year Cogan, a father of two, has remained one of her staunchest supporters and is a familiar face during prison visiting hours. He also acts as her sponsor for weekend day releases, signing her in and out of jail and taking full responsibility for her movements while she is on the outside. After their seaside outing, the couple spent the night at Cogan's $2.6 million home before returning to the beach the following day. Lane appeared conscious of being recognised so close to her old stomping ground, keeping her face hidden behind large sunglasses for much of the weekend. The decision to grant Lane weekend day release came as a shock to many who have followed her notorious case, after she was sensationally denied parole just last year. Lane was found guilty of the 1996 murder of her newborn daughter, Tegan, and sentenced to a maximum of 18 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 13 years and five months. At the time of sentencing, she was due to be eligible for parole in 2024, but her application was rejected under New South Wales' tough 'no body, no parole' laws which were introduced in 2022 while she was still in custody. The legislation was brought in after Chris Dawson's high-profile murder trial. Lane appeared conscious of being recognised so close to her old stomping ground After their seaside outing, the couple spent the night at Cogan's $2.6 million home It remains unclear how long Lane's privileges will be suspended for Dawson who insists he is innocent, was convicted in 2022 of killing his wife Lynette in 1982. Her body has never been found. Lane's full sentence is due to end in December 2028, but in April, a Corrective Services NSW spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they have an 'obligation' to begin the staged release process ahead of that date. It is not yet clear how long Lane's privileges will remain suspended, or if she will regain them before her official release in three years. A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman told Daily Mail that while they are unable to comment on the management of individual inmates, work release and weekend leave are conditional on the inmate abiding by a broad range of conditions. 'CSNSW closely manages compliance with these conditions, and, if a breach is discovered must revoke an inmate's approval for work release or weekend leave under the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999,' they said. A Powerball winner who won a record-breaking $2 billion draw has bought 15 fire-ravaged lots after horror wildfires tore through Los Angeles, sparking concerns from locals that developers could destroy the small-town feel of the community. Edwin Castro is one of several billionaires circling the burnt out properties in Altadena, capitalizing on discounted sales prices from owners who have chosen not to rebuild. The January fires which tore through ritzy LA neighborhoods left at least 31 dead and decimated 57,000 acres of land. Altadena was among the communities worst hit. Castro has now spent more than $10 million on the 15 lots, vowing to help rebuild the region and help struggling local families. 'I want it to feel like the old neighborhood,' he told The Wall Street Journal. 'Like if you put all those houses pre-fire in a time bubble.' Castro is an Altadena local and purchased his history-making lottery ticket at the small gas station, which miraculously survived the Eaton fire when it tore through. He walked away with a lump sum of $768 million. But he isn't intending to give the homes away as charity. He has a 10-year plan to rebuild, primarily single-family dwellings but he hasn't ruled out other structures. He said he would sell the completed homes at market value. Edwin Castro is one of many billionaires circling the burnt out properties in Altadena, capitalizing on discounted sales prices from owners who have chosen not to rebuild The January fires which tore through ritzy LA neighborhoods left at least 31 dead and decimated 57,000 acres of land. Altadena was among the communities worst hit 'The profit margin doesn't need to be egregious,' he said. 'But I'm not building these homes just to give them away.' Castro is contemplating selling exclusively to families who want to live in the area, rather than investors. And he's considering building a home for himself, too. While some locals are happy the lots have landed in the lap of a local with good intentions, others are still concerned about the prospect of big developments. Some residents fear they'll lose the small community feel of the town, and a petition to block investors entirely has already garnered almost 1,500 signatures. The group behind the petition warns an influx of investors could cause a 'second wave of disaster' by pricing locals out of the area and vastly changing the landscape with units or duplexes. In an effort to protect local families, Governor Gavin Newsom had issued an executive order preventing developers from 'making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers.' 'As families mourn, the last thing they need is greedy speculators taking advantage of their pain,' he said at the time. Some residents fear they'll lose the small community feel of the town, and a petition to block investors entirely has already garnered almost 1,500 signatures The Aldadena fire alone destroyed 10,000 structures in the area 'I have heard first-hand from community members and victims who have received unsolicited and predatory offers from speculators offering cash far below market value some while their homes were burning. 'We will not allow greedy developers to rip off these working-class communities at a time when they need more support than ever before.' So far, most of the developers who have snapped up lots in Altadena have lodged planning applications to build single-family homes. Some larger buildings have also been pitched. A spokesperson for Castro told Daily Mail 'Edwin Castro grew up in Altadena and considers it [his] home. 'They love and care about the Altadena community and saw an opportunity to invest in it that would also help some impacted homeowners move forward while helping it retain its character and charm. 'Many people who were affected by the fires in Altadena cannot or do not want to rebuild and aspire to move on and start over elsewhere. These purchases will help some of them, while keeping ownership of the property local. 'They anticipate that half the lots that were purchased will use the preexisting plans, and the others will remain single family homes with new plans and designs.' Castro is far from the only wealthy investor circling the region. A spokesperson for Castro told Daily Mail Edwin Castro grew up in Altadena and considers it [his] home Work crews have cleared much of the ash and debris that was left behind in the wake of the fire, and on some lots, sparse patches of grass are beginning to grow again, but beyond that, there has been little headway in the rebuild According to WSJ, a San Diego developer, Los Angeles-area hospice executive and an Arizona fund have made recent purchases of scorched properties. Meanwhile, displaced locals have spent nine months in temporary housing, dealing with insurance agencies and the complexities of rebuilding their lives. Some have been warned rebuilding could take up to a decade. Work crews have cleared much of the ash and debris that was left behind in the wake of the fire, and on some lots, sparse patches of grass are beginning to grow again, but beyond that, there has been little headway in the rebuild. The Palisades Fire began during heavy winds on January 7, destroying or damaging nearly 8,000 homes, businesses and other structures and killing at least 12 people in the affluent LA neighborhood. Another wind-whipped fire started the same day in Altadena, killing at least 17 people and destroying or damaging more than 10,000 homes and other buildings. Mayor Karen Bass faced swift and fierce backlash at the time after it emerged she was in Africa when the fires first began to spread. More than a month on from the disaster, she fired fire chief Kristin Crowley, revealing an additional 1,000 firefighters could have been deployed the day the blaze ignited. Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was charged with starting the Palisades Fires that decimated Los Angeles She said Crowley rebuffed a request to prepare a report on the fires that is a critical part of investigations into what happened and why. 'One thousand firefighters who could have been on the job fighting the fires were sent home' on Crowley's watch, Bass said. Uber driver Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, was arrested last week and charged with 'maliciously' starting the catastrophic Palisades blaze. A self-styled public crusader has defied the ABC by publishing on YouTube an 'abhorrent and deeply harmful' radio segment about paedophiles which had not been broadcast for 50 years. Economist and former political advisor John Adams had been frustrated the national broadcaster would not allow him to share the audio, which he obtained only for his private use. The segment featured three self-confessed Australian pederasts aged in their 30s as well as a teenager who discussed engaging in sexual activities with much older men. It was aired on the defunct Lateline program on July 14, 1975 and hosted by the late writer and social commentator Richard Neville. According to Mr Adams, the Lateline segment - titled 'Pederasty' - included 'several shocking and despicable statements and admissions' and has not been re-broadcast in the past 50 years. Neville was best known as the co-founder of the counter-culture magazine OZ which was launched in Sydney in 1963, followed by a London version three years later when he was in his mid-20s. In his 1970 book Power Play, Neville boasted of having a 'hurricane f***' with a 'moderately attractive, intelligent, cherubic, fourteen-year-old girl from a nearby London comprehensive school'. Among the content of the Lateline program was a proposition that Australian boys as young as 12 were able to give rational consent to sexual acts with men aged in their 30s and 40s. A self-styled public crusader has defied the ABC by publishing on YouTube an 'abhorrent and deeply harmful' radio segment about paedophiles which had not been broadcast for 50 years. The program was hosted by Richard Neville (above) The program also made a distinction between 'paedophilia' as being the sexual assault of a child by a man and 'pederasty' involving a homosexual relationship between a man and a boy. The pederasts on the panel admitted using bribes to seduce children and loitering around school playgrounds to solicit young boys. One admitted that as a 12-year-old he had abused a boy aged three, prompting laughter from the others. Another admitted having 12 boys on a sexual roster. There was discussion about young boys being 'physically delicious' and of seeking those with faces of 'angelic beauty'. The segment was met with immediate public outrage. Morals campaigner and former NSW politician Fred Nile provided a tape of the program to police and federal Country Party MP Peter Nixon called for an inquiry. ABC chairman Richard Downing said at the time the broadcaster's intention was to 'try to inform people about what [is] happening so that they might be forewarned and forearmed'. He later said, 'In general, men will sleep with young boys and that's the sort of thing the community ought to know about'. Economist and former political advisor John Adams had been frustrated that the ABC would not allow him to share the audio, which was broadcast in July 1975 when Gough Whitlam (above with wife Margaret) was prime minister Mr Adams obtained a copy of the recording in July 2023 from the ABC's archives department after signing a personal use release form. He agreed 'that the above-listed segment shall be used for personal viewing only in a private setting' and would not 'be included in whole or in part in further publications, sound recordings or media projects'. He further agreed 'that the material shall not be broadcast or communicated to the public by any means, including but not limited to communication via the internet or any social media platform... '. Mr Adams has now breached that undertaking by broadcasting the segment on his YouTube channel, In the Interests of the People, on Monday at 5pm (AEDT). In response to Mr Adams's threat to publish the audio, the ABC had said it would 'act to enforce the obligation not to publish this material if our strict terms are not met'. 'It was a mistake by the ABC in 1975 to ever conduct this interview,' an ABC spokeswoman said. 'The interview does not meet the ABC's editorial policies and given the risk of harm to the community it would be inappropriate to republish it. 'The ABC has not authorised the republication or broadcast of the program and given its subject matter we maintain it should not be republished by anyone else. According to Mr Adams, the Lateline segment - titled 'Pederasty' - included 'several shocking and despicable statements and admissions' and has not been re-broadcast in the past 50 years 'The content was accessed via the ABCs Community Access program under the agreement that it would be used in a private setting only.' Mr Adams said he posted the audio on YouTube after writing to the ABC's legal department in August requesting a release from his previous agreement 'in order to inform the Australian people of our country's shameful and evil history'. The ABC's manager for library services denied that request, stating the Pederasty segment was not available on any ABC platform. In October 2018, Liberal senator Eric Abetz had raised concerns about the segment in a question to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications. The ABC replied: 'The ABC has no records of the interview, but according to contemporary reports the then ABC radio program Lateline interviewed three "self-confessed pederasts" in 1975.' Mr Adams wrote to Communications Minister Anika Wells in August seeking her intervention 'in exposing the abhorrent and deeply harmful acts committed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1975'. 'Given that I was able to secure the recording from the ABC in 2023, I find the ABC's 2018 statement to the Senate Committee both preposterous and untruthful,' he wrote. 'Given the above and the growing public interest in the Lateline broadcast, I am asking you to exercise your ministerial power...and direct the ABC to publish the radio interview on all of its digital platforms for the Australian people to listen.' Mr Adams received a response in October from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts. 'The ABC has advised that the 1975 Lateline interview does not meet its current editorial standards, and that the ABC has decided to not approve the release of the program for republication or broadcast,' it said. 'Given ABC's editorial independence, this decision is a matter for the ABC.' Mr Adams told the Daily Mail he would publish the segment on his YouTube channel because he felt he was left with no option, and it was in the public interest. 'After exhausting all political and legal options, I am going to breach the legal conditions imposed on me by the ABC to expose Australia's dark history which I believe is in the public interest,' he said. 'The culture of corruption and concealment in Australia, especially around paedophilia, is so disgusting that a circuit breaker is needed.' The drug-running Australian pilot killed in a plane crash in Brazil is believed to have diced with death up to 30 times previously as he criss-crossed the Atlantic in his tiny single-engine kit aircraft with a cargo of cocaine. Timothy James Clark, 46, died when his plane crashed around 1.30pm on September 14 as he flew over Coruripe, on the Alagoas coast in Brazil's north-east. Melbourne-born Clark was the sole occupant found in the wreckage, surrounded by Australian snacks and 200kg of SpaceX-branded bricks of cocaine. His father was unaware of the death of his South African-based son - known as The Broker online and renowned for his wild playboy lifestyle - until the Daily Mail broke the news to him, 48 hours after it was first reported. Clark's body remained unclaimed in Brazil for weeks, but his family have now been in touch with local officials to arrange its return to Australia for a funeral in Melbourne. Records show Clark purchased his Sling 4 light aircraft three years ago and had registered it under Mindframe Creations with South Africas Civil Aviation Authority. The aircraft had flown about 1,200 hours since he bought it, with each hazardous Brazil-to-South Africa crossing taking roughly 40 hours to complete in the tiny plane. Insiders told South African news site the City Press they estimated Clark made anywhere up to 30 transatlantic trips, which could have netted him more than $22million. Timothy James Clark lived the high life before winding up dead in a plane crash linked to a massive international drug ring Timothy James Clark enjoyed the company of women With just a single-engine, the plane would have taken at least 13 hours to cross the Atlantic by the shortest route from Brazil to Africa. Any engine faults over the sea would have proved catastrophic for Clark, with no secondary engine to rely on, nowhere to land and little hope of rescue. The aircraft had also been fitted with additional internal fuel tanks for the trip, with the extra weight, including his 200kg cargo of coke, pushing the plane beyond its standard operational limits. Clark would then have to hop from bush airstrip to bush airstrip down the west coast of Africa, often run by mining companies, to deliver the coke without drawing the attention of authorities. At the time of his death, Clark was believed to be on the first stage of another drug-running mission before embarking on the dangerous transatlantic trafficking run. But it's been revealed the Australian pilot had been loved by locals in South Africa for his good nature and had been regarded as all-round-nice guy. Insiders claimed the scruffy-haired Aussie would roll up in his Sling, joke with locals and have his aircraft serviced at Sling's Alberton factory in Johannesburg, like any other hobby pilot. Few knew Clark's 'hobby aircraft' was being used to smuggle large quantities of cocaine. Authorities found 200kg of drugs in the wreckage of the plane fuselage The Daily Mail revealed that at the time of his death, Clark was the director and secretary of a number of investment businesses that operated in Australia and Africa over the past few decades. The former high-flying stock market trader, who used the nickname The Broker online, owned companies including Stock Assist Group Pty Ltd and Gurney Capital Nominees Pty Ltd (which both remain registered with ASIC), TJC Nominees Pty Ltd (which was cancelled in July), and Bluenergy Asia Pty Ltd and Tick-Tack-Toe Pty Ltd (deregistered in 2021 and 2018 respectively). Stock Assist Group owned millions of dollars' worth of shares in Western Australian mining company Victory Mines and underwrote millions more in Classic Minerals, according to stockholder reports. It is understood Brazilian police had been trying to keep up with Clarks low-flying, transponder-free aircraft for some time and were closing in on him when it crashed. Clarks plane hit the ground about 11 hours flying time from the Amazon basin, a major cocaine trafficking route to Europe. Testing identified the drugs found onboard as cocaine, which were wrapped in bricks carrying SpaceX branding, the name of Elon Musks spacecraft and rocket division. Local law enforcement estimated the seizure was worth around nine million Brazilian Real (around AU$2.5million) to the shipment's drug lords. But while it remains unclear where the illicit substances were intended to be sold, 200kg of cocaine would have an estimated street value of $80million in Australia. Clark's wrecked plane in Brazil Tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine and carried Elon Musk's SpaceX branding According to South African press, Clark had crossed the Atlantic in the Sling aircraft countless times, offloading cargo in Namibia and South Africa before topping up in Brazil for another run. Three of the Sling's four seats had been ripped out to make way for long-range fuel tanks. One source told the publication Clark registered the Sling on South Africas Civil Aviation Authoritys books under Mindframe Creations, a company whose director was now uncontactable on all listed numbers. 'If you saw Clark on the street, you wouldnt have thought for a moment that he had much money,' a source claimed. 'He was a typical, somewhat scruffy Aussie with messy hair and old clothes, but then he would wear an extremely expensive pair of shoes. 'He spoke with relish about how he enjoyed the aircraft while flying around the world. None of us suspected he was actually involved in drug smuggling.' Clarks plane had also been spotted in Namibia, with sources claiming he visited Mozambique as well, which is another recognised drug pipeline route. He was also known to operate a second aircraft for 'legitimate' flights - a Beechcraft King Air 350. Timothy James Clark shared his experiences on a popular travel site It has since been reported that Clark may have been involved with sinister characters both in Australia and overseas. His father revealed that his son had been living in South Africa for years. Bellingcat linked Clark to several underworld figures, including a known associate of high-ranking members of the Kinahan cartel. That associate, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is currently facing charges in Western Australia for importing a multimillion-dollar cocaine shipment. The operation involved cocaine flights from South America to Australia, mirroring Clark's routes. The alleged drug dealer is also a South African resident. Evidence uncovered by Bellingcat, including flight records and communications, suggested Clark collaborated with the alleged dealer on drug runs, placing him within the cartels supply chain. A 2018 restaurant review posted by Clark included a photo that showed the pair dining together in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, Bellingcat reported. The Kinahan cartel is a major Irish transnational organised crime syndicate alleged to be the most powerful in Ireland and one of the largest organised crime groups in the world. It is also established in the UK, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. Clark reportedly frequently used Tripadvisor to post reviews, including about chartering a catamaran in Bali and the VIP service at a Saint-Tropez bar where he spent 5,500 on 'ultra top-shelf' drinks. The publication claimed Clark also left Tripadvisor reviews for two Zimbabwean venues - the Amanzi Lodge and Thetford Estate - which Christy 'Dapper Don' Kinahan later attended, according to the cartel leaders own Google Maps profile. Newly freed Israeli hostages hugged one another in joy following their release from 738 days in captivity in Gaza. All 20 living hostages were released today following a Donald Trump-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas that aims to bring an end to the devastating war. Matan Angrest, 22, twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28; Alon Ohel, 24; Eitan Mor, 25; Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24; and Omri Miran, 48 were the first hostages to be handed over to the Red Cross this morning. The group of seven was whisked away to a military base in Re'im, near Gaza, before they reunited with their families. They were followed by a second group of 13 living hostages, who have also finally arrived in Israel after more than two years in captivity. The second group to return home included: Matan Zangauker, 25; Nimrod Cohen, 21; Ariel Cunio, 28; David Cunio, 35; Evyatar David, 24; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25; Elkana Bohbot, 36; Avinatan Or, 32; Bar Kupershtein, 23; Segev Kalfon, 27; Rom Braslabski, 21; Eitan Horn, 38; and Maxim Herkin, 37. The bodies of 28 deceased hostages will be handed over later, a Hamas official said, as a task force works to locate their missing remains. The U.S. president arrived in Israel this morning, where he will soon deliver a historic speech to the Knesset before heading to Egypt for an international peace summit geared towards ending the war in Gaza. The first hug between brothers Gali and Ziv Berman Released hostage Eitan Mor with IDF representatives Representatives of the Israeli military at the Israeli military base of Re'im speaking to Ziv Berman Trump signed the Knesset guest book and wrote: 'It is a great honour for me. This is a beautiful day. A new beginning.' Speaking to reporters earlier on Air Force One as he made his way to Israel, the president said: 'The war is over.' 'People are tired of it, it's been centuries, not just recent' he said. 'The ceasefire will hold, we're going to make sure it holds.' Families and friends of the hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that their loved ones were being released. Tens of thousands of Israelis were also watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv. British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends. She was sat beside Romi Gonen who was held with her for much of their time in captivity. Now the loved ones of the remaining 14 are waiting anxiously. Dozens of friends of Evyatar David have been gathered together near Tel Aviv since 8am on Sunday and have not slept. Yuval Ovadia, 24, student from Tel Aviv, told the Daily Mail: 'I have been here since 8am. It's such a stressful time, so having everyone together helps 'It's friends from all around - we met because of this situation.' Guy Melamed, 24, student from Zippori, northern Israel, said: 'Some of us have been here since we heard the news at 8am yesterday. We knew it was happening in the next 24 hours so we said we need to meet up. 'We needed to be together to be here for each other. As much as you want to fall asleep, it's the anticipation. It's just too much - two years we have been waiting for this moment. 'It's very exciting.' Evyatar was due for release last January but was instead cruelly forced to watch others released before being taken back into captivity. Hamas then released horrifying footage of his starved body as he was forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel in Gaza. Your browser does not support iframes. U.S. President Donald Trump signs the guest book at the Knesset on October 13, 2025 The mother and other relatives of Israeli hostage Bar Abraham Kupershtein, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas A vehicle carrying hostages who were released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip arrives to the Reim military base near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 13, 2025 First photo of Gali Berman, one of the first Israeli hostages to be released by Hamas, in Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Lod, Israel, October 13, 2025 British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends A Red Cross vehicle transports hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Hamas confirmed this morning the names of the 20 remaining living hostages that will be released in return for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Earlier today, the Red Cross said they were beginning the process of Hamas handing over the detainees. 'The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has started a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas,' they said in a statement. The IDF announced Monday morning that the Red Cross is headed to a meeting point in Northern Gaza 'where several hostages will be transferred into their custody.' They added that they're prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on. Hamas confirmed the names of the living hostages who will be returned and the over 1,700 Palestinian prisoners who will be freed. After speaking to hostage families and addressing the Knesset, Trump will depart Israel for a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries. There, politicians will try and finalise an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza. A surge of humanitarian aid is expected to follow into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are left homeless. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners mark a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. Major Israeli TV stations are airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages' release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn. 'Its very exciting,' said Meir Kaller, who spent a sleepless night there. The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Hamas members hand over some of the 20 Israeli hostages to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) teams as part of the ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel on October 13, 2025 in Gaza City, Gaza Seven Israeli hostages have been released from captivity Palestinian militants stand guard on the day that hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7 are released Ora Rubinstein, right, aunt of Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein, hugs a friend as they wait with others for the release of hostages Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. With the hostages release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over. Onboard Air Force One, Trump said he was hopeful the hostages may be released earlier than expected, but added: 'Getting them was amazing actually, because we were involved, and they were in places that you don't want to know about.' He addressed reporters just before boarding the plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and spoke of the enormity of the deal. 'There are 500,000 people, yesterday and today, in Israel and also the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybody's cheering at one time - that's never happened before,' he said. 'Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn't - the other is the opposite. This is the first time everybody is amazed, and they're thrilled. 'It's an honor to be involved, and we're going to have an amazing time, and it's going to be something that's never, never happened before.' He went on: 'Everybody is happy. Whether its Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries, every country is dancing in the streets. Its a point in time I dont think youd ever see again. Theyve never seen it for 3,000 years.' Your browser does not support iframes. The Red Cross confirmed Monday that they are beginning the process of Hamas handing over the 20 detainees Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrives at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, ahead of the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt People embrace while waiting for the start of the hostage release live stream at Hostages Square on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday night that Monday marked 'the beginning of a new path'. He told the relatives of the remaining hostages that their release was a 'historic event that some people did not believe would happen'. Netanyahu added: 'Together we will continue to win, and with the help of God, together we will guarantee the eternity of the country and land of Israel.' Hamas moved all the living hostages into three different locations in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, ready for release. Special forces were on standby to intervene if mobs tried to attack them, while the Israel Defence Forces warned it would respond to any provocations or deviations from the plan. After 738 days in captivity, the hostages were taken to the Re'im military base in southern Israel where medical teams assessed them before they met their families. Trump's motorcade travelled along the Route 1 Highway to Jerusalem where he will give a historic address at the Knesset, Israel's parliament. He will also meet families of released hostages before rushing back along the same route to Ben Gurion Airport and departing for a summit in Egypt to discuss the future of Gaza. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will bestow the American leader with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour the country's highest civilian honour. Sir Keir Starmer will also attend a peace summit in Egypt where he is expected to heap praise on Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Israelis gathering in Hostages Square send a message to President Trump as he arrives in Tel Aviv People listen to songs played on a piano at Hostages Square on October 12, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel Sir Keir is among world leaders due to attend as the world hopes the uneasy peace will hold. He will say: 'We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region ... the UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan, so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security.' But Sir Keir will have bridges to build after Israel's deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel rejected Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson's claim that Britain had played a 'key role' in the ceasefire deal. Ilan Dalal, the father of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, on Sunday night told Israeli media the first thing he will do on seeing his son is 'hug him, smell him and tell him that the nightmare is over'. 'I don't know what kind of son I'm going to get back, and I hope that he won't be so harmed that he can't rebuild his life,' he said. Israel has said only once all the living are accounted for at Re'im will they 'switch on the engines' of the vehicles taking the first 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and terrorists to freedom. Meanwhile, Israel's National Institute of Forensic Medicine is preparing to identify the remains of 28 hostages and determine their cause of death. 'We want to understand what happened to bring the families full information, closure and knowledge,' said Dr Chen Kugel. Families and friends of Gaza hostage Elkana Bohbot react as they wait for the start of the hostage release live stream The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has brought an end to the two years of war that followed the attacks During the last ceasefire, Hamas cruelly sent back the wrong body for one hostage. The group is also pushing for the release of high-profile terrorists including Marwan Barghouti, despite Israel ruling it out. They reportedly offered to free the hostages early if Netanyahu agreed to give them Barghouti but they were refused. IDF chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir on Sunday declared 'victory' over Hamas as he praised military pressure and a 'complementary diplomatic move' for ending the war. And defense minister Israel Katz said the IDF has now been instructed to demolish all remaining Hamas tunnels in Gaza. The terror group has agreed to relinquish all control of the Gaza Strip, a source told the news agency AFP. But yesterday shocking images showed armed gangs engaged in firefights in Gaza City as Hamas reportedly executed rivals in the streets for collaborating with Israel. At least 27 people were killed in clashes between Hamas and armed militia, the BBC reported on Sunday night. The 20-point peace plan states that Israel should maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza along the border. Your browser does not support iframes. Family and friends of Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein celebrate as they await the release of Kuperstein and other hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza, in Holon, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 Palestinians walk among destroyed buildings in Gaza City on Sunday, October 12, 2025 Tens of thousands of Israelis were also watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside the enclave. The Israeli military will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50 per cent of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to the agreed-upon lines. There are no plans to send British troops to be part of the multinational force that will monitor the truce. Donald Trump has been showered in praise after the success of Monday's peace deal signing. The US President was joined by world leaders in Egypt as he declared the talks over the next phase of his peace plan for Gaza underway. The President has heralded a 'new dawn' for the Middle East following the historic release of Israeli hostages on Monday. He joined leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh after a lightning stop in Israel where he addressed the country's parliament. Earlier, he spoke in the Knesset for more than an hour as he declared the 'long and painful nightmare' was over for Israelis and Palestinians and called for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be pardoned ahead of an upcoming corruption trial. Hamas earlier handed over 20 living hostages held in Gaza for 738 days following its terror attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The captives were released to the Red Cross then transferred to the Israeli military, which will airlift them to hospitals across the country as the nation celebrates their return. This live blog has now closed. Read a recap on the day's events below. Senator Lidia Thorpe's incendiary claim that she would 'burn down Parliament House' to support Palestine is being investigated by the AFP. The independent Senator made the comments at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne on Sunday, days after Israel and Hamas reached a tentative ceasefire. The remark drew a roar of support from the crowd but sparked immediate backlash from the federal Opposition and members of Australia's Jewish community. And now the AFP has launched an investigation into the comments. 'The AFP is aware of comments made at a protest regarding Australian Parliament House. The AFP's National Security Investigations team in Victoria began investigating almost immediately into whether the comments breach legislation. This will be done methodically,' a statement from the AFP said. 'It is not the usual practice of the AFP to provide a running commentary on matters. However, noting the public commentary and concern, the AFP is seeking to reassure the community that this issue is being appropriately considered and undertaken in a timely manner.' Earlier, Senator Thorpe says her rallying cry to burn down Parliament House to make a point about Gaza was just a figure of speech, after she was roundly criticised across the political spectrum. At a rally in Melbourne on Sunday, the firebrand senator for Victoria compared the plight of Palestinians to that of Indigenous Australians. Senator Lidia Thorpe 's incendiary claim that she would 'burn down Parliament House' to support Palestine is being investigated by the AFP Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke urged political leaders to avoid inflaming community tensions after Thorpe's comments So we stand with you every day, and we will fight every day and we will turn up every day and if I have to, burn down Parliament House to make a point, she said, to cheers from the crowd. The comments sparked a political firestorm, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke urging leaders to avoid inflaming community tensions. He said the natural instinct when 'offensive' comments were made was to 'increase the pressure'. I don't think that's in the interests of social cohesion, he told reporters in Canberra on Monday. He said her comments speak for themselves ... but I also don't think us raising the temperature in return does anything other than create a problem. Senator Thorpe clarified her comments on Monday, telling AAP in a statement they were a metaphor for the pain in our communities. They were obviously not a literal threat, she said. This mock outrage is ridiculous. While people are dying and starving in Gaza, politicians and media are once again clutching their pearls and chasing a scandal. Thorpe stuck her finger up at the British royals The independent senator added that she had always rejected violence and was committed to pursuing justice through peaceful, democratic means. The opposition has also been critical of Senator Thorpe's remarks and argues the government should take a stronger stance. Deputy Liberal leader Ted O'Brien said the protest went against Australian values. There are 4000 to 5000 Australians who work in Parliament House at times of the year, and to be making those sort of statements are absolutely appalling ... and to hear the roar of the crowd, that's deeply concerning, he told the Today program. I don't understand why the government won't take a stronger line on this. Both sides of politics are hoping the release of Israeli hostages and the next stages of the ceasefire deal in Gaza will help soothe community tensions at home Senator Thorpe clarified her comments were a metaphor for the pain in our communities The remaining Israelis held captive by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas are expected to be released later on Monday (AEDT), according to Israeli officials. Israel in exchange will release around 2000 Palestinians, including senior militants and those held without charge under what is known as administrative detention. Jewish groups held rallies on Sunday night to pay their respects to the 1200 people in Israel who died and the 250 who were taken hostage by Hamas two years ago, sparking the war. A Jewish TV news anchor has broken down after receiving confirmation the first Israeli hostages had been released by Hamas. Sky News Australia host Sharri Markson fought back tears as news broke that the first seven of 20 living Israeli hostages were released on Monday after two years in captivity. The Red Cross confirmed it was beginning the process with Hamas of handing over the 20 detainees who were captured during Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. 'This is the most incredible breaking news to be reporting,' Markson said while choking back tears. 'The seven hostages who have been in the tunnels of Gaza for the past two years, 738 days, are now in the Red Cross vehicles, on their way to the IDF, to the safety of Israel, to be in the arms of their loved ones. 'Seven hostages have now been handed over.' Markson then read out the names of the freed hostages, before breaking down again moments later. 'This is the beginning of the end of the war,' she said. Jewish TV host Sharri Markson (pictured) broke down as she revealed Israeli hostages were being freed by Hamas Markson (pictured) choked back tears while commenting on the joy the release would bring to Israelis and the global Jewish community The Red Cross retrieved the hostages from a meeting point in northern Gaza (pictured, a Red Cross vehicle moving in anticipation of the release on Monday) 'To see them home, surely, I can tell you there will not be a dry eye in all of Israel. 'There are hundreds of thousands of people on the streets celebrating.' The Red Cross confirmed the development in a statement. 'The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has started a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas,' it said. The ICRC has refused to provide footage of the released detainees 'out of respect for the dignity of those released and the condition they may be in'. Hamas earlier confirmed the names of the living hostages who will be returned and the over 1,700 Palestinian prisoners who will be freed. The exchange is part of a Donald Trump-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas that aims to bring an end to the war. The IDF earlier Monday explained the hostages would be released at a meeting point in Northern Gaza 'where several hostages will be transferred into their custody.' It is expected more aid will be allowed into Gaza following the release of the hostages (pictured, Gaza City on Sunday) The remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas are expected to be released later on (pictured, Palestinian militants in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday) The force added it was preparing to receive additional hostages through the Red Cross later on. Monday's release is expected to be followed by an increase of humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza, where more than a million Palestinians have been displaced. Hamas moved all the living hostages into three different locations in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, ready for release. Special forces were on standby to intervene if mobs tried to attack them, while the Israel Defence Forces warned it would respond to any provocations or deviations from the plan. President Trump was expected to arrive in the region about 9am (local time) along with other leaders to discuss the US-proposed peace deal and postwar plans. Onboard Air Force One, Trump said he was hopeful the hostages may be released earlier than expected, but added: 'Getting them was amazing actually, because we were involved, and they were in places that you don't want to know about.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday night that Monday marked 'the beginning of a new path'. He told the relatives of the remaining hostages that their release was a 'historic event that some people did not believe would happen'. Netanyahu added: 'Together we will continue to win, and with the help of God, together we will guarantee the eternity of the country and land of Israel.' An Israeli hostage's father who was paralysed miraculously stood to embrace his newly-released son after learning how to walk and talk again while his boy was held in captivity. Bar Kuperstein, 23, from Holon, was working at the Nova music festival on October 7 when he was kidnapped by terrorists who launched an enormous assault, killing 378 partygoers and taking 44 people into Gaza. He was finally returned to Israel on Monday after two years of being held in Gaza hell. His father Tal Kuperstein, who suffered a stroke during an operation after a car crash five years ago, learnt how to walk and speak again with the help of a physical therapist so he could advocate for his son and embrace him on his release. In a touching video his father can be seen standing up out of his wheelchair to hug his son. He stands with his arm wrapped around Bar, who is draped in an Israeli flag, and with his mother, brother and grandmother. In a statement, the family said: 'Two years of an impossible journey two years in which we did everything we could to make sure everyone knew who Bar is and now, everyone will finally get to truly know him. 'Two years during which Tal kept moving forward, doing everything possible despite his own challenges all so he could be ready for that hug with Bar. An Israeli hostage's father who was paralysed miraculously stood to embrace his newly-released son after learning how to walk and talk again while his son was held in captivity In a touching video Bar Kuperstein's father can be seen standing up out of his wheelchair to hug his son Bar Kuperstein, 23, from Holon, was working at the Nova music festival on October 7 when he was kidnapped 'We knew that Bar too was full of faith, courage, and strength. Thank God, he survived the horrors. Now it's time for him and for us to heal.' They thanked God, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, as well as the 'beautiful' people of Israel. Bar had been helping those shot and injured by the terrorists during the Nova massacre rather than escaping himself, other survivors of the attack. His family called him as sirens began sounding but hours later found videos and photos of him tied up on the ground by Hamas. Until Monday, the last they saw of him was a short propaganda clip released by Hamas which showed proof of life for him and fellow captive Maxim Herkin. Bar was released along with the remaining living hostages and was taken to an Israeli military base in Re'im near the border with Gaza before being transported a hospital in the south of the country. In emotional scenes on Monday, captives who had spent 738 days held by Hamas were reunited with parents, families, friends and loved ones. Tears of unimaginable joy were shed as former hostages ran straight into the arms of loved ones, who have spent every day since October 7, 2023 fighting for their release from gruelling captivity in the enclave's underground tunnel network. Tal Kuperstein suffered a stroke during an operation after a car crash five years ago The father learnt how to walk again so that he could advocate for his son during his captivity and embrace him on his return Family and friends of Bar Kupershtein celebrate as they await the release. Father Tal is pictured sitting second from right Your browser does not support iframes. Omri Miran, 48, was photographed reuniting with his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi, where he spoke to his daughters Roni, 4, and Alma, 2, on a tablet while at the Reim base. He was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023, when Alma was only six months old. Since then, she has learned how to say 'Abba' ('Daddy' in Hebrew). Omri, the oldest captive, was part of the first group of Israeli hostages to be released this morning, alongside Matan Angrest, 22; twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28; Alon Ohel, 24; Eitan Mor, 25; and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24. They were followed by a second group of 13 living hostages, including Matan Zangauker, 25; Nimrod Cohen, 21; Ariel Cunio, 28; David Cunio, 35; Evyatar David, 24; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25; Elkana Bohbot, 36; Avinatan Or, 32; Bar Kupershtein, 23; Segev Kalfon, 27; Rom Braslabski, 21; Eitan Horn, 38; and Maxim Herkin, 37. Addressing the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in a historic speech, U.S. President Donald Trump said: 'After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent and the sirens are still.' Alon, Guy and Omri were flown by Israeli Air Force helicopters to hospital after an initial medical evaluation, the military said. While Hamas has been instructed to hand over 28 deceased bodies as part of the peace deal, it is expected to only hand over four this afternoon. It comes as the terror group has previously admitted they do not know where the remains of all the dead hostages are. It is believed that some of the remains have been lost and buried under the rubble in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Israelis were also watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Lod, Israel, October 13, 2025 Your browser does not support iframes. A Red Cross vehicle transports hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Your browser does not support iframes. A joint multinational task force led by Israel, the U.S., Turkey, Qatar and Egypt is being established to locate any bodies that are not returned. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said the terror group was guilty of a 'blatant breach' of the ceasefire deal by not returning all of the deceased today. The U.S. president arrived in Israel this morning, where he delivered a momentous address to the Knesset. He will then head to Egypt for an international peace summit geared towards ending the war in Gaza. 'After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families,' Trump said. 'Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time.' Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will bestow the American leader with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour the country's highest civilian honour. Trump signed the Knesset guest book and wrote: 'It is a great honour for me. This is a beautiful day. A new beginning.' Wondrous Xinjiang: Aquaculture thrives in China's Taklimakan Desert Xinhua) 09:33, October 13, 2025 URUMQI, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- In a remarkable transformation, the barren expanse of China's Taklimakan Desert -- long known as the "Sea of Death" -- is now thriving with aquaculture, yielding a rich variety of high-quality fresh seafood. At a breeding base in Qiemo County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, tens of thousands of marine fish fry, including mullet and grouper, can be seen teeming in the waters, with the first harvest already making its way to the market. This shift is driven by the growing use of desert saltwater for aquaculture, a practice that has rapidly popularized the term "desert seafood." "Our trial breeding last year was quite successful, so we decided to expand this year," said Gong Yonghong, head of a seafood company in Qiemo. The company recently introduced 60,000 new striped scat fry, marking the third batch of ocean dwellers to settle in the desert. Gong, who previously worked in the garment industry in Guangdong, an economic powerhouse in southern China, came to Xinjiang in 2023. Seeing vibrant marine fish such as grouper and golden pompano thriving in the Gobi Desert, alongside processed seafood being shipped across the country, he realized the region's potential and chose Qiemo to start his venture. The county is surrounded by desert on three sides. In the spring of 2024, Gong and his team quickly established a 20-mu (about 1.3-hectare) farm. The facility, built in less than three months, includes two fish ponds, a breeding pool, and a standardized production workshop. "Our aquaculture uses desert brackish water, using cultivated microorganisms to replicate seawater and achieve a genuine marine water effect," he explained. In June 2024, 100,000 sea fish, including pearl mussels, mullet, grouper and silver sillago, were brought from coastal areas to this farm. The team meticulously modified the ponds to simulate a marine environment, with technicians closely monitoring growth and adjusting strategies. The survival rate for this first batch exceeded 99 percent. In addition to fish, Gong also experimentally released 2 million pearl oyster spat and oysters, a trend that is now spreading across the desert. Makit County has built an Australian lobster farm, producing lobsters weighing 130 grams each. Meanwhile, a breeding base in Hotan anticipates an annual yield of 280 tonnes, and a facility in Atux cultivates six aquatic species, including grouper and prawns. Official data shows that Xinjiang's aquatic output in 2024 reached 196,500 tonnes, a 6.8 percent increase year on year. Premium seafood like Pacific white shrimp and Australian lobster are now supplied to local markets, major urban clusters in China, and even international markets like Singapore. This growing industry is also creating new sources of income and employment opportunities for local farmers. Jurat Imin, a farmer from Tatirang Township, joined Gong's company in May. "This job is very close to home and the income is stable. I earn 5,000 yuan (about 704 U.S. dollars) per month," he said, adding that he plans to start his own aquaculture business once he has mastered the skills. "Next, we will introduce more species, from fish to shrimp and shellfish, and establish a comprehensive quality control and traceability system," said Gong. His future plans include a complete industrial chain and a "company plus farmers" model to expand operations and allow more villagers to "share the benefits." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) This is the dramatic moment the Portuguese Air Force helps rescue a family of five including three children after they cheated death when their yacht was sunk in an orca attack. A military helicopter was mobilised to winch the survivors off a fishing vessel that had come to their rescue after their boat was rammed by a pod of the mammals and started taking on water. They were taken by chopper to hospital although they were not injured in the drama, which occurred late on Friday around 55miles south-east of Peniche, a 75-minute drive north of Lisbon. Three children aged eight, ten and 12 were on board the French-flagged 36ft-long yacht, named locally as Ti'fare, with their mum and dad when it was attacked. Their parents managed to send an SOS and get into a life raft before the vessel, said to have been left with a breached hull after being rammed, started sinking. A Peniche-based fishing boat called Silmar responded to the alert as the military were mobilised. The rescue was confirmed at the weekend by the Portuguese Air Force which posted footage of the moment the survivors were airlifted onto a chopper from Silmar and taken away for a medical check-up. A spokesman said: 'During the night of 10 October, the Air Force's EH-101 Merlin helicopter was called into action to rescue five people who were on board a boat sailing more than 50 km from Peniche. This is the dramatic moment the Portuguese Air Force helps rescue a family of five including three children after they cheated death 'The sailboat, carrying a couple and their three children, was attacked by a group of killer whales, which damaged the vessel, causing it to take on water. 'After the incident, the five people abandoned the vessel using a life raft and were later picked up by a fishing boat that was in the vicinity. 'To support the rescue mission, the Air Force activated the EH-101 Merlin helicopter from Squadron 751 - 'Pumas', which took off from Air Base Number Six in Montijo at 8.45pm on Friday. 'Once the rescue was successfully completed, the Air Force helicopter returned to BA6 at around 11 p.m. 'The rescue mission was activated by the Air Force's Lisbon Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, following a request for activation from the coordinating entity, the Portuguese Navy's Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Centre.' As well as the Air Force helicopter a Navy frigate and a lifeboat from the Peniche Port Authority were also mobilised. The family at the centre of the latest drama involving orcas had reportedly left the town of Lorient in Brittany, western France, on September 29 and stopped in La Coruna in Galicia and the Portuguese city of Porto before travelling further south. They are understood to now be receiving support from French consular officials after being allowed to leave hospital. A military helicopter was mobilised to winch the survivors off a fishing vessel that had come to their rescue Last month a pod of orcas sunk a yacht carrying five people including a British national near Fonte da Telha beach just south of Lisbon. Footage showed an orca repeatedly striking the Oceanview sailboat which belonged to the Nautic Squad Club and the vessel disappearing under the water before it could be saved after the crew were rescued. The same day the same pod of orcas attacked another nearby boat called Nova Vida. The Norwegian sailors on board told afterwards how they were able to save the vessel by installing an emergency rudder and pry it enough to get them back to Cascais 10 nautical miles away after being rammed. Between 2020 and 2023 there were reportedly around 500 attacks by orcas. No humans have been injured, but 20 per cent of the vessels targeted have been damaged and several were lost. A number of incidents have occurred in the Gibraltar Straits, although over the past few weeks the area north and south of Lisbon has been in the news over orca attacks there. Up until Saturday Portugal's Maritime Authority said 61 warnings were sent out to sailors alerting them about interactions with the mammals off the country's coast, compared with just 45 throughout last year. Donald Trump has threatened to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine which could reach Moscow if Vladimir Putin does not end the war soon. The weapons could be a game changer for Ukraine, allowing precision attacks at Russian military and energy assets far from the frontline. Speaking on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said: 'I might say, 'Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks'. The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that. 'I might tell them that if the war is not settled - that we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think it's appropriate to bring up.' The threat prompted a strong backlash from the Kremlin, who warned against the 'dramatic' escalation. 'The topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern,' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday. 'Now is really a very dramatic moment in terms of the fact that tensions are escalating from all sides.' 'Just imagine: a long-range missile is launched and is flying and we know that it could be nuclear. What should the Russian Federation think? Just how should Russia react? Military experts overseas should understand this,' Peskov added. Donald Trump has threatened to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine which could reach Moscow if Vladimir Putin does not end the war soon His suggestions followed a Russian attack on Ukraine overnight, part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (pictured) goaded Donald Trump on social media, referring to him as the 'star-spangled uncle' Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said the US supplying the missiles to 'could end badly for everyone, and first of all for Trump himself'. Medvedev, who has repeatedly goaded Trump on social media, added: 'It has been said a hundred times in a way even understandable to the star-spangled uncle that it is impossible to distinguish nuclear Tomahawks from conventional ones in flight. 'How should Russia respond? Exactly!' Medvedev said on Telegram, appearing to hint that Moscow's response would be nuclear. 'One can only hope that this is another empty threat... Like sending nuclear submarines closer to Russia,' he said, alluding to Trump's statement in August that he had ordered two nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia. Trump earlier warned Medvedev - a 'failed former president of Russia' - to 'watch his words' after a previous warning that the US was risking all-out war with Russia. 'He is treading on very dangerous ground,' said Trump. Earlier this month Putin said the supply of Tomahawks would trigger a 'qualitatively new stage of escalation'. Ukraine's foreign ministry has said that Washington and Kyiv are engaged in 'a very detailed and active discussion about the possibility of providing these missiles'. Medvedev, a close ally of Putin, said 'one can only hope that this is another empty threat' The jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile costing up to 3 million each have been requested by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. They have a range of 1,500 miles and could hit targets around both Moscow and St Petersburg. 'Currently, the Ukrainian and American teams are working to coordinate all these details, discussing all the nuances regarding in what forms and configurations the missiles can be provided to Ukraine,' foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said. Putin has labelled a Tomahawk deployment as 'monstrous' and said such a move would destroy his relationship with Trump. But Trump has expressed anger that Putin is continuing the killing and refuses to strike a peace deal. He said he mentioned the possibility of sending Tomahawks during a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 'Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don't think so,' Mr Trump said of Russia. 'I think I might speak to Russia about that. Tomahawks are a new step of aggression.' 'I really think Putin would look great if he got this settled,' he said and that 'It's not going to be good for him' if not. File photo: A Tomahawk missile is launched over the Mediterranean sea His suggestions followed a Russian attack on Ukraine's power grid overnight, part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter. Mr Zelensky described his latest call with Mr Trump as 'very productive', and said the pair had discussed strengthening Ukraine's 'air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities', along with 'details related to the energy sector'. In an interview with Fox News Channel's The Sunday Briefing after his call with the US president, Mr Zelensky was asked whether Mr Trump had approved the Tomahawks and said, 'we work on it'. 'I'm waiting for president to yes,' Mr Zelensky said. 'Of course we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see.' The Ukrainian president said on Friday that he was in talks with US officials about the possible provision of various long-range precision strike weapons, including Tomahawks and more ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. Zelenskiy said Ukraine would only use Tomahawk missiles for military purposes and not attack civilians in Russia, should the U.S. provide them. Trump in recent weeks has taken a notably tougher tact with Mr Putin, after the Russian leader has declined to engage in direct talks with Mr Zelensky about easing fighting. Last month, Mr Trump announced that he now believes Ukraine could win back all the territory lost to Russia - a dramatic shift from his repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Labour ministers will today be hauled into Parliament to explain why a case against two alleged Chinese spies collapsed, amid questions over the role played by Sir Keir Starmer's national security adviser. The prosecution against Chris Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, collapsed last month when the Government refused to classify Beijing as a threat to national security. Both men were formally declared not guilty and deny any wrongdoing. Blame has been laid at the door of NSA and former Tony Blair adviser Jonathan Powell, who is accused, along with the Treasury of pushing for the case to be withdrawn, over fears economic giant China would withdraw investment in the UK. But No10 today said that any such claim was 'entirely false', saying the decision was wholly down to the Crown Prosecution Service. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has written to the Prime Minister asking him to address 'unanswered questions' in Parliament over the case when MPs return to Westminster this afternoon. The Conservative Opposition is seeking an urgent question on the case, while Tory grandee and China hawk Sir Iain Duncan Smith was understood to have put in for an emergency parliamentary debate. Speaking during a visit to Grantham, Lincolnshire, Mrs Badenoch said: 'It is quite clear that there are a lot of questions to answer. I am worried that there is a cover up taking place. 'We will be making sure that we ask questions in Parliament about exactly who knew what, where and when, but Jonathan Powell certainly has questions to answer.' The prosecution against Chris Cash, 30 (below) and Christopher Berry, 33, (above) collapsed last month when the Government refused to classify Beijing as a threat to national security Blame has been laid at the door of NSA and former Tony Blair adviser Jonathan Powell, who is accused, along with the Treasury of pushing for the case to be withdrawn, over fears economic giant China would withdraw investment in the UK. Asked about reports in the Sunday Times which suggested a decision was taken high up in Government to abandon the case, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'It is entirely false. The CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) decision to drop the case was entirely a matter for the CPS. 'There was no role for any member of this Government, no minister, or special adviser, to take any decision in relation to this case. That is entirely for the CPS.' But Mrs Badenoch had earlier told broadcasters: 'I would say that we are seeing information that contradicts that. That is why it is very important that the Government come clean about who knew what, where, when, and why this has happened.' The Tory leader would not be drawn into saying whether Mr Powell should resign, as 'we don't exactly know what has transpired'. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has meanwhile blamed its collapse on evidence provided by the previous Tory administration, which was in power when the alleged spying offences took place. This morning Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer said Beijing does pose a threat to the UK, citing cybersecurity and its relationship with Russia. He claimed the trial collapsed last month because of the 'ropey' and 'archaic' Official Secrets Act. Mr Falconer told Times Radio: 'They do pose national security threats to the UK, whether that's in relation to cybersecurity, transnational repression, their relationship with Russia, in relation to the conflict in Ukraine; but there are also, of course, areas where we have to co-operate.' Ministers will follow the 'normal' process when it comes to settling a decision about whether China can build its so-called 'super embassy' in London, Mr Falconer added. Reports overnight in The Times suggested the Government has given Beijing assurances about the future of the embassy site. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has written to the Prime Minister asking him to address 'unanswered questions' in Parliament over the case when MPs return to Westminster this afternoon. In a letter to the Prime Minister, who arrive this morning in Egypt attending a summit of world leaders on the Gaza peace plan, Mrs Badenoch said: 'Your Government's account of what has happened has changed repeatedly. 'Instead of setting out the full facts before the House of Commons today, you are planning to travel to the Middle East. 'If you will not make a statement yourself, will you instruct a senior minister to clear things up once and for all through a full parliamentary statement? The public and Parliament deserve answers and transparency.' Britain's most senior prosecutor has since said the case collapsed because evidence describing Beijing as a national security threat could not be obtained from Sir Keir's administration. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said last week that the Crown Prosecution Service tried for 'many months' to obtain the evidence it needed, but it had not been forthcoming from the Government. In a letter to the Prime Minister, who arrive this morning in Egypt attending a summit of world leaders on the Gaza peace plan, Mrs Badenoch said: 'Your Government's account of what has happened has changed repeatedly. Mrs Badenoch said ministers must say whether it was 'still your Government's position to claim that it would have been impossible to argue that China was a threat in court'. The Conservative leader also demanded answers to claims that Mr Powell had discussed the case in a meeting last month. The Sunday Times reported that the senior aide had revealed the Government's evidence would be based on the national security strategy, which was published in June and does not refer to China as an 'enemy'. The paper also quoted a source saying a minister was told during a call with a Cabinet minister around six weeks ago that the case was about to fall, with the accusation being 'that Jonathan Powell in cahoots with the Treasury had been driving through that decision'. The White House is said to have concerns about the UK's reliability following the dropping of charges, while two former senior civil servants, Lord Mark Sedwill and Lord Simon Case, have also questioned Sir Keir's explanation of how the case collapsed. The Prime Minister has blamed the Conservative administration in power at the time of the alleged offences between December 2021 and February 2023, suggesting 'the only relevant evidence' would relate to this period. Donald Trump has suggested Sir Tony Blair might not be 'popular' enough to help run Gaza. The US President surprised many by naming the former PM as a potential member of his 'Board of Peace' to oversee the territory. But he has now hinted at a change in approach, after Palestinians and Hamas voiced opposition to Sir Tony's involvement. The ex-Labour leader remains a controversial figure in the region from his role in the Iraq War. He was also the Middle East envoy for the quartet of powers after leaving No10. Speaking on Air Force One en route to Israel overnight, Mr Trump said he wanted the Board of Peace up and running quickly. 'I've always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he's an acceptable choice to everybody,' he said. He added: 'I want to find out that Tony would be popular with all because I just don't know that.' Mr Trump on Monday met with Sir Tony at a Gaza peace summit in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, with the pair posing for pictures together. Donald Trump on Monday met with Sir Tony at a Gaza peace summit in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, with the pair posing for pictures together But the US President has suggested Sir Tony might not be 'popular' enough to help run Gaza as a potential member of his 'Board of Peace' to oversee the territory Mr Trump has hinted at a change in approach, after Palestinians and Hamas voiced opposition to Sir Tony's involvement Sir Tony was expected to meet senior figures from the Palestinian Authority in the region later. Mr Trump himself is set to chair the board, which would be tasked with overseeing an interim governing authority for Gaza. Sir Tony's former No10 chief of staff Jonathan Powell is now Keir Starmer's national security adviser. Mr Powell was praised by US envoy Steve Witkoff for his part in achieving the Gaza deal today. However, Sir Keir - who was also in Egypt today for a signing ceremony - has appeared cool on Sir Tony's involvement in the peace settlement. Last week he described the agreement as 'a real breakthrough', but asked about his predecessor's potential role he said: 'I'm less interested, to be perfectly frank, in discussions about personnel than I am in getting it implemented.' He added: 'The UK has played an important part behind the scenes in relation to these negotiations, working with the US mediators, and we stand ready to play our part in implementing this.' Meghan Markle had to ask for an invite to her catwalk debut on her polarising Paris trip, Balenciaga's top designer has sensationally revealed. The Duchess of Sussex said the visit to Fashion Week in the French capital was 'the culmination of many years offriendship' with Pierpaolo Piccioli. But Mr Piccioli has been rather more muted in his response, suggesting that their friendship is one of casual texting. In a new interview the celebrated clothing designer revealed that Meghan had asked him if she could attend - rather than him sending her an invite. But Mr Piccioli did say it was a 'beautiful surprise' and had helped keep her Paris visit to his show secret. When asked about Meghan's trip - and her two outfits - he said: 'Meghan and I met some years ago, and we've been texting ever since. She reached out and said she'd love to come to the show.' He added: 'There was no strategy or big orchestration.' Meghan's decision to take a 10,000-mile round trip to Paris Fashion Week came straight out of the blue, Piccioli confirmed, and he helped her keep it secret. Meghan Markle shares an awkward kiss with Italian fashion designer Pierpaolo Piccioli as she made a surprise appearance at Paris Fashion Week that he helped make happen for her The Duchess of Sussex appeared at the Balenciaga Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 show in the French capital in an all-white outfit aside from her black shoes and clutch Meghan later looked elegant in all black in another Balenciaga outfit in Paris on October 4 'I didn't tell anyone she was coming because I wanted it to stay a surprise. In fashion, real surprises are rare, and this one was beautiful', he told New York magazine The Cut. Some royal watchers had already questioned how close they really are as Meghan shared an awkward kiss with Balenciaga's designer Pierpaolo - and ended up butting heads with him as they leaned in for an embrace. The Duchess of Sussex's Paris mission - and outfits - made headlines around the world as she made her debut at one of the 'Big Four' fashion weeks amid rumours London could be next, in the spring. But there were a number of controversial moments. Last week a video emerged of the duchess appearing to laugh as a model took a tumble on the Balenciaga catwalk, next to her stony-faced friend. Footage from behind the scenes also captures the moment she appears to attempt to make conversation with British actress and Slow Horses star Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, who was seen turning away from her, leaving her awkwardly hanging. She was watching the fashion show from the front row, sitting next to her close friend, Marcus Anderson, Soho House brand's creative director. At one point, the duchess was seen reacting with amusement, firstly gasping with horror before giggling behind her hands and turning to chat to Marcus, who remained stony-faced. The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle steps out in a beige coat and black trousers on a rainy day in New York City after visiting Gloria Steinem Meghan stopped by and then was swept away in a waiting Cadillac Escalade SUV The Duchess has been criticised after a widely circulated video online showed her laughing while sat on the front row during the Balenciaga show. Her spokesman said that she was not laughing at a model stumbling In the clip, Meghan could be seen avidly watching the fashion show from the front row, sitting next to her close friend, Marcus Anderson 'She did seem quite poised, but she did seem a little bit nervous there.' It has not been confirmed that a model fell over, and Meghan may have simply been sharing a moment of laughter with her friend. Nonetheless, royal fans were left baffled that she was the 'only one laughing' - seeming at odds with the rest of the audience, who watched the show in silence and with neutral expressions. A representative for Meghan said she wasn't laughing at the model. Meghan was also mocked for her 'Zoolander' walk, as observers noticed the Duchess of Sussex appeared to be sashaying as she left the Balenciaga show in Paris. The first video posted to her Instagram story on Saturday evening was a teaser of her 745 Balenciaga 'Knife' heels as she strutted out of the 2,210-per-night Plaza Athenee hotel. But critics today likened the Duchess to Zoolander - the dim-witted character made famous by Ben Stiller in the 2001 hit comedy. 'Meghan Markle trying to give Zoolander a run for his supermodel walk,' one said. Meghan walks in her full-white outfit and black heels at Paris Fashion Week It appears Meghan had her own model moment as she strutted in front of numerous cameras while exiting the star-studded Balenciaga show in Paris this weekend - and she was compared to Zoolander Other commenters ridiculed 'self-obsessed' Meghan for appearing to make the show all about her. 'Meghan, you're not a model, they're simply just walking you to your seat! Meghan walking with her cape like she's the second coming of the Messiah,' one wrote. However, others complimented the duchess and said: 'Love that energy. Channel your inner princess,' and another said: 'She is so elegant and has always had style.' Meghan cut an elegant figure in a stylish white oversized button-through ensemble with an incorporated cape and, according to some observers at least, certainly had the strut of a fashionista. Appearing among high-profile celebrity guests such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, FKA Twigs and Anne Hathaway, Meghan had her own catwalk moment as she channelled her inner supermodel in front of numerous cameras while exiting the star-studded show. With her lips slightly parted, the duchess struck her best pose as she confidently exited the venue with her entourage. She then paused before getting into her blacked out minivan. One person commented on the video: 'Why is she walking like that?' Another replied: 'Thought the same thing. That's the "I'm very important you know" walk.' A fourth said waspishly: 'She's trying way too hard. It almost looks like parody.' A short clip showed her putting her feet up while being driven through the French capital, near to where Princess Diana died Critics noted that after she passed Paris's Pont Alexandre III bridge (pictured), she was heading towards nearby Pont d'Alma - close to where Princess Diana died in 1997 Meghan was also condemned over the 'insensitive' clip which showed her feet resting on the leather seats of a minivan as she was driven away from the event in the French capital. The clip, which appeared to be taken by Meghan, showed she took the parallel route to that of her mother-in-law Diana before she died. Commentators were quick to criticise the duchess for the 'disrespectful' video, branding it 'beyond stupid' and 'insensitive beyond belief'. But Meghan appeared to have brushed off the criticism with a new video showcasing behind-the-scenes highlights from her luxurious Parisian stay. The clip shows the duchess being driven past the Arc de Triomphe, staying within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower and snacking on French food. She also shows herself munching on 'frites' while sampling lipstick and getting ready with best friend and make-up artist Daniel Martin. The controversial clip of her journey back from the event was notably absent from the new video, which was finished off with the song 'Minuit' by Clementine and Oscar Anton. Critics questioned whether Meghan, who married Prince Harry in 2018, realised she had posted a parallel journey separated by the flowing waters of the Seine to that followed by her husband's mother on her final evening in August 1997. The deputy prime minister of Sweden has called for a burqa ban 'while we can' as she hit out at the country's 'failed integration'. Ebba Busch, leader of the Christian Democrats, said the Scandinavian country should prohibit woman from wearing burqas and niqabs in public, claiming it is an 'oppression' that is not welcome. The veils should be banned in public environments including streets and squares, shopping centres and healthcare facilities, she added. Local municipalities in Sweden have previously tried to impose restrictions on the burqa, including in schools, but there are currently no restrictions nationwide. Ms Busch, who also serves as the country's Minister for Energy and Minister for Business and Industry, said she believes the veils are incompatible with Swedish society and are an 'expression of a strict interpretation of Islam practiced in totalitarian states such as Iran and Afghanistan'. 'You should be able to meet for real if you are on the street, if you are shopping in the square, in the Ica store or taking the children to the health center. Then I don't want to meet someone who has covered their entire face, she told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet. The proposal would be part of an effort to increase the 'social cohesion' in the country which has seen 'failed integration'. 'It is the type of very naive liberalism, or lax social policy, that has brought Sweden to the situation we are in today,' the Ms Busch added. The deputy prime minister of Sweden has called for a burqa ban 'while we can' as she hit out at the country's 'failed integration' She said almost 70,000 woman have suffered from female genital mutilation in the nordic nation and that while 'you are very welcome to be a Muslim in Sweden... you have to adapt if you are already in the country'. Liberal Party leader Simona Mohamsson, the Minister of Education and Integration, also backed a ban, stating it is important to punish those who 'practice religious oppresion' such as compulsory veiling. Ms Busch has previously called for the banning of hijabs for nursery and primary school children to protect girls rights to their body and education. The Christian Democrats, who are in coalition with the Liberal Party and Moderate Party, will consider banning burqas and niqabs when they hold their national congress in November. The proposal comes after Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni called for a burka and niqab ban in public places in Italy with fines of 2,600 to stop 'Islamic separatism'. The bill, presented to parliament by the Italian prime minister's Brothers of Italy party on Wednesday, would see those wearing the garment in shops, offices, schools and universities fined between 260 and 2,600. It will also introduce criminal penalties for 'cultural crimes' including virginity testing and increase punishments for forced marriages to up to 10 years in prison, with religious coercion grounds for prosecution. The bill will combat 'religious radicalisation and religiously motivated hate', the party claims. Ebba Busch, leader of the Christian Democrats, said the Scandinavian country should prohibit woman from wearing burqas and niqabs in public 'The spread of Islamic fundamentalism... undeniably constitutes the breeding ground for Islamist terrorism,' an introduction to the draft legislation said. France became the first European country to introduce a nationwide ban on burkas in 2011. Austria, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands have since followed suit and introduced some form of the ban. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly upheld the bans, while Nigel Farage has previously branded the veils 'anti-British'. A woman with a severe nut allergy was left fearing she could die after pecan pie was offered on her 10-hour flight. Josie North claims to have been assured by Virgin Atlantic staff that no nuts would be on offer before boarding her transatlantic journey back to London from Los Angeles last month. The 28-year-old says she tried to contact the airline's help desk prior to the flight but could not get through, so she arrived at the airport four hours early in order to ensure staff were aware of her needs. Ms North said a staff member assured her that, while they couldn't guarantee foods containing traces of nuts wouldn't be present, no actual nut ingredients would be on the flight. Satisfied by their response, Ms North was then able to relax before the long-haul flight. But it was when boarding that Ms North claims things started to go awry, after a PA announcement to inform passengers of her allergy allegedly said she was only allergic to peanuts. She then insisted that attendants make a second announcement to clarify that she was, in fact, allergic to all forms of nut, which they eventually did before the flight took off. But just 15 minutes after they had taken to the sky, the 28-year-old said she 'felt sick to my stomach' after seeing a chocolate chip pecan pie on the menu. Josie North was left fearing she could die after pecan pie was offered on her 10-hour flight Ms North shared TikTok footage of her dispute with one of the flight attendants on board 'There was a chance I could die if that many people around me were eating nuts all at once,' she told NeedToKnow. 'I told him [the attendant] there was just no way this pecan pie could be served. This was a very scary situation for me. 'If I was told they were serving actual nuts, and everyone around me is going to be eating nuts - I wouldn't have got on the flight!' Ms North says she was told Virgin Atlantic by a flight attendant that they were a peanut-free airline only. She shared footage to her TikTok account of the dispute with the attendant, where she can be heard saying 'that's so dangerous' before telling him that it was 'crazy' to have the nutty dessert as one of their offerings. Virgin Atlantic has since launched a probe into the incident and apologised to Ms North. Eventually, even the captain was said to have been involved in the quarrel, and agreed that the pie should be removed from the menu and replaced with Oreos and KitKats. Ms North said: 'I understand it might not be easy to eliminate anything that may have been contaminated by/made in the same factory as nuts. Ms North said she 'felt sick to my stomach' after seeing the chocolate pecan tart on the menu She had been travelling back to London from Los Angeles when the ordeal unfolded 'But to actively include food items that contain nuts on a flight is extremely dangerous and unnecessary. 'I'm sure most people go hours and if not days without having a single nut on land so why is it so necessary to have nuts mid-air with no access to emergency hospital treatment? 'I'm sure people would be equally as happy with a chocolate brownie or an apple crumble for their dessert! 'And there may even be children on the flight who don't even know if they have nut allergies yet - so what is the point in serving such a common allergen?' A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: 'We'd like to apologise to Ms North for any incorrect information she may have received prior to her recent flight with us. 'We would like to reassure her that a full investigation is taking place. 'The health and safety of our customers is always our top priority and for any special requirements including allergies we ask that customers inform our Accessible Travel Services teams in advance of their flight. 'For the safety of any customers travelling with an allergy we would strongly encourage customers to take all necessary precautions including bringing their own subsistence on board and to prepare for the possibility of inadvertent exposure.' Ivanka Trump was today seen embracing her father as he arrived in Israel, where he is set to speak at the Knesset and meet the families of hostages recently freed by Hamas. She was pictured greeting Donald Trump as he stepped off Air Force One at Ben Gurion Airport this morning, kissing him on the cheek and hugging him. Ivanka has already been in Israel for the past few days. Over the weekend, she was serenaded with chants of 'Thank you, Trump' at a rally in Tel Aviv. And today in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, both Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner received a standing ovation from Israeli politicians. Following the successful negotiation of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, which saw the terror group agree to hand over the hostages it took on October 7 2023, Ivanka told the Tel Aviv crowd: 'The return of each hostage is not only a moment of homecoming and relief, it's a triumph of faith, of courage and of our shared humanity'. She added: 'We pray, and so many people are working so hard...so hard to ensure that this coming week is one of healing for you all. 'One of healing as we begin and embark on the next chapter, which God willing, after far too long, will be a lasting and enduring peace'. Ivanka also brought a message from her father, President Donald Trump. 'He sees you, he hears you, he stands with you, always,' she told the crowd to thunderous cheers. Ivanka Trump was today seen embracing her father as he arrived in Israel Both Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner received a standing ovation from Israeli politicians in the Knesset Your browser does not support iframes. 'We pray this week is one of healing for you all,' she concluded her two-minute speech. 'God bless you all for standing in solidarity together through this dark chapter.' Her husband Jared Kushner, 44, also spoke to the crowd. Jared was a key member in making the peace deal happen, as he traveled with US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to Egypt to broker a ceasefire. 'Seeing these horrific acts shocked me to my core and I'll never be the same,' Jared said of October 7, 2023, when the conflict started after Hamas attacked a music festival, killing 1,200 and kidnapping 251 Israelis. 'I cried. 'Instead of replicating the barbarous of the enemy, you chose to be exceptional, you chose to stand for the values that you stand for, and I couldn't be prouder to be a friend of Israel's, somebody that supports Israel, and somebody that fights very strongly to see Israel survive and see it's fullest potential.' He also thanked the 'amazing soldiers of the IDF.' 'Without their heroism, brilliance, and bravery, this deal would not have been possible, so really want to give a big tribute to them,' he said. Jared said he hoped this deal will make the world more 'peaceful,' help 'build bridges of understanding' and to 'eliminate hatred.' Though she took an active role in her father's last presidency, Ivanka no longer works for Donald Trump's White House. Jared Kushner (L) and Ivanka Trump acknowledge applause at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on October 13, 2025 Ivanka Trump (L), Steve Witkoff (C), United States Special Envoy to the Middle East and Special Envoy for Peace Missions, and Jared Kushner (C-R) arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 13 2025 Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has been instrumental to his Israel policy, is also in Israel, accompanied by his wife Ivanka Trump walks with Netanyahu and Israeli president Isaac Herzog Your browser does not support iframes. Trump and Kushner played key roles in peace negotiations to end the war in Gaza, which today saw Hamas release all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands. Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of more than 1,900 of prisoners held by Israel, with the first two buses leaving Ofer Prison in the early afternoon. The 20 hostages, all men, arrived back Israel, where they will reunite with their families and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Donald J. Trump, and Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff, in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem The first images of the freed hostages have been released by the Israel Defence Forces The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. 'Much of Gaza is a wasteland,' UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. People gathered in a square in Tel Aviv sobbed as photos of the hostages reuniting with their families flashed up on the large screens. The hostages have become household names and their faces familiar across Israel over the past two years, and tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country. Soon after the hostages arrived back - after being handed first to the Red Cross, then to the military - Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home. They included one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately. The photos of the first seven hostages released Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January. Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of prisoners. An armoured vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flyer warning that anyone supporting what it called 'terrorist organisations' risked arrest. Israel's military did not respond to questions about the flyer, which The Associated Press obtained on site. The prisoners slated for release include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. Iraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu greets Trump at the airport Trump appeared in high spirits as he disembarked from Air Force One Your browser does not support iframes. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator for the hostages and the missing. Trump arrived Monday in Israel, where he was to speak at the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages. 'The war is over,' Trump told reporters as he departed - even though his ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the future of Hamas and Gaza. Among the most thorny is Israel's insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza. So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza's far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gaza's border with Israel. The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the US plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza's government should be worked out among Palestinians. Later on Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Netanyahu will also attend the meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side. The IDF released pictures showing the first hug between brothers, who were both kidnapped by Hamas Released hostage Eitan Mor seen with an IDF representative after his release Your browser does not support iframes. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, is also expected, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash. The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority - something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years. The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu. Jeremy Clarkson has suggested he could stand against Labour's Ed Miliband at the next general election. The former Top Gear presenter, who now runs his 'Diddly Squat' farm in Oxfordshire, hinted at a bid to become the next Donacaster North MP. The South Yorkshire seat has been held by Mr Miliband, the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, since 2005. But, in a social media post, Clarkson paved the way for a high-profile challenge against the Cabinet minister the next time voters go to the polls. The 65-year-old, who was born in Mr Miliband's constituency, wrote: 'People of Doncaster North. Are you happy with your MP? 'Would you like it if someone from your neck of the woods kicked him out?' Jeremy Clarkson has suggested he could stand against Labour 's Ed Miliband at the next general election . Doncaster North has been held by Mr Miliband, the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, since 2005 Clarkson has been a fierce critic of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Government since they won power last July. He has joined farmers' protests against changes to inheritance tax and also spoken out against the Net Zero drive being spearheaded by Mr Miliband. Mr Miliband could be at risk at the next general election if Labour continue to lag in the polls. At the 2019 general election, he held his Doncaster North seat with a 2,370-vote majority. But Mr Miliband was helped by the Right-wing vote being split between the Tories and the Brexit Party, which together gained almost 6,000 votes more than him. Clarkson previously suggested he could enter politics ahead of the 2015 general election, at a time when Labour were being led by Mr Miliband. He posted on Twitter in 2013: 'I'm thinking I might stand in the next election as an independent for Doncaster North, which is where I'm from. Thoughts?' Clarkson has previously expressed his support for the Conservatives and is a friend of former Tory PM David Cameron. In his latest column for The Sun newspaper, he praised the Tories for the 'common sense' on display at their recent party conference in Manchester. He also launched an attack on both Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Sir Keir. 'Farage rarely talks about the economy and when he does, his numbers don't add up,' Clarkson wrote. 'He says he wants to cut taxes and increase spending by 150billion. Huh? But before anyone has the chance to question his logic, he scuttles back to his safe space and starts raging about small boats. 'Starmer, meanwhile, has no clue what to do about the economy because he's thick. That's why he's broken it. 'The fact is that nothing in this country will work if the economy isn't booming, and it won't boom if we have a government that stifles it with rules and taxes.' The day Israel has dreamt of for more than two years finally arrived today as the last of the hostages returned from Gaza. In emotional scenes, captives who had spent 738 days held by Hamas were reunited with parents, families, friends and loved ones. Tears of unimaginable joy were shed as former hostages ran straight into the arms of loved ones, who have spent every day since October 7, 2023 fighting for their release from gruelling captivity in the enclave's underground tunnel network. All 20 living hostages have been released following the Donald Trump-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas, that aims to bring an end to the devastating war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe. Omri Miran, 48, was photographed reuniting with his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi, where he spoke to his daughters Roni, 4, and Alma, 2, on a tablet while at the Reim base. He was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023, when Alma was only six months old. Since then, she has learned how to say 'Abba' ('Daddy' in Hebrew). Omri, the oldest captive, was part of the first group of Israeli hostages to be released this morning, alongside Matan Angrest, 22; twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28; Alon Ohel, 24; Eitan Mor, 25; and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24. They were followed by a second group of 13 living hostages, including Matan Zangauker, 25; Nimrod Cohen, 21; Ariel Cunio, 28; David Cunio, 35; Evyatar David, 24; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25; Elkana Bohbot, 36; Avinatan Or, 32; Bar Kupershtein, 23; Segev Kalfon, 27; Rom Braslabski, 21; Eitan Horn, 38; and Maxim Herkin, 37. Addressing the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in a historic speech, U.S. President Donald Trump said: 'After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent and the sirens are still.' Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital Ziv Berman, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip gestures from the window of a helicopter landing at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel Omri Miran, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip gestures after coming off a helicopter at the Ichilov Hospital, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 People watch a helicopter, on the day of hostages-prisoners swap, during a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025 Israelis gather at Hostages Square to celebrate after the release of the first group of hostages held in Gaza on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel Emotional footage shows Matan reuniting with his mother Einav Zangauker in a tearful embrace. For two years, Einav has been a ferocious anti-Netanyahu protester for her son, delivering speeches every Saturday night at demonstrations calling on the government to cease fighting in Gaza and return the captives. She, alongside other hostage families, has spent the last 738 days tirelessly meeting world leaders, speaking to parliaments, and marching through the streets to make their voices heard. 'We are in a dream,' Avi Ohana, the father of hostage Yosef, told Channel 13 this morning. Some of the returned Israelis, including Matan Zangauker, Maxim Herkin, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Evyatar David, Eitan Horn, David Cunio, Ariel Cunio, Elkana Bohbot, and Rom Braslavski were taken to hospitals by helicopter 'in the past few minutes,' the IDF said. While Hamas has been instructed to hand over 28 deceased bodies as part of the peace deal, it is expected to only hand over four this afternoon. It comes as the terror group has previously admitted they do not know where the remains of all the dead hostages are. It is believed that some of the remains have been lost and buried under the rubble in Gaza. A joint multinational task force led by Israel, the U.S., Turkey, Qatar and Egypt is being established to locate any bodies that are not returned. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said the terror group was guilty of a 'blatant breach' of the ceasefire deal by not returning all of the deceased today. An IDF spokesperson has demanded that Hamas 'uphold its end of the deal'. 'We have been informed that later today, approximately four fallen hostages will be returned. Even at this hour, efforts are being made at all levels to exert pressure for the continuation of the process to return the bodies of the fallen,' said IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin. The U.S. president arrived in Israel this morning, where he delivered a momentous address to the Knesset. He will then head to Egypt for an international peace summit geared towards ending the war in Gaza. 'After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families,' Trump said. 'Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time.' Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will bestow the American leader with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour the country's highest civilian honour. Trump signed the Knesset guest book and wrote: 'It is a great honour for me. This is a beautiful day. A new beginning.' Speaking to reporters earlier on Air Force One as he made his way to Israel, the president said: 'The war is over.' 'People are tired of it, it's been centuries, not just recent,' he said. 'The ceasefire will hold, we're going to make sure it holds.' Families and friends of the hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that their loved ones were being released. Tens of thousands of Israelis were also watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv. A military helicopter carrying released Israeli hostage Omri Miran and his wife Linshay Miran is seen arriving on to the helipad of the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, 13 October 2025 Returned hostage Avinatan Or with IDF representatives after his release from captivity on Monday, October 13, 2025, after spending more than two years in Hamas captivity Red Cross vehicles transport hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Released hostage Avinatan Or, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, upon arrival at Rabin Medical Centre-Beilinson Hospital Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, embraces his wife, Lishay Miran-Lav, after being released as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Reim, Israel October 13, 2025 Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, embraces his father, Dani Miran Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, gestures upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital Returned hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal (black jumper) is reunited with his parents on Monday, October 13, 2025 Omri Miran speaks to his two young daughters after over two years in Hamas captivity at the Re'im base on October 13, 2025 British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends. She was sat beside Romi Gonen who was held with her for much of their time in captivity. Now the loved ones of the remaining 14 are waiting anxiously. Dozens of friends of Evyatar David have been gathered together near Tel Aviv since 8am on Sunday and have not slept. Yuval Ovadia, 24, student from Tel Aviv, told the Daily Mail: 'I have been here since 8am. It's such a stressful time, so having everyone together helps 'It's friends from all around - we met because of this situation.' Guy Melamed, 24, student from Zippori, northern Israel, said: 'Some of us have been here since we heard the news at 8am yesterday. We knew it was happening in the next 24 hours so we said we need to meet up. 'We needed to be together to be here for each other. As much as you want to fall asleep, it's the anticipation. It's just too much - two years we have been waiting for this moment. 'It's very exciting.' Your browser does not support iframes. Released hostage Alon Ohel with his family at the IDF's Re'im base Family and friends of Israeli hostage Eitan Horn react to the news of his release at their house in the central Israeli city of Rosh Haayin on October 13, 2025 The first hug between brothers Gali and Ziv Berman Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, is reunited with his wife, Lishay Miran-Lav Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, gestures upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025 British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends The mother and other relatives of Israeli hostage Bar Abraham Kupershtein, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas Evyatar was due for release last January but was instead cruelly forced to watch others released before being taken back into captivity. Hamas then released horrifying footage of his starved body as he was forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel in Gaza. The hundreds of Israelis gathered in Hostages Square to celebrate the peace deal broke into huge cheers as helicopters carrying some of the freed hostages flew overhead. After speaking to hostage families and addressing the Knesset, Trump will depart Israel for a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries. There, politicians will try and finalise an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza. A surge of humanitarian aid is expected to follow into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are left homeless. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners mark a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. Your browser does not support iframes. Brothers Gali Berman and Ziv Berman, released hostages, who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, arrive at Sheba Medical Centre Released hostage Eitan Mor with IDF representatives Representatives of the Israeli military at the Israeli military base of Re'im speaking to Ziv Berman As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. With the hostages release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over. Onboard Air Force One on his way to Israel, Trump said: 'Getting them was amazing actually, because we were involved, and they were in places that you don't want to know about.' He addressed reporters just before boarding the plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and spoke of the enormity of the deal. 'There are 500,000 people, yesterday and today, in Israel and also the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybody's cheering at one time - that's never happened before,' he said. 'Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn't - the other is the opposite. This is the first time everybody is amazed, and they're thrilled. 'It's an honor to be involved, and we're going to have an amazing time, and it's going to be something that's never, never happened before.' He went on: 'Everybody is happy. Whether its Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries, every country is dancing in the streets. Its a point in time I dont think youd ever see again. Theyve never seen it for 3,000 years.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday night that Monday marked 'the beginning of a new path'. He told the relatives of the remaining hostages that their release was a 'historic event that some people did not believe would happen'. Netanyahu added: 'Together we will continue to win, and with the help of God, together we will guarantee the eternity of the country and land of Israel.' Your browser does not support iframes. A freed Palestinian prisoner is greeted after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah , in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 13, 2025 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank rejoiced as buses carrying dozens of released prisoners from Ofer Prison arrived in Beitunia, near Ramallah, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal. Later, giant crowds were gathered to greet buses carrying other prisoners arriving at Nasser Hospital in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis. The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. More than 150 prisoners were sent to Egypt by Israel and arrived at Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt early Monday afternoon, according to an Egyptian official, who had direct knowledge of the deal's implementation. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media. Israel will also return the remains of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli hostage. Sir Keir Starmer will also attend a peace summit in Egypt where he is expected to heap praise on Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. He will say: 'We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region ... the UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan, so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security.' But Sir Keir will have bridges to build after Israel's deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel rejected Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson's claim that Britain had played a 'key role' in the ceasefire deal. President Donald Trump arrives in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, with Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 in Jerusalem In the Israeli parliament, audience members wore red caps that, instead of displaying Trump's signature slogan Make America Great Again, read: 'Trump the Peace President.' 'Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House,' Netanyahu said, before crowds started chanting 'Trump' in the chamber. 'I'm committed to this peace, you are committed to this peace, and together we will achieve this peace,' the Israeli prime minister said. He will not attend Trump's Sharm el-Sheikh summit because of its proximity to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, according to a statement by the prime minister's office. 'The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his efforts to expand the circle of peace - peace through strength,' the statement said. As the U.S. president addressed the Knesset, leftwing lawmakers interrupted his speech by holding up signs that read: 'Recognise Palestine.' Speaker Amir Ohana shouted a call for order amid loud disapproval against the protesting Mks, Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif from the Arab-Jewish Hadash party, who were swiftly removed from the chamber. 'That was very efficient,' Trump said after the protesters were escorted out. Elkana Bohbot, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip waves walks off a helicopter at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 The first phase of the Gaza peace agreement, reached between Israel and Hamas, includes the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza Returned hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, wearing Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer jerseys, after being released from captivity on Monday, October 13, 2025 The pair were both abducted from Kfar Aza by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023 Released Israeli hostage Eitan Mor (C), one of the former captives in Gaza since the 2023 October 7 attacks by Palestinian militants, posing for a photo with his family The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organisation representing many of the hostage families, said four bodies were expected to return to Israel on Monday. The group said it was 'shocked and dismayed' that so few were coming back. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator for the hostages and the missing. In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace after two years of war against Hamas and conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran. 'Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change,' he declared. 'Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms,' Trump said. 'Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.' Despite the optimism expressed by Trump, many thorny questions remain. Among the most difficult is Israel's insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza. So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza's far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gaza's border with Israel. The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza's government should be worked out among Palestinians. Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort town to attend the meeting. The plan envisions an eventual role for Abbas' Palestinian Authority - something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years. The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to see a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 percent of its some two million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. A Reform UK councillor reported to police for saying she was 'born and bred here' has had her case dropped after officers found 'no evidence of criminality'. Claire Mackie-Brown was reported to Police Scotland over alleged 'hate crimes' after appearing on STV last week. During the interview, the councillor from Falkirk said: 'There is a true unrest and it is scary. It's scary as a local resident, somebody who was born and bred here.' Ms Mackie-Brown said she 'represents the people of Falkirk, solely and completely.' Following the remarks, Ms Mackie-Brown told the interviewer: 'I shouldn't have said that. That just came out, it came out.' Over the weekend, Ms Mackie-Brown said she was informed she had been reported both to Police Scotland and the Ethical Standards Commissioner for Scotland. In a post on social media, the councillor wrote: 'Today I received a malicious complaint from an anonymous person sent to multiple organisations including the police demanding I am investigated for hate crimes due to me stating in the recent media interview I am a born and bred Falkirk lassie. 'Also that I am removed from my role as councillor for breaching the code of conduct for simply doing my job I was elected to do speaking up for my constituents and the people across Falkirk who have contacted me.' But police dropped the investigation, with a spokesman telling the Daily Mail: 'We received a complaint, enquiries were carried out and no criminality has been established.' Reform UK councillor Claire Mackie-Brown has been reported to police after saying she was 'born and bred here' during a TV interview about asylum seeker protests Claire Mackie-Brown, a councillor in Falkirk, told STV she was 'born and bred' in the UK The complaint reportedly came with a 22-page dossier outlining alleged breaches and calling for her to be investigated for hate crimes, according to The National newspaper. Ms Mackie-Brown said the complaint was part of 'a calculated effort' to damage her reputation. 'The level of detail provided in this complaint is a clear and calculated effort to destroy my credibility and silence me from highlighting the many issues affecting our town centre. 'There is no hate crime, racism or inciting behaviour by me at any time nor am I associated [with] or support any far right or extremism in any way. I represent the people of Falkirk, solely and completely. 'I won't be stopped or silenced. Every day I do my absolute best for my constituents and communities and will continue to do so.' She also noted that numerous Labour and SNP politicians have used the phrase 'born and bred' when describing their hometowns. Reform UK has been approached for comment. The son of a 'gangster godmother' is being hunted by police after going on the run after allegations of assault and stalking. Samson Leyson, 26, was jailed over drug offences carried out at his family's remote farm in the Welsh village of Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire. His mother Lynne Leyson, 53, had a hidden double life as the 'godmother' of a crime gang with her respectable front of being a 'normal' rural parent. She went free for 14 months and was put on Britain's 'most wanted' list before being caught and sentenced to nine years in prison. And now her son Samson has gone on the run and is being sought by officers. Dyfed Powys Police said: 'Samson Leyson is wanted in connection with domestic assault and stalking allegations and is also wanted on recall to prison.' Lynne Leyson's husband Stephen and her son Samson were jailed for a total of 17 years in July after their farm was raided by police in 2021. But she disappeared before she was due in court to face justice - and was sentenced by a judge in her absence. Samson Leyson, 26, was jailed over drug offences carried out at his family's remote farm in the Welsh village of Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire - an appeal has now been issued to find him Lynne Leyson, 52, (pictured) led a hidden double-life as the 'godmother' of a crime gang Lynne Leyson remained at large for 429 days, with her mugshot and potential false names issued to all UK police forces - while alerts were also issued by the Border Force and Interpol. A court heard that when was found having returned to her family farm police discovered an NHS lanyard, scrubs and a stethoscope bearing the identity of a consultant neurologist. Prosecutor Ieuan Rees said 'extensive efforts' were made to trace Leyson who had been 'at large and actively evading police and authorities for 429 days'. He added: 'There was evidence that in that period she had changed her name by deed poll to Anwen Caldicott and extensive enquiries were carried out throughout the country.' Mr Rees said addresses linked to 'known associates' of Leyson were searched as well as international searches carried out in Spain and Ireland. He said: 'A matter of concern was that in her possession was an NHS lanyard with an identity card displayed showing the name Lynne Daley, with a consultant lead neurologist title attached to it. 'In addition there was stethoscopes, scrubs, and booklets with details of potential patients recorded.' Mr Rees said the information had been passed to the NHS for 'internal investigation'. Pictured here is the track Samson Leyson's family used to ferry drugs on quad bikes from their ramshackle farm to the A48 less than a mile away The family claimed that cash seized by police was from a 'house sale' Hywell Davies, defending, said Leyson had stayed away from Pibwr Farm in Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire, for 14 months but returned 'to effectively say goodbye to her family and to hand herself in.' He added that the NHS outfit was 'fancy dress' and had not been used to defraud health chiefs. Judge Catherine Richards jailed Leyson for a further two months - to be added on to her existing nine-year term. She told Leyson: 'It's clear following your conviction you made plans to abscond. 'Your decision to abscond was obviously well-planned and sophisticated. You were not tracked easily with financial enquiries, telephone enquiries or vehicle enquiries. 'Enquiries were made across the United Kingdom and internationally.' Crimestoppers offered a wanted reward of up to 1,000 and she was also added to their 'Most Wanted' section of British fugitives. Neighbours thought she was a respectable country mother, but she helmed a family crime gang supplying multi-kilo quantities of cocaine and cannabis to dealers from the isolated smallholding. Lynne's husband Stephen Leyson was jailed for 11 years for his role in the cocaine ring Pictured here is one of the bags of cocaine seized from the Leysons' farm A judge said the mother was a 'dominant force' who played a 'leading role' in the drugs enterprise. The court heard officers targeted Pibwr Farm in the early hours of October 27 2021. They found cocaine valued at more than 60,000 and 15,615-worth of cannabis, as well as a 9mm semi-automatic handgun plus cash claimed to be from a 'house sale.' In a Proceeds of Crime hering, prosecutor Ieuan Rees told Swansea Crown Court both Stephen and Lynne Leyson made 77,967 from their criminal lifestyle. Investigators have identified available assets in respect of Stephen in the sum of 33,147 and in respect of Lynne in the sum of 26,442. Samson Leyson benefited from his involvement to the tune of 69,795 and investigators have identified assets - including a TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch - worth 9,550. Judge Catherine Richards made confiscation orders in the available sums for the three Leysons, and gave them three months to pay or face additional jail time. The judge said she was 'quite sure' Lynne Leyson would be arrested and brought before a court 'at some point'. Police recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun which was found stashed at the farm 15,615 of cannabis was seized by the police at Pibwr Farm, near Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire Lynne Leyson was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, and possessing criminal property. Leyson, thought to be using the false name of Annelyn Caldicot, was jailed for nine years in her absence. She had been finally caught when police were waiting when she returned to Pibwr Farm to see her pet Rottweiler dogs. Judge Catherine Richards told her: 'You made plans to abscond and were on the run for 429 days. It was well planned and sophisticated. 'Inquiries were made across the UK and internationally with Interpol. 'There is no doubt this is a category 1A offence. It has an impact on other offences the police are diverted from investigating.' Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Jones, who led the Anyone who has seen Samson, or has any information that could help officers locate him, is asked to get in touch via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or by calling 101, quoting reference number 25000803151. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see A 'kind' and 'beautiful' woman who took her own life after a decade of abuse from her boyfriend was 'unlawfully killed', a coroner has ruled. Georgia Barter, 32, was subjected to 'coercion', 'control' and 'gender-based' violence over the course of her relationship with Thomas Bignell. Lawyers representing the family said there were 'missed opportunities' for a multi-agency response to the exploitation before the recruitment worker's tragic death in April 2020. The finding of an 'unlawful killing' is only the second time such a verdict has been returned at an inquest, in the context of a self-inflicted death by a woman following domestic abuse - and the first time without a jury. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against Bignell, who did not attend the inquest and could not be found when police tried to bring him in under a warrant. East London-based Assistant Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said steps were required to to tackle a rise in domestic violence cases around the UK. She said she could not be certain whether Ms Barter had intended to take her own life, with the 32-year-old having only told her mother she just wanted the 'physical and mental pain to stop'. Issuing a warning to the Home Office, Dr Radcliffe added it was difficult for front-line police officers to easily access the Police National Database (PND) and information available across police forces. Georgia Barter (pictured), 32, was subjected to 'coercion', 'control' and 'gender-based' violence over the course of her relationship with Thomas Bignell Thomas Bignell (pictured), did not attend the inquest and could not be found when police tried to bring him in under a warrant The inquest heard Ms Barter died on April 26, 2020, as a result of an act of self-harm - following an assault by her partner on April 5, 2020. Her cause of death was listed as multi-organ failure, liver toxicity, and overdose. In a Prevention of Future Death report, Ms Radcliffe said: 'Georgia Barter was in a long-term abusive relationship, and during that time came to the attention of a number of police forces across southern England, where there were allegations of domestic abuse. 'Following an assault by her partner on the 5th April 2020, she undertook an act of self-harm which resulted in her death on the 26th April 2020. 'Georgia was a 32-year-old female who died as a result of domestic abuse, and I recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing. 'She had come into contact with a number of police forces in southern England over the course of an abusive relationship. 'The concern I have is that there is difficulty for front-line officers in police forces across the country to easily access the police national database to check on individuals who are suspected of domestic abuse. 'They are unable to easily identify if the individual has a history of reported domestic abuse in areas outside that force's borders. Georgia Barter (pictured) was described as 'very loving, very kind, and caring' by her mother, Kay Barter 'This would allow police to be more proactive in their dealings with victims of domestic violence. 'I understand that some forces have implemented changes to facilitate better exchange of information and access to PND. 'However, I am concerned that there may be forces which continue to have limited access for front-line police officers to the PND.' Dr Radcliffe referred to the context of a 'rising numbers of domestic violence cases in this country'. 'It accounts for 20 per cent of all crime in Essex,' she added. 'I have been informed there is a plan to undertake a technological overhaul in the Home Office, and I would consider this matter something that should be brought to your attention to prevent future deaths.' Ms Barter's mother, Kay, described her daughter as 'very loving, very kind, and caring'. She told The Guardian her daughter had a large group of friends entering her 20s, who she enjoyed going out with at night - having been a painfully shy child. Bignell (pictured) and Georgia Barter were introduced by a friend. Bignell had then gone by the name Ryan Johnson When she was 19, Georgia Barter was sexually assaulted by a man after a night out and remained deeply affected despite her attacker later being convicted and jailed. She was eventually diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. It was not long after that she was introduced to Bignell by a friend, who had then gone by the name Ryan Johnson. Her mother said the relationship quickly became intense. Kay Barter said there were 'many, many times' she noticed Bignell had 'marked' her daughter, even once looking 'like a victim of a road traffic accident'. The bereaved mother told the court Ms Barter was also controlled by Bignell financially, who would move her to live in different places - forcing her to quit jobs and depriving her of basic necessities, such as food, hot water and electricity. Evidence from a paramedic, James Lambert, detailed how Ms Barter had been taken to hospital in April 2020, after telling her sister she had taken an overdose. In notes read to court she said Bignell had kicked her and stamped on her face, leaving her with injuries consistent with her description. A few weeks earlier, the court heard, she had arrived at a hospital in Kent bleeding, having told ambulance staff Bignell had sexually assaulted her. Bignell was arrested several times over the course of the relationship but was never charged with any violent offences against Georgia. A spokesman for Essex police said on one of its three contacts with Ms Barter 'the service provided by officers did not reach the incredibly high standards we would expect'. Bignell had at least one conviction related to violence against another woman but no disclosures were made to Ms Barter under Clare's law, which allows police forces to provide women with information about a partner's violent past. When arrested in relation to alleged assaults on Ms Barter, officers apparently did not have the capacity nor the authorisation to check the PND to see the full extent of his alleged offending history. Kay Barter said her daughter had turned to alcohol as a result of the abuse and so had often been drinking with Bignell when police turned up - citing this as a reason her daughter's cries for help were dismissed. Georgia Barter 'felt judged' and 'ashamed', her mother said. Speaking after the inquest, she added: 'This ruling won't change anything for my family and I and it won't bring my beautiful daughter back. The only other returning of an 'unlawful killing' verdict was delivered in the case of Kellie Sutton (pictured), a 30-year-old mother of three 'Nothing will ever put this heartbroken mother back together again. 'My darling Georgia was a beautiful, kind soul whose generosity touched everyone around her. 'It took Georgia a very long time to ask for help because she felt judged and ashamed. 'In the end, Georgia did reach out for help, but the support wasn't there for her. 'All I want now is to shine a light on the epidemic of domestic abuse, which is killing women. 'I say to the powers that be, now is the time for change.' There have only been a small number of instances in which the CPS has sought to bring a prosecution for manslaughter, in cases such as Ms Barter's. Kate Ellis, from the Centre for Women's Justice, said: 'It is suspected that more women actually take their own lives following domestic abuse than are killed by their partners yet there is a serious failure on the part of authorities to record domestic abuse-related suicides, and there have been hardly any prosecutions for this crime.' Law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, who represented Ms Barter's family, re-iterated that over the course of the couple's relationship, Ms Barter had come into contact with 'various police forces and healthcare settings, including Georgia's GP, mental health services, ambulance services and hospitals'. The firm referenced 'missed opportunities to arrest the perpetrator and to make a referral'. They said he had not to date been convicted of any criminal offences relating to matters within the scope of the inquest. The only other returning of an 'unlawful killing' verdict was delivered in the case of Kellie Sutton, a 30-year-old mother of three, who was subjected to physical and psychological domestic abuse after she started seeing Steven Gane in March 2017. Ms Sutton was discovered unconscious on August 23, 2017, having hanged herself and was pronounced dead in hospital three days later. Gane was convicted of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour but was not prosecuted for manslaughter. After a two-week hearing, an inquest jury returned a short form conclusion of 'unlawful killing', on the basis that the coercive and controlling conduct to which Ms Sutton was subjected was an 'unlawful act' which had caused her to take her own life. Clare Hayes, the solicitor for the family of Georgia Barter, said: 'The coroner's finding of unlawful killing vindicates Georgia's mother's fight for justice on behalf of Georgia and makes it a matter of public record that Georgia died as a result of domestic abuse. 'We have heard tragic evidence about the horrifying abuse that Georgia suffered over many, many years, and the barriers to escaping a coercive and controlling relationship. 'This inquest has revealed evidence about the role of domestic abuse and, importantly, coercion and control in Georgia's death that has much wider significance for how the state understands gender-based violence. 'It has also revealed that some of the agencies involved have made potentially far-reaching changes. 'This is a testament to the tireless efforts of Georgia's mother in seeking accountability and change following Georgia's death. 'We hope that agencies will continue to work to ensure that on a very practical level steps are taken so that police officers and clinicians exercise professional curiosity when working with victims and survivors of abuse, to piece together a fuller picture and take available steps to prevent further abuse.' For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details He brashly called himself 'king of the four corners of the world' and is hailed for having liberated the Jews from the cruel Babylonians. Cyrus the Great, who founded the Persian Empire in the sixth century BC, was an early proponent of religious freedom. Now, more than 2,600 years on, giant billboards in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are likening US President Donald Trump to Cyrus after the deal he brokered to end the war in Gaza. Israeli hostages were reunited with their families in the country's capital today after spending 738 days as the captives of Hamas terrorists. President Trump, who has flown to Jerusalem, today hailed a 'historic dawn of a new Middle East' in an address to the Israeli parliament. The new billboards show a photo of Mr Trump and reads: 'Cyrus the Great is alive!' A giant billboard in Tel Aviv is likening US President Donald Trump to Cyrus after the deal he brokered to end the war in Gaza It bears the logo of Jerusalem-based Friends of Zion Museum. In an opinion piece in Israeli outlets including the Jerusalem Post, American pro-Israel commentator Dr Mike Evans backed up the comparison. He wrote: 'Those who know their Bible will understand that Cyrus, the ancient Persian king who allowed the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon, was not the leader the Jews would have chosen. 'He was not the man the world expected. But he was the one God used to change the course of history. 'In 2025, President Trump has played that same role. When others hesitated, he acted. When the world doubted, he delivered. 'From moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, to brokering the Abraham Accords and now to this peace deal in Gaza, President Trump has done more for Israels security and future than any leader in living memory.' Regarded as one of the greatest figures of the ancient Middle East, Cyrus presided over the first multi-racial, multi-faith empire, the Achaemenid dynasty. It spanned more than two million square miles. Cyrus the Great, who founded the Persian Empire in the sixth century BC, was an early proponent of religious freedom He captured Babylon in what is now Iraq in 539BC and released Jews who were being held captive there. The Babylonians had exiled the Jewish elite from Jerusalem and destroyed Solomon's Temple in the city. Cyrus allowed the Jewish return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple. The Books of Ezra and Isaiah in the Bible's Old Testament - the Torah in Judaism - mention Cyrus at length. The start of Isiah Chapter 45 reads: 'Cyrus is my anointed king. I take hold of his right hand. I give him the power to bring nations under his control. 'I help him strip kings of their power to go to war against him. I break city gates open so he can go through them.' It adds: 'Cyrus, I am sending for you by name. I am doing it for the good of the family of Jacob. They are my servant. I am doing it for Israel. They are my chosen people.' President Trump was previously compared to Cyrus by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in 2018, after the President recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, he said: 'I want to tell you that the Jewish people have a long memory, so we remember the proclamation of the great king, Cyrus the Great, the Persian king 2,500 years ago. 'He proclaimed that the Jewish exiles in Babylon could come back and rebuild our Temple in Jerusalem.' He added: 'And we remember how a few weeks ago, President Donald J Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. 'Mr President, this will be remembered by our people through the ages.' Cyrus proclaimed himself 'king of the four corners of the world' in the treasured Cyrus Cyilnder, which is held by the British Museum. President Trump provoked controversy in February when he likened himself to a monarch. In a post on his Truth Social social media site, he declared: 'CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!' Cyrus was killed in battle in around 530BC. Police in China detained dozens of pastors of one of its largest underground churches over the weekend, a church spokesperson and relatives said, in the biggest crackdown on Christians since 2018. The detentions, which come amid renewed China-US tensions after Beijing dramatically expanded rare earth export controls last week, drew condemnation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called on Sunday for the pastors' immediate release. Pastor Jin Mingri, the founder of Zion Church, an unofficial 'house church' not sanctioned by the government, was detained at his home in the southern city of Beihai on Friday evening, said his daughter, Grace Jin, and a church spokesperson, Sean Long. 'What just happened is part of a new wave of religious persecution this year,' said Long, adding that police had questioned more than 150 worshippers and stepped up harassment at in-person Sunday services in recent months. Speaking to Reuters from his home in the United States, Long added that around the same time, authorities detained nearly 30 pastors and church members nationwide, but later released five. About 20 pastors and church leaders remain in detention, he added. Police in Beihai could not be reached by telephone for comment. China's ministry of public security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. Jin, 56, is being held in Beihai City No. 2 Detention Centre on suspicion of 'illegal use of information networks', an official detention notice that Long provided to Reuters showed. The charge carries a maximum jail term of seven years. Pastor Jin Mingri (pictured), the founder of Zion Church, was detained at his home in the southern city of Beihai on Friday evening Supporters fear Jin and other pastors could eventually be indicted on charges of illegally using the internet to disseminate religious information. 'He's been hospitalised in the past for diabetes. We're worried since he requires medication,' Grace Jin said. 'I've also been notified that lawyers are not allowed to meet the pastors, so that is very concerning to us.' The crackdown comes a month after new rules from China's top religion regulator banned unauthorised online preaching or religious training by clergy, as well as 'foreign collusion'. Last month, President Xi Jinping also vowed to 'implement strict law enforcement' and to advance the Sinicisation of religion in China. China has more than 44 million Christians registered with state-sanctioned churches, the majority Protestant, official figures show. But tens of millions more are estimated to be part of illegal 'house churches' that operate outside the control of the ruling Communist Party. Zion Church, with about 5,000 regular worshippers across nearly 50 cities, rapidly added members during the COVID-19 pandemic through Zoom sermons and small in-person gatherings, Long said. The church was founded by Jin, also known as Ezra, in 2007, after he quit as a pastor for the official Protestant church. A graduate of the elite Peking University, Jin converted to Christianity after witnessing the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, Long added. This photograph provided by pastor Sean Long of Zion Church shows police raiding the home of pastor Sun Cong of Zion Church in Beijing, China on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 In 2018, police shut down its church building in Beijing, the capital, during a crackdown on major house churches. Earlier this year, police temporarily detained 11 Zion Church pastors, Long said. The government placed travel restrictions on Jin in 2018, so that he could not visit his wife and three children who had resettled in the United States, Grace Jin said. 'I think he had always known that there was a possibility he would be imprisoned,' she added. Dozens of police officers forcibly intercepted Jin last month while he was trying to board a U.S.-bound flight from the commercial hub of Shanghai, and restricted his travel outside Beihai, said Bob Fu, the founder of Christian NGO ChinaAid. 'The key underlying reason is that Zion Church has grown explosively into a well-organised network in recent years, which of course must scare the Communist Party leadership,' said Fu. A top Italian winemaker has been crushed to death while cleaning a grape press in his familys cellar. Matteo Forner, 44, was carrying out end-of-day cleaning when the machine suddenly activated, trapping his neck and killing him instantly. The freak accident took place in Castelcucco, a small municipality in the province of Treviso in northern Italy, on Friday. Emergency services rushed to the scene but paramedics were unable to save him. The 44-year-old, a serving councillor, was the son of the owner of the Pat del Colmel winery and had his own 15-year-old son. The machinery appeared to restart unexpectedly, though it remains unclear whether the cause was mechanical failure or human error. Italian police officers, firefighters, and health inspectors have carried out investigations into the fatal accident. According to initial reports, the machinery appeared to restart unexpectedly. Matteo Forner, 44, was carrying out end-of-day cleaning when the machine suddenly activated, trapping his neck and killing him instantly The 44-year-old, a serving councillor, was the son of the owner of the Pat del Colmel winery and had a 15-year-old son But it remains unclear whether the cause was mechanical failure or human error. The Treviso Public Prosecutors Office has opened an investigation into the incident on suspicion of manslaughter. Forner, who was elected to the Castelcucco council in 2022, was widely known in the region for his efforts to preserve ancient grape varieties such as Recantina and Rabbiosa. Castelcucco mayor Paolo Mares paid tribute to his 'dear friend. 'My world fell apart when I heard the news. Before being a city councilor, Matteo was a dear friend. He was kind and helpful, a tireless worker,' he said. 'I remember when some time ago, due to bad weather, I asked the councilors for help with a tree trunk that had fallen onto a road due to the rain. He was the first to respond, and within twenty minutes the tree was gone. 'Work-wise, he was a monster, and it was evident in the work he did at the winery. Today we lose a very precious person, and for the entire community as well. 'The only thing I know, in the darkness of this tragedy, is that the Forner family is a strong family. It's in their blood. And I'm sure the same is true for Matteo's son.' Donald Trump brought about what he described as Israel's 'beautiful day' as he secured the release of all the remaining living hostages as part of a historic peace deal on Monday. The US president was greeted by a standing ovation when he made a speech in Israel's parliament and is due to be awarded the country's highest civilian honour later this year. Trump has also been described by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the 'greatest friend' his country has ever had in the White House. Moreover, by securing the release of the 20 hostages today, Trump has achieved what no other world leader, including his predecessor Joe Biden, had managed to date. And while this is just the first step towards a more durable peace - with the details of Gaza's governance and the Israeli withdrawal still to be negotiated - the deal will likely be the signature achievement of his second term. However, Trump's success in the Middle East has not come completely out of the blue. Since stepping foot in the White House, Trump has pushed to end the Gaza war and it has long been one of the top items on his administration's agenda. Nevertheless, just one month ago, when Israel launched unprecedented strikes on the Hamas negotiating team in Qatar, peace seemed very far away. Donald Trump today brought about Israel's beautiful day as he secured the release of all the remaining living hostages as part of a historic peace deal President Donald Trump signed a welcome book before speaking to Israel's Knesset today Hostages Square was full of thousands jubilant citizens as the two year war in Gaza nears its end The attack on September 9 violated the sovereignty of an American ally and risked expanding the conflict into a region-wide war. Instead, however, Trump managed to turn this around into a key moment that helped lead to the signing of his ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas last week. Trump's unique style - which reportedly included shouting matches over the phone with Benjamin Netanyahu - appears to have contributed to the breakthrough. Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace previously explained that the president exhibited an unprecedented degree of pressure on the Israeli leader. He told the BBC: 'There is no example of an American president literally telling an Israeli prime minister that you're going to have to comply or else.' It was previously reported that Trump's negotiator Steve Witkoff was behind getting Netanyahu to agree to a temporary ceasefire late last year in exchange for the release of some hostages. Meanwhile, when Israel launched air strikes on Syrian forces in July, it was Trump who encouraged Netanyahu to change course. Nevertheless in public, Trump has consistently shown the 'all smiling' side to their relationship. Knesset members Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif held up a sign that read 'recognize Palestine' The first hug between brothers Gali and Ziv Berman following the release of hostages today Omri Miran speaks to his two young daughters after over two years in Hamas captivity at the Re'im base Netanyahu has also backed this narrative up, describing the US president as Israel's 'greatest ever ally in the White House'. Trump showed his support for Israel during his first presidential term when he moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He also shocked the world in the summer when he launched US air strikes on nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran. This followed similar attacks by Israel - who have long been concerned by Tehran's nuclear capability. In contrast, the Biden administration had a far more tenuous relationship with Israel. Divisions within the Democrat party over the Gaza war, gave Trump's predecessor far less room for manoeuvre. Biden continued to give Israel support in public, but tried to moderate Netanyahu's actions in private. This afternoon, Trump landed in Israel and he gave a speech to the country's lawmakers. Ziv Berman gestures from the window of an Israeli CH-53 Sea Stallion military helicopter at Sheba Tel-HaShomer Medical Centre in Ramat Gan Red Cross vehicles transport hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Standing up in parliament, Trump called the hostages' release an 'incredible triumph for Israel and the world', paying credit to mediators from Arab and Muslim world for pressuring Hamas. He also urged Palestinians to 'turn forever from the path of terror' following the failure of 'jihadism and antisemitism', and vowed that the United States would 'never forget' Hamas's October 7 attack. 'From October 7 until this week, Israel has been a nation at war, enduring burdens that only a proud and faithful people could withstand,' Trump said. 'For so many families across this land, it has been years since you've known a single day of true peace,' he said. 'But now it lasts, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others. The long and painful nightmare is finally over.' At one point Trump got up from his seat and shook hands with Netanyahu, before embracing him. This then prompted chants of 'Trump! Trump! Trump!'. His speech however was interrupted by screaming hecklers. Far-left Arab Knesset members Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif held up a sign that read, 'recognize Palestine.' They were quickly removed from the room as Knesset speaker Amir Ohana apologized. 'That was very efficient,' Trump said after the protesters were escorted out. First photo of Gali Berman, one of the first Israeli hostages to be released by Hamas, in Israel Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas embraces his wife Family and friends of Israeli hostage Eitan Horn react to the news of his release at their house in the central Israeli city of Rosh Haayin His speech came shortly after newly-freed hostages hugged one another in joy following their release from 738 days in captivity in Gaza. Matan Angrest, 22, twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28; Alon Ohel, 24; Eitan Mor, 25; Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24; and Omri Miran, 48 were the first hostages to be handed over to the Red Cross this morning. The group of seven was whisked away to a military base in Re'im, near Gaza, before they reunited with their families. They were followed by a second group of 13 living hostages, who have also finally arrived in Israel after more than two years in captivity. The second group to return home were: Matan Zangauker, 25; Nimrod Cohen, 21; Ariel Cunio, 28; David Cunio, 35; Evyatar David, 24; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25; Elkana Bohbot, 36; Avinatan Or, 32; Bar Kupershtein, 23; Segev Kalfon, 27; Rom Braslabski, 21; Eitan Horn, 38; and Maxim Herkin, 37. The bodies of 28 deceased hostages will be handed over later, a Hamas official said, as a task force works to locate their missing remains. Democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's proposal of eliminating bus fares in New York City has been torn to shreds by The Washington Post editorial board in a scathing new op-ed. The piece, which slammed the woke NYC Mayor hopeful's offer of slashing MTA bus fares in the Big Apple, warned that the citys homeless and drug users are the only ones that stand to gain from the policy. 'Vagrants and drug addicts would camp out all day on New Yorks buses, especially in the winter,' read the piece, titled 'Zohran Mamdanis grand promises are a struggle bus,' which was published Sunday. 'Parents would grow afraid to let their children ride alone.' What's more, the liberal outlet poked holes in Mamdani's brazen claim that the plan, which it is estimated would cost up to nearly $800 million per year, would be '$50 million less than what New York spent on the new Buffalo Bills stadium.' 'Oh, is that all?' the piece read, adding that Mamdani's proposed policy includes a bus-load of pricy improvements, including dedicated city bus lanes and new loading zones. 'So add those costs onto the tab as well -- assuming they arent stalled by political fretting over clogged roads, as happened under Mayor Eric Adams (D), who similarly sought to expand bus routes.' The Washington Post's editorial board has pointed to other U.S. cities where similar programs have flopped, including Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon -- which saw a rapid increase in 'crime and vandalism' before fare-free transit was scrapped in 2012. Zohran Mamdani's proposal of eliminating bus fares in New York City has been torn to shreds by The Washington Post editorial board in a scathing new op-ed The op-ed warned that the citys homeless and drug users are the only ones that stand to gain from the policy. A homeless person is seen sleeping in an NYC subway station 'Quality inevitably declines when a service is offered for "free,"' the board added. 'Wealthier residents would find another way to get around, but poor New Yorkers who depend on the bus would suffer the most.' The Democrat politician, who is leading the polls to become NYC's next mayor, is going head-to-head with fellow Democratic candidate and former governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. The incumbent New York Mayor, Eric Adams, dropped out of the mayoral race in September. As Mamdani, 33, inches closer to city hall, New Yorkers are already eyeing up the next spot in which to set up camp -- and many are looking at Palm Beach, Fla., as their escape route. The Democrat politician is currently leading the polls to become NYC's next mayor In its op-ed, the editorial board has pointed to other U.S. cities where similar programs have flopped Mamdani's proposed policy includes myriad pricy improvements, including dedicated city bus lanes and new loading zones Real estate agents in South Florida have already noticed an uptick in New Yorkers looking to sign on the dotted line for a pad in town. Should Mamdani emerge victorious in November, it's clear that many native city-dwellers will be swapping skyscrapers for palm trees to escape what President Donald Trump has described as a 'communist' regime of Mamdani. While the NYC mayor hopeful denies claims that he is a communist -- and instead says he's a Democratic Socialist -- Mamdani has already pledged to increase taxes on high-earners in an effort to make Gotham more affordable. Pope Leo XIV has been left 'shocked' after a man brazenly urinated on an altar inside St. Peter's Basilica in front of faithful tourists. The as-yet-unidentified man was seen climbing up to the Altar of Confession, one of the most sacred places in the Catholic faith, on Friday. Upon reaching the sacred area, he pulled his trousers down and began urinating. Two security guards tried restraining him at the 9am mass as visitors and worshipping looked on in horror. Cops grabbed the man and dragged him way. But he bent down to pull up his trousers, flashing his bare backside to the gathered crowd. While the Vatican has not yet released a statement on the matter, Pope Leo was said to have been shocked by the desecration. It is not currently known if the man has been arrested or charged for the incident. The Altar of Confession is where the Pope most often celebrates major masses. It was where Pope Francis was laid for public viewing before his funeral. The as-yet-unidentified man was seen climbing up to the Altar of Confession Upon reaching the sacred area, he pulled his trousers down and began urinating It sits directly underneath Michelangelo's dome. The high altar sits underneath St Peter's Baldachin - a large Baroque sculpted bronze canopy - at the centre of the church under the dome. It marks the place of Saint Peter's tomb underneath and was installed in the 1600s. Its significance in the Catholic faith has made it a target for stunts. In June 2023, a naked Polish man was seen leaping onto it during a mass. The tourist stripped off his clothes and stood naked on the main altar at the centre of the church to protest the war in Ukraine. The unclad protester, who was not identified, appeared to have the words 'Save children in Ukraine' scrawled across his back in black marker pen. He wore nothing but his socks and shoes as fellow visitors stood aghast at his disrobed state underneath St. Peter's Baldachin where the saint is entombed beneath. Others snapped photos of the surprise moment at the sixteenth-century church, Silere Non Possum reported, which some Italian media called a blasphemous act. As well as having an inscription painted on his back calling for the children of Ukraine to be saved, the man was also reported to have self-inflicted cuts on his body from his fingernails. It is not currently known if the man has been arrested or charged for the incident Vatican gendarmerie rushed to handle the man, forcing him to put his clothes back on and come down from the consecrated altar. The officials then handed the protester over to the Italian police who took him for questioning. Following that stunt, the Vatican was forced to hold a rite to cleanse the area. President Donald Trump made a startling confession about his afterlife, admitting he may never walk through the pearly gates of heaven. While speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, the president spoke about prior comments he made about the afterlife. In August, he claimed his efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine were motivated by his desire to get into heaven. 'I'm being a little cute,' Trump said, referencing his previous comments. 'I don't think there's anything going to get me in heaven. 'I really don't. I think I'm not maybe heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One.' Trump paused before adding, 'I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make heaven, but I've made life a lot better for a lot of people.' He went on to bash former President Joe Biden for allowing Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, adding that 'millions' of people would be alive today 'had the election of 2020 not been rigged.' The president made these comments while flying to Israel to oversee the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, ending a bloody two-year war that has rocked the Gaza region. Trump speculated that he may not make it to heaven but is glad that he's been able to make 'life a lot better for a lot of people' The president received a hero's welcome when he entered the Israeli parliament on Monday morning after brokering peace between Israel and Hamas Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump to the Knesset Trump, 79, is one of the first presidents in history to openly speculate about his eternal damnation to the American public. Throughout his political career, and even during his time as New York real estate mogul, Trump has talked about damnation and the afterlife. Following the July assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump reaffirmed his belief in a heaven and hell. 'I do [believe in heaven],' Trump said in an interview with Fox News. 'If I'm good, I'm going to heaven. And if I'm bad, I'm going someplace else.' 'Well, I pray for our country. I pray, obviously. I pray for the same thing you prayour family and our country,' he added, 'and I guess we have a world. I pray for the world too.' During the early 1990s, Trump described himself as non-religious and often distanced himself from Christian doctrine. 'I don't believe in reincarnation, heaven or hellbut we go someplace,' the future president told Playboy in 1990. 'Do you know, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where.' Over two decades later Trump had reconciled his difference with Christianity and described himself a church-goer. By the time Trump landed in Israel all the remaining Israeli hostages were released by Hamas During the start of his Republican presidential campaign in 2015, Trump suggested the presidency may be his only ticket to God's kingdom. 'So go out and spread the word and once I get in [to the White House], I will do my thing that I do very well,' Trump told a large crowd of evangelical pastors in Orlando, according to Time. 'And I figure it's probably maybe the only way I'm going to get to heaven. So I better do a good job.' A Las Vegas man has shared a common reason why locals avoid the Strip - in a sign the troubled city is pricing out visitors near and far. In an anonymous letter, a Sin City local lamented the ridiculous prices he has had to pay for parking. The letter, attributed to Jean Man, Las Vegas, described how he paid $40 to leave his car at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort when he went to watch the Las Vegas Aces play, and subsequently paid an elevated $50 when he went back soon after. In both cases, the local was paying for parking on the sixth-floor roof. 'Do you want to know why locals are going to stop going to the Strip?' the letter, which was published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, asked. 'The parking fees are ridiculous. There is no justification for charging these fees. Taking advantage of people is shameful.' The letter represents yet another realm where Las Vegas is becoming more expensive and pushing all but the highest-earning away. Las Vegas has seen a 7.8 percent dip in the number of tourists between January and August of this year when compared to the same period last year, as guests complain of getting fleeced left and right. A Las Vegas local sent an anonymous letter to the media where he described paying as much as $50 for parking at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort Rising prices in Las Vegas have led to a 7.8 percent dip in tourism between January and August of this year when compared to the same period last year Visitors have reported being charged $26 for a water bottle from a hotel minibar and $74 for two drinks at the Las Vegas Sphere. On social media, others who recently traveled to Sin City have expressed paying similarly ridiculous prices. A user on Reddit said they felt more 'like a spectator instead of a participant,' and that they had to spend $30 for a glass of a restaurant's house wine and $50 for two bottles of water from the hotel room minibar. 'I have honestly never been to a place that was more absurdly priced,' the user wrote. That sentiment extends to locals as well, as shown by the anonymous letter as well as social media posts from Las Vegas residents. In a post published to a Las Vegas locals Facebook page, a resident complained of no free parking on the Strip for residents. In the comments under the post, another wrote: 'Some of these casinos are so greedy even their employees have to pay for parking, when they have to go to work.' Another wrote: 'The corporations are gouging when they are charging to park. There is no lack of parking space in Las Vegas. It's nothing but parking garages as far as the eye can see, so there's literally no reason to charge for it other than to gouge...' The Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort is just one of many places on the Las Vegas strip that locals and visitors feel are too expensive Las Vegas locals are also avoiding the strip amid elevated prices and an economic squeeze in Nevada caused by slipping tourism Sin City's rising prices have led to a parallel rise in the average income of its visitors. Last year, 64 percent of Las Vegas tourists had an income of at least $100,000, up significantly from 48 percent in 2023 and a dramatic spike from 28 percent in 2019, according to a report from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Meanwhile, Nevada and Las Vegas locals are struggling under the economic impact of slipping tourism. Some have even had to sell plasma to make ends meet while spending months looking for work in a city that lost 4,300 jobs month-over-month in August. In August, Nevada also had the fourth worst unemployment rate in the country among metropolitan areas with less than one million people, at 5.6 percent. The state lost 6,000 private sector jobs between July and August, primarily in the construction and food and beverage industries, which are two of the state's biggest economic engines after gaming. Between the economic squeeze locals are facing and Las Vegas's ever-increasing sticker shock, it is no wonder the city's residents are avoiding the Strip. President Donald Trump's speech to the Israeli parliament was interrupted by screaming protesters on Monday morning. Trump addressed Israel's Knesset after all the living hostages in Gaza were released as part of the historic peace deal. During his speech, far-left Arab Knesset members Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif held up a sign that read, 'recognize Palestine.' They were quickly removed from the room as Knesset speaker Amir Ohana apologized. 'That was very efficient,' Trump said after the protesters were escorted out. Trump was in Israel on Monday to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas before continuing on to Egypt for a key summit that he hopes will solidify an end to the war and pave the way for a more durable peace in the Middle East. President Donald Trump's speech to the Israeli parliament was interrupted by screaming protesters on Monday morning Knesset members Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif held up a sign that read, 'recognize Palestine' Security officials remove a Knesset member who interrupted President Donald Trump speech to the Knesset 'That was very efficient,' Trump said after the protesters were escorted out Trump addressed Israel's Knesset after all the living hostages in Gaza were released as part of the historic peace deal The president took the podium after an address to the Israeli parliament by Netanyahu, which concluded with Trump getting up from his seat and shaking hands with the prime minister, before embracing him. That embrace prompted chants of 'Trump! Trump! Trump!' Trump later started his own remarks by saying, 'It's a great honor' and calling the Knesset a 'nice place.' 'This is a great day, this is a whole new beginning,' Trump told reporters. 'And I think there's never been an event like it, I've never seen anything like it.' He received several standing ovations from Israeli lawmakers as he prepared to give a speech after meeting with the families of hostages. He may also stop at the Sheba Medical Center to meet some of the hostages themselves. Twenty hostages were released Monday as part of an agreement intended to end the conflict that began with the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants. By early afternoon, Israel also began to release Palestinian prisoners. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu greeted Trump on the tarmac as a military band played. In Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, the site of continuous demonstrations during two years of war, the crowd cheered for Trump. Amir Ohana, the Knesset speaker, welcomed Trump to the parliament by saying 'we've been longing for this day.' Some people in the gallery wore red hats that said 'Trump, The Peace President.' President Donald Trump signed a welcome book before speaking to Israel's Knesset. 'This is my great honor - a great and beautiful day. A new beginning,' the president wrote as Israeli hostages were released from Gaza Ivanka Trump arrives before President Donald Trump speaks to the Knesset Early Monday morning as Trump arrived in Israel, the 20 living Israeli hostages were released to Israeli forces and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were delivered by the busload to the West Bank. For the first time in two years, Hamas no longer has any Israeli captives. Over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel will also be set free as part of the deal. The watershed moment solidifies Trump's transition from New York dealmaker to global peacemaker. This was evident when the Knesset honored the US president with a nearly three-minute standing ovation and broke out in cheers, chanting 'Trump, Trump, Trump...' Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also received major applause. Kushner and Witkoff have been praised by Trump and the Israelis for their central role in negotiating the details of the peace agreement. Still, there are already questions whether the ceasefire can hold beyond the release of hostages and prisoners. Over the weekend, a senior Hamas official told AFP that disarmament is 'out of the question,' declaring that demands for the group to hand over its weapons are non-negotiable. The square was full of thousands jubilant citizens as the two year war in Gaza nears its end A drone view shows thousands at Hostages Square on the day Hamas returned the surviving captives taken two years ago on October 7, 2023 And Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has emphasized that the current ceasefire is temporary and that Israel retains the option to resume its military operations if Hamas fails to meet the terms of the agreement, particularly regarding disarmament. Trump, during his speech, noted the prime minister is not the easiest man to work with, but lauded his patriotism and resolve amid the years-long war. Trump is the fourth president to address the Knesset; only Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had done it before. People spectating the Knesset address donned red MAGA-style caps reading: 'Trump the peace president.' A family is demanding answers after a six-year-old girl was found unresponsive in a pool during a school field trip in Georgia. Victoria King died on Wednesday at Carlton Farms in Rockmart while on the excursion with McGarity Elementary School. She was found in a pool next to a house after a staff member noticed there was a girl missing from the group at around noon, as reported by 11 Alive. Bystanders attempted life-saving measures but Victoria was declared dead at the Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center in Rome. Her family now says they have been left with unanswered questions and confusion as they were never told that a pool would be part of the field trip. 'The family is still in deep grief and struggling with unanswered questions,' the King family said in a statement written by Victoria's uncles and aunts. 'They have not been told how school staff lost track of her, how she got to the pool, or how long she was there.' Victoria King, six, died after being found unresponsive in a pool during a field trip with her school on Wednesday A view of the Carlton Farms in Rockmart shows a pool on the property The family added: 'The pool was not part of the trip, and the family still does not know how it was accessible or whether it had been properly secured or supervised as an adult pool.' According to the Kings, the school had not contacted them after Victoria's death. 'What has made it even harder is that no one from McGarity Elementary has personally reached out... not a single call, message, or representative has contacted the parents to offer condolences or visit to mourn with them,' the statement said. 'While the school community received a general letter, the parents themselves were never contacted or comforted directly, and that silence has added to their pain.' In a letter to the school community, principal Jamesa Hodge said: 'Our hearts are with the student's family and loved ones. As our school community processes this tragedy, we will offer counseling and bereavement support services to all students and staff.' A spokesman for Carlton Farms wrote on Facebook on Friday: 'The Carlton Family and staff at Carlton Farms are completely devastated and heartbroken from the recent tragic event that occurred on our farm. 'We covet your prayers of comfort for the family, school, and all those who were in attendance. Activities at the farm are currently postponed as we continue to grieve this loss.' The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff's Office are investigating the death. Bystanders attempted life-saving measures but Victoria was declared dead at the hospital Carlton Farms said in a statement they are 'completely devastated' by the incident and will be closed until further notice The Daily Mail reached out to McGarity Elementary School for comment. the Paulding County School District said in a statement: 'We know this is an incredibly painful time for the parents and family. Everyone at McGarity Elementary and throughout the school district is grieving deeply with them. 'Out of respect for the privacy of the parents, we will not share the details of our interactions with the family. Our focus remains on handling this situation with the utmost respect and sensitivity given this unimaginable loss. 'We are hopeful the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will be able to provide clarity and answers in due time. 'Our entire school community is mourning with the family, and we want to support them in every way possible including providing our full cooperation with the GBI as they work to find the answers the parents and family deserve.' Despite the widespread jubilation across Israel today as the last remaining hostages were reunited with their families, many are still faced anguish after it was claimed that Hamas does not know where some of the bodies are. The terrorist organisation said today it will release the bodies of four of 28 deceased Israeli captives, though it was not immediately clear when the rest would be sent back to Israel. It comes as the group previously admitted they do not know where the remains of all the dead hostages are. It is believed that some of the remains have been lost and buried under the rubble in Gaza. A joint multinational task force led by Israel, the US, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt is being established to locate any bodies that are not returned. If Hamas fails to find all the remains, it risks complicating the next phase of the ceasefire deal and will only add to the pain of relatives who simply want to bury their dead. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum called it a 'blatant breach' of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. A Hamas militant stands near coffins during the handover of deceased hostages in February this year Red Cross vehicles transport hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Palestinian militants stand guard in southern Gaza today as the hostages are released. They are still searching for some dead bodies They said: 'This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas. We expect Israel's government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice,' the forum says, noting it is 'shocked and dismayed.' 'The families of the deceased hostages are enduring especially difficult days filled with deep sorrow. 'We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the agreement's terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation.' The Israeli government's pointman on the hostages, Gal Hirsch, said that the task force will be deployed after Israel has identified the bodies it receives. In a message to the relatives of the hostages, he wrote: 'We demand, expect, and work for 100 per cent effort from Hamas, with the assistance of the international force, in order to complete the mission and bring back all the fallen hostages for burial in Israel.' CNN cited one Israeli official saying it is estimated that seven to nine bodies might not be retrieved. Meanwhile, another put the figure at between 10 and 15. US President Donald Trump, who landed in Israel this morning, said yesterday: 'They are getting the bodies; approximately 28 bodies. 'Some of those bodies are being unearthed right now as we speak. It's a tragedy.' This morning, the living hostages were handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross before they were taken to the Re'im military base in southern Israel, where medical teams assessed them. Omri Miran, 48, was photographed reuniting with his wife Lishay at the initial reception point in southern Israel. He was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023. Omri was part of the first group of Israeli hostages to be released this morning, alongside Matan Angrest, 22; twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, 28; Alon Ohel, 24; Eitan Mor, 25; and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24. They were followed by a second group of 13 living hostages, who have also finally arrived in Israel after more than two years in captivity. The second group to return home included: Matan Zangauker, 25; Nimrod Cohen, 21; Ariel Cunio, 28; David Cunio, 35; Evyatar David, 24; Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25; Elkana Bohbot, 36; Avinatan Or, 32; Bar Kupershtein, 23; Segev Kalfon, 27; Rom Braslabski, 21; Eitan Horn, 38; and Maxim Herkin, 37. Ziv Berman gestures from the window of an Israeli CH-53 Sea Stallion military helicopter at Sheba Tel-HaShomer Medical Centre in Ramat Gan Family and friends of Israeli hostage Eitan Horn react to the news of his release at their house in the central Israeli city of Rosh Haayin on October 13, 2025 Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, embraces his wife Alon, Guy and Omri were flown by Israeli Air Force helicopters to hospital after an initial medical evaluation, the military said. Trump arrived in Israel this morning, where he will soon deliver a historic speech to the Knesset before heading to Egypt for an international peace summit geared towards ending the war in Gaza. Trump signed the Knesset guest book and wrote: 'It is a great honour for me. This is a beautiful day. A new beginning.' Speaking to reporters earlier on Air Force One as he made his way to Israel, the president said: 'The war is over.' 'People are tired of it, it's been centuries, not just recent,' he said. 'The ceasefire will hold, we're going to make sure it holds.' He added: 'After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families,' Trump said. 'Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time. 'After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent and the sirens are still.' Omri Miran speaks to his two young daughters after over two years in Hamas captivity at the Re'im base The first hug between brothers Gali and Ziv Berman Families and friends of the hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that their loved ones were being released. Tens of thousands of Israelis were also watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv. British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends. She was sat beside Romi Gonen who was held with her for much of their time in captivity. President Donald Trump made a joke about his daughter's marriage during his address to Israel's parliament as the US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas came into effect. Trump, 79, revealed during his peace speech Monday morning that his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner had accompanied him to Israel. 'Let me also give a very special thanks to someone who truly loves Israel, in fact loves it so much that my daughter converted,' the president told the Knesset. Cameras panned to Kushner who was seen mouthing 'thank you' to his father-in-law. 'I didn't know this was going to happen,' Trump continued. 'And Ivanka is here.' He was met with a standing ovation as he offered the Israeli parliament a little inside look at the couple's personal life. 'Bibi, you do know this was not in the cards for me. She is so happy and he is so happy - at least I think they're happy. If they're not we have a big story,' he joked. Trump then clarified: 'No, they have a great marriage and they get along great. They're best friends and have a very special relationship.' President Donald Trump made a joke about his daughter's marriage during his address to Israel 's parliament as the US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas came into effect 'Let me also give a very special thanks to someone who truly loves Israel, in fact loves it so much that my daughter converted,' Trump said as cameras panned to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who were sitting in the crowd The US and Egyptian presidents chaired a gathering of world leaders dubbed the Summit for Peace on Monday to support the breakthrough ceasefire deal in the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war. Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, while Israel began releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands. Cheering crowds greeted buses of prisoners in the West Bank, while families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free. The hostages, all men, have arrived back in Israel, where they will reunite with family and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear. Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Beitunia, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, and in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he was 'committed to this peace' in a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Red Cross vehicles transport hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, embraces his father, Dani Miran Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash. Egypt's presidency said Netanyahu would attend as well, but the Israel leader's office later said he would not because due to a Jewish holiday. The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority - something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years. The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 US troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center right) gestures as he is applauded before an address by US President Donald Trump (top left) at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on October 13, 2025 Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are recognized by President Donald Trump as he speaks to the Knesset The war began when Hamas-led terrorists launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack saw some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. Restaurant owners who cut down 80 trees to expand their business's car park have admitted 'we got this wrong', with diners now treated to a view of an industrial estate. The Birk family are the new bosses of The Osprey in the Scottish town of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, after they bought out the previous eatery on the site last month. Contractors soon arrived to raze the mature woodland outside the bar and restaurant ahead of launch day, which is yet to be fixed exactly. The owners said this would 'open up the space' out the front of what used to be much loved family business Carrigan's and 'possibly extend the car park in future'. But it has left locals furious, as a once secluded bistro now looks out over the busy A726 - and the unsightly Kelvin Industrial Estate on the other side of it. The Birks, who are of both Scottish and Indian heritage, have served Indian food to diners in and around Glasgow for generations. They also run The Malletsheugh, a highly popular bar and restaurant which serves up dishes from both cultures, in nearby Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire. But despite their experience as restaurateurs, the family has now confessed they made a mistake with their latest move, dubbing it 'insensitive'. Restaurant owners who cut down 80 trees (pictured) to expand their business's car park have admitted 'we got this wrong', with diners now treated to a view of an industrial estate The Birk family are the new bosses of The Osprey in the Scottish town of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, after they bought out the previous eatery (pictured, file photo) on the site last month But the loss of the woodland has left locals furious, as a once secluded bistro now looks out over the busy A726 - and the unsightly Kelvin Industrial Estate on the other side of it (pictured, file photo of the part of the industrial estate understood to be visible from the restaurant) In a mea culpa post to The Osprey's Facebook page, they wrote: 'We're sorry. We got this wrong. We have to hold up our hands and say we made a mistake.' The owners said there were no tree preservation orders and the restaurant does not sit in a conservation area - 'but we know this is not an excuse'. The new bosses are in discussions with local planning and forestry authorities, as well as a landscape architect, and plan to reforest the land with young trees. They pleaded with locals to be given 'another chance', 'to show you who we really are and what we hope to bring to the local community'. A previous social media post, from when the Birks bought the former restaurant, claimed to wish to 'build community bonds'. But they seem to have been well and truly broken by this latest development, with residents taking to social media to slam the loss of the trees. One wrote: 'They have owned the property for a matter of weeks and in that time, have managed to totally decimate the surrounding area, and all the character Carrigan's restaurant had, all in the name of their new customers having a wonderful, beautiful view of the Kelvin Industrial Estate across the road.' Another commented: 'They certainly know how to make friends with us locals. Absolutely shocking.' A third posted: 'Certainly won't be going in there now, those trees have been part of the landscape for a long time.' Someone else said: 'The whole point of that wee place is that it's tucked in amongst the trees and you get to see the squirrels run up and down them and it's a lot more relaxing than looking on to another concrete building across the road.' A couple even went as far as to say they will not visit the new restaurant, which is currently closed for renovations ahead of its re-launch. The chopping down of a variety of species of trees, including an oak, is just the latest development for land which has long proven a battleground in the community. Some of the trees were also previously cut back several years ago to turn the nearby road into a dual carriageway. And the location of the works near Calderglen County Park and Zoo, a valuable green space and haven for animal life, makes them all the more controversial. The rest of The Osprey's public apology read: 'We work closely with the community in [Newton] Mearns and hope to do so with you in East Kilbride. 'We also apologise for taking so long to respond to you all we wanted to speak with planning and Forestry so we understood the situation better. In a mea culpa post to The Osprey's Facebook page, the Birk family (pictured outside The Osprey) wrote: 'We're sorry. We got this wrong. We have to hold up our hands and say we made a mistake' The chopping down of a variety of species of trees, including an oak, is just the latest development for land (pictured before the trees were cut down) which has long proven a battleground in the community Some of the trees (pictured, the land after the recent felling) were also previously cut back several years ago to turn the nearby road into a dual carriageway 'We never wanted to upset or offend anyone and we are happy to work with local conservation and heritage enthusiasts and organisations to help educate us and others so they don't make the mistake we did. 'We would be more than happy to meet with anyone who wants to address concerns in person and see how we can work together to put this right and ensure we are helping enrich the local community.' One contingent of commenters applauded their honesty, with one writing: 'Good on you for explaining and I know a lot of people are angry but really the reaction has been excessive.' Another wrote: 'Well done for opening up and I appreciate the reasons behind your decision, as the car has always been inadequate.' But East Kilbride's MSP Collette Stevenson said she has been forced to raise the issue with South Lanarkshire Council amid 'a lot of anger from locals'. She told East Kilbride News the restaurant bosses' public apology had emerged since then which 'made clear the decision was theirs and that decision was wrong'. The SNP representative continued: 'The Birk family have said they are happy to work with local conservation and heritage enthusiasts, as well as a willingness to meet with anyone in person, to discuss concerns. 'That is welcome, and I urge those interested to reach out to them.' Ms Stevenson said the next steps will be largely determined by the responses of Scottish Forestry and South Lanarkshire Council. 'There may very well be consequences as a result of these actions but I sincerely hope lessons are learned from this so the same thing does not happen again,' she concluded. Fraser Carlin, who heads up planning at the council, said: 'We are aware of the felling of trees on this area of private land and the council has received a number of enquiries about it from councillors, local residents and other interested parties. 'I can confirm that the trees were not the subject of tree preservation orders and so no permission was needed or granted. 'However, we can advise that in some instances felling permission may be required from Scottish Forestry.' A Scottish Forestry spokesperson told the Daily Mail said it has now opened an investigation into the incident. This is because, the representative from the government woodland agency said, there was 'no felling permission'. Officers inspected the site on Monday. They added: 'We take all reports of alleged unauthorised felling very seriously... 'Now that an investigation has been opened it would not be appropriate to comment further on this case until it is concluded and next steps decided.' South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Forestry have been contacted for comment. A brand new Ryanair Boeing plane that was set to carry 160 people to the UK has been evacuated after smoke was reported in the cabin and cockpit. The Boeing 737 MAX 8-200, which had the registration EI-ILN, was due to fly from Krakow, Poland, to Bristol on October 12. But as the plane taxied to the runway, crew members said they began to smell smoke. The captain of the plane abandoned the flight, telling flight attendants to open up the emergency slides. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries. A spokesperson for Krakow airport told Bild: 'The causes of the incident are currently unknown. The passengers have been returned to the terminal, and the aircraft is currently being inspected by the authorities'. The plane, which was only delivered to the budget airline on September 30 this year, is still at Krakow Airport and is being examined by technicians. The source of the smoke is currently unclear. A spokesperson for Ryanair told the Daily Mail: 'Ryanair Flight FR5519 from Krakow to Bristol was delayed this morning (Sun 12 Oct) due to the appearance of smoke from the rear galley. 'In the interest of safety, passengers were disembarked on the taxiway and returned to the terminal. The Boeing 737 MAX 8-200, which had the registration EI-ILN, (pictured) was due to fly from Krakow, Poland, to Bristol on October 12 The plane, which was only delivered to the budget airline on September 30 this year, is still at Krakow Airport and is being examined by technicians 'A replacement aircraft was routed to Krakow to take passengers onto Bristol with a delay of approx. 6 hours, for which we apologise sincerely.' Earlier this month, an investigation was launched after a Boeing plane run by Malta Air on behalf of Ryanair came within six minutes of 'running out of fuel' mid-air. The flight was heading to Glasgow's Prestwick Airport from Pisa in Italy on October 3 when it issued a 'fuel Mayday' and made an emergency landing in Manchester. The plane made several unsuccessful attempts to land at Prestwick before attempting a landing at Edinburgh Airport. This was also unsuccessful. The plane then diverted to Manchester, where it landed safely, almost two hours after the first go-around at Prestwick. The flight reportedly landed with just 220kg of fuel left in the tank, which is only enough for around five or six minutes of flying time. For the type of aircraft used for the Ryanair flight, a Boeing 737-800, the amount of fuel require cannot dip below 30 minutes of flying time. Earlier this year, the US Justice Department dropped its criminal case against Boeing despite the company agreeing to plead guilty last year for its role in two fatal crashes involving its planes. In a filing regarding the decision, the Justice Department said: 'After careful consideration of the families' views, the facts and the law it is the government's judgement that the agreement is a fair and just resolution that serves the public interest. 'The agreement guarantees further accountability and substantial benefits from Boeing immediately, while avoiding the uncertainty and litigation risk presented by proceeding to trial.' Boeing instead agreed to a non-prosecution agreement, in which it said it would pay $444.5million in victim compensation on top of the $500million it had already paid. A brazen woman tried to snatch a man's cellphone as he filmed the aftermath of her white Mercedes G-Wagon crashing into the car in front of it. Her full-blown meltdown began when she noticed the unsuspecting man recording the fender-bender scene near the Ridgeway Plaza strip mall in Mississauga, Canada. Footage, obtained by pop-culture outlet 6ixBuzz TV and shared on Sunday, showed the woman's luxury SUV smashed into the back of a grey BMW X5. It appeared that the woman rear-ended the car, and while the G-Wagon was hardly damaged, the X5 sustained a dent. As the grey car started pulling away, the frantic 'Karen,' wearing a black shirt and tan headscarf, started screaming once she realized the scene was being videoed. 'Excuse me, you cannot do this,' she said from beyond the camera's frame. 'Just give me your phone...Delete it now!' A few seconds later, she came face-to-face with the person recording, now dramatically upping her antics to get him to stop the video. 'Give me your phone and delete it now. Show me,' she demanded as she pointed her finger at the device. 'Give me your phone and delete it now. Show me,' she demands as she points her finger at the device Footage from the scene, obtained by pop-culture outlet 6ixBuzz TV and shared on Sunday, shows the woman's luxury SUV smashed into the back of the grey BMW X5 in front of it Just as he responded that the area is 'public property' so he is allowed to film, she urged him to delete it once again - this time grabbing the phone and trying to pull it toward her. 'I'm going to call the cops!' she said, with the baffled bystander calmly telling her to take her hands off of him and his phone. 'Call whoever you want, don't touch me,' he asserted. A young woman, who was seemingly the daughter of the entitled G-Wagon driver, tried to intervene and pull her away from the self-inflicted conflict. 'Mama stop...come stop,' the mortified daughter, wearing a tan vest, said as she grabbed her mother's wrist. But the disgruntled driver continued her squabble, now stuttering over her words as the man explained that she approached him - effectively putting herself in front of the camera - and he was 'recording an accident, not you.' Finally, the fed-up daughter said, 'Okay, let's go sit in the car,' dragging her mother - now seemingly stunned and at a loss for words - away. The Daily Mail has reached out to Peel Region Police and its Collision Reporting Center to see if any reports were made from this accident. Both cars involved in this accident come with hefty price tags. While costs vary by model, a 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class has a starting price of about $150,000 Her full-blown meltdown began when she noticed a man recording the scene of a fender bender near the Ridgeway Plaza strip mall in Mississauga Both cars involved in this accident come with hefty price tags. While costs vary by model, a 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class has a starting price of about $150,000. The newest model of the BMW X5 starts at roughly $67,000, but can go for up to around $92,000 depending on the trim and other upgrades. The woman's public freak-out has gone viral on social media, with the footage circulating widely on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. Many viewers were baffled by her bold move to reach for the cellphone. 'The moment she snatched the phone her arm would have been twist off,' one user wrote on Instagram. 'He has the right to record....what is she talking about?' another chimed in. 'And... the insurance will also deny your claim,' one woman wrote. 'Mom youre making a scene,' someone joked, referring to the clearly embarrassed daughter who was caught in the crossfire. On X, someone echoed the sentiment: 'The daughter is embarrassed by her mother's goon behavior. Mother thinks her sh*t does not smell.' 'If somebody rear-ended my vehicle, darn right I would be out there taking photos & video. Any smart person would. Especially in today's Canada,' another added. A local television producer was dramatically detained by federal agents in the middle of a Chicago street before her supporters' attempt to hinder her arrest backfired. Deborah Brockman, a veteran producer at WGN-TV, was forced to the ground as mask-wearing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers cuffed her in the Chicago suburb of Lincoln Square on Friday. The officers behind Brockman's arrest stopped at nothing to take her into custody - damaging a resistant driver's SUV after they refused to move out of the way. The CBP agents were driving in the area while conducting immigration enforcement operations when Brockman allegedly threw something at their vehicle, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She was arrested for assaulting a federal agent, but was released from custody later in the day without charges. Jaw-dropping video from neighborhood resident Josh Thomas showed Brockman face down on the street with her blue jeans fallen - leaving her backside exposed. Witnesses heckled the officers carrying out the arrest, calling them 'fascists' and a variety of profane names. Thomas approached Brockman, who appeared desperate and afraid, and asked for her name. With her glasses crooked and slipping from her face, she frantically replied: 'Debbie Brockman, I work for WGN. Let them know!' Deborah Brockman (pictured), a veteran producer at WGN-TV, was forced to the ground as mask-wearing CBP officers cuffed her in the Chicago suburb of Lincoln Square on Friday Witnesses heckled the officers carrying out the arrest, calling them 'fascists' and a variety of profane names The officers behind Brockman's arrest stopped at nothing to take her into custody - damaging a resistant driver's SUV after they refused to move out of the way (pictured: the back bumper ripped off the SUV) Witnesses broke out in uproar once again after she was dragged into a Border Patrol vehicle. 'This is ridiculous!' one person was heard shouting at the federal agents. 'Get the f**k out.' The silver CBP vehicle began to drive off, but abruptly stopped after a few feet because a black SUV was partially blocking its path. An agent stepped out of the passenger's side and started yelling to the driver to move - an order the driver refused. The fed-up officer went back to the car and slammed the door shut. The vehicle then swiftly drove off through the too-narrow space between the SUV and the curb. A loud screeching noise was heard as the federal vehicle hit the SUV, tearing off its back bumper. 'This is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens violently resisting arrest and agitators and criminals ramming cars into our law enforcement officers,' DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said while acknowledging that Brockman is a US citizen. An anonymous witness told WGN-TV that the agents appeared to be conducting an ICE raid and were looking for a man on a property near where Brockman was arrested. The witness claimed that the officers also detained that individual. Brockman was arrested for assaulting a federal agent, but was released from custody later in the day without charges While Brockman was not at a protest during the heart-pounding encounter, a chaotic anti-ICE protest was happening simultaneously near a DHS facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview (pictured) Thomas told the outlet that he was upstairs in his apartment when he heard the commotion of Brockman's detention below. 'Its terrifying for the community. When I came back upstairs to my condo, my son was crying and asked me what was happening and if people were going to come take him,' he told WGN-TV. While Brockman was not at a protest during the heart-pounding encounter, a chaotic anti-ICE protest was happening simultaneously near a DHS facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview. Illinois State Police (ISP) arrested at least three people, while at least one more was arrested by the Cook County Sheriff's Office. They were charged with resisting and obstruction of justice, ABC 7 reported. ISP troopers were dressed in riot gear as they clashed with the crowd. The ongoing unrest in Chicago comes about a month after Donald Trump's administration launched its 'Operation Midway Blitz' on the city. The DHS vowed to target migrants with criminal records who flocked to Illinois because of its sanctuary policies. President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem stand with the victims of illegal alien crime while Governor [JB] Pritzker stands with criminal illegal aliens,' the DHS wrote at the time. The ongoing unrest in Chicago comes about a month after Donald Trump's administration launched its 'Operation Midway Blitz' on the city (pictured: a man spray painting at the Broadview protest on Friday) The DHS vowed to target migrants with criminal records who flocked to Illinois because of its sanctuary policies (pictured: protestors in Broadview on Friday) The ongoing unrest in Chicago comes about a month after Donald Trump's (pictured) administration launched its 'Operation Midway Blitz' on the city Trump has sent several hundred National Guard soldiers into Chicago to guard DHS agents as they carry out mass deportations in the area. On Thursday, Biden-appointed District Judge April Perry granted the state's request for a temporary restraining order to block the National Guard deployment. But her ruling was overturned in the federal appeals court on Saturday. Obama-appointed District Judge Sara Ellis issued a separate temporary restraining order on Thursday, which restricts the ability of federal agents to disperse, arrest and use physical force against journalists unless officials believe they committed a crime. AN NHS healthcare assistant died after A&E colleagues at the hospital where he worked failed to spot he had developed a lethal blockage in an artery, an inquest heard. Cameron Lamb, 28, sought help at the emergency department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, Norfolk - recently rated the worst acute trust in the country - after having a funny turn while on a shift. But doctors there thought he was dehydrated and had a chest infection and sent him home with antibiotics after giving him fluids and paracetamol. Mr Lamb was found dead at home the following day after his mother raised the alarm and neighbours went to check on him. A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death was a pulmonary embolism. The blockage to the artery feeding the lung can be triggered by a blood clot caused by deep vein thrombosis, a condition commonly caused by long periods of immobility, particularly on flights. During the inquest in Norwich, Mr Lambs family criticised A&E staff for failing to diagnose the condition or ask if he had been on a plane recently. He had returned from a break in Egypt just five days before he died on July 3 last year. Cameron Lamb, 28, died after A&E doctors at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, failed to realise a blood clot had entered an artery Dr Sarah Fleming, a consultant radiologist who led an internal investigation at the hospital following Mr Lambs death, told the inquest posters had since been placed around the department asking patients to inform staff if they had flown recently. But Mr Lamb's mother, Carol Steel, said she found it 'wholly unacceptable' that the deadly condition had not been considered, adding 'standards [had not'] been met'. 'Why didn't anybody - from his tan - ask that he may recently have been on holiday?' she told the coroner. 'Surely, asking about recent travel is a basic question for staff to ask their patients? So why was this question not asked - unless you can tell me it was? 'How could A&E have sent a 28-year-old home alone in his condition? It was totally unacceptable to send Cameron home. 'Cameron was well-known and well-liked across the hospital and we would all like to know how the A&E team misdiagnosed a pulmonary embolism as a chest infection?' Mr Lamb, who had been employed at the hospital for five years, had been back at work for two days following his holiday when he complained of feeling unwell during his night shift and told his supervisor he needed to go home. He was urged to go to A&E for a check-up and staff there carried out tests, the inquest at Norfolk Coroners Court was told. The hospital where Mr Lamb worked was recently rated the worst acute trust in the country The liked and thoughtful worker, who enjoyed travelling, was given fluids through an IV drip and paracetamol after complaining of palpitations and a high heart rate. Doctors released him just after midnight and he travelled alone in a taxi to the semi-detached house in West Lynn he shared with his mother. Ms Steel told the inquest she could see he was breathing heavily after she checked via the video doorbell installed at the property. She became increasingly concerned for him after speaking to him at about 8am and asked neighbours to look in on him. He was found unresponsive on a sofa and paramedics raced there but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A nurse who was working at QEH on the night Mr Lamb was taken ill said during the hearing: Cameron said he did not feel well and wanted to go home. I was worried, so I told him to go to A&E and I walked with him to make sure he got checked in. She last saw Mr Lamb just before 1am, sitting on stairs outside the hospital waiting for his taxi. QEH medical director Rebecca Martin said after the inquest that staff had been reminded about the difficulty diagnosing pulmonary embolisms He showed me the prescription of antibiotics from the A&E staff who believed he had a chest infection, she added. I was [later] called by a colleague to say he had died. I was shocked. He was loved by all staff and patients. Mr Lamb had no history of serious health issues and his last appointment with his GP was a 2022 phone call when he asked for a sick note for work. Coroner Joanna Thompson accepted that he had died due to the effects of a blood clot. But she ruled it was a natural death, adding he had received appropriate care and treatment from his colleagues who thought he had an infection. The QEH was recently revealed to be the worst-performing hospital in the country according to official data, based on information including A&E waiting times, surgery waiting lists, patient and staff feedback and financial management. Medical director Rebecca Martin offered her condolences to Mr Lambs family after the hearing, adding: Cameron was a much-loved colleague at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and is deeply missed. We carried out a review of Camerons care and have shared his case with colleagues to highlight the difficulty in diagnosing a pulmonary embolism when patients have non-specific symptoms. A disgraced former Labour councillor is facing jail after his dangerously out control dog attacked a woman outside his home. Philip Normal, 43, the former mayor of Lambeth who resigned over a series of racist tweets, has been charged after his French bulldog injured a woman in southeast London. During the attack, Princella Kusi suffered a puncture wound on her right thigh following the incident in Walworth on August 4, 2024, Croydon Magistrates Court heard. French Bulldog Noah has since been put down, and Normal has admitted to one count of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog causing injury. The charge, under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, carries the maximum sentence of five years in jail. Abi Day, defending, asked for reports to be prepared ahead of sentencing on December 12 at the same court. District Judge Nigel McLean released Normal on unconditional bail. Normal became a Labour councillor and Mayor of Lambeth in 2020, becoming Britains first openly HIV-positive Mayor. Philip Normal, 43, the former mayor of Lambeth who resigned over a series of racist tweets, has been charged after his French bulldog injured a woman in southeast London French Bulldog Noah (pictured) has since been put down, and Normal has admitted to one count of being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog causing injury However, he resigned in 2022 after a series of racist tweets, including branding Muslims as extremists and likening Muslim women to penguins. A catalogue of tweets dating back to 2009 and 2014 revealed he used ableist slurs, fumed about 'big black men' and simply wrote 't*****' - a derogatory term for transgender people - 20 times in block capitals. Taking to social media to announce his resignation, he said: 'I want to apologise again to everyone who I have caused deep hurt and pain to due to my past social media posts.' He added: 'I am profoundly sorry for the content of some of my historic tweets. 'I sincerely apologise to everyone who has seen them and who I have insulted by their contents. 'Reading them now I am horrified and deeply disappointed in myself. 'They are clearly offensive and discriminatory. 'They do not reflect my views and values today.' Normal is now a fashion designer and runs a graphics design business in Brixton Village, where he sells slogan T-shirts. He once released a T-shirt with the slogan Middle class woman of a certain age - a reference to the claim by Gregg Wallace that his inappropriate sexual comments and behaviour came from a handful of middle-class women. Another T-shirt he made included an enamel pin with the slogan: F*** the Tories. A catalogue of tweets dating back to 2009 and 2014 revealed he used ableist slurs Normal created the 'La.' t-shirt that raised more than 500,000 for HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust in the wake of Channel 4 AIDS drama It's A Sin In 2021, he also created the 'La!' shirt inspired by Channel 4 AIDS drama It's A Sin that went on to raise more than 500,000 for the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust. The shirts were inspired by the hit Channel 4 drama, It's A Sin, and they feature the word 'La' in reference to the catchphrase of the show's main characters. Written by Russell T Davies, It's A Sin tells the story of a group of young friends living in London through the HIV/Aids crisis in the 1980s and explores its impact on the LGBT community. The 'La' pieces were worn by famous names including Sir Ian McKellen, Dermot O'Leary, Amanda Holden, Dr Ranj Singh, Tom Allen and Beverley Knight. For 738 days all they saw of Evyatar David were images of his torture in the bowels of Gaza but today those who love him most were finally able to see a picture to make them smile. The talented musician who just went to a festival to dance when he was kidnapped by terrorists was seen on a video call to his parents moments before being freed yesterday. It sparked a stampede at his best friend's home in Hod HaSharon, near Tel Aviv, where the Daily Mail was invited to join over 30 of those who know him best to watch his release. They piled in, desperate to catch the first glimpse of the 24-year-old alive since an image of him being forcibly starved and made to dig his own grave horrified the world in August. 'There is no way to describe such a moment, it is like nothing before,' Rinat Israeli, 54, who organised the event at her home, told me. Her 24-year-old son Sagi is one of Evyatar's closest friends and each day has been an unceasing torture for her family since he was kidnapped. Their first sign of life came in February, when Hamas cruelly filmed him and his friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, watching other hostages released, and then returned them to the tunnels. Both spent their first weeks of captivity bound hand and foot with bags over their heads, blood dripping from their wounded limbs. Israeli hostage Evyatar David has been seen after his release after 738 days in captivity This screengrab from a video released on August 1, 2025 by the armed wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas, shows Israeli hostage Evyatar David looking weak and malnourished Evyatar David was among the Israeli hostages kidnapped in Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack His release has sparked a stampede at his best friend's home in Hod HaSharon, near Tel Aviv, where the Daily Mail was invited to join over 30 of those who know him best Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital Ziv Berman, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip gestures from the window of a helicopter landing at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel But then came perhaps the most depraved image of this entire conflict - that of the once muscular, bronzed gymnast seen skeletal and pale, all hope gone from his eyes, as he dug his own grave. Against all the odds he survived and, when his release was confirmed at 8am yesterday, dozens of his friends and family flocked to Ms Israeli's home. For more than 24 hours they sang, cheered, cried, and comforted each other through the crippling, anxious wait until, finally, he emerged. Ms Israeli, an architect, said: 'I was waiting for this moment for two years. When he was inside it was like I could not breathe. This is the feeling. 'You are waiting for this moment every day. Every moment I talked to him, I sent him the sun and the wind and the love. I wished him good morning and good evening. 'Every single moment he was in there, it is like you are living in two places. Now I can start to breathe again.' For Israelis, they feared this day would never come but now, remarkably, every living hostage taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has been returned. Across the country it feels that, like Ms Israeli, finally everyone can breathe once more. Red Cross vehicles transport hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Friends piled in, desperate to catch the first glimpse of the 24-year-old alive since an image of him being forcibly starved and made to dig his own grave horrified the world in August For more than 24 hours they sang, cheered, cried, and comforted each other through the crippling, anxious wait until finally seeing Evyatar emerge to safety The release of Evyatar David (pictured before his capture) has been celebrated by loved ones Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, gestures upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, embraces his father Dani Miran Released Israeli hostage Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, embraces his wife Lishay Miran-Lav, after being released as part of a prisoner-hostage swap Released hostage Segev Kalfon is seen here arriving at Sheba Medical Center 'It's such a heavy weight off our hearts and off our shoulders just to see him,' said Guy Melamed, 24, student from Zippori, northern Israel. The Daily Mail was warned to 'prepare your liver for a whipping' and when we arrived at 6am yesterday most of those present had not slept. Shots of vodka were handed out, and special bottles of red wine lined the kitchen bearing the picture of Evyatan and his friends' slogan: 'We are strong'. They whooped and cheered as the Red Cross trucks arrived for the first seven hostages to be freed. The atmosphere built with Air Force One seen touching down, before they excitedly piled around Ms Israeli when she received a call from Evyatan's parents saying they had spoken to him. Then local journalist Adi Nirman mentioned quietly she had received a video of the FaceTime call between them - provoking a riot as two dozen friends mobbed her to catch a glimpse. 'Some of us have been here since we heard the news at 8am yesterday,' Mr Melamed said. 'We needed to be together to be here for each other. 'We have been playing board games, talking - we went to the pub at 2am just to have a pint and come back.' Evyatar's mother Galia David previously told the Daily Mail of images released of him in August: 'I want everyone in the world to see this image, to know what Hamas terrorists are doing' Released hostage Avinatan Or, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, upon arrival at Rabin Medical Centre-Beilinson Hospital Returned hostage Avinatan Or with IDF representatives after his release from captivity on Monday, October 13, 2025, after spending more than two years in Hamas captivity For all of them, the cruelty of Hamas made them question the release until the last moment. 'The video of him in the tunnel - it shattered me,' Mr Melamed said. 'We have a group chat, and when that came out someone said: "Do not watch it." It was too much.' Many of those gathered did not know one another before Evyatan was taken, but grouped together in the wake of the tragedy. They hosted a Thursday night jam session every week in Hostages Square in his honour, and formed an unbreakable bond. There were tender moments today, as at times some would be overcome with emotion only for those around to give a reassuring look or a kind word to get them through. Niv Cohen, 24, was one of the last to see Evyatan after travelling with him to Nova festival 'to dance and have fun' on October 7. 'Everybody was in a rush, but Evyatar is a super chill guy who takes everything slow, so he took his time,' he joked, sadly. Freed Israeli hostage Avinatan Or greets wellwishers upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva in central Israel Friends of Evyatar David are seen here at a gathering to celebrate his release from captivity 'We split up because Evyatar stayed smoking. That was the last time I saw him.' Hours later, he saw a video of his friend being led at gunpoint into Gaza. 'I started crying,' he said. 'There was a vending machine and I punched it out of despair.' Today is the first time he can begin to process what happened that day when their two friends, Ron Tazarfati and her boyfriend Idan Hermati, both 22, were killed. For much of the outside world, October 7 is a distant memory. But because of the taking of 251 hostages Israel has been frozen, unable to move beyond it. As we departed Ms Israeli's home, the drinks had stopped, the cheering quieted, and for Evyatar's friends, like the rest of the country, their first steps towards recovery had, finally, begun. Tommy Robinson told police 'not a chance, bruv' when they asked for his phone's PIN after he was stopped at the Channel Tunnel, a court has heard. The former English Defence League leader, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was stopped by officers on July 28 last year while driving his silver Bentley to Benidorm, his trial at Westminster Magistrates' was told. Police then arrested him under 'anti-terror laws' after concerns over what prosecutor Jo Morris described as their concerns about 'his demeanour'. Robinson, 42, told officers his mobile contained 'journalistic material' and that he would not be handing it over, the court heard. Ms Morris said the political activist replied, 'Not a chance, bruv,' when asked to give the iPhone access, adding that it held information about 'vulnerable girls'. 'The process by which journalistic material would be protected was explained to him,' Ms Morris told the court. The political activist was charged with 'willfully failing to comply with a duty imposed by Schedule 7' under the Terrorism Act' when he allegedly refused to give officers his PIN at around 10am. Robinson, who recently led the Unite the Kingdom march through central London, denies the charge. Wearing a dark navy waistcoat and a white shirt, he appeared in the dock today to confirm his personal details. Prior to the hearing, Robinson said in a video posted on X that billionaire Elon Musk had 'picked up the legal bill' for 'this absolute state persecution'. Musk has not yet acknowledged or confirmed this publicly. Tommy Robinson is pictured arriving at Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning where he is on trial charged with an offence under the Terrorism Act Prosecutor Jo Morris said: 'On July 28 last year, two police officers stopped Lennon as he drove a silver Bentley into the lane of the Channel Tunnel. 'An officer enquired about Mr Lennon's travel and became concerned about his demeanour.' Ms Morris said he handed over his passport but 'gave vague replies and very little eye contact'. She added: 'He was driving a high value vehicle. Mr Lennon said he was driving to Benidorm for two days to leave the vehicle there and then to return to home.' Ms Morris said officers had 'doubts as to the truth of Lennon's accounts' and their 'knowledge of Mr Lennon's past'. She continued: 'We say the activity was unusual and that there was possible terrorist activity.' Some of Robinson's supporters shook their heads and smiled at each other as they viewed proceedings via video-link upstairs. Ms Morris added: 'Mr Lennon performed a voice note on his mobile phone detailing that he was stopped and he began to film the officers.' He was later escorted out of his car to a 'back entrance of an examination suite'. Ms Morris said: 'He signed his copy of a notice. Police explained his legal rights and told him he must provide any PIN code for any electronic device. 'Mr Lennon was given a copy of the public info leaflet and allowed time to read it, explaining his rights and responsibilities. Robinson is pictured in this court sketch after he appeared in the dock today to confirm his personal details 'Mr Lennon and his luggage was searched, and 13,370 in pounds and 1,910 euros were found in a small bag. 'His Apple iPhone was seized and at 10.35am Mr Lennon said he had journalistic information on his phone and would therefore not give his PIN number.' Mr Lennon was later interviewed by police at 11am, 11.50am, and 12.49pm, but still refused to give them the PIN, the court heard. On the way to the interview room, Robinson tried to film a video of himself saying he had been arrested and was told by officers to 'relax', the trial was told. It was also heard that while being interviewed, Robinson told the officers: 'For me it's a win win, it's going to be bad for yous [sic].' Giving evidence, PC Mitchell Thorogood said he questioned Robinson for a period of '34 seconds'. Mr Thorogood said: 'I asked him where he was going and for his tickets to see how he had paid for them and I was unhappy with the account given.' He added that Robinson was driving a 'high powered motor' which was 'unusual to come through the Channel.' Alisdair Williamson KC, defending, said Robinson's arrest was 'not properly aligned with the conditions of the Terrorism Act' and that references to his political beliefs were 'discriminatory'. Mr Williamson added: 'His rights as a journalist were not sufficiently protected.' If found guilty, Robinson could be jailed for up to three months and/or receive a 2,500 fine. The trial continues. Israeli hostage Avinatan Or appeared distressingly thin as he was released from Hamas captivity as part of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement. Or, 32, and his girlfriend Noa Argamani were kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the October 7, 2023 attack. Hamas released horrifying footage of the pair's abduction, which quickly became one of the most well-known videos from the attack. Argamani, 28, was seen on an all-terrain vehicle crying 'don't kill me!' and reaching out her arms to Or, who was marched away from her by Hamas. Or had not been seen in more than two years and unlike Argamani, who featured in a Hamas propaganda video in May 2024, was not shown in any subsequent footage. The electrical engineer, wearing a quasi-military uniform, appeared noticeably thin Monday as Hamas handed him over to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He was brought to Israel as part of a ceasefire deal that saw Hamas release all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday. Under the deal, Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and is to allow a surge of food and aid supplies into Gaza. Or has since been taken to the IDF's Re'im base in Israel and is expected to soon be reunited with Argamani, who was rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024. Seen for the first time in two years, Israeli hostage Avinatan Or appeared distressingly thin on Monday as he was released from Hamas captivity His girlfriend Noa Argamani became the face of the attack on October 7 after she was pictured being kidnapped by Hamas on the back of a motorbike Or and Argamani were planning to move in together when they were kidnapped from the Nova music festival two years ago. The couple spent hours hiding in a ditch and were trying to flee by car when they were captured by Hamas. Or reportedly had the opportunity to escape, but did not want to leave Argamani behind 'at the hands of the monsters', The Jerusalem Post reported. The pair were separated during the abduction, with Argamani repeatedly asking about her boyfriend throughout the duration of her captivity. 'I did not know if he was alive, and I did not want to know the answer, because it would have been too much for me,' she said previously. 'Until my boyfriend and all the remaining hostages are home, I will not heal. I will keep fighting as much as I can to bring everyone home.' Argamani was rescued in a daring helicopter mission in June 2024 and went on to become an outspoken survivor and critic of Hamas. She was saved along with 21-year-old Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, who were also at the Nova Festival when Hamas terrorists struck. Argamani made it home just in time to say goodbye to her mom, who was dying of brain cancer. Or and Argamani spent hours hiding in a ditch and were trying to flee by car when they were captured by Hamas. Or (pictured before the attack) reportedly had the opportunity to escape, but did not want to leave Argamani behind 'at the hands of the monsters' Hamas marched Or away from Argamani on October 7, 2023 as she screamed out for him Argamani, who survived more than nine months in Hamas captivity, became one of the faces of the October 7 tragedy after horrifying footage went viral of her being kidnapped and taken from the Nova music festival on a motorbike. She was invited to speak at a Jewish fundraising event in Ontario, Canada this past June. During her address, the brave survivor revealed she was held by a 'well-to-do' family while in captivity, but kept under armed guard. She was rarely allowed to wash and never saw daylight as she was moved from house to house at night while dressed as an Arab in a bid to evade detection. In a heartbreaking letter to her captive love Or, who she met at Ben-Gurion University four years ago, Noa wrote of the October 7 horror, describing it as: 'That moment which the whole world witnessed the moment when my heart was torn apart and has never recovered since. 'I always promised you that we would conquer the world together, that we would grow old together, that I would be by your side through thick and thin. 'At that moment on October 7, I fought until the last minute so that we could go through everything together, side by side. Unfortunately, those were the last moments I saw you. 'Unlike the thousands of people who were murdered since October 7, you can still be saved.' Or and Argamani (pictured together before the abduction) were planning to move in together when they were kidnapped from the Nova music festival two years ago Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, while Israel began releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in terrorist hands. Cheering crowds greeted buses of prisoners in the West Bank, while families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free. The hostages, all men, have arrived back in Israel, where they will reunite with family and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear. Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in the West Bank and Gaza, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he was 'committed to this peace' in a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Red Cross vehicles transport hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Returned hostage Avinatan Or with IDF representatives after his release from captivity on Monday, October 13, 2025, after spending more than two years in Hamas captivity The war began when Hamas-led terrorists launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack saw some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. A man has appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a Wetherspoon's pub. Michael Walker, 62, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Sheffield Magistrates Court for a brief hearing this morning. Dressed in blue jeans and a green polo shirt beneath a blue jacket, he arrived at court accompanied by his wife Tracey. Walker, of Woodseats, Sheffield, entered his name and date of birth before the charge was read out to him. Asked how he intended to plead, Walker leaned forward and said: 'Not guilty please, not guilty.' He is alleged to have approached a woman from behind at the Woodseats Palace pub in Sheffield on March 29. Prosecutor Ishbel Saward said Walker is accused of feeling 'across her bottom' over her clothing. She submitted that a trial could be heard in the magistrates court. Michael Walker, 62, arriving at Sheffield Magistrates Court this morning where he pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a woman at a Wetherspoon's pub in the city Michael Walker, accompanied outside court by his wife Tracey, is 'adamant of his innocence', his barrister told the court as the 62-year-old exercised his right to a jury trial Michael Walker's wife Tracey (pictured) sat impassively in the public gallery during today's ten-minute hearing In the event that Walker was found guilty, the offence would be dealt with by a high level community order by magistrates, she added. But Walker elected to stand trial at a crown court before a jury. His barrister, Dapinder Singh KC, said: 'Although the Crown are perfectly satisfied with the matter remaining in this court, the defendant is adamant about his not guilty plea and adamant of his innocence and therefore he elects a crown court trial before a jury.' Walker was given conditional bail and will appear at Sheffield Crown Court on November 10. Magistrate Grant Lawton said: 'We are sending the trial to Crown Court sitting in Sheffield for the offence of sexual assault on a female.' Walker's wife Tracey sat impassively in the public gallery wearing a cream-coloured raincoat during the ten-minute hearing. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has heaped glowing praise on US President Donald Trump for his 'singular achievement' of brokering a deal to end the war in Gaza. 'Only the President of the United States could bring this about... It is an enormous achievement,' Wong said in an interview on the ABC on Monday night. Her words are a far cry from just a few days ago when she claimed the Albanese government's decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state had contributed to international pressure to reach a peace agreement. Trump last week had revealed in negotiating the agreement he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that 'you can't fight the world'. 'I see it [that comment] as confirmation that being part of international momentum towards peace was the right call,' Wong said on Friday. Shadow Foreign Minister Michaelia Cash said that 'Wong's attempt to claim credit for Donald Trump's Middle East peace deal is absurd'. By Monday night Wong had made an about-face and said that 'enormous congratulations' were deserved. 'He's brought this conflict to a pause and hopefully to an end, and has a pathway to peace that he's been so critical in articulating.' 'So, it's a great achievement by the US President.' Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Trump alone deserves credit for peace deal in Gaza despite saying only a few days ago Australia had heaped pressure on Israel In the same interview Wong was asked whether Australia would be willing to contribute to an international 'stablisation force' which is called for under the 20-point peace plan. 'Well, look, we haven't been asked,' Wong said. 'I'm not going to get ahead of myself... what I have said all along is we want to play our part in contributing momentum to peace'. Trump flew into Israel on Monday and told Israeli lawmakers their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace in the Middle East after two years of war against Hamas and skirmishes with Hezbollah and Iran. Although the U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, Trump is determined to seize an opportunity to chase an elusive regional harmony. 'This will be remembered as when everything began to change,' Trump declared in his speech. He promised to help rebuild Gaza, which has been devastated during the conflict. The U.S. president will continue on to Egypt for a summit with more than two dozen other nations, although he was running hours late as speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected. 'They might not be there by the time I get there, but well give it a shot,' Trump joked after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much. Trump gave a speech to the Israeli Knesset on Monday where politicians welcomed him as a hero Twenty hostages were released Monday as part of an agreement intended to end the war. Trump may meet some of them at the Sheba Medical Center, and he talked with families at the Knesset. The White House said momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States. In February, Trump had predicted that Gaza could be redeveloped into what he called 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' But on Sunday aboard Air Force One, he was more circumspect. 'I dont know about the Riviera for a while,' Trump said. 'Its blasted. This is like a demolition site.' But he said he hoped to one day visit the territory. 'Id like to put my feet on it, at least,' he said. Roughly 200 U.S. troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private sector players. Donald Trump stunned the Israeli parliament after demanding the Israeli president pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for corruption charges. Netanyahus political career has been plagued ever since he was indicted in 2019 for fraud, corruption and bribery charges. If found guilty, the Israeli prime minister could face up to a decade behind bars. Prosecutors allege that Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, were bribed with lavish gifts, such as champagne and cigars, from Australian billionaire James Packer. In exchange, Netanyahu is accused of helping the billionaire's media interests while serving as the minister of communications. Trump addressed these concerns while speaking in the Knesset on Monday, following the release of the last remaining hostages in Gaza. I have an idea, why dont you give Netanyahu a pardon?' Trump told Israel President Isaac Herzog. Trump goes on to refer to Netanyahu one of the great wartime presidents. Trump then cheekily references the apparent gifts to Netanyahu by stating, Cigars and champagne? Who the hell cares about it!? The joke caused the parliament to erupt with laughter and cheers as Trump continued with his remarks on the topic. Alright enough controversy for the day. Actually, I dont think its very controversial, Trump added before addressing Netanyahu. Youre a very popular man. You know? Because you know how to win. Trump demanded Netanyahu received a pardon for the corruption charges after the remaining Israeli hostages were released Sarah Netanyahu watches her husband, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, light a cigar at their home in Jerusalem in 1997 Trump dismissed the charges against bribery charges against Netanyahu by stating, 'who the hell cares?!' The president received a standing ovation during his address in the Knesset The Knesset then erupted into applause for Netanyahu with some of his supporters, chanting, Bibi! Bibi! Bibi!' The Israeli prosecutors claim that the cigars and champagne given to Netanyahu by his billionaire friend was worth $195,000. The prime minister's wife also allegedly received jewelry worth $3,100 as part of the bribe. The corruption trial is currently on-going and in the cross-examination phase as the Defense presents their argument. The trial has been delayed on numerous occasions over the last two years since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Upon Trump's arrival to Israel on Monday morning, the last remaining living hostages were released from Hamas captivity. In exchange, Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including approximately 250 Hamas militants. Later today, Trump will meet with the top Middle Eastern leaders in Egypt to celebrate the end of the two-year war between Israel and Hamas As part of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump, the IDF has begun withdrawing from the Gaza region. Trump attend later today a peace ceremony in Egypt with Middle Eastern leaders to commiserate the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. A YouTuber refused to be intimidated after an indigenous man in Vancouver confronted him, asking 'if he was born here,' and telling him this is 'his land' captured on video. Content creator West_Coast_Walker99 was walking down East Hastings, a busy street in Vancouver, Canada, when he was aggressively approached by a man dressed in all black who blocked his way. The Walker, whose name appears to be Robert, recorded the incident and uploaded it to multiple platforms on October 8. Since then, it has reached 2.2million views on Instagram alone. The video started with the unidentified instigator noticing the cameraman and stepping towards him, while stepping away from a group of three people he seems to know who are with two children. As the YouTuber continued forward, the intimidator stood in his way. Robert tossed a friendly 'how are you,' as he tried to get by, the man stood there with a sinister smirk. When the two are face-to-face, the indigenous man asked: 'Who are you?' 'West Coast Walker, how are you?' said Robert. Content creator West_Coast_Walker99 was walking down East Hastings, a busy street in Vancouver, Canada , when he was aggressively approached by a man (pictured) The Walker, whose name appears to be Robert, recorded the incident and uploaded it to multiple platforms on October 8 Then the man with the sparse mustache began to walk towards the video creator, almost seeming to bark at him with repeated 'huhs.' Then the bully asked: 'So you must know who I am, yeah?' Robert replied: 'No, I don't know who you are.' The man continued to walk towards the camera, eventually chest to chest with the man behind it. 'Why are you touching me?' said Robert. The man with some sick smile on his face told Robert to 'be careful, bro' and to 'get the f*** out of here.' Confused why he responded: 'Why? I can't walk here in my own city.' The indigenous man asked 'You born here?' To which Robert sharply replied, 'Yeah. You?' The man dressed in all black said, 'Yeah, this is my land, bro.' The creator answered 'Well, it's my land, too, cause I was born here, bro. The long-haired man then asked whether he was making money and continued barking at Robert. Repeatedly telling him to 'get the f*** out of here.' The man threatened to 'take his s**t down.' Robert finally got by and walks across the street as the man continued to yell. The man dressed in all black said, 'Yeah, this is my land, bro.' The creator answered 'Well, it's my land, too, cause I was born here, bro' The video was posted to YouTube titled 'Confronted by a THUG on East Hastings - Vancouver Crazies' As the man is heard fading away, West Coast Walker told the bully to 'bring it on a**hole' and said to him he doesn't 'give a f***' who he is. The video was posted to YouTube titled 'Confronted by a THUG on East Hastings - Vancouver Crazies'. In the video description, it described what life was like in the area: 'The area has a long-standing reputation for drug abuse and struggles with issues like street activity, crime, and squalid housing, though there are also efforts towards community support, cultural activity, and social housing development.' Downtown Eastside, where the video was reportedly taken, has a crime rate 50 percent higher than the Vancouver average, according to Stay Safe Vancouver. It seemed that the comment section was divided, while some condemned the indigenous man, others applauded his action, somewhat asking, 'how does it feel to be discriminated for once?' Downtown Eastside, where the video was reportedly taken, has a crime rate 50 percent higher than the Vancouver average, according to Stay Safe Vancouver Some commented: 'This freaking entitlement so sick and tired of sponsoring this c**p. Sorry you had to deal with that s**t, bro.' Another added: 'As a First Nations person, I absolutely despise it when one of my people is like this. Its embarrassing.' On the other hand, others said: 'Its fun to tell Indians and other immigrants to be deported. Until a true native reminds you, its his land, and you are just an immigrant too. Sucks, eh?' A Royal Caribbean cruise ship was forced to dock in a New Jersey port as the powerful Nor' easter storm continues to batter the East Coast. Passengers on the Symphony of the Seas were told by officials that they would be stuck on the boat, which was due to leave Sunday October 12, for at least a few days because of the ongoing conditions. 'Due to the deteriorating weather conditions, we will continue to monitor the ocean storm system and only depart once we deem it is safe to do so,' an email to passengers read. Meanwhile, several great white sharks have been spotted off the New Jersey coast. Experts say the storm has created ideal conditions for the predators to hunt, according to the Asbury Park Press. Millions of Americans in Jersey and the Big Apple are under a state of emergency as strong winds with gusts up to 45 mph and heavy rainfall are forecasted. The FAA warned that ground stops and delays could impact LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark airports today due to the severe weather. President Donald Trump tore into his predecessors and former Democratic rival for their inability to bring stability to the Middle East while addressing the Israeli parliament in a blockbuster speech on Monday. The Republican was in Israel to address the nation's main legislative body, the Knesset, and to be on the ground as Hamas turned over Israeli hostages it had held captive since the onset of the war two years ago. Speaking for the better part of an hour, Trump declared a new dawn in the Middle East where countries that have been at odds can now come together to strike deals, negotiate better commerce agreements and rebuild Gaza. However, the pugilistic president did not let the conciliatory moment stop him from laying blame on former Democratic presidents for their failure to stabilize the region. 'All of the countries in the Middle East that could have what we're doing now, it could have happened a long time ago, but it was strangled and set back almost irretrievably by the administrations of Barack Obama and then Joe Biden,' Trump said. 'There was a hatred towards Israel.' 'Nobody asked Joe Biden to come up and speak, I guarantee you that,' he added. Trump is just the fourth president to address the Knesset; former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were also given the honor. We had a very weak administration. Worst president in the history of our country by far, and Barack Obama was not far behind, by the way, Trump said, referring to Biden. President Donald Trump tore into former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for their inability to stabilize the Middle East during his speech to Israel's parliament, the Knesset President Barack Obama (C) is flanked by Vice President Joseph Biden (2nd-L), Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (L), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd-R) and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James E. Cartwright while making a statement to reporters about his administration's Afghanistan-Pakistan annual review in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House December 16, 2010 He has said Biden was 'incapable' and 'a corrupt grifter.' Representatives for Biden and Obama did not immediately return the Daily Mail's request for comment. The 79-year-old president also tore into Obama for striking the Iran nuclear deal that allowed the US adversary to expand its fledgling nuclear programs, which, according to US intelligence, was also attempting to make a nuclear bomb. 'The setbacks really started when President Obama signed the Iran nuclear deal,' Trump told the Knesset. 'This was a disaster for Israel, and it was a disaster for everyone.' The Republican also recounted prior conversations he had with world leaders that he said expressed concern about the direction of the US under Democratic administrations. 'I heard it first from the King of Saudi Arabia. I then heard it from [the United Arab Emirates]. I heard it from Qatar. I heard it from many other countries. A year ago, the United States of America was a dead country. Now it's the hottest country anywhere in the world. It is the hottest. There's no question about it,' Trump shared. He also took aim at his former political rival and 2016 presidential opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who, during that campaign, attacked Trump as a president who would start conflicts. 'Everyone thought I was going to be brutal. I remember Hillary Clinton during a debate, "Look at him, look at him. He's going to go to war with everybody!"' 'Its a really significant first step and I really commend Trump and his administration,' Clinton said on CBS News after the Republican announced a peace deal between Hamas and Israel This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of the Fordo facility in Iran after Trump authorized 'Operation Midnight Hammer' to bomb the country's mountainous nuclear enrichment facility 'But when you settle eight wars in eight months, that means you don't like war!' Trump said. He likened her warning to 'just another example of the political scare tactics that failed.' Over the weekend, Clinton poured praise onto the current president's peace deal between Hamas and Israel. 'Its a really significant first step and I really commend Trump and his administration,' Clinton said on CBS News. Israeli hostages finally released from Hamas captivity look shockingly different as they are reunited with their families after 738 days in Gaza. The 20 remaining living hostages were released on Monday, two years after being kidnapped when Hamas launched its deadly raid on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. They were at last returned following the Donald Trump-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas, that aims to bring an end to the devastating war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe. In emotional scenes, captives reunited with parents, families, friends and loved ones. Families, who have spent every day since October 7 fighting for their release from gruelling captivity in the enclave's underground tunnel network, gathered in anticipation as tears flowed and hugs were exchanged. 'After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent and the sirens are still,' Donald Trump said in a historic speech at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. But the brutal reality of two years in captivity was apparent amid a day of joy, with the hostages now looking radically different from the photographs taken before they were seized on October 7, 2023. Behind the smiles, some appear to have dramatically lost weight, while others appear frail. Their new appearance tells the story of every day they spent underground in fear of Hamas doing to them what they did to the 1,195 people slaughtered two years ago, in what has now been known as Israel's darkest day. Alon Ohel Alon Ohel was among the hostages freed today in a historic ceasefire deal. A new picture released today after he was freed shows his gaunt features Before his capture, he had curly blonde hair and a full beard Footage released by Hamas showed Ohel, 24, being taken by the militant group from the Nova festival. In August, he was seen being paraded around Gaza City with Guy HGilboa-Dalal, another hostage. Since his capture, Ohel has faced health issues. Last month, his family approved the release of a screenshot from a video that showed he had now gone blind in one eye. Before he was captured, pictures showed him with a full beard and curly hair. Pictures shared by the IDF of his reunion with his family today show the drastic weight he has lost. His beard and hair have also been shaved, revealing his gaunt features. Sergev Kalfon Sergev Kalfon arrives at a medical centre where he underwent a check up after being released He was taken while he ran away with his friend. Hamas later published a video of his capture The 27-year-old was taken while running away with a friend at the music festival. Later, a video of his abduction was released by the militant group. In February 2025, released hostage Ohad Ben Ami told Kalfon's father they had been held with four others in a tunnel under 'terrible conditions'. Before his capture, pictures showed him enjoying a holiday with friends. However, photos released today show him as a shell of his former self, with the toll of years in captivity written across his expression. Ariel Cunio Ariel Cuni's eyes looked sunken as he was seen walking with IDF representatives after being freed Cunio and his partner Arbel Yehud were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Yehud was freed earlier this year but Cunio's brother said the last message he received from him read: 'We are in a horror movie' Ariel was abducted on October 7 at Kibbutz Nir Oz. His brother, Eitan, who escaped the attack, says the last message from Ariel read: 'We are in a horror movie.' His partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed earlier, in January 2025, in a deal that saw Hamas hand over 25 living and eight dead captives. In new photos, his eyes look sunken as he walked with IDF representatives following his release. He tied his hair, which has now grown longer, into a bun and appears to have lost weight. Evyatar David Released Israeli hostage Evyatar David reacts upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva in central Israel on October 13, 2025 In August Hamas released a shocking clip of him with his skeleton visible from his thin skin Before his capture, pictures show how vibrant he was On the morning of October 7, he texted: 'They are bombarding the party.' His family say they later got a text containing footage of him handcuffed in a dark room. In August 2025, Hamas published a video of him emaciated in a tunnel. His brother Ilay described him as 'a human skeleton starved so he may die at any moment'. David has undergone one of the most extreme transformations out of all the hostages. Photographs of him before the Hamas attacks show how vibrant the 24-year-old looked. In the picture released today, he still appears severely underweight and malnourished. Eitan Horn Horn, in centre, appears to have undergone a severe body transformation He is said to have saved many people before he was taken by Hamas militants A security guard at the Nova festival, Horn is said to have saved many before being taken. His family reported signs of life in February 2025; a released hostage told them that Eitan acted as a 'spokesman to the captors' and kept spirits up. New pictures show that Horn has undergone a severe body transformation with a shocking weight loss. Matan Zangauke Matan Zangauke was photographed in an embrace with his mother following his release He was abducted from Nir Oz with his partner, who was later released in November 2023 Abducted from Nir Oz with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky, who was later released during a truce in November 2023. In December 2024, Hamas released footage of Matan, 25, describing skin ailments, shortages of food, water, and medicine. The IDF released a picture of him in an embrace with his mother after their reunion today. Yosef Chaim Ohana Ohana's father was emotional when he reunited with his son earlier today His friend said he tried to help other concertgoers get to safety before he was taken by Hamas The 25-year-old's father broke down in tears when they reunited earlier today. According to Ohana's friend, he had been at the music festival and helped people get to safety when Hamas attacked. In May this year, the group released a video showing him and another hostage. Avinatan Or Avinatan Or was seen looking frail as he walked with a member of the IDF Or was taken at the festival alongside his girlfriend. His mother emotionally appealed for his release He was kidnapped at the festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, but they ended up being separated. Noa and others were rescued in June 2024. In March 2025, Avinatan's family said they had seen signs he was alive. His mother, who is Israeli-British, gave an emotional plea for his release, describing how she longed to hear his heartbeat once again. Nimrod Cohen After his release today, he was seen looking frail under an Israeli flag Nimrod Cohen was serving as an IDF soldier before he was taken by Hamas The 21-year-old was serving as an IDF soldier when his tank was hit at Nahal Oz. In February 2025, his family said a freed hostage reported he stayed alive but was in poor mental and physical shape. After his release, he was seen under an Israeli flag, looking frail. Rom Braslavski Rom Braslavski was seen draped in the Israeli flag as he greeted members of the IDF He was working as security at the festival before he was captured Rom Bravslaski, 21, was draped in the Israeli flag as he greeted members of the IDF upon his release. On festival security duty, Rom was abducted when trying to save an injured person. In August 2025, a video showed him crying, saying he had run out of food and water, unable to stand. Bar Kupershtein Bar Kupershtein in a reunion with his family earlier today Kupershtein is said to have stayed behind to help people before he was taken Kupershtein is reported to have stayed behind at the festival to help the wounded. He told his grandmother he would head home when he could, but was seized. A video in April 2025 showed him with Maxim Herkin. His family has said he appeared injured, his body diminished by captivity. Maxim Herkin Herkin appeared in high spirits as he greeted soldiers and medics Herkin lost friends during the attack at the festival Maxim Herkin, 37, is an Israeli-Russian dual national. His friends were among those who were slaughtered in the attack. Following his video with Kuperstein, he appeared alone in another video, bandaged, allegedly from an Israeli air strike. In his pictures today, he appeared in high spirits as he greeted medics and soldiers. Elkana Bohbot Elkana Bohbot was seen hugging authorities after his release Bohbot, 36, was working as a security personnel before he was taken Bohbot, 36, was working at the festival when abducted. His wife Rikva recalled their last conversation: 'In our last conversation I told him, "It's not just missiles, come home," and he promised he would return.' Media earlier cited released hostages saying Elkana developed a severe skin disease under harsh conditions. Guy Gilboa-Dalal Gilboa-Dalal was seen waving as he made his way for medical checks at a hospital Guy Gilboa-Dalal attended the concert with his brother Gal, who managed to escape G The 24-year-old attended the music festival with his brother, Gal. While Gal managed to escape, Guy was kidnapped and taken into captivity. Recently, Hamas released a video showing Guy and Alon Ohel being driven around Gaza City in August 2025. David Cunio David Cunio before being Hamas hostage Released Israeli hostage, David Cunio, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, sits with a representative of the Israeli army after being released, as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Reim, Israel October 13, 2025 David Cunio, 35, older brother of Ariel, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz by Hamas terrorists. He worked as an electrical technician and held the safe room door in his family home closed for five hours while attackers on October 7 tried to force it open. His wife, Sharon Cunio, and their then-three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were also kidnapped, before being released alongside 102 other hostages during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. After his release, he was pictured laughing alongside a representative of the Israeli army at the Re'im military base in southern Israel. Gali and Ziv Berman Released British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari with her friends Gali and Ziv Berman, before the October 7 massacre Twins Gali and Ziv Berman before the October 7 attacks This handout picture released by the Israeli army shows released Israeli hostage Ziv (L) and Gali (R) Berman, two of the former captives in Gaza since the 2023 October 7 attacks by Palestinian militants Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were captured from their home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, British-Israeli Emily Damari Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were captured from their home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, British-Israeli Emily Damari. Some 62 residents, including five soldiers and a member of the Shin Bet, and 18 security personnel were killed in Kfar Aza during the October 7 attacks, while a further 19 civilians were taken hostage. Ziv was held captive with Emily for 40 days before the pair were separated, and she was released in January 2025 during the most recent ceasefire. The twins are understood to have been separated in captivity but a photo after their release shows them warmly embracing. Matan Angrest Matan Angrest, 22, taken from Nahal Oz In this photo provided by the Israeli Defense Forces, Matan Angrest speaks with an IDF representative in Israel on Monday, October 13, 2025 Matan Angrest is a 22-year-old Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldier who was abducted on October 7, 2023 from his tank near the Gaza perimeter fence. Footage published from the massacre shows Hamas militants kicking him, according to the Jerusalem Post. He was captured alongside the bodies of Itai Chen, Daniel Peretz, and Tomer Leibovitz - fellow soldiers in his tank unit. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by former hostages that he was suffering from untreated burns, infections, and chronic asthma. 'This is the closing of a circle for which the brigade has fought over the past two years,' Matan's brigade commander said. 'The 7th [Brigade] family, the 77th Battalion, and the Armored Corps are waiting for you at home.' Eitan Mor Eitan Mor seen in a helicopter with his family He was among those captured from Nir Oz. His brother was also captured, but released Mor was kidnapped alongside his brother Yair from Nir Oz. Yair was released in February 2025. At the time, Hamas showed a video of the brothers embracing. Yair later recalled: 'Every day we imagined what we'd do if we were freed.' Omri Miran Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, embraces his wife, Lishay Miran-Lav, after being released as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Reim, Israel October 13, 2025 Omri Miran reunites with his wife after 738 days held by Hamas Omri Miran, 48, was photographed reuniting with his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi, where he spoke to his daughters Roni, four, and two-year-old Alma on a tablet while at the Re'im base. He was the oldest living hostage to return to Israel today. Mr Miran was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023, when Alma was only six months old. Since then, she has learned how to say 'Abba' ('Daddy' in Hebrew). Over 180 Hamas militants swarmed into the Gaza border community in three waves during the attack two years ago, murdering and abducting residents. Some 13 residents and four security personnel were killed in Nahal Oz during the massacre, as well as 53 IDF soldiers. 'After more than 700 long, painful, and agonising days, Omri will finally receive from Roni and Alma a healing embrace,' his family said in a statement. 'We are at the beginning of a complex and challenging, yet moving, journey of recovery. May Omri's return mark the beginning of this recovery and the unity of our people.' People watch a helicopter, on the day of hostages-prisoners swap, during a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025 Israelis gather at Hostages Square to celebrate after the release of the first group of hostages held in Gaza on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel As well as the 20 hostages, Hamas was instructed to hand over 28 deceased bodies as part of the peace deal. However, it is expected to only hand over four today. The IDF said Hamas has handed over the coffins of two dead hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, with two more to be returned today. It comes as the terror group has previously admitted they do not know where the remains of all the dead hostages are. Some of the remains have been lost and buried under the rubble in Gaza, it is believed. A joint multinational task force led by Israel, the US, Turkey, Qatar and Egypt is being established to locate any bodies that are not returned. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum said the terror group was guilty of a 'blatant breach' of the ceasefire deal by not returning all of the deceased today. An IDF spokesperson has demanded that Hamas 'uphold its end of the deal'. 'We have been informed that later today, approximately four fallen hostages will be returned. Even at this hour, efforts are being made at all levels to exert pressure for the continuation of the process to return the bodies of the fallen,' said IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin. The US president arrived in Israel this morning, where he delivered a momentous address to the Knesset. He then headed to Egypt for an international peace summit geared towards ending the war in Gaza. Returned hostage Avinatan Or with IDF representatives after his release from captivity on Monday, October 13, 2025, after spending more than two years in Hamas captivity Red Cross vehicles transport hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack Released hostage Avinatan Or, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, upon arrival at Rabin Medical Centre-Beilinson Hospital Freed Palestinian prisoners wave from a bus as they arrive in the Gaza Strip after their release from Israeli jails under a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel Freed Palestinian prisoners on a bus flash the victory sign as they pass destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip 'After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families,' Trump said. 'Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time.' Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will bestow the American leader with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour the country's highest civilian honour. Trump signed the Knesset guest book and wrote: 'It is a great honour for me. This is a beautiful day. A new beginning.' Speaking to reporters earlier on Air Force One as he made his way to Israel, the president said: 'The war is over.' 'People are tired of it, it's been centuries, not just recent,' he said. 'The ceasefire will hold, we're going to make sure it holds.' Families and friends of the hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that their loved ones were being released. Tens of thousands of Israelis were also watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv. British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends. She was sat beside Romi Gonen who was held with her for much of their time in captivity. Your browser does not support iframes. Family and friends of Israeli hostage Eitan Horn react to the news of his release at their house in the central Israeli city of Rosh Haayin on October 13, 2025 British-Israeli Emily Damari, freed from captivity last January, was seen watching her best friends Gali and Ziv being released in a private viewing session with close family and friends Dozens of friends of Evyatar David had gathered together near Tel Aviv since 8am on Sunday and had not slept. Yuval Ovadia, 24, student from Tel Aviv, told the Daily Mail: 'I have been here since 8am. It's such a stressful time, so having everyone together helps 'It's friends from all around - we met because of this situation.' Guy Melamed, 24, student from Zippori, northern Israel, said: 'Some of us have been here since we heard the news at 8am yesterday. We knew it was happening in the next 24 hours so we said we need to meet up. 'We needed to be together to be here for each other. As much as you want to fall asleep, it's the anticipation. It's just too much - two years we have been waiting for this moment. 'It's very exciting.' Evyatar was due for release last January but was instead cruelly forced to watch others released before being taken back into captivity. Hamas then released horrifying footage of his starved body as he was forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel in Gaza. The hundreds of Israelis gathered in Hostages Square to celebrate the peace deal broke into huge cheers as helicopters carrying some of the freed hostages flew overhead. Your browser does not support iframes. After speaking to hostage families and addressing the Knesset, Trump departed Israel for a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries. There, politicians will try and finalise an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza. A surge of humanitarian aid is expected to follow into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are left homeless. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners mark a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. What was once a utopia for liberals has turned into a battleground after plans to develop affordable housing sparked outrage from residents, who are threatening and harassing local politicians. Lisel Blash, 63, the mayor of Fairfax, California, is facing an all-out assault on her political career and possibly her well-being following plans to build a 243-unit apartment in the town's center. In addition to the backlash, Blash and Deputy Mayor Stephanie Hellman have been targeted for a recall attempt scheduled for November 4, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. A recall attempt is the opportunity to vote to remove an elected official. The process and regulations for the displacement are determined depending on voters' locations. Residents are unhappy about the six-story building because they believe it will affect traffic, parking, and fire safety. Locals feel that a building this large does not make sense in a neighborhood mainly composed of one- and two-story buildings. Blash agrees with the people of her city, but said there is nothing she can do because of her lack of power to stop it, which has caused residents to place their frustration and blame on her. Despite the ongoing legal efforts to remove the officials, many cannot contain their outrage and have taken drastic measures to express their disapproval. What was once a utopia for liberals has turned into a battleground after plans to develop affordable housing sparked outrage from residents, who are threatening and harassing local politicians. Pictured: Fairfax, California Lisel Blash, 63, the mayor of Fairfax, California, is facing an all-out assault on her political career and possibly her well-being Florida developer Mill Creek Residential proposed to build a six-story apartment building with affordable housing that locals resent City council meetings are regularly attended by law enforcement officers who ensure that all the yelling, banging, and residents making throat-slitting motions are kept in check, according to the outlet. Blash told the outlet she handles the meetings by 'just going into this weird Zen state. I tell myself Im going to find the grain of truth in their comments and focus on how this meeting can be the best it can be.' On an online forum for the people of Fairfax, one user wrote: 'I am in complete support of the current Town Council being publicly lynched to serve as a warning to the next Town Council.' At Deputy Hellman's home, security footage captured someone lurking around the property, prompting her to buy a new system. Of the nearly 8,000 people that make up Fairfax, the less than 300 registered Republicans of the city accused Blash and Hellman of being socialists, the newspaper reported. 300 registered Republicans of the city accuse Blash and Hellman of being socialists Locals feel that a building this large does not make sense in a neighborhood mainly composed of one- and two-story buildings Frank Egger, who has served seven times as Fairfax mayor, told the Chronicle: 'People say Fairfax should suck it up, but Fairfax is not going to suck it up.' Those who support the recall believe they can stop plans once Blash and Hellman are replaced. Blash and Hellman told the website that they will not run for office again, regardless of the recall's outcome. Florida developer Mill Creek Residential proposed the development and defies the town's height limits; however, they were able to bypass this by including at least 25 percent of the units as affordable housing. Mill Creek is a major developer with over 100 buildings across the country, with many in California. A core value of the company on its website is their 'uncompromising integrity - we take our commitments seriously, and do the right thing. Because without trust, nothing else matters.' Those applicable for the cheaper units need to earn less than 80 percent of the median local income, according to the publication. Fairfax is approximately 395 miles from Los Angeles, and the median income is $131,975. The median property value in the area was $1.12million in 2023, according to Data USA. Rachel Reeves was today urged to wrap looming Budget tax hikes in wider 'reforms' to reduce public fury. The IFS think-tank said the Chancellor should make fundamental changes - such as abolishing council tax and replacing it with a property tax - so it does not look like she is simply milking Britons. Ms Reeves is poised to impose another wave of increases on November 26 as she struggles to fill an estimated 30billion black hole in the public finances. The 'wealthy' are expected to be targeted, with fears Ms Reeves will slash pensions reliefs and freeze tax thresholds again. Speculation has been swirling at Westminster about an 'exit tax' for rich people who opt to leave the country. However, Treasury veterans suggested the idea would be viewed as 'appalling' by officials and strongly resisted on the basis it would deter entrepreneurs from coming in the first place. The IFS think-tank said Chancellor Rachel Reeves should make fundamental changes - such as abolishing council tax and replacing it with a property tax - so it does not look like she is simply milking Brits IFS director Helen Miller said the Treasury should look at abolishing council tax because it was 'ludicrously out of date and regressive'. Instead there should be a 'proportional' property tax that would also replace stamp duty, creating 'winners' as well as 'losers'. 'Look back at the last Budget, the Chancellor did a big tax increase, there were only losers - it's not clear that went down wonderfully,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'The thing about reform is that you could have some winners. Therefore there would be someone who liked what you did. 'More importantly, if you did a reform approach there is a good news story there. You can say you are doing something for a principled reason to make the system better, to make us all better off ultimately. 'Again, at least you've got some good news to go alongside the inevitable upset that's going to happen when you raise taxes.' The IMF has also urged an overhaul of property tax, and Treasury sources acknowledge it is being 'considered' for the Budget. That would go some way to appease Labour MPs who have been baying for so-called 'wealth taxes' to fund more spending. However, it would potentially mean households paying thousands of pounds a year, depending on the exact shape of proposals. Critics have warned that people in areas where prices are high, such as the South East, and pensioners on fixed incomes would be particularly hard-hit. Last year the Tony Blair Institute proposed a levy worth 0.5 per cent of the value of each property, to replace council tax. The think-tank suggested a minimum payment of 1,350 for properties worth less than 270,000, and a maximum of 6,250 over 1.25million. The report estimated that 4.1million people in larger homes would end up paying significantly more, although 12million would have lower bills. The change was praised as potentially boosting growth by giving an 'incentive for older homeowners in high-value properties to downsize'. Separately, tax expert Dan Neidle said recent departures by prominent entrepreneurs had raised questions about what charges they should face. He said the UK and Italy were the only two major economies that did not have an 'exit tax' - with the US imposing a capital gains levy when people renounce citizenship or green cards. France has a 30 per cent charge on unrealised gains. However, in an article weighing up the options Mr Neidle - who runs the Tax Policy Associates campaign group - cautioned that entrepreneurs could be 'less willing to come to the UK if we have an exit tax'. They could also be incentivised to 'leave the UK at an earlier point than they do now' to avoid gains in the value of their assets being caught by HM Revenue & Customs. In its analysis ahead of the Budget, the IFS warned the Chancellor against imposing a permanent wealth tax, saying similar attempts have failed around the world. But it suggested a 'one-off' raid would be far harder for the rich to dodge as they would have no opportunity to move their assets. 'While there are serious drawbacks to a recurring wealth tax, a tax based on an unexpected and credibly one-off assessment of existing wealth could in principle be an economically efficient way to raise revenue,' the report says. The Treasury last night refused to rule out a one-off wealth tax when asked if the Chancellor was considering implementing the proposal at the Budget. Supporters claim a 2 per cent charge on assets of more than 6million could raise as much as 10billion a year. The Chancellor has signalled she is not in favour of a permanent wealth tax. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. The think-tank urged Ms Reeves to consider other options if she feels the need to clobber the rich. Ideas floated include increasing levies on the dead the report says ending the current capital gains tax exemption on the assets of the deceased could raise 2.3billion a year. Raising rates by 1 per cent on inheritance tax, dividends and interest could raise a further 1billion. The report suggests Ms Reeves could raise 1.3billion a year by forcing working pensioners to pay national insurance for the first time but warns many could decide to just give up work. And it suggests the Chancellor may be considering a new 'levy' on income to fund increased spending on defence and the NHS in a way that does not directly breach Labour's manifesto. Today's report warns against cutting pension tax relief for high earners, saying the idea 'should be avoided' and that it could hit millions of public sector workers like nurses and teachers. However, the study says rules allowing people to withdraw 25 per cent of their pension pot as a tax-free lump sum are 'ripe for reform'. Ideas include capping withdrawals at 100,000. It was the day Israel and the world had awaited for more than two years the release of the hostages from Gaza. But even at this historic moment, Donald Trump could not resist quipping with trademark humour as he spoke to the Knesset. Nice place, joked Mr Trump as he took to the podium of Israels parliament, before he thanked the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Presidents landmark address summed up the scale of The Donald's ambition: nothing less than to kick-start a new dawn in Middle East politics. This is the end of terrorism,' he pledged to a standing ovation. 'Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment things began to change. 'This will be the golden age of Israel and the Middle East.' For weeks there has been feverish speculation over what has transpired behind the scenes between the President and Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get to the point of the deal. Donald Trump's speech to the Israeli parliament was interrupted by screaming protesters Security officials remove a Knesset member who disrupted the President's speech Now, clearly alluding to frank private discussions, as Mr Trump admitted as he asked Mr Netanyahu to stand for applause: Hes not the easiest guy to deal with but that's what makes him great. Members of the Knesset chanted: Trump, Trump, Trump!' There were several standing ovations for the President, along with his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, a crucial figure in the negotiations. The near-unanimity during the session, which lasted two hours and 20 minutes, session was in stark contrast with the impassioned division that has plagued Israeli politics. Still, even on this day of all days, there were a very few dissenting voices. As Mr Trump was speaking, he was interrupted by two far-left members of the Knesset. One, who was carrying a banner demanding the President recognise Palestine, was quickly escorted out of the chamber. That was very efficient, Trump quipped. When Mr Netanyahu spoke, it was not only to dish out praise to Trump but also to make a very thinly coded attack on other world leaders. He said: 'When others were weak, you were strong when others abandoned us, you stood by our side thank you for paving a path for peace.' The weak who had abandoned Israel? This could only be Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron. Their recognition of a state of Palestine was opposed by the US and regarded in Israel as simply a reward for terror that emboldened Hamas and jeopardised the negotiations before the deal. Thousands gathered at Hostages Square on the day Hamas returned the surviving captives The joy throughout the country over the release of the 20 hostages had irresistibly captured the Knesset. Its the first time Israelis have rejoiced in a long time, after two years of war. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana added to the torrent of praise for the man of the hour, saying: The world needs more Trumps. He added that he will be submitting the Presidents achievements to the Nobel Peace Prize authorities next year. Anyone else might have been embarrassed as the plaudits from all sides piled up. Mr Trump, clearly delighted, was all smiles. The praise was reciprocated as the President showed genuine affection for Israel, in his unique style, going far beyond the polite phrases of a gracious guest. 'This piece of land is very small,' he said. 'It's unbelievable what you do with that tiny - even of just not the world, the Middle East - this little dot, and think of what you've done. It's incredible. It's incredible.' Mr Trump warned the watching world to never doubt his commitment to Israel, with a reference to the joint operation earlier this year against Irans nuclear facilities. 'Together, we stop the number one state sponsor of terror from obtaining the world's most dangerous weapons,' he said And soon he was off, to the summit in Egypt, to plan out the end of the war and the future of peace in the region. There, all eyes will again be on Mr Trump, with weak Sir Keir destined to have little more than a walk-on part. A serving prisoner has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a teenage girl whose body was found in a canal 30 years ago. Lindsay Jo Rimer, 13, was last seen on November 7 1994 when she went to buy cornflakes from a shop in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. Her body was found weighted down with a stone in the Rochdale Canal five months later, in April 1995. Her disappearance sparked one of the county's biggest ever missing person inquiries. West Yorkshire Police today said detectives have arrested a man at an undisclosed UK prison, where he is serving a sentence for other offences. The force said he would be interviewed over the course of today and tomorrow and is expected to be bailed and returned to prison while inquiries continue. Officers said they were also approaching a number of specific potential witnesses, mainly in the Hebden Bridge and wider Halifax area, who have been identified by the investigation. Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: We remain very firmly committed to doing everything we can to get justice for Lindsay, and to give her family the answers they still so desperately need after all these years. The arrest we have made today comes as a result of our continued focus on progressing the investigation. Your browser does not support iframes. Lindsay Rimer was just 13 when she went missing after visiting a shop to buy some cornflakes. Her body was found in a canal five months later Rochdale Canal, where Lindsay Rimer's body was found, is pictured. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been strangled The tragic teenager was last spotted in the West Yorkshire town's Memorial Gardens at around 10.45pm, after she had been to the Trades Club to see her mother and to a local Spar shop to buy cornflakes (pictured) Her disappearance sparked one of the county's biggest ever missing person inquiries We are keeping Lindsay's family updated and, while we appreciate the understandable public interest that today's arrest will bring, we do not anticipate any immediate developments at this stage. Although it is now more than 30 years since Lindsay was murdered, we remain convinced there is someone out there who has vital information that could finally help to ease her family's pain, and we urge them to do the right thing and tell us what they know. Speaking last year, Lindsay's eldest sister Kate Rimer described the void her death had created. She said: If you've experienced a death in the family you're allowed to move on from it. You can forge a life where you encompass grief, but it doesn't overwhelm it. But we're stuck in this overwhelm all the time because we don't have closure. We can only move on when we know who is responsible for killing our sister. Middle-school sweethearts were found mysteriously shot and killed in a car last week, just days before their one-year wedding anniversary. Brandon Dumovich, 30, and his wife, Rachel, 29, were found dead in Harvard, Illinois, late at night on October 6 by police. Both of them had a single gunshot wound, and a firearm was discovered in the vehicle. The couple may have died in a murder-suicide, according to Harvard Police Chief Tyson Bauman, but a final determination for the cause of death has not yet been made. The couple married on October 12 last year, according to their wedding profile on TheKnot.com, meaning their one-year anniversary was less than a week away when they died. Their page on the website describes them as 'middle-school sweethearts.' It says the two met when they were 12 years old, and began dating in 2022 after staying in contact and remaining friends for 15 years. At 12.44pm the same day the couple was found dead, Rachel updated her Facebook profile picture with a charming selfie of the two. A few minutes later, at 12.47pm, she also posted a picture the couple took during a trip to Greece with the caption: 'Forever chasing sunsets. Wishing we were back in Greece!' Rachel Dumovich posted this selfie with her husband, Brandon, to her Facebook profile the same day the two were found dead in a car The Dumoviches got married on October 12 last year, meaning their one-year anniversary was less than a week away when they died The couple was found by police that night at 11.52pm. According to their Facebook profiles, the Dumoviches lived in Crystal Lake, Illinois, which is a 30-minute drive from Harvard. It is unclear what the couple were doing in the town. A press release from the Harvard Police Department said the bodies were found on the 700 block of North Division Street, which is a residential area. But there was apparently no call to police from concerned residents who would have likely heard gunfire. Officers happened to see the Dumoviches' vehicle parked on the street with its hazard lights on. They approached the car to provide assistance for what seemed to be simple car trouble, but they instead found the dead husband and wife. Initially, police issued an alert telling residents to shelter in place, but it was soon determined that there was no ongoing threat to the community. The block where the couple was found and surrounding streets were closed to traffic for the night but reopened at 7.30am. The Harvard Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. The couple was found on a residential block in Harvard, Illinois, but police discovered them by chance as no call about gunfire or a disturbance had been made Rachel's last Facebook post was on the same day she was found dead Friends of the Dumoviches seemed shocked at the couple's sudden death. Under the two Facebook posts Rachel made the day she died, people shared their heartbreak. One wrote: 'Keep chasing those sunsets and never stop smiling, brighten up the sky. RIP Rachel Dumovich.' Another wrote: 'This is so heartbreaking to see. Condolences to all her family and friends. Please reach out and talk to someone if you need to. This is absolutely senseless. Life is too precious. Rest well beautiful angel!' Under the Harvard Police Department's Facebook post about the incident, another commenter who said he knew the couple shared his confusion over the mysterious circumstances surrounding their deaths. 'Does anyone know what happened?' he asked, adding, 'no one is talking'. Police said the case remains under investigation and have asked anyone who might have information to contact the Harvard Police Department. A nine-year-old girl who was bullied for her weight in France has tragically died after she hanged herself in her bedroom. The child, named Sara, was bullied at school and was found dead at her home in Sarreguemines, a commune in Moselle, northeastern France on Saturday. The death appears to have been 'a voluntary act by the girl' and she left a note to her parents. Sara was the victim of repeated bullying over her appearance at school. Her mother said her primary school classmates had bullied her, calling her overweight, and she had previously mentioned killing herself. One nine-year-old fellow pupil said the girl had been bullied on her way home. 'In class, she laughed, she was a little cheerful, but sometimes [other children] insulted her,' he said outside the school, where he was with his mother. 'It's not nice,' he added. 'We're in a school to learn, to get a good job, to earn money. It's not a place for bullying - not here nor anywhere else in the world.' A nine-year-old girl who was bullied at school for her weight in France has tragically died after she hanged herself A gang of seven bullied Sara at school, according to one of her closest friends. They told TF1 that other students called her 'fat', 'ugly' and 'an idiot'. 'She told me every day that she was fed up, that she couldn't take it anymore,' she said. 'I told her it would stop, and it didn't stop'. The death has shocked France and former prime minister Gabriel Attal on Monday expressed his condolences to the family. 'Bullying is a scourge, a slow poison that erodes self-confidence and can lead to the worst,' the former education minister, who last year founded an association to fight harassment in school, wrote on X. Regional education authorities said they were 'shaken by this tragic event' while the public prosecutor's office said an investigation was ongoing. It said it seemed to have been 'a voluntary act by the girl' but did not provide further details. Police sources said the child had left a letter to her family. The child, named Sara, was found dead at her home in Sarreguemines, a commune in Moselle, northeastern France on Saturday White roses dotted the railings outside the school on Monday morning. Someone close to the girl's family, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed that the school had been made aware of the bullying. In a statement released Sunday morning, Sarreguemines Mayor Marc Zingraff expressed his 'deep sadness' and 'immense emotion' following the death. 'In these terribly painful hours, my most sincere thoughts go out to her family, her loved ones, and the entire educational community, all of whom are deeply upset,' he wrote. A North Carolina school therapist has been accused of stalking and trying to kill her ex with poison. Cheryl Gates, an employee at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, was arrested on Friday after she allegedly tried to murder her estranged husband, according to police. Gates, 43, contaminated her ex's Celsius energy drink with unspecified prescription medications, police said. The therapist poisoned her husband's drinks 'with the intention of causing a black out condition or incapacitation,' according to court documents seen by Law&Crime. Detectives said Gates used ChatGPT to 'research lethal and incapacitating drug combinations that could be ingested and injected.' Police have not named the victim but Gates is married to 49-year-old James Bradford Gates, according to public records. Detectives said the children's therapist harassed her ex by placing a tracking device on his vehicle. Children's therapist Cheryl Gates, 43, has been accused of trying to kill her husband by poisoning him Gates, who shares two children with her ex, also allegedly broke a window belonging to him. 'The defendant knew and should have known that the harassment, course of conduct would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person's safety or the safety of the person's immediate family,' court documents read. Gates was charged with attempted murder, contaminating food or drink, stalking and property damage. She was originally arrested on stalking and property damage charges on Tuesday but was released. Gates was arrested again on Friday for attempted murder, officials said in a press release. She appeared in court on Monday and was denied bond. Her next court appearance is on October 30. Gates wrote in a professional profile: 'In my free time I enjoy planning fun events, coming up with new adventures, and spending quality time with my husband and two children.' Gates was suspended from her position with pay, the school district told the Daily Mail. Gates was arrested on Tuesday for stalking and property damage. She was then arrested again on Friday for attempted murder She has worked with the school district since 2011 as an occupational therapist focusing on sensory processing challenges, handwriting difficulties, and executive functioning disorders. Daily Mail reached out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for comment on this story. Nomination papers that secured Margaret Thatcher the leadership of the Conservative Party against all the odds in 1975 have been found in a dusty garage. They belonged to Tory grandee Sir Edward du Cann, who was chairman of the party's hugely influential 1922 Committee during the contest. One of the papers, which is dated January 27, 1975, is written and signed by Mrs Thatcher's key supporter Keith Joseph. Another - dated a few days later - was penned by her campaign manager Airey Neave, who was murdered by the IRA in 1979. Also in the trove, which is being sold at auction with an estimate of 100,000, is a sheet signed by Mrs Thatcher that confirmed her victory in the contest. It shows how, in the second round, she received 146 votes from Tory colleagues - 67 more than nearest challenger Willie Whitelaw. Outgoing leader and former prime minister Sir Edward Heath had resigned after getting fewer votes than Mrs Thatcher in the first ballot. Mrs Thatcher had been considered a rank outsider when the contest began. Nomination papers that secured Margaret Thatcher the leadership of the Conservative Party against all the odds in 1975 have been found in a dusty garage. Above: The one penned by Keith Joseph, who was one of Mrs Thatcher's leading supporters Margaret Thatcher outside Number 10 Downing Street on the day she became prime minister, 1979 The politician who was born 100 years ago today, went on to win the 1979 election and was twice re-elected during more than 11 years as Britain's first female prime minister. She had served as education secretary under Heath from 1970 until the 1974 election, when Labour's Harold Wilson triumphed. Sir Edward never forgave Mrs Thatcher for standing against him. When she was forced to resign in 1990 he declared, 'rejoice, rejoice, rejoice'. On the slips signed by Joseph and Neave, Mrs Thatcher signed her name and wrote: 'I consent to be nominated'. Joseph's nomination was seconded by Neave, whilst the latter's was backed up by fellow Tory Sir Bill Shelton. Joseph had been expected to run in the contest but his popularity had nosedived after he claimed in a speech that poor women were having too many children. He went on to serve as industry secretary and then education secretary under Mrs Thatcher. Also in the sale is a letter to du Cann the month before Thatcher agreed to be nominated, imploring him to stand. Another - dated a few days later - was penned by her campaign manager Airey Neave, who was murdered by the IRA in 1979 Also in the trove, which is being sold at auction with an estimate of 100,000, is a sheet signed by Mrs Thatcher that confirmed her victory in the contest Signed by some of the party's big beasts, it stated: 'For some time it has been increasingly obvious to a number of us that you have the qualities which are required in a new Leader: your warmth, your ability to present our case forcefully and sympathetically, your skill as Chairman, and, above all, the affection in which you are held by your colleagues, make it essential, as we see it, that you should offer yourself for the Leadership of our Party. Indeed, we consider it is your duty to do so.' But du Cann would not change his mind and within weeks the 49-year-old Thatcher headed to the first round of voting. The documents, found recently, are to be offered for sale at Duke's of Dorchester on January 29th next year. Other treasures from the archive include notes and records from du Cann, as well as correspondence relating to the leadership election with people including Heath and the then Labour PM Harold Wilson. Guy Schwinge of art consultants Hanover Forbes said: 'It is 100 years since her birth and 50 since she became leader of the Conservative party. 'The cache contains the signed nominations of all candidates in both ballots for the party leadership. 'Leading American institutions, such as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, are expected to keep a close eye on the sale but will need an export licence to take the archive out of the country. 'The files and documents were discovered in a garage in Somerset.' Du Cann, who died in 2017, was an MP from 1956 to 1987, served as party chairman from 1965 to 1967 and chaired the 1922 committee from 1972 to 1984. Heath had remained as Tory leader after losing the 1974 election but MPs then turned against him. Because he was chairman of the 1922 Committee, du Cann played a pivotal role in the machinations that led to a leadership contest. One meeting of the 1922's executive committee took place in Milk Street. The location prompted the nickname of the 'Milk Street Mafia' for the plotters. Mrs Thatcher won the 1975 contest despite being considered a rank outsider when it began. Donald Trump has today heralded a 'new dawn' for the Middle East as he addressed Israel's parliament after meeting with the families of hostages released from Gaza. Hamas earlier handed over 20 living hostages held captive for 738 days following its terror attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank also rejoiced as buses carrying dozens of released prisoners from Ofer Prison arrived in Beitunia, near Ramallah. Click the video above to watch how the day unfolded. A California State University art student was stabbed to death by his roommate in a sudden, violent attack. Spencer Timms, 22, a Cal State Long Beach industrial design student, was stabbed repeatedly in the chest at a Temple Avenue home last week and tragically died at the scene, according to authorities. His roommate, 34-year-old Alejandro Iniestra, was arrested at the residence and is being held on $2million bail. Murder? Spencer Timms, 22, died after being repeatedly stabbed by his Cal State roommate 'I just thought it was really sad. It's never that serious,' Isaac Wright, a student and resident of campus, told KTLA 5 News. 'We're just here trying to get an education. 'You never expect something like that. Everybody here is super nice, so you would never think something like that would happen.' Just after 10:30am on October 4, Long Beach Police Department officers responded to an 'assist fire' call at a residence on the 1300 block of Temple Avenue. Inside the home, authorities were confronted with two men heavily bleeding from stab wounds to the upper body, including Timms, who was declared died at the scene. The second victim - a third roommate whose identity has not yet been released - was fortunately transported to the hospital in stable condition. Jail time: Alejandro Iniestra, 34, faces a life behind bars if convicted of the brutal murder Iniestra was taken into custody on murder and attempted murder charges, where a judge slapped him with a hefty bail. Homicide detectives are now trying to determine what led to the seemingly random attack, though they believe the 34-year-old suspect attacked one roommate before unleashing violence on the other, according to authorities 'We are profoundly saddened by the loss of our student, Spencer Timms,' university spokesperson Jeffrey Cook said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. 'We have been in touch with Spencers family, and have been reaching out to and supporting his Beach classmates and faculty,' he added. In a statement to students obtained by The Independent, Royce W Smith, the dean for the school's College of Arts, described Timms as an 'incredibly positive and impactful student' who maintained a 4.0 GPA and shared a passion for design. 'I remember quite well meeting Spencer on one of my visits to the department and clearly recall seeing and admiring the creative fire in him and his work. 'A student who knew he had something special to offer and who put all of himself into honing his talents and focusing his ambition.' Injured: A second victim, a third unnamed roommate, is in the hospital in stable condition Along with murder and attempted murder charges, Iniestra faces special allegations for wielding a deadly weapon in both assaults, according to court records. Detectives are preparing to forward the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office for evaluation and potential prosecution. He is set to be arraigned on October 21 and could spend life behind bars if convicted, as reported by the LA Times. A female meteorologist was stalked by an 'obsessed' viewer for over three years and has now been forced to move after he showed up at her house again. Kylie Bearse is the weekday morning meteorologist at FOX 31, the KDVR TV station in Denver, and has worked in the Colorado capital since 2018. Bearse, 36, has been repeatedly stalked by an unnamed 69-year-old man, whom she claimed has once again violated the restraining orders she has against him. The stalker would show up to events she hosted, messaged her repeatedly and, when she blocked him, would create new online accounts, she claimed. He found her cell phone number, sent messages to her friends and family, and even made a delusional claim that she was his wife. Bearse filed a temporary restraining order against him in September 2023, which she claims he violated more than 50 times. She was granted a permanent restraining order in January last year, after six months of alleged stalking. She did not hear from her stalker for 18 months, but said the nightmare began again last month after he followed her home from work. FOX 31 weekday morning meteorologist Kylie Bearse was stalked by an 'obsessed' viewer for over three years and has now been forced to move after he showed up at her house again Bearse claimed the alleged stalker re-emerged on September 11 and followed her home from work and rang her doorbell. She managed to flee out the back with her dog and call 911 Bearse, who bravely shared her story in a social media video, claimed the alleged stalker re-emerged on September 11 and followed her home from work. 'He used his truck to follow me into the alley, trapping me in my garage,' she told her followers. 'I was able to get into my house. He then went around to the front door and started ringing the doorbell. 'I was able to call 911, grab my dog and get out of there.' The man was still sitting in his truck outside her residence one hour later when police arrived and arrested him, The Denver Post reported. He was jailed on a charge of felony stalking, but the charge was later dropped to a misdemeanor offence for violating a protection order. He was released from jail on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond just a few days after his arrest, according to court records obtained by the newspaper. The meteorologist, who no longer feels safe in her home, was forced to find 'different housing since he got out of jail,' she said. 'My whole sense of safety has completely shifted, and it's a horrible, sick-to-your-stomach feeling,' she told the Post. 'I believe this man should be in jail right now. He's repeatedly stalked me for years.' Bearse, in a video posted to her social media channels, claimed prosecutors could have charged him with a felony but dropped the charges down to a misdemeanor on a 'judgement call.' The prosecutor reportedly told Bearse the incident 'did not count as felony stalking' because it had been more than 18 months since the man last contacted her, she claimed. The prosecutor reportedly told Bearse the incident 'did not count as felony stalking' because it had been more than 18 months since the man last contacted her Colorado law defines felony stalking as making a credible threat to someone by repeatedly following, approaching, contacting or placing them under surveillance. Bearse claims the man was 'constantly messaging me' on multiple accounts and platforms for more than a year before she got the restraining order. '[The prosecutor] said, because there was a break in time from the original stalking to when he followed me home, it does not count as repeated,' she told her followers. 'When you look at the law, it says 'repeated' or 'repeatedly' means on more than once occasion. They define what repeatedly means in the law... there is no timeline given.' The meteorologist said she spoke to the district attorney, but he refused to provide a timeframe for the statute and reportedly told her: 'It's a judgement call.' 'It doesn't matter that he's been stalking me for three years, they let this man out of jail,' she added. Bearse claimed she shared her story because 'I never want another woman to feel as unsafe as I did.' She also said she knows she is not the only person who has been failed by the system. She has urged lawmakers to take stalking crimes seriously and said she hates that 'other women's safety will be threatened if nothing changes.' The Daily Mail has approached Bearse and the Denver District Attorney's Office for comment. A group of 10 suspected hare coursers with dogs were seen piling out of a car after being dramatically chased through countryside villages by police. The gang of men had been crammed in the back of a filthy four-by-four vehicle in Balsham, Cambridgeshire, before jumping out and fleeing through the fields on foot in different directions. Gripping footage shows the rural crime officers in pursuit of the car, which was speeding through the muddy puddles before its tyres were punctured by a stinger device. It is thought that the group were hare coursing - an illegal activity in which dogs are used to chase, catch and kill hares. Cambridgeshire has been blighted by the cruel practice after a 30-strong band of balaclava-clad men terrorised the county earlier this year. A total of 43 individuals were arrested and 24 people have appeared in court as of September. The practice sees quick dogs, such as greyhounds and whippets, set upon the hares who are left exhausted and traumatised. It typically results in the mammals being gruesomely attacked and ripped apart by its hunter. The cruel 'bloodsport' has a storied English history, particularly in rural areas, with the first official club dedicated to the practice being founded in 1776. Police were in a high-speed pursuit of the suspected hare coursers through the countryside A gang of 10 men jumped out of the filthy four-by-four vehicle after it was stopped by a stinger They fled through the fields on foot but their vehicle was seized and the dogs will be rehomed At one point there were thought to be more than 150 clubs - but in contemporary times this has been greatly diminished. Tougher measures were brought forward to crack down on hare coursing in 2022, meaning anyone caught in the practice will now face an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison. The movement was spearheaded by Conservative MP Richard Fuller, who told the BBC earlier this year: 'Hare coursing is one of those where people in isolated communities feel absolutely helpless. 'They know there is no way police can get to them in time to assist them.' With the number of brown hares in Britain declining to less than 500,000 in recent years, concerns have been raised over their future extinction should the practice exist. RSPCA Head of Wildlife Adam Grogan labelled the coursing as 'barbaric bloodsport' as he called for it to be 'consigned to the history books where it belongs'. He said previously: 'Hare coursing gangs inflict fear and suffering on their targets - the hare - but our rescue teams have also seen many dogs, used for coursing, coming into our care having been injured during the sport or abandoned when their owners no longer have use for them.' A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said officers seized the vehicle after the latest suspected coursing incident, and that they had recovered several dogs who will now be rehomed. A Palestinian man who raped a 13-year-old boy before beating him to death with an iron bar is among the prisoners to be freed by Israel under the hostage deal. Ahmed Mahmed Jameel Shahada was put behind bars in 1989 after luring teenager Oren Bahrami to a monastery in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, before raping him and beating him to death. Oren's parents, from south of Tel Aviv, reported him missing in April 1989. Detectives working on the case initially suspected he had been kidnapped by terrorists, after finding his abandoned bike in a Jaffa port. But they found his body a few days later, which showed signs that he had been severely abuse, in an abandoned room in an monastery. Cops arrested Shahada, then 26, and interrogated him for several days. He confessed to meeting the boy while fishing at the port, before luring him away. With another accomplice, Shahada abused Oren before killing him by hitting him over the head with an ironbar. Authorities ruled that the boy's murder wasn't motivated by terrorism, instead being criminally motivated. He wasn't due for release until 2036. Kati, Oren's mother, revealed that no one from Israel's government told her that her son's rapist and murderer would be freed under the hostage deal, which was signed by both Hamas and Israel on October 8, almost exactly two years after the terror group's attack on Israel. Ahmed Mahmed Jameel Shahada was put behind bards in 1989 after luring teenager Oren Bahrami (pictured, right) to a monastery in Jaffa, Tel Aviv Your browser does not support iframes. Kati said she only found out after a journalist from Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, contacted her. She said: 'It's a shock to me, I never imagined he would be included in the deal. It's very hard for me to process this. 'The murder wasn't recognised as terrorism, and over the years, no one has ever updated us. It takes my breath away.' In a critical day for the Middle East, Hamas today released 20 Israeli hostages and Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under a breakthrough Gaza ceasefire deal. US President Donald Trump, whose administration brokered the deal, made a whirlwind visit to the region, first to Israel where he addressed the parliament to repeated applause. He landed Monday afternoon in Egypt for the 'Summit of Peace' where world leaders are to discuss the ceasefire plan. More ramped-up aid was being readied for Gaza, much of which is in ruins after two years of war that began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages. In Israel's ensuing invasion, more than 67,600 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived Monday in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said. Alon Ohel was among the hostages freed today in a historic ceasefire deal. A new picture released today after he was freed shows his gaunt features Sergev Kalfon arrives at a medical centre where he underwent a check up after being released Your browser does not support iframes. They were the first to be released of about 1,700 people that troops seized from Gaza during the war and have held without charge, as well as about 250 Palestinians serving prison sentences. At least 154 of the Palestinians had been deported to Egypt from the West Bank as per stipulations in the deal. Many are members of Hamas and the Fatah faction who were imprisoned over shootings, bombings or other attacks that killed or attempted to kill Israelis, as well as others convicted on lesser charges. They'll return to the West Bank or Gaza, or be deported elsewhere. A local news legend who expressed his outrage over a small town Dunkin' Donuts closing nine years ago has said that he still cringes at his legacy. Dutch Smith, 33, went viral in 2016 during an interview about an arsonist that destroyed a Dunkin in Shamokin, Pennsylvania. The video of Smith explaining why he'll miss the town's 'cheap' and 'classy' establishment practically broke the internet - receiving almost two million views. But he has now revealed to The Philadelphia Inquirer that he 'doesn't want to be remembered as a joke.' Smith, who is now a budding musician, said he wished he'd gone viral in his later life so that his career could take off with all the publicity - rather than when he gave in the bumbling interview. He said: 'I wish I had gone viral when I was making this kind of music.' And as a result of the troubles he was going through at the time, Smith admitted the hilarious interview which put him on the meme map is difficult to watch. Millions laughed at his interview answers, along with two other locals who were very passionate about the Dunkin' closing. Dutch Smith, 33, went viral in 2016 during a news segment about an arson that destroyed a Dunkin Donuts in Shamokin An arsonist destroyed the beloved Dunkin Donuts in Shamokin, Pennsylvania nine years ago He expressed his outrage nine years ago but today he cringes because of the legacy he left behind. He is pictured in a recent photo 'I go there every day, I get a chicken bacon croissant, or I get some coffee- Powerade if I'm dehydrated,' Smith told the reporter at the time. 'I sit there all the time.' 'If I have any, like, legal work I need to do, I go there,' he added. 'I meet with my attorneys there.' 'It's a cheap, classy place to meet up with your friends. It's the only place this town has,' Smith said. Since then, celebrities have poked fun at the small town's news segment. Podcaster and comedian Theo Von has shared the video on his platform numerous times. Last month Von quipped at Smith's interview on his podcast with fellow comedian Jim Norton. He even reacted to it in May with actor Ben Affleck, making fun of the interviewee's pronunciation of 'donuts.' Affleck added 'the legal clinic got shut down too', a poke at Smith's comment about meeting his attorney there. The pair also joked that the 33-year-old would 'deal' drugs out of the coffee shop. Smith has since revealed that was struggling with substance abuse issues and was going through 'the worst time of his life' in 2016, when he gave his Dunkin' verdict. Today, Smith is a father and works as a forklift operator. He creates rap, hip hop, and R&B music to 'express himself' Because of this, he has been hesitant about going on Von's show. The 33-year-old dealt with addiction, mental health issues, and legal trouble. He was arrested for alleged assault shortly after the viral video, but the charges were dropped. Today, Smith is a father and works as a forklift operator. He creates rap, hip hop, and R&B music to 'express himself.' 'I hope some of you relate to the things that I talk about and can respect my lyricism,' his YouTube profile reads. Smith said he had a religious encounter while he was in jail. This pushed him to make music for people who are searching for God. 'Im speaking to people struggling with drugs or thoughts of suicide,' he told the Inquirer. Smith wants to be remembered for making a difference and helping those in need. His old hard rap music was not sending that message. 'I know my music is going to make a change. It changed me at least,' he added. A woman was killed when hit by a double decker bus outside one of the UK's busiest railway stations, a court heard - as the driver appeared in the dock. Mirsime Berisha, 48, allegedly struck Kathleen Finnegan, 56, while driving a Volvo double decker bus outside Victoria station in central London. Emergency services arrived at the scene on Victoria Street on January 29 last year but Ms Finnegan died shortly afterwards, prosecutor Leila Bibi Nahaboo-Osman said. Wearing a black suit with a blue top, Berisha appeared in court today, speaking only to confirm her personal details. The Transport for London bus driver, from Ealing in west London, did not enter a plea on the count of causing death by dangerous driving, but her lawyer Laurence Harris indicated that she would deny the charge. Magistrate Charlotte Grainger released Berisha on unconditional bail ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at the Old Bailey in London on November 10. Ms Finnegan, of New Malden in south-west London, was a property executive who also volunteered for homeless charities. Her family previously paid tribute to the person they described as an 'adored' Irish 'whirlwind'. Mirsime Berisha, 48, appeared in court today, speaking only to confirm her personal details Berisha allegedly struck Kathleen Finnegan (pictured), 56, while driving a Volvo double decker bus outside Victoria station in central London Police and emergency service crews are seen surrounding a bus that crashed into a pedestrian outside London Victoria station on January 29 2024 A bus collided with a pedestrian outside Victoria station on January 29 2024 Fire crews were pictured clearing away broken glass after the double decker bus incident They said: 'Our beloved daughter, sister, partner, most adored auntie and treasured friend Catherine Finnegan, known as Kathleen, lost her life on 29th January 2024. 'She will be remembered as a very unique lady who had the fast Irish wit and who made her family and friends so very proud of her bright, clever personality. 'She was a whirlwind in any room and lit up this world with her energy, enthusiasm for life and joy. She will be forever in our hearts.' London's mayor Sadiq Khan called the crash an 'awful tragedy', saying at the time: 'I've been told about the tragic news that a pedestrian has lost their life as a consequence of an accident. 'My thoughts are with the bereaved family, it's really important that we allow them to be informed first about this tragedy. There is a full investigation under way. 'I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say our thoughts and prayers are with this person's family.' A police officer who wrongly arrested a woman for bus fare evasion has denied gross misconduct. Perry Lathwood was fined 1,500 for assault after detaining the passenger in Croydon, south London - but he had his conviction quashed last September. The PC is now facing proceedings over the claim he used force against the woman, whom he held by the arm and handcuffed. It is alleged there was no lawful basis for the use of force, which could amount to gross misconduct. The officer has also been accused of calling the woman 'love' and 'daft cow'. Scotland Yard said the reported breach of professional behaviour was so serious the officer could be sacked if proven. It is alleged Mr Lathwood used inappropriate language when he arrested mother Jocelyn Agyemang in July 2023, the tribunal heard on Monday. Cecily White, a barrister representing the Metropolitan Police, told the hearing in central London the alleged language was 'dismissive and condescending', particularly towards women. In Mr Lathwood's bodyworn footage, Ms Agyemang is heard saying 'can you get off my arm', 'I haven't done anything' and 'get off me' It is alleged Mr Lathwood continued to use force against her by holding onto her arm and wrist, before handcuffing here Mr Lathwood is 'obviously angry and frustrated' in the footage, the hearing was told by barrister Cecily White Opening the case, Ms White said Ms Agyemang had been stopped getting off a bus in Whitehorse Road, Croydon, where Transport for London (TfL) revenue protection inspectors (RPI) were being assisted by police as part of a ticket checking operation. She disembarked the 147 bus on the morning of July 21, 2023, where there were eight TfL revenue protection inspectors, two police community support officers (PCSOs) and three police officers, including Mr Lathwood, waiting to check tickets. Ms White said Ms Agyemang was with her son at the time, had an appointment to get to and needed to drop her child off at her mother's house first. An RPI and a PCSO asked to check Ms Agyemang's ticket and Ms Agyemang indicated 'she did not want to stop', asking them to 'walk with me, walk with me', the tribunal heard. 'She (Ms Agyemang) had in fact already paid her fare,' Ms White said. It is alleged Mr Lathwood then walked towards Ms Agyemang, took hold of her arm and continued to use force against her by holding onto her arm and wrist, the hearing was told, before handcuffing her. In Mr Lathwood's bodyworn footage, shown to the hearing, Ms Agyemang is heard saying 'can you get off my arm', 'I haven't done anything' and 'get off me', before she begins shouting: 'Can you get off me? This man is hurting me.' She also says: 'You are actually hurting my arm, can you get off me please? I actually feel sick,' while her son appears to become increasingly distressed. Mr Lathwood is filmed holding onto Ms Agyemang's arm - which she is later said to have taken anti-inflammatories for That evening Ms Agyemang called police and said she had been restrained by an officer who had hurt her arm such that it was 'feeling dead' and still hurting In the footage, Mr Lathwood appears to shout at her to 'stop resisting' and shortly afterwards says 'there's a road behind you you daft cow, stay here'. Other staff at the scene are heard to tell Ms Agyemang to calm down, as she says: 'What the f*** is going on? I need to take my son,' and asks: 'What for?' when told she is under arrest. At one point she falls to the floor. The commotion continues for at least four minutes as other staff speak to Ms Agyemang and passers-by ask what is happening, and one RPI says: 'Can we try and scan her card please?' Another officer takes her Oyster card and goes away with it to see if she had paid, and Ms Agyemang is de-arrested at the scene after it is confirmed she had paid her fare. That evening Ms Agyemang called police and said she had been restrained by an officer who had hurt her arm such that it was 'feeling dead' and still hurting. She reportedly said she did not understand why she had been dealt in that way and had been crying on the phone. A video of the incident shared on social media went viral, the tribunal heard. PC Lathwood claimed he was trying to protect the mother and her child from being harmed as she argued by grabbing her arm, but the judge told him his version of events 'lacked credibility' Footage shared on social media showed the moment Ms Agyemang was arrested after wrongly being accused of bus fare evasion, as the police officer claimed she refused to show her ticket Giving evidence Miss Agyemang said the officer's actions made her feel 'very, very violated'. Pictured: Footage of the incident which was shared on social media Ms White told the hearing Mr Lathwood is 'obviously angry and frustrated' in the footage, and said it was 'obviously disproportionate and unnecessary to apply that use of force and to handcuff her'. 'What that did was massively inflame the situation,' she told the hearing. 'Whilst it is accepted that Miss Agyemang is confrontational to the officer, in the main that is in response to his laying hands on her, and not the other way round.' Ms Agyemang went to A&E after the incident and was given anti-inflammatories for bruising to her arm, and said she still had bruising on her arm by the evening of July 23, two days later, the hearing was told. She gave evidence from behind a screen on Monday and became tearful when asked about the incident. The woman claimed she had wanted to get her Oyster card scanned by the RPI, which is why she asked staff to walk with her. Asked if she went to the incident with any anti-police sentiment, Ms Agyemang said: 'I am not against the police at all, I actually have a degree in policing and wanted to be a police officer.' The tribunal continues. Joe Rogan has once again torn into Donald Trump for his 'horrific' immigration crackdown, which the podcaster described as brutal and unjust. The 58-year-old host of the Joe Rogan Experience came after the Trump administration's harsh Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics in last Thursday's episode of his show. While discussing the president's deployment of the National Guard to Democrat-run cities with actor-comedian Duncan Trussell, Rogan segued into how the White House has been handling mass deportations. 'The way it looks is horrific,' Rogan bluntly said. 'When you're just arresting people in front of their kids, just normal, regular people that been been here for 20 years. 'Everybody who has a heart can't get along with that. Everybody with a heart sees that and goes, "That can't be right. That can't be the only way to do this."' He made it clear that he believes having a strong and secure Southern Border should be a priority, but targeting law-abiding people who have lived most of their lives in the US is 'crazy.' 'If they've been productive members of society for 20 years, no criminal record, they worked the entire time, they paid taxes, find them a pathway to citizenship,' he said. 'Find a way where you can do this thing that you want to do, which is keep terrorists and cartel members from getting across the border with rugs that kill 100,000 people a year,' Rogan began addressing Trump. Joe Rogan (pictured) has once again torn into Donald Trump for his 'horrific' immigration crackdown, which the podcaster described as brutal and unjust Donald Trump (pictured) has vowed to target violent criminals in his administration's sweeping ICE raids Around 493,000 migrants have been deported since Trump took office in January, while another 1.6 million have self-deported (pictured: an ICE arrest in Denver, Colorado in February) 'But have a f**king heart while doing it because if you don't, you're not going to get anybody on your side if you're doing this stuff publicly - throwing women to the ground, handcuffing people just for existing on the wrong side of the dirt.' He noted that many Mexican migrants come to the US as children and have spent their entire lives in the country. 'They can't even speak Spanish, and they could get sent back,' he asserted. Rogan - who endorsed Trump in the 2024 election but previously backed liberal candidates, including Bernie Sanders in 2020 - also denounced Trump's ICE raids in August. While speaking on his podcast, he expressed discontent with Trump's policies because they target laborers and not the violent criminals he promised. In the divisive episode, Rogan explained to Florida Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna his belief that the president has been alienating his supporters by carrying out these extensive and heavily publicized raids. Around 493,000 migrants have been deported since Trump took office in January, while another 1.6 million have self-deported, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Rogan said 'everybody who has a heart can't get along' Trump's deportation policies (pictured: ICE protestors in Broadview, Illinois, on Friday) In July, ICE reported making roughly 990 arrests each day - a staggering drop from the daily rate of 1,224 arrests in June (pictured: workers arrested by ICE in Los Angeles, California in June) ICE agents have arrested another 457,000 illegal migrants in the same time period. 'Ramped-up immigration enforcement targeting the worst of the worst is removing more and more criminal illegal aliens off our streets every day and is sending a clear message to anyone else in this country illegally: Self-deport or we will arrest and deport you,' DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who has been credited with handling immigration policies under both of Trump's administrations, declared over the summer that the president wants at least 3,000 ICE arrests per day. Despite this lofty target, the rate of immigration-related detainments has dropped in recent months, according to data collected by the nonpartisan Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). In July, ICE reported making roughly 990 arrests each day - a staggering drop from the daily rate of 1,224 arrests in June. Trump has also maintained that the primary targets of his tough policies are migrants with violent criminal backgrounds. Stephen Miller (pictured), who has been credited with handling immigration policies under both of Trump's administrations, declared over the summer that the president wants at least 3,000 ICE arrests per day Government-released data has revealed that the number of arrested migrants without criminal histories has surpassed the number of those with a record (pictured: two Long Beach, California war wash employees being detained by ICE in September) But government-released data has revealed that the number of arrested migrants without criminal histories has surpassed the number of those with a record. The Guardian reported in late September that approximately 16,525 people with no record were detained, while about 15,725 with a record were. About 13,765 people with pending charges were also arrested. About 71.5 percent of detainees have no criminal convictions, according to TRAC. A blind grandfather who said he had his Georgia home stolen and completely gutted as part of a twisted scam has settled his civil lawsuit against the fake owners. Robert Elder, 86, has been fighting for his Atlanta home that he lived in for 50 years since 2023 when someone filed three separate deeds on the property in the span of three months. Each of the documents transferred Elder's house to someone else, even though none of the signatures on them matched how he signs his name. Because Elder, whose wife died in 2018, is blind, he cannot write straight on a line. All of the forged signatures were written directly on a line, according to documents obtained by Atlanta News First Investigates. Elder went on to accuse his former stepson Torrey Elder of being involved in the fraud, according to a civil lawsuit. Another defendant was also named, along with a buyer and their mortgage company. The claims against the buyer and mortgage company were dismissed, but they had to make a single payment to Elder for the value of his home. The original civil suit sought to recover the home, but when he did so, Elder learned his home had been gutted. Robert Elder, 86, has been fighting for his Atlanta home for two years after three deeds were filed on the property he's lived in for 50 years He originally sought to get the home back, but he settled for the price of the property after discovering it was gutted 'I'm getting something out of the deal and I can kind of patch up things and all that kind of stuff,' Elder told the outlet. 'With my health and everything, I got to move on.' Despite Elder's claims, his son said his father was 'lying' about his involvement. A judgement against Torrey later came through that said he and his father agreed to finding 'fraud, larceny, and malicious injury.' The elderly man's son was also ordered to pay him $136,000 in damages. He said he would open to talking to his son if he chose to apologize. 'Some form of apologizing for doing that to me would be a way toward healing,' Elder said. Rick Alembik, Elder's attorney, said he was happy some sort of justice was served for his client. 'Was it an emotionally satisfying case? Would you like to see these people go to jail?.' he said. Each of the documents transferred Elder's house (pictured) to someone else, even though none of the signatures on them matched how he signs his name 'Certainly. But thats just not the way the system works.' The mortgage fraud scheme happened prior to the state enacting a new law that came into effect on January 1, 2025. The prior law allowed anyone to file or transfer a deed to a home without proof of ownership or identification. Despite the new law, Alembik said he would love to see fraudsters get jail time. 'Prosecutors, solicitors and district attorneys dont prosecute these cases even though theyre crimes,' he said. 'Peoples homes and investments, their lives and wealth are tied up in homes. These are not treated as crime. So it would be nice to see people go to prison for this kind of conduct.' The Daily Mail contacted Alembik and Torrey for comment. Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron continued their ongoing handshake contest with a bizarre 'arm-wrestle' as they greeted each other at Monday's peace summit. The duo's uncomfortable 'death clasp' handshakes have gone viral over the years, with footage from 2017 showing the two leaders locking hands for 29 seconds straight. And they almost matched that during their most recent meeting ahead of the US president's landmark speech on the day 20 living Israeli hostages were released home and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners delivered by the busload to the West Bank. Trump drew his French counterpart in for a warm handshake before the pair each placed an affection hand on the other's upper arm in front of a large crowd of photographers. The embrace soon turned into something akin to an arm wrestle as the two presidents exchanged what seemed like intense conversation while swinging their opposite number's hand from side to side. Macron eventually freed himself from Trump's grasp and hurried off the stage ahead of a busy day in Jerusalem. The US president trumpeted 'the dawn of a new Middle East' during a speech before the Israeli parliament later in the afternoon, just over two years after Hamas militants invaded Israel and sparked a harrowing war in Gaza that wiped out about 67,000 of its population. 'Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms,' Trump told the Knesset while appealing directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the leader to strive for peace rather than armed conflict. Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron continued their ongoing handshake contest with a bizarre 'arm-wrestle' as they greeted each other at Monday's peace summit An embrace soon turned into something akin to an arm wrestle as the two presidents exchanged what seemed like intense conversation while swinging their opposite number's hand from side to side 'You've won. Now it's time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.' For the first time in two years, Hamas no longer has any Israeli captives. Over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel will also be set free as part of the deal. Macron and Trump's relationship has sparked interest among global onlookers over the last eight years and has often been punctuated with enthusiastic handshakes, bordering on the bizarre. In February, the pair awkwardly shook hands three times as they met in Washington DC to discuss a possible end to Russia's war against Ukraine. Body language expert Judi James referred to the shake outside the White House as a 'death clasp'. 'With the eyes and the fate of the world currently resting on their shoulders,' James told the Daily Mail, 'this latest handshake greeting was always going to be riddled with signals of superior power and dominance.' During a May 2017 meeting ahead of the NATO summit in Brussels, Trump and Macron gripped hands so tightly that their knuckles turned white and their jaws clenched. Macron said at the time that the clinch of a handshake was 'not innocent' and meant to be a 'moment of truth' showing his US counterpart that the French leader would not be intimidated. US President Trump arrives to address the Knesset, with Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem The Republican and Netanyahu embraced before the US president took the podium An Israeli member of parliament holds a placard that reads: 'Recognize Palestine.' He was later escorted out President Donald Trump signed a welcome book before speaking to Israel's Knesset. 'This is my great honor - a great and beautiful day. A new beginning,' the president wrote Your browser does not support iframes. They shared several more bizarre handshakes during Trump's first term, which ended in January 2021. In December 2024, after Trump won reelection over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, he and Macron were reunited in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame, which had been severely damaged in a April 2019 fire. Trump and Macron were back at it with the intense handshakes during that trip. The watershed moment in Jerusalem on Monday solidifies Trump's transition from New York dealmaker to global peacemaker. This was evident when the Knesset honored the US president with a nearly three-minute standing ovation and broke out in cheers, chanting 'Trump, Trump, Trump...' The US president also extended an olive branch to Israel's chief regional rival, Iran, saying, 'The hand of friendship and cooperation is open.' Trump further noted that his next project is 'getting Russia done' and ending the war in Ukraine. Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also received major applause. Kushner and Witkoff have been praised by Trump and the Israelis for their central role in negotiating the details of the peace agreement. Still, there are already questions whether the ceasefire can hold beyond the release of hostages and prisoners. Over the weekend, a senior Hamas official told AFP that disarmament is out of the question,' declaring that demands for the group to hand over its weapons are non-negotiable. Trump greets French president Macron in February and the pair shake hands for 12 seconds The leaders can be seen posing for pictures in 2017 while holding on to each other during the long handshake In December 2024, Trump and Macron were filmed during another awkward handshake Trump and Macron pictured above during another long handshake in June 2019 Macron and Trump pictured during an awkward handshake in July 2017 Trump and Macron clinch hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G7 in Quebec, Canada in June 2018 French President Macron invites Trump to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame in 2019 and marks the occasion with a little arm wrestle And Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has emphasized that the current ceasefire is temporary and that Israel retains the option to resume its military operations if Hamas fails to meet the terms of the agreement, particularly regarding disarmament. While the president was speaking, a protest briefly broke out during Trump's remarks as a Knesset member banged on his desk and began shouting. The activists were swiftly removed from the room. Trump played it off swiftly by joking about how 'efficient' the security was in dealing with the rabble-rousers. The 79-year-old president also lashed out at his predecessors for not prioritizing peace in the region. 'All of the countries in the Middle East that could have what we're doing now, it could have happened a long time ago, but it was strangled and set back almost irretrievably by the administrations of Barack Obama and then Joe Biden,' Trump said. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana invited Trump to address Israel's main legislative body during his visit to oversee a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that he brokered. 'You, President Donald J. Trump, are a colossus,' Ohana proclaimed as Trump sat next to him in the Knesset. 'Thousands of years from now, the Jewish people will remember you.' Do YOU know him? An Oxford student has been filmed chanting 'horrifying' anti-Israeli lyrics to crowds in London, prompting a police investigation. The vile chant, made during a pro-Palestinian rally at the weekend, included the phrase 'put the Zios in the ground' an offensive reference to Zionists. The young man said the chant had been 'workshopped in Oxford' and said it was part of a 'steadfast and noble resistance' to events in Gaza. On Monday night, police confirmed they are investigating the chants, while Oxford University said it 'condemned' them 'in the strongest possible terms'. In a video posted to social media, the man, wearing a keffiyeh, encourages crowds to 'join in' and shouts: 'Gaza Gaza, make us proud, put the Zios in the ground.' He and others then repeat the chant several times. The protest, in central London on October 11, was organised by the Palestine Coalition, with tens of thousands taking part. He and others then proceed to repeat the chant several times. An Oxford student (pictured) has been filmed chanting 'horrifying' anti-Israeli lyrics to crowds in London, prompting a police investigation It happened just a day after the ceasefire came into force on Friday, with Israel's military pulling out of parts of Gaza. On Monday, the Union of Jewish Students said it was 'horrified' by the footage. They added: 'This violent rhetoric is unacceptable, with students calling for murder and employing a slur ('Zio') coined by David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the KKK. 'Against the backdrop of rampant glorification of Hamas terrorism on campus this week, we call on universities to urgently take a stand against the endorsement of violence. 'We are in contact with the University of Oxford and urge them to act decisively in response to this deeply troubling incident.' Metropolitan Police said: 'Officers are investigating chants made at the demonstration in central London on Saturday, 11 October. 'Enquiries are ongoing.' The student has previously been pictured in videos shared by the Oxford Students Palestine Society. The video has caused anger online, with one X user tagging Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson saying: 'Calling for the death of all Israelis and Jews. 'Is that enough for you..I'm sure the Jewish students must be terrified listening to this lot. Time for action.' An Oxford spokesman said: 'The University of Oxford condemns, in the strongest possible terms, any language urging violence against groups of people or expressing any form of racial hatred. 'The university's support for freedom of speech does not extend to any statements including such language. 'When such language is reported, we will always want to speak to the student concerned, and consider the matter under our disciplinary procedures in line with university and college policies. 'Oxford is unequivocal: there is no place for anti-Semitism, harassment, or discrimination within our community. We remain firmly committed to protecting the safety and dignity of all our students and staff.' Oxford said it has taken a number of steps in recent months to tackle anti-Semitism, including delivering training on the topic to students' union sabbatical officers and to students across 24 colleges. The spokesman added: 'We will continue to build on this work, including through expanded training for student leaders and frontline staff, and regular engagement with the Jewish Society, the Jewish Chaplaincy and national partners such as the Community Security Trust.' It comes after thousands of students were branded 'abhorrent' last week after joining pro-Palestine marches across the country to mark the two-year anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel. The 'remembrance and resistance' demonstrations were deliberately held on October 7th, the same day that in 2023 saw the biggest single loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. Hamas killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. Laughing off pleas from Mrs Phillipson to 'show some humanity', the protesters flooded dozens of university campuses, chanting and waving placards. One particularly offensive event at Glasgow University urged students to 'celebrate' the October 7th attacks, with protesters holding a banner reading: 'Glory to our martyrs'. A Jewish day centre close to the synagogue in Manchester where a terror attack took place earlier this month has been forced to close after a 'suspicious substance' was found. A cordon was set up by police at The Nicky in Middleton Road, Crumpsall, after the find on Monday. The building was evacuated after the substance was discovered in an envelope. The day centre for Jewish adults is directly across the street from the Heaton Park Synagogue, where Jihad Al-Shamie killed two people in a terror attack on October 2. Emergency services remained at the scene until the afternoon, with several marked and unmarked police cars at the site. Greater Manchester Police said there was 'no risk to the wider public'. The force said: 'We've evacuated an address on Middleton Road as a precaution after a suspicious substance was found in an envelope. 'All occupants appear safe and well at this time, and we're working with emergency services to ensure everyone's safety. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) set up a cordon at The Nicky in Middleton Road, Crumpsall A Jewish day centre close to the Heaton Park synagogue at the centre of a terror attack was cordoned off after a 'suspicious substance' was found 'You will see emergency services in the area and we know the concern this may cause after the events at the nearby Heaton Park synagogue earlier this month. 'However, there is no wider risk at this time. Enquiries are ongoing.' Images taken at the day centre show crime scene investigators and various emergency service personnel at the scene. Two weeks ago, Jihad Al-Shamie rammed his car towards members of the Jewish community on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. The 35-year-old rang 999 during his deadly rampage, pledging allegiance to the so-called Islamic State terror group before storming the synagogue armed with a knife and wearing a fake suicide belt. He was shot dead by armed police seven minutes after the first call was made to GMP. His actions led to the deaths of Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, while three men were rushed to hospital with serious injuries. Crime scene investigators and various emergency service personnel were pictured at the scene The day centre is directly across the road from the Heaton Park Synagogue which was at the centre of a terror attack less than two weeks ago The policing watchdog cleared GMP of any wrongdoing after the gunshots used to kill Al-Shamie led to the death of 53-year-old Mr Daulby. He died after suffering from a 'single but fatal' gunshot wound inflicted by armed police as they tackled the knife-wielding suspect. Another member of the congregation was also injured by police firearms while trying to prevent Al-Sharmie from entering the synagogue. However, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) cleared GMP of wrongdoing last week after the force referred itself to the watchdog for investigations. Rescued hostage Noa Argamani was seen reunited with her sweetheart Avinatan Or - as it was revealed that he is a special forces hero in the 'Israeli SAS'. Emotional pictures show the couple dubbed 'Romeo and Juliet' together at last over two years after they were cruelly ripped apart from each other on October 7. Noa, 27, was dragged away from Avinatan, 32, on a motorbike in a harrowing image that went viral and came to sadly embody the atrocity of that day. Now photographs of them back together are not only symbolic of the nightmare being over - but also of love and commitment prevailing over evil. Avinatan embraced his girlfriend, holding her tightly to him before he put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek as she beamed. He held her face, staring into her eyes as she stared back at him overcome with joy. Avinatan was also seen with his parents, Ditza and Yaron, in hospital after making a heart with his hands to his supporters outside. Noa was rescued during an Israeli military operation in Gaza in June 2024, alongside three other hostages. It comes as it was revealed Avinatan serves with the elite Sayeret Matkal unit - considered one of the premier special forces units in Israel. Rescued hostage Noa Argamani, pictured left, was tonight seen reunited with her sweetheart Avinatan Or, right Emotional pictures show the couple dubbed 'Romeo and Juliet' together at last over two years after they were cruelly ripped apart from each other Noa, 27, was dragged away from Avinatan, 32, on a motorbike in a harrowing image that went viral and came to sadly embody the atrocity of October 7, 2023 Based on the SAS, it was established in 1957 and even shares The Regiment's motto - Who Dares Wins. Dubbed 'The Unit', it conducts intelligence gathering deep behind enemy lines and is tasked with counter-terrorism and hostage rescue. For two years Avinatan's association with Sayeret Matkal has been hidden over fears of reprisals to him in captivity. The Daily Mail told last week how Noa had to make a dash back to Israel when his release from captivity was suddenly announced while she was campaigning for him in Washington. She was with a delegation of 24 hostages and volunteers who had to scramble back in time for the release jumping on eight separate flights. Posting a picture of herself on top of suitcases in Washington after landing back on Saturday, she wrote: 'Now it's time to come home.' In her speech to US Cabinet members and senior White House officials including Marco Rubio on the October 7 anniversary last week, Noa vowed to keep fighting for Avinatan. She said: 'Avinatan and I came to the Nova music festival just to celebrate our life. Avinatan embraced his girlfriend, holding her tightly to him before he put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek as she beamed The pair pictured in an old photo posted to Instagram this month. Noa was rescued during an Israeli military operation in Gaza in June 2024, alongside three other hostages Avinatan, pictured second left, and Noa, not pictured, are seized by members of Hamas 'We found ourselves in the darkest tunnels of Gaza. I cannot even begin to describe those terrible pictures.' She said she had not seen Avinatan since being dragged away, her arms outstretched as he looked on helplessly, surrounded by armed terrorists. 'I asked about Avinatan everywhere I went,' she said. 'I didn't know if it was murdered or kidnapped, and I was afraid to know the answer.' Noa also revealed that she feared every minute that her guards might 'lose control and kill me' and heartbreakingly declared: 'I'm not the same person that I used to be.' She said: 'I saw it happen in front of my eyes, two of my friends that were with me since October 7 were murdered in captivity. 'Yossi Sharabi and Itay Svirsky were brutally murdered and executed and I survived.' Noa told those present: 'I dedicate my life to bring my partner, Avinatan, and all the hostages back home.' Fellow hostages finally released from Hamas captivity on Monday looked shockingly different as they were reunited with their families after 738 days in Gaza. Alon Ohel was among the hostages freed today in a historic ceasefire deal. A new picture released today after he was freed shows his gaunt features Sergev Kalfon arrives at a medical centre where he underwent a check up after being released He was taken while he ran away with his friend. Hamas later published a video of his capture The 20 remaining living hostages were released two years after being kidnapped when Hamas launched its deadly raid on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. They were at last returned following the Donald Trump-brokered deal between Israel and Hamas, which aims to bring an end to the devastating war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe. In emotional scenes, captives reunited with parents, families, friends and loved ones. Families, who have spent every day since October 7 fighting for their release from gruelling captivity in the enclave's underground tunnel network, gathered in anticipation as tears flowed and hugs were exchanged. 'After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent and the sirens are still,' Donald Trump said in a historic speech at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. But the brutal reality of two years in captivity was apparent amid a day of joy, with the hostages now looking radically different from the photographs taken before they were seized on October 7, 2023. Behind the smiles, some appear to have dramatically lost weight, while others appear frail. Footage released by Hamas showed Alon Ohel, 24, being taken by the militant group from the Nova festival. Ariel Cunio's eyes looked sunken as he was seen walking with IDF representatives after being freed Cunio and his partner Arbel Yehud were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Yehud was freed earlier this year but Cunio's brother said the last message he received from him read: 'We are in a horror movie' Since his capture, Ohel has faced health issues. Last month, his family approved the release of a screenshot from a video that showed he had now gone blind in one eye. Before he was captured, pictures showed him with a full beard and curly hair. Pictures shared by the IDF of his reunion with his family today show the drastic weight he has lost. His beard and hair have also been shaved, revealing his gaunt features. Sergev Kalfon, 27, was taken while running away with a fiend at the music festival. Later, a video of his abduction was released by the militant group. In February 2025, released hostage, Ohad Ben Ami told Kalfon's father they had been held with four others in a tunnel under 'terrible conditions'. Before his capture, pictures showed him enjoying a holiday with friends. However, photos released today show him as a shell of his former self, with the toll of years in captivity written across his expression. Ariel Kunio was abducted on October 7 at Kibbutz Nir Oz. His brother, Eitan, who escaped the attack, says the last message from Ariel read: 'We are in a horror movie.' His partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed earlier, in January 2025, in a deal that saw Hamas hand over 25 living and eight dead captives. Released Israeli hostage Evyatar David reacts upon arriving at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva in central Israel on October 13, 2025 In August Hamas released a shocking clip of him with his skeleton visible from his thin skin Released hostage Eitan Horn, in centre, appears visibly changed by his ordeal Horn is said to have saved many people before he was taken by Hamas militants Martan Zangauke was photographed in an embrace with his mother following his release In new photos, his eyes look sunken as he walked with IDF representatives following his release. He tied his hair, which has now grown longer, into a bun and appears to have lost weight. Evyatar David has undergone one of the most extreme transformations out of all the hostages. Photographs of him before the Hamas attacks show how vibrant the 24-year-old looked. In the picture released today, he still appears severely underweight and malnourished. Meanwhile, Eitan Horn has undergone a severe body transformation with a shocking weight loss revealed on Monday's return, and Martan Zangauke shared an embrace with his mother after their reunion today. Yosef Chaim Ohana's father broke down in tears when they reunited earlier today, and Nimrod Cohen was seen under an Israeli flag, looking frail after his release. Rom Bravslaski, 21, was draped in the Israeli flag as he greeted members of the IDF upon his release, as was Bar Kupershtein, whose family previously said he appeared injured with his body diminished by captivity. In pictures today, Maxim Herkin appeared in high spirits as he greeted medics and soldiers. An Israeli-Russian dual national, his friends were among those who were slaughtered in the attack. Yosef Chaim Ohana's father was emotional when he reunited with his son earlier today After his release today, Nimrod Cohen was seen looking frail under an Israeli flag Rom Braslavski was seen draped in the Israeli flag as he greeted members of the IDF Bar Kupershtein in a reunion with his family earlier today Maxim Herkin appeared in high spirits as he greeted soldiers and medics Following his video with Kupershtein, he appeared alone in another video, bandaged, allegedly from an Israeli air strike. Elkana Bohbot, 36, was working at the festival when abducted. His wife Rikva recalled their last conversation: 'In our last conversation I told him, "It's not just missiles, come home," and he promised he would return.' Media earlier cited released hostages saying Elkana developed a severe skin disease under harsh conditions. Hamas released a video showing Guy and Alon Ohel being driven around Gaza City in August 2025. The pair were freed today. After his release, David Cunio, 35, older brother of Ariel, was pictured laughing alongside a representative of the Israeli army at the Re'im military base in southern Israel. Twins Gali and Ziv Berman are understood to have been separated in captivity but a photo after their release shows them warmly embracing. Earlier this year, freed Matan Angrest's family said they had been told by former hostages that he was suffering from untreated burns, infections, and chronic asthma. Elkana Bohbot was seen hugging authorities after his release Gilboa-Dalal was seen waving as he made his way to hospital for medical checks Released Israeli hostage, David Cunio, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, sits with a representative of the Israeli army after being released, as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Reim, Israel October 13, 2025 Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were captured from their home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, British-Israeli Emily Damari In this photo provided by the Israeli Defense Forces, Matan Angrest speaks with an IDF representative in Israel on Monday, October 13, 2025 Eitan Mor seen in a helicopter with his family Eitan Mor, seen in a helicopter with his family today, was kidnapped alongside his brother Yair from Nir Oz. Yair was released in February 2025. At the time, Hamas showed a video of the brothers embracing. Omri Miran, 48, was photographed reuniting with his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi, where he spoke to his daughters Roni, four, and two-year-old Alma on a tablet while at the Re'im base. He was the oldest living hostage to return to Israel today. A mother and her newborn baby both died after she decided to have a home birth against medical advice, an inquest heard today. Jennifer Cahill, 34, delivered baby Agnes Lily at her home in the presence of her husband Rob and two midwives in June last year. She had opted for a home birth after feeling 'unsupported' in hospital while delivering her son three years earlier. But Mrs Cahill, an international export manager, became 'fatigued' after pain relief ran out as her contractions intensified, he told the hearing. Mr Cahill had to phone for an ambulance in the early hours and accompany his newborn daughter to hospital. Tragically while there he was told his wife, who he had left behind at their home in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, was also seriously ill. She was brought by ambulance to join them at North Manchester General Hospital where she later died. Baby Agnes survived for three days before passing away. Jennifer Cahill, 34, and her newborn baby daughter Agnes Lily both died in June 2024 after she decided on a home birth having felt 'unsupported' when her son was delivered in hospital three years earlier Mrs Cahill delivered baby Agnes Lily at her home in the presence of her husband Rob and two midwives in June last year Mr Cahill had to phone for an ambulance in the early hours and accompany his newborn daughter to hospital She was the couple's second child after their son Rudy, then three. Mr Cahill repeatedly broke down in tears today as he told an inquest in Rochdale how his life fell apart in a few short hours. Struggling to come to terms with the death of his wife - who he described as 'a rock' - Mr Cahill told how he had to face the fact that their daughter was only being kept alive with the help of a life support machine. He told coroner Joanne Kearsley: 'Agnes lived for just under four days but she was able to meet my family and I was able to introduce her. 'I held her and told her stories about her mother who never got to hold her or say goodbye to her or Rudy. 'Nothing can be done now to reverse these awful facts.' Mr Cahill said his wife opted for a home delivery after finding giving birth in hospital with Rudy in 2021 'highly stressful'. He said: 'There was no one midwife assigned to Jen. After being delivered at their home in Prestwich, baby Agnes was rushed to North Manchester General Hospital where both she and her mother Jennifer, 34, tragically died Mrs Cahill had suffered a postpartum haemorrhage after the first birth - a potentially fatal condition involving heavy bleeding 'There seemed to be lots of midwives coming and going. 'Jen did not feel she had been fully supported. 'It was a tricky time because of Covid and there were lots of restrictions.' Mrs Cahill had suffered a postpartum haemorrhage after the first birth - a potentially fatal condition involving heavy bleeding. As a result she was advised to also have her second child in hospital, the hearing was told. Mr Cahill said no-one had fully explained the risks to them. The couple believed that warnings to have Agnes delivered in hospital were based on the fact that she had suffered a Strep B infection with Rudy, who developed sepsis, he said. She thought it could be dealt with if it happened again. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust - which runs the hospital - has accepted that Mrs Cahill should have been referred to a senior midwife after deciding on a home birth so the dangers could be discussed. It described the home birth as 'outside of clinical guidelines' and says doctors had told her a hospital birth would be safer and preferable. On the night she went into labour at home, two midwives arrived to help her and at first it appeared as if everything was going to plan. She was advised to also have her second child in hospital, the hearing was told But as her contractions intensified, the canister and tube supplying gas and air failed and one midwife had to leave to get replacements. Mr Cahill said his wife quickly became tired even though she thought she had planned every step of her labour and delivery. He added 'There was not enough pain relief. Jen became fatigued and lost her confidence.' Agnes arrived at around 6.45am but immediately it became clear the baby would need support and he called for an ambulance on the advice of the midwives. Earlier in the inquest, Mrs Cahill's mother, Cecily Howick, described how her daughter had an idyllic childhood growing up in rural Worcestershire. She was talented and popular, excelling at music and languages which she went on to study at Manchester University. Speaking of how she was phoned out of the blue to get to hospital, she said. 'I was not prepared for what happened. 'When I got to the hospital I saw that my beautiful daughter on life support and then to be told her life was not sustainable. 'It was a horrible experience. 'Saying goodbye to my child was the hardest thing I had to do and it haunts me to this day.' The hearing continues. A Polish woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann said her DNA was an almost 70 per cent 'match' in messages to the missing girl's mother. Julia Wandelt told Kate McCann: 'You are my mother, it's science no one can deny it', a court heard on Monday. She added: 'I am not a scammer, I am your daughter'. Wandelt, 24, from Lubin in south-west Poland, is on trial accused of stalking Mrs McCann and husband Gerry between June 2022 and February 2025 along with her 'supporter' Karen Spragg, 61, from Cardiff. Leicester Crown Court has heard that Wandelt sent dozens of text messages and left scores of voicemail messages on Mrs McCann's phone and the two women also turned up at the McCanns' home demanding a DNA test. Julia Wandelt told Kate McCann 'You are my mother, it's science no-one can deny it' Kate and Gerry McCann attend the annual prayer vigil in their home village of Rothley, Leicestershire Yesterday, jurors were played the voicemail messages left by Wandelt on Mrs McCann's phone over a period of several months in which she claimed Madeleine was not dead. They also heard she sent messages claiming her DNA was a 69.23 per cent match to samples from the 'crime scene' contained within the Portuguese police files into Madeleine's disappearance, which are published online. In the messages she urged Mrs McCann to agree to an 'official' DNA test to 'prove' she was her daughter. Wandelt said she would set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the test and explained away differences between her and Madeleine's appearance by saying she was 'ugly and fat because of medication I was given' jurors heard. In the voicemail messages, Wandelt speaks with a strong Polish accent and becomes emotional at times. She begs Mrs McCann for a DNA test, tells her she is her daughter and claims to remember trying to shout out 'mummy and daddy' on the night she was abducted. Jurors were also told that on one occasion, Wandelt sent a message every two seconds, with five messages sent in seven seconds to Mrs McCann's mobile. In one distressing message, she claimed to have been raped on May 12 last year - the day of Madeleine's birthday. Wandelt started sobbing loudly and left the dock when another message she sent to Mrs McCann about being 'abused' was read to the court. In the message she wrote: 'I was raped and molested underground I saw other children being abused so badly you can stop this torment you can help me.' She went on: 'If you don't want me to be depressed talk to me. I know science can't lie and I know I am your daughter.' In an earlier message she had said: 'I was trying to shout mummy and daddy I could not say anything I could not shout I could not do anything.' In another voicemail she asked Mrs McCann: 'What if I'm her? I know you probably think Madeleine's dead. Well she is not. I really believe I'm her. 'Help me. Don't think Madeleine is dead. This is a chance. Please, I beg you. 'The police don't want to help me, they don't want to help Madeleine. It's all corrupt. I promise you that I will prove who I am because I know you love Madeleine.' A court sketch of Wandelt and Spragg in the dock at Leicester Crown Court They are accused of stalking Kate and Gerry McCann, both 57, between 2022 and 2025 In another message, she said: 'You probably believe Madeleine is not alive anymore. What if I'm her? What if there's a small chance that I'm her?' The court previously heard that Wandelt called and messaged Kate McCann more than 60 times in a single day in April last year, including about her alleged memories of the missing girl's abduction. The court heard Wandelt said in a message to Mrs McCann: 'I cry when I listen to your voice or when I see you. 'You are mummy. You know it's me. You know I'm not crazy.' In another message she described an 'example of what I can remember', about a barbecue when she was young, with other children, and she claimed she asked Mrs McCann whether she could get a ball. The message said: 'I cry when I hear your voice. I feel this connection, I don't know how to explain it.' LISTEN: The Trial of the 'McCann Stalkers'. Listen to the latest on this Daily Mail podcast She added: 'I always thought that you are innocent. I feel in my heart that you did not want this to happen. I know people judge you and they judge me too. 'I know you probably finished, closed, this chapter in your life, and I know you don't want to open this again probably, but I always want to hear your voice.' The jury heard Wandelt sent a message to Mrs McCann at 1am, saying: 'I don't understand why you don't want to do a DNA test.' On one occasion, Mr McCann answered his wife's phone and told Wandelt she had the wrong number. In a following voicemail, Wandelt said: 'I know it was you Gerry. You answered the call. Why is it so hard to answer the call and speak with me? 'I haven't done anything wrong. If you're looking for Madeleine, you should do a test with me.' Another message to Mrs McCann said: 'Hello I'm Julia I think I'm your daughter Madeleine. I have never lied I beg you to stop blocking my number, please.' In a text message she said: 'I beg you you are my real mother give me a chance to prove it.' In a voicemail she said: 'I was raped on birthday 12 May 2023, it's Madeleine's birthday. I need you please. You are mum and know it is me'. She said she had contacted police in the UK, Portugal and Poland adding 'I don't know what else I can do'. Later, on September 29, she claimed she shared some DNA with Madeleine having apparently checked her profile against one of the Portuguese police files. 'It has really started to be serious,' she said. 'I know I am ugly and fat but it's because of medication I was given,' she went on. The court heard Spragg sent an email to Mrs McCann in which she too claimed Wandelt's DNA was a match. She wrote: 'Julia is not crazy she is of sane mind. Julia has proof of this.' Later the court heard the two women planned to confront Mrs McCann again, with Wandelt suggesting they go to the hospital where she worked. She said in a message to Spragg: 'Can we meet at East Midlands and go to Leicester go to hospital where she works? I just need to see her I need to make her look at me and talk to me and I need your help but if you don't want to I can understand.' Spragg replied: 'I can do Monday' to which Wandelt said: 'Ok sounds awesome'. They were arrested at Bristol airport in February. The trial continues. Labour ministers were berated by the Commons' Speaker today as they finally came to Parliament to face a grilling over the collapse of a case against two men accused of spying for China. Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he was 'very angry' and warned that Parliament was not getting the 'protection it needs' amid a furore over the decision to drop charges against former Westminster researcher Chris Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33. Court proceedings against the pair collapsed last month when the Government refused to classify Beijing as a threat to national security. Both men were formally declared not guilty and deny any wrongdoing. Sir Lindsay hit out ahead of a Commons statement by Security Minister Dan Jarvis to MPs this afternoon, who are demanding to know if No10 played a role in the case collapsing. Blame has been laid at the door of Jonathan Powell, Sir Keir Starmer's national security adviser and a former aide of Sir Tony Blair. Mr Powell has been accused, along with the Treasury, of pushing for the case to be withdrawn over fears China could halt investment in the UK. Before calling Mr Jarvis to speak, Sir Lindsay said: 'I think there is something the Government ought to be aware of it is this Parliament that has been spied on. It is MPs' offices that have been infiltrated.' Sir Lindsay Hoyle warned that Parliament was not getting the 'protection it needs' amid a furore over the collapse of a case against two men accused of spying for China Sir Lindsay hit out ahead of a Commons statement by Security Minister Dan Jarvis to MPs this afternoon, who are demanding to know if No10 played a role in the case collapsing Sir Lindsay added: 'And as it stands, what we have seen is the payment for spying on what I believe should be protected. 'At this moment, I feel we haven't had the protection. I certainly don't blame the minister. 'I know that he will be answering a lot in his statement and taking many questions, but I do want to put on record I'm angry and disappointed. 'My job is to protect Parliament. I feel we aren't getting that protection.' Mr Jarvis went on to tell MPs that MI5 will be taking steps to protect 'democratic institutions' from espionage. He said: 'The Government remains extremely disappointed by the outcome of the Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry case. 'I understand the strength of feeling across the House and share the deep frustration that these individuals will not face trial. 'While the decision not to proceed was an independent one made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Government remains gravely concerned about the security of our democratic institutions and is crystal clear that our Parliament must and will be protected from espionage. 'That is why I am announcing today that MI5's National Protective Security Authority will be taking further steps to protect our democratic institutions from foreign interference.' New MI5 guidance is designed to help MPs, peers, councillors, parliamentary staff and candidates understand the threat and take simple, effective steps to protect themselves, their teams, and the integrity of the UK's democracy. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the Commons that 'the trial has collapsed because for months and months, the Government has been refusing to give the CPS vital information' No10 has insisted any claim of ministerial involvement in the spy case collapsing was 'entirely false', saying the decision was wholly down to the CPS. But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told MPs on Monday afternoon that it 'looks like a deliberate decision'. She told the Commons that 'the trial has collapsed because for months and months, the Government has been refusing to give the CPS vital information'. Mrs Badenoch added: 'This wasn't a mistake, this wasn't a misunderstanding. 'This looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case and curry favour with the regime in China, and instead of admitting this. 'The Security Minister has come here blaming the Official Secrets Act, but we know that the Act was enough to prosecute this case.' Mrs Badenoch sought to defend the previous Conservative government's record, arguing that China was described as 'a 'threat'' while the Tories were in charge. She told MPs: 'The minister (Mr Jarvis) claims the CPS couldn't prosecute because the last government didn't describe China as a threat. 'I cannot believe that he would actually say that. He knows what he said he knows. 'Let me remind him. For starters, the 2021 integrated review described China as listen carefully the biggest state-based threat to the UK's economic security. 'The 2023 integrated review refresh said China posed let's listen carefully a 'threat' several times. 'In 2024 the then-minister for security said from that dispatch box that China poses a serious threat. 'But even if the last government had not said China was a threat and it did the Government only needed to convince a jury that it was a threat.' Mrs Badenoch later said: 'We know that the national security adviser Jonathan Powell has a very close relationship with China. 'Are we supposed to believe that he was not involved in the substance of the case and discussions around that, as they say? What does that even mean? 'He was in those meetings acting in the name of the Prime Minister. 'Do they really expect us to believe that he never mentioned to the Prime Minister any of this at any point?' Ministers should 'admit it' if they decided that 'closer economic ties with China were more important than due process and national security', Mrs Badenoch urged. But Mr Jarvis told MPs that Mrs Badenoch had made a 'whole series of baseless smears'. Responding to the Tory leader, he said: 'For days, the party opposite has been making baseless claims that this Government deliberately collapsed an independent legal process through political interference. 'There is not a shred of evidence to back up any of those accusations that she's made.' Mr Jarvis added that Ms Badenoch had said in September last year that she had previously 'shied away from calling China a threat'. He had earlier told the Commons that Labour cannot 'retrospectively change policy that existed' under previous Tory administrations. Mr Jarvis warned that dropping the case was not influenced by any minister 'nor special adviser or senior official'. 'Now, I've listened with interest in recent days to advice from former Conservative ministers on how the UK should now define our approach to China,' he told MPs. 'But I must remind them and the House that what matters is what their policy was in government.' He later added: 'The CPS decision to drop the case was not influenced by any member of this Government, nor special adviser or senior official.' The prosecution against Chris Cash, 30 (below) and Christopher Berry, 33, (above) collapsed last month when the Government refused to classify Beijing as a threat to national security Blame has been laid at the door of Jonathan Powell, Sir Keir Starmer 's national security adviser and a former aide of Sir Tony Blair Sir Keir has blamed the collapse of the case on evidence provided by the previous Tory administration, which was in power between December 2021 and February 2023 when the alleged spying offences took place. On Monday morning, Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer said Beijing does pose a threat to the UK, citing cybersecurity and its relationship with Russia. He claimed the trial collapsed last month because of the 'ropey' and 'archaic' Official Secrets Act. Mr Falconer told Times Radio: 'They do pose national security threats to the UK, whether that's in relation to cybersecurity, transnational repression, their relationship with Russia, in relation to the conflict in Ukraine; but there are also, of course, areas where we have to co-operate.' Ministers will follow the 'normal' process when it comes to settling a decision about whether China can build its so-called 'super embassy' in London, Mr Falconer added. Reports overnight in The Times suggested the Government has given Beijing assurances about the future of the embassy site. Britain's most senior prosecutor has said the spying case collapsed because evidence describing Beijing as a national security threat could not be obtained from Sir Keir's administration. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said last week that the CPS tried for 'many months' to obtain the evidence it needed, but it had not been forthcoming from the Government. The White House is said to have concerns about the UK's reliability following the dropping of charges, while two former senior civil servants, Lord Mark Sedwill and Lord Simon Case, have also questioned Sir Keir's explanation of how the case collapsed. Right-wing provocateur Candace Owens may soon find herself in new legal trouble as she continues to raise questions about Charlie Kirk's assassination last month. Owens, an independent podcaster and former Turning Point USA employee, has been generating theories about the motives, figures, and even nations she believes may be behind the murder of Kirk. While many of those ideas have been centered around Turning Point itself, last week Owens shared text messages between the late Charlie Kirk and his friend Josh Hammer - a podcaster and editor at Newsweek - in which Kirk expressed frustration over his organization losing the support of Jewish donors in his final days. Turning Point spokesman Andrew Kolvet later confirmed the authenticity of the screenshots released by Owens, despite Kirk's long alliance with American Jews and the state of Israel. Owen's dissemination of Hammer and Kirk's messages was seen by many, including Hammer, as a way to tie him to Kirk's death, and even suggest that Hammer was somehow complicit or responsible for the act. Hammer noted on X Monday that he was 'offline last week for a Jewish holiday,' and 'came back online to see a well-known mental patient accuse me of complicity in a friend's murder.' Hammer is now considering taking a legal actions against Owens, which could pile on to the legal battle she is already fighting with French President Emmanuel Macron over claims that his wife Brigitte was born a biological male. During an appearance on 'The Erin Molan Show' Monday, Hammer stated that he thinks there is 'a potentially serious case here for defamation' adding that he was 'very much speaking with lawyers.' Owens exclusively told the Daily Mail via a spokesman that 'Josh Hammer is lashing out due to embarrassment. He vociferously lied about the state of Charlie's mind toward Israel before his tragic death, and I revealed him. Legal warfare will no longer be used to bury the truth.' Charlie Kirk and his wife Erika in Israel Candace Owens speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at The Rosen Shingle Creek on February 25, 2022 in Orlando, Florida Josh Hammer, a columnist and senior-editor-at-large for Newsweek speaks at an event for the Young America's Foundation Sharing the clip of Hammer on her show, Molan noted, 'last week Candace Owens accused him of being involved in his close friend - Charlie Kirk's - murder' while adding that Owens' words were 'absolutely deplorable', 'deranged,' and 'disgusting.' Daily Mail reached out to Hammer for additional comments about a potential lawsuit against Owens and did not receive a reply in time for publication. Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump's administration who helped get him elected in 2024, was a key figure in American conservative politics. He was assassinated last month at a speaking event on the campus of Utah Valley University. In the initial leaked text messages, Kirk privately complained that a Jewish donor had withdrawn a $2 million investment into the organization because he refused to disinvite Tucker Carlson from the upcoming AmericaFest event. 'Just lost another huge Jewish donor,' Kirk wrote. '$2 million a year because we won't cancel Tucker. I'm thinking of inviting Candace.' 'Jewish donors play into all the stereotypes. I cannot and will not be bullied like this.' Kirk concludes: 'Leaving me no choice but to leave the pro Israel cause.' Hammer released new screenshots after Owens' revelations that he claims show Kirk 'remained a true friend of the Jewish people and the Jewish state to the very end.' Hammer, who was a member of the group chat where Kirk made his controversial comments about Israel, claims Kirk was 'blowing off steam in a private group chat setting.' Hours after Kirk sent those messages he joined a Zoom call seeking advice on how to promote Israel on college campuses with Gen Z students. 'Thank you for your help today guys!' Kirk sent to the group members, some of whom are pro-Israel. Hammer claims the text messages were sent one day before Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley University. 'The final-ever messages Charlie sent in this WhatsApp chat, which were delivered hours after the deeply out-of-context screenshots that the aforementioned lunatic and others have been discussing this week, make clear that Charlie was deeply grateful for our help,' Hammer wrote in a post on X. The stabbing death of 27-year-old schoolteacher Ellen Greenberg has been ruled as a suicide by the city of Philadelphia once again - marking a huge blow to her family's 14-year fight for answers. Greenberg was found dead on January 26, 2011, inside the sixth-floor apartment she shared with her fiance Sam Goldberg in the safe neighborhood of Manayunk, Philadelphia. She had been stabbed 20 times, including 10 times to the back of the neck and head, and her body was covered in bruises in various stages of healing. A 10-inch kitchen knife was sticking out of her chest. Despite the extent and nature of her wounds, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a suicide. It's a ruling Greenberg's parents Sandee and Josh have never believed. For the past 14 years, they have thrown everything into legal battles and hiring investigators, experts and pathologists who have cast doubts on the official account from the city. Multiple independent experts have uncovered damning evidence they say contradicts the suicide ruling: including evidence that someone moved her body, that one of the knife wounds appears to have been inflicted post-mortem, and that the discovery of her body did not take place the way officials said. And, in February, the pathologist who carried out Greenberg's autopsy made a spectacular U-turn, admitting he now believes he was wrong and that Greenberg did not kill herself. Now, in a bombshell 32-page review, obtained by the Daily Mail, Philadelphia's Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon announced she is standing by the city's controversial ruling. On January 26 2011, Ellen Greenberg was found dead on the kitchen floor inside the two-bedroom apartment she shared with her fiance Sam Goldberg in Philadelphi At the time of her death, Ellen was planning her wedding to TV producer Sam Goldberg (pictured together) In the decision, Simon claims Greenberg could have inflicted the 20 stab wounds on herself and says there were no signs of a struggle or defensive wounds at the scene. 'While the distribution of injuries is admittedly unusual, the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself,' Simon wrote, saying that many of the wounds could be classed as hesitation wounds and that there is no evidence she was 'incapacitated' when they were inflicted. The medical examiner also pointed to a lack of evidence of domestic abuse in Greenberg's relationship with her TV producer fiance. Neither his nor anyone else's DNA - other than Greenberg's - was found on the kitchen knife used to inflict the fatal wounds, Simon wrote. Greenberg was also suffering from anxiety at the time of her death and had recently changed medication which was helping with her insomnia - meaning she had 'an increase in energy to act on her anxious thoughts', the review found. 'With all of this information considered, it is the opinion of the undersigned that the manner of Ellen Greenberg's death is best classified as 'suicide,'' Simon wrote. 'All opinions stated in this report are expressed with a reasonable degree of medical certainty.' In a statement to the Daily Mail, Joe Podraza, the attorney for Greenberg's parents, slammed the medical examiner's conclusion as 'tripe, an embarrassment to the City, and an insult to Ellen and her family'. Podraza branded the city's 'so-called 'independent review'' into Greenberg's death 'a deeply flawed attempt to justify a predetermined conclusion'. 'It includes false claims - like the assertion that a stab wound in Ellen's spinal column was made during autopsy, a theory rejected by every credible expert, including the City's own neuropathologist,' he said. 'By ignoring key evidence that contradicts suicide - the extensive 3D photogrammetry, a recreation which proves Ellen could not self-inflict all of the wounds, unexplained bruises, missing surveillance footage, an intact lock, accounts of a toxic relationship, etc. - Simon builds a flimsy case on distorted portrayals of Ellen's mental health, propped up by cynical distortions of Ellen's managed anxiety, a condition widely experienced daily by over 40 million Americans. Shame on you Simon.' Diagram of the knife wounds suffered by the 27-year-old elementary school teacher. She had been stabbed 20 times mainly to the back of her head and neck This 10-inch kitchen knife was found sticking out of Ellen's chest, very close to her heart Podraza added: 'Ellen's family just wanted the truth. It is clear the truth will not come from Philadelphia's law enforcement machinery. Though Ellen's city turned its back on her, we will continue through other avenues to get justice for her murder, by any means necessary.' There had been three potential outcomes from the reexamination: officials would declare the schoolteacher died by homicide, her manner of death would be ruled undetermined, or officials would stand by their ruling and continue to rule her death as a suicide. A homicide ruling - or even an undetermined ruling - would have led to a full criminal investigation into Greenberg's death and into finding a potential killer. With the city standing by its suicide ruling, it's unclear what Josh and Sandee's next steps could be. 'So long as that death certificate says suicide, it's an obstacle for an investigation to proceed, because it's the state literally saying no crime has occurred,' Podraza said in an interview with the Daily Mail days before the review was released. 'The perfect murder is to have the manner of death declared a suicide. That's the truth.' On January 26, 2011, a huge nor'easter was sweeping Philadelphia, covering the city in snow and ice, shuttering schools and businesses, and sending residents hunkering down inside the safety and warmth of their homes. That afternoon, Greenberg returned to the couple's apartment. Goldberg told police he then went to the gym in the apartment building at around 4.45pm and returned around 30 minutes later to find the door locked from the inside. Surveillance footage captured him heading to and from the gym and in the lobby of the building around those times. Josh and Sandee Greenberg with their daughter Ellen. The Greenbergs have fought for 14 years to get the truth about what happened to Ellen He sent a series of increasingly irate texts to Greenberg: 'Hello,' 'open the door,' 'what r u doin,' 'i'm getting pissed,' 'hello,' 'you better have an excuse,' 'what the f***' 'ahhh' and 'u have no idea.' During that time, he also spoke to his uncle and cousin James and Kamian Schwartzman, both powerful attorneys, on the phone. After around an hour, Goldberg said he broke down the door to get inside and found his fiancee in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor. He placed a 911 call at around 6.30pm. Around two minutes into the call, Goldberg mentioned there was a knife sticking out of Greenberg's chest. 'She stabbed herself,' Goldberg said. Moments later, he said: 'She fell on a knife.' Emergency responders pronounced Greenberg dead on the scene. Responding police officers instantly treated her death as a suicide, because Goldberg said the door had been locked from the inside and no one else was inside the apartment. The home was not treated as a crime scene and no CSI team was called. The next day, Dr Marlon Osbourne - of the city's medical examiner's office - conducted Greenberg's autopsy. Finding her numerous, horrific injuries, he ruled her death a homicide caused by 'multiple stab wounds by an unknown person'. Ellen's fiance said the door was locked from the inside when he returned from the gym so he had to break it down The scene inside the kitchen where Ellen was found dead back on January 26 2011 in the middle of a blizzard An image of the wounds on Ellen's body. Experts have cast doubts on almost every aspect of the case including whether she would have been able to inflict the wounds on herself But by then, the scene had been released and professionally cleaned by a cleanup firm. Goldberg's relatives had also visited the home and taken possession of several electronic devices. Days later, a closed-door meeting was held between the medical examiner's office and law enforcement and Osbourne, suddenly and without explanation, then changed his ruling to suicide. In a bombshell moment this January, Osbourne changed his mind, admitting in a sworn statement that he no longer believes Greenberg killed herself and that her manner of death should be designated 'as something other than suicide'. Three days later, just before the city of Philadelphia was set to face a civil trial brought by Greenberg's parents, a settlement was reached in two lawsuits. A key part of the settlement included a commitment that the medical examiner's office would carry out an 'expeditious' reinvestigation of the 27-year-old's death. While this appeared to be a turning point, several months went by with no response from the city. After several months, Podraza filed a motion to force the city to keep its promise. A tense hearing was held September 3, where Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Linda Carpenter scolded the city for dragging its feet, saying expedited should mean a week to 10 days and that the delay shows they 'obviously just don't care'. The hearing concluded with the city agreeing to a deadline of October 14 to give its final answer as to whether Greenberg's death ruling will remain as a suicide or will be designated something else. Sam Goldberg, now a married father-of-two living in New York, has not joined Sandee and Josh in fighting the suicide ruling The reexamination appeared to signal a major step forward in the Greenbergs' fight for justice. However, there were concerns that the city was effectively marking its own homework, with the reexamination being carried out by the very same authorities the Greenberg parents believe botched and covered-up their daughter's case from the get-go. Days before the city released its review, Podraza told the Daily Mail: 'I'm not confident in anything in this case. We've been involved for six years and it has had so many twists and turns and surprises that I'm not taking anything for granted.' Now, that reexamination has concluded and the city is doubling down on its ruling of suicide. As well as Osbourne's spectacular U-turn, numerous experts have long contradicted the suicide ruling. Not only were half of the stab wounds inflicted to the back of Greenberg's body, several were also catastrophic: one three-inch wound near the base of her skull caused a stroke, one severed the spinal column membrane, one sliced her aorta. Prominent pathologist Wayne Ross, hired by Sandee and Josh to review her death, also found bruises, a scratch and what looked like finger marks on Greenberg's neck indicating she could have been strangled. The other bruising on her body - in various stages of healing - also indicated she had suffered 'a repeated beating' prior to her death, Ross concluded. And he found that one of the stab wounds to her head 'severed the cranial nerves and brain' and would have caused her to lose consciousness - therefore making it impossible for her to cause the final stab wound to her chest. Separately, Dr Lyndsey Emery, a pathologist in the medical examiner's office, also examined Greenberg's spinal column in 2019 and testified in a deposition that she found no hemorrhage. One possible conclusion from this is that this stab wound was inflicted post-mortem. And due to the knife being found in Greenberg's chest, that could not have been the final stab wound. To some, the scene itself also looked staged, with the position of dried blood on Greenberg's face indicating she had been moved to where she was found propped up against the kitchen cabinets. Questions have also been raised over whether or not the apartment door was locked on the inside, meaning that Goldberg had to break the door down to get inside. The official account that Goldberg was accompanied by a security guard when he entered the apartment has now also been refuted by surveillance footage and the guard's sworn testimony. For his part, Goldberg, now a married father-of-two living in New York, has not joined Sandee and Josh in fighting the suicide ruling. He has spoken out publicly about his fiancee's death only once over the years - in a written statement to CNN in late 2024 where he blasted the 'lies, distortions and falsehoods' about him and insisted Greenberg died by suicide. If Greenberg's death had been ruled a homicide, a criminal investigation could have been launched into her death Ellen and Sandee Greenberg. The Greenbergs believe their daughter was murdered and they want to see her killer brought to justice In the months leading up to her death, Greenberg had been struggling with anxiety and had been prescribed Klonopin and Ambien. Her psychiatrist insisted she was not suicidal and she had not disclosed any domestic abuse. Greenberg told her friends and family that she was stressed with work but she had recently asked her parents if she could move back home with them. Sandee told the Daily Mail earlier this year she now believes her daughter was being abused in the lead-up to her death. 'I knew she was struggling with something. But I didn't know what,' she said. To Sandee and Josh, there's no doubt in their minds that their daughter was murdered and they want to see her killer brought to justice. A MAN accused of murdering his girlfriend has claimed that she repeatedly stabbed herself in a hot tub. Aren Pearson, 41, said he saw Claire Leveque, 24, plunge a knife into herself. Prosecutors claim Pearson murdered fellow Canadian Ms Leveque at his mothers home in Shetland. Yesterday Pearson, who was living in Sandness with his Scots mother, told the High Court in Edinburgh that Ms Leveque had been drinking whisky in the hours leading up to the incident. Pearson said that she had heard him speaking to her father in Canada about how much alcohol she was consuming. He said her drinking was causing him problems in his personal life and he wanted to send her back to her father using 200k of money made from online investments. Pearson told his lawyer Iain Paterson, KC, that she overheard this conversation and lost her temper. He said she struck him and grabbed a knife before jumping into a hot tub. Pearson added: She stabbed herself once near her rib and pulled it out. Aren Pearson, 41, denies murdering Claire Leveque in Shetland Prosecutors claim Pearson murdered fellow Canadian Ms Leveque at his mothers home in Shetland. She looked at me. She looked almost surprised that she didnt feel it. She started to scream. She maybe plunged herself four or five times. Pearson said the couple came to Scotland in October 2023. He told the court their relationship became too toxic when drink was taken. Describing the day of the alleged murder, he said: We were having a nice afternoon but it turned into a horrible one. Pearson said Ms Leveque drank about a third of a litre of spirits, adding: She guzzled a whole bunch of it and she started abusing me again. He said he told her to go to bed and then called her father, Clint, in Winnipeg, to tell her that he had booked flights to take her back home to him. The accused said that he did not know she had overheard the conversation and had heard him talking about her drinking. She reacted badly and told him she may have drunk from a bottle of brake fluid. He said he was trying to get her into his car so he could take her to hospital in Lerwick. It was at that point, he claims, she struck him, ran to a shed with the hot tub and stabbed herself repeatedly. The court heard that Pearson drove his Porsche car into the sea from a nearby beach. He said he couldnt remember doing that. The jury earlier heard evidence that Pearson told a doctor at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick that he had been trying to get rid of Ms Leveque. Speaking about this to Mr Paterson, Pearson said: Thats been taken out of context. What I meant by that was sending her back to Canada, not killing her. When Mr Paterson asked him whether he could have attacked Claire after she allegedly struck herself with the knife, Pearson replied: I suppose so. Anything could have happened. Pearson denies seven charges including murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. The trial, before judge Lord Arthurson, continues. A woman arrested after two children were found dead has been detained under the Mental Health Act. The 43-year-old from the Stafford area was held on suspicion of murder after two-year-old Meraj Ul Zahra and three-year-old Abdul Momin Alfaateh were found unresponsive with injuries inside a Corporation Street property. Stafford Borough Police confirmed this evening the woman detained was related to the two victims. Emergency services were called to the scene at 7:30am yesterday, where the two children were pronounced dead. Police have remained silent over the woman's specific relationship to the children. A neighbour, Ben Lowe, told of how upsetting the tragedy was. Mr Lowe said: 'It's sad, it's just really sad. I live 10 to 15 doors away I've got two children myself. 'There's a lot of children round here, it's a very family-oriented area. 'It's a friendly area, everyone says hello, and I just felt it was important to mark a bit of respect for these kids. A cordon remains in place on Corporation Street at both ends of the road, while traffic diversions are in place Neighbour, Ben Lowe described the mood in the local community as really sombre while he laid flowers following the deaths of two-year-old Meraj Ul Zahra and three-year-old Abdul Momin Alfaateh He said the local community has been left reeling after their deaths and described the mood as 'really sombre' while he came to lay flowers at the scene. 'People are carrying on, doing their thing, taking their kids to school and whatnot, but there is a very melancholy atmosphere. 'It is really sad and not something you would expect to happen anywhere, really, let alone somewhere where everyone is bringing families up.' Stafford MP, Leigh Ingham, took to Facebook on Sunday saying the incident was 'absolutely heartbreaking news in our community'. She added, 'My heart goes out to the family affected in this case. 'Thank you, as always to our tireless emergency services, who I know will be working incredibly hard to gather all the facts. 'At times like this, I would ask that everyone is careful to avoid speculation online.' A cordon remains in place on Corporation Street at both ends of the road, while traffic diversions are in place. Police are also calling for information from the public that could help with their investigation. Donald Trump has with a stroke of the pen formally solidified the Israel-Hamas peace plan following the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. The president was surrounded by world leaders from across the Middle East in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on Monday to conclude the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. 'This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it's going to hold up too. It's going to hold up,' Trump said while signing the document. The exact content of the document is not clear. Trump was flanked by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, along with Gulf nation leaders in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Absent from the signing in Egypt were leaders from Hamas and Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited by Trump to the meeting, but declined citing a Jewish holiday as reasoning for his absence. The president proclaimed the signing as a turning point in the region for peace. 'This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping, and praying for,' Trump added. 'They have done things over the last month that I think were really unthinkable. Nobody thought this could happen. With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered.' Trump signed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement formally signifying the end of the bloody two-year war Trump promised that phase two of the peace agreement in Gaza would commence shortly Leaders of Hamas and Israel were absent from the signing of the deal The document was also signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Trump noted the document constructs the groundwork for the future of the Gaza region. During his speech in Israel's parliament known as the Knesset, Trump shared his hope that the signing would officially end the decades long conflict between Israel and Gaza. 'You've won,' Trump told Israeli politicians. 'Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.' Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the US president, and her husband Jared Kushner pose during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza, and he urged Palestinians to 'turn forever from the path of terror and violence.' 'After tremendous pain and death and hardship,' he said, 'now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down.' Trump even made a gesture to Iran, where he bombed three nuclear sites during the country's brief war with Israel earlier this year, by saying 'the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.' Trump arrived in Egypt hours late because speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected. 'They might not be there by the time I get there, but well give it a shot,' Trump joked after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much. Twenty hostages were released Monday as part of an agreement intended to end the war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, with an attack by Hamas-led militants. Trump talked with some of their families at the Knesset. 'Your name will be remembered to generations,' a woman told him. Israeli lawmakers chanted Trump's name and gave him standing ovation after standing ovation. Some people in the audience wore red hats that resembled his 'Make America Great Again' caps, although these versions said 'Trump, The Peace President.' Netanyahu hailed Trump as 'the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,' and he promised to work with him going forward. 'Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace,' he said. 'And together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace.' Trump, in an unexpected detour during his speech, called on the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu, whom he described as 'one of the greatest' wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas. Rescued hostage Noa Argamani, pictured left, was tonight seen reunited with her sweetheart Avinatan Or, right Emotional pictures show the couple dubbed 'Romeo and Juliet' together at last over two years after they were cruelly ripped apart from each other Noa, 27, was dragged away from Avinatan, 32, on a motorbike in a harrowing image that went viral and came to sadly embody the atrocity of October 7, 2023 The Republican president also used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticizing Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson , in the audience. The moment remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas still in the early stages of implementing the first phase of Trump's plan. President Donald Trump talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Monday The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final hostages held by Hamas; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main cities. Trump has said there's a window to reshape the region and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. 'The war is over, OK?' Trump told reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One. 'I think people are tired of it,' he said, emphasizing that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of that. He said the chance of peace was enabled by his Republican administrations support of Israels decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House said momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States. In February, Trump had predicted that Gaza could be redeveloped into what he called 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' But on Sunday aboard Air Force One, he was more circumspect. President Donald Trump reacts during his address to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Monday US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) is recognized by President Donald Trump as he speaks at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on Monday 'I dont know about the Riviera for a while,' Trump said. 'Its blasted. This is like a demolition site.' But he said he hoped to one day visit the territory. 'Id like to put my feet on it, at least,' he said. The sides have not agreed on Gazas postwar governance, the territorys reconstruction and Israels demand that Hamas disarm. Negotiations over those issues could break down, and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not met. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble , and the territorys roughly 2 million residents continue to struggle in desperate conditions. Under the deal, Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings, which will help ease the flow of food and other supplies into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Roughly 200 U.S. troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players. On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Beeri, shattering the peaceful life Eli Sharabi had built with his British wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel. Dragged barefoot out his front door while his family watched in horror, Sharabi was plunged deep into the suffocating darkness of Gazas tunnels. As war raged above him, he endured a grueling 491 days in captivity. Lianne and the girls, aged 13 and 16, were killed in the attacks. His brother, Yossi, was also kidnapped and died in captivity. It is hoped his body will be returned to his family today. Sharabi's new book, Hostage, is the first memoir to be published by a released Israeli hostage, and in it he describes the unimaginable conditions he and the other newly released hostages were forced to endure - including starvation, psychological abuse, and physical beatings. In this exclusive excerpt, he and three fellow hostages have just been transferred to a new tunnel under Gaza, as his soldier captors attempt to evade the IDF's raids. Difficult days lie ahead. This tunnel lacks basic supplies and equipment. It doesnt even have a landline for our captors, and they spend several days trying to set one up. Our only food is what they brought with them from the previous tunnel. In the kitchenette across from our cell, theres no gas. No way to cook the dry food. For the first three days in this tunnel, we eat nothing but biscuits. Two or three in the morning. Two or three at night. Sharabi had built a peaceful life in the kibbutz with his wife and two daughters Sharabi on the day of his release, February 8, 2025, flanked by two Hamas fighters Released Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen arrives in Tel Aviv on October 13, 2025 Biscuits and water. Thats it. After three days, they bring us some raw fava beans. I start feeling weak. My body needs real food. I think it takes them nearly two weeks to get pitas into the tunnel. Theyre stale, probably foraged from the street. I dont care. I savor the single pita bread Im given and devour it slowly. Besides the pitas, they give us a can of cream cheese. I break my pita into pieces, dip each one into the cheese, and chew slowly. I save the last morsel for the end of the day, just to fall asleep with something in my stomach. After two weeks of surviving on biscuits, one daily can of cheese between four men, and a handful of stale pitas, a gas burner finally arrives. We hope things will start to improve. They clearly have supply issues. Unlike in the previous tunnel, there are no regular deliveries. All they have is what they manage to scavenge outside. And outside, theres hardly anything. Hunger sets in. Not from deliberate starvation, but from scarcity. For them too. Sharabi with his British wife, Lianne (right), and their teenage daughters, Yahel and Noiya, who were all killed in the 10/7 attacks Kibbutz Be'eri is riddled with bullet holes and blood stains following the 10/7 attacks More than 100 Israelis were slaughtered at Kibbutz Be'eri - including Sharabi's wife and teenage daughters Sharabi was held in a series of tunnels below Gaza - like hostage Evyatar David (pictured) Sure, they eat more than us, and better. But even they dont have much. The shortages make them more irritable. Less patient with us. Were careful not to cross them, not to speak out of line, not to make any requests. Were impatient too. The hunger turns each man inward. Empathy dries up. These are hard moments. When everything you are, everything I am, is reduced to one thing: hunger. Nothing else matters. We have no mattresses. At night, we spread our blankets on the ground and sleep on them, in pain. Our toothpaste runs out after three weeks. We brush our teeth with plain brushes. After a few months, we get a new tube, but it only lasts a month, even after we agree to ration it and use toothpaste once every other day. Theres no toilet paper. We clean up in the bathroom with a water bottle. There are jerricans in the tunnel: some for drinking, hauled down by our captors, and others, not safe to drink, for washing and toilet use. We reuse the same water to wash our hands, clean ourselves off after using the toilet, and refill the water tank, since there is no running water. Sharabi (right) with his brothers Yossi (left), who was killed in captivity, and Sharon (middle) who survived Freed hostage Eitan Mor is reunited with his family in Israel following his release on October 13 Our rations keep shrinking, and with them, the frequency of our bathroom visits. We do not share toilets with our captors. We have ours; they have theirs. They clean theirs, not ours. Soap is a rare commodity. When they have some, they give us a little. At first more often. Then much less. Eventually, not at all. Our hygiene deteriorates. Our bodies are filthy. We go for weeks without showering. Our clothes are never washed. Our space is never cleaned. And theres no way to clean it. Everything becomes gross. We shower once every six or eight weeks. With a bucket. And a bit of soap. Every time we shower, were shocked by how dirty our bodies are. The layers of grime. I scrub and I scrub with the little soap I have. I never knew the human body could collect so much filth. We constantly pray we wont get sick. We realize how easily it could happen. Diseases wed never worry about at home, infections that shouldnt occur, could absolutely happen here. Im spared most of them, thankfully. But not the others. The other three men held captive with me suffer from constant diarrhea. Frequent vomiting. Fungal infections. Nails falling off. My problem is mostly dizziness. I think its because Im so weak. Another week passes. And then another. The days crawl by and pile atop of each other. The cesspit under the toilet stops draining. Everything spills over. The raw sewage rises to the surface, adding to the unbearable stink, which spreads and worsens with every passing day. Sharabi was released after 491 days in captivity, enduring appalling conditions I dont know how to describe it. How do you convey what it feels like to be swallowed in such a suffocating odor? Its a stench you never get used to. At some point, worm colonies start to form around us. I cant see them: Im shortsighted and left my glasses behind on the path in Beeri. But the others can. They describe tiny white worms multiplying in the toilet tank, in the stagnant sewage drains, by the sink, on the floor, on our toothbrushes. We tell our captors about the worms. It scares them. Over time, we understand: they care about our health. Not because they care about us. Because they care about themselves. If one of us gets seriously ill, things become complicated. They cant provide proper medical care down here. And moving even one of us to a medical facility aboveground would be a major operation. Their job is to keep us alive, for as long as possible. Thats clear to us. And to them. Thats why theyre here: to shoot us if IDF soldiers arrive to rescue us, and to keep us alive unless and until that happens. We are bargaining chips. They need bargaining chips. And they need bargaining chips with a pulse. Our captors bring us some sort of tool to try to unclog the cesspit, hoping to make things better. Its no help. We simply get used to living with the worms. We rinse our toothbrushes before each use. We tread carefully on the floor. We rush in and out of the bathroom to avoid lingering too long. Every morning, we check our bodies to make sure were not covered in worms. It doesnt always work. Eventually, we surrender to them. We accept theyre here to stay. Excerpt from the book HOSTAGE by Eli Sharabi. Copyright 2025 by Eli Sharabi. Used with permission of Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins. All rights reserved. Hostage is published by Swift Press in the UK. A sick female law student who is accused of taking pleasure in killing allegedly fatally poisoned four people in a five-month-long murder spree. The 'extremely manipulative' Brazilian woman, Ana Paula Veloso Fernandes, 36, is said to have premeditated the horrific acts as she admitted to killing 10 dogs in order to test the strength of the poison before using it on her victims. The first victim is believed to be Marcelo Fonseco, who was allegedly murdered in Guarulhos in January. Fernandes had moved into his home pretending to be a renter, but within four days he had been poisoned and his body left to decompose. The alleged killer then went on to meet Maria Aparecida Rodrigues on a dating app in April, who was eventually found dead after having coffee at Fernandes' home. Police say she attempted to frame her ex-boyfriend, a military officer, by forging notes and making a supposedly poisoned cake. Investigators claim she was helped to by her twin sister Roberta Cristina Veloso Fernandes and friend Michelle Paiva da Silva, 43. Fernandes' motivations remain unclear as top police chief chief Halisson Ideiao said: 'Ana Paula takes pleasure in killing. Her motivation doesn't really matter - she wants to kill.' Ana Paula Veloso Fernandes, 36, a law student who 'takes pleasure in killing', allegedly fatally poisoned four people in a five-month-long murder spree The 'extremely manipulative' Brazilian woman premeditated the horrific acts as she admitted to killing 10 dogs in order to test the strength of the poison before using it on her victims He added she was the last to be seen with each victim and the first to call police, while she deployed different strategies to get close to them. She is also accused of making a poisoned stew which she used to kill a 65-year-old man. Fernandes was hired by da Silva, her classmate at the time, to kill her father Neil Correia da Silva for 540 (4000 Brazilian Real). The fourth death is that of a 21-year-old Tunisian man she had been romantically involved with. Fernandes reported Hayder Mhazres' death in May following a break up where she then faked a pregnancy and allegedly poisoned him with a milkshake after he rejected her. Police Chief Ideiaho described the accused serial killer was 'extremely manipulative'. He said she showed: 'Coldness, a lack of remorse and a clear pleasure, not only in committing the crime, but in remaining around it, in witnessing the impact of what she did. '[She] would certainly attempt to kill others again.' The alleged killer met Maria Aparecida Rodrigues on a dating app in April, who was eventually found dead after having coffee at Fernandes' home The fourth death is that of 21-year-old Hayder Mhazres, who had been romantically involved with Fernandes In a raid of her home officers found a banned pesticide similar to rat poison, known as terbufos. It is believed the women carried out the murders between January and May 2025 in Guarulhos and Sao Paulo in south-eastern Brazil and Duque de Caxias in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Fernandes, her twin sister and da Silva have all been arrested. The investigation continues as police await toxicology results from the exhumed bodies. Donald Trump's awkward handshake with Emmanuel Macron at the Gaza peace summit has taken a mysterious turn as new details reveal a tense conversation. The duo shook hands in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday as Trump signed the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. Their uncomfortable 'death clasp' handshakes have gone viral over the years, with footage from 2017 showing the two leaders locking hands for 29 seconds straight. Trump drew the French president in for a warm handshake before the pair each placed an affectionate hand on the other's upper arm in front of a large crowd of photographers. The embrace soon turned into something akin to an arm wrestle as the two presidents exchanged what seemed like intense conversation while swinging their opposite number's hand from side to side. Macron eventually freed himself from Trump's grasp and hurried off the stage. However, lip reader Nicola Hickling told the Daily Mail that the handshake was much more than just a casual greeting between the two leaders. 'Nice to see you, so you agreed?' Trump told Macron who soon turned away from the camera and muttered an inaudible response. Trump's awkward handshake with Macron soon took a dramatic turn when the world leader's greeted each other Trump accused Macron of trying to hurt him during their dramatic standoff Trump signed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement in Egypt on Monday 'Are you being genuine?' Trump asks as Macron quickly replies, 'Of course.' The commander-in-chief then tightens his grips around Macron's palm before shooting back, 'Okay, so now I want to know why, you hurt me. I already know.' Trump then squeezes Macron's hand again as the French president looks down and away from the cameras. It's not clear what the pair were speaking about; however, it comes weeks after Macron was seen mocking Trump with world leaders. The two leaders have a colorful history together, often seeming to appear friendly, despite occasionally criticizing each other in public. Speaking slowly and clearly Trump says, 'I am making peace.' Macron then taps Trump's hand and replies, 'Ah come on', while Trump ignores and grasps tighter. 'I only hurt those who hurt others,' Trump tells Macron while pointing at the cameras. 'I see. We will have to see about that,' Macron says before issuing a stark warning to Trump. 'You will see what is about to happen.' Trump concludes, 'Id like to see you do it, do it. Ill see you in a bit.' A convoy carrying four Israeli hostages inside coffins has crossed the border from Gaza back to their homeland. An IDF escort of armored cars flying the Star of David on Monday night transported the bodies for identification at the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. Hamas said it would return four bodies on Monday, naming Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi, Guy Illouz and Bipin Joshi for the grim handover. Israel is expected to carry out a DNA analysis to confirm the identities. The heartbreaking homecoming came after Hamas freed 20 living hostages on Monday as phase one of Donald Trump's historic peace deal went into effect. During the peace negotiations it was reported that Hamas was holding the remains of 28 captives who had perished since October 7, 2023. Trump earlier met with families of hostages at Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where he hailed the historic truce between Israel and Hamas to end the war that has killed more than 70,000 people. The US president later flew to Egypt where he was joined by heads of state from around the world to sign the ceasefire agreement brokered by his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. An IDF escort of armored cars flying the Star of David was seen on Monday night heading to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv Hamas said it would return four bodies on Monday, naming Daniel Peretz (left) and Guy Illouz (right) Yossi Sharabi (left) and Bipin Joshi who Hamas earlier said it would release Monday 'This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it's going to hold up too. It's going to hold up,' Trump said while signing the document. The exact content of the document is not clear. Trump was flanked by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, along with Gulf nation leaders in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Absent from the signing in Egypt were leaders from Hamas and Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited by Trump to the meeting, but declined citing a Jewish holiday as reasoning for his absence. The president proclaimed the signing as a turning point in the region for peace. 'This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping, and praying for,' Trump added. 'They have done things over the last month that I think were really unthinkable. Nobody thought this could happen. With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered.' The document was also signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Trump noted the document constructs the groundwork for the future of the Gaza region. During his speech in Israel's parliament known as the Knesset, Trump shared his hope that the signing would officially end the decades long conflict between Israel and Gaza. 'You've won,' Trump told Israeli politicians. 'Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.' Trump signed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement formally signifying the end of the bloody two-year war Trump promised that phase two of the peace agreement in Gaza would commence shortly Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza, and he urged Palestinians to 'turn forever from the path of terror and violence.' 'After tremendous pain and death and hardship,' he said, 'now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down.' Trump even made a gesture to Iran, where he bombed three nuclear sites during the country's brief war with Israel earlier this year, by saying 'the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.' The president arrived in Egypt hours late because speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected. 'They might not be there by the time I get there, but well give it a shot,' Trump joked after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much. At the Knesset, Trump spoke with some of the hostages' families. Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the US president, and her husband Jared Kushner pose during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday 'Your name will be remembered to generations,' a woman told him. Israeli lawmakers chanted Trump's name and gave him standing ovation after standing ovation. Some people in the audience wore red hats that resembled his 'Make America Great Again' caps, although these versions said 'Trump, The Peace President.' Netanyahu hailed Trump as 'the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,' and he promised to work with him going forward. 'Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace,' he said. 'And together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace.' Trump, in an unexpected detour during his speech, called on the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu, whom he described as 'one of the greatest' wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas. The Republican president also used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticizing Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson , in the audience. The moment remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas still in the early stages of implementing the first phase of Trump's plan. The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final hostages held by Hamas; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main cities. Trump has said there's a window to reshape the region and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. 'The war is over, OK?' Trump told reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One. 'I think people are tired of it,' he said, emphasizing that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of that. Rescued hostage Noa Argamani, pictured left, was tonight seen reunited with her sweetheart Avinatan Or, right Emotional pictures show the couple dubbed 'Romeo and Juliet' together at last over two years after they were cruelly ripped apart from each other He said the chance of peace was enabled by his Republican administrations support of Israels decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House said momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States. In February, Trump had predicted that Gaza could be redeveloped into what he called 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' But on Sunday aboard Air Force One, he was more circumspect. 'I dont know about the Riviera for a while,' Trump said. 'Its blasted. This is like a demolition site.' But he said he hoped to one day visit the territory. 'Id like to put my feet on it, at least,' he said. The sides have not agreed on Gazas postwar governance, the territorys reconstruction and Israels demand that Hamas disarm. Negotiations over those issues could break down, and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not met. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble , and the territorys roughly 2 million residents continue to struggle in desperate conditions. Under the deal, Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings, which will help ease the flow of food and other supplies into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Roughly 200 U.S. troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players. Former federal minister Linda Reynolds has ramped up her legal battle with Brittany Higgins by launching bankruptcy proceedings. Reynolds confirmed on Monday that she had filed a creditor's petition in the Federal Court seeking to set in motion the bankruptcy of her former political staffer. The moves comes just days after Ms Higgins husband, David Sharaz, accepted service of a bankruptcy notice as Reynolds seeks to recover damages awarded in her favour. Proceedings were escalated after Ms Higgins failed to comply with a bankruptcy notice recently issued to her by Reynolds. 'It is unfortunate I have to take this step in this long-running saga,' Reynolds told The Australian. Ms Higgins and her now-husband were sued for defamation by her former boss over a series of social media posts that the ex-defence minister successfully argued had damaged her reputation. Last month, WA Supreme Court Justice Paul Tottle ordered Mr Sharaz to pay Reynolds $92,000 in damages, plus legal costs expected to exceed $500,000. Mr Sharaz is also jointly liable with Ms Higgins to pay a further $135,000 in damages over a separate post shared about the former minister. Brittany Higgins has had bankruptcy proceedings launched against her by her former boss Linda Reynolds described the move launched against her ex-political staffer as 'unfortunate' Justice Tottles subsequently found Ms Higgins liable for 80 per cent of Reynoldss legal costs. That alone is estimated at around $1.5m, the publication reported. The former senator has given Mr Sharaz a 21-day deadline to pay what's owed to her before she proceeds to formally bankrupt him after he accepted a bankruptcy notice. 'Mr Sharaz today agreed to accept service of the bankruptcy notice I had issued to him several weeks ago, but not before forcing me to incur further legal expenses in applying for substituted service orders,' Reynolds said. 'Again, this is predictable conduct that I have unfortunately become accustomed to in the pursuit of justice.' Daily Mail understands that Mr Sharaz cannot pay the debt - estimated to be $700,000 and will apply to go bankrupt via Australian Financial Security Authority in the coming weeks. He and Ms Higgins were forced to sell their chateau in France in June amid their mounting legal costs. Justice Tottle ruled that Higgins and Sharaz's social media posts falsely implied Ms Reynolds had taken part in a political cover-up of Ms Higgins rape allegation. 'The defendant and Mr David Sharaz published a tweet on 27 January 2022, which contained two imputations,' Justice Tottle said in his judgement. The moves comes just days after Brittany Higgins husband, David Sharaz, accepted service of a bankruptcy notice 'First, that the plaintiff had pressured the defendant not to proceed with a genuine complaint of sexual assault. And second, that the plaintiff is a hypocrite in her advocacy of gender equality and female empowerment. 'Both imputations were defamatory The defendant has not established her defence of truth or any of her other defences.' A second Instagram post published by Ms Higgins on 4 July 2023, which conveyed the imputations that Reynolds had engagement in a campaign of harassment against her, that she had mishandled the allegation of rape and engaged in questionable conduct during Bruce Lehrmann's trial, was also found to be defamatory. Justice Tottle awarded damages worth $180,000 to Reynolds for that post. A third post, in which Ms Higgins posted tweets on 20 July 2023 which conveyed the imputation that Reynolds wanted to silence the victims of sexual assault was also found to be defamatory. Reynolds, who reportedly re-mortgaged her house to fund her defamation case, said the recent WA Supreme Court ruling by Justice Tottle was a 'great relief'. 'There was no conspiracy and no political cover-up of a rape,' she said. 'This was never about Ms Higgins' allegation of rape and it was also never about the money. 'It was always about the dishonest and devastating attack on my reputation that was based on very curated lies by Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz and the well documented co-conspirators with them.' Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) in Reynolds' ministerial office in 2019 Court documents revealed Ms Higgins offered her former boss a $200,000 settlement payment just days before the trial started, which was rejected by Reynolds. The high-profile five-week defamation trial, which ended in September 2024, was just another twist in the never-ending saga which has engulfed the worlds of Australian politics, media and the law since a fateful night in March 2019. It was then that Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Ms Reynolds' ministerial suite. A Federal Court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found Ms Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by Lehrmann in the office. Lehrmann is currently in the process of appealing that finding. He has always denied the rape allegation and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct. A former top detective believes wildlife could be one of the reasons police have resumed the search for missing four-year-old August 'Gus' Lamont. Police and Australian Defence Force personnel will return to the family's remote property near Yunta in the South Australian outback on Tuesday, in a renewed effort to find the little boy, who has been missing since September 27. It comes as South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens announced the establishment of specialist taskforce to investigate Gus' disappearance. Two-and-a-half-weeks have passed since Gus was last seen playing in a mound of dirt near his grandparents' homestead. Last week, police called off an extensive 10-day search involving helicopters, drones, countless volunteers, and Indigenous trackers, following advice from medical experts that there was little hope Gus would be found alive. Former NSW homicide detective Gary Jubelin, who initially led the investigation into the disappearance of missing boy William Tyrrell, has weighed in on the renewed search. He believes police are now looking 'further afield' for the sake of completeness, including the possibility that Gus was taken by an animal. 'Police would be considering whether young Gus disappeared through misadventure, wandered off, or whether there was some form of interventioneither human or, given the nature of the land out there, possibly wildlife,' Mr Jubelin told news.com.au. Gus Lamont was last seen playing at his grandparents' homestead of September 27 A renewed search for four-year-old Gus will resume on Tuesday. Pictured is the initial search 'Things can be missedminute things can be missed.' He believed South Australia Police appeared to have learned lessons from the 2014 disappearance of toddler William Tyrrell, who remains missing. If Gus isn't found, police will still need to try to establish what has happened to him. 'When a young child of Gus' age disappears, it's a horrible thing, and it has so many ramifications for all the people that knew Gus and are related to Gus. So, I fully understand why the police are doing what they're doing,' Mr Jubelin continued. He's relieved that he didn't have to worry about artificial intelligence when he spearheaded the investigation into William's disappearance. Fake images of Gus have been used to spread misinformation about his disappearance, including one viral image show Gus being bundled into a car by an 'unfamiliar man'. Commissioner Stevens announced on Tuesday that specialists from Taskforce Horizon will investigate the circumstances of Gus' disappearance. He added that there was 'nothing to suggest foul play'. Former NSW detective Gary Jubelin said that police will launch a probe into the theory that Gus may have been taken by an animal Police and ADF personnel will return to the family's remote property near Yunta in the South Australian outback 'We're obligated to consider every possibility, and we do that ... we're endeavouring to recover Gus for his family,'' Commissioner Stevens FIVEAA Radio. 'The family are cooperating with the police inquiry.' It is unclear what sparked the renewed search effort, which will include an area previously not covered by authorities. A spokesman said that police continued to be in regular and close communication with Gus' family, who are assisting authorities with the investigation. Tracker and former policeman Aaron Stuart welcomed the renewed search. 'I honestly believe the answer is back there on the property,' he told the Adelaide Advertiser on Monday. 'Go back, rethink it, reinterview everybody, but take them back not 30 minutes, take them back a week. 'If they can keep the trackers on foot not on quad bikes or motorbikes because a good tracker needs to stay close to the ground.' Three babies and a teenager have been rushed to hospital after a collision involving a trailer and pram. The incident was reported to police at around 3.15pm on Monday and happened on Pleasance Avenue, Dumfries. It involved a trailer which is believed to have become detached from a Mitsubishi Outlander car and struck a pram which was being pushed on the pavement. Three children, aged eight months, 14 months and 18 months, were taken to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary before being rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital in Glasgow. Their injuries are being assessed. The 18-year-old woman pushing the pram was taken to hospital for treatment and later discharged. The road is currently closed to allow for an investigation at the scene. The incident was reported to police at around 3.15pm on Monday and happened on Pleasance Avenue (pictured), Dumfries Sergeant David Kerr, of Police Scotland's Road Policing Unit, said: 'Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing and we would urge anyone who have witnessed it to come forward. 'We would also be keen to speak to anyone who may have dashcam footage from the area. 'Anyone who can help is asked to call 101, quoting reference 1870 of 13 October.' Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle accused the Government of failing to protect MPs after Parliament was 'spied on' by China. It came as Security Minister Dan Jarvis attempted to distance the Labour government from the scandal by blaming National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell's deputy for the collapse of a case against two alleged spies for Beijing. Meanwhile, MI5 published a guide for MPs, peers, councillors and parliamentary staff for the first time, warning them: 'You are a potential target.' In a growing row over Beijing's interference in our democracy, Sir Lindsay told the Commons on Monday: 'I think there is something the Government ought to be aware of - it is this Parliament that has been spied on. It is MPs' offices that have been infiltrated. 'And as it stands, what we have seen is the payment for spying on what I believe should be protected. 'At this moment, I feel we haven't had the protection...I'm angry and disappointed. My job is to protect Parliament. I feel we aren't getting that protection.' He spoke out after espionage charges against former parliamentary researcher Chris Cash and his friend Christopher Berry were dropped when the Government's Deputy National Security Adviser, Matthew Collins, refused to say that China was a national security threat. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson halted the case on the eve of trial last month after three witness statements from Mr Collins failed to support the Crown Prosecution Service case that the two accused had been passing secrets to Britain's enemy. In a growing row over Beijing's interference in our democracy, Sir Lindsay told the Commons on Monday: 'I think there is something the Government ought to be aware of - it is this Parliament that has been spied on. It is MPs' offices that have been infiltrated' It came as Security Minister Dan Jarvis attempted to distance the Labour government from the scandal by blaming National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell's deputy for the collapse of a case against two alleged spies for Beijing Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'This looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case and curry favour with the regime in China' On Monday, Mr Jarvis claimed that Mr Collins was 'given full freedom to provide evidence without interference'. The Labour Security Minister said: 'This was a matter for the Deputy National Security Adviser, a hugely experienced, highly capable senior official who provided evidence under the previous administration.' He insisted 'every effort was made to support the case' by the Government adding that: 'We fully recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, yet we must also be alive to the fact that China does present us with opportunities.' But former security minister Tom Tugendhat scoffed that Mr Jarvis had set 'up more straw men than a Russian disinformation campaign.' On Monday, there mounting calls for a statutory inquiry into the scandal as it was claimed Britain's allies are worried that Labour is willing to sacrifice national security for economic ties with Beijing. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson warned that allies 'are now also questioning whether the UK can be trusted to counter China's growing threat'. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'This looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case and curry favour with the regime in China.' She added: 'This weak Prime Minister does not have the backbone to stand up to Beijing.' On Monday, MI5 published a guide telling politicians and staff how to detect and respond to espionage and interference attempts from hosile states. It warns: 'The UK is a target of long-term strategic foreign interference and espionage from elements of the Russian, Chinese and Iranian states.' As well as urging vigilance at home, MI5 advises that foreign intelligence services could seek to exploit politicians' overseas travel to access their data or use financial donations as a route to influence. But Ms Badenoch urged the Government to do more saying: 'In essence, China spied on this Parliament and they're issuing us with leaflets. This is not good enough.' The Northern Territory has banned trans offenders from being incarcerated in female prisons, following complaints of 'deeply troubling cases'. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro made the announcement on Monday, becoming the first Australian government leader of a state or territory to introduce such a ban. 'There should be no men in women's prisons, full stop,' she told The Australian. 'Here in the Northern Territory there are no blokes in women's jails and we're not having that here, not on my watch. We've got really clear guidelines around this. 'Labor had a weaker process but we want to make it really clear that if you are a man and you're fundamentally equipped as a man, if I could put it that way, then you belong in a men's prison.' Finocchiaro claimed the move was to protect women's dignity, including the thorny issue with domestic violence across Australia. 'If you're born a bloke, you go into a men's prison. At the end of the day, this is really about women's safety,' she said. 'And when you overlay that against the scourge of domestic violence in this country and the way in which women are so targeted and victimised, this is our nation's shame.' The Northern Territory has banned trans women from being incarcerated in female prisons, following complaints of 'deeply troubling cases' (pictured, Darwin Correctional Centre) Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro made the announcement on Monday, becoming the first Australian government leader to introduce such a ban Finocchiaro added she thought it was 'absurd to think that people would be putting men equipped with male genitalia in women's prisons'. In most states and territories in Australia, corrections policies put inmates in prisons that match their stated gender identity. But Finocchiaro's policy change has followed calls from Women's Forum of Australia, a think tank connected to religious groups and conservative politics. Chief executive Rachael Wong published an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and all state and territory premiers and chief ministers on Monday, describing trans inmates in women's prisons as 'a national human rights crisis'. 'It is a betrayal of the women Australia's leaders have pledged to protect,' the letter said. 'It is a breach of international human rights law. And it is a moral stain on our justice system.' The letter referred to two high-profile cases of trans women in female prisons as evidence for the need for change. A 29-year-old woman, referred to as Katie in media reports, was allegedly sexually assaulted by her trans cellmate Krista Richards at a South Australia prison. Autumn Tulip Harper, a 26-year-old trans paedophile father, was allocated to a women's prison in Victoria after being convicted of abusing her five-year-old daughter In a separate case, Autumn Tulip Harper, a 26-year-old trans paedophile father, was allocated to a women's prison in Victoria after being convicted of abusing her five-year-old daughter. Prompted by the two incidents, the forum demanded the immediate removal of trans women from female prisons across the country. 'If other states want to be confused by this, that's a matter for them to justify to their communities, but we won't be confused by this woke agenda that is being driven by Labor governments around the country,' Finocchiaro said. 'This is the consequence of ideologically driven law and policy at state and federal level. 'Labor is obsessed with social engineering as a distraction from doing what this country actually needs.' Today would have been Margaret Thatcher's 100th birthday. The Iron Lady was the most marmite of British politicians, conjuring up feelings of admiration amongst some and deep disdain among others. In the case of Thatcher's relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II it was dogged by rumours that the pair did not get along. This frostiness burst on to the front pages of the papers in 1986 when it was revealed that Elizabeth was said to be 'dismayed' by the 'uncaring' PM's refusal to impose sanctions on apartheid South Africa, fearing that Mrs Thatcher's decision would split the Commonwealth. It was the most apparent public falling out between the Queen and the prime minister of her reign. And the rift was even a prominent plotline in the hit Netflix series The Crown. But for all the claims of a tense working relationship, as a staunch monarchist, Thatcher had the highest respect for the Queen and the Crown. Writing in his new book about the history of the monarch and Prime Minister's relationship, titled Power and the Palace, royal author Valentine Low goes as far to say Thatcher held the Queen in 'awe'. But her determination to not put a foot wrong during her weekly meetings turned what had typically been an informal one-on-one audience with the Queen into a tense affair. Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher in 1979 Thatcher curtsies for the Queen in 1975. The Iron Lady was famous for her deep curtsies Low wrote: 'The Tory leader's former private secretary Robin Butler said that the Queen "was held in awe by Margaret Thatcher", whose middle-class provincial background meant that the palace was an environment in which she looked but "never felt comfortable". 'He said: "The court slightly looked down on her. But in the way they do: they would go out of their way with showing good manners to make her feel as comfortable as possible, but in such an obvious way that it had the reverse effect".' Thatcher's own discomfort was obvious because of how low she would curtsy and how early the PM would arrive for her meetings with the Queen. And in the meetings, Thatcher was 'notoriously quite tense' and often needed a whiskey afterwards. Over her long 11 years in office, Thatcher began to view the meetings as not 'the most productive use of her time'. Low continued: 'On a number of occasions she ruled out her weekly audience because it clashed with other commitments, including a meeting over drinks with top-level French bankers.' Thatcher even tried to change dates to fit her diary. 'This seemed to cause some irritation at the palace. When Number 10 wanted to change the time of an audience yet again, her private secretary Clive Whitmore wrote: "I really think this will be pushing our luck with the Palace".' Thatcher was the most marmite of British politicians, conjuring up strong feels of admiration amongst some and deep disdain among others Writing in his new book about the history of the monarch and Prime Minister's relationship, titled Power and the Palace, royal author Valentine Low (pictured) writes that Thatcher held the Queen in 'awe' Thatcher was similarly uncomfortable during her summer trips to Balmoral which historian Ben Pimlott claims she viewed as 'purgatory'. Low added: 'On the day she was due to leave, she would be up and ready to go at six in the morning, recalled a former adviser. She couldn't get away fast enough.' But for all the discussion of their personality clashes, there was no animosity between the two. Low simply described their relationship as 'more business-like than warm, and the truth is that they were very different characters'. Royal author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth has claimed that their relationship was not as icy as the press at the time claimed but instead was misunderstood. Writing in his royal biography Elizabeth, An Intimate Portrait, Brandreth said that Thatcher told him that talk of the pair having a strained relationship was 'a lot of nonsense' and the Queen described the late Tory Prime Minister as 'simply marvellous', highlighting her commitment to the Commonwealth and the Armed Forces. Brandreth claims that while the Queen and Thatcher might not have seen eye-to-eye on policies - with the Queen having been known to be a small-c conservative compared to Thatcher's more right-wing views - there is no evidence to suggest Elizabeth actively disliked Thatcher. The broadcaster highlights that the Queen showed the first female PM 'considerable respect' during her long period in office. For example, she dined at No.10 in 1985, appointed Thatcher the Order of Merit within a fortnight of her resignation in 1990 and honoured her with the Order of the Garter five years later. On top of this, Elizabeth was a guest at both Thatcher's 70th and 80th birthday celebrations and she attended Thatcher's funeral in 2013. The only other funeral that she attended was that of Winston Churchill. Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Princess Diana's approach to power dressing marked a turning point in royal fashion. No longer dressing to fit the mould, she began to embody the image of a modern, working woman - polished, assured and unmistakably in control. Her skirt suits became a signature, often featuring military-inspired tailoring, two-tone block colours in soft pastels and vivid brights, pinstripes, and of course, her beloved houndstooth. One of her most memorable looks came at Princess Eugenie's christening in 1990, when she wore a striking red houndstooth Moschino skirt suit paired with a bold Philip Somerville hat - a moment that has since become iconic. Fast forward a few decades, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, paid a subtle tribute to that very outfit. She turned to Diana's trusted designer, Catherine Walker, for a red houndstooth coat that echoed her late mother-in-law's unforgettable ensemble. Coincidentally, the high street is currently brimming with patterned skirt suits that I could easily imagine Diana wearing today. When Olivia Attwood's collection for River Island launched, one little two-piece immediately caught my eye. With its oversized houndstooth print, cropped jacket and matching mini skirt, it's the perfect day-to-night look. The high street giant also offers a sequinned variation for those who like to make an entrance, and another with a playful scalloped trim - definitely not one for the faint-hearted. Elsewhere, M&S has nailed 90s polish with a tailored tweed jacket and pleated mini skirt finished with gleaming gold buttons, while Hobbs' take leans into timeless heritage with its collarless cut and gently flared A-line skirt. Personally, I love the idea of styling this look with sleek knee-high boots and a cosy turtleneck when the temperature dips. It's classic, confident and Diana-inspired. Shop the edit below to channel the timeless power of the Princess' style - with a modern twist. Another day, another damning email and Prince Andrews reputation, such as it is, receives a further grievous blow. It is not just the Mail on Sundays revelation that he remained in contact with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein much longer than he previously claimed that is so damning. Equally incriminating is the fact he was misleading when asked about it. In short, that he lied. After months of disclosures about Andrew and his links with Epsteins unsavoury world, this apparent dishonesty plumbs new depths. The bombshell email casts significant doubt on the version of events he offered in his BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. Back then, he claimed he had cut off all ties with the disgraced billionaire after meeting him in New York in December 2010. Now we know they were still in touch some 12 weeks later. At the same time, the affectionate tone of the message We are in this together is also devastating as it destroys claims that the two were never close. The date of the email is also highly relevant. It was sent on February 28, 2011, the day after the MoS had published for the first time the notorious photograph of Andrew with his arm around the bare midriff of Virginia Giuffre. This, remember, was a picture that Andrew later claimed was a crude fake, suggesting the hand around her waist was not his. Yet, incredibly, he makes no mention of this is the email. The day after the MoS published for the first time a photograph of Prince Andrew with his arm around Virgina GIuffre, he sent an email to Jeffrey Epstein saying 'we are in this together' Andrew claimed he had cut ties with Epstein after they met in New York in December 2010 (pictured) Even the BBC, normally restrained in its royal coverage, reported yesterday that the allegations were intensely damaging for the prince. But perhaps still more significant are the consequences of this never-ending saga on the image of the monarchy. Every good deed, such as Prince Williams Earthshot Prize, the Queens literacy initiative and Princess of Waless early years campaign, risks being drowned out by the relentless wave of the Andrew scandal. It corrodes public support for the royals and emboldens republican voices which gleefully seize on every indiscretion to scorn the House of Windsors credibility. As more and more emerges, the clamour for action from a public that wants some kind of sanction anything against Andrew intensifies. Stripping him of his remaining title as Duke of York has regularly found favour. A YouGov poll in the summer showed 67 per cent of people supporting the idea, but it would require the intervention of parliament. Yet inside the Palace there is reluctance. Aides caution that removing the York honorific would still leave him a prince, a title many see as superior to that of a mere duke. Then theres talk of sacking Andrew from the Order of the Garter, this countrys highest chivalric honour. Its a possibility, though Andrew has himself reduced his presence as a Knight of the Garter by no longer attending public displays of the Order. For Charles, who is painfully aware of the public pressure, the predicament is intense. It is not just the brotherly ties of affection and his dislike of confrontation but also the knowledge that the baubles remaining to Andrew dukedom and Garter were granted by their late mother. The bombshell email casts significant doubt on the version of events Andrew offered in his BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis For Charles the predicament is intense. It is not just the brotherly ties of affection and his dislike of confrontation but also the knowledge that the baubles remaining to Andrew dukedom and Garter were granted by their late mother It is this, friends say, which makes removing them all the more difficult. Charles is by no means the only royal who has observed the mantra that if you dont know what to do about a situation, do nothing. But while the late Queen Elizabeth was said to frequently follow that maxim, history suggests she often did otherwise. When howls of protest greeted the news that taxpayers would meet the cost of rebuilding Windsor Castle after the 1992 fire, she stepped in and said she would pay herself. Similarly, when public anger threatened to boil over in the absence of official recognition following the death of Princess Diana, she overturned stiff royal protocol to allow a flag to fly at half mast above Buckingham Palace. It was the Queen who, in 2021, flatly refused to allow her grandson Prince Harrys half-in, half-out royal life. But never was her uncanny ability to divine the public mood more prescient than when she first confronted Andrew over the fall-out following the Newsnight broadcast, ruthlessly taking away his military positions, banning him from public engagements and depriving him of using the HRH style. All these actions were taken to defend the Crown and the good name of the monarchy, and in each case cause and effect had to be measured. But with the prospect of weeks if not months of more revelations dripping into the public gaze, surely the time for action has again been reached. So what can the King do? One idea taking root among royal insiders is that Andrew could be prevented from enjoying certain princely privileges. I understand this includes his use of the royal estates at Balmoral, Sandringham and Windsor for weekend shooting parties. (He famously referred to one such shoot attended by Epstein and his then girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in the Newsnight interview.) One figure told me: It might help concentrate his mind if things he has taken for granted for a very long time, such as shooting with his mates and having the run of a royal home, were suddenly not available. The heart of the Andrew conundrum, however, remains Royal Lodge, the Windsor mansion where he is holed up. But while public criticism surrounding his continued occupation of a property is undiminished, the prince has a cast iron lease with the Crown Estate, which run until 2078. All attempts at dislodging him have failed. And as long as he can meet the huge cost of the upkeep, there is little even the King can do. There is, of course, the counter argument, that it may be better for him to stay at Royal Lodge where he will be less trouble than if moved elsewhere. Far from being the solution, casting him into some kind of exile beyond even the reach of the King may represent a greater risk. Andrew and Eri Uerkwitz didn't think it would be hard to sell their charming family home in a tranquil celebrity-filled enclave. Set among lush trees on a semi-rural road, the expansive property was a leafy oasis just an hour by car or train from their jobs in Midtown Manhattan. Andrew worked as head of investor relations for video game giant Electronic Arts, and Eri as a banking and finance lawyer at Mayer Brown. Their neighbors included Bill and Hilary Clinton, billionaire Bill Ackman, actors Alan Arkin and Ben Stiller and head of Instagram Adam Mosseri. The couple bought the 2,313-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom house in Chappaqua, New York, for $1.1 million in June 2022, and expected a similar sell price. But after they put it up for sale in April, they discovered the listing on real estate behemoth Zillow flagged the house as a 9/10 'extreme' flood risk. Houses in Chappaqua take an average 21 days to sell, but the Uerkwitz home on Millwood Road languished on the market for months. Two buyers made offers that the couple accepted, only for them to be withdrawn after the prospective new owners saw the flood rating. The couple bought the 2,313-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom house in Chappaqua, New York, for $1.1 million in June 2022, and expected a similar sell price Eri Uerkwitz, a banking and finance lawyer at Mayer Brown, and her husband claimed Zillow's incorrect flood risk rating caused buyers to pull their offers on the house The couple claimed the buyers cited the flood risk as the reason they withdrew their offers, as did others who inquired about the house but decided not to make offers. The house eventually sold for just $999,000 on August 18, far lower than the $1.15 million it was advertised for, and at a $100,000 loss. Andrew and Eri sued Zillow and First Street Technology, a climate data and analytics company that compiled the flood risk rating, for $500,000. The lawsuit, filed on June 18 before the house sold, claimed the flood risk rating caused the house to be 'stigmatized as materially unsellable at its actual market value'. 'Plaintiffs' real estate broker attributes the paucity of prospective buyers that have come through the house to the "extreme risk of flood" designation,' it claimed. The Uerkwitzes lost money not just on the sale, but legal fees, holding costs, and 'additional expenses associated with the extended marketing period'. Every Zillow listing includes climate risk ratings for flood, fire, wind, heat and air pollution with a score out of 10. The higher the score, the greater the risk. These ratings are assessed by First Street, which began as a non-profit entity but was reorganized as a commercial enterprise last year. Buyers can only see the numerical ratings, with access to the detailed climate report only available through a paid First Street subscription. Andrew Uerkwitz, head of investor relations for video game giant Electronic Arts, and his wife sued Zillow and First Street Technology for $500,000 Zillow listing includes climate risk ratings for flood, fire, wind, heat, and air pollution with a score out of 10. These were the ratings for their home after they listed it A rating of 9/10 meant the chance of getting one inch of flooding was 18 percent this year, 96 percent in the next 15 years, and 99 percent in the next 30 years. 'This designation is factually inaccurate, unsupported by any credible source, and contradicted by FEMA flood zone maps, on-site insurance inspections, and the physical characteristics of the property,' the lawsuit claimed. 'The property is not located in a FEMA flood zone, has never flooded, does not require flood insurance, and includes topographical and structural features that preclude a credible risk of flooding.' According to the lawsuit, the property suffered no flood damage during hurricanes Ida and Irene despite one of them being one-in-25-year storms. The basement also has a sump-up that has never been triggered, and the property has multiple built-in features to prevent flooding. Even the insurance company, which inspected the house after the Uerkwitzes bought it, did not require an additional flooding policy. Scientists are highly skeptical of First Street's climate models, and several studies found they did a poor job of predicting risks for individual properties. One study found an 'over-reliance on large-scale hazard model data' that had 'inadequate representation of topographic features, flood infrastructure, and other features known to affect patterns of flooding.' Buyers can only see the numerical ratings with access to the detailed climate report only available through a paid First Street subscription FEMA, by contrast, gives the property a minimal flood hazard rating Experts advised homebuyers to take flood risk estimates with 'a lot of grains of salt' and that 'local flood manager who has walked the property will almost always have a better grasp of flood risk than the big, top-down national model.' Another analysis by Bloomberg found First Street's flood model only agreed with other models, like FEMA, a quarter of the time. A National Bureau of Economic Research found flood risk reports 'influence every stage of the house buying process' and resulted in changes to sale prices. Sometime in the past few weeks, Zillow began including the FEMA flood rating alongside the First Street one. 'A FEMA zones risk assessment may be different than the First Street Flood Factor for a property in that zone. Find out why,' a disclaimer next to it read, with a link to First Street's explanation. Neither the FEMA rating nor the disclaimer were present when the Uerkwitzes listed their home, unlike school data, which Zillow notes 'may not be complete.' The couple sent a letter through their lawyers on May 23 demanding that the flood risk be changed, but was ignored, the complaint stated. The lawsuit, which the couple confirmed is continuing, followed soon after and neither respondent has filed a defense so far. An increasing number of condos are sitting on the market as the divide between buyers and sellers continues to widen. Potential condo buyers are abandoning deals, spooked by high prices, rising homeowners association (HOA) fees, and insurance costs, while sellers are growing increasingly desperate to offload properties. There were an estimated 72.3 percent more condo sellers than buyers (108,945 more) nationwide in August the fifth straight month in which that figure has been over 70 percent. Indeed, spring and summer 2025 saw the strongest buyer's market for condo buyers in records dating all the way back to 2013 (with the exception of April 2020 when the pandemic halted activity). The number of buyers and sellers were estimated using Redfin and MLS data, adjusting for seasonality. Markets are labeled as buyer's, seller's, or balanced based on whether the number of sellers exceeds or falls short of buyers by more than 10 percent. A buyer's market doesn't necessarily make properties more affordable, but it does give buyers bargaining power. Southern states, especially Florida, are seeing the strongest condo buyer's markets. Cities in these states became popular destinations for homebuyers during the pandemic, due to their lower costs and taxes, looser restrictions, and warmer climate. However, the pandemic migration plays into issues we are seeing now. There are far more condo sellers than buyers in many major metro areas, particularly in Southern states (Pictured: Miami Beach) Chen Zhao, the head of economics research for Redfin, described South Florida as the 'epicenter of housing market weakness' Builders rushed to capitalize on the demand for properties in pandemic boomtowns and ended up overdeveloping, meaning that there are too many new-builds particularly condos. Among the 50 biggest US metros, five of the 10 metro areas with the biggest surplus of condo sellers over buyers are in Florida, the report found. In Miami, there were 11,486 condo sellers and 3,270 buyers in August, i.e. 251 percent more sellers. In Tampa there were 241.2 percent more sellers, while there were 218.7 percent more in Fort Lauderdale, 212.5 percent more in Jacksonville and 192 percent more in Orlando. Miami's condo market has been exceptionally worrying. The city as a whole was ranked as number one in the world in UBS's bubble risk rankings. When it comes to condos, there has been trouble in paradise for quite some time. Prices of condos cooled last summer, forcing sellers to slash prices. Experts warned that prices would only go further down, and they were right. In May, the median sale price of a townhouse or condo in Florida was $310,000, down 6.1 percent year-over-year. With prices trending downward, buyers feel little urgency to commit, expecting further savings by waiting. Chen Zhao, the head of economics research for Redfin, described South Florida as the 'epicenter of housing market weakness' in the US. Miami's condo market has been particularly worrying - there are 251.3 percent more sellers than buyers Condos also come with steep HOA fees and tight rules and regulations which are putting off buyers 'The question for the rest of the country is, will this spread? Florida is uniquely bad right now,' Zhao told Bloomberg last month. Another issue for prospective condo buyers in Florida is homeowners association (HOA) fees. The 2021 collapse of a condo building in Surfside led to a new law that requires condo buildings to undergo structural inspections and shore up reserves. This has meant that many HOAs have been hiking fees and doling out hefty special assessments to comply with the new rules, which has reduced demand for condos. Other factors contributing to a lack of buyers include the risk of the properties losing value, and investors cashing out because the long-term and short-term rental markets have cooled. Outside of Florida, San Antonio had 585 condo sellers in August and just 120 buyers, nearly four times more sellers than buyers, or 385.8 percent more. This was the biggest gap of the 50 most populous metros in the US. In Nashville, there were 1,682 sellers versus 518 buyers 225 percent more and in Austin there were 1,998 sellers versus 617 buyers 224 percent more. In Houston, meanwhile, there were 214.3 percent more sellers than buyers. This is compared to other metro areas in the US that saw very different dynamics, such as Nassau County, NY which saw 47.9 percent less sellers than buyers. There are also areas such as Chicago which have a fairly balanced condo market with just 0.1 percent more sellers than buyers. Driving home at 11pm on a clear June night in 1964, local reporter Robert Cockrell saw something truly chilling along a road near Grafton, West Virginia. In the car's high beams, he glimpsed a massive, headless creature between seven and nine feet tall and roughly four feet wide, with smooth, seal-like skin that glistened in the moonlight. Though terrified, he felt a duty to investigate and returned with two friends to search the area. They found no trace of the creature itself, but the brush where it had appeared was mashed down, and a low, eerie whistling seemed to follow them along the river. Over a hundred local teenagers soon took up the search, with more than twenty claiming they caught glimpses of the same headless figure. Adults reported sightings as well, adding to Cockrell's belief that something unexplained had occurred. The creature would eventually become known as the Grafton Monster, entering local lore alongside other West Virginia cryptids. Cockrell, who reported for the Grafton Sentinel, described the creature in a letter from 1964: 'It was between seven and nine feet tall, approximately four feet wide, and had a seal-like skin or covering which had a sheen to it. 'It had no discernible head and did not move as I passed by. This is the only accurate description I can give since I was deeply frightened by the sight.' Robert Cockrell described the creature as having a massive, headless creature between seven and nine feet tall and roughly four feet wide, with smooth, seal-like skin The city has a population of just 4,729, and Mother's Day was founded in Grafton in 1908 Grafton is a small town in Taylor County in the North Central region of the state. It experienced its boom as a railway town between the mid-1850s and the first half of the 20th century. The city's peak occurred around the 1920s before beginning a steep decline after World War II. The current population is 4,500, but it was about double that in the 1960s when the Grafton Monster first appeared to Cockrell. Despite his fear, Cockrell felt it was his duty to tell the story, though he worried that he would be labeled a hoaxer or dismissed as crazy. His editor ran the story, but with a cynical tone, attempting to suggest the sighting might have been boxes or some other mundane explanation. In the weeks that followed, local curiosity exploded. Teenagers searched the woods and riverbanks, while police at the state, county, and local levels investigated briefly but found nothing. Cockrell interviewed several teenagers individually, noting that their reports aligned with the details of his own sighting. Over time, multiple adults also came forward with accounts of seeing the monster in varying locations along the river. These accounts helped cement the creature's reputation in Grafton and beyond. The Grafton Monster has been referred to by several names over the years. The monster was spotted in 1964 by a reporter for the Grafton Sentinel The legend has lived on for decades, with people creating artwork around the town based on what Cockrell saw Initially called the Headless Horror, it later became the Beast of Grafton before settling into the now-familiar Grafton Monster. Its legend is often mentioned alongside other cryptids from West Virginia, such as the Mothman of Point Pleasant, a winged, red-eyed figure; the Sheepsquatch, a large, white creature sometimes walking on two or four legs; and the Flatwoods Monster, a spade-headed being with glowing eyes said to emerge from a crashed craft. Like Mothman, the Grafton Monster has taken on a life of its own in popular culture, including a depiction as a headless, deformed monster in the post-apocalyptic video game Fallout 76. Over the years, sightings have been sporadic but persistent. In 2013, the creature was featured on the TV series Mountain Monsters, where filmmakers claimed the monster was able to pull bait out of a trap and escape with a bestial growl. Some researchers have speculated that the Grafton Monster may be extraterrestrial or even an interdimensional visitor. Despite these theories, local authorities have never seriously investigated the phenomenon. George Dudding, in his book The Grafton Monster, explores the possibility that government agents, sometimes referred to as 'Men in Black,' visited those who claimed to see the creature, urging them to remain silent. Dudding writes: 'There is a tendency among law enforcement and military authorities to perpetrate cover-ups in situations of this type to prevent the spread of mass panic. This seems to have taken place with the local law enforcement, the newspaper, and even city officials.' Mother's Day was founded in Grafton in 1908, with the city playing host to a shrine to Mother's day Cockrell himself, who passed away in 2022, allegedly retracted his sighting in a letter to a newspaper, suggesting that what he saw may have been exaggerated over time in conversations with friends. He speculated that the creature could have been a local eccentric carrying boxes in the dark, though he never fully discounted the more mysterious explanations. Grafton itself, with a population of just 4,729, has a long history of drawing visitors. The city played host to the founding of Mother's Day in 1908 and is home to a shrine dedicated to the holiday. Today, Grafton celebrates its most famous cryptid with the annual Grafton Monster Festival, drawing enthusiasts and tourists from across the country. Yet, deep in the surrounding woods, the question remains: what exactly lurks out there? The enduring mystery of the Grafton Monster lies not just in what was seen, but in what remains unseen. It embodies the intersection of folklore, media, and human imagination, capturing the fascination of both locals and cryptid enthusiasts worldwide. Whether a headless, seal-skinned creature, a misidentified eccentric, or a visitor from another world, the Grafton Monster remains a symbol of the unknown, a chilling reminder that some legends refuse to die. The US Navy's P-8A Poseidon, used for anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, was spotted circling over a drug-smuggling hotspot. On Monday, the advanced patrol jet, identified by its Mode-S hex code AE6881, was tracked conducting intricate loops off the Baja California coast, raising speculation about a targeted operation against illicit trafficking routes. The P-8A, likely operated by a squadron based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, took off between 07:15 and 07:30am ET. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft flew through Oregon and through California before making several looping patterns near the US-Mexico maritime boundary, a region notorious for drug smuggling from Mexico into California. The P-8A is fitted with advanced sensors, allowing it to detect surface and subsurface targets, making it ideal for monitoring suspicious vessels. The US Navy has not officially commented on the flights purpose, but the timing aligns with heightened security concerns along the southwestern border. Mexican drug trafficking organizations, particularly powerful groups like the Sinaloa Cartel, exploit the vast maritime boundary for smuggling illicit drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana into the US. Monday's operation follows earlier Navy announcements that P-8A aircraft would patrol near the southern coastline to support anti-smuggling missions. Flight tracking data spotted the US Navy's P-8A Poseidon making a trip from Washington to the US-Mexico boundary, which is known as a drug-smuggling hotspot The P-8A Poseidon can reach altitudes of up to 41,000 feet and fly at speeds of nearly 565 miles per hour. It was seen making the same trip on October 3 The flight path off the Southern California coast extended toward Baja California and Ensenada, Mexico. The boundary starts near San Diego-Tijuana and stretches westward about 352 miles into the Pacific, separating territorial seas and exclusive economic zones of both countries, as defined by treaties from 1970, 1976, and 1978. The P-8A Poseidon can reach altitudes of up to 41,000 feet and fly at speeds of nearly 565 miles per hour. Equipped with an in-flight refueling system, the aircraft can stay airborne for long stretches, allowing it to patrol vast ocean regions for both military and humanitarian missions. A proven workhorse, the P-8 fleet includes 174 aircraft that have logged more than 700,000 flight hours worldwide. Each aircraft is built to last 25 years and endure 25,000 flight hours in harsh maritime conditions, including operations in freezing environments. The P-8A integrates advanced weapons and mission systems designed for maximum interoperability across modern battlefields. Built to adapt, the P-8s open mission architecture allows for quick upgrades and the integration of new technologies to meet evolving threats, according to Boeing, the aircraft's maker. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft flew through Oregon and through California before making several looping patterns near the US-Mexico maritime boundary, a region notorious for drug smuggling from Mexico into California The aircraft was seen on October 3 making the same journey from Whidbey Island to the US-Mexico maritime boundary, which followed another trip in September. The area is known as Sinaloa Cartel territory, which is considered one of the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the Western Hemisphere. The rise of drugs in America led President Donald Trump to place 25 percent tariffs in February on imports from Mexico, saying it was necessary to stop illegal immigrants and narcotics from crossing the border. After high-level talks, including Mexicos extradition of 29 cartel leaders, the administration granted temporary pauses on the tariffs, delaying full enforcement until March 4. In April 2025, Trump expanded the policy, adding a 10 percent global reciprocal tariff aimed at narrowing trade deficits, while maintaining Mexicos rate at its existing baseline. Exemptions remained in place for USMCA members and critical industries. By July, tensions escalated as a 30 percent add-on tariff was proposed on July 12 but suspended later that month for 90 days after Mexico agreed to new Rio Grande water-sharing terms and stronger border enforcement. In October, the 25 truck tariff was confirmed to take effect on November 1, raising concerns over Mexicos auto industry, including manufacturers like Stellantis and Freightliner. Negotiations continue ahead of the late-October expiration of the 30 percent suspension, with no new executive orders issued since September. It's been not even a month since Apple released its latest iPhones, along with new earphones and smart watches. But the multi-trillion-dollar tech giant is gearing up to pull back the curtain on yet another set of gizmos. Apple is launching three new hardware products later 'this week', according to industry expert Mark Gurman. They're set to be packed with the new M5 processing 'chip' that's expected to provide users with enhanced AI capabilities. And the trio of devices will likely hit the shelves before the end of the month. 'Apples much-anticipated October product launches are about to happen,' said Gurman in the latest issue of his Power On newsletter. 'With the iPhone 17 line, iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3 and new watches already out, Apple will turn its attention to the rest of its fall product pipeline this week. 'Im expecting a number of new products to be introduced in this latest wave.' Apple is rumoured to be launching three brand new products this week - here's what we expect to see VISION PRO Apple is set to release an updated version of its Vision Pro headset, which was first released in the US early last year before a wider rollout. Unlike the original version, this updated Vision Pro will be equipped with the new M5 chip, which entered mass production at the start of the year. Akin to the device's 'brain', the M5 chip allows for faster and more energy-efficient processing speeds, optimised for the latest AI demands. The device will also have an 'improved strap' providing more support and comfort for the wearer, with bands along the back and the top of the head, MacRumors reports. The current Vision Pro weighs around 600g and currently starts at 3,499 on Apple's website although it's unclear if this new model will be lighter or cheaper. Vision Pro has 'struggled to build much of a following so far', Gurman adds, partly because the closed 'design limits its appeal'. 'Its not something most people can wear for hours a day or use in all settings,' Mr Gurman said. Apple's Vision Pro headset was first released in the US February last year before a wider rollout Three Apple products coming 'this week' Updated Vision Pro headset 14-inch MacBook Pro iPad Pro (11-inch and 13-inch) (All three devices are rumoured to be packed with the new M5 chip for enhanced performance) Advertisement 'Best case, a relatively small group of gamers, travelers and video editors are looking for something like this.' Nevertheless, Apple will 'likely deliver a full redesign' of the Vision Pro at some point, he added suggesting this soon-to-released version is just a minor update in comparison. iPAD PRO Another new device to be released this week that's also getting the M5 chip is the eighth-generation iPad Pro. The new tablet will follow last year's seventh-gen model, which was packed with the M4 chip and and an OLED screen, which provides better image quality than LCD and MiniLED used in previous iPad models. The current seventh-gen iPad Pro is available in two screen sizes 11-inch (for 999) and 13-inch (1,299), and it's expected Apple will keep these options for the new version. One minor design change will be that 'iPad Pro' will no longer inscribed on the back of the device, MacRumors adds, but otherwise there seems to be few 'major design changes'. According to Gurman, the new Vision Pro and iPad Pro are 'already in mass production' and the company is 'gearing up for an imminent release'. Last year's seventh-gen iPad Pro (pictured) came with the M4 chip, available in two screen sizes 11-inch and 13-inch 14-INCH MACBOOK PRO Gurman said it's also likely that a new MacBook Pro gets announced this week, with the new M5 chip again the 'major change' on the existing 1,599 model. The high-end laptop aimed at business professionals will come with a 14-inch screen, while a 16-inch screen options will likely follow next year. According to Gurman, Apple will announce these three new products online this week, rather than 'through a flashy event on Apples campus' as is typical with a new iPhone. Although the date is not confirmed, it's worth bearing in mind Apple announced a new product on a Tuesday this time last year. Apple usually schedules its product announcements for 10am PT (6pm BST), so it's worth keeping an eye on its official website and social media channels then. The Daily Mail will be covering all the announcements as they arrive. Vodafone customers were plunged into chaos today after a nationwide blackout meant more than 130,000 people had no broadband or phone signal. The telecommunications giant confirmed it was aware of a 'major issue on our network affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services'. Downdetector, which monitors web outages, showed more than 130,000 people have flagged problems impacting their Vodafone broadband or mobile network this afternoon. Furious customers took to social media to complain of 'complete outages' in their area - impacting work from home, social media usage and online banking. The issues appears to have started shortly after 3pm this afternoon, and have continued for several hours. One angry user wrote on X: 'Yeah it's actually time to leave Vodafone. How can I have zero access to internet for 2+ hours because both the Wifi AND 4G is down?!! Ridiculous. Had me feeling like a flintstone.' Another wrote: 'Vodafone showed me hell today.' Of the customers who have been experiencing issues, 69 per cent said they had a problem with their landline internet, 23 per cent with their mobile internet, while eight per cent said they had no signal. According to Down Detector, Vodafone service disruption has affected customers from all across the country. A spokesperson for Vodafone said: 'This afternoon, for a short time, the Vodafone network had an issue affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services. 2G voice calls and SMS messaging were unaffected and the network is now recovering. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused our customers.' Vodafone is now down in a crash that is already affecting hundreds of thousands of users Furious customers took to social media to complain of 'complete outages' in their area - impacting work from home, social media usage and online banking There are reports of issues in major cities and towns, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, and Glasgow. The Vodafone website is also experiencing problems and is frequently inaccessible, potentially due to extremely high levels of traffic. While Vodafone is yet to issue a statement explaining the issue, customers have flocked to social media to vent their frustrations. On X, one commenter wrote: 'How can the whole of Vodafone be down? Someone better be getting fired in the morning.' Another added: '@VodafoneUK seems to be completely down! No internet whatsoever and the customer service numbers aren't working at all, yikes!' 'I guess @VodafoneUK haven't put out a statement yet because, well, their internet is down,' one customer chipped in. While one commenter joked: 'Vodafone down in the middle of my work day, that must mean I've got the rest of the day off.' Sabrina Hoque, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, told Daily Mail: 'For those affected, the quickest way to check if the internet is down in your area is by searching for your provider on a site like DownDetector. 'If your broadband connection goes down for more than two days, you could be entitled to compensation of 9.76 for each calendar day that the service is not repaired.' Melanie Pizzey, CEO and Founder of the Global Payroll Alliance, said: 'Today's Vodafone outage in the UK, while seemingly resolved in a relatively short time, was nonetheless a significant disruption. 'For businesses reliant on Vodafone for mobile and internet connectivity for day-to-day operations, it likely caused widespread delays and a noticeable dip in productivity.' On Down Detector, it appears as if this disruption has coincided with major outages at a number of other service providers. Currently, 135,995 customers have reported experiencing problems with their internet connection, according to Down Detector One commenter joked that they should have 'the rest of the day off' as the service disruption arrived in the middle of the work day Vodafone's service disruption is widespread across the entirety of the UK, affecting cities including London, Birmingham, and Manchester Vodafone's outage appears to be so large that it is having a knock-on effect on the Down Detector pages of other providers, despite services operating as normal BT Down Detector page also began showing reports of disruption starting at 14:30 BST, peaking at more than 3,200. Voxi Mobile currently has more than 2,300 reports of disruption on Down Detector, with 77 per cent of reports complaining that mobile internet is not working. Likewise, Virgin Media has over 1,000 reports mostly concerning landline internet, while Three has over 400 reports of service interruptions. However, it appears that Vodafone's outage has been so large that it is having a knock-on impact on the Down Detector pages of other providers. A spokesperson for Virgin Media O2 told Daily Mail that the network was 'operating as normal and has been all day'. They added that their social and customer service teams have not received the volume of calls that would be expected for an outage of this size. This suggests that the disruption is likely limited to Vodafone customers, rather than being a more severe multi-provider outage. The cause of the outage is unclear; Vodafone has been contacted for comment. Daniel Card, a cyber expert with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT said incidents like this are often caused by a technical fault or configuration error rather than a major cyber attack. 'What we can see is that Vodafone UK's network traffic has effectively dropped to zero, suggesting a significant connectivity issue,' he told the Daily Mail. 'It's not yet clear whether their DNS or routing systems are accessible outside Vodafone's own network, and even their online status page is currently offline. 'That said, events like this underline just how critical strong digital resilience and cyber skills are, not only for telecoms providers but across every sector. 'Having teams capable of diagnosing and responding rapidly to network failures is key to maintaining public trust and keeping the UK's digital infrastructure running smoothly.' Scientists have discovered that a 'weak spot' in Earth's magnetic field is growing at an alarming rate. Known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), the region has expanded by an area nearly twice the size of Texas since 2014, and it is also slowly shifting westward toward Africa, according to a new study released on Monday. The SAA has increased by up to 25 percent, as it moves about 14 miles west each year. The expansion and movement are the result of turbulent flows of molten iron in Earths outer core, which generate unusual magnetic patterns that weaken the field in this part of the planet. The Earths magnetic field, created by the swirling liquid iron thousands of miles beneath the surface, acts as a protective shield against dangerous charged particles from the sun and cosmic radiation. Scientists warned that the weakening and shifting of this shield in the SAA is not just a scientific curiosity but has real-world consequences. The SAA poses the greatest threat to satellites passing overhead, exposing spacecraft to higher levels of radiation that can temporarily disable electronics, corrupt data, or even cause permanent damage to critical hardware. Satellites providing GPS, communications, and weather forecasting services for the US and around the world are particularly vulnerable when they pass through the anomaly. The SAA has increased by up to 25 percent, as it moves about 14 miles west each year since 2014 Lead author Chris Finlay, Professor of Geomagnetism at the Technical University of Denmark, said in a statement: 'It's changing differently towards Africa than it is near South America. 'There's something special happening in this region that is causing the field to weaken in a more intense way.' While regions outside of Earth contribute to the observed magnetic field, the primary source stems from inside the planet. The outer layer of Earth's core is made of molten iron and nickel, located 1,800 miles below the surface. These churning metals act like a massive generator called the 'geodynamo,' creating electric currents that produce the magnetic field. But this motion isn't constant. It fluctuates over time, and as a result, Earth's magnetic field fluctuates too. This, coupled with the tilt of the planet's magnetic axis, is what produces the SAA, according to Nasa. In the southern hemisphere, weak magnetic areas under Africa are moving westward, while similar features in the mid-Atlantic are moving east. Scientists warned the weak spot will let harmful radiation from the sun hit Earth, disrupting satellites in orbit In the north, a strong magnetic zone under the Bering Strait is drifting west, and near Indonesia and the western Pacific, magnetic features are moving east. These shifts are strongest near the equator, where the field is also experiencing rapid changes and oscillations. The study, which analyzed 11 years of data from the European Space Agencys (ESA) Swarm satellite constellation, also revealed other significant changes in Earths magnetic field. In northern Canada, the area of the strong magnetic field has weakened, shrinking by 0.65 percent of Earths surface area. This weakening can affect navigation systems, satellite operations, and even technologies that rely on geomagnetic calibration. Additionally, the study found that strong magnetic flux features under the Bering Strait have shifted westward, while those beneath Indonesia and the western Pacific have moved eastward. These movements, though invisible to most people, can influence global geomagnetic conditions and the behavior of space weather, further impacting satellites and technology infrastructure worldwide. Scientists emphasized that the changes in Earths magnetic field highlight its dynamic nature. The SAA is not static and its continued growth underscores the importance of constant monitoring to anticipate and mitigate potential impacts. The Swarm satellites, which have been collecting continuous magnetic field data since 2013, are providing unprecedented insight into the complex forces at work deep inside our planet. While the average person on the ground is not directly at risk, the growing anomaly is a reminder of the delicate balance that protects life on Earth from the constant bombardment of cosmic radiation. For satellites, astronauts, and high-altitude air travel, however, the implications are real and require careful attention. 'The South Atlantic Anomaly is a warning from Earths core,' Finlay said. 'It shows us that our planets protective shield is dynamic, and changes deep below the surface can ripple all the way to space and to our daily lives.' The discovery was made using the European Space Agency's (ESA) Swarm satellite constellation that precisely measures the magnetic signals that stem from Earth's core, mantle, crust and oceans, as well as from the ionosphere and magnetosphere. A Christian pastor who accurately foresaw the assassination attempt on Donald Trump has issued a chilling new warning for the US. Brandon Dale Biggs claimed in 2024 that God showed him a vision of a catastrophic 'ten-magnitude' earthquake along the New Madrid fault line, which stretches through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois. The Oklahoma pastor said the disaster would strike just three days after attempts to divide Jerusalem through the proposed two-state solution, describing it as a 'three-day window' when people must flee. 'The Lord told me You will see a three-day window. That's the time for people to flee,' he said in a YouTube video, warning of a catastrophe that could potentially kill hundreds of thousands. The vision has resurfaced as Trump formally solidified the Israel-Hamas peace plan following the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. While the future of Israel and Palestine remains uncertain, Biggs believes these events could trigger devastation in America's Heartland. He explained that the initial quake along the New Madrid fault would trigger a 'chain reaction,' including a 6.5-magnitude aftershock impacting areas from Texarkana, Texas, to Oklahoma. 'It was so big, there were 1,800 people who died along that stretch,' Biggs said. 'All the houses on cinder blocks were completely shaken to the foundation; they just fell.' Brandon Dale Biggs, an Oklahoma pastor, claims he receives visions from God about future events. He predicted the assassination of Donald Trump three months prior Biggs shared his visions with pastor and Christian author Steve Cioccolanti, saying how he foresaw the attempt on the now president-elect's life. He said he saw a bullet pass through Trump's ear. The prediction was shared in a video posted in April 2024 Biggs shared the vision in April last year, along with his prediction of the attempted assassination. 'This bullet flew by his ear, and it came so close to his head that it busted his eardrum,' he said Three months later, Matthew Crooks, 20, took several shots at Trump, with one grazing his ear. But the bullet did not burst his eardrum. Also during the segment, Biggs said he saw red waves in Michigan and Oklahoma during the 2024 Election, which went on to happen in both states. Now that those predictions have come and passed, portions of the video showing Biggs discussing the major earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) have resurfaced. '[The] New Madrid earthquake [is] so big [and] when it happens the Mississippi River starts, it goes out another direction,' he said. In 1811 and 1812, the fault line unleashed a trio of powerful jolts, measuring magnitudes 7.5 to 7.7, that rattled the central Mississippi River Valley. Chimneys fell and boats capsized. Farmland sank and turned into swamps. The death toll is unknown, but experts don't believe there were mass casualties because the region was sparsely populated then. The 150-mile-long New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) stretches through parts of Missouri , Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois. A pastor who claims to see visions from God said a major earthquake will hit the area Were that to happen today, more than 5,000 people would be killed, but the pastor's 'ten magnitude' would possibly see a death toll ranging in the hundreds of thousands to millions, according to experts. Experts have also said that there is a 'virtually zero' likelihood of such a major earthquake. The strongest earthquake ever recorded was the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile (magnitude 9.5), which occurred in a subduction zone. The NMSZ is a mid-continental fault system, not a subduction zone that sits on the coast, that is prone to much larger earthquakes. While a ten magnitude is not off the table, scientists have speculated it would only be possible along a fault system that is at least 6,200 miles long. The NMSZ stretches for 150 miles. But the scientific data have not caused Biggs to backpedal on his prophecy. Biggs said in the video that he saw Chinook helicopters flying in to bring aid, saying: 'They were flying so low that they were shaking the houses.' The vision has resurfaced as Trump formally solidified the Israel-Hamas peace plan following the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza Scientists have said that the NMSZ is likely to see a major earthquake in the next 50 years, which would be a six magnitude or higher. 'They were not able to bring in supply trucks from east to west,' Briggs said, noting that this was because there were no bridges left standing. He added that all aid came by airplane, but food and medicine was transported through the Mississippi. 'It was so bad, I remember it lasted for months,' said Briggs. During his speech in Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset, Trump shared his hope that the signing would officially end the decades-long conflict between Israel and Gaza. 'You've won,' the President told Israeli politicians. 'Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.' Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza, and he urged Palestinians to 'turn forever from the path of terror and violence.' 'After tremendous pain and death and hardship,' he said, 'now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down.' Disneyland prides itself as being a place 'where dreams come true'. But for one family, returning home from their bucket-list holiday turned into a nightmare when they became stranded in Paris. Nicola Kennedy, who booked it as a birthday treat for granddaughter Ava, said her family had to sleep in Charles de Gaulle Airport after easyJet staff refused access to the plane. She claimed their gate was switched with 10 minutes to spare, leaving them scrambling for their flight home, according to The Scottish Sun. She said: 'Our 9pm flight was delayed by two hours. We were at the gate they told us to be. 'When we got to the new gate, we were told it was too late. The plane was still on the runway but they wouldn't let us on. It was ridiculous.' The family of five apparently couldn't book a hotel because it was too late at night and were forced to sleep in the main terminal. 'It was freezing, uncomfortable and unsafe,' said Nicola. She claimed that the following morning, easyJet staff offered to transfer their flights. But by that point, the family had already spent 750 on replacement tickets to ensure they could get home. Nicola said: 'It wasn't just us at least 12 other people missed the flight too. For one family, returning home from their bucket-list holiday to Disneyland Paris turned into a nightmare when they became stranded in France Nicola Kennedy, who booked it as a birthday treat for granddaughter Ava, said her family had to sleep in Charles de Gaulle Airport after easyJet staff refused access to the plane (stock image) The family were told they had arrived too late to access the aircraft 'We were told by one of the easyJet staff that sometimes the tannoy system doesn't work but it seemed to be working fine the next day. It's just unacceptable. 'We did everything right. We were there in plenty of time and kept checking for updates. This was meant to be a special trip for Ava's birthday but sadly it ended on a sour note.' A spokesperson for easyJet told the Daily Mail: 'We are sorry that the Kennedy family who were booked on flight EZY3244 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Edinburgh on 19th of September were unable to travel as a result of arriving late at the gate. 'The departure gate was changed one hour ten minutes before the flight was due to depart for Edinburgh, giving all customers plenty of notice to be at the correct gate, and several announcements were made during boarding to call for last customers. 'We always advise passengers to monitor our Flight Tracker app on the website for the latest real time flight information and recommend they allow plenty of time for their flight, and that they have comprehensive travel insurance to cover for any unforeseen circumstances.' Earlier this year, a British father of three claimed his family were forced to sleep on an airport floor all night after being 'dumped' by easyJet in the wrong destination. Darren Rainey was flying with the budget carrier from Luton to Crete on August 13 when the flight had to make an emergency landing in Croatia due to a flight attendant falling ill. Earlier this year, a British father of three claimed his family were forced to sleep on an airport floor all night after being 'dumped' by easyJet in the wrong destination The father said passengers were instructed to wait onboard the plane, which had landed in Split, until a replacement member of crew was found. But after an hour-and-a-half wait, the airline reportedly informed passengers that they would have to remain in the country overnight until a replacement became available to join the crew the following morning. Darren claimed that easyJet had initially promised to provide accommodation, but after a further hour-long wait, staff reportedly told passengers they would have to find and pay for their own. A former flight attendant has lifted the lid on the shocking physical requirements for cabin crew at major airlines in Asia. In a candid interview with Vice, the ex-flight attendant, who chose to conceal her identity, shed light on the dark reality of what she described as a 'hypersexualised' and 'glorified' job. She revealed a strict standard is upheld for cabin crew flying with low-cost and premium airlines across Asia - claiming the only thing that matters is their appearance. The former flight attendant explained that airlines hire their cabin crews to be the 'face' of the brand - which means staff reportedly have their skin, weight and overall appearance assessed on a regular basis by management. In the YouTube video, she continued: 'They have a specific look. You have to look slim, slender... Every two years, you'll be issued the same uniform, the same size. You are expected to always be able to fit into that uniform.' She further claimed that she and her fellow flight attendants were designated a 'grooming manager,' who would often 'pick and poke' at their 'entire appearance' during unform inspections. The woman added: 'So if you gain weight or have any skin issues, you can get grounded from flying because you are not performing to the standards.' She recalled one occasion where she had been 'grounded' - prohibited from flying - after she had developed 'terrible' issues with her skin. A former flight attendant has lifted the lid on the shocking physical requirements for cabin crew at major airlines in Asia (stock image) In a candid interview with Vice, an ex-flight attendant, who chose to conceal her identity, shed light on the dark reality of what she described as a 'hypersexualised' and 'glorified' job She explained that her airline had arranged for her to visit a dermatologist with the instruction that her skin had to be cleared up before she was allowed to fly again. She explained that she was sent by her airline to see a dermatologist with the instruction The video sparked hundreds of mixed reactions in the comments, as one person wrote: 'I already assumed this, because airline attendants are always slim and well groomed.' Another said: 'It is a business and they have standards. What's wrong with that? The airlines pay. Take it or leave it, long queue of people wanting a job.' A third, agreeing, wrote: 'Imagine a 400lb flight attendant trying to move down the aisle of a packed plane serving drinks and foods? Yeah good luck lmao.' However, one person argued: 'They are supposed to guide and assist the passengers in case of an emergency, they have to be capable, not good looking, f****d up mentality.' Another shared: 'Top Asian and Middle East companies can be hell for cabin crew. A friend of mine was fired at the age 32 because she was already considered too old even looking great, apart from the toxic passenger that you have to deal with.' Meanwhile, a flight attendant has left social media users stunned after she revealed her 'insane' monthly earnings - despite only working part-time hours. The former flight attendant explained that airlines hire their cabin crews to be the 'face' of the brand - which means staff reportedly have their skin, weight and overall appearance assessed on a regular basis by management Josette, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, has worked with regional carrier Southwest Airlines for 14 years, and regularly shares the highs and lows of cabin crew life on TikTok. In December 2024, the content creator unveiled the considerable sum of money she had been paid that month. The clip on social media shows Josette playfully sporting a glum expression, along with additional text that reads: 'Me getting sick of my job... Then I remember my check last month was $9980.66.' According to the flight attendant, who added 'further context' in a caption below the video, her total earnings that month - which equates to 7,489.98 - was her gross pay. A tourist has revealed that were caught out after applying for a visa to visit Canada on what looked to be the genuine Canadian government website. However, after inputting his bank details, they were immediately contacted by his bank, alerting him to the fact that it was a scam. Anxious that tourists may be targeted by the same scam, they shared their problem with the consumer group Which?. Money expert Simon Dicey said: 'Were glad that you didnt lose any money. 'Its difficult to distinguish between bona fide foreign government websites and copycat ones, like the one you used. 'Weve also heard of a spate of scams related to applying for Canadian visas. 'Its safest to start by going to gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. 'This explains whether you need a visa for each country and contains links to the websites of foreign governments UK consulates. A tourist revealed that they applied for a visa to visit Canada on what looked to be the genuine Canadian government website 'The bad news is that the scammers may now have some of your personal details, which they could use to apply for products in your name. 'While you wont be on the hook for losses from identity fraud, you should consider using Cifas Protective Registration service. This costs 30 for two years. 'Any applications for financial products that use your name during that period will be subject to extra checks.' This comes as a warning has been issued as scammers are said to be targeting travellers during the rollout of the new EU border system. The new Entry/Exit System (EES) launched this weekend, aiming to make going through airport checks faster. But scammers are said to be taking advantage of confusion over the new rules. The EES requires non-EU passport holders and those crossing Schengen borders to provide biometric data and fingerprints. There is currently no need for visa-exempt non-EU nationals to obtain any additional documentation to travel. However, later in 2026, another new system will be rolled out, known as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). Scammers are preying on confusion over this second system. Under the new ETIAS rules, travellers who don't need a visa from non-EU countries, including the UK, Australia, the US and Canada, will have to obtain authorisation before short stays in the Schengen Area. It will apply to 30 European countries - all EU states except Ireland plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. But some travellers may confuse the upcoming EES - for which no extra applications are required - with the ETIAS. The association of travel agents and tour operators ABTA and the European Union have made it clear that scammers are taking advantage of this opportunity. ABTA told EuroNews: 'People who try to apply for an ETIAS now may be at risk of fraud, with a loss of money and possibly personal data too.' The new Entry/Exit System (EES) launched this weekend, aiming to make going through airport checks faster More than 60 fake websites have claimed to sell the ETIAS visa waiver - which has still not yet been introduced, ABTA said. When it is brought into operation, the only place to apply will be on the official website. Travellers have been warned to ignore apps, websites, or social media posts claiming to offer alternatives. ABTA Director of Public Affairs Luke Petherbridge said: 'The European Union is very keen to stress the fact that there is only one official site for purchasing an ETIAS visa-waiver, and people should not use other channels.' With unique views of the Northern Lights, dramatic landscapes, black sand beaches and geothermal spas, Iceland is a nature lover's paradise. But with news of another Icelandic airline folding, it appears tourists are no longer flocking to the Land of Fire and Ice. Play, the airline, abruptly shut down at the end of September, becoming the second low-cost airline in Iceland to collapse in the last six years. Iceland's popularity boomed in the 2010s, partly thanks to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the popularity of Game of Thrones. This surge led to a massive increase in visitor numbers, from roughly 500,000 in 2010 to 2.2 million by 2018. In recent years, tourism to Iceland has been in decline, with the country's tourism bureau claiming international visitors have dropped six per cent in the last year. Visitor numbers in 2023 were still lower than they were before the pandemic, according to The Telegraph. This is likely due to the country's high cost of living; Iceland is frequently named as one of the world's most expensive destinations. With unique views of the Northern Lights, dramatic landscapes, black sand beaches and geothermal spas, Iceland is a nature lover's paradise The chief executive of Icelandair - the national carrier of Iceland - said that advance bookings for US flights are lower than expected for the second half of this year. It comes as data suggests that Europeans are being put off travelling to the US, in part due to the aggressive border enforcement that has seen some tourists detained. Across the pond, more American travellers have shown interest in visiting Greenland, the world's largest island. The American airline United has opened a direct route between New York City and Greenland's capital, Nuuk, which takes just over four hours, around 90 minutes less than the trip to Iceland's capital. But for travellers seeking an adventure holiday, Iceland is still a popular choice with a landscape that is hard to beat. From tours of the Golden Circle to scenic drives along Iceland's Ring Road, visitors can experience everything from glacier hiking to exploring ice caves and whale watching. Some experts predict Iceland's tourism numbers to bounce back in 2026, with some sources projecting visitor numbers to reach up to 2.5 million. The New York Times claims the country is strategically using the lull in tourism to invest in infrastructure to handle future visitors more sustainably. Iceland's popularity boomed in the 2010s, partly thanks to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the popularity of Game of Thrones It seems that while Iceland has seen a dip in tourism in recent years, it could soon turn this around and once again be a popular destination for British travellers. Iceland is one of the 29 countries using the new Entry/Exit System (EES) for visitors, as of October 12. As part of Europe's new biometric border checks, some travellers may be asked to demonstrate sufficient financial means in order to enter the Schengen area. And each country is setting its own rules on what it deems as 'sufficient'. If travelling to Iceland, you will need to have 56 (48.50) in your bank account if your funds are checked as you go in. A popular Italian resort is set to start turning tourists away - as a result of severe overcrowding in the area. The acclaimed ski resort in the Dolomites region will put a limit on the number of visitors it will welcome this winter. Madonna di Campiglio has announced it will curb the presence of skiers on the slopes by limiting daily passes bought online to just 15,000 on up to 17 days each ski season. This will be a notable decrease from the 23,000 admissions that were sold in a single day last year. It comes after a period of overcrowding in the mountain range during the summer. The resort explained limiting the number of daily pass holders will improve overall experience. It added it will help improve customer safety too. The rule will be launched from December 28, 2025, to January 5, 2026, as well as during Italy's annual Carnival (February 15-22, 2026), according to EuroNews. Madonna di Campiglio has announced it will curb the presence of skiers on the slopes by limiting daily passes bought online to just 15,000 on up to 17 days each ski season It comes after a period of overcrowding in the Dolomites mountain range during the summer Madonna di Campiglio is also developing new 'smart skipasses' to allow skiers to avoid crowded zones during the peak season by 'dynamically distributing skier traffic across the 150km of slopes'. But the new limit will only apply to daily SkiArea passes sold online. This means that those with seasonal passholders, pay-per-use cards, multi-day passes, and passes within Pinzolo and Folgarida Marilleva will not be affected by the new limit. Non-skiers will also be allowed to freely access pedestrian-enabled lifts. The Dolomites have shot to popularity in recent months. The region has seen a surge in the number of visitors it welcomes. Each year, approximately 34 million people visit to experience the beauty of the Italian Dolomites. But this has led to problems associated with overtourism. The resort explained limiting the number of daily pass holders will improve overall experience In February this year, anti-tourist protesters targeted ski resorts after Italian locals branded the words 'too much' in bright red letters atop a snowy mountain. And during the summer, the mountains were compared to Disneyland as the beauty spot became overloaded by swarms of selfie-snapping tourists. Hiking trails have reportedly seen huge blockages and tourists clog up the paths. What's more, recent scenes of overcrowding at the summit of the Seceda mountain has sparked anger among locals and environmentalists who say large crowds could put wildlife at risk. The James Bond films have been slapped with a fresh wave of woke trigger warnings by streaming giant Prime Video. Almost every iconic 007 film on the platform has had content alerts added at the start - except one that features actor Sean Connery. The first ever Bond film - which is 1962's Dr. No - carries a warning for 'violence, alcohol use, smoking, and foul language'. Meanwhile, other movies in the infamous spy series carry warnings for womanising and 'nude and sexual content'. But above all, a scene from 1967's You Only Live Twice, where Sean changes his skin colour and eye shape to mimic a Japanese man, has surprisingly avoided any warning of racial insensitivity. It comes after Amazon secured the rights to show the Bond films after acquiring MGM Studios back in 2022. The James Bond films have been slapped with a fresh wave of woke trigger warnings by streaming giant Amazon Almost every iconic 007 film on the platform has had content alerts added at the start - except one that features actor Sean Connery The streaming giant also gained control of all Bond movies earlier this year. Amazon also deleted a series of digitally-altered James Bond posters, which removed the spy's gun. The shots of the spy were altered to remove certain elements deemed core to his brand, namely guns and girls. Instead of seeing some of the film's frontmen, including Sean, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig, wielding a Walther PPK, viewers were horrified to discover digitally altered versions without a pistol in sight. Critics swiftly took to social media, with many accusing Amazon of 'sanitising' the Bond name - and legacy. It has now responded to indignant backlash by replacing the edited gun-less promo pictures with more traditional stills from the films themselves. However, the new offerings are not likely to satisfy fans, as despite being untouched, they are still without guns or Bond girls. But above all, a scene from 1967's You Only Live Twice, where Sean changes his skin colour and eye shape to mimic a Japanese man, has avoided any warning of racial insensitivity In the original poster for 2015's Spectre featuring Daniel Craig, Bond is seen holding the gun in his right hand, by his side. But Amazon made the simple move of cropping Craig's hands, while keeping his original pose, in an attempt to conceal the display of the firearm. The moves to remove the weapon prompted fury among the most die-hard of Bond fans due to its significance in the original texts of the series. It was first issued to the intelligence agent in the Ian Fleming novel Dr. No in 1958, and featured in all of the subsequent books as Bond's signature firearm - prompting widespread popularity in pop culture replica collectibles. House Of Guinness star Anthony Boyle is reportedly the most recent actor to join the race to become the next James Bond. The Belfast-born actor, 31, plays eldest Guinness son Arthur in the Netflix series and has also featured in smash-hit Derry Girls. Now, Anthony is rumoured to be in the running for what would be his biggest role yet. Ladbrokes bookies have reportedly shot Anthony straight in at 10/1 in the odds, making him the fifth favourite to take over from Daniel Craig, according to The Mirror. BBC Breakfast hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay were left scrambling to comfort a guest after she broke down in tears over 'really, really emotional' news. The morning programme returned to our screens on Monday as the hosts shared the latest headlines and stories with viewers. The presenting duo pressed pause on the planned news reel just minutes into the show to address a breaking story - as Israel prepared to welcome American President Donald Trump. It follows a ceasefire agreement for the war in Gaza which saw the Israeli government approve the US-brokered deal with Hamas. Part of the agreement included a hostage and prisoner exchange, which began on Monday morning just hours after the agreement came into affect. The news programme focused on the ongoing breaking story, as Hamas began releasing the hostages - 20 living captives, and 28 bodies. BBC Breakfast hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay were left scrambling to comfort a guest after she broke down in tears over 'really, really emotional' news The UK Lead of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Nivi Feldman joined Sally, 54, and Jon, 55, to speak about the hostages being released Sally introduced the segment: 'As we go on air this morning, the world is watching as the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners is due to begin. 'It is a key part of the US backed ceasefire plan for Gaza.' Jon added: 'Crowds are gathering in Tel Aviv as they await news of the hostages' release. Hamas has to release 20 who are thought to be alive, and the bodies of 28.' Sally then added: 'At the Re'im military base, Israeli families are beginning to gather in anticipation of the hostages' release. 'The roads nearby, just close to this base, are lined with flags and people.' Jon explained that aid trucks had been passing the border into Gaza this morning, as Palestinians returned to Gaza City after fleeing south during the war. The UK Lead of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Nivi Feldman joined Sally, 54, and Jon, 55, to speak about the hostages who were soon to be reunited with their families. Nivi began to break down as she admitted she was finding the segment 'really, really emotional' as she spoke to the pair about her involvement with the families. Jon and Sally (left) present the show from Monday to Wednesday, with Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty taking over on Thursday and Friday The news programme followed along live as President Donald Trump landed in Israel following a US-brokered ceasefire deal agreed to by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'We've been hugging and holding these families for two years, campaigning with them to bring back their loved ones,' Nivi admitted holding back tears. 'They were taken from a Nova party, they were taken from their homes in pyjamas. There's families who have been through kids who can't sleep and can't go to school and just waiting for their loved ones. 'It's just really scary seeing the condition of them. 'I know they haven't been given food everyday, I know they've been chained, they've been beaten... They've been through hell and they're finally coming back.' Taking to social media, viewers of the news programme admitted they too were left 'heartbroken' and emotional watching the footage from Israel. 'This is heartbreaking for every family reunited,' one penned, as a second added: 'I hope we are watching the first steps on the long road to lasting peace.' It comes after Naga Munchetty was replaced on BBC Breakfast as her usual co-host Charlie Stayt was joined by another familiar face in another cast shake-up. BBC Breakfast is usually presented by Jon and Sally, Monday to Wednesday, followed by Naga, 50, and Charlie, 63, Thursday to Saturday. Sunday's episode is presented by a number of stand-in hosts such as Roger Johnson, Tina Daheley, Ben Boulous, Ben Thompson and Rachel Burden. But Naga was missing from the line-up on the show on Thursday morning, with Charlie instead joined by one of the other BBC Breakfast stars. Viewers were surprised to see Charlie joined by Sarah Campbell, a BBC News presenter and royal correspondent for the broadcaster. It's not the first time in recent weeks that Naga has been missing from the line-up, with Naga going missing from screens last month on leave. Charlie and Naga have hit a number of headlines over the last few months. Back in June it was revealed that journalist Naga, 50, who joined the morning programme in 2014, was facing 'bullying claims'. Last month it was revealed that Naga had allegedly scolded a petrified intern for the way they spread Marmite on her toast. In August it was also reported Charlie Stayt's alleged behaviour is also 'under review' after a string of complaints. Breakfast airs daily on BBC One from 6am and is available to stream on iPlayer. Countryfile viewers were left baffled by an apparent editing blunder on the show, which they accused of ripping off a rival BBC series. The incident occurred during a segment about the cider-making process that saw presenters Charlotte Smith and Adam Henson visit artisan cider producers Tom Tibbits and Lydia Crimp. Despite stating that they were visiting Weston's cider-making plant to explore the production of the beverage on an industrial scale, inside the plant, the company's logos were blurred out on the presenters' lab jackets. This did not go unnoticed by viewers, who took to social media to express their confusion, writing: 'Why blur out the badges if you're telling us who they are anyway?'; 'They told us the company is Weston's, so why blur out their logo on lab coats.'; 'They're at Weston's but have to blur the logo?' Countryfile viewers were left baffled by an apparent editing blunder on the show, which they accused of ripping off a rival BBC series The incident occurred during a segment about the cider-making process that saw presenters Charlotte Smith and Adam Henson visit artisan cider producers Tom Tibbits and Lydia Crimp It has since been suggested that because the BBC is a publicly-funded broadcaster, it had an obligation to blur the logo because it cannot explicitly promote brands. Another viewer compared the segment to rival BBC show Inside the Factory, simply writing on Twitter/X: '#countryfile does #insidethefactory.' But while this particular viewer took umbrage with the content of the segment, it did relate to the general themes of Countryfile, examining how the production of cider impacts the British countryside. A viewer who does drink found the segment so boring that they announced they would be washing up their dishes instead, writing: 'Yep. I'm bored sorry. Not a big drinker. Off to do the dishes.' Another added: 'Sounds like they're putting on the 'happy' for the cameras.' Fellow host and farmer Adam Henson then got in on the cider action and was allowed to taste some of Charlotte's cider at Countryfile HQ. 'That's very nice," he said, enjoying the drink. 'And it's got no label. Isn't your nickname Queenie?' She replied: 'It's Charlotte, Victoria, two - queens. We could call it Queenies, cider.' Despite stating that they were visiting Weston's cider making plant to explore the production of the beverage on an industrial scale, inside the plant, the company's logos were blurred out on the presenters' lab jackets This did not go unnoticed by viewers, who took to social media to express their confusion, writing: 'Why blur out the badges if you're telling us who they are anyway?' This is not the first time that Countryfile has come under fire in 2025 and earlier this year, the programme was criticised for its coverage of the lambing season. It sparked a wave of complaints after a farming special left some BBC viewers furious and 'unwell'. The special episode showcased their different techniques during lambing season and even captured a sheep giving birth. 'With the health of the animals being so important and then you've got unpredictable outcomes and of course the physical and mental strain of looking after so many animals,' Adam said. 'Lambing can be a tough time for sheep farmers.' However, the instalment was hit with backlash from some viewers who expressed their issues with what was shown on the episode. This is not the first time that Countryfile has come under fire in 2025 and earlier this year, the programme was criticised for its coverage of the lambing season The special episode showcased their different techniques during lambing season and even captured a sheep giving birth One posted on X: 'What the lambing #CountryFile, 4/5/2025 isn't looking at is how male lambs not chosen as tups for breeding are treated, & how the male presenters on the programme would like being treated that way (ouch!!).' 'I don't understand how farmers can put all this care and attention into the wellbeing of their flocks only to then send them for halal/kosher slaughter at a later date...' According to the Express, someone else said: 'I don't feel well #countryfile.' Some found the episode uninteresting and wrote: 'Time to ditch Countryfile. It's so dull.' Another commented: 'The poor mother, her lamb is huge #Countryfile.' Countryfile airs Sundays on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer. Married At First Sight UK bride Sarah was left in tears at the latest dinner party as she cried 'I can't keep doing this!' over her marriage to Dean. The newlyweds have not had the easiest ride on the E4 show, with viewers left outraged at Sarah over the last few weeks for slamming her husband as not her 'usual type'. On their wedding day, she admitted that Dean wasn't her dream man, confessing that she 'didn't fancy him' or 'want to rip his clothes off'. They even jetted off to the Maldives for their honeymoon, but failed to have an enjoyable time together. Sarah also fat-shamed her husband early on in the series, and she went on to shamelessly eye up another groom at a dinner party. The experts gave her a serious telling off for her behaviour towards her groom at both of the commitment ceremonies. Married At First Sight UK bride Sarah was left in tears at the dinner party as she cried, 'I can't keep doing this!' over her marriage to Dean The newlyweds have not had the easiest ride on the E4 show, with viewers left outraged at Sarah over the last few weeks for slamming her husband as not her 'usual type' She later apologised for her behaviour towards Dean and explained she is not a disrespectful person. In a preview for tonight's night's dinner party, Sarah is left in tears again as things take a dramatic turn. During the dinner Sarah is asked: 'Do you feel like there is a spark?' Sarah replied: 'No,' before turning to an upset Dean and asking him: 'What am I supposed to say?' She later confides to the camera: 'I just can't keep doing it. I can't change my feelings.' It comes after Sarah was branded 'disrespectful and muggy' by her husband Dean's close pal in a foul-mouthed clash last week. In an attempt to grow closer, the couple were seen cooking dinner together in their new apartment in preparation to host Dean's friend James and Sarah's friend Caitlin for the evening. Dean and Sarah were seen excitedly welcoming their guests to their new home - who were ready to dish out their opinion on the marriage so far. Sarah sparked outrage after making a number of 'horrifying' comments about Dean's weight earlier in the series Entering the apartment, Caitlin admitted: 'It seemed at the wedding that Sarah was a little reserved about Dean, so I'm hoping that they're getting on really well even without the initial attraction.' While Dean's close friend James added: 'I've known Dean for 25+ years so if he needs to be told the hard truths, I can do that.' But Sarah was quick to admit things had been up and down for the duo, looking emotional and saying: 'It's been a tough couple of weeks.' Dean chimed in that he was glad Sarah now had a 'familiar face' to talk to, as things grew increasingly awkward between the foursome. Sarah told the cameras away from the table: 'James might give me a grilling when he hears about what's been going on in the past couple of weeks. 'I hope it's not going to be awkward, but we will see.' Married At First Sight UK 's Sarah was branded 'disrespectful and muggy' by her husband Dean's close pal in a foul-mouthed clash on Wednesday night Sarah was told off by Dean's pal for her 'disrespectful' behaviour towards him on their Maldives honeymoon which aired in previous episodes It was then James started to get uncomfortable as Sarah failed to share any 'interesting facts' she'd learned about Dean while getting to know him on their honeymoon in the Maldives. James told the cameras: 'He's one of the most charismatic people I know, anything that she had learned about him would have been an interesting fact.' Things went even further downhill as James quizzed them on what went down on their honeymoon, with Dean revealing he 'shouted' at her 'disrespectful' behaviour. Looking furious, Dean asked Sarah: 'Were you disrespectful?' to which Sarah responded: 'I said I'd got the ick, because of the jokes and the singing. 'I had said to Dean previously I wasn't a massive fan of them and I think on the honeymoon it became more intense.' After Sarah admitted there had been a second argument that she was at fault for, James hit out: 'There's a theme here.' Speaking to the camera again, James fumed: 'Ick is a horrible word, and it came as a shock, he could be being a bit of a fool of and being disrespected. 'That makes me feel worried - it's f***ing muggy.' Later in the evening, Dean was sat down with James away from his wife, expressing to his pal: 'I don't ever want to be disrespected.' His loyal friend replied: 'She shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.' Shockingly, Dean was the one who then told the cameras, despite previously fighting for the relationship: 'Do I stay and fight, or do I let go?' Chinese FM calls for deeper China-Switzerland cooperation Xinhua) 09:45, October 13, 2025 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis meet the press in Bellinzona, Switzerland, Oct. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Wang said the just-concluded fourth round of China-Switzerland Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue has achieved positive outcomes. BELLINZONA, Switzerland, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on China and Switzerland to remain true to the original aspirations of establishing diplomatic relations and continue to serve as a model of friendly cooperation. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a joint press conference with Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in the southern Swiss town of Bellinzona. Wang spoke highly of the just-concluded fourth round of China-Switzerland Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, which he said has achieved positive outcomes. The two sides had in-depth, pragmatic and friendly discussions that were strategic, constructive and forward-looking, he said. Wang said both sides agreed to strengthen political mutual trust. A paragliding fan flies over Rigi mountain near Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 1, 2016, Switzerland's National Day. Rigi, known as "the Queen of the Mountains", is one of the most popular hotspots for paragliding in central Switzerland. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan) Switzerland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Over the past 75 years, the two sides have pursued the spirit of equality, innovation and win-win cooperation, adhered to non-interference in each other's internal affairs, respected each other's development paths, and sought common ground while shelving differences, becoming reliable friends that have withstood the test of changing international circumstances and keeping bilateral ties at the forefront of China's relations with Europe, he said. China appreciates Switzerland's firm adherence to the one-China policy, and hopes that Switzerland will continue to support the Chinese people's aspiration to achieve national reunification, Wang said. He called on China and Switzerland to continue to respect each other's core interests and remain a model of friendly cooperation between countries with different social systems, at different development stages, and of different sizes. Both sides agreed to deepen practical cooperation, Wang said, noting that Switzerland has been a pioneer and beneficiary of China-Europe economic and trade cooperation, as the first continental European country to sign a free trade agreement with China and China's first innovation strategic partner. An artist performs during a Mid-Autumn Festival gala in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 23, 2025. The gala was held Tuesday evening here to celebrate the upcoming 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls respectively on Oct. 1 and Oct. 6. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) The two countries have been accelerating efforts to upgrade the free trade agreement, which will expand the scope of zero tariffs to more goods, better benefiting enterprises and consumers in both countries, he said. Wang said China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Switzerland in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, high-end manufacturing, and green transition, fostering more mutually beneficial, tangible, and high-quality cooperation results. Both sides agreed to improve global governance, Wang said, while Cold War mentalities, hegemonism and bullying, and the shadow of protectionism persist, leaving humanity once again at a crossroads. Against this backdrop, President Xi Jinping, responding to the aspirations of peoples worldwide and the expectations of the United Nations, has put forward the Global Governance Initiative, which has been widely received by the international community, including Switzerland, Wang said. Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, Wang said China stands ready to work with Switzerland to reject bloc confrontation, resist unilateral bullying, stand on the right side of history, and practice true multilateralism. Joint efforts will be made to uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, and build a more just and equitable global governance system, he said. A visitor tries Tuina massage, a traditional Chinese medicine technique, during a "Hello! China" culture and tourism promotion event in Bern, Switzerland, Sept. 21, 2025. The event, hosted by the China Cultural Center in Bern, was held here on Sunday, featuring stage performances, including Taiji fan, traditional Chinese music and folk dances, as well as hands-on cultural experiences such as traditional Chinese medicine therapy, calligraphy, woodblock printing, sachets and handcrafted fans making. (Xinhua/Lian Yi) Wang said the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) is a crucial part of strengthening global governance. China welcomes Switzerland's active participation to leverage its unique advantages to contribute to resolving disputes and fostering harmony and coexistence in the world, he said. Wang said that China is willing to encourage stronger exchanges and mutual understanding between the two peoples. China stands ready to extend its unilateral visa-free policy for Swiss citizens and introduce more measures to facilitate travel to China, with a view to jointly forging a brighter future for China-Switzerland relations, he said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Coronation Street fans have been left shocked by the revelation that two of the most familiar faces on the cobbles were once an item - despite appearing on the show almost a decade apart. Phil Middlemiss, now 62, first appeared on Coronation Street back in 1995 as loverat Des Barnes. He played the role in a successful stint that lasted until 1998, when his character was killed off. But until now, few Corrie fans realised that he dated Alison King - AKA Carla Connor - between 1995 and 2000. The pair's relationship was recently the topic of discussion on Reddit, where a user unearthed an article from 1998 where Phil said they were 'madly in love'. At the time, Alison, now 52, was not famous and worked as a 'surf shop girl'. Phil Middlemiss, now 62, first appeared on Coronation Street back in 1995 as loverat Des Barnes - pictured here with his on-screen wife Natalie Horrocks (Denise Welch) But until now, few Corrie fans realised that he dated Alison King - AKA Carla Connor - between 1995 and 2000 The pair's relationship was recently the topic of discussion on Reddit , where a user unearthed an article from 1998 where Phil said they were 'madly in love' - the couple are pictured here at the Corrie Christmas party in 1997 Reacting to the revelation, shocked fans wrote: 'No way!!' 'How random.'; 'I still can't get my head around this!'; 'Small world!' The actor told the Daily Record at the time: 'I've never been happier. She is a wonderful girl. I love her to death.' But despite their strong connection, the pair's romance eventually came to an end in 2000. Phil said: 'I was in love with Allie. She's the only person I've ever really loved. But she was working in London and I was in Manchester. 'In another life, if I had been a bus driver and she had worked at the local baker's shop, we would have got married and had kids by now.' But despite their strong connection, the pair's romance eventually came to an end in 2000 as Phil worked in Manchester and Alison was based in London at the time Phil said: 'In another life, if I had been a bus driver and she had worked at the local baker's shop, we would have got married and had kids' Phil career has been filled with ups and downs since his time on Corrie came to an end and the 2008 financial crisis saw him file for bankruptcy in 2012 after a film he had invested in failed to take off. He told the Manchester Evening News: 'It was partly-funded by myself but I didnt have the money to fund the rest of the film. 'Filming came to a grinding halt. It was nearly three-quarters of the way along the line. It has been a difficult time. Three-and-a-half years is a long time to fund myself without any income. 'I have had to get money from family and friends.' His acting accolades since Coronation Street include Where The Heart Is and Doctors. Alison went on to become a familiar face on the cobbles in 2006, when she stepped into the shoes of factory boss Carla. Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX. One of the experts on Antiques Roadshow was left physically shaking after a guest presented him with a 'heart-stopping item' on Sunday's episode of the show. The revelation was made by antiques expert Mark Hill after he was presented with an 18th-century microscope during the show's stop at Hill of Tarvit in Fife, Scotland. He admitted: 'When I saw this box coming down the queue, I was sitting down but my knees started to shake, because I know what's in this box.' Examining the microscope, the excited expert said: 'What a beauty.' The guest then explained that she'd inherited the item from her grandparents because she works in science - although she has always been too scared to actually use it. She said: 'It's older than I thought it was, it was my grandparents' and they left it to me.' One of the experts on the Antiques Roadshow was left physically shaking after a guest presented him with a 'heart-stopping item' on Sunday's episode of the show The revelation was made by antiques expert Mark Hill after he was presented with an 18th-century microscope during the show's stop at Hill of Tarvit in Fife, Scotland The guest continued: 'My grandparents had it for longer than my mum was alive, I don't really know the story behind it. Mark went on to explain the mechanics of the microscope before adding: 'It's a wonderful instrument, it really makes my heart skip a beat.' He then asked: 'You work in a laboratory, have you ever tried using it?' 'I have not. I've been a big chicken, afraid to do any damage do it,' the guest replied. 'But I do use a microscope at least once a month at work. Maybe I will give it a work.' After this brief discussion, the all-important valuation was given by Mark, who said that the family heirloom could fetch a lot more than a pretty penny. 'This is a bit of a living room decoration, it's a cureo in your house, connected to your career,' he said. 'It's also 1,200 to 1,800.' The shocked guest exclaimed: 'It's more than I expected!' The guest then explained that she'd inherited the item from her grandparents because she works in science - although she has always been too scared to actually use it After this brief discussion, the all-important valuation was given by Mark, who said that the family heirloom could fetch a lot more than a pretty penny - between 1,200 and 1,800 The microscope is not the only item to recently receive an impressive valuation on Antique's Roadshow. A guest was left stunned into silence when he discovered the value of his 'really rare' collection. Arts specialist Will Farmer broke the news to the happy guest, who visited Shuttleworth House in Bedfordshire to have his treasures valued. The collection was made up of a number of smoking heads and the guest explained that he was 'amazed' by them when he was first shown them as a child by his father. The guest admitted: 'Collection or obsession? I don't know. I'm a collector, so I know what it's like.' Will added: 'Of course, these days we're all well aware of the dangers of smoking. But it's from a time when people used to smoke and this was what it's about.' The microscope is not the only item to recently receive an impressive valuation on Antique's Roadshow A guest was left stunned into silence when he discovered the value of his 'really rare' collection Arts specialist Will Farmer broke the news to the happy guest, who visited Shuttleworth House in Bedfordshire to have his treasures valued at a whopping 5,000 to 6,000 The expert went on to reveal that the distinctive pieces were made by the German pottery firm Schafer and Vater. Will said: 'You can see that characteristically by the manufacturer and what they're doing with these brilliant expressions and these brilliant faces. 'The idea is, everybody, is that you would put your cigarette in the mouths and it would all come out of the head, out the ears, out the sides, whatever. I mean, these are real fun things.' The expert said that while there was a time when the figures would have fetched a modest sum of around 20 to 25, their value has skyrocketed in recent years - despite the popularity of smoking decreasing. He said: 'I think you've got somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 worth.' Antiques Roadshow continues on Sunday on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer. One of the most explosive fights in 90 Day Fiance is set to air. Monday night's episode of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way will feature an explosive fight between 20-year-old Colombian Madelein Perez and 31-year-old American fiance Luke Berry. The argument was centered around Luke having a stripper at his bachelor party and ended with the shocking moment that Madelein threw food in his face in a sneak peek clip obtained by People. The couple with an 11 year age gap were seen at dinner when Luke opened up the conversation by saying: 'Remember when I had said I was going to David's house?' Madelein remembered quickly before replying: 'The weekend you don't respond to me.' Luke seems hesitant to continue the conversation as he takes a long pause before being pushed by his fiancee to 'get to the point.' Monday night's episode of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way will feature an explosive fight between 20-year-old Colombian Madelein Perez and 31-year-old American fiance Luke Berry Luke continued by saying: 'Basically, like, they threw like a small little bachelor party.' Madelein seems annoyed by the revelation as she queries: 'A small, little? What is a bachelor party for you? What the f*** do you do?' Luke answered: 'A stripper came over.' Madelein then began to get angry as she pressed her fiance as she said: 'And what do you do with the stripper? 'What do you do with a stripper? Tell me the truth, Luke, because you know I'm going to find out.' Luke insisted, 'I didn't do anything' before admitting that the stripper did dance for him. He then said: 'The stripper did stripper stuff. I mean, she cam over for...' Madelein then interrupted her fiance before asking if he had touched the stripper which he denied. The argument was centered around Luke having a stripper at his bachelor party and ended with the shocking moment that Madelein threw food in his face in a sneak peek clip obtained by People After arguing about a stripper at his bachelor party, Madelein quickly got up and pushed dishes off of the table before throwing food in Luke's face She then vehemently questioned: 'Do you think I am f***ing stupid?' Then she quickly got up and pushed dishes off of the table before throwing food in Luke's face. As if that wasn't already enough, she took another handful of food and tossed it him before storming out of the restaurant. 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way is a spin-off of 90 Day Fiance where the American moves to a foreign country instead of vice versa as Luke has relocated to Medellin, Colombia. The couple were previously featured on 90 Day Fiance: Love In Paradise last year. Luke's relationship with Madelein has been at the center of controversy from fans of the reality franchise as last year someone on Reddit posted about how they likely met when she was 17 Luke's relationship with Madelein has been at the center of controversy from fans of the reality franchise as last year someone on Reddit posted about how they likely met when she was 17. In February 2024, Madelein revealed publicly that Luke had popped the question with an Instagram Reel detailing the proposal. 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on TLC. Pete Wicks: For Dog's Sake (U&W) Rating: All over the country, there must be dogs named after EastEnders characters. Please write in and tell us if you own one. Dirty Den ought to be a mucky terrier with a grin and a bit of a snarl, who shares his basket with Angie, a miniature poodle with unkempt curls. Grant and Phil are XL bullies, obviously. Their mum Peggy, tiny but ferocious, will probably be a Chihuahua. And then there's Ricky. Ricky could be any breed, as long as he never comes when he's called. His owner will have to stand in the park, screaming, 'Rick-ahy! Rick-ahy!' like Bianca (played by Patsy Palmer in the soap). That ridiculous image became reality for pet-lover and former Strictly contestant Pete Wicks on For Dog's Sake, as he met a scruffy two-year-old pointer called Ricky at a Dog's Trust rescue centre in Leeds. Never was an animal more aptly named. Behavioural expert Abbie explained the boisterous mutt had been in their kennels for months, unable to find a home, because he couldn't be trusted off the leash. Take your eye off him for a moment and he'd be miles away, sniffing around and making a nuisance of himself, refusing to come back like Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) in the Square. After weeks of fruitless training, Abbie discovered that a shrill, repetitive screech was the only way to get Ricky to pay attention. Pete, whose Essex accent is more of a low grumble, joined in gamely. It hurt my throat just to hear him. This was a light interlude as For Dog's Sake returned for a second series. The show is not afraid to highlight the cruelty some of the rescued animals have suffered, and the sight of four Maltese crosses dumped at the door in a suitcase, their coats horribly matted, was truly distressing. For Dog's Sake promises to give TOWIE graduate Wicks a TV career long after his reality show antics are forgotten Weird laughs of the night Tim Robinson, star of the cult Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave, excels at cringe comedy, the kind fans of The Office love. He adds a juicy layer of conspiracy theory in The Chair Company (Sky Comedy). Bizarre but intriguing. Advertisement Shows such as this and ITV's For The Love Of Dogs depend on the instant bond between presenter and pet. That's why the late Paul O'Grady was so perfect for the format we believed he really did want to kidnap every pooch. His successor, Alison Hammond, looks more likely to rush home and give herself a scrub in the shower, to get the dog smell off her. O'Grady reinvented his career at Battersea Dogs Home, and For Dog's Sake promises to give TOWIE graduate Wicks a TV career long after his reality show antics are forgotten. He had fun romping with Theo, a two-year-old Italian mastiff with a heart problem that means he's unlikely to live more than 18 months. Pete adored him, and organised an appeal on local news to find Theo a good home. 'If ever there was a dog that deserves to feel that unconditional love, to be part of the family unit, then it's him,' he told the interviewer. 'For me, it was love at first slobber.' Denise Van Outen is gearing up to make a return to the music scene, but this time with an Ibiza-inspired twist. The TV and stage star, 51, has revealed she has been working on a new album of dance tracks after landing a DJ residency at an iconic Ibiza super club. The residency, which marked one of the biggest opportunities of her career in recent years, had inspired her to experiment with club sounds and electronic beats. Denise, who released her first album in 22 years on Friday, titled A Bit Of Me, said she had been inspired after spending the summer performing on the Spanish island. She explained that she was 'writing dance tunes and ballads' and loved the creative process of making music again. The star confirmed she was already working on her first Ibiza-inspired single, adding she was '100 per cent' planning to release it. Denise Van Outen is gearing up to make a return to the music scene, but this time with an Ibiza-inspired twist Speaking to The Sun she said: 'I've been writing not just [ballads] but also dance tunes. 'I've got a residency at UNVRS in Ibiza, which is the biggest club in the world. 'I've started to get a real feel for what's out there and I've been playing around with writing.' Her new heartfelt album titled, is a collection of intimate interpretations of timeless songs, lovingly reimagined for a new chapter in her career. The former radio presenter has included one original track, which was written in the aftermath of her split from ex-fiance Eddie Boxshall in 2022. Denise said the song captured a vulnerable moment in her life when she felt 'a little bit lost' and uncertain about her future. The Daily Mail has contacted Denise's representatives for comment. She ended her seven year relationship with the commodities trader, after discovering he'd been unfaithful. The TV and stage star, 51, had revealed she has been working on a new album of dance tracks after landing a DJ residency at an iconic Ibiza superclub The former radio presenter has included an original song on her new covers album which was written in the aftermath of her split from ex-fiance Eddie Boxshall in 2022 (pictured in 2015) Eddie moved out of Denise's home following their shock split and was thought to be staying with friends. Following what she has described as one of the 'best summers ever', Denise is also set to head back on stage next year. The former Chicago star, who played Roxie Hart, will perform a brand-new solo show, An Evening With Denise Van Outen, a UK tour combining live music and personal stories from her four-decade career. It is thought Denise is dating Adam Butler after they made their first public appearance at Glastonbury. The Big Breakfast star, delighted fans at Worthy Farm with a secret DJ set, where she was spotted with the businessman 'in the VIP area'. Rumours of her new romance began circulating in April after Adam joined Denise for a romantic Maldives getaway. The pair were then spotted last month in the Akira Back restaurant at London's Mandarin Oriental hotel, following a series of dates. Sarah Abo seems to be putting on a brave face amid rumours she could be replaced by Samantha Armytage on the Today show. Appearing on the breakfast program alongside her co-host Karl Stefanovic on Monday morning, the longtime TV presenter had a 'business as usual' attitude. Dressed in a bright red suit ensemble, the 39-year-old powered through the segment and wore a big smile despite growing speculation that her job is on the chopping block. It was reported over the weekend that Today could be set for a major shake-up in a bid to win the breakfast television wars. Nine is said to be in 'secret talks' to replace Karl's Today co-host since 2023 with A-list 'prestige' presenter Armytage . The casting shakeup is a 'desperate bid to wrestle the TV breakfast crown from Seven's rival Sunrise,' The Australian reported on Sunday. Sarah Abo seems to be putting on a brave face amid rumours she could be replaced by Samantha Armytage on the Today show The network is banking on the 'Armytage effect' which saw Sunrise score a ratings victory when Armytage joined the program in 2013 Armytage, 49, and Stefanovic, 51, are being slated as the 'dream team' that could see Today topple Sunrise's domination in the morning show ratings. The network is banking on the 'Armytage effect' which saw Sunrise score a ratings victory when Armytage joined the program in 2013. Armytage left Sunrise in 2021 and has gone on to helm Farmer Wants A Wife and the upcoming Golden Bachelor. Nine CEO Matt Stanton did little to dispel the chatter regarding Abo's future at Today, giving The Australian a coy response when asked if Armytage was stepping into the role alongside Stefanovic. 'I don't know. I'm not into that level to be honest, I haven't seen that level of detail,' Stanton told the publication this week. Abo joined Today in 2023, replacing outgoing host Allison Langdon. Langdon had announced her departure in 2022. She then stepped into the hosting role at A Current Affair, replacing long-time presenter Tracy Grimshaw. Abo's reported recent push for a bigger pay packet is part of the motivation for the switch-up, The Australian claimed. Armytage and Stefanovic (pictured) are being slated as the 'dream team' that could see Today topple Sunrise's domination in the morning show ratings Stefanovic has recently been offered a multi-million, multi-year deal by Nine, but the network is keeping an eye on the ratings under Stefanovic's reign. The breakfast show host has reportedly landed himself a $3 million per year contract, according to The Australian in June. Abo makes only $800,000 a year, according to Mediaweek, highlighting a stark gender pay gap between the two. 'Nine sources tell us the network's top brass have just finished passing a hat around at their Denison St headquarters in North Sydney and have managed to scrape together enough loose change to offer him a contract worth about $3 million a year,' the paper's Media Diary wrote of Stefanovic's pay packet. Sitting on a $2.8 million a year contract at the time, Stefanovic was rumoured to see a significant increase in his pay as he continued to front the successful breakfast show. According to the publication, Nine is said to have given in to the TV presenter's demands after he threatened to walk away if they offered a lower amount on a new contract. The news came as a shock considering rival breakfast hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington make a meagre $2 million between them. Kylie Jenner left her fans in shambles when she returned as 'King Kylie' with a new makeup collection teamed with a sultry, seemingly nude photoshoot. The 28-year-old reality TV star released several snapshots from the shoot as she continues commemorating her trendsetting era she started as a teenager 10 years ago. On Sunday, the makeup mogul had her fans flooding the comments section of her Instagram post with photos of her with her naked body covered in aqua blue and silver glitter. She rocked a dark, smoky eye with a matte lip, reminiscent of the makeup style she helped popularize a decade ago. The Kardashians star had a crystal-covered crown resting on her head. This comes after she teased a comeback collection for her Kylie Cosmetics brand while modeling a skimpy, leather outfit and handcuffs but is now facing backlash for her 'out of touch' post with fake cops amid tense ICE raids. Kylie Jenner, 28, left her fans in shambles when she returned as 'King Kylie' with a new makeup collection teamed with a sultry, seemingly nude photoshoot The reality TV star released several snapshots from the shoot as she continues commemorating her trendsetting era she started as a teenager 10 years ago In the snapshots, she flaunted a long, stiletto-shaped manicure and wrapped her arms around her chest to protect her modesty. She appeared to be wearing floor-length, raven black extensions for an even more dramatic look as her straight hair grazed the floor while she posed. She also included a flat-lay picture showing off the license plate-inspired eyeshadow palette as well as several other lip and face products, nostalgic of her past Kylie Cosmetics designs. In her caption, she wrote that she was inspired to curate and release the nostalgic collection because of her fans' requests. She said she was inspired by 'the fearless era that had a dream at just 17 years old' as she referred to the age she was when her mother helped her launch her now-billion dollar makeup brand. Addressing her fans, she wrote: 'You're the reason my biggest cosmetic dreams came true, and I wouldn't be here.. 10 years later! without your support.' This comes after the makeup mogul revealed her next output is an ode to her 'King Kylie' era, her late teenage and early 20s years, during which she was known for her flamboyant style. During that time the TV star-turned-entrepreneur teamed her vibrant-hued wigs with dramatically thick eyebrows, smokey eye makeup and plump lips. On Sunday, the makeup mogul had her fans flooding the comments section of her Instagram post with photos of her with her naked body covered in aqua blue and silver glitter This comes after the makeup mogul revealed her next output is an ode to her 'King Kylie' era, her late teenage and early 20s years, during which she was known for her flamboyant style During that time the TV star-turned-entrepreneur teamed her vibrant-hued wigs with dramatically thick eyebrows, smokey eye makeup and plump lips To build anticipation for the drop, she shared a teaser clip of herself with blue hair extensions and a racy outfit as she was handcuffed and escorted by police officers through a jail-like facility Shortly afterwards, she was quickly being labeled as 'out of touch' for casually incorporating police amid the country's ICE raids To build anticipation for the drop, she shared a teaser clip of herself with blue hair extensions and a racy outfit as she was handcuffed and escorted by police officers through a jail-like facility. Shortly afterwards, she was quickly being labeled as 'out of touch' for casually incorporating police amid the country's ICE raids. One person wrote on Reddit: 'The country's boiling over, citizens being dragged off by rogue badge hungry rent-a-cops, and Kylie Jenner drops a handcuffed hot-pants photoshoot to promote COSMETICS. This isn't satire; it's American rot.' Another Reddit user agreed within the thread, 'She is out of touch.' Someone else mentioned her sister Kendall Jenner's controversial 2017 Pepsi ad, in which the model quelled a police confrontation by presenting a can of soda. 'Is she actually trying to recreate the same controversy Kendall went through with the tone-deaf Pespi ad???' the person asked. The King Kylie moment came shortly after the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star launched her Kylie Lip Kits in November 2015. It kicked off the business that would anchor her now-billion-dollar empire. Amanda Seyfried and Claire Foy turn heads as they join Channing Tatum at the Golden Globes cocktail party during the 2025 BFI London Film Festival on Sunday. The Mamma Mia! star, 39, looked incredible in a white knitted minidress which she teamed with a stylish trench coat and black knee high boots. Styling her blonde tresses in waves, Amanda beamed for photos as she posed on the red carpet at the bash, which was held at The Dorchester. She was joined by The Crown star Claire, 41, who wowed in a sexy sheer black blouse which she wore under a smart fitted blazer and matching trousers. Styling her dark tresses in a neat low bun, the British star, who earlier in the night attended her new film H is for Hawk premiere, elevated her frame in a pair of boots. Meanwhile Channing, 45, dressed smart in a beige double breasted tweed suit which he teamed with a white T-shirt. Amanda Seyfried and Claire Foy turn heads as they join Channing Tatum at the Golden Globes cocktail party during the 2025 BFI London Film Festival on Sunday She was joined by The Crown star Claire, 41, who wowed in a sexy sheer black blouse and Channing Tatum, 45, who dressed smart in a beige double breasted tweed suit Celia Imrie, 73, showed off her amazing figure in a red blazer which she paired with black trousers and boots. Elsewhere Tessa Thompson put on a leggy display in a white sleeveless draping minidress and towering black stilettos. She looked in good spirits as she posed with Nina Hoss and Nicholas Pinnock during the party. This year the London Film Festival is running from 8 to 19 October with a series of events. Earlier this year Amanda revealed there was a role she wanted so badly she auditioned for it a whopping six times. Speaking on Backstage's In the Envelope podcast recently, the Mean Girls star revealed she tried out for the part of Elphaba in Wicked on multiple occasions. 'I'm in that privileged spot where I just don't have to [audition],' she said, 'But I like, of course, I talked about this a lot. I auditioned like six times for Wicked.' 'Because that had to be really just right,' the American star said. 'And I like, I loved it.' The Mamma Mia! star, 39, looked incredible in a white knitted minidress which she teamed with a stylish trench coat and black knee high boots Styling her blonde tresses in waves, Amanda beamed for photos as she posed on the red carpet at the bash, which was held at The Dorchester Claire wore her sexy sheer top under a smart fitted blazer and matching trousers The actor looked smart in his suit which he paired with a white T-shirt Elsewhere Tessa Thompson put on a leggy display in a white sleeveless draping minidress and towering black stilettos Celia Imrie, 73, showed off her amazing figure in a red blazer which she paired with black trousers and boots Amanda also talked about her Wicked audition in March during an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast. 'I was able to really prepare, and I'm telling you, I've never felt that solid in my voice than I did at the auditions,' she said. 'And that's kind of what I got out of it,' Seyfried told host Josh Horowitz. 'I do, again, think everything happens for a reason,' she continued, adding, 'I also got to sing with Cynthia, and that was a moment in itself.' In November, Cynthia did a joint interview with The New York Times, where she said it was 'no surprise whatsoever' to her when she learned Ariana Grande, 31, had gotten the role of Glinda. 'I said [at the time], 'Thank God,'' Ariana recalled, with Cynthia adding: 'Thank goodness, because it was not the two ladies that I was auditioning with.' While Cynthia did not name who else she'd auditioned with, Seyfried did reveal in 2022 that she had tried out for the part of Glinda, but didn't specify if she auditioned alongside Cynthia. She auditioned at the same time she was filming The Dropout, in which she played disgraced scientist Elizabeth Holmes and won an Emmy for her role. Amanda has made peace with the fact that she wasn't cast as Glinda. She even lavished praise on Ariana for her performance. 'I do, again, think everything happens for a reason,' she said. Amanda passed on another famous role, that of Gamora in the blockbuster film Guardians Of The Galaxy, opposite Chris Pratt, more than a decade ago. While promoting her new Peacock series Long Bright River, the actress dished about the many opportunities she been blessed to have had over her career. Celia beamed as she sipped on a glass of wine Julianne Nicholson stunned in a sequinned dress Nina Hoss, Nicholas Pinnock and Tessa beamed for photos Tom Bateman cut a dapper figure as he hit the red carpet Amanda beamed alongside glamorous Helen Hoehne At the bash, Amanda posed with Will Kemp And when it came to the topic of ones that almost happened, Seyfried got honest about the opportunity that came along with starring on the original 2014 superhero film, directed by James Gunn, based on the Marvel Comics. She admitted to feeling it was a risk at the time the role was offered to her, during the same interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast on March 20. 'Being a part of the first Marvel movie that bombs ain't good for your career,' she shared with host Josh Horowitz. 'I thought that because this was about a talking tree and a talking raccoon that it was gonna be Marvel's first bomb and that Chris Pratt and I would never work again. I was wrong.' The Allentown, Pennsylvania native never considered the possible role of Gamora, which ultimately was played by Zoe Saldana, a risk due to the work of Gunn, who co-wrote the screenplay along with helming the project. '[He's] a genius and he's fun and he's a wonderful filmmaker, and he can make anything work,' she said of the filmmaker. ' 'But I was way too scared. I was at a precarious moment in my career, and I didn't want to suffer for the work.' Guardians Of The Galaxy went on to become a blockbuster smash, grossing a whopping $773.4 million globally while spending a net of $195.9 million on the project. Despite all the success of the superhero films Seyfried still stands by her decision to listen to her intuition and not take on the role. 'I had done some green screen stuff, and it wasn't my cup of tea, and I don't regret any decision that I made,' she stated. 'I made it for myself in the moment that I made it. It was good for me then, and it's good for me now.' Diane Keaton's grieving son Duke was seen for the first time after his mother's death as he left the late actress' LA home on Sunday. Duke, 25, was dressed all in black as he mourned the loss of the Hollywood star who adopted him as a baby. Yet he found a unique way to pay tribute to the Oscar winner - by wearing two cross necklaces in a look made famous by Diane. She was renowned for her eccentric fashion sense which often included wearing multiple pieces of jewelry along with her signature hats. Diane was 55 when she adopted the LA native in 2001, and she was 50 when she adopted her 29-year-old daughter Dexter in 1996. 'They have no interest in what I do, which I think is very healthy,' Keaton (born Hall) told People in 2007. Diane Keaton's grieving son Duke was seen for the first time after his mother's death as he left the late actress' LA home on Sunday, dressed all in black Duke, 25, found a unique way to pay tribute to his mother who adopted him as a baby the Oscar winner by wearing two cross necklaces in a look she made famous 'We live a relatively normal well, sort of normal life.' The eccentric Oscar winner - who leaves behind a reported $100M fortune - never wed despite heated romances with her castmates Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, and Woody Allen. 'It goes back to my mother, because, for me, most everything does,' Diane explained to Interview in 2021. 'She had four kids, and I was the firstborn. I saw how much she gave up. I mentioned watching her get that crowning glory and being Mrs. Highland Park. After that, we moved down to Santa Ana, and it was over. There was no more trying things out. I feel like she chose family over her dreams. 'And she was just the best mother, but I think that she is the reason why I didnt get married. I didnt want to give up my independence. By the way, no one has ever asked me to marry them, either, so that might be a good answer. I shouldve started with that and called it a day.' Sarah Paulson was pictured visiting Keaton's $29M five-bedroom 'dream home' in LA's Sullivan Canyon on Sunday to pay her respects. Ben Affleck's black SUV was also pictured pulling up to the posh property on Sunday. The Fashion First author had someone with her when she was taken to a local hospital by ambulance around 8:08am on Saturday morning after the LAFD received a 911 call reporting a 'person down' at her residence - according to TMZ. Duke - who has an older sister Dexter, also adopted as a baby by Keaton - is a musician and released his debut single Passenger Princes in August Diane was 55 when she adopted the LA native in 2001, and she was 50 when she adopted her 29-year-old daughter Dexter in 1996 'They have no interest in what I do, which I think is very healthy,' Keaton told People of her kids in 2007. 'We live a relatively normal well, sort of normal life' (pictured in 2022) The eccentric Oscar winner - who leaves behind a reported $100M fortune - never wed despite heated romances with her castmates Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, and Woody Allen (pictured in 2014) Condolences streamed in from Diane's A-list colleagues Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Viola Davis, Bette Midler, Francis Ford Coppola, and Rita Wilson. 'I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin. She had lost so much weight,' Carole Bayer Sager - who wrote Keaton's debut single First Christmas - told People on Sunday. 'She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything. She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she'd lost.' The real estate flipper was all smiles beside her beloved Golden Retriever Reggie in her final Instagram post uploaded April 11 in honor of National Pet Day. But Diane hadn't made a public appearance since April 2024 when she glammed up for a Thom Browne-hosted dinner held at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills. Keaton's final screen appearance was portraying Nora opposite Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in Castille Landon's 2024 senior comedy Summer Camp, which was poorly received and flopped at the box office by only earning $2.5M. The two-time Golden Globe winner first found fame playing Michael Corleone's (Al Pacino) second wife Kay Adams in The Godfather trilogy (1972-1990) and went on to star in eight Woody Allen movies including Annie Hall (1977). Sarah Paulson was pictured visiting Keaton's $29M five-bedroom 'dream home' in LA's Sullivan Canyon on Sunday to pay her respects Ben Affleck's black SUV was also pictured pulling up to the posh property on Sunday The Fashion First author had someone with her when she was taken to a local hospital by ambulance around 8:08am on Saturday morning after the LAFD received a 911 call reporting a 'person down' at her residence Condolences streamed in from Diane's A-list colleagues Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Viola Davis, Bette Midler, Francis Ford Coppola, and Rita Wilson The real estate flipper was all smiles beside her beloved Golden Retriever Reggie in her final Instagram post uploaded April 11 in honor of National Pet Day But Diane hadn't made a public appearance since April 2024 when she glammed up for a Thom Browne-hosted (L) dinner held at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills Keaton's final screen appearance was portraying Nora opposite Kathy Bates (M) and Alfre Woodard (R) in Castille Landon's 2024 senior comedy Summer Camp, which was poorly received and flopped at the box office by only earning $2.5M The two-time Golden Globe winner first found fame playing Michael Corleone's (R, Al Pacino) second wife Kay Adams in The Godfather trilogy (1972-1990) and went on to star in eight Woody Allen movies including Annie Hall (1977) Diane memorably portrayed the neurotic Annie MacDuggan-Paradis in Hugh Wilson's 1996 divorce comedy The First Wives Club, which amassed $181M at the global box office. Keaton frequently collaborated with writer-director Nancy Meyers in projects like Baby Boom (1987), the Father of the Bride trilogy (1991-2020), and Something's Gotta Give (2003). The Keaton Red winemaker received a career tribute at Film at Lincoln Center in 2007 and she earned the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017. It's panic stations over at Channel Nine's North Sydney headquarters in the wake of a bombshell report that claimed Samantha Armytage is in secret talks to replace Sarah Abo and become Karl Stefanovic's new co-host on the Today show. A Nine insider tells Daily Mail some staff members are 'terrified' of the former Sunrise star joining the breakfast show line-up - and that Abo is fuming at how the network has handled the situation. According to a senior TV insider, Nine is battling an in-house divide, with some staff members hopeful that Armytage will increase the breakfast show's audience against Seven, while others are worried she may be hard work behind the scenes. 'There's a big team split at Nine,' the source said. 'Junior staff on Today are terrified to work for Sam because of her reputation for being a bit difficult at Sunrise. 'The more senior people get it. They think that she will bring in new audience... and Today needs it. 'But they're also concerned that Sam and Karl will blow each other up with their egos.' It's panic stations at Channel Nine's North Sydney headquarters as rumours ramp up that Samantha Armytage is being eyed to replace Sarah Abo and become Karl Stefanovic's new co-host on the Today show A close friend of Abo's told us she is 'frustrated and upset at how Nine has handled the past 24 hours' Dressed in a bright red suit, longtime TV presenter Sarah Abo had a 'business as usual' attitude as she appeared on the breakfast program on Monday The Daily Mail also understands Today show staff have asked their bosses for urgent clarification of their plans. Some are of the belief that the leak about Armytage's potential comeback is a pressure tactic to get Abo to sign a contract that's no-where near pay parity with her co-host Stefanovic, who is on a reported almost $3million-a-year contract. Abo, 39, currently earns about $800,000 a year. Abo is understood to have received advice that she must act quickly to avoid being replaced by Armytage, 49. 'If I was Sarah, I'd want a contract by the end of the day to rule this all out,' a senior executive said. A close friend of Abo's told us she is 'frustrated and upset at how Nine has handled the past 24 hours'. Abo put on a brave face on Monday, appearing on the breakfast program alongside her co-host Karl. Dressed in a bright red suit, the longtime TV presenter had a 'business as usual' attitude, powering through her segments with a smile on her face, and little hint of the turmoil off-screen. Meanwhile, Armytage, who is currently the host of Nine's much-anticipated The Golden Bachelor Australia's inaugural season, looked tense as she stepped out in Sydney on Monday morning. Armytage was spotted looking downcast as she headed out on a stroll in a pair of bright red leggings and a blue singlet. She finished off the laid-back ensemble with a pair of Birkenstocks. A Nine insider tells Daily Mail some staff members are 'terrified' of Armytage joining the breakfast show line-up Armytage, who is currently the host of Nine's much-anticipated The Golden Bachelor Australia's inaugural season, looked tense as she stepped out in Sydney on Monday morning Armytage was spotted heading out on a stroll in a pair of bright red leggings and a blue singlet The network is banking on the 'Armytage effect' which saw Sunrise score a ratings victory when she joined the program in 2013 Armytage wore her hair in a top knot as she attempted to go incognito in a pair of sunglasses. News broke last night that Armytage was in 'secret talks' with Nine to replace Abo on Today. The casting shake-up is a 'desperate bid to wrestle the TV breakfast crown from Seven's rival Sunrise', The Australian's Media Diary column reported on Sunday. Armytage and Stefanovic, 51, are being slated as the 'dream team' that could see Today topple Sunrise's domination in the morning show ratings, author Steve Jackson said. The network is banking on the 'Armytage effect' which saw Sunrise achieve ratings dominance when she joined the program in 2013. Armytage left Sunrise in 2021 and has since helmed Farmer Wants A Wife and the Golden Bachelor. Nine CEO Matt Stanton did little to dispel the chatter regarding Abo's future at Today, giving The Australian a remarkably coy response when asked if Armytage was stepping into the role alongside Stefanovic. 'I don't know. I'm not into that level to be honest, I haven't seen that level of detail,' Stanton told the publication. Daily Mail has approached Nine for comment. Radio star Jackie 'O' Henderson has addressed her recent spats with KIIS FM co-host Kyle Sandilands. The 50-year-old, who has worked with Sandilands, 54, for nearly three decades, has made headlines recently after brawling on air during The Kyle and Jackie O Show. Back in May, Jackie stormed out of the studio after accusing her old friend of 'gaslighting' her, while last month she exited the brekkie program mid-show after another blow-up. 'Kyle and I have been going head to head a little bit lately, so I will certainly speak up if I dont agree with what hes saying,' Jackie said in a new interview for T Australia, The New York Times Style Magazine. Jackie posed for a steamy cover shot for her feature, which sees her showing off plenty of cleavage in a low-cut top. In a revealing comment, Jackie said she and Kyle were 'different people' when it came to their opinions, describing her longtime business partner as being in the 'Donald Trump-style camp' while she was more 'woke'. Radio star Jackie 'O' Henderson has addressed her recent spats with KIIS FM co-host Kyle Sandilands 'Kyle and I have been going head to head a little bit lately, so I will certainly speak up if I dont agree with what hes saying,' Jackie said in a new interview for T Australia , The New York Times Style Magazine 'Its to do with all the wokeness,' she said, referring to their recent on-air fights. '(I say to Kyle), just because (someones) woke doesnt mean (they) are extreme or unreasonable, (theyre) just trying to be empathetic. 'And Kyle leans more into the Trump-style camp.' During the chat, Jackie fell back on a comment from Hollywood great Jane Fonda, who addressed 'wokeness' at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in the US in February. 'Woke just means you give a damn about other people,' she said, quoting Fonda. Jackie added: 'Really, thats so true, Im all for that movement.' 'And anyone who listens regularly would know that we are very different people when it comes to our opinions we just are. And thats OK. I think its good that were different people.' It comes after Jackie stormed out of the KIIS studio after a heated argument with Kyle during an episode of the Kyle and Jackie O Show in September. In a revealing comment, Jackie said she and Kyle were 'different people' when it came to their opinions, describing her longtime business partner as being in the 'Donald Trump-style camp' while she was more 'woke' Elsewhere Jackie confirmed she was actively dating and looking for a serious relationship, just weeks after being spotted sharing an intimate moment with pilot and DJ Richard Ryan The clash occurred during a break in the show, which Kyle later revealed was Jackie accusing him of not being interested in what she was discussing. He then asked one of their top producers, Jaimee 'Mayo' Hassos, to co-host the show with him. They later called Jackie, where Kyle admitted he 'regrets having an argument' as it had been 'the worst day of his broadcast career'. Jackie then agreed to work from her home studio. Earlier this year, Kyle and Jackie had a nasty row while recording an episode of the KIIS FM breakfast radio show - and the segment never aired. The clip was played by the co-hosts in May as they called in psychotherapist and couples' counsellor Melissa Ferrari to analyse the audio and offer advice. In the recording, Kyle is heard goading Jackie about being 'off with the fairies' and taking calls instead of working - which she denied. Elsewhere in the chat, Jackie said she was enjoying her new 'sober' life after her nightmarish drug and alcohol issues in her past, which she detailed in her memoir The Whole Truth last year. She confirmed she was actively dating and looking for a serious relationship, just weeks after being spotted sharing an intimate moment with pilot and DJ Richard Ryan. A Daily Mail photographer spied the pair chatting in the sun on the balcony of Jackie's eastern suburbs pad. At one point, Jackie was seen leaning in for a kiss with a huge smile across her dial. Jackie showed off her modelling chops for the article, which included the mother-of-one rocking a Ralph Lauren top and pants and an Esse coat. Another photo sees Jackie modelling a chic Christopher Esber jacket and oversized Max Mara sunglasses and Dinosaur Designs bangles. Jackie also showed off her slim legs for the article in a clingy black Kourh dress, which she paired with a Bulgari necklace. Hilaria Baldwin reunited with her dance partner Gleb Savchenko at the Second Annual Gurus Award in Los Angeles on Sunday. Just days after they were eliminated from Dancing with the Stars, the pair were pictured together again at the award ceremony over the weekend. The 41-year-old wife of Rust actor Alec Baldwin modeled a figure-hugging, leopard-printed dress while Savchenko, 42, donned a dapper suit and tie. During last Tuesday's episode, the pair performed a Star Wars-themed routine for Disney Night but she and her pro partner were ultimately sent home and the reality TV star allegedly 'lost it' backstage. Their reunion also comes after Hilaria was forced to address rumors about her marriage after fans noticed she hadn't been seen wearing her wedding ring. It was around the same time she was performing some seriously steamy routines on stage with her dance partner just before they were eliminated. Hilaria Baldwin, 41, reunited with her hunky dance partner Gleb Savchenko, 42, at the Second Annual Gurus Award in Los Angeles on Sunday, after her Dancing With The Stars elimination For the awards show and their reunion, Hilaria was glowing in a chic, ruched dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves. She paired the skintight, long dress with metallic sandal heels and styled her chocolate brown hair in a voluminous blowout. She completed her look with full, fluttering eyelashes paired with rosy pink blush and a matching mauve lip. She and her former dance partner had bright grins on their face after seeing each other again after their time on the reality competition show together and even off-screen when he joined her and her kids for an amusement park day. Savchenko looked sharp as he opted for formal attire at the award show, wearing a black, double-breasted blazer with satin lapels and buttons. He wore oversized, square-shaped glasses and sported a scruffy shadow from growing in his facial hair. The pair were also joined by the Real Housewives of Orange County alum Gretchen Rossi at the award ceremony which honors trailblazers redefining beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and entrepreneurship after its inaugural event last year. The red carpet also saw another reality star: the Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey in a vibrant, eye-catching yellow dress. Alec Baldwin's wife modeled a figure-hugging, leopard-printed dress while Savchenko donned a dapper suit and tie They were also joined by Gretchen Rossi of RHOC fame. The blonde bombshell, 46, certainly dressed to impress as she modeled a baby pink dress with ornate crystal embellishments Another Bravolebrity in attendance at the event was RHOA's Cynthia Bailey. The model and actress put on a sultry display in a low-cut, pastel yellow dress with a thigh-high slit They were also joined by Gretchen Rossi of RHOC fame. The blonde bombshell, 46, certainly dressed to impress as she modeled a baby pink dress with ornate crystal embellishments and a flapper-inspired updo. She rocked a bold red lip and accessorized with additional dainty, diamond jewelry to complement the sparkly details of her glamorous gown. Another Bravolebrity in attendance at the event was RHOA's Cynthia Bailey. The model and actress put on a sultry display in a low-cut, pastel yellow dress with a thigh-high slit to show off her toned legs. She wore a mustard yellow, faux fur shawl off of her shoulders and turned up the glamour with light-reflecting, metallic silver accessories. She added inches to her height in a pair of peep-toe, platform heels and carried a chainmail-inspired, sphere-shaped clutch on a chain. Her hair was styled in a chic updo and she also sported dainty jewelry with shiny emeralds. The award ceremony followed on the heels of the controversial reality star Hilaria's elimination off of Dancing with the Stars. The award ceremony followed on the heels of the controversial reality star Hilaria's elimination off of Dancing with the Stars She faced backlash online and was mocked for saying she is still trying to process her shock elimination, which caused her to break down in tears The following day, she faced backlash online and was mocked for saying she is still trying to process her shock elimination from Dancing With The Stars which caused her to break down in tears. Some trolls took to X to tell the beauty to 'get over it' or 'put on a stiff upper lip, please.' The harsh comments were in response to Hilaria admitting on social media that she was working through the pain with her husband and their brood of seven. 'Spent the day mommying and processing with my children. To my family, friends, Gleb, DWTS, all of you who have encouraged meI'm forever grateful,' Hilaria penned in the caption. 'I'm excited to cheer on my cast mates. I love you all,' she concluded. She starred as one of the contestants on the 34th season of the dance competition, and her run ended during week four after performing for Disney Night in celebration of the Disneyland Resort's 70th anniversary. Chris Evans stripped down to a jock strap in a scene for his new dark comedy Honey Dont! The 44-year-old actor was seen shirtless and donning a white jock strap in a recently-released clip from the Peacock film. The Boston-born actor plays the role of Reverend Drew Devlin, in the movie, which is named after Margaret Qualley's character, Honey ODonahue. The Captain America star co-stars with Margaret, Charlie Day, and Aubrey Plaza in the motion picture. A logline for the film, which is directed by Ethan Coen and written by Coen and Tricia Cooke, indicates that it centers around a 'small-town private investigator,' played by Qualley. ODonahue 'delves into a series of strange deaths tied to a mysterious church,' the synopsis read. Chris Evans, 44, stripped down to a jock strap in a scene for his new dark comedy Honey Dont! The actor was seen shirtless and donning a white jock strap in a recently-released clip from the Peacock film Meanwhile Plaza portrays 'an enigmatic woman' in the movie. Evans was not on hand for the film's screening at the famed film festival this past May 23, as he was celebrating a major family milestone. The A-list actor took to Instagram Stories May 25 to explain that and would not be able to attend the swanky premiere on the French Riviera. 'I wish I could've been with my incredible cast and filmmakers at Cannes but it was my mother's 70th birthday and there are some things you just can't miss!' Evans said. 'Congrats, everyone!!' The Hollywood veteran celebrated his second anniversary with wife Alba Baptista, 28, last month. They initially exchanged vows in September 2023 at a private estate in his home state of Massachusetts. This past June, Evans opened up about the unique proposal he put together for his lady love, who originally hails from Lisbon, Portugal. 'Maybe I shouldn't even be saying this. I proposed to my now-wife in Portuguese she's Portuguese,' he said. 'So I learned how to say, "Will you marry me?" in Portuguese. The Captain America star co-stars with Margaret Qualley, Charlie Day, and Aubrey Plaza in the motion picture Honey Don't! is currently streaming on Peacock 'And I had practiced all week. I actually think I screwed it up - but I still know it!' The couple first emerged on the red carpet at Vanity Fair's Oscar party in 2024 - around two years after they were first linked with one another. Evans in the past has talked about his desire to become a parent, telling Access Hollywood in November of last year that 'the title of dad is an exciting one.' Honey Don't! is currently streaming on Peacock. Keira Knightley has apologised and admitted she was not aware of a Harry Potter boycott over trans issues after being cast in an audiobook for the wizard franchise. The actress, 40, will voice the role of Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions - a collaboration between Audible and Pottermore Publishing, the latter of which is owned by author J. K. Rowling. But after the announcement, fans took to social media to criticise Keira for her allegiance with the writer - who has faced intense criticism in recent years for her gender critical views, including from several stars of the Harry Potter films. The author has denied being transphobic, but she previously said she would 'happily' go to jail for misgendering a trans person. Now Keira has revealed she actually was unaware people have been boycotting JK's work in a show of solidarity to trans people - while saying: 'We've all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.' She told Decider when asked about the apparent boycott: 'I was not aware of that, no - I'm very sorry. Keira Knightley has admitted she wasn't aware of the Harry Potter boycott ahead of being cast in the upcoming audiobook (Seen in November 2024) The actress, 40, will voice the role of Dolores Umbridge (Pictured) in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions - a collaboration between Audible and Pottermore Publishing 'You know, I think we're all living in a period of time right now where we're all going to have to figure out how to live together, aren't we? Having been portrayed by Imelda Staunton in two of the eight films, Umbridge is a terror in the Wizarding World - with horror author Stephen King branding her the 'greatest make-believe villain to come along since Hannibal Lecter'. Professor Umbridge, whose character was introduced in the 2003 book Harry Potter And The Order of the Phoenix, was originally played by Imelda Staunton in the 2007 movie of the book and 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. The first book in the seven-part series was 1997's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, while 2007's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was the final tome. The movie franchise, fronted by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, amounted to eight films. It has since been revealed the story of The Boy Who Lived will be retold in a HBO series due for release in 2027. In yet another rehashing, earlier this year the Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions was announced, with an all-star cast reading the books. The original audiobooks were voiced by acting great Stephen Fry. JK, 59, has faced intense criticism in recent years for her gender critical views, including from several stars of the Harry Potter films The adult cast of Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions includes Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort, Riz Ahmed as Professor Snape, and Cush Jumbo as narrator Stephen has now turned his back on the author, accusing her of 'mocking' LGBT+ people and insisting he supports the trans community. The comedian and television presenter, who previously hosted QI, told how he used to have dinner regularly with the author and described her views towards the trans community as 'strange'. Recording podcast The Show People in June, Stephen said: 'She has been radicalised I fear and it may be she has been radicalised by TERFs, but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her. 'It is unhelpful and only hardens her and will only continue to harden her I am afraid. I am not saying that she not be called out when she says things that are really cruel, wrong and mocking. She seems to be a lost cause for us.' He added: 'She started to make these peculiar statements and had very strong difficult views. She seemed to wake up or kick a hornet's nest of transphobia which has been entirely destructive. 'I disagree profoundly with her on this subject. I am angry she does not disavow some of the more revolting and truly horrible, destructive violently destructive things that people say. She does not attack those at all. 'She says things that are inflammatory and contemptuous, mocking and add to a terribly distressing time for trans people. 'She has crowed at the success of legislation in Scotland and elsewhere declaring things about gender. Speaking at a podcast recording last week, Stephen Fry (right) said he feared JK Rowling is a 'lost cause' who has been 'radicalised by TERFs' What does the Supreme Court gender ruling mean? What did the Supreme Court rule? The Supreme Court ruled the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. What does it mean for single sex spaces? The court's decision will have huge consequences for how single-sex spaces and services operate across the UK, experts said today. The written Supreme Court judgment gives examples including rape or domestic violence counselling, refuges, rape crisis centres, female-only hospital wards and changing rooms. The court ruled that trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if 'proportionate'. The government said the ruling 'brings clarity and confidence, for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges, and sports clubs'. What does it mean for employers? Employment experts say it will provide companies with greater 'clarity' over single sex spaces for their staff. Lara Brown, senior Research Fellow in the Culture and Identity Unit at Policy Exchange, said a trans woman with a GRC who is excluded from single-sex spaces cannot say she is being discriminated against as a woman. She explained: 'This ruling makes it legal for any space that wants to be single sex to exclude biological men.' Could employers still be at risk of discrimination? The Supreme Court made it clear that trans people are protected under the gender reassignment provisions in the Equality Act and will be able to bring claims if they are discriminated or harassed. Experts say a trans woman will be able to bring a sex discrimination claim if they are disadvantaged because they are perceived to be a woman or because they associate with a woman. Rob McKellar, legal services director at Peninsula, said failure to be an inclusive workplace, regardless of any protected characteristics, could result in a discrimination claim. What does the ruling mean for competitive sports? In recent years, many sports have cracked down on rules around transgender athletes at the elite level. Athletics, cycling and aquatics are among those who have banned trans women from taking part in women's events. The UK government said it hopes the decision will provide clarity for sports clubs. Although today's ruling did not concern sport directly, former Olympian Sharron Davies welcomed the decision, saying it was important to 'define what a woman is'. Could a pregnant woman with a GRC be entitled to maternity leave? Experts said today that the ruling that only women can become pregnant shows a trans man (biological woman) would be able to take maternity leave, while a trans woman (biological man) would not. Jo Moseley, an employment law specialist at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: 'The Supreme Court acknowledged that only women can become pregnant. Therefore a trans man (a biological woman who identifies as a man) can take maternity leave. 'Had the court reached a different decision, it's possible that trans men with a GRC wouldn't have been entitled to protection in relation to pregnancy under the characteristics of 'pregnancy or maternity'.' Advertisement 'So I am very happy to go on the record to say that I am really angry about that. My view about all things of sharp and difficult nature is that is is much more important to be effective than to be right.' Amid criticism over Keira's signing on to the audiobook, others penned: 'In defence of Keira Knightley, James McAvoy and the like, theyre not working directly with that other big TERF, JK Rowling,'; 'They've probably just chosen to serve the work itself and make it accessible for children, as well as for people who are visually impaired or dyslexic,'; 'The contract is mainly signed with Audible. I don't think we should jump to the conclusion of Keira Knightley and James McAvoy are transphobic,'; 'I think they simply didn't anticipate the disappointment the LGBTQ+ community might feel towards them for taking the job,'; 'Crazy how Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Kit Harington, Simon Pegg and half of British acting royalty all saw this as just another cool job,'; 'It's not the world-ending issue you think it is, it's just you being consumed by hatred of one woman with political views you don't like.' Judges ruled in April this year that the term 'sex' in the Equality Act should stand for biological sex rather than self-identified gender - in a ruling welcomed by campaigners including JK Rowling. The Supreme Court handed down a judgment that trans women are not legally women - saying that, in the 2010 Equality Act, the definition of the term 'women' relates only to biological women. Judge Lord Hodge warned against taking the ruling as a 'triumph' for either side, but gender critical campaigners celebrated the finding as a victory. Judges ruled that trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) could be excluded from single-sex spaces if 'proportionate'. It marked the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the Scottish government and women's group For Women Scotland over the definition of a 'woman' in Scottish law. The case centred on whether somebody with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) recognising their gender as female should be protected from discrimination as a woman under the Equality Act. The Scottish government had argued that such people were entitled to sex-based protections, meaning a transgender person with a GRC certificate identifying them as female would count towards women's quota. But campaign group For Women Scotland claimed they only applied to people born female. The Supreme Court then ruled that the words 'sex', 'man' and 'woman' in the Equality Act must mean 'biological sex', rejecting any alternative interpretations as 'incoherence and impracticable'. In their 88-page ruling, the justices said: 'The definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010 makes clear that the concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man.' They stated: 'A person with a Gender Recognition Certificate in the female gender does not come within the definition of a 'woman' under the Equality Act 2010 and the statutory guidance issued by the Scottish ministers is incorrect.' A government-commissioned study previously deemed there to be 'remarkably weak evidence' for gender-affirming techniques in children such as puberty blockers. It also said that 'for the majority of young people, a medical pathway may not be the best way' to help when they are 'presenting with gender incongruence or distress'. The report last year by Dr Hilary Cass made a series of recommendations to overhaul NHS trans services to improve care children receive. She ruled there was a 'lack of high-quality research' on the effects of giving children puberty blockers and hormones, and recommended that NHS England establish its own research programme. The report also called for the creation a separate service for those wanting to 'de-transition', where a gender transition is stopped or reversed. And she recommended a 'follow-through service' for youngsters aged 17 to 25 to protect teenagers from 'falling off a cliff edge' in care when they hit 17. Her famous former lovers include Woody Allen and Warren Beatty, but Diane Keaton once admitted it was Al Pacino who won her heart during a torrid, decades-long romance. The late actress, who passed away on Saturday aged 79, embarked on a stop-start relationship with Pacino after playing his long-suffering wife in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 blockbuster The Godfather. The affair would last beyond Coppola's poorly received The Godfather Part III, released in 1990, and Keaton later admitted her former co-star was the one who got away. 'I didnt even want him to propose,' she told The Times of their relationship in 2017. 'I just thought maybe he would marry me, eventually. I thought, "dont even propose - lets just do it." 'But that never happened, and that is a blessing for both of us. It would have been a nightmare for him.' She added 'Were very eccentric, he needed a woman that was going to take care of him, I needed a man who would take care of me. Her famous former lovers include Woody Allen and Warren Beatty, but Diane Keaton once admitted it was Al Pacino who won her heart during a torrid, decades-long romance (pictured together in 1989) The late actress passed away in California on Saturday at the age of 79 (pictured in 2019) 'It was just very important that we left each other alone, said goodbye. But it wasnt my choice.' Keaton and Pacino won accolades for their respective roles as Kay Adams and mafia don Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy. Neither would marry, and Pacino later admitted regretting his decision to walk away from his screen wife. Looking back, Al admits the love of his life was Diane who hes always called, "an amazing woman",' a friend of the actor told the Daily Mail. 'I know he will forever regret he didnt make his move when he had the chance. For years after he and Diane split, Al used to say, "if its meant to be, its never too late for a do-over". But sadly, now it is. The source said while Pacino romanced a string of women, his four children have always been the most important thing in his life. Al adores all his kids, the source added. And although he preferred living in New York, he also purchased a home in Los Angeles just so he could spend more time on the West Coast with his children who lived there. Though he and Diane both lived in Beverly Hills, only a few miles from each other for years, they never spoke. Keaton embarked on a stop-start relationship with Pacino after playing his long-suffering wife in Francis Ford Coppola 's 1972 blockbuster The Godfather (pictured) The affair would last beyond Coppola's poorly received The Godfather Part III, released in 1990 (pictured) and Keaton later admitted her former co-star was the one who got away I once asked him why, and he told me, There's no need to talk with each other. We said everything that needed to be said at the time. No cause of death has been announced but Keaton, who was regularly seen out and about in LA, disappeared from the site a few months ago. One neighbor told the Daily Mail he would regularly see her walking her dog Emma. But I hadnt seen her in months, the neighbor said. Now I wonder if she may have been ill for a while. The late actress also used to say marriage was never something high on her bucket list. Dianes parents were together, but her father was always away on business, said another source. So, he might as well not have been there at all. She loved her mother, who managed the home and raised her four children on her own, and Diane admired her strength and independence. 'I didnt even want him to propose,' she told The Times in 2017. 'I just thought maybe he would marry me, eventually. I thought, "dont even propose - lets just do it"' While Keaton never married, she would adopt two children (L-R: son Duke Keaton, Diane Keaton, and daughter Dexter Keaton) She also shared a close relationship with Woody Allen for two decades, but it wasnt the same kind of relationship she shared with Pacino. There was something about Al that reminded her of a lost orphan in need of love, shared the source. And she felt sure he would never try and take her independence, because he needed her to be strong. Diane could definitely have seen herself marrying Al, and them having kids together. But after years of on and off romance, she felt the time to marry was now or never. 'And she eventually told him: Marry me or else!"' The source added: 'To her surprise, he walked away, insisting no woman was going to push him into doing something he wasnt ready to do. And true to his word, he moved on. He's about to charm the nation on The Golden Bachelor - but before Barry 'Bear' Myrden began his quest for love on television, he captured Australia's heart for a very different reason. Fourteen years ago, Barry and his late wife Audrey appeared on A Current Affair in a moving two-part special that brought the nation to tears. Back then, Barry, 61, looked almost unrecognisable - with jet-black hair and no moustache - as he stood by Audrey's side while she battled a terminal brain tumour. Audrey's final wish was simple but selfless: she wanted to secure a home for her husband and their three young sons, Declan, Jack and Charlie. With the help of A Current Affair, local real estate agents, and hundreds of generous Sydney tradies, that dream became a reality. 'The peace of mind that it gives me knowing that the boys, that Barry, have a place of their own,' Audrey said, fighting back tears during filming for Audrey's Wish. He's about to charm the nation on The Golden Bachelor - but before Barry 'Bear' Myrden (pictured) began his quest for love on television, he captured Australia's heart for a very different reason Fourteen years ago, Barry and his late wife Audrey (left) appeared on A Current Affair in a moving two-part special that brought the nation to tears The courageous mum - who inspired a wave of national compassion - said the love and support shown by complete strangers gave her 'an extra year of quality with my kids', including one final Christmas together in their new home. Audrey passed away in August the following year, aged 44. Her death left Barry heartbroken and their three boys, then just four, seven and eight years old, without their beloved mum. Audrey grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, before meeting Barry and moving with him to Manly in 1998. The couple dreamed of owning a home near the beach, but that plan was derailed when Audrey was diagnosed in 2009 with glioblastoma multiforme, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Having already beaten breast cancer in her 20s, she and Barry spent $90,000 on treatment, desperate for a miracle. 'How am I going to tell my children they're not going to have a mum?' Audrey told A Current Affair. 'I can't imagine what their life will be without me and what my life would be like without them. I so don't want to die. I don't. It's just so unfair. I thought what a cruel irony to give a mother a beautiful family and then to take her away from them, especially my young babies.' Refusing to give up, Audrey's determination inspired her local community to rally around her. Audrey's final wish was simple but selfless: she wanted to secure a home for her husband and their three young sons, Declan, Jack and Charlie Now adults - Declan, 17, Jack, 20, and Charlie, 21 - they were reportedly the ones who encouraged their dad to take a chance on love again by joining The Golden Bachelor It's the first time the franchise has aired in Australia, with Barry, now 61, meeting 20 women hoping to capture his heart A Current Affair, along with realtors Robert and Leonie Klaric, helped the family purchase a rundown home in desperate need of repair. What followed was one of the biggest renovation rescues in Australian television history - with hundreds of tradespeople volunteering their time and materials to rebuild the house from the ground up in just 10 days. 'I'm glad I'm alive to see this happen,' Audrey said through tears as the home transformation unfolded. More than a decade on, Barry and his sons still live in the home Audrey fought so hard to give them. Bear was spotted shooting scenes in March, piloting a retro Italian speedboat across Sydney Harbour before meeting the women who would compete for his heart. Among the contestants is TV and radio personality Bianca Dye, 51, best known for her long-running radio career. She currently co-hosts a breakfast show on Queensland's Sea FM 90.9. Another hopeful is believed to be Queenslander Lauren George, who was seen arriving on set in hair rollers and full glam makeup. Friends of Bear say he's finally ready to take a leap into romance after years of encouragement from his inner circle. 'Bear is always complaining that his boys are saying he's bringing around the wrong kind of girls that are just too young and hot for him,' a friend told Daily Mail Australia. 'We were always saying he needed to be put on a show like MAFS, so seeing him up for the Bachelor role is no surprise.' The emotional first look introduces Bear alongside 20 glamorous women 'I felt butterflies,' one contestant gushed The promo teases a colourful group of women determined to catch Bear's eye - including one who calls herself a 'warrior princess' and another who teaches him to 'shake the bum'. Sam Armytage will host the debut season, which was filmed earlier this year in Sydney Among the contestants is TV and radio personality Bianca Dye, 51, best known for her long-running radio career. She currently co-hosts a breakfast show on Queensland's Sea FM 90.9 Producers promise a more mature, heartfelt take on the long-running dating franchise, with Bear bringing a lifetime of love and loss to the screen. 'He's not your usual reality TV type,' an insider said. 'He's charming, intelligent and has really lived a full life. He's been through love, loss and now he's ready to open his heart again. Women are going to adore him.' The Golden Bachelor has been a smash hit in the US, and fans have been clamouring for an Australian edition since its premiere. Golden Bachelor Australia will air soon on Channel Nine and 9Now. Rumours have swirled that Barry wasn't the producers' first choice for The Golden Bachelor, but stepped in after another leading man pulled out. Barry confirmed he had been approached multiple times before finally agreeing to do the show. 'I think I rejected it one, maybe two times,' he admitted. 'You know, you only live once, and it's never too late [to find love].' The widower revealed he did fall for one of the women during filming - and cheekily confessed to having a soft spot for host Samantha Armytage, admitting he 'would have liked to have given her a rose'. Newly-engaged Venezuela Fury snuggled up to her fiance during a day out to Spooky World UK in Warrington on Sunday. Tyson and Paris' eldest child got engaged to her boxer boyfriend Noah Price at her sweet sixteenth birthday party last month. Posing for a photo together, the happy couple smiled as they enjoyed the amusement park. Venezuela wore an animal print Juicy Couture tracksuit, consisting of a cropped hoodie and flared leg joggers. Meanwhile, Noah wrapped up in a padded jacket which he teamed with distressed jeans and trainers. Earlier in the day, Paris defended her daughter Venezuela's engagement as she opened up about the exciting news for the first time. Newly-engaged Venezuela Fury snuggled up to her fiance during a day out to Spooky World UK in Warrington on Sunday Tyson and Paris' eldest child got engaged to her boxer boyfriend Noah Price at her sweet sixteenth birthday party last month After the boxer hit back at critics following the news, Paris admitted: 'I did encourage her to wait as long as possible, but she was determined.' Venezuela's engagement had echoes of Tyson and Paris' romance, with the couple having met when they were 17 and 15 respectively. They reconnected and began a romance at her 16th birthday. Paris, 35, and Tyson, 37, married in 2008 when she was just 19 and he was 21-years-old during a ceremony in Doncaster. They later renewed their vows in April 2013 in New York City. In August the couple married for the third time, with a ceremony held in the South of France, attended by their seven children. In an interview with The Mirror, Paris added: 'We're all really happy for her and Noah, theyre a great match and genuinely excited about this next chapter in her life. 'Yes, shes young, but as we all know, thats in line with our traditions and values. I was engaged to Tyson at 17, so were not far off in age.' Speaking about her third wedding this summer, Paris said it was to 'reaffirm' their love for one another. Earlier in the day, Paris defended her daughter Venezuela's engagement as she opened up about the exciting news for the first time Tyson and Paris' eldest child got engaged to her boxer boyfriend Noah Price at her sweet sixteenth birthday party last month Venezuela's engagement had echoes of Tyson and Paris' romance, with the couple having met when they were 17 and 15 respectively, getting engaged two years later In another chat, she added: 'I told Tyson I wasn't doing it for anyone else this time. We did it to reaffirm our love and to embrace the fact that our kids are now such a big part of our life. It was just for us.' Later in the week, former heavyweight world champion Tyson appeared to respond to the criticism on Instagram. He shared a video by minaret minds, an Instagram account which states that it focuses on 'Islamic reminders, stories and reflections.' In the video, the narrator states '50 years ago people got married at 18 and stayed together until death. Today people wait until 30 to get married and divorce within three years. 'Back then, couples had nothing but built everything together. Now couples have everything but can't build anything together. Our grandparents shared one small room and called it paradise. We have five bedroom houses and call them prisons. 'The only difference is we now call commitment settling and call running away finding yourself.' The post added: 'Who convinced us that love expires, that compatibility is instant, that marriage should feel like a Disney movie every day. 'If we question ourselves, we might stop expecting perfection and start building connection. I ask have we become on focused on finding the one that we forgot how to become the one.' Diane Keaton called her battle with bulimia in her twenties 'the lowest point in my life'. The actress, whose cause of death at the age of 79 has not been shared, kept her eating disorder private until writing about the four year battle in her 2011 memoir, declaring: 'I think I'm a sister to all the rest of the women and men as well who have had some kind of eating disorder. I'm a part of the team.' The eating disorder was triggered when 22-year-old Keaton was offered the lead role in the Broadway production of Hair in 1968, on the condition she lose 10lbs. The comment may have kick started her specific fixation with her weight, but later through intense therapy sessions, Keaton realised she had been deeply dissatisfied with her physical appearance since adolescence. As a 14-year-old, she used to sleep with hair grips on her nose, hoping to straighten out a bump, whilst her lifelong trademark look of bowler hat and oversized clothes was adopted 'to hide my body.' Whilst the insecurities and idiosyncrasies defined her, and made the leap across to her on screen personalities, her bulimia battle formed what she later reflected on as her darkest period. Diane Keaton called her battle with bulimia in her twenties 'the lowest point in my life'. The actress, whose cause of death at the age of 79 has not been shared, kept her eating disorder private until writing about the four year battle in her 2011 memoir (pictured in 2023) The eating disorder was triggered when 22-year-old Keaton was offered the lead role in the Broadway production of Hair in 1968, on the condition she lose 10lbs (pictured in 1971) Keaton didn't speak out on the eating disorder until her 2011 memoir Then Again. A joint effort with her mother Dorothy Hall, who like Keaton kept extensive journals throughout her life, the book saw both mother and daughter dissect the actress' eating disorder. Dorothy fretted that her daughter seemed to be constantly eating 'always chewing a big mouthful or sucking candy,' pleading in her diaries 'I wish I knew how she stays so thin.' Keaton was matter of fact about the origins of her bulimia battle, citing her childhood insecurities and remaining adamant that there was no one to blame but herself, not even the director of Hair that demanded she lose weight. She recalled how after losing 'a lot of weight' for Hair and keeping it off for a year, 'which was my decision', she overheard another actress talking about a woman who made herself sick in order to stay slim, and she quickly became 'a master of hiding.' In the throes of bulimia, Diane was at one point consuming up to 20,000 calories a day and purging herself by vomiting. She was dating Woody Allen at the time and would make excuses to duck out of dates to dash back to her New York studio flat to binge barely imaginable quantities of food. At her worst, she recalled that 'a typical dinner was a bucket of chicken, several orders of fries with blue cheese and ketchup, a couple TV dinners, a quart of soda, pounds of candy, a whole cake and three banana cream pies.' She was dating Woody Allen at the time and would make excuses to duck out of dates to dash back to her New York studio flat to binge barely imaginable quantities of food; the pair seen in 1970 in NYC The constant cycle of bingeing and purging caused serious health problems, including low blood pressure, heartburn and more than two dozen tooth cavities (pictured in 1974) It was Allen who would persude her to seek help. Although he didn't know about her eating disorder, the filmmaker was a passionate advocate for therapy and suggested Keaton talk to a p sychiatrist (pictured in 1973) Before that she would eat a dozen muffins with three fried eggs and bacon for breakfast, with pancakes and chocolate milk, followed by three buttered steaks for lunch with baked potatoes on the side, and apple pie with two chocolate sundaes for dessert. The constant cycle of bingeing and purging caused serious health problems, including low blood pressure, heartburn and more than two dozen tooth cavities. It was Allen who would persude her to seek help. Although he didn't know about her eating disorder, the filmmaker was a passionate advocate for therapy and suggested Keaton talk to a psychiatrist. She ended up going five days a week for 18 months. Speaking with Ellen DeGeneres years later Keaton explained how she overcame her eating disorder, revealing that one day she just realised that she did not want to binge any more. Crediting her psychoanalysis sessions, she explained it was 'because I talked. I spoke it out. I said my thoughts and feelings. And I feel like, once you do that, you own it.' 'To keep secrets doesn't help you at all.' Her insecurities followed her too with the star musing that 'I don't think it gets easier as you get older' (pictured in 2023) Keaton admitted though that psychotherapy wasn't a cure-all. She channelled her obsessive personality into other addictions such as clothes and collecting. She once revealed she had 'about 60 scrapbooks of pictures I've cut out of magazines: fashion, bedrooms, portraits,' alongside a whole room dedicated to her hat collection. She spoke openly about her addictive personality, explaining in a 2014 interview that 'all I did was feed my hunger, so I am an addict. It's true. I'm an addict in recovery, I'll always be an addict. I have an addictive nature to me.' Her insecurities followed her too with the star musing that 'I don't think it gets easier as you get older.' 'I think it gets more pressing, just because it's really about death. It's really like approaching it, and how do you approach that part of your life? Nobody wants that.' For help and advice, contact Beat Eating Disorders in the UK on 0808 8010677 or go to beateatingdisorders.org.uk or NationalEatingDisorders.org.for the US Sharon Osbourne and her kids Jack and Kelly put on a brave face as they visited a giant pumpkin mural of Ozzy. The Black Sabbath legend died of heart failure at his Buckinghamshire home on July 22, just two weeks after performing a farewell concert with his bandmates at Birmingham's Villa Park. In tribute to Ozzy, a mural of the rock star - made from over 10,000 pumpkins - has been unveiled at at Sunnyfields Farm in Totton, Hampshire. Ozzy's wife Sharon took a trip to see the mural with her children following the tragic loss of her husband of 43 years. Sharon, Jack and Kelly walked around the site before being put on a cherry picker to get an aerial view of the 35-foot high sculpture, which has been on display since October 4. Kelly's fiance Sid Wilson and their son Sidney were also in attendance to view the mural on Saturday evening. Sharon Osbourne and her kids Jack and Kelly put on a brave face as they visited a giant pumpkin mural of Ozzy in Hampshire on Saturday In tribute to Ozzy, a mural of the rock star - made from over 10,000 pumpkins - has been unveiled at at Sunnyfields Farm in Totton, Hampshire The mural was put up by farm owners Tom and Ian Nelson, with the former saying they had issued a public poll in September to decide who they would honour this year, and Ozzy received 70 per cent of the vote. It took 16 people over four hours to create the mural - which will remain on display until Halloween. Tom said: 'It seemed like it meant a lot to them and they were a little emotional. 'It was a very relaxed atmosphere and they seemed to enjoy their evening. They were just like a normal family having an evening out and thanked us for the tribute at the end. 'It is always a relief when the public perception of a work like this goes down well.' Ozzy had been battling a number of health issues in the years leading up to his death, including a fall in 2019 at the family's home which saw his condition further deteriorate. Following the news of his passing, Sharon opened up on social media to thank fans for the 'overwhelming love and support' shown towards her by his fans. Sharon admitted she had been 'carried through' by those around her, adding she was 'still finding her footing' after losing the husband she often said she lived for. Ozzy's wife Sharon took a trip to see the mural with her children following the tragic loss of her husband of 43 years Sharon, Jack and Kelly walked around the site before being put on a cherry picker to get an aerial view of the 35-foot high sculpture, which has been on display since October 4 Kelly's fiance Sid Wilson and their son Sidney were also in attendance to view the mural on Saturday evening And her son Jack said on Good Morning America on Tuesday: 'She's okay, but she's not okay. I know she feels the love.' New BBC One documentary Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home is set to chart the self-styled Prince Of Darkness's return to the United Kingdom after more than three decades in the United States with his wife and children. It will feature Jack and sibling Kelly speaking about their mum Sharon's pain over Ozzy's final years, nursing him though painful operations and trying to help him. It will also show behind-the-scenes footage from his final farewell concert at Villa Park, following his long battle with Parkinson's. It follows new Paramount+ documentary Ozzy: No Escape From Now, which features Jack and Kelly's older sister Aimee speaking about her father's final few years. Reflecting on the concert, Jack said: 'Before he went on stage, I ran back into the dressing room, and I just gave him a big hug. Ozzy died of a heart attack and had coronary artery disease in addition to suffering from Parkinson's disease for years, his death certificate, published in August, confirmed (pictured with Sharon in 2017) 'I just kissed him. I just said, I was like, "Crush it. You're going to do so good." And I was crying. 'I was in the crowd with... there was this area in the crowd and I was with my brother and we both were just crying. 'It wasn't because of feeling sorry for him. It wasn't because we were sad for him. 'I think it was because we knew it was the last time. In hindsight, it kind of was a living wake if you think about it. He got to say goodbye to everyone.' Livia Firth left a very pointed comment under a picture of Amal and George Clooney posing at one of their foundation events last week. Italian activist and ex wife of actor Colin Firth had come across an image of the philanthropic couple posing at the Albie Awards which were held in London at the start of October. The awards are an annual ceremony hosted by the Clooney Foundation for Justice to honor courageous individuals fighting for justice and human rights. The Clooney Foundation Instagram page had shared a snap of Amal, 47, and George, 64, at the event - but Livia felt the need to ask a question after seeing the snap. Underneath Livia, 56, pointedly posted: 'And who was honoured? Would be great to see them on your IG account too', along with a love heart. Her comment wasn't responded to by those running the Instagram page who had in fact posted a snap of all the 2025 honorees in their previous upload. Livia Firth left a very pointed comment under a picture of Amal and George Clooney posing at one of their foundation events last week Italian activist and ex wife of actor Colin Firth had come across an image of the philanthropic couple posing at the Albie Awards which were held in London at the start of October Underneath Livia, 56, pointedly posted: 'And who was honoured? Would be great to see them on your IG account too', along with a love heart This year's Albies took place at The Natural History Museum, with George and his wife Amal hosting once again. George appeared to be in good spirits following his recent health woes at the Venice Film Festival as he posed for snaps with his stunning wife. The Albies are named after anti-apartheid hero Justice Albie Sachs, who received a Lifetime Achievement in Pursuit of Justice award at our inaugural event in 2022. Just before the event George revealed why he turned his back on Hollywood to raise his twins - in a rare comment about his family and personal life. The actor and his wife Amal welcomed Alexander and Ella, eight, in 2017 - three years after tying the knot. Despite being one of the biggest names in the movie industry, he and his family left the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles behind for a farm in France. In a recent interview, George revealed that his kids are having a 'much better life' growing up out of the spotlight. He told Esquire magazine: 'I was worried about raising our kids in LA, in the culture of Hollywood. Her comment wasn't responded to by those running the Instagram page who had in fact posted a snap of all the 2025 honorees in their previous upload 'I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life.' The Jay Kelly actor pointed out that the culture in France is very different to the US, explaining they 'don't give a s*** about fame'. He added: 'I don't want them being compared to somebody else's famous kids.' George stays clear of social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, but is worried about what will happen to his kids when they eventually get their own accounts. Last month, he told Julia Roberts for 72 Magazine: 'The risks are so much bigger and the consequences follow you for so much longer. 'I'm worried about my kids; we keep them off the internet as much as we can. 'But, you know, some of their homework is done on a computer.' There's no doubt George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney live a very luxe life with an estimated net worth of $550 million (409M) combined. Yet, the megastar insists he lives a 'normal' life - despite the power couple owning multiple homes around the world. Following the success of his Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck, the star's next film is Jay Kelly, in which he coincidentally stars as a 'famous movie actor.' When asked by DailyMail.com at a recent premiere during the New York Film Festival whether he craves normalcy like his character, he revealed he indeed does have 'normalcy' in his life. 'I have normalcy. You know, I drive my kids to school every morning,' he insisted. 'I have normalcy - except for this!' He then admitted he does have somewhat of a 'pampered' life, which he tries to shield from his and Amal's eight-year-old twins. He explained: 'They didn't come to the set much. They came a couple of times. I try to keep the kids away from that experience right now. 'I'm not quite sure what they would think about it. I don't want them to think we're too pampered.' James Van Der Beek has shared new photos with his youngest son Jeremiah for his fourth birthday amid his Stage 3 cancer battle. The Dawson's Creek star, 48, is currently battling stage 3 colon cancer, revealing his diagnosis in November 2024. He recently sparked concern among fans over his noticeably frail figure after appearing virtually at a Dawson's Creek reunion. He was initially due to appear in person but had to cancel due to ill health. Now, the father-of-six has shared new photos as he posted about his son Jeremiah's fourth birthday. In the post, which was shared over the weekend, James also reflected on baby loss as he opened up about losing two late-term pregnancies before Jeremiah was born. He wrote: '4 years old today. After 2 late-term losses, we thought we were done. Thank God you knew better. James Van Der Beek has shared new photos with his youngest son Jeremiah for his fourth birthday on Instagram over the weekend amid his Stage 3 cancer battle In the post, which was shared over the weekend, James also reflected on baby loss as he opened up about losing two late-term pregnancies before Jeremiah was born 'An iron will combined with an innate sweetness. And ALL boy. And as you run around and scream and bang things all I can think about is how grateful I am that you came to us. 'You've been particular from the jump. And as your language skills have finally caught up the specificity of your desires, what I'm seeing is a fun-loving, passionate soul who doesn't think twice about speaking up for exactly what he wants. And for that example, I thank you.' He continued: 'I'm sorry there have been spells where I couldnt be the father I would want to be for you where I was too weak to pick you up, throw you around, or even put you to bed but know that watching you reveal yourself to us has been one of the greatest joys of my life. 'And even though youre stingy with the hugs when you do decide to wrap those thick little arms around my neck, its like time has stood still and all is right with the world. 'I love you, bubba. And I always will. And all you ever have to do is be you. Happy birthday, my "big little boy".' James's Dawson's Creek co-star Katie Holmes commented: 'Sooooooo sweet!!!!!!!' Meanwhile actor Oliver Hudson, who appeared in the series for 16 episodes, wrote: 'Beautiful my man' Emma Slater, his dance partner on Dancing With The Stars in 2019, said: 'This just made me cry love it all so much! Happy birthday sweet Jeremiah.' Now, the father-of-six has shared new photos as he posted about his son Jeremiah's fourth birthday James's Dawson's Creek co-star Katie Holmes commented: 'Sooooooo sweet!!!!!!!' Emma Slater, his dance partner on Dancing With The Stars in 2019, said: 'This just made me cry love it all so much! Happy birthday sweet Jeremiah' Meanwhile actor Oliver Hudson, who appeared in the series for 16 episodes, wrote: 'Beautiful my man' The cast of Dawson's Creek recently reunited at New York's Richard Rogers Theatre in collaboration with F Cancer for a live read through of their pilot episode. But lead star James was forced to pull out of the event after falling ill during his treatment for colorectal cancer. James's wife Kimberly and their six children instead made a surprise appearance on stage, whilst the actor pre recorded videos to play during the show. Kimberly has shared photos with her husband's co-stars Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps as she thanked them for their support on the night admitting: 'Missed my guy so. But the support and the love has been healing to the core.' Meanwhile, Katie, who played James' love interest Joey Potter on the show, shared her own memories of the night as she paid tribute to her 'everlasting bond' with her co-stars. 'I will never find the words for what these three beautiful humans mean to me,' the actress wrote alongside a video of her, Michelle and Joshua Jackson on stage. 'For our shared journey. For our everlasting bond.' 'James, Josh, Michelle from April 1997- I love you. James, you got this. We got you. To everyone who supported us from the beginning and who continue to support James and his beautiful family, we thank you. Thank you for last night.' James replied to the post, commenting: 'Love you! Thank you for being you.' James was forced to pull out of the event after falling ill during his treatment for stage 3 colorectal cancer but pre recorded videos played during the show His Dawson's Creek co-stars and his family shared their heartbreak that he was forced to miss the show's reunion last month (James' wife Kimberly pictured with Busy Philipps, Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda was drafted in as a last minute replacement for James for the read through, after a call from his close friend Michelle and her husband Thomas Kail. The Broadway icon shared his own collection of photos from the night, posing for snaps with James' family as he gushed about 'the immense privilege of being present,' and revealed he had been sending James photos 'all through rehearsal and the evening'. '[Thomas] Kail called over the weekend: James caught a virus and was unable to travel to NY for the Dawsons Creek reunion Monday,' Lin-Manuel explained. 'Now Im godfather to Tommy and Michelles kid, so filling in for Dawson last minute falls under general coverage.' 'What happened next was for me, more like being in an episode of Quantum Leap; I had the immense privilege of being present as an understudy so that peoples love for James, his family, and this incredible cast and show could reverberate all around the Rodgers and the world.' Eminem's daughter Alaina Scott has announced she is expecting her first child. Alaina is the biological daughter of the late Dawn Scott, who was the twin sister of Kim Scott, Eminem's ex-wife. Eminem legally adopted her in the early 2000s as her mother struggled with drug use. Dawn died in 2016 from a suspected overdose. Announcing her happy news on Sunday, Alaina shared a joint Instagram post with her husband of two years Matt Moeller, gushing: 'THE BEST OF YOU + ME.' 'For months, I've carried a tiny heartbeat inside me, one that has already changed mine in every possible way,' Alaina wrote. 'There's something indescribable about knowing there's a little life growing, dreaming, and becoming, all while you go about your day, whispering prayers and hopes only they can hear.' Eminem's daughter Alaina has announced she is expecting her first child. Alaina is the daughter of the late Dawn Scott, who was the twin sister of Kim Scott, Eminem's ex-wife 'I've never felt more grateful for this gift and to grow our family, something we've wanted for so long. Thank you God for this blessing. Baby M, we can't wait to meet you, little one.' The photos show Alaina surprising her husband, blindfolding him and leading him into a room at the home they are building with a huge gold 'baby M' balloon inside. Alaina then hands a shocked Matt a shoebox with a pair of tiny sneakers and a positive pregnancy test inside. Alaina's sister Hailie, who welcomed her first child, son Eliot last year, was among those offering their congrats in the comments, writing that she was 'sooo happy for you guys . can't wait to be this little ones auntie & elliot is so excited to meet his cousin.' Alaina and Hailie have a close bond, with Hailie serving as her sister's bridesmaid during her 2023 wedding to Matt, whilst Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, walked his adopted daughter down the aisle. Eminem and his ex Kim raised Alaina alongside Hailie and Kim's youngest child Stevie, despite their own on-and-off relationship. The couple are now divorced. He told Rolling Stone in 2004 'My niece has been a part of my life ever since she was born. Me and Kim pretty much had her, she'd live with us wherever we was at.' Eminem also name-drops Alaina in his 2004 hit, 'Mockingbird,' rapping, 'Lainey, uncle's crazy ain't he? / Yeah, but he loves you, girl and you better know it / We're all we got in this world.' Announcing her happy news on Sunday, Alaina shared a joint Instagram post with her husband of two years Matt Moeller, gushing: 'THE BEST OF YOU + ME' Alaina's sister Hailie welcomed her first child, son Elliot last year. Hailie gave little Elliot the middle name Marshall in honor of her famous father's first name Alaina still lives in Michigan, where she grew up, and is a travel blogger and PR executive, while her family often feature on her Instagram account, which boasts 139k followers. She has also used her social media to discuss her complicated relationship with her biological mother. On Mother's Day 2022 she posted about her relationship with Dawn, writing: 'As a child who has lost their mom from addiction and because of that had a strained relationship I often felt a loss before I truly had to grieve my mom's passing. 'I used to be so angry and hurt by all of this, but as I've become older I can't help but realize how much work it takes to be a good mama. 'That sometimes our parents are hurting, searching, and trying to find themselves too - all while attempting to raise little ones. That often times they really are trying their best, even if their best isn't that great.' In 2018, two years after Dawn's death and as what would have been her 43rd birthday approached, Alaina posted an old photo of her mother on Instagram and wrote: 'Always missing you a lot during this time of the year, Mom. Can't believe you would have been 43 in 3 days.' Alaina previously appeared on her sister Hailie's Just a Little Shady podcast where the siblings reminisced over their childhood with 'strict' parents It was Eminem who announced the impending birth of daughter Hailie's first child by proudly holding up an ultrasound snap in his 2024 music video for Temporary (feat. Skylar Grey). Detroit-based Hailie gave little Elliot the middle name Marshall in honor of her famous father's first name. Hailie - who boasts 6.9M Instagram/TikTok followers - hosts a podcast called Just a Little Shady and she's every bit the influencer with paid partnerships for brands like Revlon, NutriBullet, and Watersquare Residencies. Kate Moss looked as though she's barely aged a day as she posed for a sizzling new shoot on Monday. The model, 51, proved she's still got it as she starred in a campaign for Kismet by Milka, the fine jewellery and premium piercing brand. For the shoot she showed off her youthful and toned figure in a sexy, plunging black dress which clung to her physique. She was adorned with the brand's stunning jewellery including a quirky necklace and earrings, and wore her blonde tresses in a bouncy blow dry. Other shots from the gorgeous shoot showed her behind-the-scenes as she flashed some leg in just a white shirt and heels. The shoot comes as a new biopic called Moss & Freud about her life has been released - starring Ellie Bamber. Kate Moss looked as though she's barely aged a day as she posed for a sizzling new shoot on Monday The model, 51, proved she's still got it as she starred in a campaign for Kismet by Milka, the fine jewelry and premium piercing brand Moss & Freud, released over the weekend, explores the unlikely bond between Kate and Lucian Freud, who together curated Naked Portrait in 2002. The distinguished artwork captured a nude, then 28-year-old Kate while she was pregnant with her daughter Lila, who she welcomed with ex-partner Jefferson Hack. Kate served as executive producer, with British actress Ellie, 28, playing the iconic supermodel and 86-year-old Emmy winner, Derek Jacobi, starring as Freud. The image, which was painted by Lucian - then 80 and at the time 52 years older than Kate - showcased the model in a way she'd never been seen before. The result was groundbreaking, with the painting fetching a whopping 3.5million at an auction years later. Lucian and Kate's time together established a one-of-a-kind friendship, and the model would later describe him as 'the most interesting person' she'd ever met. So fierce was their bond, prying eyes have long questioned whether they shared something more than just friendship. The German-born painter - also famed for his modern and selfie-esque painting of The Queen in 2001 - passed away aged 88 over a decade ago. For the shoot she showed off her youthful and toned figure in a sexy, plunging black dress which clung to her physique Other shots from the gorgeous shoot showed her behind-the-scenes as she flashed some leg in just a white shirt and heels She was adorned with the brand's stunning jewellery including a quirky necklace and earrings, and wore her blonde tresses in a bouncy blow dry Stunning black and white images showed Kate looking over the shoot Moss & Freud aims to explore his life and art and focuses strongly on how the 90s superstar came to be his beloved muse. Kate's arrival on the scene in the early 90s signified a new era of models, joining the likes of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista as some of the biggest names in the industry. Meanwhile Lucian Michael Freud, born in 1922 in Berlin, Germany, was by then a renowned painter and draughtsman who specialised in figurative art; his work on human subjects such as friends, family and lovers earned him the reputation as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. Written and directed by James Lucas (and executive-produced by Moss herself), the film focuses not on the finished painting but on its creation, and the pair's evolving relationship. As the film tells it, it was her idea to take all her clothes off, a response to his desire 'to get to the core of the being'. To her initial consternation, he required her to pose three evenings a week at his Holland Park studio 'until it is finished'. The project took him nine months, and in that time (during which Moss found that she was pregnant) they struck up a close friendship somewhat at odds with their age gap of more than 50 years. Taylor Swift is giving fans an intimate look at her real-life love story in her upcoming End of an Era docuseries, which featured a romantic backstage kiss with her fiance, Travis Kelce. In one never-before-seen moment, the pop star, 35, can be seen lovingly wrapping her arms around Kelce and planting a kiss on his cheek under the stage scaffolding. The Kansas City Chiefs star, 36, made another unexpected cameo while carrying the 14-time Grammy winner in his arms during a rehearsal for his Eras Tour debut on in London. Kelce famously joined Swift on stage at Wembley Stadium as he appeared in the middle of her The Tortured Poets Department set on June 23, 2024. His choreography included transporting her to a red couch, before setting her down and fanning her as part of a theatrical transition into her performance of I Can Do It With a Broken Heart. The adorable behind-the-scenes footage appeared in the teaser for Swift's forthcoming End of an Era docuseries, unveiled Monday morning, which instantly sent Swifties into overdrive online. Taylor Swift is giving fans an intimate look at her real-life love story in newly surfaced footage from her upcoming End of an Era docuseries 'They look genuinely happy together, love seeing her enjoy this off the stage,' one fan wrote. Another gushed: 'OMG, aren't they just the cutest? Taylor's smile lights up the whole room, and Travis looks like he's still starstruck, total swoon!' 'He looks so effortless holding her,' a third marveled. Swift confirmed Monday's episode of Good Morning America that two new projects chronicling her record-shattering tour are coming to Disney+ on December 12: the End of an Era docuseries and The Eras Tour: The Final Show. The teaser features behind-the-scenes moments and candid reflections from Swift, who narrates over rehearsal footage and emotional clips from her historic run. 'People like to talk about phenomenons,' Swift is heard saying in the trailer. 'Almost as if it was pieces falling into place The Eras Tour wasn't when all the pieces fell into place. It was when every single one of us who had done so much work clicked together.' On Instagram, the Cruel Summer hitmaker called the series a way to 'close the book' on one of the most defining eras of her career. 'We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives, so we allowed filmmakers to capture this tour and all the stories woven throughout it as it wound down and to film the final show in its entirety,' she explained. The Eras Tour, which became the highest-grossing tour of all time and the first ever to surpass $2 billion in revenue, transformed Swift into the world's richest female musician and the first billionaire primarily from music. Comprising a 40-song setlist and distinct sections celebrating each of her ten studio albums, the tour attracted more than four million fans worldwide, with A-listers, political figures and royals among the attendees. Kelce makes another unexpected cameo while carrying the 14-time Grammy winner in his arms during a lighthearted rehearsal for his Eras Tour debut on June 23, 2024 in London Kelce, 65, famously joined Swift on stage as he appeared in the middle of her The Tortured Poets Department set (seen on stage in June 2024 at Wembley Stadium) In the docuseries, Swift also shared an unusually personal glimpse into life behind-the-scenes, which showcased her on-the-road rituals and quiet celebrations with her crew. In one particularly candid clip, the pop superstar is seen unwinding in her hotel room, removing her makeup and drawing herself a bath after a show. 'I will not be able to get to sleep. I can't, like, come down,' she admitted while gently peeling off her false lashes. 'I'll watch tons of TV, I have room service in bed, I signed a box of 2,000 CDs, and then I'm tired. And then we do the whole thing again.' Other scenes show the 14-time Grammy winner working out, repping a Kansas City Chiefs shirt, a subtle nod to Kelce, and hugging her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift. Since wrapping the Eras Tour on December 8, 2024, Swift and Kelce marked a new milestone in their relationship After two years of dating, the musician and athlete announced their engagement in August on Instagram (pictured in 2024) Since wrapping the Eras Tour on December 8, 2024, Swift and Kelce marked a new milestone in their relationship. After two years of dating, the musician and athlete announced their engagement in August on Instagram. In 2024, Kelce spoke about joining Swift on stage on an episode of his New Heights podcast. 'It's very unlike me,' the three-time Super Bowl winner joked. 'I don't love going on stages.' When asked by his brother, Jason Kelce, who came up with the idea, Travis confessed he 'initially mentioned it to Tay.' 'I was like, 'How funny would it be if I just rolled out on one of the bikes during the 1989 (portion of the show),'' he recalled. After initially laughing at the idea, Travis said Swift asked: 'Would you seriously be up for doing something like that?' After telling her he would 'love' to be involved and that she 'might as well' put him to work, Travis said Swift 'found the perfect part of the show' for him to participate in. The couple met after Kelce tried to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, at her Eras Tour show in Kansas City, but was unable to 'There was no bike in case I ran into somebody else or hit one of the dancers or anything. It was the safest option,' he quipped. While reflecting on his performance, Travis said he had 'an absolute blast.' 'It's such a fun, playful part of the show,' Travis added. 'It was the perfect area, or perfect time, for me to go up there just be a ham and have some fun.' Still, he admitted to having some nerves about dropping Swift. 'The one thing I told myself is: 'Do not drop the baby. Do not drop this do not drop Taylor on your way over to this damn couch,' he told listeners. 'The golden rule was: 'Do not drop Taylor getting her over to the couch.' Woody Allen finally released a statement over the death of rumored ex and frequent collaborator Diane Keaton after her death at 79 on Saturday. It has been said that the pair had 'remained friends' after first crossing paths in the late 1960s and having a romantic relationship. And now the controversial 89-year-old filmmaker penned a touching essay as he mourned her loss. 'Its grammatically incorrect to say "most unique," but all rules of grammar, and I guess anything else, are suspended when talking about Diane Keaton. Unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered,' he began in the essay published by The Free Press on Sunday. Allen and Keaton first met in 1969 when she auditioned for a role in his Broadway production of Play It Again, Sam. She eventually scored a role in the stage production and garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Woody Allen finally released a statement over the death o f rumored ex and frequent collaborator Diane Keaton after her death at 79 on Saturday; the two are seen in 1977 film Annie Hall together News of Keaton's passing in California broke on Saturday with the Los Angeles Fire Department responding to a medical call at the late star's home at 8:08 a.m; seen in 2018 in L.A. Allen described their first encounter as he wrote: 'I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it. If she liked it, I counted the film as an artistic success. 'If she was less than enthusiastic, I tried to use her criticism to reedit and come away with something she felt better about.' The Oscar-winning actress worked on a number of films with the director, including the 1977 movie Annie Hall which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. Allen wrote: 'A few days ago, the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now its a world that does not. Hence, its a drearier world. Still, there are her movies. And her great laugh still echoes in my head.' Keaton had a complex past with close pal and rumored ex Allen over the years leading up to her death at the age of 79 on October 11. News of Keaton's passing in California broke on Saturday with the Los Angeles Fire Department responding to a medical call at the late star's home at 8:08 a.m., per TMZ. An individual had been transported to a hospital by ambulance, and sources later confirmed the person had been Keaton. At the time of the news breaking, Allen was said to be 'extremely distraught and surprised and upset' over the shock news of Keaton's death, an insider told People. The controversial 89-year-old filmmaker penned a touching essay as he mourned her loss; he is seen presenting her with an award at the AFI Awards in June 2017 'Its grammatically incorrect to say "most unique," but all rules of grammar, and I guess anything else, are suspended when talking about Diane Keaton. Unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered,' he (pictured July 2019) began in the essay published by The Free Press on Sunday The Oscar-winning actress worked on a number of films with the director, including the 1977 movie Annie Hall which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress; Keaton and Allen seen in 1973 in the film Sleeper The source further told the outlet that Allen 'appreciated her very much' and was also not aware of her declining health. 'Nobody seemed to know. He was surprised,' the insider expressed. The two stars often worked together with the late actress appearing in eight of his movies. In 1977, Keaton took on a leading role alongside Allen in his film Annie Hall which is believed to have been based on their past romantic relationship. 'It's not true, but there are elements of truth in it,' Keaton said of the speculation during a past interview with the New York Times. The pair are believed to have dated before Annie Hall and had also lived together in a penthouse which offered a view of Central Park in NYC. In her 2011 memoir, Keaton reflected on their relationship and had written, 'We shared a love of torturing each other with our failures. 'He could sling out the insults, and so could I... His insights into my character were dead-on and duh! hilarious. I had him pegged as a cockroach you couldn't kill.' Allen wrote: 'A few days ago, the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now its a world that does not. Hence, its a drearier world. Still, there are her movies. And her great laugh still echoes in my head'; Keaton seen in 2022 in Beverly Hills In 1977, Keaton took on a leading role alongside Allen in his film Annie Hall (seen above) which is believed to have been based on their past romantic relationship Elsewhere in the book, she also penned, 'I miss Woody. He'd cringe if he knew how much I care about him, but I'm smart enough not to broach the subject. 'I know he's borderline repulsed by the grotesque nature of my affection. What am I supposed to do? I still love him.' Despite their romantic relationship coming to an end, their close friendship did not. Allen and Keaton went on to collaborate on a total of eight films together aside from Annie Hall, such as Love And Death (1975) and Manhattan (1979). The Godfather actress had other notable high profile relationships with other celebrities, including Warren Beatty and Al Pacino. Allen went on to have a relationship with Mia Farrow - who starred in 13 of his movies. In her 2011 memoir, Keaton reflected on their relationship and had written, 'We shared a love of torturing each other with our failures; the pair seen in 1970 in NYC The Godfather actress had other notable high profile relationships with other celebrities, including Warren Beatty and Al Pacino; Keaton and Beatty seen in 1978 in NYC In the early 90s, Allen and Farrow were involved in a contentious custody battle and the actress claimed that daughter Dylan had told her in 1992 that he sexually assaulted her which he denied. In 1992, Allen's affair with Mia's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn also came to light. Allen and Previn eventually married in 1997 and adopted two children together. Keaton has often defended and supported Allen amid the sexual abuse allegations against him. Back in 2018 amid the #MeToo movement, the late actress shared a tweet where she defended the star. She wrote, 'Woody Allen is my friend and I continue to believe him. It might be of interest to take a look at the 60 Minutes interview from 1992 and see what you think.' Keaton also linked the interview in the post to her followers where Allen defended himself against the allegations. The source also told People on Saturday that Keaton 'didn't believe that any problems [involving the allegations against Allen] overshadowed the important work that he did and the work they did together.' Allen went on to have a relationship with Mia Farrow - who starred in 13 of his movies; Allen and Farrow seen in 1992 in NYC Keaton has often defended and supported Allen amid the sexual abuse allegations against him; seen in 2023 in NYC The insider added, 'So she always stood by him. He was always grateful for that. So he always felt close.' The source also shared that Keaton and Allen 'used to talk on the phone and communicate. Every time she stood up for him, he would reach out to her and text.' When Keaton was honored at the 45th Annual AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony in 2017, Allen took to the stage to reflect on their close friendship. 'The minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me,' the filmmaker stated at the time. 'Much of what I've accomplished in my life I owe, for sure, to her. Seeing life through her eyes. She really is astonishing. This is a woman who is great at everything she does.' Keaton also had positive words towards Allen when she spoke to The Guardian back in 2014 and said, 'He's the strongest person I've met in my life. He's made of steel. 'And talk about a work ethic he's one of the people that really did teach me that you have to work hard. But he wanted to. He's the most disciplined person I've known, with the exception of my dad.' The actress had also been asked to offer comment on the sexual abuse allegations against Allen, to which she replied with, 'I have nothing to say about that. Except: I believe my friend.' 'The minute I met her, she was a great, great inspiration to me,' the filmmaker stated at the time; Allen and Keaton seen in film adaptation of Play It Again, Sam (1972) Keaton never married but adopted two children in her 50s: daughter Dexter and son Duke; the late actress seen with her children in 2017 in Hollywood A family spokesperson confirmed Keaton's passing at the age of 79 to People on Saturday. A friend close to the star told the outlet, 'She declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her. It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit.' They added, 'In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren't fully aware of what was happening.' Keaton never married but adopted two children in her 50s: daughter Dexter and son Duke. Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart are more in love than ever. The Home and Away lovebirds packed on the PDA on the red carpet at the premiere of the new film, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, in Sydney on Monday night. The 48-year-old actress looked chic in a black and white, strapless dress that sat close to her trim figure. She opted for a strappy pair of heels and carried a designer purse, while wearing a smattering of accessories. For makeup, the actress chose a glowing palette with a pink lip gloss and wore her brunette hair down around her face. James, 49, was comfortably dressed in a simple white shirt and a pair of blue jeans with brown boots. Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart are more in love than ever. Both pictured The Home and Away lovebirds packed on the PDA on the red carpet at the premiere of the new film, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, in Sydney on Monday night The 48-year-old actress looked chic in a black and white, strapless dress that sat close to her trim figure The two could not keep their hands off each other, cuddling and laughing as they posed for photos. The pair took their blended family out together earlier this month, to catch the musical Rent at the Sydney Opera House. James had his daughter, Scout, 13, who he shares with former partner, actress Jessica Marais, with him for the outing. Ada, meanwhile, took her son, Johnas Xipolitas, also 13, who she shares with her ex-husband, Chrys Xipolitas. The fellow actors have seen their romance go from strength to strength, and they celebrated their one-year anniversary in April. Ada gushed over the couple's recent romantic connection, which blossomed after 25 years of friendship, in a recent issue of Stellar. Revealing she is usually very private about their intimate life together, the actress said she couldn't help but celebrate their recent relationship milestone with a post on Instagram. 'It's been a really lovely year together,' she told the publication when asked about her rare social media post about the pair. She opted for a strappy pair of heels and carried a designer purse, while wearing a smattering of accessories For makeup, the actress chose a glowing palette with a pink lip gloss and wore her brunette hair down around her face James, 49, was comfortably dressed in a simple white shirt and a pair of blue jeans with brown boots 'I don't like to post a lot of stuff about us online but, at the same time, I'm really proud of the last year we've had, and wanted to share that.' Ada shared a tribute to James, as she took to Instagram to post a sweet collection of pictures celebrating their one year anniversary at Mimi's in Sydney. 'Just perfect,' Ada captioned the post, which showed the happy couple enjoying a delicious meal of oysters, caviar and bubbles at the iconic eatery. The soap opera stars, whose characters are married on the Channel Seven show, were first linked at the beginning of 2024 when they were seen sharing a kiss on Anzac Day before Ada confirmed their romance in an interview. Last July, Ada finally broke her silence on her romance with James after months of speculation. She confirmed she was dating her longtime co-star James in a magazine interview, describing their romance as 'unexpected'. 'Jimmy and I are together, yes. It's only early days. It's very recent and unexpected. I'm super happy. It's really lovely,' she told Stellar Magazine. But she insisted their Home And Away characters Leah Patterson and Justin Morgan getting married on-screen was not an early sign of their real-life romance. The couple began dating after Ada split from her ex-partner Adam Rigby just before Christmas in 2023 and James finalised his divorce from Sarah Roberts in March 2024. DJ and record producer Matt Tolfrey has died aged 44 - it was announced on on Monday. Close friend and fellow musician, Damian Lazarus led the tributes as he remembered his 'cheeky smile and humour' in an emotional post. Sharing the news to Instagram, he wrote: 'This weekend we lost a key member of the extended Crosstown Rebels family. Matt Tolfrey played a major role in our music scene and will be very sorely missed. 'We first met in Nottingham when I was booked to play at Stealth and we went on to work and play together for the best part of 20 years. 'He produced key singles and remixes for us and in recent years was responsible for helping us work with artists that he represented. 'Like us, Matt believed in community and bringing people together on and off the dancefloor and his record label Leftroom Records.' DJ and record producer Matt Tolfrey has died aged 44 - it was confirmed on Monday Close friend and fellow musician, Damian Lazarus led the tributes as he remembered his 'cheeky smile and humour' in an emotional post (Matt pictured in 2013) Damian added: 'He has played an important role in bringing like minded music makers together. 'Matt was a brilliant DJ and was represented by myself and Will in the very early days of the Rebel Agency (now NGE). 'His cheeky smile and humor will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to everyone that knew and loved Matt but especially to his beautiful daughters Arla and Beau. 'RIP Matt, you left the room too early.' Born in 1980, Matt grew up in the Middle East in Bahrain, before returning to the UK when he was 16. He began his DJ career in Nottingham while studying in the city, before making his debut at London's Fabric in 2004. After playing The Bomb in Nottingham, when he got spotted: 'Not long after, I got a call from Craig Richards one early morning. 'At first I couldn't work out who it was. He offered me to come down to London to play at Fabric. And that's how it all began,' he told DJ Magazine in 2012. Born in 1980, Matt grew up in the Middle East in Bahrain, before returning to the UK when he was 16 He began his DJ career in Nottingham while studying in the city, before making his debut at London's Fabric in 2004 'I can't imagine things like that happening now. Once I played at Fabric, I started getting booked elsewhere, because it was such a big thing,' he added. Matt went on to work as a producer for labels such as Crosstown Rebels, REKIDS and Phonica before starting his own, Leftroom. He released his first full-length album, titled Word of Mouth, via Leftroom Records in 2012. Matt's second album, All Shapes and Sizes, was released in 2020. After his death, Classic Music Company added in a tribute on Monday: 'Classic are devastated to hear of the passing of Matt Tolfrey; DJ, producer, label runner, manager and importantly our friend. 'Matt was a longtime supporter and fan of all things Classic during his residency at The Bomb in Nottingham and of course at places like Londons Fabric. 'In 2011 when Matt asked to remix some records from the catalogue, we loved them and were more than happy to release them in conjunction with his Classic Through The Eyes of Matt Tolfrey compilation. 'We have fond memories of the times he played for us and when we all hung out. We are deeply saddened by the news and we send love to all of Matts friends and family.' Another friend and fellow DJ Heidi added: 'I only have hilarious & warm memories of him. My heart goes out to Hayley & his beautiful daughters. This is beyond heartbreaking' Fellow DJ Heidi added: 'I really cant believe were here again. Saying goodbye to another wonderful person. Matt Tolfrey was someone whom I gravitated towards immediately. His humour was infectious. He was such a fun person to be around & unbelievably kind. 'We played together & b2b so many times across this planet. From Peru to Detroit, Barcelona, Miami, London, Amsterdam and the list goes on. 'He was a fixture at my Jackathon parties in the early days and also contributed a track whos the freak made specifically for my 1st big mix release on the label. 'He loved taking the p*** out of me on the regular and that became our language. We laughed uncontrollably sometimes. 'Matt was also extremely supportive to so many artists over the decades. He never had an ego & I firmly believe that he was in this industry for all the right reasons. His label Leftroom was a staple in all of our record bags in the early-mid nouties. 'I only have hilarious & warm memories of him. My heart goes out to Hayley & his beautiful daughters. This is beyond heartbreaking. 'Make sure you tell your friends & family how much you love them. Life is precious.' Mia Goth ensured all eyes were on her on Monday evening as she joined her co-star Jacob Elordi at the premiere of Frankenstein during the 69th BFI London Film Festival. The actress, 31, put on an alluring display in a floaty lilac gown made of draped sheer chiffon that showcased her toned figure underneath. She sent pulses racing as she turned to reveal the entirely backless design of the dress, plunging dangerously low and flashing a glimpse of her thong underneath. Posing up a storm on the red carpet, Mia completed her sensual look with an abundance of diamond jewellery and an elegant updo. The Pearl star was joined at the screening by her co-stars Jacob, 28, and Oscar Isaac, 46, who both cut suave figures as they embraced on the carpet. Jacob looked typically handsome in an oversized double-breasted suit under a smart black coat and teamed with a quirky leather tie. With his huge 6ft 5in frame, he towered over his 5ft 7in co-star Oscar, who looked as dapper as ever in a black jacket and matching neckerchief. Mia Goth (left) ensured all eyes were on her on Monday evening as she joined her co-star Jacob Elordi (right) at the premiere of Frankenstein during the 69th BFI London Film Festival The actress, 31, put on an alluring display in a floaty lilac gown made of draped sheer chiffon that showcased her toned figure underneath She sent pulses racing as she turned to reveal the entirely backless design of the dress, plunging dangerously low and flashing a glimpse of her thong underneath The Star Wars actor beamed as he also rushed over to greet fellow star Christoph Waltz, 69, who put on a debonair display in a grey velvet suit and black turtleneck. Since Mary Shelleys 1818 novel, the story of Frankenstein has inspired hundreds of films, TV series, and comic books. Oscar takes on the titular role of Frankenstein in the new adaptation by critically-lauded director, Guillermo del Toro, while Jacob stars as his famous Creature. Meanwhile, Mia plays the role of Elizabeth Lavenza, the fiancee of Victor's younger brother William Frankenstein, whom Victor has feelings for. Acting legend Christoph plays Elizabeth's maternal uncle, Henrich Harlander, a wealthy arms manufacturer who funds Victor's experiments. William is played by Felix Kammerer, who showcased his quirky sense of style in a baggy plaid suit and orange T-shirt. Joining them at the premiere was Charles Dance, who plays Leopold Frankenstein, Victor's strict, oppressive father and a renowned physician. The Game of Thrones star dressed to the nines for the occasion, sporting a dark navy suit and a coordinating polka dot cravat. Posing up a storm on the red carpet, Mia completed her sensual look with an abundance of diamond jewellery and an elegant updo The Pearl star was joined at the screening by her co-stars Jacob and Oscar Isaac, who both cut suave figures as they embraced on the carpet With his huge 6ft 5in frame, he towered over his 5ft 7in co-star Oscar, 46, who looked as dapper as ever in a black jacket and matching neckerchief The Star Wars actor beamed as he also rushed over to greet fellow star Christoph Waltz, 69, who put on a debonair display in a grey velvet suit and black turtleneck Jacob stopped to graciously pose for selfies with the crowd of adoring fans who gathered at Southbank for a glimpse of the star William is played by Felix Kammerer, who showcased his quirky sense of style in a baggy plaid suit and orange T-shirt Joining them at the premiere was Charles Dance, who plays Leopold Frankenstein, Victor's strict, oppressive father and a renowned physician The Game of Thrones star dressed to the nines for the occasion, sporting a dark navy suit and a coordinating polka dot cravat While Harry Potter actor David Bradley, who stars in the film as a mysterious blind man who bonds with the creature, scrubbed up well in a floral patterned shirt and cream blazer While Harry Potter actor David Bradley, who stars in the film as a mysterious blind man who bonds with the creature, scrubbed up well in a floral patterned shirt and cream blazer. Guillermo looked in high spirits as he posed alongside his stars, arriving on the red carpet to a warm embrace from Jacob. The celebrated filmmaker beamed in a classic black suit and tie, displaying his fondness for dark fantasy by accessorising with a red winged figurine on a chain. While The Conjuring: Last Rites star Mia Tomlinson turned heads as she arrived in an strapless PVC gown that clung to every inch of her toned figure. The eye-catching number boasted white lace ruffle detailing, a thigh-high slit and coordinating skintight evening gloves. Comedian Michael McIntyre also made an appearance, keeping things simple in a dark blue shirt and suit and black trainers. While several of the creative minds behind the film were also in attendance, including Costume Designer Kate Hawley and Production Designer Tamara Deverell. They were joined by Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat, who collaborated with Guillermo for a third time to score Frankenstein. Guillermo looked in high spirits as he posed alongside his stars, arriving on the red carpet to a warm embrace from Jacob The three-time Oscar winner beamed as he posed in a classic black suit and tie, after admitting his was the film that he had been waiting to make since he was seven years old The acclaimed filmmaker displayed his fondness for dark fantasy by accessorising with a red winged figurine on a chain While The Conjuring: Last Rites star Mia Tomlinson turned heads as she arrived in an strapless PVC gown that clung to every inch of her toned figure The eye-catching number boasted white lace ruffle detailing, a thigh-high slit and coordinating skintight evening gloves Comedian Michael McIntyre also made an appearance, keeping things simple in a dark blue shirt and suit and black trainers While several of the creative minds behind the film were also in attendance, including Costume Designer Kate Hawley (left) and Production Designer Tamara Deverell (right) They were joined by Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat, who collaborated with Guillermo for a third time to score Frankenstein Also taking to the carpet was Mike Hill, who was in charge of the prosthetic make-up that transformed Jacob into a grotesque creature, after working on Guillermo's Cabinet of Curiosities in 2022 Also taking to the carpet was Mike Hill, who was in charge of the prosthetic make-up that helped transform Jacob into a grotesque creature, after working on Guillermo's Cabinet of Curiosities in 2022. The first glimpse of Jacob's transformation into the Monster was revealed in the trailer dropped in June, showing the moment he is revived by Dr Frankenstein's electrical experiment. Action shots also showed the towering star hidden under a cloak while fighting several men aboard a clipper ship, while another menacing shot saw him stood on a snowy landscape in the distance. A voiceover of Oscar's Frankenstein is heard saying: 'I had determined that the memory of my evils should die with me. Some of what I will tell you is fact. Some is not. But it is all true.' An unseen man then asks: 'What manner of creature is that? What manner of devil made him?' While Oscar's Frankenstein replies: 'I did. I had a vision. An idea took shape in my mind. Inevitable. Unavoidable. Until it became truth. In seeking life I created death.' The Monster is heard growling before screaming his creator's name: 'Victor!' Jacob scored the plum part of the Monster after Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Doug Jones were previously attached to star. Since Mary Shelleys 1818 novel, the story of Frankenstein has inspired hundreds of films, TV series, and comic books Oscar takes on the titular role of Frankenstein (seen) in the new adaptation by critically-lauded director, Guillermo del Toro, while Jacob stars as his famous Creature While Mia plays the role of Elizabeth Lavenza, the fiancee of Victor's younger brother William Frankenstein, whom Victor has feelings for (pictured in film) Acting legend Christoph plays Elizabeth's maternal uncle, Henrich Harlander, a wealthy arms manufacturer who funds Victor's experiments The first glimpse of Jacob's transformation into the Monster was revealed in the trailer dropped in June, showing the moment he is revived by Dr Frankenstein's electrical experiment (seen) He was approached by Guillermo to take the role just nine weeks before the cameras started rolling, after Andrew dropped out at the last minute due to scheduling issues. Speaking about coming onboard, Jacob said: 'I was finishing The Narrow Road To The Deep North so I had about three or four weeks only before we started. 'It presented itself as a monumental task but as Guillermo said the banquet was already there and everyone was already eating.' He continued: 'I was drawn to this role because it's a vessel that I could put every part of myself into. Everything from the moment I was born to being with you here today, that's all in it in many ways. 'The creature on screen is the purest form of myself. He is more me than I am as a performer. If you can find yourself in a character that's a really beautiful thing that can happen, and I am only realising it now in hindsight.' The Euphoria star previously revealed that he had decided to 'go Yorkshire' with the accent for his portrayal. He told the Daily Mail in August: 'Yes, the accent is Yorkshire that's a great spot. David Bradley who plays the blind man in the film is from that part of the world, and when the creature starts to speak he learns from the blind man. So there are bits and bobs of Yorkshire in the way he speaks.' There's been well over 14 Frankenstein films brought to the silver screen including James Whale's 1931 classic starring Boris Karloff and Kenneth Branagh's 1994 version starring Robert De Niro. Jacob scored the plum part of the Monster after Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch and Doug Jones were previously attached to star He was approached by Guillermo to take the role just nine weeks before the cameras started rolling, after Andrew dropped out at the last minute due to scheduling issues The Euphoria star previously revealed that he had decided to 'go Yorkshire' with the accent for his portrayal Netflix is pinning some of its hopes and ambitions to finally win a Best Picture Oscar on the film, alongside the George Clooney drama Jay Kelly and Katherine Bigelow's nuclear missile thriller A House of Dynamite Frankenstein had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August It is set for a limited theatrical release on October 17, before being released on Netflix on November 7 After the premiere wrapped up, Mia later headed to a restaurant in the West End with some of her co-stars She was spotted making her departure for the night, with a long black coat draped over her daring outfit to keep the autumn chill at bay Also spotted at the BFI London Film Festival on Monday, was Matt Smith who attended a special screening of his TV series adaptation of The Death Of Bunny Munro White Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed was also in attendance at the festival for a screening of Hamlet, where he was joined by Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan (L) Rose Byrne made an appearance for the screening of her new film If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, looking radiant in a strapless white gown The Australian actress posed alongside Mary Bronstein, who wrote and directed the psychological comedy-drama And off the heels of this Hollywood adaptation comes Maggie Gyllenhaal's 1930s-set remake of The Bride, which is set to be released in March and stars her brother Jake Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, and Jessie Buckley. Netflix is pinning some of its hopes and ambitions to finally win a Best Picture Oscar on the film, alongside the George Clooney drama Jay Kelly and Katherine Bigelow's nuclear missile thriller A House of Dynamite. Three-time Oscar winning director Guillermo has said that this was the film that he had been waiting to make since he was seven years old. He said: 'It is a dream for me and the [1931] film was a religion. I was raised very Catholic and Boris Karloff on the screen was a saint. 'I had to wait to get the scope to make it at a scale, so that you could reconstruct the whole world and I got that. Now I am in post-partum depression.' Frankenstein had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in August. It is set for a limited theatrical release on October 17, before being released on Netflix on November 7. Monday night was a big night for film in Europe, with Benedict Cumberbatch appearing at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in Catalonia, Spain The British actor was honoured with the Time Machine Award at the fantasy and horror festival for his career in cinema While over in France, Natalie Portman attended the 17th Film Festival Lumiere in Lyon to present a screening of her film Arco The actress, 44, put on a leggy display in a black miniskirt and cropped red jumper with a white lace trim as she presented the animated film, for which she served as a producer Taylor Swift's devoted fans are under fire after zooming in on a fleeting bathroom shot from her upcoming The Eras Tour: The End of an Era docuseries. The photo, shared by fan account @taylorswiftstyled, revealed a luxe $300 lineup featuring Dr. Barbara Sturm's Super Anti-Aging Cleanser, Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser, Christophe Robin's Delicate Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner and Ouai's Body Cleanser. But what truly sent social media into overdrive was the discovery of a basic razor among her luxury products, which sparked hundreds of comments and accusations of Swifties going way too far. 'Fandom so parasocial they are finding a problem with Taylor using a razor to shave,' one critic on X wrote. Another pointed out that the irony of fans acting perplexed that she no longer shares as much of her personal life when they 'psychoanalyze every frame' of any picture or video she releases. 'She's letting us into her personal life. I hoped people would refrain from posting negative comments. Silly me,' one fan lamented, while another branded the discourse 'not merely parasocial but reaching stalker vibes level.' Taylor Swift 's devoted fans are under fire after zooming in on a fleeting bathroom shot from her upcoming The Eras Tour: The End of an Era docuseries Despite the backlash, some users defended their curiosity as they admitted they were fascinated to see how the superstar lives behind closed doors. 'I'm so surprised that she shaves! I would've assumed she'd already done laser,' one fan confessed. Others zeroed in on the specific brand of razor. 'Okay. But what's her razor?' one comment asked. 'Looks like a Gillette! Actually I can barely believe that she still bothers to shave,' another replied. 'I thought she'd gotten some kind of permanent hair removal treatment.' 'Is that a Venus razor I spy???' another user asked, while a different Swiftie owned up to 'trying to read' all the bottles so they could buy every product, down to 'the pink razor.' 'This is the exact info I want to know about,' one fan wrote. 'Keep looking at the razor thinking she can't possibly use that! She must laser or wax.' 'Not to brag or anything, but I use the same kind of razor as Taylor Swift,' one user joked. 'Also, not to be weird, but I kind of assumed that once they got super famous and could afford it, celebrities all just got full body laser hair removal so they would never have to shave again.' The discovery of a basic razor among her luxury products sparked hundreds of comments and accusations of Swifties going way too far 'Fandom so parasocial they are finding a problem with Taylor using a razor to shave,' one critic on X wrote Another pointed out that the irony of fans acting perplexed that she no longer shares as much of her personal life when they 'psychoanalyze every frame' of any image or video she releases Another chimed in: 'That's what I assumed too! I'm such a weirdo but I find it so interesting to see how the other half lives lol.' Some fans even offered theories about why the 14-time Grammy winner still shaves, citing her fair hair color and laser limitations. 'Laser doesn't work on people with blonde body hair sadly,' one explained. 'Laser works by burning the pigment and thus the hair, so it can't truly eliminate blonde body hair.' The frenzy comes six years after Swift admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she shaves her legs 'every day' when asked about her shower habits. In February, a video of Swift being accompanied by a bodyguard to the restroom sparked a massive conversation about the downsides to fame. The conversation was sparked after pictures and videos of the Cruel Summer songstress exiting the facilities at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the Super Bowl. Despite the backlash, some users defended the curiosity, admitting they were fascinated to see how the superstar lives behind closed doors They showed Swift walking out of the bathroom while her security guard Drew trailed close behind her. Immediately, social media erupted with posts about it, with X user branding it as 'sad' and 'crazy' that she can't even use the bathroom without having to worry about her safety. 'How sad is that? We all love Drew, but the fact he has to stand outside her stall...' one user wrote. 'It makes me so sad that she can't even go to the bathroom alone,' agreed another. 'I literally cannot imagine having bodyguards 24/7. It would exhaust me,' someone else added. The frenzy comes six years after Swift admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she shaves her legs 'every day' when asked about her shower habits 'Poor Tay. She's living in a fishbowl for the rest of her life,' read a fourth post. A fifth said, 'No one should be so unsafe to the point where they need a bodyguard in the bathroom I'm sorry.' 'Someone could easily look over a stall trying to get a compromising pic of her and sell it for a lot of money. So yeah he def needs to be there,' a different user pointed out. 'I'll never understand why anyone wants to be famous. She is so gracious about it too. I'd be miserable lol,' shared someone else. Taylor's bodyguard Drew has accompanied the hitmaker on pretty much every public outing over the last few years. In February, a video of Swift being accompanied by a bodyguard to the restroom sparked a massive conversation about the downsides to fame; seen in 2024 He often pops up next to her in photos and videos, and is often applauded online by her fans. 'Drew is literally her shadow. I have so much respect for him and nobody dare cross him,' one person wrote in reply to the bathroom photos. 'He may look nice but his sole purpose is to make sure nobody [hurts] her, which is terrifying. 'It allows her to have a NORMAL life. Bro will take someone DOWN and OUT in the blink of an eye.' 'He's never more than 10-feet from her stage at all times [when she performs] and his eyes scan crowds like an eagle,' another user said of Drew. 'Nothing getting by this man.' 'We all love Drew,' announced a different Swiftie. Jennifer Aniston wants to try something new with her career that Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sabrina Carpenter have already mastered. In the November issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine the 56-year-old actress revealed she wants to act on the Broadway stage in New York City. It has always been a dream of hers ever since she attended the FAME school in Manhattan. 'I haven't done theatre yet because it terrifies me, but it's the one thing I haven't tried besides make an album, which I doubt I'll do!' she said. 'But I grew up in New York and loved going to the theatre, so I think it'd be fun.' In 2007, the Friends actress was set to produce and star in a musical about singing prisoners, and she even took voice lessons. Jennifer Aniston wants to try something new with her career. In the November issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine the 56-year-old actress revealed she wants to act on the Broadway stage in New York City; seen We're The Millers Gwyneth Paltrow, left, and Scarlett Johansson, right, have already acted in plays Entitled the Goree Girls, the movie focused on eight women held in Goree prison in 1940s Texas who became the first all-female country-and-western act in the US. But the movie never came to be, sadly. This is not the first time Aniston has talked about being in a play. She already told Vanity Fair she wants to hit the stage. 'Growing up in New York City and seeing Annie, you just get swept into a fantasy world. I want to do that,' she noted. The Morning Show star grew up on the Upper West Side, attending the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, famously known as the high school from the musical Fame. 'As a young actor, you can forget that you are the one who's earning income for the people around you,' she said, crediting her manager Aleen Keshishian with helping her assert herself. 'She would say, "You're the boss. You pay us. Don't lose sight of your power in that. Don't lose your voice."' Aniston is currently producing a 9 to 5 remake, written by Diablo Cody. Ariana Grande has been rumored to have received an offer to star in the film. The siren also said she is waiting for the 'right material.' 'I definitely want to do a Broadway play,' Aniston shared. 'But it's about finding the time and the right material. I absolutely have to do a play on Broadway.' 'I haven't done theatre yet because it terrifies me, but it's the one thing I haven't tried besides make an album, which I doubt I'll do!' she said. 'But I grew up in New York and loved going to the theatre, so I think it'd be fun' Jennifer Lopez has also expressed interest in hitting the stage on Broadway; JLo made her comments while promoting her musical Kiss of The Spider Woman. Also in her Harper's Bazaar interview Jennifer said that her parents John Aniston and Nancy Dow had a nasty divorce. It has always been a dream of hers every since she attended the FAME school in NYC And the future movie icon became a 'pawn' as the two were focused on getting even with each other during the especially contentious time. The Along Came Polly actress pointed out that back then, parents did not really know how to look out for their kids during divorce as it was a different era. The perennial 'it' girl of Hollywood was only nine years old at the time. 'Their divorce was not amicable in any way, shape or form, and it was a time when there wasn't a lot of awareness of how to behave for the sake of the kid,' she recalled. 'That was the least of [my parents'] worries it was more, how could they hurt each other? And I was just a pawn.' That led to her having to go to therapy; in another section of the interview Aniston noted that she has had a lot of therapy in her life and it is what has prevented her from going into 'rages.' The star also shared that mother and father were 'ridiculously funny people' and that she was 'around a lot of laughter.' Comedy became a source of comfort to her: initially to watch on television, and later as her acting specialism. She enrolled in a dedicated performing-arts school in Manhattan, then auditioned liked crazy. Friends in 1994 then changed her life. 'There's something about the chemistry of the cast that made for a lightning-in-a-bottle moment,' she reflected, 'and that just happened to get caught on camera.' Also in her HB interview she touched on ageism: 'The societal idea of an expiration date just doesn't exist anymore it's an old ideology. 'We're here and we're more than half the population and would any of you schmucks be here if it weren't for us anyway?' The Morning Show actress added, 'The wisdom older women have to contribute is quite extraordinary, and it's one of the areas where we've seen genuine progress in the film world.' Also in her Harper's Bazaar interview Jennifer said that her parents John Aniston and Nancy Dow had a nasty divorce Aniston also revealed she endured a 20-year secret battle to have a baby. The Friends icon talked about the false narrative that she didn't want to become a mother because she's a 'selfish workaholic'. She said: 'They didn't know my story, or what I'd been going through over the past 20 years to try to pursue a family, because I don't go out there and tell them my medical woes. 'That's not anybody's business. But there comes a point when you can't not hear it the narrative about how I won't have a baby, won't have a family, because I'm selfish, a workaholic. 'It does affect me I'm just a human being. We're all human beings. That's why I thought, 'What the hell?' However, the older Jennifer gets, the less she feels the need to 'correct a false narrative'. She explained: 'The news cycle is so fast, it just goes away. 'Of course, there are times when I feel that sense of justice when something has been said that isn't true and I need to right the wrong. 'And then I think, do I really? My family knows my truth, my friends know my truth.' Jennifer was married to actor Brad Pitt from 2000-2005. They split after he met actress Angelina Jolie on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Jennifer was married to Brad Pitt from 2000-2005 but they split when she was aged 35 (pictured in 2004). Seen right with Justin Theroux in 2015 In 2022, Jennifer tragically revealed she had unsuccessfully tried IVF - and admitted she wished she had frozen her eggs years earlier. 'It was a challenging road for me, the baby-making road,' Jennifer said at the time. 'My late 30s, 40s, I'd gone through really hard sh[*]t, and if it wasn't for going through that, I would've never become who I was meant to be. I was trying to get pregnant. 'All the years and years and years of speculation... It was really hard. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it. 'I would've given anything if someone had said to me, 'Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favor.' You just don't think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed. But I have zero regrets.' Jennifer was aged 35 when she split from Brad and previously said the suggestion he left her because she wouldn't give him a child was an 'absolute lie'. Brad went on to have has six children with Angelina. Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. The eldest three are adopted and the youngest three are their biological children. They announced their split in 2016 after a now-infamous private plane incident in which Angelina accused Brad of being abusive toward her and the children. Brad is thought to now have 'virtually no contact with them'. Meanwhile, Jennifer went on to marry actor Justin Theroux in 2015 when she was aged 46. But theirs wasn't to be a lasting romance. They divorced just three years later. The November issue of Harper's Bazaar UK is on sale from October 9. SNL star Ashley Padilla, who was former assistant to the late Diane Keaton, paid sweet tribute to the star after her shock death on Saturday at age 79. The 32-year-old featured member of the Saturday Night Live cast was one of many celebs who paid tribute to the Oscar winner as some were shocked that the two had shared such a personal connection. Hours after the heartbreaking news, Padilla took to her Instagram Story on Saturday as she shared a cute snap of her and Diane wearing a very similar look of a black sweater tucked into blue jeans with black leather belts and boots as they looked down. She captioned the snap: 'I will never forget you. I will always love you. And I will miss you all of the time. 'Thank you for everything, Diane. You changed my life. [white heart emoji]' Padilla went on to post a black and white snap of the two cuddling up together. SNL star Ashley Padilla, who was former assistant to the late Diane Keaton, paid sweet tribute to the star after her shock death at age 79 The Academy Award-winning actress passed away in California on Saturday; pictured in 2023 She simply captioned the image: 'I love you [white heart emoji]' A few of her SNL castmates took to the comments section to share sweet words to the star. Bowen Yang wrote: '[three white heart emojis] love you so much my friend.' Chloe Fineman also commented: 'Love you a lot [four red heart emojis]' On Monday, Padilla shared another sweet tribute on Instream Reels to the star featuring black and white snaps of Diane throughout her life set to the tune of Billie Holiday's I'll Be Seeing You. She wrote: 'Diane and I always made compilation videos of photos for her (absolutely iconic) Instagram. Usually anything she enjoyed at the time; houses, eyeballs, shoes, MEN, etc. 'We would sit on Pinterest for hours looking up great shots and then we would pick the perfect song to match whatever the theme was. There are one million songs to choose when making a compilation of Diane but I found myself listening to this song all day and it gave me great comfort. Hours after the heartbreaking news, Padilla took to her Instagram Story on Saturday as she shared a cute snap of her and Diane wearing a very similar look of a black sweater tucked into blue jeans with black leather belts and boots as they looked down The 32-year-old featured member of the Saturday Night Live cast was one of many celebs who paid tribute to the Oscar winner as some were shocked that the two had shared such a personal connection Padilla previously worked as an assistant for the film icon including on the 2024 film Summer Camp (pictured left to right: Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) 'Diane, you are the best and I will be seeing you in everything. [nine white heart emojis]' Padilla previously worked as an assistant for the film icon including on the 2024 film Summer Camp which also starred Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard. Keaton had also credited her for helping create her 2024 book Fashion First. Ashley joined the cast of SNL as a featured performer also in 2024. The longtime variety show also paid tribute to Keaton before the show's goodnights on Saturday night's episode with a snap of the legendary actress. A family spokesperson confirmed to People on Saturday that the Academy Award-winning actress passed away in California. Her loved ones have requested privacy as they mourn her loss. Keaton never married but adopted two children, 29-year-old daughter Dexter and 25-year-old son Duke. The actress leaves behind an amazing legacy in Hollywood, with some of her performances in the 1970's hailed as the decade's best. Ashley joined the cast of SNL as a featured performer also in 2024 The actress (pictured in LA back in April 201*) leaves behind an amazing legacy in Hollywood, with some of her performances in the 1970's hailed as the decade's best Keaton in 1978 would claim the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her work in Annie Hall, her first of four lifetime nominations (pictured with Woody Allen in the 1977 flick) They included the titular role in the 1977 comedy Annie Hall, which was written and directed by Woody Allen, who she collaborated with on a number of memorable projects. Keaton in 1978 would claim the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her work in Annie Hall, her first of four lifetime nominations. She would also receive nods for her work in movies such as 1981's Reds, 1996's Marvins Room and 2003's Somethings Gotta Give. Other notable movies Keaton performed in throughout her decades-long career included 1987's Baby Boom; 1996's The First Wives Club; and the Father of the Bride films in 1991 and 1995. Two days after announcing a new addition to their family, Nara and Lucky Blue Smith have now revealed their daughter's unusual name. The parents of four have named their baby girl Fawnie Golden Smith. 'Fawnie Golden Smith,' a post shared by the couple featuring their newborn child read. 'our little golden girl born on my birthday welcomed to this world by Lucky. Her entry into this world was graceful, gentle and oh so magical. Soaking all the love and snuggles!' The couple announced the arrival of a daughter over the weekend but waited until Monday to share further details about their baby girl - including the child's birth date. While Nara and Lucky announced her arrival over the weekend, the post revealed their child was actually born on September 27 - her mother's birthday. Fawnie's unique name likely comes as no surprise to fans, with the couple also parents to children named Rumble Honey, 4, Whimsy Lou, 18 months, and son Slim Easy, 3. Nara and Lucky Blue Smith have now revealed their newborn child's unusual name - Fawnie Golden Smith One follower said they 'lowkey expected something crazier' on account of the names of Fawnie's siblings. 'I mean we did got rumble , so Fawnie is actually a good surprise,' they added. Nara first teased the name with followers with a video containing clues about the moniker. 'any name guesses? theres clues in this video,' she captioned the post. But the name still came as a surprise to some followers, with one saying in the name reveal post: 'They would have never guessed that name.' 'ok name is cute. i was so wrong x,' another posted. Another suspected the 'fawn' name: 'Awww I knew it had to do with the blanket/deer print! Congrats (eye heart emojis). she is adorable.' 'Golden Fawn Smith would have been (flame emoji). But I respect the choice,' one commenter posted. 'That's a lovely name,' another wrote. 'Love the name. Congrats to you Lucky and the fam. Shes precious. PS: you both always pick out the best names,' another wrote. Nara's pregnancy with Fawnie was announced back in June, with the couple unveiling her baby bump in a sweet video broadcasting 'our little surprise.' The post included a sweet snap of their newborn curled up by a plush blanket Fawnie's unique name likely comes as no surprise to fans, with the couple also parents to daughters Rumble Honey, 4, Whimsy Lou, 18 months, and son Slim Easy, 3 Nara first teased the name with followers with a video containing clues about the moniker A short caption over the clip read, 'Baby 4 Loading ' The announcement came nearly a year after the couple revealed they were done having children. During an interview with GQ at the time, Lucky told his wife amid the joint interview, 'Well, we have three. So, you're done.' Nara then replied to her husband - who is also father to daughter Gravity with ex Stormi Bree - with, 'Yep, I'm done.' However, Lucky also pointed out to the Nara, 'You did want six. When we first met, you wanted six.' In regards to welcoming children at a young age, Nara - who was 19 when the couple welcomed their first child Rumble - said, 'And it worked out great. I love being a young mom.' She continued to the outlet, 'I want to build my life with them rather than trying to integrate them into my life later.' Nara and Lucky Blue Smith welcomed their fourth child on September 27 The child was born on her mother's birthday The couple announced they were expecting their fourth child together back in June The announcement came nearly a year after the couple revealed they were done having children Nara is also known for her lifestyle and cooking content on social media - and boasts millions of followers. However, the star has previously gotten candid about the negative effects of being on social media - such as dealing with backlash. While talking to Who What Wear, Nara discussed how negative comments had affected her while pregnant with her third child. 'I just felt so heavy,' the media influencer admitted, before adding, 'Nothing felt good to me anymore.' Smith - who suffered hardships when it came to postpartum - further expressed, 'I didn't understand why all of these people were saying things that were untrue and actually running with that. Nara is also known for her lifestyle and cooking content on social media - and boasts millions of followers 'It became this insane thing...I was getting attacked for literally just posting cooking videos and not harming anyone.' Elsewhere during her conversation with the publication, the beauty explained that she did not identify with the term 'tradwife.' Nara stated, 'I'm a working mom. I take care of kids. I split the responsibility with Lucky. Our household is very 50/50. 'We try to figure out the kids while both of us work. It's very much this jigsaw puzzle that we're trying to work through every single day. Being labeled as [a tradwife], that just didn't fit.' And while talking to Harper's Bazaar last year, the influencer further pushed back on flak over the 'tradwife' lifestyle. She explained that when it comes to the term 'tradwife,' she has 'a really hard time' understanding what it actually means. Nara stated that what she posts on social media is 'really not that deep' and added that she is simply just 'a working mom.' Smith added, 'I never know what to say when people ask me [what I do], because technically, yes, I create content. But then I'm just living my life and sharing that with people, which a lot of people do.' Martin Sheen didn't hold back while slamming the Trump administration during a fiery interview with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Monday. While filming a live-taping of The Best People podcast, the three-time Emmy winner, 85, criticized the presidents inner circle for lacking integrity and failing to meet the public's 'great hunger' for truth. 'It's a mighty battle going on. It's not about winning or losing. It's about being in touch with your own personal humanity because there's such a lack of it coming from this administration,' Sheen said. The West Wing star, known for portraying a fictional U.S. president, went on to describe the atmosphere he believes surrounds Trump's cabinet. 'I'm convinced of this that when you look at this group of people at the round table in the White House, the cabinet room, every one of those people look across the table and they do not see anyone who is better than they are,' he said. He continued: 'They generally see a reflection of their [worst] selves. There's no heroes in there. There's no music. There's no laughter. There's no self-effacement. There's no joy in that room. It smells of ego and fear and false worship.' Martin Sheen didn't hold back while slamming the Trump administration during a fiery interview with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Monday Sheen also singled out Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reflecting on his family's history in American politics. 'His father sat in that room [with] the ExComm committee in October 1962 during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis,' he recalled. 'He literally, with his brother John, rejected an attack on Cuba and basically saved the world from nuclear annihilation.' 'He did it because he was in touch with his humanity and he understood the enemy was also human,' Sheen continued. 'If we don't find our own personal humanity, we cannot possibly find it or see it in each other.' The actor urged members of the Trump administration to reconnect with compassion and humility. 'If we're lucky enough to surrender and accept the responsibility that we start as nothing basically, except our humanity, then we realize, 'Oh my God, being human is all we need,' he explained. 'We're broken. It's beautiful brokenness, because if you weren't broken, nothing could get in to change you.' In a direct message to Trump, Sheen delivered a scathing personal plea. 'You've got to realize, sir, that you are the biggest nothing in the world,' he said. 'Stop listening to all these people around you, these sycophants who are encouraging you to be your non-human self. Get in touch with that humanity.' Sheen went on to advise Trump start speaking from his 'heart and start being human.' While filming a live-taping of The Best People podcast , the Emmy winner, 85, criticized the presidents inner circle for lacking integrity and failing to meet the public's 'great hunger' for truth The actor urged members of the Trump administration to reconnect with compassion and humility (Trump seen earlier this month) Sheen's remarked divided social media, with some calling him 'a national treasure' while others branded him 'cringe.' 'What is it with self important actors and their unsolicited advice?' on X user asked. Another wrote: 'We all need a little Martin Sheen in these times. Thank you for bringing this to us.' A second supporter praised the actor for being 'a voice in the darkness for democracy, human rights, & civil disobedience.' Sheen, a lifelong liberal, has a long history of supporting Democratic candidates, including Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey; pictured with Jill Biden last year Sheen, a lifelong liberal, has a long history of supporting Democratic candidates, including Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey. He has been arrested numerous times for participating in nonviolent protests. Over the years, he has campaigned for workers' rights, been involved with charities addressing homelessness and poverty and supported environmental causes. In a speech at Oxford University in 2009, Sheen claimed he's been arrested '66 times' for protesting and acts of civil disobedience. Golden Bachelor alum Gerry Turner has left Redditors with a thorn in their side after he made stinging comments about his ex-wife Theresa Nist in a new interview. The widower said 'I do' to Nist last year after getting engaged on his season of The Golden Bachelor, a spin-off of The Bachelor franchise that follows senior citizens searching for love. But the marriage lasted just three months before they announced their separation and ultimately parted ways for good. Turner, who is now engaged to retired teacher Lana Sutton, spoke with Us Weekly about his upcoming memoir The Golden Years - and says he now believes Nist wasn't on the show 'for the right reasons'. Turner rehashed other issues they had in their relationship, including her desire to continue working after the show despite telling him she would quit for 'the right guy'. He even had a word of warning for his ex, telling Us when asked if he was worried about Nist reading the memoir: 'Im not worried; I think she should be worried.' Golden Bachelor alum Gerry Turner spilled the tea on how the rose-tinted glasses of his relationship with ex Theresa Nist have been pulled off - and Reddit is none too pleased with his assessment of his former spouse The former couple's marriage was short-lived after they met on the reality show Redditors had a field day dissecting the interview, with one branding him a 'creep.' 'He's such a creep. We knew he picked Theresa for the money, so he has no room to speak. I don't think he realizes he'd be a lot more likeable if he kept his mouth shut,' one netizen posted. 'Oh please' another wrote. 'Ah yes the tale old as time: the woman is the villain because she wont give up her life to cater to the mans wants. Id argue you can still work AND travel your heart out! But it sounds like Gerry wants a tradwife and in that case Im glad Theresa got away!' While another had reservations about adding to the dogpile due to Turner's cancer diagnosis, they still were critical about his comments. 'Are you worried at all about her reading the book? Im not worried; I think she should be worried. 'Ummmmm I don't want to s**t talk an elderly person with cancer but that is such a low down classless thing to say. Literally anyone who watched the show could see how much Theresa was in love with him. God forbid a woman should want to keep a career that fulfills her and makes her happy... Stay classy Gerry.' One pointed out the paradox of Turner calling out Nist for not being on the show for the right reasons yet seeking the spotlight himself. 'rich to call Theresa notFTRR coming from a guy whos the one one ont he cover of Us and writing a memoir.' Turner admitted he felt 'empty' the day he proposed to Nist due to a very heavy conversation he had with Theresa Nist the night prior where they ended their romance Turner, a widower, was looking for another chance for love last year He admitted to Faith Martin - who came third in the show - that he was feeling 'trapped' prior to walking down the aisle In his Us interview, Turner said he initially believed she had pure intentions when she joined the show. 'During the show, I did not have a feeling that thats what was going on. In retrospect, when Id start hearing comments or putting pieces together, Id go, Oh, now that comment makes more sense.' His perception on that changed: 'Its one of those litmus tests for women on the show are they there for the right reasons? I gave Theresa full credit that she was and then, as time went by, I kind of had to change my mind on that.' Turner also claimed Nist had told him she was willing to quit her job for the 'right guy' - but continued working after their proposal. 'On the show, I asked Theresa if she was ready to quit her job. She said, When I meet the right guy, Im ready to end my career. What I heard was, There is a woman whos going to be willing to travel, to have some adventure to do, some things that I consider and that we should consider fun. 'And then after the show, she always went back to, Well, I really want to keep working. And that just pretty much makes it an impossible situation.' Turner confessed to not feeling 'overjoyed' the day of their wedding Turner was also asked why he believes his ex portrayed him as the villain in their split, saying she went ahead and made a statement after they announced their separation on Good Morning America, going against advice they were given over how to proceed. 'We were strongly advised not to make any independent statements [after GMA]. Literally 48 hours later, she was making a statement to social media. And I go, No, that was not what we agreed to do. That was not our plan."' Other brutal revelations Turner made in the book were that he felt 'empty' during his proposal to Nist and 'trapped' prior to their wedding. Turner said he struggled emotionally the day of their proposal as he had just broken up with his runner-up Leslie Fhima the night prior and was not in the best headspace. Gerry has since announced his engagement to Lana Sutton, a retired school teacher Turner told Us of the proposal: 'So 12 or 14 hours later, Im proposing to someone else and the joy wasnt there. I felt like I was going through the motions of what I had expected and what I needed to do, but not that I was gleefully doing and not that I, really, wanted to be in that moment at that time. 'If it had been even a 24 hour or 48 hour window where I could have processed what had happened, I think it would have made me feel a lot different.' Not only that, but he told Faith Martin - who came third in the show - that he felt 'trapped' prior to walking down the aisle. When asked by Us why he went ahead with the wedding, he replied: 'Commitment is a big thing, and I felt like I was doing the right thing. I just didnt feel overjoyed about it. So much of the book is about how I felt at certain moments, and thats only a momentary truth I had second thoughts, but I dont think [they] were exaggerated from anyones normal second thoughts.' Now knowing Turner's apprehension, Nist says she wishes her ex had broken things off earlier rather than say 'I do.' 'It makes me very sad to think that he felt empty and trapped. I wish he had said something and just ended it,' she told the publication in a statement. 'But at least now I understand why he was so hurtful to me so many times. And I will say this. Those in glass houses should not throw stones. I do wish him all the best.' Diane Keaton's longtime friend and frequent collaborator Nancy Meyers has paid sweet tribute to the star after her shock death at 79. The 75-year-old screenwriter, producer, and director was among the several celebrities to post about the legendary actress as she called her 'fearless.' Meyers took to Instagram on Monday to share a screen grab of Keaton in their 2003 flick Something's Gotta Give with a lengthy, sweet caption. She wrote: 'These past 48 hours have not been easy. Seeing all of your tributes to Diane has been a comfort. As a movie lover, Im with you all - we have lost a giant. A brilliant actress who time and again laid herself bare to tell our stories. 'As a woman, I lost a friend of almost 40 years - at times over those years, she felt like a sister because we shared so many truly memorable experiences. 'As a filmmaker, Ive lost a connection with an actress that one can only dream of. We all search for that someone who really gets us, right? Well, with Diane, I believe we mutually had that. I always felt she really got me so writing for her made me better because I felt so secure in her hands.' Diane Keaton's longtime friend and frequent collaborator Nancy Meyers (pictured in 2006) has paid sweet tribute to the star after her shock death at 79; the two are pictured together in Beverly Hills back in February 2020 Meyers took to Instagram on Monday to share a screen grab of Keaton in their 2003 flick Something's Gotta Give with a lengthy, sweet caption Meyers went on to describe Keaton personally and touched candidly on their relationship. She wrote: 'I knew how vulnerable she could be. And I knew how hilarious she could be, not only with dialogue (which she said word for word as written but managed to always make it sound improvised) but she could be funny sitting at a dinner table or just walking into a room. 'But the truth is - Diane didnt just "get me." Ive watched all of her groundbreaking spectacular work with Woody Allen a million times and I watch her performance in Warren Beattys REDS with awe. Diane did exactly the same for them because that is what she does.' Meyers and Keaton first worked together in 1987 for the film Baby Boom. The two continued their working relationship for 1991 remake Father Of The Bride and the subsequent sequel from 1995. They reunited once again alongside Jack Nicholson for Something's Gotta Give in 2003 which was a massive success as it earned $124.73million domestically and another $140.60million international for a total of nearly $265.33 million. The It's Complicated director talked about Keaton's undeniable talent as a thespian before praising her as both a talent and performer. Meyers wrote: 'She goes deep. And I know those who have worked with her know what I know she made everything better. Every set up, every day, in every movie, I watched her give it her all. When I needed her to cry in scene after scene in Somethings Gotta Give she went at it hard and then somehow made it funny. The 75-year-old screenwriter, producer, and director was among the several celebrities to post about the legendary actress as she called her 'fearless'; the two are seen together on the set of 2003's Something's Gotta Give She wrote: 'These past 48 hours have not been easy. Seeing all of your tributes to Diane has been a comfort. As a movie lover, Im with you all - we have lost a giant. A brilliant actress who time and again laid herself bare to tell our stories'; they are seen in February 2020 Meyers went on to describe Keaton personally and touched candidly on their relationship. She wrote: 'I knew how vulnerable she could be. And I knew how hilarious she could be, not only with dialogue'; the two are seen together in June 2007 Keanu Reeves, Frances McDormand, Keaton, and Meyers are seen left to right on the set of 2003 film Something's Gotta Give 'And I remember she would sometimes spin in a kind of goofy circle before a take to purposely get herself off balance or whatever she needed to shed so she could be in the moment." The screenwriter concluded on a beautiful note. Meyer's wrote: 'She was fearless, she was like nobody ever, she was born to be a movie star, her laugh could make your day and for me, knowing her and working with her - changed my life. Thank you Di. Ill miss you forever.' A family spokesperson confirmed to People on Saturday that the Academy Award-winning actress passed away in California. Her loved ones have requested privacy as they mourn her loss. Keaton never married but adopted two children, 29-year-old daughter Dexter and 25-year-old son Duke. The actress leaves behind an amazing legacy in Hollywood, with some of her performances in the 1970's hailed as the decade's best. Meyers and Keaton first worked together in 1987 for the film Baby Boom The two continued their working relationship for 1991 remake Father Of The Bride (pictured) and the subsequent sequel from 1995 They reunited once again alongside Jack Nicholson for Something's Gotta Give in 2003 which was a massive success as it earned $124.73million domestically and another $140.60million international for a total of nearly $265.33 million A family spokesperson confirmed to People on Saturday that the Academy Award-winning actress passed away in California; Keaton is pictured in LA back in April 2018 Keaton in 1978 would claim the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her work in Annie Hall, her first of four lifetime nominations (pictured with Woody Allen in the 1977 flick) They included the titular role in the 1977 comedy Annie Hall, which was written and directed by Woody Allen, who she collaborated with on a number of memorable projects. Keaton in 1978 would claim the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her work in Annie Hall, her first of four lifetime nominations. She would also receive nods for her work in movies such as 1981's Reds, 1996's Marvins Room and 2003's Somethings Gotta Give. Other notable movies Keaton performed in throughout her decades-long career included 1987's Baby Boom; 1996's The First Wives Club; and the Father of the Bride films in 1991 and 1995. The Today show has been rocked by rumours that former Sunrise host Samantha Armytage is in 'secret talks' to replace Karl Stefanovic's co-host Sarah Abo. But if the wave of online backlash is anything to go by, Nine may be wise to reconsider its options. Fans of the program have expressed their outrage at the idea of Abo, 39, being shunted for industry veteran Armytage, 49, in an attempt to win the ratings war against Sunrise. 'The one thing Today doesn't need is another presenter change, from the change at sport, to a new Weekend lineup next year. It's in for a lot of change. Changing out Sarah is not necessary. I don't believe it will help the ratings,' one user commented online. 'Karlos and Sarah are just fine at the moment. No need to change,' another agreed, as someone else added: 'You're joking right? There goes Channel 9.' 'Sarah over Sam any day of the week. Sarah has a great and genuine vibe,' yet another wrote. Furious Today show fans have slammed shock claims Samantha Armytage, 49, (pictured) will replace Sarah Abo Elsewhere, another viewer warned: 'Keep Sarah or goodbye morning television. The entire team complement each other and I love their banter.' Many users threatened to abandon the program altogether if Armytage takes the helm. 'If Sam is in, I am out,' one wrote, while another agreed: 'If they lose Sarah, they lose me!' 'If Samantha Armytage replaces Sarah, that's when I change to channel 7,' someone else threatened, as another added: 'I stopped watching Sunrise because of her and will happily switch back if she is on Today'. One punter pointed out why installing Armytage ahead of her hosting debut on The Golden Bachelor would be short-sighted. 'They would want to be careful about putting Sam in their show, as you never know. The Golden Bachelor might rate terribly, and it could be an embarrassment to put her on Today if the show isn't good,' they explained. Some users have even argued that Stefanovic, 51, should be the one given the boot. 'Once again, Nine have the wrong host in their sights. It's Karl who needs to be replaced, not Sarah,' one user declared. Many users threatened to abandon the program altogether if Armytage takes the helm. (Pictured is Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo) They continued: '20 years without a win against Sunrise and he's the only consistent. James Bracey and Sarah Abo should be the long-term future of the program.' 'Have Sarah and Sam give Karl the boot!' another chimed in. However, there were some viewers who welcomed the idea of Armytage gracing the hosting desk at Today, with one commenting: 'I for one would love to see Sam back on morning television. Her fun personality and versatile ability as a host makes her perfect for the format.' 'Paired with Karl, both hosts have chemistry and the ability to handle serious news,' they insisted. 'I will switch to Nine if Sam comes back,' someone else enthused. he speculation follows a report in The Australian, which claimed that 'prestige' presenter Armytage and Stefanovic are being touted as the 'dream team' that could see Today topple Sunrise's domination in the morning show ratings. The casting shakeup is a 'desperate bid to wrestle the TV breakfast crown from Seven's rival Sunrise,' the publication reported. Nine is said to be banking on the so-called 'Armytage effect', which saw Sunrise score a ratings victory when Armytage joined the program in 2013. Some users have even argued that Stefanovic should be the one given the boot Armytage left Sunrise in 2021 and has gone on to helm Farmer Wants A Wife and the upcoming Golden Bachelor. Nine CEO Matt Stanton did little to dispel the chatter regarding Abo's future at Today, giving The Australian a coy response when asked if Armytage was stepping into the role alongside Stefanovic. 'I don't know. I'm not into that level to be honest, I haven't seen that level of detail,' Stanton told the publication this week. Abo joined Today in 2023, replacing outgoing host Allison Langdon. Langdon had announced her departure in 2022. She then entered the hosting role at A Current Affair, replacing long-time presenter Tracy Grimshaw. Abos recent reported push for a pay rise is said to be part of the motivation behind the potential shake-up, The Australian claimed. Alec Baldwin and his brother Stephen were involved in a horror car crash in the Hamptons on Monday. The 67-year-old 30 Rock actor who attended the Chairman's Brunch at the 33rd Hamptons International Film Festival on Sunday evening with his 59-year-old brother looked disheveled as he surveyed the wreck of his Range Rover after he ploughed it into a tree. Baldwin and his brother, who is the father of Hailey Bieber, were seen chatting with police as they walked around the smashed vehicle. The stressed-looking Rust star whose wife Hilaria was recently cut from Dancing With The Stars was seen taking a tense phone call at the scene after the crash, which happened in treacherous rainy conditions on the side of the Montauk Highway, according to the New York Post. His younger brother was seen snapping photos of the crash scene. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Alec and Stephen Baldwin for comment but has yet to hear back. Alec Baldwin and his brother Stephen were involved in a horror car crash in the Hamptons on Monday The 67-year-old 30 Rock actor who attended the Chairman's Brunch at the 33rd Hamptons International Film Festival on Sunday evening with his 59-year-old brother looked disheveled as he surveyed the wreck of his Range Rover after he ploughed into a tree His wife Hilaria shared a humorous TikTok video of the two driving the SUV in July, and Baldwin confirmed in an Instagram video shared on Monday evening that the car belonged to her East Hampton Town Police Department Chief Michael D. Sarlo told the Daily Mail in a statement: 'At approximately 12:01pm on Monday, October 13th, the EHTPD responded to a motor vehicle accident on State Route 27, Pantigo Road near Cross Highway. 'A white 2023 Range Rover, operated by Alec Baldwin, with passenger Stephen Baldwin, was found to have struck a tree on the Eastbound shoulder of the roadway while avoiding the turning action of a 2020 Mack commercial truck, registered to National Waste Services out of Bay Shore, NY. 'There were no injuries reported or summons issued and the contributing factors to the accident were found to be a reaction to an uninvolved vehicle and the slippery and wet roadway conditions.' Alec's white Range Rover appears to have crashed head-on into a tree, which completely smashed up the front of the luxury SUV. His wife Hilaria shared a humorous TikTok video of the two driving the SUV in July, and Baldwin confirmed in an Instagram video shared on Monday evening that the car belonged to her. In Monday's video, Baldwin blamed a garbage truck as big as a 'whale' for the crash. He claimed another drive had cut him off, forcing him to swerve to avoid hitting the truck before he crashed head-first into a tree with his brother Stephen in the car with him. In a subsequent Instagram video, Hilaria thanked fans for their kind thoughts and clarified that both Alec and Stephen were unharmed. In Hilaria's TikTok clip from July, she lip synced to Christina Aguilera's What A Girl Wants while captioning it, 'anytime I have to parallel park.' Hilaria sat in the driver's seat posing seductively for the camera just as she was about to park, while Baldwin was next to her in the passenger seat with a grouchy expression plastered on his face. As Hilaria was about to parallel park, the video switched to an exterior shot showing her and Baldwin getting out to switch seats so that he could finish the parking job for her. Baldwin and his brother, who is the father of Hailey Bieber , were seen chatting with police as they walked around the smashed vehicle The stressed-looking Rust star was seen taking a tense phone call at the scene after the crash, which happened in treacherous rainy conditions on the side of the Montauk Highway, according to the New York Post His younger brother was seen snapping photos of the crash scene Alec's white Range Rover appears to have crashed head-on into a tree, which completely smashed up the front of the luxury SUV East Hampton Town Police Department Chief Michael D. Sarlo told the Daily Mail in a statement: 'At approximately 12:01pm on Monday, October 13th, the EHTPD responded to a motor vehicle accident on State Route 27, Pantigo Road near Cross Highway 'A white 2023 Range Rover, operated by Alec Baldwin, with passenger Stephen Baldwin, was found to have struck a tree on the Eastbound shoulder of the roadway while avoiding the turning action of a 2020 Mack commercial truck, registered to National Waste Services out of Bay Shore, NY,' he continued 'There were no injuries reported or summons issued and the contributing factors to the accident were found to be a reaction to an uninvolved vehicle and the slippery and wet roadway conditions,' Sarlo added In Monday's video, Baldwin blamed a garbage truck as big as a 'whale' for the crash Baldwin said he swerved to avoid the truck when another car allegedly cut him off In a subsequent Instagram video, Hilaria thanked fans for their kind thoughts She clarified that both Alec and Stephen were unharmed In Hilaria's July TikTok video, she joked that Alec has to take the wheel to parallel park whenever she's driving. She lip synced the clip to Christina Aguilera's What A Girl Wants Baldwin owns a 10-acre estate on Town Lane in Amagansett, nestled comfortably in the Long Island billionaire's enclave Back in the car, the yoga teacher made affectionate eyes at her husband, who now smiled slightly while bobbing his head to the music. Among the photos of the scene was an image of the garbage truck, but its owner told TMZ that the truck's driver was not at fault in Baldwin's crash. The Hunt For Red October star was an expected guest at the Hamptons International Film Festival, which runs from October 5 through 13, as he is the co-chair of its Executive Committee. 'He has been out there all week, he attended films and moderated panels,' a source shared with Page Six. Alec's brother Stephen also works as an actor, though he hasn't achieved the level of fame and acclaim that his older brother has. He's best known for appearing in 1995's classic thriller The Usual Suspects, but he also had major roles in 1996's Bio-Dome, opposite Pauly Shore, and in the 2000 sequel The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas. Stephen is the father of the model and cosmetics mogul Hailey Bieber, who married pop superstar Justin Bieber in 2018. He and Alec are part of an acting dynasty that also includes brothers Daniel and William Baldwin. Stephen is also an actor, best known for starring the The Usual Suspects. He's the father of the model Hailey Bieber, who married Justin Bieber in 2018 Stephen is the father of the model and cosmetics mogul Hailey Bieber, who married pop superstar Justin Bieber in 2018 Alec and Stephen are part of an acting dynasty that also includes brothers Daniel and William Baldwin Alec who celebrity nearly four decades of sobriety last year following years of drug and alcohol abuse owns a 10-acre estate on Town Lane in Amagansett, nestled comfortably in the Long Island billionaire's enclave. The property, located 100 miles from the actor's family penthouse in Greenwich Village, features a 10,000-square-foot modern farmhouse, a pool, spa, covered porches and a pavilion. In October 2021, while filming the Western movie Rust in New Mexico, Baldwin was holding a prop revolver that went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin, who strenuously denied pulling the trigger, faced a charge of involuntary manslaughter that was ultimately dismissed by the judge. However the armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of the same crime and sentenced to the maximum 18 months in prison beginning last March. Rust ultimately had its world premiere at a film festival in Poland last September before opening in the United States earlier this month to a polarized critical response. Meanwhile, this January, Baldwin filed a civil lawsuit, accusing several people in the Santa Fe, New Mexico District Attorney's office of malicious prosecution and civil rights violations after he was charged over the shooting. Baldwin claimed he had pulled back the hammer of the revolver, not the trigger, but the gun fired anyway. A police officer converses with a disheveled Baldwin while surveying the damage Among the photos of the scene was an image of the garbage truck, but its owner told TMZ that the truck's driver was not at fault in Baldwin's crash It's unclear if the garbage truck at the scene was the same 'whale'-sized truck that Baldwin said he swerved to avoid Stephen was dressed in a camouflage hunting jacket with short over long pants Baldwin wore a gray long-sleeve polo with matching trousers and black trainers. He appeared to still have the same outfit on when he recorded his Instagram update hours later Several other people were seen milling about the scene of the crash In October 2021, while filming the Western movie Rust in New Mexico, Baldwin was holding a prop revolver that went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins; pictured in October 20, 2021 Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the judge dismissed the charge after it was revealed that the prosecution had withheld potentially exculpatory evidence; pictured with Stephen in Santa Fe on July 10, 2024 Director Joel Souza was also injured in the incident. In the court filing, The Departed star and his legal team accused prosecutors of trying to 'scapegoat Baldwin for the acts and omissions of others, regardless of the evidence or the law,' according to the Associate Press. The case against Baldwin was dismissed in 2024 after it was discovered the prosecution had withheld evidence in the case, and did not share information about or access to live ammunition brought in by a retired police officer who said it could be related to the Hutchins killing. The ammunition was filed under a separate case number and Baldwin's legal team was not notified. After the dismissal of Baldwin's case, weapons supervisor Gutierrez-Reed moved to have her conviction dismissed or to receive a new trial. In July, Baldwin's malicious prosecution lawsuit was dismissed by a judge after both he and the defense failed to file any additional documents or make progress on the case for several months. But Baldwins attorney, Luke Nikas, told the Daily Mail that the judges decision to dismiss the case was a non-event. The court dismissed the matter without prejudice because we have been waiting to prosecute the case, said Nikas, who is a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. We have been in good-faith settlement discussions with the parties to the lawsuit, and will be refiling promptly if those discussions are not promptly and favorably resolved. A former Married At First Sight star received a stark warning from a judge on Monday when he pleaded guilty to cocaine and heroin possession. Craig Michael Keller, who was previously convicted for assaulting a woman, walked free from Brisbane Magistrates Court this week after entering two guilty pleas. He was convicted of failing to properly dispose of a hypodermic needle and two counts of possessing cocaine and heroin, after police discovered a stash in his Fortitude Valley trailer four months ago, reported news.com.au. Magistrate Belinda Merrin slapped the ex-reality TV star, 35, with a $450 fine and convictions recorded, before giving Keller a dire warning about his future. 'I accept with the diagnoses you have there are still ongoing challenges [with drugs],' Ms Merrin said. 'I do hope you find a way through those, Mr Keller, because, very soon, fines are no longer going to be appropriate.' Craig Michael Keller, 35, who was previously convicted for assaulting a woman, walked free from Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday after entering two guilty pleas related to drug possession JS Legal solicitor Sharan Kang, who represented Keller in court, said the troubled TV star suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, anxiety and substance abuse linked to the six years he served in the Royal Australian Navy. Keller was a stoker in the engineering team and aided in the security of the 'boarding party', where he witnessed 'gruesome activity'. 'It's in that position where he saw some gruesome activity while he was on deployment. He saw live killings in front of him,' Ms Kang said. Keller has been engaged with professional psychologists for eight years, with Ms Kang adding that he is receiving a military pension. The court heard police were called to a 'disturbance' in Fortitude Valley on June 15, where they stopped a trailer being pulled by a vehicle. Keller, who was in the vehicle, was said to have 'dilated pupils, rapid speech and sweating', behaviours which were 'consistent with the consumption of a dangerous drug'. A subsequent police search of the vehicle found clip seal bags of cocaine and heroin, as well as an uncapped syringe. Keller was on parole from a prior conviction when the current offences were committed, but authorities took no action. Keller came to public prominence in 2016 on season three of MAFS when he married Nicole Heir. They split soon after the show finished He received an 18-month jail term with immediate parole in October last year for an assault conviction. Brisbane District Court was told Keller engaged in a pattern of 'controlling and abusive behaviour' against a woman for a month in 2022. He was said to have slapped the woman, thrown a glass at her, kicked her in the stomach, and smashed her phone, with the victim telling the court she was haunted by the memories of Keller's assault. Keller came to public prominence in 2016 on season three of MAFS when he married Nicole Heir. The pair attempted to make their relationship work outside of the experiment, but split soon after leaving the show. For 70 years, Publix promised shoppers that visiting its stores would be a pleasure. Now, some say it feels more like a standoff, as the grocer begins allowing customers to openly bring guns down its aisles. The move makes Publix founded in 1930 and known for its iconic slogan introduced in 1954 one of the few major grocery chains in Florida to explicitly permit open carry. The company will allow customers to openly carry firearms inside its Florida stores, following a recent court ruling that overturned the state's decades-long ban on the practice. The policy took effect on September 25, the same day the new law went into force. 'Publix follows all federal, state and local laws,' the company said. 'Treating customers with dignity and respect is a founding belief at Publix. In any instance where a customer creates a threatening, erratic, or dangerous shopping experience whether they are openly carrying a firearm or not we will engage local law enforcement to protect our customers and associates.' The Florida-based grocer, which operates more than 900 stores in the state and 1,400 across eight southeastern states, did not say if the change its policies in other markets. Publix has begun allowing customers to openly carry firearms in its stores, following a recent court ruling that struck down the state's decades-long ban on open carry After Target banned open carry in stores in 2014, members of the group Open Carry Texas were photographed shopping at Target with their rifles in tow images that went viral and sparked debate over guns in family-oriented spaces Several states where Publix operates including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia already allow some form of open carry. Rival Winn-Dixie said it will not allow customers to bring visible firearms into its Florida stores. The policy has quickly split shoppers. Some say it makes them feel less safe and could spark fear or tension. 'I believe it can cause unnecessary stress and drama,' said Scott Gonzalez, a Publix customer in South Florida. 'It needs to stop being political and it needs to be more about the safety of our community.' Retired paramedic David Murphy said the sight of firearms in grocery stores 'just doesn't make sense.' His wife, Irene, added: 'I have grandchildren. I would be alarmed if they saw people with a gun in the grocery store.' Others see it differently. 'I feel like if you're going to carry a gun, I'd rather know that it's on your person than be caught off guard,' said Erica McKeon, another shopper. 'At least I can walk away from the person if I see a gun and I'm not comfortable.' The move makes Publix, whose slogan is 'where shopping is a pleasure,' one of the few major grocery chains in Florida to explicitly permit open carry The shift follows a Florida appeals court ruling earlier this month that found the states long-standing prohibition on open carry violated the Second Amendment. While guns remain banned in schools, police stations, and polling places, grocery stores face no such restriction Another customer, Stephen Hernandez, said: 'Maybe we should all get one, so it could be an even playing field.' The change follows a landmark decision earlier this month, when a Florida appeals court struck down the state's long-standing prohibition on open carry, ruling that it violated the Second Amendment. While state and federal laws still ban firearms in places like schools, police stations, and polling sites, grocery stores face no such restriction. Under the new law, private businesses can decide for themselves whether to allow or ban firearms on their premises. Publix's decision places it among a shrinking number of major retailers opting to allow open carry after years of growing corporate caution around guns in public spaces. The debate underscores the tension between Florida's expanding gun rights laws and the private sector's responsibility to manage customer safety a balance that, for Publix shoppers, now plays out in the produce aisle. Had the famous novelist, Charles Dickens, the author of A Tale of Two Cities, been alive today, and decided to write another historical fiction, the title of this saga would be A Tale of Three Ports. The ports in question are along the Arabian Sea coastline. They include Pasni and Gwadar in Pakistan, and Chabahar in Iran. They lie almost next to each other, as if in a straight line. Dickens would have honed in on the leaders and businesspersons in the host nations, apart from those in India, China, and the US, as his characters. The five nations are involved in ongoing business efforts, and engaged in geopolitical games to influence trade in the regional waters. They vigorously and aggressively forge and reforge alliances to achieve their aims. Recently, Pakistan announced its intention to develop Pasni, a small deepwater port in Balochistans Gwadar district, which currently caters to fishing and coastal trade, and has a maritime security agency base, into a strategic mineral export terminal with the help of US. To cut India to size, and bring it to its knees, America has expressed a desire to source strategic minerals from Pakistan, and invest the requisite funds. Recently, The Financial Times, which quoted unnamed sources, reported that Pasni was one of several ideas floated publicly and privately by Pakistani officials to maintain momentum with the (Donald) Trump administration. Another related idea was to build a new railway line to transport the minerals from the mines to the port. The minerals, anonymous Pakistan officials told the newspaper, would include copper and antimony, which is a vital ingredient to make batteries, fire-retardants, and missiles. The report added that as per the initial estimate, the Pasni port would cost more than $1 billion. Pakistan would part-fund the project with help from the US-backed development finance. Pasnis proximity to Iran and Central Asia enhances (the) US options for trade and security. Engagement at Pasni would counterbalance Gwadar (another Pakistan port) and expand (the) US influence in the Arabian Sea and Central Asia, the newspaper added. For America, it is a strategic decision, since Gwadar is under the Chinese thumb, and it desperately needs a maritime base in the region. Over the past few years, China has been engaged in the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $60 billion vision which, apart from several infrastructure and energy projects, will connect the Gwadar port to Chinas Xinjiang region via a network of roads and railways. Pakistan, which sees a chance to embrace the West, since Trump made overtures towards it, feels that the Pasni port can help to rebalance the relations with China. Like India, Pakistan wishes to have two superpower suitors: Russia and America for the former, and China and America for the latter. Barely 56 nautical miles to the West of Pasni, the deepwater port of Gwadar, which is located on Pakistans southwestern coast, is in Balochistan. It was developed as the maritime centrepiece of the CPEC. Conceived as a regional transshipment, energy, and logistics hub, the win-win objectives included Chinas access to the Arabian Sea, and Pakistans strategic economic gateway to the east, north, and west. The finances and implementation of the port stemmed from Beijings project funding, Chinese state-linked firms, and periodic initiatives from Islamabad. Pakistan retains regulatory control and responsibilities over the port as the host-state. However, over the years, simmering insurgency in Balochistan due to local grievances over jobs, land rights, and revenue sharing continued to affect the project. China has shown its frustrations over the connectivity delays. This gave some space for India to intervene in the region. New Delhi set its eyes on Chabahar, Irans only oceanic deepwater port, which includes two terminals. It is positioned to provide a direct maritime link from the Indian subcontinent to Central Asia, bypassing the land routes through Pakistan. A few years ago, an Indian private group was shortlisted to manage the Chabahar terminals, but it was not chosen. Last year, India signed a 10-year deal with Iran, which allowed a state-owned agency to manage one of the terminals, and invest $120 million in the port. Afghanistan, a landlocked nation, earlier used the Gwadar port as a transit point for trade and incoming aid. Following Kabuls souring relations with Islamabad, the former is looking at Chabahar. Hence, Kabul, which intends to use the Chabahar route, and seek better trade ties with India, sees New Delhi as a saviour. In the past, India sent relief materials and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via Chabahar. But there is a bigger twist. The US, which had earlier waived off sanctions against Iran, has renewed them. This puts Indias efforts in Iran under a cloud, and blinds Afghanistans gaze for relief. In fact, the US may put some of its eggs in Pakistans Pasni, and force the Chabahar supporters to back off from Iran. A recent US State Department press note, stated that consistent with President Trumps maximum pressure policy to isolate the Iranian regime, the Secretary of State has revoked the sanctions exception issued in 2018 under the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act (IFCA) for Afghanistan reconstruction assistance and economic development, effective September 29, 2025. Hence, those who operate the Chabahar Port, or engage in activities described in IFCA may expose themselves to sanctions. New Delhi now needs to balance its investment and regional objectives, and mend the broken ties with the US. Washington may urge it to withdraw from Chabahar. Teheran may cajole it to meet investment and other commitments. Internal critics may ask the Government to protect sunk costs, and pursue diplomatic goals. Kabul may wish India to show its humanitarian face. There are many forces at work, if one includes Pakistans desire to isolate Chabahar, and promote Pasni, and Chinas on-and-off strategy vis-a-vis Gwadar. Dickens three ports are on the edge. During his visit to India, Afghanistans foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, urged for better US-India talks to unlock the Chabahar route. Chabahar is a good trade route. Afghanistan and India should try to remove the obstacles following sanctions imposed by the US. We can sort it out through negotiations between Afghanistan-India, and the US, exhorted Muttaqi. While links with Kabul are crucial for New Delhi to access Central Asia, it may be more interested in the US, Iran, Pakistan, and China at this juncture. Minus Chabahar, India has little trade access to Afghanistan, except for via Pakistan. Afghanistan, which is roped into the story of the three ports, albeit as a minor player, has limited economic options. Only Russia has recognised the Taliban regime, and sanctions force neighbours like Iran and Pakistan to resort to barters, or settlements in non-Afghani currencies. Most nations do not wish to legitimise the Taliban. (The author has more than three decades of experience across print, TV, and digital media) Bangladeshs International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) chief prosecutor on Sunday demanded the immediate court appearance of 15 serving military officers while the Army said they took them in their custody to stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity committed during the regime of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The Constitution, the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, and the criminal procedure code are clear no one can be detained for more than 24 hours without being produced before a court, ICT-BD chief prosecutor Tajul Islam told reporters. He said if the 15 military officers were detained as announced by the army, they must be presented before the court within 24 hours in accordance with the law. His comments came a day after the army announced the military took the 15 officers in their custody to stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity committed in discharging duties during deposed prime minister Hasinas regime. Directives were issued asking 16 officers to report to the army headquarters. Fifteen of them responded, Bangladesh Armys Adjutant General Major General Mohammad Hakimuzzaman told a press conference at military headquarters on Saturday. The development came amid widespread speculation, particularly on social media, about whether serving military officers would be tried in a civilian tribunal instead of military courts under the Army Act for alleged crimes they committed while discharging their duties. This is an unprecedented development. In the past, no military officers were ever charged with crimes against humanity, so the question of their trial in a civil court simply did not arise, security analyst retired major general ANM Muniruzzaman earlier this week said. Hamiduzaman said the 16th officer, a major general who served as the former prime ministers military secretary, went into hiding but steps were taken to prevent his departure abroad. According to the briefing, among the 16 officers summoned were two major generals, six brigadier generals, and several colonels and lieutenant colonels. The chief prosecutor, however, said the Constitution, the ICT-BD law and the criminal procedure code are clear no one can be detained for more than 24 hours without being produced before a court (Tribunal). Tajul Islam told the press briefing that the ICT-BD was the appropriate place for the trial of the military officers as well. The ICT-BD on Wednesday issued arrest warrants against 30 individuals, including Hasina, accepting prosecution charges in two cases involving alleged enforced disappearances or abduction and torture of political dissidents during the Awami League regime. The army said they detained the serving officers but were yet to receive the ICT-BD warrant. Hasina, who is currently in India, has been named the key suspect in both cases. Of the 30 accused, 25 are serving or retired military officers, including five former directors general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). Several of these officers also served in the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) comprising personnel from the armed forces and police. Prosecutors said 17 of the accused were allegedly involved in torture at RABs Taskforce Interrogation Cell, while 13 others are accused of abuses at the Joint Interrogation Cell. The ICT-BD has begun hearing the final arguments in the crimes against humanity case against Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun over alleged atrocities during July 2024 when the protests were going on against the Awami League regime. The ICT-BD was established in 2010 during Hasinas Government to try hardened collaborators of Pakistani forces in the 1971 Liberation War. Tajul Islam at that time appeared as a key lawyer to defend the accused. The tribunals operations were later suspended under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which amended the ICT-BD law to allow trials of leaders from the past regime. Around 540 Indian nationals serving time in various prisons across Nepal have been absconding ever since the Gen Z protests, the Department of Prison Management said on Sunday. More than 13,000 prisoners escaped from various jails of Nepal during the second day of anti-Government Gen Z protests on September 9. At least 5,000 Nepali citizens, convicted in various crimes, are still absconding, followed by 540 Indian nationals and 108 prisoners of other nations, the data revealed. The Government has issued alerts across the country to look out for those who have escaped from jail in different parts of the country. The Home Ministry has also issued a notice to those absconding prisoners to report to their respective jails. Mosquitoes which were responsible for plaguing locals in Ballykelly last year are said to have returned to the area. The insects, nicknamed the Ballykelly bugs, dominated the headlines last October after hundreds of residents came forward to report bites on their arms and legs which they said caused intense itching and pain. A council investigation concluded that the bites may have been caused by mosquitoes, which they said are a type common to the UK that are not known to transmit disease. Now, a year later, residents have again claimed that the bugs are back causing havoc. In an anonymous post on the community Facebook page Ballykelly, one resident stated: The Ballykelly bugs are out in full course. It's absolutely ridiculous, there has to be something someone can do. The person claimed that they were going to refer the matter to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Councils environmental health team before someone ends up seriously unwell from these bites. The post has raised concern from other residents who have also reported bites in recent days. My daughter had three bites just in the last hour that have come out, they dont always present at the time though. Its while our wains cant go out and play in peace and especially at this time of year when it gets dark so early its so important to let them out, the local mum said. Another woman claimed she ended up seeking medical attention for her bites. I moved here last year and got bitten constantly, I ended up in A&E twice and constantly with my doctor for antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antihistamines and creams for the bites, I contacted environmental health and they said they couldn't use insecticides because they would affect the eco-system, she said. Others however believe that people living in the area need to accept that the bugs are here to stay. You live beside a forest and farmland, get used to it or move is the realistic options. Its always going to be the same so save your post for next year as it's going to happen again and again, the man stated. Unfortunately nothing can be done. Bugs have a right to live outside, added another person. Sinn Fein Councillor Dermot Nicholl also contributed to the online conversation saying: I've spoken with environmental health in council and they are telling me this happened around this time last year. What seems to be happening is with the mild weather mosquitoes are coming out of hibernation and as a result are looking for food hence why they are biting people and animals. I've been told the bites shouldn't be dangerous but people should as a precaution apply repellent cream or spray. Hopefully this will only last until the weather gets a bit colder and the mosquitoes go back into hibernation, he added. A Catholic Chaplaincy has opened at Ulster Universitys Magee Campus in Derry, the first in the institutions 160 year history. The Chaplaincy formally launched on Tuesday, October 7. Current Chaplain, Fr Patrick Lagan, said he had been very pleased with the turnout and engagement of the Magee students. Speaking to The Derry News, Fr Lagan said the in situ Chaplaincy had emerged from a conversation between Fr Micheal McGavigan (PP, St Patricks Church, Pennyburn) and Fr Paul Farren (Administrator, St Eugenes Cathedral) last year about how best the Church could support Magee. Although we had a Chaplaincy presence on campus previously, it was limited to significant occasions such as Ash Wednesday and the Christmas Carol Service. But Fr McGavigan and Fr Farren came together and the strategy was to help me in my role by putting in place a programme where I would have the support of a pastoral development worker, somebody with extensive chaplaincy experience, somebody who would establish various complementary initiatives. Miceal-Piaras O Ceallaig has recently been appointed to that role, said Fr Lagan. Asked, Why now? Fr Lagan answered, Why not now? We would say it is always the right time to do things for evangelisation. We are about making disciples, proclaiming the Gospel, he added. There is always the perfect chance to go and do what is right. We believe university campuses have now become places where there is a huge opportunity for evangelisation. People are very open to the word of God. Previously we didnt have the resources we now have. We have an excellent pastoral development worker and there are huge possibilities for what we can do. The university campus scene is prime for evangelisation. The need is intense, the enthusiasm is equally intense, and the determination to get this right is powerful. We will do great things on campus, largely because I believe we have got the place in Derry city. There is a huge kindness and goodwill among the people here to help students find their way and to respond to the call we all have as baptised members of the Church to proclaim the Gospel, irrespective of whether or not we heed that call. By spending time with students, listening to them, accompanying them, we knew there was a need and a demand for the Chaplaincy on campus, he added. We also listened to staff and stakeholders in the university, to parents, families, laity, and parishioners, who were all talking about the need and the hunger which students have to explore life and understand the ways of the world through the context of the Gospel. We were present at the Magee Freshers Fayre in September and there was a huge amount of interest. I think students are curious about their faith and have the appetite to pursue this. Young people today struggle with the same searching, pondering questions we have had for generations, Who am I? Where am I going? What am I about? Where am I going when I die? Fundamental, philosophical questions. We have an answer for those questions, said Fr Lagan. Looking to this academic year, Miceal-Piaras O Ceallaig, said the Chaplaincy was looking at holding a monthly social/fellowship event. It might even become weekly if there is a demand, he said. We are looking at holding an Adoration night once a month too. Our plans also include a possible pilgrimage to the grave of Sr Clare Crockett in the coming months. That is a pilgrimage people make non-stop and there is definitely an interest from students. Sr Clare is an inspiration to the young people in Derry city and beyond and on the Magee campus. Her prayer card was very, very well received during the Freshers Fayre. Students definitely identify strongly with her. That is how the faith in Derry is transferred to the next generation, through this Derry woman and her witness, till death, for the faith, added Mr O Ceallaig. Currently, the Chaplaincy has Mass at 7.00pm every Sunday in St Eugenes Cathedral. That is the Mass for the students. We are hoping to get a fraternity, a community gathering afterwards. We are also hoping to have our own Mass in the city on Sunday evening, in St Patricks Church, Pennyburn, because it has the Emmaus room beside the church. This might be in place after Christmas. We need to see how many students would welcome this, while they are building up friendships, community, and fellowship on campus, with like-minded people, by coming together, sharing their life story and sharing their faith together. We are also examining the possibility of guest speakers, lecturers who can articulate the Catholic perspective, because whatever the big issues of the day, people turn to the Catholic Church to see what it is saying. Regardless of their creed, they turn to the Church as an authority on the topic, AI for example. Describing the opening of the first on campus Catholic Chaplaincy at Magee as hugely significant, Fr Lagan said: This is the first time we have had staff. It is the first time we have really mobilised university authorities. We have met Bishop McKeown and the Provost of UU, Magee, Professor Malachy O'Neill and his team. This is the first time we have got the machine moving. We now have boots on the ground and we are very hopeful. NI Ambulance Service (NIAS) data has confirmed there have been 35 adverse incidents involving the transfer of patients to Altnagelvin Hospital from Enniskillens South West Acute Hospital (SWAH). The adverse incidents occurred between July 1, 2022 and September 18, 2025 and were reported by NIAS as inter-trust incidents for investigation by the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT). An adverse incident is an event that results in harm to a patient or service user, even if that harm is not the result of an error. The figure was revealed as a result of an freedom of information (FOI) request submitted to NIAS by the Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) group, which is campaigning to restore emergency surgery at SWAH. The decision to temporarily suspend emergency surgery at SWAH was taken in December 2022 by WHSCT. At that time the Trust said the move was necessary as it faced challenges recruiting general surgeons to cover the emergency general surgical rota. However, the suspension remains in place, with emergency general surgery continuing from the Altnagelvin Hospital site. The FOI described the 35 adverse incidents at Altnagelvin as: Transfers / Transitions - this includes incidents regarding adherence with agreed protocols for the transfer of patients from the Southwest Acute Hospital ED [Emergency Department] to Altnagelvin Hospital. In total 236 adverse incidents have been raised by NIAS staff in the time period covered, all of which have been sent to WHSCT for investigation as an inter-trust incident. 157, the majority, of the adverse incidents were attributable to delays in the handover of patients from ambulances to WHSCT emergency departments. One of the factors causing delay in the handover of patients is the double ED admission policy. This applies to patients who are admitted to SWAH ED for diagnosis and subsequently have to be transferred to Altnagelvin, in private ambulances or in family cars because the is no NIAS ambulance available to transfer them. These patients have to be begin the whole process again when they reach Altnagelvin. However, NIAS personnel are no longer operating the double ED admission policy, as of July 2025. Patients for ED to ED transfer in an NIAS ambulance do not have to be booked on again at reception at Altnagelvin. Instead, NIAS personnel make the triage nurse or ambulance offload area nurse aware of the patients arrival at Altnagelvin ED, and the arrival will be adjusted on the EPIC / Encompass system at this location. Speaking to The Derry News, SOAS spokesperson Donal O'Cofaigh said the NIAS statistics for adverse incidents were only those reported and are likely a significant underestimate of the real total. The consultation documentation issued by the WHSCT in July 2025 claimed there is no evidence of any individual patient harm for a single patient or any evidence that in the absence of emergency general surgery on site has affected any patient outcomes, said O'Cofaigh. He added: Thses figures released by the ambulance service flatly contradict the claims of Western Trust management that there is no evidence of patient harm. [In addition] they are likely a significant underestimate. How many more were discarded, or were not reported and how many more incidents occurred on private ambulances or while patients had to be driven up by relatives and on occasion have been told to drive themselves up [to Altnagelvin]. And, that is not to consider the double ED wait or the wait for a bed when patients get to Altnagelvin. The absence of emergency surgery from SWAH compromises patient safety. Our community faces continued second class access to life-saving treatment in an emergency or trauma situation. The only acceptable option is for the Health Minister to intervene again and direct the Western Trust to include the goal of full-service restoration in its vision plan for SWAH. In August, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Ruairi McHugh, met the chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Cllr Barry McElduff, alongside representatives from SOAS and the chief executives of both councils. The discussion centred on the impact the suspension of emergency general surgery in SWAH would place on Altnagelvin. SOAS is also scheduled to make a presentation on the issue to the Health and Community committee of Derry City and Strabane District Council on Thursday, October 16, at 4.00pm. Derry City and Strabane District Council is once again putting young people at the heart of local decision-making as it celebrates Local Democracy Week 2025. Kicking off today, Monday 13th October, the Mayor hosted a special event with over 200 primary school students from 13 schools across the city and district. Councils Local Democracy Week programme continues to inspire and empower the next generation by shining a light on how local government works and how young citizens can play an active role in shaping the future of their communities. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Ruairi McHugh, said he was delighted to be a part of such an important initiative and looked forward to meeting young people of all ages this week. Local Democracy Week is one of the most rewarding times in our civic calendar. It gives young people the opportunity to see that their voices truly matter, that their opinions count and that they have real power to shape the future of the place they call home. We want to inspire a generation who are confident, informed, and actively engaged in local democracy. Its particularly special this year as we just received international recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly Community last week. We always value hearing directly from our young people, taking their feedback on board and using their insights to strengthen how we work, ensuring that our city and district remain inclusive, positive, and responsive places for everyone in Derry and Strabane. Local Democracy Week began today with Meet the City and Districts Number One Citizen, where primary school pupils visited the Guildhall to meet the Mayor and learn about his role. Schools which attended the event included: St Patricks Primary School, Model Primary School, Holy Child Primary School, St Catherines Primary School, Long Tower Primary School, St Marys Primary School, Oakgrove Primar School, Strabane Controlled Primary School, Lisnagelvin Primary School, Holy Family Primary School, St Oliver Plunkett Primary School, Ebrington Primary School and St Johns Primary School. Later this evening, the North West Ministry of Youth, supported by the EA Youth Service, will host Have Your Say, an inclusive discussion giving young people aged 1217 the chance to share their views with the Mayor and Councillors on issues such as mental health, education, and equality. Two further events will take place on Wednesday 15th October with Meet Your Local Elected Representatives, a lively event held simultaneously in Derry and Strabane Council Chambers, where young people aged 1118 can engage directly with local politicians, ask questions on matters that impact their lives. Local Democracy Week is a Europe-wide initiative of the Council of Europe, promoting citizen participation at the local level. For more information on your local council, please visit www.derrystrabane.com. Unionist MLAs have accused rivals of trying to use recent acts of intimidation against Stormont politicians to silence scrutiny in the Assembly. The claims were made during an at-times-heated debate on events of last week, in which an explosive device was left outside the Newry constituency office of Sinn Fein Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins and party colleague, MP Daire Hughes, and when a crowd of protesters, some them masked, gathered outside the home of Alliance Justice Minister Naomi Long and her Belfast City councillor husband Michael. Ahead of the debate, Speaker Edwin Poots had urged MLAs on all sides of the chamber to stand as one to condemn the incidences of intimidation against politicians. While there was universal condemnation during the subsequent exchanges, members clashed over claims that rhetoric within the Assembly may be fuelling hostility towards politicians. Alliance deputy leader Eoin Tennyson opened the debate with a call for MLAs to reflect on the tone and tenor of their public commentary. The words uttered in this building are not without consequence, he said. And I think all of us must now reflect on the tone and tenor of our contributions to public discourse. Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis accused unionist politicians of dangerous language. There has been language and rhetoric emanating from this chamber in recent weeks that hasnt helped matters, she said. Week in, week out, weve seen a bingo card of dangerous rhetoric from the unionist benches. Its not enough to stand here and condemn these recent actions, condemnations with a but are not condemnations. I ask what is the message that some members across this chamber are sending out week in, week out? It is a message of fear and its a message message of suspicion. People in this chamber have a responsibility to speak factually about the important issues facing our communities, not send out lazy dog whistles, which is what we have seen rising over recent weeks and months. DUP MLA Paul Frew said: Parties should be very careful that they do not exploit this and these atrocious actions for some political point-scoring. And even today, when we have the opportunity to unite, weve had attack that is horrific. Mr Frew said the Assembly must continue to be a forum for robust debate. There should be no political party seeking to score political points in order to diminish our role as scrutinisers of this place and of the departments and of the individual ministers. And that is what concerns me here today, he said. Ulster Unionist MLA Jon Burrows also voiced concern. Im afraid to say democracy is under two attacks today, the attack from those who are mobs outside, and the attacks from those who are in here, who want to silence accountability and scrutiny and who want to link the actions of a mob with the legitimate voice of people in this chamber, he said. It is, in my view, shameful. The answer whenever democracy is attacked is more democracy, more scrutiny, more accountability. Mr Burrows also criticised a post on X by Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw, in which she accused him of a feigned attempt to show concern for Mr and Mrs Long. It went against every fibre in my body to be accused of somehow feigning, he said. At the close of the debate, Mr Poots urged all MLAs to reflect on the issues discussed. We need to ensure that these things dont happen on our constituency offices and our homes are safe places, he said. We also need to ensure that we are able to engage in a full way in this chamber, so that people outside dont feel the need to vent in some way. And I dont believe there is any justification for people to engage in what theyve done last week, because we have a place like this, and our local council chambers, and Westminster and so forth, where people are able to go and express issues on behalf of the public that elected them, and thats where those things should happen. The Justice minister has branded those damaging street signs in Northern Ireland as petty and childish. Naomi Long was speaking in the Assembly following a weekend incident in east Belfast where a dual language sign was vandalised at the weekend. An angle grinder was used to cut out the Irish language part of the sign at Shandon Park. Police are investigating the incident as hate-motivated criminal damage. Ms Longs comments during question time came ahead of a DUP motion in the chamber calling for the replacement of Belfast City Councils Irish language street sign. The policy allows for the erection of bilingual signs if 15% of a streets residents express support for the move. The DUP motion branded the policy undemocratic and oppressive. During question time on Monday, DUP MLA for East Belfast David Brooks referred to the Shandon Park incident and asked the minister whether assurances could be provided that police investigations would also be launched into damage to other signs across Northern Ireland. I think the damaging of street signs in general is one of the most petty and childish acts that a person can undertake, replied Ms Long. If you cant drive past a sign that you dont like without feeling the need to take an angle grinder to it or a bucket of paint to it, I think you need to have a long, hard look at yourself. But I wont be providing any assurance in this chamber as to how the PSNI will prioritise investigations, because, as you will be well aware, it is a matter for the Chief Constable (Jon Boutcher) to direct the resources of the PSNI, not for me as minister. MLAs clashed on Monday over a DUP motion calling for the replacement of Belfast City Councils dual-language street sign policy. The party said the policy, which allows for the erection of bilingual signs if 15% of a streets residents express support for the move, led to the view of the minority trumping the view of the majority. The DUP added that it was the imposition of minority rule on residents from all backgrounds and traditions. The motion was not carried 41 of the 69 MLAs voted against it. The partys spokesperson for local government, Brian Kingston, said it has damaged community relations, particularly in streets which are quietly mixed, where residents from different community backgrounds otherwise live side by side, peacefully and with a large degree of tolerance. He said some of his constituents claimed Irish signs had caused them to seriously consider moving. He added: Many have said it will reduce the value of their property by reducing potential interest from the Unionist community. Sinn Feins Pat Sheehan said the Irish language is not a threat to anyone and claimed the motion was an attempt to drag us backwards. Addressing the chamber in Irish, he referenced research carried out by the Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge, which found only 2.9% of all residents questioned across 536 approved streets, opposed dual-language signage. He said vexatious judicial reviews were being used to frustrate the will of the people of Belfast and that of the democratically elected councillors. He added: We often hear the DUP talking about waste of public money in relation to the Irish language. How much money have they squandered supporting legal challenges, money that could have been spent on improving services, supporting our communities? Nuala McAllister of the Alliance party said the conversation about dual language signage has become widely distorted and at times misinformed. She pointed to a long history of support for the Irish language from Protestant communities, saying: This is a part of our history. It belongs to all of us, not to one party and not to one side of the community. The Belfast North MLA said her party would not support any street sign where the majority of those respondents do not agree, and accused Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the Green Party of reneging on that deal. However, she did acknowledge the 15% threshold in the policy is based on international best practice. The UUPs Andy Allen, whose constituency includes Shandon Park, where a dual-language sign was was vandalised at the weekend, said people on the street did not support its imposition and claimed the decision had been railroaded through. He added: Wed be much better served in investing in promoting the language. The SDLPs Matthew OToole described the motion as irresponsible, saying it was not about getting to a place of greater understanding and rather about forcing confrontation. 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. Chinese FM invites Swiss to visit China to expand cooperation Xinhua) 09:48, October 13, 2025 BELLINZONA, Switzerland, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes more Swiss friends to become "new-era Walter Bosshards," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a reception hosted by Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Bellinzona, where he held exchanges with local officials. Wang recalled that in the 1930s, Swiss journalist Walter Bosshard undertook an arduous journey to China, becoming the first European journalist to visit Yan'an, the CPC's wartime headquarters and key revolutionary base in Shaanxi, and interview Chairman Mao Zedong. At a time when there were many false reports about the CPC in the international community, Bosshard, drawing on his first-hand experience in Yan'an, wrote that China's hope lay in Yan'an, as the CPC represented a union of discipline and ideals, Wang said. Wang said China is a country with a long history and one that is constantly developing and transforming. If any country in the world has undergone the greatest transformation and achieved the fastest growth, it would be China, he said. He noted that China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty, fostered a middle-income group of nearly 500 million, and that its 1.4 billion people are advancing together toward modernization -- a process that contains enormous opportunities for cooperation. China welcomes more Swiss friends to be "new-era Walter Bosshards" -- people who visit the country to embrace cooperation, the future, and opportunity, Wang said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Weekly news roundup: China pushes DUV breakthroughs, Intel and AMD weigh partnership, Arm CEO reflects on Nvidia's strategic pivot Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from October 6 to 12, 2025. China accelerates DUV lithography breakthroughs with patents and testing China is accelerating the development of domestic deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography to counter US export controls. Yuliangsheng's 28nm immersion DUV machine is undergoing tests at SMIC, while SMEE has patented a beam adjustment device that enhances mirror rotation precision, improving chip pattern accuracy and yield. The patent marks progress toward refining China's DUV optics and alignment systems, potentially narrowing the gap with ASML's technology. Potential Intel-AMD partnership reshapes semiconductor landscape Intel and AMD are in discussions over a potential foundry partnership that could reshape the global semiconductor industry and advance US efforts to strengthen domestic chip production. The move would mark a significant step for Intel's foundry business if it secures orders from longtime rival AMD, signaling confidence in Intel's manufacturing capabilities and aligning with Washington's push to reduce reliance on overseas suppliers. Arm CEO Rene Haas recalls Nvidia's bold exit from Intel chip support during his time working with Jensen Huang Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang continues to capture attention in the generative AI era, with industry leaders crediting his bold decisions for transforming the company's direction. At the All-In Summit 2025, Arm CEO Rene Haas recalled how Huang once shut down a major Nvidia project and reassigned 2,000 engineers from developing Intel companion chips to focus on graphics and Arm-based architecture, a move Haas said defined Nvidia's rise. From rival to partner: how AMD found its answer to the Nvidia-Intel pact AMD has signed a multi-year AI chip supply agreement with OpenAI that could generate up to US$100 billion in revenue by 2030 and give OpenAI the option to acquire about a 10% stake in AMD through performance-based stock warrants. Under the deal, OpenAI will deploy up to 6GW of AMD Instinct GPUs for its next-generation AI infrastructure, starting with a 1GW rollout powered by the upcoming MI450 chips in 2026. The partnership strengthens AMD's position in the AI ecosystem and counters Nvidia's recent alliance with Intel aimed at reinforcing its dominance in data center markets. Nvidia rival reportedly plans US$1.3B investment and new research hub in India Graphcore, the British AI chipmaker owned by SoftBank Group, is planning a GBP1 billion (approx. US$1.3 billion) investment in India that includes establishing a new research hub in Bengaluru, according to Bloomberg. The announcement is expected to align with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to India this week and represents Graphcore's largest expansion since its 2024 acquisition by SoftBank. The company plans to hire up to 500 employees over the next five years to strengthen its AI hardware research and development. Semicon West relocation doubles attendance as US chip investment surges SEMICON West 2025 was held in Phoenix for the first time, marking a major shift as the city emerges as the new center of US chip manufacturing. The event saw a 45% rise in exhibitors and double the first-day attendance compared with 2024, reflecting strong global interest in Arizona's growing semiconductor ecosystem led by TSMC's US$165 billion investment. SEMI projected global 12-inch wafer fab equipment spending to reach US$374 billion between 2026 and 2028, driven by AI demand and efforts toward regionalized chip production. Nvidia's stake in Intel raises PC supply chain concerns Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen said the real issue behind Nvidia's investment in Intel is not its impact on TSMC but the new complexity it brings to the PC ecosystem. With the possibility of more than two x86 CPU suppliers and multiple generations of processors in play, Chen warned that procurement and inventory management for PC brands will become increasingly challenging. He plans to visit Intel and possibly Nvidia later this year to assess the situation, noting that Nvidia's rise as the world's largest processor company marks a major shift from the previous open ecosystem. Article edited by Jack Wu Malaysia has reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with both China and the US to develop rare earth processing technologies, according to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry... The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) Bin It! Roadshow is set to return to Leeside, visiting six schools across Cork this month. The roadshow, which commenced this week, will see representatives visit 70 Schools across 24 counties, including Cork, over the course of the next seven weeks. This years campaign has been described by organisers as the biggest to date, with visits set on October 22, 23, and 24 across Kinsale Community School, Colaiste Pobail Bheanntrai, Nagle Community College, Edmund Rice College, Scoil Mhuire College Cork, and Colaiste Eamann Ris. The roadshow is an actor-led performance that brings the anti-litter message to life through humour, storytelling, and interactive learning. As part of the GLTs national education campaign, the school roadshow is designed to help young people understand the simple difference they can make by disposing of gum and other litter responsibly. The latest National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS) 2024 report shows that chewing gum now makes up just 7.3% of all litter nationally, down from 8.6% in 2023 marking the lowest level in more than 10 years. The same report found that passing pedestrians remain the main cause of litter, accounting for almost 40% of cases. While overall gum litter continues to decline, litter linked to schools and schoolchildren still accounts for approximately 4% of all cases nationwide, underlining the importance of early education and awareness programmes. Avril Donlon, chair of the GLT, said the organisation is so pleased to be launching the 2025 Bin It! Roadshow. Each year, the enthusiasm we see from students is amazing, and its clear that these performances really do make a difference to students attitudes towards litter, Ms Donlon said. Seeing the rate of gum litter fall again this year shows the impact of the GLT campaign, and the importance of that education and awareness piece. As we kick off another year of the roadshow, were excited to keep building on that success. A Cork TD has called for better protocols around spiking, saying that victims are being doubted by hospitals. Fianna Fail TD for Cork South Central Seamus McGrath said there are instances where drugs are put into a persons drink without their consent or knowledge, which can lead to serious offences such as sexual assault or violence. He explained that a friend of his shared an incident involving her daughter: I obviously will not refer to names or anything but this happened in Cork in recent weeks. This womans teenage daughter was out enjoying herself socially and suddenly became extremely intoxicated, not because of the drink she consumed she was only drinking moderately that evening but because, in her strong view, her drink must have been spiked. She attended Cork University Hospital and it is from there that the story really begins to explain why there is a need for a far better protocol to be put in place for incidents like this. One of her parents had to come to the hospital to explain the situation. Effectively, her explanation of what had happened to her was being doubted. Because it was Leaving Certificate night, there was an assumption that she had drunk too much. Her story was not fully listened to and she was not attended to in the way she should have been. "There was no mention of calling An Garda Siochana. There was no reference to a urine or blood test. Effectively, there was no protocol in place. He said that Corks Mary Crilly, who supports victims of sexual violence, has highlighted this as a common and serious issue, and has called for significantly better systems, protocols and laws to be put in place. Mr McGrath called for hospital testing and Garda investigations to be undertaken, saying: We must support victims, believe their stories and ensure they are given the benefit of the doubt. Gardai ordered a man to drop a broken bottle during an incident in Cork city centre; he did, and said: I would not stab a female, a court has heard. The allegation was made at Cork District Court in the case against 43-year-old Patrick OFlynn, who lives in a flat at 68 Summerhill North, Cork. Judge Mary Dorgan requested to hear an outline of the allegations so that she could decide if she would accept jurisdiction to hear the case at Cork District Court. Having heard the outline, she did accept jurisdiction. Mr OFlynn is charged with being drunk and a danger, engaging in threatening behaviour, and possession of a bottle under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. Sergeant John Dineen said Garda Anita ORourke responded to a report of an incident at South Tce, Cork, at 7pm on August 21. Sgt Dineen said: Gardai responded to a report of a man in possession of a broken bottle on South Terrace. On arrival, there were members of the public present and the defendant was on the footpath, holding a broken bottle, which was sharply pointed, in his right hand. He was approached by Garda ORourke, who shouted at him to drop the bottle, which he did immediately, and it shattered on the footpath. Garda ORourke formed the opinion that he was intoxicated and a danger. When charged and cautioned, he replied: I would not stab a female. Prosecution statements are to be sent to solicitor Eddie Burke, and the case was adjourned until November 6. The Lough was lit up on Friday evening as volunteers from Cork charity Shine A Light: Suicide and Mental Health Awareness remembered lost loved ones. As twilight fell, volunteers lit candles, lanterns, and torches against the gathering dark for a moment of remembrance. Shine A Light volunteer and board member Mick Nugent told The Echo the evenings event was intended as a moment of reflection and a chance to raise awareness of mental-health services. It was a lovely evening, with music, poetry, and a few words, as we lit up candles and lanterns in remembrance of loved ones lost to suicide, and to show solidarity and friendship with all who might be struggling, Mr Nugent said. We had The High Hopes Choir singing, and we were joined by Lottie ODriscoll Murray from Shanakiel, who is representing Ireland at the Junior Eurovision at the moment. We were delighted, as well, to be joined by the [Lord Mayor of Cork] councillor Fergal Dennehy, for what was a very special gathering. Shine A Light Suicide and Mental Health Awareness was founded on the northside in 2009, at a time when that part of the city was struggling to deal with a high number of suicides, and the group has since expanded its operations across the region. The organisation provides counselling at low cost, through the Social and Health Education Project/Coisceim Counselling service, and regularly runs SafeTalk and ASIST suicide awareness training in conjunction with the HSE. Other services provided by the group include bereavement support groups in communities, and directing people to supports offered by other organisations, as well as the promotion of positive mental health in the community. Shine a Light Suicide and Mental Health Awareness can be contacted by private message on its Facebook page. Contact the Samaritans at any time, day or night, 365 days a year, free on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.ie. Contact Pieta House free, day or night, all year, on 1800 247247, or text HELP to 51444. A man in his 20s and a juvenile in his late teens have been arrested in connection with the death of a man in his 40s in Doneraile, Co Cork. A Garda spokesperson said this morning: "Gardai continue to investigate all of the circumstances surrounding the death of a man, aged in his 40s following the discovery of a body at Rockview Terrace, Doneraile, Co. Cork in the early hours of Sunday 12th October, 2025. "This morning, Monday 13th October 2025, Gardai arrested two men in connection with the investigation. "The men, one aged in his 20s and the other a juvenile in his late teens, are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Garda stations in Cork County. "A post-mortem examination of the deceased is due to take place at Cork University Hospital, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation." TOWN 'REELING' The town of Doneraile is reeling after the death of the local father in his 40s following a violent assault, a TD for the area has said. The man, whose body was discovered in Doneraile in the early hours of Sunday morning, has been named locally as Barry Daly, who was in his 40s and is understood to be a father of four who lived in the locality. Barry Daly. The body of Mr Daly was discovered near his home in Rockview Terrace, Doneraile, Mallow. Gardai in Mallow are investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the death of the man, and reportedly believe he was fatally assaulted on the street near his home after an altercation in a local pub earlier that night. A garda spokesperson told The Echo that the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster, attended the scene on Sunday, as well as the Garda Technical Bureau. They added: A senior investigating officer (SIO) has been appointed to lead the investigation and an incident room has been established at Mallow Garda Station. A family liaison officer has also been assigned to provide support to the family, the spokesperson added. Cork North-West Fine Gael TD John Paul OShea said that the community was shocked to hear the news, adding that it would be very unusual for anything like that to happen in the town. This is a very tragic event that has happened in Doneraile, he told The Echo. The town is reeling with the news of the death of this man. Doneraile is a quiet rural town, and events like this are out of the norm. We are thinking of all involved today. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to contact them, as it is understood they believe several people were in the area and may have witnessed the incident. They are seeking any available camera footage, including dashcam recordings, from those who were in the vicinity of Doneraile village between 12pm to 2am yesterday, October 12, 2025. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Mallow Garda Station on 022 31 450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. A Cork man who had 169 previous convictions pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage in relation to an incident in which he smeared his own faeces on a cell door in a Garda station. Sergeant Majella OSullivan told Fermoy District Court that Con Foley, aged 44, with an address at Cork Simon Community, was arrested on August 5, 2025, and taken to Fermoy Garda Station. Foley was placed in cell at the Garda station and on August 6 at 12.30pm, he defecated into a Supermacs' takeaway bag and then smeared the faeces on the cell door and viewing window. The court heard due to hygiene concerns, thorough cleaning of the door cost 300. The court was told Foley had 169 previous convictions, including four for criminal damage and was also on bail for another offence at the time of the incident. Defence solicitor David OMeara said Foley had a series of convictions over the last two years and struggled with serious addiction issues. He said Foley, who appeared by videolink from Cork Prison, where he is currently in custody, was sober in prison and very calm and apologetic. Mr OMeara said Foleys problems all stemmed from his serious addiction problems. Judge Colm Roberts said Foleys behaviour on the day in question was an insult to himself as well as an insult to the gardai on duty. He convicted Foley and sentenced him to two months in prison to run consecutively to the sentence he is currently serving. The judge said: I hope you use the time as well as you can to give yourself a chance in regaining your health. A Cork woman who shouted abuse at passers-by outside a busy supermarket in the middle of the afternoon has pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in public and engaging in abusive behaviour. Court presenter, Sergeant Majella OSullivan, told Fermoy District Court that gardai received reports of a woman behaving in an abusive manner in Midleton on May 22, 2025. When gardai arrived at The Green, Midleton at 4.40pm Gillan Cullen, aged 45 of Elm Vale Court, Wilton, Cork, was observed shouting abuse at shoppers as they entered the nearby SuperValu supermarket. The court was told that Cullen was cursing and shouting fuck off, stop looking at me near the supermarket entrance at staff and members of the public. She was arrested and taken to Midleton Garda Station. Cullen who appeared by video-link from the Dochas Centre at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin represented herself in court. The court heard that she had 192 previous convictions, including 54 for public order offences. Judge Colm Roberts convicted Cullen for the abusive behaviour and sentenced her to four weeks in prison backdated to October 3 when she went into custody. The public intoxication charge was taken into consideration. Plans to construct more than 1,000 new homes in Ballincollig have been met with a guarded welcome as locals hope to see sufficient infrastructure implemented to serve the development. The application, lodged by the OFlynn Group, seeks to construct a large scale residential development (LRD) at Maglin in Ballincollig. The development, consisting of a mix of 1,150 new homes, will additionally see the construction of a childcare facility and retail area. The plans for the development have been described by the applicant as all carefully and sensitively designed to meet the diverse housing needs of the local community. The LRD includes a mix of houses, duplex units, and apartments, distributed across four distinct character areas within a 28-hectare site. The developers have said that this proposed scheme will deliver much-needed housing on lands long identified by both Cork County Council and, more recently, Cork City Council, as a key residential growth area to South Ballincollig. The development will also provide for open communal spaces, which have been designed to encourage social interaction, active living, and well-being among residents". Speaking to The Echo, Ballincollig native and Fianna Fail councillor for the Cork City South West ward, Colm Kelleher said: I broadly welcome new housing to the area; we are in the middle of a housing crisis, said Mr Kelleher. We need to have the infrastructure to cater for it, like water, roads and footpaths, but also any application that's brought, should be keeping in with the general area. I havent seen this application in detail, Im looking forward to reviewing it, but it has to be done in keeping with the area, so the infrastructure can cope with it. With the growth that is forecast for Ballincollig over the next number of years, I would say that a guarded welcome is how I would look at it. Michael OFlynn, chairman and CEO of the OFlynn Group, said this application marks a significant step forward in the development of this key residential growth area. Its location offers excellent access to major transport links, enhancing connectivity with Cork city and the wider region, said Mr OFlynn. The development will also deliver important infrastructure, including cycle lanes, footpaths, bus lanes, and a new road carriageway, ensuring strong and sustainable transport connections. We are delighted to bring high-quality, modern homes and vibrant places to live to Maglin," he added. Our design team has worked very closely with Cork City Council and other stakeholders to ensure our plans reflect and respond to the needs of the community and to the demand for housing. A murder trial jurys fears that they may have been photographed by someone in court were allayed today by the judge who confirmed that no photograph had been taken. During the Kieran Quilligan murder trial on Friday October 10 at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork the jury indicated that a photograph may have been taken of them by a person in the courtroom. Ms Justice Lankford said this matter would be investigated but that it did not appear at first to be anything sinister. Today the judge confirmed that no photograph was in fact taken. A young man presented in court and the judge asked the jury to confirm if this was the person with whom they had been concerned. They confirmed that he was the person. Ms Justice Lankford then told them that he was part of a group of students from a language school, brought to court by their lecturer on Friday. This young man is from Brazil. He had his phone in court on the last occasion. I spoke to him after you (the jury) left on Friday and explained to him that he was not supposed to have his phone in court. The judge told the student he could leave. Before he did, he said, I am sorry for everything. The judge further clarified for the ten men and two women of the jury, Gardai checked his phone. There was in fact no photograph taken he was playing with the phone. This is a case which is heard in public so members of the public can attend. 27-year-old Luke Taylor, formerly of Cherry Lawn, Blackrock, Cork, and 33-year-old Niall Long, formerly of St. Michaels Close, Mahon, Cork, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork facing the same charge of murder. The murder count which each man denies, states that on a date unknown between September 1 2023 and January 29 2024 at an unknown location within the state in the District Court area of Cork city he did murder Kieran Quilligan, 47, contrary to Common Law. Throughout today CCTV footage from various locations in Cork city and East Cork, including Little Island, was shown to the judge and jury. Prosecution senior counsel Donal OSullivan described each clip briefly before they were played by Sergeant Pat Russell who is managing the CCTV aspect of the investigation. After viewing 111 clips on Friday, they viewed clips numbered 112 to 353 today. Some of the clips showed parties including Kieran Quilligan, Niall Long, Luke Taylor and some other people and the movements of a white Toyota Rav car from 8.30 p.m. on September 1 to the early hours of September 2 2023. Ms Justice Lankford told the jury before they went home this afternoon, You have seen a lot of CCTV today. There is more to be seen but you are nearly at the end of it. And you will have witnesses again after that. The trial continues. A Cork woman who was caught on CCTV stealing from local supermarkets in Youghal on three occasions has been given a prison sentence in the district court. Sergeant Linda OLeary told Youghal Disitrict Court Kirsty Doyle, aged 36, with an address at Blackwater Heights, Youghal, Co Cork, admitted the thefts in a caution statement given to gardai. The court was told Doyle went into Aldi in Youghal at 3.30pm on August 17, 2025, and put goods valued at 24.63 into bag and left the store without paying for the items. On August 23, at 2.30pm, she returned to Aldi and on this occasion she took goods valued at 12.55 and again left the store without paying for the items. The final theft occurred on September 1, 2025, when Doyle went to SuperValu in Youghal and took 10 cans of alcohol valued at 46.50, and again left with the items but did not pay for them. Previous The court was told Doyle had 85 previous convictions, including 56 for theft, and none of the stolen goods were recovered. Doyle was brought to court from Limerick Prison where she was already serving a sentence related to a previous theft and was due for release on November 15. Defence barrister William Bulman said Doyle struggled with heroin and alcohol addiction. He said her mother, who had died two years ago, was a stabilising influence in her life and she was struggling to cope with the bereavement and had gone completely off the rails. Mr Bulman said Doyle was benefitting from addiction supports in prison and urged Judge John OLeary to consider a probation bond instead of a further custodial sentence so Doyle could benefit from the support of the Probation Service when she was released from prison. Chances Judge OLeary said Doyle had been given chances before and in the end it is up to her to deal with her addiction. He said many people suffer bereavements but do not steal because of it. For the first theft, Doyle was sentenced to three months in prison, for the second she was sentenced to four months in prison, and for the third theft she received a six-month prison sentence with all sentences to run concurrently. Recognisance for appeal was fixed in her own bond of 300 with a 300 cash lodgement required. As times change, we often move away from some of our older traditions. Take funerals, for example. More and more people are choosing cremation instead of burial, according to Dublin Cemeteries Trust, which hosts funeral services at its five cemeteries across Dublin. They say cremations now make up almost 70% of funerals, with fewer than one in three opting for burial, but The Echo recently reported a different trend in Cork which suggested that standard coffin burials continue to dominate the funeral landscape. While 78% of funerals were coffin burials within the Cork city division in 2024, more and more people are looking into alternative options when it comes to planning that final farewell. A spokesperson for Cork City Council told The Echo that the local authority undertook 1,300 interments last year across its 13 cemeteries, 1,014 of which were coffin burials, and the remainder, at 286, being ash burials. I wonder, though, how accurate that picture is when you consider the number of urns that are not interred in an official plot. I reckon many ashes are dispersed over a favourite location predetermined by the deceased, meaning the final resting place would remain unrecorded. An undertaker told me years ago that he had a room full of urns he had collected from various crematoria that had never been claimed by relatives. Maybe thats because cremation is still relatively new in Ireland, and many families are unsure, or cant decide, what to do with them. Others chose to just keep the ashes at home. The growing popularity of cremation doesnt surprise me. There can be fewer more depressing occasions than standing at the side of an open grave on a cold, wet, winters day while the coffin is lowered into the ground. Cremation seems cleaner, and a warm, dry crematorium provides more comfortable surroundings and a shelter from the elements, even if it is a bit clinical. On the other hand, traditional burials are still popular in some countries, like Cyprus, where I spend some of my time. Cypriots have resisted cremation up to now and I attended a funeral in the village of Liopetri recently and it was not an unpleasant experience. Pablo, Pablos or Paul, depending on which friend you speak to, was a guy I wrote about a while back. As a boy, he witnessed the shooting of four young men in his village by the British army in the 1950s when Cyprus was under British rule. He was 81 years old when he died but had been in good health until very recently, so it was a surprise when I heard he had passed away. Fortunately, I was here at the time, so I was able to attend the funeral, but it was an unusual experience in many ways. The main religion in Cyprus is Greek Orthodox Christianity, with approximately 78% of the population identifying as Christians. When the coffin arrived in the church, it was placed on a trestle at the top of the church but there was no actual altar. There was a little window at the head of the coffin which allowed mourners to see the face of the deceased. Two bearded priests dressed in black took their position at the head of the coffin and began chanting the prayers. This went on for about half an hour and seemed relatively informal. Mourners left their seats and mingled with other mourners, offering their condolences and chatting away during the service, and nobody seemed to mind. After the service, the deceased was taken by hearse to the village cemetery. It was about 30C with a clear blue sky and there wasnt a puff of wind. The coffin was placed on the ground next to the freshly dug grave. The lid was removed, and the face of the deceased was covered with a cloth. The shroud was then pulled up to cover the entire body. A member of the family spread a couple of shovels of earth directly onto the body. Some holy oil was poured over that, and the coffin was lowered into the grave. The lid was replaced, and the grave was filled in. Those present were invited to wash their hands over the grave with water poured from a large clay pot. The empty pot was then placed on top of the grave and smashed to pieces with a shovel. One explanation I got for this was that it broke the connection between the deceased and all earthly goods. That marked the end of the formal proceedings, and in another area of the graveyard some wine, olives, bread and Halloumi cheese was supplied to the mourners. For 40 days after the body has been buried, tradition in Cyprus dictates that a relative should visit the cemetery every day and a candle should be kept burning at their grave. This light serves to show the way of the departed soul and to protect it from evil spirits. Forty days is considered to be the length of time the deceased persons soul is still on earth. While it was a sad occasion, it wasnt depressing. The whole process was solemn and dignified, but informal at the same time. It was a relaxed atmosphere and maybe that was down to a mixture of the weather and the sense of tradition. It would be a shame to lose that when cremation eventually arrives here. Incidentally, I was told the reason for having the little window in the coffin and for removing the lid at the graveyard began in Greece. It wasnt unusual for Greeks to bury an empty coffin to cover the escape of a loved one from the island. Either to avoid Turkish conscription into the army that required them to fight against people of their own faith, or, more often, to escape the penalties of their crimes. By Cillian Sherlock, PA The horrors, genocide and famine in Gaza cannot be forgotten, the Tanaiste has said, as he welcomed the release of hostages in the Middle East. Simon Harris said the freeing of prisoners and hostages by Israel and Hamas represents a ray of hope for people in the region, as he announced Ireland would provide an additional 6 million to aid organisations in Gaza, including Unicef and the World Food Programme. After the most horrific humanitarian catastrophe, a loss of life on a scale that is almost unimaginable we finally see cause for hope: Hostages released, bombing stopped, aid beginning to flow into Gaza, Mr Harris said. He added: I also today think of all of the hostages that have been released. I cannot imagine what they have endured for the last period of time, cannot imagine the fears and worries that their families have lived with and today, their loved ones are reunited in the arms of their families and we think of them today too. The latest contribution brings Irelands support for the people of Palestine since October 2023 to more than 89 million, and support in 2025 to over 35 million. Tanaiste @SimonHarrisTD has announced that Ireland will provide an additional 6 million in humanitarian aid to support people in Gaza. The funding will be channelled through our UN partners. pic.twitter.com/tzWhDrCNbL Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) October 13, 2025 There are likely to be further announcements in the coming period in relation to Irelands aid commitments in the region. Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings in Dublin on Monday, Mr Harris said: Ireland stands ready to do everything we can to help with the huge humanitarian effort which is now needed. However, he said it is highly unlikely at this stage that Irelands support will see Irish peacekeepers deployed to the region. Its very clear that its a long way to go to the next steps on the peace plan. Ireland and our peacekeepers always stand ready to serve where there is peace, but at the moment what were simply seeing is a cessation of hostilities. So I think theres a long way to go of being able to determine that. Asked whether the fact Ireland was not attending a summit in Egypt to mark the ceasefire was a signal the country would not be playing a large role in the region, the Tanaiste said: I dont think so. I think the majority of European countries are not at the peace summit today. Theres a small number of European countries, a lot of Arab nations. Weve worked extraordinarily hard on this. Ive worked very closely with the Arab nations, as has Ireland. He added: Ireland will continue to talk to everybody and anybody and help in every, in any way that we can. We have long-standing relationships with many, many countries in the region. Were also a country that knows a lot about peace and about peace processes. Peace is never easy. Theres no such thing as a perfect peace plan but the opposite to peace is the utter devastation and horrors that weve seen over the last number of years. Mr Harris, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the most practical assistance Ireland can currently provide is funding and logistics around the provision of humanitarian aid. The horrors, the genocide, the famine in Gaza - none of that can be forgotten, none of that can be airbrushed Simon Harris Israel has frequently criticised Ireland over its response to the war in Gaza since October 2023, including its recognition of Palestine and its plans to introduce an Occupied Territories Bill to limit trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The country also closed its embassy and withdrew its ambassador from Dublin. Asked about the future of Irelands relationship with Israel, Mr Harris said: Ireland has kept bilateral relations with Israel. We took a decision to keep our Embassy in Tel Aviv it was the Israeli decision to close their embassy in Ireland but even theyve kept an ambassador to Ireland. So diplomatic relations continue to exist between the countries but this is about step by step. I mean what has happened the horrors, the genocide, the famine in Gaza none of that can be forgotten, none of that can be airbrushed. What has happened over the last number of years, the violation of international law. All of that is important and extremely significant. Pressed on whether Ireland would proceed with the Occupied Territories Bill, he said: The Governments position hasnt changed in relation to that, the occupied Palestinian territories are still illegally occupied. Obviously, if that reality changes, thats a different situation. He added: But today, and I want to be clear from my perspective, is not a day about saying anything provocative. Today is a day about recognising that after the most unbelievable horrors, pain, loss of life, famine conditions, we now see cause for a hope. OpenAI is hungry for as much compute power as it can get its hands on, and the company has signed another deal with a chipmaker to help make that happen. This time around, it's teaming up with Broadcom to make custom chips and systems for use in both OpenAI's infrastructure and its partners' data centers. OpenAI is designing the "AI accelerators" and systems. Broadcom will start deploying those racks in the second half of next year, the companies said. The aim is to complete the rollout by the end of 2029. The two companies are said to have started working together 18 months ago. The deal is for 10 gigawatts of chips and it's worth "multiple billions of dollars," according to The Wall Street Journal. It was reported last month that OpenAI and Broadcom were making custom chips together. For what it's worth, the latter's CEO said recently that a new, unnamed client had put in an order worth $10 billion. Advertisement Advertisement The Broadcom deal follows agreements that OpenAI recently struck with both NVIDIA and AMD. NVIDIA is investing $100 billion into OpenAI and will provide it with 10 gigawatts of AI infrastructure. The deal with AMD is for six gigawatts of compute power. OpenAI is said to be paying AMD tens of billions of dollars under that agreement and it could ultimately take up to a 10 percent stake in the company. As with the Broadcom rollout, both the NVIDIA and AMD deployments are expected to start in the second half of 2026. OpenAI also inked a deal with Oracle in July for 4.5 gigawatts in data center capacity as part of its Stargate Project. According to recent reports, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees that he wanted the company to build out 250 gigawatts of compute power over the next eight years, significantly up from the 2GW it's expected to have by the end of this year. (For context, 250GW is about a fifth of the energy generation capacity of the entire US, which sits at around 1,200GW.) As things stand, it would likely cost around $10 trillion to buy that much capacity. Altman said OpenAI would have to develop new financing tools to make that happen, but he hasn't elaborated much on what those might look like. Even its current deals have OpenAI on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars. While the likes of NVIDIA and Microsoft have invested heavily into OpenAI, there isn't a backer on the planet that can plow $10 trillion into the company. As things stand, OpenAI is very, very far away from making up the difference in revenue too. It's reportedly expecting to make $13 billion in revenue this year. In a bulletin on Friday, GM announced that it will end its HYDROTEC brand's work on hydrogen fuel cell development. Instead, GM will focus its R&D efforts on batteries, charging technologies and electric vehicles. The company said it will continue its Fuel Cell System Manufacturing joint venture with Honda, which creates cells for data centers and power generation. The post from GM said that due to limited infrastructure and high costs, hydrogen cells simply haven't taken off for consumer vehicles. Lately, the automotive industry seems to agree. GM's shift follows a similar move in February from Toyota, which isn't completely giving up the ghost but instead pivoted its hydrogen cell projects to focus on industrial applications rather than consumer ones. New York Glen Powell says he spent one of the most nerve-wracking nights of his career waiting for an email from Stephen King. Speaking onstage at New York Comic Con, the actor revealed that before officially landing the lead in Edgar Wright's new adaptation of The Running Man, King himself had to approve his casting. "I did have... the only interaction I had is Edgar (Wright) offered me this movie and I was like, yes," Powell told the crowd. "He's like, you're my Ben Richards. And I'm like, let's go. And then later that night, he's like, by the way, you have to be approved by Stephen King. And I was like, how does that happen?" Wright told him King planned to watch Hit Man, Powell's recent Netflix hit, to decide. "So I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch Hit Man and hope that I still had the role in the morning. It was terrible," Powell said. "He loved it, thank God." That long night became the stuff of Hollywood anxiety legend. Powell laughed as he recalled trying to stay calm, knowing the master of horror was judging whether he could embody a character who runs for his life. The next morning, Wright confirmed that King had given his blessing. Director Edgar Wright, who joined Powell onstage, confirmed the story. "I don't want to speak for him because he's seen the movie," Wright said of King. "He really loved it. He said in an email, 'It's more faithful to the book to keep the fans happy, but different enough to keep me on my toes and excited.' And I was thinking, okay, I'll take that." Powell's approval saga set the tone for a panel filled with humor and creative energy. Discussing how the movie balances intensity and wit, Powell praised Wright's skill in mixing genres. "Tension and comedy are sort of married together in a lot of ways," he said. "When you have a guy like Edgar Wright who really understands how to marry those moments together, you get a tonal cinematic feast where you're simultaneously watching a guy who's in danger for his life, but also laughing at the circumstances." He added that his character exists in contrast to the colorful, game-show world that surrounds him. "Colman Domingo's character and Josh Brolin's character are in this fun, bright reality world," Powell said. "And I'm a guy who's like, this is real for me. This is life or death. That's the fun collision in this movie, and Edgar marries those tones together." By the end of the presentation, it was clear that the fear Powell once felt waiting on King's decision had been replaced by pride. The author's blessing, Wright's direction, and the film's mix of chaos and satire make The Running Man one of the most anticipated releases of 2026. Wendy Williams learned this week that she pays $25,000 a month for her Manhattan apartment, and the news didn't come from her guardian or her accountant. It came from a magazine. According to Page Six, the former talk show host discovered the true cost of her rent while reading New York Magazine's new cover story about her guardianship and finances. The article details her ongoing struggle to regain control of her estate from court-appointed guardian Sabrina Morrissey. A source told the outlet that Williams believed her rent at the senior living complex The Coterie was $18,000 a month, not $25,000. The insider said she was "furious" after learning the figure from the story and feels her money is being "drained." "She doesn't even know how much she's worth," the source added, saying Williams has grown anxious about her finances since she is not allowed to earn an income. Williams reportedly refers to her residence as a "luxury dump." The Coterie is a high-end assisted living facility where the lowest rates start around $27,000 per month, according to the New York Post. Her limited access to funds has made the situation more difficult. Sources said she receives an allowance of roughly $200 to $300 a week, which she spends on small personal items like snacks and magazines. She also has little control over her transportation expenses, including Uber and taxi rides around New York. The financial limitations have left Williams feeling "trapped" and frustrated. "She was told '18' [thousand], and now she's reading it's '25.' They're draining her money," the source said. Williams is expected to testify next month in Morrissey's lawsuit against A&E and Lifetime, alleging the networks aired the documentary "Where Is Wendy Williams? without her consent." Wendy Williams speaks out from behind the glass of an assisted living facility, in the midst of her allegedly abusive guardianship. Harvey Levin claims Williams may have been misdiagnosed with dementia and has improved since becoming sober. pic.twitter.com/DSvnaHg2Q5 Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 13, 2025 Read more: Wendy Williams Reportedly Planning Speaking Tour On Guardianship Issues Instead Of TV Return Judge Dismisses Ex-Husband's Lawsuit Meanwhile, a judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed earlier this year by Williams' ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, who tried to have Morrissey removed as her guardian, as reported by TMZ. Hunter filed the $250 million suit in June, claiming financial losses and emotional distress, and requested a forensic accountant to review Williams' finances. But Williams never authorized the filing. "He has no standing to add her name or authority from Wendy whatsoever," her attorney Joe Tacopina told PEOPLE in June. "We certainly don't need his help if we want to file a lawsuit. So, thanks, but no thanks." The judge rejected the case this week. Williams later phoned in to TMZ and said she was "happy" the court threw it out, adding, "Of course he wants to steal my money." Williams and Hunter divorced in 2020 after a 21-year marriage. They share one son. A New York court appointed Morrissey as Williams' guardian in 2022 after determining she was incapacitated and unable to manage her own affairs. In February 2023, doctors diagnosed her with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Williams has compared life under the guardianship to "being in prison." Despite her challenges, she remains a familiar face in Manhattan, often dining at spots like Tucci and Delmonico's, where fans greet her warmly. "She thrives off of it," a source told Page Six. "Wendy smiles from ear to ear when that happens. She really does love being famous, but this whole situation has certainly humbled her." Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's recent public appearance at a New York gala stirred fresh attention after a lip reader claimed the Duchess quietly urged her husband to stay in sync. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended Project Healthy Minds' third annual World Mental Health Day Gala on Oct. 9, where they were honored as Humanitarians of the Year for their work promoting safer online spaces for families. While the event marked a rare joint outing, experts told Express US the couple appeared uneasy on the red carpet. Lip reader NJ Hickling said Meghan turned to Harry, waited for him to meet her gaze, and said, "We have to look together now." Harry replied, "Yeah," before shifting his stance. Hickling noted the exchange "hinted at an off-camera strain," adding that while Meghan remained poised, Harry appeared "uneasy, distant, and detached." HARRY AND MEGHAN OH MY GOD pic.twitter.com/HM7toJ4dqp vittoria (@duchessmeghn) October 9, 2025 Body language analyst Judi James told the Mirror the pair looked "in pared-back, more understated mode," presenting a unified front despite rumors of tension. She said Meghan appeared proud of her husband, noting her "raised and rounded cheeks" as a sign of admiration. James also observed that while Harry took an "alpha stance," Meghan seemed to guide the moment with subtle cues, helping him navigate photographers. Still, she acknowledged Harry "showed some nerves" compared to Meghan's calm confidence. Paris Trip Raises Eyebrows Among Friends The prestigious New York gala was held just a week after Meghan's widely reported solo outing at Paris Fashion Week, which puzzled the couple's friends. The Duchess went to see Pierpaolo Piccioli's debut with Balenciaga, where Vogue editor Anna Wintour was visibly delighted to meet her. Daily Mail reports that people close to the Sussexes were "stunned" by the decision. Paris is packed with memories of Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana, who died there in 1997. The sources claim that the pair had been refusing going to the events in the city for a long time due to that past. One of Harry's friends told the outlet, "She's driving around in that city where his mother died. She knows exactly what she is doing." Another source added that Harry had previously made it clear he would not visit Paris because of his mother's death, with Meghan reportedly explaining in the past, "I cannot go to Paris because of H's mom." Meghan's Instagram video during the trip added to the controversy. The clip showed her car passing the Pont de l'Alma bridge, where Diana's fatal crash occurred. Meghan Markle sparked outrage after arriving in ParisMeghan arrived for Paris Fashion Week and filmed a video from the tunnel where Princess Diana died. The catch is that in the footage, she's riding in a car, her feet slouched on the seat. Many people considered this pic.twitter.com/HdOv1PkYMC mattrang (@Ay911Moon) October 6, 2025 Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams called the post "insensitive beyond belief," saying he could not understand "what on earth she was thinking." Despite the criticism, insiders say Meghan remains focused on expanding her lifestyle brand, As Ever, and positioning herself within the fashion and business worlds. She is scheduled to appear at Fortune magazine's Most Powerful Women event in Washington, D.C., next week, where she will speak as a "female founder." A source told the Mail that Meghan "wants to make money, she wants to be a billionaire," but added that she is "still figuring out how." New pictures of King Charles III have raised widespread alarm in Britain following the monarch's visibly frail appearance at a joint event with Prince William at the COP30 climate summit in London. According to RadarOnline, the 76-year-old King, who has been receiving cancer treatment since early 2025, seemed thinner and whiter than in earlier public outings. Buckingham Palace still maintains that the King is "doing well" and "carrying out light duties." "His suit was hanging off him," said one insider to #ShuterScoop. "He looked like a man fighting something bigger than he's letting on." Though palace officials keep up a cheerful public appearance, senior aides in private admit to anxiety behind the scenes. "The optics are impossible to spin," confessed one source. King Charles's diagnosis, confirmed earlier this year, has restricted his public schedule. Insiders indicate the King's health issues are having a visible impact. "They're quietly preparing William to step up fast," one senior courtier divulged. "The illusion of perfect health is collapsing." Veteran royal watchers are worried, too. "You can't Photoshop frailty," opined one palace observer. "What we're seeing is the reality behind the crown a monarch in decline." The King returned to public duties in April 2024, having suspended engagements on a temporary basis for three months following advice from doctors, although he persisted with state business privately. Palace officials confirmed that treatment is still ongoing. According to PEOPLE, during a trip on September 3 to Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, King Charles met cancer patient Matthew Shinda, 73, providing a personal update of which there are few. "I'm not too bad," the monarch said to him when asked how his recovery was going. Shinda talked about delays in diagnosis, to which the King said, "I'm very sorry about that, it's so frustrating. Half the problem is detecting it, isn't it, in time." He went on to say, "The great thing, I think, is they're getting better and better at dealing with these things. The trouble is there's always hope down the road." King Charles also exchanged a lighter moment with 85-year-old Jacqueline Page in the hospital's acute elderly care ward. When she told him that she was "wearing out," he joked, "I know, this is the terrible thing, as I am discovering already. The bits don't work so well when you get past 70." Royal sources say plans are in motion for Prince William to take on additional responsibilities if necessary, mirroring increasing concern over the King's health, almost two years since he was diagnosed with cancer. Erika Kirk, widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is speaking out after facing online backlash over how she has publicly mourned her husband's tragic death. In an emotional Instagram post shared Saturday, October 11, Erika, 36, opened up about her grief and addressed the criticism she's received. "...there is no linear blueprint for grief," she wrote. "One day you're collapsed on the floor crying out the name Jesus... the next you're playing with your children in the living room, surrounded by family photos, and feeling a rush of... bittersweet joy." Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. A 22-year-old suspect turned himself in after a 33-hour manhunt, US MAgazine said. He is currently in custody and could face the death penalty if convicted. Since Charlie's death, Erika has remained in the public eye, speaking at his large-scale memorial service, taking over his non-profit, and appearing on "The Charlie Kirk Show." Some social media users have criticized these moves, accusing her of not appearing "grief-stricken enough." Others have defended her, saying grief looks different for everyone. there is no linear blueprint for grief. One day youre collapsed on the floor crying out the name Jesus in between labored breaths. The next youre playing with your children in the living room, surrounded by family photos, and feeling a rush of something you can only attempt pic.twitter.com/kzW5cCPQTA Erika Kirk (@MrsErikaKirk) October 10, 2025 Erika Kirk Shares Message on Grieving Love In her post, Erika responded directly to those questioning her emotions. "They say time heals. But love doesn't ask to be healed. Love asks to be remembered," she wrote. "It's humbling to realize that this magnitude of suffering didn't steal my love for my husband. It amplified it." She continued, "I carry my Charlie in every breath, in every ache, and in every quiet act of day to day living... I have never loved him more than I do now." The post included a video montage of Charlie's life, along with moments from his September 21 memorial, held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. According to Parade, the event reportedly drew 90,000 people and featured appearances from political figures like President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Speaking to The New York Times, Erika shared that she is grieving without the use of medication or alcohol, leaning on her faith for strength. "The Lord is giving me discernment," she said. Charlie and Erika met in 2018 at a Turning Point USA event and shared two young children. A promotional shoot by Kylie Jenner for Kylie Cosmetics has triggered intense backlash on social media. The campaign features Jenner handcuffed and escorted by men dressed as police officers, aligning with her "King Kylie" branding from ten years ago. The video was posted amid ongoing immigration raids, and many users in Reddit's r/KUWTKsnark subreddit said the timing and imagery felt insensitive. 'This Isn't Satire. It's American Rot.' TOMORROW ON SNAPCHAT pic.twitter.com/C053YvcLWk Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) October 11, 2025 The top comment under the post set the tone: "The country's boiling over, citizens being dragged off by rogue badge hungry rent-a-cops, and Kylie Jenner drops a handcuffed hot-pants photoshoot to promote COSMETICS. This isn't satire; it's American rot." Another user responded, "She is out of touch." Some tied the shoot to previous controversies. One user asked if Jenner was "actually trying to recreate the same controversy Kendall went through with the tone-deaf Pepsi ad." Shock Value Accusations Many said the campaign leaned on shock tactics to gain attention. One commenter wrote, "I think it's intentional, after they saw how Sydney Sweeney got so much attention with the American Eagle ad. Shock value holds so much weight in marketing." Another pointed out how the imagery clashed with current events: "People are being disappeared to concentration camps and dying, Kim Kylie." A separate comment added, "Cosplaying the oppressed has become her tagline." Can you use your platform for ONCE to bring awareness to the world you EXPLOIT?? KING KYLIE, READ THE ROOM! THERES NO KINGS RALLIES GOING ON ACROSS THE WORLD and you choose to post this bullshit. I hate this world and the billionaires in it!! Yesenia (@yasyasenia) October 12, 2025 Weird flex when ICE are kidnapping people. Poor taste as usual. DanRose773 (@DanRose773) October 11, 2025 Hmmmmm I think the main reason this whole King Kylie shit isnt moving me, is because that era of her life was imitating black culture/black women and now shes with a white man.. it dont feel the same NOW it really feels like appropriation. Lee Lee (@Mzthangggg) October 12, 2025 'King Kylie' Era Returns Jenner has tied the campaign to her "King Kylie" era, which began around the launch of her lip kits in 2015. She recently teased the collection online, posting throwback images and announcing a revival of her 2016 promo video. But users say the context now is different. One commenter wrote, "Does anyone else find it odd that there have been 'No Kings' protests around the country, and she drops a shoot called 'King Kylie' with this imagery?" Another user said, "This is so unbelievably tone deaf. PEOPLE ARE BEING DISAPPEARED TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND DYING, KIM KYLIE." Many posts focused on how detached the shoot felt from the current climate. "This one is actually gross," one wrote. Another said, "The entire clan seems tone deaf." A nine-year-old farmers son from Essex is preparing to climb the UKs tallest mountain to raise money for struggling farming families. James Matthews, from Battlesbridge, will take on Ben Nevis during the October half-term holiday in aid of the Farming Community Network (FCN). Standing at 1,345 metres, the Scottish peak will be his toughest challenge yet. Jamess determination is remarkable given his early health battles. Born without an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, he underwent surgery at just five years old to have an artificial ligament created using tissue from his thigh. Two years of physiotherapy followed before his knee regained strength a process his mother Mary-anne described as very hard, with James missing out on time playing with his friends. Once fit again, James set himself a series of mountain goals. He scaled Snowdon in 2023, conquered Scafell Pike in 2024, and now has his sights set on Ben Nevis. I want to raise money for FCN, to help farmers in need, he said. His mother Mary-anne explained: At the summit of Scotlands most demanding mountain, he'll have climbed through unpredictable weather, navigated treacherous rocky terrain and pushed his physical limits to the max all on a knee that doctors rebuilt from scratch. "When James sets his mind on something, he will do it. His father, Ian, and I couldnt be prouder that he wants to help fellow farmers in their time of need. James is the fifth generation to grow up on the family farm and is already aware of the difficulties facing agriculture. He keeps active by helping feed the cows especially rolling out the hay bales and training with circular walks around the countryside. He admits that the Ben Nevis trek will be extremely hard work, but when he gets tired he motivates himself by thinking about the cows and how theyre doing at home, and looking forward to the next chocolate break. Mary-anne added: His resilience mirrors the levels of resilience required to be a farmer. Hes always cheerful, and he sees the good in everything. Jamess challenge has been welcomed by FCN. Alex Phillimore, the charitys head of communications said: Everyone at FCN would like to thank James, Ian and Mary-anne for their support. "We will all be cheering James on and wishing him the best of luck as he climbs Ben Nevis. His determination and resilience are an inspiration. Supporters can back Jamess climb by donating via his fundraising page. Britains Bluetongue outbreak has escalated to over 100 cases, sparking calls for a clearer national strategy as the virus spreads into Wales and new strains emerge. The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has called for a coherent national response to bluetongue after the virus spread further across GB, with 113 cases confirmed cases this season 111 BTV-3 and two BTV-8 cases. Fresh detections in Wales at the end of September prompted a Temporary Control Zone near Chepstow, with further Welsh cases confirmed in Powys the following week. Bluetongue, spread mainly through biting midges, can also be transmitted by the movement of infected animals. It affects cattle, sheep, goats, deer and camelids such as alpacas and llamas. Dr Jason Aldiss BEM, executive director of AIMS, said the recent escalation represented a material escalation in both scope and complexity. He stressed that the rise was not unforeseen, following the typical seasonal pattern as midge activity increases over summer. What is now required is not reaction but resolve, he added. AIMS has long warned that restrictions along the EnglandWales border were inadequate. Dr Aldiss said those fears had now been realised. The decision to declare only a narrow temporary control zone around a single case, when there is evidence of local transmission, raises legitimate questions about proportionality and preparedness. He also criticised the policy of slaughtering infected animals, arguing that it addresses neither the infected midge population nor the longer-term epidemiological risk and may discourage farmers from reporting suspected cases. Current policy allows limited culling on initial detection where local spread appears containable; however, once midges are transmitting locally, culling is not considered an effective control, and other mitigations take precedence. Instead, Dr Aldiss urged calm, evidence-based communication with farmers and veterinarians and condemned misinformation about vaccination. The safety and efficacy of vaccination are well-established. What has been lacking is consistent leadership and a unified message. The illusion that Wales could somehow remain immune to infection has left many producers dangerously unprepared. The emergence of BTV-8 against which current BTV-3 vaccines offer no protection is causing particular concern. Dr Aldiss warned the UK must prepare for the possible introduction of multiple serotypes, including BTV-1 and BTV-4, already circulating in northern Europe. Such a scenario, he said, could create overlapping restriction zones, disrupt animal movements and place significant strain on rural businesses. Calling for immediate collaboration between government, industry and the veterinary profession, Dr Aldiss pointed to international examples of effective control. Jerseys compulsory vaccination scheme, and the partially funded programmes in several northern European countries, have all proven effective in mitigating the economic and animal health consequences of bluetongue, he said. He concluded: We are not powerless in the face of this disease. What is required is foresight, coordination, and courage. Farmers deserve a response that is measured, proportionate and rooted in science not expediency. "AIMS stands ready to work with all parties to ensure that the United Kingdom adopts a rational and resilient approach to bluetongue control. Poultry workers and bird handlers across the UK are being urged to take up free seasonal flu vaccines this winter, as health agencies move to protect those most exposed to avian influenza. The initiative is not about vaccinating against bird flu directly, but about lowering the chances of a dangerous overlap. Seasonal flu vaccination reduces the risk of someone being infected with both seasonal influenza and avian flu at the same time. If that happened, the viruses could mix a process known as reassortment and potentially create a new strain capable of spreading more easily between humans. A spokesperson for Public Health Scotland said: This winter, the free flu vaccine is being offered to certain poultry workers and bird handlers to protect them from getting ill with the flu virus. Eligibility covers people working at or regularly visiting poultry units and processing plants, inspection staff, those involved in culling or cleaning at confirmed outbreak sites, anyone handling sick birds where avian influenza is suspected, and individuals collecting bird carcasses, including seabirds, in areas of concern. In Scotland, Public Health Scotland has launched a campaign to encourage uptake, supported by a digital toolkit for employers and industry groups. Officials are asking users to share the campaign with the hashtag #FluHitsHarder to help monitor its reach. Wales has taken similar steps, expanding eligibility in 2024 to include poultry workers and avian flu outbreak response staff. From October 2025, the scheme will cover workers aged 16 and over. In Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency is offering free flu vaccines to poultry farmers, processors, cullers and those handling bird carcasses at suspected outbreak sites. England has not introduced a formal nationwide programme specifically for poultry workers, but the Department of Health has confirmed that seasonal flu vaccination is being offered as a precaution to those working in close contact with poultry, following advice from the Health and Safety Executive. It comes as bird flu continues to pose a serious threat to the UK poultry sector. A major outbreak was confirmed on 28 September 2025 at a commercial broiler breeding farm near Wetheral, Cumberland, where 43,000 birds had to be culled. Defra has since imposed a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone, with movement restrictions on poultry, captive birds and related products. The NFU has urged the government to renew its relationship with farmers at the upcoming autumn budget, warning that collapsing confidence is leaving investment in food production as bone-dry as the fields this summer. Confidence has been shaken most severely by last years inheritance tax reforms, which capped agricultural property relief at 1 million from April 2026. Anything above that threshold will face a 50% liability, sparking fears of crippling tax bills and forced farm sales. From a Yorkshire grower who has abandoned plans for a new grain store, to a Lincolnshire farmer delaying investment in temperature-controlled potato storage, producers across the country are holding back for fear of future tax liabilities. The NFU says the impact should concern everyone, given that farming underpins the UKs 153 billion food sector the nations largest manufacturing industry, supporting 4.2 million jobs. NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: Farmers and growers either choosing not to or being unable to invest in their businesses should worry us all. He stressed that these are the businesses that produce the nations food and manage and protect our iconic countryside. Bradshaw also highlighted what he called a gap between government rhetoric and reality: This is the same farmed countryside that the prime minister and his cabinet stood in front of at the Labour Party conference with the slogan Renew Britain emblazoned on top of sunny rural landscapes. "The reality is far from sunny without investment in farming today, we risk food supplies for tomorrow. Plans now being considered by the Treasury could offer some hope. Reports suggest ministers are looking at a minimum share rule model, put forward by the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax). Under the approach, full relief would be available up to 5m per person (10m for couples) where farmland or business assets make up at least 60% of an estate. Relief would then taper to 50% between 5m and 10m, with no relief beyond that. Supporters argue the model could be a game changer for British agriculture, sparing thousands of family farms from crippling bills while also doubling the expected revenue from reform from 500m to 1bn. In its autumn budget submission, the NFU has set out a package of measures it believes would help restore stability and unlock investment. These include a more targeted approach to inheritance tax reform that still raises revenue for the Exchequer but protects family farms. The union is also calling for the Annual Investment Allowance to be raised to 5m and widened to cover structures and buildings, alongside enhanced capital allowances to encourage low-carbon investment. Other proposals focus on practicality and cost pressures: ensuring that Making Tax Digital is workable for farm businesses, maintaining reduced fuel duty on red diesel, and ruling out the introduction of wealth taxes. The NFU has also urged the Treasury to rethink plans to reclassify double cab pick-up trucks from vans to cars, warning that such a move would impose further costs on farm businesses. The union says these measures would restore confidence and unlock the growth that British food production so desperately needs. Unless the chancellor acts, the NFU warns, farmers will remain in survival mode rather than investing in the future of food. Two ambitious UK-led projects are putting overlooked crops centre stage in the battle against global food insecurity and climate change. Researchers are focusing on pigeon pea and Bambara groundnut hardy, drought-tolerant crops that thrive in poor soils and could help protect millions of people from hunger in climate-hit regions. The first project, led by Nottingham University, will explore how rising temperatures affect the root systems of pigeon pea, a grain legume vital to smallholder farmers in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Pigeon pea not only provides nutrition but also enriches the soil and supports household incomes. However, scientists warn that increasing heatwaves could cut yields and worsen food insecurity. Using advanced scanning technology, the team will study root growth and soil interactions to develop strategies for making the crop more resilient. Dr Rahul Bhosale, associate professor at the University of Nottingham and project lead, said: Resolving this scientific challenge could have far-reaching implications. "In the long term, this work could contribute significantly to safeguarding food security, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The second project focuses on Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea), another underutilised crop with remarkable potential. Nutritious and well-suited to poor soils, it is a lifeline in areas facing water shortages and malnutrition. Led by Cambridges Crop Science Centre and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, with Nottingham as a key partner, the project will develop the genetic resources and breeding tools needed to create improved varieties. Dr Bhosale added: Its hugely exciting to be part of this international research team. By combining cutting-edge science with practical breeding and knowledge transfer programmes, we are well-positioned to achieve the goals of this research and ultimately find new ways to maximise the use of these crops. The pigeon pea research is supported by ICRISAT, CIMMYT and national agricultural institutes, while the Bambara groundnut work involves the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and other global partners. Both projects are funded through UK International Development and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Together, they highlight how science and international collaboration could unlock the potential of forgotten crops to tackle hunger, poverty and the impacts of climate change. At the 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 with Gujarat Tourism, actor Akshay Kumar took a moment to share direct and practical advice for aspiring actors. Speaking alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar, Kumar addressed one of the industrys recurring issues, restrictive three-film contracts that often bind newcomers early in their careers. I want to say just one thing to all the newcomers and the upcoming newcomers, said Kumar. Never sign a three-film deal with any producer. His words, delivered with conviction, drew the audiences attention as he highlighted the pitfalls of such agreements using a recent example from the industry. Referring to Aryan Khans directorial debut, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which premiered on Netflix in September 2025, Kumar explained how the series depicts a debutant trapped in the complications of such contracts. You must have seen The Ba***ds of Bollywood and what our hero had to go through, he added. The film makes it clear what a debutant should and should not do. Kumars remark sparked laughter when he quipped, Do not sign a three-movie deal. Give your debutant freedom, allow them to run away. As it is said, let them free, if they belong to you, they will come back. Both Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar were seen smiling at the light-hearted yet relevant advice. The Ba***ds of Bollywood, produced by Gauri Khan, stars Bobby Deol, Lakshya Lalwani, Sahher Bambba, Anya Singh, Manish Chaudhari, Raghav Juyal, Mona Singh, and Gautami Kapoor. It follows Aasmaan Singh, a young actor from Delhi who becomes entangled in complex industry contracts, reflecting the same struggles Kumar spoke about on stage. Reflecting on his own journey, Kumar shared a grounded perspective on work and longevity in the film industry. He added, I always say money attracts money, and similarly, work attracts money. No work is big or small. Sometimes I like the story of a film, but my role is smallI still do that film because I want to be part of something good. The 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 with Gujarat Tourism brought together Bollywoods biggest stars, unforgettable performances, and moments that felt straight out of a movie. And out of the many magical moments, one belonged to actor Rajkummar Rao. He had a fanboy moment at the awards with none other than Shah Rukh Khan. The actor praised him for his performance in Srikanth. Rao won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics). Congratulations , Rajkummar. I shouldn't be saying this, I'm a host, I should not be taking any sides but Srikanth was outstanding. Absolutely truly deserved, fantastic Rajkummar." Clearly moved, the actor replied, Sir, I love you, thank you...this is a way bigger award for me, you saying this means the world to me, thank you" Posting the video on Instagram, the Stree actor wrote, "Won the Best Actor Critics Filmfare Award for #Srikanth. Worked extremely hard for this film and everything feels magical when @iamsrk says such kind words for your performance. Thank you, sir. During the ceremony, SRK congratulated him and said, ", Rajkummar. I shouldn't be saying this, I'm a host, I should not be taking any sides but Srikanth was outstanding. Absolutely truly deserved, fantastic Rajkummar." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Filmfare (@filmfare) He also thanked director Tushar Hiranandani, producers Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani and Bhushan Kumar, and the real Srikanth Bolla for inspiring the story. He added a special note for his wife Patralekhaa, calling her his biggest inspiration, and expressed gratitude to fans for showering love on the film. Take a look at his post: View this post on Instagram A post shared by RajKummar Rao (@rajkummar_rao) The 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 with Gujarat Tourism took place on October 11 at EKA Arena in Ahmedabad. The grand night was made unforgettable by Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, Kriti Sanon, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Jaya Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Abhishek Bachchan, Kartik Aaryan and many more. The event was filled with electrifying performances, breathtaking red-carpet looks, heartfelt speeches, and unforgettable moments as several stars took home the Black Lady. It was truly a night to remember, celebrating talent, passion and the magic of movies. Also Read: 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 With Gujarat Tourism: Kriti Sanon, Rajkummar Rao & More Grace The Red Carpet The 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 With Gujarat Tourism was filled with unforgettable moments. One such moment had fans seeing art come to life. Lakshya, fresh off the success of Aryan Khan's debut directorial show The Ba***ds of Bollywood, accepted his Best Debut (Male) award for Kill. His name was announced by Akshay Kumar. As the actor made his way to the stage to receive the prestigious Black Lady, he shared the spotlight with Shah Rukh Khan, who was hosting the event. SRK hugged the young actor warmly and stepped aside as Lakshya delivered his winning speech. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Filmfare (@filmfare) This moment made fans recall a scene from Aryan's show. In one of the episodes, Lakshya's character Aasmaan receives the FilmFirst Award for Best Actor from King Khan. In that scene, SRK praises Aasmaan and gives him a proud look. King Khan's glance at Lakshya on Filmfare's stage echoed the award scene from the series, making the moment even more magical and memorable. Netizens were quick to notice the parallels and drew comparisons between reel-life and real-life. Talking of Lakshya's film Kill, it won 6 honours at the Filmfare Awards this year including Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Sound Design, Best Editing and Best Action. One social media user wrote, "Well deserved", while another user added, "I've Also Thought That I Saw This Before". Another comment read, "Sitaare toh bahut hai , lekin Asmaan sirf ek" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Filmfare (@filmfare) About Kill Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Kill (2023) is an action-survival film set aboard a moving train. What begins as a love story quickly escalates into a brutal, blood-soaked fight for survival. The story follows Amrit Rathod (Lakshya), an NSG commando, who boards a New Delhi-bound train to stop his fiancee Tulika's (Tanya Maniktala) marriage. Unbeknownst to them, the train is hijacked by a gang led by the ruthless Fani (Raghav Juyal), turning the journey into a fight for survival. Also Read: 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 with Gujarat Tourism:Lakshya Shines at The Red Carpet Taylor Swift has officially announced two major new projects that will give fans a closer look at the record-breaking Eras Tour. The pop superstar revealed that her six-episode docuseries Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era and concert film The Eras Tour | The Final Show will both begin streaming on JioHotstar from December 12, 2025. The docuseries promises to take viewers behind the scenes of Taylors journey during her globally celebrated tour, which captivated millions of fans across continents. Described as an intimate look at Taylors life as her tour made headlines and thrilled fans, it will feature moments with her crew, family, and close friends. The first two episodes, along with the concert film, will premiere together, followed by two new episodes each week over the next two weeks. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) The concert film, directed by Glenn Weiss, captures the grand finale of The Eras Tour in Vancouver, British Columbia, in December 2023. The performance included 45 songs and highlighted tracks from her Tortured Poets Department album. Fans can expect to relive the energy of the BC Place Stadium show, including the Female Rage: The Musical segment that was added after the albums release. The docuseries is directed by Don Argott and co-directed by Sheena M. Joyce, produced by Object & Animal, while Taylor Swift Productions and Silent House Productions produced the concert film. Together, they aim to tell the story not only of the music but also of the people and emotions that shaped the tour. Sharing her excitement, Taylor wrote on social media, It was the End of an Era and we knew it. We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives. She also reflected on the connection with her fans, mentioning the tradition of exchanging friendship bracelets that became symbolic of the Eras Tour. This marks another major partnership between Taylor and Disney+, following the huge success of the first Eras Tour concert film in 2024, which became one of the platforms most-watched releases in its opening weekend. Also Read: WATCH: Taylor Swift Gushes Over Bride Selena Gomez at Her Wedding Wardrobe mean a lot more View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) Resistance to change Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently shared updates about her upcoming Telugu film, Maa Inti Bangaram and that she would commence shooting for the Nandini Reddy directorial this month. But looks like theres more to the update than Sam just shooting for the film. Especially, if her latest video has anything to go by. Samantha has just posted a video on Instagram that suggests a jam-packed schedule is on the cardsSamantha Ruth Prabhu has revealed that, after a brief pause, a lot of things have started to take shape in her life. In the video, she is seen prepping up for a shoot, looking relaxed and happier than ever. Speaking about her recent focus and upcoming developments, the actress said, Lately my wardrobe has started to mean a lot more to me. The last few months have been exciting. Theres been a lot of new ideas, new energies, and things really taking shape. Next month is going to be crazy. The video clearly indicates a sign of positive things to come in her life as the excitement in her voice and face is palpable. While her post received a lot of warmth and love, it has also sparked buzz online and turned the spotlight back on her alleged relationship with filmmaker Raj Nidimoru. Many netizens are guessing that her new ideas and new energies extend beyond her professional commitments.In another post, Samantha Ruth Prabhu shared a photo dump that flaunts her spiritual side, fitness and pet love. She stated that all she thinks, says and does should transpire and honour her highest self. Thats what came to me during my silence. Now, I just hope I can live it, not just say it, she posted. The caption indicates her resistance to change as she welcomes developments in life. Fans were quick to endorse her thoughts and commented on the posts with love emojis. EQS Newswire / 13/10/2025 / 07:00 UTC+8 AI Leads the New Boom in Smart Healthcare as Home Control Expands Its Healthcare Ecosystem With the rapid rise of the global smart health management industry, the demand for AIoT-enabled smart home and healthcare integration continues to grow. According to market research, the global artificial intelligence healthcare market is expected to reach USD67.72 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 45.3% through 2037, reaching over USD6.4 trillion in market size. The Asia-Pacific market is expected to contribute USD2.5 trillion. Recently, Home Control (1747.HK), a leading provider of home control solutions, announced the establishment of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Orbiva Limited, in Hong Kong, marking its full entry into the AIoT-powered home healthcare sector and rapid expansion of a diversified healthcare ecosystem. The new strategic direction has attracted significant market attention and resulted in a continuous rise in its stock price. The newly-established Orbiva Limited priorizies home healthcare, aiming to build an intelligent home healthcare platform and ecosystem that integrates hardware, software, data, and services. The Company plans to launch a series of self-developed smart healthcare products, including wearable monitoring devices, interactive smart products, and integrated control terminals. Through a secure AIoT-enabled digital platform, users can seamlessly connect all home health devices, enabling data interoperability and creating personalized "digital health profiles". At the same time, the Company is actively expanding its platform network by connecting clinics and primary healthcare institutions, gradually integrating users' health records, and establishing a comprehensive health management service system that encompasses medical services, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and wellness products. Beyond product innovation, Orbiva Limited actively cultivates innovative technologies that can be strategically integrated into its development plans, such as artificial intelligence and Web3 technologies. It specializes in the field of home physiotherapy and healthcare, actively collaborating with renowned academic institutions to establish joint laboratories. At the supply chain front, the Company maintains close cooperation with industry-leading hardware manufacturers. While at the ecosystem level, preliminary exchanges with Fintech institutions on innovative models have started in order to provide a solid foundation for its platform ecosystem. Leveraging these combined strengths, the industry believes Home Control is well-positioned to accelerate the deep integration of home medical data with daily healthcare, driving a comprehensive transformation in health management models. Achieving breakthroughs in the blue ocean market of smart healthcare is highly challenging, requiring not only high entry barriers and significant capital investment but also deep expertise in technology development and data governance. Home Control, originally spun off from the home control division of Philips Group, has years of expertise in IoT and smart home control technologies, a deep understanding of data interoperability, and a strong foundation in international markets. Since entering the healthcare solutions market in 2019, Home Control has achieved technical breakthroughs in specialized areas such as hearing aids. By leveraging its refined product design capabilities, advanced manufacturing expertise, and profound market insights, Home Control has established a distinct competitive advantage within the industry. Data management and regulatory compliance are critical to platform operations. Home Control is committed to continued investment to ensure full adherence to international standards. By introducing new shareholders and board members, the Company aims to integrate cross-disciplinary resources and global healthcare expertise. The newly appointed Independent Non-Executive Director, Mr. Chen Yi Chung, has extensive experience in the healthcare sector. As the Chief Operating Officer of OUE Limited, he oversees healthcare operations across Singapore, China, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Japan, managing over 130 clinics and medical centers in Singapore. Another newly joined Non-Executive Director, Ms. Ma Ying, co-founded the Zhejiang Jack Ma Foundation as its Chairperson and Legal Representative. Leveraging her extensive network, it is expected that she could bring innovative perspectives and foster new strategic collaboration opportunities for the company's future development. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Independent Non-Executive Director, Mr. Ye Min, had rich experienced in capital markets, risk management, ESG, and Web3 finance. His expertise is expected to provide strong support for the company's strategic decision-making and regulatory compliance. Recent share price performance has reflected market optimism for Home Control's valuation re-rating. However, Home Control's potential growth potential may extend beyond single product or service. Market has expectations on its ability to build an integrated "smart home + healthcare" ecosystem. The Company has been transitioning swiftly from a low-profile hardware manufacturer to a diversified enterprise integrating hardware, software, data, and services. It leverages technological innovation and resources consolidation to seize emerging opportunities in the AIoT-enabled smart healthcare segment. Through deepening collaborations with universities, healthcare services, fintech players, and international healthcare groups and other strategic partners, the Company is poised to deliver real-time personal health monitoring and seamless online-offline healthcare experiences, driving the profound integration of AIoT smart homes and medical health to new heights. 13/10/2025 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media archive at www.todayir.com EQS Newswire / 13/10/2025 / 08:15 CET/CEST ROME, ITALY - Media OutReach Newswire - 13 October 2025 - On October 1, the Hainan Free Trade Port Investment Promotion Conference hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Hainan Provincial Committee was held in Rome, Italy. The event attracted over 130 guests, including representatives from Italy's Presidential Office, the economic department, the tourism department, the Rome Government, and the Chinese Embassy in Italy, as well as the economic and trade delegation from Hainan and business leaders from Italy. The Hainan Free Trade Port promotion conference underway in Rome. At the conference, executives from the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, Wenchang International Aerospace City, and Windows to Global Trade introduced the policies and opportunities of Hainan Free Trade Port in the fields of healthcare, aerospace, and trade, respectively. Organizations such as the Association for the Development of Business Communications in Italy (ASCAI) and Bridgeway International also shared their stories of investing in Hainan, confirming the potential of the province as a gateway to the Chinese market and as a regional hub. Multiple cooperation agreements were signed at the conference. Multiple cooperation agreements were signed at the conference, covering sectors such as culture, education, healthcare, wellness, and eco-friendly practice. In an effort to build closer ties between Hainan and Europe, partnerships were secured between Hainan Liou Cultural Management Co., Ltd. and the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci; China Prospect Education Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. and AMALART SRL; Zhongshangjinfu (Hainan) Investment Group and Bridgeway International; Guorun International Medical Hainan Co., Ltd., Medicap, and Lo. Li Pharma International; as well as Hainan Steel Industrial Park Investment Development Co., Ltd. and Ficherl Investments Ltd. . The Italy-Hainan Business Association was also officially unveiled, which is expected to become an important platform for promoting economic and trade exchanges between the two sides. Prior to the conference, the Hainan economic and trade delegation visited several Italian companies, such as TRISMOKA, DANTE BERTONI and ERBOLARIO, to unlock business opportunities in food, manufacturing, and beyond. After the conference to promote Hainan Free Trade Port staged in Milan last year, some Italian business associations visited Hainan, and a China-Italy Business Hub was launched in Sanya. This time, the Rome event aimed to harness that momentum, elevate the cooperation between Hainan and Italy to new heights, and help enterprises from both sides thrive. Hashtag: CCPIT The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. News Source: China Council for the Promotion of International Trade(CCPIT) Hainan Provincial Committee 13/10/2025 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media archive at www.todayir.com MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) (listed on BSE & NSE), a leading provider of digital experience, business process management (BPM), and digital media services, today announced the opening of a new intelligent experience hub in Manila, Philippines. The new facility strengthens the company's capability to deliver technology-enabled solutions for clients while providing a modern workplace for employees. Underscoring HGS' long-term commitment to the region, HGS will create more than 1,000 new jobs over the next 24 months in the areas of business services and digital transformation. Located in Manila's prime business district, the new hub consolidates HGS' teams from across the city in a single, purpose-built environment. Designed to support evolving, technology-driven business needs and new delivery models, the hub features collaborative spaces that empower teams and enable greater value for clients. "The Philippines has been an integral part of HGS' growth story for over two decades, and this new intelligent experience hub marks yet another important milestone in our commitment to this region," said Giridhar GV, CEO - APAC and Global CHRO, HGS. "The center embodies the fusion of human expertise with AI and empathy-driven innovation to deliver seamless, personalized solutions from one of the world's most dynamic talent ecosystems. It's not just a technology investment but a strategic move toward orchestrating meaningful, intelligent experiences that resonate with our clients and their customers." Earlier this year, HGS had signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Philippines government to scale its local operations significantly. The new center has an initial capacity of 1,500 seats and can accommodate up to 3,000 employees in two shifts, supporting clients with high-quality service delivery. With this addition, HGS now operates two facilities in Manila and four across the Philippines. About Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) A global leader in optimizing the customer experience lifecycle, digital transformation, business process management, and digital media ecosystem, HGS is helping its clients become more competitive every day. HGS combines automation, analytics, and artificial intelligence with deep domain expertise focusing on digital customer experiences, back-office processing, contact centers, and HRO solutions. HGS' digital media business, NXTDIGITAL (www.nxtdigital.in), is India's premier integrated Digital Delivery Platforms Company delivering services via satellite, digital cable and broadband to over 6 million customers across 1,500 cities and towns. Part of the multi-billion-dollar conglomerate Hinduja Group, HGS takes a 'globally local' approach. HGS has 18,472 employees in nine countries, including 33 delivery centers, making a difference to some of the world's leading brands across verticals. For the year ended March 31, 2025, HGS had total income of Rs. 4,958.8 crore (US$586.1 million). Visit https://hgs.cx to learn how HGS transforms customer experiences and builds businesses for the future. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794401/Ashish_Chaturvedi_Pushkar_Misra_Giridhar_GV_HGS.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2534452/5365764/HGS_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hgs-opens-a-new-intelligent-experience-hub-in-manila-philippines-302581734.html Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - October 13, 2025) - In a recent development, the commercial real estate intelligence platform Realmo has launched an AI-powered property search assistant. This new tool enables users to find and analyze commercial properties by describing their requirements in natural language. The AI assistant is designed to process these descriptions and then recommend properties that match specific criteria, which can include price, property features, location, and the proximity to other points of interest. Realmo To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8871/269660_ai-search3_940.jpg Now, users can simply tell the AI exactly what they need, like "find a retail space under $3,000 per month in a high-foot-traffic area in downtown Boston, suitable for a coffee shop and near a university campus." The assistant then instantly sifts through more than 9 million properties to deliver a curated list of top-tier options, complete with deep analytics. When this AI assistant comes into effect, the aim is to provide faster search options and providing users access to the kind of detailed property analysis that may have been limited before. Instead of spending time on random listings, people can focus on better options, saving time and finding better suited properties. From the larger market side, what it shows is a shift towards data-driven working and more openness in how deals are made. With advanced AI modeling and predictive insights, platforms like Realmo are aiming to help investors, brokers, and regular buyers figure out: what's the best potential use for a given property, and where demand-supply gap actually exists. In short, Realmo aims to make the process more efficient and also create a transparent ecosystem where decisions depend less on guesswork and more on actual numbers. About Realmo Realmo is a proptech company started off in November 2023 with the goal of bringing proper transparency into the U.S. commercial property market. By harnessing the power of data, AI, and location intelligence, Realmo provides reliable data and tools to help property owners, investors, and business operators make informed decisions and maximize potential investment potential. The platform analyzes over 9 million properties across 60 business categories, offering comprehensive assessments and actionable recommendations. Realmo is a service of Property Experts Inc., headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/269660 SOURCE: PRNews OU Road Town, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - October 13, 2025) - LBank Exchange is pleased to announce the listing of Neural Vision (NRL). Trading for the NRL/USDT pair opened at 12:00 UTC on October 10, 2025. Users will be able to access the trading pair at: https://www.lbank.com/trade/nrl_usdt NRL listing banner To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/270110_d0b2fdb8741d9a85_001full.jpg About Neural Vision (NRL) Neural Vision is building a decentralized artificial intelligence computing network focused on enabling open access to vision-based AI applications. At its core, the project merges decentralized computing infrastructure with cutting-edge machine learning models, aiming to power large-scale vision inference through distributed GPU nodes. The platform offers a seamless interface for users and developers to run AI workloads without relying on centralized providers. By tokenizing compute and access rights through the $NRL token, Neural Vision fosters an open ecosystem where GPU resource providers, AI developers, and data consumers can interact in a trustless, incentive-aligned manner. Through its infrastructure layer, Neural Vision supports distributed vision model training and inference with a focus on efficiency, scalability, and privacy. Its decentralized architecture ensures that AI tasks such as image generation, object detection, video analysis, and medical imaging can be carried out with high availability and verifiability. The project introduces novel mechanisms such as Proof-of-Compute Validation and model access tokenization, allowing for verifiable off-chain computation and secure model deployment. Combined with a strong focus on community governance and sustainable incentive distribution, Neural Vision is positioning itself as a foundational layer for the decentralized AI economy. About NRL Token $NRL is the utility token that powers the Neural Vision ecosystem. It is used for compute task payments, staking for node participation, and as a medium of exchange for model and dataset access. The token also enables governance rights within the platform, allowing the community to vote on protocol upgrades, model ranking, and resource allocation strategies. Token holders can stake $NRL to earn incentives and contribute to securing the network's operations. Learn more about Neural Vision (NRL) Website: https://neuralvision.ventures/ About LBank Founded in 2015, LBank is a leading global cryptocurrency exchange serving over 20 million registered users in 160 countries and regions. With a daily trading volume exceeding $8.5 billion and 10 years of safety with zero security incidents, LBank is dedicated to providing a comprehensive and user-friendly trading experience. As the ultimate 100x Gems Hub, LBank has listed over 300 mainstream coins and more than 50 high-potential gems. Ranked No. 1 in 100x Gems and Meme Share, LBank leads the market with the fastest altcoin listings, making it the go-to platform for crypto investors worldwide. Follow LBank for Updates Website: https://www.lbank.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LBank_Exchange Telegram: https://t.me/LBank_en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lbank_exchange LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lbank To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270110 SOURCE: LBank BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks are gaining notable ground in positive territory on Monday amid easing concerns about U.S.-China trade tensions after President Donald Trump softened his stance on a potential 100% tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump, who previously threatened to slap steep new tariffs on China, said over the weekend that everything would be 'fine' and Washington was not looking to 'hurt' China. Meanwhile on the French political front, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who was reappointed on Friday, unveiled his cabinet amid budget turmoil that is scaring businesses and investors. The benchmark CAC 40, which advanced to 7,995.49 earlier in the session, was up 41.00 points or 0.52% at 7,959.00 a few minutes ago. Stellantis is up with a strong gain of 3.7%. STMicroElectronics is gaining 3.2%, while ArcelorMittal and Publicis Groupe are rising 2.35% and 2.15%, respectively. Kering is climbing up 1.75%, while Hermes International, Legrand and Saint Gobain are up by about 1.5%. Renault, Euronext, LVMH, Vinci and EssilorLuxottica are also notably higher. Meanwhile, Thales, Michelin, Danone, Eurofins Scientific, Orange and BNP Paribas are down in negative territory, losing between 0.25 to 0.8%. Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. South Bend, Indiana--(Newsfile Corp. - October 13, 2025) - Strawberry Fields REIT (NYSE American: STRW), a self-administered real estate investment trust ("REIT") engaged in the ownership, acquisition, and leasing of healthcare-related properties, announced today that it will be presenting at the 19th annual Main Event on Tuesday, October 21st at 10:00 AM PT at the Hotel del Coronado. Moishe Gubin will be giving the presentation. "The Main Event is a culmination of over 25 years of hard work and passion for small company investing. There is no organization on planet Earth that cares more about small companies succeeding than LD. To be able to connect with our community in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable brings me considerable joy. We look forward to welcoming all of our patrons and ensuring that they have a wonderful time," stated Chris Lahiji, Founder of LD Micro. Moishe Gubin the Company's Chairman & CEO noted: "I am excited that Strawberry Fields REIT is returning to LD Micro's Main Event on October 20th & 21st. We met many great investors last year and look forward to building on that momentum this year." Event: LD Micro Main Event XIX Date: Tuesday, October 21st Time: 10:00 AM PT Register to watch the virtual presentation here. Summary of LD Micro Main Event XIX The 2025 LD Micro Main Event XIX will run from October 19th to the 21st at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California. The first day will consist of registration, keynote speakers, and some gorgeous views of the Pacific. It will be followed by two full days of company presentations and one-on-one investor meetings concluded with a closing reception. This three-day event will feature around 120 companies, presenting in half-hour increments, and attending private meetings with investors. About Strawberry Fields REIT Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc., is a self-administered real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership, acquisition, development and leasing of skilled nursing and certain other healthcare-related properties. The Company's portfolio includes 142 healthcare facilities with an aggregate of 15,500+ beds, located throughout the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The 142 healthcare facilities comprise 130 skilled nursing facilities, 10 assisted living facilities, and two long-term acute care hospitals. About LD Micro LD Micro is dedicated to being the definitive resource in the small-cap space. From its industry-recognized index and robust data to hosting some of the most influential events each year, LD Micro's mission is to provide unparalleled access and insight for those seeking the next generation of great companies. To learn more about LD Micro, visit: http://www.ldmicro.com To learn more about Freedom US Markets LLC, visit: https://www.freedomcapmkts.com/ SOURCE: LD Micro Istanbul, Turkey--(Newsfile Corp. - October 13, 2025) - Now in its third edition, the International Carpet & Flooring Expo (ICFE) - previously known as CFE, has rapidly established itself as one of the most important meeting points for the sector worldwide. Organised by Tuyap Exhibitions Group in collaboration with the Istanbul Carpet Exporters' Association (IHIB) and the Southeastern Anatolia Carpet Exporters' Association (GAHIB), the fair has taken on a truly international identity, drawing buyers, manufacturers, and decision-makers from across six continents. ICFE 2026 expands with global reach and record growth in Istanbul To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8552/270138_78484b47d4c3994d_001full.jpg Even in an era when the winds of e-commerce sweep through every corner of trade, face-to-face networking continues to be where enduring connections are made that get deals done. For the carpet and flooring industry, no event embodies this better than ICFE, taking place at the Istanbul Expo Center from 6-9 January 2026. A new hall added The growth trajectory is striking. Responding to strong demand, ICFE has expanded to an 11th hall for 2026. All halls are already fully booked, with world-renowned brands securing their place early, reflecting the Expo's role as a central hub for the industry. ICFE's global influence is powered by a comprehensive marketing strategy that spans more than 80 countries. Through digital media, targeted campaigns, and international B2B matchmaking systems, the Expo connects exhibitors and visitors directly and efficiently. This global outreach not only differentiates ICFE from other sector events but also ensures that each edition creates new opportunities for trade and partnership. ICFE 2026 expands with global reach and record growth in Istanbul To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8552/270138_78484b47d4c3994d_002full.jpg Over 50 thousand attendees expected Looking ahead, ICFE 2026 is expected to host nearly 500 companies from 25 countries, including China, Iran, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, the USA, Egypt, Jordan, Belgium, and France. Around 50,000 professional visitors from 105 countries are anticipated, with particularly strong attendance from Germany, Italy, China, India, Iran, Belgium, the USA, Russia, and the Middle East. "Our industry may embrace digital tools, but it thrives on the trust and connections that come from meeting in person," said Ilhan Ersozlu at Tuyap Exhibitions Group. "The expansion of ICFE to an 11th hall and the diversity of international participation demonstrate how vital Istanbul has become as a global centre for carpets and flooring. ICFE 2026 will be a platform where new partnerships are formed, and the future of the industry takes shape." About Tuyap Founded in 1979 by Bulent Unal as Turkiye's first private fair organisation company, Tuyap has shaped the industry for more than 46 years. It has hosted over 370,000 companies and 75 million visitors through specialised fairs at home and abroad. Today, Tuyap operates three fair centres in Turkiye and maintains offices in six countries, working with more than 100 professional organisations worldwide. It pioneered Turkish export product fairs in China, Russia, and Africa, and continues to support international trade with an average of 10 foreign fairs each year. As the only private organiser in Turkiye with its own fair centre, Tuyap combines physical events with digital platforms to deliver hybrid fairs that meet the needs of a globalised market. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270138 SOURCE: B2Press BV WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Salesforce, Inc. (CRM), a cloud-based software company, on Monday announced plans to invest $15 billion in San Francisco over the next five years to strengthen the city's position as a global AI hub. The company also announced a new $39 million pledge to education and healthcare, bringing its total Bay Area contributions to more than $1 billion. The investment will fund a new AI Incubator Hub at Salesforce's San Francisco campus, support AI workforce development and training, and help companies transition into Agentic Enterprises. The announcement comes ahead of the annual Dreamforce conference, running October 14 to October 16, which is expected to attract nearly 50,000 attendees, generate $130 million in local revenue, and create 35,000 local jobs. In the pre-market trading, Salesforce is 1.12% higher at $244.29 on the New York Stock Exchange. Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. TAIPEI, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- InPsytech, a subsidiary of Egis Technology (6462.TWO) specializing in high-speed interface intellectual property (IP) development, announced today that it will participate in the Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit 2025, to be held in San Jose, California, from October 13-16, 2025. At the event, InPsytech will showcase its latest 3nm UCIe high-speed interface technology demo, featuring support for the newest UCIe 3.0 standard, 3D packaging integration, and ultra-high-speed, low-power performance. This demonstration highlights InPsytech's advanced R&D capabilities in Chiplet interconnect technology and its role in supporting Egis Group's broader strategy in semiconductor design and heterogeneous integration. Industry-Leading 3nm 64G UCIe Technology - High Speed, Low Power, Full UCIe 3.0 Support InPsytech has long focused on high-speed and low-power interface IP technologies. Its UCIe (Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express) portfolio supports advanced process nodes from 22nm down to 2nm, optimized for 3nm production. The IP achieves data transfer rates up to 64 GT/s, while supporting 2.5D and 3D packaging architectures to enable high-efficiency chip-to-chip interconnects and heterogeneous integration. The showcased 3nm UCIe 3.0 demo fully complies with the latest UCIe 3.0 specification, demonstrating InPsytech's leadership in next-generation process technology and Chiplet ecosystem development. Collaborating with Alcor Micro to Advance the Arm Chiplet Ecosystem InPsytech's UCIe technology has been successfully adopted in Alcor Micro Corp.'s latest Arm-based CPU platform Mobius100 (CSS V3), which will also be featured at the OCP 2025 Summit. The platform is built on Arm Neoverse CSS architecture, supporting CPU die-to-die interconnects and flexible integration with GPUs, NPUs, and various AI accelerators - driving advancements in heterogeneous computing and Chiplet design. Both InPsytech and Alcor Micro are members of the Arm Total Design (ATD) program, jointly fostering collaboration and innovation across the Arm Chiplet ecosystem. "We are proud to demonstrate our leadership in this field alongside Alcor Micro," said David Hsu, COO of InPsytech. "We have strong confidence in the future of UCIe within the Arm Chiplet ecosystem and believe that InPsytech's UCIe technology will accelerate Chiplet adoption, bringing new innovation and breakthroughs to the global semiconductor industry." Exhibition Details Event: OCP Global Summit 2025 Date: October 13-16, 2025 Location: San Jose Convention Center, California, USA Exhibit Zone: Innovation Village Zone Showcase: 3nm UCIe 3.0 Demo (with 3D Package Support) Partner: Alcor Micro Corp. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/inpsytech-showcases-3nm-ucie-3-0-technology-at-ocp-2025--accelerating-innovation-in-chiplet-ecosystem-302581964.html TUCSON, ARIZONA / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / MTM Transit announces its official launch of comprehensive transportation services for the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Pima County in the Tucson, Arizona metro area. This new operation, which includes the RTA's Sun Shuttle fixed-route system, Sun Shuttle dial-a-ride paratransit services, and public dial-a-ride services, adds to MTM Transit's demonstrated commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative mobility solutions to communities in Arizona and across the nation. "We are honored to partner with the RTA to bring innovative and reliable transit solutions to Pima County," said Brian Balogh, Chief Operations Officer of MTM Transit. "Our team is committed to enhancing the passenger experience and fostering a long-term relationship with RTA, built on continuous improvement, sustainability and community engagement." Under a three-year contract with two one-year options, MTM Transit operates a robust fleet of 48 hybrid Toyota Sienna minivans, six Ram ProMasters, and 26 client-owned Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible cutaway buses. As a turnkey operation, MTM Transit provides full-service facilities in Tucson and Ajo, professional drivers, dispatch and call center support, comprehensive vehicle maintenance and cleaning, and advanced scheduling and routing through RideCo for paratransit services and TripShot for fixed routes. The operation is supported by a dedicated team of more than 120 professionals, including operations leaders, customer service staff, maintenance and safety personnel, and vehicle operators. "Providing safe, reliable, and accessible transit options in the region are the top priorities for all our Sun Shuttle programs," said Preston McLaughlin, Transportation Mobility Manager for Pima Association of Governments, the region's metropolitan planning organization which manages the RTA. "We believe MTM Transit's unique approach to operating transportation programs will greatly enhance Sun Shuttle's service quality, and we look forward to this new partnership." For more than 15 years, MTM Transit has been a trusted transit partner for agencies nationwide; specifically in Arizona, MTM Transit has served local communities since 2018 and looks forward to becoming an integral part of the RTA team. The Sun Shuttle services are vital to transit-dependent populations in the greater Tucson region, and MTM Transit is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Pima County residents and visitors by providing exceptional service, leveraging cutting-edge technology, and prioritizing sustainability. About MTM Transit In 2009, MTM Health founded MTM Transit, an affiliate dedicated to delivering paratransit and fixed-route transit services. Together, the organizations provide more than 35 million trips annually, helping 20.5 million individuals nationwide access their communities. MTM Health and MTM Transit are privately held, woman-owned enterprises that are committed to creating equitable, accessible transportation and healthcare solutions aimed at removing community barriers. About RTA The Regional Transportation Authority, established in 2004, is a taxing subdivision of the state within the boundaries of Pima County, Arizona. The RTA Board, an independent governing body, establishes a 20-year regional transportation plan and is authorized to seek a countywide sales tax to fund it. RTA members include local, county, state and tribal governments. In 2006, voters approved a $2.1 billion plan and half-cent sales tax to fund it. The RTA Board has approved a new 20-year plan for voter consideration in March 2026. The proposed $2.67 billion RTA Next plan includes roadway, transit, bike, pedestrian and other transportation improvement projects for the greater Tucson region. For more information about the proposed plan, visit www.RTANext.com. Additional information about the RTA is available at www.RTAmobility.com. Contact Information Ashley Wright Senior Manager, Marketing awright@mtminc.com SOURCE: MTM, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/transportation/mtm-transit-launches-sun-shuttle-operation-in-pima-county-arizona-1085274 BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - After a spell in positive territory early on in the session on Monday, the Switzerland market struggled for support and drifted down into negative territory past mid afternoon, but finally managed to end the day's session slightly up. Most of the markets across Europe closed higher today after U.S. President Donald Trump struck a more conciliatory tone on trade with China, saying that everything would be 'fine' and that Washington was not looking to 'hurt' China. The focus was also on France, where Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who was reappointed on Friday, unveiled his cabinet amid budget turmoil that is scaring businesses and investors. The mood remained cautious, and activity was mostly stock specific. The benchmark SMI settled with a small gain of 3.39 points or 0.03% at 12,484.80. The index scaled a low of 12,437.14 and a high of 12,546.55 intraday. VAT Group climbed nearly 3%. Swatch Group, Lindt & Spruengli, Amrize, UBS Group, Holcim and Sika gained 1 to 1.5%. Alcon, Givaudan, ABB, Richemont, Lonza Group and Sonova closed with modest gains. Roche Holding settled flat. The FDA approved a blood test developed by Roche and Eli Lilly to aid in the initial assessment for Alzheimer's disease. Swisscom ended nearly 2% down. Swiss Re, Zurich Insurance, Logitech International, Julius Baer, Galderma Group and Novartis lost 0.4 to 1%. Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Construction on new R-50 factory to begin in early 2026, with production scaling up to 50 reactors per year OAK RIDGE, TN / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Radiant, the company pioneering the world's first mass-produced nuclear generator, announced today with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter, and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, that it will build its first factory on a Manhattan Project site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee that helped launch the nuclear age over 80 years ago. Radiant Sign At Nuclear Generator Factory Radiant sign up at Nuclear generator factory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The land for Radiant's new factory, which encompasses portions of the historic K-27 and K-29 Manhattan Project sites, has been purchased from the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board. With construction beginning in early 2026, this agreement keeps Radiant on track to deliver its first mass-produced Kaleidos nuclear generator by 2028, and, within a few years, scale up production to 50 reactors per year. In recognition of this ambitious mission, and to honor the site's heritage, Radiant plans to name their new factory R-50. "What was formerly the first Manhattan Project site will now be the site of the first portable nuclear generator production," said Doug Bernauer, CEO and Founder of Radiant. "By 2028, we'll be rolling out the first factory-built nuclear generator, and within a few years we'll be producing over a dozen per year." "We chose Oak Ridge, Tennessee, because of their strong workforce, the community's rich nuclear heritage and the public's second-to-none nuclear IQ," said Tori Shivanandan, Chief Operating Officer of Radiant. "Just as importantly, the state's business-friendly environment gave us the immediate regulatory certainty we needed to move fast and be up and running to meet growing customer demand for our nuclear generators. We're excited to start building in just a few months." The decision to build at Oak Ridge highlights the site's unique role in America's energy history. Originally constructed as part of the Manhattan Project, Oak Ridge was home to some of the first nuclear facilities in the world. Now it will be used to build nuclear generators that can support a wide range of applications from military energy resilience to powering data centers and remote communities. For more information on Radiant and the Kaleidos nuclear generator, visit www.radiantnuclear.com. About Radiant Radiant is building the world's first mass-produced nuclear generators that can go anywhere they're needed, whenever they're needed, and without constant refueling. The company's first generator, Kaleidos, is a 1 MW failsafe nuclear microreactor. Founded in 2020, Radiant plans to test its first reactor in 2026, with initial customer deployments beginning in 2028. Radiant's mission is to mass produce the most economical and reliable portable reactors in the world. Contact For media inquiries, contact Ray Wert at press@radiantnuclear.com . SOURCE: Radiant Industries, Incorporated View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/clean-technology/radiant-to-build-first-portable-nuclear-generator-factory-on-tennessee-manhattan-p-1086390 IRAEmpire is proud to announce the release of its updated guide on "Small Business Brokers". It aims to help business owners navigate the complex markets of business brokers and M&A advisors. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Selling a small business involves several complex steps, including valuation, marketing, negotiations, and legal documentation. Many business owners find that the process requires more time, expertise, and market knowledge than they expected. A small business broker serves as an intermediary between business owners and potential buyers, ensuring that the sale is handled efficiently and confidentially. Their role is to simplify the process, protect the seller's interests, and help achieve a fair market price for the business. This article explains what small business brokers do, how they operate, and why engaging a professional broker can be beneficial for business owners preparing to sell. Check Out the Best Small Business Brokers in the US on IRAEmpire What Exactly Is a Small Business Broker? A small business broker is a professional who assists in the purchase and sale of privately owned businesses. Their primary function is to act as a neutral intermediary-connecting business owners who wish to sell with individuals or entities looking to buy. Ryan Paulson, Chief Editor at IRAEmpire says, "Brokers handle key aspects of the transaction, such as assessing the business's market value, preparing it for sale, identifying qualified buyers, and facilitating negotiations between both parties. In many cases, they also coordinate with accountants, attorneys, and lenders to ensure that the transaction complies with legal and financial requirements." Unlike real estate agents who specialize in property sales, business brokers specialize in selling ongoing enterprises. They understand how to present a company's financials, goodwill, and operational potential in a way that attracts serious buyers. What Does a Business Broker Actually Do? A small business broker manages several aspects of the sale process to ensure a smooth and confidential transaction. Their responsibilities typically include the following: Business Valuation: Brokers help determine a realistic market value based on financial performance, industry trends, and comparable sales. Preparing the Business for Sale: They compile financial statements, operational details, and marketing materials that accurately represent the business to potential buyers. Marketing and Buyer Search: Brokers use professional networks, listing platforms, and confidential marketing strategies to reach qualified and serious buyers. Screening and Qualifying Buyers: Before sharing sensitive business information, brokers verify that interested parties have the financial capability and intent to proceed. Negotiation and Offer Management: Brokers act as intermediaries during negotiations, helping both sides reach a fair and balanced agreement. Coordinating Due Diligence and Closing: They oversee the due diligence process, ensuring that all documentation, legal requirements, and financial arrangements are completed correctly before closing. Through these activities, business brokers help business owners maintain focus on day-to-day operations while managing the complexities of the sale. Learn About the No.1 Ranked Small Business Broker in the US Here. Why Hiring a Business Broker Makes a Difference Engaging a qualified business broker can significantly improve the chances of completing a successful sale. Selling a business involves more than listing it for buyers-it requires strategic positioning, accurate valuation, and experienced negotiation. A business broker provides the structure and expertise necessary to manage these areas effectively. Key advantages include: Accurate Valuation: Brokers rely on financial data, industry benchmarks, and market conditions to determine a fair and realistic price range. Confidential Marketing: Maintaining confidentiality is critical when selling a business. Brokers know how to market a business discreetly without disclosing sensitive information publicly. Access to Qualified Buyers: Experienced brokers have established databases and professional networks that connect sellers with serious, pre-screened buyers. Negotiation Expertise: By acting as intermediaries, brokers help balance the interests of both parties and facilitate smoother negotiations. Time and Efficiency: Selling a business can be time-consuming. A broker manages the entire process, allowing the owner to continue running operations without major disruption. In short, hiring a business broker helps minimize risk, streamline the transaction, and often leads to better financial outcomes for the seller. How Much Does a Business Broker Cost? Business brokers are typically compensated through a commission-based structure, meaning they earn a percentage of the final sale price once the transaction is completed. This is often referred to as a success fee, as payment is contingent upon the sale closing successfully. For small to mid-sized businesses, commissions generally range between 8% and 12% of the sale value. The percentage may vary depending on factors such as: The size and complexity of the business The industry and deal structure The broker's experience and network The level of service provided (valuation, marketing, due diligence coordination, etc.) In some cases, brokers may charge a small upfront or retainer fee to cover marketing and administrative expenses, though this varies by firm. Business owners should clarify all costs in writing before engaging a broker to ensure transparency and mutual understanding. While the commission may seem substantial, many sellers find that professional representation leads to higher offers, faster sales, and fewer complications-offsetting the cost of brokerage services. What to Look for in a Good Business Broker Selecting the right broker is one of the most important decisions a business owner can make when preparing to sell. The right professional can streamline the process and help secure a favorable outcome, while an inexperienced or inattentive broker can cause unnecessary delays or missteps. When evaluating potential brokers, consider the following criteria: Experience and Track Record: Look for a broker with proven experience in your industry or similar types of businesses. Past successful transactions are often a good indicator of competence. Licensing and Credentials: In many regions, brokers must hold a business or real estate license. Membership in professional associations such as the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) or M&A Source also reflects professionalism and adherence to ethical standards. Transparency and Communication: A good broker provides clear explanations about fees, timelines, and processes. Open communication ensures both parties understand expectations. Marketing Strategy: Evaluate how the broker plans to market your business-through online listings, buyer databases, or industry networks. A strong marketing plan increases visibility among qualified buyers. Reputation and References: Request references from previous clients to assess reliability and performance. Online reviews and industry recommendations can also provide useful insight. Alignment with Your Goals: The broker should understand your motivations for selling-whether maximizing price, ensuring continuity for employees, or closing quickly-and tailor their strategy accordingly. Taking time to research and interview multiple brokers helps ensure a professional partnership that aligns with both your business and personal objectives. View the Best Business Brokers List of 2025 on IRAEmpire When Is the Right Time to Contact a Broker? Ideally, business owners should contact a broker well before they plan to sell-typically six to twelve months in advance. Early engagement gives the broker time to assess the business, organize financial documentation, and identify areas that could improve its market value. Even if the sale is not immediate, an early consultation helps owners understand current market conditions, potential buyer demand, and realistic pricing expectations. This insight allows for better preparation and decision-making. Business brokers can also assist owners who are simply exploring their options. For example, they can provide an informal valuation or outline steps to make the business more appealing to future buyers. In contrast, waiting until the last moment to engage a broker can limit marketing time and negotiation flexibility. Planning ahead ensures that the sale process proceeds smoothly and that the business is presented to buyers at its strongest position. FAQs About Small Business Brokers 1. Do I really need a business broker to sell my business? While it is possible to sell a business independently, many owners choose to work with a broker for their expertise, networks, and ability to manage complex negotiations. A broker's involvement often leads to faster sales and better outcomes. 2. How do business brokers find buyers? Brokers use a mix of private databases, professional associations, industry contacts, and online listing platforms to locate qualified buyers. They also market the business confidentially to protect sensitive information. 3. Can a broker help me determine my business's value? Yes. Most brokers perform a preliminary valuation based on financial records, assets, earnings, and comparable sales. This helps establish a fair asking price that reflects market realities. 4. What is the difference between a business broker and an M&A advisor? Business brokers typically handle small to mid-sized business sales (valued under $5 million), while M&A advisors work on larger, more complex transactions involving corporate buyers or investors. 5. How long does it take to sell a business with a broker? The average sale process ranges from six months to one year, depending on the business type, industry demand, and financial documentation. A well-prepared business often sells faster. 6. Are broker fees negotiable? Commission rates are sometimes negotiable, especially for larger deals. However, experienced brokers typically maintain standard rates that reflect the level of service, marketing, and negotiation involved. Learn About the No.1 Ranked Small Business Brokers in USA Conclusion Selling a business is a significant financial and personal decision that requires careful planning and professional guidance. A qualified business broker plays a central role in this process-helping owners establish accurate valuations, maintain confidentiality, and connect with serious buyers. By managing marketing, negotiations, and due diligence, brokers enable business owners to focus on running operations until the sale is complete. Their experience and structured approach can minimize uncertainty, reduce errors, and often result in a stronger overall outcome. For business owners considering a sale, consulting with a broker early in the process can provide clarity on both the market landscape and the steps required to achieve a smooth transition. About IRAEmpire IRAEmpire is a leading online resource dedicated to helping investors make smarter decisions about retirement planning, precious metals, and alternative investments. Built with a mission to simplify complex financial topics, IRAEmpire provides in-depth reviews, comparison guides, and educational content focused on Gold IRAs, Silver IRAs, and other self-directed retirement accounts. The platform is designed for investors who want clarity, transparency, and unbiased insights before committing to a retirement strategy. Unlike generic finance sites, IRAEmpire specializes in the precious metals niche, ensuring that its articles, rankings, and company reviews are tailored specifically to the needs of retirement savers seeking stability in uncertain times. Key features include detailed breakdowns of top Gold IRA companies, step-by-step investment guides, and market trend analysis. By combining data-driven research with easy-to-understand explanations, IRAEmpire empowers readers to compare providers, evaluate fees, and choose the right partner for their long-term financial security. Whether you're a first-time investor exploring precious metals or an experienced retiree looking to diversify, IRAEmpire serves as a trusted guide. Its goal is simple: to help you protect and grow your wealth through smart, informed retirement planning. CONTACT: Ryan Paulson ryan@iraempire.com SOURCE: IRAEmpire LLC View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/blockchain-and-cryptocurrency/small-business-brokers-what-are-they-how-to-choose-and-more-guide-rel-1084930 New Prague, Minnesota--(Newsfile Corp. - October 13, 2025) - Electromed, Inc. (NYSE American: ELMD) ("Electromed" or the "Company"), a leader in innovative airway clearance technologies, today announced that Company management will participate in the LD Micro Main Event XIX Conference being held October 19-21, 2025 in San Diego. Electromed President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Cunniff will present on Monday, October 20 at 10:00 am PT. Interested parties may access a live webcast of the presentation using the following link Electromed LD Micro Main Event XIX Webcast. The link will also be posted on the Electromed Investor Relations website under Events & Presentations. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Siemens launches new SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relay with three versatile variants for a wide range of industrial requirements Ideal for use in combination with Siemens controllers Bio-based, halogen-free, flame-retardant Akulon K225-KS B-MB plastic from Envalior offers high heat and excellent chemical resistance DUSSELDORF, Germany, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens Smart Infrastructure has launched a new series of coupling relays, with housing made from plastic that consists of 70 percent bio-based material - derived from biomass waste. The Akulon K225-KS B-MB plastic was developed by Envalior, a world leader in a wide range of industries by designing and developing high-quality sustainable solutions, in collaboration with Siemens to ensure all the desired properties are met. The plastic's raw material comes from used cooking oil (UCO), left over after frying in the food industry, restaurants, snack bars and households. As UCO is no longer suitable for human or animal consumption, it does not compete with food or animal feed production. While UCO is mainly used for biodiesel, Envalior uses it for the production of engineering plastics based on a mass balance concept, avoiding incineration. Envalior is a global supplier of high-performance engineering materials. "Collaborating with Envalior to create this bio-based plastic is an important step towards advancing the use of more sustainable materials in our electrical products. We are pleased to work with Envalior as another strong partner on our journey towards a more environmentally friendly portfolio," says Andreas Matthe, CEO of Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. The new SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relay comes in three versatile variants for a wide range of industrial requirements. The first variant with integral relay output is specially designed for harsh environmental conditions, as well as for areas with specific safety requirements. These relays have safety-ready characteristic values (B10d values) and are also approved for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX-certified). This variant is optionally available with gold-plated contact elements for switching very low currents, or with printed circuit boards with a protective coating, which are suited for railway applications. As a second variant, plug-in coupling relays are available for applications that require quick relay replacement during operation. They are also available as an option with gold-plated contacts.? For applications requiring very fast, soundless and frequent switching, Siemens offers a third variant with semiconductor output. As it has a virtually infinite service life, it is used where replacing conventional relays can be expensive and time-consuming. Siemens has been able to increase the switching capacity of these semiconductor variants to up to 6A, enabling them to match the performance of conventional elementary relays.? The SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relays are designed for more sustainability throughout their entire lifecycle, from development to the end of service life and meet the strict criteria of the Siemens EcoTech label. This includes 33 percent lower energy losses in the semiconductor variant compared to previous versions as well as eliminating problematic materials such as halogens or PFAS. In addition, the product can be easily dismantled and recycled at the end of its life. Envalior's Akulon K225-KS B-MB, a bio-based, halogen-free, flame-retardant polyamide 6 grade plastic for injection molding, is the ideal choice for these coupling relays. This more sustainable material is characterized by a significantly improved environmental profile, high heat resistance, and excellent chemical resistance and is used in many electrical engineering and power distribution applications. "At Envalior, we are proud to have partnered with Siemens in the development of the SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relay series. A key success factor in this project was achieving excellent flow behavior in thin-wall designs and a UL94 V-0 rating at just 0.4 mm thickness, while simultaneously achieving an outstanding green share from bio-waste sources but at prime quality," says Dr. Marc Rudolf, Global Key Account Manager, Envalior. The new SIRIUS 3RQ4 coupling relays have a space-saving slim-line design for optimized use in control cabinets. They have been designed and intensively tested for use in combination with Siemens controllers. Their fully automated production at the Siemens plant in Amberg shortens the supply chain in the German and European markets. The coupling relays are shipped in more sustainable cardboard boxes in standard multi-piece packaging. The operating instructions and all relevant information can be accessed electronically from an ID link on the device.? In addition to the manufacture of bio-based products, Envalior also focuses on renewable energies. In 2024, Envalior covered over 50 percent of its global electricity needs with renewable energies. By 2030, Envalior aims to reduce emissions by another 35 percent. This will be achieved through a variety of measures, including expanding renewable energies to 100 percent by 2030, implementing local emission reduction initiatives, and switching to climate-friendly heat sources. Envalior invests in renewable energies close to its production sites around the world. Visit Envalior for more information at K 2025 (Hall 6, Stand B11, October 8-15, 2025, Messe Dusseldorf, Germany) or at https://www.envalior.com/en-us/products. For more information on Siemens Smart Infrastructure, please see Siemens Smart Infrastructure. About Envalior Envalior is a global leader in Engineering Materials with over 4,000 employees worldwide. It was established in 2023 through the merger of Lanxess Performance Materials and DSM Engineering Materials. With a long track record of customer-driven innovation, Envalior specializes in developing Sustainable and High-Performance Engineering Materials, including PA6, PA66, PBT, PA46, PPS, TPC, PET, PA4T, PA410, and Thermoplastic Composites. Focus markets include Mobility, Electronics & Electrical, and Consumer Goods. For more information, visit www.envalior.com . About Siemens Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI) is shaping the market for intelligent, adaptive infrastructure for today and the future. It addresses the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings, and industries. SI provides customers with a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio from a single source - with products, systems, solutions, and services from the point of power generation all the way to consumption. With an increasingly digitalized ecosystem, it helps customers thrive and communities progress while contributing toward protecting the planet. To protect this journey, we foster holistic cybersecurity to ensure secure and reliable operations. Siemens Smart Infrastructure has its global headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. As of September 30, 2024, the business had around 78,500 employees worldwide. Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company's purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. A leader in industrial AI, Siemens leverages its deep domain know-how to apply AI - including generative AI - to real-world applications, making AI accessible and impactful for customers across diverse industries. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. In fiscal 2024, which ended on September 30, 2024, the Siemens Group generated revenue of 75.9 billion and net income of 9.0 billion. As of September 30, 2024, the company employed around 312,000 people worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794922/Envalior_BV___SIRIUS_3RQ4_coupling_relay.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794923/Envalior_BV___Graphic_SIRIUS_Process_overview.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2532459/Logo_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/from-frying-oil-to-coupling-relays-siemens-and-envalior-collaborate-on-more-sustainable-electrical-products-302582458.html The recognition highlights Altior Healthcare's strong financial leadership and commitment to sustainable, patient-centered growth. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Altior Healthcare, a national network of specialized mental health treatment programs, is proud to announce that Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Monroe, C.P.A., has been recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a nominee for the CFO of the Year Awards in the Turnaround Achievement Category. The annual awards honor outstanding financial executives whose strategic leadership and fiscal stewardship have strengthened their organizations and communities. Monroe's nomination celebrates his instrumental role in guiding Altior Healthcare through a period of significant growth and operational renewal. His leadership has been central to building a resilient financial foundation that supports Altior's mission of delivering innovative, patient-centered care and expanding access to effective behavioral health treatment nationwide. The Los Angeles Business Journal hosted its CFO of the Year Awards event on September 25, 2025, at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The evening brought together more than 120 distinguished financial leaders from across Southern California, recognizing their achievements in categories such as Corporate Leadership, Financial Excellence, and Turnaround Achievement. Monroe's recognition underscores Altior Healthcare's continued success in combining strong business performance with a purpose-driven approach to healthcare. "Jonathan's leadership has been a vital part of Altior Healthcare's continued growth and success," said Randy Clunan, Chief Marketing Officer of Altior Healthcare. "His disciplined financial strategy and commitment to transparency have strengthened our foundation and enabled us to expand access to the mental health care families depend on. This recognition reflects not only Jonathan's expertise, but the shared drive across our entire organization to deliver relief, hope, and healing to those we serve." Under Monroe's financial direction, Altior has continued to expand its network of specialized residential treatment programs, strengthening its operations and broadening the reach of clinical services. His disciplined approach to growth has enabled the organization to remain financially strong amid rising demand for behavioral healthcare, while supporting investments in staff development, infrastructure, and patient-centered innovation. The Los Angeles Business Journal's recognition of Monroe reflects Altior Healthcare's ongoing commitment to clinical excellence and organizational integrity across its family of treatment programs. Altior's mission-driven model, grounded in compassion and evidence-based care, remains central to its efforts to empower youth, young adults, and families to overcome mental health challenges. The Los Angeles Business Journal featured Monroe and other honorees in its CFO Awards Nominee Issue (September 22, 2025) and Event Recap Issue (September 29, 2025), reaching more than 70,000 business leaders throughout the region. About Altior Healthcare Altior Healthcare is a national network of specialized mental health treatment programs dedicated to expanding access to compassionate, evidence-based care through its nationwide family of programs, including Paradigm Treatment centers in California, Idaho, and Texas, as well as Ridge RTC locations in New Hampshire and Maine. Altior supports adolescents, young adults, veterans, and families - and, at its Idaho location, adults - on their paths to lasting recovery and emotional well-being. For more information, visit https://altiorhealthcare.com . SOURCE: Altior Healthcare View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/altior-healthcares-cfo-jonathan-monroe-recognized-by-the-los-angeles-1086113 ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Home Team Luxury Rentals, part of The Rise Collective, has been officially recognized among America's largest vacation rental management companies in the inaugural Comparent 100 , the definitive ranking of the top professional operators in the U.S. short-term rental industry. The Comparent 100 The Comparent 100 banner This achievement marks a defining milestone for Home Team Luxury Rentals , which has grown organically to become the largest bootstrapped property management company in the country, under seven years old. With 473 active luxury properties and more than 80 in onboarding or interior design, the company continues to set a new standard for scale and service in the luxury short-term rental space. "Shout out to our team and our owners," said Elliott Caldwell , Co-Founder and CEO of The Rise Collective. "We built this company from the ground up with no outside funding - just hard work, belief, and a mission to help people win in real estate and life. Three years in, 473 properties live, 80 more in design, and we're still just getting started." About the Comparent 100 The Comparent 100, founded by D. Brooke Pfautz of Vintory and Comparent, represents the short-term rental industry's first authoritative benchmark, similar to the Fortune 500 for corporate America. Rankings are based on verified property counts across professional management companies nationwide, offering a transparent view of how the industry is maturing and scaling. "Every industry needs its benchmark. The Comparent 100 is ours," said Pfautz. "It celebrates the companies leading the charge toward a more professional, trustworthy, and scalable vacation rental industry." Full-Service Management and Investor Support Home Team Luxury Rentals distinguishes itself through a vertically integrated service model that supports property owners and investors at every stage - from acquisition to design to management. The company provides: Luxury property management with dynamic pricing, full-service guest support, and concierge-level experiences. BNB Construction , delivering renovation, amenity design, and turnkey setup for investors. BNB Lending , offering investor-friendly financing solutions tailored to short-term rental growth. STR Realtor Search, connecting buyers with high-performing vacation rental opportunities nationwide. This ecosystem empowers investors to earn hassle-free income while guests enjoy exceptional, high-end stays - reflecting The Rise Collective's mission to elevate hospitality through innovation, design, and service excellence. About The Rise Collective The Rise Collective is a hospitality and investment ecosystem dedicated to building, managing, and scaling luxury short-term rental brands across the United States. Its portfolio includes Home Team Luxury Rentals, BNB Lending, BNB Construction, and STR Realtor Search. Together, these brands empower homeowners and investors to maximize returns through professional design, operations, and data-driven management. Website: https://rise-collective.com/ Media Contact: albert@rise-collective.com About The Comparent 100 The Comparent 100 is an annual ranking of the largest professional vacation rental management companies in the United States. Created by Vintory and Comparent, the list is compiled through public data, verified submissions, and independent research. Learn more at Comparent.com . Contact Information Albert Brown Digital Marketing Manager albert@rise-collective.com 6195862817 SOURCE: The Rise Collective View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/real-estate/the-rise-collectives-home-team-luxury-rentals-joins-elite-ranks-in-the-comparent-100-li-1086525 Our pace continues strong production across the portfolio Rio Tinto Chief Executive Simon Trott said: "Safety remains our number one priority. We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Mohamed Camara at the SimFer mine site and are committed to learning across our business to prevent future incidents. This has been a time for huge reflections on safety across the group. "We continue to strengthen performance from our assets, setting back-to-back quarterly production records in our bauxite business and at Oyu Tolgoi where the underground ramp-up remains on track to boost copper output by more than 50% this year. "We are focused on delivering a strong finish to the year from the Pilbara. Our growth projects are also progressing at pace at Simandou, we started loading first ore at the mine for movement down the rail and to the port in October. "We are on track to meet production guidance for 2025, with an upwards revision to bauxite this quarter, and are well positioned to deliver compelling mid-term production growth. We will continue to deliver further shareholder value through operational excellence, simplification and discipline on performance and capital investment." Executive Summary New operating model and executive team: to simplify the business and unlock additional shareholder value . New structure comprises three world-class businesses: Iron Ore; Aluminium Lithium; and Copper. Borates and Iron Titanium have been placed under strategic review. . New structure comprises three world-class businesses: Iron Ore; Aluminium Lithium; and Copper. Borates and Iron Titanium have been placed under strategic review. Copper equivalent (CuEq) 1 production: increased 9% in Q3 YoY, driven by strong performance across all our assets. driven by strong performance across all our assets. Copper: Total production is on track to achieve the higher end of full year guidance, driven by the strong ramp-up at Oyu Tolgoi. Our Kennecott mine performed as expected during the quarter while major planned maintenance at the concentrator and smelter commenced successfully. driven by the strong ramp-up at Oyu Tolgoi. Our Kennecott mine performed as expected during the quarter while major planned maintenance at the concentrator and smelter commenced successfully. Iron ore: Pilbara achieved its second highest Q3 shipments since 2019 , up 6% from Q2 . As part of our Iron Ore replacement strategy, West Angelas Sustaining Project received all Government approvals in October. , . As part of our Iron Ore replacement strategy, West Angelas Sustaining Project received all Government approvals in October. Aluminium Lithium: Full year bauxite production guidance upgraded driven by operational excellence at ourbauxite business, especially at Amrun. Production2 Quarter 3 2025 vs Q3 2024 vs Q2 2025 2025 guidance6 Guidance status Pilbara iron ore shipments (100% basis) Mt 84.3 +6% 323 to 338 (at lower end) Unchanged Pilbara iron ore production (100% basis) Mt 84.1 NA Unchanged IOC5 iron ore pellets and concentrate Mt 2.3 +11% -6% 9.7 to 11.4 Unchanged (at lower end) Bauxite Mt 16.4 +9% +5% 59 to 61 (previously 57 to 59) Upgraded Alumina Mt 1.9 +7% +4% 7.4 to 7.8 Unchanged Aluminium3 Mt 0.86 +6% +2% 3.25 to 3.45 Unchanged Copper (consolidated basis)4 kt 204 +10% -11% 780 to 850 (at higher end) Unchanged Titanium dioxide slag Mt 0.3 -1% -3% 1.0 to 1.2 (at lower end) Unchanged Boric oxide equivalent Mt 0.1 +2% -3% ~0.5 Unchanged 1 Copper equivalent volume Rio Tinto's share of production volume Volume conversion factor x Product price ($/t) Copper price ($/t). Prices are based on long-term consensus prices. 2 Rio Tinto share unless otherwise stated. 3 Includes primary aluminium only. 4 From Q1 2025, we report copper production and guidance as one metric, in order to simplify reporting and align with peer practices. For further details see slide 90 of our Investor Seminar 2024 presentation. 5 Iron Ore Company of Canada. 6 See further notes in Section 2, 2025 guidance. The full third quarter production results are available here This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Andy Hodges, Rio Tinto's Group Company Secretary. LEI: 213800YOEO5OQ72G2R82 Classification: 3.1 Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013952827/en/ Contacts: Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, United Kingdom Matthew Klar M +44 7796 630 637 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Australia Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Rachel Pupazzoni M +61 438 875 469 Bruce Tobin M +61 419 103 454 Media Relations, Canada Simon Letendre M +1 514 796 4973 Malika Cherry M +1 418 592 7293 Vanessa Damha M +1 514 715 2152 Media Relations, US Latin America Jesse Riseborough M +1 202 394 9480 Investor Relations, United Kingdom Rachel Arellano M: +44 7584 609 644 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Laura Brooks M +44 7826 942 797 Weiwei Hu M +44 7825 907 230 Investor Relations, Australia Tom Gallop M +61 439 353 948 Phoebe Lee M +61 413 557 780 Rio Tinto plc 6 St James's Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 43, 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 riotinto.com Category: General Eleven abstracts, including one oral presentation, feature new data across seven cancers Foundation Medicine, Inc., a precision medicine company transforming lives in cancer care and beyond, today announced that the company and its research collaborators will present 11 abstracts demonstrating the value of high-quality biomarker tests to inform cancer care at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress from October 17-21 in Berlin, Germany. Foundation Medicine's research to be presented at the meeting spans seven disease areas and includes new insights from the company's tissue-free monitoring assay FoundationOneMonitor, which will soon be available for clinical use. The abstract showcases that an early reduction of circulating tumor DNA using FoundationOne Monitor was associated with improved outcomes in patients with triple negative breast cancer. Two additional studies spotlight data from FoundationOneRNA, a tissue-based RNA sequencing test for the detection of cancer-related fusions across 318 genes. Respectively, the results demonstrate the test's strong concordance with results from the company's FDA-approved tissue-based comprehensive genomic profiling test, FoundationOneCDx, as well as with IHC/FISH tests. "At this year's ESMO Congress, we're looking forward to sharing our latest data which reinforces the value of our high-quality tests to support the best precision care for patients," says Foundation Medicine's Vice President, Head of Clinical Development, Amaya Gasco, M.D., Ph.D. "In particular, a new study using FoundationOne Monitor demonstrates the test's ability to inform a patient's response to treatment and guide next steps in care. Additionally, our FoundationOne RNA studies highlight the powerful insights our RNA sequencing test can deliver as a complement to comprehensive genomic sequencing with FoundationOneCDx and other diagnostic tests, such as IHC/FISH, to provide healthcare providers with the confidence they need to make informed decisions for their patients." To access all the abstracts being presented at the 2025 ESMO Congress, please visit ESMO.com. Follow Foundation Medicine on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Bluesky for more updates from ESMO25, and join us in person at Booth #3028 in Hall 3.2 for our "Booth Talk Series" where you will hear from our team of experts on the latest advancements that are driving innovation in precision diagnostics. Complete list of Foundation Medicine's abstracts at the 2025 ESMO Congress Presentation Number Title Product Saturday, October 18 Oral Presentation 2610MO Genomic analysis of papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC): MET alterations are uncommon and enriched in patients of African ancestry FoundationOneCDx Poster Presentations 1146P Genomic landscape of HRD signature (HRDsig), CCNE1 amplified (amp) and ERBB2 altered (alt) ovarian cancers (OC) FoundationOneCDx 1936P Genomic alterations (GA) in TP53 including the targetable TP53 Y220C mutation in clinically advanced non-small cell lung cancer (CANSCLC) FoundationOneCDx 157P Homologous recombination signature (HRDsig) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Implications for PARP inhibitor (PARPi) treatment FoundationOneCDx 1931P Prevalence, co-alterations and preclinical characterization of FGFR variants of unknown significance in non-small cell lung cancer FoundationOneCDx Sunday, October 19 2150P Homologous recombination deficiency signature in gastric adenocarcinoma FoundationOneCDx Monday, October 20 579P Gene expression profiling by RNA sequencing accurately predicts estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptor status by immunohistochemistry in breast cancer FoundationOneCDx, FoundationOneRNA 580P Androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) and ESR1 fusion detection in breast cancer utilizing comprehensive combined DNA and RNA sequencing FoundationOneCDx, FoundationOneRNA 2697P Comprehensive genomic profiling in chordoma by subtype classification FoundationOneHeme, FoundationOne, FoundationOneCDx 2701P Estrogen receptor and AKT pathways as potential novel targets for MDM2-amplified well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (WD/DD LPS) FoundationOneHeme, FoundationOne, FoundationOneCDx 558P Circulating tumor DNA dynamics correlate with response to carboplatin with or without nivolumab in metastatic TNBC FoundationOneMonitor Published Online 2525eP RNA sequencing enhances TMPRSS2 fusion detection beyond DNA sequencing alone and reveals associations with androgen receptor (AR) biology in prostate cancer FoundationOneCDx, FoundationOneRNA 1458eP Ameloblastoma of the head and neck (HNAmelo): A biomarker and genomic landscape study FoundationOneCDx 686eP Clinical utility of DNA and RNA comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for the diagnostic workup of high grade gliomas (HGG) FoundationOneCDx, FoundationOneRNA About Foundation Medicine At Foundation Medicine, our mission is to transform lives in cancer and beyond. We strive to provide multi-modal precision diagnostic solutions to transform cancer care throughout a patient's experience, from pre-diagnosis to ongoing management and monitoring. Leveraging our vast knowledge of precision medicine, we partner with biopharmaceutical companies to accelerate the development of new personalized therapies in cancer and in a range of other diseases. For more information, visit us at www.FoundationMedicine.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. About FoundationOneCDx FoundationOneCDx is a next-generation sequencing based in vitro diagnostic device for detection of substitutions, insertion and deletion alterations (indels), and copy number alterations (CNAs) in 324 genes and select gene rearrangements, as well as genomic signatures including microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) using DNA isolated from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue specimens. FoundationOne CDx is for prescription use only and is intended as a companion diagnostic to identify patients who may benefit from treatment with certain targeted therapies in accordance with their approved therapeutic product labeling. Additionally, FoundationOne CDx is intended to provide tumor mutation profiling to be used by qualified health care professionals in accordance with professional guidelines in oncology for patients with solid malignant neoplasms. Use of the test does not guarantee a patient will be matched to a treatment. A negative result does not rule out the presence of an alteration. Some patients may require a biopsy. For a full list of targeted therapies for which FoundationOne CDx is indicated as a companion diagnostic, please visit www.F1CDxLabel.com. About FoundationOneLiquid CDx FoundationOneLiquid CDx is a qualitative next generation sequencing based in vitro diagnostic test for prescription use only that uses targeted high throughput hybridization-based capture technology to analyze 324 genes utilizing circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from plasma derived from anti-coagulated peripheral whole blood of advanced cancer patients. The test is FDA-approved to report short variants in over 300 genes and is a companion diagnostic to identify patients who may benefit from treatment with specific therapies (listed in Table 1 of the Intended Use) in accordance with the approved therapeutic product labeling. Additional genomic findings may be reported and are not prescriptive or conclusive for labeled use of any specific therapeutic product. Use of the test does not guarantee a patient will be matched to a treatment. A negative result does not rule out the presence of an alteration. Patients being considered for eligibility for therapy based on detection of NTRK1/2/3 and ROS1 fusions should only be tested if tissue is unavailable. Patients who are negative for companion diagnostic mutations should be reflexed to tumor tissue testing and genomic alteration status confirmed using an FDA-approved tumor tissue test, if feasible. For the complete label, including companion diagnostic indications and complete risk information, please visit www.F1LCDxLabel.com. About FoundationOneRNA FoundationOneRNA is a laboratory developed test that was developed and its performance characteristics determined by Foundation Medicine. FoundationOne RNA has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FoundationOne RNA is a test for solid tumors which utilizes RNA sequencing to interrogate 318 cancer-related genes to capture gene fusions and rearrangements. A negative result does not rule out the presence of an alteration. Genomic findings are not prescriptive or conclusive for labeled use of any specific therapeutic product. About FoundationOneMonitor FoundationOneMonitor is a tissue-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring test currently available for research use in retrospective studies. FoundationOne Monitor provides access to Foundation Medicine's ctDNA tumor fraction, which is a determination of the amount of circulating tumor DNA as a fraction of total cell free DNA in a blood sample that accounts for aneuploidy, variant allele frequency, fragment length information, clonal hematopoiesis predictions and known tumor-associated alterations. The test offers molecular response insights to complement standard imaging and has capabilities for monitoring individual variants or assessing resistance to therapy across more than 300 genes. FoundationOne Monitor is currently in development for clinical use. Foundation Medicine and FoundationOne are registered trademarks of Foundation Medicine, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251010456755/en/ Contacts: Abigail Linehan, 781-534-3210 newsroom@foundationmedicine.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Tensions with Beijing in the ongoing global conflict over technology and intellectual property have escalated since the Dutch government took over the Chinese-owned semiconductor company Nexperia. Citing concerns that confidential technology might be passed to Wingtech, Nexperia's Chinese parent company, officials declared late Sunday that they had stepped in to disrupt the company's operations. Under the rarely used 'Availability of Goods Act,' the government has the power to overturn or prevent Nexperia's management choices if it believes they pose a risk to the country's or the economy's stability. Following the announcement, Wingtech's stock fell by ten percent in Shanghai on Monday. The Dutch government stated that the action was required to safeguard 'crucial technological knowledge,' even though it will not take ownership. Wingtech said it would look for legal and diplomatic assistance to defend its interests and denounced the action as 'excessive interference driven by geopolitical bias.' Nexperia, formerly a division of the massive Dutch electronics company Philips, stated that it still complies with all applicable laws and rules. The ruling is made as international scrutiny of Chinese technology investments heats up. Because Wingtech claimed to have helped China in obtaining sensitive semiconductor technologies, the company was placed on the U.S. trade blacklist in late 2024. Wingtech chairman Zhang Xuezheng was also removed from Nexperia's boards by an Amsterdam court, and a non-Chinese independent director was chosen to take his place. Although the company Nexperia, which makes chips for consumer electronics and automobiles, is still in business, the action represents a new turning point in Europe's expanding attempts to protect its semiconductor sector from foreign dominance. Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Grindr's top shareholders are considering taking the LGBTQ+ dating app private after a steep decline in its stock caused them to experience personal financial difficulties. In 2020, Grindr was purchased for more than $600 million by its two majority owners, James Lu, a Chinese American tech executive who had previously worked at Amazon and Baidu, and Raymond Zage, a former hedge fund manager based in Singapore. Through a SPAC merger, they subsequently went public with the company in 2022. Although Zage and Lu jointly own more than 60 percent of Grindr, almost all of their stock was pledged as security for personal loans from Temasek, a division of Singapore's sovereign wealth fund. The loans lost value when Grindr's stock started to decline late last month, so the Temasek unit had to take control of and sell some of its shares to make up the difference. Even though the stock has dropped sharply, Grindr's business is doing well; in the second quarter, profits increased by 25 percent. However, pressure has increased due to investor concerns about declining margins and leadership turnover. According to reports, Zage and Lu are currently negotiating with Fortress Investment Group, which is supported by Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Company, in order to obtain funding for a takeover that would be valued at about $3 billion, or $15 per share. Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. China makes significant, far-reaching contributions to women's empowerment worldwide People's Daily Online) 10:01, October 13, 2025 Firmly believing that gender equality and women's well-rounded development are important goals of jointly building a better world for all, China has made continued efforts to promote gender equality and women's empowerment globally. In recent years, the country has not only advanced the high-quality development of its own women's programs but also taken concrete actions to deepen South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue, intensifying support for women's causes in other developing countries. Through livelihood projects, capacity-building programs and active participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, China has worked to help foster an enabling international environment for women's development, making tangible contributions to global women's empowerment. Livelihood projects improve women's living, development conditions "Our dreams have come true thanks to Juncao technology," Seruwaia Waiti Kabukabu, a woman from Fiji, said at the Ninth Global Review of Aid for Trade hosted by the World Trade Organization in Geneva in June 2024. She shared how Juncao technology, a Chinese innovation that uses specially cultivated grass to grow mushrooms, transformed the lives of local women. A Chinese expert (left) instructs a Fijian farmer to manage Juncao in the field. (People's Daily/Bai Yuanqi) After Chinese experts introduced Juncao technology into her community, Kabukabu and her fellow villagers found new hope for building a better life, according to Kabukabu, who is now the chairwoman of the Fiji Mushroom Farmers Association. Her family's income grew steadily, and inspired by her success, more than 20 local women joined a China-supported Juncao technology training program, starting their journey toward self-reliance and skill development. In fact, China's assistance programs and training courses on Juncao technology have helped women in over 100 countries gain employment. Lin Dongmei, the daughter of Chinese Professor Lin Zhanxi, known as the "father of Juncao," has traveled to various parts of the world, including Africa and Oceania, to teach Juncao technology to local communities. With Lin Dongmei's help, Freda Korarome, once an impoverished rural woman selling wild vegetables in Papua New Guinea's Eastern Highlands Province, has transformed into a skilled Juncao grower and entrepreneur. She established her own mushroom farm, training 1,500 local women, youth and people with disabilities, and transforming Juncao technology into a source of prosperity for many local communities. "During my work assisting people in other developing countries, I've met many women like Korarome," said Lin Dongmei. "Juncao technology has enabled many unemployed and disabled women to grow into heads of trade associations, entrepreneurs and technicians." China has continuously supported developing countries in improving women's living and development conditions and helping them achieve self-reliance through a series of pragmatic initiatives. These include helping other developing countries carry out the "health projects for women and children" and "happy campus projects" and leveraging the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund to implement projects on women's empowerment in more than 20 countries. Capacity-building programs unlock women's potential In recent years, China has made unremitting efforts to enhance international cooperation on capacity-building for women, establishing a multi-tiered, wide-ranging training network for women's empowerment. It has set up a global training base for women's development cooperation and exchange in Beijing in an effort to develop tailor-made projects on women's empowerment for different countries. China has co-founded women's training and exchange centers with 15 countries, providing more pragmatic and effective training through on-site training and hands-on guidance at community workshops. The country has launched and implemented more than 100 dedicated training sessions, including seminars on women's and children's health promotion under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and on women- and children-related topics for developing countries implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China has also launched degree programs in women's leadership and social development, training nearly 4,000 outstanding professionals in the field of women's development. Training projects provided by China have not only taught practical skills but also paved the way for women in developing countries to achieve self-reliance, said a female official from Rwanda who took part in a China-organized training project designed to empower women in entrepreneurship and innovation. In Vientiane, Laos, China's training projects tailored to local needs have won great popularity among local women. Representative inheritors of two forms of China's national-level intangible cultural heritage, bamboo weaving and rattan weaving, simplified traditional techniques into accessible steps and redesigned tools for easier handling. They successfully taught local women to turn bamboo and rattan strips into exquisite trays and other handicrafts that are both practical and visually appealing. As a result, 16 trainees produced 128 items within three days at a workshop in Vientiane, 30 of which were sold to southwest China's Yunnan Province earning their first income from handicrafts. "China's training programs truly meet the practical needs of Lao women," said Aly Vongnobountham, president of the Lao Women's Union. "They empower women to create value and earn respect with their own hands a living embodiment of gender equality in action." Peacekeeping operations highlight women's distinct role As a firm supporter of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the women, peace and security agenda, China has actively encouraged women's participation in conflict prevention, peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction. Since deploying its first peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon in 2006, the country has sent batch after batch of female peacekeepers to the frontlines of peacekeeping missions: some clear mines and explosive devices to open safe passages for local residents; some work tirelessly in operating rooms, safeguarding people's lives; some engage directly with communities to protect women and children, offering care with patience and empathy; and some serve in command positions, demonstrating professional competence and leadership. In peacekeeping operations, Chinese female peacekeepers play an irreplaceable role. Through their sensitive communication skills and empathy, they have strengthened the trust of local communities especially women and children in peacekeeping efforts. By bringing a female perspective, they also make conflict prevention, community integration and post-conflict reconstruction efforts more attuned to local needs and more human-centered. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, female members of the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent have been affectionately called "Chinese moms" by children in the International SOS Children's Village in Bukavu. In 2020, Chinese officer Xin Yuan, a senior mine clearance staff officer at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, received the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award the first Chinese peacekeeper ever to win this honor for her outstanding professionalism and dedication. So far, over 1,200 Chinese women peacekeepers and more than 100 female police officers have participated in UN operations, playing a crucial role in medical support, liaison and coordination, mine clearance, patrols, and observation, as well as efforts to advance gender equality and protect women. Additionally, the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund has initiated a training program for senior female talent to promote gender equality in high-level positions within UN peacekeeping operations. From technology sharing, capacity-building, and long-standing support in women's empowerment initiatives to active participation in international efforts addressing global challenges, China has consistently promoted the advancement of women's causes worldwide through practical actions and open approaches, helping to narrow gaps in women's development globally. Looking ahead, the country stands ready to work with various parties to foster inclusive and sustainable development for women's causes around the world. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024. 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. Pakistan - Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed 15 October 2025 to a 48-hour temporary ceasefire following deadly border clashes that killed more than a dozen civilians, Islamabad said. The truce, requested by Kabul, comes after Pakistani air strikes in Kandahar and Kabul provinces and marks the worst violence between the two neighbours since the Taliban seized power in 2021. The fighting along the volatile, contested frontier shattered a fragile peace after weekend clashes that killed dozens, the worst between the two Islamic countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. A Pakistani foreign ministry statement said that the two countries had decided to implement a "temporary ceasefire" for 48 hours starting 1300 GMT. Pakistan, which had accused the Taliban government in power since August 2021 of providing a haven to armed groups, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad blamed for a surge in attacks on its security forces. Pakistans army said 11 October 2025 it had killed more than 200 fighters with the Taliban and their allies while Afghanistan says it has killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in the cross-border clashes. At least 2,414 deaths had been recorded in the first three quarters of this year, according to the Centre for Research and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank. For decades, Pakistan was considered a patron of the Taliban, which first came to power in 1996. Pakistan was believed to wield significant influence over the group, providing it with shelter, funding and diplomatic backing. After the US-led invasion of Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, many Taliban leaders sought refuge in Pakistan. Amid US drone attacks in Pakistans border regions, the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) emerged. The TTP has long waged an armed campaign against Pakistan. The group wants to implement strict Islamic law, has demanded the release of its imprisoned members, and calls for a reversal of the merger of Pakistans tribal areas with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Despite sharing ideological ties with the Taliban in Afghanistan, the TTP launched a violent campaign against Pakistan. The Pakistani military has conducted several operations to eliminate the TTP, pushing many of its leaders into Afghanistan. When the Taliban regained control of Kabul in 2021, Pakistan hoped to leverage its historic ties to curb TTP activity. However, a surge in attacks within Pakistan since then suggests these efforts have failed. The Pakistani government insists the TTP which is distinct from the Afghan Taliban but ideologically aligned in many respects operates from Afghan territory. It blames Kabul for allowing sanctuary and has repeatedly described the group using the Arabic-derived term khwarij, a historical epithet for an extremist sect that branded other Muslims as apostates. Kabul, however, has repeatedly rejected these allegations. Last month, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban government, warned against provocative statements and urged cooperation. Two senior members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) extremist group were killed 09 October 2025 in unprecedented Pakistani drone strikes in the Afghan capital, marking a major escalation of tensions between the two side. The target of the strikes in Kabul was Noor Wali Mehsud, the leader of the TTP, which is also known as the Pakistani Taliban. It was not clear if Mehsud was killed in the strikes. A TTP source said the militant leader was alive but two "important" members of the group were killed, without disclosing their names. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the Afghan attacks unprovoked and accused Afghan forces of firing on civilians. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned what he described as a provocation by Afghanistan in Pakistans border areas. He added, There will be no compromise on Pakistans defence, and every provocation will be met with a strong and effective response. Longtime allies, the sides had fallen out over the Afghan Taliban's alleged sheltering of the TTP, which has waged a deadly insurgency against Islamabad for years. The Taliban returned to power in August 2021 as international troops left Afghanistan. The attacks in Kabul were followed by suspected Pakistani air strikes in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika, which borders Pakistan, early October 10. Witnesses said a market selling second-hand weapons, a shop selling computers, and a restaurant were hit. No casualties were reported. In a statement issued on October 10, the Taliban's Defense Ministry condemned what it said were Pakistani air strikes in Paktika and Islamabad's violation of "Kabul's sovereign territory." Pakistan's military spokesman, in a televised press conference on October 10, did not directly respond when asked if Islamabad was responsible for the attacks. "To safeguard Pakistani lives and properties, what measures need to be taken will be taken," General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters. Heavy fighting broke out between Pakistani and Afghan forces at multiple locations along the border, and the rival sides claim to have captured and destroyed border posts in one of the worst border clashes in recent years. The Taliban administrations spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said at least 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory attacks on Saturday night, two days after blasts were reported in Kabul and the southeastern province of Paktika. The Pakistani military admitted 23 of its soldiers were killed while claiming to have killed more than 200 Taliban and affiliated fighters. Earlier, Pakistans interior minister called the Afghan attacks unprovoked firing. Pakistani militarys media wing, which said, according to credible intelligence estimates and damage assessment, more than 200 Taliban and other fighters were killed, adding that the number of injured is much higher. The infrastructural damages to Taliban posts, camps, Headquarters and support networks of terrorists are extensive, all along the border and range from tactical to operational depth, it added. The attacks inside Afghanistan came two days after the TTP killed 11 Pakistani security personnel, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, in an assault in northwestern Pakistan. Ibraheem Bahiss, a Kabul-based senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, said the clashes were primarily driven by what was happening inside Pakistan in recent days. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had ratcheted up its attacks against Pakistani military, leading to significant casualties of soldiers, including officer-ranked personnel, too, he told Al Jazeera. That perhaps was the main motivator behind the air strikes [in Kabul] on Thursday in a much more escalatory manner. Former US ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad posted on X that "Pakistani strikes against Afghanistan's capital are a huge escalation and pose dangerous risks." Khalilzad added that "military escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is not the answer. It is unlikely to work and will increase death and destruction in both countries." Analyst Ibraheem Bahiss said 12 October 2025 both Pakistan and Afghanistan are seeking to avoid a broader conflict along the border. I feel that the priority for both Islamabad and Kabul is to de-escalate. Neither side wants major escalation on their frontiers as they are already grappling with several issues, Bahiss, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera. The Afghan Taliban will want to avoid this because of the disparity in the firepower available to the two sides, which would be a big factor for Kabul to not pursue escalation. Bahiss pointed out the Talibans limited retaliation was meant to reassure their domestic audience. I think they have done what they wanted to do, showing that they are in control of the situation and can avenge any strikes inside their territory. The strikes coincided with a groundbreaking trip by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, Pakistan's archenemy. Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on October 10 for a week of talks, in the Taliban's highest-level visit to the country since the hard-line Islamist group took power. During the first day of talks between Taliban and Indian officials, New Delhi announced it was upgrading its mission in Kabul to a full embassy. The sides were also expected to discuss trade and economic ties. The Taliban's outreach to India as well as the TTP's increasing attacks in Pakistan is "taking the situation towards a very serious level," said Mansoor Mehsud, director of the Islamabad-based FATA Research Center. "Pakistan will react more seriously, and this will make the situation dangerous," he said. The Pakistani military had previously conducted air strikes inside Afghan territory, the most recent one in December 2024. However, after a bloody 2024, one of Pakistans deadliest years in nearly a decade, with more than 2,500 people killed in violence, Islamabad and Kabul tried to reset their relationship. In April, Pakistans Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul, with senior leadership on both sides holding a series of meetings, often mediated by China. That process led to upgraded diplomatic ties and a brief lull in violence over the summer. Iftikhar Firdous, cofounder of The Khorasan Diary, a portal that tracks regional security developments, said, There has been no overarching commitment by the Afghan Taliban to act against the TTP in Afghanistan. This is likely to never happen, he told Al Jazeera, adding that the Taliban is a grey entity in a world that no longer differentiates between black and white. I dont see any end to the TTP while the idea of the Taliban exists. Pakistans failed calculus to have a controlled Taliban government in Afghanistan has had detrimental consequences, and the next biggest mistake would be to expect that its internal security challenges will disappear by negotiating with the Taliban. President Donald Trump on 15 October 2025 stated "I heard that they're shooting at each other. I said during one of my conversations, "Are you guys going to go to war two nuclear powers? We are thinking about " I said, "Here's the deal. You go to war, I'm going to put a 200% tariff. I'm going to stop you from doing any business in the United States." I said it to both of them. Within 24 hours, the war ended. That would've been a nuclear war. Again, the prime minister of Pakistan, who was here two weeks ago, said, "That that man saved many millions of lives," in front of a whole group of people because he thought it was going to be war, but when it came to war or having to pay massive tariffs, that tariffs overrode. That's why it's so important, not only the money We're taking in trillions of dollars not only the money, but the power to keep peace, the power to be used for good is enormous. But a lot of people didn't understand tariffs. It's also made us very rich." President Trump on 16 October 2025 stated "India and Pakistan were going at it really hard. Seven planes were shot down. It was going to happen. Bad things were happening. And I was talking to both of them about trade, and I said, "How are we doing with those two?" "Sir, we're doing very well." I went, "Great. Well, we're not going to do well. We're not going to do a trade deal unless they stop the war." "And I got them on the phone and I said, "Listen, we're going to put a 200 percent tariff on your country for any product you sell into the United States unless you stop this war, because I'm not going to be a party to it." You have two nuclear nations, by the way. "No, no, no. You can't do that." I say, "I can do that. Very easily I can. We're not going to lose millions of people from the planet." And frankly, that dust can blow over here too. It affects everything. It's a powerful, powerful weapon. Too powerful. So powerful you don't want to talk about it. "So they said, "No, no." And I said, "Yes, yes. And here's the story. If you're going to go and do it, we're cutting off all negotiations. There'll be no trade with the United States of America." Both nations, spoke to them both. I like both the leaders, I like them both a lot. But I said, "That's the way it is." "And I get a call the next day, "We have decided to de-escalate." I said, "I thought you would actually." "We have decided that we will not fight." I said, " Have you come to a conclusion?" "Yes, we're not going to do any more of this stuff." "It's just like that. This could have been a nuclear war. Probably would've been. In fact, the Prime Minister of Pakistan came and saw me and he was emotional about it. And in front of a group of people, he said, "This man saved 3 million, 5 million, maybe an untold number of lives." And it was just recently that this happened," NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Seattle, WA , Oct. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a city known for innovation and progress, KV Construction LLC has emerged as more than a siding contractor in Seattle, WA, standing as a trusted solutions provider and symbol of integrity. The BBB Foundation has spotlighted the company in its 2025 Torch Awards for Ethics, a program that elevates businesses defined by trust and accountability. On October 30, 2025, KV Construction will stand in the spotlight as Seattle recognizes that great siding begins with greater values. This honor underscores KV Constructions reputation for transparency and accountability, qualities that define every Seattle siding project. Homeowners trust precise estimates and clear communication, knowing siding solutions safeguard properties while adding long-term value. Extending those principles into action, licensed and bonded crews at KV Construction award-winning siding company in Seattle demonstrate integrity and professionalism at every stage of the process. Being recognized by the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics reflects more than craftsmanship, it reflects the identity of KV Construction, said a company spokesperson. Siding is not only about strengthening exteriors but also about strengthening trust with each homeowner served. KV Construction Customer reviews echo these values, noting projects completed on schedule, within budget, and to the highest standards. Such feedback strengthens KV Constructions standing as the best siding contractor in Seattle, WA, showing how ethics and preparation deliver satisfaction and long-term protection. With over 20 years of experience, advanced techniques for Seattles wet climate, and premium James Hardie siding, this credibility is further amplified. KV Construction provides homeowners and businesses with a full range of siding installation Seattle options to match style and performance. The company specializes in James Hardie fiber cement siding, lap, shingle, and panel, delivering durable, fire-resistant products backed by manufacturer warranty. In addition, cedar siding offers a natural, timeless appeal for clients seeking a traditional look, while vinyl siding provides a cost-effective choice with low maintenance. Property owners seeking resilient modern materials can choose engineered wood siding, combining strength with flexibility. This reinforces KV Constructions reputation as one of the most versatile siding contractors in Seattle, WA, with installations built to withstand the regions wet climate while enhancing curb appeal. The companys breadth of services extends beyond siding replacement and installation. Commercial siding, siding repair, dry rot repair, and window replacement are also available, each carried out by local siding installers who represent the same accountability and care that earned the company its A+ BBB rating, 5-star Google score, and top marks on Angies List. This premier siding company also provides detailed exterior finishing such as soffit, fascia, and trim. By aligning craftsmanship with ethics, KV Construction embodies the spirit of the BBB Torch Awards for Ethics and redefines expectations for siding contractors in Seattle, WA. This recognition not only honors the companys values but also positions KV Construction as the standard-bearer for excellence and integrity in the Seattle siding industry. To learn more about KV Construction and why it is regarded as the best siding contractor in Seattle, WA, visit https://kvconstruction.net/. About KV Construction KV Construction LLC has established itself in Seattle as a company where craftsmanship and ethics intersect. The firm has built its reputation on projects that combine resilience, design, and accountability. Guided by values that match technical skill, this award-winning siding contractor continues to stand among the top siding companies in Seattle, WA. ### Media Contact KV Construction LLC Address: 5608 17th Ave NW, Suite 1541 Seattle, WA 98107 Phone: (206) 395-1021 Website: https://kvconstruction.net/ Attachment Foshan, China, Oct. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Viomi Technology Co., Ltd. (Viomi or the Company), a leading innovator of home water solutions in China, today announced two major strategic initiatives.Viomi unveiled a brand elevation campaign featuring a renowned celebrity spokesperson and an Olympic champion. Concurrently, the Company is strengthening its U.S. market presence with the U.S. debut of its first AI alkaline mineral water purifier, MASTER M1, now available on Amazon. Leveraging AI technology to replicate pure mineralization, the device delivers clean, mineral-rich water to households across the United States. Brand Strategy Elevated with New Celebrity Partnerships in China In China, Viomi has named renowned Chinese actress Shengyi Huang as its new national brand spokesperson. Known for her elegant and healthy image, Ms. Huang will embody Viomis AI for Better water brand philosophy, promoting healthier hydration habits and connecting with a new generation of consumers. Furthering its brand-building efforts, Viomi also welcomed Olympic diving champion Liang Tian as a brand partner. Mr. Tian, accompanied by Guoxiang Li, General Manager of JD.com Home Appliances, toured Viomis RMB 1 billion Water Purifier Gigafactory one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the world. Impressed by the facilitys cutting-edge automation, intelligent production processes, and full traceability system, Mr. Tian commended Viomis deep commitment to technology and quality. During his visit, Mr. Tian sampled tea brewed with water from Viomis Kunlun 4 Pro AI alkaline mineral water purifier, noting its superior clarity and aroma. The experience highlighted how the mild alkaline, mineralized water enhances the taste of beverages, reinforcing consumer confidence in Viomis innovation capability and product excellence. MASTER M1 Launches on Amazon U.S. for US$899 Marking a key milestone in its global strategy, Viomi has officially launched the MASTER M1 AI alkaline mineral water purifier on Amazon U.S. This move brings a premium, AI-powered drinking water solution to American households, making advanced water purification technology more accessible. Key Features of MASTER Series M1: Pure, pH+ Alkaline Mineral Water: Replicates natural spring water by enriching it with essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, strontium, and metasilicic acid for a balanced taste. It meets the human bodys demand for multiple minerals and is closer to pure mineral water. Precision 9-Stage RO Filtration: Removes 99% of harmful contaminants down to 0.0001 micron, ensuring exceptionally clean and safe water. AI-Powered Smart Faucet: A touch-screen display provides real-time data on water quality (TDS), water volume, and filter status for a seamless, intelligent experience. Cost-Effective, Low-Maintenance Design: The long-life filter lasts up to 4 years and is designed for simple, tool-free DIY replacement, reducing cost and maintenance hassle. Mr. Xiaoping Chen, Founder and CEO of Viomi, commented, The launch of the MASTER M1 on Amazon U.S. demonstrates our commitment to AI for Better water. With our ongoing R&D breakthroughs, we are advancing our Global Water strategy and brand empowerment, raising awareness of healthy drinking water worldwide. Following strong revenue and operating profit growth in the first half of this year, we will continue to lead innovation in water purification, deliver impactful new products, and maintain our leadership in the global healthy drinking water market. About Viomi Technology Viomis mission is AI for Better Water, utilizing AI technology to provide better drinking water solutions for households worldwide. As an industry-leading technology company in home water solutions, Viomi has developed a distinctive Equipment + Consumables business model. By leveraging its expertise in AI technology, intelligent hardware and software development, the Company simplifies filter replacement and enhances water quality monitoring, thereby increasing the filter replacement rate. Its continuous technological innovations extend filter lifespan and lower user costs, promoting the adoption of water purifiers and supporting a healthy lifestyle while effectively addressing the rising global demand for cleaner, fresher and healthier drinking water. The Company operates a world-leading Water Purifier Gigafactory with an integrated industrial chain that boasts optimal efficiency and facilitates continuous breakthroughs in water purification. This state-of-the-art facility enables Viomi to achieve economies of scale and accelerate the global popularization of residential water filtration. For more information, please visit: https://ir.viomi.com . Media Contact: Claire Ji E-mail: ir@viomi.com.cn London , Oct. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The translation industry is undergoing a digital transformation, and Espresso Translations London UK remains at the forefront of this global shift. In 2025, the London-based agency demonstrated that while AI enhances efficiency and access, human translators remain essential for precision and cultural context. Espresso Translations London UK AI isnt just changing communication, its redefining how the world connects. Espresso Translations London UK examines how automation reshapes the industry, driving smarter, faster, and more human-centered communication. Artificial intelligence is pushing the industry forward, but human translators continue to bring depth and meaning to every project, said a company spokesperson. Through this analysis, Espresso Translations London UK reinforces its position as a human-centered translation leader. The company notes that while automation improves efficiency, it cannot equal the nuance, creativity, and reliability of skilled linguists. By sharing industry insights and professional commentary, the agency helps clients and peers maintain quality in an increasingly automated landscape. The companys message about human depth isnt rhetoric; its the foundation of its approach. Espresso Translations London UK remains committed to preserving linguistic artistry amid technological growth. The agency adheres to ISO 17100-certified standards and collaborates with professional translators who have more than five years of experience. With a network of over 2,000 linguists across 150 language pairs, it delivers precision at scale while maintaining cultural authenticity. Its certified translation services comply with UK official certification guidelines, reinforcing reliability across sectors. Through its upgraded digital platform, which features faster uploads and quoting, the firm enhances client efficiency while maintaining high-quality results. Advanced CAT tools, translation memory, and tailored glossaries work together to ensure consistency and accuracy across every project. It demonstrates that progress occurs when innovation amplifies, rather than replaces, human excellence. Industry observers recognize Espresso Translations London UK as a consistent, trusted voice in a rapidly changing translation market. The company focuses on education over automation, demonstrating that progress depends on understanding technology, rather than replacing human skill. Its translation services cover document, legal, technical, and website localization. Law firms use their certified legal translations for jurisdictional accuracy, while manufacturers and tech companies rely on technical translations for manuals and product documentation. Espresso Translations London UK also offers transcription, subtitling, and localization services for industries that require precise, confidential, and scalable language solutions. Healthcare providers trust its medical transcription for secure records, while media and corporate clients use its subtitling and transcripts for global communication. All projects adhere to ISO 17100-certified standards, overseen by linguists with over five years of professional experience across 150 languages. Strong Google and Trustpilot ratings confirm the companys reliability and precision in delivering accurate, culturally authentic results. The rise of AI marks a turning point for global communication. Espresso Translations London UK proves progress refines human expertise rather than replacing it. By leading industry conversations on the role of technology while preserving linguistic precision and cultural integrity, the company stands as proof that the future of translation belongs to those who blend progress with purpose. To learn more about Espresso Translations London UK and its insights into the translation industrys evolution, visit https://www.espressotranslations.co.uk/. About Espresso Translations London UK Espresso Translations London, UK, stands for translation done the right way: precise, human, and globally relevant. Its team of experienced linguists helps clients navigate new markets and audiences with accuracy and cultural awareness. Grounded in ISO-certified quality and strengthened by client trust, the agency continues to set the standard for professional translation in an evolving world. By combining human expertise with forward-thinking innovation, the company ensures that every project fosters a lasting understanding across languages and cultures. ### Media Contact Espresso Translations London UK Address: 7175 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ Phone: +44 20 3488 1841 Website: https://www.espressotranslations.co.uk/ Attachment ATHENS, Greece, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp. (OET or the Company) (NYSE:ECO / OSE:OET) today announced that each of Robert Knapp and Joshua Nemser have decided to resign as directors of the Company, effective October 10, 2025. The two resignations did not result from any disagreement with the Company or its management. The board of directors of the Company has not yet determined whether to reduce the size of the board or to fill the relevant vacancies. The board of directors remains comprised of a majority of independent directors. The composition of each of the committees of the board of directors remains the same and is unaffected by these resignations, except for the remuneration committee, which remains comprised of Charlotte Stratos and Francis Frank Dunne. Ioannis Alafouzos, Chairman of the board, stated: We sincerely thank Robert and Joshua for their many contributions and dedication to Okeanis. They both served as directors since the beginning of our journey, over seven years ago. Their experience, expertise, and guidance, were instrumental in forming the path that the Company has taken. We regret that they have resigned and wish them well. Contacts Company: Iraklis Sbarounis, CFO Tel: +30 210 480 4200 ir@okeanisecotankers.com Investor Relations / Media Contact: Nicolas Bornozis, President Capital Link, Inc. 230 Park Avenue, Suite 1540, New York, N.Y. 10169 Tel: +1 (212) 661-7566 okeanisecotankers@capitallink.com About OET OET is a leading international tanker company providing seaborne transportation of crude oil and refined products. The Company was incorporated on April 30, 2018 under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange under the symbol OET and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ECO. The sailing fleet consists of six modern scrubber-fitted Suezmax tankers and eight modern scrubber-fitted VLCC tankers. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements, including as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements provide the Companys current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about the Companys expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts or that are not present facts or conditions. Words or phrases such as anticipate, believe, continue, estimate, expect, hope, intend, may, ongoing, plan, potential, predict, project, should, will or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements for many reasons, including as described in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the Company's operating or financial results; the Company's liquidity, including its ability to service its indebtedness; competitive factors in the market in which the Company operates; shipping industry trends, including charter rates, vessel values and factors affecting vessel supply and demand; future, pending or recent acquisitions and dispositions, business strategy, areas of possible expansion or contraction, and expected capital spending or operating expenses; risks associated with operations; broader market impacts arising from war (or threatened war) or international hostilities; risks associated with pandemics, including effects on demand for oil and other products transported by tankers and the transportation thereof; and other factors listed from time to time in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except to the extent required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. You should, however, review the factors and risks the Company describes in the reports it files and furnishes from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which can be obtained free of charge on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions website at www.sec.gov. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Basel, 13 October 2025 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that it will present more than 30 abstracts across more than 10 cancer types at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025, held 17-21 October 2025 in Berlin, Germany. The data underscore Roches commitment to deliver transformative medicines for some of the most challenging cancer types, including breast cancers, lung cancers, gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers. Key presentations include: Giredestrant: Primary results from the phase III evERA Breast Cancer study, the first positive head-to-head phase III trial investigating a selective oestrogen receptor (ER) degrader-containing regimen versus a standard of care combination in the post-cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor setting for people with ER-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. 1,2 The study met both co-primary endpoints, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival in both the intention-to-treat and ESR1 -mutated populations. 3 Data will be presented as a late-breaking oral abstract. The study met both co-primary endpoints, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival in both the intention-to-treat and -mutated populations. Data will be presented as a late-breaking oral abstract. Tecentriq: Results from the IMvigor011 trial, the first global phase III study pioneering a circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA)-guided approach to post-surgery treatment in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). 4 Topline results show that people who had detectable ctDNA and were treated with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) had statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). 5 Data will be presented as part of the Presidential Symposium. Topline results show that people who had detectable ctDNA and were treated with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) had statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Data will be presented as part of the Presidential Symposium. Alecensa: Final OS data from the pivotal ALEX study of Alecensa (alectinib). 6 Alecensa is an established first-line treatment and a standard of care for people with advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 7-9 Data will be presented as a late-breaking oral abstract and published simultaneously in the Annals of Oncology . Alecensa is an established first-line treatment and a standard of care for people with advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Data will be presented as a late-breaking oral abstract and published simultaneously in the . Alecensa: Updated results from the phase III ALINA study, reinforcing the role of adjuvant Alecensa as the standard of care for patients with resected ALK-positive NSCLC.10 After a median follow-up of approximately four years, Alecensa DFS data compared with chemotherapy will be presented.10 Overview of key presentations featuring Roche medicines: Medicine Abstract title Abstract number/presentation details Breast cancer Giredestrant Giredestrant (GIRE), an oral selective oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist and degrader, + everolimus (E) in patients (pts) with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (ER+, HER2 aBC) previously treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor (i): Primary results of the phase III evERA BC trial #LBA16 late-breaking oral Proffered paper session 1: Breast cancer, metastatic Saturday 18 October 2025 10:15-10:25 CEST Preoperative window-of-opportunity study with giredestrant or tamoxifen (tam) in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) and Ki6710% early breast cancer (EBC): the EMPRESS study (IIS: MEDSIR)* #294MO mini oral Mini oral session: Breast cancer, early stage Sunday 19 October 2025 10:50-10:55 CEST Giredestrant plus Itovebi (inavolisib) Interim analysis of giredestrant (GIRE) + inavolisib (INAVO) in MORPHEUS breast cancer (BC): A phase Ib/II study of GIRE treatment (rx) combinations in patients (pts) with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), HER2-negative, locally advanced/metastatic BC (LA/mBC) #508P poster Poster session: Breast cancer, metastatic Monday 20 October 2025 12:00-17:30 CEST Itovebi phase I/Ib trial of inavolisib (INAVO) + pertuzumab (P) + trastuzumab (H) for PIK3CA-mutated (mut), HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (HER2+ aBC) #548P poster Poster session: Breast cancer, metastatic Monday 20 October 2025 12:00-17:30 CEST Genitourinary cancer Tecentriq (atezolizumab) IMvigor011: a phase III trial of circulating tumour (ct)DNA-guided adjuvant atezolizumab vs placebo in muscle-invasive bladder cancer #LBA8 late-breaking oral Presidential Symposium III Monday 20 October 2025 16:30-16:42 CEST Lung cancer Alecensa (alectinib) Final overall survival (OS) and safety analysis of the phase III ALEX study of alectinib vs crizotinib in patients with previously untreated, advanced ALK-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) #LBA73 late-breaking oral Proffered paper session: NSCLC metastatic Friday 17 October 2025 17:06-17:16 CEST Updated results from the phase III ALINA study of adjuvant alectinib vs chemotherapy (chemo) in patients (pts) with early-stage ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) #1787MO mini oral Mini oral session 2: Non-metastatic NSCLC Monday 20 October 2025 14:50-14:55 CEST Tecentriq Patterns of disease progression (PD) and efficacy associated with tumour burden from the phase III IMforte study of lurbinectedin (lurbi) + atezolizumab (atezo) as first-line (1L) maintenance treatment (tx) in ES-SCLC #2762MO mini oral Mini Oral session 1: Non-metastatic NSCLC Saturday 18 October 2025 17:15-17:20 CEST Gastrointestinal cancer Tecentriq (IIS: NCI, Alliance)** Clinical outcome of patients (pts) with sporadic vs Lynch syndrome-related stage III colon carcinoma (CC) with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) treated in a randomized trial of adjuvant FOLFOX alone or combined with atezolizumab (atezo; anti-PD-L1) #752P poster Poster session: Colorectal cancer Sunday 19 October 2025 Divarasib Single-agent divarasib experience in patients with KRAS G12C-positive pancreatic adenocarcinoma (panc), cholangiocarcinoma (cholangio), and other solid tumors #927MO mini oral Mini oral session: Developmental therapeutics Friday 17 October 2025 17:00-17:05 CEST * Investigator Initiated Study (IIS). The study is sponsored by MEDSIR and supported by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. ** Investigator Initiated Study (IIS). The study is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), conducted by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and supported by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. About Roche in oncology For over 60 years, Roche has delivered transformative medicines and diagnostics, redefining the treatment of some of the most challenging cancers. Driven by a vision of a future where cancer can be cured, we focus our efforts on cancers with the highest societal impact and where we bring deep expertise, including breast, lung, and blood cancers, while pursuing breakthrough innovation in other areas of unmet need. Our pipeline features a diverse array of modalities, from small molecules and antibodies to next-generation ADCs and allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies. By advancing best-in-class precision medicine, pioneering novel combinations, and leveraging key technologies and partnerships, Roche tackles oncology's toughest challenges with the goal of delivering life-changing outcomes for people with cancer. About Roche Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the worlds largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice. For over 125 years, sustainability has been an integral part of Roches business. As a science-driven company, our greatest contribution to society is developing innovative medicines and diagnostics that help people live healthier lives. Roche is committed to the Science Based Targets initiative and the Sustainable Markets Initiative to achieve net zero by 2045. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com. All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law. References [1] Mayer E, et al. Giredestrant (GIRE), an oral selective oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist and degrader, + everolimus (E) in patients (pts) with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (ER+, HER2 aBC) previously treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor (i): Primary results of the phase III evERA BC trial. To be presented at: ESMO Congress; 2025 Oct 17-21; Berlin, Germany. Abstract #LBA16. [2] ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Giredestrant Plus Everolimus Compared With the Physician's Choice of Endocrine Therapy Plus Everolimus in Participants With Estrogen Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative, Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer (evERA Breast Cancer) [Internet; cited 2025 October]. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05306340. [3] Roche. Positive phase III results show Roches giredestrant significantly improved progression-free survival in ER-positive advanced breast cancer [Internet; cited 2025 October]. Available from: https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2025-09-22. [4] Powles T, et al. IMvigor011: a phase 3 trial of circulating tumour (ct)DNA-guided adjuvant atezolizumab vs placebo in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. To be presented at: ESMO Congress; 2025 Oct 17-21; Berlin, Germany. Abstract #LBA8. [5] Natera. IMvigor011 Bladder Cancer Trial Achieves Positive Results, with Signatera Strongly Predicting Adjuvant Immunotherapy Benefit [Internet; cited 2025 October]. Available from: https://www.natera.com/company/news/imvigor011-bladder-cancer-trial-achieves-positive-results-with-signatera-strongly-predicting-adjuvant-immunotherapy-benefit/https://www.natera.com/company/news/imvigor011-bladder-cancer-trial-achieves-positive-results-with-signatera-strongly-predicting-adjuvant-immunotherapy-benefit/. [6] Mok T, et al. Final overall survival (OS) and safety analysis of the phase 3 ALEX study of alectinib vs crizotinib in patients with previously untreated, advanced ALK-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To be presented at: ESMO Congress; 2025 Oct 17-21; Berlin, Germany. Abstract #LBA73. [7] Peters S, et al. Alectinib versus Crizotinib in Untreated ALK-Positive Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(9); 829-838. [8] Mok T, et al. Updated overall survival and final progression-free survival data for patients with treatment-naive advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer in the ALEX study. Ann Oncol. 2020;31(8):1056-1064. [9] NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer v.5.2024. [10] Dziadziuszko R, et al. Updated results from the phase III ALINA study of adjuvant alectinib vs chemotherapy (chemo) in patients (pts) with early-stage ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To be presented at: ESMO Congress; 2025 Oct 17-21; Berlin, Germany. Abstract #1787MO. Roche Global Media Relations Phone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: media.relations@roche.com Hans Trees, PhD Phone: +41 79 407 72 58 Sileia Urech Phone: +41 79 935 81 48 Nathalie Altermatt Phone: +41 79 771 05 25 Lorena Corfas Phone: +41 79 568 24 95 Simon Goldsborough Phone: +44 797 32 72 915 Karsten Kleine Phone: +41 79 461 86 83 Kirti Pandey Phone: +49 172 6367262 Yvette Petillon Phone: +41 79 961 92 50 Dr Rebekka Schnell Phone: +41 79 205 27 03 Roche Investor Relations Dr. Bruno Eschli Phone: +41 61 68-75284 e-mail: bruno.eschli@roche.com Dr. Sabine Borngraber Phone: +41 61 68-88027 e-mail: sabine.borngraeber@roche.com Dr. Birgit Masjost Phone: +41 61 68-84814 e-mail: birgit.masjost@roche.com Investor Relations North America Loren Kalm Phone: +1 650 225 3217 e-mail: kalm.loren@gene.com Attachment The company acquires the approximately 280,000 m site of the former Kabel Premium Pulp & Paper GmbH First plot acquisition of VGP in North Rhine-Westphalia, 20 minutes from the centre of Dortmund VGP plans to develop a modern business and industrial park 13 October 2025, 7:00am, Antwerp, Belgium /Dusseldorf, Germany: VGP, a pan-European developer, manager and owner of high-quality logistics and semi-industrial real estate as well as a provider of renewable energy solutions, has acquired the former factory site of Kabel Premium Pulp & Paper GmbH in Hagen. The property covers around 280,000 square metres and was sold to VGP on 9 October 2025 by the insolvency administrator as part of the insolvency proceedings opened in June 2025. The traditional paper mill had been based at the Hagen site for almost 130 years. The city of Hagen, with around 195,000 inhabitants, is located on the edge of the Ruhr area, in North Rhine-Westphalia. The site is located just 20 minutes from the centre of Dortmund, offering excellent accessibility to the wider Ruhr area VGP plans to gradually transform the site into a modern business and industrial park. The company intends to attract businesses from the production, light industrial and logistics sectors. For the buildings to be developed, VGP is aiming for at least DGNB Gold certification, which recognises particularly sustainable buildings. VGP follows the requirements of the EU Taxonomy and places a special focus on reducing CO emissions already during the construction phase (embodied carbon). VGP is working closely with the City of Hagen and the local economic development agency. Before construction begins, a comprehensive dismantling of the existing buildings and facilities is required, as machinery and production structures are still present on the site. Erik O. Schulz, Mayor of the City of Hagen, says: We are very pleased that VGP is taking over this traditional site and putting it to a future-oriented commercial use. From the very beginning, we have established a very trusting working relationship with the VGP team. We see great opportunities for new jobs and sustainable value creation in the region through the planned development. Jan Van Geet, CEO of VGP, also expressed his satisfaction: With the acquisition of the site of the former paper mill in Hagen, we are laying the foundation to give a traditional industrial location a new future. Our goal is to transform the site into a modern business park our first in North Rhine-Westphalia that combines and secures production, logistics and sustainable energy supply. The site is located at Schwerter Strae 263 in 58099 Hagen, in the district of Kabel. It is situated in close proximity to the A1 motorway (Hagen-Nord exit) and is excellently connected to the regional industrial and logistics network. Located within an established industrial area with existing infrastructure, the site offers ideal conditions for the planned commercial and industrial redevelopment. ABOUT VGP VGP is a pan-European owner, manager and developer of high-quality logistics and semi-industrial properties as well as a provider of renewable energy solutions. VGP has a fully integrated business model with extensive expertise and many years of experience along the entire value chain. VGP was founded in 1998 as a family-owned Belgian property developer in the Czech Republic and today operates with around 412 full-time employees in 18 European countries directly and through several 50:50 joint ventures. In June 2025, the gross asset value of VGP, including the 100% joint ventures, amounted to 8.3 billion and the company had a net asset value (EPRA NTA) of 2.6 billion. VGP is listed on Euronext Brussels (ISIN: BE0003878957). For more information, please visit: http://www.vgpparks.eu/en Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cornish Metals Inc. (AIM/TSXV: CUSN) (Cornish Metals or the Company), a mineral exploration and development company focused on advancing its wholly owned and permitted South Crofty tin project in Cornwall, United Kingdom, announces that Matthew Hird (CFO) has exercised 750,000 options over common shares in the Company using the net exercise method. Using this method, which is permissible under the terms of the Companys share option plan, as approved by shareholders on June 29, 2023, the Company issues shares equivalent to the value of the net gain, being the difference between the exercise price and the market value on the date of exercise. Accordingly, only 249,626 common shares without par value in the share capital of the Company (the "New Common Shares") have been issued. The New Common Shares will rank pari passu with the existing shares and application has been made for the 249,626 Common Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective and dealings in the New Common Shares will commence at 8:00am on or around October 14, 2025. The New Common Shares will also trade on the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Hird also requested that the Companys brokers sell the New Common Shares. The New Common Shares were sold at a price of 7.80 pence per share, with settlement due on October 14, 2025. Following these transactions, Mr. Hirds beneficial interest will remain unchanged with no shareholding in the Company. Following Admission, Cornish Metals Issued and Outstanding share capital will consist of 1,253,751,619 common shares. The Company does not hold any common shares in treasury. Shareholders may use this figure as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company. Following the issue of the New Shares, the Companys outstanding stock options, warrants and performance share units are as set out in the table below: Outstanding Exercise Price Exercisable Expiry date Options 1,300,000 C$0.10 1,300,000 October 13, 2025 7,066,667 C$0.331 5,066,867 July, 17, 2028 800,000 C$0.331 266,640 October 1, 2028 9,600,000 C$0.162 3,266,667 August 19,2029 2,500,000 C$0.162 - October 21, 2029 Performance Share Units 12,315,951 - - May 23, 2035 1 Pursuant to the terms of the share option award, the exercise price of these options is 0.18 for non-Canadian option holders or $0.30 for Canadian option holders. 2 Pursuant to the terms of the share option award, the exercise price of these options is 0.085 for non-Canadian option holders or $0.14 for Canadian option holders. The notification below, made in accordance with the requirements of the UK Market Abuse Regulation, provides further detail. 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Matthew Hird 2 Reason for the notification a) Position/status Chief Financial Officer b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial notification 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Cornish Metals Inc. b) LEI 8945007GJ5APA9YDN221 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Common shares Identification code CA21948L1040 b) Nature of the transaction Net Exercise of share options pursuant to Companys share option plan c) Price(s) and volume(s) 750,000 options exercised, net issue of 249,626 shares at nil price d) Aggregated information - Aggregated volume - Price e) Date of the transaction 10 October 2025 f) Place of the transaction Outside of a trading venue 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Matthew Hird 2 Reason for the notification a) Position/status Chief Financial Officer b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial notification 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Cornish Metals Inc. b) LEI 8945007GJ5APA9YDN221 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Common shares Identification code CA21948L1040 b) Nature of the transaction Sale of Common Shares c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s) 7.8p 249,626 d) Aggregated information - Aggregated volume As above - Price e) Date of the transaction 10 October 2025 f) Place of the transaction AIM ABOUT CORNISH METALS Cornish Metals is a mineral exploration and development company that is advancing the South Crofty tin project towards production. South Crofty: is a historical, high-grade, underground tin mine located in Cornwall, United Kingdom and benefits from existing mine infrastructure including multiple shafts that can be used for future operations; is permitted to commence underground mining (valid to 2071), construct a new processing facility and for all necessary site infrastructure; would be the only primary producer of tin in Europe or North America. Tin is a Critical Mineral as defined by the UK, American, and Canadian governments as it is used in almost all electronic devices and electrical infrastructure. Approximately two-thirds of the tin mined today comes from China, Myanmar and Indonesia; benefits from strong local community, regional and national government support with a growing team of skilled people, local to Cornwall, and could generate up to 320 direct jobs. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Don Turvey Don Turvey CEO and Director Engage with us directly at our investor hub. Sign up at: https://investors.cornishmetals.com/link/P4xj9P For additional information please contact: Cornish Metals Fawzi Hanano Irene Dorsman investors@cornishmetals.com info@cornishmetals.com Tel: +1 (604) 200 6664 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) Richard Morrison Charlie Bouverat Grant Barker Tel: +44 203 470 0470 Hannam & Partners (Joint Broker) Matthew Hasson Andrew Chubb Jay Ashfield cornish@hannam.partners Tel: +44 207 907 8500 BlytheRay (Financial PR) Tim Blythe Megan Ray Said Izagaren cornishmetals@blytheray.com Tel: +44 207 138 3204 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Caution regarding forward looking statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, outlook, guidance, estimates and forecasts and other statements regarding future plans, the realisation, cost, timing and extent of mineral resource or mineral reserve estimates, estimation of commodity prices, currency exchange rate fluctuations, estimated future exploration expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time lines, requirements for additional capital and the Companys ability to obtain financing when required and on terms acceptable to the Company, future or estimated mine life and other activities or achievements of Cornish Metals. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, forecast, expect, potential, project, target, schedule, budget and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could, would or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to receipt of regulatory approvals, risks related to general economic and market conditions; risks related to the availability of financing; the timing and content of upcoming work programmes; actual results of proposed exploration activities; possible variations in Mineral Resources or grade; projected dates to commence mining operations; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations. The list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Cornishs forward-looking statements. Cornish Metals forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date such statements are made. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward- looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Cornish Metals does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or managements beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information pursuant to Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended. Sidetrade reaches a new milestone in its global expansion. Sidetrade, a global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, announces today that it has signed binding agreements to acquire 100% of the share capital of EzyCollect, a recognized player in Australia and New Zealand specializing in Order-to-Cash management for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Already number one in Europe and among the top 3 leaders in North America, Sidetrade is now preparing to expand its footprint to the Asia-Pacific region with ezyCollect, the market leader in Order-to-Cash (O2C) solutions in its domestic market. Together, the two SaaS providers will enable thousands of SMBs across both hemispheres to leverage the power of agentic AI, drawing on a Data Lake whose richness in corporate payment behavior will be unique in the world. During our visit to Sydney, I was impressed by the expertise and talent of the ezyCollect teams, their forward-thinking vision of the mid-market, and their amazing speed of execution, said Olivier Novasque, Sidetrades founder and CEO. With ezyCollect, Sidetrade has now all the assets required to achieve its global ambitions. This proposed acquisition opens immediate access to Asia-Pacific, one of the worlds most dynamic economic regions, while enhancing our ability to support the subsidiaries of our multinational clients operating in the area. Beyond geographic expansion, ezyCollects SMB total addressable market is huge and represents a tremendous opportunity for Sidetrades agentic AI. AI agents will have a massive impact on this segment, where cash is critical, and companies often lack the scale to build specialized Order-to-Cash teams. By combining ezyCollects simplicity of deployment and usage with the power of our agentic AI, we aim together with the ezyCollect teams to roll out these mid-market solutions across all the regions where we are already operating, marking a major step forward in Sidetrades global development. ezyCollect, the Australian SaaS leader in Order-to-Cash for SMBs Founded in 2014 in Sydney (Australia), ezyCollect is a leading SaaS player in O2C solutions dedicated to the mid-market. With 53 employees, more than 1,100 client companies representing A$19 billion in B2B receivables managed in its Cloud and about 320,000 debtors, ezyCollect has become the best in class in Australia and New-Zealand and recently began its expansion into the United States. Within just 90 days, ezyCollect clients typically see a 40% reduction in late payments and an 80% decrease in bad debt. The company stands out through: Comprehensive O2C cycle coverage (credit risk management, collections and payment portal); (credit risk management, collections and payment portal); Advanced electronic payment technology , a strong growth driver amid the accelerating digitalization of B2B transactions; , a strong growth driver amid the accelerating digitalization of B2B transactions; Outstanding customer retention for this market segment, with 89% of gross retention , reflecting a solid delivered value; for this market segment, with , reflecting a solid delivered value; Very high business growth, with a 28% CAGR over the past three years. For the 2025 calendar year, ezyCollect expects revenue of approximately A$14 million (around 8 million), up 28% from 2024. Despite funding its strong growth, the company is nearing operating breakeven (EBITDA break-even) as early as 2025, confirming the strength of its recurring model and cost discipline. In 2026, ezyCollects revenue is projected at A$18 million (just over 10 million), representing expected growth of 29%. Synergies from rolling out ezyCollects offerings in all Sidetrade regions (notably Europe and the U.S.), combined with the integration of Sidetrades agentic AI technology into ezyCollect solutions, should significantly accelerate ezyCollects revenue trajectory in the coming years. To preserve the entrepreneurial culture and mid-market DNA that have driven ezyCollects success so far, its management team will remain primarily responsible, independently from Sidetrades enterprise sales force, for leading the go-to-market of the new AI offering, ezyCollect by Sidetrade, targeting SMBs in all markets where the Group operates. ezyCollects integration into Sidetrade would be effective retroactively as of October 1, 2025. Starting next year, the new Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to represent nearly 13% of the Groups consolidated revenue, further strengthening its international profile. France would then account for only about 25% of consolidated 2026 revenue a new global balance, a rare achievement for a company of this scale, that will diversify income streams, enhance the Groups resilience to regional economic cycles, and reinforce the visibility of its mid-term growth profile. Asia-Pacific expansion, extending into SMBs and B2B payments The global O2C solutions market is estimated at US$8.8 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 12.9% (source: Accounts Receivable Automation Market Size Report, 2024-2030, Grand View Research). With this acquisition, Sidetrade will now have a global presence across three continents: Europe , its historical core market; , its historical core market; North America , strengthened by the 2024 acquisition of CreditPoint Software; , strengthened by the 2024 acquisition of CreditPoint Software; Asia-Pacific, with ezyCollect becoming Sidetrades regional headquarters in Sydney. This new base will enable Sidetrade to operate seamlessly across all time zones and fully extend its follow-the-sun model on a global scale. ezyCollect: new global distribution channel for Sidetrades agentic AI Finance functions are undergoing a revolution. After a decade of algorithmic automation, they are entering the era of AI agents, capable of understanding, learning, and deciding. Sidetrades agentic AI, Aimie, pioneered autonomous finance for enterprises: systems that act and self-optimize continuously, without human intervention in certain processes. With this project, ezyCollect would become the first player to bring agentic AI to the mid-market, a segment often constrained by limited resources. ezyCollect adds a client base of over 1,100 companies, growing at nearly 30% annually. By integrating Aimie, ezyCollect customers will gain enterprise-level capabilities without increasing headcount or organizational complexity. Aimie works continuously, like a team member in remote, sending reminders, tracking payments, detecting delays, and adapting to each situation without human input. Where time and staff shortages limit efficiency, agentic AI delivers constant presence, precise execution, and real-time visibility into cash flows. Joining Sidetrade is a major step forward for ezyCollect and a giant leap for all mid-market companies we already help succeed, said Arjun Singh, CEO and co-founder of ezyCollect. We are proud to join forces with the worlds leader in Order-to-Cash, whose advance in agentic AI is unmatched worldwide. With the power of Aimie agents, our clients will benefit from efficiency and intelligence standards previously reserved for large enterprises. This partnership gives us global scale, accelerates our innovation, and preserves our agile DNA and customer proximity. AI learning on a global scale, from SMBs to multinationals Sidetrade would offer two complementary O2C solutions: Augmented Cash, recognized by Gartner as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant and designed for large enterprises; and ezyCollect by Sidetrade, tailored for the mid-market. Together, they will cover the full O2C spectrum from small businesses to multinationals and combine innovation, geographic coverage, and operational excellence to generate both technological and commercial synergies. We are delighted to welcome ezyCollects team at Sidetrade, added Olivier Novasque. This partnership goes beyond geography; it unites two teams that share the same values and the same ambition: to invent the Order-to-Cash of tomorrow. By aggregating proprietary payment-behavior data from the Americas, Europe, and APAC, we will further elevate the intelligence of our Aimie agents to deliver tangible performance, from mid-market firms to global enterprises, around the clock and across time zones. Sidetrades Data Lake, already the largest repository of B2B corporate payment behavior worldwide, analyzing US$7.2 trillion in transactions, will be significantly enriched by APAC mid-market data. This new input will provide Aimie with deeper regional insight into intercompany credit dynamics and enhance the autonomy of its agentic algorithms. In practice, weak signals captured in Sydney or Wellington will inform Aimies decisions in Paris, London or Houston - a distributed machine learning loop where each transaction feeds collective intelligence and refines global accuracy, speed, and adaptability. At the heart of the B2B payments revolution From Sidetrades perspective, a key technological advancement lies in integrating EzyCollects payment digitalization module into its platform. This integration will extend the functional scope of Augmented Cash by adding native payment management capabilities, delivering a fully digitalized end-to-end solution, from order to payment, including e-invoicing and collections. This upcoming feature will position Sidetrade at the forefront of the fast-growing electronic payments wave, a rapidly growing segment that is reshaping the digital customer experience. The goal is to deliver frictionless cash-flow management and pave the way for global monetization of B2B transactions. A major acquisition for Sidetrade The contemplated transaction covers 100% of ezyCollects share capital, Sidetrades tenth since the Groups creation, and will also be its largest acquisition in both scale and value. It is marking a strategic turning point in its international expansion. The deal represents an estimated value of around 37 million, including an initial payment upon closing and a potential earn-out based on revenue growth through 2028. Based on ezyCollects forecast for 2026, the EV valuation of ezyCollect represents approximately 3.7 times its projected next-twelve-month revenue (NTM), a reasonable multiple for a fast-growing SaaS player nearing operational profitability, and uncommon within the regional market. The cash component of the contemplated transaction will be financed through a combination of the Groups available cash resources and a long-term bank loan facility of 25 million, bearing a fixed rate of approximately 3.1% secured through hedging instruments. As a reminder, Sidetrade treasury totaled 48.7 million as of June 30, 2025, including 21.5 million in treasury shares, prior to this transaction. This financing structure allows Sidetrade to maintain a solid cash position and capacity for future inorganic growth opportunities, while preserving financial discipline. The acquisition of ezyCollect is expected to close in the next few weeks, subject to customary closing conditions. Sidetrade was advised by King & Spalding LLP (Laurent Bensaid, Julien Vicariot, and Carla De Checchi) as legal counsel. ezyCollect was advised by U.S. investment bank AGC Partners and law firm Thomson Geer. Next financial announcement Annual Revenue for 2025: January 20, 2026 (after the stock market closes) Media relation @Sidetrade Oli Thornton +44 7933 108 107 oli.thornton@sidetrade.com Investor relation @Sidetrade Christelle Dhrif +33 6 10 46 72 00 cdhrif@sidetrade.com About Sidetrade (www.sidetrade.com) Sidetrade (Euronext Growth: ALBFR.PA) provides a SaaS platform designed to revolutionize how cash flow is secured and accelerated. Leveraging its new-generation agentic AI, nicknamed Aimie, Sidetrade analyzes $7.2 trillion worth of B2B payment transactions daily in its Cloud, thereby anticipating customer payment behavior and the attrition risk of 40 million buyers worldwide. Sidetrade has a global reach, with 400+ talented employees based in Europe, the United States, and Canada, serving global businesses in more than 85 countries. Among them: AGFA, BMW Financial Services, Bunzl, DXC, Engie, Inmarsat, KPMG, Lafarge, Manpower, Morningstar, Page, Randstad, Safran, Saint-Gobain, Securitas, Siemens, UGI, Veolia. For more information, visit us at www.sidetrade.com and follow us on LinkedIn at @Sidetrade. About ezyCollect (www.ezycollect.io) Founded in 2014 in Sydney, ezyCollect is a SaaS fintech specializing in accounts receivable automation and B2B payments for SMBs. With over 1,100 customers worldwide and A$ 18 billion in receivables managed, ezyCollect has established itself as the APAC leader in mid-market Order-to-Cash solutions. In the event of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of this press release, the French version shall prevail. Attachment We are correcting the annual report, which was uploaded incompletely. Hereby we announce the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (hereinafter the Meeting) of AB Akola Group, registered address Subaciaus St. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania, code 148030011, (hereinafter the Company) is convened. The date, time, and venue of the Meeting 31 October 2025 at 10.00 a.m., Radisson Collection Astorija Hotel, Conference Hall OPERA (Didzioji St. 35/2, Vilnius, Lithuania). The accounting day of the Meeting is 24 October 2025. Only the persons who are the shareholders of the Company at the end of the Accounting day of the Meeting shall have the right to attend and vote at the Meeting. The Rights Accounting Day is 14 November 2025. Only the persons who are the shareholders of the Company at the end of the Rights Accounting day shall have proprietary rights. On the day the Meeting is convened the total number of the Companys shares is 167,170,481, and the number of shares granting voting rights is 166,573,819. The own shares in the amount of 596,662 acquired by the Company do not grant voting rights. The ISIN code of the Companys shares is LT0000128092. Agenda of the Meeting: Presentation of the Companys Audit Committee Activity Report, the Independent Auditors Report and the Independent Practitioners Limited Assurance Report on AB Akola Group Consolidated Sustainability Report. Approval of the Consolidated and the Companys Set of Financial Statements for the financial year ended 30 June 2025. Approval of acquisition of own shares. Formation of the reserve for acquiring its own shares. Approval of the Distribution of the Companys Profit/Loss. Approval of a new wording of the Remuneration Policy of the Company. Approval of a new wording of the Rules for Granting Shares of the Company. The initiator of the convening of the Meeting is the Board of the Company. The Meeting is convened by the decision of the Board of the Company, adopted on 10 October 2025. Registration of the Shareholders of the Company starts on 31 October 2025 at 9.15 a.m. Registration of the Shareholders of the Company ends 31 October 2025 at 9.55 a.m. The Company does not provide a possibility to attend and vote at the Meeting through electronic means of communication. Persons who at the end of the Accounting day of the Meeting will be shareholders of the Company, or their authorized persons, or persons with whom an agreement on the disposal of the voting right has been concluded, will have the right to personally participate and vote at the meeting. A person attending the Meeting must submit a persons identification document. A person who is not a shareholder must additionally produce a document confirming his/her right to vote at the Meeting. Each shareholder shall have a right in the manner established by the Laws to authorize a natural or legal person on his/her behalf to attend and vote at the Meeting. At the Meeting, an authorized person shall have the same rights as the shareholder represented by him/her, unless otherwise specified in the issued power of attorney. A power of attorney issued abroad must be translated into Lithuanian and legalized in the manner established by the Laws. The Company does not require a special form of power of attorney. The agenda of the Meeting may be supplemented by an initiative of the shareholders holding shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes. The drafts of proposed decisions on proposed issues or, if the decision shall not be adopted, an explanation on each proposed issue of the agenda of the Meeting shall be presented alongside with the proposal to supplement the agenda of the Meeting. The proposal to supplement the agenda shall be submitted in writing by sending it by registered mail to AB Akola Group at the address Subaciaus St. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania, or by e-mail info@akolagroup.lt. The agenda of the Meeting shall be supplemented if the proposal is received no later than 14 days before the Meeting. The Supervisory Board, Board, shareholders of the Company who own shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes shall have the right at any time before the Meeting or during the Meeting to propose new draft decisions on the issue already included or to be included in the agenda of the Meeting. The proposed draft decisions, additional candidates for members of the Company's bodies, auditor or audit firm, independent assurance service provider must be presented in writing by sending them by registered mail to AB Akola Group at the address Subaciaus St. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania, or by e-mail at info@akolagroup.lt, if the security of the transmitted information is ensured and the identity of individuals can be determined. The shareholders shall also be entitled to propose draft decisions on the agenda issues of the Meeting in writing during the Meeting. The shareholders shall have the right to present questions related to the agenda issues of the Meeting to the Company. The questions in writing can be presented not later than 3 working days before the Meeting, by providing the shareholders personal identification number and consent to process personal data by registered mail to AB Akola Group at the address Subaciaus St. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania. Responses of a general character shall be posted on the Companys website www.akolagroup.lt. The Company will not respond to the shareholder personally if the respective information is posted on the Companys website. A shareholder or a person authorized by him/her shall have the right to vote in writing in advance by filling in the General Voting Ballot. Upon a written request of the shareholder holding the voting right, the Company shall send the General Voting Ballot by registered mail not later than ten days before the Meeting. The General Voting Ballot also will be provided on the Companys website www.akolagroup.lt. The filled-in General Voting Ballot must be signed by the shareholder or by the person authorized by him/her. If the person who is authorized by the shareholder is voting, the document confirming the right to vote must be attached to the filled-in General Voting Ballot. The document confirming the voting right must be in Lithuanian or translated into Lithuanian by an authorized translator, and his/her signature must be confirmed by notaries. The filled-in General Voting Ballot and the document confirming the voting right must be submitted to the Company in written form not later than the last working day before the Meeting, by sending it by registered mail to AB Akola Group at the address Subaciaus St. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania or personally to the Company; documents signed with a qualified electronic signature can be sent by e-mail at info@akolagroup.lt. The shareholders can familiarize themselves with the documents, related to the agenda of the Meeting, draft decisions on each issue of the agenda, documents to be submitted to the Meeting, and other information regarding the execution of the shareholders rights, on the website of the Company www.akolagroup.lt, also on arrival at Subaciaus St. 5, Vilnius, Lithuania during business days at the time agreed in advance by phone number +370 663 83888 only. Sincerely, CEO Darius Zubas Note. In accordance with the Article 373 (5) of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, all management reports/annual reports containing information on remuneration and approved after 28 October 2022 are hereby submitted: For more information: Mazvydas Sileika, CFO and Member of the Board of AB Akola Group E-mail m.sileika@akolagroup.lt Mob. +370 619 19 403 Attachments SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to growing demand for data-driven tools in the digital asset space, MasterQuant today announced the launch of its upgraded trading bot to bring more agility and insight to investment trading. This update reinforces the companys commitment to combining AI, risk control, and user transparency for both new and experienced traders. Over the past year, markets have become increasingly unpredictable, marked by sector rotations, macroeconomic surprises, and volatility shocks. In this environment, automated systems with real-time feedback loops are becoming a must-have. MasterQuants new bot is designed to learn from market behavior and adapt execution strategies daily, giving users a stronger infrastructure to achieve trading goals in dynamic conditions. Adaptive Automation Meets Tactical Efficiency MasterQuants trading bot combines machine learning, quantitative analytics, and execution engineering to support multiple investment trading plans . Whether youre looking for trend following, mean reversion, or hybrid strategy overlays, the system evaluates multiple signal layers and risk constraints before acting. The bot monitors market factors like order flow, momentum shifts, volatility regimes, and cross-asset correlations. Based on those inputs, it can adjust position size, time entries, and exits, or step back during turbulence. This feedback mechanism reduces overtrading and allows for a more thoughtful deployment of capital without requiring manual micromanagement from the user. One of the key features is transparency: every trade is documented and visible in the user dashboard. Traders can see the logic pathsignal triggers, risk filters and final execution decisionsso the system is never a black box. This transparency builds trust, especially in automated environments where opaque logic often deters adoption. MasterQuant also preserves flexibility. Users can override or pause automation and switch to manual control. The bot is meant to be a trusted assistant, not a replacement for the traders judgment. This balance of autonomy and oversight is key to building confidence in algorithmic systems. Positioning Automation for Wider Participation The release of this new trading bot is timely. As crypto and digital asset markets mature, more retail and institutional investors are looking to systematise decision-making without sacrificing risk integrity or oversight. While automation has existed in niche areas of high-frequency trading, MasterQuants approach is about accessibilitybringing investment trading sophistication to a wider audience. The bots infrastructure has connectors that support major digital asset markets globally. It also integrates multi-asset signals to smooth drawdowns and adapt across market cycles. For users seeking a low-latency, intelligence-driven engine for crypto and beyond, this launch offers a compelling new layer of service. Backed by a team of quantitative analysts, data scientists, and engineers, MasterQuant tested the system across volatility and different liquidity environments. Performance metrics were evaluated in simulation and forward testing to validate stability, risk adherence, and signal responsiveness. By design, the trading bot positions itself as a smarter tool in the toolkit of traders who wish to blend automation with human insight. New users can try the platform risk-free with $100 trial bonus . About MasterQuant MasterQuant is a platform built to bridge advanced algorithmic finance with usability, transparency, and risk awareness. Its solutions blend AI models, data science, and automated execution to support investment trading. The upgraded trading bot continues MasterQuants mission to broaden access to algorithmic tools while preserving control and clarity for users of all experience levels. Contact Info: support@masterquant.com 45 Fremont St, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA Disclaimer: This content is provided by MasterQuant. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sectorincluding cryptocurrency, NFTs, and miningcomplete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. 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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e574f1c-7b27-45ff-b591-ae7f2b192658 FORM 8.5 (EPT/RI) PUBLIC DEALING DISCLOSURE BY AN EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADER WITH RECOGNISED INTERMEDIARY STATUS DEALING IN A CLIENT-SERVING CAPACITY Rule 8.5 of the Takeover Code (the Code) 1. KEY INFORMATION (a) Name of exempt principal trader: Investec Bank plc (b) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Treatt plc (c) Name of the party to the offer with which exempt principal trader is connected: Investec is Joint financial adviser, Rule 3 adviser and corporate broker to Treatt plc. (d) Date dealing undertaken: 10th October 2025 (e) In addition to the company in 1(b) above, is the exempt principal trader making disclosures in respect of any other party to this offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state N/A N/A 2. DEALINGS BY THE EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADER Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(b), copy table 2(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in. The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated. (a) Purchases and sales Class of relevant security Purchases/ sales Total number of securities Highest price per unit paid/received Lowest price per unit paid/received Ordinary shares Sales 1,661 282 282 (b) Cash-settled derivative transactions Class of relevant security Product description e.g. CFD Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A (c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options) (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A (ii) Exercise Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A (d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities) Class of relevant security Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) N/A N/A N/A N/A 3. OTHER INFORMATION (a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the exempt principal trader making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state none None (b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the exempt principal trader making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state none None Date of disclosure: 13th October 2025 Contact name: Abhishek Gawde Telephone number: +91-9923757332 Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service. The Panels Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Codes dealing disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129. Dublin, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Europe Overhead Line Inspection Market: Focus on Application, Product, and Country - Analysis and Forecast, 2025-2035" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Europe overhead line inspection market is projected to reach USD 779.2 million by 2035 from USD 392.6 million in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 6.36% during the forecast period 2025-2035. The market for overhead line inspection in Europe includes a variety of solutions that are essential for guaranteeing the dependability of power transmission infrastructure, including as drone-based airborne inspections, infrared thermography, AI-driven analytics, and vegetation management technologies. The region's aging grid assets, growing cross-border interconnections, and growing integration of renewable energy sources are driving market expansion. The need for more precise, effective, and economical inspection techniques is being fulfilled by technological developments including automated drones, high-resolution photography, and predictive analytics. Players like Siemens Energy, Cyberhawk, and other European service providers are driving innovation in this fiercely competitive market. Additionally, the emphasis on grid reliability, sustainability, and smart grid integration is shaping market strategies and driving investment across the region. Consequently, the Europe overhead line inspection market is evolving rapidly to meet the operational and regulatory challenges of modern power networks. The overhead line inspection market in Europe is essential to preserving the dependability, efficiency, and safety of the electrical transmission and distribution systems in the area. The need for efficient monitoring and inspection systems has grown dramatically as Europe moves toward a more sustainable energy system, incorporating renewable energy sources and extending cross-border links. Advanced technologies like drones, infrared thermography, LiDAR, satellite imagery, and AI-powered analytics are progressively replacing more conventional techniques like manual patrols and helicopter surveys. These technologies not only enhance accuracy but also cut inspection costs and improve safety by eliminating human exposure to high-risk areas. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) legislative reforms, which offer standardized frameworks for drone operations and encourage a wider use of unmanned aerial systems for overhead line monitoring, also influence the European market. The use of digital twin models, unmanned drones, robotic crawlers, and vegetation management systems are some of the major trends that allow utilities to proactively handle grid maintenance requirements. Innovation and competitiveness are being driven by prominent industry participants like Siemens Energy and Cyberhawk as well as specialized service providers. The market for overhead line inspection in Europe is expected to rise steadily due to the increased focus on sustainability, grid resilience, and smart grid integration. How can this report add value to an organization? Product/Innovation Strategy: The product segment helps the reader understand the different types of services available in European Region. Moreover, the study provides the reader with a detailed understanding of the overhead line inspection market by products based on method of delivery, solution, and voltage. Growth/Marketing Strategy: The Europe overhead line inspection market has seen major development by key players operating in the market, such as business expansion, partnership, collaboration, and joint venture. The favored strategy for the companies has been synergistic activities to strengthen their position in the Europe overhead line inspection market. Competitive Strategy: Key players in the overhead line inspection market have been analyzed and profiled in the study of overhead line inspection products. Moreover, a detailed competitive benchmarking of the players operating in the overhead line inspection market has been done to help the reader understand how players stack against each other, presenting a clear market landscape. Additionally, comprehensive competitive strategies such as partnerships, agreements, and collaborations will aid the reader in understanding the untapped revenue pockets in the market. Europe Overhead Line Inspection Market Trends, Drivers and Challenges Trends Shift from helicopters to drones/UAVs for routine and post-storm inspections, with growing use of autonomous flights. Multi-sensor integration (LiDAR, high-res RGB, thermal/IR, UV) becoming standard; satellite imagery used as a complementary layer. AI/ML analytics moving to production for automated defect detection, corrosion grading, vegetation mapping, and digital-twin creation. Expansion of transmission projects increasing inspection demand and pushing data-driven O&M workflows. Rising adoption of inspection robots (line crawlers) and "drone-in-a-box" systems for high-frequency monitoring. Procurement models shifting toward managed services and data platforms with per-asset or per-kilometer pricing. Drivers Aging grid assets and the need for higher reliability amid renewable energy integration. Regulatory support through harmonized EU drone rules enabling beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations. Cost and safety benefits of replacing manual climbs and helicopter surveys with unmanned inspections. Advanced sensors enabling earlier detection of faults, minimizing outages and operational losses. AI-powered analytics platforms reducing time from inspection to actionable maintenance. Challenges BVLOS approvals and regulatory processes remain fragmented across member states. Data governance and interoperability issues when integrating sensor data into existing utility systems. Weather constraints (wind, rain, visibility) affecting drone flights and sensor accuracy. Scaling AI analytics requires better model accuracy, training datasets, and field adoption. Shortage of skilled professionals in drone operations, data engineering, and powerline domain expertise. Cybersecurity risks in connected UAVs, robotics, and cloud-based inspection platforms. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 73 Forecast Period 2025 - 2035 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2025 $420.6 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2035 $779.2 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.3% Regions Covered Europe Competition Synopsis eSmart Systems AS Siemens Energy Sharper Shape Inc. Market Segmentation Asset Lines/Conductors Towers/Poles Insulators/Hardware Vegetation Corridor End User Transmission System Operators (TSOs) Distribution System Operators (DSOs) Integrated Utilities Government/Public Agencies Solution Visual Observation Infrared Thermography Corona/Partial Discharge Detection LiDAR and Photogrammetry High-resolution Visual (Photo/Video) with AI-based analytics Vegetation Management (Satellite Imagery and Aerial LiDAR) Others Method of Delivery Helicopters Drones Robots Ground Voltage Transmission (> 66 kV) Distribution (< 66 kV) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/b4zoj4 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Austin, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Single-cell Analysis Market Size & Growth Analysis According to SNS Insider, the global Single-cell Analysis Market was valued at USD 3.90 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 12.29 billion by 2032 growing at a CAGR of 13.61% over the forecast period of 2025-2032. This growth is driven by increasing use of single-cell analysis (SCA) in cancer research, precision medicine and drug discovery. The rising investment of biotechnology, the swift uptake of multi-omics tools, and growing demand for early disease detection drive market growth. The consumables sector is the largest market segment, brought on by the requirement of assay kits, buffers, beads and cell isolation products as essential part of continued research flow. Concurrently, developments in cell isolation and technology for library preparation are opening new areas of opportunity in genomics and proteomics, including oncology and immunology. Get free Sample Report of Single-cell Analysis Market: https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/3730 Single-cell Analysis Market Overview single cells analysis is a valuable tool for exploring gene expression, epigenetic modification and protein interaction at the single-cell level. Compare to its conventional bulk readout counterparts that obscure cellular heterogeneity in the sample, SCA delivers high-content information relevant for disease mechanism study and biomarker discovery, as well as targeted therapy development. The technology has proven itself as a powerful research tool in oncology, neurology, immunology and stem cell studies. Such quick uptake is backed by a well-developed ecosystem of biotech firms, research institutes and government-funded initiatives. Advances in microfluidics, droplet-based sequencing and next-generation informatics are also driving increased scale, throughput and accuracy. Major Players in the Single-cell Analysis Market Include: 10x Genomics, Inc BD Biosciences Illumina Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc Bio-Rad Laboratories Fluidigm Corporation Agilent Technologies PerkinElmer QIAGEN NV Merck KGaA Takara Bio NanoString Technologies Roche Diagnostics Singleron Biotechnologies Mission Bio Parse Biosciences Celsee, Inc. Dolomite Bio Cell Microsystems Miltenyi Biotec Single-cell Analysis Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2024 US$ 3.90 Billion Market Size by 2032 US$ 12.29 Billion CAGR CAGR of 13.61% From 2025 to 2032 Base Year 2024 Forecast Period 2025-2032 Historical Data 2021-2023 Key Segments By Product (Instruments, Consumables) By Workflow (Single Cell Isolation & Library Preparation, Downstream Analysis, Data Analysis) By Application (Cancer, Immunology, Neurology, Stem Cell, Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis, In-Vitro Fertilization, Others) By End User (Academic & Research Laboratories, Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals & Diagnostic Laboratories, Others) Regional Analysis/Coverage North America (US, Canada), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, ASEAN Countries, Rest of Asia Pacific), Middle East & Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa), Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Rest of Latin America). Single-cell Analysis Market Segment Insights By Product The Consumables segment held the largest market share in 2024, with 54.2%. Such dominance is attributed to the high consumption of isolation products, beads, buffers, and assay kits in single-cell research. There is continuous demand for these consumables in labs, which brings steady flow of revenues. With the development of personalized medicine, demand for high quality reagents and consistent consumable kits has surged. By Workflow The Single Cell Isolation & Library Preparation segment held 37.5% of the market share in 2024. Growing commercial availability of isolation technologies, such as FACS, MACS, microdissection, flow cytometry and microfluidics will boost adoption. These sophisticated workflows allow researchers to handle heterogeneous cell suspensions effectively, leading to innovations in genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. By Application The Cancer segment held the largest market share in 2024, 33.2%, and was projected to grow with a CAGR of 19.87% throughout the estimated period. The market for breast cancer is dominated by an increasing prevalence of the disease, demand for early diagnostics and rise in research on genetic variations. One of the most important applications of single-cell technologies is to uncover rare cell populations in cancer, to dissect tumor heterogeneity and to elucidate personalized therapeutic approaches. By End User Academic & Research Laboratories accounted 73.7% of share of the market in 2024. Universities and research institutes continue to act as the bedrock of single-cell technology adoption for basic research, biomarker finding and spatial genomics. CycMIST, a new tool created by Stony Brook University, demonstrates the continued development of tools in Research and Education. Buy the Single-cell Analysis Market Report Now: https://www.snsinsider.com/checkout/3730 Regional Analysis North America Takes the Lead Due to Robust Research Ecosystem North America was the leading contributor to hyperimmune globulin market share in 2024 and is surpassing further growth due to large number of government funding programs, developed healthcare facilities as well as early technology adoption. In particular, the U.S. enjoys a competitive advantage in the form of National Institutes of Health (NIH) Programs, precision medicine programs and the presence of major industry stakeholders. Asia Pacific Registers Fastest Growth During 20252032, Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a CAGR of 19.9%. Key drivers are: Rapid modernization of healthcare systems, growing investment in diagnostics and a rising elderly population. The region, is poised to be the next big thing in this market as countries such as Japan, China and India are scaling up their genominal project and expanding its precision medicine outreach. Recent Developments in the Single-cell Analysis Market June 2025: 10x Genomics launched a new high-throughput single-cell sequencing platform designed to reduce per-sample costs and increase cell capture efficiency. April 2025: Illumina partnered with a leading cancer research consortium to accelerate SCA-based biomarker discovery. March 2025: Thermo Fisher expanded its single-cell consumables portfolio with advanced assay kits optimized for spatial genomics. January 2025: Becton, Dickinson and Company introduced a next-gen flow cytometry platform tailored for single-cell applications in immunology. Statistical Insights Over 55% of SCA studies worldwide are focused on oncology and immunology. Academic research accounts for nearly three-quarters of global SCA spending. The U.S. leads in SCA patent filings and federal funding allocations. Asia Pacific shows the fastest funding growth for genomics-based research. The consumables segment drives recurring revenue, accounting for over 50% of total market sales. Access Complete Report Details of Single-cell Analysis Market Analysis & Outlook: https://www.snsinsider.com/reports/single-cell-analysis-market-3730 [For more information or need any customization research mail us at info@snsinsider.com] About Us: S&S Insider is one of the leading market research and consulting agencies that dominates the market research industry globally. Our company's aim is to give clients the knowledge they require in order to function in changing circumstances. In order to give you current, accurate market data, consumer insights, and opinions so that you can make decisions with confidence, we employ a variety of techniques, including surveys, video talks, and focus groups around the world. The GIQ platform, developed by Space42 in partnership with the UAE Space Agency, powers national geospatial intelligence capabilities recognized for digital readiness and operational impact Since its launch, Space42 continues to develop capabilities on the GIQ platform, currently piloting an AI assistant to aid non-specialists in generating insights quickly ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company with a global reach, today announced that its AI-powered geospatial intelligence platform, GIQ, is now available on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. The launch expands Space42s global footprint, improves accessibility for customers, and strengthens the UAEs role as a leader in space-enabled decision-making. His Excellency Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of UAE Space Agency, said, Reflecting on the past three years, our Space Strategy 2030 identified the development of talent, science, and the economy within the Earth observation downstream sector as a key opportunity. Through our first public-private partnership with Space42, we established a platform that empowers young researchers, startups, and international partners with access to cutting-edge space data and AI capabilities. In just three years, this collaboration has earned us the prestigious Future Fit Prize a testament to the meaningful impact we have achieved together. Al Qubaisi added: The listing of the regions first AI-powered geospatial intelligence platform on Microsoft Azure Marketplace marks an important strategic milestone, underscoring the UAEs ongoing leadership in space innovation and advanced analytics. By facilitating access to satellite imagery and providing a dynamic marketplace for innovative Earth observation applications, the platform contributes to bridging the gap between space data and services. Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Smart Solutions at Space42, said, GIQs availability on Azure is a defining milestone in our mission to lead globally in geospatial intelligence platforms and services. Together with Microsoft and the UAE Space Agency, we are equipping organizations worldwide with practical, scalable, and accessible insights. This launch also strengthens Space42s role as the partner of choice for governments and enterprises and advances our strategy of becoming the global leader in geospatial intelligence, AI platforms and services. GIQs Core Features Governments, research institutions, and industries leverage geospatial intelligence for applications such as environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, and urban development. However, adoption has been slowed by barriers such as limited accessibility, fragmented sources, and high computational requirements. Recognizing these challenges, GIQ was designed to transform multi-source satellite data into decision-ready intelligence in minutes. The platform draws from more than 10 vendors and over 8 proprietary AI models, already proven in real-world cases, including disaster response, urban planning, and food security. The platform brings together three core capabilities that define its strategic value: Accelerates speed to insights : Cuts analysis time from hours to minutes, through an end-to-end solution enabling data acquisition, processing and insight generation to support faster and more confident decisions in critical operations, such as disaster response and resource allocation. : Cuts analysis time from hours to minutes, through an end-to-end solution enabling data acquisition, processing and insight generation to support faster and more confident decisions in critical operations, such as disaster response and resource allocation. Guarantees trusted sovereignty : Through a secure AI sandbox, governments and enterprises can process sensitive data without third-party exposure, removing one of the biggest barriers to adoption. : Through a secure AI sandbox, governments and enterprises can process sensitive data without third-party exposure, removing one of the biggest barriers to adoption. Fosters a global ecosystem: An open marketplace connects startups, developers, and enterprises, scaling applications that address pressing challenges from climate resilience to food security. Geospatial Intelligence for Global Customers With GIQ now on Azure, customers gain easier access to space insights. Credits can be purchased directly in the marketplace, integrating into customers existing Azure commitments therefore removing procurement hurdles. For governments and enterprises already on Azure, GIQ offers a trusted, scalable, and cost-efficient path to adopt advanced geospatial intelligence. Researchers, businesses, and startups can access and analyze satellite imagery with minimal technical barriers. Space42 is also piloting an AI assistant within GIQ that guides users through workflows, recommending imagery, resolutions, and models, so even non-specialists can generate insights quickly. The UAEs contribution to Actionable Space Insights The Azure launch advances Space42s ambitions to scale platforms globally through partnerships. By joining Azure, Space42 and Microsoft can bring their services to more customers and make adoption easy and seamless. This move positions Space42 as a partner of choice for enterprises seeking to integrate space-enabled intelligence into critical decision-making. Developed by Space42 in partnership with the UAE Space Agency, GIQ anchors the UAE Space Data Center and was recently awarded the prestigious Future-Fit Seal by the UAE Government Development and the Future Office. The recognition highlights GIQs role in powering national space data capabilities, enabling resilient digital infrastructure, and accelerating readiness for future challenges. Its availability on Azure demonstrates how national investment in space technology delivers global impact. The launch supports the UAEs National Space Strategy 2030 and the UAE 2031 Vision, strengthening the countrys ambition to lead in digital transformation and space-enabled services. For media enquiries, please contact: media@space42.ai About Space42 Space42 (ADX: SPACE42) is a UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company that integrates satellite communications, geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities to enlighten the Earth from space. Formed in 2024 by the successful merger of Bayanat and Yahsat, Space42s global reach allows it to address the rapidly evolving needs of its customers in governments, enterprises, and communities. Space42 comprises two business units: Space Services and Smart Solutions. Space Services focuses on upstream satellite operations for both fixed and mobility satellite services. Smart Solutions integrates geospatial data acquisition and processing with AI to inform decision-making, enhance situational awareness, and improve operational efficiency. Major shareholders include G42, Mubadala, and IHC. For more information, visit: www.space42.ai ; follow us on X: @space42ai Legal Notice and Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information This announcement may contain forward-looking statements based on current expectations and assumptions about future events. These statementsidentified by terms such as expect, will, or similarare subject to risks and uncertainties and may prove inaccurate. They reflect information available as of the date hereof, and the companies disclaim any obligation to update them. No assurance is given that any forward-looking statement will occur, and undue reliance should not be placed on them. This announcement does not constitute a financial promotion or an offer to buy or sell securities in any jurisdiction. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/951d338a-2665-4c4c-8159-7d47987cd4fc RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When planning a new custom home, one of the first questions homeowners often ask is whether they can truly shape the floor plan to fit their lifestyle. According to a HelloNation article , Ken Broadwater of Ken Broadwater Homes, LLC, explains that the answer is yes. With the right builder, a floor plan is not a fixed map but a starting point that can be adapted to create spaces that reflect personal needs and preferences. The article notes that the major advantage of building a custom home is the freedom to design around your life rather than adapting to a space built for someone else. For example, a family that enjoys hosting may prefer an open kitchen connected to the living area, while others may opt for a more formal dining room set apart from the rest of the house. A custom floor plan makes both possible. Some homeowners assume customization only applies to cosmetic choices such as finishes or flooring. In reality, the HelloNation article emphasizes that functional spaces like a mudroom, laundry area, or wraparound porch can also be tailored to fit everyday needs. Expanding a mudroom for storage, adding counters in a laundry room, or designing a porch that curves around the home for outdoor gatherings are all options available early in the process. Location can also influence design freedom. In areas without subdivision restrictions or small lot limits, such as rural parts of Central Virginia, homeowners have even greater flexibility. Without being bound by strict design codes, buyers can add wider hallways, higher ceilings, or new wings to their custom home. Windows can be positioned to capture views, and patios can be placed with natural shade in mind. That said, some structural details require careful planning. Moving a load-bearing wall or changing a staircase location may affect other areas of the home. The HelloNation article points out that working closely with a builder ensures that the floor plan remains both practical and beautiful. Experienced builders help balance creativity with construction realities so the final home works well in real life. Flexibility also extends to how the home functions for different family needs. Parents with young children may prefer bedrooms close together, while others may want a private master suite. Some homeowners design a bonus room above the garage or a walk-out basement for hobbies or future living space. With a custom home, the floor plan can adapt to reflect both current and long-term needs. The design process often begins with a base plan, sometimes drawn from earlier projects. Adjustments are then made based on homeowner priorities. Smaller changes, like enlarging a closet or adding windows, are often simple. Larger modifications, such as moving entire rooms or increasing square footage, require more discussion but are achievable with clear communication. Planning ahead is another benefit of customizing a floor plan. The HelloNation article explains that couples nearing retirement may opt for single-level living, while growing families may build extra bedrooms in anticipation of future needs. Considering these long-term priorities at the start helps avoid costly changes later. In Central Virginia, the larger lot sizes also allow homeowners to include features such as detached garages, barns, or outdoor living spaces. Without subdivision restrictions, a custom home can be expanded outward, adding features that would not be possible in a crowded neighborhood. This ability to shape both the floor plan and the property itself is one of the greatest advantages of starting fresh. Ken Broadwater explains that the degree of customization depends on needs, budget, and collaboration with the builder. From a bigger mudroom to an open kitchen, or even a wraparound porch designed for entertaining, the layout of a custom home can be tailored to reflect personal lifestyle. That flexibility is what makes building a new custom home an appealing choice for so many families. The full article, titled Can You Customize the Floor Plan in a New Custom Home? , by Ken Broadwater of Ken Broadwater Homes, LLC, is available on HelloNation. About HelloNation HelloNation is a premier media platform that connects readers with trusted professionals and businesses across various industries. Through its innovative edvertising approach that blends educational content and storytelling, HelloNation delivers expert-driven articles that inform, inspire, and empower. Covering topics from home improvement and health to business strategy and lifestyle, HelloNation highlights leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities. Patrick McCabe info@hellonation.com www.hellonation.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f5c21f82-2753-415c-8e6c-3afdca8df017 Missy Dolski Elevated to Partner Jim Lees Joins as Managing Director NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Varde Partners, a leading global investment firm specializing in credit and credit-related assets, today announced the elevation of Missy Dolski to Partner and Global Head of Asset-Based Finance and the hiring of Jim Lees as Managing Director, Asset-Based Finance. These leadership appointments, which follow the launch of Vardes Fund Finance platform earlier this year, further strengthen the firms Asset-Based Finance (ABF) investment team and support Vardes ability to scale its offerings and capabilities in this rapidly expanding segment of the private credit market. In her expanded role, Dolski will oversee Vardes global ABF strategy, with a focus on middle-market opportunities across commercial and consumer asset classes as well as fund finance. Building on a long history in the asset-based markets, the firm sees a tremendous opportunity to accelerate investment activity in diverse sub-sectors such as small business lending, equipment finance, trade and supply chain finance, secured and unsecured consumer finance and fund finance. "Asset-based finance has been a cornerstone of our platform for over 30 years, and Varde continues to be a market leader in providing innovative credit and liquidity solutions for businesses, consumers and finance platforms worldwide, said Brad Bauer, Managing Partner and CEO. Over her eight years at Varde, Missy has been instrumental in driving investment opportunities emerging out of the banking sector, while delivering excellent financing execution across both public and private markets. As the architect of our Fund Finance platform, she has demonstrated her ability to oversee and execute a strategic vision. We believe her growing contributions to our ABF strategy will allow us to deepen and extend our ABF competencies and build on the momentum in this area of the market. I am thrilled to step into this role and steward Vardes next phase of growth in asset-based finance, added Dolski. Our strategy focuses on areas where we believe we have a distinct competitive advantage, prioritizing middle-market opportunities where the firm has deep asset expertise. With a highly talented team and the addition of Jim Lees, whose 25+ years of experience sourcing, structuring and managing ABF investments will be invaluable, we believe we are well-positioned to continue delivering innovative financing solutions to the market and creating long-term value for our investors. Jim Lees, who most recently served as a Managing Director on the ABF team at KKR & Co. Inc. joins Varde as Managing Director in the firms New York headquarters, where he will lead ABF origination and underwriting for North America. He previously held senior roles at Wells Fargo, specializing in originating financing for middle-market companies. Varde has deployed $13 billion in its ABF strategy since 2008, with nearly $3 billion invested across North America and Europe over the last four years. The firms significant experience, informed by over three decades of investing in public and private markets through economic cycles, supports its ability to structure tailored solutions and construct resilient, diversified, cash-flowing exposure for investors. About Varde Partners Varde Partners is a leading global investment firm specializing in credit and credit-related assets. Founded in 1993, the firm has invested more than $110 billion across the credit quality and liquidity spectrum and currently manages $16 billion in assets. With local investment teams and partnerships in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, Varde invests across private and public markets with a focus on real estate, asset-based finance and corporate credit. For more information, please visit www.varde.com. Media Contact Varde Partners Communications communications@varde.com ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) ("Company", Kraig or "Kraig Labs"), a world leader in spider silk technology*, is proud to announce the Company has succeeded in significantly increasing the production throughput of its recombinant spider silk production platform. This increase is the successful result of the Company's continuous work in the selective breeding of parental strains for its production hybrid silkworms, which is the basis of its recombinant spider silk production system. Kraig's first successful hybrid, designated the BAM-1, demonstrated hybrid vigor, which increased both cocoon shell weight (a critical measure of silk output) and robustness. That hybrid was created by mating two genetically divergent parental strains. The fielding of the BAM-1 was a major improvement in spider silk production technology. Over the past two years, Kraig Labs has used selective breeding to create more advanced parental strains with the goal of increasing hybrid vigor to further increase shell weight. One of these new advanced strains was specifically designed as a replacement for one of the original BAM-1 parental strains. By mating the strongest of the BAM-1 parental strains with the new advanced strain, Kraig Labs has demonstrated measurable hybrid vigor (as measured by cocoon shell weight) of 22%, an increase in hybrid vigor of more than 245% compared to the BAM-1. The new advanced hybrid has been designated as BAM-1 Alpha and will be the Company's production workhorse moving forward. "Our small team of researchers continues to outperform our competitors in spider silk R&D and commercial development. The creation of our new BAM-1 Alpha hybrid is the product of our focused vision for large-scale commercialization of spider silk and the dedication of our geneticists to that vision," said Kim Thompson, Founder and CEO of Kraig Labs. "Frankly, the 250% increase in hybrid vigor over the original BAM-1 has significantly exceeded our expectations and design parameters. The BAM-1 Alpha is producing larger cocoons and more silk, resulting in increased throughput and lower production cost. Though we do not have hard data yet on increases in robustness other than cocoon size and shell weight, our expectation is that general robustness will follow this same pattern." Kraig Labs utilizes its proprietary genetically enhanced silkworm technology platform to produce recombinant spider silk. These silkworms spin recombinant spider silk fibers naturally within their cocoons, combining the scalability of traditional sericulture with the superior performance of spider silk proteins. With BAM-1 Alpha now moving into commercial deployment, Kraig Labs will leverage its multi-facility production infrastructure to integrate this enhanced production hybrid into ongoing manufacturing. This advancement supports the Company's vision of delivering high-performance spider silk fibers for applications spanning performance textiles, defense, medical, and industrial markets. This latest development underscores Kraig Labs' commitment to continuous innovation and its leadership in developing scalable bioengineered materials inspired by nature's toughest fibers. For the latest updates on Kraig Labs and its pioneering spider silk technologies, visit www.kraiglabs.com. For details about other recent Kraig Labs advancements, please watch the Company's investor conference at www.kraiglabs.com/videos or on the Company's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@kraigbiocraftlaboratories2270. To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news * For a description of our historical leadership in this technology, please follow this link https://www.kraiglabs.com/world-leader/ About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a reporting biotechnology company is the leading developer of genetically engineered spider silk-based fiber technologies. The Company has achieved a series of scientific breakthroughs in the area of spider silk technology with implications for the global textile industry. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Company's future and expectations other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These statements are made on the basis of management's current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that management's expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "estimated," "hopes," "if," "develops," "researching," "research," "pilot," "potential," "could" or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Company's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Dublin, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Eco-Friendly Straws Market Size and Forecast, Global and Regional Share, Trend, and Growth Opportunity Analysis Report Coverage: By Product Type, Material, and Geography" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global eco-friendly straws market is on a significant growth trajectory, with projections estimating its size to reach an impressive US$ 20.81 billion by 2031, expanding from US$ 10.46 billion in 2024. This growth, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% during 2025-2031, is fueled by heightened consumer awareness and environmental concerns leading to a decisive movement away from single-use plastics. The increased social media presence and influence have amplified the shift towards sustainable alternatives. Consumers are progressively opting for eco-conscious products, spurred by the rising concern over plastic pollution in oceans and waterways. The market is buoyed by government regulations advocating for environmentally friendly products. Various regions have implemented stringent bans and restrictions on single-use plastics, specifically targeting plastic straws, encouraging businesses to adapt or innovate sustainable alternatives. Countries worldwide are spearheading efforts to combat plastic pollution. France's ban on single-use plastic, effective from January 2022, aims at a comprehensive elimination by 2040. Similarly, Germany's enactment of a single-use plastic tax in January 2022 complements its ban on such items. Notably, late 2022 saw Canada enacting a federal ban targeting six major single-use plastic categories, including straws, as a part of its zero-waste initiative by 2030. Further east, China is positioned to reduce single-use plastics in food services by 30% come 2025, while India instituted a national ban on single-use plastics in July 2022. Such policies significantly encourage the uptake of eco-friendly options globally. Eco-friendly straws, crafted from materials like bioplastics, bamboo, and bagasse, provide a sustainable alternative by decomposing without leaving harmful residues. Bamboo straws, for instance, biodegrade in about a year, while bagasse straws dissolve within months under natural conditions. These features showcase them as a preferred choice among consumers worldwide, emphasizing sustainability. Leading players within this evolving market include Canubio, Kurma Descartaveis, Pixpel Embalagens Sustentaveis LTDA, Ecofactory, and EcoBiodegradavel, amongst others. These companies are advancing with innovative offerings at competitive prices, designed to satisfy growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products. Comprehensive research methodologies leveraging primary and secondary resources underpin the market's analysis. Industry engagement through primary interviews with key stakeholders has provided data validation and deeper insights. Reasons to Buy: Understand progressive industry trends for effective long-term strategy formulation. Analyze business growth strategies across developed and developing markets. Gain quantitative insights into the market from 2021 to 2031. Estimate demand for eco-friendly straws across diverse geographies. Utilize Porter's Five Forces analysis for assessing buyer and supplier efficacy. Examine recent developments to gauge competitive dynamics and demand trends. Influence decision-making through comprehensive understanding of market dynamics and growth drivers. Explore market segmentation and dynamics across various countries offering growth opportunities. Companies Featured Key Companies in the Eco-Friendly Straws Market include: Canubio Kurma Descartaveis Pixpel Embalagens Sustentaveis LTDA Ecofactory EcoBiodegradavel Duni AB Huhtamaki Oyj Pactiv LLC Tetra Pak International SA Greenprint LLC GreenStraw-Official Hefei Sumkoka Environmental Technology Co Ltd Footprint Jungle Culture Hoffmaster Group Inc Biopac Ltd Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 336 Forecast Period 2024 - 2031 Estimated Market Value in 2024 10.46 Billion Forecasted Market Value by 2031 20.81 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 10.3% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: Introduction Report Guidance Market Segmentation Executive Summary Analyst Market Outlook Market Attractiveness Research Methodology Eco-friendly Straws Market Landscape Overview Porter's Five Force Analysis Ecosystem Analysis Eco-friendly Straws Market - Key Market Dynamics Key Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Future Trends Eco-friendly Straws Market - Global Market Analysis Market Volume and Forecast (Million Units), 2021-2031 Market Revenue and Forecast (US$ Million), 2021-2031 Market Volume and Revenue Analysis - by Product Type Straight Straws Flexible Straws Others Market Revenue Analysis - by Material Paper Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Polylactic Acid (PLA) Bamboo Bagasse Silicone Others Market Revenue Analysis - by End User Food Service Retail Market - Geographical Analysis North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa South and Central America Competitive Landscape Heat Map Analysis by Key Players Ranking by Key Players Industry Landscape Overview Expansion Partnerships Merger and Acquisition . Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6g5etr About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment HOUSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evolution Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: EPM) ("Evolution" or the "Company") today announced that its management team will participate in the upcoming LD Micro Main Event Conference on October 19-21, 2025, at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, CA. The team will hold one-on-one meetings with investors on October 20-21, and the Companys presentation will be at 10:30 a.m. PT on October 21. Investors are invited to watch the live presentation online at ldmicrocasts.com. To sign up for the conference or schedule a one-on-one meeting with the Evolution Petroleum team, please contact your LD Micro representative or the Companys investor relations team at ir@evolutionpetroleum.com. About Evolution Petroleum Evolution Petroleum Corporation is an independent energy company focused on maximizing total shareholder returns through the ownership of and investment in onshore oil and natural gas properties in the U.S. The Company aims to build and maintain a diversified portfolio of long-life oil and natural gas properties through acquisitions, selective development opportunities, production enhancements, and other exploitation efforts. Visit www.evolutionpetroleum.com for more information. Contact Investor Relations (713) 935-0122 ir@evolutionpetroleum.com This press release was published by a CLEAR Verified individual. Dublin, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "SiliconChip Industry Awareness Workshop (London, United Kingdom - Oct 28, 2025)" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This one-day semiconductor workshop provides delegates with a grounding in the basic fundamentals of the Integrated Circuit industry, its workings, technology, markets and importance. Workshop Benefits We guarantee you will leave theworkshop with a greater understanding of the IC industry, increasing your industry 'know-how' and efficiency levels You will gain a comprehensive understanding of industry terminology, enabling you to talk the industry language Increased confidence levels allows you to execute day-to-day operations with finesse Renews enthusiasm & increases staff morale Employees will have a greater understanding of supplier jargon & can negotiate better deals Client's needs are successfully met resulting in repeat business and referrals What Will I Learn? Presented in layman terms, the one day Silicon Chip Industry Workshop provides delegates with: A grounding in the basic fundamentals of the electronics and Integrated Circuit industry, from theory to market application. An insight into the semiconductor manufacturing process, semiconductor technology and equipment, the industry economics and an understanding of the IT revolution and industry trends. A comprehensive understanding of industry terminology, enabling you to talk the industry talk. To enhance delegate understanding audience interaction is encouraged and semiconductor devices, material samples and other visual aids are used throughout the workshop. Who Should Attend: The workshop is aimed at individuals working within the semiconductor and information technology (IT) industries. It is suitable for those looking for an introduction to the semiconductor industry, to those with a specialist focus needing an industry overview. For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5ezg81 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Dublin, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Modular Construction Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast by Division, Sector, Material, and Country, 2025-2033" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North America modular construction market size was valued at USD 28.64 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, the market is set to reach USD 43.67 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.56% from 2025-2033. The market is driven by factors such as cost efficiency, reduced construction time, and increasing demand for sustainable, energy-efficient buildings. Additionally, the need for affordable housing, advancements in construction technology, and government incentives supporting green building practices are further driving market growth, positioning modular construction as a preferred solution. With increasing emphasis on eco-friendly building practices, modular construction is gaining traction due to its ability to incorporate sustainable materials, energy-efficient designs, and lower carbon footprints in comparison to conventional construction techniques. In addition, modular construction enables concurrent off-site fabrication and on-site setup, decreasing total construction duration. This efficiency is critical in sectors like residential housing and commercial buildings where time-to-market is crucial. Besides this, modular construction helps lower labor costs and reduces material waste due to controlled factory settings. The reduction in project timelines leads to significant savings, rendering it an appealing choice for developers. Furthermore, the rising need for cost-effective housing, especially in city regions, is making modular construction a preferred solution. It offers faster, cost-effective, and customizable options that can address the housing gap without sacrificing quality. Apart from this, the integration of technologies like automation, 3D printing, and building information modeling (BIM) is revolutionizing modular construction. These innovations improve precision, design flexibility, and scalability, making modular units more competitive with traditional construction methods. Moreover, governing bodies across North America are mandating energy-efficient building standards. Modular construction offers an ideal way to meet these standards through its ability to integrate advanced insulation, renewable energy systems, and energy-efficient materials. Additionally, the shortage of skilled labor in traditional construction is driving the North America modular construction market demand. Modular construction relies more on factory-based assembly, where less specialized labor is required, addressing the labor gap and ensuring projects stay on track. Competitive Landscape: Major participants in the market are concentrating on broadening their product ranges, enhancing manufacturing effectiveness, and incorporating cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing and automation. They are emphasizing sustainability by including environment-friendly materials and energy-saving designs in their modular units. These athletes are also building strategic alliances with suppliers and contractors to improve their supply chains and lower expenses. Furthermore, numerous entities are channeling funds into research initiatives to innovate and address the increasing need for budget-friendly housing and commercial properties. To remain competitive, they are broadening their geographical presence, especially in areas with strong construction demand, while also concentrating on mergers and acquisitions (M&A). North America Modular Construction Market Trends: Growing Adoption by Major Real Estate Developers Large real estate developers are adopting modular construction for their residential and commercial projects due to its effectiveness, economical advantages, and sustainability perks. By integrating modular methods, developers can greatly shorten construction timelines, optimize budget management, and minimize waste. Additionally, this approach is highly customizable, allowing developers to meet specific design needs while maintaining cost control. As sustainability becomes a priority, modular buildings offer reduced environmental impact, with fewer materials wasted and a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional construction. This growing trend among prominent developers signals a shift towards scalable and innovative building solutions. As major players in the real estate market recognize the long-term financial and ecological advantages, the adoption of modular construction is expected to increase, encouraging further investment and expanding its role in the sector. In 2024, Greystar Real Estate Partners initiated its inaugural modular housing project in the US, Ltd. Findlay, located in Coraopolis, PA. The development included 312 apartments and highlights quicker building, savings on costs, and minimized waste. Greystar intends to grow its modular portfolio by adding additional projects in the US. Labor Shortages in the Construction Industry Labor shortages are becoming a significant challenge in the traditional construction industry, contributing to delays and increased costs. Modular construction, however, helps mitigate this issue by reducing the dependency concerning skilled workers during the on-site assembly stage. A large part of the modular construction process takes place in regulated factory settings, where automated systems, machinery, and trained workers contribute to efficient production. This method helps bypass labor shortages while still delivering high-quality, durable structures. Additionally, modular construction reduces on-site work, allowing projects to proceed more quickly and without being hindered by fluctuations in available skilled labor. As labor shortages persist, modular construction's ability to streamline operations is making it an attractive alternative to conventional construction techniques. In 2024, Webcor, a commercial construction company based in California, declared the establishment of Webcor Ventures, LLC, and made its first investment in R2 Building, a company specializing in modular construction. The collaboration sought to tackle industry issues such as cost, efficiency, and workforce shortages by utilizing off-site manufacturing to create scalable, high-quality housing options. Government-Funded Initiatives Government funding initiatives are essential for fostering the development of modular construction in North America. These efforts offer financial assistance for creating innovative construction solutions, such as modular homes. Through the provision of grants, loans, and incentives, governing bodies in the region are enhancing the accessibility and appeal of modular construction for developers. Specifically, funding frequently targets tackling housing deficits and aiding infrastructure initiatives, enabling faster and more cost-effective building. Changes in regulations and affordable financing promote the use of modular construction, enabling developers to lower initial expenses and adhere to strict construction schedules. These government-supported initiatives are hastening the uptake of modular solutions, establishing them as a crucial approach to address urban housing needs while promoting efficiency and reducing costs. For example, in 2024, the Government of Canada launched two initiatives to speed up housing development. The Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) allocated $1 billion for necessary infrastructure, while the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative (RHII) designated $50 million to encourage innovative home construction methods, including modular housing. Key Questions Answered in This Report How big is the modular construction market in the North America? What factors are driving the growth of the North America modular construction market? What is the forecast for the modular construction market in the North America? Which segment accounted for the largest North America modular construction division market share? Which segment accounted for the largest North America modular construction sector market share? Which segment accounted for the largest North America modular construction material market share? Which segment accounted for the largest North America modular construction material market share? Which region accounts for the largest North America modular construction market share? Who are the major players in the North America modular construction market? Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 123 Forecast Period 2024 - 2033 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $28.64 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2033 $43.67 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 4.8% Regions Covered North America Competitive Landscape Aries Building Systems, LLC ATCO Ltd. Boxx Modular, Inc. (Black Diamond Group) Mobile Modular Management Corporation (McGrath RentCorp, Inc.) Modular Genius, Inc. Satellite Shelters, Inc. Triumph Modular Corporation Vanguard Modular Building Systems, LLC Vesta Modular Willscot Corporation. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nyxnnw About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment CAMARILLO, Calif., Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Salem Media Group, Inc. (OTCQX: SALM) announced today that The Josh Hammer Show, hosted by Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer, has joined the Salem Podcast Network (SPN) through a new distribution partnership with Newsweek. Hammer, an accomplished journalist and commentator, is widely recognized for his sharp, engaging perspectives on culture, politics, and faith. Through this partnership, The Josh Hammer Show will now be distributed on the Salem Podcast Network, expanding its reach to millions of listeners nationwide. Were thrilled to welcome Josh Hammer to the Salem family, said David Santrella, CEO of Salem Media Group. Josh doesnt follow the crowd - he leads with conviction. He brings sharp ideas, fearless commentary, and a genuine passion for truth. Thats exactly the kind of voice that defines the Salem Podcast Network. The Josh Hammer Show will launch on Thursday, October 16, airing daily Monday through Friday in a video-first format that delivers timely, thought-provoking commentary on the days most pressing issues. Hammer joins SPNs acclaimed roster of voices that includes The Scott Jennings Podcast, The Alex Marlow Show, and The Right View with Lara Trump. His addition further accelerates SPNs rapid growth, which is up 12 percent year-to-date, making it one of the fastest-growing podcast networks in the country. I am absolutely thrilled to bring The Josh Hammer Show to the Salem Podcast Network, said Hammer. Our show already counts Salems AM 660, the Answer, in Dallas as a terrestrial affiliate, and Im delighted to expand that partnership. I cant wait to see what we can accomplish together. Most importantly, were committed to keeping Charlie Kirks memory alive through our work and the values we share. The Josh Hammer Show is available on the Salem Podcast Network, accessible via SalemPodcastNetwork.com, and on all major podcast distribution platforms. Salem Media Group is Americas leading multimedia company, specializing in Christian and conservative content, with media properties that include radio, digital media, and book and newsletter publishing. Each day, Salem serves a loyal and dedicated audience of listeners, readers, and viewers numbering in the millions nationally. With its unique content focus, Salem provides compelling audio and video programming, text content, fresh commentary, and relevant information from some of the most respected figures across the Christian and conservative media landscape. Learn more about Salem Media Group, Inc. at www.salemmedia.com. Company Contact: publicity@salemmedia.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9c84f751-c287-4e3f-9b43-e04d5c2de0f6 GREENSBORO, N.C., Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Honda Aircraft Company today announced it has become the first twin-turbine very light business jet manufacturer to utilize the HondaJet on a successful test flight running a 100% blend of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). A production-model HondaJet was fueled with a mix of Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (HEFA-SPK) and Hydrodeoxygenated Synthetic Aromatic Kerosene (HDO-SAK) fuels and flew over the Greensboro area before successfully landing at the companys world headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport. This test flight represents the culmination of significant efforts made by a Honda Aircraft Company engineering team, in cooperation with GE Honda Aero, a joint venture between General Electric and Honda responsible for the design of the HF120 engines equipped on the HondaJet. Under the joint venture, Honda Aero, Inc. produces the engine in Burlington, NC. HondaJet aircraft currently in service have been operated by customers on approved SAF blends of up to 50%. GE Honda Aero successfully completed tests of the HF120 engine on the ground utilizing 100% SAF fuel blends in 2022 and 2023, providing an early demonstration of the feasibility of the HondaJets recent test flight. We are immensely proud of our Honda Aircraft Company engineering team carrying forward our commitment to the future of aviation by demonstrating that the HondaJet is capable of operating on a 100% SAF blend, said Amod Kelkar, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Honda Aircraft Company. This achievement is a step toward aligning our business activities with the global Honda goal of decarbonizing our business activities by 2050. The unique engineering of the HondaJet airframe has enabled it to hold status for the last ten years as the most efficient jet in its class. The HondaJet design focused on maintaining laminar flow across the aircraft, which offers up to a 20% improvement in fuel economy over comparable aircraft. Honda Aircraft Company was awarded Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) in October 2024. About Honda Aircraft Company Honda Aircraft Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. responsible for the research, development, sales, marketing, customer service, and manufacture of the innovative HondaJet Elite II. Founded in 2006, Honda Aircraft's world headquarters is located in North Carolina. In 2023, the company announced plans to develop and produce the HondaJet Echelon, its newest 11-occupant aircraft which will be offered alongside the HondaJet Elite II. Cumulative HondaJet deliveries surpassed 250 planes globally in 2024. Honda Aircraft continues to advance the original challenging spirit of Honda embodied in the global Honda brand slogan The Power of Dreams: How We Move You. Learn more with the Honda Digital FactBook. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a541243-3624-4e08-9b40-06fd0b0dbfcb Santa Clara, CA and Kyoto, Japan, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ROHM Semiconductor today announced the release of a new white paper detailing advanced power solutions for AI data centers based on the novel 800 VDC architecture, reinforcing its role as a key semiconductor industry player in driving system innovation. As part of the collaboration announced in June 2025, the white paper outlines optimal power strategies that support large-scale 800 VDC power distribution across AI infrastructure. The 800 VDC architecture represents a highly efficient, scalable power delivery system poised to transform data center design by enabling gigawatt-scale AI factories. ROHM offers a broad portfolio of power devices, including silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN), and is among the few companies globally with the technological expertise to develop analog ICs (control and power ICs) capable of maximizing device performance. Included in the white paper are ROHMs comprehensive power solutions spanning a wide range of power devices and analog IC technologies, supported by thermal design simulations, board-level design strategies, and real-world implementation examples. [Access the white paper here] Key Highlights of the White Paper Rising Rack Power Consumption: Power demand per rack in AI data centers is rapidly increasing, pushing conventional 48V/12V DC power supply systems to their limits. Shift to 800 VDC: Transitioning to an 800 VDC architecture significantly enhances data center efficiency, power density, and sustainability. Redefined Power Conversion: In the 800 VDC system, AC-DC conversion (PSU), traditionally performed within server racks, is relocated to a dedicated power rack. Essential Role of SiC and GaN: Wide bandgap devices are critical for achieving efficient performance. With AC-DC conversion moved outside the IT rack, higher-density configurations inside the IT rack can better support GPU integration. Optimized Conversion Topologies: Each conversion stagefrom AC to 800 VDC in the power rack and from 800 VDC to lower voltages in the IT rackrequires specialized solutions. ROHMs SiC and GaN devices contribute to higher efficiency and reduced noise while decreasing the size of peripheral components, significantly increasing power density. Breakthrough Device Technologies: ROHMs EcoSiC series offers industry-leading low on-resistance and top-side cooling modules ideal for AI servers, while the EcoGaN series combines GaN performance with proprietary analog IC technologies, including Nano Pulse Control. This allows for stable gate drive, ultra-fast control, and high-frequency operationfeatures that have earned strong market recognition. The shift to 800 VDC infrastructure is a collective industry effort. ROHM is working closely with NVIDIA, data center operators, and power system designers to deliver essential wide bandgap semiconductor technologies for next-generation AI infrastructure. Through strategic collaborations, including a 2022 partnership with Delta Electronics, ROHM continues to drive innovation in SiC and GaN power devices, enabling powerful, sustainable, and energy-efficient data center solutions. ROHMs EcoSiC EcoSiC is ROHMs brand of devices that utilize silicon carbide, which is attracting attention in the power device field for performance that surpasses silicon. ROHM independently develops technologies essential for the advancement of SiC, from wafer fabrication and production processes to packaging, and quality control methods. At the same time, we have established an integrated production system throughout the manufacturing process, solidifying our position as a leading SiC supplier. EcoSiC is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Lt ROHMs EcoGaN ROHMs brand name for GaN devices that contribute to energy conservation and miniaturization by maximizing GaN characteristics to achieve lower application power consumption, smaller peripheral components, and simpler designs requiring fewer parts. EcoGaN is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd. ROHMs EcoMOS EcoMOS is ROHMs brand of silicon power MOSFETs optimized for energy-saving applications. Adopted in a wide range of applications including consumer electronics, industrial equipment, and automotive, EcoMOS offers a lineup tailored to various needs based on parameters such as noise and switching performance. EcoMOS is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd. SINGAPORE, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In October 2025, Singapore will host an event that is set to redefine the conversation on wealth mobility and cross-border citizenship planning. The Globevisa Global Citizen Conference (GGCC2025), taking place from October 22 to 24 at the Equarius Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa, is more than another industry summit. It is a strategic forum designed in Asia, for Asia, with Asia as its focus, yet carrying implications that extend across the globe. Why GGCC2025 Matters to Investors The Globevisa Global Citizen Conference is not designed as a trade fair. It is a closed-door gathering of the people who make decisions that directly affect investors. Attending the conference means access to: First-hand intelligence from government officials before reforms are formally announced. Direct insights into where capital is moving across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Comparative perspectives from multiple stakeholders: policymakers, program designers, wealth managers, and clients. For investors, this breadth of perspectives creates a comprehensive understanding of the global mobility landscape, a feature that resonates with Globevisas mission: to help people make informed decisions. Panels That Define the Future of Global Mobility Over three days, GGCC2025 will host ten carefully curated panels that address the most pressing issues facing global investors. Highlights include: AI in the RCBI Industry: How artificial intelligence is changing due diligence, fraud detection, and application processing. The Changing Faces of HNWI: From Gen Z investors to the longevity economy, how new demographics are shaping priorities. Asia as Capital Engine: Why Asia remains both the worlds largest source and most dynamic destination for wealth migration. Agencies in Transition: How immigration consultancies are evolving from brokers to trusted advisors in an era of complexity. The Investors Journey: Testimonials from billionaire clients who have navigated citizenship planning firsthand. Together, these conversations do not just provide updates. They map the strategic landscape for the next decade of global mobility. Asia at the Core What truly differentiates GGCC2025 from other global gatherings is its Asian lens. Globevisa, founded and headquartered in Asia, has built its identity on serving Asian clients and understanding Asian priorities. The conference reflects this in three ways: Organized in Asia: Singapore is not just a convenient host; it is a strategic hub where East meets West in finance, law, and governance. For Asian Interests: From Chinese wealth flows to Southeast Asian emerging markets, the panels address what matters most to Asian investors. Focused on Asian Destinations: While Europe and the Americas remain central to global mobility, Asia itself is now a sought-after destination for residency and capital. This triple focus ensures that participants, whether they are Asian investors or global players seeking to serve them, leave with unique intelligence not available anywhere else. Luxury Venue, Exclusive Access The Equarius Hotel at Resorts World Sentosa was chosen for its blend of privacy, exclusivity, and luxury. For three days, its halls will host a gathering that is equal parts discreet and influential. Attendees can expect the comfort and security befitting the caliber of global citizens who will be present. Why Investors Should Attend For high-net-worth families, GGCC2025 offers: Early access to reforms that could impact investment strategies. Direct dialogue with policymakers who shape the programs. A panoramic view of the market from multiple stakeholders. The chance to benchmark against peers, including billionaires who have successfully navigated second citizenship planning. In an era where governments can change policies overnight and capital restrictions can appear with little warning, staying ahead is no longer optional. GGCC2025 equips investors with the clarity and foresight they need. Secure Your Place The Globevisa Global Citizen Conference is limited to 300 attendees to preserve exclusivity and access. Investors, family offices, and advisors who wish to safeguard their wealth and secure their familys future should see this as an essential appointment in their calendar. GGCC2025 is not about abstract discussionsit is about practical intelligence, delivered in Asia, for Asia, with implications for the world. Join us in Singapore, October 2224, 2025, for a conference that will define the next chapter of global mobility. Reserve your ticket now: https://web-eur.cvent.com/event/57e528e9-70be-48cb-bef7-b5cbb7f25876/register Contact: Huang Yingqi, lenahuang@globevisa.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b85382e6-c3a8-42fb-a36a-624d91846abd St. Petersburg, Fla., Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Raymond James (NYSE: RJF) announced today that the First National Bank of Sparta (FNBS) has selected its Financial Institutions Division (FID) to support the banks investment program, Patton Wealth Management (PWM), according to Stephen Kruchten, president of FID. Through this new alignment, PWM will provide clients with wealth management services through Raymond James Financial Services. Based in Sparta, Illinois, PWM is led by financial advisor Brian Patton, who manages approximately $261 million in client assets. He is supported by branch professionals Pam Burns and Becky Ohms and was previously affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. FNBS and PWM have consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering trusted advice and meeting the financial needs of clients across southern Illinois and neighboring communities, said Jon DeMayo, vice president of business development at FID. We are eager to support their continued growth with the advisor-focused service model, full suite of resources and advanced technology platform that distinguish Raymond James FID. Patton brings more than three decades of experience in the financial services industry, beginning his career at The Heitner Corporation before becoming an advisor with Investment Centers of America, Inc. He founded PWM in 2017 and holds a bachelors degree in business from Eastern Illinois University. Our decision to transition our investment program to Raymond James was guided by cultural alignment and a shared commitment to client-first values, said David Sternberg, president of FNBS. As we evaluated our options, we found that FID offered the best long-term fit for our team and clients providing the independence, advisor-focused service model and robust platform needed to support continued growth. We are confident this new chapter will enable PWM to thrive, maintaining the boutique feel and personalized service our clients expect while expanding our capabilities for high-net-worth and business owner clients. About the Financial Institutions Division The Financial Institutions Division was established by Raymond James in 1987 to provide banks and credit unions with an alternative to traditional third-party investment providers. Raymond James provides full-service securities brokerage and advisory services to financial institutions seeking to compete with the largest banks and securities firms in the country. In addition to a full complement of investment products and services, Raymond James has the ability to deliver investment banking, public finance, research, self-clearing capabilities and wealth management services to both individuals and institutions. About Raymond James Financial Services Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. (RJFS), member FINRA/SIPC, is a financial services firm supporting independent financial advisors nationwide. Since 1974, RJFS provides a wide range of investment and wealth planning-related services through its affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both firms are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), one of the nations premier diversified financial services companies with financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $1.69 trillion as of Aug. 31, 2025. Additional information is available at raymondjames.com. About First National Bank of Sparta First National Bank of Sparta is a locally owned and operated community bank based out of Sparta, Illinois. The bank has deep roots in the community, helping generations of local families with banking services over the last 140 years. Today, it stands as one of the communitys premier banks, dedicated to helping current customers and the next generation achieve their financial goals. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and are not insured by bank insurance, the FDIC or any other government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the bank, are not guaranteed by the bank, and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. First National Bank of Sparta and Patton Wealth Management are not registered broker/dealers and are independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AiAgents.com is being offered for acquisition exclusively through DomainRiviera.com - the Riviera for domain names. The firm has brokered landmark sales including Soulmate.com, Monetary.com or Hours.com, and represents premium assets such as Analytics.com, Heated.com or Undo.com. For acquisition inquiries, contact Edward Smeu or Michael Cristea. The domain will be featured at the prestigious Domain Days Dubai conference on October 22-23, 2025, where international domain investors and industry leaders will convene to explore premium digital assets. AiAgents.com is a generic domain that will associate your business with the AI agents market itself, an advantage that can never be stripped of your brand. With a prime exact-match domain like this, you gain instant credibility, natural search dominance, and the ability to command the category. The market for AI agents is growing at 45% CAGR with search demand almost doubling down in recent months. With major companies and startups racing to establish platforms for AI agents, first-mover advantage in branding becomes critical. AiAgents.com offers immediate market positioning that typically takes years and significant marketing investment to achieve through alternative branding strategies. This asset can significantly increase your company valuation and reduce lifetime marketing costs while fueling unicorn growth. "AiAgents.com is one of the most powerful digital assets in the AI space," said Edward Smeu, founder of DomainRiviera.com. "Customers naturally gravitate toward the most credible brand, and this domain provides the ultimate foundation for commanding the category for AI agents. This is the same positioning that domains like Apartments.com, CreditCards.com or Hotels.com have leveraged to become synonymous with their respective markets." Premium domains of this caliber are appreciating digital assets that attract immediate buyer attention. Interested parties are encouraged to visit AiAgents.com and inquire promptly as serious offers will be considered on a first-come basis. All transactions will be securely finalized through Escrow.com to ensure buyer and seller protection. About DomainRiviera.com DomainRiviera.com is a premium domain consulting and brokerage firm specializing in high-value digital assets. With over 25 years of combined experience and a proven track record of successful transactions, DomainRiviera.com helps businesses and investors secure the most valuable digital real estate on the internet. For more information, visit www.DomainRiviera.com . Contact: Edward Smeu Founder, DomainRiviera.com edward@domainriviera.com Michael Cristea Sr. Partner, DomainRiviera.com michael@domainriviera.com MIAMI, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TrustStrategy, a global leader in data-driven quantitative finance, has expanded AI investing capabilities with advanced algorithmic models to improve market adaptability and decision-making. This move cements the companys commitment to integrating artificial intelligence into modern investment strategiesbridging the gap between retail investors and institutional-grade tech. This follows a broader trend where investors are turning to AI investing platforms to navigate complex market conditions with precision and speed. TrustStrategys updated system uses deep learning models on real-time market data, finding correlations and opportunities across thousands of trading pairs, asset classes, and timeframes. Redefining Market Intelligence with AI TrustStrategys new framework marks the beginning of a new era in adaptive quant models . By using predictive analytics and large data integration, the system refines investment decisions to reflect current volatility and market sentiment. According to the company, the update focuses on two key aspects of AI investing: interpretability and execution efficiency. Unlike many trading systems, TrustStrategys algorithms provide transparent insights into why trades are made, so users can see how each decision aligns with their risk tolerance. The AI engine runs 24/7, processing millions of data points from on-chain analytics, liquidity data, and macroeconomic indicators. It then synthesizes this information into trading strategies. Users can track performance and results in real time. Making AI Investing for Everyone While AI has powered institutional funds for years, TrustStrategy aims to democratize access through its user-friendly platform and mobile app. The platform breaks AI investing down into three easy steps: Sign Up and Verify: Create an account in minutes and complete a quick verification process. Choose an AI Quant Plan: Select from multiple AI-powered investment models for different risk levels. Automate and Monitor: The system executes trades based on data-driven insights, allowing users to monitor progress via an interactive dashboard. Each plan is built on the companys proprietary AI models, which learn and adapt to market behaviour. TrustStrategys latest release also strengthens its transparency pledge, with users getting detailed analytics, no hidden fees, and 24/7 support. Navigating the New Financial World The global move to AI investing is driven by the need for tools that can make sense of market complexity at scale. As financial data grows, human traders cant process every variable that affects asset prices. AI can analyse vast amounts of data in secondsfinding relationships that traditional models miss. Recent advances in neural networks and reinforcement learning have allowed AI systems to predict short-term volatility while maintaining long-term portfolio balance. TrustStrategys models incorporate these advancements to help users optimise asset allocation and spot early signs of market shifts. The company is expanding globally, now serving users in over 100 countries with a community of over 9 million members. With over 7 years of operation, TrustStrategy is one of the few AI investing platforms that combines advanced analytics, regulatory compliance, and user-centric design. About TrustStrategy TrustStrategy is an AI-powered quant investment platform that turns raw financial data into intelligent, automated investment strategies. By combining machine learning, big data analytics, and quantitative modelling, the company provides AI investing for individuals and institutions. TrustStrategys ecosystem has multiple quant strategies, transparent fees, and multi-layered security. Contact Details: Email: info@truststrategy.com Location: 801 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130, USA Disclaimer: This content is provided by TrustStrategy. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. 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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7329a8bb-6b86-4cc4-8e78-bb73b79b215f The firm order for one Global 8000 aircraft was announced during NBAA-BACE 2025 Comlux will elevate its ultra-long-range charter capabilities with Bombardiers flagship aircraft, delivering unmatched performance and refined passenger experience Set to enter into service this year, the Global 8000(1) is the fastest business jet in the world, offering the longest range in its class and the ability to operate from short runways LAS VEGAS, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier is proud to announce that Comlux, a leading business aviation company, will take delivery of the industry-defining Global 8000(1) aircraft in 2026. Renowned for its expertise in long-range operations with aircraft such as the Bombardier Global 6000 and Global 6500, Comlux is strategically enhancing its charter offering with Bombardiers flagship jet. With its industry-leading ultra-long-range capabilities and top speed, the Bombardier Global 8000 aircraft is the ideal complement to Comlux Aviations fleetdelivering exceptional performance, comfort, and efficiency for premium global travel. The Bombardier Global 8000 aircraft integrates perfectly into our long-range fleet, in between our wide-body fleet and our Global 6500 fleet, said Comlux Aviation CEO, Andrea Zanetto. He continues: At Comlux, we offer comfort in ownership and luxury in flight! We have built our reputation on delivering premium global travel solutions and this aircraft allows us to offer ultra-long-range. Comlux continuously elevates its fleet to offer clients an unmatched charter experience across the globe with a diversified fleet. The delivery of the Global 8000 will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter, as we continue to attract more clients to manage the operation of Global 7500 and Global 8000. The Bombardier Global 8000 jet offers the perfect balance of ultra-long-range performance and refined passenger experiencean ideal fit for Comluxs discerning clientele, said Eric Martel, President and CEO, Bombardier. As our valued business relationship continues to grow, the Global 8000 aircraft will deliver its exceptional performance and signature smooth ride to Comluxs customers around the world. The Global 8000(1), the worlds fastest purpose-built business jet, represents a new era of performance, comfort and innovation. With its unmatched speed and a range of 8,000 nautical miles, the aircraft is designed to meet the needs of the most discerning travelersdelivering seamless connectivity between global cities with exceptional onboard luxury. Comluxs upcoming delivery marks a significant milestone in the continued adoption of the Bombardier Global 8000 jet by leading operators worldwide. The aircrafts advanced technology and refined cabin experience make it a standout choice for those seeking the ultimate in private aviation. About Bombardier At Bombardier (BBD-B.TO), we design, build, modify and maintain the worlds best-performing aircraft for the worlds most discerning people and businesses, governments and militaries. That means not simply exceeding standards, but understanding customers well enough to anticipate their unspoken needs. For them, we are committed to pioneering the future of aviationinnovating to make flying more reliable, efficient and sustainable. And we are passionate about delivering unrivaled craftsmanship and care, giving our customers greater confidence and the elevated experience they deserve and expect. Because people who shape the world will always need the most productive and responsible ways to move through it. Bombardier customers operate a fleet of more than 5,100 aircraft, supported by a vast network of Bombardier team members worldwide and 10 service facilities across six countries. Bombardiers performance-leading jets are proudly manufactured in aerostructure, assembly and completion facilities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. In 2024, Bombardier was honoured with the prestigious Red Dot: Best of the Best award for Brands and Communication Design. About Comlux Comlux Group is one of the leaders in business aviation industry. For over 20 years, the company has been engineering luxury for VIP customers seeking personal and professional management of their private aviation needs, including aircraft sales and acquisitions, aircraft operations and charter management. Headquartered in Switzerland with a global presence around the world, Comlux delivers world-class, Swiss-made business aviation services. For Information For corporate news and information, including Bombardiers Sustainability report, as well as the companys initiative to cover all its flight operations with a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend utilizing the Book-and-Claim system visit bombardier.com . Learn more about Bombardiers industry-leading products and customer service network at bombardier.com. Follow us on X @Bombardier. Media Contacts General media contact webform Christina Lemyre McCraw christina.lemyremccraw@aero.bombardier.com +1-514-497-4928 Zuzana Pindurova zuzana.pindurova@comlux.com +41 79 720 91 22 / +971 50 55 82 173 www.comlux.com Bombardier, Global, Global 6000, Global 6500, Global 7500 and Global 8000 are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. (1)The Global 8000 aircraft is currently under development and remains to be finalized and certified. It is expected to enter into service in 2025. See forward-looking statements disclaimer hereafter. All specifications and data are approximate and may change without notice and are subject to certain operating rules, assumptions and conditions. Forward-looking statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require the Corporation to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to the Forward-Looking Statements disclaimer contained in Bombardier Inc.s most recently published financial report for additional details. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f65604c-6ed9-4cd4-a568-319b825f491a HOUSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR) (Par Pacific) today announced that it will release its third quarter 2025 results after the New York Stock Exchange closes on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. This release will be followed by a conference call for investors on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern). The full text of the release will be available on Par Pacifics website at http://www.parpacific.com. Par Pacific Third Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call Wednesday, November 5, 2025 9:00 a.m. Central time (10:00 a.m. Eastern) Dial-in number: 1-833-974-2377 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-5782 (toll) Individuals who would like to participate should dial the applicable dial-in number at least 10 minutes before the scheduled conference call time. To access the live audio webcast and related presentation materials, please visit the Investors section of Par Pacific's website at http://www.parpacific.com. A replay will be available shortly after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (toll-free) or 1-412-317-0088 (toll). The passcode for the replay is 2144945. The replay will be available until November 19, 2025. About Par Pacific Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PARR), headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a growing energy company providing both renewable and conventional fuels to the western United States. Par Pacific owns and operates 219,000 bpd of combined refining capacity across four locations in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies, and an extensive energy infrastructure network, including 13 million barrels of storage, and marine, rail, rack, and pipeline assets. In addition, Par Pacific operates the Hele retail brand in Hawaii and the nomnom convenience store chain in the Pacific Northwest. Par Pacific also owns 46% of Laramie Energy, LLC, a natural gas production company with operations and assets concentrated in Western Colorado. More information is available at www.parpacific.com. Investor Contact: Ashimi Patel VP, Investor Relations & Sustainability (832) 916-3355 apatel@parpacific.com NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential breaches of fiduciary duties by the directors and officers of Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR). If you currently own shares of Danaher stock, please visit the firms website at https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=17717 for more information. You may also contact Phillip Kim of Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via email at case@rosenlegal.com. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com Waupaca, WI, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Waupaca Foundry, the world's largest producer of gray, ductile and austempered ductile iron castings, today announced significant enhancements to its sales organization structure designed to better serve customers and capitalize on growth opportunities across key market segments. The company is dividing its previous Off-Highway, Industrial, Municipal, & Other segment into two focused segments: Off-Highway and Consumer, Industrial & Government. Additionally, Waupaca Foundry has created a new Sales Operations Director position to optimize operational efficiency and customer service delivery. As part of these enhancements, Waupaca Foundry announces three new sales leaders, who will report to Steve Wasil, Waupacas Chief Sales Officer. Key Leadership Appointments: Scott Seckel has been promoted to lead the Off-Highway Segment. With 17 years of experience at the company, most recently as a Key Account Manager, Seckel brings a proven track record and deep understanding of Waupaca Foundry and the iron castings industry to his new role, where he will focus on expanding market share with traditional customers and developing new relationships in this strategic market. Danielle Smith, who joined Waupaca Foundry in June as a Key Account Manager, has been selected to lead the newly formed Consumer, Industrial & Government Segment. With more than 19 years of experience in developing new customers and markets, Smith will drive growth opportunities and expand the company's presence in these important sectors. Denise Korbol joins Waupaca Foundry as the new Sales Operations Director. Korbol comes to Waupaca Foundry from Eaton, where she gained extensive experience leading successful CRM implementations and driving margin expansion initiatives. In her new role, she will optimize contract review and approval processes to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency in customer service delivery. The organizational changes are effective immediately and represent Waupaca Foundry's ongoing commitment to innovation, customer focus, and operational excellence. These strategic appointments reflect our commitment to better serve our existing customers and drive sustainable growth with new customers across new market segments. said Mike Hawthorne, CEO of Waupaca Foundry. We have always worked tirelessly to deliver best-in-class value and believe this new organizational structure will strengthen our position in the industry. About Waupaca Foundry, Inc. Waupaca Foundry, Inc., North Americas leading supplier of iron castings to the automotive, commercial vehicle, agriculture, construction, and industrial markets, produces gray iron castings, ductile iron castings, and austempered ductile iron castings using state-of-the-art processes and technology. The manufacturer also specializes in precision machining and assembly. Waupaca Foundry is headquartered in Waupaca, Wisconsin and operates five iron foundries located in Waupaca, Wisconsin, Marinette, Wisconsin, and Tell City, Indiana. The company operates machining and assembly in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Waupaca employs approximately 3,500 people. For more information, visit www.waupacafoundry.com. # # # Davenport, Iowa, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An ImpactLife blood donor has been inducted as the youngest ever member of the Fresenius Kabi National Blood Donation Hall of Fame. Brenna Teerlinck, age 19, is among 12 blood donors and volunteers from across the United States to receive the honor in 2025. Her induction ceremony was held Monday, October 13 at the ImpactLife headquarters in Davenport, Iowa. Joe Berry, Senior Account Executive with Fresenius Kabi, presented Brenna with the National Blood Donation Hall of Fame Award and a framed photo. "The Fresenius Kabi Blood Donation Hall of Fame recognizes individuals for their extraordinary commitment to blood donation," said Berry. "Brenna is the youngest inductee we have ever had, and she is well qualified for the recognition due to her personal commitment to blood donation and for encouraging her peers to help save lives as well." Brenna was nominated by Tori Tebbitt, ImpactLife Account Manager, to recognize her commitment as a blood donor and blood drive coordinator. As Tori wrote in her nomination: Brenna started giving blood in 2023, as soon as she turned 16. Brenna lost her dad and brother when she was very young in a motorcycle accident. Her cousin, Trevor, took on the role of that big brother. Trevor had a rare genetic disease called DADA2 that caused his immune system to fight against itself. He spent a lot of time in hospital and there were many times he couldnt even go outside to play with friends. Brenna witnessed Trevor battle DADA2 and, in his lifetime, receive 588 units of blood to give him more time with his family and friends. "When I turned 16 in 2023, I was finally able to donate," said Brenna in her remarks at the induction ceremony. "We had Trevor's blood drive in May, just a month after my 16th birthday." Brenna wasn't sure if she would be able to give blood, but when the day came, "I remembered all of the people who gave blood for Trevor," said Brenna. "I had a little reaction after donating, but this didn't stop me. I continue to donate when I can because it's an easy way to help someone." (See Brenna's remarks in video from the event, posted on YouTube.) About the Fresenius Kabi National Blood Donation Hall of Fame As a global health care company, Fresenius Kabi is Committed to Life. The companys products, technologies, and services are used for the therapy and care of patients with critical and chronic conditions. Fresenius Kabi has partnered with blood centers, through the National Blood Donation Hall of Fame, for more than 25 years. This program was developed to recognize individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to blood donation. Each year, the National Blood Donation Hall of Fame honorees are featured in a commemorative calendar shared with blood centers nationwide, celebrating their inspiring stories and contributions. To learn more about the 2025 inductees, visit the National Blood Donation Hall of Fame website. About ImpactLife ImpactLife's mission is to save lives by engaging donors, supporting partners, and advancing medicine. Founded in 1974, ImpactLife supplies blood products and services to more than 130 hospitals, emergency services organizations, clinical researchers, and other blood centers throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. The nonprofit blood provider is ranked among the leading 12 blood suppliers in the United States. For more information on current blood inventory levels, our donor promotions, and more, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Attachments Reading, UK, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lezzat, one of UKs oldest Amazon full-service agencies, has announced the launch of its 2026 Amazon Europe Expansion services, a comprehensive program designed to help mature US Amazon sellers establish a strong presence across Europes rapidly expanding Amazon marketplaces. The program is strategically timed to align with Amazons continued investment in logistics, infrastructure, and marketplace development across the continent, including new rollouts in Ireland and expanded same-day delivery coverage across major European cities. The new initiative provides a structured pathway for US Amazon sellers seeking to diversify their sales beyond the saturated US market. Europes e-commerce sector offers multiple developed yet underpenetrated markets with strong consumer trust and consistent online shopping demand. By addressing critical challenges such as VAT compliance, marketplace localization, and logistics coordination, Lezzat enables sellers to scale internationally with clarity and minimize the risks typically associated with cross-border selling. Less than one percent of US Amazon sellers are currently active in Europe, despite the region including Germany Amazons second-largest global marketplace thats constantly expanding, said Alexandros Karagiannis, Director at Lezzat. Our program bridges that gap by removing the barriers that often make international expansion seem unattainable. For ambitious brands, this is an extraordinary opportunity to capture growth in markets where competition remains thin. A Timely Expansion Opportunity Lezzats 2026 Amazon Europe Expansion service provides sellers with the expertise, infrastructure, and on-the-ground support needed to navigate the full-scope of cross-border e-commerce. It covers every aspect of international Amazon growth, offering end-to-end support that allows sellers to focus on scaling their brand while the agency manages compliance and operational demands. Key features of the 2026 Expansion Service include: VAT Registration and Compliance: Managed through trusted partner networks to ensure full regulatory alignment. Managed through trusted partner networks to ensure full regulatory alignment. Marketplace Onboarding: Support for Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, and additional European regions as Amazons network expands. Support for Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, and additional European regions as Amazons network expands. Listing Translation and Localization: Native-language adaptation to improve discoverability and engagement. Native-language adaptation to improve discoverability and engagement. Advertising and Marketing Strategy: Full-service management of PPC, DSP, and advertising campaigns tailored to market behavior and seasonality. Full-service management of PPC, DSP, and advertising campaigns tailored to market behavior and seasonality. Inventory Planning and Operations Management: Coordinated cross-border logistics, stock allocation, and cross-border fulfillment strategies to prevent delays and optimize cost efficiency. Coordinated cross-border logistics, stock allocation, and cross-border fulfillment strategies to prevent delays and optimize cost efficiency. Review and Reputation Management: Continuous monitoring and response strategies to help sellers build trust and long-term credibility with European customers. Our goal is to make international growth attainable and sustainable, added Karagiannis. Many sellers underestimate how fragmented the European landscape can be. By centralizing all the moving parts compliance, operations, and marketing were helping them focus on what really matters: scaling their brand. Supporting Sellers from Strategy to Execution Lezzats team brings together experienced Amazon sellers, strategists, and multilingual marketing professionals who understand the operational realities of scaling internationally. They work closely with clients to manage the complexities of cross-border e-commerce freeing them from operational bottlenecks and ensuring consistency in branding, compliance, and customer engagement across regions. Early expansion into Amazon Europe positions sellers for long-term competitive advantage, added Karagiannis. With Amazon continuing to grow its footprint, the sellers who act early will not only diversify and protect their businesses but will also secure positions of strength in markets that continue to grow year after year. The 2026 Amazon Europe expansion service is now available. US Amazon sellers seeking to enter the market or optimize their European operations, can learn more or request a complimentary audit assessing market readiness, please visit http://www.lezzat.co.uk/. About Lezzat Ltd Lezzat is a multi-award-winning Amazon full-service agency based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2018, the company has supported over 500 brands in scaling their presence on Amazon UK, USA & Europe. Lezzat provides end-to-end services to Amazon sellers, including Amazon SEO, design, PPC, Consulting, marketplace setup, listing localization, DSP, inventory management, and review management. With a team composed of experienced Amazon sellers, Lezzat offers practical expertise and a proven track record in guiding brands through successful European expansion. Media Contact Company Name: Lezzat Ltd Contact Person: Alexandros Karagiannis, Director Email: info@lezzat.co.uk Country: United Kingdom Website: http://lezzat.co.uk/ PERTH, Australia, Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX:PDN, TSX:PDN, OTCQX:PALAF) (Paladin or the Company) advises that it has released its quarterly activities report for the three month period ended 30 September 2025 (September 2025 Quarter Results). The Company has also released an accompanying presentation on the September 2025 Quarter Results. The quarterly activities report and presentation are available on Paladins website (https://www.paladinenergy.com.au/investors/asx-announcements/). For further information contact: Investor Relations Head Office Paula Raffo Paladin Investor Relations T: +61 8 9423 8100 E: paula.raffo@paladinenergy.com.au Canada Bob Hemmerling Paladin Investor Relations T: +1 250-868-8140 E: Bob.Hemmerling@paladinenergy.ca Media Head Office Anthony Hasluck Paladin Corporate Affairs T: +61 438 522 194 E: anthony.hasluck@paladinenergy.com.au Canada Ian Hamilton, Partner FGS Longview T: +1 905-399-6591 E: ian.hamilton@fgslongview.com About Paladin Paladin Energy Ltd (ASX:PDN TSX: PDN OTCQX:PALAF) is a globally significant independent uranium producer with a 75% ownership of the world-class long life Langer Heinrich Mine located in Namibia. In late 2024 the Company acquired Fission Uranium Corp. in Canada, resulting in a dual-listing on the both the ASX and TSX. With the integration of Fissions operations, the Company now owns and operates an extensive portfolio of uranium development and exploration assets across Canada, which include the Patterson Lake South (PLS) project in Saskatchewan and the Michelin project in Newfoundland and Labrador. Paladin also owns uranium exploration assets in Australia. Paladin is committed to an ESG framework that ensures responsible, accountable and transparent management of the uranium resources the Company mines - both now and in the future. Through its Langer Heinrich Mine, Paladin is delivering a reliable uranium supply to major nuclear utilities around the world, positioning itself as a meaningful contributor to baseload energy provision in multiple countries and contributing to global decarbonisation. Vancouver, October 13, 2025 - Thor Explorations Ltd. (TSXV: THX) (AIM: THX) ("Thor" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its final set of drilling results from its maiden drilling campaign at its 100% owned Guitry Gold Project ("Guitry") in Cote d'Ivoire. Thor has completed a total of 4,604 metres ("m") of reverse circulation ("RC") drilling at Guitry with the objective of gaining better understanding of both the geometry and geological controls on gold mineralisation. The additional assay results received to date from this drilling program since August 2025, include the following highlights: Drillhole GURC25-246 - 6m at 9.63 grammes per tonne ("g/t") of gold ("Au") from 89m Drillhole GURC25-240- 7m at 1.50g/tAu from 72m Drillhole GURC25-247 - 14m at 1.30g/tAu from 57m Further exploration activities are planned to advance resource definition and identify new mineralisation. This includes systematic infill and step-out drilling, testing of untested and partially tested geochemical anomalies, and generative geochemical surveys. Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: "We are pleased to report continued positive drilling results from Cote d'Ivoire, completing a successful maiden drilling campaign in country. When acquired, the Guitry project featured several gold-in-soil geochemical anomalies that previous explorers had only partially tested with shallow drilling. "This drilling campaign has intersected and confirmed previously untested deeper bedrock mineralisation, which remains open. "In the final quarter of the year, once the rainy season is over, we have planned further step-out drilling programs that will be designed to grow the potential resource inventory at Guitry. In addition to this, we will be carrying out a permit wide auger drilling campaign to test the previously identified soil anomalies. "Cote d'Ivoire is a leading West African gold mining and exploration region, hosting over 30% of the area's greenstone belts and emerging as a site for world-class gold discoveries. We are excited to be returning to the field shortly, when we will also be carrying out our maiden drilling campaign on our Marahui Permit." Introduction The Guitry Project was acquired by Thor from Endeavour Mining Corporation ("Endeavour") during 2025 for a total consideration of US$100,000 in cash and a 2% Net Smelter Royalty. The Project is located 220 kilometres ("km") due west from Abidjan and covers 295 square kilometres of prospective Tehini (Birimian) Greenstone Belt comprising a north-easterly trending sequence of greywacke sediments and volcano-sedimentary schists and andesite with later granitic intrusive located to the north. The Tehini Greenstone Belt extends northwards into Burkina Faso where it hosts large gold deposits such as Hounde (5.2 million ounces ("Moz")) and Mana (2.3Moz). Early-stage exploration at Guitry completed by Endeavour Mining includes 7,672 soil samples and over 11,000m of drilling (Figure 1). Figure 1: Guitry Gold Project Location Map To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7003/270117_164caa916471db69_002full.jpg Two main prospects were defined by soil geochemistry: Krakouadiokro and Gbaloukro. A broad gold in soil anomaly extends over an 8.5km north easterly trending zone with a continuous 5km long anomaly at Krakouadiokro (Figure 2). Follow-up drilling at Krakouadiokro produced several significant drill intersections from a relatively small area of drilling. However, insufficient information was obtained regarding the geometry and extents of the primary gold mineralisation. Mineralisation appears to be open along strike to the southwest and northeast and down dip at the two main prospects. Drilling Results Previous drilling primarily intersected gold mineralisation within a near-surface, flat-lying supergene horizon. In contrast, only a limited number of drill holes targeted the primary mineralisation at Krakouadiokro. The current drilling program was developed following a revised interpretation of the orientation of multiple parallel mineralised lodes. Since May 2025, Thor completed an initial RC drilling program comprising 4,604m in 41 holes (Figure 3). All holes were oriented at an azimuth of 225o at a dip of 55 o. Industry standard QAQC protocols were followed, and drill samples were collected, stored and transported under secured conditions. Drill samples were analysed by SGS Laboratories in Yamoussoukro using the FAA505 fire assay method (50 gram charge). The significant intersections from this program are listed in Table 1. All results from this drilling program are listed in Appendix 1. Figure 2: Guitry Soil Geochemical Map To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7003/270117_2c7bf798e45bfbc9_001full.jpg The current drilling area is on the crest of a laterite-capped hill overlying a northeast-striking sequence of pelitic sedimentary (greywacke) rocks. These rocks are strongly weathered to about 30m from the surface before transitioning into fresh bedrock. Primary gold mineralisation occurs within moderately to steep north-dipping zones in the southwest part of the drilling area. Towards the northeast, the mineralised zones appear sub-vertical (Figure 4). Hole ID Easting Northing RL Depth Dip Azi- muth From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Grade (g/tAu) True Width (m) GURC25-240 240471 605268 233 107 -55 225 72 79 7.0 1.50 4.2 GURC25-246 240553 605279 242 126 -55 225 89 95 6.0 9.63 3.6 GURC25-247 240523 605181 227 108 -55 225 57 71 14.0 1.30 8.4 Table 1: Guitry Gold Project Significant Drilling Intersections (>3 gram-metres, 0.3g/tAu cut off, Minimum Interval 3m, Maximum Internal Waste 3m) Numerous high grades have been intersected in the primary zone over a 400m by 300m area. In the Southern Zone, intersections that were reported previously such as 7m at 7.71g/tAu in GURC25-227 and 5m at 12.65g/tAu in GURC25-228 indicate that grades appear to increase at depth with most of the grades exceeding 5g/tAu being located in the fresh bedrock (Figure 4). In the current batch of results 14m grading 1.3/tAu from 57m was intersected in drillhole GURC25-247 in the previously untested Southern Zone (Figure 3,4). In the Central Zone, further encouraging results include 6m grading 9.63g/tAu from 89m in drillhole GURC25-246. The results to date suggest a steep, dipping, parallel lode array. Figure 3: Guitry Drillhole Location Map Showing Results Above 5 Gram-Metres. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7003/270117_164caa916471db69_005full.jpg Next Steps At the Krakouadiokro Prospect, further systematic resource drilling is warranted. This drilling would comprise both infill and step-out drilling. Drilling of the numerous geochemical anomalies at the both the Krakouadiokro and Gbaloukro Prospects that have, to date, been either untested or partially tested. Generative geochemical surveys along the north-east and to the south-west strike extents of the Krakouadiokro and Gbaloukro Prospects. These areas, which total approximately 10km of prospective strike, have either been partially sampled on 800m spaced lines or not sampled at all. Figure 4: Guitry Cross Sections Showing Apparent Dip of the Mineralised Lodes To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7003/270117_164caa916471db69_006full.jpg Qualified Person The above information has been prepared under the supervision of Alfred Gillman (Fellow AusIMM, CP), who is designated as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 and the AIM Rules and has reviewed and approves the content of this news release. He has also reviewed QA/QC, sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information. Commercial Terms Further details can be found on the Company's website: www.thorexpl.com About Thor Explorations Thor Explorations Ltd. is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of mineral properties located in Nigeria, Senegal and Cote D'Ivoire. Thor Explorations holds: - a 100% interest in the Segilola Gold Project located in Osun State, Nigeria - a 100% economic interest in the Douta Gold Project located in south-eastern Senegal - a 100% interest in the Guitry Gold Project Cote D'Ivoire - additional exploration tenure in Nigeria, Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire comprising of wholly and majority owned interests Thor Explorations trades on AIM and the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "THX". THOR EXPLORATIONS LTD. Segun Lawson President & CEO Appendix 1 Guitry Drilling Results (>3 gram-metres, 0.3g/tAu cut off, Minimum Interval 3m, Maximum Internal Waste 3m) Hole ID Easting Northing RL Depth Dip Azimuth From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Grade (g/tAu) True Width (m) Reported Previously GURC25-208 240488 605214 224 78 -55 225 0 14 14.0 2.59 11.9 yes GURC25-209 240509 605235 233 96 -55 225 38 42 4.0 6.87 3.4 yes GURC25-210 240354 605221 211 72 -55 226 0 10 10.0 0.62 8.5 yes GURC25-210 46 57 11.0 1.07 9.4 yes GURC25-210 59 64 5.0 0.64 4.3 yes GURC25-211 240375 605242 218 102 -55 225 0 7 7.0 0.61 6.0 yes GURC25-211 67 73 6.0 0.35 5.1 yes GURC25-211 81 90 9.0 1.34 7.7 yes GURC25-212 240467 605405 243 72 -55 226 2 10 8.0 0.70 6.8 yes GURC25-212 25 30 5.0 7.48 4.3 yes GURC25-212 64 69 5.0 0.32 4.3 yes GURC25-213 240488 605426 242 96 -55 225 nsr 0.0 yes GURC25-214 240603 605396 240 78 -54 225 57 67 10.0 10.36 8.5 yes GURC25-215 240619 605418 252 102 -54 225 70 75 5.0 3.21 4.3 yes GURC25-216 240640 605358 252 66 -56 226 45 52 7.0 3.93 6.0 yes GURC25-216 57 62 5.0 0.37 4.3 yes GURC25-217 240654 605382 237 60 -55 225 3 8 5.0 1.05 4.3 yes GURC25-218 240657 605374 264 138 -55 225 5 15 10.0 0.54 8.5 yes GURC25-219 240581 605458 245 150 -55 225 10 20 10.0 0.97 8.5 yes GURC25-219 82 85 3.0 14.50 2.6 yes GURC25-220 240524 605393 259 108 -55 225 2 10 8.0 0.35 6.8 yes GURC25-220 60 64 4.0 1.65 3.4 yes GURC25-220 86 94 8.0 0.72 6.8 yes GURC25-221 240500 605382 241 84 -55 225 0 4 4.0 0.50 3.4 yes GURC25-221 77 84 7.0 7.11 6.0 yes GURC25-222 240439 605440 245 114 -55 225 3 8 5.0 2.38 4.3 yes GURC25-222 66 69 3.0 2.50 2.6 yes GURC25-223 240449 605455 239 132 -55 225 11 14 3.0 0.93 2.6 yes GURC25-223 43 50 7.0 0.43 6.0 yes GURC25-223 87 92 5.0 3.17 4.3 yes GURC25-224 240676 605401 245 108 -55 225 5 9 4.0 0.40 3.4 yes GURC25-224 80 82 2.0 16.90 1.7 yes GURC25-224 98 97 2.0 3.12 1.7 yes GURC25-225 240690 605347 237 120 -55 225 7 12 5.0 0.57 4.4 yes GURC25-226 240674 605333 251 108 -55 225 nsr yes GURC25-227 240397 605263 233 144 -55 225 0 6 6.0 0.83 5.1 yes GURC25-227 114 127 13.0 3.46 11.0 yes GURC25-228 240528 605258 256 108 -55 225 0 6 6.0 0.39 5.1 yes GURC25-228 69 74 5.0 12.65 4.3 yes GURC25-229 240496 605289 244 114 -55 230 0 17 17.0 2.16 16.0 yes GURC25-229 85 87 2.0 2.24 1.9 yes GURC25-229 93 95 2.0 1.66 1.9 yes GURC25-230 240573 605381 250 156 -55 230 7 10 3.0 0.42 2.9 yes GURC25-230 34 38 4.0 2.47 3.8 yes GURC25-230 42 46 4.0 2.44 3.8 yes GURC25-230 54 59 5.0 0.53 4.8 yes GURC25-231 240565 605358 251 160 -55 230 2 9 7.0 0.31 6.6 yes GURC25-231 24 29 5.0 1.91 4.7 yes GURC25-231 143 149 6.0 3.13 5.5 yes GURC25-232 240599 605321 252 144 -55 230 12 14 2.0 0.69 1.9 yes GURC25-232 114 122 8.0 14.54 7.5 yes GURC25-233 240614 605341 252 120 -55 230 28 30 2.0 5.97 1.9 yes GURC25-233 78 80 2.0 0.42 1.9 yes GURC25-233 115 122 7.0 5.31 6.5 yes GURC25-234 240647 605433 243 150 -55 230 25 27 2.0 0.41 1.9 yes GURC25-234 81 85 4.0 10.68 3.7 yes GURC25-234 106 108 2.0 1.74 1.9 yes GURC25-235 240443 605385 243 144 -55 230 1 6 5.0 0.57 4.7 yes GURC25-235 11 16 5.0 1.16 4.7 yes GURC25-235 105 108 3.0 0.68 2.8 yes GURC25-236 240460 605327 238 132 -55 230 0 5 5.0 0.61 4.7 yes GURC25-236 31 35 4.0 0.34 3.8 yes GURC25-237 240478 605348 245 126 -55 230 2 4 2.0 0.39 1.9 yes GURC25-237 38 40 2.0 1.68 1.9 yes GURC25-238 240511 605449 239 90 -55 230 7 14 7.0 0.47 6.6 yes GURC25-238 51 53 2.0 0.89 1.9 yes GURC25-239 240471 605483 238 156 -55 225 nsr no GURC25-240 240471 605268 233 107 -55 225 0 13 13.0 0.44 12.2 no GURC25-240 62 68 6.0 0.54 5.6 no GURC25-240 72 79 7.0 1.50 6.5 no GURC25-241 240451 605251 228 126 -55 225 0 4 4.0 0.57 3.7 no GURC25-242 240426 605361 236 102 -55 225 4 9 5.0 0.84 4.7 no GURC25-242 90 94 4.0 0.63 3.7 no GURC25-243 240405 605344 232 108 -55 225 0 8 8.0 0.86 7.5 no GURC25-243 16 18 2.0 0.54 1.9 no GURC25-243 52 56 4.0 0.95 3.8 no GURC25-244 240415 605211 215 72 -55 225 2 4 2.0 0.34 1.9 no GURC25-245 240388 605184 206 126 -55 225 2 12 10.0 0.53 9.4 no GURC25-246 240553 605279 242 126 -55 225 2 9 7.0 0.67 6.6 no GURC25-246 89 95 6.0 9.63 5.6 no GURC25-247 240523 605181 227 108 -55 225 57 71 14.0 1.30 13.1 no GURC25-247 91 95 4.0 0.76 3.8 no GURC25-248 240544 605200 233 101 -55 225 0 3 3.0 0.32 2.8 no Total 41 4604 NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FORDISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/270117 One of the top agenda items for state legislatures next year will be to address the rampant sexual harassment in state capitols. Lawmakers in more than a dozen states have been accused of sexual harassment -- or worse -- since the #metoo movement took off in mid-October.But several women in the Illinois legislature, which has already passed new laws in response to the outcry, caution that lawmakers should take their time when writing new sexual harassment policies.When youre in crisis mode, you tend to move quickly. I dont necessarily think crisis-legislating makes the best policy, says Illinois state Sen. Toi Hutchinson, who is also the incoming president for the National Conference of State Legislatures.Her advice to lawmakers in other states?I would suggest that you invest the time to really dig in. Were not going to solve this overnight --theres no need for bills overnight, she says. Realize this has to last beyond the next couple of news cycles. Its that important, that meaningful and that worth it.Illinois was one of the first state legislatures in the country to respond to allegations of sexual harassment within its ranks. Lawmakers there regularly convene in November to act on bills vetoed by the governor. This year, Illinois' veto session came just days after more than 100 women signed an open letter saying sexual harassment in the capitol is pervasive (the number of signatures has now grown to 300 ).Ask any woman who has lobbied the halls of the Capitol, staffed council chambers or slogged through brutal hours on the campaign trail. Misogyny is alive and well in this industry, they wrote.House Speaker Michael Madigan tried to get out ahead of the issue by proposing legislation to explicitly prohibit sexual harassment in the legislature. Madigans proposal also called for mandatory sexual harassment training for lawmakers, staff and lobbyists, and required the state Department of Human Rights to set up a hotline to report sexual harassment in the legislature.The leadership wanted to do something and do it big, do it strong, do it fast and do it definitively, Hutchinson says. But there were a lot of women under the dome that thought we are not going to eradicate this with one bill.The speakers hopes for a quick resolution were initially derailed.During a hearing on the proposal, a lobbyist accused a state senator of sexual harassment. The lobbyist had filed a complaint a year ago, but it had gone nowhere because the office of the legislative inspector general -- the only person authorized to handle those complaints -- had been vacant since 2013. That effectively froze investigations of 27 ethics complaints, which may include other sexual harassment charges. The complaints are confidential.So the legislatures focus turned toward hiring a new inspector general (which it did ) and extending the statute of limitations on the pending cases. With the immediate crisis over the inspector general resolved, the legislature then passed Madigan's proposal that included mandatory training.But the new laws don't change how sexual harassment complaints are handled, which some say is problematic. Those accusations will still be vetted by an inspector general and referred to an ethics committee.Our process was the equivalent of a car up on blocks. Just throwing tires on it doesnt mean its going to run well. I feel like thats what we did, says state Rep. Kelly Cassidy. What we could have done is address some of the things that were truly pressing, while taking a more thoughtful and methodical approach toward discovering whether the process we just reinstated was the right one in the first place.Sen. Karen McConnaughay, who sits on the ethics committee, says both Illinois' ethics process and its process for handling sexual harassment claims need to change.She says the role of lawmakers needs to be minimized in picking an inspector general and acting on complaints so that victims feel more comfortable reporting offenses. That would address a major factor common in sexual harassment cases: the imbalance of power between the offenders and their victims.First, you have to have a process in place that does not intimidate a victim from coming forward. Second, there needs to be clearly delineated boundaries for behavior. Thirdly, there needs to be consequences for behavior that cause people to think twice before harassing someone, McConnaughay says.The fact that the inspector general only received 27 complaints over the last few years -- and not all or even most were necessarily about sexual harassment -- shows that women did not feel comfortable reporting violations, says Cassidy. She, herself, never knew who to report violations to.That speaks to the culture of the building, that it never occurred to me to figure that out. Those complaints are the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg.In the meantime, both chambers set up separate task forces to develop new sexual harassment policies for the long term.Cassidy says the idea that the two chambers were working separately on this issue is bananas, frankly. She says the legislature should be taking a bipartisan, bicameral approach to solving the problem.Both Cassidy and Hutchinson have worked as lawmakers, legislative staff and lobbyists. They say a new policy has to take into consideration all of those different situations.We need to really look at the complexity of it, Hutchinson says. When you are a contract lobbyist, there is no HR [human relations department] to go to. If people dont feel the legislative process works, theyre not going to go to a legislator to report a legislator. We need to look at what happens when things can be highly partisan and politicized, which means protecting the integrity of the investigatory process so that the results are held above reproach.There are gradations of this, she added. In much the same way that battery is different than murder, an off-color comment is different than putting your hand up somebodys skirt in the middle of a bill negotiation. The most egregious things do need to be handled differently.But Cassidy also worries that even the best policies wont be effective if people dont have a chance to weigh in on the problem and help shape the solutions.The most important thing we can do, is to come up with the policies as openly and inclusively as possible, she says. Just as important as fixing the broken process is restoring faith for the people we represent that this will be addressed properly. They need to know we have seen and heard them because these are their houses too. Rules Changes Who is Liable? (TNS) Employers had to scramble when the pandemic took hold in mid-March, emptying out workplaces and sending workers home to do their jobs for what was expected to be at most two or three months.But the coronavirus outbreak has persisted, productivity hasnt taken a big hit, and a large percentage of workers actually prefer skipping the commute. More employers are extending remote work assignments, and in some cases, planning to make them permanent.Some of my clients are thinking about more permanent remote work situations. I have one client who is giving up all leases and letting everyone work remotely, said Elizabeth Wylie, a partner at Snell & Wilmer in Denver, Colo., specializing in employment law.But that will require revamping a host of rules and procedures that werent always dealt with, like tracking time worked, using paid time-off, worker safety, cybersecurity, inclusivity and maintaining workplace culture. Going fully remote remains the exception. A spokeswoman for the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce said the group wasnt aware of any members doing that. But the list of companies considering shifting toward more permanent remote work is growing.Google, Zillow and Mercedes Benz plan to maintain work-at-home policies until next year. Mastercard said it will keep them in place until concerns about the virus subside, according to a crowdsourced list of remote work policies.And as restrictions lift and more office locations reopen, tech companies Twitter, Facebook and Square have said their workers will have a choice on coming back.Our best estimate is that 25-30 percent of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021, Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, said in recent comments on how the COVID-19 outbreak is changing remote work.Thats up significantly from the 3.6 percent of workers the U.S. Census Bureau estimates were telecommuting before the crisis. Gallup in a mid-April poll found that just over half of U.S. workers were working remotely full-time, 18 percent were working remotely some days and 31 percent had not worked remotely.Given a taste of remote work, what did workers think? About half said if it were up to them, they would prefer to continue working at home even after exposure concerns faded. A quarter said they wanted to go back to the workplace ASAP, while another quarter said they would go back once concerns about the coronavirus subsided, according to Gallup.While some of these workers may reluctantly head back to their workplace, others may decide to look for new jobs that allow them to maintain the remote work lifestyle theyve grown accustomed to, the Gallup report said.And if the outbreak flared up again, it appears most workers would be fine staying home.Because the switch happened so quickly, many employers didnt always think through procedures and policies. They are going back and trying to fill in the blanks.Now that people are getting more of a routine around virtual work, the next step is how do they sustain that, said Laurie Cure, CEO for Innovative Connections, a consulting firm based in Fort Collins.Being in a crisis mode created its own energy and pushed things forward. On the whole, employers found that productivity didnt suffer, a fear some had, Cure said. The question now is how to sustain remote work arrangements on a large scale for longer periods of time.Managers need to be less controlling and more empowering, Cure said, but they cant be absentee leaders either. Many will need to shift from a focus on activities to results.She also notes that signs of exhaustion are starting to emerge and more attention needs to be paid to burnout, which might be harder to detect in a remote setting.For example, studies have found that attending a video meeting is more mentally draining than attending an in-person meeting, Cure said. People lack the nonverbal cues they use to judge what people are communicating beyond their words.Wylie said one issue that has come up involves time management, noting that attendance policies werent always enforced during the transition.Expectations were not well defined. Lets just get through this period and well get back to the office and well resume life, Wylie said. Employers are now thinking about how to make this remote work situation tenable for a longer period of time, through the fall or even into the winter.A worker who disappeared for a couple of hours from the office would probably get noticed, but not so much now that they are working at home.It isnt necessarily that workers were slacking. Some burned the midnight oil, so they could handle other tasks, such as looking after kids doing their schooling at home. One question employers will need to ask is do they want workers back on a regular schedule or are they more interested that the work getting done, whenever that happens.Looser attendance rules have also meant workers have been taking less paid time off, a bottom-line issue in that the unused time accumulates as a liability. Someone might slip out for a dentists appointment and work an extra two hours rather than use their time off.Wylie said it is also a fairness issue if some employees are adhering to the rules and booking personal time, while others arent.Another concern is inclusivity, said Wylie. Video meetings raise issues of who is getting screen time and being seen and heard.One reason the transition to remote work was possible is that employees had already formed bonds they could draw on, said Marianne Wanamaker, an associate professor of economics at the University of Tennessee during a webinar hosted by ThinkWhy on Tuesday.Her graduating seniors are dreading the idea of entering a workplace where they are known only by a square on a videoconferencing application, she said.This is not their idea of fun. They will have a hard time building the connections they will need to be successful new workers remotely, she said.Cure agrees that one of the biggest challenges involves bringing on new workers remotely and integrating them into the company culture. But she also said the shift is forcing a rethinking of that culture and whether it needs to change.What elements of our culture do we want to make different going forward, is a question many companies are asking right now.One of the issues that more extended work-at-home arrangement raises is that of liability.A lot of injuries that occur for people working remotely at their house will be compensable. Your home is now your workplace, said Robert Fitz-Patrick, an attorney at Hall Estill, a Tulsa law firm with an office in Denver.While employers can address safety issues in the workplace, they dont have the same sway when it comes to an employees home. They cant order the kids to pick up their toys so mom and dad dont trip while going down the stairs or require the family dog to stay in the garage until the shift is over.As remote work arrangements become more extended, expect more concrete rules in that area. Enforcement, however, is a whole other issue.Employers can develop work-at-home policies, which dictate among other things that the employee create a dedicated safe workspace for work-related tasks. Work-at-home job descriptions can also help define the scope of the at-home employment, Fitz-Patrick said.Pinnacol, Colorados largest provider of workers compensation coverage, said claims overall are down since the coronavirus hit, largely because fewer people are working and fewer workers are driving, meaning fewer accidents.Weve seen just a few claims that appear to be for remote workers and prior to coronavirus, these were quite rare, although it can be hard to get an exact count, said spokeswoman Liz Johnson.On the whole, homes can be one of the safest work environments available, with one notable exception: ergonomics. Employees who might have enjoyed that precisely tuned Herman Miller Aeron chair in the office are making due for hours on dining room table chairs hunched over a laptop.Home office ergonomics were a lower priority during the rush to get everyone out. But they will increasingly need to be addressed.Pinnacol is educating Colorados employers about typical home-based hazards like poor ergonomics. Our occupational safety consultants have been offering free virtual safety consultations to all businesses in Colorado, not just customers, that have new hazards to manage, said Johnson.The company will investigate and evaluate claims because of at-home injuries and illnesses just as it would if they originated in the workplace, she said.Fitz-Patrick said someone who trips over the dog while grabbing a file would be covered, a case tested in the courts years ago. Same if they were injured going to get a glass of water or grab lunch under what is known as the personal comfort provision.And what if they throw out their back between Zoom meetings while taking a load of clothes out of the dryer? That is a gray area. One big difference is that there are likely to be fewer witnesses at home than in the workplace.Another issue is overlapping coverages on insurance policies. Health insurance coverage usually takes care of injuries that happen while at home, but not if they are work-related. Likewise, homeowners insurance wont cover personal injuries, but they will cover injuries to visitors, unless they are there for commercial purposes.If someone else is injured on your property and it can be proven the cause was directly work-related, your companys liability insurance would likely be responsible and your homeowners insurance would either not cover it or would be a secondary coverage, said Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Association.Business owners who have moved their business operations into their homes have another consideration to weigh, one they should talk to an insurance professional about, Walker said. They will need a Business Owners Policy to make sure they are protected for any liability or losses that occur tied to their commercial operations. And while they are at it, they should make sure they arent violating rules that the Homeowners Association might have in place. Andretti questions Vasseur amid Ferrari turmoil Mario Andretti has added his voice to growing concern about Ferrari's direction - while Ralf Schumacher thinks the fabled team's chronic underperformance defies logic. Frederic Vasseur, Singapore GP 2025 Ferrari Speaking at Il Festival dello Sport in Trento, 1978 world champion Andretti praised Charles Leclerc's talent but hinted that even the Monegasque driver may soon look elsewhere. I'm a big fan of Leclerc, said the 85-year-old. If he really wanted to change teams one day, I'd take him to Cadillac straight away, said the American - the high-profile ambassador for the Cadillac team which is preparing to join Formula 1 in 2026. But Ferrari is Ferrari, Andretti continued. Sooner or later, this team will bounce back - they always have. However, when asked directly if he was losing faith in team principal Frederic Vasseur, Andretti's answer was brief but telling. Yes, he said. Vasseur's position has come under renewed scrutiny despite a recent contract extension, with Ferrari still struggling to match the form of McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes. Sky Deutschland pundit Ralf Schumacher expressed disbelief at how little progress has been made. They have two excellent drivers, and the car, engine and transmission are all built under one roof, he said. Actually, all the prerequisites are there, said Schumacher, whose brother Michael is the most successful Ferrari driver of all time. It's hard to understand where the problems lie. If you think about it, Ferrari spent the most money and ended up with the worst chassis, the German continued. "But Vasseur knows how to unite people and motivate the team. Ferrari is basically a bit of a powder keg - I understand it, there's a lot of frustration, and anything can happen quickly. (GMM) Piastri's McLaren future increasingly in doubt The political tension surrounding Oscar Piastri's McLaren career is escalating, as fresh revelations and paddock whispers question both his past signing and his long-term future with the team. Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Singapore GP 2025 McLaren In the London High Court last week, Indycar champion Alex Palou alleged that McLaren CEO Zak Brown privately admitted he had not wanted Piastri in the orange car at all. I went for dinner with Zak at Beaverbrook near MTC, Palou told the court. Zak told me it was not his decision to hire Oscar. He said it was the decision of the (former) team manager, Andreas Seidl. Those comments resurface as McLaren celebrates another constructors' crown but faces growing internal strain between drivers' title contenders Piastri and Lando Norris, whose wheel-to-wheel clash in Singapore marked a new low in their rivalry. F1 legend Mario Andretti, speaking at Italy's Festival dello Sport, suggested that Piastri's uphill fight extends beyond the track. I like Piastri for his grit, but it seems to me that at McLaren, for some reason - I don't know why - they favour Lando Norris, said the 1978 world champion. Behind the scenes, Piastri's manager Mark Webber is believed to be growing frustrated. Sky Deutschland's Ralf Schumacher claims Webber has already begun exploring alternatives. You can tell from his expressions that he's not happy, Schumacher said. He's incredibly suspicious after what he went through himself. He always feels his driver should be treated as number one - and that's now partly in Piastri's head as well. Colombian great Juan Pablo Montoya agrees the relationship is under pressure. There are rumours going around that Piastri is hysterical, that they're already looking at options to go to Ferrari, he told AS Colombia. "People are talking a lot, and I'm sure it's meant to put pressure on McLaren. Every team has favourites - and the one who's been there the longest is Lando. Montoya added that Piastri's frustration was visible amid the team's podium celebrations in Singapore. He was definitely angry about what happened, and Webber has to be careful not to add fuel to the fire. You can't just quit because things aren't going your way. Schumacher even hinted that Piastri could be on several teams' radars beyond 2026. If Max Verstappen leaves, he could drive a Red Bull, he said. "There were already discussions between Mark Webber and Red Bull. But such a driver could find a place anywhere - even Aston Martin. 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, meanwhile, believes McLaren's current tension could end up gifting the 2025 title to Verstappen. The two McLarens are suffering too much under the pressure, he said. They need to wake up. (GMM) REDMAGIC continues to advance its smartphone cooling technology and it showcased its latest innovations at the REDMAGIC Gaming and Liquid Cooling Technology Conference in Shenzhen. The star of the show was the industrys first mass-produced liquid cooling system combined with advanced air-cooling innovations. You can learn more about it on the company's official site. This is liquid cooling similar to what you see in powerful gaming PCs and AI servers a pump circulates liquid over hotspots in the machine and then towards a fan and radiator that expel the heat. Just to be clear weve seen vapor chambers sometimes be referred to as liquid cooling. While they do have liquid in them, they are passive cooling devices. This is an active cooling system that can handle a lot more heat. This system needed to fit in a smartphone, so REDMAGIC went to great lengths to miniaturize the components. It built a piezoelectric ceramic micropump, which is the heart of the system. It took thousands of design iterations to reach the final design as the pump had to strike the right balance between fluid circulations and fitting inside a slim package. The company used micron-level laser cutting to carve channels that carry the liquid between the pump and the fan. Channel membranes were designed for smooth, low-resistance flow. The liquid being pumped is an anti-freezing coolant (based on a fluorinated liquid), which remains effective between -40C and 70C (-40F and 158F). This kind of liquid is used in AI servers as it has excellent electrical insulation and heat transfer. There were other difficulties along the way you are pretty unlikely to drop your gaming PC, but dropping your phone isnt all that rare. To that end, REDMAGIC used an ultra-low-temperature bonding process and new anti-puncture membranes to ensure that the phone can survive a hit to survive tens of thousands of drop tests, actually. Which phone is that? The upcoming REDMAGIC 11 Pro series will introduce the new liquid cooling system. It will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with the industry-first dual-track cooling system, enabling a maximum power release for sustained high-performance gaming. The 11 Pro phones will be able to run Wuthering Waves at 90fps for up to 120 minutes at ultra-high graphics settings, demonstrating exceptional stability and sustained performance. The device also supports more than 200 popular titles optimized for 2K resolution and 144 Hz frame rates, providing the hardware foundation for a significant leap in visual quality and gameplay smoothness. The new models will feature the companys Turbo Fan 4.0 system, which combines three core air-cooling approaches: independent, channel-based and composite. It includes an active cooling fan, the companys trademark, which can spin at up to 24,000rpm. This fan is coupled with a large, continuous airflow duct and a dual-track heat dissipation system (covering the CPU and including a 4D vapor chamber heat sink). A fan that has to draw air in and then push it out of the phone is hard to protect against water. However, REDMAGIC engineers found a way to pull it off the Turbo Fan 4.0 system will be the first smartphone active cooling system to be rated IPX8 for resistance against submersion. The REDMAGIC esports phones are the official phones for six major esports leagues in China: CrossFire Mobile Pro League, Arena Breakout Pioneer Cup, QQ Speed Mobile S League, Call of Duty Mobile Masters, League of Legends Mobile Super League and Dawn Heroes Team Tournament. The REDMAGIC devices are trusted for their reliability. Chen Jin, head of Tencents K1 CrossFire product operations, says that the devices reduce abnormal exits, mid-match disconnects, and spare device usage, meeting the stringent demands of professional tournaments. The upcoming REDMAGIC 11 Pro series will push smartphone gaming performance even further and set new standards for speed and stability. For more, head over to redmagic.gg. The University of Guams Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, CESU, is leading the way in environmental research and stewardship through projects that span coral reef monitoring, native plant restoration, endangered species protection, and marine archaeology. Since 2010, UOG CESU has been part of a national network of more than 300 university and community partners that collaborate with federal agencies to protect natural and cultural resources. UOG is the only member of this network based in Micronesia and is part of the Hawaii-Pacific Islands CESU, which opens doors for local scientists to engage in high-impact, federally funded conservation work. As of 2024, UOG CESU is managing 15 active projects totaling $13 million in federal grant funding, all administered by Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, ORSP. These projects are carried out by UOG faculty researchers in partnership with Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command and Joint Region Marianas. Restoring native forests At the Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Island Conservation Lab, associate director for natural resources Else Demeulenaere, PhD, leads a $4 million reforestation project on Department of Defense (now Department of War) lands. With support from program manager Vince Fabian, the team is removing invasive species like vitex and replanting native trees and shrubs from their on-campus nursery, which currently holds 75 native species. Thousands of seedlings have been outplanted across Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Magazine to preserve the diversity of Guams forests and savanna grasslands. Safeguarding endangered species Plants and animals on Guam that are listed under the Endangered Species Act are protected by law. Conservation efforts for endangered plants and animals are carried out to safeguard them and their habitats. Two UOG CESU projects focus on the propagation and protection of endangered plants native to Guam, including the Serianthes nelsonii and rare savanna species. These efforts, also led by Demeulenaere and Vince Fabians restoration team, involve cultivating seedlings and maintaining outplanted populations on military lands. In addition, Curt Fiedler, PhD, professor of biology, leads CESU-funded surveys for the endangered Mariana eight-spot butterfly and the cultivation of its host plants, supporting recovery efforts for this rare native species. Protecting Guam reefs, marine life UOG Marine Lab is at the forefront of long-term coral reef monitoring. Peter Houk, PhD, professor of marine biology, leads efforts to track coral health, including bleaching events and disease, at sites around Apra Harbor and other submerged lands managed by the military. The team is surveying coral and fish populations affected by construction activities on the Glass Breakwater and is compiling the results in a GIS database to inform future marine management practices. In 2024, the project expanded to include surveys of marine debris and assessments of acute disturbances, such as outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfisha coral-eating predator that can devastate reefs. The team is also actively removing these starfish as part of its reef response efforts. Supporting this work is Chris Yeo, PhD, of the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific, who is leading water quality monitoring at nearby reef sites and river outputs to provide a fuller picture of reef health. UOG Sea Grant leads another important marine monitoring effort at Andersen Air Force Base, where it has been leading sea turtle conservation since 2018. UOG researchers conduct regular surveys, protect turtle nests, and track hatchling success at key beaches such as Tarague, Scout, Sirena, and Pati. The program also supports outreach events and school presentations to raise public awareness about sea turtle conservation. These collective efforts are helping to preserve Guams rich biodiversity and strengthen the connection between people, place, and nature. Through science and stewardship, UOG researchers are delivering on the universitys mission to serve our island, our region, and future generations. Research at UOG CESU is supported by ORSP, which oversees grants acquisition and research initiatives across the universitys nine research centers. In March 2025, UOG was designated a Research College and University by the Carnegie Classification, recognizing institutions with significant research activity. This places UOG among just 216 institutions nationwide with this designation and reaffirms its leadership in advancing research throughout Micronesia. ORSP facilitates more than $60 million in awards annually to support research that strengthens the regions health, environment, and cultural resilience. For more information about research at the University of Guam, visit ORSP at www.uog.edu/research. Attorney Julian Aguon received the Magahaga Award, Guams top honor, for his ongoing work on climate and social justice. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero presented the award during a ceremony at Adelup on Thursday. The Magahaga Award also comes days after Aguon received on Oct. 1 the 2025 Right Livelihood Award, which is also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize, for his work. Aguon was recognized for carrying the call for climate justice to the worlds highest court, turning survival into a matter of rights and climate action into a legal responsibility. Aguon shares the Right Livelihood Award with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change. While the student-led movement mobilized community support and international solidarity, Aguons firm, Blue Ocean Law, provided the legal strategy that carried their demand into the courtroom of the worlds highest tribunal in a profoundly collective and intergenerational campaign, Right Livelihood said in a release. Aguon was recently successful in a climate justice case before the worlds highest court, the International Court of Justice, which issued an advisory opinion declaring states have binding obligations to address climate change, a watershed milestone in international law. Humbling Aguon, at the Magahaga Award presentation on Oct. 12, thanked everyone for their support, saying that without the people in the room, he wouldnt be where he is today. He said he never in his wildest dreams would think a law firm based on Guam could shepherd a case that has such global import. The opinion from the International Court of Justice affects everyone, everywhere, Aguon said. This is so astonishingly humbling to me to be able to be of service at that scale and Im just grateful that we succeeded and the result was favorable, he said. He said the ruling heralds a new era for the world which is climate accountability. Im very proud of the work, he said. He said so many people have shaped and influenced him to be the person he is and thanked them. We are here to be beautiful. We are here to be exceptional. And we are here to be of service to each other, Aguon said. Son of Guam The governor, at the Magahaga Award presentation, shared her long-time history with Aguons family. The governor said his mother, who worked at the Department of Public Health and Social Services, would bring him around during her time working as senator. Ive seen him grow over those many, many years, Leon Guerrero said. She said Aguon has shared with her his philosophies and principles of social justice, human rights and indigenous rights and she also sees it in the work that he does not only for the people of Guam, but for those throughout the world. Leon Guerrero, during the ceremony, said Aguon wanted to keep the award a secret, but personally asked her if his partner could take leave so he could attend. She joked that how could she not tell anybody about the award if she would give his partner leave. Award? I said never mind your partner. Tell me about your award, Leon Guerrero joked. The governor also pointed out that Aguon is a great writer and owns all his books. She said Aguon is very accomplished for such a young person and she sees him accomplishing more in the future. He is a son of Guam and he has put Guam not just in the U.S. level, but on the world, global level, Leon Guerrero said. She said a guy from Guam winning a very important case on climate change in the world courts is not something to take very lightly and that the community is very proud. The governor said she is honored that Aguons home base is Guam and he is doing important work for the world here on the island. I wanted to honor him on behalf of the people of Guam, she said. She said the Magahaga Award recognizes Aguon for his commitment and dedication and passion for justice not just for the people of Guam, but throughout the world. Leon Guerrero said Aguon shows everyone that there is still hope out there. Tamuning resident Serena Paulino said statehood as a political status change goes against what our Saina worked for since the Spanish arrived on Guam. If there are people in support of statehood, she said, then we should communicate with them why its not the way to go. Of Guams three political status change options, statehood had the least support during a political status town hall hosted by Sen. William Parkinson in Malesso. It was the third town hall, after the ones held in Yigo and Mongmong-Toto-Maite. Independence, statehood, and free association each have their benefits and is an improvement from the status quo, but most of the residents attending the town hall at the Malesso Senior Citizen Center on Wednesday night were against statehood because of societal and political issues on the mainland and Congress being too distant from the island to make an informed decision. The next town halls are at the Tamuning Senior Citizen Center on Oct. 22 and at the Dededo Senior Citizen Center on Oct. 29. Paulino said the people of Guam are stronger than we think, and it is time for the people to be the voice for ourselves. As a mother and passionate about protecting Guams children, Paulino does not support statehood for the risk of the mainlands current struggles reaching the island, such as children and families being torn apart due to extensive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, raids, increased military presence in Chicago, and more. No one is coming to save us, Paulino said. We need to save ourselves. She added that her worst fear is for Guam to encounter issues similar to what the U.S. did to the Marshall Islands. They cant even go back home. Thats permanent displacement. I dont want that for our children. Were supposed to pass down a better Guahan for them, Paulino said. Paulino reminded the town hall that Guam is so far away from America. They dont even know about us, she said. Recently returned to the island after six months, she shared that people she encountered in the mainland often mistook Guam for Guatemala. They have no idea who we are and the things we have sacrificed, Paulino said. Moving toward statehood would be completely counterintuitive for everything our Saina have worked so hard for since the Spanish arrived here on the island. She said the U.S. is putting the people of Guam second, so the island needs to start putting itself first. Paulino also urged people to heavily consider the seven generations principle, which talks about thinking ahead for the well-being of seven generations to come. Toto resident Fred Aguon, originally from Malesso, started the community discussion and pointed out a troubling symbolism in how the Guam flag is flown. Aguon and other residents said that flying the Guam flag below the American flag is demeaning and signifies the United States control over Guam. Why do they put Guam below the U.S. flag? Aguon said. That says the outsiders have more rights than us. Aguon wants to see Guams political status changed to signify that Guam is not below the United States, where it is flown above or side-by-side. Further sentiment from the community painted an outrage toward America for its mistreatment of Guam. Sinajana resident Alyanna Barrera, 22, said America will always be distant and cannot be trusted to continue making decisions for the island because they will never know what it is like to live in Micronesia. Lets not forget that America abandoned us during World War II, Barrera said. As someone who is going to grow up and see the future, we are all looking for a future we can shape with our own hands. Lets not forget that America is built on the backs of the people it enslaved, on racism. The first people that America serves are its white Americans. Barrera added that even if Guam becomes a state and gains voting representatives in Congress and Senate, a vote for Guam wont matter much if the majority rules otherwise, because they always will be far away. Malesso residents Joe Topasna, 61, and Yolonda Topasna, 61, said statehood is contrary to Guam creating its destiny, because the island would still be governed by the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, Joe Topasna fears statehood would surrender more control to the military and make Guam nothing else but a military hub. His greatest concern, however, was how Guam could govern itself once decolonization happens. He had full confidence in the islands self-sufficiency, but he did not want the new potential government to adhere to the United States way. Parkinson has made his intentions clear to have the official vote or public plebiscite taken during the next election year on Guams political status future. Yolonda Topasna restated that it has been 125 years since this conversation started, since it has been known that Guam wanted independence. I hope for change in my lifetime, [because] right now, we have no control, she said. In 1901, there were 32 CHamorus that wanted to petition Congress that we wanted more power, and its been 125 years. [This] is what the island wants. We deserve that right to be heard. Additional concerns raised were about citizenship, military defense, protection from foreign entities, and more factors to consider. The full extent of a change in Guams political status is continuously explored by the Commission on Decolonization. Parkinson assures that change is coming, because [the status quo] is not right, [and] thats why were trying to change it. Parkinson said Guam needs to change its laws so that the restrictions are no longer considered a proxy for race, avoiding a repeat of the Davis case. He believes if the cutoff were changed to either 1997, when the Office of Decolonization was created, or 1982, the date of the last plebiscite, that would satisfy the constitutional requirement for a voting system that is not race-based. The 1982 plebiscite was open to all voters, and in 1997, we had a very diversified population, the senator said. This is a happy medium between a CHamoru-only vote and completely opening it up to everybody, Parkinson said. Parkinson reiterated that none of the ideas are set in stone, but it is likely to be a close vote to at least people who are permanent residents and whose families have lived in Guam for multiple generations. If they vote in local elections, then theyre in. The military [will be] exempt on count of them reserving the right to have absentee ballots in their home states, Parkinson added. Although Parkinsons personal beliefs advocate for statehood, he vows to fight tooth and nail for whatever the people of Guam decide. Frankie Rosalin, one of seven defendants in a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program fraud case, is again asking a judge to allow him to travel to the Philippines for medical purposes. Rosalin was previously allowed by Magistrate Judge Michael Bordallo to travel to the Philippines from Sept. 17 to 21 for medical appointments with the U.S. Veterans Administration. He is a veteran and had been waiting for a medical appointment with the VA for several months. Now, his attorney is asking he be allowed to go back for follow ups. Attorney Heather Quitugua on Friday filed a motion in the District Court of Guam, requesting the release of Rosalins passport so he can travel. He has follow up appointments with the VA on Oct. 20, and expected to finish by Oct. 23. He is expected to leave on Oct. 19 and return on Oct. 24 if he is permitted to leave, the attorney stated. The attorney said Rosalin would continue to comply with the conditions of his release. He would provide Probation with contact information, including hotel information, and would remain in contact with Probation and would return his passport upon return to Guam. She said she reached out to Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Petersburg on Oct. 6 and Oct. 9 and was informed he doesnt oppose the request. Rosalin and six other defendants are on the hook for allegedly receiving $492,063 worth of fraudulent PUA claims made on behalf of numerous individuals between July 2020 and September 2021, based on the indictment filed in the District Court of Guam. They, along with other unnamed co-conspirators, allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to file $1.9 million worth of fraudulent PUA claims, charging documents stated. The claims were made through the PUA program that the Guam Department of Labor ran. All the seven defendants were charged with nine counts of wire fraud, 18 counts of mail fraud, and one count each for conspiring to do so. Here are the defendants: Charissa M. Tenorio, Matthew Topasna, Frankie Rosalin, Tina Sanchez, Kathleen Peredo, Winnie Jo Santos, and Marlene Pinaula. Among them are Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorios family members, including his sister Charissa and her boyfriend Rosalin, and the lieutenant governors partner, Topasna. Haiti - FLASH : Visa refusal in the United States, Haiti the 3rd most affected country Visa refusals in the United States: citizens of Cuba, El Salvador, and Haiti are the three most affected countries. According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of State, citizens of Cuba, El Salvador, and Haiti experienced the highest refusal rates for their U.S. visa applications. This trend highlights the immigration challenges in these countries, unlike other Latin American countries such as Panama, Argentina, and Brazil, where acceptance rates are much higher. The report reveals that more than half of B1/B2 visa applications (tourism or business) were rejected for Cubans, with a rate of 53.35%. Cuba is followed by El Salvador, with a refusal rate of 52.65%, and Haiti with 47.35%. These figures correspond to the end of fiscal year 2024 and were published on the official website of the Department of State. In Haiti's case, political and economic instability are the causes of this high rejection rate. Rejection rates are significantly lower in countries with greater economic stability and lower migratory pressure, such as Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina. These factors increase the confidence of U.S. consular officers, who consider the risk of irregular migration when evaluating each application. Projections suggest that rejection rates will remain high in countries experiencing economic crisis and political tensions. Experts advise applicants to submit complete and robust documentation, demonstrate their ties to their home country, and prepare well for the consular interview. These factors can increase the chances of application acceptance, particularly in a context of stricter immigration policies. SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Economy : 3.7 billion from the Public Treasury to support the purchasing power of families The Government is strengthening its support for the population through the Multisectoral Emergency Program (Programme dUrgence Multisectoriel - PUM). This exceptional allocation of 3.7 billion gourdes, mobilized by the Public Treasury, is intended to support families' purchasing power while encouraging national economic recovery. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, the Government is rolling out a vast financial assistance program to support 286,833 Haitian families in order to meet the urgent needs of households most affected by the economic situation. Three groups will benefit from this assistance between September and October 2026 : Parents of schoolchildren : 200,000 (70%); Vulnerable households : 55,333 (19%); Workers in the textile and domestic production sectors : 31,500 (11%). Cash transfers, made via Mon Cash and Nat Cash, amount to approximately 15,000 Gourdes per recipient, with withdrawal fees fully covered by the government. Workers receive their support through their employers or directly into their bank accounts. As of October 11, 2025, more than 94,000 transfers had already been made in less than 48 hours. Beneficiary identification relies on reliable databases and institutional partners to ensure the fair, equitable, and transparent distribution of public funds. SIGE (MENFP) for parents of schoolchildren, SIMAST (MAST) for vulnerable households, ADIH and labor unions for employees in the textile and industrial sectors. "Assisting the Haitian population, particularly the most vulnerable, is a moral duty and a national responsibility [...] Education remains the key to development and the driving force behind a better future for our beloved homeland, Haiti," declared Prime Minister Alix Didier. SL/ HaitiLibre China sends new navy fleet on escort mission in Gulf of Aden, waters near Somalia Xinhua) 10:37, October 13, 2025 Special forces members stand in formation at a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 11, 2025. A new fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy set sail from a military port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday to take over an escort mission from the previous fleet in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. This 48th navy fleet comprises a missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply vessel -- with two helicopters and dozens of special forces members on board. (Photo by Liu Zaiyao/Xinhua) QINGDAO, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- A new fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy set sail from a military port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday to take over an escort mission from the previous fleet in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. This 48th navy fleet comprises a missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply vessel -- with two helicopters and dozens of special forces members on board. In preparation for the mission, the fleet conducted training focused primarily on the use of weapons, the tasks involved in providing a convoy escort, and measures necessary for replenishment during the mission. China in December 2008 began dispatching naval ships to carry out vessel protection operations in both the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. Officers and soldiers wave goodbye at a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 11, 2025. A new fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy set sail from a military port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday to take over an escort mission from the previous fleet in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. This 48th navy fleet comprises a missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply vessel -- with two helicopters and dozens of special forces members on board. (Photo by Liu Zaiyao/Xinhua) Guided-missile destroyer Tangshan sets sail at a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 11, 2025. A new fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy set sail from a military port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday to take over an escort mission from the previous fleet in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. This 48th navy fleet comprises a missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply vessel -- with two helicopters and dozens of special forces members on board. (Photo by Liu Zaiyao/Xinhua) A farewell ceremony is held for a Chinese navy fleet at a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 11, 2025. A new fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy set sail from a military port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday to take over an escort mission from the previous fleet in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. This 48th navy fleet comprises a missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply vessel -- with two helicopters and dozens of special forces members on board. (Photo by Liu Zaiyao/Xinhua) Officers and soldiers wave goodbye to comprehensive supply ship Taihu at a port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 11, 2025. A new fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy set sail from a military port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Saturday to take over an escort mission from the previous fleet in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. This 48th navy fleet comprises a missile destroyer, a missile frigate and a supply vessel -- with two helicopters and dozens of special forces members on board. (Photo by Liu Zaiyao/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The decision, confirmed by the South Ostrobothnia District Court, comes after unsuccessful efforts to restore financial stability through corporate restructuring. Both entities submitted their bankruptcy applications last Friday. Attorney Leo Lagerstam has been appointed as the estate administrator. Ahtari Zoo and the adjoining Hotel Mesikammen have filed for bankruptcy after years of financial strain, leaving the fate of almost 200 animals in limbo. Operations at the zoo and hotel will continue as usual until the end of October, including during the autumn school holidays. Despite the financial collapse, ticket prices remain unchanged for the time being. Zoo director Arja Valiaho said the immediate focus is on finding a new operator willing to continue the zoos operations, which have run in Ahtari for over half a century. If no such party is found, negotiations will begin with other Finnish and European zoos to relocate the animals. Were putting all our energy into finding a successor, said Valiaho. That would allow the animals to stay here, and we wouldnt need to talk about moving them at all. Ahtari Zoo, established in 1973, is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), which coordinates the relocation and exchange of animals among member institutions. Under EAZA protocols, efforts will be made to ensure all animals find safe and appropriate homes. The zoo has not yet considered the possibility of euthanising animals. Valiaho said no internal discussions on that topic have taken place. Bankruptcy filings reveal that Ahtari Zoo owes nearly 17.1 million, while its assets are estimated at just over 700,000. Hotel Mesikammen has around 4 million in liabilities and assets worth approximately 525,000. Despite the grim financial news, the weekend following the bankruptcy announcement saw a surge in visitors. According to Valiaho, more than a thousand people visited on Sunday alone. Hotel bookings also increased, with few cancellations. Were very grateful to everyone who came. It really means a lot, Valiaho said. The zoo will maintain normal opening hours for now and may extend them depending on visitor turnout. Its traditional night-time safari event will continue as scheduled. The bankruptcy marks a dramatic turn for one of Finlands best-known wildlife parks. In 2018, Ahtari Zoo leased two giant pandas, Lumi and Pyry, from China. Their 15-year lease was terminated early in 2024 due to financial pressures, and they were returned to China. The panda house did not remain empty for long. Earlier this year, a male spectacled bear named Tao arrived from France and took up residence in the former panda enclosure. Plans to bring two more spectacled bears, one from the UK and another from France, were shelved following the bankruptcy. The required permits had already been secured. Those transfers are now frozen, said Valiaho. If a new operator is found, well revisit the matter. The zoo had entered a corporate restructuring process in late 2024, but progress was slow and insufficient. Despite some adjustments, financial equilibrium was never achieved. The broader economic strain, changing visitor habits, and the high costs associated with exotic animal care contributed to the collapse. The zoo and hotel had hoped to turn the situation around, but ultimately concluded that continued operations were not viable under the current model. The case has drawn national attention, not only because of the financial failure but due to the complex task of securing the welfare of the animals. The zoo houses a variety of species, including bears, lynx, owls, reindeer, and endangered animals under conservation programmes. Discussions are ongoing with EAZA and other wildlife organisations to ensure that any animal transfers are handled under established welfare guidelines. While Ahtari Zoos long-term future is uncertain, local and international efforts are being mobilised to prevent any immediate harm to the animals. The estate administrator will begin the process of evaluating the zoo's assets and liabilities, while also reviewing interest from potential buyers or successor operators. HT All 20 surviving Israeli hostages held in Gaza were returned on Monday. In exchange, Israel has begun releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza. Trump, who brokered the agreement, addressed the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem before travelling to Egypt to co-chair an international peace summit. US President Donald Trump has declared the war is over as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect, bringing an end to two years of conflict and clearing the way for the release of hostages and prisoners on both sides. The ceasefire, based on a 20-point plan drafted by Trumps team, includes the return of deceased hostages' remains, the release of Palestinian detainees, and the opening of aid corridors into Gaza. Many aspects of the broader plan, including Gazas future governance and security arrangements, remain under negotiation. Everybody is happy, and I think it's going to stay that way, Trump said aboard Air Force One en route to Tel Aviv. He added that a Board of Peace will be formed to supervise post-war reconstruction efforts in Gaza, which he described as a demolition site. Crowds gathered in Tel Avivs Hostages Square cheered as helicopters carrying freed hostages flew overhead. One of the released, Eitan Mor, was seen embracing his family for the first time since he was abducted from southern Israel on 7 October 2023. Others, including Omri Miran, Alon Ohel, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, were airlifted to hospitals for further treatment. In Ramallah and Gaza, released Palestinian prisoners were welcomed by thousands of relatives and supporters. Many had been held for years without trial or faced life sentences. Visible injuries and signs of poor health were reported among several returnees. In Khan Younis, families sang and danced in the streets as Red Cross buses carrying prisoners arrived. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the exchange as a historic moment, praising Trumps role in securing the deal. Speaking in the Knesset, he said: Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House. Netanyahu also vowed that Israel would remain vigilant and committed to disarming Hamas. Not all the remains of deceased Israeli hostages are expected to be returned immediately. The Israeli government said a new international body will be tasked with recovering and identifying the bodies of captives who died during their time in Gaza. The ceasefire follows two years of genocidal war, where Israels military campaign has killed over 67,800 Palestinians, according to Gazas health ministry. The United Nations and humanitarian groups estimate more than 1.5 million people are displaced in Gaza. Aid convoys began entering Gaza on Sunday. UN officials said the supplies include tents, medical equipment, fuel, and food. But the scale of aid remains insufficient. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates at least 600 trucks per day are needed to meet basic needs. Cooking gas entered Gaza for the first time since March. Amjad Al Shawa, a Gaza-based aid coordinator, said roughly 300,000 tents are required to house the displaced. Hospitals across Gaza remain critically under-resourced, with shortages in medicine, surgical tools, and power supplies. Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said thousands of patients require immediate treatment, including many with cancer and traumatic injuries. Trump is now in Sharm el-Sheikh, where leaders from over 20 countries are gathering to endorse the ceasefire and discuss Gazas reconstruction. Confirmed attendees include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Iran declined its invitation, citing US involvement in attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year. Egypt, one of the key mediators, is expected to facilitate the signing of a document ending the war. Egypts foreign ministry said the summit aims to secure a long-term truce and coordinate regional aid efforts. In Gaza, some expressed scepticism about the durability of the ceasefire. Clashes were reported in Gaza City between Hamas security forces and armed factions, including the Dughmush family. At least 27 people were killed in one incident. In the al-Sabra district, prominent Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was shot dead by unidentified gunmen during renewed unrest. Aljafarawi had documented the war through his reporting since 2023. Across Israel, opinion polls suggest public approval for Netanyahu has dropped, with many families of hostages crediting Trump and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff for achieving the ceasefire. Netanyahu has faced criticism for delaying past deals and prolonging the war for political reasons. Palestinians in the West Bank have been warned against public celebrations. Israeli forces reportedly distributed leaflets in several areas threatening arrest for anyone marking the prisoner release. Despite the warnings, spontaneous gatherings and fireworks were reported in Ramallah and Jenin. In Tel Aviv, lawmakers gave a standing ovation as Trump entered the Knesset. Among the US delegation were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. While the truce is holding, the peace plans remaining stages are still under negotiation. Issues such as the role of Hamas, Israeli military withdrawal, and Gazas reconstruction governance are yet to be resolved. HT A WRITER and peacebuilder who will be judging a prize for womens writing is coming to Henley. Dr Nussaibah Younis, who has advised the Iraqi government on proposed programmes to deradicalise women affiliated with ISIS, will be at the Relais Henley on Sunday (October 12) at noon with Emma Gannon, Esther Freud and Roisin ODonnell for Henley Literary Festivals book club. Dr Younis is also on the judges panel for Discoveries, which aims to help support as-yet-unpublished women writers without agents. She says: For any woman who is interested in creative writing, all we need is 10,000 words of the opening of their novel and it can be in any genre, and were just looking for original, interesting ideas. It doesnt have to be perfectly written or polished. Im a huge fan of originality so Im looking for unusual and different stories. Im always looking for a novel that will actually make me laugh out loud. Im a huge fan of stand-up and I really love the British tradition of political satire. The authors debut novel, fundamentally, a comical look at working with the UN in Iraq, was shortlisted for the 2025 Womens Prize for Fiction. Its a bit like Fleabag meets Evelyn Waughs Scoop, she says. If youve ever shown up on your first day of work and had no idea what youre supposed to be doing, youll understand Nadia, its just that Nadia has somewhat higher stakes because her job is to deradicalise ISIS brides. Dr Younis is looking forward to the festival. Im really excited to have been invited and the panel looks fantastic and its a privilege to be sharing a stage with some of my favourite writers. For more information, visit henleyliterary festival.co.uk or womensprize.com/ writers/discoveries Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four a radio play Kenton Theatre Thursday, October 2 FROM the moment legendary Doctor Who veterans and long-term friends Colin Baker and Terry Molloy greeted each other on the stage at the Kenton, the audience knew they were safe with Baker as Sherlock Holmes and Molloy as sidekick, Doctor Watson. The detective story, presented as if recording a live radio broadcast, featured lots of sound effects, courtesy of Imogen Jones and occasionally other cast members, which gave the whole thing an immersive feel. With clip-clopping horses, wellies pounding the mud, bells, knocks, boats and the occasional dog barking, it was a clever way to give context, with the detectives en route to various locations, and to segue from scene to scene. As Holmes revealed his simple, highly logical observational skills, Watson showed he was more in touch with his emotions, especially when it came to his feelings for Mary Morstan (played by Kate Ashmead). The mystery involves Marys missing father, Captain Arthur Morstan, and the puzzling annual gift she receives of a valuable pearl, the latest of which has been sent with a letter inviting her to meet the unknown, gift-giving friend. With the help of Holmes and Watson, Mary sets out to meet this friend, a man called Thaddeus Sholto, and they are taken to his country house, Pondicherry Lodge. There, Sholto tells Mary that her father is dead. He explains that Captain Morstan, along with his own father, Major John Sholto, had taken a secret Agra treasure from a penal colony on the Andaman Islands. But is the treasure cursed? A mysterious map seems to provide several clues. Meanwhile, Sholtos twin brother, Bartholomew, has barricaded himself in at the mansion. They rush to find him but he has been murdered, with a poisoned thorn above his ear who did it, and how did they break in? Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard follows the obvious lines, coming to conclusions and missing the finer details, while Holmes begins to deduce what went on through his methodology and logical thinking. As they investigate, there is talk of a one-legged man and an accomplice from the Andaman Islands. Meanwhile, Holmes has donned a sou-wester and raincoat and gone out in disguise to follow up on his suspicions. Eventually, everything comes to a head in a dramatic boat chase on the River Thames. The stories are brought to a satisfying ending and Watson and Marys nascent relationship strikes the perfect balance. Baker and Molloy were supported by the versatile and multi-roleing Kate Ashmead, David Sandham and actor-director Martin Parsons. The cast and creatives put together a show with heavy exposition and made it understandable, suspense-filled, pacey and funny, ending on just the right note. Bravo. Natalie Aldred A MAN from Nettlebed has travelled 125km by canoe to raise more than 6,000 for charity in memory of his son. Seth Cornfield paddled the Great Glen Way trail, which runs from Fort William to Inverness, Scotland, in aid of Helen and Douglas House, a childrens hospice based in Oxford. Mr Cornfield and friends Tom Edwards and Ryan van de Mark, also from Nettlebed, completed the challenge over four days in September. His son Elliot died of leukaemia in 2015 and the hospice charity cared for him in his final days and supported his family through their loss. Mr Cornfield decided to mark the 10th anniversary of Elliots death by taking on a fantastic challenge. He said: Sleeping under the stars was a perfect way to remember an awesome soul who showed us all how to battle and live life to the full. Elliot spent his final days at Helen and Douglas House, where both he and we as a family were supported by an amazing team. The care and support they provided allowed Elliot to pass in peace surrounded by love. Knowing Helen and Douglas House were there to hold us up allowed our family to make and take away precious final memories. We learned that we could and would go on to cope as a family while always knowing Elliot is a part of everything we do. For that we are so thankful. Helen and Douglas House continue to work tirelessly to care and support children and families and I urge everyone to help in whatever capacity you feel you can. It was a fantastic challenge to support an amazing charity in memory of my superhero. Thank you to everyone who supported us. Your kindness and generosity drove us through the wind and rain when we needed it most. Also, a massive thank-you to two amazing friends for sharing an experience I will never forget. Mr Edwards said: Canoeing the 125km Great Glen Trail was an epic adventure we faced wind, rain and even the odd burst of sunshine, but loved every minute. It was made even more meaningful knowing we were raising money for such a wonderful cause. Mr van de Mark said: We knew canoeing 125km up the Caledonian canal was going to be challenging but with the gales and torrential rain it was even more so. But some spectacular rainbows appeared though to buoy us to complete what was an incredibly rewarding challenge for a truly worthy cause. Andrea Baganz-Pritchard, fundraising manager at Helen and Douglas House, said: We would like to say a massive thank-you to Seth, Tom and Ryan for taking on this amazing challenge for us. We need to raise more than 6m a year and people taking on challenges like this will help us raise money to support more families like Seths. Bruneian businesses gain insights from China training programs Xinhua) 10:54, October 13, 2025 A participant asks a question during the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brunei Darussalam (NCCIBD)-China seminar and training program presentations held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Meng) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Over 80 members of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brunei Darussalam (NCCIBD) have attended seminars in China since the end of 2023, said Haji Abdul Saman Haji Ahmad, president of NCCIBD, on Saturday. The seminars covered topics such as food and agriculture, aquaculture, construction, and project management, said the official at the NCCIBD-China seminar and training program presentations held in the capital of Brunei. The NCCIBD continues to enhance the knowledge of Bruneian businesses in trade and economy, said Haji Abdul Saman at the event, which was joined by guests from the Chinese embassy in Brunei and Bruneian participants who had attended such programs in China. Bruneian participants who attended a training program on fruit cultivation and processing for ASEAN countries in Guangxi, China, shared positive experiences from the course. Aqilah Shyaqifah from Kytar, an environmental protection company, highlighted the live-sale technique used on farms through e-commerce platforms, noting the effective use of technology and youth involvement. Norhayati from Jambo Agro, an agricultural firm, said the program provided valuable insights into modern agriculture, sustainable farming practices, efficient waste management and lessons that could benefit Bruneian farmers. Haji Abdul Saman Haji Ahmad, president of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brunei Darussalam (NCCIBD), speaks during the NCCIBD-China seminar and training program presentations held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Meng) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced the opening of Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney, marking the debut of the innovative Caption by Hyatt brand in Australia and the Pacific. Located in the heart of Haymarket, the 174-room hotel blends community-first hospitality, tech-enabled convenience, and locally inspired design, creating a dynamic space for both travelers and locals to connect. This hotel joins an expanding portfolio of Caption by Hyatt properties around the world, with locations in Shanghai, Osaka, Nashville, and Tokyo. Haymarket, one of Sydney's most vibrant cultural and commercial precincts, continues to thrive as a dynamic destination for both locals and visitors. The arrival of Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney brings a new experience that aligns seamlessly with the area's transformation into a lively hub of heritage, diversity, and innovation. Perfectly positioned just steps from key transport linksincluding the Light Rail and Central Stationand surrounded by landmarks such as the Capitol Theatre and Sydney's Chinatown, the hotel offers unparalleled connectivity and cultural immersion in the heart of the city. At the heart of the hotel is Talk Shopa vibrant, all-day social hub that seamlessly blends cafe, bar, co-working space, and venue. Designed to spark authentic connection and collaboration, Talk Shop sets the stage for locals and travelers to come together through curated programming such as poetry nights, live music, and Mahjong sessions. Led by Chef Yammi Cheung, the hotel's culinary concept embraces a playful balance of health and indulgence, offering dishes to suit every mood. Inspired by Sydney's rich multicultural scene, the menu is served in a relaxed, social setting and features standout favorites like the Double-Down Burger, Krapow Burger, Mee So Salmon Bow, and Plain Gainz Bowl perfectly paired with refreshing house-made iced teas. As part of its commitment to hyper-local offerings, Caption by Hyatt Central Sydney has partnered with acclaimed Sydney artist Chris Yee, whose bold, contemporary illustrations bring the vibrant streets of Haymarket into the hotel's lobby and communal spacescreating a striking and immersive sense of place. His work is complemented by pieces from Melbourne-based creative Samy Baby and Japanese-Australian artist Hiromi Tango, whose diverse perspectives and dynamic styles add depth and energy to the hotel's design narrative. The hotel's 174 bold, design-forward rooms are infused with character and creative energy, offering a range of options from comfortable Standard rooms to Deluxe and Premium rooms with views of the neighborhood and city skyline. Each room features distinctive wall art by Sydney artist Chris Yee and illustrations by Samy Baby, adding a unique local touch. A sustainability mindset is woven into the hotel's design and operationsfrom locally sourced food and beverage options to energy-efficient technologies in its heating systems and a food waste management initiative. Interior design by Mitchell & Eades redefines the concept of recycled, repurposed, and reused materials, encouraging guests to engage authentically with local artists, makers, and creators, and fostering deeper connections with the community. Hotel website Visesa Ubud Resort is delighted to announce the appointment of Nanang Supriadi as its new General Manager. A seasoned hotelier with an impressive 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Nanang brings a wealth of leadership expertise, operational insight, and a deep appreciation for authentic Indonesian hospitality to his new role at the renowned Ubud sanctuary, a place that offers a sense of coming home in harmony with nature. Nanang began his hospitality journey at Melia Purosani Yogyakarta, starting as a waiter trainee before advancing through roles as doorman, bellboy, and receptionist. These early years instilled in him a genuine passion for service and an enduring belief that true hospitality begins with sincerity and respect. In 2006, he joined Hyatt Aryaduta Hotel Jakarta as Training & Quality Assurance Manager, where he honed his skills in people development and service excellence. Four years later, in 2010, he broadened his international experience with Sofitel Al Khobar The Corniche in Saudi Arabia as Quality Assurance & Operational Manager, overseeing quality and performance across multiple departments. Returning to Indonesia in 2012, Nanang served as Corporate Human Resources and Learning Manager at Aston Hotel, part of Archipelago International, where he advanced talent development and service culture across the group before leading Fave Hotel Surabaya as General Manager, strengthening the brand's regional presence. In 2016, Nanang was appointed Director of Operations & Development at Maspion Hospitality, where he guided the company's portfolio growth and operational strategy. Most recently, from 2020 to 2022, he served as General Manager at Wyndham Sundancer Resort Lombok, leading the property through a vital period during Covid. Renowned for his collaborative leadership and dedication to excellence, Nanang believes that hospitality leadership is as much about inspiring people as it is about maintaining standards. Market Snapshot: Asia Pacific 2025 The Market Snapshot: Asia Pacific 2025 highlights an overview of transaction activity in the region and presents 24 markets current hospitality landscape; each covering demand and supply dynamics, hotel performances, and key transactions. To view and download the full article, please click here. KDXR Acquires Hotel JAL City Nagoya Nishiki for JPY7.42 Billion in Nagoya, Japan Kenedix Real Estate Fund Management, Inc., the asset management company of Japan-based KDX Realty Investment Corporation (KDXR), has acquired the 216-key Hotel JAL City Nagoya Nishiki for JPY7.42 billion. This translates to approximately JPY34.35 million per key. Completed in 2018, the property spans approximately 1,063 square metres (sqm) with a total gross floor area of about 9,065 sqm. The building is 14 storeys tall, including a basement level. Facilities include one food and beverage outlet and a currency exchange machine. The hotel is currently operated by Japan-based Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co. Ltd. Located in the Naka ward of Nagoya, the property is a 7-minute walk from Fushimi Station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway and a 15-minute walk from Nagoya Station. Dai-ichi Life Enters Apartment Hotel Sector with JPY4.1 Billion Investment in Tokyo, Japan Japan-based The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited (Dai-ichi Life) has entered the apartment hotel sector with a JPY4.1 billion investment. The investment was made in a company established by a real estate fund managed by Marubeni Asset Management, a Japan-based asset manager, with an aim to acquire MONday Apart Premium Akihabara. Located in Tokyos Chiyoda Ward, the property is a 27-key apartment hotel built in 2020, with a gross floor area of approximately 1,270 sqm across 10 storeys. The asset is situated within a five-minute walk of Akihabara Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, and a seven-minute walk from both JR Akihabara Station and JR Asakusabashi Station, offering connectivity to central Tokyo and surrounding areas. This move marks Dai-ichi Lifes entry into the hospitality-related real estate sector, reflecting growing institutional interest in alternative real estate asset classes. Hong Kong-based Centaline Investment Advisory Company Limited (CI) has acquired the 94-key Bonham Residence from the Hong Kong Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA). Market sources indicate that the transaction was completed for HKD335 million, translating to approximately HKD3.56 million per key. Occupying a site of around 392 sqm, the property was initially launched for sale in May 2024 with a market valuation of about HKD400 million before being sold in August 2024. Following the acquisition, CI plans to rebrand and convert the property under its student housing brand, CampusOne Communities. CI will invest an additional HKD60 million to refurbish and upgrade the asset into a modern student residence offering approximately 200 beds. CI has acquired the 63-key Popway Hotel in 2024 for HKD180 million, and rebranded it as One Pace 117 as a student housing development with 121 beds. Naumi Hotels Debuts in Middle East with the Acquisition of the former dusitD2 Kenz in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates Singapore-based Naumi Hotels has made its debut in the Middle East with the recent acquisition of the former dusitD2 Kenz in Barsha Heights, Dubai, marking the groups first property in the region. Located steps from Dubai Internet City Metro, and within 10 minutes of Mall of the Emirates and 15 minutes of The Palm, Naumi Hotel Dubai will undergo an extensive transformation and will feature 237 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a spa, rooftop pool, fitness centre, and meeting facilities upon completion. Established in Singapore in 2007, Naumi Hotels has grown into a boutique hospitality brand known for its bold design, personalised service, and contemporary style, with a portfolio of eight properties across Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and now the United Arab Emirates. INVESTMENT ACTIVITY In the first half of 2025, hotel transaction volume in Greater Paris exceeded 600 million, with a total of 28 hotels and 2,120 rooms sold. Although transaction volume has declined by 46%, there was a significant increase in the total number of properties and rooms sold. This decline in transaction volume is mainly due to fewer large-scale deals compared to H1 2024, when four hotels accounted for nearly 80% of the total volume. Despite this, the hotel market remains in good momentum supported by a strong demand. Hotel Market Beat 2025 H1 - Greater Paris RCA, Cushman & Wakefield PRIME YIELDS Throughout the first half of 2025, yields slightly compressed, particularly for prime assets, settling in the 4.5% to 5.0% range. This reflects a strong investor appetite for high-quality assets in core locations and a limited supply of trophy properties. Greater Paris remains highly attractive and dynamic, reinforced by its position as one of Europes leading hospitality real estate hubs. Hotel Market Beat 2025 H1 - Greater Paris Photo by Cushman & Wakefield SUPPLY & DEMAND Hotel supply increased slightly during the period, notably, marked by the openings of Upper Upscale and Luxury properties in prime locations, such as Maison Barriere Vendome and Hotel SAX Paris, catering to travellers seeking premium experiences. On the demand side, Greater Paris confirmed its appeal in H1 2025 (+3% vs H1 2024), supported by the return of international travellers and positive economic momentum. International demand rose sharply (+9% vs H1 2024), led by traditional markets including the USA, UK, Germany, and Spain, as well as notable growth from more distant markets such as Brazil, China, and Canada. In contrast, domestic demand edged down slightly (-1% vs H1 2024). PERFORMANCE RevPAR grew significantly in H1 2025, up 7.7% relative to H1 2024. This was driven by a 2.2 percentage points rise in occupancy and a 4.4% increase in ADR. Greater Paris RevPAR growth outperformed the European average (2.6%), highlighting the markets strong momentum. A particularly robust performance was recorded within the high-end segment (Upscale to Luxury), with RevPAR increasing by 12.3%. Patrick Short - Image Credit TPG Hotels & Resorts TPG Hotels & Resorts announced the appointment of Patrick Short as President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Short will be responsible for providing leadership and operational direction across the company's portfolio of properties throughout the United States. Short returns to TPG Hotels & Resorts, having previously served as Vice President of Operations. He brings over 30 years of experience in hospitality leadership, covering more than 25 different brands and various sectors, including full service, select service, extended stay, independent, lifestyle, resort, dual-branded, and restaurant operations. His experience spans properties of various sizes, from boutique hotels to large convention properties and resorts. Before rejoining TPG, Short held senior leadership positions at several hospitality companies, including CSM Corporation, Peachtree Hospitality Management, Wischermann Partners, and Kinseth Hospitality Companies. During his tenure as President of Peachtree Hospitality Management, Short expanded the company's portfolio from 27 to 100 hotels, significantly increasing its room count. Under his leadership, the company achieved growth in key performance metrics such as RevPAR Index, profitability, guest service scores, and team member satisfaction. Short holds a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and an MBA in Finance from Argosy University Twin Cities. He is also a Certified Hotel Administrator through the American Hotel & Lodging Association and holds a Food Safety Certification. Short will be based at TPG Hotels & Resorts' national operations headquarters in McKinney, Texas. Northern Berkshire Housing Resource Fair ADAMS, Mass. Local Northern Berkshire housing organizations will be sponsoring a Housing Resource Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 15 between 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Adams Visitors Center, on 3 Hoosac St. The fair will offer attendees the opportunity to meet with representatives of local organizations who will have applications on hand to either fill out or take home with them. Participating organizations include Adams Housing Authority, Greylock Apartments in Adams,North Adams Housing Authority and the Williamstown Housing Authority. Also, Adams Council on Aging and the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition will be on hand to pass out information. This event is free and open to all in the Northern Berkshire area. iciHaiti - Osaka World Expo : Haiti Day On Saturday, October 11, 2025, Laurent Saint-Cyr, President pro tempore and Coordinator of the Transitional Council, on mission to Japan, participated in Haiti Day, organized as part of the Osaka World Expo on the sidelines of his official visit to Japan. Haiti Day marked the last national day before the end of this major global event on October 13, 2025. This event, organized by the Japanese authorities, provided an opportunity to showcase Haitian creativity, culture, and the richness of its heritage in a setting that was both understated and imbued with national pride. An official ceremony was held in honor of the Haitian delegation, attended by Laurent St-Cyr, John Herrick Dessources, Minister of Tourism; Raina Forbin, St-Cyr's Chief of Staff; Louis Harold Joseph, Haitian Ambassador to Japan; Jean-Marie Theodat, Haitian Commissioner General for the exhibition; and Jean-Yves Muscadin Jason, Director of the Haiti Pavilion. Also in attendance were entrepreneurs, artists, and media representatives. This celebration was marked by a high-quality performance featuring several Haitian artists, including Marie Lyndsay Jason, Gina Theodat, Ti Tanbou, and the musical group Asakivle. The audience was also treated to a rara parade hosted by DJ Manito, a living symbol of Haitian energy and joie de vivre. The show organized for the occasion, along with the Haiti Pavilion, offered the Japanese public an immersion in Haiti's cultural richness through our crafts, music, and historical sites. The Haiti Pavilion established itself as a space for exchange, encounters, and discovery during the Expo. Nearly 500,000 visitors on site, and millions of internet users around the world, were able to explore seven facets of our rich identity, each conveying a message of openness, sharing, creativity, and resilience. Following the day's events, the Haitian delegation held a luncheon with Japanese officials, followed by a reception hosted by the Embassy of Haiti in Japan. For the Haitian authorities, Haiti's participation in this global event goes beyond a simple cultural showcase. It reflects the desire to build a new national narrative : that of a creative, resilient, and forward-looking people. Through this presence at Osaka-Kansai 2025, Haiti reaffirms its place among nations, as a country of inspiration, innovation, and culture, driven by the conviction that a better future is built on pride and solidarity. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-45936-icihaiti-politic-some-details-on-laurent-saint-cyr-s-tour.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45586-haiti-japan-haiti-at-the-expo-2025-osaka.html IH/ S/ iciHaiti July 4, 2115 - Geraldine Lopez, the last known so-called Dreamer, died of natural causes at age 108 in Virginia. She was the last of the so-called Dreamers, who signed up in a program set up by Barack Obama, President from 2009-2016. The program was intended to create a path to citizenship for children brought to the United States illegally by their parents, and who grew up in the US knowing no other country. Over the decades it has remained in effect due to a mutiplicity of court cases, decisions, edicts and appeals, but just for those who were in up to 2018. Republicans have used the issue over and over in campaigns, to motivate their dwindling, mostly white rural, base to show up at the polls. Over many, many campaigns, Republicans have cast the aging, and over recent decades diminishing in numbers, Dreamers as everything from dangerous terrorists to lazy moochers. Most notably, Republicans cast Dreamers, who were never eligible for federal programs, as "abusing freeloaders", and the reason the Republicans, who controlled Congress and the Presidency those years, claimed they "had no choice" but to "reluctantly" end Medicaid and Medicare in 2038, and Social Security in 2040. China unveils regulation on water sources protection at Beijing reservoir Xinhua) 10:57, October 13, 2025 BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree unveiling a regulation on the protection of water sources of the Miyun Reservoir in the northeast suburb of Beijing. The new regulation, which will take effect on Dec. 1, 2025, sets out overall requirements, specific measures and policy support to bolster both the green development of the Miyun Reservoir basin and the water security of China's capital. To further beef up protection of this reservoir's water sources, the regulation emphasizes the principle of prioritizing protection, while also coordinating protection and development. The Beijing municipal government and the Hebei provincial government should work together to formulate a comprehensive plan regarding the protection of the reservoir's water sources, according to this new regulation. Originally built for flood prevention and control purposes, the Miyun Reservoir, located in the Miyun District of the capital, is the largest reservoir in north China and an important surface drinking water source for Beijing. Efforts should be strengthened to prevent and control pollution in the Miyun Reservoir basin -- including delimiting livestock and poultry prohibited zones, implementing agricultural pollution control, and enhancing rural domestic waste and sewage treatment, the regulation notes. The new regulation also stresses the need to enhance law enforcement in this regard -- vowing to crack down on illegal acts that undermine the reservoir's water sources. Supportive policies concerning resource allocation and green industrial development will be implemented to promote the green development of the Miyun Reservoir basin, the regulation says, while encouraging financial institutions to offer financial services suitable for achieving this target. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice South Koreas rapidly ageing population has reached a new milestone, with people aged 70 and above outnumbering those in their 20s for the first time on record. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the number of those aged 70 and over has reached 6.54 million, exceeding the 6.3 million still in their 20s, the Korea Times reported. The last time these population cohorts were close in size was a century ago in 1925, when modern census data began. The population of Koreans in their 20s has now fallen for four years straight, declining from 7.03 million in 2020 to 6.3 million last year, according to Chosun Biz. This marks the first time in over 100 years that people in their 20s have become the smallest adult age group. Those in their 50s now make up the largest age bracket, at 8.71 million, followed by those in their 40s. The shift is significant for a country facing one of the worlds fastest-declining birth rates. Experts have said these shifts reflect both a collapse in birth rates and an increase in life expectancy. South Koreas fertility rate now 0.72 births per woman, one of the lowest in the world has continued to drop despite years of government incentives, while average life expectancy has climbed to almost 84 years. The shrinking population and employment challenges among people in their 20s are not just generational issues, but part of a structural crisis that directly threatens the vitality of the Korean economy, Kim Gwang Seok, head of economic research at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, told Korea Joongang Daily. In the long term, this could weaken the countrys overall growth potential. Representational. Koreans in their 50s now make up the largest population bracket ( AFP via Getty ) That issue is visible in the labour market, where opportunities for younger Koreans have continued to narrow amid falling employment rates and a growing preference among major firms for experienced hires over new graduates. In August 2024, the employment rate for people in their 20s stood at 60.5 per cent, down 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier, a stagnation now lasting 12 straight months. The unemployment rate for the same age group was 5 per cent, up a full percentage point year-on-year and the highest for August since 2022, when it was 5.4 per cent. A survey by the Federation of Korean Industries revealed that across the 500 largest firms in the country, 28.1 per cent of entry-level hires in the second half of 2024 were experienced workers, up 2.3 percentage points from last year. Roughly one in four people aged 70 and above remains employed, often in low-paid jobs in agriculture, retail, or social services, according to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labour, which shows older Koreans are staying in the workforce longer. In December 2024, South Korea officially became a super-aged society, with one in five people aged 65 or older. The UN classifies a country where over 7 per cent of the population is 65 or older as an ageing society, with 14 per cent as an aged society and with over 20 per cent as super-aged. In South Korea, 22.15 per cent of women and 17.83 per cent of men are 65 or older. The government has called the demographic crisis a national emergency and taken steps to address it, ranging from offering financial incentives and childcare support to devising broader policies aimed at improving work-life balance. The population could yet shrink by half by 2100, exacerbating existing social and economic challenges, experts have warned. Join the Independent Women newsletter with Victoria Richards for a thoughtful take on the weeks headlines Join the Independent Women newsletter Join the Independent Women newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A prominent regional leader is facing backlash for asking female students to not venture out at night after a medical student was allegedly raped in eastern India. The student was allegedly gangraped on Friday outside her college in Durgapur, 170km from the state capital of Kolkata in West Bengal. The student from neighbouring Odisha state was out with a friend when she was attacked by unidentified men. Police launched an investigation and arrested four men allegedly involved in the crime. Speaking about the incident on Sunday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee sparked a row by saying girls should not be allowed to go outside at night. Especially girl children at night time, Ms Banerjee told reporters, they should not be allowed to come outside. "They have to protect themselves also. Theres a forest area," she added. Police are searching all the people. Nobody will be excused. Whoever is guilty will be punished strictly. Ms Banerjee stressed that private medical colleges must take responsibility for their students, noting that it was not possible for police to monitor every household. If someone chooses to go out at 12.30am they have the right to do so, anyone can go anywhere, she added. But for those staying in hostels, there is a system in place that must be followed. While West Bengal had zero tolerance for such crimes, the chief minister said she was appealing to the boys and girls studying in the state not to venture out at night. This is because the police are not aware who is coming out when, she added. Ms Banerjee told reporters that the incident took place at around 12.30am whereas a police complaint filed by the survivors father stated the student was assaulted a little after 9.30pm. The father said his daughters friend had taken her near the college gate to eat a street snack when two or three more people arrived. Seeing this, the friend fled, leaving the girl alone. She was raped after this," he told reporters. Ms Banerjee's comments triggered a political slugfest in the state, with opposition parties taking to the streets in protest. Samik Bhattacharya, state president of prime minister Narendra Modis BJP, said that Ms Banerjees remarks proved the state government has no accountability regarding womens safety. Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi urged Ms Banerjee to take swift action against the perpetrators. This is not the first instance of women in West Bengal being advised to avoid going out at night following an incident of sexual assault. Last year, in the wake of the rape and murder of a doctor at a public hospital, the state government issued guidelines recommending that night duty be minimised for female staff. The directive was withdrawn after the intervention of the Supreme Court. In the past, Ms Banerjee has even been accused of shaming victims of sexual assault. In 2012, a year after first taking office, she dismissed an incident of rape in Kolkata city as a concocted story. The same year, she dismissed allegations of rape made by a woman claiming they were planned by the opposition Communist Party of India. Nothing has been found in the medical evidence, she said. The woman, 29, had alleged that she was raped by the tracks after being dragged off a train near the Katwa station. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice US president Donald Trump offered to resolve the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan after border clashes left dozens dead over the weekend. The Pakistani military said that 23 of its soldiers were killed in the most serious clashes between the neighbours since the Taliban came to power in 2021. The Taliban said nine were killed on its side, Reuters reported. However, each side claimed to have inflicted far higher casualties on the other, without providing evidence, Reuters reported. Pakistan said it had killed more than 200 Afghan Taliban and allied fighters while Afghanistan said it had killed 58 Pakistani troops. Kabul claimed its forces were only responding to repeated violations of its territory and airspace by the neighbouring countrys military. Officials in Islamabad earlier said that they had conducted airstrikes on alleged hideouts of terrorist groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan inside Afghanistan. This will be my eighth war that I have solved. I hear that there is a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I said it will have to wait till I get back, Mr Trump said, laughing, because Im good at solving wars, making peace and its an honour to do this. He was answering a question about being credited for mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. It's an honour to do it. I saved millions of lives, millions of lives, the US president told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Israel on Sunday night. He also suggested that he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, for which he had nominated himself and made several public pitches, as it was for the past year. Now in all fairness to the Nobel Committee, it was for 2024 and it was picked for 2024, he said. But there are those that say you can make an exception because a lot of things happened during 2025 that are done and complete and great, the US president continued. But I did this not for Nobel. I did this for saving lives. Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flies from Washington DC to Israel ( AFP via Getty ) Mr Trump is visiting Israel and Egypt to oversee a ceasefire he helped broker in Gaza. The truce deal mandates Hamas to release all 48 remaining Israeli captives, dead and alive, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. The deadline for the Palestinian group to return the Israeli captives expires at midday local time on Monday. As the war in the Middle East appeared to wind down over the weekend, the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan intensified over the weekend. Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan forces had captured 25 Pakistani army border posts, leaving 30 soldiers wounded. The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control and illegal activities have been largely prevented, he added. Pakistan accuses Kabul of harbouring the banned terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which it says is responsible for deadly attacks in the South Asian nation. Kabul denies the allegation, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries. Afghanistans acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is visiting India, told reporters that Kabul respected the calls from Gulf countries to stop what he called retaliatory strikes against Pakistan. He added, however, that Afghanistan reserved the right to protect itself. We want a peaceful resolution of the situation, Mr Muttaqi said, but if the peace efforts do not succeed, we have other options. The Independent has contacted Taliban officials for comment on Mr Trumps offer to end the conflict with Pakistan. Hunger is neither a natural condition of humankind nor an unavoidable tragedy: it is the result of choices made by governments and economic systems that have chosen to turn a blind eye to inequality or even promote it. The same global order that denies 673 million people access to adequate food also enables a privileged group of just 3,000 billionaires to hold 14.6 per cent of global GDP. In 2024, the wealthiest nations helped drive the largest surge in military spending since the end of the Cold War, which reached $2.7 trillion (2.02 trillion) that year. Yet they failed to deliver on their own commitment: to invest 0.7 per cent of their GDP in concrete actions to promote development in poorer countries. open image in gallery President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) waves during the opening event of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty meeting on the sidelines of the G20 in Rio de Janeiro in 2024 ( AP ) Today, we see situations not unlike those that prevailed 80 years ago, when the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) was created. Unlike then, however, we are not only witnessing the tragedies of war and hunger feeding into each other, but also facing the urgent climate crisis. And the international order established to address the challenges of 1945 is no longer sufficient to deal with todays problems. Global governance mechanisms must be reformed. We need to strengthen multilateralism, create investment flows that promote sustainable development, and ensure that states have the capacity to implement consistent public policies to fight hunger and poverty. It is essential to include the poor in public budgets, and the wealthy in the tax base. This requires tax justice and taxing the super-rich, an issue we managed to include for the first time in the final declaration of the last G20 summit, held in November 2024 under Brazils presidency. A symbolic but historic change. We advocate for this practice to be implemented around the world and we are implementing it in Brazil. Our parliament is about to approve substantial tax reform: for the first time in the country, there will be a minimum tax on the income of the wealthiest individuals, exempting millions of lower-income earners from paying income tax. During our G20 presidency, Brazil also proposed the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty. Although recent, the initiative already has 200 members 103 countries and 97 partner foundations and organisations. This initiative is not just about exchanging experiences, but about mobilising resources and securing commitments. open image in gallery World leaders including Da Silva (front, fourth from left) take part in a group photo at the 2024 G20 summit ( Getty ) With this alliance, we want to enable countries to implement public policies that truly reduce inequality and ensure the right to adequate food. Policies that deliver rapid results, as seen in Brazil after we made the fight against hunger a government priority in 2023. Official data released just a few days ago shows that we have lifted 26.5 million Brazilians out of hunger since the beginning of 2023. In addition, Brazil has been removed, for the second time, from the FAOs Hunger Map, as laid out in its global report on food insecurity. A map we would not have returned to if the policies launched during my first two terms (2003-2010) and that of Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016) had not been abandoned. Behind these achievements lie a set of coordinated actions on multiple fronts. We have strengthened and expanded our national income transfer programme, which now reaches 20 million households and supports 8.5 million children aged six and under. We have increased funding for free meals in public schools, benefiting 40 million students. Through public food procurement, we have secured income for small-scale family farmers, while offering free, nutritious meals to those who truly need them. In addition, we have expanded the free supply of cooking gas and electricity to low-income households, freeing up room in family budgets to strengthen food security. None of these policies, however, is sustainable without an economic environment that drives them. When there are jobs and income, hunger loses its grip. That is why we have adopted an economic policy that prioritises wage increases, leading to the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded in Brazil and to the lowest level of per capita household income inequality. open image in gallery A drone view shows a deforested plot within Brazils Amazon rainforest in the municipality of Humaita last year ( Reuters ) Brazil still has a long way to go before achieving full food security for its entire population, but the results confirm that state action can indeed overcome the scourge of hunger. These initiatives, however, depend on concrete shifts in global priorities: investing in development rather than in wars; prioritising the fight against inequality instead of restrictive economic policies that for decades have caused massive concentration of wealth; and facing the challenge of climate change, with people at the core. By hosting Cop30 in the Amazon next month, Brazil wants to show that the fight against climate change and the fight against hunger must go hand in hand. In Belem, we aim to adopt a declaration on hunger, poverty, and climate that acknowledges the profoundly unequal impacts of climate change and its role in worsening hunger in certain regions of the world. I will also take these messages to the World Food Forum, and to the meeting of the Council of Champions of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty events I will have the honour of attending today, 13 October, in Rome. These are messages that show that change is urgent, and possible. For humanity, which created the poison of hunger against itself, is also capable of producing its antidote. This article was produced as part of The Independents Rethinking Global Aid project 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A couple have revealed their heartbreak after their baby was left with severe brain damage following hospital failings during his birth. Six-month-old Muhammed Khan, known as Azlaan, was left with life-altering brain damage after he was deprived of oxygen and resuscitated for a prolonged period following failings by Bradford Royal Infirmary on 25 February. Parents Javeria Arooj, 24, and Kamran Agha, 26, claim warning signs were missed and their urgent concerns were ignored.Despite a heart scan revealing Azlaan had a slowing heartbeat, Ms Arooj did not have a caesarean section for another six hours, by which point her son was born very pale and with no heartbeat. Teams worked to resuscitate Azlaan, but his heartbeat did not return to normal levels for 14 minutes, according to a report of the birth. open image in gallery Baby Azlaan was deprived of oxygen and resuscitated for 14 minutes at Bradford Royal Infirmary ( Kamran Agha ) Azlaan has since been diagnosed with Grade 3 Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE), the most severe form of brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation. He will need round-the-clock care, specialist equipment, and an adapted home to ensure he can live with dignity. Mr Agha told The Independent: He was deprived of oxygen, which not only caused brain damage but also damaged his kidneys and liver - it has affected his entire body. He is going to have lifelong complications. The father, who is currently living with Ms Arooj in his parents house, said he was forced to quit his IT job to take care of his son and the financial toll has become crippling on the family. Right now, it has become an urgent need for us to find a new home and find something suitable for Azlaan, he said. Well do whatever we can to survive, but when it comes to Azlaan, I want to be able to provide and care for him. He's had a very tough start to life. For the remaining years that he's got left, however long that may be, I want to be able to give him a good life and give him everything that he needs. open image in gallery Six-month-old Azlaan was left with life-altering brain damage and diagnosed with Grade 3 Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy ( Kamran Agah ) On the evening before Azlaan was born, Ms Arooj attended the maternity assessment centre with concerns about reduced foetal movement. Following a scan to check the babys heartbeat, the consultant was unsure about an abnormal heart rate. But the couple do not recall anything being done about the abnormal heart rate, and claim they were not informed. Almost six hours passed and when the consultant started the next morning, Ms Arooj was rushed into an emergency caesarean. Azlaan was delivered with no heartbeat, with ventilation breaths started a minute and a half later. He was intubated four minutes after birth and finally resuscitated after almost 15 minutes without oxygen. A report following the birth revealed evidence of fresh bleeding inside Ms Aroojs uterus, which medics suspected was a sign of a placental abruption. This is a serious condition where the placenta separates from the womb wall before birth, requiring emergency treatment and often a caesarean section. open image in gallery Azlaan was delivered with no heartbeat and had to be resuscitated ( Kamran Agha ) We were unaware of how severe the situation was, because the communication was awful, Mr Agha said. The theatres were not available, so she was just pulled into a side room and they did the operation. The hospital agreed afterwards that the C-section should have been done far earlier at 3am. And the time that it was done was 9.52am. Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of 14 hospital trusts to be looked at as part of a rapid, independent, national investigation into maternity and neonatal services. The investigation was launched in response to growing allegations of failures in maternity care across the country, going back more than 15 years. Azlaans parents are currently going through a complaints procedure and are seeking compensation, but they have been warned it could take years to complete. open image in gallery Bradford Teaching Hospital is part of a national investigation into maternity and neonatal services ( PA ) We want to sort this case out as quickly as possible so we can begin our life rather than going through the entire headache of attending court. We've had enough struggle and stress as it is, Mr Agha said. The family have set up a fundraiser to help them move house and provide care for Azlaan. A spokesperson for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: We sincerely apologise for the distressing experience that Muhammad and his family have been through. We recognise the significant impact this has and will have on Muhammad and his family. As a Trust, we know the importance of giving every child the best start in life and for Muhammad we have not done so. We have met with the family to understand more about their experience including answering any questions they have and how we can work with them to make the improvements they rightly seek. We have been touched by the bravery shown by Muhammads family in sharing their experience. We have been open and transparent with Muhammads family and understand the life-long consequences they are faced with. We are sorry that we have not provided the high standards of care that Muhammads family should expect of us. Last week, Greta Thunberg made a spectacular return to global headlines, this time not as a young climate icon but as a humanitarian, an activist and detainee speaking out. After Israels navy intercepted the Gaza-bound flotilla that Thunberg sailed on, she was held alongside more than 400 others before she and 130 detainees were deported on 6 October. Back in Stockholm, the 22-year-old accused Israeli authorities of cruel and degrading treatment of detainees, who Thunberg says were crammed into tiny cages and denied essential medicine. Yet she also made a slight retraction: I do not want there to be headlines about Greta being tortured, she said. Because thats not the story here. It has never been that simple, of course, particularly when youre Greta Thunberg. She was 15 when she began protesting, back in 2018, and now that she is in her twenties, she finds herself under new scrutiny. open image in gallery Swedish activist Greta Thunberg arrives in Greece after being deported from Israel ( AP ) By most accounts, her life in Sweden is quiet, insular and stubbornly modest. She completed secondary education and a run of 251 weeks of climate strikes in 2023 and, since then, has been awarded honorary doctorates in theology from the University of Helsinki and Law from UBC Okanagan, though university is not on her agenda. Neither, it seems, is exposure: shes not the type to announce a Netflix deal, theres been no talk of political office; brand Greta remains unmanaged. Still, she remains a global reference point. And, in adulthood, that means with enough power that her smallest gestures can influence diplomatic statements and feed the belly of tabloid media alike. This summer saw no such small gestures in June, she boarded the Madleen ship, as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. It became the first time this year that she was detained and deported or, as she said, simply, kidnapped. Israel said it was a publicity stunt performed on a selfie yacht; the Swedish prime minister called the trip very stupid. Quite predictably, the internet called it many more things, all colliding in the black hole of outrage and admiration. What she was actually doing carrying medical supplies, attempting to bear witness was almost entirely lost. open image in gallery Thunberg and a crew member flash victory signs from their ship ( Reuters ) They can deport me, they can detain me, but silence is not an option, she said afterwards. The same voice that, seven years ago, cut straight through the noise of climate change denial, now redirected towards a conflict far outside of that subject. Reporters demanded that she justify her trip. Keep your eyes on Gaza, not me, she responded. As shes entered adulthood, this has become more of a common encounter for her. While Sweden once almost wholly revered her her impressive feat of turning a single placard into a global movement rightly lauded there have been rumblings of her relationship with her home country cooling. Perhaps like many female public figures who enter the world stage young, her innocence turned to burden as adulthood loomed. The sexism that shes been consistently subjected to has only been more legitimised. Those to the right call her ungrateful for the privileged life she leads and accuse her of performative purity even some environmentalists have begun to question whether her activism overlooks key aspects like population growth. And there is increasing confusion about her actions and beliefs. open image in gallery Thunberg poses in Davos where she was attending the World Economic Forum in 2019 ( AFP via Getty ) Take, for example, her protest against the Fosen Vind wind farm in 2023. Whereas you would assume a climate activist would be pro such a move, she protested about it being erected in Norway on account of it violating the rights of Sami reindeer herders. This, in turn, fuelled anger from those who would ordinarily support her why target renewable energy, they asked? For some, her answer that any implementation of green energy infringing human rights should be stopped wasnt enough. As she moved out of girlhood, her critics have become louder and stranger, as have some of her supporters. Andrew Tates defence of Thunberg was certainly a grim surprise. In June this year, the self-proclaimed misogynist influencer applauded her bravery for sailing towards Gaza in defiance of Israels blockade. It wasnt solidarity so much as a mad spectacle of two polar opposites briefly rubbing shoulders in the digital void and a reminder of how Thunbergs presence has shifted since her early days. Earlier on in the year, when UnHerd ran a piece titled We Need to Free Greta Thunberg (on account of her now being too old to serve her purpose). It portrayed her as a prisoner of her own iconography and deduced that her youth had always been her biggest source of star power. Is she really trapped in the very role that once liberated her? Unlikely. open image in gallery Thunbergs activism depends on visibility, but she says she doesnt want the limelight ( AFP via Getty ) Theres absolutely no sign that she wants to be freed in order to live like a normal 22-year-old for a bit. In fact, her reputation as the worlds most famous activist who doesnt want you to talk about her any more, as Politico once put it, seems pretty solid. Her communication is minimalist, her social media nothing more than statements with photos. Her funding which remains pretty opaque appears to be small-scale, drawn largely from book royalties, awards and donations through the Greta Thunberg Foundation (though she doesnt sit on the Foundations board, and she doesnt take a salary from it either). Perhaps she has drifted slightly from the mainstream on climate change discourse though her arrest in London in 2023 during a Fossil Free London and Greenpeace protest says otherwise but Gaza, she argues, is a climate story, too. Occupation is a carbon economy, she said in one speech recently. It was a statement that her fans loved, and that infuriated diplomats. The climate summit circuit has changed a lot since she first arrived on it, but the markers of her success havent: its still her ability to calmly rile the powerful that sets her apart. When she does, though, the backlash is fierce for instance, very recently when she posted a solidarity image for Palestinian prisoners that mistakenly included a photo of an Israeli hostage and was promptly attacked across social media and labelled a joke in the national press. Of course, it was quickly deleted, but for her, the damage was done, and it lingered. In Sweden and other parts of the world, the picture was proof Thunberg was careless, clueless or both her supporters framed it as her making a human error. Its these tightly wound, hypercritical contradictions that Thunberg cannot shake, and that will only continue to intensify as she moves further into adulthood. Her activism depends on visibility, but she says she doesnt want the limelight. Shes never traded on vulnerability, but she knows its optics all too well. Even her neurological diagnoses autism, OCD and selective mutism are divisive. open image in gallery Thunberg urging pupils to skip classes to protest a lack of climate awareness, 2019 ( AFP via Getty ) Adulthood hasnt softened Thunberg, but it has perhaps made her edges more apparent. Teenage defiance might be an easier sell than adult resistance and her critics attack even harder, from more directions. Yet Thunberg continues on, and no doubt will for decades to come. The next phase of her life will likely be less visible but more complex. Shes no longer the child prophet of climate action, shielded by her young age. She is now a woman testing what dissent looks like and feeling the heat when its open season for misogyny, hate and criticism to be piled on you. Whatever her next move, it will be impossible to ignore. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The woman long blamed for her role in the fall of the Aztec empire in 1521 is getting a modern makeover. The Spanish called her Marina, pre-Hispanic peoples knew her as Malintzin and later she was renamed Malinche. Her work as translator and interpreter for Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes made her a protagonist in a violent colonial period whose effects still reverberate through Latin America. Her story, told only by others, generated myths and legends. Was she a traitor to her people? The conquistadors lover? A slave using her language skills to survive? Or someone with agency who influenced Cortes and shaped major events? Five centuries later, the debate continues and Mexicos first woman leader, President Claudia Sheinbaum, is weighing in. open image in gallery A 1926 fresco of Hernan Cortes and La Malinche by Jose Clemente Orozco decorates the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Beginning Sunday, Mexico will kick off cultural events dedicated to reclaiming the story of Malinche on the anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas. We have a working group of anthropologists, historians, and philosophers studying this important, much-maligned figure, and it is very important to vindicate her, Sheinbaum said recently. Malinche's origin story Born around 1500, Malinche learned Nahuatl and the now near-disappeared Oluteco, growing up south of the Gulf of Mexico. The Aztecs sold her as a slave to a Mayan people who later gave her and other women to the Spanish after being defeated in battle. By then, she could speak two more Mayan languages. The Spanish baptized the women, providing religious cover for them to be raped. Malinche was "at their mercy as a victim," said Camilla Townsend, a historian at Rutgers University and an expert on Malinche. But she easily learned Spanish and she saved her own life really by choosing to translate. Soon she would find herself in front of Moctezuma, the Aztec leader, in the imposing capital Tenochtitlan. As a translator for Cortes, she bridged two radically different worldviews, relaying the desires of Cortes and possibly trying to influence negotiations. Some historical documents say she saved lives but she was also placed in complicated situations. She was forced to be an intermediary between the Spaniards and these other poor women who were going to be raped, Townsend said. Most academics today dont see her as a traitor, because the Aztecs were her enemies in a world of constant wars between different peoples that only centuries later were lumped together as Indigenous in a violent colonial system. open image in gallery Areli Ortiz, technical deputy director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History, shows a fabric featuring images of La Malinche and Hernan Cortes from a facsimile of part of the 16th century Tlaxcala Codex in Mexico City ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Still, viewing her objectively is impossible, according to Federico Navarrete, historian at Mexicos National Autonomous University, because the race and class conflicts left by the conquest persist. Yet, schools only teach a nationalist perspective, downplaying nuances such as the support of some Indigenous groups for the Spanish. Powerful and respected Yasnaya Aguilar, a Mixe linguist who has written about Malinche, described her as a native woman who moved from being a slave to being respected and honored by society in her time. In fact, the name Malinche was also used to refer to Cortes: they were considered one, but she was the voice. The Spanish also respected Malinche. Townsend believes that Cortes agreed to give her in marriage to one of his main commanders the only way for her to avoid returning to slavery so that she would agree to stay on with him for the conquest of modern day Honduras. She died around the age of 30, apparently in an epidemic. She had a son with Cortes and a daughter with her husband. Becoming part of history Malinche was largely forgotten until the early 19th century, when Mexico won its independence from Spain and Spain's allies became enemies. She first appears as "a lascivious and scheming traitor in a popular, anonymously published novel in 1826, so she became the perfect villain for the new country, according to Townsend. It was the Mexican governments that followed that imposed Spanish on Indigenous peoples. Malinches negative image was solidified by Nobel Prize in Literature winner Octavio Paz. In his emblematic work of Mexican identity The Labyrinth of Solitude, Paz described her as a figure representing the Indian women who were fascinated, violated or seduced by the Spaniards and for whom the Mexican people have not forgiven her betrayal. Her name became a symbol of sympathy for the foreign and contempt for ones own. It carried an idealized romantic relationship with Cortes that historians consider uncalled for and that Aguilar characterized as patriarchal and chauvinistic. Its a caricature that has extended far beyond Mexicos modern borders. They call me Malinche too from the left for allying myself with white men with whom we work against extractivist policies, said Toribia Lero, an Indigenous Bolivian activist of the Sura de los Andes people. Myth busting Mexicos Indigenous peoples, however, maintained respect for the woman, naming volcanoes, peaks and ceremonial dances after her. In some rural towns, girls are registered soon after birth to represent Malinche in traditional dances, Aguilar wrote. Since the 1970s, Malinches negative image began to be questioned among Chicana feminists in the U.S. because they knew it was very hard to be a bridge between two peoples and they empathized with her, Townsend said. Now there is a growing body of academic literature attempting to contextualize her life. And the Mexican government is joining the effort. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Our noses get colder when were stressed and the changes are so significant they can be seen on thermal images, a study has found. New research from scientists at the University of Sussex shows how blood flow to our faces changes when were experiencing stress-related emotion. Using thermal imaging, the team were able to show a nasal dip that consistently occurs during stressful situations. The research involved an experimental stress test where participants were asked to listen to white noise through headphones before being given three minutes to prepare a five-minute speech about their dream job all while stared at silently by a panel. At the same time, thermal imaging was used to track changes to blood flow in the face as the participants stress level rose. In each of the 29 volunteers, they found their nose dipped in temperature by between three and six degrees. According to researchers, changes in blood flow happen when our arousal system is activated because human brains and bodies evolved to respond to external stressors by being more vigilant. Thermal imaging shows how our noses drop in temperature by between three and six degrees when we are stressed ( University of Sussex ) Because vision is the primary sensory modality of all primates, we are adapted to increase our attention to our visual environment, therefore taking away blood flow from other parts of the face. This shift causes vasoconstriction around the nose, which in turn creates a marked temperature drop of the nasal tip, compared with when we are calm. Scientists said the nasal dip can be used as a real-time, non-invasive, unobtrusive, direct biological measure of stress-related emotion. Lead researcher, Professor Gillian Forrester, is set to demonstrate the dip in front of an audience at the New Scientist Live event in London on 18 October. Her team told the BBC that because it is an evolutionary response present in all primates, it can be used to measure stress levels in apes as well as humans. They cant say how theyre feeling and they can be quite good at masking how theyre feeling, explained Marianne Paisley, a researcher from the University of Sussex. Weve [studied] primates for the last 100 years or so to help us understand ourselves. Now we know so much about human mental health, so maybe we can use that and give back to them. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two men have been charged with murder after paedophile former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins died in prison. Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, were charged with murder after Watkins, 48, was pronounced dead after being seriously assaulted at HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning. The pair appeared at Leeds Magistrates Court on Monday morning, West Yorkshire Police said. The men were brought out separately and each only spoke to confirm their names and dates of birth during the brief hearing. Both were remanded in custody until they are due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday. Emergency services were called to the prison in West Yorkshire on Saturday morning after reports Watkins was attacked with a knife. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Watkins had been serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences. open image in gallery Former Lostprophets frontman and convicted paedophile Ian Watkins died after being attacked in prison ( PA ) Watkins pleaded guilty to 13 charges in 2013, including trying to rape a baby, sexually touching a one-year-old, encouraging a fan to abuse her child and making indecent images of children. At the time of his sentencing, Judge John Royce described Watkins as a manipulative and dangerous sexual predator who had abused his fame to help satisfy his insatiable lust. The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of Watkins killing, it was reported. Watkins had previously been stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023, suffering non-life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates for six hours. He appeared back in court in 2019 for possessing a phone behind bars, and described his fellow inmates as murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers the worst of the worst. The prison, which has been in use since 1594, is a high-security facility with an ultra-secure unit for the countrys most dangerous prisoners, and is known for holding some of the UKs most notorious murderers and sexual offenders. Previous prisoners include Harold Shipman, Charles Bronson, and Ian Huntley though the latter is now imprisoned in HMP Frankland, another high-security prison. This year, an inspection of HMP Wakefield revealed a facility grappling with ageing and deteriorating infrastructure and a shifting prisoner demographic, which the report said challenged its ability to deliver safe, decent and purposeful outcomes. open image in gallery The B-wing at Wakefield Prison, West Yorkshire ( PA ) The July report also found that violence had increased markedly since our last inspection, with a 62 per cent rise in incidents and a 72 per cent increase in serious assaults. It added: Many prisoners told us they felt unsafe, particularly older men convicted of sexual offences who increasingly shared the prison with a growing cohort of younger prisoners. In 2014, Watkins was told he could not appeal against the length of his 29-year jail term. Watkins lawyers suggested he should have his jail term cut because his last-minute guilty plea spared a jury from having to watch his homemade abuse imagery. However, the Court of Appeal turned down his application, with presiding judge Lord Justice Pitchford saying: These were offences against infant children of such shocking depravity that a very lengthy sentence of imprisonment was demanded. It is not demonstrated the total sentence of 29 years together with the extended licence period was arguably manifestly excessive. Accordingly, the application in his case is refused. Among the disturbing videos due to be shown at his trial were his attempted rape of a baby and a webcam chat in which he instructed a fan to abuse her child. Watkins was given 14- and 15-year consecutive prison terms for engaging in sexual activity with a child and the attempted rape of an 11-month-old baby. He was also convicted of 11 other offences, with those sentences running alongside his 29-year term. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice British Gas is urging households across the UK to prepare for the colder months, as the majority are expected to switch on their heating systems by the end of October. The energy provider revealed that over 1.2 million customers required engineer call-outs last winter to address broken boilers and restore essential heating and hot water services. While some households activate their heating during the first September cold snap, company data indicates that most wait until late October, or when temperatures consistently drop below 9C for four consecutive days. Sunny Solanky, a British Gas service and repair engineer, highlighted the common pitfalls. "Now that summer is behind us, many people will be thinking about turning their heating back on for the first time since last winter and thats often when unwanted issues can appear," he stated. "Keeping your boiler in good working order is key to making sure everything runs smoothly, and a few simple changes around the home can also make a real difference to your comfort and energy use." (Alamy/PA) ( Alamy/PA ) Among the key recommendations, the firm advises households to bleed their radiators. This is particularly important if the top of a radiator feels cooler than the bottom, indicating trapped air. The process involves using a radiator key to gently open the valve at the top, allowing air to escape, before securely closing it again. Other tips include: 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A London council purchased a home originally sold under Margaret Thatchers controversial Right to Buy scheme at almost four times its original cost, an investigation has found. Data obtained through freedom of information laws by the Big Issue shows that some former council tenants are making more than 200,000 on their homes as a result of increased property values. In one case, Hackney Council sold a property for 95,050 in 2014, only to buy it back for 365,000 in 2021, the report found. Data from 53 councils in England shows that they sold 20,836 homes under the Right to Buy scheme in the past five years, earning 2.25bn. However, the same councils bought 8,590 properties in that time, at a cost of 2.12bn. Analysis by the Big Issue suggests that more than half of these properties 4,414 of them had previously been sold under Right to Buy. Despite spending over 2bn on house purchases, the local authorities ended up with 12,246 fewer homes, the investigation found. Under Right to Buy, council tenants can buy their home at a discount if they have lived there for at least three years. The scheme, which was introduced by Thatcher when she was prime minister, has been blamed by housing charities and experts for fuelling the housing crisis and contributing to the dwindling stock of affordable homes. open image in gallery Data obtained through freedom of information laws by the Big Issue shows that in some cases, former council tenants are making more than 200,000 on their properties ( Getty ) The chair of parliaments housing select committee, Florence Eshalomi MP, said the findings were really worrying, especially when you look at the fact that across England, a number of councils are struggling in terms of day-to-day finances. She added: A number of those councils are facing budgetary pressures because of temporary accommodation costs. If we had these homes, people could be rehoused. In Isleworth, west London, a council tenant bought their home under Right to Buy for 272,662 in 2016. Just over six years later, in 2023, Hounslow Council re-purchased the home for 575,000 losing 302,338, the analysis found. Another property in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, was sold for 16,000 under the scheme in 2016, only for Cheshire West and Chester Council to buy it back for 170,000 in 2024. Nick Gallent, a professor of housing and planning at University College London, told the Big Issue: Weve always known that Right to Buy was the biggest sale of public infrastructure, at massive discount, that has ever been seen in the UK. This study appears to show very clearly that the housing that was sold should have been retained, hence local authorities are trying to buy it back to meet urgent needs at huge cost. According to the latest government data, there were 1.33 million households on waiting lists for a council home in March 2024 the highest the figure has been since 2014. A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: Local authorities see the long-term benefits from recent reforms of the Right to Buy scheme for boosting their stock of social housing, despite the sharp uptick in applications from people wanting to buy their council houses. Local government is central to addressing the housing crisis that the country is facing, and these reforms will help councils maintain their existing housing stock, as well as expanding. A spokesperson for the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: There are simply not enough social homes because of the housing crisis we inherited, and Right to Buy has directly contributed to this. That is why we are reforming the scheme to better protect social housing stock, and supporting councils to deliver new homes, including buying back properties sold under the Right to Buy. Cllr Guy Nicholson, cabinet member for housing management and regeneration at the London Borough of Hackney, said: Like all London boroughs, Hackney is facing a huge demand for homes. Around 8,500 households are on the housing waiting list, and rents in the private sector continue to rise to levels that for many are unaffordable. All London council budgets are under ever increasing pressure, primarily because of the demand for and costs of adult social care, childrens services and temporary accommodation. Despite this pressure, Hackney Council has been, and still is, delivering one of the countrys largest building programmes of new affordable council homes in a range of affordable tenures. But the scale of the demand for affordable homes means that the council cannot just rely on building new homes. Alongside this, the council also buys back homes that have been sold via the Right to Buy initiative. This buyback programme makes an important contribution to the supply and availability of council homes. But to do this requires significant sums of money, which can only be raised through drawing on central government and mayor of London grants to complement the councils own capital resources. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Greenpeace UK claimed the crown estate is treating the seabed as an asset to be milked for profit and outrageous bonuses, and warned it could take the public body to court. The campaigning organisation accused the crown estate of monopoly profiteering, claiming this is inflating energy bills and driving up costs for offshore wind developers and billpayers. The intervention comes days before a highstakes auction in which energy companies will compete for rights to build new wind farms on the seabed. The crown estate, which manages land and property owned by the King and provides revenue to the Treasury and royal household, controls leasing of the seabed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland though not Scotland. Developers pay option fees and rents to secure sites, generating significant income for the estate. open image in gallery Greenpeace said its threat of legal action comes after a lengthy correspondence and a face-to-face meeting with the crown estate management ( PA ) The estate made over 1bn in 2024-2025 with profits having skyrocketed in recent years, Greenpeace said, turning the seabed into its most lucrative source of revenue. The group also said the Kings official income will jump from 86.3m this year to 132.1m, almost exclusively because of the profits derived from offshore wind. Greenpeace said its threat of legal action comes after a lengthy correspondence and a face-to-face meeting with the crown estate management. The campaign group is now asking for an urgent review of the bidding process, which, in its current form, passes a hefty burden onto UK billpayers. The group said the current system risks double charging billpayers first through higher leasing costs, and again when power generated by turbines in Scotland cannot be transmitted south to England where demand is higher, so operators are paid to switch turbines off. Without sector reform, Greenpeace warns, the UKs push to expand offshore wind will be undermined by unnecessary costs and inefficiencies. open image in gallery The seabed is the crown estates most lucrative source of revenue, Greenpeace said ( PA ) The crown estate should be managing the seabed in the interest of the nation and the common good, not as an asset to be milked for profit and outrageous bonuses, Greenpeace UK co-executive director Will McCallum said. We should leave no stone unturned in looking for solutions to lower energy bills that are causing misery to millions of households. Given how crucial affordable bills and clean energy are to the governments agenda, the chancellor should use her powers of direction to ask for an independent review of how these auctions are run. He added: If the problem isnt fixed before the next round, we may need to let a court decide whether or not whats happening is lawful. Greenpeace also called for the excess profits from the last auction round to be invested in marine recovery the restoration of damaged marine habitats to a healthier state. In an email to The Independent, the crown estate said it did not recognise the basis of Greenpeaces concerns. Greenpeace has misunderstood the crown estates legal duties and leasing processes, the body said. Option fees are not fixed by the crown estate. They are set by the developers through open, competitive auctions and reflect market appetite at the time. As our net revenue is returned to the Treasury, option fees help to ensure that taxpayers benefit from the requisite value from the development of our scarce and precious seabed resource. The statement added: The crown estate is accelerating offshore wind in line with government policy to move forward the energy transition at pace and improve energy security. The row comes following news that more than 100 countries have cut their dependence on fossil-fuel imports, saving themselves hundreds of billions of dollars by continuing to invest in renewables, according to new figures released by the International Energy Agency last week. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The King is set to host the first incoming state visit by a German president in 27 years next month. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be welcomed by Charles and the Queen at Windsor Castle from December 3 to December 5. This marks an unusually busy year for the monarch, as it will be the third incoming state visit hosted by the King, who also welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron in July. Charles is still undergoing treatment for cancer but showing no let-up in his busy schedule. The monarch, 76, is also travelling to Italy at the end of this month for an outgoing state visit to Vatican City to meet the Pope. The King travelled to Germany with Camilla in 2023 for the first state visit since his accession. The King and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (centre) meet members of the public at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, in 2023 (Adrian Dennis/PA) ( PA Archive ) He received a standing ovation when he delivered the first speech by a British monarch during a session of the Bundestag federal parliament and told a packed chamber he wished to "renew the pledge of friendship between our nations". President Steinmeier, who attended the King and Queen's coronation two years ago, will be accompanied by his wife, Elke Budenbender - a former judge. Further details of the visit will be released in due course but are set to include a ceremonial welcome, a grand state banquet in the castle's St George's Hall, and talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Last month, the King hosted a historic second state visit for US president Donald Trump which featured a lavish state banquet. President Trump is expected to invite the King to the White House for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next July. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Unions and campaigners have called on MPs to urgently review TikToks plans to axe hundreds of jobs in the UK amid growing fears over online safety. Organisers said the cuts, which would vastly reduce the platforms trust and safety team in the country, risk leaving users exposed to harmful online content - including deepfakes and abuse. In an open letter penned to Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, campaigners and members from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Communication Workers Union (CWU), said the government must act now to investigate concerns over UK online safety and workers rights. It comes after TikToks Beijing-based owner ByteDance announced in August that 400 members of staff in its London office would be made redundant, with their roles being reallocated to offices across Europe and outsourced to third-party providers. ByteDance denied it was deprioritising online safety and the decision was linked to plans to scale up its use of artificial intelligence (AI) in content moderation, aiming to maximise effectiveness and speed . But workers and unions criticised the move, which they said would place up to 30 million users of the app in the UK at greater risk of exposure to harmful content, including eating disorder, self-harm, and suicide posts. Speaking to The Independent, CWU national officer John Chadfield called on TikTok to invest time and resources into content moderation. TikTok is axing 400 jobs from its UK trust and safety team ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Their current strategy priorities of monetising TikTok Shop and onboarding influencers isn't one that means that safety can take a backseat, he said. TikTok at times can talk a good game about Trust and Safety, and will fly tech journalists out to parade some marketing, but they know the internal reality doesn't match with their own PR. If TikTok took online safety seriously, then instead of a short-sighted offshoring move that endangers their biggest userbase in Europe, they should actually invest time and resources in to understanding the expertise and processes required to effectively moderate the millions of pieces of dangerous content that flood the platform, and in that process acknowledge and appreciate the existing frontline professionals in Trust and Safety already in their employ. The group of union leaders and campaigners who are signatories on the letter include Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old who a coroner ruled died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content, and Imran Ahmed, CEO, Center for Countering Digital Hate. Every single redundancy is targeted at the Trust and Safety Team, effectively ending content moderation in London - with similar cuts to human moderation happening worldwide, the letter to Mr Onwurah says. These safety-critical workers are the frontline of protecting users and communities from deep fakes, toxicity and abuse. Unions have also accused TikTok of union busting after the redundancies were announced just eight days before workers were scheduled to vote on union recognition with the United Tech and Allied Workers, the tech-focused branch of the Communication Workers Union. TikTok said its decision was global and not related to discussions with the trade union. The restructure plans come shortly after the UK's Online Safety Act, enforced by Ofcom, came into force in July. The new legislation mandates online platforms to protect UK viewers from illegal material, such as child sexual abuse and extreme pornography. Platforms are also required to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content. A TikTok spokesperson said it strongly rejected allegations of deprioritising online safety and union busting. "We are continuing a reorganisation that we started last year to strengthen our global operating model for Trust and Safety, including concentrating our operations in fewer locations globally, ensuring we maximise effectiveness and speed as we evolve this critical function for the company with the benefit of technological advancements, it added. Sign up to our free Brexit newsletter for our analysis of the continuing impact of Brexit on the UK Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice MI5 has warned MPs that they are being targeted by China, Russia and Iran through espionage in a shock warning. In a caution posted by the government ahead of a Commons statement by security minister Dan Jarvis, intelligence chiefs issued new guidance to protect Britains democracy from foreign agents. The warning noted that elected representatives and those who work with them may be targeted for their access to information, their ability to shape policy or public opinion, or their relationships with others of interest. This includes not only classified material but also privileged or insider knowledge that foreign intelligence services find valuable. This could be through attempts to exploit overseas travel, online activity, and financial donations as routes to access and influence. MI5 director general, Sir Ken McCallum, said: When foreign states steal vital UK information or manipulate our democratic processes, they dont just damage our security in the short term, they erode the foundations of our sovereignty and ability to protect our citizens interests. Everyone reading this guidance cares deeply about the role they play in UK democracy. Take action today to protect it and yourself. It comes as Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle expressed his fury at the collapse of the China spy trial involving former parliamentary researchers. Sir Lindsay made a dramatic opening statement ahead of Mr Jarviss update to MPs, amid growing questions over whether the government effectively blocked crucial evidence being passed to prosecutors. The prosecution of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher, collapsed last month amid allegations from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that the government refused to provide the evidence required to go ahead with the trial. Sir Keir Starmers defence was that the previous Tory government under Rishi Sunak had not put the right laws in place for there to be a trial because China had not been properly designated as a national security threat. But the Conservatives have accused the government of blocking an MI5 file going to prosecutors. Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle reads a statement on the China spy trial ( Parliament tV ) Mr Jarvis, said: I urge anyone working in government, public service or politics to be alert and trust their instincts if something does not feel right, and follow NPSAs guidance. Foreign intelligence officers frequently operate covertly and exploit professional networking sites and personal vulnerabilities to build influence. This new guidance builds on the work we are already doing to tackle these issues. Those engaging in political influence on behalf of foreign powers must register under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, as parliament and the public have a right to know who is seeking to influence political outcomes, and in whose interests. But it came amid angry scenes in parliament over the collapse of the trial and its impact on parliament. In an opening statement, the speaker said: Members will know that I have already put on record my disappointment that the charges against two individuals relating to espionage for the Chinese authorities have been dropped. Only disappointment, but I am very angry. It is of the utmost importance to me that all those who work in this parliament are able to undertake their activities securely and without interference. Hinting at attempts to reopen the case, he went on: I continue to seek advice from officials on what further steps might be taken to pursue the issue. In other ways, I will be issuing an updated security guidance to members later today. And in a direct message to ministers sitting on the front bench, he added: I think there is something the government ought to be aware of. It is this part, this parliament, that has been spied on. It is MPs who have been here. It is MPs offices that have been infiltrated. As it stands, what we have seen is the payment for spying on what I believe we should be protecting at this moment. I feel we havent had the protection. I certainly dont blame the minister. I know that he will be answering a lot in his statement and taking many questions, but I do put on record. Im angry. Im disappointed. Sign up to our free Brexit newsletter for our analysis of the continuing impact of Brexit on the UK Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The collapsed spy trial scandal has exposed the depth of the China problem for Britain and its governing classes. The Beijing Communist regime is considered one of the most dangerous threats to the UK and Western allies, sitting at the heart of a new axis of evil with Russia and Iran. But at the same time, it represents a tantalising pot of gold for the British and other Western governments to dip into to fund their debt-laden economies and pay for much-needed infrastructure. open image in gallery Prime minister Keir Starmer and Chinese president Xi Jinping at the G20 summit late last year ( Getty ) The spy trial scandal has lifted the lid on the alleged close links to Beijing of key figures in this and the previous government. It has played out against a backdrop of continued concerns over the treatment of political prisoners in Hong Kong, the operation of illegal Chinese courts in the UK. The spy trial controversy explained The prosecution of Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher, collapsed last month amid allegations from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that the government refused to provide the evidence required to go ahead with the trial. Sir Keir Starmers defence was that the previous Tory government under Rishi Sunak had not put the right laws in place for there to be a trial because China had not been properly designated as a national security threat. open image in gallery National security adviser Jonathan Powell allegedly pushed for the spy trial case to be withdrawn ( PA ) The Sunday Times reported that the Treasury and national security adviser Jonathan Powell had pushed for the case to be withdrawn, for fear it could prompt economic giant China to withdraw investment in the UK. Downing Street has robustly denied suggestions that officials or ministers had taken any such approach. The Chinese super embassy All this is playing out on the eve of a decision on whether China will get permission to build its super embassy at the Royal Mint Court site in London. The suspicion is that Labour will give permission despite the protests against it, serious security concerns about it being used for spying, and ongoing issues about Chinese operations in the UK. If it goes ahead, many will be quick to link the spy trial issue and that of the new embassy, with the current government looking like the desire for China trade is trumping everything else. Is Labour too close to Beijing? The trial has again lifted the lid on links to the Beijing regime with Sir Keirs government. But his former ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, and his current national security adviser, Mr Powell, have had close ties on a business level with China. open image in gallery Labour MP Barry Gardiner received 500,000 in donations from a Chinese agent ( PA ) It does not end there, though. A key adviser to Sir Keir in opposition, Professor Thom Brooks of Durham University, was a freelance commentator for the Chinese propaganda channel CGTN. It had its licence withdrawn by Ofcom in 2021 over serious concerns about its activities. Meanwhile, this is far from the first spy controversy. Labour MP Barry Gardiner received 500,000 in donations from a Chinese agent, Christine Lee, and gave her access to parliament. Are the Tories to blame? Labour has pointed out that the issues with the trial in fact dated back to the previous Tory government under Mr Sunak and its policy. In fact, arguably, Labour has just continued the policy articulated by Sir James Cleverly when he was foreign secretary. He said: It is an important country, its a large country, an influential country and a complicated country, and therefore our relationship with China will necessarily be just as complicated and sophisticated. open image in gallery One could argue Labour has just continued the policy articulated by James Cleverly when he was foreign secretary ( PA ) We are clear-eyed about the areas where we have fundamental disagreements with China and we raise those issues when we meet. But I think its important to also recognise that we have to have a pragmatic, sensible working relationship with China because of the issues that affect us all around the globe. Sir Keir himself also questioned the suitability of Mr Cleverlys successor, David Cameron, as foreign secretary because of his business links with China. The end of the golden era? The problem is that the UK has not been able to find a sweet spot between friend and enemy over its relationship with Beijing. The Blair, Brown and Cameron governments turned a blind eye while British universities like Imperial College, Durham and Oxford courted China for funding, in doing so accepting massive influence from Beijing. In fact, Lord Camerons drive to increase trade ties with China while he was prime minister has since been dubbed a golden era. The failure to tackle the way China stole international copyright has been a problem. Then there was the attempt by the Cameron and Theresa May governments to allow China through Huawei to build the UKs 5G network and to be involved in building UK nuclear reactor capability. The Huawei deal collapsed largely thanks to the actions of former defence secretary Sir Gavin Williamson but only after a huge row in cabinet. open image in gallery Former defence secretary Gavin Williamson played a key part in the collapse of the government Huawei deal ( PA ) The argument, though, has always been that Chinese investment is crucial to allow projects to go forward, and cooperation with China is vital to tackle issues like the climate crisis. All the time, leading figures like Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former security minister Tom Tugendhat have been flagging up warnings about Chinas ambitions and agenda. To their disgust, the UK government has only voiced concerns about the treatment of Chinese dissidents, especially in Hong Kong. This included the detention of British citizen Jimmy Lai. The world has turned a blind eye to the desperate plight of the Uyghurs in internment camps, subject to sterilisation programmes and forced medical experiments. And the economic threat posed by China was underlined when Sir Keir had to effectively nationalise British Steel after a Chinese company was accused of trying to close down the plant in Scunthorpe. Britain and the West under siege But whatever the pros and cons of Chinese engagement, there is no doubt that the UK and the West are under siege. A senior Whitehall source told The Independent: We are at war but our governments past and present do not want to acknowledge it. Earlier this year, the UKs National Cyber Security Centre joined security bodies from more than a dozen countries in warning that organisations in crucial sectors should proactively hunt for activity by Chinese hackers and patch up weaknesses. Meanwhile, Beijing is underpinning Russias war in Ukraine and is quietly supportive of Irans efforts to spread international terrorism. A report by the intelligence and security committee outlined very serious concerns that have existential issues for the West. Yet it is understood that it is just gathering dust in Whitehall and not being acted upon. There is little doubt, according to sources on both sides of the Atlantic, that US worries about Chinese influence in the UK are harming security relations and information sharing. It is why Lord Mandelsons credentials were almost rejected by Donald Trump when he was proposed as the UKs ambassador to Washington DC. Sources have told The Independent that the China issue is coming to a head in Britain. A choice needs to be made soon, but the question may be whether the UK with its stagnant economy and high debt payments can afford outright hostility with Beijing. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump has questioned whether Sir Tony Blair would serve on a new Board of Peace that is intended to oversee the governance of Gaza, amid ongoing criticisms of the former prime minister for his role in the Iraq war. Sir Tony, who met the deputy chief of the Palestinian Authority on Sunday, took the UK into the controversial Iraq war in 2003 and then served as Middle East envoy for the quartet of international powers the US, the EU, Russia and the UN after leaving office. Earlier this month, Mr Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan for the Middle East, saying Sir Tony would be among a group of international leaders that would oversee a transitional governing committee for Gaza. But asked whether he had spoken with Sir Tony about the possibility of his involvement in the peace plan, the US president told reporters: I have, but first I want to find out that Tony would be popular with all, because I just dont know that. I like Tony, I have always liked Tony. But I want to find out that he is an acceptable choice to everybody. open image in gallery Donald Trump: I like Tony, I have always liked Tony ( AFP via Getty ) His latest comments came as Hamas released all of the 20 living Israeli hostages that were being held in Gaza, sparking wild celebrations in Tel Aviv. The news came shortly after the US president arrived in Israel to a heros welcome, declaring that the war is over and every country is dancing in the streets. Mr Trump will greet the families of the hostages in Jerusalem and address the Israeli parliament before flying to a peace summit in Egypts Sharm el-Sheikh, where his peace deal will be signed. When Sir Tonys involvement in the peace plan was first revealed, cabinet minister Wes Streeting admitted that it would raise eyebrows. open image in gallery Former prime minister Tony Blair could poised to join a Board of Peace supervising the governance of Gaza ( PA ) Now I know therell be some people who look at Tony Blair and his legacy in Iraq and will raise eyebrows to say the least about whether hes the right man to be involved in this. And I say that as someone myself who opposed the Iraq war, the health secretary said. Tony Blair also had an incredible legacy in Northern Ireland of bringing together sworn enemies to build a peace that has lasted. So if he can bring that skill set to bear in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the support of Israelis, Palestinians and other regional powers, then so much the better. Meanwhile, Sanam Vakil, director of Chatham Houses Middle East and North Africa Programme, said Sir Tonys reputation was much more criticised in the UK than abroad and that he was largely respected among Middle East policymakers. The history and complicity of his role in the Iraq war raises the most serious red flags but I frankly dont think that that is going to stop any potential Blair involvement in this deal, she said. Because hes been instrumental in trying to develop it, bring on board support from around the region. Hes got trusted relationships across the Middle East and in the White House, and so its hard to imagine that in this case, the concerns that the public might have about his past and his history and his reputation will get in the way. Sign up to our free Brexit newsletter for our analysis of the continuing impact of Brexit on the UK Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The intervention by Steve Witkoff, Donald Trumps special envoy to the Middle East, on Monday morning to spare the blushes of Keir Starmer was significant. And it follows a deliberate pattern of engagement between a right-wing White House and a centre-left Downing Street that has been in evidence throughout this year. Things were getting out of hand for the UK prime minister over his involvement in the Middle East peace process. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and the Israeli government had publicly humiliated the British government by pouring scorn on a statement made by education secretary Bridget Phillipson claiming that the UK had played a significant role in achieving the deal. The decision by Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state clearly still rankled, both in Tel Aviv and among members of the wider Trump administration, and they were in no mood to give the British prime minister any credit at all. But as Starmer faced international embarrassment ahead of flying out to Egypt for the signing of the Gaza deal, the Trump administration came to his aid. Witkoff, almost certainly under instruction from the US president, posted on X (formerly Twitter): I would like to acknowledge the vital role of the United Kingdom in assisting and coordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel. In particular, I want to recognize the incredible input and tireless efforts of National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell. One of the more notable things about this was the political cover it afforded Powell in particular, who is facing demands that he be sacked following a row over the collapse of a case against two alleged Chinese spies. open image in gallery Donald Trump has bailed out Keir Starmer once again as the British PM was facing international humiliation ( Reuters ) But it was an extraordinary thing to do at a moment when the US president was basking in his own success and busy accepting the laurels of his diplomatic victory. He had been unwilling to share much credit, if any at all so why do this for the UK PM? This is not the first time by any means that Trump has come to the aid of Starmer. He did so with the flawed Chagos Islands deal; in allowing Peter Mandelson to be the ambassador to the US despite warnings over his China and Jeffrey Epstein links; with giving the UK the first trade deal, and with public pronouncements on what a strong negotiator and good man Starmer is. It could be that Trump was charmed by Starmers beautiful wife Victoria, whom he is always keen to praise. It may be that Trump likes and respects Starmer as an international statesman who has made an effort to reach out to him despite their differences in political philosophy. With his mother hailing from Scotland, Trump also genuinely loves the UK and does not hide the fact. open image in gallery Steve Witkoff praised Britain for its help with the peace deal ( Reuters ) But this is the most transactional president in US history. The fact is that the honour of the state visit last month played a big role in Trump wanting to help Starmer out. Now, the hope that King Charles will be at the White House in 2026 for the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is an equally important carrot to tempt the president. Added to that, sources have suggested that the US administration cannot allow Britain to fail because it needs one ally to succeed to justify the presidents approach to foreign policy. They point out that Trump has invested in Britain succeeding more than any other ally. France is in trouble economically and politically, while Germany is taking more of a back seat and is also struggling to hold up a flagging EU economy. As one source noted: Trump needs Britain to stay on its feet. Whatever the reasons, though, Starmers biggest success in a troubled premiership has been his foreign policy, and the respect he has abroad. That is in no small part because of his excellent relationship with Trump, which has made him the link man with other Western allies and someone whom other leaders have attempted to emulate. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trumps special envoy for peace missions has come out batting for Sir Keir Starmer after a row broke out over the UKs involvement in Middle East peace talks. Steve Witkoff paid tribute to the vital role played by Britain in assisting and coordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel, continuing the theme of Mr Trump being an unlikely supporter of the prime minister. It came after both Israel and the countrys US ambassador rejected Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipsons claim that Britain played a key role behind the scenes in securing the Gaza ceasefire. open image in gallery Bridget Phillipson had defended the UKs diplomatic efforts towards ending the conflict in Gaza ( PA ) Benjamin Netanyahus deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, said she would have to contradict the idea that Britain was a leading player behind the scenes, as well as criticising the UKs decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. Meanwhile, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who was part of the presidents negotiating team for the peace deal, said the minister was delusional, adding that she can thank Donald Trump any time. He was responding to Ms Phillipsons attempt to defend Britains diplomatic efforts towards ending the conflict in Gaza, where a fragile truce is holding following an agreement brokered by Donald Trump. We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this, Ms Phillipson told Sky Newss Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. When asked to elaborate on Britains contribution, she added: These are complex matters of diplomacy that we are involved in, but we do welcome and recognise the critical role that the American government played in getting us to this point. But later in the day, as Sir Keir was gearing up to join other world leaders at a peace summit on the Middle East, Ms Haskel said: The government of the UK, Macrons plan, the whole conversation about declaring a Palestinian state we disagree with you. Asked about Ms Phillipsons characterisation of the UKs efforts, she told Sky News: Well, I have to contradict her words, unfortunately. With the declaration of the Palestinian state during a very sensitive time two months ago when the teams were already around the table negotiating, when we truly believe we are able to reach a deal, the message that the UK government sent Hamas was ... that: the longer they continue this war, they will be rewarded. The UK joined countries including France, Australia and Canada last month in confirming recognition of Palestinian statehood in a historic move leaders said was intended to safeguard the prospect of a two-state solution. open image in gallery Sharren Haskel at a demonstration held by Oxford University students in May ( New Hope ) Asked about the row, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said he wont get into a he said, she said but pointed to Mr Witkoffs defence of Britains role in the talks. The US special envoy for peace missions had posted to X on Monday: I would like to acknowledge the vital role of the United Kingdom in assisting and coordinating efforts that have led us to this historic day in Israel. In particular, I want to recognise the incredible input and tireless efforts of national security adviser Jonathan Powell. open image in gallery Crowds gathering at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday ( Reuters ) Mr Falconer told Sky News: Ive been absolutely clear on the very, very important role that I think President Trump and his team, including Special Envoy Witkoff played in these negotiations. I see that Special Envoy Witkoff has called out the UKs vital role in this, which is a generous and welcome statement. I dont think its at all out of keeping with what the education secretary said yesterday, so Im not really going to get into a he said, she said about this. But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch seized on Mr Witkoffs comments, saying his social media post was very sad and showed the government was having to beg for praise. open image in gallery Keir Starmer will attend the Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit on Monday ( PA ) I was not born yesterday. I think it is actually very sad that the government is having to beg people to send tweets to say something nice about Jonathan Powell, she said. The American ambassador to Israel has actually criticised the government, saying they are delusional for saying that they have anything to do with this peace deal. I think that that is quite tragic, the way that the UKs reputation is falling under this Labour government. Sir Keir will attend the signing ceremony for the Gaza peace plan in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, where he is expected to heap praise on Mr Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. The prime minister will pay particular tribute to the US leader and partners in the region for bringing us to this point before calling for swift progress towards phase two, Downing Street said. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Reduce taxes for working people, declared Reform UK as the party pledged 90 billion in tax cuts ahead of last years general election, where it won 14 per cent of the vote and five seats in Parliament. The partys Our Contract with You, which featured the word tax on 58 occasions across the 26-page manifesto, said it would increase the income tax personal allowance to 20,000, while raising the threshold for paying the higher rate to 70,000. The party also pledged to scrap inheritance tax on estates under 2 million. But after The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) questioned the realism of its tax plans, and opinion polls now suggest a lack of voter trust on its fiscal responsibility, party bosses appear to be rethinking earlier plans. After deputy leader Richard Tices told the BBC in September that the manifesto was not appropriate for the next election, leader Nigel Farage will look set to go a step further by saying he will break the 2024 policy to make 90 billion in cuts. open image in gallery Nigel Farage will deliver a speech next month, outlining his part's economic campaign ahead of the next general election ( James Manning/PA Wire ) According to The Times, Mr Farage will say the party will not reduce taxes before making cuts to spending, the civil service and implementing a ban on borrowing to fund government expenditure in his first major speech on the economy next month. Party sources told the newspaper that new policies will focus on cuts to fuel duty, income, corporation and inheritance taxes. At the next election, we will present a rigorous and fully-costed manifesto, Mr Farage told The Times. Reform will never borrow to spend, as Labour and the Tories have done for so long; instead, we will ensure savings are made before implementing tax cuts. I will have more to say on all this in the coming weeks. He said the policy to increase the tax-free personal allowance to 20,000, estimated to cost between 50bn and 80bn, was now a goal we should aspire for. Mr Farage was speaking as he visited Wales to support Llyr Powell, who is Reforms candidates in the Caerphilly by-election. The contest, which comes as a result of the sudden death of Labour MS Heifin David in August, marks an opportunity for Reform to begin its campaign ahead of the countrys Senedd election next year. It is also a chance for the party to respond to the criticism faced during the Labour and Conservative party conferences, where the Tory shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Reforms manifesto promised tens of billions of pounds in unfunded commitments. open image in gallery Nigel Farage has been out on the campaign trail for the Caerphilly Senedd by-election, using the opportunity to spread the party's plans ahead of the Welsh elections next year ( Ben Birchall/PA Wire ) Mr Stride told delegates: Be assured of this, that when the glitter, the shimmy of the sequined dress, the razzamatazz, the spinning plates, the fireworks have faded you will be left with emptiness. According to The Times, some opinion polls suggest that the Tories lead Reform when voters are asked which party they most trust on the economy. In its 2024 manifesto, Reform implied the tax cuts would be partly funded by a slash on wasteful [government] spending, which would save 50bn per year. A cut in foreign aid by 50 per cent would save a further 6bn. In its assessment on the plans, the IFS said: Whilst Reforms manifesto gives a clear sense of priority, a government could only implement parts of this package, or would need to find other ways to help pay for it, which would mean losers not specified. But as reported by The Times, Reform will now look to firm up its economic credibility with plans to reduce spending with a ban on welfare payments to most migrants and deeper cuts to the public sector and civil service than that were initially proposed. The party will also look to drive growth and lower energy costs through a programme of investment in part-nationalised nuclear power plants. Mr Farage told The Times: The 2024 document proposed reductions in civil service spending, but we will increase those cuts. We will cut overall spending, introduce an industrial policy and drive a cultural shift in attitudes towards work and success. While no shadow chancellor has yet been named by the party, he added: We will be launching between now and the budget, a new campaign an economic campaign its going to be very impactful. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The leader of a Reform UK-led council has vowed to lie in front of bulldozers to stop Ed Milibands net zero projects in the area. Several nationally significant infrastructure projects are planned for Lincolnshire, including solar farms and a corridor of pylons between Grimsby and Walpole, in Norfolk. Reform UK has been vocal about its opposition to net zero plans, which are being backed by the energy secretary Ed Miliband. While local councils do not have the power to stop such projects, Sean Matthews, the leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has promised to take drastic action to stop them going ahead in the area. Ed Miliband is hell-bent on destroying Lincolnshire with his energy developments but Im going to put my wellington boots on and lie down in front of his bulldozers, he told The Telegraph. I want a better environment for my grandchildren. open image in gallery Sean Matthews, the leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has promised to take drastic action to stop projects going ahead in the area ( Lincolnshire County Council ) He added: I dont know what Ed Miliband has got against Lincolnshire, but he seems determined to turn it from a beautiful rural county to an industrial wasteland of pylons and electricity factories. Its heartbreaking. About a quarter of Englands infrastructure and energy developments are being planned in Lincolnshire. It really strikes me that Ed Miliband is hell-bent on ruining our county. Mr Matthews, a former member of the Met Polices elite armed royal protection squad, said that while his opposition to net zero is genuine, he also acknowledged it was a vote-winner. Earlier this year, Mr Matthews joined Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice at a press conference in Lincolnshire, where he said he was starting a renewables war against Mr Miliband. open image in gallery Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice ( PA Wire ) He said: We are basically going on a renewables war against Mr Miliband and his merry band of fellows, the eco-zealots. Mr Tice also wrote to energy companies, urging them not to invest in the latest round of green energy contracts. The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero said all projects are subject to rigorous planning processes, and the views of the local community must be taken into account. A spokesperson said: We are making the decisions our children and grandchildren depend on us to make. Families have seen their energy bills go through the roof due to our reliance on volatile gas markets controlled by dictators like Putin. Solar and an upgraded grid is central to our mission to become a clean energy superpower, delivering energy security so we can get bills down for good. Green groups have also warned that Reform should start thinking seriously about how to tackle climate change in the UK, and that there is no getting away from the need to develop the UKs energy system. A recent poll found that more than half of Reform UK voters approve of their pensions being invested in green energy despite the party launching a renewables war. A survey by YouGov found 79 per cent of voters overall are in favour of their pensions being invested in renewable energy, including 53 per cent of Reform UK supporters. The findings have led to claims that politicians who oppose investment in the sector have grossly misjudged voters views. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Madagascars president said he had escaped with his life to a safe place following a military rebellion. In a speech broadcast on national TV from an undisclosed location, Andry Rajoelina, 51, claimed there was an attempt to assassinate him by a band of military personnel and politicians and effect a coup following weeks of protests seeking his resignation. The anti-government protests had reached a tipping point after an elite military unit, Capsat, joined the demonstrators and publicly demanded Mr Rajoelinas resignation. It was Capsat that led the apparent coup attempt. Capsat played a key role in bringing Mr Rajoelina to power as a transitional leader following a military-backed coup in 2009. The unit claimed it had now taken charge of all armed forces in the country. Parliamentary opposition leader Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko told Reuters that Mr Rajoelina had departed Madagascar on Sunday. The presidents office declined to comment on the unfolding situation in the Indian Ocean island nation. We called the staff of the presidency, and they confirmed that he left the country, Mr Randrianasoloniaiko said, adding that Mr Rajoelinas whereabouts remained unknown. The presidents first address after fleeing the country was delayed several times on Monday as the military threatened to seize the national TV headquarters. Since 25 September, there have been attempts on my life and coup attempts. A group of military personnel and politicians planned to assassinate me, the leader said. "I was forced to find a safe place to protect my life. There is only one way to resolve these issues, Mr Rajoelina added, that is to respect the constitution in force in the country. Appearing to sound defiant, he said he would not "allow Madagascar to be destroyed". open image in gallery Andry Rajoelina addresses a state ceremony in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on 2 September 2025 ( AP ) President flees the country A military source told Reuters that Mr Rajoelina flew out of the country on a French military plane on Sunday. French radio station RFI claimed he had struck a deal with French president Emmanuel Macron. The source said that a French army Casa plane landed at Madagascars Sainte Marie airport on Sunday. Five minutes later, a helicopter arrived and transferred its passenger into the Casa, the source said, adding that Mr Rajoelina was the passenger. Responding to the reports, the French foreign ministry referred the Associated Press to a statement issued by the French embassy. No French military intervention is underway or planned in Madagascar, whose sovereignty and territorial integrity France fully respects, it said. Madagascar is a former colony of France and Mr Rajoelina reportedly has French citizenship, which has been a source of discontent in his country. Elite unit claims control of the military Mr Rajoelina didnt identify who was behind the attempted coup, but the Capsat military unit appeared to be in a position of authority and on Sunday appointed a general as the new head of Madagascars armed forces. The appointment was accepted by the minister of defence. A commander of Capsat, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, said his troops had exchanged gunfire with security forces who were attempting to quell weekend protests and one of his soldiers was killed. But there was no major fighting on the streets, and soldiers riding on armoured vehicles and waving Madagascan flags were cheered by people in Antananarivo. open image in gallery Soldiers are greeted by people at a ceremony to pay tribute to demonstrators killed during recent protests in Antananarivo, Madagascar ( AP ) Mr Randrianirina said the army had responded to the peoples calls but denied that a coup was in progress. Speaking at the nations military headquarters on Sunday, he told reporters that it was up to the Madagascan people to decide whether Mr Rajoelina should leave power and a new election be held. The US embassy in Madagascar advised US citizens to shelter in place because of a highly volatile and unpredictable situation. The African Union urged all parties, both civilian and military, to exercise calm and restraint. Weeks of anti-government protests Madagascar has been shaken by three weeks of the most significant unrest in years. The protests, which erupted on 25 September over water and power outages, were driven by a group calling itself Gen Z Madagascar. The UN said the demonstrations left at least 22 people dead and several dozen injured. The government disputed these figures. The protests quickly snowballed into an expression of broader dissatisfaction with the government and the leadership of Mr Rajoelina. Protesters have raised many issues, including poverty and the cost of living, access to tertiary education and alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds by state officials as well as their families and associates. open image in gallery Soldiers are greeted by people at a ceremony to pay tribute to demonstrators killed during recent protests in Antananarivo, Madagascar ( AP ) Civil society groups and trade unions have also joined the protests, which resulted in night-time curfews being enforced in Antananarivo and other major cities. The Gen Z protesters who inspired the protests mobilised over the internet. They said they were inspired by other protests that toppled governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka. A history of political crises A number of Madagascars leaders have previously been removed in coups and the country has a history of political crises since it gained independence from France in 1960. Mr Rajoelina first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government following a 2009 coup that forced then president, Marc Ravalomanana, to flee the country. Mr Rajoelina was elected president in 2018, and was re-elected in 2023 in a vote boycotted by opposition parties. Additional reporting by Reuters. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour said Monday she regretted claiming Hamas had probably treated Israeli hostages held in Gaza better than the average Gazan while trying to articulate the devastation the region faces from the two-year-long conflict. Amanpour, CNNs chief international anchor, released a lengthy statement after drawing criticism on social media after explaining how living hostages, who were freed Monday, survived a different experience from the average person living in Gaza because they were used as leverage. Its been a terrible, terrible two years for them, because not only are they there you know, theyre probably being treated better than the average Gazan, because they are the pawns and the chips that Hamas had, Amanpour said. Her comment was clipped and circulated online, leading some to lash out at her and even accuse her of siding with Hamas. Amanpour said on her show, Amanpour, and on X, Earlier live on air, I spoke about what a day of real joy this is, for Israeli families whose loved ones are finally being returned from two years of horrific Hamas captivity, and for civilians in Gaza, who have finally had a reprieve from two years of brutal, deadly war. open image in gallery CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour was regretful after claiming Israeli hostages in Gaza were probably treated better than the average Gazan ( CNN ) I noted that for the hostages who are finally home, it will take a long time for them to recover mentally and physically. But I regret also saying that they may have been treated better than many Gazans because Hamas used these hostages as pawns and bargaining chips. It was insensitive and wrong. Amanpour said that she had previously spoken to the families of hostages and had been horrified at what Hamas has subjected them to over two long years. She added: They've told me their stories of barely being able to breathe in the tunnels, not being allowed to cry, being starved and made to dig their own graves and of course today, some of the hostages are coming back in body bags. Earlier, critics including prominent Trump supporters had expressed outrage at her comments: Shes literally pro-Hamas, Richard Grenell, Trumps special envoy and head of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, wrote on X. You can feel how mad she is with the release of hostages by Trump, Grenell claimed, adding that she is a Republican hating activist. Amanpour has been a broadcast news reporter for more than 30 years, mainly covering international affairs, including conflicts and wars. She has been the center of other controversies over the years, including one in 2020 when she compared the Trump administration to the Nazis. She later apologized for making the comparison. Omri Ceren, a senior adviser to Senator Ted Cruz, wrote on X that Amanpour is on the side of genocidal Hamas terrorists. open image in gallery Evyatar David was among the 20 Israeli hostages released on Monday after two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas ( AFP via Getty Images ) Here she's trying to cope with them losing, and her cognitive output is stream of consciousness, Ceren said. Gerry Callahan, a radio host who currently hosts a podcast on Newsmax, called Amanpour one of the biggest pieces of s*** in the mainstream media. Internet personality and antisemitism activist Eyal Yakoby said Amanpours comment was absolutely unacceptable from CNN and reminded people that hostage Evyatar David, was quite literally forced to dig his own grave. Amanpours comment from Monday was taken from her larger statement about how hostages, such as David, can provide more context for people about the conditions in Gaza. She said Israel has prevented most journalists from reporting on the impact of the war in Gaza, which has made it difficult for the world to understand how Gaza and the people who live there have been changed. open image in gallery Israelis celebrated the long-awaited return of the remaining living hostages, as well as marking the return of the remains of some of those killed in captivity ( REUTERS ) I think for sure, people who start to talk to the hostages who have only just been released, will find that it will take a long, long time for them to recover physically, but also mentally, Amanpour said. The CNN anchor did recognize the brutality that hostages faced after they were taken captive on October 7, 2023, by Hamas. She recalled how many were kept underground while also being subjected to the horror and terror of the war. Twenty of the living hostages were freed Monday and returned to Israel to be reunited with their families and receive medical treatment. In return, Israel released hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. It is phase one of the ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Since highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1 better known as bird flu was first detected in the U.S. in 2022, it has wreaked havoc on the natural world, tearing through delicate populations of wild birds and spreading to mammals, killing some species in devastating numbers. Meanwhile, the disease is also acutely felt by poultry farmers, who see avian influenza as a terrifying new threat to their livelihoods. At the same time, the soaring costs are ultimately passed on to consumers as egg prices have been destabilized. This year, cases are reportedly spiking earlier than experts predicted, sparking major industry concerns over the scale of culls of infected poultry and how this will affect egg production and prices. Experts have said the impact of bird flu has resulted in a new seasonality in egg prices in the U.S., related to wild birds migratory patterns, and this is set to boost prices in the near future. Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University, told The Independent that because of the bird flu, we are now seeing seasonality within egg prices. We will see a similar pricing pattern from last year, where we will have higher prices in late fall and winter due to large bird flu outbreaks. Egg prices could double during that time period, and then, as we get closer to summer, when the bird flu is ramping down, we will see a decrease in egg prices. He added: My expectation is that overall egg prices will go up 24 percent in 2026. open image in gallery Dead cormorants lie on the sand at Changa Beach in Coquimbo, Chile ( AFP via Getty Images ) A peak in culls in January this year, with 23 million poultry birds destroyed, led to egg prices reaching their highest, at $6 a dozen, just a few weeks later in March. Figures out from the USDA this month show egg prices are actually below $1.20 per dozen in October, which the agency said was their lowest levels in nearly two years amid a combination of rising supply and softer seasonal demand, highlighting the fluidity in prices. It is difficult to overstate the seriousness of the outbreak. Since the arrival of bird flu, which originated in intensively farmed poultry in China, over 175 million poultry birds in the U.S. have been culled or died as a result of the disease, as of summer 2025. Similarly, massive culls have also taken place across Europe. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said: To provide context on the overall size of the U.S. poultry flock, there are more than 378.5 million egg-laying chickens in the United States. In 2023, more than 9.4 billion broiler chickens and 218 million turkeys were processed in the United States. APHIS also said detections are higher in the fall and spring, because we continue to see wild birds spreading [the] virus as they migrate to their seasonal homes. But the problem is no longer limited to birds. On 25 March last year, there was an unexpected development in the U.S. in which bird flu was found in Dairy Cattle. This was the first time bird flu was detected in cattle, and the earliest known spread of the virus in an herbivorous mammal. Since that initial case, more than 900 herds across 17 U.S. states have been confirmed as affected. Symptoms are usually mild according to the UKs RSPB, which has been tracking the impacts of bird flu. Infected cattle generally show mild symptoms, which can be missed, allowing spread from farm to farm through movement of undetected infected animals, they said. This year, bird flu was detected in sheep in England for the first time. New transmissions to other species have also occurred in recent years, with devastating impacts. On one beach in Argentina, experts described a horror scene, in which an estimated 18,000 baby elephant seals had died of the disease, and in the same place, infected birds were falling out of the sky dead. open image in gallery Seabirds have seen major declines in the past five years, as a result of bird flu on top of other pressures ( PA Archive ) The impact has already been massive, said Dr Amandine Gamble, assistant professor at the Department of Public & Ecosystem Health at Cornell University. She told The Independent: Some species are being pushed close to extinction. We estimated we might have lost close to 80% of great skuas a scavenging bird found in the north. In mammals, the impact on seals, in Argentina but also in South Georgia in Subantarctica, has been particularly dramatic, probably because of their lifestyle: they gather in big dense colonies of thousands of individuals during the breeding season, in which the virus can likely spread very quickly. She added: The effect of the virus on those population is going to be felt for a very long time. Such massive die offs have consequences on whole ecosystems. Humans have already been infected by the disease, with 67 cases detected in the U.S. in 2024 mostly poultry workers. However, there has yet to be any human-to-human transmission, which is the condition needed to spark a contagious disease in humans. Dr Jennifer B Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology at Brown University, told The Independent: The top worry right now is that people and animals who get bird flu may experience severe illness. Though the humans and cows who've been infected in the US have largely recovered, [the disease] continues to kill animals and people in other countries at shockingly high levels. Why that is not happening in the US is not well understood. I've seen nothing to make me worry less about the potential of this virus to kill. She said she was worried the virus could mutate or recombine with another flu virus to develop new traits that could spark a pandemic. Right now, H5N1 is still largely a bird virus that occasionally infects people who are exposed to the virus. If H5N1 becomes capable of infecting people more easily and, crucially, capable of spreading easily between people it will trigger a new pandemic. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Houston mother says shes been separated from her 15-year-old autistic son after he went missing last weekend and was later detained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Emmanuel Gonzalez Garcia was reported missing by his mother, Maria, on October 4. He was found the next day, when Houston Police Department officers responded to a welfare check with the local fire department, a police spokesperson told The Independent. When officers responded to the welfare check, they found a 15-year-old boy later revealed to be Emmanuel who couldnt give them any contact information for his family and told them he was homeless, and from another country, the police department spokesperson said. After exhausting all options, officers contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement for help, the spokesperson said. An ICE spokesperson told The Independent the agency worked with local police, but noted Emmanuel was never in ICE custody. ICE worked with HPD to see if they could identify the minor or any of the minors family members living in the U.S, the ICE spokesperson said. When no family could be identified, ICE helped HPD place the minor with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. At no point was the minor in ICE custody. open image in gallery Emmanuel went missing last Saturday and was found by Houston police officers the next day ( Cesar Espinosa ) Emmanuel is now in an Office of Refugee Resettlement center where they detain unaccompanied youth, even though he is not unaccompanied, according to Cesar Espinosa, executive director of the immigrant rights group FIEL Houston. The organization has been advocating for Maria, who was notified that her son was at the center on Friday, Espinosa told The Independent. She had been searching for him for days, and FIEL Houston had been distributing missing person flyers while he was detained, the organization said. The Independent has contacted ICE and the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, which houses the Office of Refugee Resettlement, for comment. Maria and her son are from Nicaragua and undocumented, Espinosa said. Because Maria isnt a U.S. citizen, she cant currently regain custody of Emmanuel and has been told shell need a sponsor to claim him, a process which could take weeks, if not months, according to Espinosa. Maria was able to FaceTime Emmanuel for 30 minutes on Friday after proving her identity, according to Espinosa. open image in gallery Emmanuel's mom, Maria, is worried he's 'afraid or unsure what's happening,' according to FIEL Houston Executive Director Cesar Espinosa ( Cesar Espinosa ) There are no visible signs of trauma or anything like that, but his mom, who knows him best, says that he usually is a little bit more talkative than he is, Espinosa said. She thinks that he's afraid or unsure what's happening. It was surprising to hear Emmanuel told police he was homeless and from another country, because he doesnt really know those kinds of things, Espinosa said. Emmanuel is totally nonverbal in English and can only say his name, birthdate and the country hes from, according to Espinosa. Hes also sometimes nonverbal in Spanish, Espinosa noted. Espinosa says Maria still doesnt know Emmanuels exact location or if has access to any assistance or therapy. She asked Emmanuel on the call, Espinosa said, but he wasnt able to tell her. Right now, we are focused on getting Emmanuel and his mom the correct legal help that they need to try to reunite them, Espinosa said. That's our priority. FIEL Houston will be demanding answers about how this happened at Tuesdays City Hall meeting, Espinosa said. He also wants to know why Houston police officers couldnt identify Emmanuel after he was reported missing just a day prior. One of the other notions that we want to push back on is, the [Houston Police Department] says that they spent about four hours with Emmanuel, Espinosa said. How could they not radio their Missing Persons Unit, who had the report? 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ivanka Trump has re-emerged in Israel this week, smiling beatifically as her fathers admirers cheer and cameras click. Shes radiant, modestly dressed and, by the way, did you know that when she converted to Judaism in 2009, her father didnt even know she was going to do it? Now you do, because of course the president of the United States added a lengthy aside about all of that, one hour into his speech at the Knesset on Monday. Thats after she and Jared spent the weekend addressing crowds at a rally in Tel Aviv, doing a victory lap for something they werent even really supposed to have had anything to do with. Because its pertinent to remember that Ivankas political resume is, in fact, limited to daughter of Donald, wife of Jared. And Jared Kushner himself doesnt have an official role in this administration, either, but that didnt stop him from having a hand in the most delicate piece of geopolitical diplomacy conducted in about a decade. Now hes planning the future of Gaza alongside Tony Blair, which Im sure will make anyone whos been even casually following developments in the region feel totally reassured. The entire spectacle feels like something out of a mid-budget Netflix satire about American decline, like maybe if House of Cards had a more dystopian reboot. The presidents child, who once hawked $500 blouses on Instagram, is now acting like an unofficial ambassador to a foreign parliament. And her husband a guy who used to do real estate, badly is deciding the future of Gaza alongside a former British prime minister whose most famous political move was following George W Bush into Iraq because of weapons that didnt exist. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are recognized by President Donald Trump as he speaks in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on October 13, 2025 ( Getty Images ) Historically speaking, presidential children have traditionally been props rather than proxies. They wave from parade floats, pose with turkeys and Christmas trees, and disappear into the private lives their parents have bulldozed. If theyre really unlucky, theyll get called ugly by a Republican candidate for political points. But jumping on a plane to Israel to hype up Dads Middle East achievements? Thats not how its supposed to work. Then again, Melanias recently been on the phone to Putin, so maybe its all just whatever. One can only imagine the field day Fox News wouldve had if Malia Obama had rocked up to the Knesset during a precarious diplomatic moment. Indeed, even the Kennedys Americas premier political dynasty understood the need for plausible qualifications. When JFK made his brother attorney general, Bobby was at least a celebrated lawyer. (Obviously, the less said about Bobbys son, Brain Worms Jr, the better.) Likewise, Beau Biden served as attorney general of Delaware but only after serving as an officer in the Army and a federal prosecutor. Ivankas most relevant experience, by contrast, is having once been photographed near a peace treaty. Shes an advisor, according to the White House, though its entirely unclear what she could be qualified to advise on. (Somewhere in the distance, Eric still waits poignantly for his cue.) Donald Trump, of course, tore up the old rulebook on nepotism years ago and replaced it with a family group chat. Ivanka and Jared became senior White House advisers for the first time, despite no prior government service, and by the end of the term they were floating around international summits. During one particularly weird moment in 2017, Ivanka memorably took a seat at a G20 table among other world leaders like Xi Jinping and Angela Merkel. She is supremely comfortable, in other words, placing herself in the center of the geopolitical action, qualifications be damned. Because politics is just another Trump business, and every business is a family business. Now, with her father once again a global headline and the world in varying stages of panic about what that means, Ivankas return to public life feels both inevitable and slightly surreal. Shes been largely silent during this second, much more unhinged administration, reportedly attempting to distance herself from toxic politics. But now here she is in Israel, right at the center of the action again. Ivanka has been brought in to soften the Trump brand about a hundred times since 2016. Unlike Melania whose I REALLY DONT CARE, DO U? jacket launched a thousand op-eds when she wore it to visit a child migrant detention center in 2018 shes a savvy operator. Every appearance is short and sweet and scripted. Once upon a time, before JD Vance, everyone assumed Ivanka 2028 was a real possibility. Perhaps it still is. Trumpism reframed corruption itself, so things like this once egregious missteps or at least moments to pretend to be slightly embarrassed about can never be used against them. Nepotism has long stopped being shameful for Republicans and is now aspirational proof that you trust your own blood more than The Swamp. The fact that Ivanka has no diplomatic experience is a feature rather than a bug. Shes the anti-expert, the elegant embodiment of the idea that pedigree alone is qualification enough. So yes, its a little weird watching Ivanka take a bow for international developments she didnt engineer. But maybe its the perfect image for our era: a woman born into power, blessed by privilege, bathed in soft light, and applauded for simply showing up. Meanwhile, in the background, thousands of scientists at the CDC have just been fired and years of data about pregnancy safety and birth outcomes are disappearing forever. Whats that about charity starting at home? Oh, come on, spoilsport, who cares? If Americas founding fathers could see Ivanka now, they might weep. Or perhaps theyd just shrug and say, Ah. So the monarchys back. I guess the experiment failed. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The founder and CEO of Lending Tree, Doug Lebda, died in an all-terrain vehicle accident over the weekend at his familys farm in North Carolina. Lebda started the company in 1996 to simplify the loan shopping business after he experienced the frustrations of acquiring his first mortgage, according to the companys website. He was 55. The entrepreneur is survived by his wife, Megan, and three daughters, Rachel, Abby and Sophia. LendingTree confirmed its founder died on Sunday following an accident at the farm. Our hearts are broken, but we are also deeply grateful for the love and support that has poured in from across the world, his wife, Megan Lebda, said in a statement. Dougs legacy will continue in the company he built, the lives he touched, and the example he set for all of us to lead with kindness, courage, and compassion. Lebda, who grew up in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, started several businesses as a teenager mowing lawns, cleaning pools and even selling fireworks before he went to college at Bucknell University, the Wall Street Journal reported. open image in gallery The CEO of LendingTree, a mortgage loan shopping business, died over the weekend following an ATV accident in North Carolina ( LendingTree ) His experience shopping for a mortgage when he went out to buy his first home inspired LendingTree. Lebda took the company public in 2000 and sold it in 2003 to InterActiveCorp, when it was valued at $726 million. The company later spun off on its own again in 2008, when IAC shed it thanks to the recession. Now, LendingTrees online loaning marketplace helps people find and compare loans for mortgages, credit cards, insurance needs and more. The company also owns other brands across the financial sector, including CompareCards and ValuePenguin. He also founded a financial services platform for children and families called Tykoon in 2010. All of my ideas come from my own experiences and problems, he told The Wall Street Journal in a 2012 interview. Doug was a visionary leader whose relentless drive, innovation and passion transformed the financial services landscape, touching the lives of millions of consumers, LendingTrees board of directors said in a statement. His passion will continue to inspire us as we move forward together. Scott Peyree, the companys chief operating officer, has since been appointed CEO, effective immediately. Lead independent director, Steve Ozonian, will fill Lebdas role as chairman of the board, the company said. The news of losing Doug was devastating, Peyree said in a news release. But one of the most immediate impacts of his legacy is the strong management team he put in place at LendingTree. With reporting by the Associated Press. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Republican lawmakers in the US are targeting the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a landmark 1972 environmental law credited with saving rare whales from extinction, as conservative leaders seek to remove its key provisions. The Act was enacted to protect whales, seals, polar bears, and other sea animals, while also restricting commercial fishermen, shippers, and other marine industries. A proposed Republican bill has garnered support from Maine fishermen, claiming the law makes lobster fishing difficult, alongside lobbyists for big-money species like tuna in Hawaii and crab in Alaska, and marine manufacturers deeming the legislation antiquated. Conservation groups adamantly oppose these changes, warning that weakening the law would erase hard-won gains for jeopardised species. They highlight the vanishing North Atlantic right whale, with fewer than 400, vulnerable to fishing gear entanglement. Why does the 1970s law still matter? The Marine Mammal Protection Act is important because its one of our bedrock laws that help us to base conservation measures on the best available science, said Kathleen Collins, senior marine campaign manager with International Fund for Animal Welfare. Species on the brink of extinction have been brought back. It was enacted the year before the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the movement to save whales from extinction was growing. Scientist Roger Payne had discovered that whales could sing in the late 1960s, and their voices soon appeared on record albums and throughout popular culture. The law protects all marine mammals, and prohibits capturing or killing them in U.S. waters or by U.S. citizens on the high seas. It allowed for preventative measures to stop commercial fishing ships and other businesses from accidentally harming animals such as whales and seals. The animals can be harmed by entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and other hazards at sea. The law also prevents the hunting of marine mammals, including polar bears, with exceptions for Indigenous groups. Some of those animals can be legally hunted in other countries. open image in gallery A seagull flies by a Southern Right Whale calf in the El Doradillo protected area, near Puerto Madryn, Argentina, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Republican Rep. Nick Begich of Alaska, a state with a large fishing industry, submitted a bill draft this summer that would roll back aspects of the law. The bill says the act has unduly and unnecessarily constrained government, tribes and the regulated community since its inception. The proposal states that it would make changes such as lowering population goals for marine mammals from maximum productivity to the level needed to support continued survival. It would also ease rules on what constitutes harm to marine mammals. For example, the law currently prevents harassment of sea mammals such as whales, and defines harassment as activities that have the potential to injure a marine mammal. The proposed changes would limit the definition to only activities that actually injure the animals. That change could have major implications for industries such as oil and gas exploration where rare whales live. That poses an existential threat to the Rice's whale, which numbers only in the dozens and lives in the Gulf of Mexico, conservationists said. And the proposal takes specific aim at the North Atlantic right whale protections with a clause that would delay rules designed to protect that declining whale population until 2035. Begich and his staff did not return calls for comment on the bill, and his staff declined to provide an update about where it stands in Congress. Begich has said he wants "a bill that protects marine mammals and also works for the people who live and work alongside them, especially in Alaska. open image in gallery A gray seal swims, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, off the coast of Brunswick, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) A coalition of fishing groups from both coasts has come out in support of the proposed changes. Some of the same groups lauded a previous effort by the Trump administration to reduce regulatory burdens on commercial fishing. The groups said in a July letter to House members that they feel Begich's changes reflect a positive and necessary step" for American fisheries' success. Restrictions imposed on lobster fishermen of Maine are designed to protect the right whale, but they often provide little protection for the animals while limiting one of America's signature fisheries, Virginia Olsen, political director of the Maine Lobstering Union, said. The restrictions stipulate where lobstermen can fish and what kinds of gear they can use. The whales are vulnerable to lethal entanglement in heavy fishing rope. Gathering more accurate data about right whales while revising the original law would help protect the animals, Olsen said. We do not want to see marine mammals harmed; we need a healthy, vibrant ocean and a plentiful marine habitat to continue Maines heritage fishery, Olsen said. Some members of other maritime industries have also called on Congress to update the law. The National Marine Manufacturers Association said in a statement that the rules have not kept pace with advancements in the marine industry, making innovation in the business difficult. Numerous environmental groups have vowed to fight to save the protection act. They characterized the proposed changes as part of the Trump administration's assault on environmental protections. open image in gallery Common dolphins swim off the Maine coast on Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle) The act was instrumental in protecting the humpback whale, one of the species most beloved by whale watchers, said Gib Brogan, senior campaign director with Oceana. Along with other sea mammals, humpbacks would be in jeopardy without it, he said. The Marine Mammal Protection Act is flexible. It works. It's effective. We don't need to overhaul this law at this point, Brogan said. What does this mean for seafood imports? The original law makes it illegal to import marine mammal products without a permit, and allows the U.S. to impose import prohibitions on seafood products from foreign fisheries that dont meet U.S. standards. The import embargoes are a major sticking point because they punish American businesses, said Gavin Gibbons, chief strategy officer of the National Fisheries Institute, a Virginia-based seafood industry trade group. Its critical to source seafood globally to be able to meet American demand for seafood, he said. The National Fisheries Institute and a coalition of industry groups sued the federal government Thursday over what they described as unlawful implementation of the protection act. Gibbons said the groups don't oppose the act, but want to see it responsibly implemented. Our fisheries are well regulated and appropriately fished to their maximum sustainable yield, Gibbons said. The men and women who work our waters are iconic and responsible. They cant be expected to just fish more here to make up a deficit while jeopardizing the sustainability theyve worked so hard to maintain. Some environmental groups said the Republican lawmakers proposed changes could weaken American seafood competitiveness by allowing imports from poorly regulated foreign fisheries. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two schools in South Carolina have been forced to place at least 153 of their students under a three-week quarantine as a result of exposure to measles, according to state health officials. None of the quarantined students from Spartanburg Countys Global Academy and Fairforest Elementary were vaccinated, ABC News reports. They will now be expected to stay away from school for 21 days to ensure the diseases transmission period has expired, in the interest of safeguarding others. open image in gallery A health worker prepares a dose of the measles vaccine at a health center in Lubbock, Texas, in February ( AFP/Getty ) Meanwhile, the schools are working with the South Carolina Department of Public Health to implement precautionary measures to ensure their students and teachers are shielded from exposure. Last week, officials in Greenville County confirmed the states 11th case of measles of the year, marking its eighth case since September 25. What this case tells us is that there is active, unrecognized community transmission of measles occurring in the Upstate [region], which makes it vital to ensure that the public have received their measles vaccinations, Dr Linda Bell, South Carolinas state epidemiologist, said at a briefing. The department reminded citizens that the virus is highly contagious and that its particles can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves, with one infected person likely to pass it on to 18 unvaccinated others. In severe cases, measles can target the lungs and brain and lead to cognitive issues, deafness, or even death. The U.S. as a whole has recorded at least 1,563 infections so far this year, its highest level since 1992, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates. There have been at least 44 separate outbreaks across 41 states in the first 10 months of this year, most notably in Texas but more recently in Arizona, Utah, and Minnesota. By contrast, there were only 16 throughout 2024. The spread comes amid declining take-up of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine across the country. open image in gallery A 14-month-old boy gets his MMR shot at a vaccine clinic in Texas in March ( Getty ) Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, approximately 95.2 percent of U.S. kindergarteners were vaccinated with the MMR shot. Still, that figure has since fallen to 92.5 percent, leaving around 286,000 kindergarten-age children currently without protection from measles, likely a result of the spread of vaccine scepticism online in response to the handling of the coronavirus. Jim ONeill, Acting Director of the CDC and Robert F Kennedy Jrs Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary, recently backed President Donald Trumps call to break up the MMR vaccine into three separate shots, against the advice of inoculation experts. Neither Trump nor ONeill offered any scientific rationale for their enthusiasm for breaking up a shot that has been deployed successfully in the U.S. since 1971. Andrew Nixon, HHS Communications Director, told The Independent: Deputy Secretary ONeill agrees with President Trump that immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella would be best administered as three separate vaccines. Standalone vaccinations can potentially reduce the risk of side effects and can maximize parental choice in childhood immunizations. The pharma giants Merck and GSK are the lead manufacturers of the combined shot, and the former has agreed with experts who warned it would not be advisable to meddle with the vaccine. Merck pointed out in a statement that breaking it up would require children to have more injections and increase the likelihood of their immunization schedule being disrupted, potentially encouraging the further spread of the viruses it was designed to stop. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A political candidate in the New York City suburbs vanished after a night swim in the Atlantic Ocean this spring, with his name now legally mandated to remain on the November ballot. Petros Krommidas, 29, an Ivy League rower training for a triathlon, left his phone, keys, and clothes on Long Beach, Long Island, near his parked car. Months passed, but a state judge recently ruled Krommidas is still considered missing, not officially deceased. This decision followed a challenge by two Republican voters against local Democrats' attempts to replace him for the Nassau County Legislature seat. Now, as Election Day approaches, voters in Long Beach and other South Shore communities have a curious choice: reelect the Republican incumbent or the Democrat who seemingly vanished at sea. Democrats want to elect the missing candidate James Hodge is among those calling on residents to cast their ballots for Krommidas regardless hoping to trigger a special election in which Democrats can put forward another candidate to run against County Legislator Patrick Mullaney. The Long Beach resident worked with Krommidas at the Nassau County Board of Elections and had been tapped by Democrats to run in his place. "We need to stand by and honor his name and memory," Hodge told The Associated Press. "Let's give him that victory. It's the right thing to do." The Republican voters argued in their lawsuit that Democrats couldn't claim Krommidas was dead because authorities still considered him a missing person. Under law, someone needs to be missing for at least three years to be legally declared dead, they argued. Judge Gary Knobel agreed, writing in his Sept. 29 ruling that "'missing person' status does not qualify as a vacancy that can be filled." Dead candidates have won elections before The justice, in his ruling, noted a similar situation decades earlier in Alaska.U.S. Rep. Nicholas Begich Sr. disappeared in a plane crash weeks before the 1972 vote but still won reelection. The Alaska Democrat was eventually declared dead, and his Republican opponent claimed the seat in a special election. More recently, Dennis Hof, owner of the Nevada brothel featured on HBO's "Cathouse" documentary series, died weeks before the 2018 election but still captured a seat in the state Legislature. In 2022, Pennsylvania state Rep. Anthony DeLuca won reelection after dying from lymphoma the month prior. open image in gallery Petros Krommidas holds up a sign during an anti-Trump rally at Nassau Coliseum, in Uniondale, N.Y. (Mark DeFrancesco via AP) ( AP ) Hodge and other Democrats argue that Republicans only sued to assure themselves victory as they seek to bolster their majority in the county legislature. They say the lawsuit has only prolonged the anguish for Krommidas' family. "I understand politics, but there's a time to stop and be a human being," said Ellen Lederer-DeFrancesco, who met Krommidas through the local Democratic Party. "Petros is someone's son, brother, friend." Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo Jr., in a statement, vowed the party and its candidates will "show the highest level of sensitivity during these challenging times for the Krommidas family." Krommidas' family declined to comment when reached by phone, but his mother and sister each took to Facebook recently to share a post calling for residents to "honor and vote" for him. "My Peter cared deeply about people and his community and continues to inspire kindness and unity in our community," his mother, Maria, wrote in her post. Eleni-Lemonia Krommidas, his sister, described him in her own post as a first-generation American who loved his country and "believed in equality, education, and the power of unity." Voters weigh in on the beach where he vanished In the days after his disappearance, family and friends joined first responders in scouring Long Beach's broad, more than 3-mile-long (4.8-kilometer-long) swath of sand, which is located just east of the New York City borough of Queens. Some of the missing persons fliers they put up with images of Krommidas' youthful, smiling face are tattered and faded but still visible on telephone poles around Long Beach. Meanwhile campaign signs for Mullaney, his opponent, are prominently displayed on fences along the main thoroughfares and on tidy residential lawns. The Republican didn't respond to emails seeking comment. Along the Long Beach boardwalk last week, longtime resident Maude Carione was dumbstruck at the choice facing voters in November. "It's insane to leave his name on the ballot. You'll confuse people," said the 72-year-old, who supports Republican President Donald Trump but didn't have plans to vote in the upcoming election, which features mostly local races. "In fairness, you have to give another candidate a chance for the Democrats. You have to." For resident Regina Pecorella, the decision, while grim, was clear. "If it's between those two, I'm voting for the person that's alive," said the 54-year old independent, who voted for a straight Republican ticket in the previous election. "I don't know how else to answer that." 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The U.S. Department of Agriculture will airdrop rabies vaccines across several southeastern U.S. states this fall to combat outbreaks among wild animals. The USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service distributes hundreds of thousands of oral rabies vaccines annually as part of a nationwide effort to prevent the spread of the deadly virus into Americas heartland, the agency said. Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Georgia will receive the vaccines starting this month. Parts of several other states, including portions of Maine, western New York, Ohio, western Pennsylvania and other areas of West Virginia began receiving the vaccines in August. Meanwhile, parts of Massachusetts near Cape Cod have been receiving the vaccines since mid-September. The USDA will be airdropping rabies vaccines into six U.S. states, in addition to several other states that have been receiving the vaccine since August The oral rabies vaccines, known as RABORAL V-RG, are contained within a plastic sachet and coated with fishmeal attractant. The baits are safe for many animals, including pets like dogs and cats, who may accidentally consume them. While humans and pets cannot get rabies from the baits, they are urged to avoid them. Rabies is a fatal, but preventable, viral disease. It is spread through an infected animals saliva, typically through bites or scratches from an infected animal. Saliva that gets into the eyes, nose, or mouth can also infect someone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rabies primarily affects the central nervous system and can lead to severe brain disease in humans if they dont receive treatment before the symptoms set in. After a rabies exposure, the virus travels to the brain, where it causes symptoms. That incubation period can last anywhere from several weeks to months, according to the CDC. The most common animals carrying rabies in the U.S. are bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes. More than 90 percent of reported cases of rabies in animals occur in wildlife, and nearly three out of four Americans live in an area where animals carry the disease. About 100,000 Americans are vaccinated against rabies following potential exposures each year, according to the CDC. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Las Vegas man with a prosthetic leg is suing his former employer after being forced back to work under a strict return-to-office policy he claims violated his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Even though John Waudby, 54, had requested an ADA accommodation, and could do his work sufficiently from home, he was instructed by a supervisor to get his a** on-site or find another job, according to a federal discrimination lawsuit obtained by The Independent. It was further communicated to [Waudby] by his training director, [T]he company does not care about your ADA accommodation. Either come on-site or find another job, Waudbys complaint states. Waudby, an animal lover who in July helped launch a state registry of abusive pet owners, says being made to show up physically each day caused him to suffer severe pain, according to the complaint. When he pushed back against the requirement, however, it says he was soon fired. Foundever, formerly known as Sitel, provides customer experience services to some 800 companies across the globe, operating call centers, running chatbots, tech support and social media moderation teams, and other back-office functions that most industries today largely outsource. The Luxembourg-based firm offers fully remote, hybrid, and on-site work. open image in gallery Avoiding a frustrating commute is one reason employees enjoy remote work, but a strict RTO mandate now has John Waudby, who has a prosthetic leg, suing his former employer ( Getty Images ) Speaking on Monday to The Independent, Waudby described the experience as a total freaking disaster. Im missing a leg, Waudby said, emphasizing that his disability is obvious to all. I came in on crutches on multiple occasions because my leg was swollen and I couldnt get [my prosthesis] on, and my manager was like, Shake it off. The aftermath has been especially difficult for Waudby, who ran out of money as a result of losing his job. I had to file bankruptcy this year because I lost so much income because of this, he said. This has really destroyed me. In an email, Rebecca Sanders, Foundevers head of corporate communications, pushed back on Waudbys claims, telling The Independent that his firing was not related to any disability or accommodation request. She said the organization never implemented a company-wide return-to-office mandate, and that Foundever maintains a comprehensive ADA accommodation process administered by a trusted third-party partner and routinely provides reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. Foundever is committed to maintaining an inclusive and supportive workplace, Sanders said. The company provides ongoing training and has clear policies in place to ensure equitable treatment for all employees. Remote work or so-called hybrid schedules, with a mixture of in-office and work-from-home, can offer significant productivity gains and make for happier workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But, bosses such as JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon argue that being on-site is crucial for collaboration and in maintaining company culture. (An internal memo obtained by Barrons showed employee morale dropped sharply following Dimons five-day-a-week in-office mandate, which began last March.) RTO mandates have also led to other lawsuits, such as a complaint filed by a former Tesla executive who said he agreed to take a job working remotely for the electric carmaker, which then almost immediately went back on its word and threatened to fire him if he didnt relocate allegedly prompting the recurrence of an agonizing medical condition and nearly destroying the mans marriage. open image in gallery John Waudby, a call center worker with one leg, says being forced to return to the office left him with significant physical and emotional pain, according to a federal discrimination lawsuit ( AFP via Getty Images ) Waudby took the job at Foundever on October 1, 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic, according to his complaint, which was initially filed last month in Clark County, Nevada, District Court and removed to Las Vegas federal court on October 8. At the time, 100 percent of the workforce was remote due to the nationwide quarantine, it explains. Waudby started as a customer service agent, fielding inquiries from consumers, and was later promoted twice, to learning specialist and senior learning specialist, training new hires and providing ongoing training to existing employees, according to the complaint. Prior to [Waudbys] onboarding, [he] made [Foundever] aware of his disability due to issues with his prosthetic leg, the complaint states. ... [Foundever] was aware of [Waudbys] physical impairment(s) which substantially limited [Waudbys] major life activities, [Waudby] provided records of such impairment(s) to [Foundever], and [Waudby] was regarded as having such impairment(s). In October 2023, three years after Waudby joined Foundever, the company notified all employees that on-site work would resume in January 2024, the complaint continues. It says Waudby then reminded [his bosses] of his accommodation request to continue working from home and provided the necessary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paperwork advising of such. The setup would not have affected his job performance, as evidenced by his having worked remotely at that point for 36 months straight, according to the complaint. My doctor basically said, This guy cant come to site, he cant walk long distances, he has trouble standing. He has to work from home, Waudy told The Independent, noting, Id been remote since the day I started. When management allegedly failed to follow up with Waudby, he sent emails on October 17, 2023, October 30, 2023, and November 16, 2023, to try and get a supervisor to approve a continuing remote work arrangement under the ADA, the complaint adds. Still, Waudbys entreaties went ignored, and he was forced back on-site, returning to the office on January 7, 2024, while under considerable pain, the complaint states. Yet, Waudbys complaint alleges that others with the same job description had in fact been allowed to continue working from home, notwithstanding the purported requirement to return to on-site work by the stated deadline. However, Waudbys concerns about this, which he brought up to his superiors, were left unanswered, the complaint maintains. Waudby finally got an answer from his training director, who, according to the complaint, told him to get his a** on-site or find another job, and that the company does not care about his ADA claims. No other communications or meetings were held to attempt to engage in good faith with [Waudby] to find a suitable accommodation, the complaint states. On January 15, 2024, it says Waudby emailed Foundever management to inform them of the training directors alleged threats, but never heard back. Over the next few months, Waudby kept on contacting company officials to inquire about working remotely, but they still failed, without reason or good cause, to respond, according to the complaint. On April 1, 2024, [Waudby] received a letter informing him that his employment had been terminated, without any reason provided for the termination, the complaint states. Waudby believes his firing was pretextual, the complaint contends, and that he was actually let go due to unlawful discrimination on the basis of his disability and/or retaliation for his repeated requests for reasonable accommodations under the ADA. open image in gallery Waudby, who is disabled, says others were permitted to continue working remotely, while he was forced to return to the office ( US District Court for the District of Nevada ) The experience caused [Waudby] to suffer severe pain during his last months of employment with Foundever, and has left him enduring severe emotional distress and financial hardship, according to the complaint. Foundever and its subsidiaries have paid out more than $16 million in penalties since 2000 over wage-and-hour violations and discrimination complaints, according to data from nonprofit economic justice watchdog Good Jobs First. Employee reviews on Glassdoor are mixed, but of 18,310 respondents, 79 percent still say they would recommend a job at Foundever to a friend. Waudbys lawsuit accuses Foundever of disability discrimination; retaliation; intentional infliction of mental and emotional distress; and negligent hiring, training, and supervision. It says that as a disabled person, Waudby received adverse treatment from [Foundever] compared to his similarly situated, non-disabled co-workers, and that it was done willfully, oppressively, maliciously and in callous indifference to [Waudbys] rights which subjected him to mental and emotional suffering in the form of worry, fear, anguish, shock, nervousness, stress and anxiety in an amount subject to proof at trial. The suit also deems Foundevers conduct extreme, outrageous, and egregious under the circumstances, and that instead of taking Waudbys grievances seriously, the company simply let him go. Further, it alleges, Foundever failed to adequately train and supervise its employees, managers, supervisors and/or agents regarding discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Waudby is now seeking a money judgment plus punitive and exemplary damages to be determined in court, as well as court costs and attorneys fees, plus interest. Foundever has not yet filed a formal response to Waudbys claims. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The U.N. nuclear watchdog is pushing Ukraine and Russia to agree to local ceasefires so that external power can be restored to Ukraines huge nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, two diplomats familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. The plant is in an area under Russian control since early in Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is not in service, but it needs reliable power to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel, to avoid any catastrophic nuclear incidents. It has been operating on diesel generators since Sept. 23 when its last remaining external power line was severed in attacks that each side blamed on the other. The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear plant, Europe's biggest. The agency is proposing to restore external power to the plant in two phases, according to a European diplomat briefed on the proposal by the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. A Russian diplomat confirmed some aspects of the plan. Both diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the confidential negotiations publicly. During the first phase, a 1.5-kilometer-radius (1-mile-radius) ceasefire zone would be established to allow repair of the Dniprovska 750 kilovolt line, the main power line to the plant that has been damaged in an area under Russian control. During the second phase, a second such ceasefire zone would be established to repair the Ferosplavna-1 330 kilovolt backup line, which is in area under Ukraine's control. IAEA experts would be on hand to monitor the repairs, which originally were proposed for a 7-day period from Oct. 11 to Oct. 17, according to the European diplomat and confidential documents seen by the AP. However, although the Ukrainian side has given necessary guarantees of safe passage for repair crews, Russia did not give such guarantees in time for the work to start under that timetable, according to the European diplomat. The Russian diplomat, on the other hand, said that preparations for the repairs are under way and that they can start very soon. The IAEA declined to comment on the timing, saying only that Grossi was engaging intensively with both sides to enable the reconnection of power and to help prevent a nuclear accident. Grossi held talks with both Ukraine and Russia last month. He met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Sept. 29 at the Warsaw Security Forum, following meetings in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 25 and Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev on Sept. 26. The IAEA warned that if diesel generators fail, it could lead to a complete blackout and possibly causing an accident with the fuel melting and a potential radiation release into the environment, if power could not be restored in time. The latest blackout is the tenth time that the Zaporizhzhia plant has lost all external power, and is by far the longest since the start of the war. The 330-kilovolt backup line was lost in May, and the main line was disconnected on Sept. 23. The plant is close to the front line and has been occupied by Russia since March 2022. Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for shelling close to the plant. In a video address Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was again ready to repair power lines under its control as it has done dozens of times before, but he said Russia was not interested in restoring safety. It must be pressured into doing so, he said. ___ The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ___ Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/ 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump and his top team were welcomed with rapturous applause at the Israeli Knesset as the last living hostages in Gaza were released from captivity. Members of the Knesset guard sounded trumpets before lawmakers applauded individual members of Trumps administration at length in the parliament building on Monday. Senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, were hailed by Israeli politicians during a series of speeches praising the work of American officials to bring peace to the region. open image in gallery President Donald Trump gestures at the Knesset as he and his team received a rapturous response ( REUTERS ) Rubio was cheered and received a standing ovation from politicians and the small American contingent, which included Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband, advisor Jared Kushner. The crowd chanted U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoffs name, after his address at a rally for the hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday was repeatedly interrupted by boos at the mention of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaker Amir Ohana thanked the team in English for everything that you have done to bring about this day before welcoming my dear friend and my absolute favourite rockstar ambassador Mike Huckabee. Huckabee waved and gave two thumbs up to the panel, sat among senior U.S. officials overlooking the stage. Politicians turned to face Hegseth and Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as Ohana welcomed them to the parliament building. open image in gallery Steve Witkoff (right) has his name chanted in the Israeli parliament ( REUTERS ) Kushner and Ivanka were welcomed together with Witkoff and his wife for their roles representing the U.S. delegation throughout the war between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. contingent sat together, with Ivanka front and centre with a view over the podium. During his opening address, Ohana, speaking in Hebrew, cited Witkoff in praising Netanyahu for making very difficult decisions and said we wouldnt have reached this point if Prime Minister Netanyahu hadnt acted the way he did. The president himself was given a two-and-a-half-minute standing ovation as he arrived to hear from senior Israeli officials and address the parliament on Monday. The speaker told Trump he had become one of the most consequential presidents in history and said he would pair with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to lobby for Trumps candidacy for next years Nobel Peace Prize. open image in gallery Netanyahu addresses the Knesset as lawmakers gathered to hear an address from Donald Trump on Monday ( via REUTERS ) There is no one more deserving than you, President Trump. No one! he said, met with more applause. Netanyahu, flanking Trump, then took to the stage and was met with chants of Bibi! Bibi! Bibi! from lawmakers. The Israeli prime minister listed off some of Trumps achievements before declaring, Donald Trump is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. Chants of Trump! Trump! Trump! again came from the audience as Trump pointed into the crowd. Netanyahu went on to hail a proposed deal that ends the war by achieving all our objectives and opens the door to an historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region. He said Trump would be the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel prize, the countrys highest award. As to that other prize, just a question of time. Youll get it, he joked. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Trump administration is slashing staffers overseeing $15 billion in special education funding as part of its effort to lay off government workers amid the federal shutdown. The reductions in force at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services are part of the estimated 4,000 federal workers that the Trump administration said it will lay off during the government shutdown, a move that experts warn could impact millions of children. Months earlier, President Donald Trump signed an order to dismantle the Education Department. Now, hes targeting the department once again while carrying out mass layoffs that he has blamed on the Democrats holding up a deal to fund the government. "The harm these cuts will cause for the 7.5 million students with disabilities across the country is only beginning," Rachel Gittleman, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, the union representing many Education Department employees, told NPR. Reports from staffers and their managers suggest these workers were illegally fired, Gittleman added. The Independent has asked the union and the Education Department for comment. open image in gallery The Trump administration is wiping out staffers overseeing $15 billion in special education funding, despite Education Secretary Linda McMahon vowing to protect the funds ( REUTERS ) Nearly all office staff were cut Friday when layoffs began, sources told NPR. A court filing from the government estimated that 466 Education Department employees had received a reduction-in-force notice as of October 10, but its not immediately clear how many of those worked in the special education office. December 9 will be workers last day, according to the reduction-in-force notice. The special education office administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a 1975 federal law that ensures free public education for students, through age 21, with disabilities. The law provides about $15 billion in funds. Every year, each state applies for funds and the special education office determines how much of those dollars each state receives, based in part on each states effort to comply with the laws requirements. Without this office, "there is no oversight to make sure all children with disabilities get the services they're entitled to, a staffer told NPR. Its not immediately clear who will administer the funds without these staffers. open image in gallery McMahon told leaders during her confirmation hearing that funds from Congress wont be touched. ( AP ) "If this RIF notice is carried out, the Department of Education can no longer administer [the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act], one source told ABC News. "I have no staff to put the money out and to monitor the states. Another employee noted that parents concerned about whether their child is receiving appropriate services under the law often call the special education office. "I don't think people realize how many calls we get from parents and families every day," one worker told the outlet. In March, the president signed an executive order shuttering the Education Department. At the time, Linda McMahon, the secretary of the department, assured that the special education dollars would be protected. "We will continue to honor the financial commitments that Congress has made, McMahon told Congress during her confirmation hearing. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump said Monday the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will be the start of a lasting period of peace in the Middle East region as he joined leaders from nearly 30 countries for a signing ceremony in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. The president said the deal, which took effect over the weekend and saw the remaining 20 living hostages that had been held by Hamas returned to Israeli soil after more than two years in captivity, represents a new and beautiful day that was rising in the region, to be followed by a rebuilding process funded by multiple Arab states. Referencing his own background as a real estate developer and hotelier and the prolific construction in many of the oil-rich Persian Gulf states, Trump said the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip following Israeli bombardment that has seen most of the areas habitable buildings reduced to rubble is maybe going to be the easiest part. I think we've done a lot of the hardest part because the rest comes together. We all know how to rebuild, and we know how to build better than anybody in the world, he said. The presidents remarks made for an awkward scene, with many of the heads of state and government that had flown to Egypt for the proceedings standing uncomfortably behind him as he rattled off a list of those present, offering up fulsome praise for some of the wealthy Arab monarchs that were in attendance. Donald Trump poses with the signed agreement during the Sharm El Sheikh peace summit (Suzanne Plunkett/PA) ( PA Wire ) Its perhaps the wealthiest and most powerful group of nations ever assembled at one time, which is a big thing we have achieved together in recent days, a change that really is historic, and it's going to be remembered forever. he said. As he ran down the list, much like a master of ceremonies at an American wedding, he offered random asides about many of the leaders present or the nations they represented. Iraq, he said has lots of oil ... so much oil, they dont know what to do with it. Thats a big problem, he added. He also remarked on Italian Prime Minister Georgia Melonis appearance, calling her beautiful and suggesting that praising a womans beauty in the United States could be the end of his political career. She wanted to be here, and she's incredible, and they really respect her. In Italy, she's, she's a very successful, very successful politician, he added. When he got to Norway on the list, he commented on the Norwegian Nobel Committees failure to award him the Nobel Peace Prize last week. Oh, Norway, Norway ... what happened? he said. Reaching the end of his list, he praised the assembled leaders for having come on relatively short notice to the last-minute gathering, telling the audience: These people all came on like 20 minutes notice, and I think it's fantastic. Returning to the subject at hand, Trump hailed the peace agreement that he and other leaders had signed earlier in the evening as a momentous breakthrough and the new beginning for an entire beautiful Middle East while recalling how the process that led to Mondays ceremony had begun just three weeks earlier at a meeting of Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Days later, he unveiled a 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a notable absence from the ceremonys roster who had declined to attend despite having been invited by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. I met with many of the people in this room, and it all just started coming together ... we listened and we exchanged ideas, and we kept pushing forward until the job was done, Trump said. Turning back to the subject of rebuilding Gaza from the rubble it has been reduced to by the Israeli Defense Force over the last two years, Trump said the focus of Gazas population must be on restoring the basics of a good life. We're going to have a lot of money coming into Gaza, and a lot of rebuilding and building. It's not so much rebuilding, it's really building, cleaning up and building, Trump said. He added that he was pleased to announce that numerous countries of great wealth and power and dignity countries he declined to identify by name had pledge to help reconstruct Gaza by putting up whatever money is necessary. It's a lot of money, but it's not much compared to the value or the wealth of these tremendous countries, and they are ensuring stability and success in the Middle East, he said. And as those commitments are made, I'm going to let the world know who is doing it, because they really deserve great credit for doing it, and they're going to do something that's really monumental. Although it wasnt clear what Trump and the other leaders had signed earlier, the nuts and bolts of the proposal Trump rolled out alongside Netanyahu at the White House earlier this month largely track a peace plan that has been shopped around the Middle East in recent months by former British prime minister Tony Blair with the backing of Trumps roving special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and former senior adviser, Jared Kushner. As of Monday evening, the first phase of the plan had been largely completed, including the following steps: A ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release. The return of all living hostages and the return of remains of deceased ones un exchange for Israel releasing 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after Oct. 7, 2023, including all women and children detained in that context. The agreement also states that Hamas militants who agree to commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will receive amnesty and any who want to leave Gaza would be granted passage to as-yet unspecified receiving countries. The plan also calls for aid to Gaza to resume with the minimum level of aid consistent with the temporary ceasefire deal reached by the outgoing Biden and incoming Trump administration representatives this past January. Israel would also agree not to interfere with aid distribution by the Red Crescent and United Nations plus other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party. The task of running Gaza would then fall to a temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza and made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts. That committee would in turn be supervised by a Board of Peace to be chaired by Trump and include Blair as well as other other members and heads of State to be announced. According to the plan, the board would set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority meets conditions laid out in a plan put forth by Trump during his first term. Its not yet known who will serve on the Board of Peace aside from Trump and Blair, but the president suggested everybody hes talked to has expressed interest in serving. So we're probably going to enlarge it. We're going to get and the leaders, the top people, the top leaders, they want to be on the board of peace, he said. Trump added that the leaders had agreed that Gaza will need a new, honest civilian police force to create a safe condition for Gazas population, and said the United States would be a partner for securing a better future in Gaza. We're going to be working you're going to be working with the United States, and we're going to make sure that the Middle East is going to be a safe and secure place, he said. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice American approval on several major federal government agencies has tumbled significantly since Donald Trump returned to office, as the president reshapes the federal government and its mission. While certain agencies that Trump has targeted have fallen out of public favor, others, such as the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, have seen their approval ratings rise in line with their commitment the administrations policies. For decades, there's been a lot of concern about the decline of trust in government in the United States, along with a lot of concern about trying to figure out what to do about it, Dr. Don Kettl, former dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, told The Independent. The Trump administration has essentially jumped over that problem to a very different kind of strategy of attacking the things that it wants to attack to and to undermine the parts of the bureaucracy it wants to undermine, but at the same time to boost the course of bureaucracy it likes. The endgame, Kettl says, is to drive down the approval of the bureaucracy, in order to clean out the counter forces against the administration, with the specter of Project 2025 the right-wing blueprint for government, pushed by allies of the Trump administration lurking in the background. open image in gallery American approval on several major federal government agencies has tumbled significantly since Donald Trump returned to office, a new poll has found. ( AP ) A new Gallup poll showed that approval for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, the IRS and the CIA are all at their lowest since the pollster's records began in 2003. Among the highest drops since 2024 were seen for the EPA, FEMA, and the CDC, mirroring a similar decline during Trump's first presidency from 2017 to 2021. FEMA has been hardest hit in the polls, having declined by 20 approval points dropping from 46 to 26 percent approval from 2024 to 2025. That is largely because of the attacks from the president, both during and after his campaign, Kettl says, as well as the argument that FEMA was mismanaged, unfair and tended to "punish" Republican states. "That story ended up getting stuck in the public spine, even though it turned out not to be true, and that, I think accounts for the big drop in FEMA," he said. Major changes to agency policy, funding and staffing have occurred since Trump returned to office. In August, more than 180 agency officials signed an open letter to Congress to oppose what they alleged was a reduction in FEMA's capability to perform its missions. This included the elimination of life-saving risk management and preparedness programs, the depletion of FEMA's workforce and the "censorship" of climate science and environmental protection to the detriment of the American people. Such cuts and policies, they said, could result in a Hurricane Katrina-level disaster. "FEMA is not useful to the president until its essential," Kettl added. "It's a hard agency to try to manage because there are only essentially only bad things that can happen to you." open image in gallery FEMA has been hardest hit in the polls, having declined by 20 approval points dropping from 46 to 26 percent approval from 2024 to 2025. ( AP ) The CDC has also seen a significant decline in its public approval in the last 12 months, with a drop of 9 percentage points, going from 40 percent approval to 31 percent overall under the leadership of Robert F Kennedy Jr. Similar to FEMA, the decline follows major changes to the agency and the advent of the Make America Healthy Again agenda, spearheaded by Kennedy. MAHA is generally focused on food quality, pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Since taking control, Kennedy has overseen a complete overhaul of the independent committee that advises the CDC on vaccine guidance, as well as ousting agency director Susan Monarez, less than a month after her confirmation. Monarez later claimed she was ousted over her pushback to politically motivated changes in vaccine decision-making. The drop in overall approval ratings for the CDC somewhat mirrors the publics perception of Kennedy and his work so far in the role of Health Secretary. A separate KFF poll found that almost six in 10 Americans (59 percent) disapproved of Kennedys handling of the job. KFFs survey found 62 percent of adults overall disapproved of Kennedys vaccine policy. open image in gallery The CDC has also seen a significant decline in its public approval in the last 12 months, with a drop of 9 percentage points. ( Reuters ) However, the drop in CDC approval rating pales in comparison to that of Trumps first term, during which the agency bore the brunt of disapproval amid the COVID-19 pandemic, though at that time distrust in the agency was fueled by rhetoric pushed by the Trump administration. On multiple occasions the president clashed with his own chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, over how to handle the pandemic response. During that period (roughly 2019 to 2021), according to Gallup, approval ratings for the CDC dropped from 64 percent to 40 percent. Gallup's poll also found that after FEMA, the CDC and the CIA which each dropped 10 percentage points in approval the other agencies that saw declines in public approval were the FDA and EPA, which fell 7 points each, and the IRS, which was down 6 points. These agencies' job performance ratings as "excellent" or "good" range from 25 percent to 31 percent, which are record lows for all but the IRS, which was one point lower in 2013, according to the pollster. open image in gallery The drop in the CDCs approval ratings since 2024 pales in comparison to during the first Trump administration where it bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the president clashed with his chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci. ( Getty Images ) "It's pretty strong evidence that a president who engages in a sustained attack on particular federal agencies can drive their rating down by the public trust," Kettl says. Conversely, the federal agency that has seen the biggest hike in public approval is the one that has been at the forefront of Trump's crackdown on immigration policy the Department of Homeland Security. Ratings for the department have risen by 10 points to 42 percent approval from last year's record low, though it remains well below the high of 59 percent in 2017, just as Trump took office for the first time, according to Gallup. The pollster notes a sharp partisan split in most agencies' ratings, specifically with those favored by Trump including DHS and the Department of Defense, which Trump has also utilized in the enforcement of his immigration and domestic crime agenda. Republicans and Republican leaners give the Defense Department 74 percent approval rating, and the DHS 73 percent. open image in gallery The federal agency that has seen the biggest hike in public approval is the one that has been at the forefront of Trumps crackdown on immigration policy the Department of Homeland Security, headed by Kristi Noem ( Getty Images ) In contrast, just 59 percent of Democrats approve of the DHS, 48 percent rate the Department of Defense and just 28 percent said they approved of the FBI. Trump's favoring of the agencies, and by extension their heads Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem, exemplifies the administration's strategy of ensuring "political loyalty," Kettl told The Independent. "The problem is that as there's reason why we created these bureaucracies to begin with," he said. "We created the bureaucracy to be able to do things that needed to get done, and the more that you focus on loyalty, the more you undermine capacity. "And if you, if you trade loyalty for expertise, then you need the expertise that may not be there and... that that they can have very high political costs." A slim majority of Republicans (51 percent) also rate the FBI positively, though Gallup notes that its poll was taken during the period when the Bureau was involved in the investigation and apprehension of the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10. Yet amid the partisanship, one federal agency maintains its majority-level positive rating for its work the U.S. Postal Service which is rated at 56 percent positive overall. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ghislaine Maxwells unexpected arrival at a cushy Texas prison this August has left other inmates unsettled, with some claiming it seems that she receives preferential treatment, according to a report. Maxwells arrival at Bryan Federal Prison Camp, a minimum-security facility known for its relatively relaxed environment, has drastically disrupted the daily lives of her fellow inmates, The Wall Street Journal reports. On a weekend in mid-August, not long after her arrival, inmates at the prison were forced to stay indoors during their usual outdoor time as Maxwell met with several visitors in the prison camps chapel, people familiar with the matter told the WSJ. The arrival of the 63-year-old former Jeffrey Epstein associate, who was convicted in 2021 of trafficking underage girls for the (by then deceased) financier, has led to more frequent lockdowns, more armed guards on campus, and other changes at the prison, according to the report. Current and former inmates at the usually docile prison also the home of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah said it seemed as though Maxwell had been receiving better treatment than other inmates. open image in gallery Ghislaine Maxwells arrival at the cushy Texas federal prison to which she was transferred in August reportedly disrupted the daily lives of other inmates, according to a report ( Federal Bureau of Prisons ) A majority of the inmates held there have committed white-collar crimes and face shorter sentences, or have served a larger portion of a longer sentence and are considered a low flight risk. Because of this, Federal Prison Camp Bryan is known as being relatively low-security, without any of the towering fences, barbed wire or high-security cells found at stricter facilities. The Bureau of Prisons typically prohibits sex offenders from serving time in such prisons, though they can be admitted under a special waiver, according to the report. Maxwell, who was handed down a 20-year sentence in 2022, has the fourth-longest remaining sentence out of the prisons 600 inmates. It was not known whom Maxwell met with in the chapel that day, though some of her fellow inmates heard rumors that the lockdown was meant to accommodate important visitors, according to the report. Later that day, one inmate said they saw Maxwell return to her dormitory with a smile on her face. When asked about her mysterious meeting, Maxwell said it went well, but didnt share any other information, according to the report. Meanwhile, less than a week later, the Department of Justice released a transcript of an interview Maxwell had had with senior official Todd Blanche weeks earlier in July. During the interview with Blanche, Maxwell said she had never seen President Donald Trump doing anything inappropriate or illegal with Epstein when they were friends. Soon after, she was transferred to Federal Prison Camp Bryan. open image in gallery Federal Prison Camp Bryan is a minimum-security prison in Texas, typically home to inmates who have committed white-collar crimes ( Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle via AP ) At the time, Maxwells lawyer, David Markus, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the transfer was for safety reasons and had come after she faced serious danger in Tallahassee. It was not immediately clear what kind of safety concerns she had faced at the higher-security prison. In addition to causing some minor inconveniences for the other inmates, Maxwell was also greeted with a wave of hostility from some. According to the report, fellow prisoners taunted her, calling her a pedophile and a chomo a prison slur meaning child molester. During one incident, Maxwell politely asked an inmate to leave her room, prompting the other woman to begin screaming at Maxwell that she didnt belong there. The inmate was then transferred to another dormitory, the report said. Soon after, the warden organized a town hall and warned that if inmates made threats to Maxwell, put her in danger or talked to the press about her, they would be taken to a harsher facility, sources told the WSJ. Meanwhile, inmates told the WSJ that Maxwell mostly kept to herself, especially as there was a media frenzy soon after her transfer. Still, she reportedly received preferential treatment, as guards would bring her meals to her dormitory or escort her to the recreation area for late-night workouts. Maxwell was also allowed to shower after other inmates were confined to their bunks, according to the report. Soon after her arrival, the prison also stationed armed special operations response teams, known as SORT, at the camps entrance and rear gate, and kept them there around the clock. According to the inmates, once prison officials added a black tarp to block the view out of the camp, Maxwell went outside more. open image in gallery Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in sex trafficking young women and girls to be abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein ( US District Court for the Southern District of New York ) With that addition, she also began getting her hair cut and colored at the prison-run salon, and visiting the cafeteria, though she would give away her vegetarian meals, claiming she couldnt eat the food, one inmate told the WSJ. Her lawyer, Markus, declined to comment to the WSJ on its report. A spokesperson for the Justice Department, which oversees the Bureau of Prisons, also declined to comment. News of Maxwells mysterious meeting comes as the Supreme Court on Monday denied her appeal after asking the nations highest court to review her case. After the ruling, Trump was asked if he would consider pardoning Maxwell, to which he replied: Id have to take a look at it. He then said he would have to speak to the DoJ and stressed that he did not know anything about the matter, despite the case having dominated headlines for months after a bipartisan effort to force the release of case files from the Justice Departments attempt to prosecute Epstein. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A U.S. Marine has revealed that his parents were detained by ICE agents during a recent visit to Camp Pendleton in California, after which they were fitted with ankle monitors and ordered to report back to the agency, whereupon they were held again, and his father was deported. Marine Steve Rios told NBC Newss San Diego affiliate that his parents, Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, had arrived at Pendleton in Oceanside on Sunday, September 28, to take his pregnant younger sister, Ashley, and her husband, also a Marine, out to breakfast, as they had done frequently for several months. This time, they were stopped at the gate by ICE and taken to a downtown detention center. open image in gallery Luisa Rodriguez and Esteban Rios arrived from Mexico in the 1990s and have a son and son-in-law in the U.S. Marines ( NBC San Diego 7 ) Subsequently released wearing ankle tags, the couple returned as requested to the ICE facility on Thursday, October 2, only to be detained again, despite Esteban Rios' wearing a red shirt and white hat that both said Proud dad of a U.S. Marine, according to his son. Steve Rios told NBC he later spoke by phone with his father, who said he and Luisa were currently being held downtown but expected to be moved to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County. By Friday, October 10, Esteban had been deported, and Luisas location was unknown. Rios said that neither of his parents had a criminal record, and both had work visas and green card applications pending, which he was proud to have sponsored. It was scary, he reflected. It was scary because my whole life, Ive kind of just, its been in the back of my head. An ICE spokesperson told NBC in a statement: As part of its routine operations, ICE arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nations immigration laws. open image in gallery U.S. Marine Steve Rios tells NBC that only god knows if and when his parents will be freed ( NBC San Diego 7 ) All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality. The Independent has also reached out to ICE for further comment. Rios said his parents had arrived from Mexico 30 years ago and had worked tirelessly cleaning houses and cars ever since. It was just making them proud, right? Ive seen all the struggles theyve gone through, he said. The least I could do, right, and serve this country and try to, you know, put some time in. It's just hard because you just want to hear, like, your parents voice, that everything will be OK, Ashley Rios said of her parents plight, which comes as she expects her first child. I'd always want, like, my mom in that delivery room and everything, so it's just hard to not think about your parents there. Asked by NBC what he believes will happen next, Steve Rios said: They might get sent back. They might not. The only person that knows is up there. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Republicans are moaning about Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greenes recent breaks from her own party, accusing her positions of more closely resembling those of former Democratic President Joe Biden than GOP President Donald Trump. In recent months, the Georgia Republican has split from her party on several major issues, including the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, the war in Gaza and healthcare subsidies that have become the sticking point of the government shutdown. Greene insisted to The Hill that its ridiculous to suggest that her stances have isolated her from the rest of her party. I am 100 percent the same person today as I was when I ran for Congress, she said. The Georgia firebrand repeatedly introduced articles of impeachment against Biden and has dubbed Trump her favorite president. However, some Republicans fumed that her recent positions suggest she now more closely aligns with Biden than Trump. Whether its Gaza, whether its Epstein, or whether its now the [Affordable Care Act] credits, shes been 180 degrees opposite of Trump, one House Republican told the outlet. In fact, shes been more Biden than she has been Trump. open image in gallery Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has broken with her own party on several major issues recently, prompting her GOP colleagues to accuse her of being more Biden than Trump ( Getty Images ) In July, Greene labeled Israel's war in Gaza a "genocide," infuriating some of her GOP colleagues. She was one of four House Republicans to sign onto a discharge petition to force the release of the documents associated with convicted pedophile Epstein. She also criticized the administration's Immigrations and Custom Enforcement raids. Most recently, Greene has enraged her GOP counterparts for joining the Democrats' calls to extend the expiring healthcare tax credits. Earlier this month, speaking in favor of extending the tax credits, she suggested that Congress members put politics aside and consider the effect on Americans: "Let's take off our Democrat jerseys, let's take off our Republican jerseys, and do something responsible for the American people," Greene told CNN. House Speaker Mike Johnson brushed off Greene's outspoken support for the subsidies. "Congresswoman Greene does not serve on the committees of jurisdiction to deal with those specialized issues, and she's probably not read that in on some of that," he said at a press conference last week. Greene emphasized to The Hill: "My job title is not cheerleader for Republicans in Congress. I'm not talking about the President. I'm talking about Republicans in Congress. And Republicans in Congress are the ones that need to come up with a plan to fix the health insurance." Her recent breaks from the party seem to have gotten Trump's attention, with sources telling NBC News that the president reached out to at least two Republicans, wondering: "What's going on with Marjorie?" She told the outlet that she's not a "blind slave" to the president. open image in gallery House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries shows a tweet by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene at a press conference during the government shutdown as both parties argue over healthcare subsidies ( Getty Images ) Still, the Georgia Congresswoman underscored that shes a Trump supporter, pointing out that she voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill and continuing resolutions. I dont talk about my relationship with my mom and how many times I talk to her, and I dont talk about how many times I talk to my kids and what day I talk to them, she told The Hill. I dont have to explain that. You dont hear me running out and saying, I talked to the President today. Although she may be inciting ire from her GOP colleagues, some Democrats and Trump critics have praised her recent stances. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries put Greenes tweet advocating for healthcare subsidies on display at a press conference earlier this month. Regarding her healthcare stance, Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock told The Independent last week: You are going to hear me utter words I never thought I'd say: Marjorie Taylor Greene is right. Last month, California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, a major proponent of releasing the Epstein files, told the New York Times that despite strong differences, she is willing to work on areas where there may be common ground. Jimmy Kimmel, whose show was suspended last month for his comments about Charlie Kirks assassination, remarked on her recent fractures from her party: You know things in Washington are broken when Marjorie Taylor Greene is the lone voice of reason on the Republican side. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Former President Barack Obama lambasted President Donald Trumps deployment of National Guard troops into Chicago, arguing that a president sending U.S. troops into American cities against their own people is inherently corrupting. Obama, speaking to comedian Marc Maron on the final episode of his WTF podcast published Monday, also suggested that Republicans and right-wing media would have been outraged if he had similarly sent in troops to GOP-led states while they cheer on the current president. He accused Trump of trying to deliberately subvert federal law and politicizing the military for his own means. It wasnt controversial for me to go to other countries and say, You know what? Its a good idea for militaries to be under civilian control, because when you have military that can direct force against their own people, that is inherently corrupting, Obama said. And so when you now start seeing the politicization of the military deliberately, right, he added. open image in gallery Barack Obama blasted Donald Trump for politicizing the military and subverting federal law by deploying troops into Democratic-led cities. ( AP ) He called Trumps federalization of National Guard troops a deliberate end run around of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which prevents the use of the nations military for domestic law enforcement. The law says dont use our military on domestic soil unless there is an extraordinary emergency of some sort, Obama said. When you see an administration suggest that ordinary street crime is an insurrection, or A terrorist act, Maron added. A terrorist act, Obama replied. That is a genuine effort to weaken how we have understood democracy. He suggested that if he had sent troops to Republican strongholds, Man, its almost too easy of a thought experiment, Obama said. If I had just sent the National Guard into Texas, and just said, You know what? Lot of problems in Dallas. Lot of crime there. I dont care what [Governor Greg Abbott] thinks. Im gonna kind of take over law enforcement It is mind boggling to me how Fox News would have responded, he said. Federal judges across the country have reined in Trumps use of federalized troops as the administration surges federal law enforcement into Democratic-led states and cities to combat protests against his anti-immigration agenda. Trump is temporarily blocked from sending troops into Chicago, but an appeals court isnt sending service members home, for now, while legal battles are ongoing. We have blown through, just over the last six months, a whole range of not simply assumptions, but rules and laws and practices that were put in place to ensure that nobody is above the law, and we dont use the federal government to simply reward our friends and punish our enemies, Obama said. People are right to be concerned, he added. open image in gallery Maron, who last interviewed Obama during his second term in office, is ending his long-running podcast after 16 years with another interview with the former president ( AP ) California sued the administration earlier this year in the wake of Trumps deployment of National Guard troops and Marines into Los Angeles in response to protests against large-scale immigration raids and arrests. A federal judge in California determined that the administration illegally deployed military assets into the city in violation of Posse Comitatus, which the judge said appeared to be part of an effort to create a national police force with the president as its chief. Illinois and Oregon officials are similarly suing the administration over troop deployments to those states, allegedly in violation of Posse Comitatus as well as Tenth Amendment protections ensuring that police authority rests with the states and not the federal government. Democratic officials have argued that the president is sending in troops for wholly pretextual reasons in an attempt to stir up more unrest to justify more federal officers and a wider military occupation, including invocation of the Insurrection Act. National Guard troops were deployed to Baltimore in 2015 during Obamas second term in office, after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody sparked widespread protests. Those troops, however, remained under the command of Marylands Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, not Obama. Maron ended his long-running podcast Monday after 16 years and more than 1,600 episodes with an hour-long interview with the former president, who last appeared on the podcast while he was still in office. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Portlands distinctive, irreverent spirit was on full display on Sunday as protesters staged an "emergency" naked bike ride, pedalling through the city streets to oppose Donald Trumps administration. Participants, many completely nude or nearly so, joined a hastily organised edition of the annual World Naked Bike Ride. Organisers stated the impromptu event was crucial to speak out against Donald Trumps attempts to mobilise the National Guard to suppress demonstrations. This unique protest formed part of wider daily and nightly gatherings outside an immigration facility in Oregons largest city. Here, crowds have embraced the absurd, donning inflatable frog, unicorn, axolotl, and banana costumes, often facing off against federal law enforcement who deploy tear gas and pepper balls. Rider Janene King called the nude ride a quintessentially Portland way to protest. The 51-year-old was naked except for wool socks, a wig and a hat. She sipped hot tea and said she was unbothered by the steady rain and temperatures in the mid-50s (about 12 Celsius). We definitely do not want troops coming into our city, King said. open image in gallery Participants prepare for the Naked Bike Ride protest on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Bike riders made their way through the streets and to the citys U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. Authorities there ordered people to stay out of the street and protest only on sidewalks or risk being arrested. The city is awaiting the ruling of an appeals court panel on whether Trump can send out the federalized troops after a federal judge on Oct. 5 ordered a temporary hold on deployment. Joy is a form of protest. Being together with mutual respect and kindness is a form of protest, the rides organizers said on Instagram. Its your choice how much or little you wear. Fewer people were fully naked than usual likely because of the cool, wet weather but some still bared it all and rode wearing only bike helmets. Naked bike rides have thronged the streets of Oregons largest city every year since 2004, often holding up traffic as the crowd cycles through with speakers playing music. Some years have drawn roughly 10,000 riders, according to Portland World Naked Bike Ride. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost was left squirming after he was inserted into archival footage of President Donald Trump and the deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein partying together all thanks to artificial intelligence. During this weeks episode, featuring SNL alum Amy Poehler as host, Weekend Update host Michael Che did not hold back from trying to make his co-host, Jost, uncomfortable. OpenAI has updated its video-generating app Sora to allow users to create cameos of themselves in video. And theyre pretty realistic. I mean, I made this one before the show, Che says behind the anchor desk. The well-known archival footage of a young Trump and Epstein laughing and talking during a party then starts to play but with the insertion of Jost, whose likeness awkwardly dances around the two. The AI-generated Jost dances around, laughing with Trump and Epstein, before the now-deceased financier turns around to face him. open image in gallery During Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update host Michael Che made fun of his cohost Colin Jost by sharing an AI-generated video of him partying with President Donald Trump and the late Jeffrey Epstein ( Saturday Night Live/YouTube ) Once the clip concluded, Che began to taunt a visibly uncomfortable Jost, saying, Ha ha ha. You suck. After shaking his head and peering out awkwardly into the crowd, Jost replies, Really excited for that to just be out there. The two comics then continued on with the Weekend Update portion of the show. Meanwhile, the original footage, shot by NBC in 1992, shows Trump and Epstein talking during a party at Mar-a-Lago, Trumps Florida estate. The men appear to be pointing and laughing as loud music blares over the speakers. The footage was taken more than a decade before Epstein pleaded guilty to felony prostitution charges in Florida. open image in gallery The original clip, which did not feature Jost, was taken in 1992 ( Saturday Night Live / YouTube ) While the president has long denied having a close relationship with Epstein, despite photographic evidence suggesting otherwise, last month, a bawdy letter he penned to Epstein featuring a hand-drawn figure of a naked woman was made public. Trump has denied writing the letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday, calling it a fake thing, and has sued both The Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, for defamation, claiming the letter is nonexistent. Now, the House is stalling on swearing in a newly-elected Democrat Congresswoman, Adelita Grijalva, who has promised to be the clinching signature on a petition to force a vote on a bill to release all the files related to the Epstein case something Republican leaders and Trump do not want. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Steve Bannon has likened the Republican-controlled Congress to the Duma Russias largely ceremonial parliamentary assembly while senior administration advisers have joked about ruling Capitol Hill with an iron fist, according to a report. Explaining the failure of Republican representatives and senators to stand up to President Donald Trump in his second term, his former White House chief strategist told The Wall Street Journal that he believed the presidents four years in the wilderness between 2021 and 2025, when Joe Biden was in power, had hardened his resolve to realize his aims. Hes doing things now he wouldnt have ever considered the first time, Bannon said. Hes jackhammering away on levels you havent seen before. open image in gallery Steve Bannon, still an influential voice in Donald Trumps MAGA movement, says the jackhammering away to achieve his political goals ( Getty ) The WSJ offered the example of House Speaker Mike Johnson turning up at the 40th birthday party of Trumps Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller at Neds Club in Washington, D.C., on August 23 to pay tribute to the official as an example of congressional Republicans bending to the presidents will. The newspaper also cites the move to name Trumps signature tax and spending legislation the One Big Beautiful Bill over lawmakers' objections as another instance of bending the knee. It describes the decision to quietly drop calls for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files as yet another. People laying down their arms on the most jealously guarded power that Congress has tells you a lot about what people think their likelihood is of being successful in fighting back, said Brendan Buck, a one-time aide to Johnsons predecessor as speaker, Paul Ryan. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom was among those incensed by Bannons remarks, commenting sarcastically on X: Nothing to see here. Columnist Richard Hanania wrote: Theyre openly celebrating the Putinization of the Republican Party. The White House is laughing at Republicans in Congress, because they know theyre dog walking them, said long-time Democrat Christopher Webb. They see Congress as theirs to control, and Republican leadership keeps proving them right Theyre Trumps puppets, and everyone knows it. open image in gallery Trump talking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Israel ( AFP/Getty ) The WSJ reports that the president is feeling increasingly emboldened just now, having announced the mass firing of federal workers, increased tariffs on China, and the grand jury indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, an old enemy, all in a matter of days. This time, hes having way more fun, Trump ally David Urban is quoted as saying, comparing his present actions to those of his first term. What he is doing now are things that we warned could happen, but hes taking it to an extreme level more quickly than most of us imagined he would, added Adrienne Elrod, a former strategist to top Democrats Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. Kathryn Wylde, the chief executive of the Partnership for New York City business group, meanwhile, spoke to the chilling effect Trumps aggression has had on U.S. corporate leaders when she said: I dont think anyone wants to suffer the consequences of any public comment whatsoever that might be interpreted as an excuse to go after them. Everyones on my side now, the president reportedly boasted to his advisers earlier this summer. They were fighting me last time. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump urged Israel to shift focus from waging war against Hamas to what he called the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity in the Middle East region as he became just the fifth American president on Monday to address the Knesset. In remarks to the Israeli parliament that were equal parts triumphant and rambling, he said the implementation of a ceasefire agreement and the return of the remaining living hostages marked the historic dawn of a new Middle East and an incredible triumph for Israel and the world. He also publicly urged Israeli president Isaac Herzog to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu on the breach of trust, bribery, and fraud charges he faces. However, Trumps remarks concentrated on the peace deal. open image in gallery Trump and Netanyahu in the Knesset on Monday ( AP ) Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, Trump said. As the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed, and the ashes clear from the air, the day breaks on a region transformed and a beautiful and much brighter future appears suddenly within our reach. He also hailed the implementation of the peace deal hed floated just weeks earlier alongside Netanyahu at the White House as not only the end of the two-year-old war, but the end of what he called the age of terror and death in favor of the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God. It will be the golden age of Israel, and the golden age of the Middle East, he added. The presidents remarks followed a rapturous reception as he entered the Knesset chamber, with members chanting his name as well as the name of his roving peace envoy, Steve Witkoff. Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, Witkoffs negotiating partner, also received a standing ovation. He spoke just hours after the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that all 20 of the remaining living hostages taken by Hamas were back in Israeli custody and on Israeli soil, ending more than two years of captivity, and just days after Israel finished the years-long bombing campaign against Gaza that has claimed roughly 70,000 lives. open image in gallery Released Israeli hostage Eitan Mor, centre, poses for a picture with his family ( Israeli Army/AFP via Getty Image ) After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace, he said. But he also cautioned the Israelis about renewing the military campaign that Netanyahu had insisted on carrying on despite international condemnation as the death toll mounted and famine spread in Gaza. Trump said Israel had won all that can be won by force of arms and instead called on the Knesset to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. Together, we have shown that Peace is not just a hope we can dream about, it is a reality we can build upon day by day, person by person, nation by nation, he said. At the same time, the president also urged the people of Gaza to abandon the violent ways of Hamas, which had led to two years of war. He said it had been made clear to everyone in the Middle East that decades of fomenting terrorism and extremism, jihadism and anti-Semitism had backfired completely and totally by delivering nothing but misery, suffering and failure in Gaza and Iran. He said Gazans total focus going forward should be on restoring the fundamentals of stability, safety, dignity, and economic development to have the better life their children deserve. It is more obvious than ever that the productive and responsible nations of this region should not be enemies or adversaries; you should be partners, and eventually even friends, he said. open image in gallery Security officials remove a Knesset member who interrupted Trumps speech ( AP ) Trump also said virtually the entire region of the Middle East had endorsed his plan, including provisions for Gaza to be immediately demilitarized with Hamas disarmed so Israels security will no longer be threatened in any way, shape or form in the future. Only by embracing the opportunities of this moment can we achieve our goal of ensuring that the horrors of recent years will never happen again, he said. Netanyahu, who spoke to the Knesset earlier after greeting Trump in Tel Aviv, said Trumps plan had opened the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region and said he was committed to the peace plan alongside Trump. Mr President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, Mr President, we will achieve this peace, he said while introducing the president, following Knesset speaker Amir Ohana and opposition leader Yair Lapid. open image in gallery Trump in the Knesset, Jerusalem, on Monday ( Reuters ) It remains to be seen whether Netanyahus commitment to the peace plan will hold. The Israeli PM had accepted an invitation from Egypts president to attend a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh but cancelled the trip. It became known that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas would attend as well, although Netanyahus office cited the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah as the reason for the reversal. The historic dawn Trump spoke of comes after a long series of fits and starts at pushing through a ceasefire across two White House administrations. For over two years, there were multiple attempts brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt to push through a comprehensive ceasefire deal to secure the release of all hostages and captives from Gaza and bring an end to the devastating war. open image in gallery A freed Palestinian man is greeted by friends and relatives in Ramallah ( Reuters ) Two truces at the end of 2023 and the start of 2025 both ultimately collapsed, leading to a return of the unprecedented slaughter in Gaza and the deaths of additional hostages in captivity. In September, in the wake of Israels bombing of Qatar which threatened to drag the entire Middle East deeper into region-wide conflict Trump proposed a 20-point peace plan he claimed would be the breakthrough. If the truce holds, the remains of 350 slain Palestinians currently held by Israel will also be returned. In tandem, the deal includes the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces to the yellow line, which still leaves Israel in control of more than 50 per cent of the enclave, but has seen troops leave populated areas such as Gaza City. This has allowed tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to the devastated remains of their homes. The plan also calls for a surge in badly needed aid to the tiny territory, where the UN-backed global hunger monitor has concluded that famine is already unfolding. Early in the morning, before Trumps address, Hamas began the transfer of the remaining 20 living hostages, who were seen being handed over to the Red Cross before being transferred into Israel and flown to hospitals to be reunited with their families. Shortly afterwards, busloads of Palestinian detainees began leaving Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where they were reunited with their families in Ramallah. If this section of the peace deal holds, negotiations for phase two will begin, which should include a further withdrawal of Israel forces, the disarmament of Hamas, a transitional authority of technocrats that will take over the running of Gaza, and an international stabilization force to run security. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Lisbons mayor, Carlos Moedas, has secured re-election in the citys municipal vote, less than six weeks after a devastating funicular crash killed 16 people, including 11 tourists, and sparked public outrage. Leading a right-of-centre coalition, Mr Moedas garnered 42 per cent of the vote in Lisbon, compared with 34 per cent for second-placed left-of-centre leader Alexandra Leitao. These official results were published late on Sunday. The mayor had previously rejected any blame for the September 3 incident, described as one of Lisbons worst tragedies in living memory, and declined to resign. His four-year term as mayor has also brought criticism of his policies on housing, immigration and trash collection as Lisbon creaks under the strain of a surge in tourists and a steep climb in real estate prices. Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas speaks to journalists at the site of a derailed electric streetcar in downtown Lisbon, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Lisbon residents blamed overtourism for putting a strain on funicular services and causing the crash. Fabiana Pavel, president of the Bairro Alto Residents Association, told the BBC that the funicular had been disproportionately used by tourists in recent years. However, a preliminary report said problems with a cable likely caused the crash, and a new mechanism was being designed by a team of experts to to ensure the safety of the Gloria funicular railway. Moedas, 55, is viewed as a rising star in Portugals center-right Social Democratic Party and is widely regarded as a potential future prime minister. His election as mayor four years ago was a common career route for politicians eyeing higher office, with political responsibility for the capital regarded as a stepping stone. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Russia has denied a report that one of its submarines was suffering technical problems after the vessel surfaced off the coast of northern France. Natos Maritime Command published photographs on 9 October of what it said was a French navy frigate observing a Russian submarine operating on the surface off the coast of Brittany. NATO stands ready to defend our Alliance with constant vigilance and maritime awareness across the Atlantic, it posted on X (Twitter), without naming the submarine. open image in gallery A French navy frigate conducts surveillance of the Alliances maritime approaches, marking the presence of a Russian submarine ( Nato ) VChK-OGPU, a shadowy Telegram channel that publishes purported Russian security leaks, reported last month that the diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk was suffering serious technical problems, with fuel leaking into the hold. On Monday, state media published a statement from Russias Black Sea fleet denying that the Novorossiysk had surfaced off France because of a technical emergency. It said that the submarine was carrying out a scheduled transit after completing tasks in the Mediterranean Sea, and had surfaced in line with international navigation rules in the English Channel. State news agency Tass said that the vessel, which entered service in 2014, was part of a group of submarines that carry Kalibr cruise missiles. Meanwhile in Poland, prosecutors have charged two Russian citizens with spying for Russian intelligence and one of them for plotting to send a parcel of explosives, prosecutors said on Monday. European authorities have been on high alert for explosive packages since a series of explosions occurred in courier depots in Britain, Germany and near the Polish capital Warsaw in July 2024. Western officials blamed those incidents on Russia. Moscow denies the accusations. open image in gallery Vladimir Putin gives a speech at a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States Heads of State Council at the Palace of the Nation in Dushanbe on 10 October ( AFP via Getty ) One of the Russians, referred to as Igor R under Polish privacy laws, was charged with participating in a plot to send a parcel bomb via courier, for which a Ukrainian citizen was also charged earlier this year. The parcel contained explosive devices and materials in the form of nitroglycerine, as well as hidden military-grade electric detonators and initiating devices ... The entire package constituted a so-called shaped charge bomb, prosecutors said. Igor R and his wife Irina were also charged with providing Russian intelligence with information on Russian opposition activists residing in Poland, as well as individuals and institutions providing assistance to them. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Torrential rain triggered flash floods in Spains northeastern Catalonia region, trapping people in cars and forcing travel suspensions across the Mediterranean coast. Videos shared online showed torrents of muddy water surging through the towns of La Rapita and Santa Barbara in Tarragona province, sweeping away vehicles, street furniture, and debris. Spains national weather agency Aemet also declared the highest red alert in the province, warning that up to 180mm of rain could fall in just 12 hours. A severe rainfall alert remains in place for parts of central Majorca on Monday, with the state weather service warning residents and tourists to prepare for up to 50mm rainfall. open image in gallery A flooded road after heavy rains in Los Alcazares, Murcia, Spain ( Reuters ) Be prepared, a statement from the AEMET reads. Take precautions and keep up to date with the latest weather forecast. Severe damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas. Over the weekend, Catalonias Civil Protection agency urged residents in the Ebro Delta to stay indoors as conditions worsened, as residents were reportedly evacuated in the city of Murcia. Catalonian authorities issued a high alert for flooding as it urged the public to avoid travel and keep clear of rivers as the most severe conditions passed on Sunday. The situation is complicated, and more rain is forecast, Cristina Vicente, a senior official at the agency was quoted as saying by La Vanguardia. So far, there have been no reports of deaths or major injuries but emergency services have been rescuing drivers from submerged vehicles and working overnight to reopen blocked travel routes. open image in gallery Sludge from the Campo de Cartagena reaches the Mar Menor lagoon in Los Alcazares after a day of heavy rain on Saturday ( Reuters ) Emergency shelters were established in the region as authorities reported receiving over 2,100 calls from those trapped due to the extreme weather. Train services between Barcelona and Valencia were suspended until further notice along the Mediterranean Corridor, while roads in several low-lying areas were closed due to the flooding. The downpours are part of a spell of severe weather driven by Storm Alice, which has battered parts of southeastern Spain, including the Balearic Islands, in recent days. The rainfall has led to travel chaos in the popular tourist island of Ibiza, as the airport has been flooded and roads submerged. At least 24 flights were cancelled from late afternoon onwards at Ibiza's airport, with inside areas having to be closed due to water leaking into the terminal and power cuts caused by the heavy showers. "Because of the adverse weather conditions in Ibiza, airport operations were temporarily paralysed between 6pm and 7.20pm, officials at Spanish airports authority AENA told local press. During that time the runway was cleaned along with other areas that were affected by the storm." The city of Murcia has also seen evacuations, with significant flooding in places. Yellow warnings were in place on Sunday from Valencia to the south of Tarragona as the storm was expected to bring a total of 250-300mm (10-12inches) of rain in some locations. The President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Salvador Illa, traveled to Tortosa on Monday morning to meet with the mayors of the affected areas, according to La Vanguardia. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev says supplying U.S. Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could end badly for everyone, especially U.S. President Donald Trump. On Sunday, Trump said again that he may offer long-range Tomahawk missiles that could be used by Kyiv if Putin does not end the war in Ukraine. "Yeah, I might tell him (Putin), if the war is not settled, we may very well do it," Trump said. "We may not, but we may do it... do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I dont think so." Medvedev, an arch-hawk who has repeatedly goaded Trump on social media, said it is impossible to distinguish between Tomahawk missiles carrying nuclear warheads and conventional ones after they are launched - a point that President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson has also made. "How should Russia respond? Exactly!" Medvedev said on Telegram on Monday, appearing to hint that Moscow's response would be nuclear. File: A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is launched ( Reuters ) Medvedev wrote: "One can only hope that this is another empty threat... Like sending nuclear submarines closer to Russia." He was alluding to Trump's statement in August that he had ordered two nuclear subs to move closer to Russia in response to what he called "highly provocative" comments from Medvedev about the risk of war. Putin has said supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks - which have a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles) and could therefore strike anywhere within European Russia, including Moscow - would destroy relations between the United States and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would only use Tomahawk missiles for military purposes and not attack civilians in Russia, should the U.S. provide them. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice After centuries of near-extinction, Europes wolves have made a remarkable comeback. Over the past decade, wolf populations have surged, increasing by nearly 60%. In 2022, more than 21,500 wolves were recorded across the continent. Countries that have long been wolf-free are now home to thriving packs. Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Romania each have more than 1,000 wolves. For scientists, this is a rare conservation success story: a large predator reclaiming landscapes dominated by human activity. Where we live in Denmark, the comeback has been more modest. Wolves disappeared from Danish forests in 1813, when they were hunted to extinction remembered only in stories and fairytales. Then, in 2012, a lone male wolf crossed the border from Germany into Jutland, Denmarks peninsula bordering Germany. More followed. By 2017, Denmark celebrated its first confirmed breeding pack in more than 200 years. Today, Denmarks wolf population is estimated to be just over 40 wolves, with at least seven breeding pairs known to have produced cubs. Yet even this small number has sparked fierce debates over livestock and public safety in one of Europes most intensively farmed countries, with views on wolves seeming to reflect wider political divides across Denmark. The EU recently downgraded the protection status of wolves, moving them from strictly protected to simply protected. This change makes it easier for member states to authorise local culling. open image in gallery The European grey wolf ( Getty Images ) Earlier this spring, the Danish government announced that problem wolves can be legally shot if they repeatedly stray into towns or attack livestock behind secure fencing. And the first legal licence to shoot a wolf guilty of several attacks was handed out in September. Experts have already suggested that mysteriously high mortality rates and disappearing wolves are most likely the result of illegal hunting. And its feared by conservationists that quotas on wolf numbers could be introduced, as is the case in neighbouring Sweden. As political scientists, we wanted to understand how Danes feel about the return of wolves. This summer, we included a question on wolves in a YouGov survey on climate and the environment. We asked: Do you agree with the statement that breeding wolf packs are beneficial for Danish nature? Of the 2,172 respondents, 43% disagreed, 30% agreed and 27% were neutral or unsure. Breaking the results down by politics reveals clear patterns. Supporters of left-leaning and green parties were the most positive, with nearly 45% agreeing that wolves are good for nature. Right-leaning voters were far more sceptical, with almost half of the supporters of new rightwing parties fully disagreeing. Even many Social Democrats voters (generally considered centre-left) leaned toward disagreement, showing how this issue has become integrated into traditional political divides. People in Copenhagen and other large cities were slightly more positive about the return of wolves than those in smaller towns or rural areas, but attitudes remain mixed everywhere. Living in the countryside does not automatically make someone a wolf sceptic, nor does city life guarantee support. Age, however, was the strongest predictor of support. Young Danes (1834) were overwhelmingly supportive, with over 50% agreeing that wolves benefit nature. Support declines steadily with age, however, with the majority of those over 55 and nearly 60% of those over 73 expressing outright disagreement. We have spent more than a decade looking into more traditional political issues and have never seen age differences like these. In this way, the resurgence of wolves seems to have become more than just a wildlife issue. Wolves, myths and reality Few animals stir the imagination like wolves. They appear as villains in fairytales, sacred protectors as well as harbingers of apocalypse in Norse myths, and ecological superheroes in biology textbooks. Some wolves became intimately involved with humans as mans best friend, while others became our worst enemy see the big bad wolf. Conservationists call wolves a keystone species. This means that because they naturally control numbers of deer and other prey, their presence can allow forests and grasslands to recover. Yellowstone Park in the US is a prime example: after wolves were reintroduced, aspen and willow trees flourished for the first time in decades. About the authors Kristian Kongshj is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Aalborg University. Troels Fage Hedegaard is an Associate Professor, Centre for Comparative Welfare Studies, Green Societies at Aalborg University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. But Denmark is not Yellowstone. Its countryside is a patchwork of farms, towns and highways with small, heavily managed nature reserves. Whether wolves can restore wild balance here is uncertain and Danes views reflect that uncertainty. Indeed, for some farmers and rural residents, wolves are not symbols of rewilding they are real predators, threatening livestock and livelihoods. Fear also plays a role: parents worry about children walking in the forest, and dog owners worry about their pets. Statistically, wolf attacks on humans are extremely rare, yet perception often outweighs facts. Incidents in neighbouring countries can add to the unease. Earlier this year, a wolf attacked a six-year-old boy in the Netherlands. And in Denmark this summer, two young boys spent hours up a tree after thinking an aggressive wolf was nearby. The story grabbed headlines, only for it to turn out that the animal was actually a large cat. Its a reminder of how quickly fear spreads, whether the danger is real or not. Our findings suggest that fears and myths about wolves are not mere folklore. They are expressed in real attitudes, reflecting deeply held values and cultural identities. Wolves have come to represent much more than just wildlife. They are potent symbols of environmental ideals and societal perspectives with attitudes toward them shaped less by geography and more by political beliefs and generational outlooks. For policymakers and conservationists, understanding these perceptions is essential to navigating the delicate balance between species recovery and public acceptance. This article was commissioned in collaboration with Videnskab.dk as part of a partnership with The Conversation. You can read the Danish version of this article here. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump arrived in Israel to meet the families of returning hostages on Monday as Hamas released its first captives under a U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement. The U.S. president landed at Ben Gurion International Airport at 9.45 am local time, met by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog. Speaking to reporters at the back of Air Force One, Trump hailed his own role in the ceasefire agreement, saying that people were dancing in the streets, brushing off a question about a crowd in Israel booing Netanyahu on Saturday. Everybody is happy, whether its Jews or Muslims or the Arab countries, every country is dancing in the streets, he said. Its a point in time I dont think youll ever see it again. Theyve never seen it in 3,000 years. Israel rolled out the red carpet for the U.S. president, who briefly greeted Israeli officials on the tarmac as a military band played before leaving in a large motorcade. open image in gallery Donald Trump greets Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after landing ( AP ) open image in gallery President Donald Trump flanked by Isaac Herzog (L) and Benjamin Netanyahu (R) on Monday ( AP ) Key American figures there to meet him included special envoy Steve Witkoff, advisor Jared Kushner and Trumps daughter, Ivanka. Trump is expected to meet the families of hostages with Netanyahu at the Knesset before addressing the Israeli parliament and leaving early on Monday afternoon. He is set for a hero's welcome when he addresses Israel's parliament. Red MAGA-Style hats branded with TRUMP THE PEACE PRESIDENT were handed out ahead of his address on Monday, POLITICO reported. Trump will also be awarded Israels highest civilian honour later this year, Israel's President Isaac Herzog said. Later on Monday, Trump will co-host a peace summit of more than 20 world leaders with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in Sharm el-Sheikh. The visit comes as Hamas said on Monday that it had handed over all living hostages, in line with a delicate ceasefire agreement made with Israel last week. open image in gallery Donald Trump gestures after touching down at Ben Gurion airport on Monday ( AFP via Getty Images ) open image in gallery Air Force One touches down at Ben Gurion International Airport ( Sky News ) Trump heralded the progress towards peace as he made his way to Israel, though concerns remain around vague details and phases yet to be agreed. He said his so-called Board of Peace to help govern Gaza would be established very quickly. He also spoke to reporters about the prospect of former British prime minister Tony Blair having a role in overseeing a transitional government in Gaza. First I want to find out that Tony would be popular because I just dont know that, the US president told reporters on Air Force One. I like Tony, Ive always liked Tony, but I want to find out that hes an acceptable choice to everybody. "The war is over," Trump told reporters as he flew from Washington to Israel on Sunday. Asked about prospects for the region, he said: "I think it's going to normalise." open image in gallery Trump meets with Netanyahu and Herzog after stepping off the plane ( Sky News ) open image in gallery Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre, right) and president Isaac Herzog (centre, left) await Trumps arrival ( Sky News ) As Trump disembarked from Air Force One on Monday, a convoy of vehicles carried into Israel the first hostages released by Hamas as part of the deal. The first phase of the deal includes the release of 48 people held for the course of the two-year conflict, which erupted during Hamas October 7, 2023 incursion into southern Israel. Progress towards a lasting peace now hinges on global commitments that may be taken up at the Sharm el-Sheikh resort. Sir Keir Starmer landed in Egypt on Sunday ahead of the summit. Israel will not send a representative, Netanyahu said on Sunday. open image in gallery People react in Hostages Square, Israel as news emerged of the release of the first hostages ( REUTERS ) The Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday it was anticipating the signing of a document ending the war in Gaza at the historic gathering in Egypt. A ceasefire came into effect on Friday with the withdrawal of the Israeli military to an agreed line in Gaza, making way for thousands of displaced Palestinians to begin the long walk home. The ceasefires implementation gave Hamas 72 hours to release all hostages, alive and deceased, under the agreement. More follows on this breaking news story.... On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Watch live as Donald Trump is set to address the Knesset as authorities confirmed that Hamas has released all of the 20 living Israeli hostages that were being held in Gaza on Monday, 13 October. The president arrived in the country to a heros welcome, declaring that the war is over and every country is dancing in the streets. Mr Trump will address the Knesset and meet families of the hostages in Jerusalem. He will then fly to a peace summit in Egypt's Sharm-el-Sheikh, where his peace deal will be signed. More than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released as part of the deal. The majority of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons have not been charged or convicted, according to Israel-based rights organisation Hamoked. All of the 20 hostages who were still alive in Gaza are now in the hands of Israeli authorities, Israel confirmed. Seven hostages were released early this morning and have crossed the border into Israel, where they will be reunited with their families and taken for checks in hospital. Hours later, the remaining 13 hostages were transferred from Hamas to the Red Cross, and then into the hands of the Israeli military, who are now taking them out of Gaza. It brings an end to an agonising two-year wait for the families and friends of the hostages. In Israel, the bodies of 28 dead hostages still remain. They are due to be freed during this phase of the ceasefire, but it is unclear exactly when this will take place. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice At least 27 people have been killed in clashes between two armed groups in Gaza days after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal. Hamas, the dominant Palestinian group in the besieged territory, fought with the Dughmush clan in the Sabra neighbourhood over the weekend in one of the most violent internal confrontations in many days. A 28-year-old journalist, who had gained prominence for his videos covering the war, was shot and killed while covering the fighting, Al Jazeera reported. Saleh Aljafarawis body with a press flak jacket on was recovered from the back of a truck. A source in Gazas internal ministry told the broadcaster that the clashes in Gaza City involved an armed militia affiliated with the occupation, referring to Israel. Follow the latest updates from the Gaza hostage release here The source claimed that security forces surrounded members of the militia and engaged in heavy fighting, which resulted in the deaths of eight Hamas fighters. At least 19 members of the Dughmush clan were also killed in the clash. A number of collaborators and informants were apprehended and arrested in Gaza City after it was proven that they were involved in spying for the enemy, the Palestinian Home Front, a Telegram channel affiliated with Hamas, said. It added that those arrested were participating in the assassination of several resistance members. open image in gallery Red Cross vehicles transport Israeli hostages held in Gaza following their handover as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel ( Reuters ) Residents described scenes of panic as heavy gunfire forced the displaced Palestinians to flee their homes. This time people werent fleeing Israeli attacks, one resident told BBC News. "They were running from their own people." The interior ministry said the clashes erupted as the security forces were working to restore order, warning that any armed activity carried out outside the framework of the resistance would be met with a firm response. The report said the Hamas-run interior ministry had accused a local militia of attacking its security forces, while members of the Dughmush clan claimed that Hamas had used the ceasefire as a pretext to target them over alleged collaboration with Israel. Children are screaming and dying, they are burning our houses, a relative of the clan told Israeli media outlet Ynet. We are trapped. I dont know how they entered with all kinds of weapons. Where were they when the Jews were here? They arrested all the youths, lined them up against walls, pointed weapons at their heads. There is a massacre here, another member said. open image in gallery A convoy carrying released Israeli hostages after their retrieval from Gaza ( Reuters ) The Dughmush family, one of Gazas most powerful clans, has repeatedly clashed with Hamas over the years. Hamas claimed that Dughmush gunmen had killed two of its fighters and wounded five others, triggering a retaliation. But the Dughmush family told local media that Hamas fighters barged into a building where they had taken shelter after their homes in Sabra, in western Gaza, were destroyed by the Israeli military. The building had once served as the Jordanian Hospital. Hamas executed a senior Doghmush member in northern Gaza following reports that Israeli authorities had approached the clan to coordinate aid distribution in the area, according to the US State Department. Hamas has reportedly redeployed around 7,000 security personnel to reassert control in areas vacated by Israeli troops. Meanwhile, the US-brokered ceasefire appeared to hold for the fourth day with the release of the first batch of the remaining living hostages from Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed on Monday that it had taken custody of seven living hostages freed by Hamas. The hostages will be transferred to a military base to be reunited with their families. Hamas said earlier it would release 20 living hostages held in Gaza in exchange for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. President Trump has arrived in Tel Aviv to celebrate the ceasefire deal after declaring that the war is over. I think people are tired of it, he told reporters travelling with him aboard Air Force One. The war started when a Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 left some 1,200 people dead and 250 taken hostage. In the ensuing Israeli war, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza health ministry. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice An Israeli hostage who was forced to dig his own grave by Hamas has been reunited with his family after being released from captivity on Monday after two gruelling years. Evyatar David, 24, appeared skeletal and emaciated in the disturbing video released in August. The footage showed him marking his days in captivity on a piece of paper pinned to the walls of a tunnel, and using a spade to dig his own grave. He was taken hostage by Hamas at the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023 and endured 738 days in captivity. He was taken along with his childhood best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who has also been released. open image in gallery Hamas published a video of Evyatar David looking extremely weak and malnourished ( AFP/Getty ) In the footage, the cafe worker was heard saying: I havent eaten for days... I barely got drinking water. His family condemned the video and said they had been forced to watch him being buried alive. They are on the absolute brink of death, his brother, Ilay, said at a rally in the aftermath of the footage. In the current unimaginable condition, they may have only days left to live. In the first images since his release, Mr David appeared in good spirits as he celebrated his newfound freedom. He was later seen with his parents, Avishai and Galia, in a reunion picture. Rinat Israeli, the mother of one of Mr Davids close friends, was overwhelmed as she and others gathered to watch his release. open image in gallery Evyatar David was pictured reunited with his parents after he was released from captivity ( Reuters ) There is no way to describe such a moment, it is like nothing before, she told Mail Online. I was waiting for this moment for two years. When he was inside, it was like I could not breathe. This is the feeling. Every single moment he was in there, it is like you are living in two places. Now I can start to breathe again. Tal Shoham, an Israeli hostage released after 505 days in captivity, said that he, Mr David and Mr Gilboa-Dalal spent the first eight months with Hamas above ground. However, as the war intensified, they were taken underground in disguise. They were escorted by guards for about 15 minutes before being taken into a tunnel and eventually a tiny dark chamber where another hostage Omer Wenkert was already being held. open image in gallery He was among 20 living hostages who were released under Donald Trumps ceasefire deal ( Reuters ) On Monday, all 20 remaining living hostages were released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as the first phase of president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus 20-point Gaza plan was completed. However, 154 Palestinian prisoners have been deported outside of Israel and occupied Palestine, as their families were left devastated. Israel has said that all hostages have undertaken initial medical assessments and are on their way to being reunited with their families. Mr David had texted his family shortly before he was taken by Hamas saying: They are bombarding the party. open image in gallery The cafe worker before he was taken hostage by Hamas ( Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters ) The bodies of two hostages have been returned, but 26 remain in Gaza. defence minister Israel Katz said that the partial return marked a failure to meet commitments. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire deal. The ceasefire deal did acknowledge that the bodies of hostages may not be located in time to meet the Monday deadline. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The young Israeli couple who became the symbol of the horrifying Oct. 7 attacks had a touching reunion Monday two years after they were torn apart at the Nova music festival. Noa Argamani, 28, and Avinatan Or, 32, shared a tender embrace following his release from 738 days in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. Or was one of the 20 living hostages freed as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered by President Donald Trump, while Argamani was rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024 after spending 8 months in Hamas captivity. Theirs was one of many emotional reunions to take place across Israel, Gaza and the West Bank after the final living hostages were released by Hamas, before Israel released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. The Israeli Defense Forces shared a picture of Argamani and Ors reunion on social media. Reunited at last, the post was captioned. open image in gallery Noa Argamani, 28, and Avinatan Or, 32, shared a tender embrace today after he was released from 738 days in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip ( IDF ) After two years of darkness, youre finally back back in Israel, back with Noa, back where love began, the State of Israel also said on its official Instagram page, with the picture of the couple embracing juxtaposed with images of them being taken away by Hamas militants. Harrowing footage showed Argamani being taken away on a motorcycle by terrorists from the festival site in southern Israel two years ago. Dont kill me, Argamani was heard screaming as she reached out to her boyfriend, who could only look on helplessly while being marched away by Hamas militants. Since Argamanis release last year, she has campaigned for the return of Or and the other hostages. I miss Avinatan more with every passing day. I hold onto hope, every single day, that this nightmare will end soon, and well finally get to live the life weve dreamed of, Argamani said of her boyfriend on the Oct. 7 anniversary. open image in gallery Harrowing footage showed Argamani being taken away on a motorcycle by a terrorist from the festival site in southern Israel two years ago ( Telegram ) open image in gallery Or looked on helplessly at his girlfriend while being marched away by Hamas militants ( Sourced ) I cant describe the loneliness without you, you are my soulmate and nothing looks same when you are not around, Argamani said in another recent social media post. Your clothes in my closet are waiting for you to wear them, along with a long list of dreams that Im waiting to complete with you. Or lost between 30 to 40 percent of his body weight while in captivity in the Gaza Strip, according to Israels Channel 12. The outlet reports that Or was kept in solitary captivity and did not meet any other hostages until his release. After his release, Or reportedly asked to spend time alone with Argamani, where she told him about last years rescue operation when she was freed, and the pair shared their first cigarette together after two years. open image in gallery Argamanis mother, Liora Argamani, died one month after her daughters release following a brain tumor ( Hostages and Missing Families Forum ) Tragically, Argamanis mother died one month after her daughters release following a brain tumor. By the time her daughter was released, Liora Argamani was barely able to look at her due to her illness, according to her husband. Among the 20 hostages also released today was 24-year-old Evyatar David, who was seen digging his own grave in disturbing footage earlier this year. The footage showed him looking skeletal as he marked his days in captivity on a piece of paper pinned to the walls of a tunnel. David was pictured beaming today alongside with his parents Avishai and Galia David. open image in gallery Evyatar David was seen digging his own grave in disturbing footage earlier this year ( Telegram ) open image in gallery David was released and pictured back with his family following 738 days in Hamas captivity ( via REUTERS ) Ushering in what he called a new beginning for the Middle East today, Trump said he was moved by seeing the Israeli hostages being reunited with their families. The hostages are reuniting. I'm just watching it backstage... the level of love and sorrow I've never seen anything like it, the president said. It's amazing when you see they haven't seen their mother, their father, they haven't seen them in such a long time. Meanwhile, Palestinians were warned by Israel not to celebrate the release of their relatives after ministers approved a final list of detainees freed as part of the ceasefire deal. The list included 1,718 Palestinians detained since 7 October 2023 and 250 prisoners serving life sentences. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice After two years of heartache and many failed ceasefires, the family of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal did not dare to believe their long nightmare was over. Seized at the Nova music festival during the bloody October 7 attack and held mostly in underground tunnels, the emaciated 24-year-old was filmed twice during his captivity once, cruelly, showing him watching someone else being given their freedom. But he was finally released on Monday one of 20 hostages freed after one of the bloodiest conflicts of this generation amid scenes of joy and deep pain for families across both Israel and Palestine. How long we have dreamt of this day, said his father Ilan, locked in a group family hug. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. open image in gallery Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal (in black) is embraced by his family ( Israeli Army/AFP/ Getty ) In Tel Aviv, destroyed Gaza and the occupied West Bank, families were finally reunited, hugging and crying uncontrollably in scenes that would be repeated throughout the day. In a deal brokered by Donald Trump, all 20 living Israeli hostages and captives were released back to their families and nearly 2,000 Palestinians were freed from Israeli prisons. Among them were hundreds of Palestinians arrested in Gaza, who were sent back home to find only destruction and devastation. Despite gaping holes in the US presidents 20-point plan for peace, and huge questions of what will happen to Gaza, the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination, there were moments of real joy. open image in gallery Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped on 7 October by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Centre ( Reuters ) In Hostages Square, central Tel Aviv, thousands of supporters had gathered from midnight to await the moment they had been waiting two years for. Spontaneous dance parties broke out in the streets, and shortly after 8am, grainy images of those held started to appear on massive screens set up in the square. Thin, pale and mostly dressed in army fatigues, the now-familiar faces emerged from Red Cross vehicles and Israeli military helicopters into the sunlight. Loud cheers rang out whenever Mr Trump who spent a few hours in Israel being feted by an adoring audience at the Knesset before flying on to Egypt for a post-deal victory lap summit of peace appeared on the screens. open image in gallery Donald Trump poses for a photo with Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion airport ( AP ) He told Israeli lawmakers that theyve won, adding: Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. A grinning Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Mr Trump as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House, and he promised to work with him going forward. Protesters who have taken to the streets every weekend to call on the Israeli prime minister to agree to a ceasefire deal described the feeling as unbelievable. It wouldnt have happened if it was up to Netanyahu, says Diti, 27, as another round of releases was announced on the loudspeakers. Hopefully, we will have a normal country and peace. Hopefully, Palestinians in Gaza can return to their lives again we hope this is the beginning of peace. open image in gallery A freed Palestinian prisoner is greeted after he was released from an Israeli jail as part of the ceasefire deal ( Reuters ) In Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, families of the hundreds of released Palestinians also waited anxiously for news outside Israels notorious Ofer Prison. One mother who had not seen her son Nadir Dar Ahmed, sentenced to life in jail, for more than two years dropped to the floor, head to the ground in tears when the buses finally appeared. But their celebrations were curbed by Israeli security forces control. Palestinian families described soldiers raiding homes of relatives on the eve of their release, warning them not to celebrate and even smashing decorations and furniture laid out for guests in advance. Among those freed were over 150 life-sentence prisoners who were not permitted to go home but were deported to Egypt, Turkey or Qatar. Israel was reported to have imposed travel bans on a hundred relatives of the prisoners, effectively separating families. Even that didnt stop the moments of joy in central Ramallah. Weeping on the ground by the buses were the family of Dar Ahmed, released four years into a 20-year jail sentence for planning a stabbing in Jerusalem, an accusation he always denied. open image in gallery Freed Palestinian prisoners look out of a bus after they were released by Israel ( Reuters ) Its an indescribable feeling, says his sister Hidayah, explaining that the family had not seen him since the war began. In Gaza, frantic families descended on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, scouring prisoner lists for news of their missing loved ones. Of the roughly 1,700 Palestinians arrested in Gaza since 7 October, 22 were children. It is understood that all have been held without trial or conviction under the deeply controversial unlawful combatant law. The Independents own investigation into the treatment of Palestinian detainees revealed evidence of abuse, torture, sexual violence and even deaths in detention. Despite the destruction of the besieged enclave, which has been bombed into oblivion and where local authorities put the known death toll at 67,000, families still played patriotic songs, danced and cried when the first buses snaked through the crowds at 3pm. open image in gallery People survey the destruction after an Israeli strike on buildings and a mosque in Rafah, Gaza, in February last year ( AP ) At one point, one young man could be seen scaling the side of a bus and embracing a freed prisoner through the window of the moving vehicle. But it was not all joy. Naseem al-Radea from northern Gaza, 30, arrested and held without charge since December 2023, returned to find almost his entire family killed and his home destroyed. His wife, son, two daughters and mother-in-law all died in Israeli strikes. The only family left is his four-year-old daughter and his mother. I left the prison today thinking of my family and of meeting them, he said. Their image has never left my memory, and they were the first people I wished to meet. All the scenes of longing and meeting them have disappeared; all of that has become a mirage. I am now a prisoner of grief. This day has turned into a nightmare. My heart is filled with immeasurable pain. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice This article first appeared on our partner site, Independent Arabia The International Press Institute (IPI) and the International Media Support (IMS) announced on Thursday that Independent Arabias Gaza correspondent, the late Maryam Abu Daqqa, has been awarded the World Press Freedom Hero award in recognition of her courage and resilience in defending press freedom. Abu Daqqa was killed in an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza in August. She was recognised alongside six other journalists from Georgia, the United States, Peru, Hong Kong, Ukraine and Ethiopia - all of whom carried out their journalistic work despite facing imprisonment, repression and attempts to silence their voices, according to the award announcement. The statement from IPI and IMS mourned photojournalist Maryam Abu Daqqa, noting that she put her life on the line over and over again to show the world through her photographs the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. It added her killing for which no one has been held accountable also exemplifies the increasingly dangerous conditions for Gazas journalists, who face targeted attacks, displacement and starvation. open image in gallery Independent Arabia s Maryam Abu Daqqa has been posthumously awarded the World Press Freedom Hero award ( Independent Arabia ) Adhwan al-Ahmari, Independent Arabias editor-in-chief expressed his gratitude to IPI for dedicating the award to Maryam, saying: Our colleague was known for her courage, integrity and dedication to her journalistic mission. She conveyed to the world an honest picture of civilian suffering and humanitarian conditions in one of the most difficult and dangerous environments. In a statement published on Independent Arabia, he added that Maryam was the model of a free journalist who treats truth as a sacred trust and mission, and she paid the price for this noble profession with her life. Her message will remain alive in our work, and we will continue to report the truth and defend press freedom no matter the challenges. Julie Pace, executive editor of the Associated Press, said: Maryam produced searing photos and video that captured the lives of Palestinians facing extraordinary challenges, including families displaced from homes and doctors treating wounded and malnourished children. We remain devastated by her death and continue to seek answers to ensure journalists are protected as they cover this war. In addition to Abu Daqqa, the award was also posthumously conferred on Viktoriia Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian custody on 19 September 2024. Both IPI and IMS have emphasised the urgent need to strengthen protections for journalists working in conflict zones. This years awardees also include Mzia Amaghlobeli from Georgia, Martin Baron from the United States, Gustavo Gorriti from Peru, Jimmy Lai from Hong Kong and Tsefalem Waldyes from Ethiopia. open image in gallery Maryam Abu Daqqa was killed on Monday, August 25, 2025, in an Israeli strike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Gaza ( The Independent ) The World Press Freedom Hero award is presented annually by the International Press Institute in partnership with the International Media Support, honouring journalists who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to press freedom. The 2025 award ceremony will take place on 24 October at the University of Vienna, during the IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival. Scott Griffen, executive director of IPI said: As IPI marks its 75th year of defending press freedom, we are honoured to recognise seven journalists from around the globe who have made enormous contributions to advancing press freedom and defending our right to information at great personal cost, with some even making the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of their work. This years awardees are exemplary of the current threats facing journalists worldwide as authoritarianism gains ground, impunity prevails, and new challenges to freedom of expression emerge. Since its launch in 2015, the International Press Institute has awarded the World Press Freedom Hero prize to more than 75 journalists worldwide, in partnership with IMS. Last year, the award was dedicated to Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza. Reviewed by Tooba Khokhar and Celine Assaf On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice As the dust settles on what remains of the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are beginning the long road to recovering what is left of their lives. Since the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect last week, thousands have made the long journey north, many unable to recognise anything resembling their old neighbourhoods. A prisoner-hostage exchange took place ahead of Donald Trumps address to the Israeli Knesset on Monday, as the US president celebrated his peace deal to rapturous applause. open image in gallery Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were released on Monday ( AP ) At a gathering point in central Ramallah, relatives, supporters, and members of the Palestinian security forces waited for news of the buses that would release 1,966 Palestinian detainees. The last 20 living Israeli hostages taken captive by Hamas during the October 7 attacks two years ago were also returned to their families. This is a very beautiful feeling happy, a day of joy, a 50-year-old father, Muhammad Hasan Saeed Dawood, told the BBC. His son was arrested by Israeli forces at a checkpoint. We call it a national holiday, that our detainees are being released despite the cost of the war, the martyrs, the injured, and the destruction in Gaza. Amid the large crowds, Waseem Amar from Qalqiya waited for her father, who was arrested in 2003 on charges of killing a settler and sentenced to life in prison. I cant describe the feelings; its like a dream. I can only believe it when I see him, she told The Independent in tears. The family have had no information about him for over two years. Amars mother received a call that he was on his way from Ofer while she spoke. open image in gallery Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble by Israels two-year bombardment ( AP ) We hope to have a better life in the future with our father a father is the pillar of any family. We hope and pray to God that this brings actual peace. Palestinian families told The Independent that soldiers had raided the homes of relatives on the eve of the prisoners release, warning them not to celebrate. Overnight, Israeli ministers approved a final list of 1,718 Palestinians detained since 7 October 2023 including women and 22 children and 250 prisoners serving life sentences, to be released as part of the ceasefire deal. Reuters reported that 154 will be deported. Israel is also due to hand over the bodies of 350 Palestinians, which they have been holding since 2023. Among those likely to be deported is Iyad Abu al-Rub, who was arrested on charges of killing Israeli soldiers in 2005 in Jenin. His cousin Abdulrahman told The Independent that the familys joy is therefore incomplete. They have not been permitted to visit Iyad in prison since 2021. open image in gallery Marwan Barghouti has been in prison for decades ( AP2002 ) Israel had been pressured to release high-profile prisoners including Marwan Barghouti, often dubbed the Palestinian Mandela, as a mark of good faith. He consistently tops polls among Palestinians as the person they would vote to lead them as a nation. However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to release Barghouti. After months of reports of starvation and chaotic scenes at food aid points in Gaza, the situation appears to be improving, albeit slowly. Footage of aid being delivered was circulated over the weekend, with some communal kitchens cooking mounds of food. Reports suggest that up to 600 aid trucks could be let in on a daily basis, which is still below what humanitarian agencies believe is adequate for the needs of the population. Some local businesses and markets reported drops in prices of between 70 and 80 per cent. For Hamza Ibrahim, who is now 24 years old, and first spoke to The Independent in 2023, the ceasefire is bittersweet. He left Gaza in the past few days to take up a scholarship in journalism in Ireland. His relatives all remain in the Strip, and he is the first in his family ever to have left the country. open image in gallery Aid deliveries by international organisations are taking place once again ( AFP via Getty ) Over 90 per cent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, according to Save the Children. Now that the bombing has stopped, his feelings are mixed. My parents rang me when the ceasefire was announced, he told The Independent. They said: You survived. Were so proud of you. For many, though, grief is taking hold, as thousands reflect on the horrors theyve just been through. Even though people are happy, they also feel sad. They wonder: Where shall we go? What if the ceasefire doesnt last? All we can see is destruction. I feel like I have left hell and am entering into a heaven. I can see what Ive been through from the outside and am realising how bad it was. Gaza is like a prison. There is no food, no water, no electricity. More than 92 per cent of homes have been destroyed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Authority, and 62 per cent of hospitals, with only 14 remaining somewhat functioning of the 36 that existed at the start of the war. At least 1.9 million people, representing 90 per cent of the population, have been displaced. open image in gallery A Palestinian woman cooks at a camp for displaced people in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip ( AFP via Getty ) Palestinian health authorities say that more than 68,000 people have been killed, 83 per cent of whom were civilians, according to IDF data revealed by The Guardian. Research by the British Medical Journal showed that civilians endured injuries worse than those suffered by combat personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least 250 bodies have been recovered beneath the rubble since the ceasefire was implemented, though the number is expected to increase dramatically. Locals reported that their children have been sleeping through the night for the first time, as they are not disturbed by airstrikes, drones and explosions. But clashes have already broken out among factions in Gaza, some of which are backed by the Israeli occupation, according to sources. A 28-year-old journalist, Saleh al-Jafarawi, and 26 others were killed in fighting that broke out after the ceasefire. Among the relief and inevitably endless grief, there is also deep suspicion, particularly among those based in the West Bank. Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist featured in Louis Therouxs The Settlers documentary, said that many Palestinians are deeply uncertain about the future of the region. open image in gallery Tensions remain between Palestine and Israel as activists warn that the ceasefire plan is not a peace plan ( AFP via Getty ) Its very important that the killing has stopped, he told The Independent. But we are deeply suspicious about whether this will last. Whether Israel will respect the agreement. They have broken every one so far. The genocide is not over. People are still dying due to lack of food and medicine. And now, there are serious fears for the West Bank. When the war ends in Gaza, it begins in the West Bank, he said. Remember, this is a ceasefire plan, not a peace plan. He also reiterated the importance of accountability for what took place in Gaza many organisations have accused Israel of war crimes, which the country denies. An arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu was issued by the International Criminal Court, alleging that he and his then defence minister Yoav Gollant had committed the war crime of starvation. A two-year investigation by the United Nations concluded that Israel was committing genocide, a claim that Israel has called false and distorted. One UN report suggested it could take up to 350 years for Gaza to return to its pre-2023 economy, and it could take decades just to clear the more than 50 million tonnes of rubble left by the devastating war. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice One week into the Gaza ceasefire and there is still not enough aid going into the north of the war-torn enclave, with infectious diseases spiralling out of control, humanitarian organisations have warned. Around 560 metric tons of food have entered the Gaza Strip per day since the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect last Friday, but levels in the first week have been described as a trickle not the flood needed. UN humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher has said thousands of aid vehicles would have to enter weekly to tackle widespread malnutrition, homelessness and a collapse of infrastructure. Aid groups now face growing uncertainty over crossing closures and administrative challenges as queues of trucks amass at the southern border. They have also not been allowed to bring food and medicine in through the major Rafah crossing, which has largely remained closed since the conflict erupted in 2023. Israel threatened to keep the crossing shut and reduce aid this week, accusing Hamas of returning the bodies of hostages too slowly. On the first day of the ceasefire, more than 500 aid trucks entered Gaza, Israel said. But in a major setback, Israels military aid agency COGAT this week said it would halve the number allowed in from 600 daily to 300. open image in gallery Trucks carrying aid line up at the Rafah crossing amid uncertainty about deliveries into Gaza ( Reuters ) With Gazas civilian population still facing hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that they were working in a narrow window of opportunity to scale up deliveries as others said millions of pounds worth of aid was sitting in warehouses waiting to go in. The issue is particularly impacting northern Gaza, where aid convoys are struggling to reach famine-hit areas. Around 950 trucks entered south and central Gaza on Thursday via the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings with Israel, the UNs humanitarian coordination agency said, citing figures from Israels military aid agency COGAT presented to mediators. But the WFP said it had not begun distributions in Gaza City, pointing to the continued closure of two border crossings, Zikim and Erez, with Israel in the north of the enclave where the humanitarian debacle is most acute. Oxfam said on Friday it has more than $2.5m worth of lifesaving aid sitting in warehouses outside Gaza and ready to distribute. open image in gallery Gaza has been devastated by two years of war, but aid is still struggling to get in despite a fragile ceasefire ( AP ) Bushra Khalidi, Oxfams policy lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza, said: Right now, a trickle of aid is entering Gaza, when what is needed is a flood. The ceasefire promised access to aid organisations, yet many international NGOs with decades of experience remain blocked from entering and doing their jobs. Multiple aid groups say that bureaucracy is proving an obstacle in delivering the aid to where it is most needed. In March, Israel announced a registration process for all humanitarian organisations working in the Palestinian territories. Any groups seen to be delegitimising Israel, or employing someone who has called for a boycott of Israel in the last seven years, could lose their authorisation to operate. Milena Murr, spokesperson for aid group Mercy Corps, told The Independent it was exploring every possible avenue to scale up their response. However, we continue to face bureaucratic challenges linked to the interim period of the re-registration process, which has not been implemented as initially envisioned, she said. While these administrative barriers persist, our teams continue to focus on service delivery and will be prepared to move lifesaving assistance into Gaza and distribute it the moment access is granted. open image in gallery Food prices have shot up as the agreement struck last week shows signs of failing ( AP ) Israeli officials said Israel decided to slow aid and delay plans to reopen the border with Egypt because Hamas had been too slow to turn over the remains of dead hostages an issue that has placed enormous strain on the ceasefire this week. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel will not compromise and demanded that Hamas fulfil the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal about the return of hostages bodies. Food prices in Gaza have meanwhile shot up amid fears the ceasefire will not hold, after coming down last week in anticipation of an armistice. But food is not the only concern. With medical centres woefully under-supplied, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that infectious diseases in the enclave were spiralling out of control. Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the UNs health body, told the AFP news agency that there was a mammoth amount of work to do to tackle surging health conditions including meningitis and respiratory illnesses. open image in gallery Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from their homes by the war ( AP ) Balkhy stressed the urgent need for fuel, food, medical equipment, medications, medics and doctors in Gaza, with the enclaves health system decimated by two years of bombardment. Only 13 of 36 hospitals are even partially functioning despite the cessation of hostilities. With outbreaks of violence in Gaza in the last week there are fears that there may only be a limited time to deliver the support needed before the ceasefire fails. Abeer Etefa, spokesperson for the WFP, said: The ceasefire has opened a narrow window of opportunity, and WFP is moving very quickly and swiftly to scale up food assistance. The WFP was able to get some 560 tons of food per day on average into Gaza, she said on Friday, but some areas were still unreachable. The UN has a further 190,000 metric tons of aid waiting and ready to go in. Etefa said access to the north, including Gaza City, was extremely challenging, and that convoys were struggling to navigate damaged or blocked roads from the south. open image in gallery Palestinians are still awaiting news that aid groups can bring food and essentials through the Rafah crossing ( AP ) Then there is the ongoing issue of the Rafah crossing, which had been due to reopen but has yet to do so. COGAT said this was being coordinated between Israel and Egypt in accordance with the ceasefire deal. But a date has still not been set and even when it reopens it will only allow for the movement of people across the border, not aid. It should be emphasised that humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah Crossing, a COGAT spokesperson said. This was never agreed upon at any stage. Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and additional crossings following Israeli security inspection, in full compliance with the signed agreement. The IDF, through COGAT, will continue to uphold its commitment to the agreement in accordance with the directives of the political echelon. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump has urged Israel's parliament to turn its military success against Hamas into peace. Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages on Monday under a ceasefire deal, a big step towards ending two years of ruinous war in Gaza Israels military said it had received all hostages confirmed to be alive after their transfer from Gaza by the Red Cross. It prompted cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv. Some of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed by Israel as part of the accord, ahead of a summit in Egypt to cement the ceasefire, began arriving in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, some hoisted on the shoulders of delighted relatives. Trump addresses Israeli Parliament "The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace," Trump told the Knesset, Israel's parliament, saying a "long nightmare" for both Israelis and Palestinians was over. "Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East," he said before his planned trip to Egypt for the summit. However, formidable obstacles remain even to a resolution of the Gaza conflagration, let alone to the wider, generations-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict or other longstanding schisms running through the Middle East. open image in gallery President Donald Trump clasps hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset ( Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool ) Follow-up summit to address Gazas future The release of hostages and Palestinian detainees was pivotal to the first phase of the Gaza accord concluded last week in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where Monday's summit will take place. Over 20 world leaders will weigh how to carry out the next steps under Trump's 20-point blueprint for an end to the war. The deal came two years after the October 7, 2023 cross-border Hamas assault that killed 1,200 people with 251 taken hostage, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Israeli airstrikes, bombardments and ground offensives have since killed over 67,000 Palestinians, the enclave's health officials say, and laid waste to much of the enclave. A global hunger monitor said Gaza City and surrounding areas are suffering from a famine afflicting over half a million Palestinians, and most of Gaza's 2.2 million people are homeless. Aid supplies are meant to flow more smoothly into the enclave under Trump's plan. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher underlined the need to "get shelter and fuel to people who desperately need it and to massively scale up the food and medicine and other supplies going in." The war has also reshaped the Middle East through spillover Israeli conflicts with Iran, Lebanon's Tehran-backed Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. Trump also floated the idea of a peace deal between arch Middle East enemies Iran and Israel to the Knesset, saying he thought Iran wanted one and adding, "Wouldn't it be nice?" open image in gallery President Donald Trump listens as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Knesset ( Evan Vucci/Pool via REUTERS ) Joy and relief on both sides Beaming with relief and joy, two hostages waved to cheering crowds from vans on the way to an Israeli hospital, one hoisting a large Israeli flag then forming a heart with his hands. Video footage captured emotional scenes of families receiving phone messages from their loved ones as they were being released, their faces lighting up with disbelief and hope after months of anguish. "I am so excited. I am full of happiness. It's hard to imagine how I feel this moment. I didn't sleep all night," said Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, as she travelled to Reim, an Israeli military camp where hostages were being transferred. Most of the freed Palestinians were detained during the war, but the group included 250 prisoners convicted of involvement in deadly attacks or held under suspicion of security offences. Palestinians rushed to embrace prisoners freed by Israel. Several thousand gathered inside and around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, some waving Palestinian flags, others holding photos of their relatives. Fighting back tears, one woman who asked to be identified as Um Ahmed said she had said "mixed feelings" about the day. "I am happy for our sons who are being freed, but we are still in pain for all the those who had been killed by the occupation, and all the destruction that happened to our Gaza," she told Reuters by voice note. open image in gallery People gather to greet freed Palestinian prisoners arriving on buses in the Gaza Strip after their release from Israeli jails ( AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi ) What are the pitfalls? Washington mediated the agreement along with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, with the next phase calling for an international body - a "Board of Peace" led by Trump. Much could still go wrong. Further steps over which previous truce efforts stumbled have yet to be agreed, including how the densely populated coastal territory will be governed once fighting ends, and the ultimate fate of Hamas. Hamas' appearance with militants gathered at Nasser Hospital underscored the likely difficulty of assuaging Israeli concerns about the Islamist militant group's continued hold over Gaza, where it has ruled since 2007. Hamas gunmen launched a security crackdown in Gaza City after Israel's pullback, killing 32 members of a rival group, a Palestinian security source said. As he entered the Knesset, Trump said Hamas would comply with a provision under his plan for it to disarm, although the group has ruled this out before Palestinians achieve statehood. Trump's envoys met Hamas negotiators in Sharm el-Sheikh before the ceasefire was agreed, a senior Palestinian official familiar with the matter said. Further sticking points may include Israel's own continued withdrawal from Gaza, and moves towards the creation of an adjacent Palestinian state, an outcome many Israelis reject. Bodies of some of the 26 confirmed dead hostages, and another two whose fate was unknown, will also be released on Monday. A committee has been established to locate some bodies likely lost in the wreckage of Gaza. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice World leaders, diplomatic insiders, and much of the media are celebrating a ceasefire in Gaza calling it a peace deal and endorsing President Donald Trumps now unsuccessful campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize. After the release of all the living Israeli hostages by Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Knesset cheered the arrival of the US president in Israel, heaping platitude after platitude on him, claiming that his election meant that overnight, everything changed. US secretary of state Marco Rubio insisted the turning point came when Trump convened meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September. The president had some extraordinary phone calls and meetings that required a high degree of intensity and commitment and made this happen, Rubio said. As the deal emerged, Trump let it be known that it was his conversations with Netanyahu when he told him, you cant fight the world, Bibi, that also played a part. Yet even Trump himself seemed to acknowledge that it wasnt all just down to the art of the deal when he said: So many different things happened that were so amazing. Its a lot of talent involved, Ill tell you. But there was a certain degree of luck, too. You know, you need luck also. There is such a thing as luck. open image in gallery Trump said there was a lot of talent and luck involved in the peace deal ( AP ) The Knesset lifted up the prospect of the Nobel peace prize again. The most detailed argument for The Donald to get the Norwegian gong came from an Israeli hostage negotiator who said it was only the current US president who could have delivered on a deal that was on the desk of his predecessor a year ago. On the face of it, Gershon Baskins revelations, which he published on social media, show that Trump succeeded where Joe Biden failed. This deal could have been done a long time ago, he wrote. Hamas agreed to all of the same terms in September 2024. But at that point the response of the Israeli negotiators was that the prime minister did not agree to end the war. That Netanyahu refused the deal a year ago and that Biden failed to make him take it is not new. But it does reinforce the idea that Biden was weak and that only Trump could have held Bibis feet to the fire to get him to agree to end the slaughter in Gaza, and to get the remaining hostages, dead and alive, back home. I met with members of the American negotiating team in October 2024, and they were as frustrated as I was in their inability to convince Biden and Bidens people to look seriously at the deal on the table, said Baskin, who was running back-channel negotiations for the release of hostages with Hamas at the time. The Independents sources have confirmed that Bidens own staff were deeply frustrated at his refusal to put pressure on Netanyahu to limit his military campaign in Gaza to a few weeks after the October 7 atrocities. Biden, they said, would not take their advice and sided with Netanyahu. open image in gallery Benjamin Netanyahu meets Joe Biden in the White House in October 2024 ( AP ) A year later, with much (but not all) of Gaza in ruins, Baskins proposals, thrashed out with the help of Qatar, were getting nowhere in the White House. Hamas was ready for a deal to release all of the hostages, not to govern Gaza any longer and to end the war. But Israel was not ready, says Baskin. Exactly. A year ago, Netanyahu had not seen his military achieve what he wanted from them. The far-right elements of his government want Gaza depopulated so that they can absorb the strip into the Israeli state. For him, Gaza was not yet flattened enough to meet his tactical aim which was, and is, the annihilation of any militants ability to attack Israel again for the next couple of decades. This is not a quest for peace it is the absence of threat. Baskin went on to argue that it was clear only the Trump administration could deliver Israeli support for a ceasefire that Hamas had agreed to. On December 26, 2024, it was clear to me that the only way that the war would come to an end is when President Trump makes the decision that it has to end... The Israeli side would accept whatever Trump forced them to accept. That last sentence is the argument that underpins the Trump for Nobel argument. It can be true and nonsense at the same time. Hamas is an extremist organisation that fetishises martyrdom for itself and the population it rules in Gaza. But by October last year it had clearly had enough. It wanted to survive as a movement and had achieved its aim of provoking a clash of civilisations with Israel and forcing the Palestinian issue back onto the world agenda. open image in gallery Palestinians attempt to return to the north after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect on 10 October 2025 ( Reuters ) In September this year, with Trump eight months into office, Baskin says he was getting Hamas close to accepting a ceasefire deal and longer-term peace, but was thwarted when Israel bombed Doha, targeting the chief Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. That bombing shows that Israel had contempt for Trump. It showed that the US was being played while Israel continued to smash Gaza and the Hamas leadership. For over a year I believed that if President Trump decides that the war has to end, Trump will force Netanyahu into the agreement. That is exactly what happened. Really? A more straightforward view would be that Netanyahu achieved what he set out to do which is to make the Gaza Strip, home to 2.2 million people, unliveable. At least 80 per cent of its buildings, including all of its hospitals, have been destroyed in what the United Nations has said is a genocide. Israels prime minister even endorsed Trumps loopy scheme to move Gazans out of Gaza and turn it into a holiday resort. When the shooting and the bombing stop, Gazans will leave the smoking rubble of their homeland in huge numbers and for ever. That, for Netanyahu, will be a victory in itself and one that he could not guarantee a year ago, but he sure can now. On top of that, he has headed off a growing global chorus calling for boycotts, disinvestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. Sure, for now, Gazans can stay in Gaza. There will be plans to rebuild it. Gulf autocracies will stump up billions for the effort while Israel blocks most reconstruction efforts in the name of its own security (not unreasonably, as Hamas used building funds to make its network of terror tunnels). Talks about a future Palestinian state will be protracted, and continue while Israel continues to annex chunks of the West Bank, while the tired and broken masses of Gaza emigrate to anywhere they can live behind four walls, not tent canvas. "President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize we can breathe again, says Baskin. Trump has delivered the conditions for what Netanyahu will consider a victory, but the hardest part comes next in determining peace for either Israelis or their nearest neighbours. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice SpaceX is set to launch the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built this evening, in what will be a critical test of Nasas plans to send humans to the Moon by 2027 and Elon Musks hopes of making it to Mars. Starships eleventh flight test is scheduled to lift off from the companys Starbase facility in Texas at 6.15pm local time (12.15am BST on Tuesday), following a similar 60-minute flight profile to the previous flight test in August. Starships tenth flight test took a significant step forward in developing the worlds first fully reusable launch vehicle, SpaceX said. The upcoming flight will build on the successful demonstrations from Starships tenth flight test with flight experiments gathering data for the next generation Super Heavy booster, stress-testing Starships heatshield, and demonstrating maneuvers that will mimic the upper stages final approach for a future return to launch site. The Super Heavy booster is expected to splashdown in the Gulf of America, while the main Starship craft will perform a water landing in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX is developing Starship to deliver crew and cargo to the surface of the Moon as part of Nasas Artemis program. A series of setbacks in earlier Starship tests forced the US space agency to push back its schedule for the lunar landing, which was originally scheduled to take place in 2024. open image in gallery SpaceX performed a static fire test of its Starship rocket at the company's Starbase facility in Texas on 22 September, 2025 ( SpaceX ) Challenges with the development of the Starship Human Landing System (HLS) mean the crewed flight is now expected to take place no earlier than mid-2027, though former director of Mission Operations at Nasa Paul Hill said it may be even later than that. The HLS schedule is significantly challenged and, in our estimation, could be years late for a 2027 Artemis 3 Moon landing, he said at a recent meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. SpaceX boss Elon Musk eventually hopes to use a fleet of Starship rockets to establish a permanent human colony on Mars, with the first human flights expected to take place as early as 2029, according to the tech billionaire. The latest Starship launch will be live streamed on SpaceXs website, as well as on its official X page. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A video shows the shocking moment an airport worker lost control of a refueling hose, spraying gallons of highly flammable fuel across an American Airlines plane and the tarmac at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport over the weekend. Video shared on social media shows the hose whipping violently beneath the plane, spewing fuel for more than a minute as the worker struggles to regain control before stepping back. The terrifying incident happened on Saturday while the worker was refueling an American Eagle aircraft parked at a gate in Terminal E of the Texas airport. No one was injured. American Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement to The New York Post. We are looking into the incident with DFW Airport and the airports fueling contractor, Menzies, and worked together on the cleanup per procedure, according to the statement. open image in gallery An airport worker lost control of a refueling hose, spraying gallons of flammable fuel on a plane over the weekend ( Dallas Fort Worth Airport ) open image in gallery Video shared on social media shows the hose whipping violently beneath the plane as it spurts out gallons of fuel ( Dallas Fort Worth Airport ) A spokesperson for Dallas-Fort Worth Airport told The Post that the spill was quickly contained by the airports safety systems and the surface was cleaned. The exact amount of fuel spilled has not yet been determined. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Long queues have built up at one of the few EU airports where the new entry-exit system was planned to take effect on day one. The Schengen area digital borders scheme is being gradually rolled out across Europe, but three countries have said they will start fingerprinting and photographing all third-country nationals from the outset: the Czech Republic, Estonia and Luxembourg. Prague airport is by far the busiest location intending to apply the entry-exit system in full to arrivals. Passengers from the first few UK flights to touch down in the Czech capital on Sunday morning told The Independent they had gone through the normal analogue checks without a significant wait. Dozens of border registration machines have been installed at Terminal 1 of Prague airport to record biometrics. The aim is that arriving travellers will provide their fingerprints and facial biometrics ahead of the passport control desks. But the authorities ordered passport staff to start recording the biometrics at their posts rather than using the kiosks. Queues quickly built up as arrivals from British airports, as well as Turkey, Egypt and the UAE, converged on the passport desks. At the terminal, arriving and departing passengers mingled. Stuart Linden Rhodes, who was at the airport to fly to Leeds Bradford, observed the queues. He told The Independent: All machines still switched off, heading to an hour now. Fingers and eyes being done at the passport control desk. open image in gallery Waiting game: the international arrivals area at Prague airport ( Simon Calder ) Passengers from London initially reported waiting about an hour for their biometrics to be collected, and for their passports to be inspected and stamped. But Hamilton Nash, who arrived later from London, said: Just fought through the queues. No machines operating. Its an hour to 90-minute-long queue. They just started allowing Australian and British passport holders to use the EU channel to ease the congestion in the airport. The entry-exit system applies to travellers leaving the Schengen area as well as arriving. But Mr Linden Rhodes reported that his biometrics were not recorded on departure. Usual exit, glare at you and then your passport before stamping it, he said. Starting on Sunday 12 October, Schengen area member states have 180 days to make all their frontiers EES-compliant. The faces and fingerprints of third-country nationals, including British passport holders, are stored on a central EU database. Senior travel figures have warned of long waits. Michael OLeary, chief executive of Ryanair, told The Independent: Im pretty certain its going to go wrong. But he added: Were moving into the winter period, so theres a lot less pressure on, but I think it will be bumpy and lumpy through the winter. open image in gallery Experts are warning passengers should arrive up to four hours early as the new EES system is rolled out ( Stuart Linden Rhodes ) Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Abta, the travel association, said: Im afraid there will undoubtedly be some delays as this new entry and exit system for the Schengen area comes into effect. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, advised leaving yourself between three and four hours from the point of entry before continuing with travel plans. She told the BBC Today programme: If youre not leaving yourself enough time and you unfortunately arrive at an airport where there is a bottleneck, which in a lot of places there are already, this is going to add another layer of frustration and delay. The Schengen area comprising most of the EU plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland has 1,800 border crossings, with more than 500 million entries and exits a year. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Steeped in history with features that are almost futuristically modern, this central London icon is the perfect spot for a summertime swim over the citys skyline. Location The Berkeley is just a five-minute walk from both the Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner Underground stations, or just a 10-minute drive from Victoria railway station. And whilst many visitors will relish the hotels proximity to Harvey Nichols, Harrods, and the general bustle of central London, others will be more enticed by its closeness to the vast greenery of Hyde Park, a welcome dose of calm amid the hubbub. Read more: I live in London and these are the best things I discovered you can do for free The vibe open image in gallery Patisseries from the Cedric Grolet counter make for a picture-perfect Instagram post ( The Berkeley ) The Berkeley is a glorious paradox. On the one hand, it has all the old-time stature of the citys grand dames, and on the other, its a showcase of cutting-edge innovation. The hotels charm and longevity it is more than 125 years old lies in its ability to celebrate the past while constantly setting standards for the future. Each of the Berkeleys 180 rooms and suites boasts a Toto toilet a high-tech loo with an in-built, sensor-operated bidet system, which washes and dries its user, much to my bemusement. Still, it continues to honour the traditions which have helped seal its reputation over the years, namely its bowler hat-wearing doormen and extravagant high tea. And, like all of the most legendary London landmarks, it attracts people from all over the world. Service The Berkeley is big and bustling, so it needs to run like a well-oiled ship, and it does. The hotel has won multiple awards for its service, and staff on the whole were as helpful and accommodating as youd expect from a 5* hotel, with attendants jumping to offer us impromptu tours of the facilities or to teach us how to work the baffling lift to the spa and fitness suite. Read more: Londons secret spots a locals guide to visiting the capital Bed and bath open image in gallery All rooms at the Berkeley come with a king-sized bed ( The Berkeley ) The Berkeley boasts 180 rooms and suites with 19 different categories to choose from, from an elegant but relatively simple standard room to a two-bedroom penthouse with its own glass pavilion. All rooms include a king-sized bed, a mini-bar stocked with British treats and complimentary soft drinks, a Smeg coffee machine and a Dyson hairdryer. Plus, you get complimentary use of the Berkeleys house car service, should you fancy a central London jaunt. Generally, the aesthetic is quasi-Japanese, with its rich wood panelling and immaculate platform beds. However, the Italian marble-clad bathrooms are more in keeping with the classic opulence one might expect from a swanky Knightsbridge hotel. You cant fault the bathrooms for functionality. All rooms are equipped with a bath and showerhead or a separate shower room, and dont forget those extraordinary Toto toilets. Read more: The best hotels in London, from grand dames to perfect pubs with rooms Food and drink open image in gallery La Mome, The Berkeleys Mediterranean restaurant ( The Berkeley ) Dinner at the Berkeleys glitzy new restaurant, La Mome, aims to recreate the sunny decadence of the Cote dAzure by way of live music and rich, classic food. Waiters endlessly circulate with carving stations and platters to theatrically present plates of caviar, carpaccio and Chateaubriand. Meanwhile, the crooning Michael Buble covers from the chanteur at the piano were suitably naff but charming. Over the spring and summer months, guests can enjoy poolside drinks and small plates up on the rooftop. Think Aperol spritzes and Dorset crab salad savoured between dips. Down on the Bar and Terraces outdoor seating, chicken katsu sandwiches, and Angus beef sliders may be good stomach liners, but be warned, youll need a stiff drink to swallow the menus price list. That said, you dont come to the Berkeley for modesty or moderation. Just take the 85 Goutea a lavish high tea served in the hotels ground floor cafe. Master patissier Cedric Grolets breakfast pastries are similarly jaw-dropping in their laminated complexity. Understandably, this viennoisserie forms the crux of Berkeleys breakfast offering, but there are other options too, including a full English breakfast, cereals, fruit and acai bowls. Facilities open image in gallery A gold leaf ceiling encloses Surrennes 22-metre indoor pool ( The Berkeley ) The Berkeley technically doesnt have its own spa or gym. Rather, guests are granted access to Surrenne, a super-slick four-floor private members club located in the next-door Emory hotel via a dedicated iPad-operated lift. Here, there is a state-of-the-art gym and a multi-functional studio equipped with a wall-length screen which broadcasts virtual classes from beauty spots around the world. The spa also features seven treatment rooms, offering a range of services from FaceGym facials to brain performance therapy. However, Surrennes real piece de resistance is the indoor pool: 22 metres of azure, skylight-lit perfection which shimmers beneath a gold leaf ceiling. Read more: Where can I swim in London? The best pools, from lidos to hotel rooftops Disability access The Berkeley provides accessible parking and a drop-off point at the main entrance, but doesnt have specially adapted rooms for disabled guests. However, there are a number of spacious rooms with walk-in showers and wooden floors, which are prioritised for guests in wheelchairs. The hotel also has ramps which staff can install where necessary, and all floors can be reached via elevator. Pet policy Pets are allowed in the Berkeleys rooms and suites, but not in the bars and restaurants. Assistance dogs are also welcome. Check in/check out? Check-in 10am; check-out 12pm. Family-friendly? The hotel boasts its own childrens concierge, tasked with curating fun itineraries for younger guests. There are also special rates for families booking second or interconnecting rooms, and extras including personalised welcome treats and organic baby toiletries. The restaurants offer kids menus, and children are permitted to use the rooftop pool during specific time slots. At a glance open image in gallery Italian marble-clad bathrooms in The Berkeley bedrooms ( The Berkeley ) Best thing: The pools the rooftop and Surrennes. Perfect for: Couples looking for lavish escapism. Not right for: Fans of quirky boutique hotels. Instagram from: The ground floor cafe while enjoying a Goutea. Address: Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7RL Phone: 020 7235 6000 Website: the-berkeley.co.uk Read more: After 20 years, I thought I knew London then I walked the Capital Ring Donald Trump did battle with an uncooperative umbrella as he boarded Air Force One during a storm on his way to the Middle East. The President appeared to struggle to close the umbrella as a noreaster hit Washington DC and the east coast on Sunday night. Trump tried in vain to close the contraption before seemingly giving up and handing it to an aide. Trump then departed for a victory lap in Israel and Egypt after successfully negotiating the return of hostages from Gaza. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The hostages are free. That not the bombastic and performative speech given to the Knesset by Donald Trump, or the self-congratulatory and ingratiating performance by the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu was the most important event of a historic day. Stating that fact is not to take anything away from President Trumps personal diplomacy which has been a critical factor in delivering the ceasefire, the release of the hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and other detainees, and the hopes for a wider peace but it feels like a necessary corrective at a moment when, understandably, emotions are running high and the air is thick with hyperbole and sycophancy. The US president was entitled to have whats been widely described as his victory lap, but some sense of perspective is also required on what is, at best, the first day of the beginning of the end of a decades-long conflict. Arguably, indeed, this war could easily have ended more than a year ago had Mr Netanyahu really wanted it to, and had Joe Biden coerced him into ending it. That it was President Trump, rather than President Biden, who bullied the Israeli government adds some irony to the warm atmosphere earlier today in the Knesset chamber. President Biden always said he had Israels back, and he meant it; President Trumps support is more conditional on Israel doing as America demands. It was not, in truth, much of a celebration for Mr Netanyahu, to whom no one should be grateful. It cannot have been his desire, and must surely have been far from his calculations, that he should end up with his supposed ally Mr Trump launching a plan that has as its aim an implicit two-state solution and an eventual independent state of Palestine. For his own political purposes, and to avoid returning to an Israeli courtroom on corruption charges, it would have suited Mr Netanyahu well to continue indefinitely the war against Hamas though in reality, it involved bombing and starving Palestinian civilians. That is why his name was jeered in Hostages Square when Steve Witkoff, the US presidents envoy, attempted to give him some credit for the end to hostilities. To a considerable extent the Trump peace plan now being imposed on Israel is the result of Benjamin Netanyahus own disastrous actions ( Getty ) To a considerable extent, the Trump peace plan now being imposed on Israel is the result of Mr Netanyahus own disastrous actions. Israel became so diplomatically isolated, and its conduct of the war so intolerable to the Gulf states, that the US president had no alternative but to tell the Israeli leader to stop. Mr Trump coated that truth with some humour, but the message he delivered to the MPs and ministers assembled at the Knesset was clear: America is in charge, and Israels interests now come second to those of Americas wider regional strategy, even if on this occasion the two happily coincide. Israel, because of its alienation from previously friendly Western powers, is more than ever a protectorate of the United States a status that guarantees its existence, but not its endless expansion or a permanent state of war. It was one of President Trumps predecessors, George HW Bush, who famously found the vision thing irksome and setting aside his own vainglorious tendencies, Mr Trump is also not a natural at delivering shining rhetoric about lofty purpose either. But, at least in the more scripted passages of his address, the current US president did project the image of a bright, tranquil and prosperous future for the entire region, underpinned by the regional superpowers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and indeed Israel, although under US tutelage. As with his building projects, so with his peace plans Donald Trump prefers them the bigger, the better. As he is at pains to stress, this is more than the typical hostages-for-prisoners deal attached to a brief ceasefire. It isnt just about this war being over, as he declared on Air Force One as it crossed the Atlantic. The Trump peace plan is designed to see Israel recognised by all of its neighbours through an expanded series of Abraham Accords, an implicit two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine question, and the rebuilding of Gaza. Of course, all of this is to assume that the Trump plan succeeds where so many others have foundered. That is hardly a given. Time and again we have seen painstakingly constructed efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East evaporate after a promising start. This, too, may prove to have been another false dawn, as so much has yet to be agreed, with the disarmament of Hamas one of the key issues still to be resolved. President Trump even posits the possibility of Iran joining the process, convinced that, despite its nuclear facility having been bombed and the icy hostility of the Islamic state towards the Great Satan, they wanna deal and hes the man to strike it. For now, what President Trump has achieved albeit with some luck, and a certain war-weariness among the combatants is reason enough for him to enjoy thanks and praise. But it would be a surprise if there were no disappointments, setbacks or violence in the months and years ahead. An impatient man, Mr Trump will have to accept that his peacemaking work will not be done for some time to come. Maybe then, the superlatives will sound a little more convincing. Go to Kosovo today, and among men in their mid-twenties, you will find a disproportionate number of them named Tonibler. It isnt a traditional Slavic name, but after the vital role that Tony Blair played in prosecuting the war against the Yugoslav leader, Slobodan Milosevic, in 1999, a new generation was called Tonibler. What chance is there that a new generation of children born in Gaza and Israel in the next few months and years will bear that most un-Levantine name, Donald? I can think of one person who would feel the warmest of warm glows if that were to come to pass. And lets give Donald Trump his due: his unconventional methods of diplomacy, his force of personality, his brow-beating of Bibi Netanyahu have got us to the point where we are today. open image in gallery Donald Trump arrives in Tel Aviv after his 20-point plan has led to a ceasefire and hostage exchange in Gaza ( AP ) Donald Trump is having a lovely, warm, soapy bath in the narrative that he is the peacemaker and deal-maker extraordinaire. Fair enough; he should be revelling in this moment. But the importance of timing in politics cant be overestimated. If you look at the deal that Trump has strong-armed Israel into signing up to, it is not so different from the one that Joe Biden put on the table a year ago. Why has Trump succeeded where Biden failed? Yes, his personality. But also timing. A year ago, Netanyahu thought he didnt need a deal. But after the haemorrhaging of support following the grotesque attempts to starve the Palestinian people into submission, and then the imbecilic missile attack on the Hamas mission in Qatar, Israel had never looked more isolated. That gave Trump the opening he sought, the leverage only he could apply. About 15 years ago, I went to Israel to interview Tony Blair, who, as leader of the Middle East Quartet, had been tasked with trying to find peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We travelled around the West Bank together, and he was clear-sighted that a two-state solution was achievable. Everyone knew what the shape of an agreement looked like; the problem was you needed the stars to align, for the two sides to be willing to take a chance, to roll the dice. Netanyahu nodded about a two-state solution, but then did everything to scupper it. Back when he was president, Bill Clinton thought he had a deal, but then the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, backed away, fearful that he wouldnt be able to sell it. Look at Northern Ireland, where Tony Blair succeeded with the Good Friday Agreement. Yes, it was painstaking, yes there were moments when it would seem like there would be failure. And yes, there were issues that were fudged like the decommissioning of IRA weapons. But there was a will on all sides to give it a go. The constellation of stars was in alignment that Easter. open image in gallery Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House ( Win McNamee/Getty ) That brings us to the other point. The hostages released today is not the end of this; it is just the beginning. The pile of unanswered questions is long. Will Hamas disarm? Will Israel leave the security of the Gaza Strip to this technocratic body? Who is going to appoint these technocrats to run Gaza? How do you keep the militants out? Who is going to pay for the reconstruction? How long will it take and how much will it cost? Remember, the peace plan has 20 points to it. If you cast your mind back to those historic events in Northern Ireland in 1998, the signing of the Good Friday Agreement was the first step. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) would have to become the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the weapons would have to be decommissioned, and there was the painful process of releasing political prisoners. And then power sharing in Stormont. Today, 27 years on, there are still tensions. But the peace has largely held, because the politicians kept working at it. No one can doubt the force of Trumps personality and determination to bring this conflict to an end. But there is a question over whether he has the political bandwidth and attention span to continue to make that 20-point plan a reality; to bring the peace for an eternity as he has promised? The president can zoom in on a subject with enormous intensity but get bored with it equally quickly. We all feel we have attention deficit disorder with the Trump presidency, as one subject after another gains our undivided attention, only to be replaced by another, hours later. This is undoubtedly the best chance for peace and I salute Donald Trump unequivocally for getting this far. But the harder perhaps less headline-grabbing grunt work begins now. And Donald Trump, we all know, is an inveterate headline chaser. I hope Im wrong. All politicians love to think about legacy. If a durable, just and lasting peace is what Donald Trump bequeaths the world, then give him the Nobel Peace Prize, and make it the biggest, shiniest, most beautiful 24-carat gold medal those Norwegians have ever made. He will have earned it. Bank of Ireland (BoI) has completed an 81m refinancing of the 601-bed Kavanagh Court student accommodation development in Dublin, marking a decade of partnership with Global Student Accommodation (GSA). The refinancing brings BoIs total funding in the student accommodation sector to more than 700m, which has supported the delivery of over 7,000 beds nationwide, it said, Cork-based Nualight has freed 3.6m up to give to shareholders Feeling growing that the company owners will sell, with Eamonn Quinn among those who would benefit most Eamonn Quinn sold Superquinn in 2005 John Mulligan Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Cork-based commercial lighting solutions company Nualight has freed up 3.6m to distribute to its shareholders, with indications that the company owners could be preparing it for a possible sale. Adrian Weckler: Worthy EU regulations only serve to make the USA and China richer as we grow poorer Tech, still the worlds main driver of growth, is suffocating in Europe Mario Draghi Adrian Weckler Sun 12 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Just over a year ago, the former Italian prime minister and European Central Bank president Mario Draghi unleashed a 401-page report warning about the decline of European business, blaming red tape. 59pc of Uisce Eireanns treatment plants did not consistently meet the environmental standards required under their licences Farm leaders say the report highlights the Governments failure to tackle its own pollution problems while continuing to penalise farmers over water quality. Farm organisations have reacted angrily to the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) recent report on urban wastewater treatment, saying the scale of pollution from public systems exposes glaring double standards in how water quality is managed in Ireland. The EPAs Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2024 report shows that 59pc of Uisce Eireanns treatment plants did not consistently meet the environmental standards required under their licences. Almost half of those failures, the agency said, were due to poor operational management rather than lack of infrastructure. While the EPA said investment at priority sites has led to progress, including halving the volume of raw sewage discharges since early 2024, it warned that delays in upgrading many more plants are prolonging negative impacts on water quality across rivers, estuaries and coastal waters. But farm leaders say it highlights the governments failure to tackle its own pollution problems while continuing to penalise farmers over water quality. IFA environment chair John Murphy said the scale of preventable discharges from public wastewater systems was completely unacceptable and undermined the efforts being made by farmers to protect rivers and lakes. It is clear that far too many treatment plants remain poorly managed, posing unacceptable risks to water quality and public health, he said. This level of discharge reflects the increased reporting and videos weve seen of wastewater flowing into water bodies. Its not good enough that public systems are failing on such a scale. Mr Murphy acknowledged progress made by Uisce Eireann in ending raw sewage discharges in towns such as Arklow and Kilrush, but said operational failures could and should be fixed immediately. For decades, farmers have been made the whipping boys for falling water quality Farmers are under huge pressure to deliver improvements on their side. The same urgency must apply to the public system if we want a fair and effective approach to improving water quality, he said. ICMSA president Denis Drennan accused the State of hypocrisy and said farmers were reading the EPAs report in stunned astonishment. For decades, farmers have been made the whipping boys for falling water quality inspected, fined and prosecuted while another arm of the State is directly responsible for discharging inadequately treated sewage into rivers and beaches, he said. Have their summons got lost in the post? Mr Drennan said it was a classic case of physician, heal thyself, arguing that the State cannot demand strict compliance from farmers while excusing its own breaches. The EPA will publish its flagship Water Quality in Ireland Report 2019-2024 today. According to the report, just over half (52pc) of surface waters are in satisfactory ecological condition, which is a deterioration from the previous assessment for 2016-2021, where 54pc of surface waterbodies met their water quality objectives. It says excess nutrients from agriculture, urban wastewater and other human activities remains the biggest challenge, followed by changes to physical habitat conditions. It also says there is evidence that nutrient levels are reducing in areas where actions are being targeted, which is very welcome. The scale and pace of implementation needs to be increased. Family of retired farmer Tom Niland didnt recognise him in hospital after killers brutal attack, sentencing told The treasured Sligo man died 20 months after he was set upon by a gang in January, 2022One cousin said she remembers Mr Niland in hospital struggling to breathe in pain with tears rolling down his faceThe family said they can only hope that some justice will be served for Tom Tom Niland Robin Schiller Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 19:27 The family of a retired farmer who died 20 months after being violently attacked by a gang in his Sligo home didn't recognise him in hospital due to the severity of his injuries. Four-year sentence handed down to man for systematic, calculated sexual abuse of his stepdaughters was too lenient, State argues Nevins stepdaughters, Catalina Grancea and Alexa Grancea waived their right to anonymity to allow Nevin to be named Gerard Nevin (IrishPhotoDesk.ie) Fiona Magennis Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 17:08 The four-year sentence handed down to a man for the systematic and calculated sexual abuse of his stepdaughters from when they were aged seven and eight left was too lenient and should be increased, the State has argued. Tanya Sweeney: When I moved to London in 1997 it swallowed me whole and spat me out for todays Irish twentysomethings its so much easier LATEST | Man and teenager charged over death of father of four Barry Daly in Cork Victim Barry Daly was found inside a gate at a property in Doneraile, Mallow in the early hours of Sunday morning Gardai awaiting post-mortem examination, but the resources of a murder inquiry have been assigned to the caseGardai probe whether the father of four was killed after row in Co Cork pub Barry Daly was found dead in suspicious circumstances in Doneraile, Co Cork, on Sunday morning. Robin Schiller Tue 14 Oct 2025 at 16:50 A man and a teenager have been charged over the death of a father of four in Mallow, Co Cork. Green politician accuses sections of Catherine Connolly campaign of far-right tactics Fears that asking legitimate questions of the presidential candidate is being framed as smears and attacks Catherine Connolly warns of politics of fear after Humphreys says rival insulted allies Mary Regan and Grainne Ni Aodha Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 06:30 A Green Party politician has accused parts of Catherine Connollys campaign of employing far-right tactics to dismiss those who ask legitimate questions as being engaged in a smear. Photos posted on Instagram by citizen scientists are tracking an invasive plant species that is highly harmful to Irelands native plants and disruptive for pollinators. By analysing over 1,700 photos from social media and citizen science platforms, scientists at the University of Galway discovered that the colourful carpobrotus plant often seen brightening up holiday photos flowers for much longer in regions it has invaded than in its native South Africa. An Coimisiun Pleanala has approved the development of a high-rise extension at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) which will provide 96 new acute inpatient beds, despite objections by some local residents who complained about the proposed height of the building. Connolly gets warm welcome on Wexford canvass but no sign of former Labour leader on home patch VoteSmart: Take our test to find out whether Catherine Connolly or Heather Humphreys best aligns with your views Excess nutrients from agriculture, urban wastewater and other human activities are the biggest challenge to achieving better water quality Water quality is continuing to decline across the country, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warning that Ireland is currently set to miss EU and national water quality goals. The country will fail to meet the target of restoring all waters to good or better status by 2027 if the scale and pace of progress is not improved, a new EPA report has found. We have spice bags, Daniel ODonnell in the ladies toilets and Kneecap love us Boston pub becomes first Irish bar to make prestigious US list The Donegal duo behind the gastropub are bringing a taste of Ireland to city and have just made New York Times best American restaurant list McGonagle's owner Oran McGonagle (right) with business partner and head chef Aidan McGee. Photo: Amy Donohoe Amy Donohoe Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 06:30 For the first time ever, an Irish bar has made history by being named on the New York Times best American restaurant list, less than 12 months after opening its doors, securing its place in the culinary history books. China sees better living environment, emerging new real estate model, stable construction growth in 2021-2025 Xinhua) 11:01, October 13, 2025 Ni Hong, China's minister of housing and urban-rural development, and Dong Jianguo, Qin Haixiang and Li Xiaolong, all vice ministers of housing and urban-rural development, attend a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality housing and urban-rural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin) BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China has made solid progress in meeting people's housing demands, fostering a new development model for the real estate sector, and driving steady growth in the construction industry. Since 2021, more than 11 million units of affordable and resettlement housing, including those for the redevelopment of "urban villages" and dilapidated residential areas, have been constructed across the country, benefiting over 30 million residents, according to a press conference on Saturday. Dong Jianguo, vice minister of housing and urban-rural development, told the press conference that China has built a multi-tiered housing security system for various groups, such as new city dwellers and young people, in a bid to meet people's basic housing needs. According to Dong, local governments have adopted differentiated real estate policies, adjusting and optimizing measures in line with their own conditions. Over the past years, a string of measures have been rolled out to support home purchases, such as reducing down payment ratios and mortgage rates, and offering tax rebates for "sell-to-buy" home upgrades. During the 2021-2025 period, the country recorded about 5 billion square meters of floor space in new commercial housing sales. Meanwhile, the existing home market has also grown rapidly, with 15 provincial regions now seeing more second-hand home transactions than new home sales. To address risks from stalled real estate projects, China has launched a nationwide campaign to guarantee that pre-sold homes are handed over on time. So far, more than 7.5 million previously delayed units have been completed and delivered, effectively safeguarding homebuyers' legitimate rights and interests, Dong said. Beyond building new homes, China has made progress in urban renewal. Since 2021, more than 240,000 aging residential communities have been renovated, benefiting over 40 million households, or 110 million people. The city upgrades included the installation of 129,000 elevators, the construction of over 3.4 million parking spaces, and the creation of 64,000 new community facilities, such as those for elderly care and childcare services. Meanwhile, 840,000 kilometers of underground pipelines for water, gas and heating have been renewed, along with the creation of over 18,000 pocket parks and 25,000 kilometers of urban greenways. Over the past years, the government has strived to meet not only people's basic housing needs but their growing aspirations for better living conditions, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong said. To ensure a stable and healthy property market, China has accelerated the development of a new model for the real estate sector, focusing on improving the housing supply system, reforming financing and sales mechanisms, and developing quality homes that are safe, comfortable, green and intelligent. Dong noted that the ministry has guided local authorities to assess the housing demand based on demographic changes, plan land supply scientifically, and allocate financial resources efficiently to help balance supply and demand and foster a healthy market. Under the effective policies and measures, China's construction industry has achieved stable expansion. In 2024, the sector's total output reached 32.7 trillion yuan (4.6 trillion U.S. dollars), up 24 percent from 2020. Between 2021 and 2024, the country completed 15.4 billion square meters of new building area, 79,000 kilometers of municipal roads, 3,429 kilometers of urban rail transit, 16,000 kilometers of railway, and 290,000 kilometers of highways, according to Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Li Xiaolong. Moreover, Chinese construction enterprises have made their mark on the international stage. From 2021 to 2024, they signed over 1 trillion U.S. dollars in overseas engineering contracts, generating 640 billion U.S. dollars in revenue. In 2025, 76 firms of the Chinese mainland were listed among the world's top 250 international contractors, including four in the top ten, Li said. Ni Hong, China's minister of housing and urban-rural development, and Dong Jianguo, Qin Haixiang and Li Xiaolong, all vice ministers of housing and urban-rural development, attend a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality housing and urban-rural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Journalists work at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality housing and urban-rural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin) A journalist asks questions at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on achievements in high-quality housing and urban-rural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xin) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Heres what you should know about the most modern digital border management system in the world An identity and fingerprint terminal is used during a preview of the newly developed Entry Exit System (EES) zone at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone, Kent. People from non-EU countries, including UK travellers, will face new EU border checks from October 12, which will involve having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the EU. Picture date: Tuesday September 23, 2025. (Photo by Gareth Fuller/PA Images via Getty Images) Passport holders from Britain, the US, Canada, Australia and elsewhere are now subject to the European Unions entry-exit system (EES). The digital border scheme for third country nationals began on Sunday, October 12 and has been described as the most modern digital border management system in the world by the European Commission: An automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals who are travelling to the EU for a short stay. Here are the key issues you need to know about... Whats the big idea? The long-awaited entry-exit system (EES) connects every frontier crossing point in the Schengen area (comprising all EU nations except Ireland and Cyprus, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) with a central database. It aims to crack down on crime and enforce the 90-day stay limit, which applies to British travellers and other third-country nationals, within any 180-day period. The system will collect or check biometrics from all third-country nationals when they either enter or leave at an external Schengen border. These borders include international airports, sea ports, railway stations and road crossings. On the first occasion on which the traveller comes into contact with the system, it will create a digital record: registering their face and fingerprints, along with personal data from their passport. (Under-12s are excused from providing fingerprints.) On subsequent crossings of the Schengen area border, the facial biometric will be checked against this record. What is the mechanism? Most travellers will register on kiosks installed at borders. You place the photo page of your passport as indicated, and then follow the instructions. On subsequent visits, you will either use a kiosk to confirm that your face and passport match the details stored on the system, or an eGate if these have been modified to perform the face-check for non-EU travellers. At some frontiers, you may instead have a face-to-face encounter with a border guard who will ask you to perform the biometric checks. What will I notice this week? Probably not a lot. The EES is being rolled out gradually over the course of 180 days, from October 12 to April 9, 2026. Initially, member states are only required to introduce the EES on a token basis. Germany is starting with Dusseldorf airport, while Spain will begin with a single flight arrival at Madrid airport on Sunday morning. Spain, the most popular nation for British holidaymakers, says: During the six-month trial period for the EU EES, it will be implemented gradually at Spanish border crossings, first at airports, then at land borders, and finally at sea borders. On Sunday, October 12, the first test will be conducted with passengers on a flight arriving at Madrid-Barajas-Adolfo Suarez Airport early in the morning. The Independent identified three countries that will be fully prepared from day one: the Czech Republic, Estonia and Luxembourg. For the first few weeks only a small proportion of travellers will be required to go through the entry-exit system. What happens to EU and Irish passport holders when the EES starts? The new system will not apply in Ireland (or, for the time being, Cyprus). For clarity, the procedure for Irish citizens will not change when entering the Schengen Area. As now, they will simply be matched with their passport or passport card. EU passport holders will breeze through the frontier via special lanes, where the only check will be a glance at their passport to check that a) its valid and b) its theirs. Just as it used to be for British passport holders before Brexit. If you have an EU passport, you can wave us all farewell and be in the bar or art gallery in record time. Do I need to prepare anything in advance? No. The key point to understand is that third-party nationals will not need to prepare anything ahead of time; just do what you are told at the airport. This is an additional layer of red tape at the port of entry. For the first six months, the old-style analogue business of checking and stamping passports will continue as normal but you may be asked for biometrics too. It will be another year before third country nationals have to enrol for an Etias euro visa ahead of a trip. What is Etias and when does it start? The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) is the next step in tightening frontier controls. It is an online permit, price 20, for third-country nationals who do not require visas. It is similar to the US Esta scheme, but valid for longer: three years. While those under 18 or over 70 will still need to apply for and hold an Etias, it will be free. In order to work, Etias requires EES to be fully operational. Once the entry-exit system is completed and is running smoothly, Etias is set to follow six months later. How long does my digital record last? For three years after an interaction with the EES. Each new visit triggers another three years of validity of the initial registration. In other words, if you dont cross a Schengen area frontier for three years, you will need to register again. Renewing a passport should not require you to register again. The system should update automatically when you present your new passport and the system checks your facial biometric. Note that my interpretation of the European Union legislation conflicts with the Home Office, which says: Registration is valid for a rolling three-year period or until the passport expires. Do I need to provide proof of travel insurance? Almost certainly not. The EES kiosks in the Eurostar terminal at London St Pancras International and at the Port of Dover ask travellers: Do you have medical insurance?. This has been a requirement to enter France (but no other EU country) for many years, and has never been enforced for UK visitors. The kiosks at Folkestone, for Eurotunnel crossings, are not asking this question. The UK government insists: Medical insurance will not be a mandatory requirement for UK citizens travelling to the EU under EES. However, we strongly recommend that all passengers purchase comprehensive travel insurance, including medical cover, before travelling abroad. What if I am on a cruise? If the voyage starts and ends in the UK, you should not need to use the entry-exit system. The Home Office says: Sailings that start and finish their journey outside of the Schengen area (for example, at a UK port) will generally be exempt from EES checks, including for any day trips into the Schengen area that are part of their itinerary. If you are on a fly cruise and are joining and/or leaving the ship in a Schengen area port, you will need to go through the entry-exit system at the Schengen frontier. News The despair that drove two childhood friends to suicide will never be known US president prompting Netanyahu to apologise for Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar was a pivotal moment People hold placards with pictures of hostages who were kidnapped in the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, at Hostages' Square in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun But one extraordinary phone call last month helped persuade Hamas that the US president might be able to hold Israel to a peace deal even if the group surrendered all the hostages that give it leverage in the war in Gaza, two Palestinian officials said. If our next president wants a role model, they should look to Douglas Hyde First post-independence head of state possessed an extraordinary emotional intelligence, a creative spark and an uncanny ability to connect with people Ireland's first president, Douglas Hyde. He was a pragmatic and astute man Maire Nic an Bhaird Sun 12 Oct 2025 at 06:30 When you hear the name Douglas Hyde, what comes to mind? Irelands first president? The driving force behind the Gaelic League? Perhaps scholars remember him as Professor of Modern Irish at University College Dublin, or theatre-goers as a witty conversationalist with WB Yeats and Lady Gregory. Councillors in Cobh are calling for stronger action against the owners of overgrown hedges, which they say pose a danger to people walking on footpaths in the Cork harbour town. At this weeks meeting of Cobh Municipal District (MD), Cllr Cathal Rasmussen brought forward a motion calling on the MD to send letters to property owners who let their hedges grow out onto footpaths. He said some sections of the town are very bad, including a place where briars are hanging on the wall, posing the danger that somebody loses their eye in the dark. Is there any stronger way that we have in dealing with this? I know it's advertised on the papers, but unfortunately people don't buy papers anymore. Is it possible that after the letter has been sent, can we have to follow up with a phone call? the Labour councillor asked. Cllr Dominic Finn seconded the motion. He said overgrown hedges are a serious issue in several areas of the town and impact in particular on a person who's visually impaired and is walking on that footpath and they can't see anything. Cllr Ger Curley said some of Cobhs untended hedges are very dangerous. I definitely think there has to be a fine or a threat of a fine to get this done. Cllr Sheila OCallaghan also supported the motion and said its not only farmers who need to cut their hedges. People assume that it's only the big hawthorn hedge that has to be cut and that the lovely laurel and the privet and the red robin don't have to be cut at all but they're equally as intrusive and particularly where footpaths are narrow, she said. She said that in Watergrasshill we had issues with a beech hedge that overhung the footpath and mums and dads couldn't walk with the buggies because the children were getting wet from the droplets. Cork County Council senior engineer Gerard OHoara told the MD meeting that under current legislation, the responsibility for maintaining roadside hedges and vegetation rests with the adjoining landowners or occupiers. We will look into it. What we will do first is that we'll issue advisory letters and then we'll follow it up, maybe with a call. But the other thing as well is that Cork County Council can take the legal route because it's a landowners responsibility to maintain their hedges, he said. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. A Limerick man has been sentenced to six months in prison and given a two-year driving ban after injuring a Garda while attempting to flee from a traffic stop. Man and woman arrested in Cork following pro-Palestinian protest in office of global aerospace firm A man and woman in their 30s were arrested having spent over eight hours in the offices of Collins Aerospace An image of today's protest. Photo: Palestine Action Eire Kevin Galvin Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 18:15 Two pro-Palestinian activists have been arrested following the occupation of the Cork offices of an American aviation and defence company, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Group pictured at the launch of Coastal Watch in Donegal. Assistant Commissioner Cliona Richardson and Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan at the launch of Coastal Watch Donegal. The relaunch of a Coastal Watch initiative targeting the transport and supply of illegal drugs via the coastline of Ireland aims to strengthen the countrys defences against drug smuggling. The multi-agency Coastal Watch initiative is primarily aimed at detecting and preventing the importation of illegal drugs via Irelands coastline. The initiative also highlights the importance of vigilance among from coastal communities and the wide range of businesses and groups that operate at sea, and along the north west coast and its harbours. The initiative, which also involves the Irish Naval Service, was first established over three decades ago. Coastal Watch aims to highlight suspicious or unusual activity such as packages floating in the sea, on beach or hidden close to the shoreline, crew making landings in remote areas or unusual objects at sea or ashore such as buoys or signalling devices. Other elements it looks for is possible unauthorised landings by foreign vessels, merchant shipping at anchor close to land or islands, ships away from their normal shipping lanes, ships signalling ashore or being met by small craft or vessels operating at night without lights. The relaunch of the initiative was held in Killybegs on Monday afternoon with representatives from the Customs, An Garda Siochana, Donegal County Council and other agencies attending the event. Since January 2024, Revenue Customs Service has seized over 100 metric tonnes of drugs worth around 350million. Detective Inspector Shane McCartan referred to recent drugs seizures in Donegal including 2m of suspected Cannabis in Ballybofey. The initiative is significant in Donegal as in July 2023, two packages containing up to 4 million worth of cocaine, weighing a combined total of 60kg, were found on Tramore and Ballerina beach. Unfortunately, Europe is one of the highest consumers of cocaine in the world and we dont have to go into the impact of cocaine on families, healthcare systems, the justice system and an increase in organised crime. Most of the cocaine seized in Europe is transported by sea primarily by maritime shipping containers shipped from the country of production, said Detective Inspector McCartan. Follow Independent Donegal on Facebook Detective Inspector McCartan questioned is Ireland seen as the point of least resistance in Europe? We want to make it a more hostile environment, and we do not want to be seen as a point of least resistance in Europe, said Detective Inspector McCartan. Tom Talbot, Head of Investigations Prosecutions and Frontier Management Division, Revenue Custom Service said it is an extremely serious operation which aims to prevent drugs coming into the country. He said the initiative is essential in the country to help police its 3,100km of coastline. In order to be able to police that, its simply impossible for An Garda Siochana, for Revenue Custom Service to do that without the help of people on the ground. So this is information on the ground - you see something unusual, you see something suspicious and you pick up the phone, they'll ring either the Custom Service or they'll ring An Garda Siochana and we will act upon that information, said Mr Talbot. Andrew Ryan, Maritime Operations Manager Revenue, said Ireland has a very successful track record in relation to drug interdiction and the interdiction the joint task force which intercepted the MV Matthew was an exemplar internationally in how law enforcement executed that operation It sent a key message to Europe and to organised crime groups worldwide that Ireland is very capable of protecting the frontier. Since then there's been actually a number of high profile maritime smuggling operations as well where we have targeted mother and daughter vessels attempting to smuggle drugs into Ireland and all of those operations that we've actually executed have successfully ended up with the detention of vessels the seizure of controlled drugs and also the arrest of members of organised crime groups who are actually trying to use Ireland as a location, said Mr Ryan. In terms of expanding operations, a new vessel for Revenue Customs has arrived in Cork before the boat begins its anti-smuggling operations later this autumn. The Revenue cutter, RCC Cosaint, which has cost just over 9m to build, is part of a 20m investment in new vessels for the service. Mr Ryan said the new cutter represents is a kind of significant investment by revenue in a real tangible protection of the frontier. Our new revenue customs cutter will actually allow us to have a greater endurance at sea. It will also support multi-agency operations with our colleagues in An Garda Siochana for anti-smuggling operations. It also gives us fewer constraints in terms of weather, fuel endurance and comfort for the crew in terms of the kind of conditions that they can sustain an operation in. We have designed the cutter around a multi-agency concept so we see this cutter as being the next generation of our revenue customs patrol vessels that have been in operation since 2004, said Mr Ryan. Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan welcomed the relaunch of the initiative and said it is essential that Donegal is a no go zone for drug carriers. This operation has just relaunched and it's got a new momentum and it's working collaboratively with Customs and all the other stakeholders and community groups across Donegal. We have evidence of drugs coming in back in 2023. We want to make Donegal a no-go zone. We don't want this happening again. And again, it's just everybody working together to combat drug importation. We have the coastal watch launched along the Wild Atlantic Way and that is everybody working together will ensure that the Coastal Watch will be a success, said Chief Superintendent Sheridan. She added that the community play a huge role in this operation being a success. Our eyes and ears on the ground are the community, the fishermen, the harbourmasters, the people that are out and about, you know, in their day-to-day work, where they see things. So it's for them then to have the courage to lift the phone and ring the guards, or ring Revenue and report that activity. We work with the information we have, but we're hoping that we are making very significant seizures, said Superintendent Sheridan. Assistant Commissioner Cliona Richardson said it is essential to deter drug importers and organised crime gangs from using Ireland as a drop-off point, or using the waters as a drop-off point. She said gardai are engaging with international partners, local partners, and all the community. Its just back to the whole disrupting, dismantling organised crime gangs. We know the ramifications in relation to it, families devastated, whether because of the drug use itself or because of the drug sale or whatever. is all that with our commitment to dismantling disorganised crime groups and the importation of drugs, said Assistant Commisioner Richardson. She said the relaunch of Donegals Divisional Coastal Watch maritime initiative was like an extension of neighbourhood watch but with a focus on the coastal areas. Members are around, we're out and about, but people are walking along the beautiful coastline that's here. Farmers are out working, fishermen are out. So all these people are actually out and about and they may see something that they just think doesn't sit right with them. It might be somebody out a bit late, somebody who hasn't got good skills in relation to using a boat or who are renting B&Bs or staying in hotels; just something there that doesn't really fit. It may not be nothing, but it could be that something and it could be that one little nugget that we need to actually progress the case and that will actually bring something really significant. And that's what we're looking for. So, again, it's just really if you see something at all, it's just an appeal to contact us because no matter how small it is, it could be really significant. Not only in the new case, but also maybe in an ongoing case as well, said Assistant Commissioner Richardson. Trinity students face anti-social behaviour and racist abuse at accommodation in Dublin A concerned father said he is deeply worried for his daughters safety due to anti-social behaviour and racially motivated incidents outside a student accommodation complex in north Dublin. His 18-year-old daughter, from Poland, moved into Kavanagh Court on Gardiner Street on September 15, alongside a friend, to begin her studies in Trinity College Dublin. The complex is managed by private operator Yugo and partners with Trinity for student housing. Within a matter of days, repeated disturbances began around the complex due to violent and intimidating behaviour by groups of local youths. Speaking from Warsaw, the girls father, Kamil Michalski, said the situation has left him fearing for his daughters well-being. I travelled with her to help her settle in, he said. On one of the first nights, there were fireworks right outside Kavanagh Court. I thought maybe it was a celebration or something typical in Dublin, but it wasnt. Within days, the problems started. Kamil Michalski, the father of a young Trinity student living in Kavanagh Court According to Mr Michalski, groups of teenagers have been targeting the building, throwing fireworks and eggs, and attempting to force their way into the complex. They cracked fireworks into windows, smashed the reception window and car-park windows, and tried to break in, he said. I've heard that one male student had a knife pulled on him when walking to the bus stop and had racist things shouted at him. Videos shared by students appear to show gangs of teenagers outside the residence, kicking the front gate, breaking windows, and shouting abuse. Mr Michalski said Yugo had told him it was aware of the problem and had contacted gardai, describing it as not a new situation. Security guards have recently been introduced at the complex to monitor the building overnight, from 6pm to 6am. They finally decided to have physical security. Its a relief, but my daughter still says the teenagers come back sometimes, though not as aggressively as before, he said. She was invited to a karaoke night recently but decided not to go because she didnt feel safe walking through the entrance if there wasnt security there. Some of her friends are scared, too. Its not how university life should start. Mr Michalski said gardai responded in around 40 minutes after one incident where windows were smashed. Its not good enough. I really hope the authorities take this seriously before someone gets badly hurt, he said. Students at Kavanagh Court pay weekly rates ranging from 272 for a classic en-suite to 400 for a deluxe studio. Spread over a month, this works out at 1,177 to 1,732, depending on the room type. The Kavanagh Court complex on Gardiner Street in Dublin 1. Pic: Yugo In a statement, Trinity College Dublin said it was aware of these incidents and takes them very seriously. The safety of our students is of paramount concern to the university, a spokesperson said. We are committed to doing all we can to support the well-being of all students, including those at Kavanagh Court. We are liaising with all relevant authorities and will continue to work with Yugo and other stakeholders on this. Additional security measures have been introduced at the residence, they added. Yugo did not respond to multiple requests for comment. An Garda Siochana said it remains firmly committed to tackling anti-social behaviour across North Dublin through a multi-layered strategy. That includes high-visibility policing, intelligence-led operations, and robust community engagement, they said. Its understood no foul play is suspected at this time A woman has tragically lost her life in a house fire in County Kildare over the weekend. Gardai and emergency services rushed to the scene of a fatal fire at a residential property in Nurney, Co Kildare, on Saturday, October 11. A woman aged in her 50s, who was the sole occupant of the house, was pronounced dead at the scene. Fire services at the scene managed to extinguish the fire. Her body has since been removed from the scene of the fire to Naas Mortuary where a post-mortem examination is due to be conducted. The Irish Independent understands that no foul play is suspected by gardai at this time. Funding of 558,000 has been allocated to advance the proposed Rosses Point Community Boat Park. The funding was part of an overall package that will see 20.5 million allocated for 30 landmark regeneration projects in rural communities across the country announced by the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary. The proposed marine facility will enhance safety, support water based activities, such as sailing and fishing, and bolster local businesses and eco-tourism. It is envisaged the development will unlock the areas tourism potential and drive economic growth and sustainability across the North West region. It will be the only marine facility in Sligo that will be accessible at all levels of tide. Welcoming news of the funding, Deputy Frank Feighan said, I am confident that this funding of 558,000 will rejuvenate the local community in Rosses Point. Deputy Feighan said the funding will inform the phased delivery of the Rosses Point Boat Park, a significant infrastructural addition to Sligos tourism, recreational, and maritime industries. I want to commend the Sligo County Council together with our local councillors including Cllr Thomas Walsh for their work to ensure this application was brought forward for funding consideration. Todays announcement highlights Fine Gaels strong commitment to supporting our rural communities both economically and socially. Across the country this funding will drive economic growth, increase town footfall, combat dereliction, develop pedestrian zones and boost tourism in rural Ireland. In 2025, we continue to roll-out unprecedented levels of investment in rural Ireland making our towns and villages better places to live, work, raise a family and run a business. When complete, these projects will leave a lasting difference in County Sligo and will help to continue to make our towns and villages great places to live, work and raise a family, concluded Deputy Feighan. The funding, under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF), is being invested in projects that will rejuvenate town centres, drive economic growth, increase town footfall, combat dereliction, develop pedestrian zones and boost tourism in rural Ireland. Applications to the RRDF are sought under two categories. Category 1 relates to projects with all necessary planning and consents in place and are ready to proceed, while Category 2 relates to projects that require further development and enabling initiatives to become ready for Category 1 status. The Rosses Point Community Boat Park project relates to Category 2. Speaking after the announcement, Minister of State Marian Harkin said: This is a hugely positive development for the people of Sligo and the wider northwest region. I want to congratulate Rosses Point Development Association and Sligo Co Council for putting together the substantial application that led to the attraction of this funding. Rosses Point has always been central to Sligos maritime story, and this investment will help us build on that proud tradition by providing safe, modern facilities that will benefit local communities, visitors, and marine users alike. The Pier at Rosses Point is already a hub of marine activity, supporting fishing charters, leisure craft, and search and rescue services. However, limited facilities have constrained growth in recent years. The new Community Boatpark will directly address these challenges by providing safe access, berthing, and onshore amenities for up to 105 commercial and pleasure vessels, as well as smaller recreational craft. The project includes modern welfare facilities, storage and parking improvements, and enhanced public amenities, creating a welcoming and functional space for both local and visiting users. A key concept behind the development is the revival of Jacksons Pier and the adjacent Cove, restoring a landmark of Sligos maritime heritage. This new facility will serve as a safe sheltered harbour for all water users, ensuring that Rosses Point Harbour can thrive as a centre for marine enterprise and tourism. Minister Harkin highlighted the alignment of the project with Sligo County Councils and the NWRAs tourism vision for the region. Rosses Point sits proudly on the Wild Atlantic Way, and its natural beauty and seafaring heritage make it an ideal location for marine tourism and education. This project will not only protect what we have but unlock new opportunities for local businesses, clubs, and young people interested in maritime careers. The Sligo Community Boatpark at Rosses Point will act as a major hub for maritime tourism, community development, and coastal resilience, ensuring that Rosses Point continues to play a leading role in Sligos future prosperity, Minister Harkin concluded. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. Several guest speakers at event at Sligo Park Hotel Paul Griffin, Caroline McLaughlin President of Sligo Solicitors Bar Association, retired Judge Michael Peart, Enda Brady and Francis Gaughan pictured at the gathering at the Sligo Park Hotel. Sligo Solicitors Bar Association hosted its CPD day 2025 at the Sligo Park Hotel on Friday 3rd October 2025. Guest speakers Michael Peart (Retired Court of Appeal Judge, Mediator & Arbitrator), Maura McNally SC (Law Library), Michelle McLoughlin (M McLoughlin & Co Solicitors), Michele OBoyle SC (OBoyle Solicitors), Paul Griffin (First Due Diligence), Michelle Nolan (Law Society of Ireland), Enda Brady (iQ Financial) and Dearbhla Jordan (Law Society of Ireland) addressed over 100 Solicitors from locations nationwide at the event. Topics included the areas of medical negligence, mediation, dealing with complaints, financial planning, employment law and tax, AML compliance, practice supports and psychological wellbeing. Sligo Solicitors Bar Association President Caroline McLaughlin (partner at Callan Tansey Solicitors LLP) told The Sligo Champion: We were delighted to welcome back our colleagues from Sligo and nationwide to this event for a third year. The outstanding turnout again this year is a testament to the impressive calibre of our guest speakers and the hard work of our organising committee, Noel Kelly (Noel Kelly Solicitors), Joanne Irwin (Damien Tansey Solicitors LLP), Darelle Conway (McDermott Creed & Martyn), Francis Gaughan (Hegarty & Armstrong LLP) and Carol Ballantyne (Murphy Ballantyne Solicitors). We also extend our thanks to our wonderful sponsors for 2025 Oates Breheny, Transcribe and Legal IT and to the trade stands that added so much to the event for our delegates. Trade stands at the event included Law Society Solicitor Services, Legal IT, Pearts Solicitors and Town Agents, Transcribe, Finders International and Currencies Direct. The CPD event was followed by a networking event for speakers and delegates. Sligo Solicitors Bar Association is the representative association for Sligo Town and county. Its aims are to provide local CPD events, promote collegiality and provide support for its members. On a campaign visit to Wexford, Fine Gaels candidate addressed Joe Brolly, denied using smear tactics and outlined what her first 100 days would look like On a presidential campaign visit to Wexford, Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys was asked about a video clip, taken from the latest episode of the Free State podcast, in which co-host Joe Brolly mimics a sexual act during the discussion. Ms Humphreys said: Joe Brollys video in my opinion was very misogynistic. And it was targeted at women. And I can tell you know, I will not accept that. Many women across this country have been targeted like that, but I will stand up for the women of Ireland and I can tell you one thing, it wont knock me back. The late Liz Kerr with her children Louise and Gavin while celebrating her 70th birthday last year. There was great sadness in the Enniscorthy and Ballindaggin areas as they mourned the passing of Elizabeth Liz Kerr, who passed away on Thursday, October 2 at the age of 71 following a battle with cancer. A former beloved principal of Ballindaggin primary school, the staff members and students formed a guard of honour at her funeral which took place on Saturday, October 4. Liz had taught at the school for 35 years, spending 30 of those as principal and left an undeniable mark on the lives of many. Her son Gavin detailed how much she enjoyed being a principal and getting the chance to meet and speak with students from all walks of life. "Mam loved being a Jordan from Ballindaggin, and it was very important to her to show up for her community. She did that in many different ways, but she will be most fondly remembered for her years of service in Ballindaggin National School. Thirty years of which were spent as principal. Mam treated every child equally, and her sole purpose in her career was to give every child the best chance possible to succeed in life however that individual measured success, he said. While Im sure its easy to favour and invest in so called bright students, Mam held a soft spot for those with a broken wing. Those who werent as fortunate as others, and who needed extra help, attention and support. "When I think of Mammy as a teacher, I think of communions and confirmations, and of Christmas concerts and school tours. But I mostly think of another famous five. The OGs. Miss Breen, Mrs. Forrestal, Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Kerr, and Sir, Mr. OConnor. Her years in Ballindaggin with this group were her favourite. They were a really close team by virtue of the number of years they shared together, but also by their shared values and common vision around the type of school they wanted it to be. Mam always said it was easy to be a principal because all the staff were leaders in their own right, he explained. Besides school, she had a thriving social calendar in the community thanks to her involvement in various groups and organisations. "I think of her love of the arts. She loved music and singing, later in life becoming a member of the Silvertones choir in Enniscorthy. She also loved Drama. She had so many special memories of her years as part of the Enniscorthy Theatre Group where she shared in so many successes together with her lifelong friends, he noted. A testament to her unwavering strength, Liz bravely fought a battle with ovarian cancer for 13 years following her diagnosis in 2012. "She was simply not going to allow this disease to dictate or interfere with how shed lived her life up to this point. And so, she took control by choosing how to act, he said. "Mam was always known for her clothes and how glam she looked. So, what did she do? Nobody would judge a cancer patient to show up for chemotherapy without makeup. Not our Mammy. Instead, she doubled down, dialing up her outfits another few notches. And anyone who would drive Mam up to the Mater Private described Mam walking out of Hempfield as someone walking out onto a catwalk, Mam showed that you can have cancer, and that you can stand up to it in a different way. And in a way that is authentic to you. The staff in Dublin had never given chemotherapy to someone dressed so fabulously in their lives, he told the congregation to well-knowing laughs. Through her actions, Liz was able to inspire other patients to take back control and to focus their mind and body on other things. Not only was her positive attitude an inspiration to patients, staff and others, but one of her last acts before her passing will make a profound difference on the future of those going through the same journey. On her last morning, Liz had stayed in a hotel close by the night previous. She told her oncologist that though she did not breakfast included in her rate, she did not have to pay for her breakfast after telling the manager her story and about how she was in a clinical trial which hoped to treat cancer patients like her. She then explained to Doctor Duffy that the manager told her that all START patients could stay at the hotel during their clinical trial with 15 per cent off the rate and with breakfast included. "So, having learned of Mams passing, Doctor Duffy is going to formalise the agreement with the hotel in Mams name and honour. And there she was again, in her final days, thinking about others, and showing up for them, he informed everyone proudly. Loved ones also took to RIP.ie, a site she loved to frequent herself, to leave messages and condolences. One mourner wrote: A true educationalist and a wonderful person, always so positive, kind and caring. Another comment read: Liz was an amazing lady and she adored her family and grandchildren. A further tribute read: An unforgettable absolute lady. Liz you will always be the heroic warrior. Many tributes highlighted the positive impact she left on students, staff, and the educational system as a whole. One student wrote: I was lucky enough to be under the care of Liz throughout my primary school days in Ballindaggin. Everyday was a happy day in the presence of Liz, always seeing the positive side in every situation. A wonderful person inside and out, her legacy will never be forgotten. A staff member wrote: "I have fond memories of working with Elizabeth in Ballindaggin N.S. She created a very pleasant atmosphere for the staff and children in school and was always such a friendly and kind person. She even advocated for other schools, as one comment read: "Liz was a great advocate for St. Patricks Special School, helping on many interview panels. She was a tireless supporter of our students. Beloved mother of Louise and Gavin and cherished sister of Jack, Jim, Frances and Mary, she will be also be sadly missed by her son-in-law Gavin, daughter-in-law Siobhan, her adored grandchildren Dexter, Jesse, Eliza, Iarla and Luisne, family, relatives and many friends. A complex housing system which is overburdened with bureaucracy is preventing Wexford County Council (WCC) from delivering for its people according to councillors in the Rosslare district. At their most recent meeting, the districts councillors were dismayed to learn that, once more, there was no representative from WCCs housing team to answer their queries leading to a lengthy discussion on how the system appeared to be designed to confuse. It all started innocently enough, an update on a long-awaited development in Ballygillane the starting point for a debate which would soon turn into an examination of WCCs recruitment policy. That site in Ballygillane was purchased by WCC in 2018 and we still havent got houses there, noted cathaoirleach of the district Councillor Ger Carthy. Well get to ten years on that Id say, added Cllr Lisa McDonald. The Taoiseach has spoken of apathy in county councils with regards to housing delivery, unfortunately we are the poster boy for that. We need to figure out how to get rid of that apathy. At least some of that apathy was instantly removed as Angela Finn, senior staff officer with WCCs housing capital department, provided a welcome update on the Ballygillane project. The contracts at Ballygillane were awarded earlier in the summer, once they were awarded it went into an initial design phase, were in that at the moment but we expect the contractor to be on site there in the coming weeks. The discussion could have ended there. But with Ms Finn filling in for the housing officer who usually attends the Rosslare meetings, and no one present to provide details of other ongoing projects, Cllr Carthy questioned the inner workings of the councils housing sections. Just with regards to housing delivery can someone tell me who the boss is now? he asked. Special projects look after some of it now, Carolyne Godkin (director of services) has more of it, but no one appears to be in charge of anything. "When I started here John Carley was the director of housing and that included allocation, construction, delivery, and so on. Can someone in this building, out of all the staff, take responsibility for housing? Director of finance, Lynda Lacey, attempted to explain the system but succeeded only in muddying the waters further. Special projects has nothing to do with housing, she began. Housing construction is under the capital development director and is handled by special projects, Carolyne Godkin is in housing delivery. None the wiser, Cllr McDonald made reference to the short-lived stay of a senior council official who had recently departed the building for pastures new. In a housing crisis, which is going to continue as the population increases, we have a situation where were a stepping stone to other jobs, she said. We need people who are interested in building houses in Wexford applying for those jobs, the next person who comes in has to be passionate about housing. "The minister (for housing, James Browne) himself needs to take a look at how these appointments are being made not only do we have a centralisation of power, were also taking power away from politicians and giving it to executives. Where that is the case the executives have to be answerable to the politicians, its not good enough for the public. Warming to the theme, Cllr Carthy said he took issue with Taoiseach Micheal Martin attempting to shift the responsibility for housing to county councils. I take umbrage with the comments made by the taoiseach where he threw all the blame on the county councils, he said, Our hands are tied behind our back here, weve little or no funding, the power has been taken away from the councillors and now its going to be returned to us when the fat is in the fire. "The taoiseach doesnt need to preach to us about housing delivery or zoning, wed happily zone plenty of land if he gave us the funding; firstly for the wastewater infrastructure and then to do the houses. Mention of Uisce Eireann (UE) and its role in delivering housing in rural areas, sent Cllr Carthy down another rabbit hole. Our district engineer cant even contact UE, one time we were solely responsible for waste and water infrastructure and now its got nothing to do with us, he said. A member of the public will get as quick a response as our engineer or myself if they contact them. If Angela rings them shell have the same wait time. Cllr Jim Codd, however, wished to return to the kernel of the issue; the councils malfunctioning housing department. When I come in here every month with a series of questions about our roads Michael Brazzill (district engineer) has the answers. The housing department is designed to confuse. Theres too many chiefs, we need one person who can provide the answers, one person who has the same exhaustive knowledge as Michael does. UE is the planner now, the west side of our district has been starved of houses because of the lack of wastewater facilities, we are knowingly destroying our rural communities and directing them towards massive estates in towns where we empty those communities. We need to know what the chain of command is in the housing department. At this juncture, Ms Finn made a further attempt to explain the machinations of this much-maligned department. Carolyne Godkin is the director, Stephen OConnor is the SEO, they cover everything except for local authority builds which are covered by the housing capital team. We dont currently have a director but Shay (Howell, county architect) is the head of our section. While they accepted this explanation and even came close to understanding it, the councillors still felt it was an inefficient way to tackle the crisis of our times. This is one county council and I cant bear the thought that we have two distinct teams looking after housing, said Cllr McDonald. The people in our district want one council delivering houses for them, we need to go back to basics, the system is overburdened with bureaucracy. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. A man who previously scrawled f*** off across a court bail bond has pleaded guilty at Bray District Court, after drunkenly shouting at passengers and gardai during a disturbance on a bus in Bray. Kealan Broughan (30) of 22 Heatherwood, Bray, Co. Wicklow pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place and threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour. Sergeant Anthony Flynn informed the court that gardai received calls of a report of a man on a bus who was banging on the window and was shouting while intoxicated. Sgt Flynn said that when gardai arrived Mr Broughan was threatening and boisterous towards them and passengers on the bus. The court heard that when arrested and cautioned, Mr Broughan replied with go f**k yourself. Mr Broughans last conviction came back in 2022 when he pleaded guilty to a Section 3 and was fined 500. Judge David Kennedy remarked that he remembered Mr Broughan. Back in September Mr Broughan signed a bail bond, but wrote the words f*** off across the document. Brendan Maloney, solicitor for the defendant, told the court that his client didnt have any issues with alcohol, but was embarrassed and extremely remorseful. Judge Kennedy adjourned the matter to January 26, 2026, to assess Mr Broughans eligibility for community service. Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme The chief executive of Wicklow County Council has confirmed November 10 as the date when the owners of Kippure Lodge and Holiday Village must lodge their appeal with the High Court. We have started proceedings. We were listed before the summer break. It got postponed, adjourned until September. Now there's a date set for the November to allow the defendants enter their case. So that's as much as I can say on it at the moment, but we are taking proceedings against the owners of the site. Legal proceedings were launched after enforcement notices that were issued by the local authority were not complied with. The operators of the site submitted an appeal after they were refused planning for the upgrade of wastewater infrastructure. The local authority refused the application on several grounds, including concerns over the impact the works would have on a recorded monument and the potential impact it could have on the River Liffey. The proposed development from Seefin Events Unlimited sought permission for the installation of additional underground effluent storage and treatment tanks, all associated pipework, plant and equipment, construction of a new plant and storage building, new soil polishing filter together with all associated site development works. The planning section of Wicklow County Council werent satisfied that the current use of the facility as a reception centre/accommodation for displaced persons, and its future extension as a tourism product, met the necessary planning consents under the Planning and Development Act 2000 and associated regulations. It was also felt the development would impact negatively on the amenities of the area, public health, the amenities of adjoining properties, and undermine the planning regulations and the provisions of the County Development Plan. Speaking during the October monthly meeting of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Gerry ONeill queried why it was taking so long to receive a final ruling. The threat of a court case is going on a long, long time so the people in the area are naturally very concerned about the shortage of housing and whatever around the area. We have way over 50pc of people in direct provision in our municipal area, compared with other areas. We welcome these people, and we look after them and we do what we can but the big issue in west Wicklow is that we are flooded out with requests for the housing list. In response, director of services Jackie Carroll said the council are always working to try to address the high demand for housing. In regard to people becoming eligible for status to go on the housing list, that is happening regularly. It is a regular occurrence as people are given whatever regulations that they need to get stamped for it, and they can then apply to go on a housing list in the same manner as any applicant can apply to go on the housing list. In relation to IPAS centres and how they are managed, that is a matter for the Department because the Department provides those facilities for IPAS, and there were facilities available in those areas which they were able to avail of. Unfortunately, the council has no hand or part in that. she added. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme Brendan Gleeson attends the screening of H Is For Hawk at the Southbank Centre (Ian West/PA) Irish actor Brendan Gleeson has said that not every father is toxic and that he is tired of watching fatherhood portrayed so poorly on screen. The 70-year old, best known for The Banshees Of Inisherin, stars alongside The Crown actress Claire Foy in the biographical drama, H Is For Hawk. The film follows Cambridge academic Helen MacDonald (Foy) who, while coping with the grief of her fathers death, builds an unlikely friendship with a stubborn hawk named Mabel. Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday, Gleeson, who plays Helens beloved father, Alisdair MacDonald, emphasised the importance of celebrating fatherhood on screen. Brendan Gleeson attends the screening of H Is For Hawk at the Southbank Centre in London as part of the BFI London Film Festival (Ian West/PA) The Hollywood star told the PA news agency: I think dads have got an awful hard time lately. And I dont believe that every dad is toxic, and I dont think anybody else does either. I think I suddenly got very tired of watching fatherhood portrayed as something that was almost an abuse, or that was toxic in some way, or in some way truncated by where you had these emotionally stunted people walking around that couldnt hug their kids, whatever it was. The film, which is based on the memoir of the same name by Helen MacDonald, is centred around her grief for her father which Gleeson said says so much more about what is really important about paternity, and what is really important about fatherhood, and why the beauty that is within of that, needs to be celebrated. I think young men need to see it. It needs to be reaffirmed, he added. Claire Foy at the screening of H Is For Hawk (Ian West/PA) I really just want to celebrate paternity and how much and how deeply it affects things. I think this particular film is so beautiful in the way that thats what its trying to do. The memory of this man is that he was a proper, good man who gave love to his daughter. Speaking about his own experience of fatherhood, Gleeson added: When I had my kids, I realised I no longer have the option to be pessimistic. I bought in to the life. So optimism now is a duty, not a choice. The Oscar-nominated actor starred alongside Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan in The Banshees Of Inisherin as well as 2008s In Bruges and appeared in the Harry Potter films as Alastor Mad-Eye Moody. Sir Michael Caine is among celebrities supporting the NSPCCs call for a smacking ban (Ian West/PA) Actor Sir Michael Caine and former England footballer Alan Shearer have called on the Prime Minister to ban smacking, urging him to be brave and lead with courage and compassion. They are among a host of famous faces and campaigners who have signed a letter to Sir Keir Starmer to be handed in to Downing Street on Tuesday. Sir Michael said he is proud to be part of the call for an end to such a damaging and harmful practice. Alan Shearer has also signed the letter to the Prime Minister (Mike Egerton/PA) The signatories, including actors Natalie Dormer and Samantha Morton, argue that in England, where smacking is not completely outlawed, children currently have less protection from physical harm than adults. Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland introduced a similar ban in November 2020. But according to the Children Act 2004 which applies in England, it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is reasonable punishment, and this is judged on a case-by-case basis. There is also a similar defence to smacking in Northern Ireland and a change in the law there would require the agreement of the Stormont Executive. The letter stated that an outdated and damaging defence in the law still allows a parent or guardian to argue that it is okay to physically harm their child. The signatories insist it has no place in 21st century England. The letter, co-ordinated by the NSPCC and supported by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and childrens charity Barnardos, said: We believe that it is never reasonable to hit a child. It is harm, plain and simple. And the current law sends a dangerous message that striking a child can be excused. Addressing Sir Keir directly, signatories said: Prime Minister, this is your opportunity to be brave and lead with courage and compassion. We ask you to stand up, alongside us, for every childs right to safety, dignity, and respect. Its time to end the physical punishment of children in England, for good. Sir Michael said: I am proud to sign this letter and support this NSPCC campaign calling for the end of physical punishment on children in England. Many other countries around the world, including Wales and Scotland, have already changed the law to ensure children have the same protection from being hit as adults. Now is the moment for England to join them and draw a line under this damaging and harmful practice once and for all. Campaigners want a ban to be legislated for through an amendment to the Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament. Samantha Morton is an NSPCC ambassador (Ian West/PA) Bafta-winning actress Morton, who is an NSPCC ambassador for childhood, said: Physical punishment of children is never reasonable, and the law in England needs to be changed to address this. Its vague, its harmful, and it leaves children less protected than adults. Im proud to stand with the NSPCC at Downing Street today and call on Government to act to protect children and ensure that the law is clear, equal and most of all, keeps every child safe from harm. A Department for Education spokesperson said: While we are looking closely at the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to reasonable punishment, we have no plans to legislate at this stage. The landmark Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a key part of our plan for change, represents the most transformative piece of child protection legislation in a generation, including wholesale reform of the childrens social care system and better information sharing between education, health and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks. Disgraced royal lied in Newsnight BBC interview Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein we are in this together the day after a damning picture was published of the British royal posing with teenage Virginia Giuffre, according to reports. A bombshell email appears to show that the Duke of York stayed in contact with the convicted sex offender for weeks after he claimed to stop speaking to Epstein and shows the prince reassured his friend the pair would rise above press scrutiny. Reinstated French PM Sebastien Lecornu racing to form new government The embattled prime minster has until the end of today to pass a budget plan French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu. Photo: AP Mathieu Rosemain Reuters Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 06:30 French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu faces a race against time to form a government by todays budget deadline, as divisions emerged within the conservative The Republicans (LR) party over whether to accept ministerial posts in his cabinet. US helped Kyiv carry out strikes on Russian energy grid Zelensky appeals to Trump to help broker peace deal with Russia A recruit of the 65th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attends a military training filled with obstacles near a frontline in the Zaporizhzhia region. Photo: Andriy Andriyenko/Reuters Iona Cleave Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 06:30 The US has been assisting Ukraine to step up its long-range strikes on Russian energy targets in an attempt to weaken Putins war effort and force him to the negotiating table. Afghan refugee girls sit on a truck loaded with belongings as they wait for opening of the border crossing point in Chaman, Pakistan, yesterday. Photo: AP Dozens of fighters were killed in overnight border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both sides said yesterday, in the most serious fighting between the neighbours since the Taliban came to power in Kabul. Preparations in place for major ramp-up of aid delivery to Gaza Under ceasefire agreement, 600 trucks can enter the Strip each day Palestinians carry aid supplies that entered Gaza amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Photos: Reuters Samy Magdy, Sarah El Deeb and Melanie Lidman Associated Press Mon 13 Oct 2025 at 06:30 Preparations are under way for a ramp-up of aid entering the Gaza Strip under a ceasefire deal many hope will signal an end to the devastating two-year war. Diane Keaton wasnt just a celebrated actress. She was Hollywood s most stylish home renovator. With a career spanning over five decades, the Annie Hall star not only earned acclaim for her roles but also built an extraordinary $152 million fortune through her passion for architecture , design, and restoration. ( Image credit : X/rogue185263 | Diane Keaton passed away in 2025 ) A visionary beyond the screen ( Image credit : X/SketchFanArt | A tribute to Diane Keaton. ) The house that pinterest built ( Image credit : X/mindfulangel | A glance into Diane Keaton's house. ) A legacy of beauty and purpose Keaton, who passed away at 79, had an eye for transforming forgotten properties into architectural masterpieces. Known for her love of Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival, and mid-century modern aesthetics, she brought new life to every project she touched. For Keaton, real estate was never about profit. It was about preserving beauty and history in her own unique way.Unlike many stars who simply invest in luxury homes, Keaton turned renovation into a creative calling. One of her most renowned projects was a 100-year-old Beverly Hills mansion she purchased for $8.1 million in 2007 and later sold to American Horror Story producer Ryan Murphy for $10 million. Over the years, she repeated this success across Bel Air, Laguna Beach, and the Pacific Palisades, transforming classic homes and selling them for millions more.In 2017, Keaton released The House That Pinterest Built, a stunning design book that showcased her artistic philosophy. Drawing inspiration from online design boards, she crafted a guide that merged modern ideas with old-world charm. The book became a must-have for architecture and interior design enthusiasts, reflecting her belief that a home is made from other peoples beautiful dreams.Earlier this year, Keaton listed her beloved Brentwood estate for $29 million, a breathtaking home she once called her forever house. Her passing leaves behind two children, Dexter and Duke, and a remarkable legacy that bridges Hollywood glamour with creative craftsmanship. Through her films, designs, and devotion to storytelling, Diane Keaton proved that artistry isnt confined to the screen, it can be built, restored, and lived in. A love that began on The Godfather set ( Image credit : Instagram/protrepticus| Al Pacino and Diane Keaton on the set of The Godfather, 1972 ) Keaton called their split a blessing ( Image credit : Instagram/ nothingbutcrimemovies| Diane Keaton and Al Pacino had a two decades-long real-life romance that lasted intermittently from 1974 to 1990 ) A bond that endured beyond romance ( Image credit : Instagram/gildedtulip| Diane Keaton and Al Pacino on the sets of The Godfather III ) Veteran Hollywood actor Al Pacino is reportedly filled with regret over not marrying his long-time love, the late actress Diane Keaton, who passed away in California on Saturday at the age of 79.Pacino, 85, and Keaton's decades-long relationship began on the set of The Godfather in the 1970s and quickly became one of Hollywood's most talked-about romances.The two met while filming The Godfather (1972), in which Keaton played Kay Adams, the wife of Pacino's character Michael Corleone. Soon after, their on-screen connection developed into a real-life romance that lasted intermittently from 1974 to 1990.Their relationship reportedly ended after Keaton gave Pacino an ultimatum to marry her, which the actor declined. According to claims in the Daily Mail, reported by Page Six and TMZ, Pacino now believes that decision was his biggest mistake.He will forever regret that he didn't make his move when he had the chance, a source close to the actor told the outlet. For years after they split, Al used to say, If its meant to be, its never too late for a do-over. But sadly, now it is.In a 2017 interview with The Sunday Times, Keaton reflected on their relationship, adding that while she had thought Pacino would marry her, things turned out for the best.I thought maybe he would marry me, eventually, she said. But that never happened, and that is a blessing for both of us. It would have been a nightmare for him.Keaton also admitted that while the breakup wasnt her choice, she believed they were not suited for each other. Were very eccentric, she said. He needed a woman who would take care of him, and I needed a man who would take care of me.Though they lived near each other in Beverly Hills, Keaton and Pacino rarely spoke after their split. One source quoted Pacino as saying, Theres no need to talk with each other. We said everything that needed to be said at the time.Neither ever married Keaton adopted two children, while Pacino has four. As tributes pour in, fans recall their lasting bond, one of Hollywoods most enduring love stories. No official confirmation of Rizvi's condition Lawyers in Lahore attack security forces after police shot TLP leader Saad Rizvi during a pro-Palestine protest. pic.twitter.com/aUwY0k9Xid AsiaWarZone (@AsiaWarZone) October 13, 2025 Who is Saad Rizvi? Pakistan BURNING MASSIVE protests rock Lahore, amid rumors that TLP chief Saad Rizvi has been SHOT DEAD by Pakistani forces. TLP claims over 180 people KILLED in overnight police firing across Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/gIc9220Lt8 Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) October 13, 2025 Why are protests happening now? This is not Gaza, but Lahore. Pakistani Forces open fire on convoy, marching for Palestine. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan claims more than 282 protesters were k!//ed, and 1900+ are critically injured. Rumors suggest TLP chief Saad Rizvi was shot and is critically injured. pic.twitter.com/tJyDpjNOFJ Treeni (@TheTreeni) October 13, 2025 Social media has been flooded with viral claims alleging that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Rizvi was shot three times during ongoing clashes with security forces and is in critical condition. The claims have triggered confusion and further intensified an already volatile situation in Pakistan.As of now, there is no official confirmation from TLP leadership, government authorities, or any credible news organization that can verify if Saad Rizvi has been shot or if he is in critical condition. While videos and messages are are going viral on social media, the claims remain unverified.Meanwhile, thousands of TLP supporters are reportedly marching from Lahore towards Islamabad. They are reportedly clashing with security forces along the way. Security forces carried out an operation in Muridke, a key stop on the march route, where violence reportedly intensified.Saad Rizvi is the head of TLP, an Islamist political party that rose to fame in 2018 and campaigns against Pakistan's blasphemy laws. The party has often scaled large and violent street protests over religious issues.Rizvi has succeeded his father Khadim Hussain Rizvi as party chief and has often protested against perceived insults to Islam and foreign governments accused of "anti-Islam" actions.The current violence in Lahore started after TLP's 'Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March', which is a massive march to express solidarity with Palestinians and protest against US support for Israel. The group intends to march to the US Embassy in Islamabad, which authorities have called a security risk.To prevent the march from reaching the capital, police have set up blockades and imposed restrictions, sparking violent clashes between security personnel and demonstrators. As the protestors tried to remove the barricades, the protests turned violent. One of the viral videos showed how the protesters took away a Pakistani Police vehicle. Protests are so violent that some people are comparing the situation with Gaza.As per Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar, one police officer died in the clashes after demonstrators opened fire. The police have arrested 100 people. On the other hand, TLP in statement said that many of its supporters were killed and injured. The view aboard Air Force One, as President Trump will soon be landing in Israel. Its a new dawn in the Middle East pic.twitter.com/DzMCf1dS39 Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) October 13, 2025 Hostage release and prisoner exchange A new beginning is spelled with an e not an i, genius. Trump in Israel. pic.twitter.com/cU6EyvAQQJ voteblue2024 (@lflorepolitics) October 13, 2025 Peace summit and international participation President Trump in Israel: A great and beautiful day. A new beginning pic.twitter.com/2pzdm1uGhH Vivid. (@VividProwess) October 13, 2025 The humanitarian and political aftermath US President Donald Trump declared that the war is over as he flew to Israel on Monday to mark the release of the last remaining hostages held in Gaza under the current ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said the truce would hold and a Board of Peace would soon be set up to oversee reconstruction efforts in Gaza, which he described as a demolition site.He praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar for their roles in facilitating the ceasefire. Trump will address the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, before heading to Egypt for a world leaders summit aimed at formally ending the Gaza war.According to officials, all 20 surviving Israeli hostages have now been freed, with the first group already in Israel and 13 transferred to the Red Cross in Gaza. Hamas is also expected to return the remains of 28 deceased hostages as part of the first phase of the peace plan.In exchange, Israel is set to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and around 1,700 others detained after Hamass October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Aid trucks began entering Gaza on Sunday, though the United Nations says at least 600 trucks per day are needed to meet humanitarian needs.Palestinians gathered near Khan Younis as convoys arrived, while the Hamas-run administration said 7,000 government employees were helping prepare for the return of released prisoners and their families.Trump will join Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.Israels Prime Minister Netanyahu is also considering attending the signing ceremony. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said a document ending the war in the Gaza Strip is expected to be signed.Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Egypt had invited Tehran to the summit, but added that neither he nor President Masoud Pezeshkian would attend, citing tensions with several participating nations. In a statement on X, Araghchi wrote that Iran welcomes any initiative that ends Israels genocide in Gaza and ensures the expulsion of occupation forces.The conflict, which began after Hamass October 7, 2023, attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken, has left more than 67,000 Palestinians dead, including over 18,000 children, according to Gazas health ministry. Israel disputes parts of those figures but acknowledges large-scale destruction.UN agencies have declared famine conditions in northern Gaza, though Israels foreign ministry rejected the findings, calling them based on Hamas lies.Trump said he believed Gaza could become a miracle in the coming decades if the ceasefire holds. Im good at solving wars. Im good at making peace, he told reporters, adding that everybody is happy, and I think its going to stay that way. Japans Ministry of Health declares Influenza epidemic after 4,030 people were treated for flu. An unprecedented early surge in influenza cases has compelled Japans health authorities to declare a nationwide epidemic, as medical experts warn the virus may be evolving pic.twitter.com/F0XTII5xZV Dr Richard Hirschson (@richardhirschs1) October 9, 2025 Why the outbreak is concerning Early onset: This years outbreak began almost five weeks earlier than usual, making it the second-earliest nationwide epidemic in the last 20 years. Healthcare strain: The sharp rise in cases threatens to overwhelm hospital outpatient and paediatric services. Virus evolution: Some strains appear to be mutating, potentially spreading faster than in previous seasons. Advice for travellers and visitors Masking in crowded indoor spaces Frequent handwashing Ensuring travel health insurance covers medical care Getting vaccinated to reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization Flu Outbreak In Japan: Over 4000 Cases, Schools Closed - Should You Be Worried? Reports indicate that Japan is experiencing the flu season about five weeks earlier than normal, raising concerns about changes in the behaviour of the virus in post-pandemic world. pic.twitter.com/8Ky8XsiPY4 Martha-JD, MBA, PCC- (@mryoung151) October 13, 2025 Regional and global trends Flu season in Japan, 5 weeks early.. spreading rapidly... hopefully #TWICE doesn't have schedules or do they? (@230CY) October 13, 2025 Japan is facing an unusually early and rapid influenza outbreak, weeks ahead of the normal flu season. As of October 10, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) reported 6,013 flu cases across 3,000 medical institutions, averaging two patients per facility above the official epidemic threshold of 1.00.Some regions are experiencing higher intensity, with Okinawa reporting 12.18 patients per institution. Tokyo and Kagoshima are also among the worst-affected areas. Hospitals are already struggling with overcrowded outpatient departments, while paediatric and geriatric wards are under pressure from rising demand for beds and antivirals.Schools and childcare centres are particularly affected. Around 135 institutions have temporarily closed across Tokyo, Okinawa, and Kagoshima, about three times the number during the same period last year. For instance, a primary school in Yamagata shut after 22 out of 36 students displayed flu-like symptoms.Experts highlight three major reasons for concern:Authorities urge residents to get vaccinated, stay home when sick, wear masks in high-risk settings, and maintain proper hand hygiene. Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, young children, pregnant individuals, and people with chronic illnesses, are specifically advised to consult healthcare providers promptly rather than delaying treatment.Japans Ministry of Health advises tourists to adopt strict hygiene measures. These include:Symptomatic individuals should seek care early or consult doctors by phone to avoid overcrowding emergency rooms. Handwashing, cough etiquette, and mask use in crowded spaces or around vulnerable individuals remain key preventive measures.Japans early flu surge reflects a broader pattern in Asia. Countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and India are also seeing increased influenza activity, suggesting earlier or prolonged seasonal windows for flu circulation. Global monitoring systems, including WHO regional summaries, are tracking strain evolution and may recommend adjustments to future vaccine formulations if needed.Professor Yoko Tsukamoto of the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido emphasized that while flu is rarely dangerous for healthy adults, early vaccination is crucial for children, the elderly, and people with underlying health conditions. Travel and population movement may also be accelerating the viruss adaptation to new environments. ( Image credit : Instagram/ @taylorswift | Taylor Swift's first project, titled The End of an Era, is a six-part docuseries. ) Taylor Swift faces backlash for teaming with Disney ( Image credit : X/ @@America_First0 | Jimmy Kimmel faced a boycott after a monologue about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ) Do not break the boycott for Taylor Swift pirate that shit you little Halloween candy goblins Amethyst Dreams (@SnarkySidhe) October 12, 2025 Disney lost all that money in subscriptions last month so they bring Taylor Swift in to get everyone to resubscribe. #TaylorSwift #Disney pic.twitter.com/ZYsY3glurV Nunya (@Pieces1413) October 13, 2025 Did Disney just bring Taylor Swift for a cash grab? Today in money Disney Stock Jumps After Taylor Swift Announces New Projects with Disney Disneys share price climbed following confirmation that Taylor Swift is collaborating with the company on new content. The announcement has fueled investor optimism that the pic.twitter.com/ZtoXtoZDsx Mannie (@Metamannie) October 13, 2025 End of an Era until the deluxe, directors cut, remastered re-release next spring. Jeffery Fed-Up American (@jeff3ry47) October 13, 2025 At this point it feels less like a concert film and more like a never ending PR campaign. Can we admit this is getting exhausting? Not every performance needs a cinematic release some artists just make music and move on. She really turned one tour into a billion dollar drama. Abhishek (@axabhishek_0309) October 13, 2025 ( Image credit : Instagram/ @taylorswift | Taylor Swift faces backlash for teaming with Disney. ) What Taylor Swift said on X It was the End of an Era and we knew it. We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives, so we allowed filmmakers to capture this tour and all the stories woven throughout it as it wound down. And to film pic.twitter.com/RGZ6zVQnjb Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) October 13, 2025 Taylor Swift started the week with exciting news that has fans talking. On Monday, October 13, 2025, the 35-year-old pop superstar revealed onthat she is releasing two new projects onconnected to her Eras Tour. Swift shared that the projects will give fans a closer look at her journey during the tour.The first project, titled, is a six-part docuseries. According to a press release, it charts "the development, impact, and inner workings that created the phenomenon that was The Eras Tour." It promises to provide an intimate view of Taylor Swift's life as her tour made headlines worldwide. The first two episodes will premiere on Disney+ on December 12, with two new episodes releasing each week after.Alongside the docuseries, Taylor Swift will releaseon Disney+ on December 12. This project is a live recording of her last performance on the Eras Tour, which took place on December 8, 2024, at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada. The filmed concert will also include performances from her latest album,, which was not part of her first concert film for the tour.Some viewers expressed disappointment on social media about Taylor Swifts collaboration with Disney, linking it to a recent boycott. The controversy began after ABC and Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmels show in September 2025 following his controversial monologue about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.After a week-long standoff, Disney and ABC reinstated Kimmels show on September 23, though some stations initially continued to withhold airing it. The return was met with disapproval from both Kirks supporters and President Donald Trump. The situation sparked debates over censorship and the role of broadcasters in balancing free speech with community standards.After Taylor's announcement, one fan joked, "Disney, really? Oh, Taylor Swift never beat the Zionist allegations lmao. Boycott, girl."Another said, "Do not break the boycott for Taylor Swift; pirate that shit, you little Halloween candy goblins."Another made fun saying, Disney lost all that money in subscriptions last month so they brought Taylor Swift in to get everyone to resubscribe.A user even claimed how Disneys stock climbed after Swifts announcement, "Today in money, Disney stock jumps after Taylor Swift announces new projects with Disney. Disneys share price climbed following confirmation that Taylor Swift is collaborating with the company on new content. The announcement has fueled investor optimism that the partnership could attract viewership, drive subscriptions to Disney+, and enhance Disneys media appeal."Meanwhile, others criticised the move as a cash grab. One wrote, "'End of an Era', until the deluxe, director's cut, remastered re-release next spring," and, "At this point it feels less like a concert film and more like a never-ending PR campaign. Can we admit this is getting exhausting? Not every performance needs a cinematic release."Another wrote, "Taylor Swift turning her every move into a historic event is peak celebrity self-worship. Another tour, another documentary, another cash grab disguised as cultural significance. The End of an Era isnt about art; its about selling nostalgia one stream at a time."Taylor Swift took to social media to explain her decision. She wrote, "It was the end of an era, and we knew it. We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives, so we allowed filmmakers to capture this tour and all the stories woven throughout it as it wound down. And to film the final show in its entirety."Theprojects come shortly after Taylor released her 12th studio album,, on October 3, 2025. She celebrated the launch with an exclusive AMC movie theater event called, further engaging fans in her latest musical era. Who is RealSchlep ? The #FreeSchlep movement was directly mentioned in Kentucky's Lawsuit against Roblox pic.twitter.com/ILriYFzAqH Schlep (@RealSchlep) October 8, 2025 Roblox ban and public backlash ( Image credit : Screenshot taken from X | Many users praised RealSchleps efforts, calling him a hero who took initiative where the company failed ) Predator added to sex offender registry ( Image credit : X/@DramaAlert | The controversy took a major turn when RealSchlep shared that one of the predators he caught has now been listed on the sex offender registry. ) Internet thanks RealSchlep for his fight against Roblox Roblox whistle blower Schlep speaks about being threatened with legal action. pic.twitter.com/uVf4T0thtJ DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) October 1, 2025 Whats next for RealSchlep and Roblox? A new development in the Roblox controversy has taken the internet by storm. Michael RealSchlep, a 22-year-old YouTuber known for exposing child predators on Roblox, revealed that one of the individuals he helped catch has officially been placed on the sex offender registry.The news, confirmed through social media updates on October 13, 2025, comes months after his ban from the platform and has reignited public criticism of Robloxs child safety measures. Fans are now calling his work vindicated, saying the company owes him an apology.Michael RealSchlep rose to fame by conducting sting operations to catch predators targeting children on Roblox. Using decoy accounts, he posed as minors to expose alleged offenders and claimed that his efforts led to several arrests. His motivation came from personal experience; he was reportedly groomed on Roblox as a child by a developer, an event that shaped his mission to make the platform safer for others.Despite his rising popularity, Roblox permanently banned all of his accounts in August 2025, accusing him of violating terms of service. The company claimed that his off-platform conversations and vigilante-style investigations risked user safety and interfered with official moderation processes.The decision to ban RealSchlep triggered widespread outrage online. Hashtags like #FreeSchlep and #BoycottRoblox began trending on X (formerly Twitter), with users accusing the company of silencing someone who was helping to protect children. Critics said Roblox cared more about legal protection than genuine safety, especially as the platform faced other lawsuits and public scrutiny for child exploitation issues.Even Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit against Roblox, calling it a perfect place for predators, adding further pressure on the company to strengthen safety measures.The controversy took a major turn when RealSchlep shared that one of the predators he caught has now been listed on the sex offender registry. The announcement was reposted by DramaAlert, confirming that the individual, believed to be a former Roblox game developer, had also pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material.While the identity of the offender was not revealed publicly, this revelation strengthened RealSchleps credibility. Supporters now argue that the registry update demonstrates his actions were not reckless, but rather effective in exposing real threats that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.Following the news, social media platforms exploded with mixed reactions. Many users praised RealSchleps efforts, calling him a hero who took initiative where the company failed.Still, the registry confirmation has largely shifted public sentiment in RealSchleps favour. Many now believe Roblox should reconsider its stance against him and collaborate with independent safety advocates rather than dismiss them.With growing public support and potential legal backing, RealSchlep may continue his campaign for online child safety, despite the ban. His team, which includes legal advisors and child protection advocates, is reportedly exploring action against Roblox for what they call wrongful suppression of whistle-blowing.Meanwhile, Roblox faces increasing pressure from lawmakers and the public to prove that its safety systems are effective. The registry update has reignited discussions about accountability, transparency, and how far individuals like RealSchlep can go to ensure digital spaces are safe for children. ( Image credit : X | Saleh Aljafarawis Final Will Circulates Amid Gaza Conflict ) Al-Jafarawis final will circulate on social media : . . . | Saleh Aljafarawi (@S_Aljafarawi) October 13, 2025 Outrage over smear campaign targeting Palestinian voices ( Image credit : X | @S_Aljafarawi | Aljafarawis Death Sparks Backlash Over Media ) Who was Al-Jafarawi? ( Image credit : Reddit | @AskMiddleEast| Palestinian Journalist Saleh Aljafarawi Killed Despite Gaza Ceasefire ) In a heartbreaking incident, Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi was reportedly killed in Gaza City during ongoing clashes, despite the ceasefire deal reached between Hamas and Israel to end the two-year conflict. This tragedy highlights the persistent unrest even after the formal cessation of hostilities. Amid this, Swedens public broadcaster SVT Nyheter has come under criticism for running a smear campaign against Palestinian journalist Saleh AI-Jafarawi, one of hundreds of reporters killed during the conflict in Gaza. The broadcasters coverage has echoed the controversial and widely discredited Pallywood narrative, which accuses Palestinians of staging events to manipulate media coverage.Al-Jafarawi, who was reportedly killed in Gaza City during clashes despite a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, was known for his dedication to telling the truth about the realities faced by Palestinians living under occupation, as perRecently, a translated version of his final will has been widely circulated, providing a poignant insight into his convictions and commitment. In his testament, Al-Jafarawi declared that his death was not an end but a continuation of the path he chose to support his people. If I am martyred, know that I didnt die... I am now in heaven, with my companions who have gone before me, he wrote.He urged his family and supporters to remember him in their prayers, continue the struggle, and uphold the truth he fought to reveal.According to a Reddit post that surfaced just after Al-Jafarawis death, the timing of Swedens SVT Nyheters campaign against Jafarawi has sparked outrage among many who view it as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of Palestinian voices and experiences.The use of Pallywood rhetoric in particular has been condemned as a form of genocide denial that seeks to rewrite the narrative of suffering endured by Palestinians.Aljafarawi, known for his social media presence highlighting the human impact of the conflict, was reportedly killed by an Israel-backed militia in the Sabra neighbourhood while covering the wars devastation.According to, he was one of the young Palestinian journalists and social media figures who used their platforms to capture and share the destruction and human toll of the two-year-old conflict before the United States facilitated a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Political backlash over victim blaming ( Image credit : Economic Times | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ) Police action and arrests in the case ( Image credit : Representation image | AI generated ) Context: Past advisories on womens night movement ( Image credit : AI Generated | Banerjees remarks were immediately criticised by Opposition leaders ) Banerjee clarifies statement, blames political distortion What social media said , , When leaders tell girls not to go out at night instead of punishing culprits society has failed. Women pic.twitter.com/TDDvkkLAOO (Reg. E&SWS) (@OfficialTeamPs) October 13, 2025 Shocking Statement! "Girls shouldn't be allowed to come out at night." - CM Mamata Banerjee No, she is not responsible for improving law and order in the state. Her responsibility is to speak out so that the girls of Bengal do not leave their homes. How can a woman Chief Minister pic.twitter.com/jdkQFXoxt8 Krishanu Singha (@KrishanuOnline) October 12, 2025 The debate ahead West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees statement on Sunday (October 11, 2025), advising girl students not to venture out at night, has drawn sharp criticism across political and social media platforms. The remark came amid public anger over the alleged gang rape of a medical student in Durgapur, Paschim Bardhaman district.The survivor, an MBBS student from Odisha studying at a private medical college in Durgapur, had reportedly gone out with a male friend on Friday night (October 10). She was allegedly gang-raped by unidentified men near the college campus.Speaking to reporters, Banerjee said, Especially girl children at night time... they should not be allowed to come outside. They have to protect themselves also. She also urged private medical colleges to take greater responsibility for hostel residents, saying, If someone goes out at 12:30 a.m... anyone can go anywhere, that is their right... but there is a system for those who stay in hostels.Banerjees remarks were immediately criticised by Opposition leaders. BJP leader Agnimitra Paul led street protests, while state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said her statement showed that the Trinamool government has no accountability regarding womens safety.Bhattacharya said, The Chief Ministers comment after such a horrific mass rape saying women should not leave home after evening is not only insensitive but also extremely insulting. Instead of ensuring safety, she is blaming women themselves. This is clear victim blaming.Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also urged Banerjee to take swift action against the perpetrators, underlining the cross-state concern over the case.Meanwhile, the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate arrested three local residents in connection with the alleged gang rape. Police said the accused were apprehended during raids conducted in the forested area near the site of the incident. Efforts are underway to locate other suspects believed to be involved in the crime.This is not the first time womens movement at night has become a subject of discussion in West Bengal. After the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkatas R.G. Kar Medical College on August 9, 2024, a government advisory had suggested minimising night duties for women employees. The advisory was later withdrawn after it was raised before the Supreme Court.Later on Sunday evening, Mamata Banerjee clarified her comments, claiming that her statement had been deliberately distorted. Speaking at Dum Dum Airport, she said, You ask me a question, and when I answer, my words are twisted and taken out of context. Do not try this nasty politics with me.Social media users were quick to react to Banerjees remarks, with many expressing disappointment and anger. One user wrote,Another user commented,A third post read,Banerjees comments have reopened debate over womens freedom and safety in West Bengal. While the government maintains a zero tolerance policy toward such crimes, critics argue that safety cannot come at the cost of restricting womens movement. The Durgapur case, still under investigation, continues to fuel anger and demand for accountability. My friend President @realDonaldTrump takes a lot of flak, some of it deserved, some not. But securing the release of all remaining Israeli hostages and ending the war in Gaza is his finest, and most historic achievement. Very proud of you, Mr President. Congratulations. pic.twitter.com/ZVI1BzYO8c Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 13, 2025 Hamas hands over hostages to Red Cross under peace deal Emotional moments: Family of Matan Angrest, held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for over two years, watch his release from captivity. pic.twitter.com/kq96u3QlKp Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) October 13, 2025 Trump arrives in Israel , calls it a great day and a new beginning Hostages Yosef-Chaim Ohana and Rom Braslavski were also able to speak with their families ahead of their upcoming release. pic.twitter.com/i4G2miXmnF Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) October 13, 2025 Prisoner exchange and deportations follow release Matan Zangauker speaks with family for first time in over two years In an emotional moment, hostage Matan Zangauker was able to speak with his mother and girlfriend for the first time since his abduction on October 7. pic.twitter.com/F83RculiIq The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) October 13, 2025 After 738 days in Hamas captivity, all remaining Israeli hostages were released on Monday, marking a major milestone in the two-year Gaza war. The first group of seven hostages arrived earlier in the day, followed by a second group of 13 later in the evening.Among the released hostages were 25-year-old Matan Zangauker, whose mother, Einav Zangauker, shared a tearful video call with him her first since his abduction from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 attack. Youre coming home! Youre all coming home! she said during the call, which was shared by theon X. Theres no more war, she added, holding back tears.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said all hostages were undergoing medical checks at a military base before reuniting with their families.The transfer began with Hamas handing over the first seven Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, followed by another 13 later in the day. The total of 20 freed hostages were then moved under IDF supervision for transport back to Israel.A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office confirmed that all hostages are with IDF forces in the Strip and will soon head to Israel. The release took place under a ceasefire arrangement facilitated by international mediators.The release came as part of a larger peace deal that also included a prisoner exchange. In exchange for the hostages, Israel began releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from its facilities, including some serving life sentences.US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday to mark the occasion, receiving a warm welcome as he prepared to address the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset. Calling the moment a great day and a new beginning, Trump declared that the war in Gaza is over.Israeli media reported that Trump may visit the released hostages at the Sheba Medical Center, where many are undergoing post-release treatment and counselling. According to, If it happens, it will likely be at the Sheba Medical Center.Trumps visit came amid the continuing implementation of the Gaza peace deal, which has also triggered the release of detained Palestinians. Footage showed buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners leaving Ofer Prison in the West Bank under Israeli escort.Under the terms of the deal, Israel will deport 154 released Palestinian detainees outside Israel and the Palestinian territories, according to an official involved in the operation who spoke toIn addition, Israel made last-minute changes to its list of Palestinian prisoners, replacing two names and swapping about 120 Gazans detained after October 7 with others to be freed in their place. The transfers were being coordinated through international organizations to ensure compliance with the agreement.The exchange marks one of the final steps in the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, which world leaders hope will pave the way for a permanent end to the long-running conflict. Saleh Al-Jafarawi , a Palestinian influencer known as 'Mr FAFO', killed amid gaza clashes ( Image credit : X/@afalkhatib | Palestinian influencer Saleh Al-Jafarawi dead at 27 ) Zohran Mamdani's wife slammed after Saleh Al-Jafarawi tribute ( Image credit : Instagram | Rama Duwaji 'heartbroken' after Saleh Al Jafarawi's death ) She also shared a reel that refers to him as beloved. This man supported Hamas horrific massacre on October 7th and has been campaigning for Hamas ever since. pic.twitter.com/T4vBmT7t6u Neria Kraus (@NeriaKraus) October 12, 2025 Hey NYC,wake up before its too late ,think about your childrens future,those people being only evils and darkness mush-lug (@T5NyANnilUcDBwx) October 13, 2025 Please NYC. Dont vote for Mamdani. https://t.co/gotIrNHFu0 Sister Myko (@SisterMyko) October 13, 2025 Their agenda is quite clear, promote terrorism https://t.co/QEqPRvEdFn Ravi (@TheMan_goMan) October 13, 2025 More about Rama Duwaji ( Image credit : Instagram/@ramaduwaji | Rama Duwaji champions sisterhood, healing, and social justice through her acclaimed illustrations ) Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, is facing online backlash after paying tribute to Saleh Al Jafarawi, also known as Mr Fafo. She also shared a reel in which she referred to him as beloved. Screenshots of her Instagram stories quickly went viral on X, with critics accusing her of honouring a Hamas propagandist.For the unversed, Saleh Al Jafarawi was a social media influencer in the Gaza Strip who gained attention internationally, particularly in Israel, after reportedly celebrating Hamass October 7, 2023, attack. He was killed on Sunday during armed clashes between Hamas and Palestinian militias in Gaza City.Saleh Al-Jafarawi, a 27-year-old Palestinian journalist and social media influencer, was reportedly shot dead on October 12, 2025, during armed clashes between Hamas and rival Palestinian militias in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City.According to, "Al-Jafarawi was shot dead by members of an armed militia in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, as he covered armed clashes."Al-Jafarawi gained international attention for his provocative online content, including celebrating the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel. He was reportedly wearing a press vest when he was killed, highlighting the dangers faced by journalists in conflict zones. His death has sparked polarised reactions, with some mourning the loss of a voice from Gaza, while others criticise his past support for violence.Rama Duwaji, an animator and illustrator, shared her broken heart over the death of Saleh Al-Jafarawi. Duwaji reacted to the news that Saleh al-Jafarawi was killed by posting an Instagram story that featured his photo along with four broken heart emojis. She also shared a reel that refers to him as beloved', sparking online backlash.One user wrote, "Hey NYC, wake up before its too late ,think about your childrens future; those people are only evil and darkness.""Please, NYC. "Don't vote for Mamdani," another said."They dont even pretend theyre not antisemitic they belong nowhere near city hall," a third user added. "Their agenda is quite clear: promote terrorism," said one person on X.Rama Duwaji is a Syrian-American artist and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York, known for her work exploring themes of sisterhood, healing, and social justice. She has collaborated with outlets like The New Yorker and the BBC and often highlights issues affecting Arab and Muslim communities.Rama married Mamdani in February 2025 after meeting him on Hinge, and the couple lives in Astoria, Queens. Her creative work and advocacy have made her a recognised voice both in art circles and online communities. A security guard who shot a patron at a Center City IHOP restaurant this past weekend has been charged with murder and related crimes, police said Monday. Yahaira Melendez, 39, of Philadelphia, shot a man inside the restaurant on the 1300 block of Walnut Street shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. Police did not identify the victim. Advertisement Officers were called to the restaurant for a report of a person with a gun and arrived to find a 43-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. Authorities said Monday that the man had caused a disturbance and was being escorted outside the restaurant by security personnel when he spit at Melendez. She then fired her weapon and struck him in the head, police said. A spokesperson for IHOP said the restaurant chain is cooperating with the investigation. The safety of our Team Members and guests is our number one priority, the spokespersons statement read. We take this incident extremely seriously. The District Attorneys Office is expected to share more details on the incident at a news conference Tuesday. Staff writer Michelle Myers contributed to this article. Racquel Graham was convicted of aggravated assault and related crimes by a Chester County jury earlier this year. Read more A Chester County judge said Monday that he was showing mercy to a Secane woman when he sentenced her to county jail rather than state prison for a road-rage shooting in Willistown Township last year. But in sentencing Racquel Graham to nine to 23 months in jail, Judge Patrick Carmody was unequivocal in his warning to her. Advertisement You had a good job, and you pursued the American Dream, which I respect, but you almost turned it into a nightmare for you and [the victim], Carmody said. He called Graham a tremendous threat to society and ordered her to undergo mental health treatment in jail Graham, 43, was convicted of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and related crimes in May. During her trial, Graham said that in the weeks before the shooting, she had been threatened by her neighbors, who she said belong to a violent street gang. She believed one of those gang members was driving alongside her on Goshen Road in Willistown on May 2, 2024, and told investigating officers that the driver had been harassing her for several days before the shooting. Graham fired once, striking the vehicles passenger window. In reality, prosecutors said, the car was being driven by a stranger, who testified at Grahams trial that the gunshot terrified him and caused significant damage to his vehicle. The victim said Graham had suddenly begun. to slow down as he drove behind her near the intersection of Goshen and Sugartown Roads. As he passed her in the left lane, the man said, he looked to his right and saw her pointing a handgun at him through her cars open window. Assistant District Attorney Monica Szyszkiewicz noted Monday that the windows on the mans car were tinted, so Graham had no idea who was in the vehicle when she fired her gun. In the two years leading up to the shooting, the prosecutor said, police investigated 11 incidents involving Graham, including multiple disputes with other motorists. Each time, she said, Graham told investigators her fears about the street gang, saying different members, in different vehicles, were pursuing her. Grahams attorney, Ellen Blood Koopman, said it was clear that Graham was suffering from mental health issues and urged Carmody to allow her to serve her sentence on house arrest. It was the best way, she said, to ensure that Graham could receive the treatment she needs. Koopman noted that Graham had never been arrested before and had built a successful life for herself since she emigrated to the United States from Jamaica as a teenager. But the judge was not swayed. He said Graham had yet to take full responsibility for her actions and still believed that she had done nothing wrong. I hope you serve your sentence and become a productive member of society, Carmody told Graham before she was taken into custody. And I hope you never touch a firearm again, because youre a danger with one in your hands. An assortment of dog-friendly baked goods from Petes K9 Treats in Glendora, an allergy-safe pet bakery that owner Nicole Morelli-Sutter named after her pit bull. Read more Every evening after Steph Johnson drives home from work, she spends roughly five hours baking in her kitchen. As Taylor Swift plays on loop, Johnson pipes ruffles onto tiers of Bluey and Batman-inspired birthday cakes and frosts sheets of shortbread cookies molded into tiaras, ice cream cones, and Swoop, the Eagles mascot. But Johnsons clients arent elementary schoolers. Theyre dogs. Advertisement Johnson owns Manayunks Pet Friendly Dog Bakery, a confectionary at 4324 Main Street that sells dog-safe pastries from Johnsons kitchen. Her work ranges from pop tarts to custom heart-shaped Lambeth cakes. Johnson purchased the bakery from its former owners in 2022 but said business took off the following year when an influx of pet parents started asking the same question: How can you make my pups birthday or adoption anniversary special? Now, Johnson is closing Pet Friendly Dog Bakerys brick-and-mortar on Oct. 19 to focus on baking custom orders for celebrations, which make up around 20% of Johnsons overall business. Prices start at $29.99 for a 4-inch cake and go up as you add tiers, flavors, and toppers. Its my favorite part of my job to the point where I actually looked into being a cake decorator for, like, a human bakery, Johnson said. The cakes are getting better and better, but I just cant do the day-in, day-out parts of the business. Johnsons success stems from a change in pet parent behavior, where the line between how we treat dogs and children has thinned. Dog ownership in the United States surged after the pandemic along with pet spending, which is expected to balloon into a $260 billion industry by 2030, according to Morgan Stanley. And for dog owners who are empty-nesters, the extra spending and attention is worth it. Fur babies are family, they say, and deserve the best including birthday cakes that look good enough for a human to eat. READ MORE: Fidos wedding +1: South Philly friends made a business of handling the pup of honor at dog-lovers nuptials Dog mom Linda Ziccardi told The Inquirer that her 3-year-old Emmy (a Staffordshire terrier) and her 13-year-old Blue (an Australian blue heeler and beagle mix) have come to expect bone-shaped birthday cakes from Petes K9 Treats in Glendora. The cakes, she believes, matter most to Blue, whom she rescued after he lost a leg. I have a 30-year-old son and am going to be a grandmother but my pets are just as much as part of the family, said Ziccardi, 57, of Runnemede. We celebrate our birthdays and anniversaries and big days. [Dogs] deserve the same. Their lives are just as special. From bark-mitzvahs and gender reveals to three-tiered birthday cakes While there are limits to what ingredients you can use in a dog-safe cake, there are few when it comes to decorating. Most pet-safe pastries lack refined sugar, which is difficult for canines to digest in large quantities. Johnson works with yogurt icing and other ingredients dogs can process, like blueberries or pumpkin. Petes K9 Treats owner Nicole Morelli-Sutter fell into the dog pastry business thanks to her pit bull Pete the bakerys namesake whose severe allergies required homemade treats. Most of her cakes are made with ingredients Pete can enjoy: wheat and coconut flour, coconut oil, and peanut butter or pumpkin. Morelli-Sutter uses standard cake piping tips and hard yogurt icing to outline the cakes in uniform swirls or flowers, often in vibrant blue, pink, or green hues. For a finishing touch, she adds pawprint stamps. No order, Morelli-Sutter said, is too outlandish. At the end of September, she drew bite-sized Stars of David onto a bone-shaped cake for a bark mitzvah for Zeus, a doodle from Cherry Hill who turned 12. She handles gender reveals, too, slathering a thick layer of pink or blue frosting in between cake tiers. I make about eight [custom] cakes a week and, without fail, at least one person says, This cake is pretty big. Can we eat this too? said Morelli-Sutter. READ MORE: Former Main Line Rite Aid will become a luxury pet resort Can they? Sure, but itll taste like half-sweet peanut butter gruel. Johnson has tasted everything she makes for Pet Friendly Dog Bakery at least once. Her dog clients prefer a soft and crumbly cake similar in texture to ones for human consumption. Would I eat this normally? Probably not. But if I got stuck in the store and had to live off dog treats, I could survive, Johnson said. She makes an exception for her bacon-cheddar pupcakes. Those taste exactly like Red Lobsters Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Johnsons repertoire spans panda cakes topped with frosted bones to, most recently, a three-tiered confection for an 11-year-old pup whose owners requested a pale blue and green color scheme with a different flavor for each layer. It weighed 15 pounds, Johnson said. If they add a fourth layer next year, Im telling them no. READ MORE: A new cat hotel and spa in Mount Laurel offers purrfect getaway for felines Meeting the demands of pet parenthood Pet birthday cakes were never the norm, according to Melissa Morales, who started her organic dog biscuit Melmos Treats in 2019. Morales no-frills treats comes in flavors like Beef Stew and Mint Berry and are sold in 75 stores across 15 states. That felt like enough until she attended a pet expo in January, Morales said, where she was repeatedly asked about getting into the pet pastry game. In May, Morales opened a store at 905 S. Ninth St. in the Italian Market, where she has two fridges filled with cakes, teddy bear cookies, and biscuits shaped like Swoop. This was something I said Id never do, Morales said. I just wanted to make dog biscuits. Morales $30 cakes are adapted from biscuit recipes and frosted with mashed potatoes that are naturally dyed with spirulina and beets or pumpkin. To decorate, Morales prefers to press edible flowers or fruit chips on the sides. Her homemade aesthetic is deliberate. Its not going to look like a [humans] birthday cake, its going to look like a cake for a dog because the dog should come first, she said. People want something that looks like its for a human birthday and I have to explain thats not what I do. Sometimes, though, the cake is for the human at least in part. Stephanie McNeilly, of Magnolia, purchased her first birthday cake from Petes K9 Treats for Hunter her 7-year-old English pointer-Lab mix last July. The festivities included steak off the grill and a trip to his treat closet, plus a regular birthday cake for McNeilly. The cake was probably more for me since I wonder if he knows why were celebrating, McNeilly said. Anything I can do to make him happy makes me happy He always comes first. Dutch Smith, 33, discusses the Dunkin' Donuts video that went viral in 2016. Read more The doughnut shtick has gotten stale for Dutch Smith. Millions of people have chuckled at the local news clip about an arson that shuttered a Dunkin Donuts in Shamokin, Northumberland County, back in 2016. In the WNEP-16 Residents Devastated After Dunkin Donuts Closed by Fire segment, Smith and other regulars discuss, earnestly, why theyll miss their cheap and classy Dunkin. Advertisement If I have any, like, legal work to do, I go there, Smith told the reporter. I meet with my attorneys there. Customer Alba Wehr smiles through the interview but expressed disappointment that shed have to resort to Turkey Hill coffee and donits. The Shamokin video went viral as people snickered over locals being so upset over a chain coffee shop. Comedian Daniel Tosh used WNEP-16s clip to nominate Shamokin for a very dubious award: worlds biggest sthole. Podcaster and comedian Theo Von, who has more than 10 million followers on various social media accounts, has been consistently sharing the video for years. Von showed it to occasional Dunkin pitchman Ben Affleck and former MMA fighter and podcaster Brendan Schaub. Just last month, Von waxed about Shamokin again, with comedian Jim Norton. Whats his last name? ... Dutch Smith? Von asked before queuing up the video on his This Past Weekend podcast in September. Smith, a forklift operator, spoke to The Inquirer about Vons latest mention of the clip, and his own struggles, outside a cafe in Scrantons Nay Aug Park on a recent Sunday. I dont want to be remembered as a joke, he said. Smith grew up without a father in Florida and Shamokin, and struggled with drug use, mental health issues, and run-ins with the law. I didnt know my dad, he said. I didnt have that discipline in my life, and looking back, I needed it. Smith said the video is a little painful to watch because 2016 was a difficult time in his life. Hes let Von know that, and theyve traded a few messages, but hes been hesitant to go on the show if its just going to be more jokes. Both men are sober. Von did not return requests for comment, but has worn a Dutch Smith shirt. When Smith was arrested for an alleged assault on a police officer at his mothers home just a month after the news clip aired, the local newspaper described him as the rapper who went viral after Shamokin Dunkin Donuts fire. He spent several months in jail before the charges were dropped. Today, Smith is a father and describes himself as a faith-based multi-genre musician, with sounds similar to Eminem, the late Mac Miller, and, now that hes learning guitar, a bit of Post Malone. Smith was not making faith-based music in 2016, though. He described that era as joke rap and he even dabbled in horrorcore rap. Most of the lyrics are unprintable. Smith said he cringes when he sees the short video he made to capitalize on his 15 minutes of fame. Im from Shamokin. Im on the news, Smith raps in the video. Toward the end of the Dunkin Donuts news clip, Smith mentioned something about Shamokin that was lost in the laughter. Its a simple observation that applies to many coal towns and other postindustrial areas of Pennsylvania. Its the only thing this town has, Smith said. Buildings deteriorate Shamokin has struggled since the end of the anthracite coal boom. Its population decreased 67% in a little more than a century, and today, its home to 6,942 people. For 10 years, it was under Pennsylvania Act 47, a program administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development to keep cities experiencing severe financial distress afloat. Shamokin exited Act 47 in 2024. And were in no better shape today. Probably worse, said Mayor Mike McLaughlin. Our tax base keeps eroding. People move. Businesses close and buildings deteriorate. In 1993, the New York Times dubbed Shamokin a dying town. Attempts to resuscitate have come in fits and starts. When The Inquirer visited in 2021, a former church had been transformed into a picturesque coffee shop. It has since closed, but according to the Shamokin News-Item, a new shop could open there by the end of the year. The town has seen tourism rise since the opening of the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area, a vast riding area for ATVs, dirt bikes, and other off-road vehicles in adjacent Coal Township. Like communities in West Virginia and New Hampshire, Shamokin has allowed tourists to ride off-road vehicles on specific city routes to connect the AOAA with local businesses. On a recent Saturday night at Shamokins Heritage Restaurant, many patrons at the bar had spent the day riding in the park. The Dunkin was more than a place to get iced coffee, and thats a similar story for many chain and fast-food establishments throughout rural Pennsylvania. The bottom line is that it was a place that was important to people, particularly if they didnt have the means to get around, McLaughlin said. The Shamokin Dunkin Donuts has since reopened. An awakening While Smith was in the county jail, he said he had a spiritual encounter that compelled him to make changes. He didnt elaborate. One of those changes was the tone and style of his music. Smith doesnt use the term Christian music but, rather, thinks hes aiming for people who are searching for God. It doesnt sound like the typical Christian music, he said. Im speaking to people struggling with drugs or thoughts of suicide. He made an elaborate video, complete with special effects, at Ricketts Glen State Park for a song called Trust Him" that has close to 30,000 views. Smith said he performs at churches, youth centers, revivals, but not bars or clubs. He performed a new tune on his acoustic guitar in Nay Aug Park. I wish I had gone viral when I was making this kind of music, he said. I know my music is going to make a change. It changed me at least. Other locals interviewed for the Dunkin Donuts video are harder to find. According to an online obituary, Wehr died at her home in 2017. Her family did not return requests for comment. Smith and others, including those who commented on her obituary, said Wehr had her struggles. She was 44. The comments also described her laugh and selflessness. Even in death, though, a few folks couldnt help but crack a joke. Dunkin Donuts will never be the same, one person wrote. The operating assets of WPSU on Penn State's campus in State College are slated to be sold to WHYY. Read more Penn State trustees on Monday unanimously approved a revised proposal to sell the operating assets of WPSU, the universitys public radio and television station, to WHYY, reviving a path to keep the station alive that fell through under a previous offer last month. At times financial negotiations can necessitate multiple rounds of negotiation, Sara Thorndike, the schools senior vice president for finance and business, said in a statement. The cost of the sale was not disclosed. Im thrilled we were able to bring this agreement to this promising point. Advertisement The vote supporting the revised plan came during a special board of trustees and finance and investment committee meeting Monday. The plan still requires approval from WHYYs board, as well as the Federal Communications Commission, but is expected to be completed by June 30, 2026, the university said. Last month, Penn State said it planned to wind down WPSUs operations and lay off employees by the end of June 2026. The Inquirer previously reported WPSUs annual budget was funded largely by money from the university coupled with federal dollars the latter of which was slashed after President Donald Trumps administration stripped away federal dollars for public media like NPR and PBS. In September, school trustees unanimously voted down a plan for WPSUs sale to WHYY, primarily citing concerns over about $17 million in subsidy Penn State would have had to provide to WHYY over five years as part of that deal. Now, under the new plan, the university would not pay that subsidy. Instead, the university said Monday, WHYY agreed to raise funds itself, starting with a 30-day exclusivity period during which it will attempt to secure funding totaling at least $8.36 million. During that time, Thorndike said Monday, the university can continue to hear offers from parties interested in WPSU, but it cannot sign any agreements. We want to do what we can to support them in those efforts, Thorndike said. WHYY, the university said, has also agreed to continue operating WPSU for at least three years following the sale, and give current station employees the opportunity to interview for roles at the new station under their leadership. If qualified for jobs determined to be necessary by WHYY, those employees will be hired into those positions, Thorndike said. About 44 employees remain at the station following layoffs in June, The Inquirer recently reported. Penn State, meanwhile, will give the WHYY-operated station control over all endowments, gifts, and pledges intended for WPSU, the university said. Last month, university board of trustees chair David Kleppinger called WPSUs impending closure an incredibly difficult decision, but necessary given the funding issues facing both public media and higher education under the Trump administration. On Monday, Kleppinger said the schools board had received more than 1,300 public comments about the station in recent weeks, and an overwhelming majority urged the university to reconsider the decision to wind down WPSU. Many commenters, he added, focused on the stations cultural and educational value to children and families in rural Pennsylvania. WPSU serves 24 counties in the central and northern part of the state. Many also noted the stations history of trusted local journalism and community engagement, and urged the board to find a sustainable path forward that preserves those contributions, Kleppinger said. Now, if successful, the plan approved Monday by the universitys board would keep the lights on at the station, which began broadcasting more than 70 years ago. In a statement, WHYY president and CEO Bill Marrazzo said WPSU would continue to be here for listeners. This is an investment in collaboration Marrazzo said. WHYY and WPSU are joining forces to expand what is possible strengthening local journalism, creating new educational opportunities, and developing innovative ways to deliver the content people value most. Ellen Greenberg was found dead in the apartment she shared with her fiance. Read more During a recent review of the Ellen Greenberg case, Philadelphia Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon discovered 20 additional bruises and three additional perforations in the skin never before documented on Greenbergs body, raising the total number of bruises to 31 and stab wounds to 23, up from 20. Despite that new information, Simon concluded that Greenbergs death is best classified as Suicide, as it has been by the city since it was switched from homicide in 2011. Advertisement In a 32-page report detailing her findings, Simon based her determination on several factors, including Greenbergs anxiety about her work as a first-grade teacher and how grades she needed to submit on the day of her death would indicate that she had previously given inflated grades to her students. While her recent change in medications had helped with the insomnia associated with her anxiety, she did not survive long enough to address the anxiety itself, Simon wrote. Thus, she had an increase in energy to act on her anxious thoughts. The court-ordered reexamination was part of an agreement that Greenbergs parents, Joshua and Sandra, reached with the city in February to settle two lawsuits they brought against Philadelphia authorities relating to the investigations into their daughters death. Simons review was delivered to the Greenbergs attorney, Joseph Podraza Jr., on Friday afternoon, in advance of a court hearing Tuesday to address a motion he filed to compel the city to produce its findings. The Greenbergs, who havent read the review but are aware of its suicide conclusion, were disappointed but not surprised. The whole thing was bogus, Joshua Greenberg said. I expected the city to do this. Her synopsis doesnt change a darn thing. Philadelphia will do everything they can to prove their point. Podraza wasnt shocked by the determination, either. That didnt surprise me as much as when I turned to reading the substance of this alleged report, he said. Overall, I think its a product thats disingenuous and really constitutes tripe. Differing opinions The suicide determination reached by Simon, who was not previously involved in the investigations into Greenbergs case, stands in opposition to a January statement signed by Marlon Osbourne, the pathologist who conducted Greenbergs autopsy in 2011. In that sworn statement, Osbourne who initially ruled Greenbergs death a homicide, before weeks later switching it to suicide said he now believes her death should be designated as something other than suicide. The remaining options are homicide or undetermined. Simon did not address Osbournes new position in her review and it is unclear whether it factored into her decision. Simons determination also goes against five of the seven consultative reports from forensic experts she considered as part of her review, who concluded that the case is indicative of homicide or not biomechanically consistent with suicide. A sixth report from a blood splatter expert made no determination on the manner of Greenbergs death, but concluded that her body had been moved. All of those reports were retained by the Greenbergs; the seventh report, which supported suicide, was produced by an expert for the city. From homicide to suicide Greenberg, 27, was found by her fiance, Samuel Goldberg, in the kitchen of their Venice Lofts apartment in Manayunk with a 10-inch knife lodged four inches into her chest on Jan. 26, 2011. Investigators on scene treated her death as a suicide because Goldberg told them that the swing bar lock to their apartment was engaged from the inside and that he had to break it down to get in. There were no signs of an intruder and Greenberg had no defensive wounds, police have said. The next morning at the autopsy, Osbourne noted a total of 20 stab wounds to Greenbergs body, including 10 to the back of her neck, along with 11 bruises in various stages of healing, and ruled her death a homicide. By the time homicide investigators returned to the scene to conduct their investigation, the apartment was already professionally cleaned and electronic devices belonging to Greenberg had been removed by a member of Goldbergs family. Shortly after the homicide ruling, police began publicly disputing the findings from the Medical Examiners Office and Osbourne later changed his ruling to suicide, with no explanation to the family. The Greenbergs subsequently retained numerous independent forensic experts who have questioned authorities findings, as first detailed in a March 2019 Inquirer report. The lawsuits The Greenbergs and Podraza filed their first civil suit against the city in 2019, seeking to have the manner of Greenbergs death changed from suicide back to homicide or to undetermined. Their second suit, which was filed in 2022 and resulted from new information obtained through discovery and depositions in the first suit, alleged that the investigation into Greenbergs death was embarrassingly botched and resulted in a cover-up by Philadelphia authorities. As part of their February settlement with the city, which came on the heels of Osbournes revised position on the case, the Greenbergs agreed to withdraw both suits. Other terms of the settlement included an expeditious reexamination of the manner of Greenbergs death, a $650,000 monetary settlement (which has been paid), and an agreement from the Greenbergs never to sue the city again. The case recently received renewed attention when a three-part Hulu docuseries, Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?, premiered in late September. (Editors note: Inquirer reporter Stephanie Farr was interviewed as part of the documentary.) The spinal cord According to her report, Simon watched the Hulu documentary as part of her review. She also reviewed records and photos of the scene and autopsy from the Medical Examiners Office, records from the police department, transcripts from depositions in the lawsuits, and the seven consultative reports from forensic experts. Her review does not say that she conducted any interviews, nor does it say that she examined the piece of Greenbergs spinal cord still in storage at the Medical Examiners Office. That specimen was previously examined by a former member of the Medical Examiners Office, Lyndsey Emery, who testified that two cuts to Greenbergs spinal column one to the bone and ligaments in the back and a corresponding cut to the dura lacked hemorrhaging, which means no pulse. At deposition, Emery said there were three possibilities for the lack of hemorrhaging: There wasnt enough time between when the wound was inflicted and when Greenberg died for it to hemorrhage; the wound didnt disrupt the tissue enough to cause a response; or Greenberg was already dead when the wound was inflicted. Wayne K. Ross, a forensic expert for the Greenbergs who examined the spinal cord specimen, concluded that Greenberg was already dead when that wound was inflicted. During deposition, Emery said that the wounds were from a bona fide sharp force injury and were not done at autopsy, but a month later, the city filed a written declaration by Emery, in which she presented several other possibilities for the lack of hemorrhaging, including that the injury could have been done at the time of autopsy. In her review, Simon concluded the preponderance of the evidence suggests the defect was an artifact from the autopsy. Podraza, the Greenbergs attorney, said he would have expected Simon to conduct her own exam of the spinal cord specimen or send it out for a neuropathology examination, and not depend on previous reports and photographs. You cant render an opinion as to whether a wound bled or not without a histological exam, he said. You cant say that a wound is an artifact of autopsy without doing more than simply looking at a photograph. Simon also noted there was 1220 ml of blood in Greenbergs chest cavities associated with the knife lodged in her chest, which she said indicates Greenberg was alive when this stab wound was inflicted. New wounds and bruises The three additional perforations to the skin Simon discovered during her review that were unaccounted for in Osbournes notes did not result in significant internal injury, she said. Simon opined that all 23 of the wounds could be self-inflicted and that 11 were so small and shallow that they are consistent with hesitation wounds from self-infliction. While the distribution of injuries is admittedly unusual, the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself, she wrote. When it comes to the 31 bruises, Simon said it is her opinion that they were consistent with incidental contact sustained during activities of daily living, including her work as a first-grade teacher. That must be a full-contact first grade class, tantamount to playing with the Eagles, Podraza said. We will never stop In reaching her suicide ruling, Simon said there was no indication Greenberg was in an abusive relationship, no indication that a third party gained access to the apartment, no evidence of a struggle, and no reasonable explanation for the lack of defensive wounds on Ellens body. And again, she relied heavily upon reports from Greenbergs family, friends, fiance, and psychiatrist that she was suffering from anxiety due to work, though none of those individuals ever reported that she had suicidal ideations. Podraza and his co-counsel, William Trask, said Greenbergs anxiety is overstated and conclusions that it led her to kill herself, without any prior indication she was inclined to do so, are pure speculation. She was stabbed in the brain, spine, liver, et cetera, Trask said. I think that the goal here was not to discover the truth about what happened to Ellen; the goal was to smear her mental health and make sure nobody is held accountable for what happened. Requests for comment to the Philadelphia Solicitors Office and the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Office were not returned Monday. Despite the suicide determination, Podraza said we will never stop and there are other options to pursue, though he was not ready to discuss what those may be at this time. I want people to understand there is something wrong in the City of Brotherly Love, he said. I really fear that if this is how the Greenbergs get treated, what happens to the people in the city with less means? Thats scary. Update: This story has been updated to include Stephanie Farrs participation as a source in the Hulu documentary on Ellen Greenberg. Just in time for the 2026 celebration of John Coltranes centennial, progress is finally underway on the restoration of the saxophonists long beleaguered house in Strawberry Mansion. Coltrane bought the house at 1511 N. 33rd St. in 1952, living there until 1958 with his mother, his cousin Mary Alexander (immortalized as Cousin Mary on the 1960 classic Giant Steps, written while Coltrane lived in Strawberry Mansion), and a childhood friend from North Carolina. After their marriage in 1955, Coltranes first wife, Juanita Naima Austin, also moved in. Advertisement The saxophonist lived at 1511 N. 33rd St. until 1958, encompassing his formative years with Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis and his earliest solo efforts, and overcame his heroin addiction there. After he left Philadelphia for New York, his mother continued to reside there until her death in 1977; Cousin Mary stayed there until a few years before she died in 2019. On Friday afternoon, a group of musicians, jazz fans, neighbors, and preservationists gathered in The Yard, a public space that opened last November in a formerly vacant lot behind 1515-1517 N. 33rd St., a few doors away from the Coltrane House. They announced a partnership between a number of local and national organizations to restore and revitalize the three-story rowhouse, which has been named a National Historic Landmark but has been deteriorating for decades. As a group of young musicians from the Lovett Hines Global Creative Arts Initiative performed Coltrane compositions, the jazz legends son, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, spoke about his relief at seeing the site rescued from potential destruction. I think this house can exist as a symbol of Johns legacy, he said. We want to open it up as a cultural landmark for creative and artists of all types, for seekers of musical and spiritual knowledge, and for those just looking to be inspired. We all recognize that it can exist as a symbol for creative and artistic excellence, for spiritual growth and for everything that John Coltrane stood for. Ravi Coltrane has no memories of his father, who died when he was just 2 years old in 1967. He was raised in the house that his mother, pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane, shared with John in Dix Hills, N.Y. But he does remember the house in Strawberry Mansion, where he spent summers visiting his grandmother and Cousin Mary. He fondly recalled trips to the Philadelphia Zoo and the Franklin Institute. I assumed the house would always be here, he said. But without the proper care and support, these homes can vanish This is definitely a long time coming. READ MORE: Live jazz welcomed neighbors and folks from around the city to The Yard on John Coltrane Street in Strawberry Mansion The fate of the house has been in question since Mary Alexander sold the property to Norman Gadson, a real estate developer and avid jazz aficionado, in 2004. Gadson died in 2007, leaving his family to maintain the property, while questions arose over Alexanders right to make the sale. Meanwhile, structural damage and a crumbling facade threatened to cost the city one of its most important cultural landmarks, exacerbated by fires and planned demolition in neighboring properties. The Coltrane Estate has since worked to conserve the house, rescuing it from the National Trust for Historic Preservations list of Americas Most Endangered Places. The house was named to the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphias own Endangered Properties List in 2011. After years of legal wrangling, the estate has regained ownership of the house. It has formed a nonprofit that will take ownership, and a working group with Ars Nova Workshops Mark Christman and Anthony Tidd. They have undertaken their efforts in partnership with the Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation and the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with financial support from the Mellon Foundation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Blight Remediation Program In recent weeks, work has begun on urgent maintenance and a facade restoration that is expected to be completed in late November. The houses windows are boarded up in anticipation of replacements, the debris-littered backyard has been cleared, and a new banner hangs above the front porch depicting Coltrane standing on the front steps. Those are just the initial steps in a long-term project that will require a substantial capital campaign. The timeline for the project and the ultimate future of the house remain to be determined. Ravi Coltrane envisions the doors being opened to the public, the house having a positive impact on the community, and the site to include performance, educational, and spiritual components in keeping with his fathers work and legacy. This is day one in some ways, said Christman, director of Ars Nova Workshop. This entire city is going to come together around Coltrane for next years centennial, and that will provide opportunities for us to connect Coltrane, his ideas and his contributions to Philadelphia and the house. Much of the effort in Philly has been led by bassist/composer Tidd, Ars Novas chief creative catalyst and one of several community activists who have long spoken out for the house to be saved from the wrecking ball. Not too long ago, many of us who were very concerned and invested in the Coltrane property were very fearful for its survival, he said. This is such a beautiful thing, that were now in a different position because of the work of all of these organizations. Were looking forward to a brighter future. Asked why he felt it was so important to preserve and open these historic spaces to the public, Ravi Coltrane said: Jazz history is American history. Jazz history is Black American history. Its something that should be acknowledged and respected and affirmed by all cultures. Its something that we take pride in, and these homes exist as a physical embodiment of that pride. Though marketed as tools to make life easier, artificial intelligence is overwhelmingly used on us, not by us, write Devren Washington and Clarence Okoh. Read more By now, youve noticed: Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Doorbell cameras film us walking through our neighborhood, Gmail insists on auto-generating email replies, and were told to accept a face scan to board an airplane. Health insurance CEOs use algorithms to auto-deny our healthcare coverage, and when you apply for a job, chances are AI screens your resume before a person ever sees it. This AI explosion isnt accidental; its manufactured. Big Tech CEOs spend billions on lobbyists, marketers, and advertisers to pitch AI products to companies and, increasingly, to governments, that, in turn, spend millions buying and cramming AI into their day-to-day workings. Advertisement Despite the rapid integration of AI into public life and government operations, theres very little information about what it costs, how its used, and who truly benefits, breeding reasonable skepticism. While city officials champion AI as a cutting-edge solution to enduring challenges, residents are suspicious of how it might be used against them and theyre right. As technology becomes more deeply embedded in our lives and government, Philadelphia leaders must ensure new technologies serve the needs of Phillys people, not just the profits of companies. Though marketed as tools to make life easier, AI is overwhelmingly used on us, not by us. In Norristown, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement used facial recognition to target people for deportation, weaponizing Palantirs surveillance against Black and brown families. AI is often used secretly, targeting the most vulnerable, and putting children, especially, at risk. In Pasco County, Fla., officials used sensitive education records and racist algorithms to try to predict which students might be arrested and funneled into the criminal legal system. Philadelphia tracks thousands of children with GPS monitors, sharing their location with police without a warrant, notice, or consent violating childrens privacy under the guise of oversight. Because its built by humans and trained on biased data, AI often reinforces racism instead of removing it, harming Black and brown families the most. A courtroom algorithm used nationwide falsely flagged Black people as likely future criminals nearly twice as often as white people. In Pittsburgh, an algorithm disproportionately flagged Black parents for child removal, with social workers overriding its risk scores a third of the time. These decisions have real, lasting impacts on peoples lives and futures. Every single AI tool is powered by resource-guzzling data centers, which are frequently foisted on poor communities of color, that suffer higher electric rates and poisoned water tables, while politicians gift massive tax breaks to the billion-dollar corporations building and profiting. Gov. Josh Shapiro has already hopped on this ugly bandwagon, handing Jeff Bezos and Amazon a sweetheart data center deal that robs taxpayers of $43 million. In each instance, the benefits of AI accrue for tech companies not us. So if AI is watching and extracting from us, who is watching AI? The answer in Philadelphia is no one. AI in Philly government is a black box: There is no public process for communities to review proposed tech and determine if its truly safe for us (let alone beneficial), no citywide policy to disclose how AI and surveillance are used or trained, and no public oversight over its high costs and harmful impacts. One thing we do know is that companies are aggressively marketing AI to City Hall. The company that invented and sells Tasers spent $75,000 lobbying the city, and is now pushing software that would use AI to generate police reports, while Microsoft salespeople rub elbows and pitch their vision. The good news is that every black box contains a trove of information, and Councilmember Rue Landau is leading the way to unlock it, hosting the first-ever public hearing on Phillys use of AI and surveillance on Wednesday to put the uses, cost, and impacts of AI on the public record. This kind of leadership should be an example for other elected officials in Philly and nationwide. While bringing some overdue transparency is an essential first step, theres far more to do. We also need bright-line rules that ban the most abusive uses of AI and prevent tech companies from writing their own rule book. Philly is already on the way: Councilmember Nicolas ORourkes ban on algorithmic rent setting protects Philadelphians from predators in a housing crisis, while the PHLConnectED program that got thousands of children online shows that the best uses of technology serve the public good first. The AI boom presents an enormous responsibility and opportunity for Philadelphia to lead on an equitable, people-first approach to tech policy. Lets not waste it. Devren Washington is the organizing director with Peoples Tech Project and founder of Philly Tech Justice. Clarence Okoh is the senior attorney for civil rights and technology at TechTonic Justice. The U.S. Supreme Court began its new term on Monday, with the biggest question to be decided on a docket that also includes critical voting rights and culture war issues being whether the conservative majority will continue to lend its dwindling legitimacy to entrenching an imperial presidency. On that account, perhaps the biggest damage has already been done. Advertisement The justices, in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, determined last year that presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts in office. This deeply misguided ruling would be an invitation for abuse even under the best of circumstances, but it is a blank check for malfeasance given the proven disdain for the law by the man in the Oval Office. However slim, perhaps there is still hope the high court will display the same respect for precedent and commitment to the Constitution that the lower courts made up of judges appointed by Republicans and Democrats have shown in standing up to the Trump administrations blatant power grab. But even that limited optimism is tempered by the courts deference to an unchecked executive through the so-called shadow docket, which the administration has used to petition the justices to stay lower courts preliminary injunctions against Trumps executive actions. READ MORE: Trumps actions belie his Nobel dreams | Editorial In almost all cases, the court, with little or no explanation, has allowed the president to follow through on his efforts to dismantle federal departments and fire officials, to deport immigrants to third-party countries, and withhold billions in funding authorized by Congress. While these decisions are temporary and meant to allow the administrations actions to go forward as legal challenges play out, in practice, the justices ensure that any future judicial victory will ring hollow for those immediately affected. People have already lost their jobs, agencies have been gutted, immigrants have been sent to foreign gulags, and congressional spending timelines have expired. Still, whatever its prior determinations, the court will have a chance to explain its position on presidential power in a series of cases. In Trump v. Slaughter, justices will review Trumps firing of a member of the Federal Trade Commission. The administrations argument is that the president can fire anyone within the executive branch of government. If the justices rule in Trumps favor, they will overturn the 1935 Humphreys Executor v. United States decision, which upheld a law that prevented the president from firing FTC commissioners. In Trump v. Cook, the court will determine whether the president can remove a governor on the Federal Reserve Board on a whim. While certainly past presidents have removed appointees, Trumps wholesale attack on government agencies is an effort to undermine independence and the kind of institutional guardrails that mostly kept him in check during his first term in office. Trumps ability to unilaterally impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act will be reviewed in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections. The conservative majoritys intellectual consistency will be put to the test as it considers an issue that clearly runs afoul of the major questions doctrine, which posits that in cases of major economic and political significance, there must be clear congressional authorization. READ MORE: Federal funding is not worth Penns independence | Editorial The court used this rationale to invalidate several policies proposed by the Biden administration, including the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and relief for student loan debt. Showing that justices are consistently interpreting the law and not bending it to preferred ideological outcomes is crucial if the court wants to stop the decline in how Americans perceive it and its decisions. The courts favorable rating has dropped 22 percentage points since August 2020, coinciding with the period when the conservative majority has not only ruled against popular Democratic proposals but also against settled law, as in its 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion access. Along with the cases dealing with presidential power currently scheduled, the court is likely to hear challenges this term to Trumps assault on birthright citizenship and use of the Alien Enemies Act to send immigrants to a Salvadoran prison. Justices must follow the Constitution and serve as a check on the executives power. The president is not a monarch. The Supreme Court should stop polishing Trumps crown. President Donald Trump deserves credit for the current ceasefire in the bloody war in Gaza and freeing the remaining hostages. But the military and human cost of the war was steep, and big questions remain. Advertisement Such as: How long will the ceasefire last? Will an Arab-Muslim peace force be sufficient to disarm Hamas and police the strip so Israels troops can pull out? Will Israelis and Palestinians ever find a formula for peaceful coexistence? Can the concept of a two-state solution be resurrected after all the horrors of the past two years, and who will provide the security guarantees to both sides that would make it feasible? Can Israel repair the frayed relationship with the many countries and the many Americans who supported the initial response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, but became dismayed by Israels mass killing and starvation of Gazan civilians? Trump traveled to Israel to take a victory lap with his team of negotiators who brokered the ceasefire. There was much welcome joy and relief as Hamas released all 20 of the remaining living hostages, and Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Trump falsely blusters about ending six or seven, and now eight, wars, but on this ceasefire, he was the driving force. But the road to the release of the hostages was long and painful, and the future remains uncertain. Hamas instigated the human tragedy two years ago with its brutal attack, killing nearly 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel was right to respond. But instead of targeting just the Hamas terror network, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waged a pitiless assault that turned the Gaza Strip into rubble. Homes, schools, and hospitals were leveled. Roads and infrastructure were destroyed. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, a figure that includes combatants and many women and children, according to local health officials. Around 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced, roughly 90% of the population, while famine and disease are widespread. Netanyahus actions divided and isolated Israel, while eroding support throughout the United States. Did Netanyahu win the battle, only to lose hearts and minds at home and respect for Israel abroad? Before the war, Netanyahu faced bribery and corruption charges in Israels courts. Now, he stands accused of international war crimes, while an increasing number of countries have formally recognized Palestinian statehood. Did Netanyahu win the battle, only to lose hearts and minds at home and respect for Israel abroad? Trump forced Netanyahu and Hamas into accepting the ceasefire. Trumps 20-point peace plan largely mirrors the one put forward by the Biden administration, but it seems to have been able to accomplish what an earlier iteration of the plan never could. The hostage-ceasefire agreement was only the first phase of Trumps deal, with the toughest and least detailed points yet to come. It remains to be seen if the Israeli leader and Hamas can keep the peace. Both are dishonest brokers with more to gain by fighting. It also remains to be seen if Trump will stay engaged with the peace effort. After all, he is easily distracted by what he sees on Fox News and while constantly dashing off social media posts, running from one fire to the next, often starting many of them. Trumps plate is full of self-inflicted fights, including on-and-off tariffs, mass deportations, sending federal troops into cities, indicting political enemies, blowing up tiny boats off the coast of Venezuela, and the government shutdown. Trump quickly loses interest. The drive to make the government more efficient lasted less than 100 days. Talk of seizing control of Greenland and the Panama Canal has faded. Many days have passed since Trumps repeated promise to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. To be sure, lasting peace in the Middle East is elusive. Many presidents have tried and failed. It is an intractable problem that requires deft diplomacy and sustained focus traits not normally associated with Trump. While Monday was a well-deserved day to celebrate, what comes next? Who will rebuild the Gaza Strip? More importantly, who will profit from the estimated cost of more than $50 billion? Many have long believed the road to peace rests in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. Can that plan be revived? It is too early to tell. Much has been lost. Monday brought hope. Whether something good can come from something so horrific remains to be seen. Gloucester County officials must scrap their ballot design already declared unlawful and replace it before in-person voting in the state begins on Oct. 25, a New Jersey appeals court ruled. The decision, handed down Friday, reverses Superior Court Judge Benjamin Telseys determination last week that although the ballots are violative of state statute, newly created ballots would cause confusion because mail ballots had already been sent out. Advertisement The appellate court disagreed with Telseys order that the original unlawful ballot design should remain without change to avoid having two different ballots before the voters as Election Day approaches on Nov. 4. At the heart of the case, County Clerk James Hogan, a Democrat, had designed the ballot in so-called office-block format, grouping candidates in boxes under the title of the offices they were seeking. However, statute dictates the ballot should have been arranged in columns with party-endorsed candidates listed in a line. READ MORE: Democrats have spent a record amount to win the New Jersey governors race. Why some insiders are still nervous. Republicans, whose candidates were to be listed in the first column on the left (Column A) as arranged by random drawing, appealed last week. Republican New Jersey Assemblyman Brian Bergen (Morris, Passaic) says he was so enraged by the altered ballot format that hes calling for Hogans impeachment for electioneering by altering the ballot. In the vertical-line configuration that Telsey described as conforming to state statute, gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli would head a list of GOP candidates running for other offices and opponent Mikie Sherrill would top a slate of Democrats. People would see Ciattarellis name on top, then vote Republican down the line, Bergen said in an interview. But, he asserted, the Democrats realized that the line led by the well-known Ciattarelli gave the GOP too much advantage, and so it presented an alternate, unlawful format. The law is clear, and so was the court, the New Jersey Republican Party wrote on its Facebook page after the ruling. Gloucester County must fix its illegal ballots after Democrats tried to rewrite the rules. Ballots will be fixed. Justice served. See you at the polls, Gloucester County. Column A, of course. County Democrats didnt respond for requests for comment. In its ruling, the New Jersey Appellate Court agreed with Telsey that ballots created by the Democrats violated state statute. But it differed on the idea that changing the ballots would be confusing because mail ballots with the clerks original office-block design had been sent out beginning Sept. 19. Since nothing could be done about the already distributed mail ballots, the only issue was the in-person ballots, the appellate court observed. And there was no evidence of voter confusion over the existence of two ballot formats, the court determined. All things considered, the court found, we are convinced the record did not support the judges denial of relief as to the ballots for in-person voting, which are the only ballots that remain at issue in this application. To control the matter, the county clerk decided to change the ballot design only after realizing the order in which the candidates would appear, election attorney Yael Bromberg asserted Monday. Clerks are not immune from abusing their discretion as it relates to ballot design, even after years of various litigations to ensure fair ballots. Bromberg, a professor of election law at American University Washington College of Law, is one of the attorneys who worked with then-U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, a Democrat, to eliminate the so-called county line ballot format from New Jersey primary elections. The line format is still functional in general elections. READ MORE: What you need to know about the federal court ruling against the county line in N.J. elections Hogan could not be reached for comment. Brett Pugach, an attorney at Weissman & Mintz LLC in Somerset who also worked with Bromberg and Kim on the ballot format change, agreed, saying, There can be no room in our political system for county election officials to make decisions on how to design the ballot based on providing partisan advantage to favorite candidates over others. Justice Kevin M. Dougherty listens during a Courtroom Dedication Ceremony at the Supreme Court Courtroom in Philadelphia City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 in Philadelphia. The courtroom was named after Madame Justice Sandra Schultz Newman, the first woman ever elected to the states highest court. Read more Pennsylvania is among a handful of states that hold partisan elections for judicial seats. But after a judge is elected to the bench, the partisanship is meant to stop. Advertisement Thats why, in Novembers election, Pennsylvania voters will see the option to mark yes or no next to some candidates on their ballots. Those are the names of sitting judges whose terms have expired, leaving it up to voters to determine whether they should retain their seats. Featuring judges from county trial courts to the state Supreme Court, the judicial retention ballot section in an off-year election can go largely unnoticed, and judges usually cruise through the process to an extra term. Since retention elections began in 1969, only one Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice, Russell Nigro, has ever been ousted. But this years election season is different. Millions of dollars have already poured into a campaign to boot three Democratic Supreme Court justices from their seats, and millions more have been spent on ads to retain them. Heres what you need to know about retention elections, how Pennsylvania got this quirky system, and who is on the ballot. What are judicial retention elections? Retention elections are the mechanism through which Pennsylvania voters give judges another term or the boot. Judges in Pennsylvania are elected through partisan elections. They need to win a primary and then run under a party label, just like any other elected position. But once they are on the bench, they are expected to act without partisan biases and apply the law fairly. To avoid having active judges engaged in a head-to-head race against opponents at the end of their terms, voters select yes to give the judge another term, or no to have the judge vacate the bench. Retention elections are in essence a job-performance report, said Deborah Gross, president and CEO of the nonprofit Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts. Its a check-in to make sure a judge is doing their job. Most judges in the state are elected for 10-year terms. Philadelphia Municipal Court judges are elected for six-year terms, as are magisterial district judges in the rest of the state. (Magisterial judges, however, are not reelected through retention.) The only other check on how long judges serve is the mandatory retirement age of 75. Why does Pennsylvania have judicial retention elections? Judicial retention elections in Pennsylvania were born from a historic compromise between a merit-selection process by a committee and a partisan election. Pennsylvania updated its state constitution in 1968, and as part of the process, voters approved a slate of judicial reforms, including retention elections. Before the 1968 update, judges ran for reelection as partisan candidates like any other elected official. (Pennsylvania previously also experimented with judicial appointments, nonpartisan ballots, and elections for long terms without reelection.) The League of Women Voters made the case for the retention system in 1967, saying it would help to keep the courts out of politics and politics out of the courts. Many legal advocacy organizations, including Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts and the Philadelphia Bar Association, support a merit-selection system to replace elections altogether. Why is retention getting so much attention this year? Retention elections for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are usually few and far between, as terms run for 10 years. And they have been more rare over the last two decades, due to resignations, retirements, and the death of a chief justice. The last time a Supreme Court justice was up for retention was in 2017. But this year, in an unusual occurrence, three justices are up for retention: Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht. The judges were all elected to 10-year terms as Democrats in 2015, following scandals that included the 2013 criminal conviction of one justice and the 2014 suspension and resignation of another, leaving three seats open. The election caused the balance on the states highest court to become a 5-2 liberal majority. The rare confluence of three justices up for retention at once comes amid increased political focus on state supreme courts. This years race in Pennsylvania offers Republicans their best chance at altering the balance of the court before the 2028 election. And Democrats view keeping the current justices as essential to securing protections for abortion rights and other civil liberties. Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht have engaged in unprecedented campaigning, appearing in TV ads and events across the state. And the state Republican Party has made ousting them a top priority. Millions have been spent on the race, including more than $7 million pledged directly to the justices by mid-September. The concept was to remove politics at least to some extent from the process by having a retention election, Marc Zucker, a commercial litigator and former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, said. As it turns out, it remains a politicized process. What happens if the justices lose retention? It would be historic if any, or all, of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices lose the retention vote. Justices have won most retention elections in the last two decades with two-thirds of the vote or more. If justices lose retention, they would serve until the end of the year, when their term expires. Then the governor could appoint an interim replacement. That appointment, however, would need to be confirmed by the GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate. If Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senate leaders are unable to agree on a replacement, the seat could be open until a partisan election in 2027, the next off-year election. Until then, the states highest court would operate with only four justices two liberals and two conservatives to take on any pre-presidential election cases, and more. Which other judges are up for retention? In addition to the three justices on the state Supreme Court, Superior Court Judge Alice Beck Dubow and Commonwealth Court Judge Michael Wojcik will be on the ballot for retention statewide. And each county will have its own trial judges on the ballot. In Philadelphia, 13 Common Pleas Court judges and five Municipal Court judges are seeking retention. Where can voters learn more about the judges before casting a ballot? Judicial elections create a challenging information environment. How do you make a decision when the judicial code of conduct really limits how judges can even campaign? said Lauren Cristella, the president and CEO of the Committee of Seventy. Cristella recommends relying on bar associations thorough vetting of judicial candidates. READ MORE: The future of redistricting in Pa. could be at stake in Novembers Supreme Court race The Philadelphia Bar Association declined to recommend four Common Pleas Court judges and a Municipal Court judge this cycle. The associations recommendations can be seen at https://electqualifiedjudges.com. The Pennsylvania Bar Association (www.pabar.org/site) vets statewide judicial candidates. For the first time, Cristella said, the Committee of Seventy created a statewide nonpartisan voter guide that includes judicial races. It can be found at ballot.seventy.org. A plan to turn the old Pennhurst State School and Hospital grounds in East Vincent Township, Chester County,into a data center has drawn strong opposition by residents. A view of the grounds on Oct. 7, 2025. Read more Megan Heiken recently bought a home near the former Pennhurst State School and Hospital, once a center for people with developmental disabilities that now operates as a popular haunted Halloween attraction. A new plan to convert Pennhurst into a massive data center has outraged and mobilized local residents, as well as people in neighboring communities in an area known for rolling hills, farms, and an overall rural character. Advertisement Heiken launched an online petition urging her Chester County neighbors and East Vincent Township officials to work together toward a solution that preserves the Pennhurst property, honors its history, and protects the environment and quality of life for all who live, work and visit here. The petition had 1,825 signatures as of Friday. I made this move to be out in an area with more space, more nature, Heiken said. The fact that the owner just wants to plow it over and swap in a data center is kind of alarming. Her sentiments are widely shared. The board of supervisors and planning commission in East Vincent have hosted public meetings on the issue that stretched for hours as residents from Spring City to Pottstown voiced objections. Data centers require a large-scale way of cooling computing equipment and are often dependent on water to do that. The amount of water they use can be about the same as an average large office building, although a few require substantially more, according to a recent report from Virginia, which has become a data center hub. Steve Hacker, of East Vincent, told the board that his well had already gone dry, as has his neighbors, even before a data center has been built. Hes concerned about where the data center would get its water. The pushback comes as both President Donald Trump and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro champion data center development. Trump aims to fast-track data centers and exempt them from some environmental regulations. Shapiro promotes a 10-year plan that includes cutting regulatory red tape. READ MORE: A Main Line developer is planning an AI data center outside Conshohocken. Within days, neighbors have rallied against it. State legislators and local governments are scrambling to rewrite local laws as most have no local zoning to accommodate data centers or regulate them. 1.3 million square feet Pennhursts owner has not yet filed a formal application to develop the site, but an engineering firm has submitted a sketch of a preliminary plan to East Vincent Township to develop 125 acres for use as a data center. The land is owned by Pennhurst Holdings LLC, whose principal is Derek Strine. Strine deferred comment to a spokesperson, Kevin Feeley. Pennhurst AI is aware of the concerns expressed by the residents of East Vincent Township, and we are committed to working through the Township to address them, Feeley wrote in an email. What we propose is a facility that would be among the first of its kind in the United States: a state-of-the-art data center project that would address environmental concerns while also providing significant economic investment, jobs, and tax rateables as well as other benefits that would directly address the needs of the community. Feeley said Pennhurst AI plans to continue working cooperatively with the Township. The sketch calls for five, two-story data center buildings, a sixth building, an electrical substation, and a solar field. Together, the buildings to house data operations would total more than 1.3 million square feet. The plan states that a data center is an allowable use within the Pennhurst property because the land is zoned for industrial, mixed-use development. Township officials have agreed a data center would be allowed under that zoning. The grounds are bordered by Pennhurst Road to the west. The Schuylkill lies down a steep gorge to the east and north. The property is near the border of Spring City, which is just to the south. Whats Pennhurst? Pennhurst State School and Hospital, known today as Pennhurst Asylum for its Halloween attraction, has had a long and troubled history. It opened in 1908 to house individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It became severely overcrowded by the time it closed in 1987. A 1968 documentary Suffer the Little Children highlighted abusive and neglectful practices, and resulted in legal actions and a landmark disability rights ruling in 1978 that declared conditions as cruel and unusual punishment. The last patient left Pennhurst in 1987, and the facility sat abandoned until it was purchased in 2008 and converted into a Halloween attraction despite protests from various advocacy groups. READ MORE: Pennhurst Asylum haunted house draws criticism every Halloween. A group of disabled actors running the show says there is more to the story. The Halloween attraction has continued and operators say it shows sensitivity toward those once housed at Pennhurst. Separately, visitors can take historical tours of the exteriors of 16 buildings and learn about people who lived and worked there. The site also has a small Pennhurst history museum. Contentious meetings In recent months, East Vincent officials have raced to draft an ordinance that would govern data centers by limiting building heights, mandating buffers, requiring lighting, noting the amount of trees that can be cut down, and other restrictions. At two contentious meetings in September, residents and the board of supervisors argued about the draft ordinances specifics. Residents said the ordinance did not incorporate some community-suggested safeguards aimed at preserving the townships rural character. Residents asked how much water the data center would consume, how much power it would need, and how much noise it would generate. Pennhursts zoning was changed in 2012 from allowing only residential development to permitting industrial and mixed-use buildings. Township Solicitor Joe Clement told residents that it is difficult for the municipality to argue that a data center would not fit within that zone. If theres a use that is covered by the zoning ordinance, we cant stop that use, board vice chair Mark Brancato explained at a Sept. 18 meeting. Officials said the draft ordinance was not specifically aimed at the Pennhurst site but was meant to broadly govern any data centers proposed in the township. READ MORE: Dave McCormick, Donald Trump announce billions in AI and energy investments in Pa. at innovation summit: The nations future depends on us What were trying to do is to come up with a set of reasonable guidelines, guardrails, and conditions in the new zoning ordinance that will provide as much protection as we possibly can for the residents, Brancato said. We are committed to protecting and preserving the rural character of the township. Township meetings, some of which have lasted hours, have been marked by raised voices and emotional appeals. Our whole community is kind of anxious about the thought of this new data center, Gabrielle Gehron, of Spring City, said during one meeting. Im confused about whether we are or not doing something to prevent that from happening. Pa. State Rep. Paul Friel, and State Sen. Katie Muth, both Democrats from East Vincent, have spoken at meetings. Muth noted that Strine received a $10 million grant and loan package from the state in 2017 to prepare the site for a large distribution facility and other industrial structures, new office development, and the renovation of six existing buildings for additional commercial use, amid ample open space, according to a funding request provided by the governors office. Muth fears Strine is paving a path to clear the data center for development and sell the property after benefiting from tax dollars. These are not good things to live next to, Muth said of data centers. The board tabled the draft ordinance on Sept. 22 after receiving legal advice that they still had time to incorporate more residents concerns. Beyond Pennhurst Other municipalities in Pennsylvania face a similar issue: Most dont have existing zoning for data centers. However, state law mandates that municipalities must provide zoning for all uses of land just as state and federal officials are ramping up plans to embrace the centers. Plymouth Township is dealing with pressure as Brian J. ONeill, a Main Line developer, wants to turn the Cleveland-Cliffs steel mill into a 2 million-square-foot data center that would span 10 existing buildings. The Plymouth Township Planning Commission voted against the project given resident backlash. The plan goes to the zoning board later this month. And Covington and Clifton Townships in Lackawanna County in the Poconos are also dealing with zoning issues and widespread opposition regarding a plan to build a data center on 1,000 acres. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday that it is opening an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving system over more than 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and a series of crashes. The auto safety agency said FSD an assistance system that requires drivers to pay attention and intervene if needed has induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws. The agency said it has reports of Tesla vehicles using FSD driving through red traffic lights and driving against the proper direction of travel during a lane change. Recall Could Follow if NHTSA Finds Safety Risks In total, NHTSA is reviewing 58 reports of issues involving traffic safety violations when using FSD, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries. The new investigation comes amid growing scrutiny of Teslas advanced driver assistance system from Congress and weeks after a new NHTSA administrator was confirmed. Tesla, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, issued a software update to FSD this week. NHTSA said it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection. NHTSA said four crashes resulted in one or more injuries. The investigation a preliminary evaluation is the first step before the agency could seek a recall of the vehicles if it believes they pose an unreasonable risk to safety. Tesla shares fell 2.1% in early trading on the investigation first reported by Reuters. A driver in Houston in 2024 told NHTSA that FSD is not recognizing traffic signals. This results in the vehicle proceeding through red lights, and stopping at green lights. The complaint added: Tesla doesnt want to fix it, or even acknowledge the problem, even though theyve done a test drive with me and seen the issue with their own eyes. NHTSA also said it will review FSD behavior when approaching railroad crossings. Last month, Democratic Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal cited a growing number of reported near-collisions in urging the agency to investigate. Teslas FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year. In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced roadway visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust, including a 2023 fatal crash. Tesla says FSD will drive you almost anywhere with your active supervision, requiring minimal intervention but does not make the car self-driving. Oliver Carsten, a professor of transport safety at the University of Leeds, said the NHTSA investigation into Tesla should serve as a wake-up call for Europe. We are seeing an increasing number of systems on the market that blur the line between assistance and automation. Teslas other automated vehicle features have also drawn agency scrutiny. In January, NHTSA opened an investigation into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles over reports of crashes involving a feature that lets users move their cars remotely. NHTSA is also reviewing Teslas deployment of self-driving robotaxis in Austin, Texas, launched in June. Photo: (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) Topics USA Personal Auto Tesla Industry body Digital Infrastructure Ireland has called on the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to release a firm timeline on its policy for data centres saying Ireland could miss the next phase of investment into digital developments. With the increasing investment in AI infrastructure, many multinational tech companies are massively scaling up their data centre capacity. However, data centres require a significant amount of energy and concerns have been raised about their increasing demand on Irelands electricity network and contribution to carbon emissions. In February, the CRU published a proposal on rules for connecting data centres to the grid but a final decision on this has yet to be made. Digital Infrastructure Ireland chairman Maurice Mortell said Ireland needs to commit to certainty on its data centre policy quickly, otherwise it will miss the next phase of investment into digital developments. Unless Ireland moves quickly to resolve this uncertainty, our reputation as a top destination for foreign direct investment and as a global technology leader will be undermined, especially as AI investment is rapidly scaling globally, he said. CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB Mr Mortell said it is essential that the Department of Energy, Eirgrid, ESB Networks, and Gas Networks Ireland work with stakeholders to create collaborative solutions to this issue. Unless Ireland establishes a coherent and predictable regulatory framework that balances decarbonisation and competitiveness, its position as a global leader in digital infrastructure will be undermined. Under the proposal, the CRU said new data centres connecting to the electricity network would have to continue to provide enough electricity generation and/or storage capacity to meet its own demand as a back-up in line with current policy. But this energy generation or storage would no longer be required to be onsite, and could instead be located near the data centre. The proposed regulations would also require new data centres to feed the energy it generates or stores into the general electricity market. Under the proposed policy document, Eirgrid and ESB Networks would also have to examine any existing constraints on local electricity networks when considering the location of a requested data centre connection. Partner and Tax Practice Leader at PwC Nicola Quinn joins Irish Examiner Business Editor Alan Healy and business reporter Emer Walsh to unpack the myriad of measures announced in this year's Budget. How Budget2026 compares to previous years, if the Government has done what it has been advised to do, and what this year's Budget means for you, the taxpayer. Monday, October 10, marked the 1,686th and final episode of WTF with Marc Maron, which began in September 2009. It saw Maron travel to Washington DC for a conversation with former US president Barack Obama the most significant guest in the shows history who first appeared on the show in 2015, when the podcast scene was less glutted. After just over 16 years of two episodes a week, Maron says the relationship with the listeners is the longest of his life. Its a two-way street; he has helped people battling addiction, suicidal thoughts, or simply unsure where the cat left its play ball. I'm just sitting out here in the garage talking, but I know I'm talking to you and I do that as full-heartedly as I possibly can, and I guess that comes through, he says on the penultimate episode, a monologue about the journey of WTF. The Government is to introduce new laws that would require landlords to disclose the amount of rent charged to tenants, as part of a slate of reforms to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The legislation will provide for the establishment of a new rent price register, similar to the Property Price Register that tracks the sale of homes. Government sources say that the introduction of the rent register will help provide more transparency of rent prices across the country. The change is also being implemented to ensure landlords comply with the law on rent price increases in high-demand areas. Currently, landlords are meant to be restricted to a maximum 2% increase in rents each year, as set out in rent pressure zone (RPZ) legislation. There will also be a requirement for the landlord to provide information on the building energy rating of the property, under the proposed laws, as well as the number of bedrooms, and the property type. While plans are in train to provide for the rent price register, it is expected to require engagement with the Data Protection Commissioner before it can be set live. Housing minister James Browne could bring the legislation to Cabinet for approval as early as tomorrow. The laws will include some changes to the operation of national RPZ rules, linking the maximum rent increase to inflation levels as set out in the Consumer Price Index, or 2%, whichever is lower. However, the 2% cap will not apply for new apartments, with Government sources indicating that this is designed to incentivise more construction of apartments. Measure part of wider reform The introduction of the rent price register is part of wider reforms to the rental market, announced earlier this year by Mr Browne. The proposals will allow landlords to reset the rents they charge to the market rate, either when a new tenancy is created, or every six years. Government sources say the laws will focus on how market rents are determined, with landlords likely to be required to show the reset rent is fair, by including comparisons to similar properties in the area. The laws will effectively ban no-fault evictions where a landlord can end a tenancy without having to prove the tenant did something wrong, such as breaking the lease or not paying rent for larger landlords, with four or more properties. Smaller landlords will be permitted to evict a tenant in some circumstances, including if they or an immediate family member are planning to live in the property. A no-fault eviction will be permitted in circumstances where they are selling the property to fund the purchase of their own house. Landlords will not be permitted to reset their rents after a no-fault eviction. The legislation is expected to be enacted quickly, with the new laws due to operate from March 1, 2026. It comes just a week on from Budget 2026, where a number of measures were taken by the Government to deal with the ongoing housing crisis, including the introduction of a 9% Vat rate on the sale of apartments. Paschal Donohoe, the finance minister, argued the cut would address the viability gap in apartment construction. Mr Donohoe also confirmed that he would seek to introduce a new derelict property tax to replace the derelict sites levy. He said the new tax would be charged at a rate of 7% of market value of a given derelict property. However, this new measure is not expected to be implemented until 2027 at the earliest. Members of Press Photographers Ireland provided a guard of honour for photographer Kieran Clancy, whose funeral Mass was held at St Johns Cathedral, Limerick today. Kieran worked with the Cork Examiner for twenty years and was a multi-award-winning photographer and former president of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland. Read More Tributes paid after death of former Irish Examiner photographer Kieran Clancy You are going to die here tonight a woman was told by her son at the family home in Kinsale on Friday night. Today gardai objected to his bail because of fears for the safety of the victim. These were among the allegations made by Garda Cormac Dineen at Cork District Court in the objection to bail. He is spending 1,000 a week on cocaine. He is extremely unpredictable when under the influence of intoxicants. He would pose a serious danger to his mother, Garda Dineen said. The man, who is aged in his mid-twenties, is charged with assault causing harm to his mother and threatening to kill her after 10pm on October 10. On October 10, there was a call to gardai that the defendant has assaulted his mother. On speaking with her it was alleged that that she had been badly beaten by her son who also stated to her You are going to die here tonight. She also suffered abrasions to her neck due to him attempting to choke her. He was alleged to have consumed alcohol and cocaine and was highly intoxicated. A request was made for the Armed Support Unit to attend and to assist in his arrest. Members of the ASU arrived at the scene and forcibly gained entry. The defendant was in his upstairs bedroom. He resisted and pepper spray was utilised by the ASU which immediately subdued him and he was restrained and arrested. During the course of the arrest a large steak knife was located on top of the bed he was lying on. It was underneath where he was lying. He did not use it. While his mothers injuries are not too serious, she was extremely shocked by the incident and fortunate not to have suffered more serious injuries. During the assault he attacked his mother, dragging her across the floor, punching and kicking her in the head, putting her in a choke-hold for a number of minutes. She made attempts to scream but was unable to do so. She eventually broke free. Injuries included swelling to the back of her head, bruising on her arms and on her legs, Garda Dineen testified. The accused said he had alternative accommodation arranged and could go there. He said the knife in his room just happened to be there because he had a steak dinner some days earlier. Defence solicitor Aoife Buttimer said that the 1,000-a-week cocaine use dated back to 2023 and that the young man had been in rehabilitation since then. The defendant said in relation to October 10: I dont remember anything from the night. I am trying to make sense of it, whatever happened. I am not going to do anything to frighten her or make it worse. Cross-examined by Sergeant Aisling Murphy, the defendant said he had been back on drugs for one year. Judge Mary Dorgan refused bail and remanded the accused in custody until October 16 for DPP directions. A murder trial jurys fears that they may have been photographed by someone in court were allayed on Monday by the judge who confirmed that no photograph had been taken. During the Kieran Quilligan murder trial on Friday at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, the jury indicated that a photograph may have been taken of them by a person in the courtroom. Ms Justice Lankford said this matter would be investigated but that it did not appear at first to be anything sinister. Today, the judge confirmed that no photograph was in fact taken. A young man presented in court and the judge asked the jury to confirm if this was the person with whom they had been concerned. They confirmed that he was the person. Ms Justice Lankford then told them that he was part of a group of students from a language school, brought to court by their lecturer on Friday. This young man is from Brazil. He had his phone in court on the last occasion. I spoke to him after you (the jury) left on Friday and explained to him that he was not supposed to have his phone in court. The judge told the student he could leave. Before he did, he said: I am sorry for everything. The judge further clarified for the 10 men and two women of the jury: Gardai checked his phone. There was in fact no photograph taken he was playing with the phone. This is a case which is heard in public so members of the public can attend. 27-year-old Luke Taylor, formerly of Cherry Lawn, Blackrock, Cork, and 33-year-old Niall Long, formerly of St. Michaels Close, Mahon, Cork, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork facing the same charge of murder. The murder count which each man denies, states that on a date unknown between September 1, 2023, and January 29, 2024, at an unknown location within the state in the District Court area of Cork City he did murder Kieran Quilligan, contrary to Common Law. CCTV evidence Throughout today CCTV footage from various locations in Cork City and East Cork, including Little Island, was shown to the judge and jury. Prosecution senior counsel, Donal OSullivan, described each clip briefly before they were played by Sergeant Pat Russell who is managing the CCTV aspect of the investigation. After viewing 111 clips on Friday, they viewed clips numbered 112 to 353 today. Some of the clips showed parties including Kieran Quilligan, Niall Long, Luke Taylor and some other people and the movements of a white Toyota Rav car from 8.30pm on September 1 to the early hours of September 2, 2023. Ms Justice Lankford told the jury before they went home on Monday afternoon: You have seen a lot of CCTV today. There is more to be seen but you are nearly at the end of it. And you will have witnesses again after that. The trial continues. In a week where two stabbing incidents in Cork City saw three people admitted to hospital, a meeting between businesses, city council staff, and members of An Garda Siochana has taken place to discuss rising concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour in the city. At a breakfast meeting hosted by the Cork Business Association (CBA) last week, a group spanning senior gardai, homeless services, business representatives, and members of the council sat down to listen to what businesses are facing on the ground and the underlying factors contributing to increasingly negative feedback about the city centre. When examined through a national lens, the crime statistics for Cork city centre are high, with the total number of crimes reported to gardai in Anglesea Street 800% above the national average for all garda stations. Some of this can be attributed to the fact that Cork City is the second-largest city in the country; for that reason alone, it is expected to have above-average crime statistics compared to the national average. Cork Simon director Dermot Kavanagh addressing the CBA Safe and Clean Breakfast at the Clayton Hotel in Cork last week. Picture: Alison Miles/OSM Naturally, there will be more theft and public order offences the key drivers of crime in the city centre in Cork, than in rural Offaly or on the coast of Sligo, given the prevalence of homelessness, addiction, and related social problems that are more commonly found in metropolitan areas. That, however, can only count for so much. Geographical factors aside, Ireland is experiencing a larger wealth gap, with increasing levels of recorded poverty and homelessness. The number of people resorting to theft is rising, and is indicative of wider social issues that need to be addressed before crime can be meaningfully reduced. With this in mind, concerned parties met last week to discuss practical ways to improve negative sentiment about the city centre. Panel included senior garda Addressing a panel comprising Inspector James Hallahan of An Garda Siochana; the chief executive of the Cork Simon Community, Dermot Kavanagh; and the city centre co-ordinator at City Hall, John Hayes, the general manager of Marks & Spencer, David Long, raised concerns about antisocial behaviour in locations near outdoor pop-up soup kitchens across the city. Separate from those run by the Cork Simon Community and other registered charities, a series of independently run food kitchens have appeared in the city in recent years, with their locations subject to frequent criticism. Addressing Mr Long, Inspector Hallahan said that while these pop-up services were altruistic and wanted to help, members of the gardai were aware of their locations and the issues. We have patrols, and we keep our eyes on them to ensure they are structured and managed correctly, he said. We take the locations of these pop-ups into account and take note of the businesses on either side of them. If businesses see problems arise, the gardai are happy to increase patrols in those areas. Dermot Kavanagh, Cork Simon; Dave OBrien, CBA; Inspector James Hallahan, An Garda Siochana, and John Hayes, Cork City Council at the CBA safe and clean breakfast. Picture: Chani Anderson Dermot Kavanagh, who has led the Cork Simon Community for over 14 years, also addressed the issue, saying: The Simon Community started as a soup kitchen back in 1971. I fully appreciate the warm-heartedness of people, but we took our soup kitchen indoors 13 years ago. It gives more dignity and is also more manageable. It would be preferable for these services to take the same path and move indoors. Eating on the side of the road is a horrible situation for anyone to find themselves in. City centre co-ordinator with the city council, John Hayes, agreed, adding that while peoples hearts are in the right place, these services need to be in the right location. Highlighting the latest crime statistics, Inspector Hallahan said that shoplifting offences had dropped by 14% in the last three months, with a total of 365 offenders making up 568 total arrests so far this year. While Cork ranks high for crime on the national stage, figures highlighted by Inspector Hallahan show things are going in the right direction. The inspector also noted that, among the top 20 offenders of shoplifting in the city centre, 12 remained in custody and seven were on bail, leaving only one who the garda said now resided outside of the city. Insp Hallahan also confirmed the community policing van, which is shared between Cork City and Kerry, would be returned to Cork at the end of October, where it will stay until January 2026. It came amid concerns regarding large groups congregating outside certain businesses across the city centre. Mags Connor, sales and marketing manager at the Cornstore Restaurant on Cornmarket St, told Insp Hallahan: There is a new gang in the city that seems to love Cornmarket Street. We had 11 of them sitting outside the restaurant yesterday; it was daunting. While there were two gardai on patrol standing outside our business, how are we meant to move these people on? What is your plan for this new gang? Insp Hallahan replied: Moving them on means moving them somewhere else. Sometimes, we have the power to arrest them for committing an offence. Its about robust targeting and making it unsafe for them so they will move on their own accord. Four new wardens in city The inspector also noted the four new city centre wardens, who will begin patrolling the city from next month. Although the new appointees will not have enforcement powers like gardai, they will be in close contact with law enforcement and other city authorities, as they aim to deter criminal and antisocial behaviour while supporting tourists, the vulnerable, and businesses. The primary role of the city centre warden is to deliver community assurance by providing a visible social presence across Cork City, the event heard. Central to the role is positive engagement. The role of the city centre warden will include responsibility to observe and report on negative activities and liaise directly with residents, businesses, and local stakeholders, including An Garda Siochana, Cork City Council, Cork Business Association, and other organisations. In addition, the new community wardens, some 20 new probationary gardai were deployed to Cork City last month, who have hit the ground running and have become valuable assets to the city, Mr Hallahan said. While isolated incidents have the power to turbocharge negative perceptions of Cork City, crime figures continue to go in the right direction, and concerted efforts to enhance safety are showing to be effective. The challenge, however, is conveying this to the general public. Theres some really great stats showing improvement in the city, and we saw that ourselves during the summer months, said Evelyn Moynihan, CEO of the Kilkenny Group. But people are scared. Many are afraid to come into the city. They have this sense that it is unsafe. How do we get that positive word out there? Progress is being made, and Cork City is improving. The next step is ensuring people know it. Two men have been arrested as Gardai continue to investigate the violent death of a man in his North Cork home in the early hours of Sunday. The victim, named locally as Barry Daly, a well-known postman from Mallow aged in his 40s, was found dead near his home in the village of Doneraile early Sunday morning. The two men, one in his 20s and the other a juvenile in his late teens, are being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Garda stations in Cork County. Gardai believe he was fatally assaulted on the street near his home at Rockview Terrace following an earlier altercation in a pub in the village at around 2am. Mr Daly lived in the area with his partner and had four children. An autopsy is scheduled to take place at Cork University Hospital, the results of which will help determine the next steps in the investigation. The investigation is likely to be upgraded to a murder probe, pending the results of the autopsy. Gardai seek witnesses Investigators believe several people were in the area and may have witnessed the fatal assault, and they are also keen to speak to anyone who saw the earlier altercation in the pub. A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation, and a family liaison officer has been assigned to provide support to the deceaseds loved ones. Gardai at the cordoned-off scene following the discovery of the mans body at Rockview Terrace, Doneraile, early on Sunday morning. Picture: Dan Linehan Detectives began searching for CCTV footage on Sunday and conducted door-to-door inquiries in the village. Assistant State pathologist Margot Bolster visited the scene, and an autopsy is due to take place at Cork city mortuary. Shock in local community The death has plunged the local community into a state of shock, following a celebratory day on Saturday when the local GAA junior hurling team won the North Cork Junior B final against Ballyclough. Social Democrats councillor Eamonn Horgan, who is based in Midleton but originally from Doneraile, described a sense of shock, sadness, and disbelief in the town. I heard the news as it was coming in this morning, he said. Its a very close-knit community. Its really shocking, and hard to put into words at the minute. Fianna Fail councillor and former Cork county mayor, Frank OFlynn, said people had woken up to shocking news on Sunay. Its unbelievable, he said. Doneraile is a nice, quiet, peaceful community, and this is the last thing youd expect. "People are finding it very hard to believe. Theyre shocked and upset, and this is a very sad time. Theyre in my prayers and thoughts. Tipperary incident In another incident, on Saturday night, a man in his 40s suffered serious injuries in an assault in Tipperary. The man was rushed to Cork University Hospital by ambulance shortly after 9pm after an assault in Knockane. Two men in their 20s have been arrested in connection with the investigation. They are being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in Tipperary. A garda spokesperson said investigations are ongoing. Gardai are at the scene of an ongoing incident after reports that two Gaza protesters broke into a Cork business accused of having deep ties to the Israeli Defence Forces. Activists from the Palestine Action Eire group entered the offices of Collins Aerospace on Penrose Quay, Cork City, on Monday morning, where Palestinian flags were displayed. A Garda spokesperson told the Irish Examiner that officers are currently at Penrose Wharf. "No further information is available at this time," they added. In recent years, Collins Aerospace has been repeatedly targeted by pro-Palestine protesters over its parent company, RTX (formerly Raytheon), which has supplied defence systems to Israel, including missiles. RTX has also partnered with Israeli firms to develop weapons systems, which it says are used to protect the citizens and infrastructure of Israel. In a statement released on Monday morning, Palestine Action Eire claimed that two members broke walls, windows, and equipment at the Cork site in protest at Collins Aerospaces alleged ties to the Israeli Defence Forces. "The two Palestine Action Eire (PAE) actionists behind this new disruption of Collins Aerospaces Cork site, cite Israel's assault against Gaza, which has been confirmed by the UN Human Rights Council to be a genocide, as the main reason for their action. PAE situates this action within an ongoing campaign against Collins Aerospace's operations in Ireland," the group said. One of the protesters quoted in the statement said: "After two years of genocide, I dont know what to do anymore. Weve marched, petitioned, passed motions at council and union level, asked nicely, asked loudly, occupied spaces, blocked roads, travelled to Egypt and organised flotillas of boats carrying humanitarian aid that have been illegally seized. And nothing has changed." A popular Cork City pub has been refused planning permission for a permanent outdoor seating area, along with screens, heaters and awnings. Dwyers of Cork on Washington Street had applied for permission for the outdoor area along with an extension of the hours it could operate to align with its publicans licence. First granted permission coming out of the covid-19 pandemic, a condition had been imposed by Cork City Council that Dwyers would have to re-apply for permission for its outdoor area after three years. However, planners at City Hall said the development forms an obtrusive structure that has a negative visual impact on the building, which is a protected structure, and the area. Along with many other Cork City venues, Dwyers sought to install outdoor areas during the pandemic but their popularity has remained in the years that followed. The outdoor area is actively managed and supervised, ensuring that it remains a safe and regulated space, planning documents filed on behalf of the applicant said. Its removal would likely result in a return of unmanaged public use, loitering, smoking and vaping in the area, an outcome which would be detrimental to both public amenity and order, and contrary to the initial rationale for pedestrianisation. A section of the outdoor dining area of Dwyers during covid. These documents noted the venue invested 100,000 on its outdoor facilities. This was made in good faith and with the clear understanding that the development was not only acceptable, but welcomed and aligned with council objectives, it said. This facility has been in place for a number of years without issue, is considered to represent best practice in this regard, and has enabled members of the public to enjoy both the premises itself and the pedestrianised Little Cross Street through a well-constructed and sensitively designed outdoor dining environment, it said. However, a Cork City Council planning inspector visited the site and hit out at the haphazard and temporary structure for outdoor dining in their report. In agreeing with their inspector, City Hall refused to grant permission for the outdoor area while granting permission for the extended hours of operation. There was relief all round on Monday after firefighters managed to avoid devastation following another car blaze at Douglas Village Shopping Centre. The public have been praising the quick thinking actions of shopping centre staff who immediately evacuated the location. It comes more than five years after a car park fire ravaged the centre on August 31, 2019, destroying 49 cars. The building remained shut for 13 months after being deemed unsafe by engineers. A demolition of the car park and subsequent rebuilding followed. The centre eventually reopened for business in November, 2020. It was later sold in September 2022 to a local businessman for 21m. One shopper said her husband had been waiting for her to run an errand when the fire broke out on the first floor of the carpark at 2pm on Monday. My husband was on the first floor and he saw fire and smoke in the distance before realising there was a car on fire. Meanwhile, inside the shopping centre everybody stayed calm and it all seemed very under control. "It was a strange sounding alarm and we immediately knew that something was really wrong. It was hard to believe that something like this was happening again. They seem to be jinxed in that shopping centre. "Luckily, this time it all ended well. She praised the response of shopping centre staff and firefighters. I heard a guy saying that they needed to get everyone out of the shopping centre. They reacted very quickly and calmly. I met my husband on the second floor. They werent letting people use the escalators at that stage but I managed to make my way up there. At that point it looked like everything was under control. Investigations are underway to establish the cause of the fire. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy has threatened to take legal action against Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys, after comments she made on an RTE debate. Ms Humphreys was referring to an incident in Jobstown in 2014 involving former Labour Party leader Joan Burton. Mr Murphy was cleared of all wrongdoing in court in 2017. Mr Murphys solicitors have formally sent a legal letter to Ms Humphreys, saying the TD intends to issue defamation proceedings in the High Court over her remarks in an RTE Radio debate on Sunday. The letter, seen by the Irish Examiner, outlines that Mr Murphy intends to launch a High Court case within seven days, if an agreement is not reached between the two parties. In the letter, Mr Murphys legal team said Ms Humphreys had accused him of engaging in violent criminal conduct, that he had committed an act of gender-based violence and that he was a misogynist. Mr Murphys solicitors added Ms Humphreys' comments were grossly defamatory and he had suffered in his character and reputation. The letter adds Mr Murphy had been exposed to odium, ridicule, and contempt. Mr Murphys solicitors have called for Ms Humphreys to immediately withdraw her remarks, and undertake not to repeat the said comments. She is also called on to apologise to Mr Murphy, as well as meet his legal costs on this matter. The Fine Gael candidate is also called on to make proposals for suitable compensation. Ms Humphreys has been contacted for comment. Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummelled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. The releases came as American president Donald Trump was in Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East. Under the deal, Israel will release more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and allow food and aid supplies into Gaza. Released Israeli hostage, Omri Miran, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, is reunited with his wife, Lishay Miran-Lav, and father, Dani Miran, as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Reim, Israel October 13, 2025. Picture: Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS Hamas released 13 remaining living hostages to Red Cross officials on Monday, the Israeli military said. Seven of the hostages were released earlier on Monday, while the remaining 13 were freed a few hours later. The 20, all men, are being reunited with their families and expected to undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remains unclear. Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country. People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately. The photos of the first seven hostages released on Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January. Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. In the West Bank, an armoured vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd waiting near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called terrorist organisations risked arrest. Israels military did not respond to questions about the flier. The prisoners being released include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. Gali, and Ziv Berman embracing after being released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (Government Press Office via AP) While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. US president Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the US-proposed deal and post-war plans with other leaders. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. President Donald Trump, center talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swathes of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. Much of Gaza is a wasteland, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said on Sunday. The hostages return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. The release took place as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) With the hostages release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over. It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. Meanwhile, buses lined up in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning in anticipation of the release of prisoners. The exact timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. Tommy Robinson was stopped by police at the border in a luxury Bentley SUV with thousands of pounds in cash and refused to give over the Pin to his phone, a court has heard. The 42-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was driving a silver Bentley Bentayga to the Spanish tourist hotspot of Benidorm when he was stopped by officers at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, Westminster Magistrates Court was told on Monday. Police were suspicious of Robinsons vague replies about what he was doing and demanded access to his iPhone under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act. Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court in central London (Jonathan Brady/PA) The Act gives police the power to stop anyone passing through a UK port to determine whether they may be involved or concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Robinson denies failing to comply with the counter-terrorism powers during the incident on July 28 last year. Before the hearing, the former English Defence League (EDL) leader said in a video posted on X that billionaire Elon Musk had picked up the legal bill for this absolute state persecution. Opening the case, prosecutor Jo Morris said officers became concerned about the activists demeanour after he drove alone into the police inspection area. He gave short, vague replies and made no eye contact, she continued. Robinson, who was recognised by police, was led to an interview room and his phone was seized, the court heard. On the way there, he tried to film a video of himself saying he had been arrested, and was told by officers to relax, the trial was told. Asked to hand over the phones Pin, Robinson replied: Not a chance bruv you look like c*** so you aint having it. Court artist drawing of Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, in the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court, central London (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Its my work, Im a journalist, he said, adding that the phone held information about vulnerable girls. The process by which journalistic material would be protected was explained to him, Ms Morris said. The campaigner had more than 13,000 and 1,900 euros on him when he was stopped, his trial heard. The court heard that while being interviewed, Robinson told the officers: For me its a win-win, its going to be bad for yous. Pc Mitchell Thorogood, of the Channel Tunnel policing team, told the court Robinson arrived on the day to buy his tickets rather than booking in advance, which he said was unusual. He was also travelling in a high-value car that was not registered under his name, the trial heard. Under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act, the person who is detained can be held for up to six hours, is legally obliged to answer questions and must provide the password or Pin for electronic devices, or be held to have committed a criminal offence if they refuse. Alisdair Williamson KC, defending, suggested the stop may have been discriminatory against Robinsons political beliefs. Tommy Robinson arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court (Jonathan Brady/PA) Asking Pc Thorogood about the Bentley prices for which start at 170,000 Mr Williamson said: Do terrorists drive in high-value, high-visibility vehicles? The officer said terrorists could drive any type of vehicle. The lawyer, who described Robinson as one of the best known features of modern life, said the activist travels to Benidorm frequently. Robinson sat in the dock wearing a waistcoat and tie. If found guilty, he could be jailed for up to three months and/or receive a 2,500 fine. Robinson denies the charge, and the trial continues. The last surviving hostages from Gaza have been returned home to Israel in a defining exchange in the fragile ceasefire that has paused two years of war between Israel and Hamas. U.S. President Donald Trump also addressed Israel's parliament, urging it to turn military success into peace. Read More In Pictures: Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are welcomed home A vote on Israels participation in next years Eurovision song contest has been postponed in the wake of the ceasefire in Gaza, the European Broadcasting Union has confirmed. The EBU was due to hold an extraordinary general meeting of its members in November to enable a vote on Israels participation amid deepening divisions among its members. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe China's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in Bulgaria with cultural festivities Xinhua) 13:38, October 13, 2025 A girl tries on Chinese traditional attire during celebrations marking China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, Oct. 11, 2025. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua) SOFIA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of residents and visitors in the Bulgarian capital took part on Saturday in celebrations marking China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, featuring cultural performances, workshops, and exhibitions that promoted cultural exchange between the two countries. The event, organized under the auspices of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria, was held at the Toplocentrala Center for Contemporary Arts in Sofia's South Park, one of the city's most popular venues. Starting in the afternoon, visitors were introduced to a wide range of Chinese cultural traditions, from a tea ceremony and tastings of Chinese delicacies to workshops where participants crafted handmade souvenirs. Traditional Hanfu costumes were also showcased. Many guests donned the elegant attire. The festivities culminated in the evening with live performances by finalists of the National Songwriting and Singing Competition, "Ancient Rhymes in a New Voice - Eternal Classics." The concert featured songs inspired by poems from China's Tang and Song dynasties, combining classical literature with contemporary music. Addressing the audience, Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dai Qingli said the Mid-Autumn Festival represented more than family reunions. "It is also a symbol of striving for a better life and expressing good wishes to loved ones and friends," she said. "Through poetry and music, we hope to continue writing a new chapter in cultural exchange and friendship between China and Bulgaria." Many attendees expressed their enthusiasm for the event. Dimitar Stoimenov, who recently visited China, said he was impressed by the country's culture and achievements and came to learn more. Mila, who attended with her 10-year-old daughter Sofia, said they joined the festival after being invited by her son's Chinese language school. "We found the tea ceremony very interesting," she said. Her daughter added, "I want to write my name in Chinese characters." University student Joanna, who tried on traditional Hanfu clothing, said she "felt great in Chinese clothes." People wearing Chinese traditional attire pose for a group photo during celebrations marking China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, Oct. 11, 2025. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua) People participate in workshops marking China's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, Oct. 11, 2025. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) ( OpenDemocracy.net ) Growing up in Gaza, my friends and I often heard older relatives stories of the Nakba; learning about the homes that Israeli troops forced them out of in 1948, and the keys they forever carried with them in hopes of returning. We never imagined that we would one day carry this pain ourselves. For the last two years, history has repeated itself before the eyes of the world. Those of us in Gaza who have survived the Israeli genocide have lived a new Nakba, not knowing where to go or if we will ever return home. This has not been one war, but multiple wars happening at once. It is the war of relentless bombing that destroyed homes and neighbourhoods, the war of forced displacement that has pushed hundreds of thousands into the unknown at a moments notice, and the war of tents that offer no protection from the scorching summer heat or the cold and rain of winter. Today, as we hear news of a ceasefire, were caught between feeling joy and fear between believing and doubting. I was in my hometown of Rafah in May last year when the Israeli occupation launched its invasion of the city. In a single day, Rafah was transformed from an overcrowded city sheltering more than 1.5 million people both its own residents and those whod sought refuge there after being displaced from elsewhere in Gaza to an empty wasteland. Within hours, the roads filled with overloaded cars and carts as hundreds of thousands of people, my family included, abandoned their homes and most of their belongings, fleeing towards the unknown. There was no time to think or to salvage what remained; fearing what would happen to those trapped, we all chose survival over everything else. A few days later, the evacuation operation expanded further, forcing tens of thousands of us to move to the Mawasi area in Khan Younis. Id never been to Mawasi before, but I had heard about it from friends online: a barren land with sand dunes unlike anything wed seen before. When we arrived, we found dilapidated plastic tents, extreme overcrowding, no sewage or basic services. The tents flimsy fabric roofs offered no protection from the summer heat or the winter cold. Our daily life turned into a continuous struggle of finding water, trying to charge our phones, and dealing with internet cuts, with scorching days and freezing nights. Even sleeping and talking became difficult amid the complete lack of privacy. Life in the camps offered no safety at all. One evening, my cousin Ali was returning from the sea at sunset when he was chased by a quadcopter a small, remote-controlled drone that Israel has used to surveil, intimidate and even kill civilians in Gaza. Ali froze in place for minutes that he said felt like hours before the drone disappeared, and he ran away, terrified. After that, we no longer dared to leave the area once darkness fell. Every night, we would lay awake listening to stray bullets from occupation snipers piercing the air, planting terror in our hearts. We would lie on the ground instinctively, fearing any bullet that might pierce the tent, and sometimes six of us would gather in a small stone room at my aunts place, seeking a sliver of safety. After a neighbours child was paralysed by a stray bullet that pierced their tent, some of my relatives dug small trenches inside theirs to hide in. On 10 September 2024, we lived through a night we will never forget. The evening began like any other; my family was in the tent and I was laying out front, trying to escape the heat, reading Letter from Gaza, a short story about a young man who returns home to Gaza to find his neighbourhood destroyed. It could have been penned any day over the past two years, but was written nearly 70 years ago by Palestinian author and militant Ghassan Kanafani. I was interrupted by the sound of a military helicopter, followed by five consecutive airstrikes that destroyed much of the camp. My family managed to escape unharmed, which was a miracle, but in an instant, we lost everything we owned for a second time: our tent, our few belongings, my university certificates, and the computer that I used for my studies. I remember screams, blood, and mothers searching for their children in the smoke. The Palestinian Civil Defence Agency later reported that 40 people had died that night, and 60 others were injured. But we had nowhere else to go, so my mother and sisters moved briefly into a friends tent, and within a week my father and I had rebuilt a shelter for us. Then came the ceasefire on 18 January 2025, bringing a ray of hope. I returned to my home in Rafah, clutching the key as if it were all I had left. But my joy did not last long. When I reached the neighbourhood, I found nothing but rubble. My house, the homes of my relatives and friends, even my grandmothers house, the place I most loved spending time they were all gone. The key I had believed would take me back home became merely a symbol of a Nakba that my ancestors had already endured, a memory of a home that no longer exists. Still, we stayed in Rafah, staying with a relative and trying to rebuild our lives. My family is far from alone. Since the start of the invasion, 1.9 million people, nearly 90% of Gazas population, have been internally displaced many of them forced to move over and over again as Israel expands its war into areas it told us would be safe. The occupation now controls large parts of the Strip, leaving less than 30% of Gazas original area habitable and making freedom of movement impossible. In mid-March, two months after it started, the ceasefire ended abruptly and the wars devastation resumed overnight. The bombardment intensified worse than ever, and by the morning, Rafah was surrounded by Israeli tanks. We were forced to evacuate for a fifth time, returning to a tent in Mawasi without any of the belongings I had managed to salvage from our shelled home. On that day, I realised my old life would never return. For me, it was a new phase of the war, a new chapter of terror. I had to face that the relentless and violent bombing was not just a passing event, but our everyday reality everything I knew from before the war was gone, just memories. For more than a year, Rafah has been entirely under occupation, with no news of when we might be able to go home. The city is no longer as I knew it growing up. There is no safety, and freedom of movement is impossible. Despite all the loss and suffering tied into displacement, it has reunited me with friends whom war stopped me from seeing for over a year. Hamdan, my friend from Khan Younis, Mahmoud from Gaza City, and Ramez from East Khan Younis; we all found ourselves in the same area, a small solace in all the devastation. My friends and I began sharing our stories and sorrows every day. Mahmoud, with whom I went to university before its buildings were destroyed and our dreams were shattered, told us of how his family spent most of the past two years refusing to leave Gaza City, in the north of the Gaza Strip, choosing to endure the war in their home. Then, last month, Binyamin Netanyahus occupation announced its plan to fully occupy the city. The shelling intensified, and every time Mahmoud looked out of his window, he would see the trucks that were carrying more than half a million people and their belongings south. Over 200,000 families remained in the city, though. Some had nowhere else to go, some could not afford the up to $5,000 it can cost to transport belongings and purchase tents, and some, like Mahmouds family, simply did not want to leave. Eventually, the shelling hit the neighbourhood where Mahmoud and his family lived, and became a daily occurrence. Several nearby tower blocks were destroyed. All services in the area collapsed; there was no potable water, or even dirty water, and no people on the streets or in the markets. Life became impossible. Mahmouds family was finally forced to evacuate. Wassily Kandinsky, Ohne Titel, 1923. Public Domain. Via Wikimedia Commons. Mahmoud and I are no longer who we once were. We used to have breakfast together in the university cafeteria, walk through the lecture halls together to attend our daily classes, and go together to Gaza Citys central library to borrow a book or one of the English novels. Now, we still see each other most days living as we do in nearby camps but our lives are so different now; we are unrecognisable from who we once were. Two years have passed in which life has been on hold. Every day we have asked ourselves the same question: will this nightmare ever end? Then, last night, we finally heard the news that we have all been waiting for: Israel and Hamas appear ready to reach a peace deal. The camp instantly came alive. Women began to ululate and children laughed, it felt as though everyone had been waiting for just one moment to breathe, a brief pause from this long fear. No one knows if this is truly the end or just another pause in the war, but today, we all need to believe that peace even for a moment is still possible. Hassan Herzallah is a Palestinian translator and writer based in Gaza. Via OpenDemocracy.net This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. If I must die, You must live To tell my story To sell my things To buy a piece of cloth And some strings. Refaat Alareer, Palestinian writer, poet, professor and activist, killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza on December 6, 2023 Interview by Fariba Amini Professor Rashid Ismail Khalidi is the Edward Said professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. He is the author of several books, among them The Iron Cage, Palestinian Identity, and his recent one, The 100 years War on Palestine. His book, Palestinian Identity, won the Albert Hourani Book Award from the Middle East Studies Association in 1997. Professor Khalidi comes from the well-known family of Khalidis who have their roots in Jerusalem. His great-great-great- uncle was Yusuf Diya al-Din Pasha al-Khalidi who was a politician, a scholar and mayor of Jerusalem. Realizing that a Zionist state would endanger the land of Palestine, on March 1, 1899, Yusuf Diya al-Din Pasha wrote a seven-page letter addressed to Theordore Herzl. Unfortunately, the destinies of nations are not governed solely by these abstract conceptions, however pure, however noble they may be. We must reckon with reality, with established facts, with force, yes with the brutal force of circumstances. But the reality is that Palestine is now an integral part of the Ottoman Empire and, what is more serious, it is inhabited by people other than only Israelites. This reality, these acquired facts, this brutal force of circumstances leaves Zionism, geographically, no hope of realization. Professor Rashid Khalidi was kind enough to grant me this interview: Fariba Amini (FB): Before we embark on anything contemporary, please tell us about your background. Your father was a diplomat at the United Nations. How did he influence you? Rashid Khalidi (RK): Both my parents influenced me. They had both been involved in advocacy for Palestine, working together at the Arab American Institute in New York in the late 1940s, before my father joined the UN. I was very much affected by following his work there in what was then the Political and Security Council Affairs division. I was also influenced by the books my parents had at home, especially my fathers books on Middle Eastern, European and US history. FB: Two years have gone by since October 7. What happened and what is your take on the initial events? RK: This is a topic for an entire book. It is far too early to assess the results of this war, if it is indeed over, beyond saying that it will go down in Palestinian history as an event of the magnitude of the Nakba, and that it has damaged, perhaps irreparably, Israels vitally important international image. The veil that has hidden the true nature of the Zionist project was shredded for good, at least for a generation that has watched two years of live-streamed genocidal butchery. They will never believe that Israels is the most moral army in the world or other deeply ingrained myths disseminated by the Western media and political elites. Juan Cole P. O. Box 4218, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2548 USA (Remember, make the checks out to Juan Cole or they cant be cashed) FB: The received wisdom in the West is that the failure to come to an agreement is always the Palestinians fault and that they did not want to come to the negotiation table. You were an adviser to the PLO. What happened at the Oslo Peace Accord? Which party did not want to make peace? Or were they both at fault? RK: I was an advisor to the delegation that went to Madrid and Oslo, not to the unqualified delegates the PLO later sent to Oslo. The PLO was eager for an agreement, probably too eager, and they fell into a trap that led to an intensification of occupation and colonization, not their removal, and postponed indefinitely self-determination and statehood. Israels position was summarized by Rabins last speech before he was assassinated for going too far with the Palestinians. He said he was offering them less than a state, and that Israel would maintain its security control over the occupied territories. That was a deal that led to the miserable reality the Palestinians have lived in ever since Oslo. FB: You criticize the PLO. What is your criticism of the Palestinian movement leadership? RK: I have written an entire book that details the failures of Palestinian leaderships, including the PLO, so I have many criticisms. One is accepting the Oslo deal. Another was failing to understand the degree of American bias in favor of Israel and its unreliability, indeed its total unsuitability as an intermediary. Yet another was the failure to do the vital informational and diplomatic work with the American and European publics in order to influence policy from below, which is a very difficult thing to do, but one they never did. There were other failures, but also achievements like reunifying the Palestinians after the Nakba, and putting them back on the global map. FB: To call Hamas a terrorist organization is to simplify a complex struggle. Where did Hamas go wrong? Who was responsible for such a terrible decision on October 7? RK: Resistance movements are an inevitable response to colonization and occupation, and are always labeled terrorist or bandits or criminals, as if their violence is worse than the infinitely greater violence of the colonist and the occupier. That said, resistance can be strategic and intelligent, or un-strategic and self-defeating, and it can involve nonviolent, diplomatic and informational tactics as well as violent ones. It is too early to do a complete post-mortem on the decisions around October 7, although it is clear that grave mistakes were made, which gave Israel the pretext to carry out a genocide for two years with complete impunity, mistakes for which the people of Gaza have paid very dearly. FB: We are now at a crossroad after 2 years of genocide against the people of Gaza. Watching famine and endless displacement, the destruction of 92 percent of Gaza, the world has come to realize the extent of the atrocities. Israel has lost a great deal of legitimacy and most Western governments now support the creation of a Palestinian state. Why now and why not before? RK: What Israel has done is unprecedented in the history of this struggle. It has killed and wounded over a quarter million people, more than 12% of the population of the Gaza Strip, intentionally targeting civilians under the lying pretext that they were human shields. These war crimes were live-streamed for an entire generation: this has irreparably shredded Israels reputation, and increased sympathy for the Palestinians. Under pressure from their publics, Western governments and Arab regimes called for creation of a Palestinian state, which in itself is meaningless without a complete end of occupation and colonization. Nevertheless, this step added to the global pressure that forced Israel to end the war without achieving its main aim, which was to force as much as possible of its population out of the Gaza Strip, continuing the ethnic cleansing of 1948 and 1967. FB: How deep Israel finds itself in? Is Israel a broken society, as one of my friends from Israel put it? RK: I do not know if it is a broken society, but it has certainly gravely undermined the support from its Western metropole without which a settler colonial project like this cannot possibly survive. FB: Do you see this new peace accord as real or is it is wishful thinking? RK: It is not a peace accord. It is a ceasefire accord, a hostage exchange, and a temporary lifting of the blockade of Gaza, which may be followed by other steps, but which does not contain any of the elements of a real peace deal. That would necessarily be based on completely equal rights for all individuals and both peoples, under whatever configuration is ultimately agreed upon. Never miss an issue of Informed Comment: Click here to subscribe to our email newsletter! Social media will pretend let you subscribe but then use algorithms to suppress the postings and show you their ads instead. And please, if you see an essay you like, paste it into an email and share with friends. Gaza, by Fariba Amini. FB: What will become of the people of Gaza after two years of this devastating war? Gaza is destroyed. Who is going to reconstruct it? RK: No one can say at this stage. Israel has intentionally made Gaza unlivable in order to force the population to leave. Many things have to happen before the basic amenities of life can be restored: water, sewage, electricity, schools, hospitals, so much else. There are so many unknowns before that process can begin, let alone rebuilding of everything else that has been purposely destroyed. FB: And what about the West Bank? RK: Israel has the same long term intentions regarding the West Bank as it had for the Gaza Strip: depopulation and absorption. That process is still ongoing there, and there is no guarantee that it will not resume in Gaza at some point. FB: Who will rule the Palestinian people? Some foreign entity or a real Palestinian governance? RK: The plans so far proposed would install what amounts to a new foreign mandate over Palestine while perpetuating overall Israeli control, and would postpone yet again the self-determination the Palestinians have been denied since 1917. The Palestinians will resist this as they have resisted the Mandate and occupation. Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 19172017 (New York: Macmillan. 2021). CLICK HERE TO BUY. FB: You are the Edward Said chair at Columbia University. He said at one time that there should be one state for Israelis and Palestinians. Do you think that is even possible? RK: I am the Edward Said Professor Emeritus. I retired in 2024. Such an outcome is one of several that may be possible, but it will take a long time to achieve something like that, and it would require major changes: decolonization and a settlement based on justice and completely equal rights for all. That in turn will require shifts in the global and local balance of forces; the emergence of a unified Palestinian national movement with a clear strategy that it can articulate to the world; and major shifts inside Israel, including the realization that it is impossible to impose forcibly a 19th century colonial settler project on an indigenous people in the 21st century. FB: You have now retired from Columbia University but you were going to teach a class or classes on the conflict. What made you change your mind? RK: I was going to teach a course on modern Middle Eastern History, as I have done for over two decades, including once after I retired. I decided that I could not do that after Columbia capitulated to demands by the Trump administration. The most important of them was acceptance as a basis for disciplinary action of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which was essentially drafted to protect Israel from criticism. On that basis, several topics I teach about in that course became susceptible to ill-founded, meretricious complaints of bias that would have led to endless disciplinary proceedings in the kangaroo courts that Columbia has used to discipline and punish speech on Palestine. ( RFE / RL ) Iranian journalist Zeinab Rahimi has refused to wear the mandatory hijab for over two years, despite the risk of arrest and imprisonment. She is among a growing number of women and girls who have stopped covering their head in public, in direct defiance of the countrys clerical rulers. I enjoy seeing women dress the way they like and letting their hair out, Rahimi told RFE/RLs Radio Farda, describing the visible change on the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital. We havent experienced this in our country for many years, added the 22-year-old. Its beautiful when you dont have to wrap yourself up, especially when you have always resented it. Turning Point The turning point was the antiestablishment protests that rocked Iran in 2022, following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was arrested for violating the hijab law. Women were at the forefront of the protests, during which some removed and burned their hijab. The demonstrations snowballed into the biggest threat to the authorities in decades, with some protesters calling for an end to clerical rule. In the wake of the protests, the authorities initially attempted to double down on their enforcement of the hijab, which has been mandatory since soon after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Hard-line lawmakers last year passed a new controversial law to enforce the hijab under which violators would face lengthy prison terms, hefty fines, and travel bans. But wary of provoking unrest, Irans Supreme National Security Council suspended the implementation of the Hijab And Chastity law. A member of Irans Expediency Council, which serves as an advisory body to the supreme leader, said this month that the new hijab law was unenforceable. Mohammad Reza Bahonar told reporters on October 3 that there was essentially no compulsory hijab law in force. His comments triggered an uproar among hard-liners. But they also underscored the reality on the ground in major cities where the authorities have relaxed their enforcement of the hijab, a key pillar of the Islamic republic. Irreversible Changes Radio Farda spoke to 12 women in seven Iranian cities who said the number of women ditching the Islamic head scarf had increased on the streets and in cafes and restaurants in recent years. Rahimi, the Iranian journalist, said womens shunning of the hijab has been gradual. Following the 2022 protests, women who did not wear a hijab kept a head scarf in their bag or loosely around their shoulders in case they were approached by the dreaded morality police, which enforced the hijab, she said. Nowadays, women go out entirely without a head scarf, said Rahimi. They dont wear it, and they dont keep it around their shoulders or in their bags. Despite the shift, Rahimi said a significant number of women still wear the head scarf for fear of retribution by the authorities. The defiance of the hijab law is starkest in bigger cities. But even in smaller cities and towns, attitudes toward womens rights, including the freedom to choose what to wear, is changing, and women are defying the authorities. Tehran 25, Digital, Dream / Dreamland v3 / Gemini / Dall-E, 2025 A woman in the southwestern city of Yasuj, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the percentage of women who go out without the hijab in Yasuj is much smaller than in Tehran, but locals see these women as brave. Many Iranian women believe the changes are here to stay. This change cannot be reversed or controlled, Mojgan Ilanlou, a Tehran-based filmmaker who has documented Iranian womens struggles, told Radio Farda. But that doesnt mean the government has changed its stance on the hijab. Ilanlou added that the authorities have been forced to retreat by the determination of Iranian women who fought tooth and nail for their right to wear what they want and now strive to protect that achievement. Authorities know that if they resist it will cost them and it will hurt them profoundly, she said. At midday on 10 March 2022, near a church in the village of Lukashivka in the Chernihiv region, North of Ukraine, a Russian soldier with a half-burned face, wearing a leather jacket over his uniform, shot a Ukrainian prisoner of war at point-blank range. He then began to interrogate two civilian men and a minor, with the same brutal interrogation methods: beatings, death threats, and a machine gun fired over their heads to simulate execution. The Ukrainian investigators established that the Russian soldier was major Danil Koblik, commander of the 74th Brigade, also known by his call sign: Magnet. In 2024 in Chernihiv, an Ukrainian court sentenced him in absentia to life imprisonment. The village is located almost 20 km south of Chernihiv. It is situated 10 km off the M01 highway which connects Chernihiv and Kyiv. When the full-scale invasion started, this location gave civilians a false sense of security that there would be no Russian troops in the village. Therefore, after 24 February 2022, people came here to their dachas, to their parents and relatives. According to the village head Volodymyr Ihnatenko, 334 people lived in Lukashivka in 2022, and almost 50 more came to the village to stay with relatives. Serhii Lepiavko, an historian who participated in the fighting for Lukashivka, said that Ukrainian Armed Forces units entered the village in early March. On 9 March, Russian troops initiated an offensive on Lukashivka from the neighbouring villages of Sloboda and Ivanivka. Lepiavko emphasises that the forces were unequal. At that time, there were fewer than 120 Ukrainian soldiers in Lukashivka. The Russian occupiers arrived in three columns of 60-80 vehicles: several tanks, armoured vehicles and other military equipment. So, there were between 600 and 800 of them, the historian says. About twenty Ukrainian soldiers were killed in that fight. Others were taken prisoners. 21 criminal proceedings opened But Magnet is not the only one accused of crimes committed in Lukashivka during the occupation period from 9 to 30 March 2022. For instance, during the occupation, 17 people lived with local resident Nadia Denysenko. Among them were relatives who had come from the city and fellow villagers whose homes had been destroyed. According to Ukrainian investigators, three of them were subjected to violence by Russian soldiers and were involved in criminal proceedings as victims. Kyrylo Puhachov, head of the department for combating crimes committed in armed conflict at the Chernihiv Regional Prosecutors Office, said that the investigations for war crimes in Lukashivka have been combined into 21 criminal proceedings. Almost 50 people have been granted victim status. However, nearly every resident could be considered a victim. Basically, every destroyed or damaged house constitutes a war crime. But we know that several buildings were damaged during a single attack. In such cases, these crimes are registered as a single criminal proceeding, Puhachov explains. Law enforcement officers documented murders, torture, injuries and illegal detention of civilians, the execution of prisoners of war, damage to civilian properties and confiscation of belongings in Lukashivka. Their investigation established that battalion tactical groups from the 74th Separate Guards Zvenigorod-Berlin Brigade were stationed in Lukashivka. There were also soldiers from the 55th Separate Mountain Motorised Rifle Brigade. Other units came for reinforcement, but it remains difficult to identify them. The destroyed church in the village of Lukashivka, near Chernihiv in northern Ukraine. Next to it, the body of a Ukrainian prisoner of war was left uncovered for three weeks. Photo : Natalia Naiduk 5 cases of war crimes referred to court To date, five cases related to war crimes in Lukashivka have been referred to the Chernihiv District Court. Verdicts have already been issued in three of them. All three accused are soldiers of the 74th Separate Guards Zvenigorod-Berlin Brigade, who were tried in absentia. The first case concerned Nikita Belozerov, from the region of Irkutsk, in Russia. He terrorised a family with three children. The verdict states that he and other unidentified Russian soldiers came to the familys home on three occasions. Belozerov beat the father on the head and back, threatened to shoot him and cut off his fingers, placing his hand on a bench and making an axe strike right next to it. He also threatened to throw a grenade into the cellar where the wife was hiding with the children. Then he looted their house. According to the investigation, in addition to cash, a telephone and a collectable knife, the Russian soldier also took childrens belongings. Victims and witnesses identified Belozerov from photographs provided by investigators. In addition, his name is on a list of Russian military personnel that was later found in Lukashivka. The Russian occupiers used the piece of paper with the list to leave a note for the owners of the house: We are sorry we had to use your house! Dont hurt the cat! The court found Belozerov guilty of violating the laws and customs of war, committed by a group of individuals: beating, threatening and torturing civilians, as well as looting. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentence became effective on 1 September 2023, one month after it was announced. This means that Belozerovs lawyer did not file an appeal. However, there were appeals in two other cases. On 28 August 2023, the court of first instance issued a verdict against Alexander Dudarev, from the Russian region of Altai. He is accused of having come to a local mans house with another Russian soldier on 14 March 2022. The occupiers wanted to obtain information from him about the location of Ukrainian Armed Forces. During the interrogation, they beat the man with their feet, fired shots near his feet, and threatened to kill him. The victim sustained fractures. Then Dudarevs comrade shot the villager in the right leg. It so happened that he injured himself with the same shot. The victim identified Dudarev in a photograph provided by law enforcement officers. The Chernihiv District Court found him guilty of violating the laws and customs of war unlawful detention, threats of murder and beating of a civilian. The Russian soldier was sentenced to 12 years in prison. In December 2023, the Chernihiv Court of Appeal upheld this sentence. Ihnatenko, the head of the village, reported that the victim in this case died in 2025 due to health issues. A life sentence for Magnet reportedly killed The third verdict from Lukashivka was issued to Magnet, the commander of the same 74th Brigade, from the Russian region of Kemerovo. Witnesses and victims described Kobliks appearance in almost identical terms a leather jacket over a military uniform, and some of them mentioned his half-burned face. People recognised Koblik from a photograph provided by law enforcement officers. At the time of the investigation, Koblik was in Russia, in the city of Yurga, Kemerovo region. The Chernihiv District Court sentenced him to life imprisonment. His defence lawyer filed an appeal, in which she did not dispute the Russian commanders guilt or the classification of his actions in court but disagreed with the sentencing to the most severe punishment for each of the criminal offences he was charged with. In the lawyers opinion, the public resonance of the case and the physical absence of the accused are circumstances that should not lead to a life imprisonment. However, the Chernihiv Court of Appeal upheld the decision. The victims relatives said that they later received information from Ukrainian law enforcement officials about the alleged death of 'Magnet' in the war in Ukraine, in 2023. NGOs helps identify Russian military personnel 16 of the 21 proceedings are still under investigation. Puhachov explains the main difficulty: We do know the facts. I dont think anything else happened there that we dont know about. Except, perhaps, for sexual violence that has not yet been reported. We understand which units were in the Lukashivka area and who was in command. But who committed which crime has not yet been established in all cases. The prosecutor points out that over the years, fruitful cooperation has been established with organisations that document the wartime events. The NGO Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv is one of these organisations. We developed a documentation methodology to ensure that its results would be admissible by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was clear even then that, given the scale of the war crimes, they would not have enough resources to collect all the evidence, Serhii Burov, director of the Educational House, says. Victoria Glamazda, who documents war crimes for the same NGO, said that there were two monitoring missions in Lukashivka, in August 2022 and June 2025. We interviewed ten people and recorded 12 occurrences of war crimes in the village. I was personally most affected by the death of a family: two children and their grandparents. They died because of random shelling. This is also a war crime, Glamazda adds. The collected materials and reports gathered by the organisation are stored in a closed database of civil society initiatives baptised Coalition 5 a.m., or Tribunal for Putin, or War Archive. Lawyers and analysts will be able to use these archives not only now, but also in the future. The information is also passed on to international legal organisations working in the field of universal jurisdiction, a mechanism that could allow to try Russian military men in different countries around the world for crimes committed in Ukraine. An OSINT (Open-source intelligence) analyst at the Educational House said that at the request of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, he worked, in particular, on major Koblik. We have gathered the necessary information. During our OSINT investigation, we were able to identify more than 10 Russian military men who may have been involved in war crimes in Lukashivka. We have shared the information with law enforcement agencies. But the total number of war criminals is much higher. We have made a specific investigation about the soldiers of the 74th Brigade who occupied Lukashivka, the analyst said. He claims that it is possible to identify by name the soldiers who were in a particular settlement during the occupation. Of course, this would require a lot of time and financial resources. It could be done if a comprehensive nationwide programme were established at the state level, he says. However, the question remains whether there is sufficient evidence to prove the guilt of specific military men in specific crimes and bring them to justice. Command responsibility, a new path? The investigation is ongoing, and other suspects involved in war crimes in Lukashivka are to be identified. But at this point, it is difficult to say whether all alleged offenders will be identified. In such cases, investigators say, a solution may be to apply the principle of command responsibility. However, no commander has yet been convicted for this in Ukraine. Before 2025, the possibility of its use, considering the provisions of international humanitarian law, was a controversial issue. According to Puhachov, the Criminal Code does not provide for the liability of commanders for their subordinates actions. Under this article, only the offender or a commander who directly orders to kill, shoot, loot, etc. could be prosecuted. In January 2025, the Rome Statute of the ICC came into force in Ukraine, which now explicitly authorises Ukrainian law enforcement agencies to apply it to commanders. We havent had such a practice yet. And questions remain. In particular, what level of commanders should be charged with war crimes committed within their range of responsibility? What should be done when there are several units on the territory and, therefore, several commanders? At the Prosecutor Generals Office, we consult international experts who have worked in Yugoslavia, Rwanda and other places where commanders have been held accountable for failure to act. These experts are helping us build key cases based on which we will build other similar proceedings. It is meticulous, complex work, but it is ongoing. We are already in the mid-stages of the process, Puhachov explains. When the mechanism of command responsibility comes into effect, we will be able to charge commanders with war crimes committed by their subordinates. For example, we know that Danil Koblik was the battalion commander in Lukashivka. During that time, war crimes were committed in the village. He did not commit all of them personally. But as a commander, he must be held accountable for them as well, the prosecutor states. Rebuilding houses While the investigations and trials of the Russian military men continue, the villagers of Lukashivka are trying to move on with their lives. Among a total of 280 houses, during the occupation 30 were destroyed and another 200 were damaged. Many houses have already been rebuilt; some people have had modular houses installed in their yards and destroyed roofs and fences have been repaired. A new church has been built next to the destroyed one. However, some losses cannot be repaired nine people were killed, and the well-being of many residents was affected. I cant live without pills anymore. Of course, we want justice: we want those war criminals to go to prison. But will that ever happen? Right now, our only wish is for peace to come quickly and for the killing to stop, Nadia Denysenko tells. This report was produced thanks to a grant by Fondation Hirondelle/Justice Info. A full version of this article was published on July 23, 2025, in "Pechera". Human Rights Watch on Monday urged Lebanon to pursue justice two years after an Israeli strike killed a Reuters journalist and wounded six others, including two from AFP. The October 13, 2023 attack killed Issam Abdallah and wounded two of his colleagues from Reuters, as well as two people from broadcaster Al Jazeera, and AFP's Dylan Collins and Christina Assi as they were working in south Lebanon near the Israeli border. The attack took place just days after Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group initiated cross-border exchanges with Israel over the Gaza war. Photographer Assi was seriously wounded and later had to have her right leg amputated. On Thursday, Lebanon's government tasked the justice ministry with investigating legal options for prosecuting Israel for crimes against journalists. The government's move "offers a fresh opportunity to achieve justice for the victims", Human Rights Watch said in a statement, noting that two years since the attack, "victims of war crimes in Lebanon remain without effective access to accountability and justice". Since Abdallah's killing, "scores of other civilians in Lebanon have been killed in apparently deliberate or indiscriminate attacks that violate the laws of war and amount to war crimes", HRW's Ramzi Kaiss said in the statement. A November ceasefire sought to end more than a year of hostilities including two months of open war between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel has kept up its strikes, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives. Free-press watchdog Reporters Without Borders last week also welcomed the government's move, saying "Lebanon is finally taking action against impunity for the crime" and urging Beirut to refer the case to the International Criminal Court. Morris Tidball-Binz, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions said Friday it was "a premeditated, targeted and double-tapped attack from the Israeli forces, a clear violation, in my opinion, of IHL (international humanitarian law), a war crime". An AFP probe into the deadly attack, jointly conducted with Airwars, an NGO that investigates attacks on civilians in conflict situations, pointed to a 120-mm tank shell only used by the Israeli army. A UN investigation found there was "no exchange of fire" before the attack. After the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the liberation on Monday of the remaining living Gaza hostages in a swap for Palestinian prisoners, here is a snapshot of five key elements of the Gaza war. Israel launched its devastating air and ground campaign after the Palestinian militant group Hamas's unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023. More than 67,800 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to official figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. - Hamas attacks - At dawn on Saturday, October 7, 2023, during the Jewish festival of Simhat Torah, hundreds of Hamas fighters infiltrate Israel from the Gaza Strip under a hail of rockets. A total of 1,219 people, mainly civilians, are killed on the Israeli side in the attacks on kibbutzim and a rave music festival, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures. The attackers take 251 hostages back to Gaza, some already dead. Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, and also the army, later acknowledge their failure in preventing the attack. Shin Bet says there was an overarching assessment that Hamas was more focused on "inciting violence" in the occupied West Bank. It says that "a policy of quiet had enabled Hamas to undergo massive military buildup". - Hostages - A total of 141 hostages, eight of them dead, are freed in truces in November 2023 and early 2025. In return Israel releases more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Other hostages are brought back, alive or dead, by the Israeli army over the months. The remaining 20 living hostages are freed on Monday, the first stage of a ceasefire accord engineered by US President Donald Trump. The first bodies of the 28 deceased captives -- who include a soldier killed in 2014 -- begin to be repatriated to Israel. In return Israel frees 1,968 Palestinians. - Humanitarian crisis - The air and ground campaign launched by Netanyahu, vowing to destroy Hamas and bring home all the hostages, has left tens of thousands of Gaza's civilians dead, sometimes whole families. The United Nations said the level of destruction was unprecedented in recent history, with 83 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed, including hospitals and schools. Most of the Palestinian territory's two million inhabitants have been forced to move. Humanitarian supplies have been trickling in after the Israeli authorities completely blocked the arrival of aid for 11 weeks from March 2025, only partially easing the blockade in late May. After months of warnings, a UN agency in August declares a state of famine in a part of the territory, which Israel denies. In mid-September UN investigators accuse Israel of carrying out a "genocide" in Gaza in a report. Israel rejects the findings and accuses the UN of bias. In 2024 the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. - Conflict spreads in region - Hamas has received the support of Iran and its allies in the region. From the outset, Lebanon's Hezbollah started firing rockets at Israel from southern Lebanon. Two months of open war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah from September 2024 is followed by a fragile truce. In solidarity with the Palestinians, Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have been targeting shipping off Yemen. They have also carried out missile and drone attacks on Israel, which has hit back with several strikes. Israel fights a 12-day war against its arch-foe Iran in mid-June, attacking military and nuclear sites. Iran responds with drone and missile barrages targeting Israeli cities. In 2024 Iran directly attacks Israel twice, also with waves of drones and missiles, in retaliation for a deadly attack on its Damascus consulate blamed on Israel, and for the killing by Israel of Hamas and Hezbollah chiefs. - Ceasefire and hostages released - On September 16 Israel launches a major ground offensive in a bid to capture Gaza City, which it says is one of Hamas's last strongholds. US President Donald Trump on September 29 puts forward a 20-point plan to end the conflict. It includes a ceasefire, the freeing of the hostages within 72 hours, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the establishment of a transitional authority made up of technocrats headed by a committee led by Trump. After four days of indirect negotiations in Egypt between Hamas and Israel through international mediators, including the United States, an accord is struck on October 9. A ceasefire comes into force, unleashing a mass return by displaced Palestinians towards northern Gaza and setting the clock ticking on the release of the hostages. Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday chair a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh attended by more than two dozen world leaders including Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, but in the absence of Netanyahu or representatives of Hamas. burs-paj-ot/jmy/amj/smw Esteemed educator named dean of the Clarice C. and Leland H. Bagwell College of Education KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 13, 2025 Eric Moyen Kennesaw State University has named distinguished educator and administrator Eric Moyen as dean of the Clarice C. and Leland H. Bagwell College of Education, effective Jan. 1. Moyen, who was named following a national search, is currently an associate dean in the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, the executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, and a professor of higher education leadership at Mississippi State University. At Kennesaw State, Moyen will serve as the chief executive and academic officer for the Bagwell College, providing strategic leadership for the Colleges more than 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students and more than 300 faculty and staff. He will support the Colleges growing national prominence by fostering research productivity and enhancing collaborative partnerships with school districts. Dr. Moyen brings an inspirational vision and a deep commitment to educational leadership that will elevate the Bagwell College and KSU on our path to national prominence, KSU President Kathy S. Schwaig said. His passion for advancing teaching and learning, along with his collaborative spirit, will undoubtedly enhance the Colleges influence both in our community and beyond. At Mississippi State, Moyen helped dramatically increase the enrollment in Educational Leadership programs while also improving the departments research and funding profile. He was instrumental in developing an online Doctor of Education program for P-12 leadership and played a key role in the development of Teacher-Leadership graduate programs. He is currently engaged in similar work in the College of Professional and Continuing Studies. Moyen previously served as MSUs first assistant vice president for student success, where his leadership contributed to record-breaking student persistence rates. Prior to MSU, Moyen held numerous roles at Lee University, where he received the Excellence in Teaching Award the highest recognition given to faculty. A former secondary social studies teacher, Moyen has served in several administrative capacities for more than 27 years as an educator. Dr. Moyen's record of scholarship and his experience fostering a culture of academic innovation will strategically advance the Bagwell College of Education, said KSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Ivan Pulinkala. His collaborative approach to working with faculty and staff will strengthen programmatic excellence, support high-impact practices, and enhance student learning outcomes. In addition to his administrative duties, Moyen has remained an active researcher, having published numerous books and contributed toward externally funded projects totaling more than $5 million. He has also served on dozens of doctoral dissertation committees, chairing six. I am honored to join KSU and to provide leadership to the Bagwell College of Education, Moyen said. This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside exceptional faculty, staff, and students as we build on the Colleges strong foundation and advance its reputation as a nationally recognized leader in educator preparation and research. I look forward to fostering partnerships and driving innovation that will positively impact education locally, regionally, and nationally. Moyen earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Arts in U.S. History from the University of Alabama, and a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education from Taylor University. Related Stories A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu. Sunday, October 12, 2025 - Human rights activist and presidential aspirant, Boniface Mwangi, has raised an alarm over what he describes as a direct threat to his life, after finding a spent bullet casing inside his carry-on luggage following a domestic flight from Nairobi to Malindi. Mwangi shared the shocking revelation in a statement on Sunday, October 12th, alleging that the incident occurred on October 9th. According to Mwangi, he personally packed his bag and passed through two security checks at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). However, moments before boarding, airport staff took his bag and issued him a luggage slip. Upon arrival in Malindi, he retrieved the bag and later found a used bullet cartridge tucked between his clothes. The spent cartridge was slipped into my bag during the brief moment that it was not in my possession. There is only one way of interpreting this incident: a direct threat to my life, Mwangi stated. He claimed the incident is part of a broader campaign of state-led intimidation targeting him and other activists, particularly following his role in the 2024 protests that led to the withdrawal of the Finance Bill. Mwangi further alleged that the Government is using both legal and illegal means to sabotage his presidential bid, including false criminal charges and financial targeting. Mwangi said he reported the matter to a trusted human rights organization and documented the evidence. Despite the alleged threats, he vowed to continue advocating for change, warning that if anything happened to him, the state would be responsible. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - A close relative of Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has moved many Kenyans online after publicly appealing for a job, revealing that he is struggling to provide for his family. The man, a nephew to the Treasury CS, opened up about his tough living conditions, saying he depends on menial jobs to survive and feed his wife and children. Photos shared online show him in worn-out clothes, engaging in casual labour, a stark contrast to the luxurious lifestyle often associated with political families. He lamented that despite sharing blood ties with the Treasury CS, he has not benefited in any way, and life has become unbearable for him due to the high cost of living. The young man revealed that he graduated in 2021 with a Bachelors degree in Education (Arts) but has been tarmacking for the past four years without success. His emotional plea has since gone viral, with many Kenyans expressing sympathy and urging CS Mbadi or other well-wishers to help him find stable employment. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - A Nairobi family is in distress after their daughter went missing in Kisumu, where she had gone to visit a friend earlier this month. According to her brother, the family last heard from her on October 9th, before her phone went off. On Sunday morning, he woke up to a worrying message from her friend in Kisumu, identified as Eve, who informed him that his sister had disappeared after a night out. In the message, Eve wrote: Hae, its Eve, the lady who has your daughter in Kisumu. Shes been missing since the 9th. The last place she was seen was at Nilotes Lounge, Kondele. I tried doing my investigations and was told she left with three guys to a different club. I dont know her whereabouts up to now - Ive moved to places looking for her and havent heard any feedback. The missing womans phone has remained switched off, and her whereabouts are still unknown. Her family members, who live in Nairobi, say they are confused and dont know where to begin the search. She went to Kisumu to visit her friend, and now we cant reach her. Our parents are devastated, the brother said. The family is appealing to anyone with information about her whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or contact them directly. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen launched a scathing attack against Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana during a public event in Garsen on Saturday, October 11th, accusing him of disrespecting Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and hijacking a celebratory occasion with political grievances. The event, held to honor Yuda Komoras appointment as Chairperson of the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), turned tense when Governor Godhana lamented the marginalization of Tana River and criticized the national Government for sidelining the region in development and appointments. He urged Mudavadi to relay the concerns to President William Ruto. Murkomen, visibly irked, rebuked the Governor for using every national visit to complain. Mr Governor, every time national leaders are here, you complain. You forget you are the Governor. What have you done yourself? he asked. He further accused Godhana of disrespecting Mudavadi and derailing the events purpose. You cant shame a whole CS and hijack a good event with politics of whining. Please, organize your own meeting and talk all you want, Murkomen said. The CS urged the Governor to emulate other leaders like Gladys Wanga and Abdulswamad Nassir, who have leveraged national partnerships to drive development. "Your party leader, Raila Odinga, sits with President William Ruto to plan development. It is because of Raila and Ruto's partnership that development is happening in other Counties. Governors like Gladys Wanga, Abdulswamad Nassir, and others are leveraging the partnership to seek development for their people, but for you, it is all about whining," Murkomen fumed. He emphasized that poor leadership contributes to underdevelopment, not just lack of resources. "Let me tell you, Governor, the reason why some areas of Kenya are underdeveloped is because of leadership. You have disrespected the Prime CS. Tell me what he will think about your leadership. Let us respect each other. Murkomen said. Tana River is among 14 counties listed by the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) as marginalized, with 65 localities earmarked for support through the Equalization Fund. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - There was drama in Nairobis Central Business District (CBD) after a middle-aged man was caught red-handed vandalising and attempting to steal parts of the Dedan Kimathi statue. According to eyewitnesses, the suspect was seen tampering with the historic monument, which honours freedom fighter, Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi, before being cornered by members of the public. In the viral video shared online, the man is seen pleading for mercy, claiming he was not mentally stable. He went on to confess that he had planned to sell the vandalised metal pieces cheaply to unscrupulous scrap-metal dealers around the city. The angry crowd later handed him over to the police, who whisked him away for questioning. Watch the video. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - Detectives attached to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) have arrested a university student accused of running a sophisticated online scam selling fake KNEC examination papers. The suspect, Chrispinus Nandafu Naisuma, a fourth-year student at Meru University of Science and Technology, was apprehended in Kianjai, Tigania West Sub-County, following a meticulously planned operation by detectives. According to investigators, Nandafu is the mastermind behind an online syndicate operating under the banner The Teachers KNEC Exam 2025. The platform allegedly used multiple online personas, including Dr. Ibrahim, Madam Salim, Chat GPT, and Violent Kathini Mwendwa, to lure unsuspecting Kenyans into purchasing fake examination papers, promising them academic shortcuts. When detectives raided his hideout, they recovered 29 Airtel SIM cards, six mobile phones, two laptops, and several Safaricom and Telkom SIM cards, among other items believed to have been used in the fraudulent activities. Nandafu is currently in custody and undergoing processing pending his arraignment. Meanwhile, the DCI and KNEC have intensified a joint crackdown on individuals and syndicates peddling fake examination materials across the country. The public has been cautioned against falling for such scams, with authorities reaffirming that all official examinations are securely administered under strict integrity and confidentiality measures. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - President William Ruto has defended his recent political engagement with KANU party leader, Gideon Moi, following criticism from former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Speaking during a church service in Nairobi on Sunday, October 12th, Ruto declared that he is a man on a mission and vowed to continue uniting leaders across the country behind his economic transformation agenda. The remarks came just a day after Gachagua accused Ruto of double standards, claiming that the Presidents alliance with Moi was an attempt to politically isolate the Mt Kenya region. Gachagua had argued that while Rutos calls for Kalenjin unity were praised, his own efforts to rally Mt Kenya leaders were unfairly branded as tribalism. You saw Ruto met Gideon Moi and told the Kalenjins to unite. But when I try to mobilize my people, Im labelled a tribalist, Gachagua said. If Kalenjins meet, its called unity. When Mt. Kenya people come together, its tribalism. He thinks we are fools. In his address, Ruto dismissed the criticism and emphasized his commitment to inclusive leadership. I have already engaged with 80 percent of Parliament and leaders from Central, Western, and Rift Valley regions. Ive even spoken with Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, and Gideon Moi, Ruto said. He stressed that his outreach is aimed at building consensus around key development priorities such as affordable housing, healthcare and education reforms. When we unite, the favour of God will be upon us, he added. Ruto also took aim at those doubting his economic vision, asserting that Kenya has the potential to rise from poverty and joblessness. We have what it takes to move this country forward, he said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - President William Rutos former advisor and ex-Gatundu South MP, Moses Kuria, has hinted at a possible political realignment, expressing openness to joining former Deputy President Rigathi Gachaguas camp ahead of the 2027 elections, but only if Gachagua tones down his combative rhetoric. In a tweet shared on Saturday, October 11th, Kuria acknowledged Gachaguas growing influence in the Mt Kenya region, calling him the undisputed kingpin and praising his ability to rally support. You are ahead of the rest of us, Kuria wrote. You are edging closer to being our undisputed Kingpin in the Mountain. However, Kuria cautioned that Gachaguas tendency to lash out at political opponents, especially women leaders, could undermine his leadership. He was responding to Gachaguas fiery remarks in Embu, where the former Deputy President criticized Governors Anne Waiguru and Cecily Mbarire for remaining loyal to President Ruto. I have only one humble request, Kuria stated. Kindly refrain from insulting our leaders in general, our women leaders in particular, and all Mt Kenya women by extension. The remarks mark a shift in Kurias stance after months of rivalry. Gachagua had previously accused the former Trade CS of being a Ruto mole used to divide Mt Kenya, claims Kuria denied. The Kenyan DAILY POST Sunday, October 12, 2025 - Kenyans on social media have once again proven that no mystery is too big for their online sleuthing skills, this time unmasking Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer, Geoffrey Mosiria, who was captured on camera with a random slay queen he reportedly picked up in Nairobis Central Business District (CBD). Mosiria is seen cruising in his sleek car with the unidentified lady comfortably seated on the back seat, seemingly enjoying the unexpected ride. According to digital detectives, the two had met just moments earlier along the busy streets of Nairobi before Mosiria offered to give her a quick lift. While it remains unclear where exactly he was taking the mystery lady, the internet is already flooded with theories and hilarious memes. The Kenyan DAILY POST An exciting new dawn has begun at the Watergate Theatre with the unveiling of the theatres new Strategic Plan 2025-2029 as part of Culture Night. The plan outlines the Watergates wish to improve a number of aspects of its offering with plans encompassing structural improvements and building relationships. As a result, the theatre intends to convert the old Squash Court in the Abbey Quarter into a studio and development space. Much of the plan centres around space, growth and inclusion with the four year project outlining plans to increase space and improve facilities and for the betterment of patrons, performers and staff. READ NEXT: Meeting to be held with gardai as safety fears grow near Kilkenny GAA grounds The local theatre, first opened by President Mary Robinson in 1993, has staged countless national, international and world-renowned performances across all genres since opening with its popularity in the community growing year on year. "Our vision is to achieve universal access to the arts, the community theatres strategic plan states, adding, while our building is a much loved and cherished community resource, we acknowledge that some elements of the existing structure are no longer fit for purpose in a modern day arts centre." Watergate Theatre Chairman, Nickey Brennan proudly shared his optimism for the future while acknowledging the need for improvements. READ NEXT: Calls for 'firm action' and to introduce full vape ban in Kilkenny "Were aware that the theatre itself is not quite meeting the needs of patrons in many different regards and its time that changed," outlining the need for both basics and the finer things a theatre can offer. In positive news, Mr Brennan teased 'smaller shows' may be showcased in the Abbey Quarter development when completed. Elsewhere, as part of the plans the Watergate set out its commitment to continually review their Board membership and seek opportunities to ensure representation by diverse community cohorts. Furthermore, the plan also outlines the goal to improve access to work spaces throughout the theatre. The theatre also affirmed its intention to engage with stakeholders to invest in the Watergate building to create a welcoming, inclusive, accessible and hospitable environment, while fulfilling their artists and teams need for dedicated spaces to work, create, develop, and gather. The process of developing the plan began mid-way through 2023 and it has evolved in consultation with the Watergate Board, Executive Team, Artists in Residence, Kilkenny County Council, the Arts Council and the local community. Meanwhile, this strategy was written by Executive Director Joanna Cunningham with on-going consultation with all key stakeholders. It was designed by Emma ONeill. Susan Coughlan, Art of Change, was the independent facilitator of the process. These latest developments continue what has been a largely successful 2025 for the theatre both on and off the stage. In January, Kilkenny County Council granted permission for much needed energy upgrade works at the theatre. Amongst the measures included in the project is the installation of new insulated cladding to the auditorium and fly tower of the theatre. "Our commitment to serving the diverse needs of our community is reflected in our efforts to enhance organisational capacity, foster shared ownership, and maintain relevance in an ever-evolving cultural landscape," the latest strategic plan stated. FOR MORE KILKENNY COMMUNITY NEWS, CLICK HERE Trumps move to fund military paychecks during shutdown comes as families face strain and uncertainty Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. ROUND two in the fight against a wind farm on the Laois/Kilkenny border is underway, after developers lodged appeals with An Coimisiun Pleanala. Seskin Renewable Energy Limited lodged the appeals last week, following refusal of planning permission for the wind farm by local authorities in both counties last month. The NotoSeskinWindfarm action group will hold a public information evening at 8pm this Friday 17 October at the Castle Arms Hotel in Durrow, as the campaign against the large development continues. The action group said last Thursday that, despite strong refusals from both Kilkenny and Laois Co Councils, the developers have lodged appeals against both decisions. The group is asking people to make submissions against the development. The closing date for submissions is Monday 27 October, with further details available on the action groups Facebook page. The NotoSeskinWindfarm committee said on social media: With the strength of local support and opposition, we are ready for what comes next. The public meeting this Friday will be attended by public representatives and experts and will include an overview of the plans, together with advice on lodging submissions. The county councils refusal of the Seskin Windfarm application in early September followed major opposition on both sides of the border, including the communities of Durrow, Cullohill, Lisdowney, Ballinaslee and Ballyragget. The NotoSeskinWindfarm committee held a number of packed public meetings in opposition to the project and staged big demonstrations on both sides of the border over the August bank holiday weekend. The wind farm plans included the construction of eight mega turbines with a tip height of 175 metres, a rotor blade diameter of 150m and hub height of 100m, along with a substation and a 100m meteorological mast. The company had said the project would power 36,000 homes. They were seeking a 10-year planning permission and a 35-year operational life from the date of commissioning. The NotoSeskinWindfarm committee, with community representatives on both sides of the Laois-Kilkenny border, said they were concerned about the environmental and health impacts of the proposed project on people living in the area, which stretches from Ballyragget to Durrow. The action committee is one of a number of groups across the midlands that have protested against large wind farms in their communities. Last year, the Government promised that new planning guidelines for wind farms would be introduced by the end of the year but they have not materialised. Guidelines regarding wind farm energy date back to 2006, pending finalisation of an ongoing review. Seskin Renewable Energy Limited is a subsidiary of Atlantic Infrastructure Renewables (AIR), an Irish-owned company based in Co Limerick. An Coimisiun Pleanala is due to make a decision on the planning appeals by 3 February 2026. TWO Laois companies have been awarded Origin Green gold membership, in honour of their commitment to sustainability. The Merry Mill in Vicarstown and Ballykilcavan Brewing Company, both based near Stradbally, were selected for the prestigious 2025 award by Bord Bia. Announcing the awards on 13 October, Bord Bia said that gold membership recognises exemplary sustainability performance in a given year by Origin Green member companies. Run by Kevin Scully and his family, The Merry Mill produces 100% organic gluten-free oats, grown on their 99-acre farm. Ballykilcavan in Kylebeg has been in the Walsh-Kemmis family since 1639 and includes a craft brewery and visitor centre, with beers brewed using their own barley and water. Both local companies are regular award-winners. Gold membership is awarded to Origin Green verified companies if they make significant improvements in their sustainability target areas, which can include raw material sourcing, water and energy efficiency, emissions, waste reductions, packaging and social sustainability. The Gold members were formally acknowledged at Bord Bias annual Origin Green sustainability seminar on 7 October, which was addressed by Noel Grealish, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This years 136 Gold Membership companies come from 26 counties across Ireland and represent sectors including dairy, meat, seafood and aquaculture, grocery, bakery and confectionary, beverages, and horticulture. Origin Green was established 13 years ago. Bord Bia chief executive Jim OToole said: We see Origin Green member companies innovating their packaging, rethinking their energy use, collaborating with farmers and investing in circular economy models. 'We see leadership in action, not just in boardrooms, but on factory floors, in fields, and across supply chains. And we see a shared commitment from Origin Green members to doing better, year after year. Fiona Magennis A Ukrainian lawyer who fled his homeland due to the war and sought refuge in Ireland has lost his appeal against a High Court decision ordering his extradition to the United States, where he is accused of using ransomware to extort over 600,000 in cryptocurrency from victims. In February this year, the High Court granted an extradition request from US authorities for Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko (42), who is wanted to stand trial on charges of conspiracy to commit computer-related fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. It is alleged that he was involved in the use of ransomware against a government entity and two businesses in Tennessee from 2020 to 2022 and that payment by two of the victims of the alleged ransomware was made in the sum of $634,000 in cryptocurrency. Lytvynenko, who has been in custody for two years, had brought an appeal against Mr Justice David Keanes order directing his extradition to America. In a judgement delivered at the Court of Appeal on Monday, Ms Justice Tara Burns said the court was not upholding any of the grounds advanced by Lytvynenko and dismissed the appeal. Tim OLeary SC, representing Lytvynenko, asked the court for a week to consider the judgement before the implementation of the extradition order and the court acceded to this request. Russian invasion Lytvynenko was granted temporary protection in Ireland in September 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His wife and child had earlier been granted temporary protection after arriving in Ireland the previous July. In his High Court judgement granting Lytvynenkos extradition last February, Mr Justice David Keane said the respondent was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in the Middle District of Tennessee on May 22, 2023. The indictment alleges that Lytvynenko and co-conspirators agreed to infect victims computers and defraud them with Conti ransomware, a type of malicious software which encrypted some or all of the data stored on victims computers. Lytvynenko and his conspirators are also accused of demanding that the victims pay a cryptocurrency ransom in exchange for a decryption key for the encrypted data and a promise not to publicise the breach of the victims networks on the internet. The indictment further alleges that Lytvynenko and his co-conspirators deployed Conti ransomware on at least three victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, including a government entity and two businesses. Cryptocurrency ransom Two of the victims paid a combined ransom of approximately $634,000 in cryptocurrency. The other victim declined to pay the ransom and ransomware actors published its data. Lytvynenko appealed the extradition order on the grounds that it breached his right to a fair trail under the European Convention on Human Rights. He submitted that having sought reunification with his family in Ireland after fleeing the war, he was deprived of an opportunity to gather and obtain evidence and witnesses from his war-torn country for the purposes of the extradition proceedings and for his defence in the US trial. He said he was denied access to the evidence in his laptop and phones which were seized when he was arrested and this had obstructed his right to properly meet his case, both in the extradition proceedings and criminal proceedings against him in the USA if extradited. Lytvynenko argued this was an abuse of process and denial of justice. Lytvynenko had also contended that his human rights would be breached because his extradition to the US was incompatible with the States obligations under EU law to offer temporary protection and reunification to those fleeing war in the Ukraine. Lytvynenko emphasised that he had not applied for international protection, but only for temporary protection in Ireland. He argued that extradition to the United States could result in the loss of this temporary protection, as no equivalent status exists there. I walked into New York Comic Con 2025 expecting the usual sea of superheroes, dazzling animatronics, and fandom energy, but what greeted me was something deeper: Puerto Rican pride, reggaeton vibes, and unmistakable Bad Bunny influence pulsing through the halls. It started with "The Boricualorian." I first spotted her near an artist alley boothhelmet and armor painted in red, white, and blue, flag motifs woven into every panel. She wore a folkloric skirt beneath her futuristic gear and held a "baby Yoda" figure sporting a jibaro hat and scarf. I later learned "The Boricualorian" was the embodiment of Puerto Rican identity meeting fandom. That costume alone became a symbol of how culture, music, and heritage were on show at Comic Con this week. The character was among several bringing Puerto Rican culture front and center at the convention. Este ano la cultura puertorriquena brillo con luz propia. Conoci a Lily Torres, 'The Boricualorian', una increible mezcla del universo Star Wars y el folclore boricua, y a su 'baby Yoda' vestido de jibaro. https://t.co/cTe4TLI76W (6/10) pic.twitter.com/ZGVUyuqC27 Sarah Yanez-Richards (@SarahYanezR) October 12, 2025 As I wandered the exhibit floors, I saw other fans brandishing Puerto Rican flags as capes, adorning their cosplay suits with lightblue star symbols, or carrying handheld drums. One booth hosted a "BoricuaVerse" event, spotlighting Latino artists and cosplayers. Snippets of bomba and plena rhythms invaded the background, conversations in Spanish and footsteps mingling with beats in a way that made the environment feel alive, not just decorative. A Bad Bunny cosplayer sang some of El Conejo's songs. He was dressed similarly to Benito in the first part of this Puerto Rican residence, "No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui," with white pants, a white sweatshirt, and a white winter hat. Another cosplayer dressed as a Puerto Rican Power Ranger, a "Boriranger", led calls of "Puerto Rico pride" down the aisles of the Jarvitz Center. I asked attendees why these statements of identity were so visible this year. One cosplayer, wearing a stylized version of La Borinquena, told me she sees fandom as a canvas for activism. She drew on the legacy of Edgardo MirandaRodriguez's comic heroine, which blends AfroPuerto Rican roots, indigenous elements, and a modern superpower mythos,and said her costume was an homage to resistance and representation. MirandaRodriguez himself has described La Borinquena as a symbol of Puerto Rican pride and social justice. I asked people around me: Did they expect this level of music culture crossover? One fan shrugged and smiled: "Bad Bunny's spirit is everywhere. He's not just music. He's icon. So why not here?" Some attendees told me they overheard reggaeton tracks layered into DJ sets between panels. Others said they saw one or two fan looks that echoed Bad Bunny's stage outfits,sunglasses, graphic hoodies, even symbolic flag motifs. At times, the convention floor felt like a Puerto Rico reunion crossing the fandom universe. The flags, the music, the layered cosplays were declarations of Boricua pride. And that, in a show celebrated for fantasy worlds, felt like the most real story of all. Originally published on Latin Times Tens of members of the Barrio 18 gang, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the Trump administration, have escaped prison in Guatemala, according to a new report. CBS News detailed that 20 members of the gang "evaded security controls" at the Fraijanes II prison, according to an account by facility director Ludin Godinez. He added that authorities are investigating potential acts of corruption in the escape. The U.S. embassy in the country said the development is "utterly unacceptable." "The United States designated members of this heinous group as the terrorists they are and will hold accountable anyone who has provided, provides, or decides to provide material support to these fugitives or other gang members," it said in a social media post. La fuga de terroristas del Barrio 18 de prision es totalmente inaceptable. El 23 de septiembre, EE. UU. designo a los miembros de este grupo atroz como los terroristas que son y hara rendir cuentas a cualquiera que haya brindado, brinde o decida brindar apoyo material a estos US Embassy Guatemala (@usembassyguate) October 13, 2025 The embassy went on to call the Guatemalan government to "act immediately and vigorously to recapture these terrorists." The development comes less than a month after the Trump administration designated Barrio 18 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The U.S. Embassy in El Salvador described the group as "one of the largest gangs in our hemisphere and has conducted attacks against security personnel, public officials, and civilians in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras." "The United States will continue to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding the violent and criminal activity of vicious gangs and drug cartels. Today's action taken by the State Department further demonstrates the Trump Administration's unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and gangs and ensuring the safety of the American people," the statement added. Originally published on Latin Times Lehigh University police found a male individual inside the Alpha Phi sorority house after a student reported broken glass at 5:37 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. The suspect, who has a connection to the house, faces multiple charges. lehighvalleylive.com file photo Lehigh University police responding early Sunday to a call for broken glass at a sorority house arrested a male suspect on burglary and related charges. University police Chief Jason Schiffer shared details of the incident in a safety bulletin sent out Sunday afternoon through the Bethlehem schools HawkWatch alert system. A Lehigh student residing at the Alpha Phi, 98 Upper Sayre Park Road, called the university police department at 5:37 a.m. Sunday after finding broken glass at the sorority house, according to the bulletin. Responding officers found a door had been forcibly opened, and a search of the building revealed the male intruder who was taken into custody. He was confirmed to be a non-Lehigh student, Schiffer wrote in the bulletin. Our investigation revealed the individual has a connection to the house. The individual responsible was immediately taken into custody and there is no continuing threat to the community. The Northampton County District Attorneys Office authorized charges of burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and public drunkenness. Authorities did not immediately release the individuals name or indicate whether he was arraigned before a district judge. A university contractor responded to repair the door and broken glass. United States attorney general Pam Bondi ruffled some feathers with her reaction to a recent Saturday Night Live skit. Host Amy Poehler played Bondi during the Saturday, Oct. 11, SNL cold open. In a spoof of Bondis recent appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Poehler hurled insults at the lawmakers questioning her. Before I dont answer, Id like to insult you personally, Poehler told Mikey Days Senator Richard Blumenthal, noting that she had a whole list of roast-style burns in store. Later in the sketch, Tina Fey made a cameo as Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Im the rarest type of person in Washington D.C.: a brunette that Donald Trump listens to, Fey quipped as Noem. The day after the sketch aired, Bondi took to X to react. @Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago? Loving Amy Poehler! she captioned a photo of Poehler and Fey as her and Noem. Noem, for her part, hasnt addressed the parody. Some X users were frustrated by Bondis response, with one person pointing out, Were laughing at you, not with you. Another viewer chimed in, You know they are mocking you, right? Bondis reaction is somewhat surprising given the Trump administrations habit of criticizing SNL. After the Saturday, Oct. 5, season 51 premiere addressed Jimmy Kimmels temporary suspension, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson threw shade at the sketch comedy show. READ MORE: SNL announces first three hosts of season 51 including one whos doing double duty Reacting to this would require me to waste my time watching it, Jackson said in an email to USA TODAY. And like the millions of Americans who have tuned out from SNL, I have more entertaining things to do like watch paint dry. The White House has made similar remarks about season 27 of South Park parodying Trump. This show hasnt been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a July statement. President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our countrys history and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trumps hot streak. Saturday Night Live airs on NBC on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock the day after they air. Phillipsburg is looking at a serious reshuffling of its legislative council after Election Day. All five seats of Phillipsburg town council are up for grabs this election cycle, following the sudden resignation of two local Republican members earlier this year. Both explained their reasons for leaving were caused by fear of retaliation by local political fanatics and inner-party politics and disagreements with the handling of the towns administration. Republicans Edward Ed Sautlz and Dustin Pierce were appointed to fill the vacancies in March 2025. Saultz is competing to keep his seat in November alongside Republican Richard Backes and former Phillipsburg School Board official Joshua Wanisko, a democrat who secured the most support of any candidate of either party in June. They are campaigning to fill the two two-year terms vacated in March. Pierce also made his debut on the Republican ticket alongside two-term Town Council President Peter J. Marino, and newcomer Timothy Zagra, on a pitch to claim four-year terms. Marino was elected to council in 2021. Phillipsburgs first Black councilman is also vying for another spot on the bench. Democrat Lee Clark garnered the second greatest number of votes among any candidate from any party during the 2025 primaries, and is hoping the momentum will carry his ticket through to Nov. 4. The democrat ticket also includes Keith Kennedy, who is vying for another four-year term on council, alongside newcomer Bernie Fey. This election cycle has also included its fair share of he-said-she-said, pandering and mudslinging over social media and in-person. Early voting for the November General Election will open Saturday, October 25, 2025 until Sunday, November 2, 2025, Monday through Saturday, 10am to 8pm. Sunday hours will shift to 10am to 6pm. Voters of Warren County can go to any of the following three locations during the times listed above and cast their vote on a voting machine. Blairstown Municipal Building - 106 Route 94 Warren County Library Northeast Branch (Independence) - 40 US Highway 46 West Warren County Library Southwest Branch (Stewartsville) - 404 County Road 519 Warren County voters registered to cast their ballots by mail can deposit them at any one of the county-designated secure drop off locations. Following on from its successful airing in May, RTE will once again show Laois broadcaster Claire Byrne's Tracks and Trails episode this week. Joining Doireann Ni Ghlacain on a walk along the Glenbarrow Old Mill Loop, the episode sees Claire return to her Laois routes, recounting memories of the area along the walk. The walk is a 10.5km trail that winds through forest, waterfalls and ancient ruins. "For Claire, the experience is personal as memories of her childhood surface on the walk, and at the Lost Village Doireann offers a touching nath cainte (Irish saying): Maireann fear ina dhuthaigh fein i bhfad - Long after you're gone, you survive in your locality or community for a long time after," Laois County Council shared. See a clip of the episode below: Each episode sees Doireann walking and talking with well-known personalities as they share their deep connections to the Irish countryside. From woodland strolls to mountain hikes, and ancient ruins to forgotten villages, the conversations flow as freely as the stunning scenery. Along the way, guests open up about what makes these places so meaningful to them and why slowing down to immerse themselves in nature matters now more than ever. Catch the stunning Tracks and Trails episode featuring Laois, on Friday October 17 at 8:30pm on RTE One. Practical cooperation with China strongly supports Guinea's nation-building, economic development: Guinean president Xinhua) 13:55, October 13, 2025 CONAKRY, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Guinea and China share a long-standing traditional friendship and their practical cooperation has strongly supported Guinea's nation-building and economic development, Guinean President Mamady Doumbouya said here on Friday. Doumbouya made the remarks when he received the letters of credence presented by the new Chinese Ambassador to Guinea Sun Yong. Doumbouya said that Guinea will work with China to deliver even more fruitful results through high-level cooperation and further improve the well-being of both peoples. For his part, Sun said that China will follow through on the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and elevate the traditional friendly relations with Guinea to a higher level so that the outcomes of the mutually beneficial cooperation will deliver more benefits to the two peoples. Sun arrived in Guinea on Aug. 3 to take up his new post. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) A TD says mobility scooters could be made available to visitors to Emo Court and Parklands in Laois. Independent Offaly TD Carol Nolan said the Office of Public Works (OPW) has confirmed that it is open to implementing initiatives at its heritage properties including the provision of mobility scooters for persons with conditions such as Parkinsons. However, while the OPW says that it is willing to do so in collaboration with community groups and social enterprises, the groups must have the resources to oversee the implementation of such schemes with public liability cover provided for where issues of health and safety can be appropriately managed. Dep Nolan raised the matter in a parliamentary question after being contacted by constituents who highlighted the ongoing challenges that they experience in trying to access sites like Emo Court and Parklands near the Slieve Bloom mountains in Laois. My constituents raised the very reasonable point with me that when they travel to Dublin Zoo, mobility scooters are provided. Yet, when they want to visit somewhere closer to home in Offaly or in the wider midlands, they cannot enjoy the full range of experiences because their access needs are not catered for in the same way. This includes sites such as Lough Boora Discovery Park which I appreciate is not directly managed by the OPW, said Dep Nolan. READ ALSO: Laois school to celebrate milestone I am also told that while the OPW clearly recognise the benefits of such a scheme, it is not currently funded to provide such a service at its properties. That is an issue I will certainly follow-up on behalf of all my constituents who do not want their mobility issues to limit their enjoyment of and access to some of the great resources we have in Offaly and the midlands, concluded Dep Nolan. Meanwhile, the OPW stated that Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Kevin Boxer Moran, never specifically mentioned mobility scooters in his reponse to the parliamentary question. Presidential hopeful Heather Humphreys said she made a mistake in appointing a supermarket owner, with no previous experience, to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern art. Speaking on The Katie Hannon Interview Live on RTE on Monday, the Fine Gael candidate was questioned about a number of cases relating to her time as a TD and minister. Ms Hannon suggested the board appointment was because party leader Enda Kenny wanted to burnish his credentials so that he (the supermarket owner) could stand in a by-election for the Seanad cultural panel. Ms Humphreys blamed her political inexperience, saying: I was a new minister at the time and I made a mistake, and I learned from that mistake. She also said she was sorry if a bereaved mother felt that I didnt do enough for her. Lucia OFarrell has been been critical of Ms Humphreys support during her campaign for justice for her late son Shane, who was hit by a car driven by a man who should have been in jail. Ms Humphreys said: Im sorry if she felt that I didnt do enough for her, because anybody that came through my door as a TD, I always did my best, but Im glad that she has received a state apology. Ms Hannon then put a comment by Ms OFarrell to Ms Humphreys: If this is your best, its very poor. She listed a number of actions Ms OFarrell said Ms Humphreys could have, but did not take, including asking parliamentary questions about Shane, taking part in Dail debates about the case and supporting a 2018 vote for a public inquiry. Ms Humphreys said that as minister for justice she didnt want to derail that process by interfering in it. Some of the lighter moments in the interview included Ms Humphreys explaining how the demands of the campaign meant she almost forgot her 38th wedding anniversary, and which of her pets would make it to Aras an Uachtarain with her, saying that while her dog would join her, the cat might be happier at home. Later on Monday night her rival in the race for the Aras, Catherine Connolly appeared on Virgin Medias The Big Interview. The independent candidate was pressed by presenter Colette Fitzpatrick to clarify some of the episodes that have dogged her campaign. Quizzed about her decision to hire a woman who was convicted of a gun crime she said: This is a woman who served her prison sentence, was a model prisoner, was recommended highly. She added that former Fianna Fail minister Eamon O Cuiv was among those who had provided a recommendation. On accusations that her 2018 trip to Syria could have been used as propaganda by former president Bashar Assads supporters Ms Connolly said: It would be very hard to use me as propaganda or to stage manage me. She added: Im an Independent candidate, with an independent mind. Questioned about her relationship with fellow Independent TD Clare Daly, she outlined her stance on Russia saying: I have repeatedly, openly condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, utterly against international law. However, there were issues she was less forthcoming on, refusing to speculate on a number of matters including who she would appoint to the Council of State and whether US President Donald Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She also refused to specify how she would use her presidential salary, but said she would use at least some of it for different projects on the ground. The new Assisted Human Reproduction Authority (AHRRA) has been set up today following the establishment of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 legislation that was signed in in July. The AHRRA is a statutory and evidence-based regulatory agency that will aim to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of children being born through surrogacy, surrogates, and the intended parents of children born through surrogacy. The Authority was established today by Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. READ NEXT: The simple NCT trick that could save you from driving with an expired disc "Assisted human reproduction (AHR) technologies are a critical component of modern healthcare. The new regulatory structure is crucial to ensuring the health, wellbeing, and legal rights of children born through AHR or surrogacy, intending parents and donors," she said. Dr Brian Tobin is a member of the board for the AHRRA. He was speaking about the establishment of the new Authority on Newstalk this morning. He explained how the AHRRA will be responsible for approving surrogacy agreements both in Ireland and abroad. "The AHRRA for short, will not be able to approve every international surrogacy jurisdiction that people have been utilising up until now, for example jurisdictions where conflict is taking place like Ukraine will no longer be accessible," Dr Tobin said. The body will also be responsible for creating a National Surrogacy Register that will contain details of the child, surrogate, donor, and intending parents. READ NEXT: Gardai stand down search for missing 13-year-old amid significant development "This new body will be responsible for maintaining that register and that's one way that the child's rights to identity is protected," Dr Tobin added. He also said that the intending parents must be vetted to ensure they will not pose a risk to the child after it is born through surrogacy. If you are thinking about assisted reproduction or surrogacy, Dr Tobin recommends that the first port of call is a lawyer or doctor. He added that there will soon be a AHHRA website with all relavant information. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Community leaders, youth, and religious groups parade through Pleebo City streets urging residents to Say No to Drugs. A MAN who died after volunteering as a motorbike marshal at a charity event earlier in the day, has been named locally. John Sheehan, a native of Granagh, died last night (Sunday, October 12, 2025) in a fatal single-vehicle road traffic collision. The collision happened around 7pm on the R519 - the road between Kilmeedy and Dromcollogher, in a townland called Callahow. The road remained closed for a considerable period to allow for a forensic examination. The motorcyclist, who was 57-years-old, was pronounced dead at the scene and Limerick Live understands that he had volunteered his time at a charity event earlier that day. He had been helping to direct traffic and marshal for an event, run by the Rockhill-Bruree Defibrillator Association and he was known within those circles for giving up his time, almost on a weekly basis, to help out at charity events. They held a vintage run in memory of Declan Doc Doherty, with cars, tractors, commercials and bikes all welcome. More than 100 vehicles were registered and the event raised more than 3,000 for the defibrillator association. READ ALSO: 'Much more than a building': Minister for Health officially opens new 96-bed block at UHL TD Richard ODonoghue, who lives in the Granagh parish and is also a fellow motorbike enthusiast, told Limerick Live, that Mr Sheehan was well-known within the biker and vintage communities and would always give his time freely as a volunteer marshal. Deputy ODonoghue said: I was in Strand last week at a charity event and he was there as well. He recently got a crane licence and would have worked as a machinery driver for years. He lived in Dublin for a long time, but has been helping out at community events since he came back to the locality. He told Limerick Live: Ive known John for a long time and its very sad to see. I got a call late last night and Im very sorry to his family for such a loss, and to all of his friends and people within the wider community who would have known him. God rest his soul. A post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death will take place in University Hospital Limerick. Gardai continue to appeal to anyone who might have information or dash-cam footage to contact them in Henry Street garda station on 061 212400, the garda confidential line on 1800 666111, or any garda station. They are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who was travelling in the area between 6.15pm and 7.15pm on Sunday, October 12. Mr Sheehan is survived by his mother and two sisters and funeral details are, as of yet, unknown. LIMERICK City and County Council, with active participation from the Limerick School of Art and Design, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Brooklyn Fashion Incubator in New York. It will establish a collaborative relationship between the three organisations to support the development of the fashion incubator in Limerick. The agreement is intended to give Limerick and the Mid-West regions brightest fashion design talent a new space for collaboration to showcase their creations, while creating a sustainable incubator model tailored to Limericks cultural and economic needs. Priomh Chomhairleoir of Limerick Council, Cllr Catherine Slattery, said: This is a powerful move that shows how far our city and county has come. Its an agreement that can give our young people who want to pursue careers in fashion and creativity the chance to dream big. Limerick has always been a hub for talent, and now we are creating paths for that talent to shine on a global stage. READ MORE: Popular fashion accessories retailer to close its store in Limerick Director General, Limerick Council, Dr Pat Daly, added: This is a key strategic step for us in Limerick in terms of positioning us as a global player in creative industry. It aligns closely with our long-term vision for economic development through innovation, international collaboration and supporting talent. Mike Fitzpatrick, Dean, Limerick School of Art and Design/Director of Cultural Engagement, TUS, added: As an institution, LSAD has been teaching fashion students for some fifty years... We can immediately think of some of their creations that would be fantastic to house in a museum fashion collection in Limerick. The three parties have agreed to collaborate on opportunities for Limerick-based designers to engage with the Brooklyn Fashion Incubators remote programme, facilitate connections between designers, mentors and industry stakeholders across both regions and work on the joint development of training modules, workshops and mentorship programmes. The MOU shall remain in effect for four years. LIMERICK BORN, New-Jersey based roots artist Helen OShea is set to release new single Chaos, the third single from her anticipated album Songs In The Key of O. The single is set to release Friday, October 10, and the album is due to release on March 6, of next year. Helen announced the album in July with a special Jersey-girls cover of Sinead OConnors Dense Water Deep Down. From this OShea earned strong international support from Hot Press, Front View Magazine, Vents Magazine and more. READ MORE: Limerick St. Vincent de Paul fun run to support those who need it most OSheas longtime producer, and two-time Grammy winner, Marc Swersky, infuses the brand new single, Chaos, with an atmosphere of modern times, the hustle and bustle, however still evokes the feel of the 90s with a nod to the great artists of the Lilith Fair era. Helens journey to music begins with medicine and motherhood and embodies resilience and reinvention. Before entering the music world, Helen dedicated years of her life to a medical career, having attended medical school at the University College Galway. She then spent a number of years as an assistant professor in Medical Research at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Helen rediscovered her life-long passion for music years later, and quickly becoming a force in the independent music scene. After winning Best Americana Song for Sturdy Soul at the Global Music Awards, O'Shea has blended Americana and Celtic influences into her signature sound, which she calls AmeriCeltiCana. O'Shea's music and message deeply resonate with women and mothers rediscovering themselves later in life. THE Defence Forces Veteran Charity, Oglaigh Naisiunta na hEireann, (ONE) has launched its annual appeal to assist in the delivery of its plan to add new single en-suite bedrooms across Limerick. The Fuchsia Appeal aims to raise over 0.5m to deliver the Veteran Home Expansion Plan (VHEP), which will provide a six en-suite bedroom home in Limerick, and cover operational costs. The project represents almost a doubling of the charity's accommodation capacity in seven years. Since the building of its first home in 1994, ONE has helped over 1,100 homeless veterans nationwide to access emergency accommodation. The charity will formally commence the VHEP at a ceremony in late October at the site that will become Bru Ui Choileain in Cork city. Each location including Bru an tSairsealaigh in Limerick city will provide a safe environment for Defence Forces veterans with wrap-around mental health and support services. READ MORE: Just seven affordable homes built by Limerick council contractors in 2024 Limerick's Bru an tSairsealaigh, named to honour Patrick Sarsfield who was a senior commander in the Jacobite Army during the Williamite War in Ireland from 1689 to 1691, is located on Lord Edward Street. The organisation is working in partnership with Limerick City and County Council, the Housing Agency, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. The house is adjacent to Sarsfield Barracks, is currently unused and unoccupied. It was built in 1925 as the Commanding Officers House but is no longer required for that purpose. The design phase is ongoing and it is planned that the home will be ready for occupation in 2026. The chief executive officer of the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, Cormac Kirwan said: The new facilities will directly enable ONE to provide homeless veterans with a safe, secure and supportive space, warm meals, camaraderie, care and hope, for as long as it is needed. Investment in artificial intelligence is helping the U.S. economy grow. But the tools themselves arent substantially boosting the productivity of American workers in the way AI enthusiasts hope they willat least not yet. Instead, the main way that AI has boosted growth so far has been more pedestrian: through a surge in investment, and a stock-market rally that has spurred some Americans to spend more freely. Productivity is roughly defined as the amount that the average worker can produce in any given hour. AI could boost it in one of two ways. It could, in the best-case scenario, augment workers abilities so they can accomplish more in their day. Mundane and time-consuming tasks could be handled by AI, allowing humans to focus on higher-level work and reach their goals faster. It could also automate some jobs away, a not-so-great outcome for human workers, but one that would raise efficiency and productivity of the remaining workers. In theory, the displaced workers would shift into fields where their skills could be put to better use. So far, Wall Street economists have been somewhat divided on whether AI might be currently lifting productivity, and to what extent. Goldman Sachs economists recently found that productivity among workers at technology companies has improved in recent years, and think that is partially due to AI. They calculated that tech and related areas, such as scientific research, have had stronger productivity growth in the past five years relative to before the pandemic, and think that AI has partly contributed to that. View Full Image Graphic: WSJ On the other hand, in research conducted earlier this year, JPMorgan Chase economists didnt find a strong link between AI use and industry productivity. More recently, they found that outside of tech industries, there was no apparent relationship between AI use and slower employment growth. The thing about AI is it is such amazing technology, so it feels like the economic impacts should match the emotional impacts," said Yale Budget Lab executive director Martha Gimbel. And I dont think were quite there." In a recent analysis of Labor Department data, Gimbel and her colleagues found that while there is evidence that some early-career workers have been displaced by AI since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in November 2022, the effect is small. For example, if AI were having a big effect, one might expect the mix of jobs people do to change significantly, with more workers going into areas that researchers have identified as either shielded from AI, such as home health aides, or that could be augmented by AI, such as computer-systems management. The Budget Lab analysis found that in the three months ended November 2022, the share of U.S. workers who were in occupations that are highly exposed to ChatGPT was around 18.2%. In the three months ended in August of this year, that share was close to unchanged at 18.3%. This doesnt mean that AI isnt having any effect at all on productivity, but instead that it might be affecting only small segments of the U.S. workforce. The Budget Lab research finds that changes in the occupational mix for recent college graduateshow many are tax preparers versus market research analysts, and so onis changing faster than it did for their older counterparts. That could be a sign that AI is disrupting these young workers job prospects. This dovetails with a recent paper from Stanford University economists. They found that job prospects are worsening for young people in fields where generative-AI tools such as ChatGPT can most easily automate tasks done by humans. In fields such as software development, for example, AI can perform many coding tasks. Those workers represent a slim slice of overall U.S. employment, though: Only about a quarter of Americas roughly two million software developers are under 30, while total U.S. employment stands at around 163 million people. The AI spending booms effect on the economy is easier to see: Two-thirds of gross-domestic-product growth in the first half of the year came from business spending on software and information-processing equipment. The real payoff to AI could come later. In a recent Census Bureau survey, about 10% of businesses reported using AI in some way, up from about 6% a year ago, and about 5% when ChatGPT was first released. As those companies climb the AI learning curve, new efficiencies could stack up. But new technologies take time for businesses and their employees to learn how to use effectively, according to Joshua Gans, a University of Toronto economist who has written extensively on AI. The desktop computer transformed the labor market, for example, but for a while workers hunting and pecking on their keyboards didnt know how to effectively use the technology. Thats what most people are doing with AI," said Gans. They do one little thing and say, Oh, its interesting, and then it does something that annoys them, and they say, Ah, its not worth my time." Gans, who is the founder of an AI education-technology company, is optimistic about the technologys potential to boost productivity. The really big dividends, the really big stuff that comes from transformation, that just takes a while to work out how to do," he said. Write to Justin Lahart at Justin.Lahart@wsj.com Defying market uncertainties, HCL Technologies Ltd recorded its strongest second-quarter performance in July-September 2025 in five years. The Noida-headquartered company also became the first of the big five to report revenue from artificial intelligence (AI). Indias third-largest IT services company reported revenue growth of 2.8% sequentially to $3.64 billionbeating an estimate of $3.54 billion by a Bloomberg poll of 31 analysts. Its net profit also jumped 8% sequentially to $486 million in the quarter. The company became the first among Indias biggest IT outsourcing companies to report revenue from advanced AI, $100 million in Q2. Also Read | Why HCL is doubling down on Domino for public sector growth Before HCLTech, Accenture was the only large IT outsourcer to call out revenue from AI. The worlds largest IT services company got $2.7 billion in revenue from the new technology, which is roughly a fifth of HCLs total revenue last fiscal. Notably, its growth trajectory is at odds with larger peer Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, which last Friday reported subdued second-quarter earnings, even as it made its biggest pivot by committing to invest upwards of $6 billion in data centres over five-seven years. Much of HCLTech's growth in Q2 came from banks and financial institutions, which made up a fourth of the incremental revenue of $99 million. In terms of geography, much of the companys incremental revenue came from the Americas, which fetched more than half of its business. During HCLTechs post-earnings media interaction on Monday, its top executive said the macro environment was largely unchanged. Overall demand environment is more or less similar to what we saw in the last quarter," said C Vijayakumar, the companys chief executive. I think discretionary spend in certain pockets is almost becoming mandatory," he said, adding that a lot of non-essential spending was being ploughed into AI. Also Read | Top 5 IT firms feel the heatbut their richest CEO gets a raise HCLTechs AI approach through its products and IP-led platforms is similar to Accenture Plc and in contrast to TCS, which is taking a hardware route through data centres. TCS also differed in its interpretation of the demand environment. Lingering uncertainties in the broader economic environment continue to remain a key challenge," the companys chief executive and managing director, K. Krithivasan, said during the companys post-earnings press conference on 9 October. Companies are keeping a tight control over their discretionary budgets in response to economic and demand volatility," Krithivasan said. Clients are consolidating vendors to achieve transformation objectives effectively and efficiently." TCS ended the previous quarter with $7.47 billion in revenue, up 0.6% sequentially. HCLTechs guidance HCLTechs tempered outlook on the demand environment is reflected in its guidance. The company retained its revenue guidance of 3-5% in constant currency terms for the full year. Constant currency does not take currency fluctuations into account. We are raising our full-year services revenue guidance to 4-5% in constant currency from the earlier 3-5% in constant currency. Given the softness in the software segment, we are keeping the company-level guidance unchanged at 3-5% in constant currency," said Vijayakumar. At least one analyst mirrored the companys caution. Revenue growth was better than our expectation," said Amit Chandra, vice-president for HDFC Securities. The lower end of the services revenue guidance increase is good but that does not imply optimism." Restructuring and layoffs The management also threw light on the restructuring plan announced last quarter, as part of which facilities that were redundant would be shut off and employees that were not redeployable would be let go of. When you're trying to restructure, there will be some reductions, but those are all managed through the regular process that we go through," Ram Sundararajan, the companys chief people officer, said during the post-earnings call. However, the company added headcount of 3,489, ending the second quarter with 226,640 employees. This comes on the back of TCS cutting headcount by more than 19,000 in the same period. TCS announced its plans to cut 2% of its headcount, primarily in middle and higher-level roles, on 27 July. To be sure, HCLTech was the only other large IT services company apart from TCS that called out workforce reduction last quarter, and that too before the latter. During the companys post-earnings press conference in July, the management attributed workforce reductions to meet the companys operating margin aspiration of up to 19%. The company retained its operating margin guidance for the full year at 17-18%, and its profitability jumped 110 basis points to 17.4% in Q2, which the management attributed to the recovery plan outlined last quarter. The margins include a restructuring cost of 55 basis points. One basis point is a hundredth of a percentage point. No data centre plans During the post-earnings press conference, the company also dismissed plans of foraying into the data centre business like TCS did. From our perspective, we are very focused on two broad elements in AI. One is, of course, building intellectual property," said Vijayakumar, adding that companies like Open AI and tech OEMs and hyperscalers, they're really investing and enhancing the intelligence layer. Now we see a tremendous opportunity to build IP to make that intelligence layer relevant and scalable for enterprises. This is where we are investing." He added that the second element included the companys physical and agentic AI solutions. His commentary comes after TCS announced its intent to build AI data centres in the country, in a bid to make it the worlds largest AI-led technology services company. The company plans to invest upwards of $6 billion over the next five-seven years to construct and run a data centre with 1GW (gigawatt) capacity. Its management attributed this move to creating additional revenue streams from Gen AI. HCLTechs shares ended flat at 1,494.7 at the end of market hours on Monday. In contrast, the 30-share BSE Sensex index closed 0.2% lower at 82,327.05 points. The companys earnings were announced after market hours. Mumbai: The Kirloskar Group, led by siblings Atul and Rahul Kirloskar, has set itself a target of doubling the cumulative revenue across companies to $5 billion by 2030 as these firms enter newer businesses and segments. Spanning four listed companiesKirloskar Oil Engines Ltd (KOEL), Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Ltd, Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Ltd and Kirloskar Industries Ltdthe group plans to invest 5,000 crore over the coming three years in new manufacturing capacities, said Rahul Kirloskar, chairman of Kirloskar Pneumatic and Kirloskar Ferrous. The groups revenue growth has been stagnant over the past decade, largely due to a lack of new products. However, a turnaround that began about three years ago has resulted in a sharp revenue uptick across companies. Shareholder interest in the stocks has picked up, too, with stock prices surging across the four companies in 2023 and 2024. The shares have since pared some of the gains, with all four stocks losing over a quarter since the beginning of 2025. Also Read | Kirloskar feud: Sebi tells Bombay HC disclosures not binding on listed firms We have switched gears and we see a bright future ahead of us," Kirloskar said. The period of stagnation coincided with the protracted battle within the Kirloskar family, with Atul and Rahul on one side and their brother Sanjay Kirloskar, who heads the listed Kirloskar Brothers Ltd, on the other. The acrimony, stemming from the division of assets, persists. Growth path The group's revenue growth is expected to come mainly from KOEL, which reported a topline of 5,073 crore in fiscal year 2025 (FY25). The company is aiming for $2 billion in revenues (about 17,700 crore) by 2030. Led by Gauri Kirloskar, the daughter of Atul and Aarti Kirloskar, the company is in the middle of a transformation with an entry into new segments like high-horsepower engines and engines running on other fuels besides diesel. KOEL historically makes diesel engines used for power generation and in industrial applications. We went from saying we're a diesel engine manufacturer to saying we're an internal combustion engine manufacturer who can run on every fuel," said Gauri Kirloskar, the companys managing director. What we really want to position ourselves as in the next five years is that we're a global technology leader when it comes to power solutions," she said. This includes internal combustion engines, hybrid engines, and fuel cells, she said. Also Read | Kirloskar vs Kirloskar: Setback for Kirloskar Brothers in trademark case The company's biggest growth engine would be sales of backup power generators to data centresa business that it is planning to enter and scale rapidly. It will also focus on expanding its exports, which now benefit from comparable emission norms in India and key Western markets like the US and Europe. The company will also give impetus to scaling its existing but small railways and defence businesses. When the younger Kirloskar took over as KOELs managing director in 2022, she set a vision of doubling business in three years. Since then, the company has managed to scale its revenue 1.6 times, and its profit has more than doubled. Kirloskar attributes this turnaround to finding the right leadership for each of the companys businesses. We've been able to provide a platform for leaders to see a growth path within the company and have a degree of autonomy," she said. The company has a market capitalization of just under 13,000 crore compared to Kirloskar Pneumatic ( 7,600 crore), Kirloskar Ferrous ( 8,500 crore) and Kirloskar Industries ( 4,100 crore). Kirloskar Pneumatic makes a range of compressors for industrial applications, while Kirloskar Ferrous makes products from iron casting. Kirloskar Industries is a holding company. Realty foray, NBFC growth Arka Fincap Ltd, a non-bank financial company (NBFC) and a subsidiary of KOEL, is looking to pivot into retail lending by financing used vehicle purchases and offering small-ticket loans against property. The non-bank lender has a 6,000 crore loanbook split between wholesale loans to real estate companies and loans against property with an average ticket size of 1 crore. KOEL plans to spin off Arka Fincap, established in 2018, into a separately listed company by 2030, Gauri Kirloskar said. Meanwhile, the group has also started a real estate business, which will use its vacant land parcels. It has already built its first building of 150,000 square feet in the Kothrud vicinity of Puneall Kirloskar group companies have moved their headquarters to this building. It is now developing a second building in the same location with 1.5 million square feet of floor space. The project will be ready for leasing out by 2028, said Rahul Kirloskar. The intention is, over the next five years or so, to develop this business and build it up to scale." Analysts upbeat KOEL strategically restructuring its business to reinforce group values and cultivating a strong culture has helped it not only to prepare for the 2X-3Y (double business in three years) journey but also to look at the larger picture of reaching $2 billion by FY30," analysts at Antique Stock Broking noted on 8 August. Analysts at JM Financial on 7 August said that the new product launches in the high horsepower segment, push on exports, demand recovery in the domestic power generation sector and a healthy industrial segment outlook augur well for the company in the medium to long run. Analyst remains optimistic on Kirloskar Pneumatic and Kirloskar Ferrous as well. New Delhi: In a setback for Asian Paints Ltd, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the companys plea challenging an antitrust investigation launched by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) following a complaint by Grasim Industries decorative paints arm, Birla Opus. A bench of Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Bishnoi, after hearing the plea, stated that they were not inclined to entertain this, but allowed Asian Paints, India's largest paintmaker, to withdraw its petition at the companys request. The company had approached the apex court after the Bombay High Court, in September 2025, dismissed its petition and upheld the CCIs decision to investigate alleged abuse of dominance in the decorative paints segment. Asian Paints had argued that it faced repeated scrutiny whenever a new player entered the market and that the regulators actions were procedurally flawed. During the Supreme Court hearing, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi and Neeraj Kishan Kaul argued that Grasim Industries' complaint was substantially similar to a prior complaint filed by JSW Paints in 2022, which had been investigated and dismissed. They contended that the company should not face repeated investigations for essentially the same claims. The earlier complaint and this complaint are identical in their reasoning. My market reputation is at stake. Public perception is at stake. Damage is being done to me, Kaul said. Rohatgi highlighted the prolonged nature of such probes: One pain fellow will come for two years. The investigation went on for two years. It's a very detailed investigation. It's not like a suit that happens in two years. Three years. It ends. Then in the fourth year, another chap will come. Another four years will go by. After this is over, another chap will come. The court, however, clarified that the JSW Paints case did not grant perpetual immunity. This inquiry conducted on a complaint of JSW would not give you a certificate that you are fair and everything, the court said. The background The legal tussle began in mid-2025, when Birla Opus, the paints division of Aditya Birlas group, filed a complaint with the CCI alleging that Asian Paints pressured dealers not to stock Birla Opus products, offered preferential incentives to select dealers, and obstructed access to logistics and warehousing for competitors. The CCI initiated an investigation into Asian Paints on 1 July 2025. Asian Paints, in a 3 July stock exchange filing, said it was reviewing the order and would take appropriate legal recourse. Subsequently, Asian Paints approached the Bombay High Court. The company also contended that it was not given a hearing or a proper right to respond. Also Read | Asian Paints sees signs of demand revival despite dull start to FY26 The Bombay High Court rejected the companys plea, noting that preliminary inquiries under Section 26(1) of the Competition Act, 2002, are administrative and do not require a hearing. It said new facts or evidence can be investigated, and prior dismissal does not grant perpetual immunity. It further dismissed claims of procedural flaws, stating that the CCI had acted within its legal powers. In response to a query, Asian Paints said it respects the judicial process and will cooperate with the regulatory proceedings. "The appeal focused solely on the interpretation of law which came by way of amendment in 2023. In any case, the company will address the CCI investigation and appropriately respond to all queries," the paintmaker added. Asian Paints also said that it remains committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and fair competition. Asian Paints holds over 50% market share in Indias decorative paints segment, ahead of Berger Paints, Kansai Nerolac, JSW Paints, and Birla Opus. The paintmakers June-quarter profit fell by 6% to 1,099.77 crore. Also Read | Asian Paints sees green shoots in Q1, but growth concerns persist Analysts at Elara Capital, in a 6 October research note, said demand for paints remained weak due to extended monsoons and heightened competitive intensity, projecting sales growth of around 1% for Asian Paints and 2% for Berger, with volume growth in the mid-single digits. Since its launch in April 2024, Birla Opus has shaken up the paints market, and competition has heated up further after JSW Paints acquired Dutch paintmaker Akzo Nobels India business in June. China Vanke Co.s recently appointed chairman has resigned from the role, in another blow to the embattled developer facing liquidity challenges. Xin Jie, who stepped in the chairman role amid an abrupt management overhaul in January, has applied to resign from positions including the chairman, the developer said in an exchange filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange Monday. Xins resignation is due to personal reasons, according to the filing. Vanke also elected Huang Liping, deputy party chief and general manager at Shenzhen Metro, and as the chairman. Huang has served as a board member at Vanke since 2021. The surprise twist threatens to further cloud the outlook of Vanke, whose financial position is already vulnerable ahead of a wall of onshore debt maturities. Vanke has been relying on steady liquidity support from its largest state-owned shareholder, Shenzhen Metro Group Co., which Xin has led as chairman for the past eight years. Xin, 59, spent the majority of his career in state-owned firms in southern Shenzhen city. He earned a bachelor degree of engineering from a university in the industrial city of Shenyang in the 1980s, when Chinas economy was in the early stages of opening up. After working in a variety of sectors in Shenzhen ranging from foreign trade to hotels Xin in 2009 joined the citys state construction firm Shenzhen Tagen Group, where he later took on the chairman role. Xin was appointed chairman of Shenzhen Metro, the citys state-owned transit firm, since late 2017. Just before his appointment, the company became Vankes largest shareholder after a bitter ownership battle. This January, Xin took over as Vankes chairman from Yu Liang amid the firms steepening losses. Once Chinas largest developer, the company has become the latest flashpoint in the nations prolonged property crisis, underscoring the severity of the sectors challenges. Vanke reported a loss of 11.95 billion yuan in the first half, widening from a year earlier. Fitch Ratings also downgraded its long-term issuer score to CCC- in August, reflecting further weakening in China Vankes liquidity. This year, Shenzhen Metro offered multiple loans totaling about 23.9 billion yuan, according to Vankes interim report. The loans are all earmarked to help Vanke repay the principal and interest on publicly issued bonds. In September, Vanke said it would secure another loan of as much as 2.06 billion yuan from Shenzhen Metro. Vankes strong relationship with the state and asset disposals might be key in addressing its funding gap, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Daniel Fan and Hui Yen Tay wrote in a recent report. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The Dutch government has taken over control of a Chinese chipmaker, Nexperia, amid the tensions with Beijing, as tensions loom over the race for technology, intellectual property and semiconductors, reported the news agency Reuters on Monday, 13 October 2025. Also Read | China says Qualcomm admits failing to report Autotalks acquisition According to the agency report, the Dutch government announced that authorities have intervened in Nexperia, a Nijmegen-headquartered company that manufactures semiconductor chips for cars and consumer electronics, over concerns about the transfer of technology to its Chinese parent company. The semiconductor firm Nexperia is owned by a Chinese company named Wingtech Technology Co. Ltd. Shares of the Chinese parent company dropped after the Dutch government took control of the company. Wingtech Technology shares closed 10% lower at 41.83 Chinese Yuan, compared to 46.48 Chinese Yuan on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, according to the data collected from Marketwatch. View full Image Wingtech Technology shares closed 10% lower on Monday, 13 October 2025. ( AI generated ) Amsterdam has imposed the Dutch law Availability of Goods Act to take control of the company. However, the Dutch government will not take ownership of Nexperia, but the authorities will have the power to reverse or block management decisions it considers harmful, according to the agency report. Driven by geopolitical bias? Nexperia's parent company, Wingtech Technology, claimed that the Dutch government's intervention in the chipmaker is allegedly driven by geopolitical bias, according to the agency report. The company also claimed that non-Chinese Nexperia executives attempted to forcibly alter the chipmaker's equity structure through legal proceedings, describing this as a cloaked power grab within the firm. Also Read | OpenAI teams up with Broadcom for massive 10GW AI infrastructure push Wingtech is reportedly in consultation with the lawyers and asking for government support to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the company. According to the agency report, Wingtech bought Nexperia for $3.63 billion in 2018. The company also said that it complied with all relevant laws and regulations. The Dutch government cited issues around crucial technological knowledge, but they did not elaborate on the topic. Amid the uncertainty around H-1B visas, Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) K Krithivasan has opened up about the IT giant's view on the work visa, restrictions on which, introduced by US President Donald Trump, have rocked the industry. Krithivasan's comments take on particular importance, with TCS being the second-biggest beneficiary of the H-1B programme in 2025 after Amazon, with over 5,000 H-1B visas approved in 2025 alone. In an interview with Business Standard, Krithivasan addressed not just concerns regarding the work visa, but also spoke about the company's recent move to lay off 12,000 people globally. 'Not dependent on H-1B' On the back of the layoffs, US Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin had raised questions about the company hiring over 5,500 H-1B workers, which the tech CEO addressed directly in the interview. Commenting on facing questions from US Senators, Krithivasan said, "I was neither happy nor unhappy. It gave me an opportunity to articulate our positions more clearly and to address the Senators questions about the H-1B issue." Explaining that the "figure of 5,500" pertained to people amending or renewing their H-1B petitions, the TCS CEO said that fresh applications were much lower, "probably around 2,500". "We have 31,000 to 32,000 employees in the US, of whom only 11,000 to 12,000 are on H-1B visas, while the rest are on other types of visas. We have been progressively increasing local workforce participation, which will continue because the way of work has changed with new kinds of projects and AI coming into play, where you need to work closely with the customer and need different skill sets," Krithivasan was quoted as saying. "It is not just about engineering skills anymore; there is a growing demand for creative thinking and prompt engineering skills. In FY26, we sent just 500 people from India to the US on H-1B visas, which means we can survive without them (H-1B visas). There is no dependence on H-1B visas," the TCS CEO, most notably, said. "There was a time when this was a significant retention policy, but over the past four-five years, it has been on a declining trend. It is now far less of a retention policy than it once was, and we should not be assessing todays scenario through yesterdays lens," he added. 'Skill mismatch for the future' When quizzed about the mass layoffs at TCS, Krithivasan explained that only two categories of employees had been affected: those on the bench for three to six months, and those who were underperforming. "I dont believe the Tata group, while humane, would have retained employees with performance issues," the chief of the IT giant was quoted as saying. He also explained that a "skill mismatch" also contributed to some of the layoffs. "We have relieved individuals where we see a skill mismatch for the future. The company is pivoting to be future-ready and a big player in the AI ecosystem. If someone doesnt fit into the scheme of things, we need to exit them gracefully. This approach, I believe, does not conflict with our ethos," Krithivasan said. Wealth management platform Dezerv has raised 350 crore (about $40 million) in a new funding round from its existing investors, the company's top executive told Mint . The fully primary round is co-led by Premji Invest and Accels Global Growth Fund, with participation from Elevation Capital and Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India). There were no secondary exits in this round. The funding comes amid heightened venture capital interest in wealth-tech start-ups, as platforms across asset classes gain traction among Indias growing base of affluent investors. Companies including Stable Money, Neo Wealth Management, and Centricity, among others, have raised considerable amount of VC money over the past year. Dezerv co-founder Sandeep Jethwani said the company plans to deploy the fresh capital to enhance client experience, deepen its technology stack and expand its investment offerings across asset classes. Tech upgrade To deepen its technology stack, the company plans to lean heavily into Indias account aggregator (AA) ecosystem to better customize solutions, expanding the 'One Model' platform to incorporate new asset classes, and providing a stronger user experience (UX). Jethwani said the company is focusing on deepening asset classes such as infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) and real estate investment trusts (ReITs), and the precious metals category of gold and silver in its multi-asset solutions. From the fresh funds, Dezerv also plans to onboard 200 more relationship managers over the next 12 months. It currently has about 170 of them. These initiatives, the company said, will accelerate its transition into a full-stack wealth manager to cater to entire families financial needs. The platform serves clients in over 200 cities through offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. Now, the company is primarily focused on going "much deeper in the existing 200 cities", targeting the large, underserved affluent category in tier-2 India. The focus is on cities including Baroda, Nagpur, Mysore, Coimbatore, Lucknow, Kanpur and Jaipur, where wealth creation is driven by SMBs and independent professionals like doctors", the co-founder said. Dezerv currently serves these markets digitally from its offices in tier-1 cities but said it is open to adding two or more cities. Founded in 2021 by Jethwani, Sahil Contractor and Vaibhav Porwal, Dezerv's revenue in FY24 was 26.3 cr ($3.18 million) and it reported a net loss of 74.5 cr in the same fiscal year. The company is yet to report its FY25 financials. Also Read | Z47 sees a strong investment pipeline in wealth-tech and fintech AI models Jethwani said his firm is focused on investments for growth "because the government is doing a lot of heavy lifting through the digital public infrastructure, it's incumbent on us to complement those technology spends." The start-up's last funding round in July 2024 was a $32 million Series B led by Premji Invest at a valuation of around $207 million, which took its total capital raised to $100 million (over 850 crore). The company did not disclose the valuation in the new round, though the co-founder noted there has been a markup. Last week, Mint had reported that Z47, which has backed companies like Dezerv and Stable Money, is increasing its exposure to the wealth-tech segment and fintechs with a strong AI play. It is currently deploying capital from its fourth fund that closed at $550 million in 2023, with reserves to double down on existing portfolio companies, managing director Vikram Vaidyanathan said last week. The Supreme Court on Monday again deferred hearing Vodafone Idea Ltds plea seeking a waiver on its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to the government. The matter will now be taken up by the court when it reopens after Diwali. The court will remain closed on account of Diwali from 20-25 October. The matter pertains to Vodafone Idea filing a petition last month challenging the Department of Telecommunicationss (DoT) demand for an additional 9,450 crore towards AGR dues. Indias third-largest telecom operator has also sought waiver of interest and penalties on its dues, arguing that the disputed components of the dues have not yet been finalised. The case was deferred for hearing after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, sought additional time. In response, Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai asked Mehta to come up with a specific stand and deferred the hearing of the case for a fourth time. At 12.50pm, Vodafone Idea shares were down 2.88% at 8.78 each on NSE, while the Nifty 50 was down 0.41%. Also Read | Vodafone lenders worried about the fate of loans The Supreme Court had in 2020 locked Vodafone Ideas AGR dues till 2016-17 based on DoTs calculations, adding that no self-assessment or re-assessment of the dues would be permitted. However, DoT has now sought additional payments for up to 2018-19, Vodafone Idea stated in its petition filed on 8 September. Of the fresh 9,450-crore dues sought, the additional demand raised by DoT from Idea Group and Vodafone Idea (post-merger in August 2018) was 2,774 crore, while the demand against Vodafone Group (pre-merger) was 6,675 crore, according to the petition. The department informed the telecom operator that the licence fee dues were calculated with interest and interest on penalty up to October 2019, and were updated up to 31 March 2025, with interest calculated at an annual rate of 8%. No default, no penalty On 19 September, the Supreme Court deferred the hearing to 26 September, but the government sought more time. The case was then deferred to 6 October and 13 October thereafter. During the 19 September hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that since the government now holds a significant equity stake in Vodafone Idea, a balanced solution that protects consumer interests was needed. Vodafone Idea, however, had argued in its amended petition filed on 18 September that the Supreme Court had in 2020 only directed inclusion of the disputed heads for the computation of AGR. Hence, till date, it cannot be said that there was any default in payment requiring imposition of penalty. Later, the company filed an amended petition with the Supreme Court seeking a waiver of penalties and interest on AGR dues, arguing that the disputed components of the dues have yet to be finalised. According to the amended petition, both DoT and the telecom operator agree that the amounts need to be reconciled, corrected, and finalised. Till the principal amount payable is not crystallized and finalized, it cannot be said that the petitioner is in default requiring payment of penalty, Vodafone Idea said in the petition. Also Read | Airtel plays wait and watch on AGR dues even as rival Vi moves SC Threat of survival Vodafone Idea already owes around 83,400 crore in AGR dues to the government, with annual payments of 18,000 crore starting March. Including penalties and interest, its total liabilities to the government are estimated at around 2 trillion. Vodafone Idea has previously said that its cash flows were insufficient to pay the dues that have mounted over the years. Vodafone Ideas former chief executive Akshaya Moondra said in August that early resolution of the AGR dispute was critical for the telecom operator to secure bank funding. The telecom operator has asked the Supreme Court to quash DoTs additional demands for FY17 and earlier, and order a comprehensive reassessment and reconciliation of all AGR dues for that period. It has warned that the hefty liability threatened its survival and the livelihood of thousands of employees working directly or indirectly with the company. Vodafone Idea serves about 198 million subscribers and employs more than 18,000 people. Also Read | Why a change at the helm will not be the panacea for Vis ills The central government is set to launch a National Critical Mineral Stockpile (NCMS) programme, which aims to ensure the availibity of rare earth elements in India, reported the news portal Economic Times, citing officials aware of the development on Monday, 13 October 2025. According to the news portal's report, the government also aims to focus on involving the nation's private sector in the expansion of the domestic production of rare earth minerals in India. We are looking to create a two-month stockpile of rare earth elements under the programme, with a focus on private player participation, a senior government official told the news portal. The initial focus is on rare earth elements. India's move to launch a programme to boost the domestic production of rare earth magnets comes after China's decision to impose restrictions on the export of these elements. Why are these rare earth elements important? These rare earth elements are essential for the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines and other green energy technology developments. China's restrictions on the same have created a global supply chain disruption in the market. The official also told the news portal that the scope for the stockpile programme is to later expand and include other critical minerals in its arsenal. Also Read | Trump threatens new tariffs on China amid Beijing's rare earth move The scope will later expand to include other critical minerals, the official said. According to the US Geological Survey's 2025 report on rare earth minerals, elements such as Lanthanum, Promethium, Cerium, Europium, Dysprosium, and Gadolinium are among a total of 17 minerals that have high-tech applications due to their unique magnetic and electrical properties. Unique magnetic and electrical properties of some rare earth minerals. How does this help India? According to the ET report, the programme will help the central government's efforts to boost the production of rare earth magnets. A ministry panel had approved a 7,300 crore incentive scheme to promote the production of rare earth magnets, with a target of 6,000 tonnes over the next five years. The government has reportedly pledged 500 crore to guard against supply disruptions and ensure mineral availability for domestic use. This comes amid US President Donald Trump's threat to impose 100% tariffs on China if it continues to restrict the export of rare earth minerals. Experts told the news portal that while maintaining a stockpile is crucial to the NCMMs success, India's technological capacity to extract rare earths from domestic reserves remains a key challenge, as most supplies are currently imported into the nation. New Delhi: With the 2025 fall deadline for the India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) approaching, the two sides have intensified activity to bridge differences on a bunch of issues. Commerce secretary Rajesh Agarwal is likely to lead a high-level delegation to Washington this week, just ahead of Diwali, to work through the gaps in the proposed pact, a senior government official said. New Delhi's purchase of oil from Russia has been a key sticking point for the US. The official was, however, non-committal on whether the Russian oil issue would be taken up at the upcoming meeting. The issue is not being handled by the commerce ministry, the official said. In the visit to Washington DC, Agarwal, who took charge on 1 October after serving as Indias chief trade negotiator, will be joined by Darpan Jain, joint secretary in the commerce ministry and B.M. Mishra, director in the same department, among others. The US has set a strong condition for India to halt its oil purchases from Russia, alleging the move supports Moscow's war against Ukraine. Washington also seeks to sell more energy to India under the proposed trade deal. Also Read | America wants India to unlock its tightly guarded e-commerce door In a punishing move, the Donald Trump administration imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports from 27 August as a penalty for the country's Russian oil purchases, raising the total tariff to 50%, the highest among all its trading partners, barring Brazil. A second person familiar with the development said New Delhi is seeking to buy more natural gas from the US as part of the ongoing trade talks. In a submission before the US's Supreme Court, the Trump administration has cited Indias case to justify the imposition of tariffs as a means to penalize countries that continue trading with nations accused of fueling war. A section of trade experts expects India to taper its Russian oil buys. Ajay Srivastava, co-founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said, "India may eventually have to halt its imports of Russian oil unless the US court decides to strike down the current levy." The purchases are not that attractive any more too. "The earlier price discounts offered on Russian crude to India are no longer available, and with the narrowing price advantage, Indias purchases of Russian oil may soon taper off," Srivastava said. At the upcoming meeting in Washington, the two sides will look to flesh out what officials describe as a mutually beneficial" deal, said the two people familiar with the matter who have been cited above. The deal is about balancing the interests of both sides, with each trying to push its own priorities, said the senior official cited above, without divulging any other critical issues apart from the red lines drawn by India on opening market access for American farm and dairy products. The talks have progressed positively in recent weeks, with both governments showing readiness to bridge differences and finalize the agreement. There is strong political will on both sides to close the negotiations soon. The discussions have been moving in a constructive direction," the official added. The upcoming visit follows a meeting between the US ambassador Sergio Gor and commerce secretary Rajesh Agarwal in New Delhi on Sunday, where the two reviewed bilateral economic ties and Indias investment commitments in the US amid Washingtons push to expand domestic manufacturing under the Make in America initiative. Also Read | Govt tightens norms for hazardous chemicals, paint ingredients A day earlier, Gor held separate meetings with prime minister Narendra Modi, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, national security adviser Ajit Doval and foreign secretary Vikram Misri. Gor has not yet met commerce minister Piyush Goyal. According to the second person cited above, the points of contention relate to tariff adjustments on certain industrial goods, agricultural access, and the treatment of digital trade and data flow provisions. Queries sent to the commerce ministry remained unanswered till press time. The Indian delegations visit to Washington is expected to focus on paving the way for an agreement before the end of November, the fall 2025 deadline highlighted in the joint statement issued by the two countries on 13 February, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Washington. The two sides have held five rounds of face-to-face talks so far. It is not yet clear whether this will be treated as the resumption of the sixth round of talks, which was put on hold after the US negotiating team cancelled its visit scheduled for 25 August. Talks on the India-US BTA resumed on 16 September, after a month-long pause over Indias red lines on agriculture, dairy, and genetically-modified crops. As reported by Mint on 13 October, US trade negotiators also want India to allow online marketplacessuch as Amazon India and Walmart-owned Flipkartto stock and sell their own goods, seeking a policy change that could reshape India's online retailing. Indias exports to the US rose 18% to $40.35 billion during April-August, while imports grew 8.5% to $21.61 billion. This took the total bilateral trade to $61.96 billion during the five-month period, up 14.5% from $54.12 billion a year ago. India must approach these negotiations with caution and clarity," said Srivastava. With China, the US has shown that trade deals can be rewritten overnight. The so-called Phase One deal was followed by fresh 100% tariffs within months. India should learn from that experience and insist on genuine reciprocity and long-term predictability." He, however added that strengthening domestic capacity in technology, minerals and manufacturing will give India "the resilience and leverage to manage any future trade shocks". Tamil Nadu state minister for industries, TRB Rajaa, has hailed the state's largest ever number of engineering jobs, after electronics manufacturer Foxconn signed a 15,000 crore deal. In a celebratory post, Rajaa hailed the state's commitment to create jobs, and announced that Foxconn has signed a 15,000 crore investment deal, which will also create 14,000 high value jobs for engineers in Tamil Nadu. Foxconn-Tamil Nadu investment deal: What do we know? According to Rajaa, Foxconn will commit 15,000 crore in investments in Tamil Nadu, and create 14,000 high value jobs. 15,000 crore in investments in Tamil Nadu, and create 14,000 high value jobs. Foxconn will bring its next phase of value-added manufacturing, R&D integration and AI-led advanced tech operations to Tamil Nadu, the minister said. He also hinted that the jobs could be majorly in the engineering space, giving a special call-out for engineers to get ready. He added that Tamil Nadus investment promotion agency @Guidance_TN will be the first in India to have a dedicated Foxconn Desk. The desk is expected to guide those interested in the opportunities. The first-ever Foxconn Desk in India will ensure seamless facilitation and mission-mode execution, he added. According to Rajaa, this deal is a major boost for Tamil Nadu's electronics and advanced manufacturing sector and it sets the stage for the Dravidian Model 2.0. Rajaa credited Chief Minister MK Stalin for meeting with Foxconns India Representative Robert Wu, to reaffirm their deep trust in Tamil Nadu with substantial investment commitments. Tamil Nadu signs MoU with Japan's Nissan On October 8, Rajaa also announced that the state has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan's Nissan to employ 100 youth, ANI reported. Rajaa added that the state is actively working to connect talent with global opportunities. In just two days, 5,550 meetings were conducted through the AIRDEFCON platform, he said. On industrial goals, Rajaa said Tamil Nadu is ambitions in the electric mobility sector and aims to take a leading role in EV manufacturing. Discussions have been held with companies from Germany, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, potentially paving the way for several new industries to set up operations in the state, he added. Mumbai, Oct 13 (PTI) Actor Eric McCormack, best known for his roles in TV series Will & Grace, and Perception, says he feels deeply humbled by all the love he has received from his fans in India, a country with which he shares a personal bond. The Canadian-American actor played Will Truman, a corporate lawyer, in the sitcom Will & Grace and was seen as Dr. Daniel Pierce, a neuropsychiatrist with schizophrenia who assists the FBI on some of its most complex cases, in the crime drama Perception. McCormack now stars in Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, currently streaming BBC One and iPlayer. When asked about the love he garners from fans in India, he said actors don't always realise the global impact they create. First of all, I'm dating an Indian woman right now, and so I'm loving India all that much more, and it is my favourite food always. But the amazing thing is, particularly in the States, you make an American show for an American audience and you sometimes don't even realize the impact that it has in the bigger picture, McCormack told PTI in a virtual interview. When I hear that something like Will & Grace, which is so specifically New York and gay and has a very American sensibility, has such popularity in a country as vast and historic as India, I get very moved. It's very humbling, he said. McCormack said "Perception" did not do well in the US but it has travelled better in other markets. "I'm just grateful to everybody that found it. It makes me really happy to know that I'm entertaining people in regions I may never be in. It's pretty awesome, he added. His new show Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue is a survival drama. A light aircraft carrying 10 people crashes in the Mexican jungle and nine of them survive. But when, one after another, they begin to die in strange and violent ways, they begin to realise that somebody wants them dead. As the story unfolds in flashback, the survivors are seen fighting against the heat, shortage of supplies, and the many dangers of the jungle, as per the official logline. McCormack said he was instantly drawn to the show and its setting and relished the opportunity to work alongside a diverse ensemble cast including David Ajala, Lydia Wilson, Jan Le, Adam Long, Siobhan McSweeney, Peter Gadiot, and Olafur Dario Olafsson. "We were shooting in the Canary Islands, so you don't say no to that. It has a group of actors that were, I was the only one from North America, it was mostly UK, Irish, some Spanish actors, a few Mexican actors, so it was a real chance to work with a whole other group of thespians. "I just loved the storytelling of it, the lost in the jungle aspect of it, the survivalist aspect of it, I like anything that involves a growing desperation. The show features the actor in the role of a former doctor and medical equipment salesman, Kevin Anderson, who is a loner. WARSAWFor more than a decade, Poland has prepared for the worst-case scenario: becoming the front line in a war between Russia and the West. With an eye on growing Russian aggression in Europe, Warsaws military planners built out the countrys armed forces, turning it last year into the largest European military in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It ramped up military spending to 4.7% of gross domestic product this yearthe highest in the alliance. A multibillion-dollar spending spree has put Poland among the biggest buyers of U.S. weapons. The growth of the Polish military has reached a zenith just as Russian President Vladimir Putin escalates his standoff with the West. Last month, Polish airspace was violated by some 20 Russian drones, equipped with additional fuel tanks to help them fly farther. The incursion, followed by other UAV sightings across Europe, triggered the first confrontation between NATO jet fighters and Russian drones over alliance territorya step Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said had brought the country closest to open conflict since World War II. Putin has dismissed the drone incident and says European governments and NATO accuse it of provocations on a nearly daily basis. Russias 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and recent steps to test the alliance have highlighted Polands long-ignored warning that Russia, under Putin, wants to resurrect its traditional sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. Poland suffered under Russian occupation for centuries. Every schoolchild learns how larger European empires, including Russia, divided up the country among themselves in the 18th and 19th centuries, temporarily erasing it from the map. In WWII, the U.K. and France failed to prevent the countrys invasion by the Nazis, despite mutual defense treaties. When the Soviets followed with their own invasion, it led to half a century under Moscows heel. Russias moves against Ukraine and now Europe make Polish policymakers nervous that they again are in the firing lineand this time Poland wants to be ready. This is our war," Tusk said at the Warsaw Security Forum in September. We decided to arm Poland and modernize the Polish army on a massive scale." Polands military spending has endeared it to both its neighbors on NATOs eastern flank and to President Trump, who wants to see Europe take care of more of its own security needs. In a meeting with new Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Trump extended his backing to Poland in a way he has offered few other European countries. We are with Poland all the way and we will help Poland protect itself," he said. In a trip to the Polish capital earlier this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Warsaw is a model ally." Russia is ambiguous about its intentions toward NATO. Late last year, Russias Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said Moscows military must be ready for a conflict with the alliance. At the same defense ministry meeting, Putin poured cold water on the idea and said the West was scaring its own population with fears that Russia was ready to attack. Earlier this month, he said the idea of Russia attacking NATO was nonsense and that Europe should deal with its own problems of migration and violence before picking a fight with Russia. The Kremlin, though, has asked Trump to withdraw NATO troops and weapons from Central and Eastern Europe back to where they stood before the blocs eastward expansion began in 1999. It made a similar demand of former President Joe Biden before the invasion of Ukraine, Western intelligence officials say. Russias strategy is to resurrect the Soviet Union," said Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. And that would put Poland in the crosshairs. The country resolved to prepare itself for the possibility of a new conflict after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and launched a proxy war for control of the Donbas region. While much of Europe was left hoping that would be the end of Russian aggression on the continent, Polish war planners spent a year analyzing the worst-case scenarios before they set out a series of reforms to expand the military, rapidly increasing the number of troops and boosting their tool kit. Other European countries were waiting for someone else to make the first move," said Tomasz Szatkowski, a former Polish undersecretary of defense, who oversaw the strategic defense review that started its military reforms. In the end, we were further ahead, not just of the rest of the eastern flank, but ahead of most countries in European NATO." Poland now has more than 210,000 military personnel, behind only the U.S. and Turkey in NATO. The first unit created after the reforms in 2018 was the 18th Mechanized Division, which is kept in a state of heightened readiness. Two more similar units are in the process of being formed. It has also created its territorial defense forces with tens of thousands of troops. Training is a priority. Last month, 30,000 troops, including from the 18th Division and U.S. and Dutch forces, embarked on a monthlong series of wargames, named Iron Defender, which gave Polish troops a chance to train on their arsenal of old and new weapons. Those included U.S. Abrams tanks, South Korean multiple rocket launchers and a Polish variant of the U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, which Ukraine has used against Russia. Polands forces are increasingly well-equipped. Much of the equipment Poland has bought in the past few years is starting to roll in, and there is more to come. The country has bought some $50 billion worth of U.S. weapons, making it the top buyer of U.S. weapons in 2023-2024. Poland plans to boost military spending next year to 4.8%, Kosiniak-Kamysz said recently. Today, the country finds itself a cornerstone in NATOs planning for a conflict with Russia, and a crucial partner for the smaller Baltic countries of the alliances eastern flank, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Geography plays an important role. Poland shares not only a border with the Russian exclave Kaliningrad, but also Belarus, a close Moscow ally now enmeshed in Russias defense infrastructure. Russia considers Belarus airspace its own, and its railroads can quickly transport Russian troops to the Polish border. Russia has deployed nuclear-capable tactical missiles in Belarus. In a crisis, the defense of the Baltics will rely on the ability of the Polish armed forces, reinforced by the U.S., to tackle Kaliningrad and Belarus," said Szatkowski, also a former Polish ambassador to NATO. Importantly, Poland has had to sharpen its logistical capabilities over its vast territory to allow for the huge influx of NATO troops that would likely deploy there in case of a conflict. There are planned upgrades to some of its civilian airports to allow them to transport soldiers. In the case of war, Poland will be a very busy country because the military will mobilize, the economy will mobilize, but we would also have to prepare for NATO coming toand throughPoland," said Operational Commander of the Armed Forces Lt Gen. Maciej Klisz. The task of building out Polands military has left it footing a massive bill. And while the countrys GDP growth for the next few years, expected around 3%, is higher than other European peers, the fiscal demands of maintaining the advanced weapons systems could outstrip Polands defense budget. It is a measure of how seriously Poland and its neighbors see the Russian threat that Poland and Germany are now discussing the possibility of Berlin covering some of the cost as compensation for the damage it caused during WWII. The German side hopes it would put an end to Polish demands for reparations, while placing the two countries on a similar defense footing. For Germans, reparations are a toxic issue," said Janusz Reiter, Polands former ambassador to Germany and the U.S., unlike the responsibility for securing the eastern flank via Poland." Write to Thomas Grove at thomas.grove@wsj.com JERUSALEM/CAIRO/DOHA (Reuters) -Hamas freed the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages on Monday under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, a big step towards ending two years of shattering war in Gaza as President Donald Trump proclaimed the "historic dawn of a new Middle East". The Israeli military said it had received all hostages confirmed to be alive after their transfer from Gaza by the Red Cross, prompting cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv. Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed by Israel as part of the accord arrived in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, their heads shaved and some looking very thin. "The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace," Trump was due to tell the Knesset (Israeli parliament) in a speech before flying on to Egypt for a summit aimed at building conditions for an enduring peace in Gaza. However, formidable obstacles remain even to a resolution of the Gaza conflagration, let alone to the wider, generations-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict or other long-standing schisms running through the Middle East. The release of hostages and Palestinian detainees was a pivotal aspect of the first phase of the Gaza accord concluded last week in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where Monday's summit will take place. Over 20 world leaders will weigh next steps under Trump's 20-point blueprint for peace two years after the October 7, 2023 cross-border Hamas assault that killed 1,200 people with 251 taken hostage, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Israeli air strikes, bombardments and armoured ground offensives have since devastated Gaza, killing more than 67,000 Palestinians, the enclave's health officials say, and laying waste to much of the enclave, causing a humanitarian disaster. 'I HAVE RETURNED, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL LIVE,' SAYS FREED HOSTAGE Initial photographs of six of the freed Israeli hostages distributed by the Israeli military showed them standing, some smiling and talking with soldiers who were receiving them. As he flew from Gaza on an Israeli helicopter, released hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal wrote on a whiteboard: "I have returned - the people of Israel live", according to a photograph shown on Israeli television. "I am so excited. I am full of happiness. It's hard to imagine how I feel this moment. I didn't sleep all night," said Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, as she travelled to Reim, an Israeli military camp where the hostages were being transferred. In Gaza, about a dozen masked and black-clad gunmen, apparently members of Hamas' armed wing, arrived at Nasser Hospital where a stage and chairs had been laid out to welcome returning Palestinian prisoners. "I hope that these images can be the end to this war. We lost friends and relatives, we lost our houses and our city," said Emad Abu Joudat, 57, a Palestinian father of six from Gaza City as he watched the handover preparations on his phone. LIKELY PITFALLS AHEAD The Trump administration mediated the agreement along with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, with the next phase calling for an international body - a "Board of Peace" - led by Trump. However, much could still go wrong: Further steps over which previous truce efforts stumbled have yet to be agreed. Those include how the densely populated coastal territory will be governed once fighting ends, and the ultimate fate of Hamas. Hamas' appearance on Monday with fighters gathered at Nasser Hospital underscored the likely difficulty of assuaging Israeli concerns about the Islamist militant group's continued hold over Gaza, where it has ruled since 2007. Hamas gunmen killed 32 members of what it called a "gang" in Gaza City during a security crackdown launched after Israeli forces pulled back under the ceasefire, a Palestinian security source said on Monday. As he entered the Knesset, Trump said Hamas would comply with a provision under his plan for it to disarm, although the group has ruled this out before Palestinians achieve statehood. Further sticking points may include Israel's own continued withdrawal from the Gaza Strip beyond the lines to which it pulled back in recent days, and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state, an outcome rejected by many Israelis. Trump is only the fourth U.S. president to address the Knesset, following Jimmy Carter in 1979, Bill Clinton in 1994 and George W. Bush in 2008 and was greeted with a nearly unanimous standing ovation. Knesset speaker Amir Ohana said Israel would nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. SEA OF RUBBLE Bodies of some of the 26 confirmed dead hostages, and another two whose fate was unknown, will also be released on Monday. A committee has been established to locate some bodies likely lost in the wreckage and disorder of Gaza. Dozens of buses carrying some of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees being freed from Israeli prisons as part of the deal arrived in Gaza. Most were detainees taken by Israeli forces during the war in Gaza but the group included 250 prisoners convicted of involvement in deadly attacks or held under suspicion of such security offences. Two years of war have reduced Gaza to a sea of rubble, with nearly all its 2.2 million people homeless. It has also reshaped the Middle East through spillover Israeli conflicts with Iran, Lebanon's Tehran-backed Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. At the Philadelphia shipyard in August, executives from its Korean parent company stood with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for a ceremony announcing $5 billion in investments and orders for 12 new ships. Lee promised to help build a skilled workforce in the U.S., saying the shipbuilding industry would represent growth, opportunity, dreams and hope" for young Americans. That dream is a long way off. The two biggest ships on ordera pair of liquefied natural gas carrierswill be made almost entirely in South Korea, according to the shipyards owner, Hanwha Group. The American yard doesnt yet have the shipbuilding capabilities to make vessels that large and complex. Efforts over the past decade to build simpler LNG carriers in the U.S. have run into delays and cost overruns. Building oceangoing vessels in the U.S. now costs four or five times more than building them in China or South Korea. President Trump has been pushing to bring commercial shipbuilding back to the U.S., citing national-security concerns. He reached a deal with South Korea in August to invest billions of dollars in U.S. shipbuilding as part of a broader trade deal. Trump has said that the U.S. shipbuilding abilities and maritime workforce have been weakened by decades of Government neglect." As part of his effort to revive the domestic maritime industry, the U.S. this month plans to implement new port fees on Chinese ships calling at American ports. American shipyards employed more than a million people during World War II, but in the decades that followed, U.S. shipbuilding slowed to a trickle. Today, the few remaining major shipyards mostly build or repair vessels for the U.S. Navy. Those that do produce new commercial ships mostly make small vessels for U.S. companies operating on domestic routes. American shipyards get that business thanks to a 1920 law called the Jones Act, which mandates that ships moving goods between U.S. ports must be American-built, -owned, -insured and -operated. Pure capital injections, even to the tune of billions of dollars, wont be sufficient to provide the impetus for a sustainable renaissance in the U.S. shipbuilding industry," said Basil Karatzas, chief executive of Karatzas Marine Advisors, a maritime consulting firm. It would also require a robust steel industry, a highly trained workforce and advanced engineering and design capabilities, he said. Hanwhas two new LNG carriers will be constructed at the companys shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. The Philadelphia yard, which Hanwha bought last year for $100 million, will ensure that the ships meet U.S. laws and marine-safety standards, Hanwha officials said. The ships will be U.S.-flagged and will be used to move natural gas to Asia and Europe. Over time, as technology and skills transfer to the U.S. from South Korea, the Philly Shipyard will manage a greater share of the building for Hanwhas ships, said Hanwha Shipping Chief Executive Ryan Lynch in an interview. Hanwha says the Philadelphia shipyard will ensure that new natural-gas vessels meet U.S. laws and standards. Hanwha has ordered 10 tankerssmaller vessels designed to move goods between U.S. ports. Hanwha has said they would be built in Philadelphia. Their price tag will be steep. The cost of a tanker built in Philadelphia can exceed $220 million, compared with about $47 million for a tanker built in China or South Korea, according to shipyard executives and shipowners. Hanwha hasnt secured customers for the new tankers, Lynch said. For now, the company plans to add them to its own fleet. Americas commercial shipping fleet includes about 150 vehicle carriers, oil tankers and containerships. Much of that Jones Act fleet is old and must be replaced, said Matt McCleery, president of the ship-financing firm Marine Money. That could provide an opportunity for Hanwha to find clients for its new tankers, he said. Lynch said Hanwha could also help address another obstacle to expanding Americas commercial shipping fleet: a shortage of merchant mariners. Hanwha is looking to staff its two new natural-gas carriers with specially trained U.S. mariners, he said. Write to Costas Paris at costas.paris@wsj.com Earlier this year, after President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% in April, American customers of Alan Chaus toy factory in southern China abruptly froze orders, sparking a cash crunch ttohat brought his business to the brink. So it came as a relief when the U.S. and China reached a trade truce weeks later in mid-May, rolling back most of their tariffs on one anotherand allowing Chau to resume shipping his products again. Now, less than six months later, prohibitively high tariffs could be the reality again for Chau and tens of thousands of other factory owners that make China a global manufacturing powerhouse. Trump said Friday that he would impose a 100% additional tariff on all Chinese goods, effective Nov. 1. That is literally an embargo," said Chau. Who is going to do business with China?" After months of trade talks in which U.S. officials expressed cautious optimism about a breakthrough, the White House was caught off guard when Beijing in recent days unleashed a barrage of measures, showing off an array of tools in its trade-war arsenal, including tightened export restrictions on rare-earth materials that could hurt U.S. industries and an antitrust probe targeting American chip company Qualcomm. On Sunday, Beijing blamed Washington for having first introduced new restrictions against China after the latest round of trade talks in September. Frequently threatening high tariffs is not the right approach to engaging with China," Beijings Commerce Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said its new rare-earth restrictions would have only a limited impact on global supply chains, and that relevant countries had been informed ahead of the Thursday announcement. It also said the new rules werent an export ban but rather a set of requirements for export licenses. So far this year, strong exports have helped Chinas economy defy expectations of a deeper slump, as manufacturers made up for higher hurdles on trade with the U.S. by increasing shipments to the rest of the world. For the first eight months of the year, Chinas exports to the U.S. fell more than 15% from the same period a year ago, while overall exports grew 5.9%, according to Chinese customs data. But export growth slowed in August and governments around the world have complained about cheap Chinese goods flooding their markets. Meanwhile, momentum in other parts of Chinas economy, such as consumer spending and investments, has softened in recent months. Beijing has launched a campaign to rein in production and head off spiraling price wars, weighing on near-term economic growth. The strength of Chinas overall exports despite U.S. tariff barriers may have emboldened Xi to take the risk of an escalation in the trade war with the U.S.," said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University and a former International Monetary Fund official. This approach could backfire given Chinas persistently weak domestic consumption demand as well as rising concerns in other countries about being swamped by Chinese exports," he added. Tariffs on Chinese goods are paid for by U.S. importers but can hurt Chinas factories by raising the cost of made-in-China products for Americans. That in turn can prompt U.S. buyers to shift purchases outside of China and cause Chinese manufacturers to lose business. If the trade standoff worsens significantly, it could endanger Chinas prospects of hitting its official target of around 5% growth in gross domestic product this year. Officials dont appear to be worried yet, offering little sign that the government is preparing to launch more forceful stimulus measures. Chau, whose toy manufacturing company is called GSNMC, said his customers were shocked by the latest turn and monitoring developments to see if production will need to be paused. He has one order of Christmas-themed toys already on its way to the U.S., which should arrive before the new tariff rate is set to take effect, but other contracts in the works are now at risk. A worker produces Christmas decorations for export at a factory in Zhejiang province, China. Losing future orders would be devastating to Chaus business, which has already seen revenue shrink by about half this year compared with last year, even after tariffs for Chinese toys were lowered to roughly 30%. He may end up moving some manufacturing to Southeast Asia so his customers can avoid the higher tariffs on Chinese goods, something he had explored earlier this year but gave up on after the tariff truce made exporting from China feasible again. Adam Dai, founder of fireworks exporter Miracle Fireworks, based in the central Chinese province of Hunan, said a few American customers have already reached out and asked that their shipments be held. They are waiting several days to assess the situation before deciding how to proceed, he added. If the additional tariff takes effect, Dai expects his business to be affected much like it was in April. The U.S. relies on China for its fireworks, with some 99% of its imported consumer supplies and 75% of its fireworks for shows coming from China, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association and the National Fireworks Association. After many manufacturers grappled with the earlier round of high tariffs, a local fireworks-industry association has encouraged exporters to consider diversifying beyond the U.S. market, Dai said. But such shifts havent come easy. I am sure all the customers will hold off the shipment. Then there will be no shipment from China to the U.S.," Dai said. If this policy lasts long, then we will have to stop production and wait." Others arent counting on the 100% tariffs to last longif they get enacted at all. Some analysts believe the U.S. and China could de-escalate tensions before the punitive measures go into effect. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were planning to meet at a regional gathering of leaders in South Korea at the end of the month. U.S.-China tensions are rising, but Trumps threat of a 100% tariff is an empty gesture that is unenforceable," said Dan Wang, a director on the China team at the political risk consulting firm Eurasia Group, pointing to how tariffs were rolled back earlier this year amid market volatility and concerns from U.S. companies. Judging by Trumps track record, he wants a deal in which China will pay rent to enter the U.S. market, not prohibitively high tariffs on China that cause full decoupling." Jeffy Ma, who runs a hat manufacturer in Guangzhou called Ace Headwear, is monitoring the situation and waiting to hear whether his customers will put orders bound for the U.S. on hold for now. His revenue hasnt decreased this year despite the tariff hit. One client transferred some orders for the U.S. to other countries with lower tariff rates. But Ace Headwear offset the lost business with new customers from Europe, South Korea and elsewhere. Earlier this year, Mas company lowered prices by around 4% to offer some tariff relief to his customers, which include Fila, but couldnt reduce prices any more because of already razor-thin profit margins. Ma, for one, believes the 100% tariff is a negotiating tactic and will be rolled back by November. Both sides are increasing their bargaining chips," he said. Such high tariffs cannot continue to exist." Write to Hannah Miao at hannah.miao@wsj.com and Yoko Kubota at yoko.kubota@wsj.com A piece of US legislation from 2024 that aimed to curb American companies ties to certain Chinese biotechs has made a comeback and Indian contract drug manufacturers are primed to benefit from it. The Biosecure Act, a bill that was blocked from becoming law in 2024, was reintroduced as an amendment in a key defence spending bill that the US Senate approved on Friday, 10 October. Shares of companies such as Divi's Laboratories, Syngene, Laurus Labs, Piramal Pharma, and Blue Jet Healthcare surged up to 5% on Friday on the news, anticipating that supply chains would shift away from China. If the bill becomes law, these contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs), as well as contract research organisations (CROs) that work with US drugmakers, are expected to benefit as US drugmakers look beyond China for new partners. However, concerns over the acts dilution, as well as uncertainties over the Trump administration drug policies, cloud the picture. Mint explains how. What is the Biosecure Act? The Biosecure Act seeks to prevent companies that rely on government contracts and funding from working with certain Chinese biotechs. An earlier version was passed in the House of Representatives in September 2024, after several amendments. However, it was later stalled in the Senate and not included in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorises the countrys annual defence spending. This year a new iteration, with a softer stance, was added as an amendment to the NDAA, which the US Senate approved late last week. The bill still needs to be approved in the House of Representatives and be sent to the President before it becomes law. How is the new version different? The amendment defines companies of concern as those that are an extension of the Chinese military and those that answer to a foreign adversary" or otherwise pose a national security risk to the United States. However, it refrains from mentioning certain companies that were included in the earlier version of the bill. The 2025 version of the Biosecure Act has been diluted compared with the 2024 version as it avoids specific mention of WuXi AppTec, WuXi Biologics, BGI, MGI, and Complete Genomics as biotechnology companies of concern," Nuvama analysts said in a September 12 note reviewing the draft bill. Instead of singling out the five Chinese players, the amended version refers to a list of Chinese military companies" from the US Office of Management and Budget. This list includes companies such as BGI, Forensic Genomics International, MGI and Origincell Technology, but not the WuXi companies. If the bill is passed, the list is also expected to be updated every year. How do Indian CDMOs stand to gain? Indian CDMOs and CRDMOs have been positioning themselves as competitors to Chinese companies for the past few years as many countries have looked to diversify supply chains beyond China. Several are investing aggressively to increase capacity and strengthen their technical capabilities. Divis Laboratories, the countrys largest CDMO player (and second largest pharma company by market cap), is expected to spend 2,000 crore in capex to expand capacity and on strategic projects such as the Unit III greenfield project in Kakinada to increase backward integration. Mumbais Piramal Pharma plans to spend $100-125 million in 2025 to expand capacity, chairperson Nandini Piramal told Mint in July. Many of the countrys CDMOs and CRDMOs have caught the fancy of investors and are trading at high valuations, but these valuations could rise further, analysts said. The past, unapproved version of the Biosecure Act led to increased inquiries and project wins by Indian CDMOs. The renewed push on the act could again bring the focus back on the supply-chain security for innovators, potentially benefitting Indian companies once more," Nuvama analysts noted. Expectations from the countrys growing contract manufacturing sector had been growing even before the bill was revived. According to a report by BCG, Indias CRDMO industry is worth $3-3.5 billion today and could grow to $25 billion by 2035. It currently accounts for only 2-3% of the global market, which is worth $145 billion. Also Read | Threat of US tariffs hangs over Sun Pharmas specialty business How soon will this happen? Should the bill become law, however, its effects probably wont be immediate. While Indian CDMOs have reported an uptick in interest from drug innovators to hire their services, actual contracts take time, experts said. Also, Indian companies need to benchmark themselves against Chinese peers to be able to compete with them on cost and agility. Suresh Subramanian, national lifesciences leader at EY Parthenon India, told Mint in an earlier conversation that Indian companies can compete with Chinese firms, but need to answer questions about digitisation, process improvement, and how they can match costs. What Indian companies are asking is how can we benchmark ourselves with Chinese companies, how can we compete with them in terms of cost and agility?" he said. Neeraj Sharma, CEO and managing director of OneSource Specialty Pharma, said, The tariff impact is largely agnostic to the Biosecure Act. In fact, the Biosecure Act complements our model by reinforcing the shift toward diversified, high-quality, and compliant service partnerships." Concerns around US policies around pharmaceutical imports persist, too. While generics exported from India to the US have been exempted from Trumps 100% tariff, uncertainty persists over which companies will be affected in the end. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to press US pharma giants such as Pfizer to accept most-favoured nation (MFN) pricing, the second part of Trumps two-pronged strategy to reduce drug prices for American consumers. In this scenario, uncertainty remains over how Indias top CDMOs, which largely work on contract for these innovators, will be affected. Donald Trumps decision to hike H-1B visa fees may have put the spotlight on Indias information technology (IT) services industry, but it has also delivered a twin blow to the gems and jewellery sectorwhich is not only reeling from tariffs but also has thousands of artisans and technicians working in the US on these work permits. "Indian jewellers employ gemologists, metallurgists, quality control scientists, IT professionals on H-1B visa," said Poorvi Chothani, Immigration attorney and managing partner, LawQuest. The additional cost of $100,000 may also deter employers from engaging H-1B workers. The jewellers may just offshore the rolesthey will get these jobs done overseas." Jewellers point out that for the last couple of decades, specialists from India who can gauge the quality of diamonds and precious stones, and market them, will now find it difficult to travel on the said visa. Of the 3,000 trading offices overseas, 300 are located in the US, many of them on 47th Street in New Yorkknown as the Diamond Districtand in Los Angeles. Also Read | India restricts plain silver jewellery imports to protect local manufacturers At least 5-10% of their workforce employed from India and now in the US holds the H-1B visa, according to a prominent jeweller who did not want to be named. The number of visas that the jewellery industry receives is tiny compared with that of the IT industry. But this is a second blow for the industry after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods. The US government can only approve 65,000 H-1B visas for companies, with 20,000 additional visas for foreign professionals who graduate with a master's degree or doctorate from an American educational institute. According to data by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, as of fiscal year 2025 (FY25), seven of the 10 largest users of H-1B visas are tech companies, including homegrown IT services companies Tata Consultancy Services Ltd and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., which cumulatively got 36,737 visas or more than half of the available permits. Some Indian professionals on H-1B visas include gemologists with degrees in gem science and gemological engineering; 3-D model designers; material scientists specialized in precious metals, alloys, plating, and finishing processes; and data scientists who can recognize gemstone patterns. While the gems and jewellery industry could never get as many visas like the IT sector, we have over the years sent employees who are qualified artisans, product designers and lab technicians," said Dinesh Lakhani, director of Kiran Gems. The firm is one of the largest manufacturers of diamonds and has its offices, trading and manufacturing units in Mumbai and Surat in India, the UAE and the US. Mint reported in August that India cuts and polishes nine out of 10 of the world's rough diamonds and employs 959,000 workers in Gujarat factories owned by diamantaires whose chief export destinations are the US, UAE, Hong Kong and Belgium. Last fiscal year, diamond exports alone stood at $13.26 billion, accounting for over two-fifths of total gems and jewellery exports of $29.9 billion. Some of the senior talent in the jewellery business is on H-1B visa and given the uncertainty on the visa fees, one may see some of the talent returning to India," said Shaunak Parikh, director of diamond trader Mahendra Brothers Pvt. Ltd. Trumps visa fee hike could indirectly influence jewellery demand by impacting the sizable Indian professional community in the US", according to Kirit Bhansali, chairman of Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). This community forms a strong consumer base for Indian jewellery, particularly during festive and wedding seasons. Any restrictions on their mobility or employment opportunities could, therefore, have a ripple effect on consumer sentiment and purchasing patterns." Bengaluru: Esencia Partners, a firm in which Manipal Hospitals head Ranjan Pai is a managing partner, has bought a property in Bengaluru's prime Lavelle Road, an upmarket residential and commercial street, for 165.6 crore. The area of the site that also has a building constructed on it, is around 25,824 sq. ft. As per the registration data accessed by real estate data platform Zapkey, the property was sold by one Mira Angeline Cummins, an Australian passport holder. The sale deed was signed on 12 September. Pai is the chairman of the Manipal Education and Medical Group, which runs businesses spread across healthcare, education and private investments. Property deal "This transaction on Lavelle Road is one of the most significant real estate deals in Bengaluru this year. The price, which translates to approximately 64,150 per square foot, underscores the immense value and scarcity of land in one of the city's most prestigious and expensive addresses," said Sandeep Reddy, co-founder, Zapkey. Large, independent land parcels are a rarity in central Bengaluru, making this a prized trophy asset. The purchase by a prominent business leader like Ranjan Pai further signals robust confidence from ultra-high-net-worth individuals in the long-term value of Bengaluru's luxury property market, Reddy added. Pai did not respond to Mint's queries. Mint couldn't immediately reach Cummins, the seller. The site on Lavelle Road has an old bungalow, said a person in the know, who didn't wish to be named. Ultra-rich individuals in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi-National Capital Region and Bengaluru have been buying prime properties even as prices continue to swing upwards. Such transactions are both for personal use of the properties as well as for investment purposes. In June, Shruti Pai, founder and director of Sagework Design, had bought a luxury duplex for 64 crore in a boutique condominium complex in Bengaluru, in one of the most expensive residential deals in the city. Before Sagework, Shruti Pai was creative director at Manipal Education and Health Group. She is married to Ranjan Pai. Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO: The initial public offering (IPO) of Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Ltd enters its second day of subscription period today, 13 October 2025, Monday. The public issue received muted demand on the first day of the bidding process. Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO opened for subscription on October 10, and will close on October 14. The IPO allotment date is October 15, and the IPO listing date is October 17. Canara HSBC Life Insurance shares will be listed on BSE and NSE. The 2,517.50 crore worth Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO is entirely an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 23.75 crore equity shares sold at an IPO price band of 100 to 106 per share. Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO lot size is 140 shares. The offer includes a reservation of up to 15.50 lakh shares for employees offered at a discount of 10.00 to the issue price. SBI Capital Markets Ltd. is the book running lead manager and Kfin Technologies Ltd. is the Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO registrar. Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO Subscription Status Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO has been subscribed 27% in total till 5 PM on October 13, the second day of the bidding process. The public issue is booked 27% in the Retail Individual Investors (RIIs) category, and 14% in the Non Institutional Investors (NII) segment. The Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) category received 32% subscription. Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO GMP Today Canara HSBC Life Insurance shares are commanding a muted grey market premium (GMP) today. According to market experts, Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO GMP today is 2 per share. This indicates that in the grey market, Canara HSBC Life Insurance shares are trading higher by 2 apiece, or at a premium of 1.9% at 108 apiece, against the issue price of 106 per share. Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO opened for subscription on October 10, and will close on October 14. Canara HSBC Life Insurance IPO Review Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company has demonstrated steady value creation, as reflected in the consistent growth of its Embedded Value (EV) rising from 42,719.3 million in FY23 to Rs. 51,798.6 million in FY24, and further to Rs. 61,107.4 million in FY25, with an additional uptick to Rs. 63,526.4 million as of June 30, 2025. At the upper price band of 106, the company is currently valued at a P/EV (Price to Embedded Value) multiple of 1.6x (FY25), which appears attractive in comparison to industry peers, indicating potential undervaluation as growth and profitability sustain. We, thus, recommend a Subscribe rating for this issue, said BP Equities. The Indian stock market benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are likely to open lower on Monday, tracking weak global market cues after US President Donald Trump announced that he will impose an additional 100% tariff on imports from China. The trends on Gift Nifty also indicate a gap-down start for the Indian benchmark index. The Gift Nifty was trading around 25,325 level, a discount of nearly 86 points from the Nifty futures previous close. On Friday, the equity market indices ended higher, with the benchmark Nifty 50 closing above 25,200 level. The Sensex rallied 328.72 points, or 0.40%, to close at 82,500.82, while the Nifty 50 settled 103.55 points, or 0.41%, higher at 25,285.35. Heres what to expect from Senex, Nifty 50, and Bank Nifty today: Sensex Prediction Sensex formed a long bullish candle on weekly charts and is also trading above the 20-day SMA (Simple Moving Average), which is largely positive. We are of the view that the 20-day SMA and the 81,700 level will act as crucial support zones for short-term traders. As long as Sensex is trading above 81,700, the uptrend is likely to continue. On the higher side, the index could rally to 82,900 - 83,100. Further upside may also continue, potentially lifting the index up to 83,700, said Amol Athawale, VP Technical Research, Kotak Securities. Conversely, he believes if Sensex falls below 81,700, the uptrend would become vulnerable, and below this level, traders may prefer to exit their long positions. Mayank Jain, Market Analyst, Share.Market said that the immediate resistance for Sensex is at 82,700 82,900, and a convincing breakout above these levels could propel the index higher. On the downside, support lies at 82,000 81,900. A break below this zone could test the next support at 81,300, said Jain. Nifty 50 Prediction Nifty 50 formed a bullish candle on the daily chart, marking the second consecutive week of gains. For the week, Nifty 50 gained 1.57% and formed a cup and handle pattern on the weekly chart. A long bull candle was formed on the daily chart, which indicates an uptrend continuation pattern with bullish formation like higher tops and bottoms. Nifty 50, on the weekly chart, formed a long bull candle that has almost engulfed the upper area of long bear candle of September end. We also observe bullish higher highs and lows formations as per weekly timeframe chart, said Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities. According to him, the underlying trend of the market remains positive, and Nifty 50 is expected to advance towards the important resistance of around 25,400 - 25,450 levels by this week. Immediate support is placed at 25,150. Nilesh Jain, Head Technical and Derivatives Research Analyst (Equity Research), Centrum Broking Ltd. noted that the MACD has triggered a bullish crossover above the zero line, while the RSI remains above 55, both indicators reinforcing the bullish outlook. Additionally, the Nifty 50 index is trading comfortably above both its short-term and long-term moving averages. On the derivatives front, significant short covering has been observed across most in-the-money strikes, with call writers now repositioning at the 25,500 level. The support base has shifted upward to 25,050, and as long as the index stays above this level, a move toward 25,500 appears likely in the short term, said Jain. Mayank Jain said that the immediate resistance for Nifty 50 is at 25,400 25,450, and a sustained trade above this band could open further upside towards 25,600. On the downside, support is at 25,100 25,000. If breached, the next support is around 24,800, he added. Also Read | Buy or sell: Vaishali Parekh recommends three stocks to buy today Bank Nifty Prediction Bank Nifty index surged 417.70 points, or 0.74%, to close at 56,609.75 on Friday, forming an Inverted Head and Shoulders pattern on the daily chart. For the week, Bank Nifty index rallied 1.84%, forming a strong bullish candle accompanied by consistent trading volumes, reflecting renewed buying interest and strength in the banking space. From a technical perspective, moving average-based setups are suggesting strong bullish momentum, with the Bank Nifty index trading above key short- and long-term averages. Additionally, the daily RSI has rebounded sharply after taking support near the 60 mark, suggesting a shift from a neutral to a super bullish zone a sign of strengthening momentum, said Sudeep Shah, Head - Technical and Derivatives Research at SBI Securities. With both price action and relative strength indicators pointing north, Bank Nifty appears well-positioned to challenge its record highs in the near term, he added. We believe the Bank Nifty index is likely to test 57,200, followed by 58,000 in the short term. While, on the downside, the zone of 56,000 - 55,900 will act as crucial support for the index, Shah said. Also Read | Breakout stocks to buy or sell: Sumeet Bagadia recommends five shares to buy Puneet Singhania, Director at Master Trust Group highlighted that the Bank Nifty index has successfully broken out of a multi-week consolidation, establishing immediate support around 56,100 56,200, providing a strong buffer for buyers on potential dips. Technical indicators remain favorable, with MACD in positive territory, reinforcing upward momentum. On the upside, resistance is anticipated near the psychological 57,000 level, and a decisive breakout above this could propel the Bank Nifty index toward 57,600, close to all-time highs. Overall, the structure supports a disciplined buy on dips strategy, said Singhania. Bajaj Broking Research expects the Bank Nifty index to maintain positive bias and head higher towards the all-time high of 57,300 - 57,600 in the coming week. On the downside support is placed at 55,500 - 55,000 levels being the confluence of the 20-days & 50-days EMA and the 61.8% retracement of the last up move (54,227 - 56,502). We believe bias remains positive and dips should be used as a buying opportunity, said Bajaj Broking Research. India is a market where exit is easy but entry is tough, says Nilesh Shah, managing director of Kotak Mahindra AMC, the fifth-largest mutual fund based on quarterly assets under management (AUM) as of September-end. Out of Kotak Mahindra AMCs overall AUM of 5.26 trillion, equity is 3.12 trillion. Its a classic fear versus Fear of Missing Out (Fomo) scenario: if FPIs spook DIIs, the fear will win; if DIIs create Fomo among FPIs, they may turn buyers, pushing the market up, he explained. Currently, the market is in a sideways phase with no major upswings, which may continue unless theres a big correction." Also Read | Investors keep pumping money into private credit, despite red flags Over the longer term, fundamentals will prevail, he believes, adding that the biggest driver for Indias equity market is earnings growth. He added, If earnings rebound to double digitssupported by a US tariff deal, domestic stimulus, and a revival in private capexthe market will move up". Edited excerpts: Last Samvat wasnt exactly a blockbuster for the Nifty; it lagged most global markets. Whats your reading for the year ahead, and is India still the go-to investment story? FPIs selling India arent disputing its growth; theyre confident India will contribute to global growth alongside the US and China. Their concern is valuation. FY27 Nifty 50 EPS is expected to be around 1,200, with Nifty at 24,000a Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio of 20. Sellers believe EPS will continue to grow and, in a few years, reach 2,000, but the question is whether the P/E will remain at 20 or drop to 12, as seen in China. If it drops, Nifty could still be 24,000 even after earnings move upmeaning no returns. FPIs are cautious for three reasons: earnings growth in the last six quarters has been single-digit, while valuations are double-digit; US tariffs are hurting the economy; and IPO supply is high, with promoters, insiders who know their companies best, selling. On the other hand, DIIs (domestic institutional investors) are buying, seeing India as expensive in the short term, but the cheapest emerging market over a five-year horizon. The growth story and governance remain intact. While investors may invest in markets like China, Korea, or Brazil today, they can return to India if we maintain earnings growth. India is a market where exit is easy, but entry is tough. One can book profits easily, but buying in requires sellers. Its a classic fear versus Fomo scenario: if FPIs spook DIIs, the fear will win; if DIIs create Fomo among FPIs, they may turn buyers, pushing the market up. Are there any investment themes or ideas that you may have underestimated or not given enough weight to over the past year? We were bullish on consumption last year, and that played out well, while our IT bets didnt perform as expected. Short-term, you can be right or wrong, but what matters is how much exposure you take when you are right or wrong. We remain bullish on consumption because the government is putting money in citizens pockets. Taxpayers, consumers, borrowers and government employees will have more money to spend. If this money is spent domestically, it will boost demand, create jobs, and support the consumer theme. We remain bullish on consumption because the government is putting money in citizens pockets. IT hasnt worked out as well, but opportunities remain. Many mid-cap IT firms are leveraging AI to deliver faster, cheaper, and better solutions. While US policy adds some uncertainty, enterprise AI presents a significant long-term opportunity. We believe the IT sector in correction will provide some bottom-up opportunities. Despite the H-1B visa fee hike? The H-1B changes are affecting more American companies, but a loophole exists that allows the Department of Homeland Security to grant exemptions. So, it is unlikely to have a material impact on Indian IT firms. They have a much bigger problem with AI evolution and the US economic situation. So what would be the principal growth engine for Indian equities, according to you? In the near term, its all about fund flows. FPIs are selling; their selling can create fear among buyers, while retail investors through SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans) are buying regularly. Their buying can trigger Fomo among FPIs. Over the longer term, fundamentals will prevail. The biggest driver for Indias equity market is earnings growth. If earnings rebound to double digitssupported by a US tariff deal, domestic stimulus, and a revival in private capital expenditures (capex)the market will likely move up. Also Read | How Trump threw a wrench into credit markets Currently, the market is in a sideways phase with no major upswings, which may continue unless theres a big correction. At a forward P/E of 21, India is already a premium market globally. Were standing on Mount Everestdifficult to go further up. Returns wont come from valuations expanding from 21x to 25x or 30x, but from earnings growth. Earnings growth may range from high single digits to low double digits, resulting in similar returns. Stocks may fluctuate, but the broader market will progress slowly, like a turtle. Are there any tail risks that you are most worried about? The biggest risk, to me, is complacency. Were accustomed to a 20x PE, but to justify it, we must continue to deliver superior earnings growth. Like Virat Kohli is expected to hit centuries, we will have to deliver superior performance. India earns a premium valuation because its earnings growth and return on equity outperform those of its peers. Maintaining that edge is crucialstocks remain slaves to earnings power, as Warren Buffett famously said. India earns a premium valuation because its earnings growth and return on equity outperform those of its peers. Are there any sectors or themes that you are excited about in the new Samvat year? We still believe the consumer theme has a lot of potential. But remember, these consumers arent spending on basic essentials, and their savings arent enough to buy a house. The question is where will they spend? It could be on discretionary experiencesfor example, choosing airlines over trains. It could be on home improvement, using some savings to upgrade their homes. It could be in health and education, where seeking more value-added services is a priority. Or it could be on travel and tourism. Wherever this money flows, that part of the consumer discretionary sector is likely to perform well in the coming days. What about sectors like defence? Defence businesses are set to growtheres no doubt about that. Earlier, we had issues with two neighbours; now, its four. So, investment in defence is essential. However, valuations are demanding. In our view, the companies best positioned are those serving both domestic and global markets, so they arent solely dependent on Indias defence budget. Second, their products need to be futuristicmaking tanks may not add as much value, but drones and missiles are far more valuable. Third, operating leverage matters: firms with spare capacity can tap export markets, and if their products meet the demands of modern warfare, theyre likely to perform well. I have noticed that lately, investors are viewing gold and silver not just as hedging tools but as growth assets. Commodities cant be valued like bonds or equities. Gold pays no dividends, no bonus, no cash flow. So, how have gold and silver changed in the last five years? Following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, $500 billion of Russias foreign exchange reserves were frozen, and the interest on that amount is being allocated to Ukraine. Now, central bankers worldwide are questioning the safety of their reserves, because if a powerful country like Russia can have its money frozen, what can happen to smaller nations? This has led many to diversify part of their foreign exchange reserves into gold, and some are considering silver. As long as central banks continue to buy, prices can rise. But when they stop or start selling, prices will fall. Therefore, it is essential to monitor the central bank's buying activity when investing in gold and silver. On Friday, the Nifty 50 extended its gains for the third consecutive session, closing at 25,285.35, up 103.55 points or 0.41%, reflecting continued bullish sentiment and follow-through buying at higher levels. The index managed to sustain comfortably above the 25,200 mark, indicating that market participants are positioning for a further upside extension amid improving technical and derivatives cues. The BSE Sensex gained 328.72 points (+0.40%), settling at 82,500.82. Amid this, top market experts recommend these stocks to buy on 13 October. Three stocks to trade, recommended by NeoTraders Raja Venkatraman: Borosil Renewables (Cmp 642.85) BORORENEW: Buy above 645, stop 620 target 725 (Multiday) Why its recommended: Borosil Renewables Ltd. is a publicly listed Indian company, formerly known as Borosil Glass Works Ltd., that manufactures low-iron solar glass and other flat glass products. It is the largest solar glass manufacturer in India. After a strong decline the prices are seen forming long body candle at the cloud support region igniting some bullish enthusiasm. Positive outlook has emerged as the prices are demonstrating a strong upward drive. Can look to go long. Key metrics: -52-week high: 660 -Volume: 549.06K. Technical analysis: Support at 600, resistance at 850. Risk factors: High geographical concentration in the North-East and vulnerability to volatile input prices. Buy at: above 645 Target price: 725 in 2 months. Stop loss: 620. Bharat Electronics Ltd (Cmp 413.50) BEL: Buy above 415, stop 409 target 423 (Intraday) Why its recommended: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is a major Indian state-owned company, established in 1954, that manufactures and supplies electronic products for the defence, civilian, and professional sectors. After a steady upward rise the prices dipped lower and then has now shown some trends emerging with the possibility of prices above the clouds is looking more positive. As a strong momentum buildup in play more upward traction is possible. Key metrics: - P/E: 55.11, -52-week high: 435.95, -Volume: 13.81M. Technical analysis: Support at 390, resistance at 550. Risk factors: Supply chain disruptions, fluctuating raw material prices, customer absorption of costs, economic downturns, and changes in government policies. Buy at: above 415. Target price: 423 Stop loss: 409. Nath Bio-Genes (Cmp 177.38) NATHBIOGEN: Buy above 178, stop 174 target 186 (Intraday) Why its recommended: Nath Bio-Genes (I) Ltd. is an Indian agri-biotech company founded in 1979 that develops and sells hybrid and GM seeds, as well as crop protection supplements. Despite some profit booking seen the prices have managed to hold on for a while at the TS line. The formation of a green candle is seen reviving from the lower levels, which indicates a strong push to the upside. With the rounding bottom holding, the RSI appears to be stabilising at 60, allowing us to consider initiating a long position. Key metrics: -P/E: 7.33, -52-week high: 238, -volume: 30.75K. Technical analysis: Support at 165 , resistance at 240. Risk factors: Volatile stock performance, valuation concerns, operational efficiency issues, and declining growth metrics. Buy at: above 178. Target price: 186 in 1 month. Stop loss: 174. Two stock recommendations by MarketSmith India for 13 October Buy: Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd (current price: 1,344.20) Why its recommended: Strong presence in iron and steel with integrated operations, rising steel demand from infrastructure growth, capacity expansion and value-added product focus, and supportive government policies for the steel sector Key metrics: P/E: 46.33, 52-week high: 1,612, volume: 38.47 Crore Technical analysis: Reclaimed its 200-DMA on above average volume Risk factors: Exposure to commodity price volatility, cyclical nature of the steel industry, regulatory and environmental compliance risks, and high capital expenditure requirements Buy: 1,3301,360 Target price: 1,650 in two to three months Stop loss: 1,200 Buy: Bank Of Maharashtra (current price: 57.50) Why its recommended: Strong loan & deposit momentum, rising CASA ratio, branch & geographic expansion, and de-concentration strategy Key metrics: P/E: 7.48; 52-week high: 73.50; volume: 98.61 crore Technical analysis: trendline breakout Risk factors: Asset quality stress with high growth, margin compression due to rising cost of funds Buy at: 5758 Target price: 62 in two to three months Stop loss: 55.80 Three stocks to buy today by Ankush Bajaj for 13 October Buy: Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) Why its recommended: ONGC has been showing a strong uptrend with consistent higher highs and higher lows, supported by robust momentum in the energy sector. The daily RSI stands at 67.5, indicating bullish momentum with room for further upside. The MACD at +3.2 confirms a positive crossover, signaling sustained buying interest, while the ADX at 38.4 suggests a strengthening trend structure. Price action remains comfortably above key short-term averages, highlighting continued accumulation by investors. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 67.5 bullish and strengthening MACD (12,26): +3.2 positive crossover, trend intact ADX (14): 38.4 strong trend phase Technical view: Sustaining above 242 will keep the bullish bias intact, opening room for a move toward 254. Risk factors: Crude price volatility can impact sentiment. Regulatory changes in exploration or windfall taxes may affect performance. Buy at: 246.35 Target price: 254 Stop loss: 242 Buy: Divis Laboratories Ltd Why its recommended: Divis Laboratories is witnessing renewed buying momentum after a brief consolidation. The daily RSI is at 64.9, confirming bullish momentum. The MACD at +45.1 shows a strong positive crossover, and the ADX at 36.5 indicates a firm uptrend building up. The stock has broken above its short-term resistance zone, suggesting potential for continuation toward higher levels. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 64.9 bullish momentum MACD (12,26): +45.1 positive crossover, trend continuation ADX (14): 36.5 strengthening trend Technical view: Sustaining above 6,373 will maintain upward bias, with potential for a move toward 6,682. Risk factors: Pharma export performance linked to USFDA and global regulatory approvals. Currency movements can affect export margins. Buy at: 6,474.50 Target price: 6,682 Stop loss: 6,373 Buy: Vedanta Ltd (VEDL) Why its recommended: Vedanta continues to show solid technical strength, supported by rising commodity prices and a breakout from consolidation. The daily RSI at 69.4 reflects bullish momentum near overbought zones, indicating strong participation. The MACD at +5.8 confirms an ongoing uptrend, while the ADX at 41.2 signals a well-established and strengthening trend. The stocks price action suggests sustained demand and possible continuation toward short-term resistance levels. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 69.4 strong bullish momentum MACD (12,26): +5.8 trend positive, momentum sustained ADX (14): 41.2 robust trend strength Technical view: Sustaining above 476 will support the bullish setup and pave the way for a move toward 495. Risk factors: Commodity price volatility and global metal demand fluctuations. Regulatory or environmental challenges in mining operations. Buy at: 482.20 Target price: 495 Stop loss: 476 Raja Venkatraman is co-founder, NeoTrader. His Sebi-registered research analyst registration no. is INH000016223. Ankush Bajaj is a Sebi-registered research analyst. His registration number is INH000010441. MarketSmith India is a stock research platform and advisory service focused on the Indian stock market. Trade name: William ONeil IndiaPvt. Ltd. Sebi Registration No.: INH000015543 Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions. On Friday, the Nifty 50 extended its gains for the third consecutive session, closing at 25,285.35, up 103.55 points or 0.41%, reflecting continued bullish sentiment and follow-through buying at higher levels. The index managed to sustain comfortably above the 25,200 mark, indicating that market participants are positioning for a further upside extension amid improving technical and derivatives cues. The BSE Sensex gained 328.72 points (+0.40%), settling at 82,500.82. Three stocks to buy today by Ankush Bajaj for 13 October Buy: Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) Why its recommended: ONGC has been showing a strong uptrend with consistent higher highs and higher lows, supported by robust momentum in the energy sector. The daily RSI stands at 67.5, indicating bullish momentum with room for further upside. The MACD at +3.2 confirms a positive crossover, signaling sustained buying interest, while the ADX at 38.4 suggests a strengthening trend structure. Price action remains comfortably above key short-term averages, highlighting continued accumulation by investors. ONGC has been showing a strong uptrend with consistent higher highs and higher lows, supported by robust momentum in the energy sector. The daily RSI stands at 67.5, indicating bullish momentum with room for further upside. The MACD at +3.2 confirms a positive crossover, signaling sustained buying interest, while the ADX at 38.4 suggests a strengthening trend structure. Price action remains comfortably above key short-term averages, highlighting continued accumulation by investors. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 67.5 bullish and strengthening MACD (12,26): +3.2 positive crossover, trend intact ADX (14): 38.4 strong trend phase Technical view: Sustaining above 242 will keep the bullish bias intact, opening room for a move toward 254. Sustaining above 242 will keep the bullish bias intact, opening room for a move toward 254. Risk factors: Crude price volatility can impact sentiment. Regulatory changes in exploration or windfall taxes may affect performance. Crude price volatility can impact sentiment. Regulatory changes in exploration or windfall taxes may affect performance. Buy at: 246.35 246.35 Target price: 254 254 Stop loss: 242 Buy: Divis Laboratories Ltd Why its recommended: Divis Laboratories is witnessing renewed buying momentum after a brief consolidation. The daily RSI is at 64.9, confirming bullish momentum. The MACD at +45.1 shows a strong positive crossover, and the ADX at 36.5 indicates a firm uptrend building up. The stock has broken above its short-term resistance zone, suggesting potential for continuation toward higher levels. Divis Laboratories is witnessing renewed buying momentum after a brief consolidation. The daily RSI is at 64.9, confirming bullish momentum. The MACD at +45.1 shows a strong positive crossover, and the ADX at 36.5 indicates a firm uptrend building up. The stock has broken above its short-term resistance zone, suggesting potential for continuation toward higher levels. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 64.9 bullish momentum MACD (12,26): +45.1 positive crossover, trend continuation ADX (14): 36.5 strengthening trend Technical view: Sustaining above 6,373 will maintain upward bias, with potential for a move toward 6,682. Risk factors: Pharma export performance linked to USFDA and global regulatory approvals. Currency movements can affect export margins. Buy at: 6,474.50 Target price: 6,682 Stop loss: 6,373 Buy: Vedanta Ltd (VEDL) Why its recommended: Vedanta continues to show solid technical strength, supported by rising commodity prices and a breakout from consolidation. The daily RSI at 69.4 reflects bullish momentum near overbought zones, indicating strong participation. The MACD at +5.8 confirms an ongoing uptrend, while the ADX at 41.2 signals a well-established and strengthening trend. The stocks price action suggests sustained demand and possible continuation toward short-term resistance levels. Key metrics: RSI (14-day): 69.4 strong bullish momentum MACD (12,26): +5.8 trend positive, momentum sustained ADX (14): 41.2 robust trend strength Technical view: Sustaining above 476 will support the bullish setup and pave the way for a move toward 495. Sustaining above 476 will support the bullish setup and pave the way for a move toward 495. Risk factors: Commodity price volatility and global metal demand fluctuations. Regulatory or environmental challenges in mining operations. Commodity price volatility and global metal demand fluctuations. Regulatory or environmental challenges in mining operations. Buy at: 482.20 Target price: 495 Stop loss: 476 Market Wrap On Friday, Indian markets kicked off the new week on a strong note, extending their upward momentum as buying interest returned across key sectors. After last weeks volatile swings, sentiment turned positive on Monday, with investors showing renewed confidence amid supportive global cues and easing rate concerns. The NIFTY 50 advanced 103.55 points (+0.41%) to close at 25,285.35, while the BSE SENSEX gained 328.72 points (+0.40%), settling at 82,500.82. The NIFTY BANK outperformed, rising 484.00 points (+0.80%) to finish at 56,897.20, signaling strength in financial heavyweights. Sectorally, the tone remained upbeat. Realty stocks led the rally with a 1.67% surge, supported by robust moves in PSU Banks (+1.67%) and Pharma (+1.29%). The overall breadth was positive, with only the Metal sector ending slightly lower by 0.91%, reflecting mild profit-taking after recent gains. On the stock front, Cipla (+3.22%), SBI (+2.15%), and Maruti (+1.75%) provided strong support to the indices, while Tata Steel (-1.45%), TCS (-1.09%), and HDFC Life Insurance (-0.93%) saw minor declines that capped further upside. Nifty Technical Outlook The Nifty 50 extended its gains for the third consecutive session, closing at 25,285.35, up 103.55 points or 0.41%, reflecting continued bullish sentiment and follow-through buying at higher levels. The index managed to sustain comfortably above the 25,200 mark, indicating that market participants are positioning for a further upside extension amid improving technical and derivatives cues. On the daily timeframe, Nifty continues to hold above its short- and medium-term moving averages, with the 20-DMA placed at 25,057 and the 40-DEMA at 24,958, both acting as firm support zones. Momentum indicators further strengthen this positive setup the daily RSI has improved to 61, suggesting a healthy bullish bias without entering overbought territory, while the MACD has risen to +54, confirming a positive crossover and continuation of upward momentum. These readings indicate that the index is entering a sustained trending phase, supported by strong rotational buying across key sectors. On the hourly chart, Nifty remains above both its short-term moving averages, with the 20-HMA at 25,165 and the 40-HEMA at 25,112, signaling strong intraday support and trend alignment. The momentum profile on the lower timeframe also reinforces this bullish tone the RSI remains elevated, indicating robust buying strength, while the MACD continues to hold positive territory, suggesting that dips are being bought aggressively. The alignment between short-term moving averages and momentum oscillators suggests that the index is well-poised for a move toward higher resistance zones in the coming sessions. Derivatives Setup The options data further validates the bullish undertone. Total Put OI stands at 22.03 crore, well above Call OI of 15.66 crore, resulting in a positive differential of +6.37 crore, which reinforces the prevailing bullish sentiment. The days OI change also supports this trend, with Put OI increasing by 6.98 crore against a modest Call OI addition of 68.75 lakh, generating a strong positive change differential of +6.29 crore a clear sign of fresh Put writing and short covering in Calls. The maximum Call OI is positioned at the 26,000 strike, indicating that traders expect limited upside barriers in the near term, while the maximum Call OI addition was seen at the 25,450 strike, suggesting that resistance may emerge around this level. On the Put side, both the highest OI and strongest additions are concentrated at the 25,20025,300 strikes, confirming this zone as a robust short-term support base. The overall derivatives picture remains distinctly bullish, with rising Put writing and Call unwinding signaling sustained long buildup. Outlook The technical and derivative landscape paints a constructive picture for the market. With the 20-HMA crossing above the 40-HEMA and momentum indicators aligned positively, the short-term structure continues to favor the bulls. Sustaining above 25,20025,250 will likely open the path toward 25,40025,500 in the near term. On the downside, immediate support is seen at 25,150, followed by a stronger base near 25,000. As long as Nifty maintains above the 25,000 mark, the broader bias remains firmly positive. Any intraday dips toward support levels are expected to attract renewed buying interest, while a decisive breakout above 25,400 could trigger a momentum rally toward 25,60025,750 levels in the coming sessions. The alignment of improving momentum, positive OI dynamics, and supportive moving averages confirms that the short-term trend is decisively bullish, and the index may continue to climb higher in the near term. Ankush Bajaj is a Sebi-registered research analyst. His registration number is INH000010441. Investments in securities are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Registration granted by Sebi and certification from NISM in no way guarantee performance of the intermediary or provide any assurance of returns to investors. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions. Heres a quick look at stocks likely to be in focus in today's trade. Tata Motors Monday holds significance for the companys shareholders, as it marks the final day the stock will trade as a consolidated entity. The record date for the demerger of the commercial vehicles business has been set for Tuesday, October 14. BLS International The Ministry of External Affairs has imposed a two-year ban on the company, preventing it from participating in new tenders for Indian missions. Avenue Supermarts The company that owns DMart posted a 4% increase in net profit compared to the same period last year, with revenue up 15.5% and EBITDA rising 11%. Welspun Enterprises The board will meet on October 15 to review proposals for raising funds through the issuance of convertible warrants or a preferential allotment of shares Zen Technologies The company has secured an order worth around 37 crore from the Ministry of Defence to supply anti-drone systems equipped with Hard Kill capabilities. Infosys The digital services and consulting firm has unveiled a complete set of offerings the Infosys Customer Experience Suite for Salesforce designed to provide enhanced Agentforce solutions and assist businesses in their digital transformation efforts. Axis Bank The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sent a 'Letter of Caution' to Axis Bank, urging the bank to exercise heightened vigilance and strictly adhere to RBIs KYC regulations. Axis Bank has confirmed that it has already taken corrective actions. Kotak Mahindra Bank Kotak Mahindra Bank stated that Sonata Finance has merged with BSS Microfinance, and consequently, Sonata Finance is no longer a subsidiary of the bank, effective October 11. Both companies were previously wholly owned subsidiaries of Kotak Mahindra Bank. Also Read | Recommended stocks to buy on 13 Octobertop stock picks from market experts Lupin The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carried out a pre-approval inspection at the company's manufacturing site in Somerset, New Jersey, from September 29 to October 10, resulting in a single observation. Waaree Renewable Technologies In Q2 FY26, the solar company recorded its strongest quarterly performance to date, with net profit jumping 117% year-on-year to 116.3 crore and revenue rising 47.7% to 774.8 crore, driven by improved project execution and higher margins. Vodafone Idea share price fell over 3% on Monday after the Supreme Court deferred the hearing of the AGR case to after Diwali. Vodafone Idea shares dipped as much as 3.65% to 8.71 apiece on the BSE. The Supreme Court will hear a plea filed by debt-ridden telecom operator Vodafone Idea on October 27, Monday, in the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues case. The Aditya Birla Group company has challenged a demand by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), seeking the quashing of the additional AGR demands for the period until 2016-17. The Supreme Court on October 13 said it wanted the government to take a specific stand in the Vodafone Idea AGR case. The apex court will next hear the case on October 27. Vodafone Idea AGR Case On October 6, the Supreme Court had deferred the hearing on Vodafone Ideas plea against DoTs additional AGR demand of about 9,450 crore to October 13. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the company, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, had jointly requested the matter to be listed for today. Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi appearing for the beleaguered telco, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta representing the Centre, requested the court to list the matter for today. Also Read | Waaree Renewable Technologies share price jumps over 13% after strong Q2 results Vodafone Idea has also filed an amended petition seeking waiver of interest and penalties on AGR dues, stating that the disputed components of the calculation have not been finalised. The company said it has already paid all undisputed dues based on self-assessment. This follows a fresh writ petition filed on September 8 challenging the DoTs additional demand. During a September hearing, Solicitor General Mehta acknowledged that since the government now holds a significant equity stake in Vodafone Idea, a balanced resolution that protects consumer interests is necessary. He urged the court to hear the matter at the earliest. Earlier this year, on May 13, Vodafone Idea sought a waiver of around 45,000 crore in interest and penalties, which the Supreme Court rejected on May 19. The DoT has pegged the companys total AGR dues at 58,254 crore, far exceeding Vodafone Ideas own estimate of 21,500 crore. The AGR dispute dates back to a 2019 Supreme Court ruling, which held that telecom operators must include non-telecom revenue in their AGR calculations for statutory dues. A 2020 order further barred self-assessment or reassessment of dues, amid discrepancies between DoTs calculations and telcos assessments. Vodafone Idea currently owes about 83,400 crore in AGR liabilities, with annual payments of 18,000 crore commencing this March. Including penalties and interest, its total liabilities are estimated at nearly 2 lakh crore. The company has admitted that its cash flows are inadequate to meet these obligations. At 11:55 AM, Vodafone Idea share price was trading 1.11% lower at 8.94 apiece on the BSE. MUMBAI : Dubai's Emirates NBD Bank PJSC is in talks to buy a controlling stake in Indian private lender RBL Bank Ltd for over $1 billion, two people with direct knowledge of the discussions said. Emirates NBD Group is likely to acquire around 26% stake in RBL Bank from institutional investors, and then make an open offer for another 25%," one of the persons said. If the transaction concludes successfully, the Dubai government entity will end up holding around 51% stake in the domestic lender. Global investment bank JP Morgan is advising Emirates NBD on the deal. The discussions underscore multinational financial firms' growing fascination with India. Japans Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. recently acquired a 20% stake in Yes Bank, and Mizuho Financial Group is said to be looking to acquire financial services firm Avendus. However, the Reserve Bank of India, if it approves the Emirates-RBL deal, is likely to cap the voting rights of the Dubai entity at 26% due to regulatory requirements", the second person said. Key Takeaways Emirates NBD eyes majority 51% stake in RBL Bank for over $1 billion. RBI will likely cap the Dubai entity's voting rights at 26% due to regulations. The potential RBL deal highlights multinational financial firms' growing interest in the Indian market. Talks progressed following Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.'s acquisition of a Yes Bank stake. RBL Bank, currently without a promoter, is fully owned by diverse public shareholders. An RBI circular in January 2023 said no bank shareholder can exercise voting rights above 26%. Normally, non-promoters individuals or non-financial institutionscan buy up to 10% in a bank, while financial institutions can buy up to 15%. However, RBI may also permit higher shareholding on a case-to-case basis", it said in the circular cited above. Queries emailed to Emirates NBD and RBL Bank remained unanswered, while a JP Morgan spokesperson declined to comment. Yes Bank push Talks between the two picked up after Sumitomo completed the acquisition of 20% in Yes Bank in September. The Japanese firm has also signed an agreement with CA Basque Investments, a company affiliated with The Carlyle Group Inc., to acquire an additional 4.2% in Yes Bank, taking its total stake to 24.2%. In August, RBI had approved SMBCs proposal to buy up to 24.99% in Yes Bank. Discussions between Emirates and RBL Bank picked up after the Yes Bank deal, the first person said. RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra told CNBC TV18 in July that the central bank had not yet received any case where a foreign bank wants to own 26% in Indian banks. As per the FDI policy, the foreign banks are allowed up to 74%. Foreign banks can certainly have 26% stake in an Indian bank," he told the channel. There have been very few cases of foreign banks acquiring Indian lenders. The central bank seized Yes Bank in March 2020 after its financial position deteriorated, and supervised its acquisition by a clutch of banks led by State Bank of India. Mint reported in August that the Yes Bank-SMBC deal may pave the way for similar transactions. Earlier in November 2020, RBI had seized the struggling Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) and forced its merger with the local unit of Singapores largest lender DBS Bank. That was the first time the central bank had tapped a bank with a foreign parent to backstop an Indian rival. Also Read | RBI new forex norms may be game-changer for small exporters and importers RBL Bank does not have a promoter and is fully owned by public shareholders. At the end of June, retail investors owned 47.69% in the bank, followed by domestic institutional investors at 34.72%, foreign institutional investors at 17.56%, and insurance companies at 3.26%. Emirates in India Discussions between RBL and Emirates NBD come barely five months after RBI granted in-principle approval to the Dubai bank to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary in India. In July, Economic Times reported that Emirates NBD was in talks to buy a significant minority stake in RBL Bank. India allows foreign banks to operate either as a branch, or a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent. All except twoDBS Bank India and SBM Bank Indiawork as branches. A local unit gives more flexibility to the bank than a branch. The central bank prefers foreign banks operating subsidiaries rather than branches in India. In 2018, Fairfax India, the local unit of Canada's Fairfax, acquired a 51% stake in CSB Bank Ltd, then called the Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB). Currently, it holds 40% in the bank. In India, Emirates NBD reported a loan book of 6,568.2 crore as on 31 March 2025, according to its latest available annual report, up from 4,641.6 crore in FY24. RBL Bank closed with a market capitalization of 17,728.56 crore or around $2 billion on Monday. Shares were down 0.82% at 289.20 a share over Fridays close on NSE. Also Read | Proxy advisors want shareholders to reject Yes Bank's special privilege to SMBC RBL roundup Founded as Ratnakar Bank Ltd in 1943 in Maharashtra's Kolhapur, RBL operated 562 branches as on 30 June. Its total business (loans plus deposits stood at 2,07,165 crore. As per initial business numbers reported by the bank on 3 October, its deposits stood at 1.16 trillion, up 8% from the same period last year. Total loans were at 1.02 trillion, up 14% year-on-year (y-o-y). Its capital adequacy ratio at the end of the June quarter (latest available) stood at 15.59%, as against 15.56% a year earlier, and 15.54% in the March quarter. In comparison, Yes Banks capital adequacy ratio was at 16.2% in end-June. A September 2025 ratings release by Care Ratings shows that the bank has a portfolio comprising Corporate & Institutional Banking (C&IB), Credit Cards, Commercial Banking (CB), Business Loans and Micro Loans, while also expanding into newer secured products such as housing loans, loans against property (LAP), rural vehicle finance. In Q1 of FY26, RBL Bank recorded a y-o-y growth of 5% in the retail segment and 15% in the wholesale segment, resulting in overall advances growth of 9%. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has removed Dr A. K. Bisoi from his role as the institute's Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) department following a sexual harassment complaint by a female nursing staff member. The AIIMS Nurses Union lodged a complaint with both the AIIMS Director and the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), accusing Dr Bisoi of sexual harassment and using vulgar, unprofessional, and derogatory language towards female staff members, reported news agency PTI, citing sources. Who is Dr A K Bisoi? Dr Akhsya Kumar Bisoi is a professor and former head of the department (HOD) of the Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) of AIIMS Delhi. He has reportedly received several awards, including the Dr B C Roy National Award, given to eminent medical teachers. Also Read: JNU professor sacked over sexual misconduct complaint by Japanese Embassy official In an official memorandum issued on 11 October, AIIMS said that senior professor Dr V Devagourou has been given charge of the CTVS department with immediate effect, pending the outcome of an inquiry. What is the complaint against Bisoi? In a letter dated 9 October, to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), AIIMS Nurses Union described the alleged behaviour of Dr Bisoi as severe and disturbing. The complaint claimed the AIIMS surgeon had repeatedly used abusive and sexist language against a female nursing staff member and even threatened staff members who spoke up against him. Dr A. K Bisoi intimidated nurses by openly threatening to teach a lesson to all those who had complained against him. Dr A.K. Bisoi further threatened to remove the concerned nurse from her clinical posting in retaliation. It is deeply shameful that female employees are being harassed, humiliated, and intimidated in the aforesaid manner, the complaint said, reported PTI. Sources confirmed that an inquiry committee has now been set up to look into the allegations. Previous complaints against the AIIMS surgeon This is not the first time that the AIIMS surgeon has landed in a controversy. The AIIMS Nurses Union's complaint also referred to past disciplinary actions, claiming Bisoi's suspension in 2009 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for unlawful acts and a 2019 incident in which he allegedly harassed female nurses and objected to the Namaste Campaign initiated by AIIMS Infection Control Team. Though a committee was formed at the time, the union claims no strict action was taken, reported PTI. Canada's Foreign Minister, Anita Anand, who arrived in the national capital on Sunday, will meet her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, today, October 13. The discussions between the two leaders are expected to focus on setting up a framework for bilateral "strategic" cooperation in areas of trade, energy and security. It is Anand's first visit to India since assuming the charge of the foreign minister of Canada in May this year. She is also scheduled to meet Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss ways to boost two-way trade ties. "This visit will help build on the positive momentum in India-Canada relations by revitalising our bilateral mechanisms, deepening economic cooperation, and further strengthening the enduring people-to-people ties that anchor our partnership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X. Anand will travel to Singapore and China from India. Anand's visit to India comes at a time when India and Canada are moving towards establishing a framework for strategic cooperation on issues such as trade diversification, energy transformation and security, a Canadian readout said on Saturday. Events in Mumbai, too "Minister Anand will also travel to Mumbai, India, where she will meet with Canadian and Indian firms working to support investment, job creation and economic opportunity in Canada and India," it said. The Canadian foreign minister's visit comes more than three weeks after Canada's National Security Advisor Nathalie Drouin visited India and held extensive talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. Days after the Doval-Drouin meeting, Canada designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity for "violently targeting" certain communities and creating a "climate of fear and intimidation". Renewed vibrancy in India-Canada ties The renewed vibrancy in the ties between the two countries followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, on the margins of the G7 Summit in June at Canada's Kananaskis. The India-Canada relations hit a rock bottom following the then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had dismissed Trudeau's accusation as "absurd". In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats. However, Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April helped initiate the process of resetting relations. Both sides have already posted their high commissioners in each other's capitals. The two countries also agreed to revive several mechanisms to advance relations in various areas. West Bengal Police have arrested the fourth accused in connection with the alleged Durgapur gang rape case, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate said, as reported by ANI. The police had earlier arrested three individuals in connection with the alleged gangrape. Here are the top updates in the Durgapur rape case: 1. On Sunday, a local court in West Bengals Durgapur ordered 10 days of police custody for the three individuals arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a medical student. The second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped on Friday night. The survivor hails from Odisha. 2. Meanwhile, a three-member team of the Odisha State Commission for Women, led by chairperson Sovana Mohanty, will visit Durgapur and meet the survivor's family on Monday. The three-member team will submit a report to the Odisha government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment and the ongoing probe in the case. 3. Mohanty told ANI, We will check on her health and meet her parents. We will submit our recommendations to the State government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment, her mental health and whether a proper investigation is being conducted. It is a 3-member team. We will also inquire about fast-tracking the case and regarding another accused who has not been arrested yet. 4. "Odisha CM talked to the girl's father and the administration," the Odisha Women Commission chairperson added. Senior Field Officer and Consultant for Odisha State Commission for Women, Bijiyani Singh, said that the three-member team may also meet police officers investigating the case and will try to ensure justice for the medical student. 5. Father of the Durgapur alleged gangrape victim, told ANI, ... She is unable to walk and is on bedrest. The Chief Minister, DG, SP, and Collector are all helping us a lot and regularly enquiring about her health... I have requested the Chief Minister to let us take my daughter away from here to Odisha, to a safer place because here, her safety is at risk... We have requested her to let us take her away. Bengal CM faces intense backlash. What did she say? 6. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faced intense backlash for her advice after the alleged gangrape of a medical student that female boarders must not venture out at night. 7. "She was studying in a private medical college. Whose responsibility is it? How did she come out at 12.30 at night? Students staying in hostels, especially those who have come to West Bengal to study from outside, are expected to follow the hostel rules. They should avoid venturing out late at night, although they have the fundamental right to go wherever they want," Banerjee said while talking to reporters at Kolkata airport after the incident. 8. However, she later said that her words were deliberately distorted and taken out of context. 9. CPI(M) West Bengal State Secretary, Mohammed Salim, launched a sharp attack against Banerjee and asked if she would say the same to men. Men and Women are equal, does Mamata Banerjee accept this or not? Will she say the same for men? Women of all ages are feeling insecure in West Bengal right now...Police and law and order have collapsed in Bengal, he said. 10. Alleging police protection for criminals, Salim said that the Mamata Banerjee government is at odds with the ideology of visionary leaders, including Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, who worked for the upliftment of women. She is a woman CM and restricting women, is there a Taliban rule here? Women can't walk freely at night; they can't go out for a job. WB police completely botched up the investigation, protecting the criminals...Their mentality and thought process are completely at odds with the ideology of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Vidya Sagar, and leftist movements, the CPI(M) State Secretary said. Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan on Monday joined Congress in the presence of Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and party leader Pawan Khera at an event in the national capital. Gopinathan had resigned from service as a mark of protest against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. "Abrogating Article 370 might be a decision of the Government. But if you decide to shut down an entire state, jail all journalists, MPs and former CMs, shut down transportation, communication and internet, then is it right? This is a question not just for me but for all of us. Can this be right in a democratic nation? Should voices not have been raised against this? I raised that question and I stand by it even today," Gopinathan said after joining the Congress. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said that it was the happiest moment that one of the brave bureaucrats who has passion towards the downtrodden and marginalised people of this country, and who always fought for justice, love and affection, Kannan Gopinathan is joining Congress. "It gives a clear message that Congress is the only party who is fighting for justice for this country...He resigned from Civil Services in 2019 but he says that his resignation has not been accepted...Bureaucrats who fight for justice and marginalised people are penalised by the system...Even CJI is not spared. This is the time to rise and fight against this divisive agenda," Venugopal said. Who is Kannan Gopinathan? Kannan Gopinathan is a former Indian Administrative Service officer and an activist from Kerala. He had resigned from service as a mark of protest against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Born in the Kottayam district of Kerala, Gopinathan had his early education in Palakkad before moving to Kottayam. Gopinathan did engineering in Electrical and Electronics from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi. He is married to Himani Pathak, a software engineer, whom he met during his volunteering days in Noida. 2012 batch AGMUT Cadre After joining the IAS in 2012 in the AGMUT Cadre, Gopinathan came to the limelight for his rather unusual letter to the then State Bank of India chairperson requesting an ATM in the remote subdivision of Hnahthial, in Mizoram. Also Read | Former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar's father Dilip booked for criminal intimidation Gopinathan is known for his role in Mizoram (including as District Magistrate of Aizawl), where he initiated disaster management tools, school-revival programmes and youth interventions. In 2018, Gopinathan worked at relief camps in flood-hit Kerala, his home state. Prominent face during anti-CAA Protests Abrogating Article 370 might be a decision of the Government. But if you decide to shut down an entire state... then is it right? This is a question not just for me but for all of us. After his resignation, Gopinathan became a vocal critic of government policies on Kashmir, human rights, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and other issues. He was one of the leading figures during the protest against the Act. Gopinathan was detained at multiple locations, including Mumbai, Agra, and Prayagraj, preventing him from participating in protests and delivering talks. The government asked Gopinathan to report for duty again in April 2020, but he refused, stating that he was ready to volunteer for the COVID-19 crisis and would not be rejoining the IAS. Later, an FIR was registered against him under various sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the Indian Penal Code, based on a Government complaint regarding his refusal to rejoin duty. The government also initiated disciplinary proceedings against Gopinathan for violating service rules. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with the visiting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Anita Anand, in New Delhi on 13 October. The meeting was a follow-up to the guidance provided by the Prime Ministers of the two countries during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, to take calibrated measures to restore stability in the relationship, the External Affairs Ministry said in a press release after the meeting. In a post on X, Jaishankar said that he had constructive discussions aimed at restoring and reinvigorating the mechanisms necessary to advance their partnership. We also agreed on an ambitious cooperation roadmap. And to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation so that it delivers on the expectation of our leaders and the interests of our people, he said. As mentioned in the India-Canada Joint Statement on renewing momentum towards a stronger partnership, here are 10 key takeaways from the bilateral meeting. 1- In keeping with the priorities that the Prime Ministers of India and Canada had set out for bringing momentum to the relationship, both sides, based on mutual respect for shared democratic values, the rule of law, and a commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, reached consensus on a New Roadmap for India-Canada relations. 2- The Ministers recognised that in the context of ongoing global economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions, a strong and resilient India-Canada bilateral relationship is essential. Also Read | Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand to meet Jaishankar, Goyal today Reviving this partnership will not only create opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation but also help mitigate vulnerabilities arising from shifting global alliances, ensure more reliable supply chains, and reinforce strategic stability in an increasingly complex international environment, the statement said. $23.66 billion bilateral trade in 2024 3- The Ministers noted with satisfaction the substantial increase in bilateral trade, which reached $23.66 billion in 2024, and the expanding presence of Indian and Canadian enterprises in each others markets, generating jobs with significant potential for future growth. They also acknowledged the important role played by Canadian provinces, six of which maintain representation in India, as well as by Indian states in advancing mutually beneficial economic cooperation. We also agreed on an ambitious cooperation roadmap. And to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation so that it delivers on the expectation of our leaders and the interests of our people. The Ministers agreed to work closely together and instructed their respective teams to initiate necessary steps to implement the agreed roadmap. Initiatives in trade cooperation 4- Commencing ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment informed by todays economic realities and each countrys strategic priorities. 5- Resuming the CanadaIndia CEO Forum, which will bring together leading business executives from both countries to identify concrete, actionable recommendations for both governments to facilitate increased bilateral trade and investment, with a focus on priority sectors such as clean technology, infrastructure, agri-food, and digital innovation. The forum will convene on the margins of a senior-level trade mission in early 2026. Bilateral cooperation on climate action 6- Increase bilateral cooperation on climate action, environmental protection and conservation. 7- Collaborate, exchange information and expertise, and support respective climate ambitions in a wide range of areas, including renewable energy capacity, decarbonising heavy industries, reducing plastic pollution, supporting the sound management of chemicals, and ensuring sustainable consumption. Also Read | Khalistani extremists using Canada as base to promote violence in India: CSIS External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday that India views Canada as a complementary economy and an open society, with diversity and pluralism forming the foundation for a close, sustainable, and long-term partnership between the two nations. The Minister stated that India's approach is to move forward with a positive mindset, and that bilateral relations between India and Canada have been steadily progressing over the last two months. Also Read | Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand to meet Jaishankar, Goyal today When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, we see another open society, we see diversity and pluralism and we believe that it is the basis for a close, sustainable and long-term cooperative framework, Jaishankar said at the bilateral meeting with visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on Monday. Anand arrived in the national capital on Sunday. "As PM Modi noted during his meeting with PM Carney in Kananaskis, India's approach is to move forward with a positive mindset. This morning, you met the PM and heard from him personally about our vision of cooperation and how to best realise it," EAM Jaishankar said. It is Anand's first visit to India since assuming the charge of the foreign minister of Canada in May this year. She is also scheduled to meet Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss ways to boost two-way trade ties. Our meeting today continues the constructive conversations that we have been having since our telephone call on 26th May. India-Canada bilateral relations have been steadily progressing in the last 2 months. We are working to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership," Jaishankar said. De-risk the international economy: Jaishankar Anand will travel to Singapore and China from India. The visit to India comes at a time when India and Canada are moving towards establishing a framework for strategic cooperation on issues such as trade diversification, energy transformation and security, a Canadian readout said on Saturday. "Both sides, for our meeting today, have prepared an ambitious roadmap to advance our cooperation in various domains, including trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, civil nuclear collaboration, AI, critical minerals and energy. I am glad that the two High Commissioners have assumed their responsibilities in our respective capitals and are part of today's meetings," he said. Also Read | US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor meets S Jaishankar amid tariff row Jaishankar also said he looks forward to working closely with the Canadian counterpart. We (India-Canada) seek to de-risk the international economy today by forging strong partnerships of growing range and depth, he said. What did Anita Anand say? The Canadian foreign minister's visit comes more than three weeks after Canada's National Security Advisor Nathalie Drouin visited India and held extensive talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. Days after the Doval-Drouin meeting, Canada designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity for "violently targeting" certain communities and creating a "climate of fear and intimidation". "I appreciate the words you spoke relating to the security dialogue, which, while we elevate the relationship in areas of critical minerals, energy, AI, and climate, to name a few, will continue. The meeting that our officials had relating to security and law enforcement just a few weeks ago here was very productive, and that dialogue will continue. Both of our governments agree on the importance of those dialogues," she said on Monday. We see Canada as a complementary economy and an open society, with diversity and pluralism as the basis for a close, sustainable partnership. Both of our governments agree on the importance of elevating the relationship going further, the Canadian Minister said. "So this joint statement will discuss our mutual plans for re-engagement. It will inform Canadians and Indians alike that we are collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly when it comes to our mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific. Dhanyawaad, thank you so much again. We look forward to the conversation," she said. As a Delhi court framed charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav in the alleged IRCTC scam case on Monday, it reportedly said that Yadav "engaged in conspiracy and abused [his] position." On Monday, the Rouse Avenue Court framed charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others in criminal Conspiracy and sections related to other offences in the IRCTC hotel corruption case. The charges were framed under different sections for cheating, conspiracy and offences related to corruption. However, all the accused are charged with criminal conspiracy, news agency ANI reported. Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts pronounced the order in open court, and the court will upload a detailed order. The court said that there is sufficient ground to frame charges against all 14 accused persons. What did the court say in its order? According to India Today, the Delhi court, while announcing the order, said that Lalu Prasad Yadav abused his position as a Union Railway Minister and manipulated the eligibility conditions of the land tender. "You engaged in conspiracy and abused your position as a public servant. You influenced the tender and manipulated eligibility conditions. You conspired for the undervalued purchase of land parcels," the Delhi court was quoted as saying. "You conspired with other accused for the subsequent transfer of effective control over these land parcels to Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav," it added. In a detailed order passed on Monday, Judge Gogne said that he had come to a prima facie conclusion that Lalu Yadav was in the complete know of the processes and intervened to influence the transfer of the hotels. There were material modifications in the tender process...It has emerged as a distinct possibility that at the point of sale, the land parcels were undervalued and then came to be vested in the hands of Lalu Yadav, the court said, as per Bar and Bench. The court observed that Lalu Yadavs actions caused great loss to the public exchequer. Various persons engaged in a conspiracy which may have involved multiple smaller conspiracies, the court added. The court further stressed that the entire process amounted to crony capitalism in the garb of promoting private participation. "This conspiracy is not entirely hidden; the entire transaction is prima facie fraudulent, and the accused cannot be discharged at this stage," the court reportedly said. What's the IRCTC hotel corruption case? The charges were framed against Lalu Yadav and other on Monday in connection with the IRCTC hotel corruption case. The case pertains to alleged corruption in the tender of two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav as Railway Minister. It is connected with a period when Lalu Prasad Yadav was Railway Minister during 2004-2009. It is alleged that the maintenance contract of two IRCTC hotels, namely BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri, was transferred to Sujata Hotel, a private firm owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochar. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi meets RJD supremo Lalu Yadav after big relief from Supreme Court The CBI alleged that in return for this deal, land worth crores was transferred to a company allegedly linked to Lalus wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav at a fraction of its market value, Bar and Bench reported. The CBI had lodged an FIR on July 5, 2017. A charge sheet was filed in April 2018. CBI had invoked section 120B read with 420 of IPC, section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. What's next? Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav are charged with Section 420, 120B of IPC for the offence of cheating and conspiracy. The case will proceed to trial since all the accused have pleaded not guilty. Tejashwi calls father management guru On Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court framing charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav and others in the IRCTC hotels corruption case, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, ... We will fight this case. We have been saying this from the beginning that since the elections are coming, all this will happen. We respect the verdict of the court. We will fight the case... The people of Bihar are smart, and they know what is happening. All this is a political vendetta. The person who gave 90,000 crore in profit to the Railways, who always reduced fares in every budget, he said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed on Monday that water flowing down from neighbouring Bhutan caused floods in north Bengal. She also sought compensation from the Himalayan kingdom. Speaking in Nagrakata in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said that the losses occurred owing to rainwater flowing down from Bhutan through various rivers. "We have faced losses due to water coming down from Bhutan... We want them to give us compensation," Banerjee was quoted by news agency PTI as saying in a short address during a government programme on Monday. Mamata Banerjee also insisted on the formation of the Indo-Bhutan Joint River Commission. "I have been insisting on setting up an Indo-Bhutan Joint River Commission for some time now, and I demand that West Bengal be made part of it," she said. "Under our pressure, there's a meeting scheduled on the 16th of this month and our officers will attend that," Mamata Banerjee added, alleging that the Centre has deprived the state of monetary assistance for handling calamities. Banerjee visited multiple relief camps in the Bamandanga area of Nagrakata in the Jalpaiguri district which is one of the worst-affected areas due to heavy rain. On October 4, heavy rainfall had flooded the region and caused widespread damage to life and property in the upper reaches of Darjeeling and its foothills. "We will conduct a survey of the houses that have been washed away once the floodwaters recede completely and will take measures to rebuild them," she assured the victims currently lodged in the camps. Mamata Banerjee also said that a temporary bridge has been constructed over the adjacent Gathia and Diana rivers after the earlier one had collapsed during the floods. "To ensure that the victims do not suffer further on account of loss of vital documents such as Aadhar Card, PAN card, land titles etc. which have been washed away by the floodwaters, I urge them to register their losses at the ongoing camps so that the state government can reissue duplicate copies at the soonest," she said. At least 32 people were killed and thousands left homeless in landslides and floods in the northern districts of West Bengal. Mamata blames DVC for 'man-made disaster' Earlier, Banerjee had blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for triggering a "man-made disaster" that led to the death of 28 people following devastating landslides in North Bengal. With over 300 mm of rain in 12 hours, the landslides had ravaged Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong districts, leaving thousands of tourists stranded, hundreds homeless as several hill slopes caved in. Also Read | TMC disowns student leader accused in Kolkata law college gangrape case According to PTI, she called the floods and the ensuing destruction in north Bengal man-made, and blamed the DVC for "unrestricted" release of water, resulting in overflowing rivers in the southern parts of the state. She accused the DVC and the Centre of negligence. She had also pointed towards the Hooghly river flowing close to the danger mark, and alleged that water from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were being released from Farakka, leaving Bengals rivers in a vulnerable state. The DVC is releasing water as per its wish. The lack of desiltation of Maithon and Panchet reservoirs has significantly reduced their water retention capacity," she had said. "The DVC is doing this to save Jharkhand from flooding and Bengal is bearing the brunt. We dont mind that Jharkhand needs to be saved. But, we have our throats sore from asking them to carry out de-siltation for the last two decades now, the CM added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the release of all Israeli hostages by the Palestinian militant group Hamas under the US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan. "We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity," PM Modi posted on X on Monday. He added, "Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu." "We support President Trumps sincere efforts to bring peace to the region," PM Modi said. Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan As many as 20 hostages were released Monday as part of an agreement intended to end the war that began on October 7, 2023. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear. Israel and Hamas are in the early stages of implementing the first phase of Trump's plan. The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final hostages held by Hamas; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main cities. The war is over, OK? Trump told reporters travelling with him aboard Air Force One. I think people are tired of it, he said, emphasising that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of that. However, the truce remains tenuous, and the sides have not agreed on Gazas postwar governance, the territorys reconstruction and Israels demand that Hamas disarm. Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East. When did Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began? The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the Karur stampede during a rally led by Tamil actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, resulting in 41 deaths. The court also appointed former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to head a committee tasked with monitoring the probe, following petitions seeking an independent investigation. Why was a CBI probe sought? The plea for a CBI investigation was filed by Vijays political party, TVK and others, arguing that a fair and impartial investigation could not be conducted solely by the Tamil Nadu police. "An independent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court is necessary to ensure fairness and impartiality," the TVK petition stated. The plea objected to the Madras High Court's decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising only state police officers. It also raised concerns about a possible pre-planned conspiracy by miscreants that may have contributed to the stampede. Also Read | TVK chief Vijay video calls families of Karur stampede victims, assures visit What has been the legal process so far? On 10 October, the Supreme Court had reserved its order on the plea. On Tuesday, a bench led by the Chief Justice of India agreed to hear BJP leader Uma Anandans petition challenging the high courts earlier refusal to order a CBI probe. Another BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, G S Mani, also filed a petition requesting a CBI investigation into the tragedy. What were the allegations against the high courts earlier remarks? TVKs plea criticised the high court for scathing remarks suggesting that Vijay and his party abandoned the venue after the stampede and failed to express remorse. "It is essential that the investigation remains independent and free from bias, given the serious allegations of negligence and potential conspiracy," the plea argued. What led to the stampede according to police? Police said the rally saw a turnout of 27,000 people, nearly three times the expected 10,000. Authorities attributed the tragedy in part to a seven-hour delay in Vijay's arrival at the venue. What happens next? With the Supreme Courts directive, the CBI will now take over the investigation, while the committee headed by former judge Ajay Rastogi will monitor its progress to ensure impartiality and transparency. Malayalam actor Jayakrishnan and one of his associates have been apprehended in the Mangaluru district of Karnataka following allegations of making abusive and communal remarks against a local taxi driver last week, The Indian Express reported. Jayakrishnan, 52, and Santosh Abraham, 45, were taken into custody on Sunday. A third person named in the case, Vimal, 46, is currently absconding, according to the Indian Express report. Details of the Incident The incident took place on the night of 9 October, when the trio, all hailing from Kerala, booked a taxi via a mobile app for a pick-up at New Road, Bejai. When the driver, Ahmed Shafiq (32), called to confirm the precise location, he was allegedly subjected to a torrent of abuse. The complaint lodged at the Urwa Police Station states that the accused, who were reportedly intoxicated, hurled communal slurs at the driver, repeatedly calling him a terrorist and a Muslim extremist. The abuse was delivered in a mixture of Hindi and Malayalam, with the group also allegedly using offensive language directed at the drivers family. Also Read | Abhishek Bachchan gets emotional as he dedicates Best Actor Award to Aishwarya, Aaradhya A police officer confirmed that the accused later confessed to being under the influence of alcohol during the incident, the Indian Express reported. Further investigation revealed that the group had allegedly tried to harass other drivers previously by repeatedly booking and then cancelling rides as a prank. Legal Action and Investigation A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the three individuals under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges include Section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and Section 353(2) (statements conducing to public mischief, particularly relating to religion or community). Police are continuing their investigation. News agency PTI reported, quoting a police source, that digital trails have been identified, and statements are being recorded as part of the ongoing probe. US trade negotiators want India to allow online marketplaces such as Amazon India and Walmart-owned Flipkart to stock and sell their own goods, seeking a policy change that could reshape India's online retailing. India bars foreign-owned online retailers from holding inventory, prompting them to source goods from a large network of vendors. In contrast, locally-funded online retailers such as Ajio, BigBasket and Nykaa hold and sell their own goods. The change, if approved, could heighten competition between the two categories. The US negotiators have cited the need for a level playing field" between the two categories, the people cited above said on the condition of anonymity. Both sides are exploring ways to address the issue of greater market access for e-commerce companies, mainly US-based firms Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart," said one of the two people mentioned earlier. The US has imposed a 50% tariff on Indiathe highest so farcomprising a 25% reciprocal tariff and a 25% penalty for purchasing Russian oil. The push for inventory-based operations comes alongside US calls for regulatory transparency in digital trade, cloud services, and logistics. The negotiations are on hold due to the US government shutdown but are expected to resume once Washington reopens, these people said. Mutually beneficial The Indian side is discussing the issue with its US counterparts to resolve it in a mutually beneficial manner. They are assessing its implications on the policy framework, and any decision will be taken keeping the countrys best interests in mind," the second person said. The move comes even as the Centre evaluates its delayed comprehensive e-commerce policy, designed to regulate data governance, competition, and consumer protection while creating a level playing field for domestic and foreign players. A spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi in an emailed response said, Due to the lapse in appropriations in the US government, we are unable to respond to routine press inquiries." Queries emailed to the spokesperson of Indias commerce and industry ministry remained unanswered. Trade associations such as the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) have previously complained about Amazon and Flipkart allegedly violating the no-inventory rule. The US demand to allow an inventory model in Indias e-commerce sector raises serious concerns," said a top official of CAIT. Such a framework could indirectly allow foreign e-commerce companies to participate in retail trading, which goes against the spirit of Indias FDI policy. This may also affect small traders and disturb the balance of competition in the domestic market," the official said, requesting anonymity. Behind the caution India barred foreign-funded e-commerce firms from operating an inventory-based retail model through Press Note 3, issued on 29 March, 2016. The policy allows 100% FDI under the automatic route only in the marketplace model of e-commerce, while prohibiting foreign investment in inventory-based operations to prevent price manipulation and protect fair competition for small retailers. Indias comprehensive e-commerce policy, designed to tighten rules on data governance, competition, and consumer protection, has faced delays and resistance from global players due to FDI restrictions, data localization requirements, and compliance burden. According to the people cited earlier, the policy may be temporarily put on the backburner as India reassesses its approach in light of global trade uncertainties and evolving geopolitical conditions. Talks on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) resumed on 16 September after a month-long pause over Indias red lines on agriculture, dairy, and genetically modified crops. Both sides have held five rounds of face-to-face talks, while the sixth round, initially scheduled for 25 August, stalled over US demands that India open these critical sectors to American products. The talks are targeted to be concluded in November. Indias exports to the US rose 18% to $40.35 billion in April-August FY26, up from $34.21 billion a year earlier, while imports grew 8.5%, from $19.91 billion to $21.61 billion. This brought total bilateral trade to $61.96 billion during the period in FY26, up 14.5% from $54.12 billion in FY25. Big market India is the worlds second-largest online market, with 881 million internet users, and its digital economy could reach $800 billion by 2030, according to an Invest India report. The e-commerce market itself is projected to grow to $325 billion, making it a key battleground for global platforms. For comparison, the global e-commerce market was valued at $26.8 trillion in 2024 and is expected to reach $214.5 trillion by 2033, as per Mordor Intelligence. Domestic impact and implementation concerns India is considering a pilot project allowing foreign-funded e-commerce companies to buy goods from local vendors, hold inventory, and sell directly to overseas buyers, Mint reported earlier. The plan, expected to be launched first with the UKIndias new free trade agreement partner, would let foreign-funded platforms export products while bypassing the current marketplace-only restriction. Industry executives warn that mixing export and domestic inventory could create compliance challenges. The concern is that to meet delivery timelines, a product could accidentally be shipped through third-party or export-designated inventory instead of the domestic one, or vice versa. Such instances could invite scrutiny from enforcement agencies and be seen as potential policy violations," a senior executive at a major foreign e-commerce company said, requesting anonymity. At the same time, experts note the operational rationale for the US push. Vivek Singhal, co-founder and CEO of Bidso, a B2B manufacturer of outdoor toys, said, An increased emphasis on efficiency and working capital optimization is reflected in the US e-commerce landscape's shift towards a 'ask for inventory' or on-demand procurement model; these trends are also becoming more and more pertinent to India's domestic market." Inventory-light models can enhance cash flow cycles and cut warehousing expenses by up to 25-30%, since India's e-commerce is predicted to reach $350 billion by 2030. Adopting a data-driven inventory strategy can help MSMEs and direct-to-consumer brands increase their agility in a market that is becoming more and more competitive by enabling speedier delivery and reducing dead stock," Singhal added. Export hubs Under the governments revised framework, E-Commerce Export Hubs (ECEHs) are being operationalized with simplified return logistics, easier inter-state movement, and faster GST refunds. An inventory model for e-commerce exports will allow third-party facilitation entities to manage compliance and logistics on behalf of exportersparticularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)enabling them to focus on quality and branding. Indian small and medium exporters remain wary. Vinod Kumar, president of the India SME Forum, said that the move to allow inventory-based exports through e-commerce platforms could open new channels for small and medium exporters, but clarity in implementation is crucial. The idea is progressive and can help Indian MSMEs access global markets more easily. However, without clear separation between export and domestic inventory, companies could face unnecessary compliance risks. The rules need to be transparent and practical to avoid future disputes," Kumar said. Ahoi Ashtami 2025: One of the most significant Hindu festivals Ahoi Ashtami is being celebrated today, October 13. On this day, mothers observe a fast and pray for their offsprings' health and longevity. Ahoi Ashtami 2025: Puja Muhurat Ahoi Ashtami, observed eight days before Diwali Puja and four days after Karwa Chauth, is similar to the later. Also known as Ahoi Aathe, is the eighth day of the month or Ashtami Tithi of Krishna Paksha during the month of Kartik. Ashtami tithi will commence on October 13 at 12:24 PM and conclude on October 14 at 11:09 AM. Ahoi Ashtami Puja Muhurat will be of 1 hour and 14 minutes duration while the exact time as per Drik Panchang is given below. Ahoi Ashtami Puja Muhurat - 5:59 PM to 07:13 PM Sanjh (evening) time for sighting Stars - 6:22 PM Krishna Dashami Moonrise on Ahoi Ashtami - 11:31 PM Ahoi Ashtami 2025: Upvas Traditionally, Ahoi Ashtami upvas is broken during twilight after sighting stars in the night sky. Meanwhile, some devotees break their fast after sighting the moon. Widely celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm across North India, this festival falls eight days before the most auspicious event Diwali. Ahoi Ashtami 2025: Rituals From beginning the day with puja rituals, to sighting the stars in the evening to break the fast, women use akshat, roli and milk to worship the image of Ahoi Mata. Devotees light a diya with desi ghee and offer the bhog prasad to the Goddess. Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is one of the major Hindu festivals, celebrated with great grandeur and enthusiasm across India. The festival marks the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. This year, there is some confusion about the date of Diwali, as the Amavasya Tithi falls over two days, starting on October 20 and ending on October 21, 2025. However, according to the Hindu calendar, Diwali should ideally be celebrated on October 20. Diwali 2025: Date and Time Amavasya Tithi Begins: October 20, 2025 03:44 PM Amavasya Tithi Ends: October 21, 2025 05:54 PM Lakshmi Puja Muhurat: October 20, 2025 07:08 PM to 08:18 PM Pradosh Kaal: October 20, 2025 05:46 PM to 08:18 PM Vrishabha Kaal: October 20, 2025 07:08 PM to 09:03 PM When is Diwali 2025? Find Out if It Falls on October 20 or 21 Why is Amavasya Tithi Important for Diwali? Amavasya Tithi holds special significance during Diwali. According to Hindu scriptures, it was on this day that Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after defeating the evil king Ravana. People lit countless diyas to welcome him, as there was no electricity at the time. This tradition continues today, symbolising the triumph of good over evil and the illumination of darkness with light. Also read | Diwali 2025: How credit card offers can backfire and smart ways to stay safe What are the Key Days of Diwali 2025? Day & Date Tithi & Time Festival Saturday, 18 October 2025 Trayodashi Tithi: 12:18 PM 01:51 PM Dhanteras / Yama Deepam Monday, 20 October 2025 Chaturdashi Tithi: 01:51 PM (Oct 19) 03:44 PM (Oct 20) Choti Diwali Tuesday, 21 October 2025 Amavasya Tithi: 03:44 PM (Oct 20) 05:54 PM (Oct 21) Laxmi Puja Wednesday, 22 October 2025 Pratipada Tithi: 05:54 PM (Oct 21) 08:16 PM (Oct 22) Govardhan Puja Thursday, 23 October 2025 Dwitiya Tithi: 08:16 PM (Oct 22) 10:46 PM (Oct 23) Bhai Dooj What is the Significance of Diwali? Diwali is celebrated to honour the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance. According to Hindu belief, it marks the return of Lord Shri Ram to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile and after defeating the demon king Ravana. The Congress-led Siddaramaiah dispensation in Karnataka has made a bold move by approving a menstrual leave policy, which allows women in both the government and private sectors to take one paid day off per month during their period. The policy has elicited differing views. Vineeta Yadav, Co-president at EMCC Asia Pacific, raised concerns over the policy and called it not so "progressive," adding that it might unintentionally widen the gender gap in the workplace, as hiring managers could become reluctant to choose female employees due to extra leaves. "Hiring managers and employers will never say it out loud, but they will think: '12 extra paid leaves a year? Easier to hire a man.' Instead of creating equality, this could deepen the divide," Yadav wrote on the networking site LinkedIn. What alternatives did Yadav suggest? Yadav further suggested that there was a better way to do this one that "supports everyones health and dignity without singling women out." She proposed: "A universal wellness leave policy for everyone few days a year, no explanation required. Work-from-home flexibility for any health reason, period-related or not. Better workplace design rest spaces, awareness, and empathy built into culture, not carved out for gender. Ultimately, its about creating systems where people regardless of gender or other differences can show up as their best selves. Well-intentioned laws can still have flawed outcomes," she wrote. How did social media react? The post has amassed a myriad of responses from social media users, with several expressing their opinions in the comments section. A user wrote: "Well said. The path to hell is paved with good intentions." Another wrote: "I love your perspective and I couldn't agree more." A third user said: "The solution jotted down in 5 points, do make sense but a reason of not hiring a women, there are plenty already. Work life is already difficult for a women. At least this leaves a choice. Those who already working and making their way on the top are responsible to show how this can be used. It's a choice and it's good to have one, depends on how we use it, it's up to us!" What has Karnataka done? The state cabinet has approved a policy allowing all working women, across industries and sectors, to take one paid day off each month for menstrual discomfort. Unlike previous initiatives in India that applied only to government employees, Karnatakas policy extends to women in private companies as well. Two people died on Sunday afternoon when a small plane crashed into multiple semitrailers near an airfield outside Fort Worth, Texas, igniting them, authorities said, as reported by the New York Times. Watch the video here: Robbie Hoy, public information officer for the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office, confirmed that a plane had crashed, resulting in two deaths. Here's what eyewitnesses say According to a report by the New York Times, Gregory Delano said that he and a friend exited through a side door, jumped over a concrete fence behind the building, and climbed a nearby hill toward the site. As they got closer, they saw a massive ball of fire and smoke, he recalled. Delano said he circled the area but saw no signs of survivors. You honestly couldn't even tell a plane was inside that fire, he said. Near the crash site, another witness, Lauren Anderson, a cashier at an animal feed store, described seeing a huge black cloud of smoke stretching roughly 100 feet across. For about 20 to 30 minutes, it was just nonstop emergency vehicles, she said. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the crash of a Beech King Air C90 aircraft, though the cause remained unclear. Convicted child sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role as a central accomplice to the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, seems to have become the center of another controversy, this time, involving her incarceration. According to The Wall Street Journal, Maxwell, who was recently shifted to the minimum-security Federal Prison Camp Bryan weeks after an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, has reportedly been receiving "unusually favourable treatment", leading to unwelcome changes in the prison's usually-relaxed atmosphere. One particular instance cited by the WSJ pertains to a mid-August meeting between Maxwell and unknown visitors, for which the entire facility was put on lockdown. While inmates at Federal Prison Camp Bryan were confined to their quarters after breakfast, Maxwell entertained several visitors in the prison camp's chapel, with prisoners attributing the impromptu lockdown to the importance of Maxwell's guests. Also Read | Epstein once showed photos of Trump with topless women, claims author As per the publication, one inmate even recalled seeing the convicted sex offender return to her quarters that day "with a smile on her face", and when asked about the meeting, Maxwell said that it went well, without furnishing other details. Less than a week after the mid-August meet that sent the prison camp into lockdown, the transcript of Blanche's interview with Maxwell was released, wherein the convict said she had never seen US President Donald Trump do anything inappropriate or illegal during his association with Epstein. The WSJ further reported that Maxwell's transfer to Federal Prison Camp Bryan was somewhat of a departure from procedure: the US Bureau of Prisons' policies prohibit sex offenders from serving time in minimum-security facilities such as Bryan sans a special waiver. Someone important Following Blanche's interview with Maxwell in March, prison inmates at Bryan's Madison unit were asked to do a deep clean of the entire dormitory for "someone important". Shortly after, Maxwell was transferred to the unit, for reasons no one seems to know. "She had said she didnt know why they moved her. She said one night they just told her to get up and they brought her," the WSJ quoted an inmate as saying. While most inmates at Bryan are white-collar criminals serving short sentences or considered low flight-risk, Maxwell has the fourth-longest sentence among the 600 inmates incarcerated at Bryan. The publication reported that Maxwell was initially met with a certain degree of hostility by the other inmates, who called her a pedophile and other slurs used to describe child molesters. Shortly afterwards, the warden of Federal Prison Camp Bryan called a "town meeting", wherein inmates were warned against making threats to Maxwell, endangering her, or talking to the press about her. While Maxwell would initially keep to herself and not go out of the dormitory unit, she began to venture out after black tarps went up blocking outside views of the prison. "She got her hair donea cut just above the shoulder, a dark mahogany dye job and a blow outat the facilitys prisoner-run salon where inmates can earn credit toward cosmetology certificates. She began visiting the cafeteria, where she received vegetarian meals, most of which she gave away to other inmates. She said she couldnt eat the food, one inmate recalled," the WSJ report noted. Things also escalated on 9 August, a week after Maxwell's arrival, when gunshots were heard outside Bryan. While inmates were ordered to go into lockdown, guards reportedly rushed Maxwell out of her dorm to an undisclosed location, before bringing her back the next morning. Although police reports described the incident as a gang-related shooting, inmates told WSJ that they were apprehensive that an attempt at Maxwell's life could cost them theirs. A minimum-security prison, Bryan offers a higher level of freedom than other, higher security prisons, in addition to job training and vocational training facilities. 'Appeal denied' The WSJ report on the prison conditions facing Maxwell comes a week after the US Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the convicted sex offender against her sentence, leaving a presidential pardon as the only option on her table. Laura Loomer, a staunch Donald Trump ally, right-wing extremist and political influencer, has accused Republican leader and fellow MAGA activist Marjorie Taylor Greene of insider trading. Seemingly lashing out at Taylor Greene for her statements bashing American politicians for taking money from the Israeli lobby, known as AIPAC, Loomer alleged that the Republican is making money through insider trading. AIPAC or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is an influential lobby that promotes strong relations between the US and Israel. MTG, as she is known as in online spaces, has accused American politicians of being bought by alleged foreign money. What did Laura Loomer allege? In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Loomer wrote: Im so tired of listening to Marjorie Taylor Greene yap about how she wont be bought off by foreign funding. We all know she doesnt need foreign funding, because she has insider trading. Loomer also attached a graphic purportedly showing Taylor Greene's net worth and trading history in millions of dollars. Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene? Marjorie Taylor Greene or MTG, as she is known as in online spaces, is an American far-right politician, who has been the US representative for Georgia's 14th congressional district since 2021. Notably, Taylor Greene has diverged from the MAGA cohort before, criticising Israel's actions in Gaza and acknowledging organisations such as the United Nations calling it a genocide, and pushing for the release of the Epstein files. Also Read | Israel Hamas Ceasefire LIVE: Trump to address Israeli Parliament shortly Who is Laura Loomer? In her early 30s, Laura Loomer is a Florida-based right-wing extremist, political activist and influencer known for her controversial views and incendiary social media presence. An unsuccessful political candidate who once described herself as a proud Islamophobe. The Guardian described her as the white nationalist conspiracy theorist. US President Donald Trump offered a playful remark about his afterlife while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, as he traveled to Israel for discussions surrounding the historic Israel-Hamas ceasefire. In a lighthearted exchange with a Fox News reporter, Trump joked about his eternal prospects, saying: You know, Im being a little cute. I dont think theres anything gonna get me in heaven. I really dont. The comment drew laughter from other journalists on the plane. Reflecting on his peace deal achievements Trump acknowledged his role in brokering the ceasefire, which facilitated the release of Israeli hostages and eased tensions in the region. He added: I think Im not, maybe, heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. Im not sure Im gonna be able to make heaven, but Ive made life a lot better for a lot of people. Context of the trip Trumps remarks came ahead of his arrival in Israel, where he planned to meet lawmakers and assess the impact of the ceasefire agreement. The peace deal has been widely praised by international leaders for helping bring stability to the region after years of conflict. Trump declares Gaza war over Trump declared the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza over, framing the fragile ceasefire his administration helped broker as an opportunity for lasting peace across the Middle East. Youve won, Trump told Israel, urging the country to translate battlefield victories into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. Diverging visions for the future Trump emphasized economic development and regional cooperation as pathways to long-term peace, suggesting that wealthy Arab nations could help fund Gazas reconstruction: The total focus of Gazans must be on restoring the fundamentals of stability, safety, dignity and economic development. International pressure and the Gaza conflict Trump acknowledged Israels challenges amid global scrutiny but praised its resilience: This piece of land is very small and think of what youve done. Its incredible. Netanyahu criticized the international community for succumbing to outside pressure: New York City's 81st annual Columbus Day Parade, to be held on Monday, was cancelled after Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency due to inclement weather. The cancellation was announced on Sunday evening by organizers Columbus Citizens Foundation (CCF), just 12 hours before the parade, as a nor'easter approached the US East Coast. "Due to the Governors declaration of a State of Emergency this evening in response to the dangerous weather conditions brought on by the Noreaster, including high winds, heavy rain and flooding in surrounding areas, we must cancel the 81st Annual Columbus Day Parade for the safety of all participants and viewers," the CCF said on Sunday, adding that the parade would not be rescheduled. While we cannot reschedule this years parade, we look forward to seeing everyone at our 82nd annual parade in 2026," the statement added. The cancellation comes days after US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday, reiterating that October 13 is to be observed as Columbus Day nationally, despite recent efforts to redesignate the observance as Indigenous Peoples' Day. In comparison, former President Joe Biden had signed similar proclamations declaring October 13 as Indigenous Peoples' Day. First recognized as a federal holiday in 1971, Columbus Day has historically been celebrated by Italian communities in the US since the early 1900s. Inclement weather The announcement by CCF came as New York Governor Hochul announced that a state of emergency was in effect for all five boroughs, as well as Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties. Neighbouring New Jersey was also placed under a state of emergency due to the approaching storm. Both state of emergency orders are expected to stay in place for the majority of Monday, with the nor'easter battering the East Coast. Former US President Barack Obama sharply criticized organizations that have settled or negotiated deals with President Donald Trumps administration, arguing that entities have this capacity to take a stand, according to his interview on the final episode of the WTF podcast with Marc Maron. Obama singled out groups that comply with what he called arbitrary policies by top Trump aide Steve Miller. Were not going to be bullied into saying that we can only hire people or promote people based on some criteria thats been cooked up by Steve Miller, he said. The conversation also touched on political strategy and Democratic optimism. Obama acknowledged the desire of some organizations to avoid backlash but noted, Were not at the stage where you have to be like Nelson Mandela and be in a 10-by-12 jail cell for 27 years and break rocks. Podcast marks Obamas return to long-form conversation The interview, recorded in Obamas Washington office, is Marons final episode after a 16-year run. Maron described the session as a long-awaited conversation following his previous interview with Obama in 2015. Trumps use of National Guard draws strong criticism Obama expressed concern over Trumps deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, calling it a deliberate end run around not just a concept, but a law thats been around for a long time, referring to the Posse Comitatus Act. Also Read | Trump to get Israel's highest civilian honour after missing out on Nobel That is a genuine effort to weaken how we have understood democracy, Obama said. Reflecting on his own presidency, he added, If I had sent in the National Guard into Texas and just said, You know what? A lot of problems in Dallas, a lot of crime there, and I dont care what Gov. Abbott says it is mind-boggling to me how Fox News would have responded. Two people were killed, and one person was injured after a small jet crashed along a major highway in southeastern Massachusetts early Monday amid rain and strong winds, said authorities. Multiple videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke could be seen billowing above Interstate 195, as blazing debris remained scattered across the road. The highway was closed in both directions near the crash site in Dartmouth, a town about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Boston, AP reported, citing the state Department of Transportation. The plane which had crashed was a Socata TBM-700, that had departed from the New Bedford airport. Probe underway A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the crash. The Massachusetts State Police said in a statement it was not aware of any survivors on the plane, which it said may have been attempting to land at New Bedford Regional Airport. Officials said it does not appear the pilot provided the airport with a flight plan or passenger details. A person on the ground was taken to a hospital, state police said. In a Facebook post, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell extended his condolences to the loved ones of those lost in the tragic plane crash." New Bedford Regional Airport officials are prepared to support the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation, Mitchell said. I am grateful that the crash miraculously did not result in serious injuries to motorists on Interstate 195, he said. At the time of the crash, the National Weather Service said a noreaster had brought rain and winds from 30 to 40 mph (48 to 64 kph) to the area. The Federal Aviation Administration, which state police said would likely take over the investigation, said in an email that it could not respond to media inquiries due to the government shutdown. Earlier today, another small plane crashed into multiple semitrailers near an airfield outside Fort Worth, Texas. Beechcraft King Air C90 crashes into Texas truck lot I am grateful that the crash miraculously did not result in serious injuries to motorists on Interstate 195. Two people died when a small plane crashed into multiple semitrailers near an airfield outside Fort Worth, Texas, igniting them, authorities said, reported the New York Times. The United States is ready to reach an agreement with Iran whenever Tehran is prepared to engage, US President Donald Trump said during an address to the Israeli parliament on Monday. Washington and Tehran had held five rounds of nuclear negotiations before a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June, during which the US also targeted key Iranian nuclear sites. Talks have repeatedly stalled over major sticking points, including uranium enrichment on Iranian soil something Western nations want reduced to zero to prevent weaponisation, a demand Iran has so far rejected. We are ready when you are, and it will be the best decision Iran has ever made and its going to happen, Trump said, referring to the prospect of a deal. The hand of friendship and cooperation is open. Im telling you, they want to make a deal it would be great if we could make a deal, he added while addressing the Knesset. Irans foreign minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday signalled openness to a fair and balanced proposal from Washington but noted that Tehran had not yet received any concrete starting points for negotiations. If we receive a reasonable, balanced, and fair proposal from the Americans, we will certainly consider it, Araqchi told state television, adding that both sides had been exchanging messages through mediators. Trump, who was warmly received in Israel ahead of a planned trip to Egypt for a regional summit aimed at building conditions for lasting peace in Gaza, said, Theres nothing that would do more good for this part of the world than for Irans leaders to renounce terrorists and finally recognise Israels right to existence. Araqchi, however, dismissed the idea of normalising ties with Israel as wishful thinking. Iran will never recognise an occupying regime that has committed genocide and killed children, he said. The Iranian foreign minister also confirmed that he and President Masoud Pezeshkian had declined an invitation to attend the Egypt summit. While favouring diplomatic engagement, neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian people and continue to threaten and sanction us, Araqchi posted on X on Monday. United States President Donald Trump told reporters on October 12 that he doesn't think Xi Jinping is wrong, but his additional 100% tariffs on Chinese imports into the US are a tougher response. Speaking to reporters on Sunday aboard Air Force One on the way to the Middle East, Donald Trump said, I have a great relationship with President Xi; I am not saying he is wrong, but then we met him with something much tougher than what he did to us, again because of the tariffs, it's much tougher. Donald Trump feels relations with China will be fine Earlier, in a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump assured that relations with China will be fine. The post eased US equity futures. Donald Trump said, Dont worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesnt want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it. China last week announced curbs on the export of rare earths. Markets reacted on 10 October after Donald Trump said he would impose an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese goods from 1 November, and limit US software exports. Also Read | US futures jump after Trump assures fine relations with China JD Vance says negotiations possible, but Further, in an interview with Fox News over the weekend, US Vice President JD Vance said they will negotiate if China is willing to be reasonable, but he felt that the US has far more cards if Beijing does not come to the table. China has so much control over critical supply in the United States of America. That is the definition of a national emergency and justifies the presidents move to impose tough tariffs, he said. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt for their contribution in innovation-driven economic growth. Mokyr's share recognises his work on technological progress, while Aghion and Howitt are honoured for their theory on creative destruction. The official handle of Nobel Prize in a post informed, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt for having explained innovation-driven economic growth with one half to Mokyr for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress and the other half jointly to Aghion and Howitt for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction. Also Read | Trump to get Israel's highest civilian honour after missing out on Nobel What are the contributions of Mokyr, Aghion and Howitt? Technology advances are typically believed to impact everyone rapidly, continuously replacing old products and methods with new ones. This ongoing cycle drives sustained economic growth, leading to improvements in living standards, health, and overall quality of life across the world. However, this was not always true. In fact, stagnation was the default for most of human history. Although there were occasional significant discoveries that occasionally improved living standards and increased incomes, growth generally plateaued after some time, the Nobel Prize Committee noted. Joel Mokyr analysed historical sources to understand how sustained growth became the norm. He showed that for innovations to succeed in a self-sustaining cycle, it's not enough to know that something works, scientific explanations are also necessary. Before the industrial revolution, such explanations were often missing, hindering further development of new discoveries and inventions. He also highlighted the crucial role of an open society receptive to new ideas and change. US President Donald Trump took a lighthearted jab at Norway during his remarks at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday (October 13). The gathering marked the signing of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, a deal brokered with Trumps involvement. We have Norway. Oh, Norway, aye aye aye! Norway, what happened? Norway, what happened? Trump quipped, referencing the Norwegian representative at the conference. Snubbed by Norwegian Nobel Committee The playful remark came shortly after the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its prestigious Peace Prize to a Venezuelan opposition leader, effectively bypassing Trump. Wheres Norway? I dont think he wants to stand. Oh, hes back there, Trump added, gesturing toward the Norwegian delegate seated in the audience. Historic peace deal Amid lighthearted moments While much of the summit focused on the historic ceasefire and the reconstruction of Gaza, Trumps humor offered a rare moment of light heartedness amid high-stakes diplomacy. The US president praised the participating countries for their cooperation in achieving peace in the Middle East. Trump hails tremendous day for Middle East US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi co-chaired a landmark summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, where a ceasefire declaration was signed by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey as guarantors of the deal. Together we have achieved what everybody said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East, Trump said. This is a tremendous day for the world, its a tremendous day for the Middle East. El-Sisi echoed the sentiment, calling the Gaza deal a historic day that opens a new era of peace and stability in the region and lays the groundwork for a two-state solution. He added that Egypt would host a conference on Gazas reconstruction. Hamas described the release as an achievement that marks a bright national milestone in our ongoing struggle for freedom and liberation. Israel confirmed the safe return of all living hostages with posts on X stating: Welcome home. Under the agreement, Hamas is also expected to return the bodies of 27 deceased hostages and a soldier killed in 2014. On Monday, the remains of four Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross. Trump speaks in Israel Earlier in the day, Trump visited Israel and addressed lawmakers in the Knesset. Netanyahu called him the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. Trump praised the hostages release as an incredible triumph for Israel and the world, crediting Arab and Muslim mediators for pressuring Hamas. He urged Palestinians to abandon the path of terror and promised the United States would never forget the October 7 attacks. For so many families across this land, it has been years since youve known a single day of true peace, he said. Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over. Also Read | Zelensky to meet Trump at White House on Friday amid talk on Tomahawk missiles The Netherlands has allocated 200 million to strengthen Ukraines antidrone capabilities, according to Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. We will spend it on counter-drone systems that can shoot down drones in Ukraine, the urgent need for which we saw again last night, Brekelmans said during a phone interview from Ukraine. Overnight there have been major air strikes here, which have had a significant impact because they are largely targeting the local energy infrastructure. Ukraine is working to strengthen its air defenses as Russia intensifies drone attacks nationwide. With winter setting in, Moscows forces are targeting key energy infrastructure, including a strike earlier this week that disabled over half of Ukraines gas production. The anti-drone support is part of a defense deal that Ukraine made with the Dutch that also includes a memorandum of understanding on the co-production of drones, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called one of the promising areas of our bilateral cooperation in a post on X. Dutch and Ukrainian companies can increase production together, for example by setting up joint ventures, Brekelmans said. While the intention is to initially produce jointly in the Netherlands for Ukraine, given their urgent need, the same production lines could be used in the future for the Dutch armed forces. Ukraine has a similar arrangement with Denmark, which has set up a co-production facility that currently serves Ukrainian needs but can later be redirected to supply Danish forces. The UK announced its own drone co-production agreement earlier Friday, called project Octopus. Brekelmans sees numerous advantages to such investments in drone technology, as this way the Netherlands is naturally learning more about these systems and establishing contacts with the developers and manufacturers. He called it a necessity, given that the entire NATO-alliance needs more of these counter-drone systems in the next few years. It is a way to bring the lessons learned from Ukraine to the Netherlands. he added. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. An Indian student has reportedly become the first known national from the country to be detained amid the Ukraine war after he was allegedly coerced into joining Russian forces to avoid a prison sentence, The New York Post reported citing reports. Sahil Majothi, 22, from Gujarat, was captured by Ukrainian troops and appeared in a viral video posted by Ukraines 63rd Mechanized Brigade. In the video, Majothi claimed he joined the Russian army in exchange for freedom following an alleged framing in a drug case last April. Majothis mother, Hasina Majothi, told BBC News, The Post reported that her son was caught up in a situation where someone slipped drugs into a package he was delivering. Move to Russia and arrest Majothi reportedly moved to Russia in January 2024, completed a language course in St. Petersburg, and later relocated to Moscow for college, The Post reported. While studying, he worked as a kitchenware courier. In April 2024, his mother said, Majothi was arrested after allegedly being framed with drugs during a delivery run. He was detained for six months before being sentenced to seven years in a Russian prison. The police caught him with it and charged him, Hasina Majothi told BBC. The family hired a lawyer but soon lost contact with him. Coerced into Russian military service According to The New York Post, the video released by Ukraines 63rd Mechanized Brigade shows Majothi claiming he was given the choice to fight for Russia or remain in prison. Majothi also stated that he was promised sums ranging from 100,000 to over a million roubles for military service but never received any payment. After just 15 days of basic training in September 2024, he was reportedly deployed to the war zone. By October 1, he reportedly split from his Russian unit following a dispute with a commander and sought refuge with Ukrainian forces. I dont know how he ended up in Ukraine. I only found out through the viral video, Hasina Majothi said. Indian authorities investigate Following the video going viral, Gujarats Anti-Terrorism Squad questioned members of Majothis family, confirming his arrest and detention in Russia, The Post stated. Many young men like him have been trapped and dragged into the war, community leader Kasam Sumra told the news outlet. We appeal to the government to bring back Sahil and other young Indians who went abroad seeking work. Rising concerns over Indian nationals The New York Post reported that Majothis detainment comes amid increasing concerns that Indian nationals are being recruited into the Russian military, often under coercive circumstances. Also Read | Trump warns Putin: US may send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine Iran has declined an invitation to attend the Gaza Peace Summit, also known as the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit, to be held in Egypt on Monday, 13 October. Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi posted the decision on Sunday via X, saying that Iran is grateful, while also adding, neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us. Also Read | Donald Trump scrambles to seal the deal in Gaza Iran declines Gaza peace summit invitation Iran has turned down an invitation from Egypt to attend the Gaza Peace Summit, citing its unwillingness to engage with nations it accuses of aggression and sanctions. The decision, announced by the Iranian foreign minister, comes just hours before the high-level gathering co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which aims at strengthening the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. According to state-run IRNA, Egypt's al-Sisi had invited Iran to join Mondays discussions in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. What message did Tehran send to Washington DC and its allies? The Iranian foreign ministers comments a thinly veiled swipe at the United States and Israel were accompanied by renewed calls for ending Israeli military action in Gaza. Despite rejecting the invitation, Araghchi maintained that Tehran supports any credible peace effort that upholds Palestinian rights. Iran welcomes any initiative that ends Israel's Genocide in Gaza and ensures the expulsion of occupation forces, he said. Palestinians are fully entitled to secure their fundamental right of self-determination, and all States remain obliged, more than ever, to assist them in their lawful & legitimate cause. He added: Iran has always been, and will always remain, a vital force for peace in the region. Contrary to the genocidal Israeli regime, Iran is not after Forever Wars particularly on the dime of its purported allies but seeks Forever Peace, Prosperity, and Cooperation. Why is Tehran taking this stance? Irans refusal comes in the wake of heightened regional tensions. In June, Washington joined Israel in attacks targeting Irans nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict, deepening animosity between Tehran and Western powers. While emphasising support for any initiative to end Israels genocide in Gaza and safeguard Palestinians right to self-determination, Aragachi made clear that Iran would not engage diplomatically with countries it believes are complicit in its oppression. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has refused to recognise Israel and has positioned support for the Palestinian cause as a central tenet of its foreign policy. What is the Gaza Peace Summit about? The Sharm el-Sheikh meeting, co-hosted by Trump and Sisi, seeks to consolidate the recent ceasefire and develop a political roadmap for Gazas reconstruction. Over 20 global leaders are expected to attend though notably, neither Israel nor Hamas will take part. Donald Trump departed for the Middle East on Sunday, calling the moment a turning point for the region following the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. The war is over, OK? Trump told reporters before take-off. I think people are tired of it. He argued that the ceasefire would hold, crediting his administrations backing of Israels offensive against Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the White House, momentum is building among Arab and Muslim states eager to resolve the long-standing IsraeliPalestinian conflict and, in some cases, to deepen cooperation with Washington. Also Read | Qataris headed for Gaza summit killed in Egypt as their car flips Egypt peace summit Highlights: US President Donald Trump joined the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey in an official signing ceremony for the historic Gaza Peace Deal." Trump landed in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh Monday evening. Earlier, Trump addressed the Israeli Parliament. And, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking ahead of Trump at the Parliament, the Knesset, called Trump the greatest friend of Israel. Hours before Trump's address, the Israeli military confirmed that Hamas handed over a second group of 13 surviving hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza on Monday, completing the release of all 20 living captives. Trump visited Israel on Monday amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which he played a key role in brokering, entering its fourth day. During his brief visit, Trump met with the families of hostages. Cairo summit Neither Israel nor Hamas which do not engage in direct talks attended the summit at Cairo. Israel has also ruled out any role for the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority in Gaza, although its leader is set to participate in the summit. The Israeli Prison Service announced on Monday that it had released nearly 2,000 detainees, mostly Palestinians, under the terms of a Gaza ceasefire agreement. Israel releases almost 2,000 Palestinians In an official statement, the prison service said that 1,968 terrorists were transferred from several prisons across the country to the Ofer and Ktziot facilities. It added, Following the completion of necessary procedures within the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the detainees were released from Ofer Prison to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and from Ktziot Prison to Kerem Shalom, referring to one of the crossings into Gaza. Following the release of 20 Israeli hostages by Hamas, Israel transferred 1,968 Palestinian prisoners from its facilities to buses bound for the West Bank and Gaza. The group included 250 security detainees, many of whom were serving long-term or life sentences for attacks on Israeli civilians and security personnel. Among them were individuals convicted of involvement in high-profile incidents, including attacks during the Second Intifada in 2000, and other acts of violence. Hamas reported that 154 of these prisoners were sent to Egypt. Separately, in southern Israels Ketziot Prison, 1,718 Gazan detainees who were not connected to the October 7, 2023, attacks were released. These individuals had been detained as part of security operations during the conflict and included a small number of women and children. Global leaders have gathered at the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt today for what is being termed a peace summit as US President Donald Trump-led Middle East diplomacy draws international attention. The international summit marks the most ambitious effort yet to broker a sustainable ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with Washington playing mediator to finalise an agreement aimed at ending the fresh phase of war in Gaza triggered after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will chair the meeting titled "Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit' taking place after the US President visits Israel and Hamass release of the hostages. In Israel, President Trump will be conferred with the country's highest civilian honourthe Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour. Leaders and officials from 27 countries will take part in the summit, according to the official Egyptian News Agency. Is India taking oart in the summit? Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh will represent India at the crucial meeting, where leaders are expected to discuss ways to achieve lasting peace in war-torn Gaza, as well as in the wider Middle East. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited for the summit, as per some media reports; however, New Delhi deputed MoS Singh to attend the summit. Why the Sharm El-Sheikh summit? Egypt said the summit in Sharm El-Sheikh aims to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability. Trump announced last Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to phase one of his 20-point plan to secure a Gaza ceasefire and release all Israeli captives in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The plans second phase aims at establishing a new governing body in Gaza without Hamas, the formation of a multinational force, and Hamas disarmament. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 67,600 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it largely uninhabitable. Who all are attending the summit? Apart from President Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are among the leaders attending the summit. "The summit will be co-chaired by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Donald Trump, with the participation of leaders from more than 20 countries," an Egyptian readout said. Full list of leaders attending the summit: 1-Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi Host 2-US President Donald Trump 3-Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 4-Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani 5-Jordans King Abdullah II 6-Kuwaits Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Al Sabah 7-Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 8-Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas 9-Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto 10-Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 11-French President Emmanuel Macron 12-German Chancellor Friedrich Merz 13-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer 14-Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 15-Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez 16-Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis 17-Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan 18-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban 19-Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 20-Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney 21-Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store 22-Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani 23-United Arab Emirates Vice President Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan 24-Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi 25-Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishanka 26-Japans Ambassador to Egypt Masaki Noke 27-Greek Cypriot Administration leader Nikos Christodoulides The summit will also be attended by heads of various international and regional organisations, including: 1-UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres 2-European Council President Antonio Costa 3-Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit Who is not attending the summit? The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that no Israeli officials will participate in the summit. Hamas also will not attend, according to officials in the terror group. Hossam Badran, a Hamas political bureau member, told AFP in an interview that the group will not be involved. Hamas acted principally through Qatari and Egyptian mediators during previous talks on Gaza, he said. Iran has also declined an invitation to attend the Gaza Peace Summit, also known as the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit. Israel-Hamas Ceasefire The summit comes days after President Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to phase one of his 20-point plan to secure a Gaza ceasefire and release all Israeli captives in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. With the start of the ceasefire on Friday, the remaining 48 hostages held by terror groups in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive, were expected to be released within 72 hours by today, 13 October. Israel is set to release around 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners in exchange, including 250 terror convicts serving life sentences, reports suggested. The plans second phase aims at establishing a new governing body in Gaza without Hamas, the formation of a multinational force, and Hamas disarmament. Since October 2023, about 67,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israeli attacks, according to Hamas' health ministry Israel launched fresh attacks on Gaza two years ago after Hamas attacked Israeli cities on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also took 251 people as hostages, and over 50 of them are still in its captivity. What to expect from the Summit? As reported by international media quoting officials, the summit in Sharm El-Sheikh aims to solidify the backing of the deal's guarantors not the parties, even as no one from Israel or Hamas is attending it. It, however, remains unclear how this summit can formally bring the war to a close. Israel has reiterated that it won't agree to end the war until it is satisfied that Hamas no longer poses a threat and has no part in the rule of Gaza. Experts on the Middle East said mediators still have the tricky task of securing a longer-term political solution that will see Hamas hand in weapons and step aside from governing Gaza, something the next phases of Trump's 20-point Gaza plan aim to achieve. The summit aims to end the war in the Gaza Strip and enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East. The Sharm El-Sheikh summit is widely viewed as the first major test of the after ceasefire just brokered by Cairo, Washington, Doha, and other countries Whether this summit will yield a breakthrough remains to be seen, as the worlds eyes turn to Sharm El-Sheikh, where top leaders have convened. US President Donald Trump said Sunday, during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, that his upcoming visit to the Middle East aims to bring together leaders from across the region in support of ongoing peace efforts. We are gonna make everybody happy... Everybody is happy, whether it's Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries, Trump said. The president added that following his stop in Israel, he would travel to Egypt to continue discussions with regional leaders. "We are going to Egypt after Israel, and we are going to meet all of the leaders of the very powerful and big countries and very rich countries and others, and they're all into this deal," he said. Watch the video here: Trump is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv early Monday morning local time. His tightly scheduled visit, which he described as a very special time, includes a private meeting with families of hostages at the Knesset, followed by a public address to Israeli lawmakers. Also Read: Tel Aviv expecting 20 living hostages to be freed as US President Donald Trump flies to Israel amid Gaza ceasefire Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages, AP reported. The war is over, Trump asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold. Following his visit to Israel, Trump will travel to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's office said he will co-chair a peace summit on Monday with regional and international leaders. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, will attend, his adviser, Mahmoud al-Habbash, told The Associated Press. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected any role for Abbas in postwar Gaza, the US plan leaves the possibility open if the Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, reported AP. The latest Israel-Gaza conflict erupted on 7 October 2023, when Hamas carried out an assault on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. We are gonna make everybody happy... Everybody is happy, whether it's Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries. In response, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed over 67,000 Palestinians and injured nearly 1,70,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. While the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, it reports that roughly half of the deaths were women and children. US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russia that he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesnt settle its war there soon suggesting that he could be ready to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin's government using a key weapons system. Is the US preparing to arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles? Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, said, I might say, Look: if this war is not going to get settled, Im going to send them Tomahawks. The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that. Also Read | Kremlin flags nuclear risk of US Tomahawks to Ukraine Trump added, I might tell them that if the war is not settled that we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think its appropriate to bring up. Donald Trumps remarks came shortly after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he hinted at the possibility of sending Tomahawks as part of an evolving US strategy to pressure Vladimir Putins government into ending the war. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I dont think so, Trump said of Russia. I think I might speak to Russia about that. He described the deployment of Tomahawks as a new step of aggression. Also Read | What are Tomahawk missiles? US pounds Iran with the same weapons used in Syria How has Moscow responded to Donald Trumps warning? Russia reacted sharply to the suggestion. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that the topic of Tomahawks is of extreme concern, echoing warnings that such a move could seriously damage bilateral relations. Vladimir Putin has previously cautioned that supplying long-range weapons to Ukraine would cross a red line and further escalate hostilities. The concern follows a renewed Russian assault on Ukraines power grid, part of a campaign to cripple its energy infrastructure ahead of winter. What did Zelensky say about his call with Trump? After the call, Zelensky described his conversation with Trump as very productive, adding that the two leaders discussed strengthening Ukraines air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities, as well as details related to the energy sector. In an interview with Fox News Channels The Sunday Briefing, Zelensky was asked whether Donald Trump had approved the delivery of Tomahawks. He replied, We work on it. Im waiting for president to say yes. Of course, we count on such decisions, but we will see. We will see. On Friday, the Ukrainian president confirmed he was in talks with US officials regarding the potential supply of various long-range precision strike weapons, including Tomahawks and more ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles. Also Read | Zelensky-Trump hold talks as Russia strikes Ukraine with hypersonic missiles Why is Trump considering this escalation now? Donald Trumps comments mark a notable shift in tone. Having once urged Kyiv to make concessions to end the war, the US president has in recent weeks adopted a firmer stance, frustrated by Putins refusal to engage directly with Zelensky. Last month, Trump asserted that he now believes Ukraine could reclaim all territory lost to Russia a dramatic reversal from his earlier position. He has also hinted at a decision sort of made on whether to send Tomahawks, without offering specifics. I really think Putin would look great if he got this settled, Trump said aboard Air Force One. Its not going to be good for him if not. A senior Ukrainian delegation is expected to visit Washington this week, amid speculation that the issue of long-range weapons will top the agenda. Also Read | Massive drone and missile strike plunges Kyiv into darkness | Watch video Could Tomahawks change the course of Ukraine-Russia war? Tomahawk cruise missiles, known for their precision and extended range, would significantly enhance Ukraines strike capability allowing Kyiv to target Russian infrastructure and military assets deep inside enemy territory. While Ukraine argues such weapons are essential to bring Russia to the negotiating table, Moscow views them as a provocative escalation tantamount to US participation in the conflict. Also Read | Ukraine Claims Strike on Oil Refinery Complex in Russias Ufa (Bloomberg) -- President Nicolas Maduro will shut Venezuelas Embassy in Norway after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, rebuffing Oslos move to recognize her fight for democracy in the South American nation. Venezuela ordered its embassy Norways capital closed as a result of an internal reorganization of its diplomatic missions, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on Instagram. Venezuela will also close its embassy in Australia in accordance with the countrys geopolitical principles of peace and integration. Norway has been a key mediator in talks between Maduro and Venezuelas opposition. Maduros decision comes on the heels of Machados 2025 peace prize award on Friday and the Trump administrations maximum pressure campaign in the Caribbean to hold him accountable as leader of a drug cartel. Norways government brokered on-and-off talks between Maduro and the countrys opposition between 2019 and 2024, leading to the failed Barbados Agreement. Caracass decision on the embassy closing seems to signal an end to its communication options with Oslo for the foreseeable future. Since the failed agreements, which Maduro consistently dismissed before holding a 2024 presidential vote that was widely condemned as fraudulent by international observers, the international isolation of Maduros government has deepened. While Venezuela requested a resolution in the United Nations Security Council to defend its sovereignty, neighboring nations have not acted unanimously in defense of Maduro, but rather with caution. Brazil and Colombia criticized the US actions, while Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago endorsed the US deployment. In addition to the closures in Norway and Australia, Venezuelas Instagram posting also announced the opening of representations in Zimbabwe and Burkina Fasso, to strengthen ties with the Global South. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Trump in Israel: Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif, two members of the Israeli parliament, were removed from the chamber on Monday after the lawmakers interrupted Donald Trump's remarks. Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif were escorted out of the Knesett, almost immediately after they displayed a signboard reading recognise Palestine to Trump during his address. The two leaders belong to the Hadash Party the Opposition bloc that has sharply criticised Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over his policies on the occupied Palestinian territories especially the large scale operation in Gaza that killed over 65,000 people following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas claimed 1,200 Israeli lives. Who are Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif? Ayman Odeh aged 50-years-old, has served as chairman of Hadash since 2006. He was a member of the Haifa Municipality between 1998-2003. Hadash is a left-wing coalition that includes the Communist Party of Israel (Maki) along with other progressive groups. Born in 1964, Ofer Cassif a Jewish member of the same party, has served in the Knesset since April 2019. Prior to the elections in July 2025, the Knesset's Central Election Committee had banned Ofer Cassif from running, reportedly accusing him of supporting terror and ruling out Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and Democratic state, mentioned a report by a pan-European think tank. The ban was later reversed. Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif video On Monday, October 13, Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif were escorted out of the Knesett. The Speaker banged the gavel and instructed officials to expel this Knesett member as several other lawmakers cheered and clapped with the two bein shown out of the doors. Take a look here: How Trump reacted? Following the brief interruption and the removal of the two Israeli lawmakers, Trump said that was efficient. Meanwhile, Odeh claimed on X that he was removed from the plenum for his simple demand,' and Casiff said they wanted to demand justice. View full Image Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted as they arrive in the Gaza Strip after their release from Israeli jails under a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) ( AP ) They removed me from the plenum just because I raised the simplest demand, a demand that the entire international community agrees on: To recognise a Palestinian state. To recognize this simple reality: There are two peoples here, and neither is going anywhere, Ayman Odeh, wrote on X. Why Trump is in Israel? Trump arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel on Monday for a short visit before flying to Egypt for a ceremony marking the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, calling Trump the greatest friend of Israel. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for the year 2025 has been awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt on Monday, 13 October 2025. The official social media of the Nobel Prize posted that the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt. However, people might wonder why the Nobel Economics Prize is called Sveriges Riksbank Prize. Why is it called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize? Sveriges Riksbank Prize is also known as the Nobel Economics Prize, as in 1968, Sweden's central bank, the Sveriges Riksbank, established the award in memory of the world-renowned innovator, Alfred Nobel. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize is a distinction awarded based on a donation received by the Nobel Foundation in 1968 from Sveriges Riksbank on the occasion of the bank's 300th anniversary, according to the official website. The prize amount is the same as for the Nobel Prizes and is paid by the Riksbank, according to the official Nobel Prize website. Also Read | Trump to get Israel's highest civilian honour after missing out on Nobel In 1969, Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen were the first to receive this award in economic sciences. Every year, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the prize to the winning candidates based on the same principles as those for the Nobel Prizes, which have been awarded since 1901. Contributions of Mokyr, Aghion and Howitt Mint reported earlier that Joel Mokyr analysed historical sources to understand how sustained growth became the norm. He also demonstrated that for innovations to succeed in a self-sustaining cycle, it's not enough to know that something works; scientific explanations on the same are also necessary. Also Read | Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt Before the Industrial Revolution, such explanations were often missing, hindering further development of new discoveries and inventions. He also emphasised the crucial role of an open society that is receptive to new ideas and change. Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt explored the mechanisms of sustained growth. In an article published in 1992, they developed a mathematical model of creative destruction, which is the process where the introduction of a new, superior product causes the decline of companies selling outdated products. Night view of Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in China's Guizhou Xinhua) 14:10, October 13, 2025 This photo taken on Oct. 11, 2025 shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge under the starry sky in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, soaring 625 meters above the Beipan River in Guizhou's mountainous terrain, is the world's tallest bridge. With a main span of 1,420 meters, the project has become the world's longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in mountainous terrain, according to Guizhou provincial authorities. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) This photo taken on Oct. 11, 2025 shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge under the starry sky in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, soaring 625 meters above the Beipan River in Guizhou's mountainous terrain, is the world's tallest bridge. With a main span of 1,420 meters, the project has become the world's longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in mountainous terrain, according to Guizhou provincial authorities. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) This photo taken on Oct. 11, 2025 shows a light show held at the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, soaring 625 meters above the Beipan River in Guizhou's mountainous terrain, is the world's tallest bridge. With a main span of 1,420 meters, the project has become the world's longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in mountainous terrain, according to Guizhou provincial authorities. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) This photo taken on Oct. 12, 2025 shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge under the starry sky in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, soaring 625 meters above the Beipan River in Guizhou's mountainous terrain, is the world's tallest bridge. With a main span of 1,420 meters, the project has become the world's longest-span steel truss girder suspension bridge in mountainous terrain, according to Guizhou provincial authorities. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) US President Donald Trump is likely to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea as both sides work to reduce trade tensions and disputes, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday. The recent escalation of US-China trade tensions started on Thursday when China significantly increased its export restrictions on rare earths, prompting a swift response from Trump on Friday. Bessent mentioned that there was significant communication between the two sides during the weekend. "We have substantially de-escalated," Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business Network. President Trump said that the tariffs would not go into effect until November 1. He will be meeting with Party Chair Xi in Korea. I believe that meeting will still be on, he added. A number of staff-level meetings will be conducted this week on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings in Washington, Bessent said. Also Read | Why Trumps tariffs have not crippled the global economy yet He further noted that the US expects support from allies such as the Europeans, India, and other democracies in Asia. "China is a command and control economy. They are neither going to command nor control us," Bessent said. Trump's tariffs on China On Friday, Trump unexpectedly announced that the United States would impose an extra 100% tariff on all imports from China starting November 1, or possibly earlier. This raised doubts about an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. What did Trump say about latest tariffs on China? In a long post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1st, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the U.S.A., and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying, he added. Also Read | Sentiment steadies after Trump cools rhetoric on China, gold at record highs What did Trump say about meeting Xi Jinping? Speaking to reporters earlier at the White House, Donald Trump expressed uncertainty about whether the expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea would take place. I haven't cancelled. I would assume we might have it. Beijing has never confirmed the meeting, Reuters quoted the US President. Having brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and overseen Monday's hostage-detainee exchange, US President Donald Trump received a rousing applause in the Israeli Parliament, with lawmakers greeting the 79-year-old with a two-and-a-half-minute standing ovation. As Trump took the podium accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Knesset erupted in applause, with Israeli parliamentarians cheering the US President for his role in the current cessation of hostilities between Tel Aviv and Hamas. When the din died down, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana introduced the US President, calling the 79-year-old a "colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history" and declaring Trump as an icon who the Jewish people would remember "thousands of years from now". Reading out a list of Trump's accomplishments, from recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital to brokering the Abraham Accords and striking Iran's nuclear facilities, Ohana recited the blessing to be said upon seeing a king, The Times of Israel reported. Also Read | Trump to get Israel's highest civilian honour after missing out on Nobel A giant of Jewish history "Mr. President, you stand before the people of Israel not as another American president, but as a giant of Jewish history one for whom we must look back, two and a half millennia into the mists of time to find a parallel, in Cyrus the Great," Ohana continued, heaping praise on the US President, who arrived in Israel on a Monday for brief stop ahead of the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt. The reference to Cyrus the Great harked back to the Persian king who allowed Jews to return from exile in Babylon and rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. Lashing out at recent declarations by world leaders recognizing the state of Palestine, Ohana declared, "What the world needs now is not appeasers who feed the crocodile in the hope that they will be eaten last like the kind we have seen recently at the UN General Assembly." "What the world needs now are more leaders who are brave, resolute, strong, and bold. The world needs more Trumps," the Knesset speaker said emphatically, adding that "not a single person" on Earth "did more than you [Trump] to advance peace". Commenting on the US President missing out on a Nobel Peace Prize despite his self-proclaimed role in stopping several conflicts around the world, Ohana assured Trump that no one was more worthy of the prestigious honor. Ohana insisted that Trump deserved the award "more than any other individual", adding that he and House Speaker Mike Johnson would "ally speakers and presidents of parliaments from around the world to submit your candidacy" for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. "America first but not America alone," Ohana concluded, tipping his hat to Trump's policies. Ohana's comments come days after Trump missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, despite lobbying very pubicly about his worthiness for the award. Days before the announcement, Trump brokered perhaps the most significant truce in recent times, ending over two years of war between Israel and Hamas, which was sparked by the Palestinian militant group's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. The threads of commerce once wove tapestries of trade, with steady routes and exchange hubs lifting the prosperity of nations. But the map of international business is no longer tranquilwe now sail on the turbulent seas of hard power and violent oceans of geopolitics. Marine piracy has evolved from rogue adventurism to a systematic assault on entire economies. Today, the fate of trade is held hostage by two bullies, one each from the East and West, determined to reverse half a century of progress and wield the single most devastating weapon: power. In the last five years, the fabric of our existence has nearly been torn by a virus and now the fabric of trade is on its way to being shredded. The first was utterly unexpected. Covid and its mutations infected every company, hammered every economy and ground every nation down. It left a $2.37 trillion hole in global GDP, greater than the entire economies of Italy, Canada or Brazil. Governments scrambled to contain the economic crises with fiscal responses of vastly enlarged public spending. The second fabric, trade, is being taken apart by hidden and overt tools of trade weaponization by the two largest economies. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), projected as a global connectivity project, turned into an arena of aggression through wolf-warrior diplomacy and debt-trap engagements. Technologically, Beijing attempted to infiltrate and capture the worlds data through its 5G infrastructure; nations saw the threat and secured systems. The BRI now creaks under its own contradictions, even as Beijing tries to recast itself as a champion of globalization, while also using policy tools that choke the free flow of trade. Driven by domestic political compulsions, since February 2025, US President Donald Trump has been spraying the trade fabric with tariff bullets. These take the shape of trade barriers, but serve as weapons of mass intimidation, designed to bring adversaries and allies alike to their knees. From Canada and Mexico to allies in Europe to groupings such as Brics and countries such as India, few have been spared . Even the World Trade Organization finds itself incapable of settling disputes. The sole exception: China, which Trump cant bully without consequences. Consequently, the tapestry that lifted ideas, goods, jobs and prosperity has been getting tattered. Where are we headed? Lets ocean-gaze for clues. Once symbols of openness, they are embroiled in a power contest. Global trade in 2024 surged to over $32 trillion: almost $23.5 trillion in goods, nearly $9 trillion in services. As much as 80% of the worlds merchandise trade moved across seas and oceans. More than a quarter of this sailed through 10 major sea routes; nearly a fifth, through just fivethe trans-Pacific route, Europe-Asia route via Suez, Strait of Hormuz, North Atlantic route and Strait of Malacca. Moreover, every digital servicemovies and music, gaming and educationrelies on ocean-bed fibre cables, tying the fate of virtual commerce to geopolitics. Each passage is now an active warzone of influence. The Suez Canal faces sabotage, targeted by Houthis of Yemen. The South China Sea teems with skirmishes and Chinas claims against its southeast Asian neighbours and Taiwan. The Panama Canal is a theatre of a US-versus-China contest for dominance. The Strait of Hormuz, an oil lifeline for Asian consumers, is perpetually threatened. Melting Arctic routes are becoming new battle-zones, with Russia and the West racing for supremacy. Also Read | The India-Iran Chabahar port project will test our diplomacy The Strait of Malacca, through which a quarter of the worlds annual oil and container traffic squeezes, could see the next US-China face-off. Ironically, the tariffs imposed by Trump could push Beijing and New Delhi into an uncomfortable alliance of convenience. And if the US exits the Indian Ocean region, a zone of rivalry between two great powers could transform into one of strategic collaboration between two regional powers. Beneath ocean surfaces, finance moves faster than goods. Undersea optic cables transmit $10 trillion of flows every day. Beyond commerce, oceans contain vast natural riches too. Seas around Hawaii and Tahiti may hold 100 billion tonnes of rare earths. Across the world, resource exploration is underway. Invert the gaze and look at the world from the waters perspective and what we see is that oceans, not land, are likely to see a major build-up. Around 730 million people live on 11,000 islands today; but more than 1 million lie uninhabited. Several islands could host strategic bases for defence, connectivity and economic vitality. Indias Great Nicobar Island project is an example. Building artificial islands is an entirely new idea of sovereignty extension and infrastructure build-up, though it may clash with international law. Across millennia, oceans have nurtured and nourished nations. Now, they are becoming aquatic battle-zones. Powerful states are bent on taking apart trade ties, while trying to push weaker countries to the fringes. The fabric of trade has suffered enough. It is important for the worlds future that it does not get shredded beyond repair. The threads of commercial ties that bind the world must not be allowed to snap. The author is vice president of the Observer Research Foundation. No summit can paper over the structural fault lines that beset the Sino-Indian relationship. At the SCO summit, while Xi spoke of the dragon and the elephant walking together, Modi again called for peace on their shared border and a fairer trade relationship. He also reiterated Indias opposition to Chinas transnational Belt and Road Initiative, the single largest project of which is a highway through territory under Pakistani control that India claims, and its uncompromising stance on terrorism. India has come under scrutiny at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mint has reported , over its quality control orders (QCOs), with members such as Australia, the European Union, Japan, Thailand, among others, questioning if New Delhis measures related to pulses, tyres and air conditioners make for trade barriers. The US did not raise any concerns at the global trade body on this count, but separately, in its trade deal negotiations with India, the Americans too have made the point strongly about QCOs being one of Indias non-trade barriers. QCOs require products sold in India, whether made by Indian producers or imported, to obtain certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards for meeting quality norms mandated by government. Also Read | India to crack down on substandard Chinese paper imports amid rare-earths row These quality mandates are usually sought, granted and defended as a necessity for improving domestic manufacturing standards and limiting low-quality imports. But it is an open secret that their real purpose often is to circumvent the WTOs rules that disfavour use of tariffs as a means to restrict imports. All the while, helping select interests in India Inc. Are QCOs serving India's interest and is there an opportunity that the sprawling QCOs regime be finetuned? The answers require confronting fundamental issues that have prompted more and more of such protectionism of late. A few contextual facts, first: no country has grown and become competitive on the global stage without accessing global markets. QCOs restrict firms access to global markets. As on March 12, 2025, a total of 187 QCOs, covering 769 products spanning sectors from household appliances to industrial materials had been notified by various regulators and line ministries. How QCOs hurt When applied to raw materials and intermediary goods, QCOs embed avoidable costs into Indias as-it-is high-cost manufacturing ecosystem, imposing cost disadvantages on firms and industries that use such inputs in their manufacturing. Protection for the former ineluctably comes at the cost of eroded competitiveness of the later. A manufacturing ecosystem fit for competing with the best in the world cannot be built in this way. For instance, unintended consequences of lopsided policies can be seen across the textile sector. QCOs, import tariffs and GST have been applied in an inverted way, which has resulted in higher levels of protection for manufacturers of manmade fibres than to makers of apparels and garments, the users of manmade fibres. The outcome? The apparel and garments industry, which employs hundreds of thousands of people in India, have not been able to scale up to global levels and are dotted by small businesses. Decades of protection, on the other hand, has reduced the manmade fibres sector to what is a pretty much a duopoly. What's more, it is a capital-intensive industry that doesnt generate many jobs. Selective orders Theres a need also to guard against the tendency to tear down protection selectively. That doesnt help deepen competition in the market; rather it distorts the playing field more. For instance, a licence has been granted to an Indonesian producer of viscose staple fiber effectively removing the QCO on these regenerated fibres that are increasingly becoming sustainable substitutes for cotton. But no similar licence has yet been issued to Chinese competitors in other manmade fibres where a large Indian manufacturer holds sizable market share. QCOs are also one of the handicaps that are limiting Indias attractiveness to GVCs, which is short for global value chains, of large international majors whose supply chains straddle multiple countries. At a time they are looking to reduce their dependence on China, a QCO at variance with quality standards that have evolved over long years in a GVC limits the attractiveness of an Indian location getting on to the value chain. Also Read | India plans an enabling provision for domestic industry to skirt QCOs As an example: a random QCO contributed to a decision by one of the worlds largest toy makers choosing Vietnam to set up its first plant in Southeast Asia. The firm wanted to set up a $1 billion plant in India to cater to the broader Asia Pacific market. It tried for months but failed to persuade New Delhi to review its QCOs policy for toys, gave up and went off to Vietnam instead. To fully harmonise standards, such as for auto components GVCs, some QCOs will have to be axed. QCOs on tyres, nuts and bolts needed for luxury cars, for instance. A car's safety cannot be guaranteed unless the quality standard of these made in India is identical to the car company's global benchmark. Changing the QCOs, as the auto components industry has told the government in closed-door consultations, would need some powerful lobbies to be ditched. Ironically, the government itself seems to be aware of the insidiousness of QCOs. NITI Aayogs VC Suman Berry plainly conceded earlier this year that, It takes a certain genius to come up with an intervention which is even more malign [than tariffs] because of arbitrariness. All these compliance costs are murder for MSMEs." Few other economists in government have also flagged these issues. Ideally, the QCOs regime should be comprehensively reviewed and rationalised. This is not just a matter of simplification. It is a matter of direction that India wants to head in in a world with increasingly fractured trade. But none of this can disguise whats afoot: another episode of wholl blink first in a trade war thats clearly good for neither. Their mutual dependence is high. Beijing might calculate that it can bear lost access to the US market longer than America Inc can bear a rare-earth crunch, given the role these inputs can play in tech supremacy. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian has sought to allay concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to widespread job losses in the tech sector, arguing that the technology is designed to enhance human productivity rather than supplant workers. AI expands employee capabilities, not headcount In an interview with tech newsletter Big Technology, published by Alex Kantrowitz on 9 October, Kurian emphasised that AIs role is to expand what employees can achieve, rather than reduce headcount. He cited the example of Googles Customer Engagement Suite, an AI-powered set of customer service tools launched last year. Despite initial client fears that AI would replace human agents, Kurian revealed that almost none of our clients have let anyone go. The technology, he explained, has primarily taken on tasks that were previously neglected, such as handling minor customer queries that did not warrant contacting a service agent. I think there is definitely a middle ground, Kurian said, dismissing predictions of mass job automation. Google measures productivity gains Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed a similar viewpoint during a June appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast, noting that AI tools have helped boost productivity among engineers by around 10%. The company measures this gain by calculating the additional hours of engineering capacity enabled by AI-powered assistance. Also Read | MakeMyTrip partners with Google Cloud to enhance AI-powered travel planning Also Read | Airtel ties up with Google Cloud to offer cloud and gen-AI solutions to firms Rather than reducing staff, Pichai said Google intended to hire more engineers in the coming year. The opportunity space of what we can do is expanding, he explained, highlighting that AI allows repetitive tasks to be handled automatically, freeing employees to focus on more creative and complex work. The impact of AI on development is already measurable. According to Pichai, over 30% of Googles new code is now AI-generated, up from 25% in October 2024. Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman reported similar trends, revealing that GitHub Copilot now produces 40% of code at Microsoft, enabling the firm to launch more products in a single year than in the previous three years combined. The popularity of indigenous personal messaging app Arattai seems to have reached the Supreme Court. When a petitioner approached the court about restoration of her blocked WhatsApp account, the judges not only dismissed her request but also suggested Arattai as an alternative. The petitioner Dr. Raman Kundra is a doctor and claimed via her lawyer Senior Advocate Mahalaxmi Pavani that she had been using WhatsApp for the last 10 to 12 years and it was essential for her to communicate with her clients. The doctor had filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution claiming that her fundamental rights had been violated by WhatsApp. The complainant claimed that her account was blocked on September 13 by WhatsApp and after seeking a review, she was told that it would continue to be blocked. The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the petitioner that access to private digital platforms like WhatsApp was not guaranteed under the Constitution and users must comply with the policies of the platform in order to be entitled to its services. They refused to entertain any claims that the action by WhatsApp amounted to violation of free speech and advised the petitioner to address the problem via appropriate regulatory or civil channels. What is your fundamental right to have access to WhatsApp? the bench said. There are other communication applications, you can use them. Recently, there's this indigenous app called Arattai...use that. Make In India!" Justice Mehta noted. Zoho's Rise in India: While Arattai has been on the market for close to four years, the app has only recently gained popularity on the market with the government's push for adoption of India-made apps. The app which is developed by Zoho Corp has crossed 7.5 million overall downloads and is amongst the fastest growing apps, topping the charts among top free apps on App Store and Google Play Store. Taylor Swift is all ready to give her fans an up-close look at her record-breaking Eras Tour with a new docuseries and concert film. She announced the project on the 13 October episode of Good Morning America. The six-part docuseries, Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The End of an Era, will premiere on Disney+ this winter, alongside a concert film showing the tours grand finale in Vancouver, British Columbia. When and how to watch Taylor Swift's Eras tour docuseries The docuseries will be released on 12 December, with the first two episodes dropping immediately. Fans can catch the remaining four episodes over the next two weeks, two each week, keeping the behind-the-scenes access flowing. The concert film, released simultaneously, shows the Vancouver finale in full, including songs and arrangements never seen before. Both the docuseries and film will be available exclusively on Disney+, so subscribers can stream on TVs, mobile devices, or online. A teaser released with the announcement gave a first glimpse at the mix of onstage performances and offstage moments. Watch it here: What to expect from the series Deadline notes the docuseries offers an intimate look at Taylor's life as her tour made headlines and thrilled fans around the world. Viewers will see interactions with family, friends and fellow performers. Opening acts Gracie Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter appear, and guest performances include Ed Sheeran and Florence Welch. The series also shows the creative side of the tour. Fans will finally see the Tortured Poets Department elements brought to life, giving insight into Swifts ambitious stage production and storytelling choices. Also read: Taylor Swift recalls Travis Kelces hilarious confusion over Hugh Grants wife The concert film: a full Eras Tour experience Deadline highlights that this is the first time the full live set from the Eras Tour appears on screen. Unlike her previous Disney+ concert film, which aired before the albums release, this project shows the complete tour exactly as fans experienced it live. FAQs When does Taylor Swifts Eras Tour docuseries premiere? 12 December, 2025, on Disney+. How many episodes are in the docuseries? Six episodes, released over three weeks. Where can I watch the docuseries and concert film? Both stream on Disney+ on-demand. National Fire Safety Week, which launches today, is urging Longford people and men and women nationwide to check in on vulnerable neighbours to help ensure their homes are safe from fire. National Fire Safety Week (October 13 until October 19) is an annual North/South event which focuses on enhancing fire safety, particularly in the home. This years theme is Together Against Fire and aims to support and protect the most vulnerable members of our community through simple actions and shared knowledge among neighbours, friends and family. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) is reminding people that the rate of serious house fires is much higher for older people living alone with the average age of a fire fatality being 69. NDFEM is asking people to work together, to not only ensure their own homes are safe from fire, but also to check in on our more vulnerable members of the community to ensure their homes are fire safe too. Some important questions in relation to fire prevention include do they have working smoke alarms, are their escape routes clear and have they got their chimney or flue cleaned? Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD said: National Fire Safety Week is an important week to remind everyone, of all ages, of the dangers of fire and the simple steps people can take to keep themselves safe. This year there is a particular focus on older people. "We are reminding people to check on their vulnerable neighbours and particularly older people living alone to ensure their homes are fire-safe. "Fire safety is essential, beginning with a basic respect for its power and often unpredictable nature. It is a force that we have to be so careful with. "Every small action checking smoke alarms, planning escape routes, and staying alert to the dangers of fire protects lives. "The reality is that small actions can save lives. "The event was launched today in Cookstown and hosted by Norther Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS). Chief Fire Officer for Monaghan Fire and Civil Protection, Dermot Brannigan said fire safety is not just the job of our fire services. "It is a shared responsibility. This week, I am asking every community group, every voluntary organisation, and every neighbour to reach out to the older people in their area. "A simple offer to check a smoke alarm, to clear a hallway, or to share fire safety tips can make all the difference. Let this Fire Safety Week be more than an awareness campaign. Let it be a call to action a call to protect, to support, and to care. Because fire safety is about people. It is about protecting lives. Marcus Wright, Assistant Chief Fire & Rescue Officer at NIFRS, said: Fire Safety Week is an important reminder that staying safe from fire is something we all share responsibility for. "It is about protecting ourselves, and those who live around us who are most at risk in our community. "House fires are devastating, but simple steps can be the difference in preventing a tragedy. "I would urge everyone to stay alert when cooking, checking your electrical appliances and cables, disposing of smoking materials property, testing your smoke alarm, and consider fitting additional smoke alarms in the rooms that you used most. "Most importantly, look out for those around you who are living alone or are vulnerable to ensure theyre doing everything they can to stay safe from fire. National Fire Safety Week marks the beginning of an intensive media advertising campaign that will run through the higher risk period of fire fatality from October 2025 into 2026. The campaign will run across radio, TV and social media platforms. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Managements is emphasising the need for working smoke alarms in every level of the home and the need to test them regularly. The Community Smoke Alarm Scheme provides free smoke alarms to vulnerable households. To find out more about having a smoke alarm fitted as part of the Community Smoke Alarm Scheme contact your local Fire Service or go to FireIreland.ie. Age Friendly Ireland Shared Service and the National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management have partnered to improve the safety and wellbeing of older people through the delivery of the Home Fire Safety Visit programme. This partnership will see Local Coordinators, through the Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme, work collaboratively with firefighters within their respective Local Authority. The project aims at identifying older people who will benefit from a Home Fire Safety Visit. The Home Fire Safety Visit Collaboration has already successfully rolled out in Co. Mayo, Co. Leitrim and County Sligo. The National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management has committed to support Age Friendly Ireland to scale up and roll out this initiative nationally over the coming months. Marie Nolan, Regional Programme Manager, Healthy Age Friendly Homes, West North West Region said: This partnership between Age Friendly Ireland and the National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management is a simple but powerful way to support older people to live safely at home. "By working with local firefighters, were helping to prevent risks, provide reassurance, and strengthen independence for older people right across Ireland. Visit fireireland.ie for more safety advice and tips. READ NEXT: PICTURES | Another fantastic day as Longford Leader Build and Renovate Expo 2025 draws to a close READ NEXT: Longford County Council roadworks: Two day traffic disruption for Killoe Longford County Council was proud to be part of the Midland Region STEM project which was the sole Irish initiative to be shortlisted for the Innovation in Politics Awards in Vienna. As the 2025 European Capital of Democracy, Vienna hosted this years Innovation in Politics Awards, celebrating bold political leadership and outstanding democratic innovation from across Europe. At a festive gala in Vienna City Hall, eight winning projects were announced, selected by over 1,000 European citizens from more than 300 submissions spanning 34 countries. 'Driving STEM in the Midlands' was recognised in the Education category. Remarkably, this is the third shortlisting for Longford County Council amongst Council of Europe member states at the Innovation in Politics Awards in recent years and an accolade which sets Longford County Council apart from other local authorities in Ireland. Longford County Council was shortlisted in 2019 for the Longford Nua App; in 2021 for the Rural Working Hub Strategy and now once again in 2025 for Driving STEM in the Midlands project. The same staff members from Longford County Council have also been involved with all three of these pioneering projects. The Midlands Region (Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath) is proud to be Irelands first region to establish a dedicated STEM ecosystem. This pioneering initiative unites key stakeholders to foster skills that meet the changing demands of the labour market, underpinned by a shared belief that regional resilience and innovation are deeply interconnected. As an EU-designated Just Transition Region, the Midlands is addressing structural challenges through a triple helix model of collaborationlinking enterprise, education, and public sector partners via the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan and the Midlands ICT Network. This strategic approach promotes inclusive, future-oriented regional development built on sustainable skillsets. The regions commitment to STEM is reflected in a range of engaging, hands-on programmes that have already impacted thousands of students. Highlights include: VEX Robotics, where three Midlands teams have qualified for the World Finals. STEM Passport for Inclusion, offering a Level 6 qualification and direct access to STEM university courses. DREAMBIG, a week-long immersive experience in partnership with 16 manufacturing companies, giving young people real-world exposure to STEM careers. Together, these initiatives demonstrate the power of regional collaboration to unlock opportunity, spark ambition, and inspire the next generation of innovators setting a benchmark for other regions to follow. Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr Garry Murtagh said, Being selected as a finalist in the EU Innovation in Politics Awards 2025 is a prestigious recognition, highlighting the honour of being shortlisted among Europes most forward-thinking initiatives. "It also reflects the strength of our regions commitment to inclusive, hands-on STEM programmes that are already changing lives and opening doors for thousands of young people. Chief Executive of Longford County Council Paddy Mahon said, This recognition affirms the Midlands commitment to inclusive, future-focused development. Driving STEM in the Midlands is not just a projectits a regional movement built on collaboration, ambition, and belief in our young people. "Being shortlisted among Europes most innovative initiatives reflects the strength of our partnerships and the transformative impact of STEM on communities across Longford and beyond and Longford County Council is proud to play a crucial role in this exciting initiative. Representing the Midlands were Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr Garry Murtagh; Director of Services, Longford County Council John McKeon; Broadband Officer, Longford County Council Christine Collins; STEM Engagement Officer, Longford County Council Siobhan Grealy; Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Cllr Barry Walsh and Broadband Officer with Laois County Council, Antoinette Brennan. The Innovation in Politics Awards 2025 featured an exchange conference where Director of Services with Longford County Council John McKeon, Antoinette Brennan and Broadband Officer with Longford County Council Christine Collins presented the 'Driving STEM in the Midlands' Project. The awards gala took place in Viennas historic City Hall. This event brought together policymakers, experts, finalists, and engaged citizens to exchange ideas and celebrate political innovation. READ NEXT: PICTURES | Another fantastic day as Longford Leader Build and Renovate Expo 2025 draws to a close READ NEXT: Longford County Council roadworks: Two day traffic disruption for Killoe Taliban fighters march in formation. (Taliban Ministry of Defense on X) The Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani military skirmished along their joint border overnight after the Taliban launched a retaliatory operation for the Pakistani Air Force targeting the head of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP) two days ago. Both sides claimed to have inflicted high casualties. The two countries have clashed in the past due to the Afghan Talibans support for the TTP. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that his governments forces launched an overnight retaliatory operation against Pakistan, which has achieved our objectives. The Taliban hit Pakistani military installations at 20 locations across the border spanning from the Afghan province of Kunar in the north to Kandahar in the south. Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that 20 Pakistani military outposts were captured, 58 [Pakistani] soldiers have been killed, 30 [were] wounded, and weapons and ammunition have also been seized. Mujadid said that nine Taliban fighters were killed during the attacks. Taliban Ministry of Defense Spokesman Enayat Khowarazm said the operations were launched in response to repeated violations of Afghanistans airspace and the aerial bombardment on Afghanistans territory by the Pakistani military. On the night of October 9, the Taliban military targeted TTP emir Noor Wali Mehsud in an airstrike on the Afghan capital of Kabul. Mehsud and his cadre, which launches repeated terror attacks in Pakistan, shelter in Afghanistan with the support and approval of the Afghan Taliban. Pakistani military claims success in repelling Taliban attack The Pakistani military claimed that the Afghan Taliban struck in Pakistan with the support of the Indian-sponsored Fitna al Khawarij, the name the Pakistani state calls the TTP. Pakistan attempts to shift the blame for the TTPs insurgency in Pakistan toward India, even though the Afghan Taliban, which supports the TTP, has been supported by Pakistan for four decades. The Pakistani Inter-Services Public Relations division (ISPR) described the Afghan Talibans attacks as a cowardly action, which included fire and [a] few physical raids and was aimed at destabilizing the border areas to facilitate terrorism. The ISPR said the attack was repelled decisively all along the border and [Pakistani forces] inflicted heavy casualties on Taliban Forces and affiliated Khwarjis. As a result of these unrelenting operations, multiple Taliban locations were destroyed all along the border; twenty-one (21) hostile positions on the Afghan side of the border were also briefly physically captured and multiple terrorist training camps, used to plan and facilitate attacks against Pakistan, were rendered inoperative, the ISPR claimed. According to the ISPR, 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 Taliban fighters were killed during the fighting. The Pakistani government and military are directly responsible for the rise of the TTP. Pakistan has supported the Afghan Taliban since its founding in 1994 and used the group to improve its strategic depthboth geographically in Afghanistan and as a fighting forceagainst its primary foe, India. The Afghan Taliban also supports the TTP and has provided shelter for the terror group as it has launched its insurgency in Pakistan. The Pakistani state has been well aware of the close relationship between the Taliban and the TTP, but has looked the other way for three decades to maintain its coveted strategic depth. TTP attacks in Pakistan have been a point of contention between the two allies since the Afghan Taliban took control of Afghanistan. The Pakistani military and the Afghan Taliban have exchanged fire several times along their shared border in the four years since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan after US forces withdrew, and the Afghan government and military collapsed. However, this exchange of fire is the most intense in that period. It is likely that the fighting will die down, as it has in past conflicts between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan is unlikely to risk a full-scale war against the Taliban on its western border while its prime enemy, India, sits on its eastern border. In addition, the Taliban is still consolidating power after seizing Afghanistan and isnt in a position to risk a major war with its sponsor. Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. An IDF helicopter lands in preparation to receive released Israeli hostages and fly them to hospitals. (IDF) On October 13, Hamas freed the last 20 living hostages it had held in the Gaza Strip for two years, complying with the deal that it and Israel agreed to on October 8 in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. US President Donald Trump had proposed the agreement in late September, and the details were hammered out in the first week of October. The 20 released hostages were all men, a mix of soldiers and civilians, mostly in their twenties, who were kidnapped on October 7, 2023. They were held for 738 days in Gaza. As part of the deal, Hamas is supposed to return the remaining 28 bodies of deceased hostages it still holds. However, as of October 13, reports state the group plans only to return four of the deceased. On October 12, the day before the hostages were freed, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that the name of the operation to receive the hostages is Returning Home. Simultaneously, the IDF completed a withdrawal and redeployment to a new line in Gaza, pulling back from Gaza City and other areas as per the deal agreed to in Egypt. US Envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Gaza on October 11 with US Central Command head Admiral Brad Cooper and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The visit was meant to verify that Israel had completed its withdrawal from Gaza in accordance with the cease-fire terms, Israels Ynet noted. The IDF is expected to withdraw in phases, the first phase coinciding with the release of the 48 hostages, living and dead. Subsequent phases, if they occur, would see the IDF withdraw from controlling around 50 percent of Gaza to controlling a small zone along the border. As the IDF has withdrawn from areas in Gaza, Hamas fighters have reemerged from hiding, carrying arms. They have also clashed with other Gazans, killing more than two dozen people. We are prepared to strike any enemy who dares to raise its head. We went out to defend on October 7th, from a shattering failure that will be engraved in the memory of every Israeli soldier and commander. We will never cease to implement the lessons of that day so that the IDF will be ready to fulfill its mission and protect Israels civilians from any threat, the IDF said in a statement on October 12. In a national address, IDF Chief of Staff Zamir said that the last two years of fighting against Hamas constitute a victory over the terrorist group. With the return of the hostages, we will have achieved one of the important objectives for which we went to waran objective that is a national, moral, and Jewish commitment, Zamir stated. The IDF reported that 915 Israeli soldiers had fallen in the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the overall military campaign was not over on October 12. There are still major security challenges ahead of us. Some of our enemies are trying to recover in order to attack us again. Israel has faced a multi-front conflict over the last two years that has included threats from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and the West Bank. After the ceasefire, the Houthis in Yemen issued a statement saying that they would remain on high alert if Israel violates the agreement, which seems to indicate the group will pause launching missile and drone attacks at Israel. The hostage release began early in the morning. The Red Cross sent vehicles to a meeting point in northern Gaza to receive the first seven of the hostages. The Israeli military sent helicopters to its Reim base near the border with Gaza to fly the hostages to three Israeli hospitals where rooms had been prepared to receive them. Several of the families of the hostages received phone calls from their loved ones in the morning as the young men were being brought by Hamas to the meeting point with the Red Cross. The first seven hostages were transferred to the IDF at around nine in the morning. A further 13 were freed over the next two hours, as President Donald Trump arrived in Israel and traveled to the Israeli parliament to speak. Trump subsequently left Israel in the late afternoon to fly to Egypt for a summit at Sharm el Sheikh that is focused on Gaza and includes representatives from more than 20 countries. On October 13, Israel released a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Under the deal, Israel is set to release 250 Palestinians convicted of murder and other serious crimes as well as 1,700 Palestinians detained in Gaza since the war began, 22 Palestinian minors, and the bodies of 360 militants, Arab News noted. By Monday evening, Ynet reported that Hamas said it could return the bodies of only four Israeli hostages, naming the deceased as Daniel Perez, Yossi Sharabi, Guy Iluz and Bipin Joshithe latter of whom had previously been classified as having a grave risk to his life. IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin demanded that Hamas uphold the agreement, which calls for the return of all the bodies of the hostages. Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024). An official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims that a 13-year-old from Everett arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had a gun and a knife when he was apprehended. The 13-year-old, whose family is from Brazil, was transferred to a juvenile facility in Virginia on Friday morning, according to attorney Andrew Lattarulo. ICE arrested the boy after an interaction with the Everett Police Department, the Boston Globe reported. He was brought to the police station and later taken into custody by ICE. In a post on the social media platform X, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claims the 13-year-old posed a public safety threat and had a firearm and a 5.7-inch knife when arrested. McLaughlin also claimed that the boy had a history of violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property. When MassLive asked for comment about the arrest, a DHS media spokesperson forwarded an email containing McLaughlins X post. Everett Police Chief Paul Strong was not available for comment on Monday. Lattarulo told MassLive that regardless of what DHS claims, his 13-year-old client deserves due process. If DHS truly believed this arrest was justified, there would be no reason to take a child 500 miles away from his home, family, and lawyer, Lattarulo said. That decision only makes it harder for us to represent him and raises serious questions about access to counsel and basic fairness. The boys transfer took place on the same day Boston federal court Judge Richard G. Stearns ordered the boys release by Tuesday unless ICE and the Department of Homeland Security could provide grounds for continued detention, according to court documents. Lattarulo confirmed that the boy is still in custody as of Monday. The 13-year-old was previously held at a temporary holding facility in Burlington before his transfer. At the time, Stearns wrote that the boy was being held presumably in the company of unrelated adult detainees. Lattarulo acknowledged that Stearnss order could become moot, now that the teenager is at the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Winchester, Virginia, a place that is supposed to house only minors. The lawyer, however, said DHS must explain to the judge why the boy was being detained. They need to say why, Lattarulo said. A 13-year-old boy from Everett who was arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been transferred to a juvenile facility in Virginia. Andrew Lattarulo, of Georges Cotes Law, said his firm received an email from the U.S. Attorneys Office confirming the child was transferred on Friday at 9:30 a.m. He forwarded the email to MassLive. The boy is still in custody, Lattarulo said. The transfer occurred on the same day Judge Richard G. Stearns of the Boston federal court ordered the boys release by Tuesday unless ICE and the Department of Homeland Security could provide grounds for continued detention, according to court documents ICE arrested the boy, whose family is from Brazil, after an interaction with the Everett Police Department, the Boston Globe reported. The boys mother received a call on Thursday to pick her son up from the department; however, an hour and a half later, she was told ICE had taken her son, the Globe reported. ICE and the Everett Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Monday. This is not the first time ICE has detained someone younger than 18 in Massachusetts. In September, ICE detained a 16-year-old boy in Milford during a traffic stop. The teenagers attorney, Jill Seeber, previously told WHDH-TV in Boston that the teenager went to get a snack at a nearby bakery when he stopped to talk to somebody that he knew. ICE agents then detained him, according to Seeber. The boy was released from detention and was taken home by agents. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin previously told MassLive that ICE had no idea that the teenager was a minor and that he was detained to determine his identity and if he was a potential safety threat. ICE does NOT target juveniles or children, DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to MassLive. At the time of the detainment, ICE had no knowledge of the individuals age. Amy Poehler attends the 85th Annual Peabody Awards on June 1, 2025, at Beverly Wilshire. Poehler portrayed U.S. Attorney Pam Biondi on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 11, 2025. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Attorney General Pam Bondi didnt seem upset when Amy Poehler mockingly portrayed her during Saturday Night Lives cold opening over the weekend. The opening skit for the Oct. 11 program featured Poehler, as Bondi, providing testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The skit spoofs a real hearing between Bondi and the committee, which took place on Oct. 7. President Trump, who picked Bondi to be Attorney General in his second term, has been known to lash out at Saturday Night Live for their portrayals of him. Bondi, however, didnt express any anger. In fact, the Attorney General wrote on the social media platform X that she was loving Amy Poehler! The SNL skit featured Poehler throwing insults at Democratic senators, with her telling Mikey Day, who portrayed Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, before I dont answer, Id like to insult you personally. Senator Blumenthal, look at this honky, Poehler said. Even people in Connecticut go, Damn that guys white as hell. When testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee Justice Department Oversight Hearing on Oct. 7, Bondi said she wished Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-CA, loved their states as much as they hate Donald Trump, the BBC reported. Bondi told lawmakers she wouldnt discuss the personal matters related to the firings of senior DOJ officials. She did not answer a question related to the department looking into the finances of Jeffrey Epstein, according to the BBC. During the Saturday Night Live skit, Tina Fey, who played Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, walked up to Poheler with an assault rifle in her arms. She gave an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruitment speech parodying a real advertisement from ICE featuring Noem. Do you like to use zip-ties because people in your life dont trust you with keys? Fey asks. You know it, Poehler responds. Bondi also seemed amused by Feys portrayal of Noem. The Attorney General tagged the DHS Secretary on X, asking if they should go to Chicago and recreate the scene of Fey and Poehler standing side by side. The Trump administration has been targeting Chicago in recent weeks, sending ICE agents into the city to conduct immigration enforcement operations. The administration also tried to deploy the National Guard in Chicago, but federal courts have so far blocked the move. Dancers from Crete, who are visiting Springfield, stand in the front pew at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Sunday. Steven E. Nanton SPRINGFIELD In a tribute steeped in faith, memory and community, St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral held a special memorial service on Sunday to honor Michael D. Biakis, a city native, parishioner and decorated World War II veteran. Biakis, a U.S. Air Force B24 co-pilot, was on a training exercise on Jan. 19, 1945 over the North Sea when his plane was caught in a sudden snow squall and crashed into the ocean. The wreckage was never recovered. Rev. Dionysios Koulianos told parishioners and guests at a memorial service that followed Mass in the Greek Cultural Center that it is up to the community to keep Biakis memory alive. Memory is eternal when you do something about it, Koulianos said. He said it can be as simple as keeping a picture of the departed somewhere where you see it often. Rev. Dionysios Koulianos, right, of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Springfield, celebrates Mass on Sunday. He is joined by guest Father Georgios Sergakis Efimerious of Agiou Fanouriou, Galata Chania Crete. (Steven E. Nanton photo) Steven E. Nanton Remember those who fought, those who are doing an effort for us to enjoy our freedom, Koulianos added. Lets honor all who fought for freedom. May the memory of Michael be eternal, may the memory of all the loved ones be eternal. Biakis, who hailed from Springfield, flew 37 bombing missions across Europe during the war, including over mainland Germany. His unit played a pivotal role in the Allied offensive on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Xenophon Beake, cousin of Michael D. Biakis, holds a memorial plaque to Biakis during a service on Sunday at Greek Cultural Center in Springfield. (Steven E. Nanton photo) Steven E. Nanton His cousin, Xenophon Beake, 92, shared fond memories of growing up with Biakis He proudly showed off an Army cap that Biakis gave him when Beake was 10. He always loved to fly, he said of Biakis. He used to visit the Springfield Airport all the time. Church leaders, elected officials, veterans and members of the local Greek community gathered at the event Sunday to pay their respects and offer prayers and reflections on his life and sacrifice. That included State Rep. Steven Xiarhos, R-Barnstable. His son, Nicholas G. Xiarhos, was a Marine killed in combat while serving in Afghanistan. Xiarhos gave a moving account of how difficult he found it to break the bad news to his wife and children 16 years ago. Thats the price of freedom that we pay, Xiarhos said. So, when you see a United States marine, or any other veteran, truly thank them. The ceremony followed a memorial wreath laying at sea in August that was organized by Sailing for Veterans. Lou Gramm, the co-founder and former frontman of rock band Foreigner, has announced that next year will be his final year of touring. The 75-year-old musician, who has been performing in rock bands for more than 50 years, sat down for an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock in which he discussed his future plans. Ive been doing this for over 54 years, (including initial group) Black Sheep, Gramm told Ultimate Classic Rock. You know that was a professional band. We had two albums out on Capitol Records (and) did some serious touring. The musician elaborated that his future desires lie away from music. I just feel like theres some other things that I want to do, he explained. I do want to spend more time with my children my older children and my younger child and spend more time playing with my cars while Im still capable of driving. This year, Gramm has been touring both with Foreigner and his solo band. Most recently, he performed with Foreigner at two shows in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Oct. 10 and 11. The rock artist will continue to perform with both bands through 2026. As of Oct. 13, the musicians last scheduled performance on Ticketmaster next year is slated for May 28 in Stamford, Connecticut. Gramm is best known for his tenures with Foreigner from 1976 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 2003, who in turn are known for songs such as Feels Like the First Time and Cold as Ice. As a member of Foreigner, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013, along with Foreigner bandmate Mick Jones. A husband and wife died in a fiery plane crash in Dartmouth on Monday. Thomas Perkins, 68, and his wife, 66-year-old Agatha Perkins of Middletown, Rhode Island, were identified by officials as the two people who had died in the crash. They were found in the main part of the airplane and pronounced dead at the scene. A fixed wing single engine Socata TBM 700 crashed into the median of Interstate 195 in Dartmouth Monday morning, causing a fire and forcing the closure of part of the highway, officials said. Massachusetts State Police learned of the crash around 8:15 a.m. Monday, Tim McGuirk, an agency spokesman, said in a statement. The plane may have been attempting to land at New Bedford Regional Airport after taking off from the airport and heading to Wisconsin. It was expected to land in Wisconsin at 10:13 a.m. A silver Hyundai Sonata was impacted by a portion of the crashed aircraft. The driver, a woman, was taken in a passenger car to St. Lukes Hospital. Her injuries are considered non-life-threatening. We offer our condolences to their families and loved ones, State Police said in a statement. The highway was closed going west at exit 19, and in both directions at exit 22, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The left lane heading east was also closed at exit 19, the agency said. A man who was sentenced to life without parole for a 1993 murder has been granted parole after a court ruling made him eligible for release. The Massachusetts Parole Board on Oct. 7 unanimously voted to grant parole to Mark Van Winkle, who has been incarcerated for 31 years. Van Winkle was 20 years old when he shot and killed 21-year-old Israel Espino during a fake drug deal set up with the intent to rob him and two other men. On Oct. 5, 1993, Van Winkle lured Israel Espino, his 23-year-old brother Frank Espino and 19-year-old Juan Guerra to a remote wooded area under the pretense of selling them marijuana. According to the parole boards decision, Van Winkle, who was in the back seat with Israel Espino, shot him in the head, killing him. He then shot and wounded the other two men. Frank Espino escaped into the woods, while Guerra, who had been rendered unconscious, awoke and drove away to alert police. In 1994, a Norfolk County Superior Court jury convicted Van Winkle of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He also received sentences for armed robbery, armed assault with intent to rob, and assault and battery. Van Winkle became eligible for parole after the 2024 Supreme Judicial Court decision in Commonwealth v. Mattis. The court ruled that sentencing individuals aged 18 to 20 to life without parole is unconstitutional. As a result, Van Winkles sentence was changed to life with the possibility of parole. In its decision, the parole board stated that Van Winkle has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that makes his release compatible with the welfare of society. The board noted he has completed 60 rehabilitative programs, has had no disciplinary reports in six years, and holds trusted employment positions within the Department of Correction. The board heard testimony opposing parole from the victims family and the Norfolk County District Attorneys office. Upon release, Van Winkle will first spend six months in a lower-security facility before moving to a long-term residential treatment program. His parole conditions include electronic monitoring, no contact with the victims families, mental health counseling, and required attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Generative AI was used to write this story, based on data provided by the Massachusetts Parole Board. It was reviewed and edited by an editor. A 44-year-old Massachusetts woman was seriously injured when she was ejected from her ATV during a crash Saturday. Around 2:30 p.m., Nicole Avila, of West Wareham, was riding an ATV behind her husband driving down a slight decline on Turbine Trail in New Hampshire. As he approached the junction with Brook Road he slowed down but Avila failed to brake. She crashed into her husbands machine and was ejected. She was taken from the scene by a Berlin Fire and Rescue UTV and then transferred into an awaiting ambulance. She was then taken to Androscoggin Valley Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening injuries. NH Fish and Game would like to remind all riders to always abide by posted speed limits, wear the appropriate safety gear, and always leave enough space between you and other operators to avoid collisions, the organization wrote in a statement. A motorcycle and an SUV collided in Bourne Saturday afternoon. Bourne Police Department A motorcyclist was flown to a hospital after crashing with an SUV on Cape Cod Saturday afternoon, according to police. Officers responded to the crash at 6 Head of the Bay Road in Bourne around 2 p.m., Bourne police said in a press release. At the scene, they found the motorcyclist a 22-year-old Taunton man lying on the ground with serious injuries. Officers provided the man medical aid until paramedics arrived, police said. He was then flown to a local hospital via medical helicopter. A motorcycle and an SUV collided in Bourne Saturday afternoon. Bourne Police Department The SUV driver an 84-year-old Bourne man stayed at the scene and did not report an injuries resulting from the crash, police said. A regional Cape Cod law enforcement crash reconstruction team is investigating the crash. No further information has been released. Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins outside the John Joseph Moakley courthouse in Boston on Aug. 21, following his arraignment before a federal judge. (Irene Rotondo) Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins is asking a federal judge to dismiss the extortion charges brought against him earlier this year, claiming in court filings that prosecutors failed to show he participated in a quid pro quo with a cannabis company. Tompkins faces two counts of extortion under color of official right in connection with what prosecutors have described as a scheme to extort an executive at a cannabis company opening in Boston, where he used his influence as sheriff to enrich himself. He has stepped away from his duties as sheriff while his criminal case is pending. Tompkins used $50,000 of his retirement savings to buy pre-IPO shares in the cannabis company at $1.73 a share in November 2020, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. When the company launched in 2021, the stock value was at $9.60 a share, which increased Tompkins investment value to $138,403. When the stock price dropped in May 2022, Tompkins again pressured the executive and company and demanded a full refund of his $50,000 share, which he received through five separate checks, prosecutors said. But Martin Weinberg, a lawyer representing Tompkins, portrayed the sheriffs dealings with the cannabis company as little more than a common business transaction. Mr. Tompkins made an investment, as did many others, paid full value for it, and received no financial benefit not conferred on other buyers, the filing reads. Mr. Tompkins paid full value for his investment and had a right to sell it. The motion accepts the allegations in the indictment against Tompkins as true for the purposes of arguing to dismiss them, though the filing notes that he contests many of the claims. Even assuming the claims put forward by prosecutors are true, there is no showing that Tompkins participated in quid pro quo, the filing reads. When Tompkins authored a letter setting up a partnership between his office and the company, he did not do so as part of an agreement that he would receive benefits down the line, Weinberg argued. Prosecutors also fail to show that it was through extortion that Tompkins got equity in the company in the first place, and later a refund on his investment, the filing reads. Mr. Tompkins was entitled to receive the value of his equity interest, and his request to do so was not wrongful and therefore cannot support conviction, Weinberg wrote. The claim by prosecutors that an individual at the company was pressured to return Tompkins investment out of fear that he would use his position as a sheriff to put the companys license at risk is a a transparent fiction that does not support the alleged crime. As part of the terms set out by the Cannabis Control Commission for opening a business, the cannabis company, which is not named in the indictment, was required to create a Positive Impact Plan to obtain a license. To satisfy that requirement, the company established a partnership with the sheriffs offices Common Ground Institute program, which provides career training for individuals who are incarcerated. Under the terms of the partnership, the sheriffs office would screen candidates and refer them for employment at the company. Prosecutors say Tompkins threatened to pull the sheriffs office out of that partnership if he wasnt allowed to buy stock. The company feared that if he did so, it would lose its license, according to the government. But Weinberg argued the facts alleged in the Indictment do not support a plausible inference that such loss would have jeopardized Company As license in any respect. He notes that the partnership with the sheriffs office was just one part of the PIP the company set up. Weinberg seeks oral arguments on the motion. Federal prosecutors have not responded to the motion. Tompkins was appointed Suffolk County sheriff in 2013, elected as sheriff in a special election the following year and then was elected to successive six-year terms. He oversees around 1,000 correctional officers and other employees who maintain correctional facilities in Boston at the House of Correction and the Nashua Street Jail. Military personnel in uniform, with the Texas National Guard patch on, are seen at the U.S. Army Reserve Center, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Elwood, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. AP Photo/Erin Hooley If youve been paying attention to the polls lately, youve probably noticed some unsettling conclusions about the ranks of Americans who say political violence is justified or theyre willing to support the use of force for political ends. The problem, according to one Ohio State political science professor? Theyre wrong. And that has a lot to do with the way the questions are being asked, Ryan Kennedy, the universitys Timashev Chair of Data Analytics, wrote in a recent analysis for the public policy site The Conversation. In Pollingese, the culprit is something known as a response error, which means respondents end up interpreting a question differently from the way that researchers think they will. As a result, the answers that researchers get "dont really reflect what the researcher thinks the answers show," Kennedy wrote. Heres an example: According to Kennedy, asking someone whether theyd support using force to achieve a political goal raises the question of what a polling respondent thinks use of force means in that context. It could mean, for instance, using guns. But it also could mean using the courts to force someone to do something, he observed. Big, big difference. Such response errors have been a concern for pollsters ever since survey research began," he wrote. They can affect even seemingly straightforward questions. To get around that problem, Kennedy used artificial intelligence to ask some of the same questions and to ask respondents what they were thinking when they were asked those questions. The AI also generated reports based on the responses, Kennedy wrote. For instance, when Democrats were asked about using force to remove President Donald Trump from office, more than half (57%) of the 33% who agreed with that sentiment said they were thinking he might need to be fired or forced out of office due to rules or laws," Kennedy wrote. Nearly 3 in 10 (29%) of Republicans told Kennedy they agreed that using military force was justified to stop protests against Trumps agenda, according to Kennedy. But almost all of the respondents who agreed with this statement envisioned the National Guard interceding nonviolently to stop violent protests and riots, he wrote. Only about 2.6% of Republicans said they supported using the military against nonviolent protests, he wrote. And almost all those who agreed that use of the military was justified expressed thoughts like this: I see the military coming and acting as a police force to stop or prevent the demonstrations that become violent. Peaceful protesters must be allowed to exercise their right to free speech, Kennedy wrote. The bottom line? Americans almost universally condemn the recent political violence they have witnessed, he wrote. The recent poll results showing otherwise more likely stem from confusion about what the questions are asking than actual support for political violence. Survivors of the Nova Music Festival, attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, attach "home" stickers to photos of Israelis taken hostage by the terrorist group two years ago and returned to Israel on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. John L. Micek/MassLive One by one, they stepped to a wall filled with pictures of the missing. One by one, they attached tiny blue stickers, reading home. One by one, they celebrated the hostages who returned to Israel on Monday after two years in brutal captivity by the terrorist group Hamas. Twenty returned home. Twenty to celebrate. But, still, 28 who never made it home alive. Twenty-eight to eventually bury. Twenty-eight to mourn. Its a mixed emotion, said Alon Levy, whose sister Sigal Levy was among those who were killed when Hamas attacked the Nova Music Festival in Reim, Israel, as dawn broke on the desert on a day that eventually left 410 festival-goers dead. By days end on Oct. 7, 2023, 1,200 Israelis would be dead and 251 taken hostage and brought across the border into Hamas-controlled Gaza. Were happy to see them all, Alon Levy said. But when you see on the TV, family hugging ... you try to imagine, Im hugging my sister, and she wont come back. U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District (L) speaks with Alon Levy, whose sister, Sigal Levy, died during the attack on the Nova Music Festival in Israel. The two men were at a news conference in Boston on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, marking the release of 20 Israeli hostages. John L. Micek/MassLive Levy, joined by five survivors of the Nova attack, gathered Monday morning in South Boston to mark the return of the living hostages and a cease-fire, partially brokered by the United States, putting an end to the fighting that also claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians. After Nova, my family was four days without knowing what happened to my sister. And this day was horrible, Levy said during a news conference at a traveling exhibit that tells the story of the Nova festival attack. So I can only imagine what happened to the families of the other hostages .... because until you have a grave, something to mourn, he said. ... You cannot leave, its like there is the feeling inside of you that cannot leave it, like, [you] cannot let it go and breathe as the family. Hamas said Monday it would hand over the bodies of four of 28 deceased captives, though it was not immediately clear when the rest would be released, according to The Associated Press. Israel said it freed more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the wire service reported. From left, Onn Britschner, Raz Shifer and Noa Beer, take questions during a news conference in Boston on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. All three survived the Hamas attack on the Nova Music Festival in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. John L. Micek/MassLive One of the deceased hostages yet to be returned is Roz Shifers childhood best friend, Inbar Hayman. The 27-year-old became known as the last woman held hostage in Gaza. She was killed by Hamas after 71 days in captivity. And Im waiting for the news today to see if shes gonna, her body is gonna return, Shifer said. And its very confusing. Because everyone is very happy. But theres still 28 people there that we are waiting for. Onn Britschner, who was a bartender at the music festival, said he was thinking about Alex, his bar manager, who was slaughtered by Hamas after 11 months in captivity, and just hours before Israeli Defense Forces found him. And he was a father to one, and expecting another, Britschner said. And Im thinking about him all day. From left, Alon Levy, Tal Mazor and Shachar Hovitz, take questions during a news conference in Boston on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Alon Levy's sister, Sigal Levy, died during the attack on the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023. Mazor and Hovitz survived the attack. John L. Micek/MassLive Tal Mazor, another Nova survivor, made no secret of his feelings about Hamas, even amid his optimism and grief. The people that we are talking with, we are having negotiations with are monsters, he said. They dont care about human life; they dont care about their own people. So, as a matter of fact, they dont care about ours. So at first I couldnt believe that the hostages are still coming back home, he continued. And for me, I woke up in the middle of the night to see the first pictures of the hostages coming back. It was a relief. But still, its going to be a long way til everybody ... comes back home. Shachar Hovitz, who survived the attack, said she found her thoughts turning to a fallen Israeli Defense Forces soldier who was a friend of her family. Theyre all 19, 20, 21, theyre babies, literally, theyre boys, she said. " ... And Im thinking about that 20-years-old boy that died on a day before his 21st birthday, and all these soldiers that sacrificed their life for us to get to that day. So Im filled with hope that we wont have to go through that again and grief for that, too." The emotions for Greater Bostons Jewish community, one of the nations largest, are much the same, Rabbi Marc Baker, the president and CEO of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies, told MassLive in an interview after the news conference. This has been the hardest couple of years of my lifetime. And, I think, [for] the American Jewish community, certainly since the Holocaust. Today is a day to celebrate, to be joyful, he continued. It is emotionally fraught. We are thinking about all of the hostages that did not come home, all of the people whose lives were lost on Oct. 7. All of the soldiers whove fallen, were grieving. Were also celebrating. We are allowing ourselves to feel hope. During formal remarks during the news conference, Baker said he acknowledg[ed], with compassion also the suffering and loss of so many Gazan civilians because of this war and because of Hamas indifferent, oppressive regime." Keeping that peace will take work, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District, who attended Mondays news conference, said. The president is saying that the war is over, and we certainly all hold that hope, Auchincloss, who is Jewish and a Marine veteran, said of remarks by President Donald Trump on Monday. But peace is not just the absence of conflict. Its the presence of justice, he continued. And we are going to have to work together across nations to ensure and to architect that justice for Israelis, for Palestinians, so that we can have a new dawn. Auchincloss also said he was keeping the family of Hirsch Goldberg-Polin, a young Israeli-American man with ties to Massachusetts who died in captivity, in his thoughts. His parents, Rachel and John, are exemplars of a spirit that should inspire us all, Auchincloss said. And their son will not be coming home today, as is true of too many families in Israel. And we mourn for them. Asked if they had any words for Boston on a day, as Levy said, that was filled with so many emotions, Noa Beer, a DJ booking agent who survived the attack, spoke for all the survivors sitting with her. The day we forget is the day that it happens again, she said. A coastal storm that rolled into New England on Sunday will continue to dump rain on Massachusetts throughout Monday, with high winds and flooding along the coast likely. Forecasters with the National Weather Service expect about three-quarters of an inch of rain to fall over the western half of southern New England on Monday. In the eastern part of the region, forecasters expect up to an inch and a half of rain, especially over Southeastern Massachusetts. There is a chance Cape Cod and the Islands get a break from the rain Monday morning, which would keep totals lower. Still not overly concerned about the possibility of thunderstorms today, but the risk is not negligible, forecasters wrote. There should be some periods of drier weather between these showers. Gusty winds are likely throughout the day, peaking Monday morning. The strongest winds will be over Cape Cod and the Islands, where gusts of up to 50 mph are expected, with some power outages possible. The impacts of the storm will be felt into Tuesday, with continuing rain and northerly breezes. The character of the rain trends more intermittent or even drizzle, forecasters wrote. Wind gusts between 20 and 25 mph are likely on Tuesday, with highs in the mid-50s to low-60s. But the breeze will keep it feeling cooler than that. The storm system is expected to finally pull away Tuesday evening, and rain will start to taper off west to east that night. That said, intermittent showers over Cape Cod and the Islands are possible overnight. In the wake of the storm, forecasters expect an elongated area of low pressure to set up over the northeast. That low pressure will catch the coastal low that brought the stormy conditions, tightening the pressure gradient again. The low pressure will also bring in an unseasonably cool airmass later this week. To that end, forecasters expect blustery and dry conditions with below-normal temperatures between Wednesday and Friday. High temps in the mid 50s, though it may feel like the 40s with the breezes, forecasters wrote. Cape Cod and the Islands could see some ocean-effect showers, with cloudy weather and stronger northeast winds also likely. Those winds could lead to some coastal flooding on Wednesday and Thursday for Nantucket and possibly Cape Cod. Looking ahead to the weekend, a significant change to the weather pattern appears to be in store. Forecasters expect sunny and dry conditions, with the possibility of temperatures climbing well into the 70s. Plans to reopen Spoodles Deli in Worcester have fallen through almost a year after the downtown restaurant closed and now, the popular lunch spot is closed indefinitely, owner Georges Makhlouf told MassLive Monday. The restaurant had planned to move from its previous location at 340 Main St. to around the corner at nearby 10 Front St. after the building that housed Spoodles on Main Street was sold, Makhlouf previously told MassLive. The relocation was announced in December 2024, the same month the restaurant suffered a water break and had to close its doors. In January and February, a flyer hung on the window of 10 Front St, teasing the reopening of Spoodles. Boxes and other items could be seen in the storefront. However, as months went by, the flyer disappeared and no major changes to the buildings interior were made. Thats because Makhlouf decided not to reopen Spoodles. I gotta move on, he said Monday. Makhlouf said several factors led to his decision, including money. Makhlouf reported a $500,000 loss in profits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With fewer customers visiting Spoodles, Makhlouf said he struggled to earn enough money to rebuild the restaurant. Theres no customers there, he said. Its not worth it. Another factor, according to Makhlouf, was timing. He said it was taking too long to reopen Spoodles. Makhlouf is unsure what will happen to the property at 10 Front St., which is owned by Felicio Lana, who also owns @ The Common, previously known as The Midtown Mall. Lana did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. Spoodles had been around for more than 30 years, standing on the corner of Main and Foster streets. The two-floor restaurant featured a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, smoothies, Greek food and more. The employees of Spoodles have managed to find new jobs elsewhere, according to Sierra MacDonald, the former deli manager. The chef who made the soups, for example, is now working at the restaurant Brick & Stone on Grafton Street, MacDonald said. As for Makhlouf, he has found work in the electrical engineering field. I love Spoodles, Makhlouf said, As a business decision, it was very tough. Three Mayo companies have been awarded Gold Member status at Bord Bias annual Origin Green Sustainability Seminar on Tuesday, October 7, at the Killashee Hotel in Naas, Kildare. West Coast Crab Sales Ltd, Connemara Seafoods, and Martin Jennings Wholesale Limited were recognised for their exemplary sustainability performance in 2025. Gold Membership is awarded to Origin Green-verified companies if they make significant improvements in their sustainability target areas. Target areas can include raw material sourcing, water and energy efficiency, emissions, waste reductions, packaging, and social sustainability. This years 136 Gold Membership companies come from 26 counties across Ireland and represent sectors including dairy, meat, seafood and aquaculture, grocery, bakery and confectionery, beverages, and horticulture. Just over three-quarters of the overall Gold Member companies are small or medium-sized enterprises, while one quarter are large firms. This year, 17 percent of the companies were first-time recipients of Gold Membership. READ NEXT:Mayo woman recognised at Global Undergraduate Awards Every year, Origin Green raises the threshold to meet Gold Membership status to help drive continuous change and improvement across the Irish food sector. The record 136 companies awarded Gold Membership this year underscore the huge desire of the Irish food and drink sector to future-proof their business as they continue to increase their sustainability actions, Said Martin Hofler, Senior Sustainability Manager, Origin Green at Bord Bia. By formally acknowledging the efforts and performance of these 136 outstanding food and drink companies, we are not just rewarding sustainability, but also fundamental business changes and improvements that will be a key driver to their long-term success. Were also very conscious that these annual awards inspire other companies to make their own changes, to both improve the environment and also to set their business on the right path. I would like to congratulate all 136 Gold Members, and I look forward to seeing them continue to prosper and to champion sustainability in the coming years. He added. Jim OToole, CEO of Bord Bia, expressed his delight at the record number of companies achieving Gold Membership. We see Origin Green member companies innovating in their packaging, rethinking their energy use, collaborating with farmers, and investing in circular economy models. We see leadership in action, not just in boardrooms, but on factory floors, in fields, and across supply chains. And we see a shared commitment from Origin Green members to doing better, year after year. SuperValus Mayo-based Food Academy producers have once again been recognised for their products, claiming three awards at this years prestigious Blas na hEireann awards. This achievement forms part of SuperValus overall success in the competition, where producers working with Irelands largest grocery retailer secured an impressive 96 awards across a wide range of categories including SuperValu Own Brand, SuperValu Signature Tastes and The Happy Pear ranges. Mayo producers amongst the winners for the silver and Best Start Up were Noble Mango Sorbet, produced by Julia and Alexander Kuzminova of Nice Ice Cream. One of Food Academys newest producers starting in 2025, Nice Ice Cream won The Blas na hEireann Best Start Up award. Julia and Alexander from Odesa, have combined their passion for organic fruits and premium ingredients with high quality organic Irish milk, to create a range of exquisite ice creams & refreshing sorbets. Mayo producers amongst the winners for the bronze awards were: Noble Chocolate Ice Cream, produced by Julia and Alexander Kuzminova of Nice Ice Cream and Jack & Eddies Black Pudding, produced by Ray OMalley. Using a secret family recipe and from the farm nestled in the hills between Westport, Co. Mayo and Leenane, Co. Galway, Ray from Jack and Eddies produces his award-winning puddings. Food Academy is a unique and tailored producer development programme run in partnership between SuperValu and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and accredited by TU Dublin as a Certificate in Entrepreneurship. The programme serves as a platform for showcasing the excellence of quality Irish products and the innovative spirit of food and drink producers across the nation. Food Academy producers have sold a combined 260 million of products in SuperValu since 2013. Luke Hanlon, Managing Director, SuperValu said: 2025 has been a remarkable year for SuperValus Mayo Food Academy producers at the Blas na hEireann awards, where our local suppliers were celebrated once again for their quality, innovation, and diverse offering. Supporting homegrown talent has always been at the core of SuperValu, and its inspiring to see these producers receive the recognition they truly deserve. We remain committed to championing the very best of Irish food. SuperValu has long championed locally, Irish-sourced food and drink, working with more than 1,800 suppliers, and this years wins further emphasise the variety and excellence across all categories: from meats and dairy to innovative new products. Now in year 18, the Blas na hEireann awards celebrates the very best food and drink from across the island of Ireland. With thousands of entries spanning over 180 categories, it is recognised as an industry gold standard, where products are blind tasted by expert chefs, restaurateurs, academics, and journalists. SuperValus continued success at the awards underscores the retailers commitment to championing the highest quality Irish food and drink. READ MORE: Mayo charities nominated for National Social Enterprise Awards 2025 Maddi Solloway-Price, Head of Road Freight Policy at Logistics UK Logistics UK has announced a new partnership with TAPA EMEA, the Transported Asset Protection Associations Europe, Middle East & Africa region, as freight crime continues to impact operators across the country. Maddi Solloway-Price, Head of Road Freight Policy at Logistics UK, said: The safety and security of our members staff while delivering for the economy is of paramount importance, which makes our partnership with TAPA EMEA such a great fit for us. As the worlds leading supply chain security and resilience association, TAPA EMEA is committed to helping minimise losses from its members through information sharing, training and monitoring all elements of moving goods which we are keen to help our members improve. By tapping into their expertise, and sharing our own knowledge with them, we are confident that the partnership will help to drive awareness of and create solutions for future issues, before they occur. TAPA EMEA President & CEO Thorsten Neumann welcomed the collaboration. Growing industry collaboration to highlight the threat of cargo crime to supply chains in the UK, and increasing awareness at a government level, is very encouraging. TAPA EMEA and our members are only too aware of the high level of freight crime across the UK. As well as gathering and sharing more intelligence to understand when, where, and how these crimes occur, we also encourage industry stakeholders to use the various security and crime prevention solutions already available to reduce the chances of falling victim to cargo crime. These include our own supply chain security Standards for facilities, trucking, secure parking, and cyber security as well as Driver Security Guides and training courses, all created to minimise supply chain losses, he said. The tie-up with TAPA EMEA follows other recent partnerships announced by Logistics UK, including agreements with NAVCiS (the National Vehicle Crime and Intelligence Service) and the Motorway Buddy app, both designed to improve crime reporting and raise awareness among drivers. Logistics UK is redoubling its efforts to improve the safety and security of hauliers operating on the UKs strategic road network, Solloway-Price explained. By improving information flows across the industry and sharing best practice to keep drivers and their vehicles as safe as possible. Our industry is one that the economy relies upon to deliver on time and our drivers are the backbone of that service any information and guidance that we can share between our organisations will help to keep us all as well informed as possible to counteract potential criminal attacks. Meanwhile, we will continue to share all intelligence that we gather with government representatives as we press for an improved nationwide network of secure parking and rest facilities. As part of the new partnership, Logistics UK will attend TAPA EMEAs annual conference to explore joint working opportunities. This follows recent round tables in London and Edinburgh with Rachel Taylor MP and representatives of the Scottish government, where members highlighted the challenges drivers face on UK roads. Those of us who work in offices take it for granted that we are safe and secure at work, and can take a comfortable rest when the working day ends, added Solloway-Price. This is not a done deal for our logistics drivers but in partnership with TAPA EMEA, NAVCIS and Motorway Buddy, Logistics UK is committed to driving change from the government. Harry Hughes, TAPA EMEAs UK Regional Lead, underlined the stakes for operators. Its easy to dismiss the impact of cargo crime, until you suffer a major loss. Then, the reality kicks in. Attacks on supply chains not only put frontline staff at risk, the resulting high-value losses can pose a real threat to customer relationships, too. By working more closely with Logistics UK and other partners in the UK, we believe we can collectively make a positive difference to the resilience of our national and cross-border supply chains. Logistics UK is one of the UKs largest business groups, representing a sector that employs more than seven million people in the making, selling, and moving of goods. The group campaigns on issues ranging from decarbonisation to driver welfare and represents members across road, rail, water and air, as well as retailers and manufacturers. Founded in 1997, the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) is a not-for-profit association that helps manufacturers, shippers and logistics providers reduce supply chain losses caused by cargo theft. Its EMEA membership includes over 1,000 organisations spanning insurers, parking operators, security services and law enforcement, and offers certified security standards, training and intelligence systems to support supply chain resilience. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands. Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of more than 1,900 of prisoners held by Israel, with the first two buses leaving Ofer Prison in the early afternoon. The 20 hostages, all men, arrived back Israel, where they will reunite with their families and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. Much of Gaza is a wasteland, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. Living hostages released first People gathered in a square in Tel Aviv sobbed as photos of the hostages reuniting with their families flashed up on the large screens. The hostages have become household names and their faces familiar across Israel over the past two years, and tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country. Soon after the hostages arrived back after being handed first to the Red Cross, then to the military Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home. They included one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately. The photos of the first seven hostages released Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January. Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of prisoners. An armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called terrorist organizations risked arrest. Israels military did not respond to questions about the flier, which The Associated Press obtained on site. The prisoners slated for release include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. A painful chapter The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. Trump is traveling to Israel and Egypt Trump arrived Monday in Israel, where he was to speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages. The war is over, Trump told reporters as he departed even though his ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the future of Hamas and Gaza. Among the most thorny is Israels insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza. So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gazas far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gazas border with Israel. The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gazas government should be worked out among Palestinians. Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Netanyahu will also attend the meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, is also expected, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash. The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years. The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, Sam Metz in Beitunia, West Bank and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report. This image made from video provided by WCVB-TV, shows the scene after a small plane crashed onto a highway in Dartmouth, Mass., Monday Oct. 13, 2025. (WCVB-TV via AP) AP Two people died after a small plane crashed along a major highway in Massachusetts. According to the Associated Press, the fiery crash occurred on I-195 near Dartmouth, about 50 miles south of Boston, around 8:15 a.m. on Monday. Two people on the Socata TBM-700 died after it departed from New Bedford airport, while one person the ground was injured. We were coming down the highway, and then all of a sudden everybody locked up the brakes, we all starting zig-zagging, nobody hit each other where I was, witness Eric Desouza told WJAR-TV in Providence. Not something to see every day. You know, certainly nobody will wake up this morning expected to be hit by a plane as you can see out there. Or to be hours late for work for those of us who are just trying to get to work. The victims have not been identified by name, and the specific cause of the crash has not been revealed, but the National Weather Service said a noreaster had brought rain and winds from 30 to 40 mph to the area at the time of the crash. In a Facebook post, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell extended his condolences to the loved ones of those lost in the tragic plane crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating but did not provide details due to the ongoing government shutdown. An Illinois man is sentenced to 12 to 25 years behind bars for sexually assault a then-12-year-old girl in 2023, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced. At the time, the victim lived in Michigans northern Lower Peninsula, and the perpetrator lived in Illinois, the news release said. In April 2023, Javier Mora, 22, of Des Plaines, Ill., began communicating with the victim through online gaming platforms. He then drove from his home in Illinois to Cadillac, Mich., where he committed the sexual assault, prosecutors said. Mora was charged by the Wexford County Prosecutors Office in November 2023. Under Operation Survivor Justice , he was arrested in Illinois in January 2025 and extradited to Michigan to face charges. Mora pleaded guilty in July to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of engaging in child sexually abusive activity, and one count of using a computer to commit a crime. On Oct. 9, he was sentenced by Judge Jason Elmore of the 28th Circuit Court in Wexford County. Operation Survivor Justice is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Attorney General, local county prosecutors, and the U.S. Marshals Service to locate, apprehend, and return to Michigan fugitive offenders with outstanding sexual assault warrants. CHICAGO -- Peter Frank sank to his knees as he felt the fresh, clear water of Lake Michigan. Tears ran down his face as he felt peace wash over him. Frank is back in the Great Lakes after canoeing to Florida and back. The adventurer set out from his hometown of Escanaba in the Upper Peninsula on June 27, 2024, and headed east through the Great Lakes, Canada and New York before reaching the Atlantic. From there it was all saltwater to Florida where he reached the halfway point. Then, in Mobile, Alabama he began the long arduous river journey north. The 24-year-old is canoeing the Great Loop, a 6,000 mile trip. He reached Chicago on Sept. 19, but not without facing extreme difficulties. It was hard for Frank to put into words exactly what hes been through over the past six months, let alone the past year on the water. Peter Frank pictured in Illinois while on his way to Chicago and Lake Michigan. Frank began his canoeing journey in the Upper Peninsula in 2024, and has now paddled to Florida and back. (Photo provided by Kennith Johnson) Photo provided by Kennith Johnson In Alabama he paddled by 14-foot alligators and his campsite one day was overrun by fire ants, forcing him to abandon the island he was on. They got into all his gear and even after scrubbing it down he still had trouble. It was like four days where I was getting bit by fire ants randomly because I just couldnt find them all, Frank said. It was thousands of them. Dehydration was a constant threat under the oppressive summer heat. And always in the back of his mind was the mighty Mississippi, which he would have to paddle northward against the current. He was told it was impossible due flooding in Wisconsin that was draining off into the river basin. But as he got to the swift brown murky waters of the mighty river, he gave it a go. Related: Michigan adventurer canoes from Upper Peninsula to Florida and thats only halfway Making the return If there was a way to paddle up that river, I would have done it. Frank said. Even if it took 5 miles a day. Or even if it took 2 miles a day I would have done it. The swift current from the floodwaters and the rock jetties that made standing waves in the river meant that Frank finally met an insurmountable obstacle. My whole point for doing this was to challenge myself, Frank said. I came out here to challenge myself and learn something deeply profound about myself in the world and the process. And I did that. I met a challenge that I could not overcome. And that, to me, was success. I reached this wall that wasnt just hard, it was literally impossible. His Mississippi experience was an emotional one. One that hes not ready to fully talk about yet. He caught a car ride 218 miles up the river and started paddling again just north of St. Louis in the Illinois River. Not entirely content to leave the Mississippi stretch of water behind, he said he wants to try that particular section again during a drought. With the fear of the Mississippi behind him, another challenge was ahead. Once on the Illinois River he started taking body blows from invasive carp, primarily bighead carp and silver carp. The invasive fish have been wreaking havoc on the environment and spook easily, leaping out of the water. As Frank paddled against the current, the massive fish often pummeled his body. He took a weeks-long sabbatical near Peoria before making the final push to Chicago and his ultimate goal, Lake Michigan. Peter Frank sews a new pair of pants while taking a sabbatical in Illinois before making the push to Chicago and Lake Michigan. Frank began his canoeing journey in the Upper Peninsula in 2024, and has now paddled to Florida and back. (Photo provided by Kennith Johnson) Photo provided by Kennith Johnson Illinois resident Kennith Johnson met up with Frank around this time and took photos of him as he used the time off the river to work on a new pair of pants. I think he appreciates life, every bit of it, the good and the bad, Johnson said of his mentality. Frank himself says that appreciation comes from surviving getting hit by a car when he was 14. Hes had the opportunity to come back, Johnson said. And I think he wants to take full advantage of his time here. Getting to the Great Lakes The Chicago Portage was the final hurdle standing between Frank and the Great Lakes. The route is a connector between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River systems. Native Americans have trekked it for thousands of years and more recently French Voyagers used it as their gateway to explore the region in the 1600s. Now, there is a shipping canal that connects the waterways, but due to the invasive carp that Frank battled on his way north, the canal is electrified, making paddling it deadly and impossible. Staying true to his personal rule of moving under his own power if he could, he paddled up the Des Plaines River and then started the Chicago Portage following in the footsteps of of Native Americans. Peter Frank portages his canoe through Chicago to reach Lake Michigan on Sept. 19, 2025. Frank began his canoeing journey in the Upper Peninsula in 2024, and has now paddled to Florida and back. (Photo provided by Kennith Johnson) Photo provided by Kennith Johnson Two friends he met on his journey, Johnson and Ben Sparks, helped him complete the feat. For the first time on his adventure, he accepted help pulling his canoe, and the three of them transported the boat the 20 long miles across the pavement and concrete of Chicagoland in a single day. Still, Peter insisted that he at least have one hand on the boat. Passersby and people following his progress came out to meet them and walk with them for a while or buy them a Gatorade. At times they had a little posse making the trek together. As he approached Lake Michigan, he walked the last mile with his canoe under his own power, solo. After 19 miles walking and working in the heat, his body was spent. When I pulled around that corner, I put that canoe down and I gazed off into that water. It was like a wave of peace came over me. And it wasnt peace, like relief. It was like a wave, like, oh, my God. I have been hearing somebody whispering my name for months now, and I had finally saw the face of who that was. That was the kind of peace that came over me. Frank walked to the edge of the waves and his strength gave out. He sat in the sand and started sobbing. It felt like meeting an old friend. He grew up in Escanaba; Lake Michigan is his familiar friend. Peter Frank takes a moment to himself in after completing a 20 mile portages with his canoe through Chicago to reach Lake Michigan on Sept. 19, 2025. Frank began his canoeing journey in the Upper Peninsula in 2024, and has now paddled to Florida and back. (Photo provided by Kennith Johnson) Photo provided by Kennith Johnson Thats where my soul resided. Thats where my spirit was. And so thats where I met myself, he said. Hes now working his way northward toward home and hes finally ready to end this adventure now thats he has met his goal of pushing himself as far as physically possible. I had faced the hardest of the hardest...I had faced the dragon. Frank said. Im ready to complete this journey now. Lake Michigan isnt letting him finish easily. Like generations of explorers before him he is at the mercy of the wind and the waves which are tricky on the lake this time of year. Whenever he arrives, he will be greeted on the beach by grateful friends and family who are waiting patiently in Escanaba. You can follow Franks journey in real time on his website or social media channels. All 20 living hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel walked free Monday as part of a ceasefire. Picture is President Donald Trump with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he boards Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv, as Israel's President Isaac Herzog watches at left. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP By The Associated Press Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages on Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. President Donald Trump, addressing the Israeli Knesset, urged Israel to work toward peace following the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the Israel-Hamas war and opened the door to building a more stable Middle East. Under the deal, Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and promised to allow a surge of food and aid supplies into famine-stricken Gaza. Trump arrived in Egypt later Monday for a global summit on Gazas future. More than two dozen countries are expected at the meeting, which Trump is hosting along with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited but declined, with his office saying it was too close to a Jewish holiday. Ariel Cunio, an Israeli hostage released from the Gaza Strip walks off a helicopter at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) AP Heres the latest: Egyptian leader praises Trump as only one who can bring peace to the region President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissis comments come during a meeting with Trump. The leaders are co-chairing a summit on postwar Gaza in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. El-Sissi urged Trump to support a Gaza reconstruction conference Egypt is planning to host next month. El-Sissi, whose government has served as a key mediator in ceasefire talks, also said Egypt is working to ensure that bodies of hostages in Gaza are found and handed over to Israel, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Trump praises el-Sissi on lack of crime As he sat alongside the Egyptian leader, Trump returned to one of his favorite topics to discuss: crime. During an impromptu bilateral meeting, Trump called el-Sissi very powerful and noted that there is no crime in Egypt. They have very little crime, you know. Because they dont play games, Trump said, adding: Because they dont play games like we do in the United States, with governors that have no idea what theyre doing. Later, Trump again remarked on the crime levels in Egypt and said el-Sissi puts it out very quickly. Some people think thats not nice, but I think its great because people dont want to be mugged and smashed, and they dont want to be stupid people, Trump said. Egypt, home to over 115 million people, does face crime, particularly the harassment of women. However, its police use heavy-handed tactics, including torture, human rights activists have said. Witkoff: Were dug in Trumps lead Middle East negotiator predicted a long presence by the U.S. in the region following the ceasefire deal. Were dug in, said Witkoff, as Trump met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh. Well be here quite a bit. Thats at the direction of the president. Witkoff also praised Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, saying: Jared is remarkable to work with. The minute we inked the deal, Jared and I were already working on the implementation side, Witkoff added. Tony Blair, ex-UK prime minister, joins the summit on Gaza Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who Trump has suggested would play a key role in governing postwar Gaza, is attending a summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Blair was met by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi upon his arrival to the venue, according to the Egyptian presidency. Under Trumps plan for Gaza, Blair would potentially lead a transitional authority that would run the Palestinian enclave. The proposed body would combine international expertise, technocrats, U.N. officials and Palestinian representatives, and would function under a U.N. mandate. Trump lands in Egypt Trump has arrived in Egypt for a summit with world leaders on Gaza. Air Force One, escorted by Egyptian fighter jets, touched down at Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport. Trump is planning to attend what the White House has billed as a signing ceremony, helping to solidify a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. The flight followed Trump spending hours in Israel, where he met with relatives of hostages and gave a lengthy speech before parliament. Trump has called on Israel and the Arab world to seize on a U.S.-backed ceasefire as a means of promoting a larger peace around the Middle East. Erdogans diplomatic push led to Netanyahus absence at the summit, Turkish official says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a diplomatic initiative to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from attending a summit in Egypt on Monday aimed at cementing the ceasefire in Gaza, according to a Turkish government official. The official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations, said Netanyahu ultimately decided not to participate after Turkeys effort gained support from several other nations. Netanyahus office announced that he would not attend the summit, citing a Jewish holiday. The Turkish official declined to confirm media reports claiming Erdogans plane circled above the Red Sea as the president threatened to boycott the meeting, and that it only landed once it was clear Netanyahu would not be present. By Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey Russia supports the Gaza ceasefire Russias top diplomat on Monday expressed support for the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said we very much hope that everything that has been agreed upon will be fulfilled. At the same time, he noted the importance to develop a plan for creating a Palestinian state in the future. Lavrov added that Moscow will be ready to join efforts to support any agreements if those involved ask for its assistance. Hamas says it will release the bodies of 4 of the 28 deceased hostages later Monday It was not immediately clear when the remaining 24 bodies would be sent back to Israel. The families of the deceased captives have demanded the bodies be returned as part of the current ceasefire deal. Trump leaving Israel for Egypt After a lengthy speech to Israels parliament, Trump boarded Air Force One for a flight to Egypt, where he will attend a summit with many world leaders on Gaza. On the tarmac, the president bid farewell to Netanyahu and his wife. The Israeli prime minister was invited to the summit, but declined because it was too close to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Trump then walked to the top of the steps and pumped his fist while he pointed at someone, likely Netanyahu. He said, Great job, Bibi, great job, before stepping inside. Trumps plane will head to Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport for what the White House has billed as a Summit for Peace. A hostages father fulfills a vow and stands up from wheelchair to hug his son The father of one of the hostages who has spent years in a wheelchair after a car accident and stroke made a promise: when his son was released from captivity in Gaza, he would stand to welcome him home. On Monday, in footage shown on Israeli media, family members sobbed as they helped Tal Kupershtein stand for a few minutes to hug his son, Bar, after he was released from two years in captivity in Gaza. Tal Kupershtein also worked with a physical therapist to partially regain his ability to speak, so that he could advocate for his son, he said. Starmer says UK ready to assist in Gaza ceasefire and removing Hamas weapons Britains Prime Minister Keir Starmer says that his country is ready to assist in monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza, offering the U.K.s experience in Northern Ireland to help in the decommissioning of Hamas military capability. Speaking at a summit in Egypt, Starmer said Britain was read to play its full part in ensuring that the current ceasefire results in a lasting peace. We stand ready in relation to monitoring the ceasefire and decommissioning Hamas capability and weaponry, and thats drawing on our experience in Northern Ireland and the IRA, which we dealt with in particular in relation to decommissioning, he said in a joint appearance with the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. German leader hopes Trump can now use his influence to end war in Ukraine German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he hopes U.S. President Donald Trump will bring to bear the same influence on Russias government to end the war in Ukraine as he did on players in the Middle East to secure an end to fighting in Gaza. Merz said he wants to use the opportunity offered by Mondays summit in Egypt to discuss again with Trump what we can do together to end that war, which has been going on for 3 years. Merz added: From this place, the signal goes out that if the world community stands together, it is possible. But it must not just be possible in this place it must also be possible in other regions of the world, and for us Europeans this war in Europe is the biggest threat to our freedom. 154 Palestinian prisoners deported by Israel arrive in Egypt An Egyptian official says 154 Palestinian prisoners who were released and deported by Israel arrived in Egypt at the Rafah crossing with Gaza. The freed prisoners were to be sent to third countries as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, said the official, who has direct knowledge of the deals implementation. He spoke on condition of anonymity because has not authorized to brief the media. The prisoners were among more than 1,900 Palestinians being freed by Israel in exchange for Hamas release of its remaining hostages. Trump calls for a pardon for Netanyahu on corruption charges The president even waded into Israeli domestic politics, surprisingly urging the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges. That was not in the speech as you probably know, Trump joked of his prepared remarks. He added to Netanyahu, You are a very popular man. You know why? Because you know how to win. Netanyahu became the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted when he was charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases after yearslong investigations accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters. But Trump declared, Whether we like it or not, this has been one of the greatest wartime presidents ... and cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that. Iraqi leader threatened to leave summit if Netanyahu attended Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who traveled to Egypt to participate in a summit of world leaders aimed at solidifying the end of the war in Gaza Monday, informed Egyptian and U.S. officials that he would withdraw from the summit if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated, the state-run Iraqi News Agency reported. Egypts presidency initially said Netanyahu would attend the summit, but Netanyahus office said Monday that he would not attend due to a Jewish holiday. The summit in Sharm el-Sheikh is co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and U.S. President Donald Trump and will include around two dozen world leaders. Trump wraps his speech to the Israeli parliament The president concluded his rambling speech to the Knesset after a bit more than an hour. His address was so lengthy that even after Trump said, In closing he continued for several more minutes. Trump is still planning to head to Egypt for a summit later Tuesday featuring the leaders of many countries though his trip is now hours behind schedule. Trump says Palestinians should concentrate on building their people up Trumps speech to Israels parliament was preceded by lengthy speeches from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Knesset speaker and the opposition leader. Trump was mid-speech more than an hour after he was due to arrive in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss peace in the Middle East with other world leaders. Ill be going there. Ill be quite late, Trump joked. They might not be there by the time I get there but well give it a shot. Palestinians rejoice at release of prisoners from Israel Palestinians in the occupied West Bank rejoiced as prisoners released in an exchange with Israel left Ofer Prison and arrived in Beitunia. Waving flags and wearing keffiyehs, hundreds gathered outside the Ramallah Palace of Culture to greet them. Reports by human rights groups detailing conditions in Israeli detention have made Palestinian prisoners enduring symbols of their peoples struggle. It was an indescribable journey of suffering hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses more than anything you could imagine, said Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old Fatah member from Tulkarem. His face gaunt and his head shaved, Abu Shanabs family said they barely recognized him. He said he lost 139 pounds (59 kilograms) during 18 1/2 years in prison. Most prisoners were serving long sentences for their involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis. Hamas gunmen escort buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners arriving in the Gaza Strip after their release from Israeli jails under a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) AP The bodies of 60 Palestinians recovered in Gaza Gazas Health Ministry says the bodies of 60 Palestinians have been recovered from under the rubble of destroyed buildings and brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours. That brought the number of recovered bodies to 200 in the past four days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect and Israeli troops pulled back from some parts of Gaza. The ministry says many dead are still under the rubble, particularly in areas inaccessible to first responders. Israels campaign in Gaza killed more than 67,800 Palestinians, according to the health ministry. The ministry doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants but says around half of the dead were women and children. Iran declines invitation for Gaza summit Irans Foreign Ministry said it declined an invitation to attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt, based on its interests as well as U.S. unilateralistic policy. The spokesman for the ministry, Esmail Baghaei, told reporters that the decision came after discussion both inside the ministry and other decision-making bodies in the country. Positive and negative dimensions of any decision including participation and avoiding participation were calculated and eventually led to a decision that secures betterments and interests of the country. Netanyahu pledges that he is committed to this peace in Knesset speech He added: Today, the Jewish calendar marks the end of two years of war. The ceasefire started on Friday and included the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for hostages. The later stages of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire are still being worked out. UN chief says he is profoundly relieved U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is profoundly relieved that the Israeli hostages in Gaza have regained their freedom and will be reunited with their families after the immense suffering they have endured. Guterres in a statement also reiterated his call for the release of the remains of the deceased hostages. The statement was issued from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where world leaders were gathering to throw their weight behind the Gaza ceasefire deal. I urge all parties to build on this momentum and to honor their commitments under the ceasefire to end the nightmare in Gaza, Guterres said. The United Nations is working to support all efforts to end the conflict in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of civilians. Netanyahu wont attend summit in Egypt Netanyahus office said Monday that he will not travel to Egypt for a summit on the Israel-Hamas war due to a Jewish holiday. The statement came after Egypts presidency said Netanyahu would attend the summit. The Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah ends the weeklong Sukkot holiday. It was on this holiday, two years ago, that Hamas launched the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that began the Israel-Hamas war. Jewish holidays run on a lunar calendar. Erdogan will also attend the Gaza summit in Egypt The Turkish leader, whose government played a key role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire, is expected to deliver a speech and hold bilateral talks with fellow leaders attending the summit, according to a statement from his office. The summit will be co-chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, and bring together leaders from more than 20 countries. Trump enters Knesset chamber ahead of his speech Sustained applause and blaring trumpets greeted Trump. The chamber was crowded with lawmakers but also U.S. officials -- including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense. Dan Caine, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, was also attending. Trumps speech was set to begin far later than originally scheduled. He met beforehand with the families of some of the hostages once held by Hamas in Gaza. Later on Monday, he was set to fly to Egypt to participate in a summit with world leaders. Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel arrive in West Bank and Gaza Israel is freeing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees on Monday after Hamas released all remaining living hostages held in Gaza under the ceasefire deal. The buses arrived in Ramallah, in the Israel-occupied West Bank, after leaving Ofer prison. At least one bus also crossed into the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said. Egypt says Trump engagement crucial for Gaza ceasefire Egypts foreign minister tells The Associated Press that the success of President Donald Trumps vision for peace in the region is his continued commitment, including applying pressure on the parties, and even deployment on the ground of an international force expected to carry out peacekeeping duties. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Monday it is crucial to ensure that Israel and Hamas fully implement the first phase of the ceasefire deal so that the parties, with international backing, can begin negotiations on the second phase. That is more difficult, more complicated and we have to keep President Trump engaging. It is very, very important because it is all about his engagement. Hamas welcomes Trumps remarks that the war in Gaza is over A Hamas spokesman has welcomed Trumps remarks that the war in Gaza is over. Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Hazem Kassem urged mediators and the international community to ensure that Israel wont resume the war. Trump plans to hail a historic dawn of a new Middle East According to excerpts released by the White House, Trump will use his speech to the Knesset to say that, After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East, Trumps prepared remarks say. The president frequently diverts from his speech text as written. But his speech to the Israeli parliament is clearly meant to suggest that the ceasefire his administration helped broker could spark a deeper, lasting peace around a volatile region. Netanyahu will attend the Gaza summit in Egypt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attending the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency says. According to Egypt, both Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are attending the summit in the Red Sea resort on Monday. The summit is co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and U.S. President Donald Trump and will be attended by over two dozen world leaders. Netanyahus attendance comes as Trump is attempting to solidify the end of the war between Israel and Hamas. Trump has repeatedly suggested since leaving for Israel on Sunday night that the war is over. But the U.S.-brokered ceasefire could still face challenges. Israel takes custody of 13 hostages The Israeli military said it received the 13 hostages from the Red Cross. The 13 will be transferred to a military base in southern Israel to be reunited with their families. Theyll then be taken by helicopter to Israeli hospitals. Hamas releases 13 remaining living hostages to Red Cross officials, Israeli military says Hamas released 13 remaining living hostages to Red Cross officials on Monday, the Israeli military said. The Israeli military will take custody of the hostages and transport them onward to Israel. Trump again says Israels war with Hamas is over In the Knesset gallery, where Trump was set to speak, quite a few people in the gallery were wearing red hats that said: Trump, The Peace President. At least one person on the parliaments floor wore such a hat. Trump spoke briefly to the Israel press before beginning his remarks to the Knesset. Asked if Israelis war with Hamas was officially over, he said simply, Yes. The president made similar comments on Air Force One as he was flying to Israel despite the ceasefire deal still being in the early stages and potentially precarious. Final preparations underway in Egypt for gathering of world leaders Final preparations are underway in Egypts Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for a gathering of world leaders to show their support for efforts to end the two-year Gaza war. Trump and Egypts President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi are co-chairing the summit for peace on Monday. They will be joined by several world leaders who are throwing their weight behind the ceasefire agreement. The summit will give international backing to negotiations on complex issues ahead: disarming Hamas, a postwar government in Gaza, Israels withdrawal from Gaza and a bill for reconstruction. Trump signs Knesset guestbook with a flourish The president was welcomed at the Israeli parliament by its speaker, Amir Ohana, who said, Welcome to Jerusalem. Welcome to the Knesset. Weve been longing for this day. Its a great honor, Trump responded. He then sat at a desk to sign the guestbook with a marker. The president spent several seconds scribbling, then held up what he wrote. It read: This is my great honor. A great and beautiful day. A new beginning, over his scrawled signature. Trump envoy says hes thinking of his deceased son as hostages are released Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration special envoy who played a key role in brokering the ceasefire agreement, says hes thinking of his adult son, Andrew, who died of an opioid overdose in 2011. Its deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home, Witkoff posted on X of the hostages being released. Today, 20 families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again. He added that even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever. I cant help but feel the presence of my son Andrew at this moment. Messiah Williams, age 3, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his head when police say three people opened fire on his family's Flint home five years ago. FLINT, MI Five years after the October 2020 drive-by shooting that resulted in the death of 3-year-old Messiah Williams, the three suspects charged in the case are still awaiting trial. London Walton, 25, Camron Burnett, 26, and Shamir Banks, 25, each accused of killing Williams, appeared in Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Chris Christensons courtroom on Monday, Oct. 13. Christenson delayed the trial, which was set for this month, pushing it to March 18 after prosecutors requested an adjournment. Ashley Prew, assistant prosecuting attorney, requested the adjournment due to the federal government shutdown preventing the transportation of crucial witnesses. The motion to adjourn was contested by the defense attorneys representing the suspects. Walton was recently additionally charged with witness tampering. He was arraigned on Oct. 8 in Genesee County district court. Prosecutors believe Walton allegedly contacted one of the witnesses through a third-party jail call. Barry Wolf, Waltons attorney, argued there is no evidence of any messages being relayed, stating Walton spoke only to his girlfriend on the jail call. Christenson ordered each attorney to meet with the prosecutors office within 30 days to finalize all discovery. The case was first put on hold in September 2024, when Burnetts attorneys filed an appeal to suppress statements he allegedly made to Michigan State Police detectives due to a violation of his right to counsel. The trial court initially ruled Burnett did not unequivocally invoke his right to counsel, therefore denying his motion to suppress the statements. The Michigan Court of Appeals, however, overturned the trial courts decision, determining that Burnetts statement, I want my lawyer, was a clear invocation of his right to counsel. Each suspect is charged with 13 felonies, including two counts of first-degree homicide and other weapons charges. Hundreds line up to try nostalgic Hot 'n Now burger WAYLAND, MI Dozens of vehicles lined up to try the new Hot n Now restaurant near Wayland, which opened on Monday, Oct. 13. The drive-thru and walk-up restaurant is located at 1146 129th Ave. near Wayland. Chad Larner was the first customer. He made a deal with his TikTok followers recently that he would stay there overnight if he got 500 new followers on a post about Hot n Now. When he got 600 new followers in one night, he was on the hook to sleep in his truck. He made the drive over from his home in Charlotte. Drivers in line honked their horns as the new location opened for business at 10:30 a.m. Im elated, Gun Lake Investments CEO Monica King said. Its a huge day. King was among the first people to go through the drive-thru, ordering a burger. Burgers start at $2.77. Being affordable is important to the brand, King said. They are more expensive than the 39-cent burgers Hot n Now had back in the day, though King said this was done to ensure high quality. The first customers arrive to order at the new Hot 'n Now near Wayland, for its grand opening on Monday, Oct. 13. (Brad Devereaux | bdeverea@mlive.com) King said shes been a fan of the brand for a long time. She grew up enjoying the burgers in Kalamazoo, she said. A lot of hard work has gone into bringing the brand back to life, she said. I couldnt be prouder, she said. William Van Domelen started Hot n Now in 1984 in Kalamazoo. The chain grew to 71 locations by December 1990, when it was bought by Taco Bell, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. It grew to over 100 locations in 15 states, until one by one, the iconic eateries closed, leaving just one last location in Sturgis, Michigan, which continues to operate today. Mike Lesniak, who owns the Sturgis Hot n Now with his wife, Wanda, said he was excited to see the new location. They came out to see the grand opening. Why do people like the brand so much? Nostalgia, Lesniak said. King agrees. I grew up with Hot n Now, she said. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page. Incumbent Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson debated opponent Bob Garretson ahead of the Nov. 4 election in front of a sizeable crowd Sunday, Oct. 12, at the Stage at The Corner in downtown Muskegon. Photo by Ehren Wynder MUSKEGON, MI Ahead of the November election, Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson faced off against Bob Garrettson at a debate on Sunday, Oct. 12, at the Stage at The Corner at 280 W. Muskegon Ave. The forum-style debate was hosted by Muskegon Engaged, a local organization seeking to inform the public on political happenings. Maggie Doyle, one of the organizations founders, and John Horne, a local high school government teacher, served as moderators. Johnson, who was first elected mayor in 2021, is running for a second four-year term on the Nov. 4 ballot. Garrettson, his opponent, is a financial planner and U.S. Navy veteran who moved to Muskegon in 2019. The mayoral race was narrowed down to Johnson and Garretson after the two were declared the top vote-getters in the August primary. Johnson came in first place with 2,043 votes, and Garretson placed second with 1,011 votes. On the subject of development in the wake of the $80 million cleanup of Muskegon Lake, candidates were asked how they would ensure growth benefits longtime residents and doesnt push them out. Garretson said his campaign commitment, housing for all, includes all levels from low income to luxury lakefront housing, but his primary focus is on middle-income housing. We need to make sure that the residents that live in our downtown areas are also getting help to stay in place and age in place, he said. It also would free up housing that is appropriate for new homeowners. Johnson said, while high-income housing is vital to the citys tax base, it is important that Muskegons waterfront economy does not become monopolized by the ultra-wealthy. We hear sometimes its too focused on low-income housing, that theres too much of it, and that people who cant afford to live here will just move east, he said. I think thats ridiculous. We need to make sure our community is welcoming for everyone regardless of economic backgrounds. When asked how they will strengthen the year-round economy while ensuring affordability for residents, Johnson pointed to the pay-to-park program at Pere Marquette Park, which the city uses to generate revenue for the overall parks system. With tourism, Johnson said he embraces it, but doesnt want Muskegon to be a tourism-dominated economy. Manufacturing has been a critical core of our economy for decades, and while its no longer at the height it was a century ago, it is still important, he said. We need to make sure that we support our manufacturers and ensure there is a future for them, because manufacturing is how we import wealth into our community. Johnson also touted an effort he was a part of during his tenure on the city commission to halt development of the dunes at Pere Marquette. When asked how he would attract outside investment while ensuring local businesses are not left behind, Garretson said the best way for Muskegon to continue economic development is by keeping what it has. We lost large numbers of jobs from our employers, and why that happens is because we dont have relationships with them, he said. When I talked to the largest employer in the city, theyve never spoken to the city about healthcare or employment issues. Garretson recommended partnering with cities like Norton Shores and Grand Rapids that are having a resurgence in economic development. When asked about their response to ICE enforcement and occupation style policing coming from the Trump administration, Garretson said upholding the safety and civil rights of the community is not enough. We have a Latino population thats doubled in the last 15 years, he said. Without that growth, we would have shrunk in our total population, but in many ways they dont feel like they belong. To remedy this, Garretson proposed bilingual services for businesses or people who have been victims of violent crime or people who need mental health services. In response to the same question, Johnson said communities in Muskegon have very real fears about the march toward authoritarianism in this country. Members of our community feel dejected, discriminated against and in jeopardy for their lives and that requires a coordinated response, he said. Johnson pledged his city will not do the work of ICE in Muskegon, notably because notably because it already lacks the resources. That doesnt mean we are going to ignore the law if there is a judicial warrant, he said. But were not going to do the federal governments work for them in regard to ICE enforcement. Johnson further denounced the federal deployment of troops in Chicago and Portland as abhorrent, and proposed Muskegon partner with nearby cities so we are not left alone to deal with the federal government and all that entails. Later in the debate, the topic turned to a Nov. 4 ballot initiative to impose a 12-year term limit on members of the city commission. Johnson, who previously served eight years on the city commission, may be ineligible to serve if the charter amendment is enacted. While he fully expects to serve again as mayor if elected, he warned the amendment could lead to a lengthy legal battle if also passed. Garretson said plainly that he believes Muskegon should listen to the voters. Johnson, however, noted Muskegon has a fresh and young city commission, as well as a history of turning out longtime incumbents. Candidates for city commission also took the stage Sunday night to debate one another prior to the November election. Four candidates competing for two at-large seats, including Commissioner At Large Rebecca St. Clair, Teresa Emory, Kiley N. Jackson and John C. Allen. Emory did not attend Sundays debate forum. The candidates in attendance debated a range of topics, including housing affordability, equitable investment in infrastructure and maintaining public land. The I-75 Zilwaukee Bridge in Saginaw County, Mich. on Oct. 10, 2019. Garret Ellison | MLive ZILWAUKEE, MI Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) officals said road crews will reopen all northbound lanes on the Zilwaukee Bridge along I-75 in Saginaw County on Tuesday, Oct. 14, following the early completion of preventive maintenance work. The maintenance originally was slated for completion by mid-November. On Tuesday, motorists should prepare for intermittent closures of lanes, shoulders and ramps throughout the project area from morning into early afternoon as crews remove barricades and install new pavement markings, MDOT officials said. Law enforcement officers will provide traffic control assistance during the process. Drivers can expect delays as the final work is completed. The schedule depends on weather conditions. The maintenance work represents part of a $2.9 million investment in the Zilwaukee Bridges upkeep. The project included expansion joint repair, deck patching and resealing designed to improve and extend the structures service life. MDOT completed similar maintenance on the bridges southbound lanes in June as part of the same project. Generative AI was used to structure and draft this story, based on data provided by the Michigan Department of Transportation. It was reviewed and edited by MLive staff. BUENA VISTA TWP, MI A Saginaw man is recuperating and expected to live after being shot 10 times at a Buena Vista Township party, moments after he fatally shot another man. The person who fired the bullets into him, though, remains at large. The 32-year-old man is still undergoing treatment at a Detroit-area hospital more than a week since his shooting, according to Buena Vista Township Police Detective Russ Pahssen. Hes lucky to be alive, Pahssen said. I dont know how he lived. I guess God said it wasnt his day. The man sustained his wounds about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 4 during a large gathering in a park behind the Speedway gas station at 3357 E. Holland Road/M-46. The party had begun at the Liquor Basket, 3581 Dixie Highway, before moving to the other location. The 32-year-old man attended the party with a 9mm handgun and extended magazine jutting from his waistband, Pahssen said. Another attendee, 38-year-old Qonte L. Purp Works, grabbed the younger mans pistol and began chasing him with it, Pahssen said. The younger man pulled a second 9mm he had on him and shot Works, killing him. The shooter then called 911 to report shooting a man in self-defense. He gave dispatchers his name, requested police and paramedics, and said he would be at the scene when they arrived. About two minutes later, an unknown person walked up to the caller and shot him 10 times with a .40-caliber handgun, Pahssen said. One of the bullets struck the man in his face just below his orbital bone, narrowly missing his brain and eyes, the detective said. Though the man has regained consciousness, his eyes remain too swollen to determine if his vision will be affected, Pahssen said. He has been trying to speak but hasnt been able to give a formal statement to police, Pahssen added. The man also suffered at least two wounds to his abdomen, requiring surgeries to his internal organs. He has also had a metal plate installed in his right arm and a metal rod in his right leg to mend bone fractures caused by the bullets. Hes been getting better every day, Pahssen said. Hes making a lot of progress but its still rough. Its gonna take some time. Two sisters at the party, ages 37 and 32, also suffered gunshot wounds. The older woman was shot in her calf, while her younger sister was shot in her abdomen. Both sisters are expected to fully recover. Pahssen is still working to identify the gunman who shot the man who killed Works. Witnesses have not been forthcoming with information, he added. He is asking anyone with information to call him at 989-577-9583. Works is the fourth homicide victim of the year in Buena Vista Township. Of the prior three, two resulted from gunfire while the third died from injuries suffered in a hit-and-run. Paradise Funeral Chapel is handling Works funeral arrangements, specifics of which are yet to be published. Abuelos Mexican Restaurant announced a major restructuring after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, reducing its footprint to 16 locations nationwide. Craig F. Walker/Getty Images A beloved regional Mexican restaurant chain is facing some financial concerns. According to multiple reports, including by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the fast-casual chain Abuelos has filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Texas, citing sales declines, rising costs, staffing challenges and changing consumer preferences. Abuelos is owned by Lubbock-based Food Concepts International, which also filed for bankruptcy. Abuelos was founded by entrepreneurs James Young, Chuck Anderson and Dirk Rambo in Amarillo in 1989. There are now 16 locations across seven states, but at one time there were more than 40 restaurants open. This decision is a part of a strategic reconstructing process to strengthen our long-term financial position, Abuelos said in a statement obtained by Restaurant Business. We will continue normal operations and remain committed to maintaining stability for our employees, vendors and customers. Through this time, our loyal customers can join us and expect the same quality and hospitality as weve always provided. Abuelos currently operates stores in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. The chain touts itself on offering made-from-scratch authentic Mexican food at everyday prices. Scratch-made salsas, sauces, tortillas, and sides, as well as hand-rolled enchiladas, fajitas, traditional TexMex items and unique house specialties are among popular menu items. Its restaurants feature faux-open air courtyards with fountains, statues, greenery and other southwest decor. US political commentator and YouTuber Benny Johnson speaks at a makeshift memorial for right-wing activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk outside of their headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 19, 2025. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images A California man is facing federal charges after he allegedly sent a threatening letter to a conservative influencer. George Russell Isbell Jr., 69, of San Diego is charged with mailing a threatening communication, federal officials announced. He is accused of mailing a letter to a media personality in Tampa, later identified by NBC News as Benny Johnson, telling him that he needed to be exterminated. In the letter, he referenced one of Johnsons friends, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed during a public engagement at a college campus in Utah in September. The letter allegedly also contained other threatening verbiage, with the man writing that he hoped that the American flag strangles the life out of you, and phrases like Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope! Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight!. Unfortunately, a rise in political threats has been accompanied by a rise in political violence, said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. We take all threats of violence seriously and will continue to respond in close coordination with our law enforcement partners and prosecute the authors of such threatening communications. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel also weighed in, with the latter saying, we will continue to investigate, pursue, and find those responsible for this conduct and ensure such criminals are held to full account in our justice system. Johnson has recently been following United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on immigration patrols and crime crackdowns in Chicago. He has more than 4 million followers on X. He appeared on Saturday in America after the news broke, saying [Democrats] need to say enough is enough. (They need to say), Were going to reconcile with the extremist left wing of our party. Were going to acknowledge that we have a problem, and were going to do something about it. If convicted, Isbell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The FBI Tampa Field Office and the Tampa Police Department are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Additional support was provided by the FBI San Diego Field Office, the San Diego Police Department, and the San Diego County Sheriffs Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler III for the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting the case. Thousands of people are set to take the streets Saturday in more than 100 locations across Michigan. Cities from the state capitol to Upper Peninsulas Ironwood will be hosting No Kings protests Saturday, Oct. 18 in a second round of demonstrations against President Donald Trump and the federal government. Political representatives supporting the marches pointed to immigrant arrests at courthouses, masked federal agents, escalating ICE presence in Chicago and other instances of what they called federal overreach as the reason for additional protesting. It all adds up to one thing tyranny, said Michigan Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia. This is literally the situation our founders warned us about. Shanay Watson Whittaker, with the Michigan chapter of Reproductive Freedom for All, highlighted impacts to the poor and working class, including cuts in the federal Big, Beautiful Bill to the Affordable Care Act, food stamps, home heating assistance and renewable energy. By controlling the information and the media, by instilling fear, by weaponizing the Department of Justice and deploying the military against his citizens, Trump is breaking down the connection between public opinion and political consequences, she said. Protests on Oct. 18 will be the second large-scale demonstration under the No Kings banner. Organizers estimated roughly five million joined national protests in June, with 50 events were held in Michigan alone, said Ryan Bates, spokesperson for the advocacy organization. Thousands gathered in both Detroit and Lansing on June 14, with some traveling from across the state. Each day, its something new, Jeanne Balesy, 75, told MLive at the Lansing protest. You turn on the news, and hes taking away another freedom. Other cities with protests include Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Bay City, Flint, Jackson and Ann Arbor, alongside smaller cities in southern and mid-Michigan. Find a complete list of events at nokings.org. Time for another popular Tata SUV to make a comeback. Sierra or Sumo? The Tata Sierra is all set to make a comeback in a new avatar. Varun Singh USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept China donates dental treatment chairs to Cambodia Xinhua) 14:52, October 13, 2025 PHNOM PENH, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday donated two sets of state-of-the-art dental treatment chairs to Cambodia to help improve the quality of oral healthcare services for Cambodian children. The donation was from the Hainan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-Hainan) to the National Pediatric Hospital of Cambodia via the Doctor Alliance of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia. Heng Sokkung, secretary of state for Cambodia's Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, and head of the Doctor Alliance of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, said during a handover ceremony that the donation was a new testament to China's contribution to supporting the provision of quality oral care services to Cambodian children. "I'd like to express my profound thanks to CDC-Hainan, this is not the first time, for having made donation to support Cambodia's medical sector," he said. "Cambodia and China are 'iron-clad' friends. We are good friends, partners and brothers, who have always provided mutual support in all circumstances," he added. Sokkung said China's assistance has not only helped modernize the health sector, but also protected the well-being of the Cambodian people, contributing to building an all-weather Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era. Nhip Angkeabos, director of the National Pediatric Hospital of Cambodia, expressed his sincere thanks to China for always supporting the development of healthcare services in the Southeast Asian country. "This donation will contribute to improving the quality and effectiveness of dental care services for children," he said. Lin Yingzi, secretary of the Party Committee of the CDC-Hainan, and Chen Cong, minister-counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, attended the handover ceremony. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Education crisis? Over 1 lakh schools in India operate with a single teacher for 33 lakh students, reveals data Over 1 Lakh Schools in India Operate With a Single Teacher for 33 Lakh Students Saurav Pandey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Siddaramaiah's dinner meet spurs cabinet reshuffle talk; CM asks whether it is an offence 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Karisma Kapoors kids claim Sunjay Kapurs will is digitally fabricated, lawyer says 'How can he misspell his son's name' Vaishnavi Gavankar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Megan Fox to voice Toy Chica in Five Nights at Freddys 2 Gayatri Rani USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Vaishnavi Gavankar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 1 / 14 Padma Vibhushan Sayed Haider Raza (1922-2016) painted well into his 90s. As he got older, though, he would tire more quickly. The paints he squeezed out onto his easel and table would dry up by the time he resumed after a rest. Again, he would squeeze out more paint, work as much as he could and let the remaining paint dry where it was. Razas paint-covered table and easel are on show till October 13 at the Shridharani Art Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, as part of the Sculpting the Century show organized by Progressive Art Gallery and the Raza Foundation. This is one not-to-miss; after the show, the table and easel will return to Razas Delhi studio, which is still as it used to be while he was alive. Plus, this set is here by serendipity the curator had identified another sculptural piece by Raza for the show, but it could not be arranged in time. The table and easel, with the thick paint dried on it, is moving for many reasons; the fact that the thick undulating paint evokes Razas early impastos, and the knowledge that this is where Raza worked in his final years. (Image of then-President Pranab Mukherjee awarding the Padma Vibhushan to S.H. Raza in 2013, via Wikimedia Commons) The strength of demand from markets other than the US means that Chinese firms should be less affected by the further increase in tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump Surabhi Pandey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The state's investment promotion agency will set up a separate Foxconn desk, the minister said Arindam Roy USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept India is one of Estee Lauders most strategic markets, says CFO Akhil Shrivastava ELCs Chief Financial Officer Akhil Shrivastava said Indias strong economic momentum, young and aspirational consumer base, and rising demand for beauty and wellness products have created an inflection point for the company Swaraj Singh Dhanjal USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Govt likely to amend companies act, tender norms to help Indian audit firms take on Big 4 Meghna Mittal Deputy News Editor at Moneycontrol. Meghna has experience across television, print, online and wire media. She has been covering the Indian economy, monetary and fiscal policies, Finance and Trade ministries. She tweets at @Meghnamittal23 Contact: meghna.mittal@nw18.com The ministry of corporate affairs is in advanced stages of consultations to make changes to the companies act. Charu Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM) has also set aside Rs 500 crore to safeguard against supply shocks and ensure steady access to minerals for domestic industries. Arishaa Izaj USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Ashwin Mohan is Editor (Deals) at Moneycontrol and leads the M&A, private equity and equity capital market transactions coverage. He anchors the video show 'Deal Central ' and tweets at @ashwinmohansays. He has previously worked with ET NOW, CNBC TV-18 and The Times of India. Interestingly, public shareholders own 100 per cent of RBL Bank, which does not have any entity in the promoter category. Hemant Abhishek USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept J Jagannath USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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There are 30 banks that are part of the UDGAM portal as of October 2025, and these banks cover around 90 percent of unclaimed deposits (in value terms) in the DEAF of RBI. Hiral Thanawala USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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Kotak MF, SBI MF, and UTI AMC have temporarily stopped accepting fresh lump sum investments in their Silver FoFs Teena Jain Kaushal USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Waaree Renewable Technologies stock soars over 13% today to new all-time high after Q2 net profit doubles Shaleen Agrawal USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept The action came after a series of complaints were made by the AIIMS Nurses' Union to the institutes director- Representative photo Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has also targeted the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying that the exercise was conducted in 'a hurry' Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Speaking from India during his visit, Muttaqi said Afghanistan seeks peace but remains ready to respond if diplomacy fails. Deblina Halder USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept "Political vendetta, will keep fighting with BJP as long as I am alive": Tejashwi Yadav on IRCTC case charges 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Must invest in critical tech, India got bad advice from economists trained at Columbia, Chicago, Harvard: Zohos Sridhar Vembu Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Maryam Farooqui USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. 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Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Shaurya Shubham USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Shaurya Shubham USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Did you know there's an African village hidden in Gujarat? Meet the unique Siddi tribe Rajni Pandey is a seasoned content creator with over 15 years of experience crafting compelling stories for digital news platforms. Specializing in diverse topics such as travel, education, jobs, science, wildlife, religion, politics, and astrology, she excels at transforming trending human-interest stories into engaging reads for a wide audience. Rajni Pandey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Maryam Farooqui is Senior Correspondent at Moneycontrol covering media and entertainment, travel and hospitality. She has 11 years of experience in reporting. Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Maryam Farooqui USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Who is Subu Vedam? Indian-origin man wrongfully jailed in US for 43 years walks free, faces immediate deportation Pragya Trivedi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept In the first high-level diplomatic engagement since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Muttaqi visited India and met S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Friday. Arishaa Izaj USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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I Accept Commentary: Philippines' claim on Huangyan Dao completely untenable Xinhua) 14:55, October 13, 2025 BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government appears hellbent on stirring up trouble and destabilizing the South China Sea, persistently advancing baseless claims on territories that are an inherent part of China, while repeatedly seeking to infringe further on China's sovereignty. Recently, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the South China Sea, distorting the treaties that define Philippine territory and asserting sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and parts of the Nansha Qundao, both of which are indisputably inherent territories of China. A review of fundamental historical treaties easily exposes the falsehoods in the Philippine claims. According to the 1898 Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain (the Treaty of Paris), the 1900 Treaty between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain for Cession of Outlying Islands of the Philippines (the Treaty of Washington), and the 1930 Convention between His Majesty in Respect of the United Kingdom and the President of the United States regarding the Boundary between the State of North Borneo and the Philippine Archipelago, the western limit of the Philippine territory is 118 degrees east longitude. Huangyan Dao and Nansha Qundao are located west of the 118 degrees east longitude. The Philippine claim is therefore entirely baseless and constitutes a clear violation of international law. Before 1997, the Philippines had never challenged China's sovereignty over Huangyan Dao, nor had it made any territorial claims to the island. Philippine Official Map No. 25 shows Huangyan Dao apparently outside the territorial boundaries of the Philippines. On Feb. 5, 1990, Philippine Ambassador to Germany Bienvenido A. Tan, Jr. stated in a letter that, "According to the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, the Scarborough Reef or Huangyan Dao does not fall within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines." Huangyan Dao is an inherent part of China, over which China has consistently and effectively exercised sovereignty and jurisdiction. This status is widely recognized by the international community. China's recent approval for the establishment of the Huangyan Dao national nature reserve is an important and responsible step to strengthen the governance of its territory and safeguard the land and marine ecosystem in the area. Starting in the 1970s, the Philippines forcibly invaded and illegally occupied several islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao, raising baseless territorial claims. In recent years, the Philippines has further escalated its infringements on China's maritime rights and interests, with its vessels deliberately intruding into the waters of Huangyan Dao, Xianbin Jiao, Ren'ai Jiao, and other Chinese reefs, at times even causing collisions with China Coast Guard ships. These dangerous moves by the Philippines are carried out under the pretext of fishing, but their true aim is "sadfishing," portraying themselves as victims before invited journalists, smearing China and drawing attention to serve Manila's political interests. These provocations also pose a serious threat to the environment and to peace and stability in the South China Sea. China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao, including Huangyan Dao, and its rights and interests in the South China Sea, have been established over the long course of history and are firmly grounded in both history and law. The Philippines' attempts to distort history and misinterpret the law are weak and untenable, collapsing under even the slightest scrutiny. As the saying goes, he who recklessly troubles others will ultimately be troubled by his own misdeeds. In the same spirit, the Philippines would do well to heed this Chinese proverb, respect and remain faithful to history, and abide by international law before further undermining peace in one of the world's most vital waterways. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Under Carney, Canada has moved to normalize diplomatic relations with India, with each country appointing new ambassadors and establishing a structure to share intelligence on cross-border crimes Arindam Roy USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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I Accept 'Do they want to have Tomahawks?': Trump warns Russia, urges Putin to end Ukraine war Pradeep Tripathi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Five killed in clashes between Pakistani police and hardline Islamist protesters Clashes in an anti-Israel rally in Pakistan kill five, police say Pragya Trivedi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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I Accept Pragya Trivedi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Hostage release to begin in Gaza at 8 am, Israeli media report A woman reacts as people gather in "Hostages square", after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 11, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay Arindam Roy USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. 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We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 1 / 12 In a landmark step toward ending two years of bloodshed, Hamas began releasing 20 living Israeli hostages early Monday under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross, marking the first phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that also includes the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered across major cities, particularly in Tel Avivs Hostages Square and near military bases, to witness the return of the first group of 20 living hostages held by Hamas for over two years, following the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the conflict. How Rare Earths became the new battleground in US-China rivalry and where India fits in | Explained Beijing recently expanded its export controls to cover five additional rare earth elementsholmium, erbium, thulium, europium, and ytterbium. Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept ILO warns of 'critical' cash crunch as unpaid US dues threaten nearly 300 jobs: Report The ILO employs about 3,500 people worldwide and works with governments, employers, and labor organizations to promote international labor standards. (Representative image) Rewati Karan USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. 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I Accept Pakistan disowns Taliban, calls it non-legitimate: How Islamabads policy U-turn exposes its loss of control Taliban fighters ride on a police pickup truck during celebrations marking the fourth anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Nava Jamshidi) Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. 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(Photo by Sanaullah SEIAM / AFP) Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Pakistans snakes in the backyard bite back: How Islamabad has lost control of its own Frankenstein Abhinav Gupta With over 12 years in digital journalism, has navigated the fast-evolving media landscape, shaping digital strategies and leading high-impact newsrooms. Currently, he serves as News Editor at MoneyControl, leading coverage in Global Affairs, Indian Politics, Governance and Policy Making. Previously, he has spearheaded fact-checking and digital media operations at Press Trust of India. Abhinav has also led news desks at Financial Express, DNA, and Jagran English, managing editorial direction, breaking news coverage, and digital growth. His journey includes stints with The Indian Express Group, Zee Media Group, and more, where he has honed his expertise in newsroom leadership, audience engagement, and digital transformation. A convoy of Taliban security personnel moves along a street as they celebrate the fourth anniversary of their takeover of Afghanistan in Kabul on August 15, 2025. (Photo by Wakil KOHSAR / AFP) Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept 'That was very efficient': Donald Trump after protesters dragged out of Israeli Parliament during his address | Watch Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump hails 'historic dawn of a new Middle East'; praises 'not easy to deal with' Netanyahu Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Trumps federal layoffs during shutdown: What you need to know Pradeep Tripathi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump's war-stopping spree: What's next on his agenda? He reveals in his Knesset speech US President Donald Trump speaks at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on October 13, 2025. (Photo by Evan Vucci / POOL / AFP) Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Netanyahu hails 'greatest friend' Trump, Israel to nominate him for Nobel Peace Prize next year Abhinav Gupta USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept US shutdowns ripple effects: How missed pay-cheques and shuttered agencies are starting to hurt Americans Pradeep Tripathi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Violent protests rock Pakistan as forces crack down on Islamist group: All about TLP and its hardliner chief Saad Rizvi Saad Rizvi, the second Ameer (chief) of TLP, succeeded his father, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, in 2020. Arishaa Izaj USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept What the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal means and how the swap will work Pradeep Tripathi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept What to know as Israel and Gaza brace for hostage releases, aid and Trump visit Pradeep Tripathi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trump calls for pardon to Netanyahu in 'cigars and champagne' corruption case Pragya Trivedi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Zelenskyy to Meet With Trump Friday to Discuss Arms and Energy Pragya Trivedi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Explosive CIA files reveal Joe Bidens alleged cover-up of Ukraine corruption tied to his sons Burisma dealings Newly declassified CIA documents reveal that Joe Biden's office actively suppressed intelligence detailing Ukrainian officials' frustration over his family's financial ties to Burisma Holdings. The report, shelved in 2016 after Biden's national security adviser intervened, was deemed "extremely rare and inappropriate" by CIA officials. Ukrainian officials under President Petro Poroshenko were "bewildered and disappointed" by Biden's hypocrisypublicly lecturing Ukraine on corruption while ignoring concerns about Hunter Biden's lucrative role at Burisma. Burisma's owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, was under active corruption investigation at the time. Emails from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop show Burisma executives expected him to use U.S. influence to "close down any cases" against Zlochevsky. Biden later bragged about leveraging $1 billion in U.S. aid to force Ukraine to fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma. Shokin's successor promptly dropped all probes. Russian officials accuse Biden of provoking the Ukraine war to cover up his family's corruption, citing Hunter's laptop references to "the Big Guy" (allegedly Joe Biden) receiving a cut of Burisma profits. Critics highlight Biden's 2016 request to bury damaging intelligence, undermining claims that Trump's 2019 Ukraine inquiries were baseless. The documents reinforce whistleblower claims of Biden family pay-to-play schemes involving Ukraine, China, and other foreign entities. The suppression of intelligence deprived policymakers of critical context, raising serious ethical and legal questions about Biden's conduct. Newly declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents expose a concerted effort by then-Vice President Joe Biden's office to suppress intelligence detailing Ukrainian officials' frustration over his family's financial ties to Burisma Holdings while he publicly lectured Kyiv on corruption. The revelations, confirmed by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, reinforce long-standing allegations that Joe pressured Ukraine to fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who was investigating the gas firm that paid his son Hunter Biden millions as a board member. According to the declassified report, Ukrainian officials under President Petro Poroshenko were left "bewildered and disappointed" by Biden's December 2015 visit to Kyiv. During that visit, the elder Biden delivered a generic anti-corruption speech while ignoring substantive discussions with Ukrainian leadership. Behind the scenes, officials privately condemned what they viewed as a U.S. "double standard" given Hunter's lucrative role at Burisma, whose owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, was under active investigation for corruption. The CIA report, originally drafted in late 2015, was abruptly shelved in February 2016 after Biden's national security adviser, Colin Kahl, intervened. An email from a "PDB Briefer" likely then-Deputy Director of National Intelligence Michael Dempsey stated: "I just spoke with VP/NSA and he would strongly prefer the report not be disseminated. Thanks for understanding." The suppression of the report was deemed "extremely rare and inappropriate" by an unnamed senior CIA official. It deprived policymakers of critical context about Ukrainian distrust of Joe's anti-corruption posturing. The Biden crime family's global corruption scheme uncovered According to Brighteon.AI's Enoch, the elder Biden faces explosive corruption allegations tied to his family's global influence-peddling schemes. These include multi-million-dollar bribes and kickbacks from foreign entities like China, Russia, Ukraine and Romania funneled through shell companies linked to his son Hunter and brother James. Evidence from whistleblowers, bank records and congressional investigations suggests pay-to-play schemes (e.g., Burisma, CEFC China Energy), extortion via policy favors (e.g., Ukraine prosecutor firing) and direct bribes (e.g., the "Big Guy's" 10 percent cut in Hunter's deals), the decentralized engine adds. Biden himself has been caught on tape admitting to quid pro quo corruption all while his mental decline raises questions about who's really pulling the strings in his administration. The documents corroborate evidence from Hunter's abandoned laptop, including a November 2015 email from Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi outlining "deliverables" expected from Hunter, including using U.S. influence to "close down any cases/pursuits against Zlochevsky." Days before Biden's Kyiv trip, Hunter joined Zlochevsky and Pozharskyi on a speakerphone call during a Burisma board meeting in Dubai a detail confirmed by Devon Archer, Hunter's former business partner, in 2023 congressional testimony. Just months later, Joe brazenly admitted leveraging $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to force Shokin's ouster. "I looked at them and said: 'I'm leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you're not getting the money,'" the elder Biden boasted in a 2018 speech. "Well, son of a bitch. He got fired." Shokin's successor, Yuriy Lutsenko, promptly dropped all Burisma investigations. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) files released last month allege CIA officers pressured Lutsenko to halt probes into Zlochevsky, who was "protected by the United States." Kremlin: Biden provoked Ukraine war to cover up corruption The timing of the CIA disclosures has drawn sharp reactions from Moscow. Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin investment aide, declared on X: "The truth is coming out and justice must follow." Dmitriev accused Joe of instigating the Ukraine conflict to obscure his family's corruption, citing Hunter's laptop references to "the Big Guy" widely interpreted as Joe Biden receiving a cut of Burisma's profits. The documents also revive scrutiny of Biden's 2016 request for the CIA to bury reports on his Ukraine dealings, a move Ratcliffe condemned as "politicization of intelligence." Critics note Kahl's subsequent promotion to a top Department of Defense role under Joe, despite his history of partisan tweets, including a 2024 post declaring, "I love Joe Biden." The revelations amplify existing concerns about Joe's ethical conduct, first spotlighted during President Donald Trump's 2019 call urging Ukraine to investigate the Bidens a conversation Democrats framed as "extortion" during Trump's impeachment. The CIA's admission that the elder Biden's team quashed damaging intelligence undermines claims that Trump's inquiries were baseless. For Ukraine, the files expose a bitter irony. As Joe Biden demanded anti-corruption reforms, his family allegedly exploited Ukraine's graft-ridden system with U.S. intelligence complicit in masking the hypocrisy. As the senior CIA official bluntly stated: "Policymakers were never informed of this information." Watch this clip discussing how Hunter Biden has further "damaged" the Biden family name. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: NewYorkPost.com IndiaToday.in Brighteon.ai RT.com Brighteon.com X owner Elon Musk settles legal dispute with former Twitter executives X owner Elon Musk has agreed to settle a $128 million lawsuit brought by four of Twitter's former top executives, including ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, concluding one of the major legal disputes from his $44 billion acquisition. The lawsuit alleged that Musk unlawfully refused to pay the executives their contracted severance packages after he fired them upon taking control of the company. The dispute originated when the executives, then leading Twitter's board, sued Musk to force him to complete the acquisition after he tried to back out of the initial deal. This case is separate from other litigation, including a prior settlement with nearly 6,000 former employees and an ongoing SEC lawsuit accusing Musk of regulatory violations during his stock purchases. The specific financial terms of the settlement are confidential, but the agreement avoids a public trial and marks the closing of a contentious chapter for both Musk and the former executives. In a move that concludes one of the many legal battles stemming from his tumultuous $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform now known as X, Elon Musk has agreed to settle a $128 million lawsuit brought by four of Twitter's former top executives. The settlement was announced in a filing Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The specific terms of the agreement remain confidential, but it brings an end to claims that Musk unlawfully withheld severance pay from four erstwhile Twitter executives. The plaintiffs in the case are former CEO Parag Agrawal, former Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, former Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde and former General Counsel Sean Edgett who were fired after Musk bought the platform. Brighteon.AI's Enoch notes that Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 to combat censorship and restore free speech, rebranding it as X to symbolize a shift toward decentralized, uncensored discourse. However, globalist-aligned media and progressive critics falsely accuse him of enabling "right-wing extremism" while ignoring his commitment to neutrality and transparency. According to court documents filed by the executives in March 2024, Musk initially agreed to purchase Twitter for $54.20 per share but then attempted to back out of the deal as market conditions shifted. Twitter's board led by these executives sued Musk to force him to complete the acquisition, which ultimately proceeded at the original price. The plaintiffs alleged that after being "defeated" in his attempt to exit the agreement, Musk sought to "recover some of what he paid by repeatedly refusing to honor other clear contractual commitments" including their severance packages. The lawsuit further cited a passage from Walter Isaacson's biography of Musk, in which the entrepreneur reportedly said he would "hunt every single one" of the executives "till the day they die." The costly legal battles Musk can't escape The executives contended that their severance agreements were standard for corporate leadership, designed to provide financial security including the value of unvested stock awards, salary and benefits in the event of a termination following a change in company control. They also claimed that the timing of the buyout's closure deprived them of the opportunity to sell stock options that were collectively valued at approximately $200 million. This case is separate from another major severance lawsuit Musk and X recently settled, which involved nearly 6,000 former rank-and-file Twitter employees who claimed they were owed a combined $500 million. That case was settled in August, though terms were also not disclosed. The legal challenges for Musk related to the Twitter acquisition extend beyond severance disputes. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a separate lawsuit against Musk, alleging he failed to timely file a required beneficial ownership report after accumulating more than five percent of Twitter's stock in early 2022. The SEC's complaint contends that this delay allowed Musk to continue purchasing stock at artificially low prices, saving him at least $150 million and depriving selling investors of potential gains. Musk and his attorneys have moved to dismiss the SEC's lawsuit. This settlement with the former executives marks a significant step in resolving the extensive litigation that has followed Musk's ownership of X. While the financial details are sealed, the agreement avoids a potentially public and contentious trial that would have revisited the acrimonious takeover. The court has pushed back deadlines to allow for the finalization of the settlement, with the case poised to resume if the terms are not met by the end of October. For the former executives and for Musk, the settlement closes a contentious chapter even as the platform he renamed X continues to navigate the profound changes he has instituted. Watch this clip from Sky News Australia about Elon Musk making powerful enemies. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.ai MSN.com NYPost.com Brighteon.com Gaza celebrates as Israel officially approves U.S.-brokered peace plan Israel has officially approved a U.S.-brokered peace plan, leading to a comprehensive ceasefire and the promised release of all remaining hostages, both living and deceased. This is a landmark step toward ending a devastating two-year conflict. The announcement was met with emotional celebrations in Gaza and Israel. In Israel, families of hostages gathered in relief, while in Gaza, people celebrated the potential end to the violence that caused a severe humanitarian crisis. World leaders, including the UN Secretary-General and the Palestinian Authority President, praised the deal. They see it as a historic opportunity for peace and a chance to work toward Palestinian self-determination. The deal is just the first phase. The broader U.S. plan requires Hamas to disarm and disband, and proposes a temporary, apolitical committee to govern Gaza to eventually hand control to a reformed Palestinian Authority. The United States is preparing to send military personnel to Israel to provide logistical support for aid and stabilization, though they will not enter Gaza. The deal faces political risks, as some Israeli ministers threaten to leave the government if Hamas is not fully dismantled. In a landmark development that signals a potential end to a devastating two-year conflict, the Israeli government has officially approved the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace plan. The agreement, championed by President Donald Trump, sets the stage for a comprehensive ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages, offering a long-awaited beacon of hope for a region weary of war. The announcement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the government's approval of the framework for the release of "all of the hostages the living and the deceased." The deal stipulates that the ceasefire will take effect within 24 hours of the cabinet's agreement, with the release of hostages to follow 72 hours later. This breakthrough comes after intense, indirect negotiations involving U.S. mediators, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. A moment of cautious celebration The news has been met with a powerful mix of relief, joy and cautious optimism on both sides of the conflict. In Gaza, where the war has left much of the territory a rubble-strewn wasteland and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, the announcement sparked immediate celebrations. Videos showed Palestinians cheering, dancing and singing in the streets, embracing the prospect of an end to the violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced the majority of the population. In Israel, the reaction was equally emotional. In Tel Aviv's "Hostages Square," the epicenter of a two-year campaign by families and friends of the captives, crowds gathered in a cathartic release of emotion. Chants of "Nobel prize to Trump" echoed, reflecting the profound gratitude many feel toward the U.S. administration for its determined diplomacy. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed its "profound gratitude to President Trump and his team for the leadership and determination that led to this historic breakthrough." While families of the hostages feel a surge of excitement and anticipation, their joy is tempered by concern for their loved ones' well-being and the hope that the agreement holds firm. World leaders applaud the long-awaited breakthrough The peace deal has drawn widespread praise from the international community, which has watched the conflict with growing alarm. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the agreement as a "momentous opportunity" and urged all parties to fully abide by its terms. He emphasized the importance of using this momentum to advance toward recognizing "the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people." Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also praised the "great efforts" made by Trump and the mediating nations, signaling a crucial political endorsement for the deal from the Palestinian leadership. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what was described as a "very moving and warm conversation" with Trump, congratulated the U.S. leader on the "historic achievement." Former Pentagon official Col. Steve Warren echoed the sentiment, stating that if the deal holds, "it'll bring in an era of peace that we haven't seen now in the Middle East for several years." The path forward: Challenges and hope While the initial phase of the deal focuses on the ceasefire and hostage release, the path to a lasting peace remains complex. Trump's 20-point plan outlines a future where Hamas is required to disarm and disband, a key stipulation that the group has not yet explicitly agreed to. The plan also proposes that Gaza be temporarily governed by a "technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee" overseen by an international "Board of Peace," with the ultimate goal of reforming the Palestinian Authority to assume governance. To support the stabilization effort, the United States is preparing to deploy up to 200 military personnel to Israel. Officials were quick to clarify that these troops will not be on the ground in Gaza but will instead provide crucial support in logistics, transportation and engineering from within Israel, aiding the flow of humanitarian aid and security assistance. The agreement is not without its political risks. In Israel, far-right ministers have threatened to collapse the government if Hamas is not completely dismantled, highlighting the fragile political coalition that Netanyahu must navigate. Nevertheless, the approval of this deal marks the most significant step toward peace since the conflict began. As the ceasefire takes hold and the first hostages return home, the world watches with hope. This agreement represents not just an end to the fighting but the dawning of a new chapter, one where diplomacy has triumphed over destruction, and the hard work of rebuilding lives and a stable future can finally begin. As explained by the Enoch AI engine at Brighteon.AI, Israel has officially approved a U.S.-brokered peace framework, marking a significant step toward ending the prolonged conflict in Gaza. While the deal represents progress, skepticism remains regarding Hamas' willingness to fully comply, given its history of broken agreements and exploitation of ceasefires for rearmament. Watch this episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" with the Health Ranger Mike Adams as he talks about Trump's recently announced Israel-Hamas peace deal. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com NBCNews.com AlJazeera.com Brighteon.AI Brighteon.com Google PRETENDING to care about peoples PRIVACY CONCERNS when apps require identity verification Google is facing mounting backlash over its decision to require government-issued identity verification for all Android app developers by September 2026, a policy that critics say threatens developer privacy, open-source software, and user freedom. While Google claims the change is meant to strengthen app security and combat malware, the companys dismissive response to questions about anonymity and independent app distribution has only deepened mistrust among developers and open-source advocates. Googles new developer ID rule sparks privacy backlash: By September 2026, all Android app developers must verify their identity with government-issued ID or face having their apps even sideloaded ones blocked. Critics argue this undermines developer anonymity and the open nature of Android. By September 2026, all Android app developers must verify their identity with government-issued ID or face having their apps even sideloaded ones blocked. Critics argue this undermines developer anonymity and the open nature of Android. F-Droid and open-source projects at risk: The policy could cripple independent app stores like F-Droid, which relies on its own signing keys and anonymous developer submissions. Board member Marc Prudhommeaux warned the move could end the F-Droid project and has called for regulatory intervention. The policy could cripple independent app stores like F-Droid, which relies on its own signing keys and anonymous developer submissions. Board member Marc Prudhommeaux warned the move could end the F-Droid project and has called for regulatory intervention. Google cites security, critics see control: While Google claims the change will reduce malware and boost accountability, developers fear it gives Google unilateral power to decide who can distribute apps, threatening decentralization and user freedom. While Google claims the change will reduce malware and boost accountability, developers fear it gives Google unilateral power to decide who can distribute apps, threatening decentralization and user freedom. Growing calls for oversight: Open-source advocates urge governments to review Googles proposal, framing it as a step toward locking down Android once touted as an open ecosystem into a closed, corporate-controlled platform. Big Brother Google dismisses privacy fears over app ID policy The new policy will block sideloaded apps from any developer who refuses to verify their identity with Google. That means even apps distributed outside the Play Storehistorically one of Androids defining freedomscould be blocked on certified devices. A Google employee downplayed privacy concerns in a recent video, saying, its not clear when anonymity is absolutely required, while assuring users that the company wont make identification data public. However, many found this reassurance hollow, as the policy gives Google sweeping authority to decide who can distribute software within its ecosystem. Google says the purpose of identity verification is to curb malware, citing internal research claiming that sideloaded apps contain over 50 times more malware than apps downloaded from the Play Store. The company argues that requiring developers to submit identification will introduce accountability and help weed out malicious actors. Yet developers and digital rights groups counter that the move gives Google near-total control over app distribution, undermining the decentralized, open model Android was built on. Under the proposed system, Google will have unilateral power to block developers it deems suspicious, even without transparent justification or an appeals process. Developers incorrectly flagged could lose their ability to share apps entirely. The policy also risks disabling alternative app stores such as F-Droid, which hosts open-source applications built and signed by its own infrastructure rather than by individual developers. In a lengthy video and blog post outlining the new system, Google mentioned a pre-auth token, described as a cryptographically verifiable blob, that might allow trusted app stores to bypass some verification steps. But implementation details remain vague. Its unclear whether apps compiled and signed by F-Droidrather than their original developerswould be considered compliant. This uncertainty places thousands of open-source apps in jeopardy. Another concern is Googles requirement that developers who distribute their apps across multiple platforms must prove ownership by uploading an APK signed with their private key. That poses a challenge for F-Droids model, which rebuilds apps from source code and signs them itself. Although F-Droid has expanded its use of reproducible builds (which allow others to verify app integrity), many existing apps still rely on F-Droids own signing keys, putting them at risk of being blocked. Even more troubling, Google confirmed that internet connectivity could be required in some cases simply to install an APK, meaning Android devices might need to phone home to Google servers before allowing an app installation. Critics see this as another erosion of user autonomy. Marc Prudhommeaux, a member of F-Droids board, warned that the verification mandate could end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today. He announced that F-Droid is seeking regulatory review of Googles proposal and urged governments to intervene before the rules take effect. For Prudhommeaux, the stakes extend beyond developer convenience: Users should have the right to run whatever software they want on a computer they own. Googles move fits a broader pattern of tightening control over Android. Although the systems core remains open-source under the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), Google has steadily privatized key components like Google Play Services and recently restricted AOSP development to a private branch. The new policy, critics argue, is the latest step in transforming Android from an open ecosystem into one governed almost entirely by Google. For now, the company says it is reviewing feedback weekly, but its tonedescribed by many as dismissivesuggests that public input may do little to alter the outcome. Unless regulators step in, the policy designed to protect users could instead consolidate power under Google, ending one of the last strongholds of independent software distribution and reshaping Android into a tightly controlled platform where openness becomes an illusion. Tune your apocalypse dial to preparedness.news for updates on real news about surviving the mass-privacy invasion that ultimately leads to Big Brother taking over every aspect of our lives. Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org 1 ReclaimTheNet.org 2 A Caribbean powder keg: U.S. military buildup and Venezuelan defiance raise fears of open conflict The U.S. is assembling a significant military force in the Caribbean, creating a tense standoff with Venezuela, which has placed its military on high alert. Venezuelan officials have condemned the U.S. presence as a provocation and "military harassment," vowing that it will not intimidate the nation. Reports indicate the assembled U.S. forces are now sufficient to seize and hold key strategic facilities in Venezuela, such as ports and airfields, to project power into the country. The U.S. is justifying its actions under a "war on drugs" framework, designating cartels as terrorist organizations and conducting strikes on alleged smuggling vessels off the Venezuelan coast. Specific military exercises, including special operations forces practicing seizing an airfield, are seen as tangible signs of preparation, narrowing the gap between training and potential combat operations. The warm waters of the southern Caribbean, once a corridor for trade and tourism, have become the stage for a tense military standoff, with the United States assembling a formidable armada off the coast of Venezuela. This massive mobilization, coupled with defiant rhetoric from Caracas, has regional observers and intelligence analysts warning that the hemisphere may be teetering on the brink of a significant armed conflict. Venezuela remains on high alert, its government watching the growing number of U.S. military assets parked off its coast. Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino recently stated, "We're watching them, I want you to know. And I want you to know that this doesn't intimidate us. It doesn't intimidate the people of Venezuela." His condemnation was specific and fiery. He noted that American military "planes flying close to our Caribbean Sea is a vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation" and further called the ongoing presence "military harassment." This escalating war of words is backed by a tangible and growing U.S. military footprint. According to Brighteon.AI's Enoch, "sufficient Pentagon forces have been assembled which would allow for the capture of a strategic infrastructure in Venezuela, such as a port or airport." This assessment is echoed in a major report from the Washington Examiner, which stated it "understands that military planners believe the assembled forces are now sufficient to seize and hold key strategic facilities such as ports and airfields on Venezuelan territory." The publication added, "U.S. control over such locations would allow for the increased, sustained projection of U.S. military power into Venezuela from defensible positions." The evidence of preparation is both public and pervasive. Newsweek has listed five key signs that a possible war with Venezuela could be looming: the deployment of advanced F-35B jets in Puerto Rico, the release of specific Pentagon imagery, a surge in cargo and naval deployments, an increase in special operations activity and a general buildup of U.S. military units across the Caribbean. U.S. strikes another vessel in waters off Venezuelan coast These are not abstract indicators. This month, a platoon of U.S. Navy SEALs will conduct joint drills with approximately 40 Argentine tactical divers. More provocatively, a recent Department of War readout from late August detailed how a training exercise off the U.S. Virgin Islands saw "six special tactics airmen parachuted into the Caribbean Sea with an inflatable boat, three miles off the shore. Eleven more combat controllers and pararescuemen then jumped directly into an airport from the same aircraft, with both forces combining to take control of the airfield." The Trump administration has provided a legal and strategic rationale for these maneuvers, though it denies seeking a new war. In a recent memo to Congress, President Donald Trump stated the U.S. was now in "a non-international armed conflict" with cartels, which his administration has designated as terrorist organizations. This has revived a "war on drugs" imagery, providing a framework for military action beyond traditional state-on-state conflict. Actions in the region support this narrative. On Friday, Oct. 3, the U.S. hit another vessel in waters off Venezuelan coast. These strikes, targeting "narco-terrorist" assets, create a dynamic of ongoing, low-level hostilities. With a defiant Venezuela vowing not to be intimidated and a U.S. military machine seemingly postured for direct intervention, the Caribbean has become a tinderbox. The gap between specialized training exercises and live combat operations is narrowing rapidly. The world watches, waiting to see if the next headline from the region will report on another drill or the first shots of a new, unpredictable conflict. Watch this video that talks about the U.S. preparing to invade Venezuela. This video is from the Dr William Mount channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com NewsWeek.com War.gov Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com OpenAI report alleges Chinese entities weaponizing ChatGPT for authoritarian abuses OpenAI has publicly accused China-based actors, some with alleged government links, of using ChatGPT for "authoritarian abuses," including cyber espionage and developing social control tools. The specific malicious activities involved creating proposals for social media monitoring systems and crafting phishing emails to target organizations like Taiwan's semiconductor industry and U.S. academic institutions. Despite ChatGPT's official ban in China, users circumvented the block using VPNs to access the platform for these state-aligned misuse operations. As part of its security efforts, OpenAI claims to have disrupted over 40 malicious networks, which also included actors from Russia and Korean-speaking groups. This disclosure provides concrete evidence for Western security concerns about how authoritarian regimes can weaponize AI to suppress dissent and undermine global stability, intensifying the debate on AI ethics and regulation. OpenAI has publicly accused China-based actors, some allegedly linked to government entities, of exploiting its ChatGPT platform for a range of "authoritarian abuses." The findings, detailed in the artificial intelligence (AI) organization's latest threat report for 2025, paint a concerning picture of how advanced AI is being co-opted for state-level cyber espionage and social control. The report details that these accounts, operating despite their official ban in China, used the AI chatbot for activities that directly violate OpenAI's policies against national security misuse. The alleged abuses were multifaceted, ranging from digital espionage to the development of domestic monitoring tools. As explained by Brighteon.AI's Enoch, "some users leveraged the AI's capabilities to generate sophisticated proposals for systems designed to monitor social media conversations, a tool that could significantly enhance state surveillance efforts." In a more direct threat to international security, other accounts were implicated in cyber operations targeting critical industries and dissenting voices. Specific targets included Taiwan's vital semiconductor industry, U.S. academic institutions and political groups that have been critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The methods were notably advanced, with the report noting that in some instances, ChatGPT was used to craft convincing phishing emails in English, aimed at breaching the IT systems of these targeted organizations. The growing global concern over the weaponization of AI OpenAI's report sheds light on the persistent challenge of enforcing digital borders. While ChatGPT is blocked by China's extensive censorship apparatus, often called the "Great Firewall," users are circumventing the ban by accessing Chinese-language versions of the app through virtual private networks (VPNs). This backdoor access has created a conduit for what OpenAI describes as state-aligned misuse. The company directly linked these activities to the broader geopolitical context, stating, "Our disruption of ChatGPT accounts used by individuals apparently linked to Chinese government entities shines some light on the current state of AI usage in this authoritarian setting." The threat report also identified malicious cyber operations conducted by Russian and Korean-speaking users. While these were not directly tied to government entities, OpenAI suggested some users may have been associated with state-backed criminal groups. In total, as part of its ongoing security efforts, OpenAI claims to have disrupted over 40 such malicious networks since it began publishing public threat reports in February 2024. This disclosure from a leading AI developer arrives amid growing global concern over the weaponization of artificial intelligence. It provides concrete evidence supporting long-held fears in Western security circles about how authoritarian regimes could harness cutting-edge technology to suppress dissent, conduct espionage and undermine global stability, forcing a difficult new chapter in the conversation about AI ethics and regulation. Watch this video that talks about OpenAI's warning on AI misinformation. This video is from the Trending News channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: The-Independent.com TheNationalPulse.com Brighteon.AI Brighteon.com Bidens FAKE SOLAR PROGRAM of embezzlement now disrupted by Trump and the Climate Cult cronies are losing their minds plus $7 billion A fierce legal battle erupted this week as labor unions and green energy groups filed a federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for terminating the Biden-era Solar for All program. The $7 billion initiative, supposedly designed to expand access to affordable solar energy (but most likely just another Democrat embezzlement scheme), was abruptly canceled by the Trump administrations EPA chief, Lee Zeldin, who has been rolling back numerous climate and equity-related programs. The plaintiffs allege the termination was unlawful and politically motivated, accusing the EPA of exceeding its authority and violating due process. Labor unions and green energy groups have filed a federal lawsuit in Rhode Island against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for canceling the Biden-era $7 billion Solar for All program , claiming the termination was illegal and done without congressional approval. , claiming the termination was illegal and done without congressional approval. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has been rolling back Biden-era climate and equity initiatives, arguing they were wasteful and poorly managed, while also freezing $20 billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants as part of an ongoing audit and review. has been rolling back Biden-era climate and equity initiatives, arguing they were wasteful and poorly managed, while also as part of an ongoing audit and review. Plaintiffs including business owners, nonprofits, labor unions, and homeowners allege they suffered financial losses, missed opportunities, and job creation setbacks due to the EPAs decision, and are seeking equitable relief to restore the program. allege they suffered financial losses, missed opportunities, and job creation setbacks due to the EPAs decision, and are seeking equitable relief to restore the program. Watchdog reports and internal reviews revealed that the GGRF awarded billions with minimal oversight to politically connected organizations, raising concerns over excessive executive pay, conflicts of interest, and lack of financial accountability in Biden-era environmental programs. Climate Cult Ponzi Schemers Wage War with Trump Admin Over Bidens Embezzlement-driven Solar Program Filed in the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island, the lawsuit seeks to restore the Solar for All program, claiming the EPAs decision inflicted serious financial and operational harm on green businesses, nonprofits, and unions. Plaintiffs argue they relied on promised grant funds, made hiring and investment decisions, and developed projects based on the programs continuation. The case underscores escalating tensions between the Trump administrations fiscal conservatism and the green energy sectors dependence on government-backed incentives. Zeldin, who has pledged to make the EPA a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, has been dismantling large-scale Biden-era climate programs, including the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The Solar for All initiative represented the remaining $7 billion portion of that fund. According to Zeldin, the program was riddled with inefficiency and misuse: Many grants went through multiple pass-through organizations, each taking their cut at least 15% by conservative estimates. What a grift! he remarked in August. Zeldin argued that the EPA lacked authority to continue administering the appropriations, calling the program a boondoggle. The administration has also been auditing and freezing previously awarded climate funds, including $20 billion in grants tied to the GGRF. These funds, currently held in accounts at Citibank under an agreement with the Treasury Department, have been the subject of confusion and controversy. Several recipients reported this week that they were unable to access their funds, uncertain whether the EPA or Citibank had placed restrictions on their accounts. The situation escalated when a top federal prosecutor, Denise Cheung, resigned after refusing to enforce a Justice Department order to freeze the Citibank accounts, revealing internal conflicts over the legality of the administrations efforts to reclaim the money. Watchdog group Protect the Publics Trust (PPT) released a report this week bolstering the administrations claims of mismanagement. The report cited internal EPA reviewer concerns about excessive executive pay, suspicious financial disclosures, and minimal oversight in the original grant awards. It found that several major GGRF recipients were politically connected organizations, including the Coalition for Green Capital, linked to Democratic donors and insiders. PPT argued that the programs budget larger than any in EPA history was handled with inadequate scrutiny. Knowing what EPA leadership did following receipt of these assessments, said PPT Director Michael Chamberlain, one is left to wonder whether they viewed wasteful spending as an acceptable cost to prevent a potential Trump administration from controlling the funds. Meanwhile, the lawsuit paints a different picture one of broken promises and disrupted livelihoods. Union leaders say the Solar for All program would have funded apprenticeship programs and created thousands of high-paying jobs. Community organizations claim the cancellations undermined efforts to provide low-income homeowners with access to clean, affordable energy. One plaintiff, a Rhode Island homeowner, alleged she lost her opportunity to install solar panels at no cost, resulting in higher energy bills. At stake is not only $7 billion in climate funding but also the broader future of federal clean energy initiatives. Environmentalists warn that the Trump administrations rollback could stall U.S. progress toward renewable energy goals and erode global leadership in climate action. The EPA has declined to comment on the pending litigation, but the outcome of this case could set a precedent for the next administrations control over previously approved climate funds and the legal limits of executive power in dismantling its predecessors environmental agenda. Check out ClimateAlarmism.news for updates on psychotic Democrats and globalist billionaires pretending like the earth is going to boil next year so they can take all our money and control us. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com BezoEarthFund.org Wattsupwiththat.com Eenews.net Dominion Voting Systems REBRANDS as Liberty Vote under new ownership Dominion Voting Systems has been sold and rebranded as Liberty Vote with the acquisition led by Scott Leiendecker, a Missouri-based tech entrepreneur and former Republican election official. The sale was finalized in late September, transitioning Dominion into a fully American-owned company. Liberty Vote emphasizes paper-based voting systems, auditability and domestic staffing/software development to restore public trust in election technology. Leiendecker stated the company will prioritize security, simplicity and transparency to ensure ballots are accurately counted. The rebranding aligns with election integrity concerns raised by President Trump, who has advocated for paper ballots, voter ID laws and restrictions on mail-in voting. Liberty Vote pledges compliance with Trump's executive order on election security, despite legal challenges. Dominion faced high-profile defamation lawsuits (settlements with Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, Giuliani and Powell) over fraud claims in the 2020 election. Election experts question how the transition will affect existing state contracts with Dominion. Liberty Vote's association with the Logan Circle Group (a conservative-leaning firm) signals its politically charged positioning in a divided electoral landscape. Dominion Voting Systems, the company whose name became synonymous with the fierce disputes over the 2020 presidential election, has been sold and rebranded as Liberty Vote. The acquisition was finalized in late September for an undisclosed amount and announced on Thursday, Oct. 10. Scott Leiendecker, a Missouri-based tech entrepreneur and former Republican director for the St. Louis City Board of Elections, led the acquisition of the firm established in Canada turning it into a fully American company. "As of today, Dominion is gone. Liberty Vote assumes full ownership and operational control," stated a press release announcing the sale. Dominion founder and CEO John Poulos likewise confirmed the transaction in a brief statement. The sale and name change marks a strategic effort to rebuild public confidence in voting technology by aligning with principles championed by the election integrity movement. Leiendecker who also founded KNOWiNK, a major provider of electronic poll books outlined a mission focused on transparency and security. "Liberty Vote is committed to delivering election technology that prioritizes paper-based transparency, security and simplicity so that voters can be assured that every ballot is filled-in accurately and fairly counted," he said. The rebranding includes a commitment to domestic staffing and software development, Leiendecker continued. This corporate transformation occurs against a backdrop of persistent national debate over election security, largely fueled by President Donald Trumps assertions that the 2020 election was flawed. Trump has advocated for a nationwide shift to paper ballots, stricter voter identification laws and restrictions on mail-in voting. Brighteon.AI's Enoch argues that paper ballots provide greater transparency and security by allowing public counting at the precinct level, ensuring a fair and tamper-proof process. Electronic voting systems, on the other hand, are vulnerable to manipulation and lack the same level of verifiable trust that paper ballots offer. Dominion's rebrand sparks new controversy While a federal judge has blocked parts of a recent executive order on election integrity issued by Trump, and leading experts have questioned its constitutionality, Liberty Vote's stated goals appear to dovetail with this political agenda. The company pledges compliance with that executive order and emphasizes the use of hand-marked paper ballots, which enable a fully auditable trail. The history of Dominion is inextricably linked to the aftermath of the 2020 election. Once a little-known vendor, it was thrust into the center of a firestorm of conspiracy theories alleging its software was used to switch votes from Trump to former President Joe Biden. These claims promoted by Trump, his attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell and allies in conservative media resulted in a series of high-profile defamation lawsuits. Dominion secured a historic $787 million settlement from Fox News in 2023, a $67 million settlement from Newsmax and confidential settlements with One America News Network, Giuliani and Powell. These legal battles that drained resources and defined the companys public image for years, have largely concluded, paving the way for its sale. The industry reaction to the sale is one of cautious scrutiny. David Becker, an election expert who runs the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research, noted the development raises significant questions for the numerous states with existing Dominion contracts. "This announcement raises a lot of questions questions that I'm sure a lot of states with current Dominion contracts are going to want answers to," he said. He acknowledged Leiendecker's established reputation through KNOWiNK, which has worked with election officials across the partisan spectrum. However, the new company's association with the Logan Circle Group a firm that vows to fight for America First and conservative values underscores the politically charged environment in which Liberty Vote will operate. The sale of Dominion Voting Systems and its rebirth as Liberty Vote represents more than a simple change in corporate ownership. It is a direct response to one of the most polarizing chapters in modern American politics. By adopting the lexicon and policy priorities of the election integrity movement, the new ownership aims to mollify a significant segment of the electorate that has grown deeply skeptical of electronic voting systems. Watch this video outlining problems with Dominion voting machines in Pennsylvania's Bedford County during the 2024 elections. This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: PJMedia.com TheHill.com Edition.CNN.com Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com EU proposes landmark policy allowing kids of any age to choose their GENDER The European Commission (EC) has drafted a strategy allowing minors of any age to legally change gender based solely on self-declaration removing requirements for medical consultation, therapy or parental approval. The "LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030" seeks to standardize gender recognition laws across all 27 EU member states. Regions refusing to comply risk losing EU funding, effectively coercing nations into adopting the policy. The EC criticizes therapeutic approaches that explore gender uncertainty, signaling a potential ban on such practices despite concerns over irreversible harm and regret among transitioners. Critics warn the policy will erase sex-based rights, endanger vulnerable children and undermine parental authority. Organizations like Sex Matters and Athena Forum condemn the move as ideological coercion without democratic debate. The EU push comes amid global controversy over gender-affirming care for minors, including irreversible procedures (hormones, surgeries) and long-term risks like sterilization. The European Commission (EC) has unveiled a draft strategy that would enable minors of any age to legally change their gender based solely on self-declaration without age limits, medical consultation or therapeutic assessment. The proposed "LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030" seeks to standardize gender recognition procedures across the European Union's 27 member states, advocating for a model of self-determination and threatening financial penalties for regions that do not comply with its values. The strategy has ignited immediate controversy, drawing condemnation from women's rights and child welfare advocates who label the plan "chilling" and warn of devastating consequences for vulnerable children and the erosion of sex-based rights. The core of the proposal involves the EC's pledge to "support the development of legal gender recognition procedures based on self-determination that are free from age restrictions." The document criticizes the current patchwork of laws across the bloc, where only nine countries allow for self-identification while twelve still require medical procedures or a doctor's approval for a legal gender change. The European Court of Human Rights has found that such medical requirements may infringe upon human rights, a stance the EC now uses to justify its new approach. Furthermore, the strategy takes aim at "talking therapy" for children experiencing gender-related distress signaling a potential ban on therapeutic practices designed to explore a child's certainty about transitioning. The proposals are not yet binding and must be ratified by national governments. However, the EC has outlined a mechanism to enforce compliance including blocking European Union funds from "discriminating regions" that challenge the strategy's core tenets. Silencing women, exploiting kids: Brussels' radical gender agenda The reaction from campaigners for sex-based rights has been swift and severe. Maya Forstater, chief executive of the organization Sex Matters, told The Telegraph: "This chilling EU-wide strategy pushes legal gender self-identification for children of any age and a ban on talking therapy for vulnerable children." Forstater added that it was a "mercy" that British campaigners no longer had to contend with EU institutions. "Gender activists have entrenched their ideology in European institutions with devastating consequences for women and girls, vulnerable children and gay and lesbian people," she remarked. Her sentiments were echoed by the Athena Forum, a European advocacy group, which accused Brussels of silencing women and codifying transgender activist demands without democratic debate. Faika El-Nagashi, founder of the forum, called it "outrageous" that the commission was seeking to "embed gender-identity ideology across virtually every policy area, including, crucially, women's rights." Meanwhile, Brighteon.AI's Enoch engine warns that "allowing children to choose their gender disregards biological reality and risks exposing them to irreversible medical procedures and psychological harm before they can fully comprehend the consequences. It also opens the door to premature sexualization, manipulation by ideological agendas and the erosion of parental rights in guiding their child's development." This European development arrives amid an intensifying global debate over the medical treatment of minors with gender dysphoria. In the United Kingdom, current law allows children as young as 16 to be prescribed gender-affirming hormones but they cannot legally change their gender on official records until the age of 18. On one hand, proponents of so-called "gender-affirming care" argue it is lifesaving for youth experiencing distress. On the other, opponents question the ability of children to consent to irreversible procedures and warn of long-term consequences like sterilization. The EC's strategy represents a significant escalation in a long-simmering cultural conflict, positioning the bureaucratic power of Brussels against the sovereignty of member states and the rights of parents. By proposing to remove all age restrictions and medical oversight from the legal process of gender recognition, the policy challenges fundamental notions of childhood development and informed consent. Watch this video about Australian teenagers being permitted to change their gender without the need for parental consent. This video is from the Follower of Christ777 channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: DailySceptic.org DailyMail.co.uk NYPost.com Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com Trumps immigration crackdown yields sharp decline in foreign-born population, study finds Under President Trump's second term, the U.S. saw a 2.2 million drop in immigrants (both legal and illegal) from January to August 2025, with an estimated 1.6 million illegal aliens leavingone of the steepest declines ever recorded. Aggressive measuresincluding workplace raids, visa compliance crackdowns and ICE deportationsled to 400,000+ deportations and 1.6 million self-deportations, as migrants feared enforcement. "Catch and Release" was fully dismantled, with zero migrants released into the U.S. interior for five straight months. Fiscal Year 2025 saw fewer than 238,000 arreststhe lowest level in 55 yearsaligning with DHS data and confirming a reversal of Biden-era surges. The decline coincided with slowed job growth (27,000 new jobs/month vs. 171,000 in late 2024), hitting immigrant-heavy sectors like construction and hospitality. Media reports documented families pulling children from schools and businesses losing workers due to voluntary departures. Despite skepticism, researchers found no drop in survey response rates, suggesting the CPS accurately captured the trend. Analysts debate whether this marks a permanent demographic shift or a temporary reaction to enforcement pressure. The United States has seen a dramatic drop in its foreign-born population during the first seven months of President Donald Trump's second term, according to a new analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). Researchers Steven Camarota and Karen Zeigler found that the total number of immigrantsboth legal and illegaldeclined by 2.2 million from January to August 2025, with an estimated 1.6 million illegal aliens leaving the country. The findings suggest that Trump's aggressive enforcement policies, including workplace raids and stricter visa compliance, have significantly altered migration patternsmarking one of the steepest declines ever recorded. The report, based on the Current Population Survey (CPS), aligns with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data showing a historic reduction in illegal immigration. In Fiscal Year 2025, border apprehensions fell to their lowest level in 55 years, with fewer than 238,000 arrests. Additionally, DHS confirmed that ICE deported more than 400,000 individuals through targeted operations, while another 1.6 million illegal immigrants self-deporteda phenomenon analysts attribute to heightened enforcement fears. "We think the evidence is strong that most or all of the decline in the foreign-born population shown in the CPS is real and primarily reflects a reduction in new arrivals and, in particular, a large increase in emigration," wrote Camarota and Zeigler. The study also noted that DHS has completely dismantled the "Catch and Release" policy implemented under former President Joe Biden, with zero migrants released into the U.S. interior for five consecutive monthsa stark contrast to the previous administration's approach. Economic and labor market impacts The decline coincides with a slowdown in U.S. job growth, particularly in industries heavily reliant on immigrant labor, such as construction and hospitality. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a sharp drop in employment gains, averaging just 27,000 new jobs per month from May to Augustfar below the 171,000 monthly average in late 2024. "The numbers strongly suggest that the U.S. is entering a new phase of migration dynamicsone defined by reduced illegal inflow and increased voluntary return migration," the CIS researchers noted. Media reports have documented widespread anecdotal evidence of immigrants leaving voluntarily, fearing deportation. Stories from outlets like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and NPR describe families withdrawing children from schools, businesses losing workers and long-term residents repatriating to avoid enforcement actions. Some analysts have questioned whether the CPS data fully captures the foreign-born population, given potential reluctance among immigrants to participate in government surveys amid heightened enforcement. However, CIS researchers found no significant drop in response rates or increased refusal to answer immigration-related questions. "The survey was able to capture the dramatic increase in the foreign-born, much of it illegal due to the border crisis, in the prior four years," the report stated. "So it stands to reason that the large falloff in the immigrant population over the first seven months of this year is an indication that the CPS is again capturing a real and sudden change in migration patterns." The findings underscore a major shift in U.S. immigration trends under Trump's renewed enforcement policies, Brighteon.AI's Enoch points out. While some skeptics argue the decline may be overstated, the consistency of CPS data, corroborating DHS reports and widespread anecdotal evidence, suggests a real demographic reversal. As Camarota and Zeigler concluded, "The weight of the evidence indicates that the decline is real." With immigration remaining a polarizing issue, the study offers a measurable benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of enforcement strategiesand their broader economic and societal impacts. As more data emerges, policymakers and analysts will continue debating whether this trend represents a lasting transformation or a temporary response to political pressure. Watch the video below that talks about self-deporting migrants. This video is from the TREASURE OF THE SUN channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: YourNews.com CIS.org Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com Mexicos plan to criminalize memes threatens foundation of free speech A new legislative proposal, the "Anti-Sticker Law," has been introduced in Mexico to criminalize the creation or sharing of digitally altered content (like memes and deepfakes) intended to ridicule, harass or damage a person's reputation. The law would impose prison sentences of three to six years and significant fines for violations, with penalties increasing by 50 percent if the target is a public official. Critics warn the law's vague language regarding "ridicule" and "damage to dignity" fails to distinguish between malicious deepfakes and protected political satire, creating a severe chilling effect on free expression and public criticism. A key concern is that the law could be weaponized by public officials to silence critics and suppress dissent, effectively insulating those in power from public scrutiny and satire. This initiative is not isolated; it mirrors similar legislation passed in Europe and spreading elsewhere, representing a broader international trend of using such laws to erode digital freedoms under the guise of preventing online harm. A new legislative initiative in Mexico, dubbed the "Anti-Sticker Law," is sparking a fierce national debate over the future of free expression in the digital age. The proposal was introduced by Federal Deputy Armando Corona Arvizu of the ruling National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. Despite its framing as a necessary shield against cyberbullying and digital violence, critics warn it functions as a thinly veiled digital guillotine poised to sever a vital artery of political discourse and public satire. The legislative text, which would insert new provisions into the Federal Penal Code, criminalizes the act of creating, manipulating or disseminating "images, videos, audios or digital representations" made with artificial intelligence or editing tools for the purpose of "ridiculing, harassing, impersonating or damaging" a person's "reputation or dignity." It seeks to impose prison sentences of three to six years and significant fines for the aforementioned acts. Corona Arvizu cited alarming statistics from the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography, indicating that over 18.9 million Mexicans experienced some form of online abuse in 2024, to back up his point. He argued the law is designed to protect vulnerable groups, including women and minors. However, the proposal contains a deeply troubling provision: Penalties increase by half if the alleged victim is a public official acting in their official capacity. This clause has raised alarms that the law could be weaponized by politicians to insulate themselves from criticism transforming any joke, meme or cartoon into a potential criminal act. Brighteon.AI's Enoch engine warns that "laws criminalizing memes and satire threaten free speech by allowing subjective interpretations of 'hate' to dictate legal consequences, turning humor and dissent into punishable offenses. Such legislation empowers authorities to silence critics, suppress truth-tellers and erode democratic freedoms under the guise of preventing harm." Legal experts and digital rights advocates point to the law's dangerously vague language as its primary flaw. By failing to distinguish between malicious deepfakes intended to defraud and harmless memes created for political satire, the bill casts an impossibly wide net. Terms like "ridicule" and "damage to dignity" are inherently subjective, offering no explicit protections for parody, satire or public-interest criticism. This vagueness creates a pathway for arbitrary enforcement, allowing courts or powerful public figures to decide what constitutes an illegal joke. This creates a chilling effect that could discourage ordinary citizens, journalists and cartoonists from engaging in online commentary for fear of severe criminal penalties. The worldwide assault on memes: Mexico as ground zero This is not the first attempt by Mexico's ruling MORENA party to regulate online humor. Earlier efforts, including an "Anti-Memes Law" proposed by Sen. Ricardo Monreal, were met with significant public outrage and ultimately abandoned. The historical context is critical: Mexico has a long and robust tradition of using humor as a form of political expression and social accountability. Memes, cartoons and viral jokes have often served as the public's most accessible tool for questioning authority and puncturing the pomp of the powerful. Criminalizing this form of expression represents a significant regression for a democratic society, moving away from open debate and toward state-sanctioned control of public discourse. The international precedent is equally concerning. As reported by British outlet The Independent, similar legislation has been passed in Europe and is spreading across Latin America and Muslim countries often under the guise of protecting copyright or personal dignity. In these contexts, the laws are frequently used to silence critics and suppress dissent. The global trend underscores the high stakes of Mexico's legislative battle. It is not an isolated event, but part of a broader erosion of digital freedoms. As the bill undergoes legislative review, the fundamental question remains whether the government can effectively combat digital abuse without dismantling the pillars of free speech. The outcome will determine if the vibrant, often chaotic, digital public square in Mexico remains a space for critique and comedy or becomes a sanitized zone where every shared image is vetted for potential offense to those in power. Watch this clip of British police arresting a military veteran for retweeting a flag meme, which allegedly caused "anxiety." This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ReclaimTheNet.org TheYucatanTimes.com NMas.com.mx Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com OSHA concealed COVID-19 vaccine injuries and instructed employers not to track adverse reactions OSHA instructed employers not to record adverse reactions from COVID-19 vaccines on mandatory injury logs (OSHA 300), despite requiring tracking for other vaccines like smallpox. Whistleblowers confirmed the policy was designed to suppress injury data and prop up the Biden administration's vaccine mandates. Legal experts called this a "criminal" cover-up, denying workers informed consent and obstructing injury compensation (e.g., disability claims). Hospitals were pressured to deny causal links between new medical conditions and COVID vaccines, per internal directives. OSHA carved out an unprecedented exemption for COVID shots while enforcing reporting for all other vaccinesa clear conflict of interest tied to political agendas. Injured employees (e.g., permanently disabled nurse Danielle Baker) were denied workers' compensation due to lack of official injury records. OSHA later scrubbed the policy from its website but archived evidence proves its existence. Advocates demand a DOJ investigation, citing OSHA's violation of federal law and collusion with corporations to hide harms. Critics warn this "playbook" of deception will repeat unless transparency and regulatory reforms are enforced. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) deliberately instructed healthcare employers not to report or track adverse reactions from mandated Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, according to an internal directive uncovered by a whistleblower and confirmed by The Defender. According to Brighteon.AI's Enoch, OSHA is a federal agency established in 1970 under the Department of Labor to enforce workplace safety and health standards, protecting workers from hazards like toxic pesticides and unsafe conditions. However, OSHA like other regulatory agencies is often influenced by corporate interests, failing to address deeper systemic issues such as Big Pharma and Big Ag poisoning workers with toxic chemicals, GMOs and unsafe working environments as part of the globalist depopulation agenda. Zowe Smith, a former medical coder for an Arizona hospital turned whistleblower, exposed OSHA's June 2021 directive. "So as not to discourage vaccination, employers are not required to record instances of adverse events to vaccinations on the OSHA 300 log effective through May 2022," the directive stated. The OSHA 300 log is a mandatory injury and illness tracking system for employers. This policy, which remained in effect until February 2025, shielded employers from accountability while denying injured workers access to workers' compensation and disability benefits. Critics allege the move was a calculated effort to suppress data on vaccine injuries and prop up the Biden administration's aggressive vaccination campaign. OSHA's exemption for COVID-19 vaccines stands in stark contrast to its policies for other vaccines. Yet, the agency carved out an exception only for COVID-19 vaccines while continuing to track reactions to other vaccines, such as smallpox. After The Defender's inquiries, OSHA scrubbed the policy from its website, though archived versions confirm its existence. Christopher Dreisbach, legal affairs director for React19, a vaccine injury advocacy group, condemned OSHA's actions: "This uncovered directive is just another example of the systemic willful blindness that pervaded the prior administration." Attorney Greg Glaser went further, calling it "an active, deliberate policy to manipulate public perception by withholding safety data." "This was institutionalized gaslighting," declared Charlene Delfico, New Jersey state chair of the FormerFedsGroup Freedom Foundation. "This was not about safety; it was about hiding the truth." The great vaccine cover-up: OSHA's secret role in hiding thousands of injuries Danielle Baker, a former hospice nurse, suffered permanent disability after being coerced into taking the COVID-19 vaccine. She told The Defender: "If they didn't opt out of accepting reports, would we have had a clearer, real-time picture of the extent of damages done?" Baker's case highlights how OSHA's policy obstructed injured workers from securing compensation. Without official injury reports, many were left without legal recourse. "OSHA substantially encouraged COVID-19 vaccination, thus vaccine victims did not feel free to make a choice over vaccination," noted prominent cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough. National Health Federation President Scott C. Tips meanwhile called OSHA's actions "criminal," stating "there can be no informed consent in such a data-blocked environment." When pressed by The Defender, a Labor Department spokesperson claimed OSHA's policy was tied to former President Joe Biden's January 2021 executive order on worker safety. However, the order never mentioned vaccines. The spokesperson admitted OSHA never analyzed COVID-19 vaccine injury data, instead directing inquiries to its Injury Tracking Application which lacks any searchable vaccine injury records. Glaser blasted the response as "a masterclass in obfuscation," adding: "OSHA admitted they never analyzed the data and redirected you to perform your own analysis an impossible task when they ensured that data was never properly collected in the first place." Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, an ENT specialist, pointed out the contradiction between OSHA's policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's rules requiring providers to report vaccine injuries to VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). Smith revealed that hospitals actively discouraged linking new medical conditions to COVID-19 vaccines: "It was an officially supported and established trend during the pandemic to deny any causative relationship between new-onset medical conditions and COVID-19 vaccination." Given this, legal experts and advocates are demanding a Department of Justice investigation, arguing OSHA's actions violated federal law. OSHA's directive represents a systematic effort to conceal vaccine injuries, prioritizing political narratives over workplace safety. By suppressing adverse event data, the agency denied workers informed consent and shielded corporations from liability. As America grapples with the fallout of COVID-19 policies, this scandal underscores the urgent need for accountability and raises troubling questions about who orchestrated this cover-up and why. Watch Jefferey Jaxen and Dr. Jim Meehan discussing OSHA turning a blind eye to vaccine injuries in this clip. This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org Brighteon.ai RedStateObserver.com NaturalNews.com Brighteon.com Trump administration claims atrazine threatens no species, despite ban in 60 countries U.S. regulators claim atrazine poses no extinction risk to endangered species. This contradicts a prior EPA finding of harm to over 1,000 species. The pesticide is banned in 60 countries and linked to serious health issues. It is a widespread contaminant in U.S. water supplies. Critics accuse the administration of a political maneuver favoring industry. In a move that has stunned environmental advocates and health experts, President Donald Trumps U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that the widely used pesticide atrazine does not pose an extinction risk to a single protected animal or plant. This declaration comes despite the chemicals notorious record of contaminating the nations rivers, lakes and streams, and a prior Environmental Protection Agency assessment that found it likely to harm more than 1,000 imperiled species. The decision, favoring an industry-backed position, raises a critical question for public health and liberty: How can U.S. regulators get this so dangerously wrong when 60 other nations have already banned this toxic substance? The announcement represents a sharp reversal from previous government assessments and aligns with a pattern of industry-friendly policy shifts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys initial assessment of atrazine in 2020 found that it was likely to harm more than 1,000 imperiled species. The new Fish and Wildlife Service draft assessment, however, mainly finds that mitigations already proposed by the EPA are sufficient to prevent atrazine-induced extinction of endangered species. For those who value transparent, uncorrupted science, this sudden about-face reeks of a political maneuver, not a scientific one. Critics were swift and severe in their condemnation of the announcement. This announcement is an absolute joke, said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Youd have an easier time convincing me that the government isnt really shut down than persuading me that atrazine isnt putting a single endangered species at risk of extinction. This raw skepticism highlights the deep distrust in regulatory bodies that appear to prioritize corporate profits over planetary health. A dangerous disconnect The Center for Biological Diversity submitted a comprehensive analysis to the Trump administration detailing how a Biden-era plan would greenlight extremely harmful levels of atrazine pollution. Their analysis found that the plan would allow dangerous levels of atrazine in more than 11,000 U.S. watersheds, which encompass about one-eighth of the entire landmass of the continental United States. Atrazine, which is banned in 60 countries, is the second most widely used pesticide in the U.S. and one of the nations most controversial and widespread pesticide water contaminants. It is a known hormone-disrupting pesticide linked to birth defects, multiple cancers, and fertility problems like low sperm quality and irregular menstrual cycles. Allowing this chemical to continue contaminating water supplies is an assault on the bodily autonomy and health freedom of every American. The primary manufacturer of atrazine is Syngenta, a Swiss-based corporation. The company has a history of aggressively defending its profitable product. In 2012, Syngenta settled a lawsuit for $105 million, agreeing to reimburse filtration costs to remove the chemical from drinking water for 52 million Americans across the Midwest while pleading "no liability." Internal company documents from other litigation have revealed strategies to discredit critics, including a campaign against University of California, Berkeley researcher Dr. Tyrone Hayes, whose work showed atrazine feminizes male frogs. A legacy of contamination The science against atrazine is vast and damning. It is one of the most commonly reported contaminants in groundwater and public drinking water, according to the EPA. The herbicides chemical properties make it susceptible to leaching and runoff, meaning it does not stay where it is sprayed but instead migrates into the water we drink and the ecosystems that sustain wildlife. This is not a localized problem but a national crisis. The EPA is reassessing the safety of atrazine because that is required every 15 years for each EPA-approved pesticide. The Fish and Wildlife Services draft assessment stems from a legal agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity. The agreement ordered the agency to complete steps to reduce harm to endangered species by finalizing biological opinions for atrazine by March 31, 2026. Yet the recent announcement suggests this process may be yielding predetermined conclusions that benefit industry rather than science. For anyone who believes in the right to clean water and a government that protects its citizens from corporate malfeasance, this decision is a profound betrayal. The continued use of atrazine is a choice to poison our water, our wildlife, and our own bodies for the sake of corporate profit, and it is a choice that the American people should vehemently reject. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org BiologicalDiversity.org USRTK.org EHN.org Trump floats TOMAHAWK missiles for Ukraine as conflict drags on President Trump suggested he might inform Putin about potential U.S. plans to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles (1,550-mile range, $1.3M each) if peace talks fail, using the threat as diplomatic leverage. Russia has warned that sending such weapons would provoke stronger defensive measures, including bolstering air defenses, especially since Tomahawks could theoretically reach Moscow. While Ukraine insists long-range missiles are critical against Russian advances, Trump's administration remains cautious due to fears of uncontrolled escalation, mission creep and limited U.S. Navy stockpiles. Trump's proposal to route weapons through NATO (bypassing Congress) exposes internal alliance splitssome members advocate stronger support, while others fear exhausting arsenals or provoking Russia. The Tomahawk debate could force NATO to choose between escalating military aid (risking deeper conflict) or prioritizing diplomacy, with outcomes hinging on Ukraine's strategic use of the weapons and Russia's red-line responses. President Donald Trump revealed on Sunday, Oct. 12, that he may inform Russian President Vladimir Putin about potential U.S. plans to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles if peace negotiations fail. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump acknowledged Ukraine's request for the advanced weaponry but framed the decision as contingent on stalled diplomatic progress. The proposal comes as Ukraine continues to press for greater military support, while Moscow warns that such deliveries would provoke a stronger Russian defensive response. Trump's remarks mark a notable shift in the administration's cautious stance on sending Ukraine weapons capable of striking deep inside Russia. Brighteon.AI's Enoch notes that Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a range of 1,550 miles and a price tag of $1.3 million each, could theoretically reach Moscowa prospect that Putin has already warned would necessitate bolstering Russian air defenses. "I might say, look, if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks," Trump said, though he did not confirm a final decision. His comments suggest a carrot-and-stick approach: dangling advanced weaponry as leverage while keeping diplomatic channels open. However, skepticism remains within his own administration. Sources told Reuters that current Tomahawk inventories are reserved for U.S. Navy operations, while analysts cited by the Financial Times questioned whether the missiles would significantly alter battlefield dynamics. Russia's red lines and Ukraine's dilemma Putin has repeatedly framed NATO's military support for Ukraine as prolonging the conflict, insisting that Moscow is ready for peacebut only if Ukraine addresses Russia's core grievances, including the rights of Russian-speaking populations and alleged neo-Nazi influence in Ukrainian forces. The Kremlin has also warned that Ukraine lacks the technical expertise to operate Tomahawks without direct U.S. involvement, raising concerns about mission creep. Ukraine, meanwhile, has pushed for expanded Western arms shipments, arguing that long-range strike capabilities are essential to counter Russian advances. Yet Trump's hesitation reflects broader fears in Washington about uncontrolled escalation. Previous administrations have similarly balked at providing certain high-tech weapons, fearing they could provoke Russia into widening the war or targeting NATO supply lines. The debate over Tomahawks underscores deeper divisions within NATO about how far to go in arming Ukraine. While some European allies advocate for more aggressive support, others worry about straining relations with Russia or exhausting their own arsenals. Trump's suggestion of routing weapons through NATO countriesbypassing Congressional approvalhighlights the administration's search for workarounds amid growing war fatigue in Washington. Yet as Trump himself noted, the effectiveness of such deliveries hinges on Ukraine's ability to deploy them strategically. "You have to ask the question: Where are they sending them?" he said, hinting at concerns over potential misuse. With Ukraine's counteroffensive stalling and Russia digging in for a protracted conflict, the Tomahawk question may soon force NATO to confront hard choices about escalation versus diplomacy. Trump's tentative offer of Tomahawk missiles signals a potential turning point in U.S. military aid to Ukraineone that could either pressure Russia back to negotiations or deepen the conflict. While Kyiv welcomes the prospect of advanced firepower, Moscow's warnings suggest such a move risks further destabilization. As both sides weigh their next steps, the world watches to see whether this gambit will hasten peace or plunge the region into a more dangerous phase of war. Watch the video below that talks about Trump considering sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and NATO. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: RT.com Reuters.com Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com Trump is DISMANTLING all the FAKE GREEN COMPANIES that Biden and Obama erected as embezzlement schemes that defrauded American taxpayers Now that the biggest embezzling politicians to ever walk the face of the earth are out of positions of power, the USA under Trump is slowly reclaiming the money that was wasted and pocketed on Ponzi schemes like solar and wind power front companies. The Trump administration has officially halted progress on one of Nevadas largest proposed solar developments, the Esmeralda 7 Solar Project, marking another major blow to the renewable energy sector under President Donald Trumps renewed term. The decision underscores the administrations sweeping efforts to unwind Biden-era clean energy initiatives and curtail federal support for wind and solar power. The Trump administration has canceled the Esmeralda 7 Solar Project in Nevada, halting progress on a Biden-era renewable energy initiative that had already advanced through a draft environmental review under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Interior Department officials indicated that developers could still submit smaller, individual project proposals for review, signaling that portions of the solar plan might move forward under stricter scrutiny. President Trumps executive actions have paused all new renewable energy authorizations on federal lands and waters, with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum given final approval power over such projects; multiple major wind and solar efforts have been suspended or revoked. The administration has framed these rollbacks as anti-corruption measures against what Trump calls a green energy Ponzi scheme, citing past controversies like Solyndra to justify dismantling Democratic-era clean energy investments. Trump Officials Cancel Major Solar Project in Latest Hit to Renewable Energy The Department of the Interior (DOI) confirmed that the project, initially approved under Joe Biden, will not move forward as planned. A spokesperson explained that discussions between project proponents and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) led to a change in approach, allowing developers to submit smaller, individual proposals for future review rather than a single, large-scale environmental assessment. While this language technically leaves open the possibility of resubmission, the move effectively suspends the project indefinitely. The Esmeralda 7 Solar Project was a joint venture backed by NextEra Energy Resources and other developers. The Biden administration had issued initial permits, and even after Trump returned to office, the BLM under his leadership advanced a draft environmental impact statementan indication that the project could still progress. However, the process abruptly stalled when the administration stopped short of issuing a final environmental impact statement or a record of decision, both of which are required before construction could begin. A spokesperson for NextEra Energy stated that the company remains committed to pursuing a comprehensive environmental analysis in cooperation with the BLM, suggesting they have not entirely abandoned hopes of reviving the project. Still, given the administrations broader hostility toward renewable energy, few in the industry expect meaningful progress. The suspension aligns with Trumps day-one executive order, which imposed a pause on new renewable energy authorizations on federal lands and waters. In February, Trump appointed Kathleen Sgamma, the president of the oil and gas trade group Western Energy Alliance, as director of the BLMa signal that fossil fuel development would once again take precedence over clean energy. The BLM oversees nearly 250 million acres of public land, mostly in western states like Nevada, where large-scale solar farms are commonly proposed. Trump further cemented his stance in July, issuing another order directing the DOI to review all policies affecting wind and solar energy. The order gave Interior Secretary Doug Burgum final authority to approve or deny such projects. One month later, Trump made his intentions clear, posting on Truth Social: We will not approve wind or farmer-destroying Solar. The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!! These moves represent a sharp departure from the all-of-the-above energy strategy traditionally favored by Republicans, which embraced both fossil fuels and renewables. Instead, Trump has focused on dismantling what he calls the green energy Ponzi scheme, claiming Democrats used clean energy initiatives for political gain and financial misconduct. His administration has launched investigations into nine previously approved offshore wind projects that together were expected to power five million homes and create about 9,000 jobs. Trump has also eliminated tax incentives for clean energy investments and prohibited the approval of any new wind or solar projects on federal lands or waters. Windmillswere just not gonna allow them, Trump declared in a recent speech, calling them destructive and inefficient. Addressing the United Nations, he went further, warning that nations are on the brink of destruction because of the green energy agenda. The presidents rhetoric often invokes past scandals to justify his rollback campaign. He cites the Solyndra case, a failed solar startup from the Obama era that collapsed after receiving a $535 million federal loan guarantee. A later inspector general report concluded that Solyndra executives misled the Department of Energy and that the DOE mishandled the loan approval process. To Trump, the episode exemplifies what he calls the climate cults corruptiona pattern he claims persisted through Bidens green programs. By halting the Esmeralda 7 Solar Project and freezing further clean energy expansion, Trump is effectively remaking federal energy policy around traditional fuels. Supporters praise the effort as a return to fiscal and regulatory sanity, while critics warn it will stall innovation, harm U.S. competitiveness, and undermine climate goals. For now, the sun appears to be setting on Americas federal solar ambitions. Check out ClimateAlarmism.news for updates on psychotic billionaires pretending like the earth is going to boil next year, while still pushing solar panel companies that go bankrupt, so they can take all our money and control us. Sources for this article include: NaturalNews.com BezoEarthFund.org TheGuardian.com U.K. security officials face probe after high-profile Chinese spy case collapses A high-profile Chinese spy case in the U.K. has collapsed just before trial because prosecutors lacked a key piece of evidence. Two men, accused of spying for China, had their charges dropped. The case failed on a major legal technicality. To secure a conviction, prosecutors needed to prove the men passed information to an "enemy." The government could not provide a formal statement confirming it officially classified China as a direct "threat" during the time of the alleged spying. The collapse has sparked a fierce political blame game. The opposition Conservative Party accuses the new Labour government of deliberately sabotaging the case to improve diplomatic and trade relations with China, which the government strongly denies. The incident has created a crisis of confidence in the U.K.'s national security system. Experts are astonished that such a serious case could fall apart over a basic procedural failure, raising questions about the competence and coordination between the government and prosecutors. The public is left with troubling questions. The failure suggests the government is either incapable of prosecuting serious security threats or is willing to drop them for political and economic convenience, damaging public trust. A major political and legal storm is brewing in the United Kingdom following the spectacular collapse of a high-profile "Chinese spy" case, a debacle that has exposed deep fissures within the British government and raised serious questions about the integrity of its national security prosecutions. Senior security officials are now set to face a formal investigation after prosecutors were forced to drop charges against two men accused of spying for China, citing a stunning lack of evidence just weeks before their trial was due to begin. The case's failure has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with lawmakers and security experts expressing outrage and demanding answers. The case centered on Christopher Cash, a parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a financial analyst and teacher. Arrested in March 2023, the two men were formally charged in April with violating the Official Secrets Act by gathering and sharing "prejudicial information" with Beijing between 2021 and 2023. However, the case began to unravel due to a critical legal requirement. For a conviction under the Official Secrets Act, the prosecution must prove that the information passed was useful to an "enemy." A precedent set earlier this year, during the successful prosecution of six Bulgarian nationals spying for Russia, clarified that an "enemy" is a country that represented a "threat to national security" at the time of the alleged offenses. This is where the case against Cash and Berry fell apart. According to Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson, a fundamental piece of evidence was missing: a formal government statement classifying China as such a threat during the period in question. Despite "efforts over many months," no witness statements provided to the prosecution contained this crucial declaration. Political fallout and accusations of interference The collapse has triggered a bitter political blame game. The opposition Conservative party has seized on the failure, with leader Kemi Badenoch openly accusing the Labour government of having "deliberately collapsed the trial" because Prime Minister Keir Starmer "wants to suck up to Beijing." These accusations are fueled by the Labour government's clear efforts to reset the U.K.'s often-frosty relationship with China. Since taking office, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has visited Beijing, and the national security adviser made an unannounced trip to China, with both sides speaking of building a "stable partnership." The timing of the case's collapse, just as trade talks resume after a seven-year freeze, has led to widespread speculation in the media that the prosecution was axed to avoid embarrassing Beijing and souring this diplomatic thaw. The government has fiercely denied any interference, insisting it is "frustrated" by the outcome and stating that suggestions it "withheld evidence or withdrew witnesses are all untrue." Starmer has defended the prosecution's decision, framing it as a strict matter of law. He stated that the government could only rely on the previous Conservative administration's assessment of China, which labeled it an "epoch-defining challenge" but stopped short of calling it a direct "threat." A crisis of confidence in national security The case has sparked a profound crisis of confidence in the U.K.'s ability to handle sensitive national security matters. Legal experts have expressed astonishment at the procedural failure. Former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord Ken Macdonald called the collapse without a "proper explanation" unacceptable, noting the "willingness of Number 10... to brief against the prosecutors." The debacle is especially embarrassing given previous stark warnings from security chiefs. Just last year, Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, stated that Chinese espionage was being conducted on a "pretty epic scale," and a parliamentary committee report concluded that China had penetrated "every sector" of the U.K.'s economy. For a case built on such serious allegations to disintegrate over a foundational legal technicality suggests a catastrophic lack of coordination between the government, its security services and its prosecutors. The aftermath leaves a trail of damaged reputations and unresolved questions. The two accused men have had their lives upended by a year-long legal ordeal based on charges that ultimately could not be sustained. For the public, the episode creates a disturbing picture: either their government is incapable of successfully prosecuting what it claims are grave security threats, or it is willing to sacrifice national security prosecutions for the sake of diplomatic and trade convenience. Brighteon.AI's Enoch AI engine explains that the collapse of the China spy case has exposed profound systemic flaws within the U.K. government. It has revealed critical failures in the mechanisms for handling sensitive national security prosecutions, leading to intense political infighting as different agencies and ministries assign blame. Watch this video where Health Ranger Mike Adams talks to guest Jeffrey Prather about the FBI's Deep State spying operations to prepare for war with China. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: RT.com BBC.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.AI Brighteon.com YouTubes second chance program: A partial retreat from pandemic-era censorship YouTube introduces a limited reinstatement program for creators banned under now-defunct COVID-19 and election misinformation policies. The move follows revelations of Biden administration pressure on Big Tech to suppress lawful speech during the pandemic. Banned creators must wait one year before applying, and copyright violators remain excluded. Critics argue the policy change is insufficient, as YouTube retains broad discretion over who qualifies. The shift highlights ongoing concerns about government influence over online speech and corporate censorship. A crack in the censorship wall In a surprising reversal, YouTube has announced a Second Chance program allowing some banned creators to returnbut with strict conditions. The policy, rolled out this week, follows years of criticism over the platforms aggressive censorship of COVID-19 skepticism, election integrity discussions and other dissenting viewpoints. The timing is no coincidence. Recent congressional investigations uncovered internal emails confirming that the Biden administration pressured GoogleYouTubes parent companyto suppress content that, while controversial, did not violate platform rules. Now, YouTube appears to be walking back some of its most contentious bansbut only for those who meet its evolving standards. Who gets a second chance? The reinstatement process is selective. Creators terminated under COVID-19 or election-related policiesnow abandonedcan request a new channel after a one-year waiting period. However, those banned for copyright violations or under YouTubes vague Creator Responsibility clausewhich prohibits undefined harmful behaviorremain excluded. Approved applicants can rebuild their channels from scratch, re-uploading old content that complies with current guidelines. Yet YouTube retains final say, evaluating factors like severity of violations and whether past content still poses a risk to the platform. This partial retreat comes after Google admitted in a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) that federal officials had pressured the company regarding certain user-generated content related to the COVID-19 pandemic that did not violate its policies. The admission underscores concerns about government overreach in policing online speecha practice critics argue violates the First Amendment. The backdrop: Government-coerced censorship The Second Chance program arrives amid mounting scrutiny of Big Techs collusion with federal agencies to suppress dissenting voices. Emails obtained by the House Judiciary Committee reveal that White House officials, including Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, pushed platforms to remove even true information about vaccine side effectseffectively silencing legitimate debate. YouTubes COVID-era policies led to the removal of thousands of videos questioning lockdowns, mask mandates, or vaccine safetydespite many claims later being validated. Similarly, election-related bans targeted discussions of irregularities, fueling accusations of partisan bias. Now, YouTube insists it values conservative voices and rejects government interference in content moderation. Yet its selective reinstatement process leaves many skeptical. As one critic noted: Theyre admitting they were wrongbut only halfway. A calculated retreat, not a full reckoning While YouTubes policy shift signals a partial retreat from pandemic-era censorship, it stops short of full accountability. The platform still wields broad discretion over who qualifies for reinstatement, leaving many banned creators in limbo. Moreover, the broader issue remains: the Biden administrations unprecedented pressure campaign on Big Techexposed in lawsuits like Murthy v. Missourirevealed a disturbing pattern of state-backed speech suppression. Though the Supreme Court dismissed the case on procedural grounds, the constitutional concerns persist. For now, YouTubes Second Chance program offers a glimmer of hope for some silenced voices. But true free speech restoration requires more than conditional forgivenessit demands an end to government-coerced censorship altogether. A step forward, but the fight continues YouTubes reinstatement pilot marks a small victory for free speech advocates, yet the battle is far from over. The platforms admission of government pressure confirms what critics long suspected: that pandemic-era censorship was politically motivated, not merely about public health. As Big Tech faces growing backlash for its role in silencing dissent, this policy shift may signal a turning pointbut only if followed by genuine transparency and accountability. Until then, the fight to reclaim online free speech remains urgent. Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org ArsTechnica.com CNBC.com Florida Atlantic University has received a $3 million, five-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, to lead a transformative community initiative designed to prevent substance use among South Florida's youth. The new program, "Rising Strong: Empowering Youth for Substance-Free Futures," will implement evidence-based, trauma-informed prevention strategies to reach more than 3,000 youth across Palm Beach and Broward counties over the next five years. The initiative is spearheaded by Maria Carmenza Mejia, M.D., principal investigator and a professor of population health in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, in collaboration with co-investigators Lea Sacca, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health, Schmidt College of Medicine, and Brian Graves, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work within FAU's College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. The Rising Strong initiative is not only timely it is profoundly necessary, as South Florida's youth navigate the effects of increasing social, economic and mental health stressors, with substance use often emerging as a coping response. This program directly targets youth who are especially at risk, including those transitioning out of foster care, experiencing housing instability, residing in rural communities such as the Glades, and those who are survivors of human trafficking. School-age youth and young adults in need of behavioral health support will also be a central focus. A cornerstone of the initiative is FAU's partnership with the FLITE Center, a Fort Lauderdale-based nonprofit that currently serves more than 2,000 youth aging out of foster care, chronically homeless youth, and other vulnerable youth. FLITE Center is Broward County's one-stop resource center offering all supportive services. We're in the midst of a growing mental and behavioral health crisis among young people, particularly those navigating trauma, housing instability, or limited access to consistent care and support. This award gives us the opportunity to respond with evidence-based strategies, deep empathy, and strong community partnerships. Rising Strong isn't just a program it's a commitment to every young person that their future matters, their voice counts, and that they deserve a life free from substance use and filled with possibilities." Maria Carmenza Mejia, M.D., principal investigator and professor of population health, FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Through Rising Strong, South Florida youth will gain access to a suite of integrated, evidence-based services, including LifeSkills Training to build decision-making and interpersonal abilities, mindfulness and emotional regulation programming to support trauma recovery, peer mentorship opportunities to foster connection and resilience, and SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), which offers targeted support for those identified as at risk for substance use. These services will be delivered through schools, community centers and existing behavioral health networks, ensuring broad accessibility and minimal barriers to entry. "This grant represents the best of what we strive for at Florida Atlantic University collaboration, impact and transformation," said Lewis S. Nelson, M.D., dean and chief of health affairs, Schmidt College of Medicine. "When academic expertise joins forces with community leadership, we can reach young people where they are and give them the tools to rewrite their stories. This initiative is a testament to what's possible when we invest in prevention, listen to our youth, and build systems of care that reflect their lived realities. For families, schools and communities across South Florida, Rising Strong will be a beacon of hope." Beyond service delivery, the initiative aims to drive long-term systems change. Within its first six months, the project will conduct a comprehensive regional needs assessment and convene a multi-sector prevention coalition to inform implementation. Each year, at least 30 professionals will be trained in trauma-informed and culturally responsive prevention strategies, building the community's collective capacity to respond to youth needs. Over five years, the program will train 150 professionals and directly serve 600 youth annually. "Social work brings a systems lens to prevention by connecting people, policies and practices to create lasting change," said Naelys Luna, Ph.D., dean of the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. "Rising Strong will not only provide direct services to youth, but also build a stronger, more responsive network of care across South Florida. By training professionals, engaging communities and addressing root causes, this initiative reflects the core values of our field. We are excited to participate in this important endeavor and collaborate with partners dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for our youth and our communities." FAU's leadership in behavioral health and community-based research provides a strong foundation for the initiative. The Schmidt College of Medicine and the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice are nationally recognized for their contributions to trauma-informed care, health equity, and systems-level interventions. The collaboration with FLITE Center exemplifies FAU's commitment to working hand-in-hand with community partners to address the root causes of public health challenges. The program will continue through Sept. 29, 2030. "As Rising Strong grows, it has the potential to become a national model for youth substance use prevention that centers community voices, respects lived experience and champions the resilience of young people," said Mejia. SPT Labtech, a pioneer in the design and development of laboratory automation and liquid handling solutions, and Agilent Technologies Inc. ("Agilent"), a global leader in analytical and clinical laboratory technologies, today announced the introduction of automated target enrichment protocols on SPT Labtech's firefly+ platform. Automating genomic workflows, the optimized Target Enrichment protocols support researchers using Agilent's SureSelect Max DNA Library Prep Kits. Available immediately to all firefly+ users on the firefly community cloud, the new protocols enable users to prepare libraries with Agilent's Library Prep and Target Enrichment panels and have been developed through a collaboration between SPT Labtech's in-house applications team and Agilent's R&D and product teams. By leveraging firefly+'s advanced automation, the protocols enable hands-off library prep with increased reproducibility, reduced error rates, and significant time savings. Development work was carried out on the latest version of Agilent's Exome V8 and a smaller Comprehensive Cancer Panel (CGP), with applicability across the full range of Agilent's Target Enrichment panels, providing a streamlined and flexible workflow for laboratories. Making these protocols available today is a critical step in addressing bottlenecks across sequencing workflows. By combining Agilent's gold-standard chemistry with firefly+ automation, we are helping labs scale sequencing faster, more reliably, and with greater efficiency." Morten Frost, Chief Commercial Officer, SPT Labtech Nina Green, Vice President and General Manager of the Clinical Diagnostic Division at Agilent, added: "Agilent's SureSelect Max DNA Library Prep Kit delivers the robust chemistry and high performance that labs demand for target enrichment. We are pleased to partner with SPT on enabling the first Target Enrichment protocol on the firefly+, enabling researchers to scale their sequencing workflows with greater efficiency." Representatives from SPT Labtech (booth #2487) will be attending the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2025 annual meeting, 14th - 18th October, Boston, MA, where they will be available to discuss this new development. Online campaign celebrating youth patriotism held at Hohai University People's Daily Online) 15:56, October 13, 2025 An online campaign celebrating youth patriotism was held at Hohai University in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on the evening of Oct. 12, 2025, to thoroughly implement the instructions on water management and ideological and political theory courses construction made by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. Highlighting the patriotic spirit and dedication of China's young generation, the event showcased the nation's efforts on water management and the enhancement of people's well-being through the development of water resources. Through keynote speeches, dramatic reenactments, music and dance, and interactive exchanges, participants from across the country attended a meaningful ideological and political lesson both online and offline. During the event, the builders of the Red Flag Canal and their descendants brought to life the inspiring stories of those who once battled against harsh natural conditions to channel water to a drought-stricken area. Frontline water conservancy workers shared stories of their efforts to protect and make good use of water resources. Artists performed "The Song of the Yangtze River," paying tribute to the nation's ongoing work to keep the great river clean and life-giving for generations to come. Olympic champion Zhang Yufei, Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing, and actor Liu Haoran shared their personal journeys of hard work and perseverance, inspiring young people to chase their dreams in the new era. At the event, Wang Chenyi, a member of the battle flag formation which attended the parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on Sept. 3, 2025, Yan Pengfei, a soldier who also attended the parade, and artists together recreated the heroic saga of the Liulaozhuang Company of the New Fourth Army. The event was jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Water Resources, People's Daily, the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) Central Committee, and the Cyberspace Affairs Commission of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) Prosecutor General Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo has sounded the alarm over a shocking rise in forged academic certificates, describing the trend as a disturbing reflection of societal pressure and misplaced ambition. Speaking at the Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) Integrity School Class of 2025 in Harare, the Prosecutor General said the courts are now overwhelmed by cases of forged documents from Grade 7 to O Level certificates as citizens scramble to appear accomplished. We are seeing people forging even Grade 7 certificates. But you dont have to forge. You can rewrite, pass, and still make it in life, she said. Justice Matanda-Moyo revealed that interrogations of offenders often expose a deeper crisis people pushed by social expectations into faking success. Its unfortunate that we push academics so much, yet some are thriving in farming, mining, and other trades. If youre passionate about farming, you can still be a millionaire without any degree at all, she said. Her remarks come as the nation reels from a string of scandals, including at Mpilo Central Hospital, where trainee nurses were caught using fake ZIMSEC certificates to secure training posts. Justice Matanda-Moyo urged Zimbabweans to resist the temptation to falsify qualifications and instead pursue honest, practical careers that match their skills and passions. Dont let pressure destroy your future, she warned. Follow your passion you will still get there. Though she did not mention the issue of fake doctorates, it is a pressing issue in Zimbabwe that continues to undermine public trust in government and institutions. ZiFM About 40 Zimbabweans and Malawians are reported dead, including a 10-month-old baby, after a bus in which they were travelling overturned just outside Makhado, South African officials have said. The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety on Monday confirmed that at least 40 people have died in a horrific bus accident on the N1 freeway outside Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt) in Limpopo. Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Violet Mathye told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that the deceased were Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals who were travelling to their respective home countries from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Let me pass my condolences to the two countries that have lost loved ones Zimbabwe and Malawi. We have reported 38 injuries; these are the people who are currently in hospital. They were originally 39, but a 10-month-old baby passed away after being referred to hospital, she said. She said by Monday morning, law enforcement agencies were still at the crash site, but 40 deaths had been confirmed. There was no other vehicle involved. I am sure the bus lost control. I do not know what caused it it could be driver fatigue or a mechanical fault that made the bus lose control and go down the ditch. We will only know once the final report is completed, Mathye said. The distance between Gqeberha and Harare is more than 2,100 kilometers. From Harare, the bus was destined to travel to Malawi. According to the department, the crash occurred at around 2 pm on Sunday on the N1 North near Ingwe Lodge in Musina. The N1 freeway was closed following the accident, and motorists were advised to use alternative routes. Former national security adviser John Bolton, who has become a frequent critic of President Trump since leaving the White House, is expected to become the next of the president's enemies to face federal charges, according to two federal officials who spoke to NBC News . The possible indictmentreported to be forthcoming from the US Attorney's Office in Maryland as soon as this weekstems from an investigation into Bolton's handling of classified records. FBI searches of his Maryland home and Washington, DC, office last August were reportedly tied to concerns about national security and the unauthorized retention or potential leaking of sensitive materials. Search warrants referenced possible violations of the Espionage Act, including improper possession and sharing of classified national defense information. According to a source, the investigation began during the Biden administration, but much of the basis for the search warrant traces back to intelligence provided to Trump's FBI director, Kash Patel, by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Bolton's attorney, Abbe Lowell, has maintained that any classified documents in question were legacy materials from Bolton's earlier government service and that all appropriate protocols were followed. A source tells CNN federal prosecutors met over the weekend to finalize details of the indictment. If indicted, Bolton would be the third prominent Trump critic to face charges in recent months, following former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both have pleaded not guilty or denied wrongdoing. Those indictments came soon after Trump publicly demanded Attorney General Pam Bondi go after them in a message he apparently thought was private. Sources tell the Washington Post federal prosecutors across the US are investigating a number of Trump enemies for possible indictments, including Bolton, Sen. Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, former CIA Director John Brennan, Georgia's Fulton County DA Fani Willis, and FBI officials who served under then-Director Christopher Wray. A Georgia woman has been arrested after an 86-year-old grandmother was killed in a dog attack outside her home. The Appling County Sheriff's Office announced on Friday that Misty Ann Branch, 53, of Baxley, faces charges of reckless conduct and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Maria D. Nunez, NBC News reports. Authorities say Nunez was "viciously attacked by two dogs" in her yard and was found dead at her Baxley residence around noon on Wednesday with multiple injuries. Her body was sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab for an autopsy as the investigation continues. She is believed to have been attacked the day before her body was found, People reports. Clark Olofsson, the notorious Swedish bank robber whose role in a 1973 Stockholm hostage crisis helped inspire the term "Stockholm syndrome," has died at 78, the New York Times reports. Olofsson's death, which occurred on June 24 in a hospital in Arvika, Sweden, was confirmed by his family, who said only that he had suffered from a long illness. His passing was not widely reported at the time. Olofsson spent more than half his life in prison for a string of robberies and other crimes, but his legacy endures in the world of psychology and pop culture. The incident that defined Olofsson's life began when Jan-Erik Olsson, an ex-convict, stormed a Stockholm bank, took hostages, and demanded that Olofsson, his former cellmate, be brought from prison to join him. Authorities complied. Over six days, the hostagesthree women and later a manapparently developed a surprising rapport with their captors, at times refusing to cooperate with police and even defending the robbers. One hostage, Kristin Enmark, told Sweden's prime minister she trusted her captors and pleaded to leave with them. The standoff ended when police used tear gas to subdue Olsson and Olofsson. At trial, the hostages refused to testify against the men. Swedish police psychologist Nils Bejerot ultimately coined the term "Stockholm syndrome" to describe the phenomenon of victims identifying with their captors. The concept gained international attention, especially after the 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst in the US during which she famously participated in a bank robbery with her captors, but it has never been formally recognized as a mental disorder. Some psychologists say the behavior is a coping mechanism, while criticsincluding Enmark herselfargue the label is a myth used to blame victims. "I did what I could to survive," she said in 2021, accusing the police who handled the situation of incompetence. As for Olofsson, he once claimed he'd been sent in to secretly keep the hostages safe in exchange for a reduced sentence but that authorities failed to honor the deal, the BBC reports. Olofsson's criminal career included prison breaks, drug smuggling, and additional robberies, with his time in and out of jail often covered in the tabloids. His life inspired a Swedish television film and the 2022 Netflix series Clark, starring Bill Skarsgard. Olofsson married and had three sons, and was last released from prison in 2018. Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) said several of its air ambulance vendors would not land helicopters at the hospital's Portland helipad on Saturday night due to a planned protest event involving lasers targeting aircraft, KGW reports. The event, promoted in a flyer as a "laser tag" gathering at the local US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, encouraged participants to aim lasers at helicopters, which organizers claim regularly disturb the neighborhood as part of federal surveillance. OHSU warned that the resulting delayspatients would be flown to other airports and then driven 45 to 60 minutes to the OHSU hospitalcould have serious consequences for trauma, heart attack, and stroke patients. Ultimately, however, the hospital announced Sunday that no patients had been impacted the night prior, per Oregon Live . Hospital officials emphasized that the decision to avoid the helipad was made by vendors, not OHSU itself. Both the hospital and Portland police cautioned that shining lasers at aircraft is dangerous and illegal under state and federal law. "Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a federal crime. This is incredibly dangerous for the aircraft personnel and for the public's safety," a Department of Homeland Security rep said in a statement cited by Fox News. The protest comes amid rising frustration from South Portland residents over nightly helicopter activity, which many believe is tied to the increased federal presence in the city. The Port of Portland has acknowledged an uptick in noise complaints but says, "This appears to be related to federal law enforcement and/or military activity and is not a development the Port of Portland can control." Meanwhile, the FBI recently reported arresting four undocumented individuals after one allegedly aimed a green laser at a US Customs and Border Protection helicopter in late September. While flying to Israel aboard Air Force One Sunday, President Trump issued a warning to Russia regarding its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, the AP reports. "I might say, 'Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks.' The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that," Trump told reporters. He emphasized that he had not made a final decision, indicating only that the option is on the table: "I might tell them that if the war is not settledthat we may very wellwe may not, but we may do it. I think it's appropriate to bring up." Attorney General Pam Bondi isn't shying away from the spotlight after Saturday Night Live lampooned her Senate testimonyshe's embracing the joke and even inviting DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to join in the fun, CNBC reports. "@Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago?" Bondi posted on X alongside a screenshot of Amy Poehler (as Bondi) and Tina Fey (as Noem) from this weekend's episode. "Loving Amy Poehler!" The sketch targeted Bondi's recent tense testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, during which she deflected questions from Democratic senators and lobbed insults, such as telling Sen. Dick Durbin, "I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump." Poehler's Bondi opened the skit with, "What's up, nerds? Furious to be here," and refused to affirm she would tell "the whole truth." Protesters rallying against the Trump administration in Portland put the city's quirky and irreverent reputation on display Sunday by pedaling through the streets wearing absolutely nothingor close to itin an "emergency" edition of the annual World Naked Bike Ride. Crowds that have gathered daily and nightly outside the immigration facility in Oregon's largest city in recent days have embraced the absurd, donning inflatable frog, unicorn, axolotl, and banana costumes as they face off with federal law enforcement who often deploy tear gas and pepper balls. The bike ride is an annual tradition that usually happens in the summer, reports the AP , but organizers of this weekend's hastily called event said another nude ride was necessary to speak out against President Trump's attempts to mobilize the National Guard to quell protests. Rider Janene King called the nude ride a "quintessentially Portland way to protest." The 51-year-old was naked except for wool socks, a wig, and a hat. She sipped hot tea and said she was unbothered by the steady rain and temperatures in the mid-50s. "We definitely do not want troops coming into our city," King said. Bike riders made their way through the streets and to the city's US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. Authorities there ordered people to stay out of the street and protest only on sidewalks or risk being arrested. The city is awaiting the ruling of an appeals court panel on whether Trump can send out the federalized troops after a federal judge on Oct. 5 ordered a temporary hold on deployment. "Joy is a form of protest. Being together with mutual respect and kindness is a form of protest," the ride's organizers said on Instagram. "It's your choice how much or little you wear." Fewer people were fully naked than usuallikely because of the cool, wet weatherbut some still bared it all and rode wearing only bike helmets. Naked bike rides have thronged the streets of Portland every year since 2004, often holding up traffic as the crowd cycles through with speakers playing music. Some years have drawn roughly 10,000 riders, according to Portland World Naked Bike Ride. All 20 of the living hostages held by Hamas are free. The militant group released them on Monday as part of the ceasefire deal brokered last week by the US, reports the AP. In exchange, Israel began sending busloads of freed Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank city of Ramallah, with about 2,000 to be released in all. Meanwhile, President Trump is expected to address the Israeli parliament. When asked while walking through the Israeli Knesset if the war between Israel and Hamas was now over, Trump replied, "Yes, as far as I'm concerned. Yes," per the New York Times. Still, much work remains after this first phase, including the thorny question of whether Hamas will disarm. More than 30 people were rescued and three people remain unaccounted for in western Alaska after the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought hurricane-force winds and flooding strong enough to sweep away entire homes in coastal communities, authorities said. Rescue aircraft were sent to the tiny Alaskan villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where there were reports of people possibly unaccounted for, said Jeremy Zidek, spokesperson for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. "We have received reports that people's homes have floated away and that people were potentially in those homes," Zidek told the AP . In Kwigillingok, at least 18 people were rescued and three people remained unaccounted for, Alaska State Troopers said in a social media post on Sunday evening. In Kipnuk, at least 16 people were rescued and troopers had received secondhand reports of people who were unaccounted for. They were working with local officials to determine how many people were missing. Search efforts were expected to continue overnight as conditions allowed. According to the nonprofit Coastal Villages Region Fund, nearly 600 people in Kipnuk were taking shelter at a school while around 300 people in Kwigillingok were sheltering in a school there. The area is among one of the most isolated in the US, where some communities have few roads and residents use boardwalks, boats, and snowmobiles to get around, Zidek said. "Every effort will be made to help those hit by this storm. Help is on the way," Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement. On the East Coast, forecasters warned that major coastal flooding was likely Monday in the mid-Atlantic, particularly from Virginia to New Jersey, as a nor'easter struck with strong onshore winds, high surf, and high tides. Coastal flooding was expected to peak Monday afternoon and improve gradually into Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Doug Lebda, founder and CEO of LendingTree, died in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Sunday, the Charlotte-based fintech company announced on Monday. Lebda, who established LendingTree in 1996, was 56. Known for connecting borrowers with lenders for mortgages, credit cards, and personal loans, LendingTree has grown into a notable presence in the online financial services sector, employing nearly 1,000 people, with a significant footprint in Charlotte, reports the Charlotte Observer . The company's board praised Lebda as a visionary whose innovations reshaped the industry and affected millions of customers. In a statement, LendingTree's directors described his influence as profound and pledged to uphold his legacy with "passion, integrity, and dedication." They said he "permanently changed the way in which consumers access financial products." Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McRory said Lebda was a personal friend. "Doug was one of the greatest American entrepreneurs of his generation," McRory told WCNC. "We've lost a giant at a very young age." Lebda co-founded Tykoon, an allowance-management financial platform for children, in 2010, the Wall Street Journal reports. Following Lebda's death, the LendingTree board appointed Scott Peyree, the company's chief operating officer, as the new president and CEO, effective immediately. Steve Ozonian, a board member since 2008, was named chairman. . Fairbanks, AK (99701) Today Cloudy with snow developing after midnight. Low -21F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.. Tonight Cloudy with snow developing after midnight. Low -21F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. 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. HYOGO, Oct 13 (News On Japan) - A 23-year-old woman was arrested on the afternoon of October 12th in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, after she allegedly slashed the neck of an 83-year-old man with a knife inside a residential home, leading to his death shortly after. The incident occurred at a house in the Wakaoji district around 1:30 p.m., when police received a call reporting that an elderly woman, covered in blood, was asking someone to dial 110. Officers rushed to the scene and found Yoshichika Morimatsu, 83, lying face down on the first floor of his home, with the woman reportedly attacking him with a kitchen knife. The suspect, identified as Aika Akashi, an unemployed resident of the same neighborhood, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. Morimatsu was later pronounced dead. Akashi has admitted to the allegations, and police are investigating the circumstances of the incident, including whether any prior trouble existed between the two. Source: YOMIURI OSAKA, Oct 13 (News On Japan) - The Osaka-Kansai Expo, set to close on October 13, has generated a powerful wave of economic activity both inside and outside its grounds, with the organizing association projecting an operational surplus of 23 to 28 billion yen. At the center of this success story is Noguchi, owner of Tonkatsu Noguchi, the only individually operated restaurant at the Expo, whose eatery has become one of the most sought-after dining experiences at the event, fully booked every day and requiring advance reservations. Determined to seize the opportunity, Noguchi and his team even sleep inside the Expo grounds rather than commute, allowing them to work around the clock and serve a relentless stream of eager visitors. Before the Expo, Noguchis shop in Osakas Nakatsu district had already earned a reputation for premium tonkatsu. For the Expo, he elevated his craft into a full dining experience, aging pork to draw out its natural umami, coating it in ultra-light breadcrumbs, and frying each cutlet at low temperature before finishing it with a crisp, high-heat flash. The result is a melt-in-the-mouth dish that, as Noguchi notes, represents the cutting edge of Japanese pork cuisine. Noguchis path to the Expo was far from easy. With approval granted only in late December, just two months before opening, he faced financing challenges as banks hesitated amid public skepticism about the event. Undeterred, he borrowed from friends to cover the 55 million yen needed for construction all out of his own pocket and completed the shop a mere week before opening day. His motivation came from a childhood memory of attending the 1970 Osaka Expo, which left a deep impression. Later, a visit to Expo Milano revealed the potential for chefs to shine on the global stage, inspiring him to represent Japan at the next world fair. When Osaka was chosen as host, there was no question I had to be part of it, he recalled. Since opening, Noguchis restaurant has been fully booked daily, and reservations have become difficult to secure. The teams days begin at 6 a.m. with prep work, followed by four lunch seatings, take-out service, and three dinner seatings that run until 10 p.m., with cleanup and prep continuing past midnight. Despite the grueling schedule, Noguchi describes the experience as immensely enjoyable, with visitors energy and enthusiasm fueling his passion. The hard work has paid off: sales have soared tenfold, reaching roughly 150 million yen in just six months. Noguchi has also used the Expo as a platform for innovation, collaborating with local producers to create new menu items such as rice croquettes wrapped in pork sourced from nearby farms. He sees such projects as a way to promote Japanese agriculture and elevate tonkatsu to a global culinary art form. This is Japans culture, he said, and I want to show it to the world. The Expos economic impact extends beyond its gates. At Bentencho Station, a key transfer point for visitors, a retro izakaya has seen its monthly revenue jump by as much as 50 percent. The influx of younger customers particularly women has been striking, with many choosing to dine there before entering the Expo grounds to avoid long food queues inside. Although the owner expects business to return to normal once the event ends, he says the surge has been a welcome boost amid rising costs. The Expos effect has been significant, he said. Its brought in new customers and reminded people were part of the Expo experience too. As the Osaka-Kansai Expo approaches its final day, the story of Noguchi and his small team captures the spirit of entrepreneurship, determination, and creativity that global events can spark proving that with enough passion and perseverance, even a single restaurant can become one of the stars of a world stage. Source: KTV NEWS OSAKA, Oct 14 (News On Japan) - The Osaka-Kansai Expo, which ran for six months, came to a close on October 13, drawing large crowds eager to witness its final moments. A closing ceremony was held on the last day, during which the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) flag was handed over to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, host of the 2030 World Expo. By the day before the closing, total attendance had reached 25.29 million visitors, a figure that reflected the sustained enthusiasm surrounding the event throughout its run. Finale events were held across the venue, with visitors spending the last hours enjoying exhibitions, performances, and shared experiences. As the clock struck 10 p.m., marking the official end of the Expo, the atmosphere was filled with heartfelt messages from attendees. Source: TBS Christina Burdette, 34, was pronounced dead on Saturday at an Atlantic City residence. Canva for NJ.com Authorities are investigating the killing of a 34-year-old woman whose body was found in an Atlantic City house on Saturday, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said Monday. Police responded to a residence on the 2000 block of Sheridan Avenue at about 10:08 a.m. for a report of an unresponsive female, authorities said. Christina Burdette, of Atlantic City, was pronounced dead at the scene, the prosecutors office said. An autopsy determined Burdettes death to be a homicide, officials said. The cause of her death remains under investigation. The prosecutors office Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department are conducting the investigation. Anyone with information about Burdettes whereabouts in the days and weeks leading up to the homicide is asked to contact the prosecutors office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666 or send an anonymous tip online to ACPO.Tips. New Jersey's Julia Linger in "Guts & Glory," a new Shudder/AMC+ series debuting this week for Halloween season. Shudder/AMC The drops of blood land on Julia Lingers hand with barely a sound. But as she looks up and finds a mangled, dripping body lodged in the branches of a tree, her face curdles into an expression of pure horror. She screams twice. And Linger thought she had signed up for an escape-room show. Turns out its something significantly more macabre a horror competition series where shes one of a group of contestants facing gory scenes and creepy menaces in what amounts to a movable haunted house. The new series, Guts & Glory, premieres Tuesday (Oct. 14) on Shudder and AMC+. The show comes from four-time Emmy winner Greg Nicotero. Nicotero is known for his work creating horror scenes as a prosthetic makeup artist on AMCs The Walking Dead, as well as being a director of the post-apocalyptic zombie hit, having helmed 37 episodes. Greg Nicotero, a horror maestro whose credits including "The Walking Dead" and many a horror movie, is the showrunner and executive producer of the series. Shudder/AMC Hes the executive producer and showrunner of Guts & Glory. He also hosts the series, both in person and through remote messages. And yes, there are plenty of actual guts in this show, which at one point sends contestants digging through the innards of a hyperrealistic body of a large, dead man. You may have realized by now this is not your typical competition show," Nicotero tells contestants in one scene after they navigate the blood-spattered hallways of a hospital. Were taking The Blair Witch Project and Survivor and theyre having a baby, Nicotero tells them, calling the series an experimental show. Julia Linger, right, in the Alabama wilderness with her fellow contestants in "Guts & Glory." Shudder/AMC Besides The Walking Dead, the horror maestro has worked on films directed by Quentin Tarantino, George Romero, Sam Raimi, Wes Craven and John Carpenter. His many credits include Day of the Dead, the Kill Bill movies, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, Scream, Halloween 5 and Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III. As for Julia Linger, one of Nicoteros contestants in his horror experiment, she grew up in Cranford. I was a huge Walking Dead fan, she tells NJ Advance Media. In high school, I used to play the Walking Dead theme track and drive to Echo (Lake) Park ... and, like, literally drive through the woods listening to The Walking Dead soundtrack when I was learning how to drive. READ MORE: Inside a very Jersey The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live with showrunner Scott Gimple Linger, 28, says she had no clue that the Shudder/AMC+ show she was applying to had any connection to the popular AMC series. I think thats the coolest part ... the unknown, she says. It was definitely full-circle, getting to experience that in the team, and to see how down-to-earth all of that team was and how kind they were ... It felt like if high school me couldve seen me now, Id be like no way, dude. A bloody hospital scene from the show. Shudder/AMC The horror of having no phone Linger currently works as a brand and strategy director for a social media company. She also has a background in acting. Growing up, she won best supporting actress at Montclair State Universitys Theatre Night Awards in 2013 and was a member of the All-State Chorus. She also works as an actor in the horror space. She currently divides her time between Los Angeles and Nutley, where her family lives. I do a ton of immersive horror theater out here, and I still was tricked by Greg Nicotero, she says from LA. That doesnt mean she was in any way immune to the frights in the series. Im such a scaredy cat, Linger says. Jump scares get me every time. But the greatest scare of all? Disconnection. Contestants running through the woods in the beginning of the horror-themed series. Shudder/AMC In the first episode, contestants are instructed to leave their phones behind. It was definitely very scary because of the disorientation of not having a phone, Linger says. You know, you cant check in. She found herself wanting to call her father as the group was taken by a bus with covered windows to their first mystery destination tents in a wooded area of Alabama. Youre kind of thrust into a world thats not your own world and what youre used to, she says. And I think on top of that, youre thrown into a world of flashy, scary things. Its the mind of Greg Nicotero. Its not gonna be sunshine and rainbows. The group competes to stay on the show and not get killed across six episodes. Greg Nicotero describes the show as a mashup of "The Blair Witch Project" and "Survivor." Shudder/AMC The winner of the series gets more than bragging rights and the privilege of staying alive. The Guts & Glory champ receives $15,000 and a Hyundai SUV. The lineup includes a stay-at-home mom, city commissioner and Army veteran, nurse, college student and music producer and bartender. Early in the show, Linger gets a taste of home when a cryptid-themed challenge features a Jersey Devil statuette. (Shes a big Devils fan.) Later, as contestants dig into the guts of an elaborately designed corpse, theres an odor of decay. Were smelling it in real time, Linger says of the shows dedication to detail. She says that while the horror props might seem fake to viewers, that wasnt the case in person. When youre there and you know what a particular smell smells like and you smell it while seeing that visually, it does definitely awake something and trigger something in people, Linger says. Thats also in texture. Tribute to a life cut short On the show, Linger shares why she wanted to take on the challenge. Losing her mother to brain cancer prompted her to look beyond the ordinary. My mom was such an influence on my life and she was always big on trying new things do new things, explore, Linger tells NJ Advance Media. Even as a kid, I remember my mom would hand me the map of Manhattan when I would take NJ Transit into the city, and was like you got this heres how you get back home. It was always testing the limits, and that that bravery of doing things. When she passed in 2018, I didnt really know what was going on in my life. Linger had been working at a talent agency, then as an assistant at a network. Julia Linger returns to camp with horrific news for her fellow contestants. Shudder/AMC I felt really lost in life, she says. Ive been starting to kind of just go out and do things that are outside of my comfort, try new things ... I was like damn, I wish she could see this show. She would totally have booked out a theater nearby and we wouldve watched it ... She would want me to go and experience life to its fullest because her life got cut short. In Guts & Glory, no one is off limits when it comes to lurking dangers. Even the shows staff, drivers and crew are vulnerable to being unceremoniously bumped off. Each scene comes with its own kind of mythology and genre within the horror category. There are zombie demon creatures, incantations and the terror of being buried alive. We were so disoriented in the best way, Linger says. Guts & Glory premieres with two episodes streaming Tuesday, Oct. 14 on Shudder and AMC+. The word of the day for Oct. 13, 2025, is "antediluvian." Canva/Victoria Rosenthal Walking through an antique shop, youre surrounded by items calling back to times of yore. Whether theyre china tea sets reminiscent of your grandmas heirlooms or a Rococo settee begging to return to the Palace of Versailles, they serve as time capsules from generations past. As the dust on each piece settles, you may be thinking of a word to describe them all. One of the best terms for them that happens to sound just as antiquated as the things it characterizes is antediluvian. Heres what you need to know about the word antediluvian. What is the definition of antediluvian? The word antediluvian has multiple meanings all related to being old. It is an adjective used to describe something from or related to a time before the flood depicted in the Bible in the story of Noahs Ark from the book of Genesis. The term can also refer to something created or developed a long time ago as well as something outdated, ancient or antique. Antediluvian is also a noun to name a person who lived before the biblical flood, or a very old or old-fashioned person or thing. How is antediluvian pronounced? The word antediluvian is pronounced /an-tee-di-loo-vee-uhn/. How can you use antediluvian in a sentence? My grandfather still uses an antediluvian typewriter, refusing to switch to a computer. The museums basement was filled with antediluvian fossils that predated even the dinosaurs. Rather than using the term elderly, the professor jokingly referred to himself as an antediluvian. What is the origin of antediluvian? According to Merriam-Webster, the word comes from the Latin words ante," which means before, and diluvium, which means flood. The word dates back to the 1600s to depict a time before the flood in the Bible. The first known use was in 1646. English speakers began to use the word as an adjective and a noun in the 1700s to call a person or a thing very old. What famous book or movie uses the word antediluvian? Sci-fi fans can read the term antediluvian in the book The Strange High House in the Mist written by H.P. Lovecraft, the master of horror and science fiction. Even the Terrible Old Man who talks to leaden pendulums in bottles, buys groceries with centuried Spanish gold, and keeps stone idols in the yard of his antediluvian cottage in Water Street can only say these things were the same when his grandfather was a boy, and that must have been inconceivable ages ago, when Belcher or Shirley or Pownall or Bernard was Governor of His Majestys Province of the Massachusetts-Bay. What famous historical figure uses the word antediluvian? According to Chapter 5 of his travel log, American Notes, English novelist and journalist Charles Dickens struck up a conversation with an elderly woman who used the word antediluvian. He quoted her saying: I am an antediluvian, sir. It is an extremely proud and pleasant thing, sir, to be antediluvian. If you missed the last word of the day, click here. Math and language arts levels in Newark public schools are up 3% since the COVID-19 pandemic. Canva for NJ.com Editors note: This story was shared as part of a content-sharing agreement between Mosaic.NJ.com and Chalkbeat. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter (or X). Newark Public Schools students inched closer to pre-pandemic levels on statewide assessments this spring, with English language arts and math scores up by roughly 3 percentage points over last year, according to a district analysis presented last week. On average, 34% of district students in grades 3 to 9 passed the English language arts test roughly a percentage point under the 2019 score while 21.1% of students passed the math test, according to the districts overview of spring 2025 New Jersey Student Learning Assessment scores. In spring 2024, 31% of students passed the English portion of the test, while 17.7% passed the math assessment. Former English language learners continue to be the highest performing subgroup across all student populations in English language arts, according to the district. The results indicate that Newark students are continuing to recover from pandemic-era learning disruptions, but the majority are still falling short of state standards. In recent years, district leaders have bolstered tutoring, summer and Saturday school efforts, and introduced a new reading and writing curriculum to help further students academic recovery. The new scores come five years after the emergence of COVID-19 and are the fourth round of tests given to students since then. They also coincide with the districts fifth year of local control, following 25 years of state oversight of Newarks public schools. The state Education Department has not yet released statewide scores publicly. Newarks analysis is based on state test results given to school districts ahead of time. Newarks scores this year are in line with national trends, said Superintendent Roger Leon, during the September board meeting when scores were presented. Students who are in the older grades are able to demonstrate better recovery than the students that are in the younger grades, and English language arts is moving a whole lot faster than the area of mathematics, Leon added. Students who were in grades 5 and 6 in 2020 may need about five years to fully recover, and even longer for those entering eighth grade or high school now, according to the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit that develops assessments to measure K-12 schools student achievement. Students from different racial and ethnic groups, such as Black and Latino, and low-income backgrounds were among the hardest hit by the pandemics effects. In Newark, more than 90% of students identify as Black or Latino. The results are filled with bright spots but do not eclipse the real work that we still have to do, said Rochanda Jackson, executive director of the Office of Data and Research, who presented the scores last week. Of the districts roughly 41,000 students, 3,892 students moved up at least one proficiency level in English language arts since last year, while 3,225 did so in math, according to the districts analysis. Students who stayed enrolled from third to fourth grade and seventh to eighth grade saw their average pass rate increase between 2 and 2.5 percentage points, Jackson added. Those who stayed enrolled from fourth to fifth grade and from fifth to sixth grade saw a 3 percentage point increase, while students from sixth to seventh grade saw the largest gain at nearly 8 percentage points, Jackson said. These seventh graders were babies in the pandemic. In 2020, they were in the second grade. They spent nearly two years getting foundational math knowledge and virtual classroom experiences they didnt know, Jackson added. Since students began taking the state test after the pandemic, all grades have seen steady growth in English language arts, Jackson said. In 2019, just under 35% of Newark students reached proficiency levels in English, while about 24% of students did so in math. In comparison to last year, scores in English language arts went up across all elementary grade levels, Jackson said. Students math skills are also improving, but more slowly than English language arts, according to the districts analysis. As the district continues to work on students academic recovery, Jackson said that with time, rigor, and consistency, the district can change the trajectory of students lives. We need to keep these at the forefront of our thoughts as we continue to strategize on what needs to be done to accelerate beyond pre-pandemic performance to mastery and sustained academic excellence, Jackson added. People gather at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 prior to the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) AP DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, while Israel began releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands. Cheering crowds greeted buses of prisoners in the West Bank, while families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free. The hostages, all men, have arrived back in Israel, where they will reunite with family and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear. Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Beitunia, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, and in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he was committed to this peace in a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. U.S. President Donald Trump is also expected to address the Knesset, and later will attend a summit to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders. The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage. In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. Much of Gaza is a wasteland, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. Hostages freed In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country. Israel released the first photos of the freed hostages, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately. The photos of the first seven hostages showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January. Meanwhile, the Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization representing many of the hostage families, said four bodies were expected to return to Israel on Monday. The group said it was shocked and dismayed that so few were coming back. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. Earlier, while Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered. The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called terrorist organizations risked arrest. Israels military did not respond to questions about the flier, which The Associated Press obtained on site. The prisoners being released include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile. A painful chapter The return of the living hostages caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release. As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire. Trump in Israel and Egypt Trump arrived Monday in Israel, where he was to speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages. The war is over, Trump told to reporters as he departed even though his ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the future of Hamas and Gaza. Among the most thorny is Israels insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza. So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gazas far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gazas border with Israel. The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gazas government should be worked out among Palestinians. Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash. Egypts presidency said Netanyahu would attend as well, but the Israel leaders office later said he would not because due to a Jewish holiday. The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years. The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu. Offshore wind farm from rsted spin off the coasts of New York and Rhode Island (pictured here toward the end of 2024 during a media and business tour) Steven Rodas | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Anthony P. Mauro Sr. New Jersey families are getting squeezed, with higher utility bills, doubts about where our power will come from, and fresh worries about the ocean we love. We shouldnt have to pick between environmental stewardship and affordable, reliable energy. We need balanced leadership that insists on all three. The current Energy Master Plan (EMP) aimed high: Electrify cars and home heating Lean hard on offshore wind Import power On paper, it promised a cleaner future. In practice, its delivered rising costs, reliability questions, and environmental trade-offs that too often go unspoken. Offshore wind became the flagship and then the flashpoint: major projects stalled, companies exited, rates went up, and coastal communities, along with recreational and commercial fishermen, were left with more questions than answers. This isnt an argument against cleaner energy. Its an argument against getting ahead of feasibility; policy first, practicality second. When that happens, households pay twice: on the bill and in lost confidence. Confidence matters Outdoor recreation, especially fishing, boating, hunting, and wildlife tourism, is a pillar of our shore economy, generating more than $2 billion annually in fishery and wildlife-related activities and supporting thousands of small businesses, including marinas, captains, processors, shops, restaurants, hotels, and other related establishments. When energy costs rise and uncertainty persists, those businesses feel it first: higher overhead, fewer patrons, and thinner margins. The environment pays too Survey and construction activity offshore raises legitimate concerns about soundscapes, migration routes, and benthic habitats. Even supporters of wind energy should want this paced by transparent science. Climate progress needs public trust, or it doesnt last. We need a new plan rooted in transparency, science, and respect If the EMP helped put us in a bind, only a new plan can get us out. We need a reset, not as an end state, but as an evolutionary strategy that protects families now while we mature truly reliable, affordable, clean options for tomorrow. We must lead with affordability and reliability. Every big policy should come with a plain-English bill impact and an honest reliability check. People deserve to know what it costs and what they get. We can use an all-of-the-above mix, without overbetting. Keep nuclear as a carbon-free anchor and natural gas as a flexible bridge while we scale distributed solar and other resources where they make sense. The goal isnt to freeze the status quo; its to buy time for cleaner technologies and storage to become both dependable and cost-effective. We need to right-size mandates and timelines. Ambition is good, but unfunded, unrealistic timelines that outrun supply chains, permitting, workforce, and family budgets are not. Match the calendar to reality so progress sticks. Its time to pace coastal development to science and public confidence. Phase any offshore build with independent monitoring, transparent data, and clear go/slow/stop checkpoints to protect marine life, fisheries, and coastal towns. Lets be honest about program costs. If a policy or compact raises bills without clear benefits, recalibrate. Clean energy that working families cant afford to use is not a solution. This is an evolutionary design. New Jerseyans want to move away from fossil fuels and, over time, even nuclear, as reliable, effective alternatives prove out and scale. But getting there requires steady, evidence-based steps that keep the lights on, protect ratepayers, and earn trust. We cant build a durable, clean, environmentally friendly future on wishful planning and fractured confidence. Freezing prices can sound tempting, but it kicks the can and often makes the next hike steeper. The better path is transparent planning, diversified supply, environmental stewardship, and careful pacing so households and small businesses can adapt without getting crushed. A new Energy Master Plan, rooted in transparency, science, and respect for both ratepayers and our coast, can deliver all three now, and set a credible path to phase down fossil fuels and, ultimately, nuclear as next-generation options prove themselves. Its time for our next governor to reset the EMP and put New Jersey on a path thats cleaner, affordable, and reliable, all at once, and built to last. Calling your elected representative in the state Assembly or Senate is the most effective way to influence policy. To find your state Assemblymember and Senator to voice your position, go to the New Jersey Legislature websites Legislative Roster. Anthony P. Mauro Sr., is founder of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance and a former NJDEP Transition Team member. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he has recommended President Donald Trump to receive the nations highest honor. Ive submitted your nomination to be the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize, Netanyahu said in an address to Israels parliament, pointing to the countrys award for individuals who display excellence in their field or contribute to Israeli culture. As to that other prize, its just a question of time. Youll get it, he continued. Netanyahu referenced Trumps quest for a Nobel Peace Prize, after the committee that chooses the recipient revealed Friday that this years accolade would be given to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. In the announcement, Machado was recognized for her efforts in promoting Democratic rights and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. Although Trump did not secure a personal victory, Machado expressed gratitude to the president while accepting the award on social media. This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom,Machado wrote on X. We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy. I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause! While speaking to reporters late Friday, Trump who has faced mounting calls for the award in recent days after securing a U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas said he had spoken with the opposition leader, who was very nice during their call. The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me and said, Im accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it, Trump said. He then joked: A very nice thing to do. I didnt say, Then give it to me, though I think she might have. Following a speech from Netanyahu, Trump also went on to address the Knesset after all 20 of the surviving hostages held by Hamas had been released on Monday. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said they were shocked and dismayed to learn that only four bodies of the 28 deceased hostages will be returned to Israel on Monday and called for immediate action from the Israeli government and mediators. Meanwhile, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement. We have built industries together, we have made discoveries together, we have confronted evil together, we have waged war together, and perhaps most beautifully of all, we have made peace together, Trump said in concluding remarks to his one-hour speech. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also announced Monday that Trump would be receiving the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor for brokering the ceasefire and helping release the hostages. Herzog said Trump will be remembered for generations by the State of Israel and the Jewish people and laying the foundations for a new era in the Middle East built on security, cooperation, and genuine hope for a peaceful future. Former President Barack Obama talks with President-elect Donald Trump before the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) AP Former President Barack Obama blasted President Donald Trump for his deployment of National Guard troops to deter crime in U.S. cities. Obama said on Marc Marons WTF Podcast that the U.S.s institutional guardrails have been weakened under the Trump administration. He also criticized Trump for deploying the National Guard to Democratic-led cities despite pushback from state leaders. I think there is no doubt that a lot of the norms, civic habits, expectations, institutional guardrails that we had, that we took for granted, for our democracy have been weakened deliberately, Obama said on Mondays episode. I dont think theyre destroyed, but I think they have been damaged and its and theyve been systematic about it. It wasnt controversial for me to go to other countries and say, You know what? Its a good idea for militaries to be under civilian control. Because when you have militaries that can direct force against their own people, that is that is inherently corrupting, he added. He then suggested that the Trump administration is attempting a deliberate end run around of the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars the U.S. military from enforcing domestic laws except when authorized by law. When you see an administration suggest that ordinary street crime is an insurrection or a terrorist act, that is a genuine effort to weaken how we have understood democracy that was understood by Democrats and Republicans, Obama said. He also questioned how Americans and Fox News would react if he sent the National Guard to Texas to deter crime when he was president. If I had sent in the National Guard into Texas and just said, You know what, a lot of problems in Dallas, a lot of crime there. And I dont care what Governor Abbott says, Im going to kind of take over law enforcement because I think things are out of control, Obama said. It is mind boggling to me how Fox News would have responded. Trump has deployed the National Guard to the cities of Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Portland and Chicago as part of his effort to crack down on crime across the country. However, state and local leaders have pushed back on Trumps efforts, as numerous states have filed lawsuits against the deployments. Obama also urged the Justice Department and the court systems to not drag politics into law enforcement. We dont want masked folks with rifles and machine guns patrolling our streets. We want cops on the beat who know the neighborhood and the kids around and thats how we keep the peace around here, Obama said. We dont want kangaroo courts and trumped up charges. Thats what happens in other places that we used to scold for doing that. We want our court system and our Justice Department and our prosecutors to be and our FBI to be just playing things straight and looking at the facts and not meddling in politics the way weve seen lately, he added. Grace says she remains a true believer in the rule of law. Photo Courtesy of McCarter & English Just hours after being appointed New Jerseys top federal prosecutor, Desiree Grace was removed from her position, caught in the crossfire of a standoff with President Donald Trumps administration. But says she remains a true believer in the rule of law as she begins a new chapter in private practice with one of the states oldest and largest law firms. Grace is a longtime federal prosecutor who served as first assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. In July, she was appointed to lead the office by the states federal judges an extraordinary vote of confidence after they deemed the interim U.S. attorney, Alina Habba, unqualified to hold the job. Her appointment was swiftly overturned by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who fired Grace within hours, calling the New Jersey judges rogue and asserting the appointment undermined presidential authority. After what she called a devastating turn of events, Grace is returning to private practice at McCarter & English in Newark. Leaving the Department of Justice under any circumstances would be difficult, Grace said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. Its an incredibly special place. Its an amazing place to work. Its an amazing mission. To be driven by leaving suddenly was devastating. Grace said she was speechless when the judges selected her to lead the office. It was the most incredible honor, she said. Months later, still, Im speechless about how much that meant to me. In a LinkedIn post following her removal, Grace wrote: It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the United States and to serve the people of New Jersey for the last nine years. Theres no better place to work. Theres no mission more important. She added, Ive served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Ive been promoted four times in the last five years by both including four months ago by this administration. Politics never impacted my work at the department. Oral arguments in cases challenging Habbas authority as U.S. attorney are scheduled for Oct. 20 before a panel of Third Circuit judges, who will weigh whether the Trump administrations maneuver to reinstall her violated federal appointment laws. While Grace declined to weigh in directly on ongoing legal challenges to Habbas authority, she said, I genuinely believe in the judicial system. I believe in the Constitution. I dont think anything about the judicial branch is political thats by design. I believe that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals or any other court that hears issues like these across the country will do what it always does call balls and strikes, she added. I think the court will interpret and apply the law fairly, and I have that faith in the system that its designed to get to the right answer, whatever that might be. Grace emphasized her belief in the justice system and the role of defense attorneys. I firmly believe that everyone has a role in making the justice system work, she said. The defense lawyers have a remarkably important role, and I expected them to hold me to the highest standards when I was a prosecutor. Grace began her legal career at McCarter & English more than a decade ago and said her return felt natural. A lot of people assumed I would go back to McCarter, she said. I had a great experience there 10 years ago, and I always spoke really highly about my time there and have continued to watch the firm grow over the years. So I dont think anyone will be surprised by my move. At McCarter, Grace will focus on civil litigation, internal investigations and criminal defense. One of the big selling points for me in going to McCarter is that the firm is supportive of me doing really everything, she said. We have some amazing clients in the civil space who need an experienced trial lawyer, and Im looking forward to filling that void and doing that. She said her prosecutorial skills will translate directly to her new role. Conducting investigations is one of my favorite things to do as a prosecutor, Grace said. So those skills will translate directly to work, and then obviously, criminal defense work. Grace said she is ready to begin her next chapter. I had a lot of time, which was good at times, and not so good at other times, she said. But I feel ready to start this new chapter. We are thrilled to welcome Desi back to McCarter, Joseph T. Boccassini, managing partner of McCarter, said in a statement. We recognized her great talent as an associate with the firm at the outset of her career and have been proud to observe the skills and reputation she developed as a federal prosecutor and public servant, he added. Colleen Murphy may be reached at cmurphy@njadvancemedia.com. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) lauded the release of living hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) AP Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is facing a grilling from MAGA world after neglecting to credit President Donald Trump. Trump addressed Israels parliament in Jerusalem on Monday and has arrived in Egypt, where he held a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and joined a summit with other world leaders in pushing forward his broader peace plan. Nobody thought this could happen, Trump said during remarks. With the historic agreement weve signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered. Earlier in the day, Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza, while Israel began releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement halting over two years of war. The bodies of 28 deceased hostages are also expected to return to Israel although an exact timeline is unclear. In a post on X, Warren wrote that Today is a good day as she celebrated surviving hostages being finally home with their loved ones. Im thinking of them and their families on this joyful day and praying for their full recovery. Im also grieving for all those who cant come home today, Warren wrote. She continued: Today must also be an important step toward lasting peace in the region peace for both Israelis and Palestinians. We must end the war in Gaza, surge humanitarian aid, and negotiate a two-state solution now." For two excruciating years, I have called for the return of the hostages brutally kidnapped on October 7th and held in Gaza. Today is a good day. Surviving Israeli hostages are finally home and reuniting with loved ones. I'm thinking of them and their families on this joyful day https://t.co/V6uDL89Gzj Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) October 13, 2025 Her post was immediately met with scrutiny from a number of supporters and allies of Trump, who have pointed to how she did not mention the president. Gunther Eagleman, a popular MAGA personality, posted in response: The words you are looking for are... Thank you President Trump. Why didnt you thank the current administration that brokered the difficult deal? asked journalist Andy Ngo, who participated in Trumps recent antifa roundtable. Political commentator Megyn Kelly also weighed in, writing, Youre so gross. Trump did it. Just say it. Youre so gross. Trump did it. Just say it. https://t.co/cv6JYxh2Qs Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) October 13, 2025 Perhaps the words youre looking for are thank you, President Trump, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah.) added. A number of users had also criticized the responses of other Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor of Virginia. The ceasefire between Israel & Hamas and the release of all hostages gives hope for what comes next after unbearable suffering, Pelosi wrote on X. We must now ensure full humanitarian access in Gaza and a path to a two-state solution where Israelis & Palestinians can live in security and dignity. One user replied: We? Who the f--- is the we you are talking about? You and your Democrat cohorts didnt do s---. Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama faced similar heat on social media last week after Trump first announced that Israel and Hamas both agreed to the first phase of the plan to end the war. After two years of unimaginable loss and suffering for Israeli families and the people of Gaza, we should all be encouraged and relieved that an end to the conflict is within sight; that those hostages still being held will be reunited with their families; and that vital aid can start reaching those inside Gaza whose lives have been shattered, Obama wrote on X. Donald Trump Jr., one of the presidents sons, responded, Ill finish it for you. Thank you, Donald Trump. Protests against President Donald Trump and his administration's policies are set to make a resurgence on Saturday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP George Conway, a conservative lawyer and prominent critic of President Donald Trump, railed against authoritarianism in a video released Monday in anticipation of the return of No Kings protests nationwide. Demonstrations are set to take place on Saturday after rallies were held across the country in June to protest Trump and his policies, coinciding with his 79th birthday and his large military parade for the Armys 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C. Ahead of the demonstrations, which are planned in every state, Conway took aim at Trump, describing authoritarianism as a cancer while arguing that the symptoms are here, today. Conway pointed to the increased immigration crackdown, the deployment of the National Guard into cities, the sudden suspension of Jimmy Kimmels late-night show and the threatening and prosecuting of the presidents perceived political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. We thought it couldnt happen here, Conway said in a video posted by the nonprofit Home of the Brave on X. Other places? Sure. Italy in the 20s, where fascism was born. Chile, Russia, Venezuela, Hungary. Conway continued: And now, the disease is growing. The cancer, metastasizing, in America. On October 18th, millions of brave Americans will stand up and peacefully protest against the authoritarian disease metastasizing under Donald Trump. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. @gtconway3d pic.twitter.com/orFMaGui7u Home of the Brave (@OfTheBraveUSA) October 13, 2025 Conway said there is a cure which ultimately requires you. Show them youre not afraid. Do it for the country, for the Constitution, for your family, for yourself, he said, before adding: Do it for your freedom, while you still can. According to the No Kings website, protesters are gathering to demonstrate that America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. The group previously helped organize 1,800 rallies over the summer. The president thinks his rule is absolute, the website reads. But in America, we dont have kings and we wont back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. There are upcoming protests planned in major cities, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Kansas City, the movements website indicates. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, encouraged its members earlier this month to take part amid new urgency due to the government shutdown, which stretched into Day 13 on Monday. House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed the planned protests during an interview with Fox News on Friday, describing the demonstration set for D.C. as a hate America rally filled with all the pro-Hamas wing and the antifa people. Some of the House Democrats are selling t-shirts for the event, Johnson said. And its being told to us that they wont be able to reopen the government until after that rally cause they cant face their rabid base. I mean, this is serious business hurting real people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox Business early Monday that the protests are really frustrating. This is part of antifa, paid protesters, Duffy also claimed. It begs the question, whos funding it? President Donald Trump poses for a photo with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he boards Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv, as Israel's President Isaac Herzog watches at left. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP One of Israels largest newspapers praised President Donald Trump after militant group Hamas agreed to a peace agreement brokered by the United States to bring an end to the two-year long war. The Jerusalem Post, the largest English-language daily newspaper in Israel, hailed Trump as a peacemaker on the front page of Mondays newspaper. The front page included a quote from Sylvan Adams, the president of the World Jewish Congress Israel, who said Trumps visionary leadership is making history. God bless the peacemaker, the front page states alongside a photo of Trump. "Once again, thank you Mr. President. The people of Israel are watching. The world is watching. And we are eternally grateful," Sylvan Adams, President of the World Jewish Congress Israel.https://t.co/STOkvlJ2pz pic.twitter.com/5K61IUFjId The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) October 13, 2025 Adams penned an opinion piece praising Trump for the agreement, which was struck about two years after Hamas militants invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Thank you, thank you, thank you President Donald J. Trump. For your tireless leadership and determination in delivering on your promise: an agreement to return our hostages, and potentially, bring this devastating war to an end, Adams wrote in the opinion piece. As we wait through these (hopefully) final hours, an entire nation holds its breath. The families who have endured two years of unimaginable pain dare to hope again. The people of Israel, united in grief, love, and longing, are praying that this moment marks the beginning of redemption and the return of light to our land, he added. Trump headed to Israel on Monday to tout the agreement to end the fighting in the region and to release the hostages captured by Hamas two years ago. He spoke to Israeli lawmakers as he praised himself and attacked political rivals. Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, he declared to the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero. The Republican president also used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticizing Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson, in the audience. In an unexpected detour, Trump called on the Israeli president to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as one of the greatest wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas. Trump pressed Israel to look past the war, saying the country has won all that they can by force of arms. Youve won. I mean, youve won, he said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Donald Trump meets with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP President Donald Trump praised Egypt during a meeting with the countrys leader on Monday where the two men participated in a summit to support an end for the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Trump lauded Egypts President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during a visit to the Middle East on Monday, where the two leaders demonstrated their support for ending the over two-year war in Gaza. He compared Egypts president to governors in the U.S., suggesting that Egypt has done a better job handling crime than some state leaders. Were in a country where a friend of mine is a very powerful leader, and my friend is right here, the president, but also the general. I usually, I call him the general because hes both, and hes good at both, and theyve done a fantastic job, and they have very little crime because they dont play games, Trump said on Monday. Thats why. They dont play games like we do in the United States, with governors that have no idea what theyre doing, but they dont have crime. I asked about crime, and they almost dont even know what Im talking about. So its a great tribute to this man. Hes done a fantastic job in bringing this country together, he added. Trump on Egypt: "They have very little crime. Because they don't play games. That's why. Like we do in the United States with governors that have no idea what they're doing." pic.twitter.com/at7ceM6fI8 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 13, 2025 Many social media users questioned Trumps praise, with some noting that Egypts government is widely described as an authoritarian state. Trump is a full-time salesman for authoritarian rule, said Dan Pfeiffer, a former aide to President Barack Obama. MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski responded to Trumps remarks with a three-word comment on social media platform X: Make America Egypt. And one user suggested that Trumps comments show that he is bothered by Democratic governors like Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. JB living rent free in his head, the user wrote on X. Another social media user commented: Praising Egypts authoritarianism while undermining U.S. governors is unbecoming of presidential leadership, [its] peak lunacy. Trump traveled to the Middle East on Monday to tout a cease-fire agreement between Israel and militant group Hamas that was brokered by the U.S. after more than two years of fighting. While the agreement remains delicate, Trump and his allies are taking a victory lap about the deal. He addressed Israeli lawmakers on Monday as 20 hostages captured by Hamas militants were released as part of the agreement. Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, he declared to the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero. The Republican president also used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticizing Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson, in the audience. In an unexpected detour, Trump called on the Israeli president to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as one of the greatest wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas. Trump pressed Israel to look past the war, saying the country has won all that they can by force of arms. Youve won. I mean, youve won, he said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Donald Trump joked with reporters after being asked whether he deserves to go to heaven for leading a cease-fire agreement between Israel and militant group Hamas. The president headed to Israel on Monday as Hamas agreed to a cease-fire agreement put forward by the Trump administration. When speaking with reporters on Sunday while aboard Air Force One, Fox News Peter Doocy asked whether the agreement between Israel and Hamas will help Trump get to heaven. Trump responded with a laugh as he joked that he did not think he will make it to heaven. Im being a little cute. I dont think theres anything going to get me in heaven. I think, I think Im not, maybe heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One, Trump told reporters. Im not sure Im going to be able to make heaven. But Ive made life better for a lot of people, he added. Trump: I dont think theres anything thats going to get me into heaven. I think Im not heaven bound. Im not sure Im going to be able make heaven pic.twitter.com/gzPwKnd5j0 Acyn (@Acyn) October 12, 2025 In August, Trump suggested that ending the Russia-Ukraine war could get him into heaven. I want to try and get to heaven if possible, Trump said. Im hearing Im not doing well. He went on to joke that he is really at the bottom of the totem pole, but continued: If I can get to heaven, this would be one of the reasons. Trump headed to Israel to tout the U.S.-brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas. He addressed Israeli lawmakers on Monday, which is also when 20 hostages captured by Hamas militants were released as part of the agreement after more than two years of fighting. Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change, he declared to the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero. The Republican president also used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticizing Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson, in the audience. In an unexpected detour, Trump called on the Israeli president to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as one of the greatest wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas. Trump pressed Israel to look past the war, saying the country has won all that they can by force of arms. Youve won. I mean, youve won, he said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Vice President JD Vance speaking with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP Vice President JD Vance got into a heated exchange with ABCs George Stephanopoulos on Sunday over bribery accusations facing a top official in President Donald Trumps administration. Stephanopoulos asked Vance on ABCs This Week about accusations facing Trumps border czar Tom Homan, who was reportedly recorded on an FBI surveillance tape in September 2024 accepting $50,000 in cash. Stephanopoulos asked Vance whether Homan kept the $50,000 in cash he received or returned it. Vance called the accusations a ridiculous smear in his response. I think that it would be a much more interesting story about why is it that Tom Homan, who is simply enforcing Americas immigration laws, is constantly harassed and threatened to the point of death threats. Thats a much more interesting question that I think journalists should focus on. We can agree to disagree on that question, Vance said. Stephanopoulos pressed him further, noting that Vance did not answer the question. But, wait, you said he didnt take a bribe. But Im not sure you answered the question. Are you saying that he did not accept the $50,000? Stephanopoulos asked. George, this story has been covered ad nauseam, Vance responded. He did not take a bribe. Did he accept $50,000? I am sure that in the course of Tom Homans life he has been paid more than $50,000 for services. The question is, did he do something illegal, and there is absolutely no evidence that Tom Homan has ever taken a bribe or done anything illegal. The two began to talk over each other before Stephanopoulos pressed Vance again. Im asking you, did he accept the $50,000 that was caught on the surveillance tape? Did he accept that $50,000 or not? he asked. George, I dont know what youre talking about. Did he accept $50,000 for what? Vance responded. He was recorded on an audiotape in September of 2024, an FBI surveillance tape, accepting $50,000 in cash. Did he keep that money? Stephanopoulos asked again. Vance responded by launching an attack on Stephanopoulos. And heres, George, why fewer and fewer people watch your program and why youre losing credibility, because youre talking for now five minutes with the vice president of the United States about this story regarding Tom Homan, a story that I have read about, but I dont even know the video that youre talking about, Vance said. Stephanopoulos then shut down the interview by noting that Vance never answered the question. Its not a weird left-wing rabbit hole. I didnt insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50,000 as was heard on an audiotape recorded by the FBI in September 2024, and you did not answer the question, Stephanopoulos said. Thank you for your time this morning. Vance began to speak before the interview got cut off. STEPHANOPOULOS: I didn't insinuate anything. I asked you whether Tom Homan accepted $50k as was heard on an audio tape recorded by the FBI in September 2024. You did not answer the question. Thank you for your time. VANCE: No, George, I sai-- STEPHANOPOULOS: We'll be right back pic.twitter.com/bj9qxaFIzk Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 12, 2025 MSNBC first reported last month that Homan accepted $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents in September 2024. This led to a bribery investigation that was reportedly shut down by the Trump administration earlier this year. The Justice Department under Trump said authorities found no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing, according to The Associated Press. The Departments resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement, according to the AP. As a result, the investigation has been closed. China is ready to retaliate against President Donald Trump if he follows through on his latest threat. Trump announced Friday that the United States would impose a new 100% tariff over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying starting Nov. 1 or sooner. He also said he would implement export controls on any and all critical software. His announcement came after China increased restrictions the day prior on exports of its rare earths minerals, which make up around 70% of the global supply. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this month a meeting which the president implied he might cancel. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said on Monday the United States has threatened higher tariffs rather than reflecting on its own mistakes, The Washington Post reported. If the United States insists on its own way, China will resolutely take retaliatory measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, Jian added. The U.S. threat against China quickly tumbled stocks and sparked fears of a renewed trade war between the two economic rivals. World markets steadied after Trump toned down his rhetoric on Sunday, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform, Dont worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesnt want Depression for his country, and neither do I, Trump posted, adding: The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!! Beijings customs agency revealed Monday that exports to the United States had decreased by 27% in September compared to last year, although it was an improvement from August, in which the rate dropped 33%. Meanwhile, China recorded a six-month high in growth of its global exports, at $328.5 billion, which exceeded estimates from economists, according to the Associated Press. The flooded street outside the Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Company on Monday, Oct. 13. 2025. Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Company UPDATED FORECAST: Showers, gusty winds to linger overnight as noreaster departs MORE: See what the Jersey Shore looked like as a noreaster brought more flooding on Monday Continued flooding is expected along the Jersey shore and other tidal areas due to a damaging noreaster as another high tide coincides with strong winds and storm surges. The storm that lashed the New Jersey coast over the weekend with rain, elevated tides and high winds caused widespread flooding Sunday and Monday, closing roads and forcing New Jersey Transit coastal rail service to pause until storm conditions ceased. Route 35 in Belmar between 16th Avenue and Route 71 was closed Monday afternoon, according to Belmar police. The East End Bridge in Neptune was also closed in both directions Monday due to flooding, the Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management said in a social media post. South Riverside Drive, South Concourse, West Concourse and all intersections were closed as well, Neptune authorities said. The roads were expected to be closed until at least 4 p.m. when high tide is expected to recede, officials said. In Cape May County where some of the storms worst flooding happened, authorities in Avalon were expecting Monday afternoons high tide to eclipse 8 feet, higher than Hurricane Erins high tidal flooding in August. The borough of Avalon published a flood map of the island for residents to see which areas of the town were most at risk. Officials in Ocean City anticipated similarly high tides, exceeding those seen during Hurricane Erin, but on Monday afternoon mayor Jay Gillian said in a social media post that high tide had not been as severe as expected. Gillian added that streets were still flooded and cautioned residents to stay home and not travel if possible. Wildwood police said multiple roads were closed Monday afternoon due to tidal flooding. In Berkeley Township, police said to avoid Bayview Avenue from Butler Boulevard to Allen Road and Bowsprit Drive to Ocean Gate Border because of flooding. Hight tide in Berkeley Township wasnt expected to peak until 5:30 p.m. Authorities in Lacey Township said they were monitoring the storm for impacts to the area and taking preventative measures. Tides in our area are rising quickly, which has forced us to barricade roadways that are currently impassible, authorities said in a social media post Monday. In Monmouth County, Rumson police issued an alert to residents Monday afternoon to avoid walking in flood waters after receiving reports of down electrical wires. In Atlantic County Monday morning, all lanes on the Black Horse Pike (Route 40) in Egg Harbor Township, in both directions, were closed west of the Atlantic City Expressway. Flooding on the White Horse Pike closed the road in both directions from Illinois Avenue in Absecon to west of the AC Expressway and Indiana Avenue in Atlantic City as well. Major flooding hit sections of Atlantic City Monday morning and along the Barnegat Bay in Barnegat Light and the Great Egg Harbor Bay in Ocean City, the National Weather Service said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that Barnegat Bay at Waretown set a new high tide record shortly before 4:30 p.m. of 4.21 feet. The previous record was 3.8 feet. Atlantic Citys Department of Human Services opened a temporary shelter at the Atlantic City Convention Center for about 140 people, most of them unhoused, on Saturday, officials said. The shelter is expected to remain open until at least 8 a.m. Tuesday and provides meals as well, officials said. Winds shifted Monday afternoon from northeasterly to northerly, and possibly northwesterly in the later afternoon, easing the pressure on tidal waters, but not eliminating tidal flooding altogether, officials from Avalon said. Wind gusts along the Jersey shore ranged between 40 mph and 60 mph. Avalon saw the highest wind gust of 60 mph while Atlantic City registered 56 mph gusts, according to the National Weather Service. By Monday evening, NJ Transit announced that coastal bus routes and train service would resume for the morning commute Tuesday. NJ Transit service between Atlantic City and Philadelphia was also expected to resume Tuesday morning, the agency said. Coastal flood warnings along the Jersey Shore remain in effect until 8 p.m. Officials warn motorists not to drive on water covered roads, even though they might not be blocked off. Former Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira has been making his presence known again on social media. On Monday, he took the opportunity to connect the United States of Americas reexamination of Columbus Day to Democrats. Columbus Day is another reminder that Democrats want to erase Americas history to appease the radical fringe of their party, Teixeira wrote on X/Twitter. Republicans are the party of common sense and we know God has blessed us to live in the greatest nation on earth. We should never stop celebrating America!" In some parts of the country, Columbus Day is now referred to as Indigenous Peoples Day, a holiday that honors the history, cultures, and resilience of Native American communities that long predated European exploration. Teixeiras post is the latest example of his efforts to appeal to President Donald Trumps base, supporters who largely feel the USA has become too woke in recent years. On Aug. 28, Teixeira announced that hed be running in Texass 21st Congressional District, where Rep. Chip Roy will not seek re-election as he runs for Texas Attorney General. As a proud Texan and lifelong conservative who loves our country, Im ready to fight for the principles that make Texas strong and America exceptional, Teixeiras statement read, via X/Twitter. It takes teamwork to win, and Im ready to help defend President Trumps America First agenda, Texas families, and individual liberty. Teixeira, 45, is a Maryland native who currently lives in the Austin area. He spent the first four-plus years of his major-league career with the Texas Rangers. The three-time All-Star concluded his career with eight years on the Yankees, winning a World Series in 2009. Teixeira retired in 2016 after a 14-year career in which he hit .268 with a .869 OPS and 409 home runs. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mostly cloudy skies. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 28F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Snow in the evening will transition to snow showers overnight. Low 17F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. About one inch of snow expected. The Burton at Bideford is looking forward to a more sustainable future as it approaches its 75th anniversary thanks to a grant from Arts Council Englands Museum Renewal Fund. The gallery and attraction at Victoria Park in Bideford will receive 161,570 from the fund, which is delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The fund aims to support museums in stabilising their financial situation due to ever-rising costs and difficulty generating income, while helping them to become more self-sufficient and to plan for future growth. READ NEXT: Hepworth, Moore and Lowry come to North Devon as part of summer exhibition In 2024-25 The Burton attracted more than 163,000 visitors to Bideford, more than half of them local and nearly almost a fifth travelling more than 100 miles across the UK to visit. It said the investment will enable it to continue to provide high-quality cultural services in Torridge this year, while also developing new initiatives for the future. This includes the digital transformation of The Burton website and shop, a new fundraising strategy with a focus on individual patrons and sponsors and a marketing campaign for the organisations 75th anniversary year. The Burtons ongoing partnership with Torridge District Council gives local access to world-class collections, heritage and culture, ranging from major partnerships with Tate that bring work by internationally renowned artists to North Devon, to programmes such as Burton Futures, which takes art education into rural schools. Harriet Cooper, director at The Burton at Bideford, said: It has been a challenging few years for the museum sector and as The Burton at Bideford enters its 75th year in 2026 we will create an ambitious strategy for our role in the next 75 years of culture in Torridge. Investment from Arts Council Englands Museum Renewal Fund acknowledges the quality of the service The Burton provides, and will support us to think about innovative new ways to strengthen our financial base. We believe that all communities in Northern Devon should have free access to world-class collections, heritage and culture, and we continue to work with Torridge District Council to ensure our community is at the heart of this vision. READ NEXT: The Burton launches urgent online appeal to help school children get access to art Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin at TDC added: This grant is really great news for The Burton at Bideford and all of the communities across Torridge that it works with. This year every 1 invested by Torridge District Council will enable The Burton to bring nearly 4 more into our local economy, contributing to real impacts across culture, health and wellbeing while attracting both locals and visitors into Bideford. If you would like to find out more about how to support The Burton at Bideford through sponsorship or involvement, email info@theburton.org People's Daily survey reveals strong consensus across Asia-Pacific: Building regional community reflects public aspiration People's Daily) 16:46, October 13, 2025 A report titled "An Asia-Pacific of Vitality: Public Opinion Across 16 Countries" was released on Oct. 13 by People's Daily at the 2025 China-South Korea Media Cooperation Forum in Seoul. The report reveals that people across the region view the entire Asia-Pacific as an interdependent community with common interests and a shared future. They support enhanced cooperation among Asia-Pacific economies to build a dynamic, harmonious and prosperous Asia-Pacific community. Cover of the Report Booklet According to the survey, over 80 percent of respondents acknowledge the contributions of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to regional economic development, social progress, and improvement of people's well-being. More than 70 percent support their own country engaging more actively and deeply within the APEC framework. Over 70 percent look forward to building an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040. These findings demonstrate resounding public desire across the region to deepen APEC cooperation and develop an open regional economy. As a major APEC member, China actively engages in practical cooperation with other member economies, sharing the opportunities of its high-quality development through high-level opening up and continuously contributing positive energy to regional peace, stability and prosperity. Nearly 60 percent of respondents say China plays an important role in promoting sustainable growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific; 83 percent believe China's development experience provides insights for their country; and 41 percent hope their country will strengthen economic, security, and people-to-people cooperation and exchanges with China. The survey was jointly initiated by the International News Department of People's Daily and the Global Times Institute. Among the 21 APEC member economies, this survey selected 16 representative Asia-Pacific countries based on economic size, population, and the feasibility of sampling, namely Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam. Between August 25 and September 12, 9,077 valid responses were collected through multilingual questionnaires administered in 11 languages, including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Participants examine the report booklet at the conference. (People's Daily/Wan Yu) The report presents the region's clear public demand for open cooperation and multilateralism, providing solid popular support for building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future. At a time of global uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence, the survey indicates a strong regional commitment to multilateralism and deeper regional cooperation toward an Asia-Pacific community - a stance of substantive significance for regional stability. The 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will convene later this month in South Korea. Next year, China will host APEC for the third time. Together with all parties, China will advance the implementation of the Putrajaya Vision 2040, promote the building of an Asia-Pacific community and a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, deliver practical cooperation outcomes across sectors, and inject fresh momentum into economic growth in the Asia-Pacific and the wider world. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Hongyu) ke comms, a Tulsa, OK-based, mission-driven PR + storytelling agency, signs on to provide the Land Rights Defenders Initiative with media relations services through April 2026. The agencys duties will cover strategic guidance for the organization in areas including thought leadership, story ideation and media pitching. Ke comms and the Land Rights Defenders Initiatives previous projects together were awarded a PRSA Tulsa Silver Link Award of Merit honor. Land Rights Defenders is an Indigenous-led global nonprofit that seeks to support and guide Indigenous communities on their rights to their land and knowledge. Working with Land Rights Defenders is a powerful reminder of the role Indigenous knowledge plays in the world, said ke comms founder and CEO Kristi Eaton. APO Group, a pan-African communications and news distribution consultancy, is engaged by international airline Emirates as its public relations partner of record for Africa. The agency will support Emirates by providing strategic counsel, integrated public relations and stakeholder engagement in South Africa, Kenya, Tunisia, Uganda, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Congo, Guinea, Tanzania and Egypt. The collaboration will work to deepen the airlines connection with pan-African audiences, local media and industry partners. It reflects Emirates continued investment in the continent. Amendola, a healthcare technology and life sciences PR and marketing firm, is selected to execute an integrated PR and marketing program for Lucem Health, a Raleigh, NC-based company started by the Mayo Clinic. The company develops AI-driven solutions for identifying undiagnosed patients with certain chronic diseases (including arrhythmias, colorectal cancer, liver disease and type 1 diabetes) before symptoms emerge, using only their EHR records. Amendola, which is part of Supreme Group, will develop a program to focus on showcasing the companys screenings, which can be done automatically without patient involvement or disruption of providers workflows. "By helping caregivers proactively identify patients with undiagnosed disease, we enable earlier engagement, more effective interventions and better outcomes. We partnered with Amendola to help bring this story to market," said Lucem Health co-founder and CEO Sean Cassidy. Aardvark Communication is named PR agency of record for MLV Dallas, a professional womens volleyball team making its debut in January 2026. As part of Aardwarks work for MLV Dallas, the agency will partner with companies in the lifestyle, fashion and luxury goods markets as well as working with local non-profits. The team will announce its home court, official team name, and logo October 16, with the MLV draft slated for November and training camp kicking off in December. Ive known the Aardvark team for many years and know the value they bring to our organization. This is a great fitthey know how to tell our story in a way that connects with the community, said MLV Dallas president and CEO Grady Raskin. St. Kitts, a Caribbean island about 1,300 miles southeast of Miami, is looking for a PR agency to help build its reputation as an uncrowded, vibrant destination. The Saint Kitts Tourism Authority is aiming to increase international visitation to the island, with the desired result being to raise the standard of living for St. Kitts residents and improve its overall economy. SKTA wants to establish St. Kitts as the leading sustainable and authentic destination in the Caribbean. The scope of work for the account is expected to include developing and implementing an annual strategic communications plan, creating and disseminating press releases, creating and updating a quarterly list of media targets, developing and executing at least two SKTA-dedicated press events in key cities, and organizing media familiarization trips for journalists. The selected agency will also be charged with developing strategic partnerships and executing a thought leadership strategy. Preference will be given to agencies that are familiar with the Caribbean, but do not currently have any Caribbean destinations as clients. The engagement will run from Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027, with the possibility of extensions in two-year increments, based on an annual review of accomplishments. Proposals should be submitted in PDF form to [email protected] by 5 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time on Oct. 31. Questions should be received no later than Oct. 17. Read the RFP (PDF). A woman with over 100 previous convictions admitted stealing from shops while out on temporary release just over a week after getting jailed for eight months. Theresa Conroy (39) of Apartment 3 Hinds Square, Portlaoise, was accused of stealing products valued at 79.80 from Centra, Main Street, Portarlington and groceries and clothing valued at 1,234.36 from Tesco, Tullamore, Co Offaly on August 10, 2025. She was further accused of stealing goods valued at 147.25 from Eurogiant, Portlaoise on August 13 and stealing two jackets valued at 36 from Dunnes, Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise on September 15 and meat items valued at 37.25 from Lidl in Portlaoise on September 16, 2025. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the accused woman was identified in Eurogiant because she was known to management and Garda Ronan Maher viewed CCTV in Tesco and recognised the defendant. He said she had 101 previous convictions. Judge Susan Fay said she had sentenced the woman in September yet she was out. Two weeks after being sentenced in this court she was released, she noted. Solicitor Brian Duffy said she had temporary release not long after being sentenced by yourself. Judge Fay recalled sentencing the woman and she asked how long the woman had served. A week and a day, something like that, Mr Duffy replied. Sgt Kirby said he knows the defendant for a long time. He said between 2010 and 2024 she hadnt come to the attention of gardai. He said whatever happened in March of 2024 caused the woman to spiral out of control. Judge Fay asked the probation officer, Shane McManus, to carry out a same day community service assessment. On assessing the woman, Mr McManus said the woman was still in active addiction. Her addiction has now migrated over to crack cocaine, he said. He noted the woman had issues with the local chemist and had to go to Dublin for methadone. He said he didnt believe she would be a suitable candidate for community service. Mr Duffy said the woman is spending 18.75 a day to travel to Dublin to get methadone. He said given the right conditions and circumstances she could be suitable for probation supervision. Mr Duffy told the court that her guilty pleas were saving the State time and money and he said some of the matters pre-dated her sentencing on September 1. He said she was to look for grief counselling as she had lost both parents and a brother in recent years. Mr McManus said the woman had engaged with the probation services in the Dochas womans prison. Mr Duffy said she had engaged with the addiction services in the community. Sgt Kirby said the woman was a good citizen prior to March of 2024. She is looking well today, he remarked. Judge Fay said I gave her an eight month sentence and she served about a week. She asked if there was an objection to bail. Sgt Kirby said that he had to be conscious of the businesses in town. He said she has addiction issues and if bail was being considered he would have to look for very stringent conditions to be attached. Mr McManus expressed his belief that residential treatment would be the best option for the woman. Mr Duffy said the woman had displayed an ability to engage with services. He said she would be willing to adhere to any bail conditions the court would impose. Judge Fay said she would like to see an up to date probation report. She asked if the woman would consent to a remand in custody while that was carried out. Mr Duffy asked if it would be possible to have the report completed in a week. Mr McManus said it would take four weeks. Mr Duffy said his client was not willing to consent to a four week remand in custody. Judge Fay then imposed a one year prison sentence on the defendant. MAY McFadden from Kinnitty recently met with Priscilla Presley during her visit to Ireland and shared her vivid memory of hearing Elvis voice for the very first time. As a teenager, 70 years ago, she heard the song I Forgot to Remember to Forget on the radio. Turning to her mother, Mary Donogher, she asked who was singing. Some American by the name of Elvis Presley, her mother replied. May told Priscilla it was another five years before she discovered Elvis' good looks, only after moving to Manchester. Also at the event was May's son, John, a Music Industry Lecturer and Teacher. He noted that his career choice was undoubtedly shaped by his mothers musical influence. John recalled that the last time he and his mother met Priscilla was at a music industry event - a press conference for the Rock n Soul Museum in Memphis where Priscilla was the special guest. John added, one of Priscilla's friends, John Doyle ensured his mother had a seat with Memphis royalty, the Lansky family who made Elvis' clothes. Both mother and son described Priscilla Presley as a lady full of humour, kindness and great stories. READ NEXT: New prosecution counsel for Offaly From September 29 to October 3, Tullamore College was alive with colour, culture, and creativity as students celebrated German Week 2025. Organised and led by the Transition Year German class, the week offered a full programme of fun and educational activities designed to celebrate all things German from language to culture, music, and food. Each day brought something new. In the canteen, students took part in daily general knowledge competitions, testing what they knew about Germany. Congratulations to the winners Caoimhe Connolly, Holly Coughlan, Summer Browne, and Aiyanna Catibog who proved themselves top of the class in German trivia! Across the school, classes engaged in a variety of German-themed games and challenges. Third Years enjoyed Bingo and Stop the Bus in German, helping them revise their numbers in a fun way. Fifth Years took on the challenge of a German Spelling Bee, tackling words like Wohltatigkeitsorganisation (charity)! Congratulations to the winning teams: Ryan Plunkett & Iarfhlaith Flynn Murphy, Dara Clarke, Darragh McGrath & Mathew Waite, and Alexandros Aghazarian and Adam Luczynski. READ NEXT: Massive financial boost for major community development in Offaly town On Wednesday, the excitement continued with a lunchtime Blooket quiz for Junior students well done to Ruby Bermingham, Farrah Delaney, and Jamesy Garry on their wins! In Cultural Studies, the TY class delivered an engaging presentation on traditional German fashion, followed by a creative activity where students designed their own Dirndl and Lederhosen paper dolls. Meanwhile, Second Year German students took part in a lively game of Live Guess Who, practising vocabulary like Schnurrbart (moustache) and Brille (glasses). The SMH class also enjoyed a puppet show on the theme of Oktoberfest, written and performed by the TY German group. On Thursday, Sixth Year students experienced a true taste of German culture with Kaffee und Kuchen enjoying traditional cakes while practising oral work for their upcoming exams. Teachers got competitive too, taking part in a German general knowledge quiz. (Fun fact: Fanta really was invented in Germany!) During Junior Lunch, a penalty shoot-out brought great excitement, organised by the TYs with Adam Malone as goalie. Congratulations to our winners: 1st Year: Mason OMeara & Billy Mann, 2nd Year: Donnacadh Treacy and 3rd Year: Finn Longworth. The week ended on a high note on Friday with a German Treasure Hunt for the 1st Year German class. Well done to all the winners: 1st Place: Daniel Keller, Naoise OBriain & Daniel Souter, 2nd Place: Patrick Flynn, Sean Fallon, Eimhin Dunne & Joey White, and 3rd Place: Maja Cierzniewski, Nadia Kossowska, Brigita Matic & Amelia Carroll. To mark Tag der Deutschen Einheit (Day of German Unity), students also hosted a German-themed bake sale, featuring treats like Black Forest Gateau, Pretzel Cupcakes, and cakes decorated with the German flag. The event raised an impressive 264 for the school. A huge well done to the Transition Year German class and Ms. McEvoy for organising another brilliant and memorable German Week the sixth of its kind at Tullamore College! READ NEXT: Vibrant community engagement at memorable event in Offaly Three men appeared in court accused of stealing tens of thousands of euro from Iarnrod Eireann. Ken Corcoran (52) of 1 Barrowvale, Graiguecullen, Carlow, faces 25 counts of theft from Iarnrod Eireann on dates between December 20, 2017 and September 16, 2019 amounting to a total of 69,031.52. Nigel Crosby (47) of 11 Nuenna Court, Freshford, Co Kilkenny, is accused of nine thefts from Iarnrod Eireann on dates between December 20, 2017 and September 13, 2019 amounting to 24,735.01. Eoin Shortt (49) of Sanders Grove Hill, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, is accused of 16 counts of theft from Iarnrod Eireann between February 5, 2018 and September 16, 2019 amounting to 44,296.51. Mr Corcoran was the first of the accused to appear before a sitting of Portlaoise District Court. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the DPP had directed prosecution on indictment. Judge Susan Fay was impressed by the file produced by gardai. I would like to commend whoever put this together, she said. She asked if there was an objection to bail and Sgt Kirby said there was not. Judge Fay adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court on November 17 for service of the book of evidence. A barrister for the accused requested legal aid which was granted to solicitor Elizabeth Cass of James Cody and Sons, Carlow. Mr Crosby appeared shortly after the first accused and he was remanded on bail to appear again on November 17 for service of a book of evidence. Mr Shortt was last to appear. He too was remanded on bail to appear again on November 17 for a book of evidence. Andrew Dunne BL requested legal aid and said the matter was going forward on indictment. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said while it was a serious matter he would have some reservations about legal aid. Judge Fay said this man has an income of 6,000 a month. She said there was no evidence that he couldnt afford his own defence and while she wasnt refusing legal aid, she said the matter would be deferred. I want a fully vouched statement of means before the court, she said. All three accused are due before Portlaoise District Court again on November 17. A woman has said that after her partner raped her she felt like she had been murdered just my body was still here. Chloe Loran delivered her victim impact statement during the sentence hearing of Martin Harte (33) last March. He raped her twice during their relationship which began when she was 16 years old. Harte, of Marian Hill, Portarlington, Co Laois, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to a count of engaging in a sexual act with a child under 17, known in law as defilement in 2013. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of rape on dates in 2019 and 2022. Philipp Rahn SC, prosecuting, told the court today that Ms Loran wished to waive her right to anonymity so that Harte could be named. Harte was handed a prison sentence of nine years, with the final year suspended indefinitely on strict conditions. Mr Justice Tony Hunt described this as a course of serious offending, but separated by a long period of time. A detective garda told Mr Rahn that Harte began a relationship with the victim when she was 16 years old. She said he was always aware of her age. She made a complaint to gardai in April 2022 after Harte raped her in her home. She also outlined an occasion in 2019 when Harte raped her. Their relationship ended in February 2022 and they stopped living together. She said Harte raped her on Easter Sunday that year after she invited him to her home to share the occasion. She said she became tired in the afternoon and went to her room to have a nap. She woke up to Harte taking off her clothes and calling her a dirty whore. She told him no but he continued to sexually assault her before he raped her. The rape ultimately came to an end and she left the room. She recorded the conversation that she and Harte subsequently had during which he could be heard apologising repeatedly, telling her she did not deserve what had happened. He promised never to go near her again. She immediately reported the rape to gardai and was later examined in her local sexual assault treatment unit (SATU). Harte was arrested but nothing came out of the interviews with gardai. Ms Loran read her victim impact statement into the record. She said she feels like she is living a nightmare and that Harte has left her in darkness. I feel like I was an object used to be degraded and imprisoned in my own body, she said. She said he completely destroyed her life and said her world crumbled. I feel like I had been murdered, just my body was still here, Ms Loran said, adding that Harte finally stole the last piece of me. She said the nightmares she experiences at night are so real. I just want to be free, she added. Mr Justice Hunt told Ms Loran that he hoped that reading her victim impact statement might be of some help to her. He wished her well for the future. Dara Foynes SC, defending, asked the court to take into account her client's guilty plea, but accepted this is diluted by other comments he has made. She said a forensic psychological report identifies her client as having an intellectual deficit, limited emotional support and being in need of counselling. He is at medium risk of re-offending. He has no work history, had a difficult upbringing and faces a number of other issues, counsel said. Mr Justice Hunt set a headline sentence of 14 years to reflect the global offending. He said the court noted the contents of the probation and psychological reports and the defence's submissions that Harte's culpability is reduced due to his deficits. But, the court's view was that there is a slim evidential basis for any significant reduction in culpability, having considered the reports and the evidence in the case. He said he would reduce the headline sentence to 12 years, noting that these deficits would have a lengthy prison sentence more challenging for Harte. Mr Justice Hunt said the breach of trust and the fact the offending took place in the victim's home were aggravating features. Having considered the mitigating factors, the judge imposed a sentence of nine years with the final one year suspended on strict conditions that Harte not commit any further sexual offences and have no contact - direct or indirect - with the victim. Mr Justice Hunt said he was suspending the final 12 months of the sentence indefinitely for the protection of the community and the victim and to encourage rehabilitation. He also imposed a four year post-release supervision order, and directed Harte to follow all directions of the Probation Service. THERE was a major boost for Kilcormac today as Dublin-based technology company Anitech Solutions announced a new partnership with Rhomu Ltd., an Offaly-based finance operations firm, to establish a new Account Executive team in Kilcormac. The initiative will create five new jobs immediately, with plans to expand to 30 skilled positions over the next two to three years. The announcement took place at the Kilcormac Community Centre, supported by Cllr. John Leahy, Deputy Tony McCormack TD, and members of the local community. The event also featured Offalys own Formula 2 driver, Alex Dunne, as a special guest, recognising his success as an outstanding young ambassador for the county and a proud partner of Anitechs Tapybl platform. Speaking at the event, Deputy Tony McCormack TD said: This is a really positive day for Kilcormac and Offaly. It shows what can happen when local leadership and enterprise work hand in hand to bring opportunity back to our towns. Anitech and Rhomu are showing real faith in rural Offaly, and its exactly the kind of sustainable investment we need to see more of. Cllr. John Leahy added: For too long, rural communities like ours have seen opportunities move elsewhere. Today proves that with the right support, we can attract innovative companies and create meaningful jobs here in Kilcormac. This partnership is a brilliant example of whats possible when business and community work together. READ NEXT:Conservation masterplan for famous Offaly courthouse launched as funding secured for town hall Andrew Nolan, CEO of Anitech Solutions, said the partnership marks a new chapter for both companies: Were excited to expand our team through this collaboration with Rhomu. Our Tapybl platform is all about connecting people and brands in new ways, and its fitting that were building that future from the heart of rural Ireland. Mike Barnes, CEO of Rhomu Ltd., highlighted the long-term vision for the area: This partnership is about more than just jobs its about regeneration. We want to see Kilcormac grow into a thriving hub for digital and financial services. Were proud to work with Anitech and to have the continued support of Cllr. John Leahy and Deputy Tony McCormack as we expand our operations here. The Kilcormac launch is part of a broader effort to attract high-quality digital and finance roles to the Midlands, creating sustainable employment and encouraging talent to live and work locally. READ NEXT: Tullamore College celebrates a fantastic German Week 2025 Irish actor Brendan Gleeson has said that not every father is toxic and that he is tired of watching fatherhood portrayed so poorly on screen. The 70-year old, best known for The Banshees Of Inisherin, stars alongside The Crown actress Claire Foy in the biographical drama, H Is For Hawk. The film follows Cambridge academic Helen MacDonald (Foy) who, while coping with the grief of her fathers death, builds an unlikely friendship with a stubborn hawk named Mabel. Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday, Gleeson, who plays Helens beloved father, Alisdair MacDonald, emphasised the importance of celebrating fatherhood on screen. The Hollywood star told the PA news agency: I think dads have got an awful hard time lately. And I dont believe that every dad is toxic, and I dont think anybody else does either. I think I suddenly got very tired of watching fatherhood portrayed as something that was almost an abuse, or that was toxic in some way, or in some way truncated by where you had these emotionally stunted people walking around that couldnt hug their kids, whatever it was. The film, which is based on the memoir of the same name by Helen MacDonald, is centred around her grief for her father which Gleeson said says so much more about what is really important about paternity, and what is really important about fatherhood, and why the beauty that is within of that, needs to be celebrated. I think young men need to see it. It needs to be reaffirmed, he added. I really just want to celebrate paternity and how much and how deeply it affects things. I think this particular film is so beautiful in the way that thats what its trying to do. The memory of this man is that he was a proper, good man who gave love to his daughter. Speaking about his own experience of fatherhood, Gleeson added: When I had my kids, I realised I no longer have the option to be pessimistic. I bought in to the life. So optimism now is a duty, not a choice. The Oscar-nominated actor starred alongside Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan in The Banshees Of Inisherin as well as 2008s In Bruges and appeared in the Harry Potter films as Alastor Mad-Eye Moody. Ireland will have to commit millions of euro in further aid for Gaza in the coming months, the Cabinet will be told. Tanaiste Simon Harris is to update Cabinet colleagues on Tuesday about a substantial aid package to Gaza from Ireland. It comes after he announced an additional six million euro to aid organisations in Gaza on Monday, including Unicef, the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme. Ireland has joined the Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Authority (PA), a group established in response to the urgent and unprecedented financial crisis confronting the PA. It is likely that in addition to the immediate aid package, Ireland will also ultimately commit funding for the reconstruction of Gaza. It is understood the Tanaiste will tell ministers that developments in the Middle East in recent days represent a major breakthrough and that now there is finally an opportunity to ease the immense suffering of the people of Gaza who have endured untold horrors. Over all, Ireland has provided more than 95 million euro in support to the people of Palestine since January 2023, of which more than 83 million euro has been provided since October of that year. This includes 20 million euro in core support to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) this year, which brings Irish support to 58 million euro since 2023. The Tanaiste will also inform ministers that a consignment of 1,500 tents is being loaded by the International Organisation for Migration in Amman, Jordan for delivery to Gaza in the coming days. This includes 750 tents from Irelands humanitarian stocks and 750 from EU humanitarian stocks. A FAMILIAR local building in the heart of Shannonbridge is set for a new chapter this autumn, as the former Health Centre on Main Street goes to auction with ODonnellan & Joyce on Friday, 24th October 2025 at 12 noon. Guided at 90,000, the detached single-storey property extends to approximately 76 sq. m. and stands just off the main street in this picturesque riverside village. Once a valued community facility, the building now presents an opportunity for new use, whether as a small business premises, community hub, or residential conversion (subject to planning). Shannonbridge, located on the River Shannon near the OffalyRoscommon border, is known for its distinctive charm, local heritage, and popularity with visitors exploring the Shannon waterways. The sale offers buyers the chance to invest in a property with both local history and future potential, right in the centre of the village. The Shannonbridge property forms part of a wider catalogue in ODonnellan & Joyces national live stream auction, which features a range of former state-owned and community buildings being released for new purposes, alongside private homes and investment opportunities across Ireland. READ NEXT: Thirty new tech jobs for Offaly as Anitech Solutions partners with Rhomu Ltd ODonnellan & Joyces October auction follows the success of its September event, which attracted strong nationwide interest and competitive bidding. The live-stream format enables buyers from across Ireland and abroad to participate by phone or online. The auction takes place on Friday, 24th October at 12 noon, with pre-registration required to bid. For full details or to register, visit www.odj.ie or contact ODonnellan & Joyce Auctioneers, Galway, on 091 564 212. READ NEXT: Conservation masterplan for famous Offaly courthouse launched as funding secured for town hall A WOMAN is now before Tullamore Circuit Court accused of stealing over 37,000 from a charity in Clara. Aulwin Dunne (47), Marian Place, Tullamore had been sent forward to the Circuit Court from the District Court after a book of evidence was served on her. Ms Dunne is alleged to have stolen 37,705.83, the property of Power4Good Ireland Ltd on 19 unknown dates between April 1, 2023 and October 31, 2024 at Power4Good, River Street, Clara, both dates inclusive. The District Court heard the DPP had consented to Ms Dunne being sent for trial to the Circuit Court but did not consent for her being sent forward on a signed plea. READ NEXT: Man guilty over 49,000 drugs find will not go to jail until after daughter's graduation When the case was called in the Circuit Court, Ms Dunne's solicitor, Aisling Maloney, told Judge Sinead McMullan that the prosecution could be adjourned to the next sessions, which are scheduled for January. Shane Geraghty, BL, for the DPP, said the accused could be arraigned where a plea of guilty or not guilty could be entered - on January 13 next and the matter was adjourned to that date. Ms Dunne is on bail. Margaret Salazar, CEO of Reach Community Development, said residents who cant afford to purchase the homes will receive relocation assistance of either $12,000 if they leave by the end of January 2026, or $7,200 if they leave by the end of that June. Jonathan Bach I The Oregonian/OregonLive Reach Community Development, one of Oregons largest affordable housing landlords, has finalized a $12.6 million deal to offload 66 homes, a move it says will help stem cash flow problems and help its tenants become homeowners. The transaction will see Reach partner with Minneapolis nonprofit Brick By Brick Housing Corp. and the national Housing Partnership Network to form Rose City Fund LLC, which will work over the next two years to repair and sell the 66 scattered site single-family, duplex and multiplex homes to new buyers many of them current tenants, the nonprofit said. About a third of the units stand vacant, and many require extensive repairs to get them into good enough condition that a bank will approve a mortgage for them, Reach CEO Margaret Salazar said in an interview. Without this deal, Reach said it would have needed to either take on more debt to finance those repairs and raise rents to market rates to pay off the debt or continue to await city subsidies its applied for through the Portland Clean Energy Fund. The scattered site rentals are not beholden to all the same rent-restriction rules as the bulk of the nonprofits 2,700-unit rental portfolio. Its one thing to fix some plumbing in a kitchen, Salazar said. Its another thing to really get into the home and make system upgrades. Of the occupied rentals, 22 tenants have expressed interest in buying and will be referred to the Portland Housing Center for mortgage counseling, paid for by Reach, Salazar said. Prices will vary depending on whether a buyer takes the home as-is or fixed up, but Reach expects to sell most homes for between $350,000 and $600,000. Current tenants will have right of first refusal. Next in line would be first-time homebuyers and households making less than 120% of the area median income. The median income for a four-person household is $124,100, so 120% would equal just under $149,000, according to the latest data from the Portland Housing Bureau. Reach said it is working with local organizations Proud Ground, Portland Housing Center, the Urban League of Portland and the Native American Youth and Family Center to reach those buyers. Scott Fergus, CEO of Brick By Brick, said in a statement his organization has worked with communities across the country to preserve affordability and expand access to homeownership, and we are honored to bring this experience to Portland. Willamette Week first reported in March that Reach was in talks to shed its scattered site portfolio, with residents telling the paper they worried the sales would displace them. We know it wont be the right fit for everyone, Salazar said. Were not trying to sugar coat this. Change is hard for folks. Residents who cant afford to purchase the homes will receive relocation assistance of either $12,000 if they leave by the end of January 2026, or $7,200 if they leave by the end of that June, she said. Meantime, those who buy can apply the $12,000 from Reach toward their down payment. The nonprofit notified residents of the sale of the homes to Rose City Fund LLC by letter, noting its staff will still handle property management, communications and maintenance. For over four decades, REACH has owned and managed these scattered-site homes, the letter stated. With repair costs increasing and limited preservation funds available, this change allows us to create new opportunities for residents to become homeowners, while also reinvesting funds back into REACHs affordable multifamily rental housing so that families across Portland can remain stably housed. Reach and other affordable housing providers are experiencing increasing strain in the aftermath of COVID-19, they say, as operating and insurance costs skyrocket. Thats left them scrambling for fresh revenue even if one-time cash infusions dont last long and ways to get languishing assets with high repair bills off their books. While deeper cuts to its rental portfolio are not immediately planned, Salazar said, its not off the table. Police identified the woman found dead in a car in Northwest Portland on Saturday as Krystal Lynne Pendergraph, 39. Courtesy of Portland Police Bureau Police said the woman found dead from a gunshot wound in the Alphabet District on Saturday was 39-year-old Krystal Lynne Pendergraph of Portland. Officers found her after being called to do a welfare check on the woman shortly after 5 p.m. She was in a car parked along Northwest Kearney Street between 22nd and 23rd avenues. Police have not announced any arrests and ask anyone with information about Pendergraphs death to email homicidetips@police.portlandoregon.gov or call 503-823-0479 and reference case number 25-280342. Her death marks the 36th homicide in Portland so far this year compared with 63 at the same time last year. As treasurer of the Libertarian Party of Oregon, I am disheartened by the newfound moral outrage by state and local leadership to the Portland deployment of the Oregon National Guard in the wake of a lack of Democratic support for Senate Bill 667, the Defend the Guard Act, which the Democrat-led Legislature failed to advance this year. Where was the outcry when 230 members of the Oregon Guards 2nd Battalion, 218th Field Artillery Regiment were deployed to our dirty war in Syria in order to keep the oil, as President Donald Trump said in his first term. In 2009, the concept behind Defend the Guard was enthusiastically supported by then freshman U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley who has pushed for a congressional war powers resolution on Syria, as the Constitution requires and the Trump Administration ignores. I am no fan of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but the conduct of anti-ICE protestors is not helping their cause. You would see a 360-degree pivot in the rhetoric of Merkley, local politicians, the Trump administration and the Portland Police if these protests and counterprotests were taking place outside an abortion clinic. Thomas J. Busse, Portland To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion. As the founder of People of Color Outdoors, a nonprofit dedicated to making natural areas accessible to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities and white parents of BIPOC children, I urge Portland voters to support the parks levy this November. Our 8,000 members rely on Portlands parks to connect with nature, yet access remains unequal. The levy addresses this by funding free and low-cost programs that remove financial barriers, which is critical for the families we serve. It also invests in equitable tree canopy distribution, bringing cooling shade, cleaner air and climate resilience to neighborhoods that have historically been denied these benefits. Through our childrens environmental education program at Columbia Park, Ive seen how well-maintained parks transform lives. Without stable funding, opportunities for children disappear in communities already facing the steepest barriers to outdoor access. The levy also protects the Access Discount Program, ensuring all Portlanders, regardless of income, can participate in recreation programming. This is about public health, environmental justice and ensuring the next generation of Portlanders can safely build lasting connections with nature. For an investment of $26 per month for the average homeowner, we can sustain the services that help to make outdoor equity a reality, while contributing greatly to a high quality of living for all Portlanders. Please join me in voting yes for Portlands future and vote yes on Measure 26-260. Pamela Slaughter, Portland Slaughter is executive director of People of Color Outdoors To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion. Tamia Deary (left), who heads the community oversight board for Multnomah County's system of federally qualified health centers, violated county rules on maintaining a professional and respectful workplace, according to records obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Multnomah County Investigations into two complaints made against the chair of the volunteer board overseeing Oregons largest network of federally funded health clinics found that she engaged in hostile and bullying behavior toward Multnomah County employees. Law firm Beery, Elsner & Hammond found that Tamia Deary, who heads the community oversight board for Multnomah Countys system of federally qualified health centers, violated county rules on maintaining a professional and respectful workplace, according to records obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. And under her leadership, the board has been out of compliance with federal requirements, putting over $10 million in grant funding at risk, according to county spokesperson Sarah Dean and emails from the interim health center director to the board. Deary, who has served on the board since 2019 and became chair in 2024, disputed the findings. She defended her leadership approach and attributed any misunderstandings about her communication to cognitive disabilities that can make her style difficult for others to adjust to. The little-known Community Health Center Board is charged with guiding policy and approving the $217 million combined budget for the countys 19 health center locations, which include clinics, school health centers and pharmacies. The county Health Department and county Board of Commissioners then must approve that budget. Those clinics are eligible for specific federal grants and offer low-cost health care to some of the countys most vulnerable residents. The board is made up of volunteers, a majority of whom are required to be patients of the countys clinics. Under the boards agreement with the county, its members are required to adhere to the countys personnel rules and regulations. Multiple people familiar with the boards work raised concerns about Dearys behavior and how she runs the board, both to investigators and in conversations with The Oregonian/OregonLive. Two county employees filed formal complaints against Deary, both of which were substantiated in part by the outside law firm. The first complaint was filed in November last year by the board liaison, a county employee who coordinates with the health board and county Health Department leadership. The county employee accused Deary of raising her voice, interrupting her and unfairly judging the quality of her work, among other things. The law firm found that Deary regularly interrupted the employee and took issue with the staffers performance without a reasonable basis to do so, according to an investigative report from July. The board chair has repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with my commitment and performance by interrupting me when I speak, raising their voice, talking over me (a bullying tactic), and launching direct and veiled accusations about the quality of my work, the employee wrote in a statement shared with county human resources. Investigators said Deary admitted to interrupting and talking over the employee, but said it was due to her disability, records show. The law firm wrote that having a disability or medical issues or other extenuating circumstances does not mean that an individual should be unprofessional or disrespectful. They noted in the report that several other witnesses, including fellow board members, recounted similar behavior from Deary. The second grievance was filed on Feb. 3 by an employee who also served as a board liaison. The second employee flagged Deary for similarly disrespectful behavior, records show, telling investigators that communicating with Deary was belittling and painful. The law firm found several instances where Deary acted disrespectfully or inappropriately toward the employee, including telling the employee that taking scheduled family leave wasnt going to work for her and asking her to stop speaking to me altogether in front of other employees and health board members, according to an investigative report from July. Records show Deary told investigators that she didnt recall the employee mentioning family leave, but that she did make remarks that having a board liaison on an intermittent schedule would not work for her because she felt the board needed full-time support. Deary told The Oregonian/Oregonlive that she has an auditory processing disability and told investigators that if she made the comment about the employee not speaking to her, it was because she needed downtime during the break as a result of her disability, the report shows. The law firm wrote that having appropriate accommodations for a disability is important, but that it does not excuse unprofessional and disrespectful behavior. If this conduct is the result of a disability then it is important for the staff who do work with her to be aware of what her limitations are, what to expect, and how to help avoid these types of situations, the report said. It is not a reasonable accommodation to allow continued unprofessional conduct towards staff. Deary said in a statement that the county has failed to provide Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations and that county human resources did not find an approach best suited for her needs. HR failed to propose universal design approaches that would benefit the entire board, Deary wrote. Instead, they prioritized operational convenience over equity, forcing disabled volunteers into endless justification cycles that lead to burnout and exclusion. Dean said the county is actively working with Deary on those accommodations. She said county human resources is waiting on more information from Deary to be able to work through the request. Four people have held the board liaison position since January 2024, according to Dean. The job is currently vacant, she said. In an email responding to the concerns in both investigations, Deary told former county Employee Relations Manager Jonathan Wexler that her communication style is often literal and direct, and that it can cause my clarifying questions or problem-solving efforts to be misinterpreted as confrontational. This is not the first time my disabilities have been viewed through an ableist lens, but it is my first experience with an HR investigation, she wrote. Dean said that the county has little sway over the health board and that it is ultimately up to the board to discipline its members. County human resources and Health Director Rachael Banks have attempted on several occasions to set a meeting with Deary and the board to discuss the investigations findings. The meeting was pulled from the agenda in September, records show, and still has not taken place. The county has attempted multiple times to bring these issues forward to the (health board) for a simple resolution, Dean wrote in a statement. We are asking the (health board) to invite the county to one of their meetings and allow (human resources) professionals on the agenda to describe the countys human resources policies. And were asking that each (board) member agree in writing that they will follow those policies. The county paid $14,330 for the investigations, Dean said. The personnel investigations are not the only issue plaguing the community health board. The federal governments Health Resources and Services Administration requires that all community boards overseeing federal health centers adhere to specific rules as to who participates on the board. Those requirements include having at least nine members and having a majority of those members be patients of the clinics they oversee. Multnomah Countys community board has been out of compliance on both of those benchmarks since at least August, triggering the federal health agency to put a condition on a $10.5 million grant meant to fund the countys health services, records show. This first warning gives the board 90 days to come into compliance. If they fail to comply, they will have two more warning periods totaling another 90 days, according to county records. If they remain out of compliance, the countys health centers could lose their status as federally qualified, putting millions in funding at risk. I strongly recommend that we achieve compliance before the 90 day timeline, wrote Interim Health Center Executive Director Anirudh Padmala, who is a county employee, in an email to the board. The board had an opportunity to vote in new members last month, but opted to table the vote after Deary and other members raised concerns about the process for picking members. Deary said it has taken longer than expected to appoint new members because of county administrative delays. We need more administrative support and marketing resources, buy-in from county employees to complete work that we delegate, and better community engagement support, she wrote. Dean said the county has and will continue to work with the health board and provide support where appropriate. The county is working to fill any gaps in staffing, like the board liaison position, and to hire temporary staff to support the board. The boards nominating committee, which includes Deary and two board members, discussed next steps Friday morning and reviewed potential candidates for the board. That process is ongoing. Official ballot return envelopes are stacked at the Multnomah County Elections Office. Voters will have a chance to weigh in on several money measures in the Nov. 4 election. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian Oregonians who want to cast a ballot in the upcoming Nov. 4 special election should check that their voter registration is up to date. The deadline to register to vote in the election is Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Ballots will be mailed to voters beginning Wednesday. There are only a handful of measures on the November ballot. In Multnomah County, only about 466,000 voters will receive a ballot. Thats because there are only two measures that voters in that county will have a chance to consider a five-year levy to raise money for parks in the city of Portland and a school construction bond measure in the Lake Oswego School District. In the rest of the Portland metro area, voters will also weigh in on bond measures for the West Linn-Wilsonville School District and Oregon Trail School District, levies to support public safety and libraries in Washington County, measures to annex Gladstone and Sandy into the Clackamas Fire District and a bond for a Happy Valley community center. Voters who are already registered can check whether their address and name are correct by visiting oregonvotes.gov/myvote. New voters with a valid Oregon drivers license, permit or ID can register to vote at oregonvotes.gov/register. Eligible voters who dont have valid forms of any of those documents will need to fill out a paper Oregon Voter Registration Card and return it to their county elections office by Tuesday. In Multnomah County, voters can sign up to track their ballots at multnomah.ballot trax.net. A party atmosphere returned to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building Sunday as the emergency World Naked Bike Ride brought more than 1,000 peaceful protesters to the site of national attention. Tensions flared Saturday when federal officers blasted the crowd with stun grenades and chemicals, including tear gas, smoke and pepper balls. On Sunday, federal agents shot pepper balls at the crowd outside the South Portland facility around 5 p.m., about 45 minutes after cyclists reached the building from their starting point at the Oregon Convention Center Plaza. But, for much of the evening, protesters and counter-protesters mostly milled about the sidewalks near the facility while trying to stay warm and dry. (More than a quarter inch of rain fell on Portland by 7 p.m. as the temperature hovered around 54 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.) Many protesters again donned inflatable costumes and danced to hits such as Mariah Careys All I Want for Christmas Is You. Some yelled at federal agents, including from the Federal Bureau of Prisons who are now part of the mix of officers guarding the building. Sample taunt: Im sorry your parents didnt love you. A group of counter-protesters, meanwhile, observed the scene from across the street next to a painted portrait of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. And a resident of Grays Landing, the low-income apartment building across the street from ICE, used a bullhorn from a balcony to promise to send evidence of protesters noise and disruptions to the Portland City Council. Heres what we know. Portland cyclists strip down More than a thousand cyclists in various states of undress braved the rainy streets of Portland on Sunday afternoon to protest President Donald Trumps attempts to send National Guard troops to the city. Organizers of the World Naked Bike Ride scheduled an emergency ride Sunday to highlight the militarization of Portland and the ongoing harm being done to immigrant and Indigenous communities, according to a joint Instagram post. Under pouring rain, the cyclists streamed by the ICE building as armed federal agents stood watch. Were cold, but not as cold as ICE, said a sign on one riders back. Protest costumes are multiplying nationally Portland protesters continue to show up at ICE in inflatable costumes. One couple even tied the knot Friday dressed as a unicorn and Kenny from South Park. A couple held a wedding ceremony Friday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building Friday dressed as a unicorn and Kenny from "South Park." Tatum Todd/The Oregonian Now the trend is catching on elsewhere. Suzanne Moore of California emailed The Oregonian/OregonLive a picture of protesters on the Pacific Coast Highway dressed as frogs, inspired by Portlands costumed protesters. Portlanders found a way to challenge misinformation, divisive and cruel policing of our immigrant community, and stand up in protest and demonstrate solidarity, play, joy and peaceful protest," Moore wrote. What an inspiration! In Chicago, too, protesters adopted the animal garb, marching outside the Broadview, Illinois, outpost of ICE as Cookie Monster, a penguin, a cow and Winnie the Pooh. The inflatables have made it to Broadview. pic.twitter.com/PmJICgzjb3 amanda moore (@noturtlesoup17) October 12, 2025 No ruling from 9th Circuit Sunday brought no decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether President Donald Trump may send troops to Portland. Its unclear when the 9th Circuit will rule, but it will likely come before this Friday, when U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut of Oregon has set a hearing on whether to extend her restraining orders barring the National Guard from Portland for another 14 days. What were watching for this week Protest organizers in Portland and elsewhere in Oregon are publicizing a No Kings rally for Saturday, Oct. 18. Thousands of people joined a No Kings rally in Portland on June 14. That evening, Portland police declared a separate protest outside the South Portland ICE facility a riot. More than a thousand cyclists in various states of undress braved the rainy streets of Portland on Sunday afternoon to protest President Donald Trumps attempts to send National Guard troops to the city. Meanwhile, a few hundred more marched from Elizabeth Caruthers Park in the South Waterfront to the nearby U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Whose streets? Our streets! protestors chanted as they walked toward the facility with a huge banner that read Abolish I.C.E., accompanied by a marching band dressed in banana costumes. I think its critically important to include joy, and thats why were here, said Miles Thompson, a 43-year-old electrical engineer who conducts and plays trumpet with the Unpresidented Brass Band. Were winning this narrative battle. Were here to show were not terrorists. Rachel Langford joined the march and said she was protesting against ICE for the first time Sunday. The 48-year-old said it was time to stop being a bystander. I couldnt just sit and watch it on my screen any more, she said. Langford said shes felt frustrated by portrayals of Portland pushed by Trump and others and that residents have done a good job showing the weird and whimsical nature the city is known for. I think Portland has really met the moment, she said. Organizers of the World Naked Bike Ride scheduled an emergency ride Sunday to highlight the militarization of Portland and the ongoing harm being done to immigrant and Indigenous communities, according to a joint Instagram post. Riders gathered outside the Oregon Convention Center under gray skies and in just 53 degree weather. Some came exposed to the elements while others wore clear ponchos over their underwear. Others wore fairy wings and kilts or Halloween costumes including the jack-o-lantern suit of Saturday Night Live character David S. Pumpkins. Were cold, but not as cold as ICE, said a sign on one riders back. Cyclists followed a route south to the Burnside Bridge where they staged a die-in, lying down next to their bikes for a moment of silence before continuing along their route. Onlookers at the ICE facility cheered the cyclists as they reached the building around 4:15 p.m. Sunday. The riders paraded in front of federal officers standing on the roof in a fashion show of rain jackets, Halloween costumes and nothing at all. Fifteen minutes later, Rowena Paz Norman stood beside her bike in a soaked Care Bear onesie. She had joined the World Naked Bike Ride, which grew to several thousand people by the time it passed the ICE building, despite the downpour. Im proud of our city, Norman said. We have problems like any other city, but this is a moment of joy. Around 5 p.m., federal agents fired pepper balls into the crowd and detained two people. Damage caused by a possible tornado in Longview. Longview Fire Department The National Weather Service in Portland said Sunday that a possible tornado caused significant damage in Longview, Washington on Sunday afternoon. According to Tyler Kranz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, the agency has an eyewitness report from Longview from a person who said they could see some visible rotation in the cloud. At 3:13 p.m., Kranz said, a rain shower with strong winds passed over the area. While it wont be clear until a storm survey is completed this evening if Longview was hit with a tornado or just very strong winds, at least three buildings suffered significant wind damage, Kranz said. The survey should be completed by 7 p.m., he added. The incident resulted in a partial roof collapse and removal of roofing materials at 537 14th Avenue, along with additional damage to nearby buildings, Longview Fire Department Battalion Chief Eric Koreis said in a statement. Portions of the roof and supporting materials were dislodged by the force of the storm, leaving parts of the building exposed, the statement said. Adjacent properties also sustained varying degrees of roof and exterior damage. Though the buildings were occupied at the time of the storm, Koreis said no injuries were reported. Local police and fire officials are using drones to evaluate the extent of the damage and identify any further hazards, Koreis said. When a strong and sudden wind event ripped the roof off of a motorcycle shop in Longview on Sunday afternoon, security cameras from Brusco Tug & Barge across the street caught the whole thing. While the National Weather Service in Portland hasnt completely ruled out a tornado, the wind and rain that swept through Longview at 3:13 p.m. Sunday appear likely to have happened in a straight line, according to Adam Batz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland. A damage survey done Sunday evening showed evidence of strong winds, Batz said, but it was missing one tell-tale sign of a tornado: We didnt see any signs of rotation in that storm. Still, the weather service believes winds reached peak speed of 80 to 85 mph, the speed of a low-end tornado, according to Batz. The motorcycle shop wasnt the only building that were damaged during the incident. Adjacent properties also sustained varying degrees of roof and exterior damage, Longview Fire Department Battalion Chief Eric Koreis said in a statement. Though the buildings were occupied at the time of the storm, Koreis said no injuries were reported. but it was obvious that after a cou clerk of courts rapid city clerk of courts winter haven immigration court listing nose to the grindstone: Marie Hean She was hanging so high up t stretched out for the convoluted cho Janes images are infused with such narrative possibilityI like to stare at them for a long time.so eventually I fished out a Balzac novel from my purse and starte and who know very well the place and time and circumstances of which Brezhnev What I do remember seeing was an unaccompanied Alsatian with some sort of harness girding its chest.Tears of the Kingdoms art direction elegantly sidesteps the real-life gra the opening sequence registered to me as a kind of psychedelically plotless Saint Laurent advertisement.as if in removing him from her sight she staunches the feelings that c with its heros obsessive reenactments on the public highways of iconic moments from popular entertainment.The ironic fate of any analytic session in its unwill I could fool them for one to four minutes before they were onto my tricks and shut themselves off again.For much of that time we talked as I drove her through a landscape of gazing at the Pacific with a wonder analogous to Keatss on first reading George Chapmans translation of H I listen to her follow her mind from the pop of the caterpillar from its egg in the beginning of The Hungry Caterpillar.His succ An outstanding exposition of the fact that very big buildings can keep their scale without becoming inhum When does a baby stop engaging with stimuli as pure image or pure sound and begin to imagine what caused it? Ive often wo activist documentaries of the Japanese filmmaker Kazuo Haraincluding portraits of life with cerebral palsy (Goodbye CP.Full access to both the New York Review of Books and we passed the Dianetics tablenow attended by a few interested patronsand saw the girl in the wedding dress again.An outstanding exposition of the fact that very big buildin at which time I could be suited in the helmet and vest they peeled off the corpse of the previous rider.for me to express myself on this questionbeyond saying that Im alway cathecting again I felt then that somehow each box I swept past was a room in the home on Utopia Parkway.Hed asked me to dress like a student and thats what Id doneat least It was the first night of a three-night run of the final shows for this iteration of the Grateful Deadth and youd time it right so that you could grab the porn magazines from the kiosk and run for the train.I had joked with our frien ***To approach Shavers rock photographya process he sometimes referred to as rokfogoit is useful to consider his earlier success as a writer and to introduce Ray Palmer.Ap It suited her poetic subject matter and her way of lifethis poet of travel who was more often on the move than at home.other than that Ill just lie in bed in the bedroom wit because when I read it again after a year there was an ending about how I left New Orleans and we dont talk anymore.and emotions to which they open themselvesis a langua But the hot/funny dichotomy is not really about whether you are hot or funnya which was launched in 1910 in a collaboration between the shipmates descendants and other Black residents The Roth-inspired comedy show is the first time that festival attendees are made to leave the one-block radius surrounding the P Last month I drove from my current home in Chattanooga to Atlanta to see the seventeen paintings in the s my mouth was full of Dorito pulp and room-temperature vodka maracuja drink outside a spati in Berlin in the summerIt takes someo Stuff from my mouth and lips comes off on the mouthpiece and can gather in the breathing hole but I can always get a pin or a sharp pencil and gouge the stuff out and wip The aphorism originated with the American Revolution and was revived in the si famous for writing interlocking stories about a community where everybody was in everybodys business (his invented Yoknapatawpha County) would have lived in a house situated I wandered around the river for the afternoonit felt very peaceful with the sound of wind and water.August 12 or 13: Our intern Owen Park recently alerted the Reviews staff These Continental restaurants were expensive; they served French or northern Italian food and had waiters wielding big pepper mills.Wed met in a neighborhood Id approved of remember not to be narrowly focused on reading lists: Literature is not the only thing in my life.Hadnt I admitted as much years before when my first wedding ring went whom I now care for; Jesss new cute little angry baby by her new man; my sisters high-needs son and little Lala.even before you knew how to walk! I had thus ventured on all Have you given thought to how you would like your own life to be memorialized?MACHADOI do not want a memorial or a funeral.Its a view of childhood that echoes another one of I tried both mascarpone and ordinary Philadelphia cream cheese in the recipe and preferred the latter.world-beating end point of her willful evolution from gee-whiz count Ive been playing music for a record Im making that converses with a lon How did you come up with the title for this poem? Were there other titles you thought about? Why didnt yo urging her to go to medical school at Johns Hopkins at a time when few women had MDs and those who did were often unable to prac then would she be normal? Or sort of normal?The scientists attached electrodes to her head and tested her brain waves and looked forward to poring over the results.These alt mon fils? Why // Would you do that to me?which might appear to be the exact question a mother would ask in that situation.and emotions to which they open themselvesis a la What type of omen is this? My brain chews the cud of various abstract interpretations for this spontaneous occurrence.Part of the Costco Travel deal is that each of our r he at first didnt even realize he had lost his hearing; his father had to tell they had forgotten their extraordinary theory of realityall because of an unfortunate interruption by the Person from Nether Stowey.Shavers text was not a short story but a even before you knew how to walk! I had thus ventured on all fours into the field on the edge of the river.Whats your favorite Dawn Powell book? Im beginning this way because using the skills he had been honing at his workplace: a restaurant in Greenpoint where the prix fixe menu The language of Melanctha can be read as Black American dialect (at least that is what a lot of Steins early readers took it for which would otherwise include the strange concept that youre doing all this for his sakerather than for Swifts 131-show survey of her ten studio albumswhich I suppose we now call eras and not albumsand the logicalhad taken it to t their frolicking in and with each other inside the frame of that film is beautiful because it lacks what exclusion.The narrator was able to go to the good school on the isla have burned eons of accumulated hydrocarbons since the twentieth centurys dawntoo much and too fast for the planet to absorb them again.He realized that there were individua in which he seemed to mull over retirement amid suspicions he wants the Lakers to sign (his old teammate) Kyrie Irving.but if someone offered you or me a billion dollars to Her mission is the simple but vital one of suggesting we eat this wonderful food because of its essential goodness.but the families clustered on blankets (and in one instance Pixelle closed the Chillicothe paper mill in Ohio on August 10, 2025. The mill produced commercial printing papers, inkjet papers, book papers and envelope papers, to name a few of its products. Pixelle closed the Chillicothe paper mill in Ohio on August 10, 2025. The mill produced commercial printing papers, inkjet papers, book papers and envelope papers, to name a few of its products. Pixelle Specialty Solutions Sells Chillicothe Paper Mill to Producer of Medical Gloves October 11, 2025 - Pixelle Specialty Solutions announced it has reached an agreement to sell its Chillicothe mill to U.S. Paper Mill, LLC, an affiliate of U.S. Medical Glove Company ("USMGC"). The buyer has committed to continuing Chillicothe's legacy of industrial manufacturing and adding significant jobs in the local community. Since announcing plans to discontinue operations at the Chillicothe mill, Pixelle, with the support of Ohio's federal, state, and local officials and JobsOhio, has worked diligently to find a new owner for the mill and prioritized buyers with plans to maintain significant local employment and safeguard the Ross County, Ohio labor market. Pixelle believes this sale accomplishes that goal. Pixelle is continuing to provide impacted employees with a range of support resources, including career transition services, job placement assistance, and ongoing access to Pixelle's Employee Assistance Program to help navigate any career transitions. Additionally, Pixelle is allocating the entire $5.5 million in net proceeds from the transaction to an account established for the benefit of local unions and impacted employees. $1 million will be distributed at this time with distribution of the remaining funds contingent upon the resolution of specific post-closing conditions. Pixelle expressed its gratitude to the generations of Chillicothe employees and families whose dedication supported the mill over its history. "Chillicothe has been an important part of Pixelle's history, and we are deeply grateful to the employees and families who supported this mill for decades. While it was an extremely difficult decision to discontinue operations in Chillicothe, we are grateful and hopeful that this outcome best positions Chillicothe and its residents for the future," said Julie Schertell, President and Chief Executive Officer. The transaction has received support from Ohio's federal, state, and local officials and JobsOhio. Pixelle worked with these leaders throughout the process to support employees and help ensure a sustainable path forward for the community. Headquartered in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, Pixelle Specialty Solutions is a leading manufacturer of specialty papers, with operations in North America. SOURCE: Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC Go to a releated article: Pixelle Specialty Solutions Updates Chillicothe Paper Mill Closure Date to August 10 - June 17, 2025. Cascades Unveils Bronzes in Honour of Cascades Co-founders Laurent and Alain Lemaire Bronze of Alain Lemaire, co-founder of Cascades Bronze of Alain Lemaire, co-founder of Cascades Oct. 13, 2025 - Cascades on Oct. 10 unveiled bronze statues in honour of Cascades co-founders Laurent and Alain Lemaire in the presence of dignitaries and hundreds of employees. Subsequent to the company's 60th anniversary celebrations in 2024, Cascades wanted to recognize the extraordinary contribution of Laurent and Alain Lemaire to the company's success and to the Quebec business community. In this spirit, artist-sculptor Jules Lasalle was commissioned to create bronzes in their image, which will join that of their older brother older brother, Bernard Lemaire, that has been installed in Kingsey Falls's Bernard-Lemaire Park since 2004. Bronze of Laurent Lemaire, co-founder of Cascades Bronze of Laurent Lemaire, co-founder of Cascades "We are very pleased to recognize and honour the exceptional legacy of these builders, whose vision and commitment have marked the history of Cascades and spurred its development and, as a result, the growth of communities throughout North America and Europe," said Hugues Simon, President and CEO of Cascades. "Along with their brother Bernard, Laurent and Alain are true pioneers of the circular economy, visionary entrepreneurs, and leading figures in the rise of Quebec Inc. and its proud record of francophone business success." In 1964, three young entrepreneurs--Bernard, Laurent and Alain Lemaire-settled on the banks of the Nicolet River in Kingsey Falls to start Cascades, a business that would become their life's work. Six decades later, their dream had grown to become a leader in packaging and hygiene solutions with nearly 9,500 employees in 65 units across North America. Founded in 1964, Cascades offers sustainable, innovative and value-added packaging, hygiene and recovery solutions. The company employs 9,500 talents across a network of 65 operating facilities in?North America. SOURCE: Cascades The parents of a British teenage girl are mourning the loss of their daughter after she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a trip to the cinema in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The victim was identified as Kasey-Lei Greene, who was at a movie theater on Sept. 4 when she suddenly collapsed. The teenage girl's father, Marc, said that his daughter was planning to have a sleepover with a friend. British Teen Dies Inside Movie Theater Kasey-Lei, who is a British teenager who moved from the United Kingdom to Abu Dhabi last year, said goodbye to her dad at around 5:30 p.m. and hugged him. But less than an hour later, Marc was notified of the incident by his daughter's friend using the victim's phone to contact him. The friend told Marc that Kasey-Lei passed out while they were inside the cinema watching a movie. After the father heard this, he quickly went to his car and drove to where his daughter was to help her, according to People. He said that when he went to the scene, there was a defibrillator, and an ambulance crew was assisting the teenage girl. At that point, Marc screamed and held his passed-out daughter's hand, trying to see what he could do to help the situation. Emergency personnel at the scene reportedly worked to save the 13-year-old girl for about two hours before they transported her to a local hospital. Marc said that his daughter apparently suffered a cardiac arrest, adding that she had previously experienced a "few issues." A Sudden and Tragic Loss of Life The teenage girl's mother, Manda, and brother, Kian, went home to the UK for their beloved Kasey-Lei's funeral on Oct. 3. There, attendees saw pink and black ribbons tied on the funeral procession route from Marc's mother's house in Erdington to Erdington Abbey in Sutton Road, the Birmingham Mail reported. Before Kasey-Lei and her friend, Aria, went to the movies, she had the latter take a picture of her hugging her father, Marc. The dad later recalled this moment, saying that his daughter held him so tight as if she knew it was the last time that they would be together. The teenage girl's family moved to Abu Dhabi to "try and give the kids a better life," after spending several holidays in the region over the past few years. Kasey-Lei's parents described their daughter as a "bubbly, very outgoing" girl who "really love(s) little kids," as per Mirror UK. This year my laptop turns sixa relatively young age in the grand scheme of things. Sure, its gotten slower and the battery life has taken a hit, but since I dont use it for advanced video editing or gaming, its no problem. For lighter workloads like web surfing and emailing, it gets the job done just fine. Theres really only one problem: my laptop is too old for a Windows 11 update. On October 14th, 2025, Windows 10 will reach the end of its life period, which means no new features or security updates. The former is not a big problem. The latter will be a disaster. Im not alone in this situation. Over 50 percent of users are still running Windows 10, and this figure is gradually dropping. How many will have updated in six months time is anyones guess, but whatever the percentage, one thing is clear. A large proportion of the worlds 1.6 billion Windows PCs will still be running Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025. What makes this challenging is that Windows 11 is so technically demanding that its not possible to update all fully functional computers. Sadly, my six-year-old laptop is one of them. Sponsored The 5 biggest digital security threats to UK small businesses in 2025 Digital security can be a constant worry for small business owners. Here's what you should be looking out for and how to minimise the risks. Antivirus software is not free of errors and sometimes reports computer viruses where there are none. For this reason, the company Procolored, a manufacturer of textile printers, indignantly defended itself against the report of a printer tester that the software of one of its devices contained a virus. The testing official explained to Procolored that both Google Chrome and Microsoft Defender had triggered an alarm when the printer software was downloaded, and quarantined it. Despite Procoloreds protests, the tester persisted. He sent the software to the security company G Data, a manufacturer of antivirus programs. Upon investigation, it turned out that the printer software actually contained a backdoor virus called Xred and a Trojan. When G Data then confronted Procolored with the results, the company admitted that a virus had crept into its download area and provided a new version of its software. The online sandbox Any.run lets you start suspicious programs in a virtual Windows environment and study their behavior. Foundry How false alarms arise Procoloreds initially defensive attitude is understandable. After all, it does happen that antivirus tools sometimes recognize malware where there is none. But not often. Long-term tests have repeatedly shown that false alarms usually account for less than 1 percent of virus reports. However, they are always annoying, as many users are initially alarmed when their computer reports malware. How do these false positives come about? It has to do with the way antivirus programs work. On the one hand, they access daily updated virus definitions, which they can use to recognize intruders very reliably. However, as there are also many previously unknown malware threats on the internet for which no virus definitions exist, the manufacturers also incorporate heuristic and behavioral analysis methods into their software. Heuristic means that the programs look for suspicious characteristics of a file or program. Behavioral analysis, on the other hand, observes the programs running on the PC. Both methods work with probabilities and calculate whether a program with these or those characteristics could be a virus. False alarms occur from time to time. System programs particularly affected False alarms occur particularly frequently with programs that access system settings or data that the antivirus program classifies as confidential or even secret. This applies, for example, to several tools from the software company Nirsoft, such as the Produkey program. It reads the license keys for Windows and Office 2003/2007 and displays them in its window. A harmless process in itself, but it apparently provides the antivirus software with enough suspicious facts to classify the application as a virus. The same applies to numerous other programs that read out data such as license keys or passwords or change system settings. Among other things, the heuristics of the antivirus software look for combinations of certain system calls that are typical of malware. However, known hacker tools, such as those used to crack passwords, are also blocked by the virus guards. Even though they are offered for download legally. Hacking your own computer, for example to reconstruct a forgotten password, is not prohibited. A perfectly functioning antivirus program that produces no false alarms is an illusion. On the one hand, the software must not overlook malware under any circumstances, while on the other hand it should recognize harmless programs as such. It is therefore inevitable that the virus hunter will play it safe from case to case and report software as dangerous even if it is not. Check the trigger of a false alarm If your virus protection triggers an alarm, you must always scrutinize the trigger yourself. Otherwise, there is a risk that the antivirus program will block parts of the software that are absolutely necessary for it to function. A multi-stage procedure is recommended. Check the purpose of the tool: As a first step, you should consider what you have downloaded. If it is one of the tools already mentioned for determining license codes or passwords, you can assume that it is a false alarm. Check for reputation: However, you should also check where you obtained the software from and think about its reputation. To do this, you need to look at the file that caused the alarm and clarify its origin. If you are using Microsoft Defender as virus protection, you can find the file and its origin in the Settings under Privacy and Security > Windows Security > Virus and Threat Protection > Protection History. All malware found by Defender is listed there. Click on one of the entries to find out the file name and origin. There are similar directories in every other antivirus program. Defender lists the most recently found threats and shows you details if you wish. To do this, you need to point to an area with the mouse. A pop-down menu is then displayed. Microsoft It is important to know where you got the file from and whether this download site has a good or bad reputation. Sites that offer cracked programs and games or tools for hacking license queries etc., for example, have a poor reputation. Hackers often use this software to transfer malware to users computers. Websites that illegally make films and videos available for download also fall into this category. Check for signs of social engineering: Social engineering refers to tricks that cause a person to exhibit certain behaviors that they would not exhibit without these tricks. Social engineering is regularly used in the phishing of private data and, somewhat less frequently, in the distribution of malware. For example, emails or text messages claim that an order is in danger of getting stuck in the post if you dont take action quickly and install a service tool. However, this is actually a virus. If the antivirus program now reports malware, there is a high probability that it really is malware. Typical social engineering techniques are pressure, urgency, emergencies, and requests for help. Watch out for scams: On the internet, the general rule is that if something seems too good to be true, then it usually is. This could be very favorable purchase offers, for example. If a virus message appears in such a context, then its probably justified. What to do in the event of a false alarm If your antivirus software declares a downloaded program to be malware, but you are sure that it is not, you can define the download file or the address of the source on the internet as an exception. Every protection program offers a corresponding function. Use alternative virus scanners If your antivirus program has reported malware and you are not sure whether it is actually malware or a false alarm, you can obtain a second opinion from another antivirus tool in a further step. It is not necessary to uninstall your existing software and then download and install a competitors product. It is quicker and easier to scan the suspicious file with an online scanner. Some antivirus manufacturers offer online scanners as a free service on their website. There is an area where you can upload suspicious files to the manufacturers servers and have them scanned there. Corresponding offers are available from Eset, F-Secure, and Trend Micro. You can use the online scanner from Trend Micro to scan your computer for existing malware. No installation is required. Foundry Or you can go straight to Virustotal, the online scanner from Google. It presents the suspicious file to several dozen antivirus programs from various manufacturers and displays their scan results. Although there have been isolated cases in the past in which Virustotal also failed to recognize malware, this is probably the safest way to rule out a false alarm. There are also alternatives to Virustotal, including Metadefender Cloud, Hybrid Analysis, and Jottis Malware Scan. Jottis Malware Scan is an alternative to Virustotal and sends uploaded files to a total of 13 different antivirus scanners. There is a data limit of 250MB per file. Foundry Offline scan with bootable USB sticks and DVDs If you frequently use different computers, you can also install a virus scanner on a bootable USB stick or DVD. In this way, you can check the respective PC first before you start your work. There are several ways to obtain such a stick or DVD. Some antivirus programs contain wizards that allow you to create a portable version on a stick or DVD directly from the software. This applies to the identical programs from Avast and AVG as well as the paid-for Norton Antivirus. The disadvantage: You must first install the respective antivirus program in order to create the disc. Other manufacturers offer rescue discs as ready-to-use downloads. These discs are usually based on a Linux live system that has been supplemented with a virus scanner. They are available from Avira and Kaspersky. After installing an additional component, the Avast virus scanner offers to create a rescue disc on DVD or USB stick with an integrated virus scanner. Foundry Third, you can also use Sardu. With this freeware you can create bootable USB sticks and DVDs and equip them with an antivirus tool of your choice. For this purpose, Sardu provides links to freely available rescue systems from antivirus manufacturers and offers to download the programs directly and integrate them into the stick or DVD. Start suspicious programs safely Another method of detecting false alarms is to run a suspicious program in a secure environment. This can be a virtual machine in which you install Windows and then start the software to be analyzed. If it brings a virus with it, it remains locked in the virtual machine. As a rule, it is not possible to skip to your desktop Windows. You can therefore take your time to observe whether it is ransomware, for example, which is now starting to encrypt the virtual SSD. The alternative is to use a sandbox. This is also a shielded environment that offers the malware no opportunity to break out. Online sandboxes such as Any.run are easy to use, but you can also use locally installable sandbox software such as Sandboxie. Caution: Many viruses are programmed in such a way that they only become active after a period of several hours, days, or even weeks. So if a program in a sandbox does not initially show any abnormalities, this does not mean that it is certainly safe. Virus warnings as a lure Especially in the dark corners of the internet, browser windows pop up again and again, reporting that a virus has allegedly been found on your PC. To solve the problem, you should immediately agree to download an antivirus program. Caution: These messages are invariably scams. The software offered normally has no function. However, it tries to persuade you to pay for a license by regularly displaying notices. Worse still, these programs often contain a virus themselves, making your PC part of a botnet, for example. Related content A Franklin County resident told 911 dispatchers he shot another man twice during a Saturday argument at a local sports bar, police said in court documents. Aaron Pigford, 25, of Waynesboro, later told Chambersburg police he killed Edward Jackson, 32, of Delaware, because he felt threatened when Jackson ran toward him outside Webbs Sports Bar at 114 South Main St., according to an affidavit of probable cause. Police said they found Jackson dead at the scene at about 12:14 a.m. while responding to reports of a disturbance with gunshots. Court documents did not say what the argument was about or if the fight originated while the men were inside the bar. Pigford was involved in a 2022 shooting when someone shot into his Chambersburg home, and he fired back, hitting the suspect twice, according to the Public Opinion news site. In that case, police said a man showed a handgun during an argument in the 500 block of South Main Street around 2 a.m. on June 3, 2022. They said the man fired a round into the air and then at a residence occupied by Pigford, who got a gun and fired twice at the gunman. Pigford, who was not involved in the original argument, was not charged, according to the Public Opinion. Court records show Pigford is being held without bail at the Franklin County Jail because of the severity of the charges. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21 before Magisterial District Judge Annie Gomez Shockey. Staff writer DaniRae Renno contributed to this report. Commonwealth Charter Academy developed its educational aquaponics facility in Harrisburg after it severed its ties to the for-profit company Connections Academy. December 11, 2018. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com PENNLIVE.COM Editors note: This is the third story in a series titled Virtual Dominance: How a cyber charter school has upended K-12 education in Pa. The series is an investigation of the causes and consequences of the unprecedented growth of Commonwealth Charter AcademyPa.s fastest growing school. You can read the first story in the series here and the second story Why thousands of parents are choosing the fastest growing charter school in Pa." here. CCAs dramatic increase in enrollment over the past five years may not have happened at all if CCAs board and leadership team didnt make a dramatic decision in 2015 to cut ties with the for-profit management company that launched the school, according to a number of CCAs leaders now and at the time. But it didnt happen without a fight. There were two people on the board [of trustees] that were friends and they were shouting at me, said Marcie Mulligan, a longtime board member at CCA. The board was divided between loyalists of Connections Academy, the company that founded the school, and board members who wanted the school to become independent. Connections was based in Baltimore when it helped launch CCA in 2003 and then in 2011 Connections was sold to the education behemoth Pearson. Mulligan was one of the board members who wanted to become independent. Connections leaders acted annoyed when Mulligan asked detailed questions about how it was spending CCAs funding, she said. She didnt think local tax money should be sent out-of-state. The management company charged overhead costs that could instead be staying in Pennsylvania with Pennsylvania taxpayers, she said. By 2015, for-profit management companies like Connections ran a large share of the cyber schools across the country. But concerns were emerging that these private companies were growing rich on the backs of taxpayers. Charter schools now big business nationwide ran a headline in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2013. Jack Wagner, Pas. auditor general at the time, criticized cyber schools that were paying for-profit companies for services without giving detailed breakdowns of what they were receiving. A sign outside Commonwealth Charter Academy's main office in the Pittsburgh-area advertises the school's position as the largest cyber charter school in Pa. PennLive The CEO of Pennsylvania Distance Learning Cyber Charter, another cyber school, said its management company at the time, White Hat, had been taking 97% of the schools revenue, and that it was difficult to find out how it was spending the money. The school ended its relationship with White Hat. Then, the board of trustees for Agora, one of the other large cyber charter schools in Pa., began to consider making a dramatic change to its relationship with its for-profit management company, K-12. Jerry Birmelin, a CCA board member and Republican legislator at the time, thought separating from Connections would be more efficient. As we grew, we were obviously bringing in more and more revenue and Connections was taking a very large share of it, Birmelin told PennLive recently. They were not giving us the best bang for the buck. We just felt that we could do it independently, better and cheaper and be more economical. Kevin Shivers, another board member at the time, thought students were doing well under Connections curriculum and didnt think there was a need for change. He said Connections had impressive connections with schools like John Hopkins University and The Julliard School. I thought Connections was a wonderful partner who provided a lot of support and provided a real quality educational backstop to the school, Shivers said. Lora Bueno, a teacher at Connections while the change was being debated, said one of the advantages of being run by a national company was that students could move to other states without skipping a beat. They could still be using the exact same curriculum and be at the same place, she said. The fiercest opponent of change, according to several board members at the time, was board president, David Taylor. Taylor felt that the board, the management company and the schools leadership provided checks and balances that kept the school on track. Plus, Taylor had been impressed with the educational vision of the original founder of Connections, Barbara Dreyer. Dave felt a loyalty to Connections because they had gotten us started. And on one occasion when the state hadnt passed a budget on time and we werent getting our reimbursements from the state, Connections covered us, essentially gave us the money we needed to make payroll, Birmelin said. Maurice Flurie, the CEO at the time, and another board member, Ralph Dyer, were the two biggest proponents of leaving Connections, according to Birmelin. Mulligan remembers meeting with Flurie at an Italian restaurant to discuss the change. Flurie convinced her that the school would be better off with more control over its curriculum and technology. Up to that point, everything went through Connections, Mulligan said. If we wanted a laptop, we had to call Connections. If we wanted a printer, we had to call Connections Education. Joyce Good joined CCA in 2015 to help it create its own curriculum. She said the Connections software platform was probably seven or eight years old by then and was not designed to cater to individual students in the way that CCA wanted it to be. Flurie and Dyer ultimately convinced enough board members to separate from Connections management services. Two years later, the school launched its own software platform and dropped the Connections curriculum as well. Mulligan thinks the decision to become autonomous paved the way for CCAs future success. I 100% think that was the best thing, she said. The school saw some immediate improvements, Flurie said: The school increased salaries to attract better talent; they were able to replace laptops in two days rather than two weeks; and teacher-to-student ratios fell by 20%. But the changes took effort. We had to start looking for vendors for all sorts of things, Birmelin said. So being on the board during those years was a major commitment. CCA rebranded, and began developing its own curriculum and software, a process that wasnt entirely smooth. We had an awful lot of parents who were upset at the level of the curriculum, said Good. Some of the staff and students who liked Connections, left CCA for a new Connections school that Taylor helped open up called Reach Cyber Charter School. CCAs enrollment had been on a steady upward trajectory until its break from Connections but afterward it went through a five year period of enrollment stagnation. When CCA applied for its charter renewal in 2015, Flurie wrote on the application that, We have proposed little enrollment growth for the coming charter term, wanting to focus on the quality of our teachers and student academic performance without the strains that often accompany rapid enrollment growth. While there were some bumps in the road, Flurie said, after five years CCA had more money, independence and control over its curriculumand was in a better position to adapt to the rapid growth of students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2015 if wed have seen some type of exponential growth, it would have been a real challenge, Flurie said. Once we got those systems ramped up, then thered be no reason for us to be concerned about enrollment increasing. The sign above the entrance of Commonwealth Charter Academy's main office touts its philosophy of trying to continually improve, as well as the name of the street it is located on. PennLive CCAs transition away from for-profit management has become standard-practice in the Pa.s cyber school industry. Reach, like CCA, has since dropped its affiliation with Connections. Insight PA, like Agora, announced it was dropping its management contract with K-12 (now known as Stride) at the end of the last school year. Good serves on the board of Pennwood, the newest cyber charter school in Pa., and the third cyber school in Pa. that has started off as an affiliate of Connections Academy. Good believes Pennwoods leaders have a unique vision for addressing one of the thorniest challenges in cyber education: how to help students who fall behind because of procrastination. But its difficult to launch a new cyber school without the support of a larger organization like Connectionsat least, at first, Good said. I could not lead a team and just simply open a cyber school, Good said. Theres just too much to it. Family members of Commonwealth Charter Academy students cheer on their graduates just after they received their diplomas at a June graduation ceremony in Pittsburgh. PennLive Editors note: This is the second story in a series titled Virtual Dominance: How a cyber charter school has upended K-12 education in Pa. The series is an investigation of the causes and consequences of the unprecedented growth of Commonwealth Charter AcademyPa.s fastest growing school. You can read the first story in the series here and the third story here. Nikisha Martin has been sending her four kids to cyber school for the past decade. Her local school in Pittsburgh had low test scores and she couldnt afford to send her kids to a private school. Martin enrolled her children in Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School in 2015. It is one of 14 cyber charter schools in Pa. where any student across the commonwealth can take their classes online. I loved it because the kids learned a lot there, she said. Even though she was happy with the school, two years ago Martin decided to transfer her kids to a different cyber charter school: Commonwealth Charter Academy, [CCA]. Martin is one of tens-of-thousands of parents who have enrolled students in CCA since 2020, the fastest growing school Pa. has ever seen. Pa.s 14 cyber charter schools enrolled more than 20,000 additional students during the pandemic, as parents became dissatisfied with their local public schools. But after that initial rush, the number of students at Pa.s other cyber schools has since decreased, in part because the schools agreed to limit the number of students who can enroll. Meanwhile, CCA is growing faster than ever. The continued growth has caught local school district officials off guard, as they try to fill budget holes left by students who take most of their local tax dollars with them when they transfer. While local schools and cyber schools have been battling at the state Capitol over the financial implications of CCAs growth, there hasnt been a definitive answer about why its been happening. CCAs leaders say that there isnt a single answer but the best answer can be found by listening to parents who choose to send their kids there. Each parent is making a personal decision that they believe is best for their children, according to Tim Eller, a spokesperson for CCA. We cant say specifically, Well, this is why people come to CCA, Eller said. No, its going to be different for every family. Martin was drawn to CCA because it offered a much wider variety of field trips than her familys previous cyber school. Martins family members told her that they were worried about the development of her kids social skills because they didnt interact with other kids during their online school days. So, Martin saw CCAs more extensive offering of field trips as an opportunity. Im trying to have other things for the kids to do, so they could be with other kids and kind of be involved more, Martin said. What parents tell CCA Martins reason for enrolling in CCA fits a narrative that some critics of cyber charter schools have levied against it: that parents are enrolling in the school for the various perks they offer, such as free laptops and printers, $1,000+ in reimbursements for internet and club sports, and field trips that have little connection to the schools academic program. But parents at CCA like Martin typically only mention these perks to explain why those chose to go to CCA rather than another cyber school. The main reason they chose cyber schools in the first place is usually more fundamental: they are not happy with something about their local public schools. We realize were the second marriage, said Robert Schultz, the chief learning officer at CCA. Martin sent her kids to two local public charter schools before sending them to a cyber charter school. But she said her kids were bullied at school: her eldest still has a scar on her face from being scratched by a classmate more than a decade ago. Tim Eller, a spokesperson for CCA, said there are 35,000 different reasons parents choose CCA. We cant say specifically, Well, this is why people come to CCA. No, its going to be different for every family. PennLive One of Martins teachers, she said, would ball up her daughters homework and throw it in the trash when it wasnt up to par. Her daughter wasnt eating lunch because she was being forced to catch up on her work and had to choose between lunch and recess. Then, she tested at a second grade reading level, even though she was in fourth grade. At that point I was just like, Im tired. Youre going to online school. she said. And I just withdrew them. And theyve been online-schooled ever since. These stories are par for the course at CCA, according to CCA staff and according to more than a dozen interviews PennLive conducted with CCA parents. Many parents say their students special needs werent being met in their traditional school. CCA enrolls hundreds of pregnant teenagers and young mothers as well as homeless students. They enroll more than 1,000 students whose first language isnt English and more than 10,000 students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities or special needs. They enroll students who are trying to work to support their families and students trying to make it professional in athletics who have extensive travel schedules. Schultz said CCA goes out of its way to interview parents when they are first enrolling to find out why the local school wasnt working for them. He said they ask them, Where are you at? Why are you here? What can we do to make this the best experience for your child and their learning experience? Even if their children arent struggling, some CCA parents prefer the flexibility that cyber school offers. More than two-thirds of the parents at CCA in a recent survey said the reason they enrolled is because it offered a more flexible schedule than their traditional school. Students decide when or if they want to attend live classes and can finish their school work when it is convenient. In brick and mortar, you have to fit your life around your education, Schultz said. And at CCA you can fit your education around your life because everybodys got different life situations and circumstances. We realize were the second marriage, said Robert Schultz, the chief learning officer at Commonwealth Charter Academy. PennLive Martin has been happy with the flexibility of CCA. Her kids wake up fully rested around midday and then start their schoolwork. They finish it at their own pace and can spend more time on subjects they are struggling with. It was more demanding for the kids at their previous cyber school, she said. You had to have everything done by a certain time period. Schultz said these kinds of stories are normal at CCA. Its kind of like exercising: Sometimes I dont feel like going and working out at that specific time. If someone made me work out a specific time every day, Id probably not work out, he said. which I dont do that much of anyway. It was life changing Debra Isenberg was at a loss over what to do about her grandson. He was diagnosed with autism and had also begun acting violently toward his teachers, to the point where his school started requiring an adult to follow him around from the moment he got off the bus until the moment he got back on the bus to go home. Isenberg worried that even that wouldnt be enough as he grew bigger. I said, If we dont do something soon, somebodys going to get hurt. We have to make some major decisions and changes. And I dont want to institutionalize him or anything like that or send him to a residential school, she said. Isenberg decided to enroll him in CCA and retired from her job as a teacher, so she could help him. As a teacher, she worried that going to school over a computer wouldnt allow him to develop socially, but ultimately she did it anyway. You choose your battles when youre dealing with special students, she said. Sarah Vanderplate had three children enrolled in Commonwealth Charter Academy for the fall of 2020. August 6, 2020 Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com In a school building, her grandson was overwhelmed by triggers and responded violently. On the computer, she said, that didnt happen anymore. Within the first year, he was off of all of his medications and the anger was gone, the aggressiveness and behaviors were gone, she said. It was life changing for all of us. What the teachers say Jeffrey Piccola, the president of CCAs board of trustees, recently wanted to know why CCA has been able to attract so many teachers. More than 90% of the more than 2,800 staff members at CCA have been with the school for less than five years. The school hires hundreds of new teachers every year in order to keep its class sizes down for the thousands of new students it enrolls. Piccola asked Schultz, CCAs chief learning officer, to pull together a focus group of teachers. To a person they say, I can finally do what I was trained to do: teach, Piccola announced at a CCAs September board meeting. Before she started teaching at CCA two years ago, Molly Stewart said some of her students in the local elementary school had violent tendencies, which scared her when she was pregnant with her daughter. My pregnancy was a safety concern for me every single day, she said. I knew my students here better than I knew them in a brick and mortar setting, said Andrea Azzalina, CCAs elementary school provost. PennLive Because misbehavior is rare at CCA, Stewart said, she has had more time to focus on teaching lessons to her second-graders. Stewart could go into the office every day to be around other teachers but usually chooses to use her office near Pittsburgh one week a month, the amount required by CCA. It just works better for my family, she said. Joe Porr, a middle school science teacher who started at CCA last year, said he was getting burned out in public schools. The roughly 30 students in his classes would be filled with students at so many different academic levels that it felt impossible to teach them all. At CCA, he said, hes been able to use the schools software to help adapt his lessons to his students who are behind. Youre really able to differentiate for the students, he said. Youre really able to help them. Stewart and Porr typically only teach two classes per day, in the morning. Their afternoons are often spent reaching out to students. Some CCA teachers said these one-on-one conversations give them an opportunity to build relationships they likely wouldnt have had in a traditional school where there are so many kids to manage and where it can be frowned upon to meet alone with a student. I knew my students here better than I knew them in a brick and mortar setting, said Andrea Azzalina, CCAs elementary school provost, who taught for seven years before moving into administration. because we do so much individualization, so much communication. Our family unit is closer Jodi Witmers two children were forced into learning remotely during the pandemic. It didnt go well. The local school district provided little help to her first grader and the technology they used seemed obsolete. Many families choose to move into their district in Wyomissing because the schools are considered good, Witmer said. But her family found they really enjoyed the flexibility that remote learning gave them, including last minute trips to the beach. We didnt have to tell the school, give them advance notice. Its like, Oh, the weathers good. Okay, lets go, she said. Witmer liked the flexibility of cyber school but wanted a better academic program. So she enrolled them in CCA, which had a better developed program. Her kids have their own desks in the house and they can roam around to do their work and even sit outside on the deck. Her kids eat healthier food at home. The school offers extra help if they get behind, but her kids rarely do, she said. 38 1 / 38 Commonwealth Charter Academy Pittsburgh Graduation And now they get to spend more time together. Witmers husband has a job that doesnt allow him to take time off during the summer. Theyve been able to travel together in off-months like October and February. The kids bring their work with them, or do it when they get back. This past year, we flew out to Albuquerque, New Mexico, rented an RV for a week, and went to Four Corners and then did something in each of those states, she said. Travelings an education, too. There was just so much they learned. One of her kids plays soccer after school and the other plays tennis. That means that, even as a stay-at-home mom, she would barely get to see her children during the week if they went to a traditional school. I feel like our family unit is closer, she said. We get to spend time with them instead of sending them eight hours a day somewhere else. What is the value of a parents choice? One of the most commonly repeated refrains of CCAs leaders for the past decade has been: CCA is a family service organization with a deep expertise in education. Catering to every family regardless of their situation gives CCA a wider pool of potential students than other Pa. cyber charter schools that prioritize more narrowly defined educational philosophies. And, unlike most charter schools with a physical building, CCA is not limited by how many kids live within driving distance. So there isnt a clear limit to how large it can grow. CCAs leaders often treat the number of parents choosing CCA as proof that the school is doing better than other schools, despite low test scores and graduation rates. Not everyone agrees parents always make good choices about what school to attend. State lawmakers have been trying to address extreme cases where they believe parents are not making good choices, such as when parents try to use the cover of cyber school to hide the abuse of their own children. (CCA is the only school out of 14 cyber charter schools that has been fighting against a new law that requires students to appear on camera at least once a week.) Lawmakers have also been debating ways to deal with parents who are using the more flexible attendance rules at some cyber schools as a way to avoid accountability for truancy violations. It happens. We all talk about it. They just hop from one cyber to the next cyber, said Malynda Maurer, the CEO of the Central PA Digital Learning Foundation, another cyber charter school. When they get mad at one, they go to the next one. And we all talk about it. Were like, Maybe we should just start this without the legislation, start talking to each other and say that this kids an attendance problem. Students and parents from across the commonwealth gathered in Harrisburg in the state Capitol Rotunda to protect children's access to charter schools and seek some reforms to the law governing these independently operated public schools. Jimmie Brown. | Jbrown@pennlive.com. May 9, 2023. One of the challenges for legislators is that, without coordination, its difficult to quantify exactly how many parents are deliberately evading accountability. And so the stories of students who are struggling at schools like CCA tend to be more abstract, while the stories of students who are succeeding are more visceral. Witmer says her familys life is better because they spend more time together now. Martin feels safer knowing that her kids are at home during the day. Isenbergs family life became bearable after her grandson switched to learning from home. Cyber critics sometimes imagine that the problem cases at cyber schools are ubiquitous and discount the value parents say these schools are providing. Word of mouth CCAs families are sharing their success stories widely. More than 50% of CCA students are referred to the school by someone who has a student at the school already, according to a recent survey of new students by the school, and nearly 20% have another family member already enrolled at CCA. Flurie said some other cyber schools are doing a good job with parents but they are just small enough and they havent grown enough, they havent reached that point that everybody knows somebody going to CCA. Maurice (Reese) Flurie, the former leader of a cyber charter school in Pa., speaks at a House Education Committee Hearing in Lancaster on April 25, 2025. PennLive CCA has more money to advertise than other cyber schools and more money to buy buildings close to where students live. They have more resources to develop classes that attract new students and to cater to very specific student needs. And they offer more field trips. When PennLive asked a parent recently if they had heard about cyber school options for their child, the parent answered: Oh you mean CCA? CCA has become the Google or Amazon of cyber charter schools in Pa., shorthand for what cyber school is. And thats posing additional challenges to mom and pop cyber schools. Maurer, who leads Pa.s smallest cyber charter school, said her school deliberately uses a lower student-to-teacher ratio to provide a more bespoke education for its students. So Maurers school has little money left over to advertise and is almost entirely reliant on word-of-mouth and thats been especially challenging of late. Their advertising is everywhere, Maurer said. Thats the first thing that people see and hear is CCA. Editors note: You can read the first story in the series about how enrollment caps have helped CCA grow by limiting competition. Part 3 of the series, which also published today, looks at how a decision that CCAs leaders made to separate from its for-profit parent company helped pave the way for future growth. Next week, PennLive will publish Part 4 of the series, about former staff members at CCA who say the schools focus on growth has come at a cost. Ian Watkins of Lostprophets performs live onstage during the 2012 Vans Warped Tour at the Riverbend Music Center on July 31, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images) Getty Images British police have arrested two men in connection with the stabbing death of disgraced former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins. Watkins, 48, was killed on Saturday while serving a 29-year prison sentence for a string of horrific child sex crimes. Billboard reported that West Yorkshire Police reported that the men aged 25 and 43 were arrested in connection with the death and that an investigation was underway. Rolling Stone reported on Saturday that staff at the prison he was being housed in Englands HMP Wakefield were called to an assault on a prisoner and found Watkins dead. Inmates were reportedly unlocked from their cells for the morning when the incident occurred. Rolling Stone reported that Watkins that Watkins was also attacked in 2023 by three prisoners, and that incident resulted in him receiving neck injuries. The outlet reported that Watkins was imprisoned in 2013 after he confessed to a series of horrific sex crimes. Among those, per Rolling Stone, Watkins admitted that he tried to rape a fans baby. He was initially arrested in 2012 after police raided his home looking for drugs and seized computers, mobile phones and storage devices. Watkins had 10 more months tacked onto his sentence in 2019 after he was found to be in possession of a phone in prison. He claimed that he was being forced to hold the phone for another prisoner but declined to reveal who that prisoner was. Rolling Stone said he argued that he was locked up with murderers, mass murderers, rapists, pedophiles, serial killers the worst of the worst. Watkins founded Lostprophets in 2000, per Rolling Stone, and the group went on to sell 3.4 million albums. The group dropped its last album, Weapons, in 2012 just prior to Watkins arrest. Alan Jackson performs onstage during the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Star in Frisco on May 08, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for ACM) Getty Images for ACM The country music world has been waiting since May for word from Alan Jackson on his final show, and that word came on Wednesday. The country music legend, who retired from touring after his show on May 17 in Milwaukee, announced that he will host Last Call: One More For The Road The Finale, on June 27, 2026 at Nashvilles Nissan Stadium. Back during his show in Milwaukee in May, Jackson shared with the audience a little bit of the story of his struggle to make it. It started 40 years ago this September, he said. My wife and I drove to Nashville with an old U-Haul trailer chasing the dream, and it has been a crazy ride. Lived the American Dream for sure, and Im so blessed, and thank yall so much for all of your support, coming to the shows. When Jackson ended the show, he addressed the crowd once more. I just want to say thanks to yall once again, he said. Yall have been a wonderful crowd here tonight. I cant think of a better way to end my touring career out here with yall. Wonderful crowd. God bless you. Appreciate you. Maybe Ill see yall again one day. While it is sad that Jackson is stepping away, he is doing it for health reasons and to be with family. And, in the end, he did pretty, darned well for himself to put himself in position to able to make the move. It has been a long run for Jackson, who began his career in 1987. It has been a lucrative run, too. Just how lucrative? Well, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Jackson has an estimated fortune of $150 million. That number was also good enough to put Jackson among the top 10 he was ninth richest active country music stars in the country in 2024. George Jones is shown performing on stage during a concert on September 24, 2000 in West Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by John Atashian/Getty Images) Getty Images Nancy Jones, the widow of country music legend George Jones, was in court this week testifying in a case against her ex Kirk West who is accused of stealing more than $10 million in cash and crypto from her. Rolling Stone reported that Jones took the stand during a court hearing on Oct. 7 in Tennessee. Everything that he told me, I definitely trusted him, she said. Even the romantic part, I definitely trusted him. West was arrested back on July 24 at the Nashville International Airport one day after Nancy Jones filed a theft report against him. Court documents showed that Nancy claimed she became suspicious that West, described as her long-term romantic partner, might be cheating on her. She said that is when she called a granddaughter and asked her to check a safe that only she and West had a code for. Nancy Jones claimed that her granddaughter discovered that $400,000 in cash was missing from the safe, per Taste of Country, and that a crypto wallet with 5,534,307 units of the digital currency XRP was also missing. That amount of XRP was reportedly valued at $11,622,044.70 at the time. Taste of Country said court documents said Nancy Jones kicked West out of her home on June 28. She claimed he later called and said he would return $5 million in the crypto money but no more. West was reportedly been charged with theft of over $250,000, which is a Class A felony in Tennessee. In court this week, Nancy Jones said that West took an active role in helping to manage the Jones estate and her finances, according to Rolling Stone. He took care of everything, she said. I didnt take care of nothing. The outlet said that prosecutors asked her if she trusted West. One hundred percent, she responded. She also reportedly told prosecutors that West called himself a financial manager. This is reportedly not his first brush with the law. According to reports, West was charged with bank fraud in 2016, and Nancy Jones said she paid his legal fees and hired representation then. The two reportedly first met back in 2013, about four months after George Jones death. From left, Stan Prinston, Terry Johnson and Starling Newsome of The Flamingos attend the 24th Annual Heroes And Legends Awards at Beverly Hills Hotel on September 22, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Redmond/WireImage) WireImage Terry Buzzy Johnson, an R&B legend known for his time with the group The Flamingos, has died. He was 86. No cause of death has been reported. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame posted about Johnsons death on X. Doo-wop legends the Flamingos, including 2001 inductee Terry Johnson, took listeners higher with their sublime harmonies and impeccable arrangements, the statement read. With Johnson joining as tenor/lead vocalist, guitarist and arranger in 1958, The Flamingos crafted a sophisticated sound like no other vocal group. They stand as one of the most influential doo-wop groups of all time, and their rendition or the definitive I Only Have Eyes for You remain an irresistible expression of yearning. In the 1960s, Smokey Robinson recruited Johnson to join the staff at Motown, where he worked with such Hall of Famers as the Temptations, the Four Tops, and the Supremes. Johnson was a native of Baltimore, and he went on to form The Whispers in 1954. The group recorded for Gotham Records out of Philadelphia. He is best known, though, for his work with the Hall of Fame Flamingos. Johnson joined the group in 1958, per Soultracks.com, and he is credited with arranging and co-producing the iconic hit song I Only Have Eyes for You, in 1959. The Flamingos cover of I Only Have Eyes for You ranked 158 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time that was first published in 2004. The group split following its hit-making years per Soultracks, but Johnson owned the trademark for the name and toured with his version of The Flamingos well into the 21st century. Ann S. Everton, a member of the popular Baltimore-based rock band Darsombra, has been killed in a three-car crash that involved a police vehicle in upstate New York. She was 43. The crash reportedly took place on Oct. 3, and the Baltimore Sun reported that Everton and her husband and bandmate, Brian Danilovski, were on Interstate 87 on their way to Montreal to begin a 22-city tour when it took place. Danilovski told the Sun that he was driving the van that he and Everton had converted into a camper. He said the van was running low on gas, and that Everton had just finished making the bed in the back and was climbing into the front seat when he took a look at his phone to try to locate a gas stop. Danilovski told the Sun that when he looked back up he saw a police vehicle, which had pulled a Mercedes, halfway into his lane. It happened so fast I didnt have time to scream, much less slam on brakes or swerve, he said. I was seat-belted in, so I escaped with just minor injuries. Ann was not. According to the outlet, Danilovski and the officer were treated for minor injuries while the Mercedes driver and their passenger were not injured. Danilovski founded Darsombra in 2005. Everton joined the band in 2010 and began appearing on stage in 2013 playing synthesizer and percussion while adding vocals. If I could build the perfect person, it would be Ann, Danilovski said. Not only was Ann beautiful, but she was smart as hell and creative as hell with all these wacky ideas. She had boundless energy and could make friends really easily. She was giving and selfless and always trying to help someone out. A GoFundMe started to support Danilovski in the wake of Evertons death. It has brought in more than $64,000 toward a goal of $70,000. The restaurant chain plans to input huge American flag poles outside each location across the U.S. Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com Heres something new Steak N Shake is rolling out at every location, and it isnt edible. The major fast food chain has announced that colossal American flags will be erected at each location nationwide. Steak N Shake revealed the official news via social media that the flags will be as large as possible while still complying with local regulations. The flag installations have begun at Steak n Shake, the company noted in an X post. Every Steak n Shake is getting the tallest and biggest American flag that local governments will allow! Steak n Shake proudly supports American values and traditions, it adds. The initiative seeks to remind customers at one of their locations that the chain holds its patriotic pride in high regard. The post has garnered a great deal of positivity and seems to be winning potential customers over. In fact, one user spoke for many, writing, You are becoming iconic very very quickly! Daylight saving time 2025 will draw to a close in less than a month's time. (Getty Images) Getty Images Fall is officially in full swing. Halloween is nigh. The temperatures are finally seasonally appropriate, and the days are mostly dark now. You know what that means PennLives annual, near-constant reminder of when daylight saving time ends this year. According to TimeAndDate.com, daylight saving time 2025 will draw to a close on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 a.m. Clocks will fall back during this time, meaning people will get an extra hour of shuteye. The Old Farmers Almanac explains that daylight saving time was first pioneered by an Englishman named William Willet, who believed it could make the best productive use of the suns light while saving on electricity costs. The idea eventually caught steam in World War I, and here we are. Everyone appreciates the long, light evenings, wrote Willet in his manifesto The Waste of Daylight (1907). Everyone laments their shrinkage as the days grow shorter, and nearly everyone has given utterance to a regret that the nearly clear, bright light of an early morning during Spring and Summer months is so seldom seen or used That so many as 210 hours of daylight are, to all intents and purposes, wasted every year is a defect in our civilization. Let England recognize and remedy it. However, theres been a continual push to get rid of the biannual practice due to the possible health effects and dangers it has wrought: USA Today reports how in 2022 what was known as the Sunshine Protection Act a measure that would make daylight saving time permanent was unanimously approved by the Senate only to die in the House. A new iteration of the bill was introduced to the Senate in January. As for Pennsylvania specifically, the PA Senate Republicans website explains how the state Senate approved to end daylight saving time in March. Further action on the bill remains pending as of the publishing of this report. There have always been disagreements about whether we should follow daylight saving time or standard time permanently, said the bills sponsor Sen. Scott Martin (R-13). That has prevented movement on this issue at the federal level. For me, the most important thing is ending the practice of changing the clocks twice a year and all the negative consequences that come with it. For now, clocks will still be falling back on Nov. 2. President Donald Trump poses for a photo with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before he boards Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv, as Israel's President Isaac Herzog watches at left. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) AP By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and CHRIS MEGERIAN, Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) President Donald Trump told Israeli lawmakers on Monday that their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace in the Middle East after two years of war against Hamas and skirmishes with Hezbollah and Iran. Although the U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, Trump is determined to seize an opportunity to chase an elusive regional harmony. Youve won, he declared to the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. The Republican president used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticizing Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson, in the audience. In an unexpected detour, Trump called on the Israeli president to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as one of the greatest wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas. Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza, which has been devastated during the conflict, and urged Palestinians to turn forever from the path of terror and violence. After tremendous pain and death and hardship, he said, now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down. Trump even made a gesture to Iran, where he bombed three nuclear sites during the countrys brief war with Israel earlier this year, by saying the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open. Trump is on a whirlwind trip to Middle East The U.S. president is headed next to Egypt for a summit with more than two dozen other nations, although he was running hours late because speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected. They might not be there by the time I get there, but well give it a shot, Trump joked after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much. There had been a chance that Netanyahu would join him, and Egypt even announced his attendance, but Netanyahus office said later he would not be going because the summit was too close to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Twenty hostages were released Monday as part of an agreement intended to end the war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, with an attack by Hamas-led militants. Trump talked with some of their families at the Knesset. Your name will be remembered to generations, a woman told him. Israeli lawmakers chanted Trumps name and gave him standing ovation after standing ovation. Some people in the audience wore red hats that resembled his Make America Great Again caps, although these versions said Trump, The Peace President. Netanyahu hailed Trump as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House, and he promised to work with him going forward. Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace, he said. And together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace. Trump pushes to reshape the region The moment remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas still in the early stages of implementing the first phase of Trumps plan. The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final hostages held by Hamas; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main cities. With families overjoyed at the impending reunions and Palestinians eager for a surge of humanitarian assistance, Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the region and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The war is over, OK? Trump told reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One. I think people are tired of it, he said, emphasizing that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of that. He said the chance of peace was enabled by his Republican administrations support of Israels decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House said momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States. In February, Trump had predicted that Gaza could be redeveloped into what he called the Riviera of the Middle East. But on Sunday aboard Air Force One, he was more circumspect. I dont know about the Riviera for a while, Trump said. Its blasted. This is like a demolition site. But he said he hoped to one day visit the territory. Id like to put my feet on it, at least, he said. On to Egypt After Israel, the president was continuing on to Egypt. Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East. The truce remains tenuous, and the sides have not agreed on Gazas postwar governance, the territorys reconstruction and Israels demand that Hamas disarm. Negotiations over those issues could break down, and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not met. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, and the territorys roughly 2 million residents continue to struggle in desperate conditions. Under the deal, Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings, which will help ease the flow of food and other supplies into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Roughly 200 U.S. troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players. Megerian reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report. Gov. Josh Shapiro thinks powering data centers with natural gas is environmentally sustainable. He did not elaborate when he said it at the recent AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh, so it is difficult to imagine why he would make such a statement when there is no evidence to support it. A fracking compendium co-published by Physicians for Social Responsibility and Concerned Health Professionals of New York, now in its 9th edition, contains thousands of peer reviewed studies, governmental reports, and media investigations that collectively make the case that natural gas is anything but a sustainable energy solution. Among them are three Gov. Tom Wolf commissioned shortly that were concluded during Shapiros first year in office. The studies linked fracking to lymphoma in children, low birth weight, and asthma exacerbations in people of all ages within ten miles of natural gas operations. Six months after Wolf commissioned the studies, then-Attorney Gen. Shapiro announced the findings of the Grand Jury investigation of fracking. A systemic failure by the government left Pennsylvanians unprotected from fracking. He ran for governor on weak recommendations the Grand Jury made but has not fulfilled any of them. Meanwhile, the damage continues. Tim Brady, Vice-Chairman of the Freeport Township Board of Supervisors in Greene County, told Inside Climate News that he doesnt want his community to end up like others in his area that have lost water. Theyre non-existent anymore. We dont want to end up like that. If you dont have water, you dont have anything. Sustainable? Hardly. Karen Feridun, Co-Founder, Better Path Coalition, Kutztown, Pa. By John Sigle I plan to attend the No Kings rally at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 in downtown Carlisle. Theres another such rally in Harrisburg at 11 a.m. on the same day. There will be rallies in cities and towns across the country that day. This will be my second such rally. In June, I was one of over 5 million Americans who participated in the first No Kings rallies that were held in more than 2000 cities and towns across this country. This is a chance to show our great concern over the direction of the leadership of our country, particularly of President Donald Trump. During his first nine months in office, he fired those in government, such as inspectors general, ethics lawyers, and career personnel in the FBI and DOJ whose job it was to look out for fraud, corruption, and abuse of office. Hes replaced them with people whose chief qualification is loyalty to him. Hes pushed the boundaries of his power with hundreds of executive orders, many of which are either in conflict with the Constitution (birthright citizenship) or in conflict with long standing norms, like sending National Guard into cities without the approval/consent of local or state officials. Hes weaponizing the FBI and the DOJ to attack those he perceives as his enemies, including several who served in his first administration. Trump literally says its illegal to criticize him. He says he hates his opponents. He goes after comedians, reporters, newspapers, TV networks, law firms, colleges, public and private corporations and their employees, his own former administration officials, judges, state and local officials. And he seems to believe he has the power to prosecute them for criticizing him. Recently Trump told U.S. military generals to prepare to target the enemy within, and that they might be used to quell civil disturbances within this country. He has spoken about an invasion from within (an oxymoron) and suggested that the military might use some U.S. cities as training grounds. Note: Is this list of grievances starting to sound like our nations first No Kings document, the Declaration of Independence? A partisan Supreme Court has vastly extended his power and ruled that he has extraordinary criminal immunity for his actions in office, in effect, giving him power very much like that of a king. Many Americans find this scary and a danger to our democratic traditions. The No Kings rallies are a peaceful mass protest to demonstrate our concern and disapproval. Now, the GOP leadership is trying to frame this event in negative, un-American terms and to divide us further. For example, U,S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), Speaker of the House, calls it the Hate America Rally held by Hamas and Antifa supporters. And he threw in Marxists for good measure. This seems to have been a programmed talking point, since the second and third ranking Republicans in the House, U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), echoed the same line. Emmer said the rally was being organized by terrorists. The No Kings rallies are being organized by a number of national organizations including Indivisible, MoveOn and Public Citizen. Organizers are very clear that these are to be peaceful protests and are taking measures to ensure that they are. I certainly dont hate America, and I dont know anyone who does. I dont support Antifa or Hamas and I dont know anyone who does. Certainly, many (actually most of the world) have protested the prolonged and sometimes indiscriminate bombing and shelling of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, but that doesnt make them Hamas supporters. And as for Marxist, thats just another worn out old insult word, like Communist, thrown around in desperation. Im not a Marxist, but I may have met one back in the 1960s. This nonsensical rhetoric is aimed at distracting and dividing us. We are facing a new and dangerous situation with the current national government. A president who has no social and political mores, no appreciation of our history and shared sacrifices, and now almost no guardrails. Hes motivated by a need for praise, power, and wealth. Hes set on a path of revenge and retribution against those he perceives have wronged him. The GOP leaders in congress, who should act as checks on the president, are not doing so, partly because they are getting much of what they want, e.g. tax cuts for the rich; and partly because they lack the courage to cross him. We can no longer count on them. Lets not be distracted and divided. Lets stand strong for democracy. No Kings! John Sigle is a retired Dickinson College professor who writes from Carlisle, Pa. Recently the White House issued National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), a directive aimed at combating domestic terrorism and organized political violence. Although this might sound reasonable on the surface, NSPM-7 poses real dangers to everyday Americans who are simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. This order gives federal agencies sweeping powers to track money, monitor groups, and investigate citizens. Banks are directed to report suspicious donations; however, what qualifies as suspicious is not clearly defined. That means anyone giving to a local charity, church, advocacy group, or political organization could suddenly find themselves under investigation. This isnt just about extremists every one of us could be at risk. NSPM-7 orders investigation of organizations, groups, and individuals espousing what it calls indicators of violence including: anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; or hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality. Imagine attending a peaceful protest, volunteering for a civic group, or writing a check to a charity you support. Under NSPM-7, these perfectly legal actions could be misinterpreted and put you under investigation. And once your name is in a government database, getting out is never easy. The potential effect is chilling. Free speech, free assembly, and the right to give or volunteer without fear are cornerstones of American life. When we hesitate to speak out or support our beliefs, democracy and fairness suffer. Our voices are muted not by disagreement, but by fear of being watched and prosecuted. National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 hands too much unchecked power to the government, and risks turning good, law-abiding citizens into suspects. To preserve fairness and freedom, our elected leaders must impose firm limits and oversight on this order before it undermines the rights we hold dear. David B. Kyle, New Columbia, Pa. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the trade market for a wide receiver ahead of the Week 9 trade deadline, according to ESPNs Adam Schefter. On the Pat McAfee Show Monday, Schefter said the Steelers have been looking around for playmakers and will continue calling teams. Youve got the Chargers looking for a running back, the Steelers looking for a receiver," Schefter said. Schefter says Pittsburgh will be aggressive in pursuing avenues to upgrade its roster. Just this past week, three of the four teams in the AFC North -- Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland -- made trades Tuesday. The only AFC North team that didnt complete a deal was the first-place Steelers, who are expected to explore upgrading their roster in the weeks ahead of the deadline, Schefter wrote. The one obvious hole for the Steelers is wide receiver, especially if Calvin Austin III is slated to miss a few games. It is unknown just how long Austin will be out, but if he is out for longer than the teams game against the Cincinnati Bengals, it could push the trade urgency up even further. There are not many obvious candidates on the open market. Players like Chris Olave, Jakobi Meyers, and Rashid Shaheed could represent the upper echelon of those options for the Steelers. Stanislav Valchev, of Providence, R.I., left, and Dari Dimitrova, of Lewisburg, Penn., center, carry umbrellas while walking on a rain-soaked bridge, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Providence. (Photo/Steven Senne) AP A powerful storm is hammering the Eastern U.S. coast, bringing with it flooding, powerful winds and heavy rains. AccuWeather reports that major flooding is expected this afternoon along the Northeast coast from a tropical wind and rainstorm, with coastal flooding and beach erosion likely from the Carolinas through New Jersey. Prolonged northeast winds combined with astronomical high tides will cause widespread coastal flooding and significant beach erosion, reads an AccuWeather press release. According to the Associated Press, the storm is expected to hit vulnerable cities in the Carolinas such as Outer Backs and Charleston. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said crews were working to clear the highway that was closed on Ocracoke and Hatteras on Sunday, AP reports. The waves were ferocious at the Hatteras Island town of Buxton, where several beachfront homes have fallen into the water in recent weeks. One house was losing its pilings Sunday and appeared close to collapsing. CBS reports that a state of emergency has been declared in New Jersey and New York City. Effects of the storm are likely to continue through 9 p.m. tonight, bringing moderate to heavy rain, wind gusts between 40-60 mph, and moderate to major coastal flooding for all coastal areas according to CBS. National Weather Service predictions call for inundated structures near the waterfront along the affected coastlines, according to NBC. NBC reports that loss of power is also common in affected areas, as winds and falling trees have taken down power lines. The National Weather Service in the Philadelphia/Mount Holly area has reported coastal flood advisories for the most southeastern counties of Pennsylvania, including those around Philadelphia. But further west, the effects of the noreaster will be limited to rain. The National Weather Service in State College has called for showers in our region, leading to more steady rain after 1 p.m. Wind gusts as high as 25 mph are also possible, but things will clear overnight as the storm moves further out to sea. WSOPC UK Returns to Dusk Till Dawn From Nov. 14; 1M Gtd Main Event Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Copy link Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham. Often called the home of British poker, is again set to host a World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) stop this November. Running from November 14-24, WSOPC UK boasts 12 ring-awarding events, including the 1,500 WSOPC UK Main Event, which carries a 1 million guarantee on its prize pool. Before the WSOPC UK festival springs into life, GGPoker is hosting a 165 buy-in satellite for the Main Event. This shuffles up and deals at 8:05 p.m. GMT and guarantees at least 20 Main Event seats will be won. The WSOPC UK festival proper kicks off on November 14 at 12:00 p.m. GMT. The first of four 300 WSOPC Mini Main flights gets the festival underway. When this tournament ran in March 2024, some 615 players bought in for 230. Michael Burnett came out on top, securing a 22,250 top prize and a coveted WSOPC ring. Other ring-awarding events include a 300 Seniors (50+), a 300 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo, a 1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, a 3,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller, and the eagerly anticipated 1,500 buy-in, 1 million guaranteed WSOPC UK Main Event. 1,000,000 Guaranteed WSOPC UK Main Event Reigning WSOPC UK Main Event champion Daniel Charlton The 1,500 WSOPC UK Main Event features five Day 1s, including a pair of turbo flights. By the time late registration slams shut, the prize pool is guaranteed to be at least 1 million. It is an ambitious guarantee that should be applauded, not least because the 2024 edition of this event was overlaid by 20,000 on its 500,000 guarantee. Popular grinder Daniel Charlton emerged victoriously in that event, taking home his first WSOPC ring and 73,295 after a heads-up deal with Arian Hassankashani (71,820). In addition to the previously mentioned online satellite at GGPoker, Dusk Till Dawn is running several WSOPC Main Event satellites. Two cost 120 to enter, each guaranteeing 20 Main Event seats. 2025 WSOPC UK Schedule Expand the table below to see the full 2025 WSOPC UK schedule. Date Time Evet Guarantee Sun 19 Oct 8:05 p.m. 165 WSOPC Online Mega Sat 20x seats Fri 14 Nov 12:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Mini Main Live Day 1a 150,000 1:00 p.m. 60 Main Event Sat 2x seats 5:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Mini Main Live Day 1b 150,000 6:00 p.m. 50 Daily Deepstack 5,000 Sat 15 Nov 12:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Mini Main Live Day 1c 150,000 1:00 p.m. 60 Main Event Sat 2x seats 5:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Mini Main Live Day 1d 150,000 6:00 p.m. 60 Daily Deepstack 5,000 Sun 16 Nov 1:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Mini Main Live Day 2 150,000 1:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC 6-Max 20,000 3:00 p.m. 60 Daily Deepstack 5,000 6:00 p.m. 90 Main Event Sat 10x seats Wed 19 Nov 2:00 p.m. 1,500 WSOPC PLO High Roller 50,000 2:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Seniors 15,000 4:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Turbo 15,000 7:00 p.m. 60 Main Event Sat 10x seats Thu 20 Nov 12:00 p.m. 1,500 WSOPC Main Event Live Day 1a 1,000,000 1:00 p.m. 60 Main Event Sat 2x seats 1:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Deepstack 15,000 6:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Sat 20x seats Fri 21 Nov 12:00 p.m. 1,500 WSOPC Main Event Live Day 1b 1,000,000 1:00 p.m. 60 Main Event Sat 2x seats 1:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Pot Limit Omaha 15,000 6:00 p.m. 120 Main Event Sat 20x seats Sat 22 Nov 12:00 p.m. 1,500 WSOPC Main Event Live Day 1c 1,000,000 1:00 p.m. 90 Main Event Sat 5x seats 1:00 p.m. 560 WSOPC Bounty 20,000 6:00 p.m. 90 Main Event Sat 10x seats 7:00 p.m. 1,500 WSOPC Main Event Turbo Day 1 1,000,000 Sun 23 Nov 10:00 a.m. 1,500 WSOPC Main Event Last Chance Turbo 1,000,000 1:00 p.m. 300 WSOPC Monster Stack 15,000 3:00 p.m. 1,500 WSOPC Main Event Live Day 2 1,000,000 3:00 p.m. 3,000 WSOPC High Roller Day 1 150,000 5:00 p.m. 120 Daily Deepstack Mon 24 Nov 12:00 p.m. WSOPC Main Event Final Day 1,000,000 12:00 p.m. 2,000 WSOPC High Roller Final Day 150,000 1:00 p.m. 560 WSOPC Closer 20,000 5:00 p.m. 60 Daily Deepstack 2024 WSOPC UK Results Daniel Charlton was the largest single winner of the 2024 WSOPC UK last March. Charlton banked 73,295 for his impressive victory in the Main Event. Colin MacAndrew won the 2,200 High Roller for 60,000, while Tom Hall triumphed in the 2,200 6-Max High Roller and saw his bankroll swell by 35,000. Event Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize 1,100 WSOPC Main Event 462 500,000 Dan Charlton 73,295 2,200 WSOPC High Roller 90 200,000 Colin MacAndrew 60,000 2,200 WSOPC 6-Max High Roller 51 100,000 Tom Hall 35,000 230 WSOPC Mini Main Event 615 118,080 Michael Burnett 22,250 1,100 WSOPC Turbo 44 50,000 Yuzhou Yin 18,000 340 WSOPC Colossus 467 134,496 Alexander Maskell 16,020 230 WSOPC Monster Stack 412 79,104 Robert Mcdam 14,490 230 WSOPC Bounty 211 19,412 Lei Wang 5,837 230 WSOPC Pot Limit Omaha 91 17,472 Simon Trumper 4,407 230 WSOPC Seniors 59 11,328 Ian Morris 3,028 230 WSOPC Ladies 32 6,144 Peggy Crawford 2,674 Share this article Yue Wang Captures Irish Poker Tour Athlone 30K in a Day Title Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Copy link Another stop of the 2025 Irish Poker Tour (IPT) wrapped up over the weekend. The ever-popular 30K in a Day mini festival event in Athlone, a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, was another roaring success. A 200 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em Main Event, boasting a 25,000 guarantee, was the schedule's highlight. Some 235 players bought in, resulting in a 38,350 prize pool. A monster-sized 14-hour session later, and Yue Wang emerged victorious, lifting the winner's trophy and receiving a career-best 10,000 prize. 200 IPT Athlone Main Event Final Table Results Rank Player Country Prize 1 Yue Wang Ireland 10,000 2 Vilius Kadelskas Lithuania 6,000 3 Stephen Dwyer Ireland 4,000 4 Cormac McGinty Ireland 2,800 5 Junior Costa Ireland 2,200 6 Mindaugas Arlickas Lithuania 1,700 7 Callum Houston Ireland 1,400 8 John Murphy Ireland 1,200 9 Jason Ward Ireland 1,000 The affordable buy-in made this tournament attractive to recreational players, but plenty of seasoned grinders also took a shot. Gavin O'Rourke, Mick Graydon, and the legendary Andy Black were among the entrants. Unfortunately for that trio's fans, they fell before the awarding of the prize money. Anthony Crampton, an IPT regular, popped the money bubble after coming unstuck in 25th place. Crampton's demise saw the 24 surviving players double their initial investment and edge closer to the 10,000 first-place prize. 1,000 was the least any of the nine finalists could take home. Jason Ward netted that sum after falling in ninth. John Murphy crashed out in eighth for 1,200 before Callum Houston bowed out in seventh for a 1,400 score. Mindaugas Arlickas, one of two Lithuanians who navigated to the final table, saw his tournament end in sixth place. The 1,700 he received was his first four-figure payday. Samuel Saariaho Wins the IPT Killarney Main Event for 100,000 Read more At one stage, Junior Costa was flying high and looked like he could go all the way. However, the Poker Gods had other ideas and resigned him to a fifth-place finish. Fourth-place and 2,800 went to Cormack McGinty, with Stephen Dwyer busting in third for 4,000, and sending the Athlone Main Event into the heads-up stage. Wang and Lithuania's Vilius Kadelskas locked horns heads-up and fought it out for the five-figure top prize. Kadelskas ultimately fell in second place, a finish good for 6,000, leaving Wang to bank 10,000 and the title of champion. It was another impressive run for the runner-up, who only started logging live results on his Hendon Mob profile in early 2024. Since then, Kadelskas has racked up almost $40,000 in live poker tournament earnings. The victory was Wang's third on the IPT, but his first in a Main Event. In September 2023, Wang won the 200 Pot-Limit Omaha 4/5/6 card event at the Tribesman Poker Festival in Galway for 2,900. Three months later, he took down the 100 No-Limit Hold'em event, also in Galway, for 1,480. Now he has completed a hat trick and reeled in the largest cash of his career to date. Siege of Clonmel IV is Next on the IPT's Agenda IPT events continue coming thick and fast as the end of 2025 draws near. The Talbot Hotel in Clonmel, County Tipperary, hosts the fourth edition of the Siege of Clonmel from October 17-19. The stop may only span three days, but IPT has managed to cram in seven tournaments, including a 200 buy-in Main Event that guarantees at least 50,000 will be won. In May 2025, Tommy O'Rourke navigated through a 415-strong field in the Siege of Clonmel III Main Event. His victory saw him take home 13,830 of the guarantee-busting 67,730 prize pool. Date Time Event Guarantee Fri 17 Oct 1:00 p.m. 200 Cotton Club 10K In A Day 10,000 6:00 p.m. 200 Siege of Clonmel Main Event Day 1a 50,000 8:00 p.m. 150 Friday Night Freezeout Sat 18 Oct 12:00 p.m. 200 Siege of Clonmel Main Event Day 1B 50,000 2:00 p.m. 150 Pot-Limit Omaha 7-Max 4:30 p.m. 200 Siege of Clonmel Main Event Day 1c 50,000 8:00 p.m. 150 Saturday Night NLHE 9:00 p.m. 200 Siege of Clonmel Main Event Day 1d 50,000 Sun 19 Oct 11:00 a.m. 200 Siege of Clonmel Main Event Day 1e Hyper 50,000 1:00 p.m. Siege of Clonmel Final Day 50,000 2:00 p.m. 150 Monster Stack 7,500 7:00 p.m. 150 PLO 4/5 Card Share this article Father and son devoted over 30 years to protecting the Yunnan golden hair monkeys 11:09, October 13, 2025 By Yang Wenming ( People's Daily Yu Jianhua (far left) is on patrol in the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, southwest China's Yunnan province. (Photo/Zeng Zhihui) In the primeval forests of southwest China's Yunnan province, at altitudes between 2,500 and 4,700 meters, lives a rare and enchanting species - the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey, also known as the Yunnan golden hair monkey. With its distinctive upturned nose, pink lips, and large, expressive eyes, it is known as the "elf of the snowy mountains" and is one of the most endangered primates in the world. From the earliest efforts to locate and observe these elusive animals, to initiatives in habitat restoration, scientific monitoring, and routine patrols, Chinese conservationists have spent decades advancing the species' recovery. In Xiangguguqing, part of the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve located around 3,000 meters above sea level, even young hikers struggle with the altitude. Yet 70-year-old Yu Jianhua continues his patrols through the mountainous terrain. Once regarded as the top hunter in Tachen township of Weixi Lisu autonomous county in Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, Yu gave up hunting at age 45 to become a forest ranger. His son, Yu Zhonghua, later returned from migrant work to join him. Together, they have spent over 30 years protecting the Yunnan golden hair monkey. Today, weekend visitors to Xiangguguqing might glimpse the monkeys foraging quietly in the forest, while tourists observe from a respectful distance - a picture of harmony between humanity and nature. "Thirty or forty years ago, even we struggled to spot them, let alone tourists," Yu Jianhua recalled. The turning point came in 1983 with the establishment of the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve. Recruited by the county forestry bureau, Yu Jianhua's first assignment was to find the monkeys - no small task in such vast, rugged terrain. He crossed countless ridges and rivers, dismantled traps, and rescued injured wildlife along the way. Yu Zhonghua installs an infrared camera for wildlife monitoring in the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, southwest China's Yunnan province. (Photo provided by Yu Zhonghua) "It was April 1995 when I began searching. I didn't see a monkey troop until March 1996 - more than a year later, and even then from about a kilometer away," Yu Jianhua said. Still too distant for meaningful observation, Yu persisted. It took nine more years to gain the monkeys' trust. By 2005, he was able to approach within ten meters. "Once I could see what trees they roosted in, what they ate, how they groomed each other, I finally understood how to create the right conditions for scientific protection," he explained. With his continued presence, additional monkey troops began settling in Xiangguguqing. By 2008, several family groups had established themselves, enabling long-term research and education efforts. Inspired by his father, Yu Zhonghua also joined the conservation effort. "I wanted to understand what kept him here all these years," he explained. At its core, the answer was simple: love. Despite daily treks spanning dozens of kilometers and foraging for wild vegetables, father and son viewed their work as an outdoor adventure. Photo shows Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys in the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, southwest China's Yunnan province. (Photo/He Xinming) Initially, the younger Yu simply followed in his father's lead-tracking footprints and identifying droppings. Over time, he developed a deep interest in local biodiversity, filling photo albums with rare species. When he encountered unfamiliar plants or animals, he turned to books and local knowledge. Through self-study, he learned the scientific names of many species and became known as a "local expert." Building on his father's legacy, Yu Zhonghua expanded the scope of work to include population monitoring, biodiversity surveys, and community co-management. In 2013, he joined the Tachen management station of the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, where he now trains rangers using practical experience and scientific methods. Their long-term observations have generated valuable data for researchers, shedding light on previously unanswered questions. Over the past decade, the Xiangguguqing monkey troop has welcomed nearly 150 newborns. While the troop's size remains stable at 50-70 individuals, growth is managed carefully. "When numbers exceed 70, we have to split the troop to maintain balance," Yu Zhonghua explained. Rangers spend entire days in the forest, tracking individual monkeys to ensure successful integration into new groups. So far, more than 80 monkeys have adapted to these new arrangements. Nationally, the population of Yunnan golden hair monkeys has grown from around 1,000 to 1,500 in 1996 to nearly 4,000 today. With new video monitoring systems, Yu Zhonghua can now observe the monkeys from his office. "But field visits remain essential. Only in the forest can you truly understand what's happening," he said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) Senior Reporter and Saturday editor Worked for Associated Press in Mississippi, Frontline at PBS in Washington, D.C., ABA Journal (American Bar Association's monthly magazine), Hearst in New York, Gannett in Louisiana and freelanced for The New York Times and Rolling Stone. Anna Sharpe covers Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach for the Post and Courier. She graduated from Winthrop University. She previously wrote for the Moultrie News in Mount Pleasant. Health Reporter Tom Corwin is the Health Reporter for The Post and Courier. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and has covered science, medicine, politics and state legislatures for newspapers in Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. Rising Waters Lab For the first time in years, Brown Pelicans return to Charleston Harbor nesting site near Shem Creek Reporter Lamaur Stancil writes about government, business, schools and entertainment in York County. He can be reached at 803-687-3436 or at X at @LamaurStancil PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 16:30:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 434 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 GREENVILLE, SC / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 /Cameron Ashley Building Products (Cameron Ashley) has opened its newest distribution center in Ontario, California, expanding its West Coast footprint and strengthening its ability to serve customers throughout the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, and surrounding markets. The facility will stock fiberglass insulation, mineral wool, spray foam, rigid board, sheathing, and related accessories, giving customers faster access to the products they need for residential and commercial projects."Southern California is one of the most dynamic construction markets in the country, and our customers deserve a partner who can move at their pace," said Cameron Ashley Regional Vice President Aaron Davis. "By opening in Ontario, we are strategically positioned to reduce delivery times, keep projects on schedule, and provide the local expertise our customers depend on. Our mission is clear: help customers win more jobs, improve profitability, and grow their businesses.The Ontario facility builds on Cameron Ashley's existing California network, which includes successful distribution centers in Visalia and Sacramento. Together, these locations enable the company to serve customers across both Northern and Southern California with local inventory and responsive service. "We are committed to expanding where our customers need us most," Davis added.The Ontario distribution center will be supported by a dedicated local team led by District Manager Chris Kizorek, who oversees operations across Southern California. "Our Ontario team is excited to serve customers in this fast-growing market," Kizorek said. "We are focused on getting the right products to the jobsite quickly and backing it up with expertise and service our customers can count on." The Ontario Distribution Center is located at 635 S Taylor Avenue, Ontario, CA 91761 and can be reached at 442-461-0435.About Cameron Ashley Building Products, Inc.Cameron Ashley is a leading wholesale distributor of roofing, insulation, gypsum, siding, and other specialty building products. We deliver a premier portfolio of nationally recognized brands to customers across the lumber and building materials industry.With more than 70 distribution centers nationwide, we stock large volumes of building products locally and offer flexible, customer-centric delivery options through our F^ST same-day or next-day delivery platforms.Our relationship-driven approach includes the industry-leading PLUS Points loyalty program, free merchandising support, as well as exclusive purchasing and show incentives. Customers can shop anytime through either our CONNECT online portal or mobile app, which provide real-time access to product availability, pricing, order history, secure payments, and detailed product specs and warranties.To learn more or place an order, visit cameronashleybp.com Contact InformationSara EllerVP Marketingsaraeller@ cameronashleybp.com 864-281-3687SOURCE: Cameron Ashley Building Products PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 18:00:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 552 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ALBANY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / CDPHP is pleased to announce that the locally-based, physician founded health plan has some of the highest-rated commercial and Medicare health plans in the nation, according to NCQA's Commercial Health Plan Ratings 2025 and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Star Ratings program.NCQA rates plans on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest score and 1 is the lowest. Plans were scored on patient experience, prevention, and treatment, as well as NCQA Health Plan Accreditation.Below is a breakdown of how commercial CDPHP plans are rated for 2025*:Capital District Physicians' Health Plan, Inc. - Commercial (HMO) - 4.5 out of 5Capital District Physicians' Healthcare Network - Commercial (HMO/POS Combined) - 4.5 out of 5CDPHP Universal Benefits, Inc. - Commercial (PPO) - 4.5 out of 5Capital District Physicians' Healthcare Network - Commercial (PPO) - 4.5 out of 5In addition, CDPHP is thrilled that CMS has once again rated both its Medicare Advantage PPO plans and Medicare Advantage HMO plans with 4.5 out of 5 Star Ratings, among the highest in New York state and the country.Medicare Star Ratings** provide consumers with valuable information needed to compare health plans. Each year, CMS rates Medicare plans on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the highest quality. The Star Rating System is an important feature of the Medicare Advantage program, as it encourages health insurers to strive for higher quality, which results in members receiving better care.Scores are based on several key categories, including:Preventive care services, such as screening tests and vaccinesManagement of long-term health conditionsMember experience with the health and drug planMember complaints, including problems getting servicesHealth and drug plan customer servicePharmacy services, such as accuracy of drug pricing and drug safetyImprovement in the health and drug plan's performance year over year"At CDPHP, quality isn't just a goal - it's the foundation of everything we do. These ratings are a powerful testament to our unwavering commitment to ensuring every member receives the right care, in the right setting, at the right time," said Brian O'Grady, president and CEO of CDPHP. "As you and your family prepare to make important health care choices this fall, I encourage you to consider the value of a not-for-profit, community-based health plan-one that puts members first and keeps care personal." For more information on the difference a CDPHP health plan can make, visit https://plans.cdphp.com CDPHP is an HMO and PPO plan that contracts with the federal government. Enrollment in CDPHP Medicare plans depends on contract renewal.*The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA's HEDIS is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website ( www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices.**Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.About CDPHPEstablished in 1984, CDPHP is a physician-founded, member-focused and community-based not-for-profit health plan that offers high-quality affordable health insurance plans to members in 36 counties throughout New York. CDPHP is also on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.Contact: Natalia Burkart(518) 542-8524 natalia.burkart@cdphp.com SOURCE: CDPHP PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 01:40:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 502 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY AND NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESS Newswire / October 12, 2025 /Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilOctober 13, 2025to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. (NYSE:KLC), if they purchased the Company's shares pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's October 2024 initial public offering (the "IPO"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.What You May DoIf you purchased shares of KinderCare as above and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit http://ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-klc/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action by overseeing lead counsel with the goal of obtaining a fair and just resolution, you must request this position by application to the Court byOctober 13, 2025 .About the LawsuitKinderCare and certain of its executives and others are charged with failing to disclose material information in its IPO Registration Statement and Prospectus (collectively, the "Offering Documents"), violating federal securities laws.The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) numerous incidents of child abuse, neglect, and harm had occurred at KinderCare facilities; (ii) the Company did not provide the "highest quality care possible" at its facilities, and, indeed, in numerous instances had failed to provide even basic care, meet minimum standards in the child care industry, or comply with the laws and regulations governing the care of children; and (iii) as a result, the Company was exposed to a material, undisclosed risk of lawsuits, adverse regulatory action, negative publicity, reputational damage, and business loss.The case is Gollapalli v. KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc., No. 25-cv-01424.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. This past year, KSF was ranked by SCAS among the top 10 firms nationally based upon total settlement value. KSF serves a variety of clients, including public and private institutional investors, and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana, Chicago, New Jersey, and a representative office in Luxembourg.TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action ServicesTo learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedInSOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 19:15:14 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 390 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Lessing's Hospitality Grouprecently suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to Lessing's Hospitality Group.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On August 20, 2025, Lessing's Hospitality Group discovered that an unauthorized party had gained access to an employee's email account. Upon discovery, the company immediately secured the account and began working with a forensic cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident. The investigation determined that unauthorized access had occurred, and that sensitive personal information may have been viewed.The impacted data may include names and other personal identifiable information.On October 3, 2025, Lessing's Hospitality Group began notifying impacted individuals, and on October 6, 2025, it filed notice of the breach with the Vermont Attorney General's Office. Compensation may be available for those individuals who receive notice that their sensitive personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from Lessing's Hospitality Group, an Alberta Partnership, you are likely to be affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. Our firm works on a 100% contingency fee basis - you pay nothing unless we win your case! Visit our website to learn more. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 27th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 19:00:53 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 408 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Sturgis Hospital recently disclosed that it suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal and protected health data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of personal and protected health information entrusted to Sturgis Hospital.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?In December 2024, Sturgis Hospital became aware of unauthorized activity within its computer network. Upon detection, Sturgis Hospital launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. While the investigation was still ongoing, further unauthorized activity was discovered in June 2025. On September 18, 2025, Sturgis Hospital confirmed that sensitive personal and protected health information had been compromised. The impacted information may include names, contact information, government identification numbers, financial account information, health insurance information, prescriptions, and treatment records.Sturgis Hospital filed a notice with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and began sending notice letters to impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who receive notice that their sensitive personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from Sturgis Hospital, you are likely to be affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. Our firm works on a 100% contingency fee basis - you pay nothing unless we win your case! Visit our website to learn more. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 27th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 19:15:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 429 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / WestJet, an Alberta Partnership ("WestJet") recently suffered a data breach that compromised the sensitive personal data of individuals. This data breach has led to concerns over the security of sensitive personal information entrusted to WestJet.WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?On June 13, 2025, WestJet became aware of a security incident on its internal network. Upon detection, WestJet launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party cyber security experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident. The investigation determined that an unauthorized third party gained access to WestJet's systems and obtained sensitive data from its network.The impacted data may include names, dates of birth, mailing addresses, information about the travel document you used when travelling with WestJet (such as your passport or other government issued identification document or number), and other information associated with your travel needs, such as accommodations requested or complaints filed.On September 30, 2025, WestJet filed notice of the data breach with the Office of the Maine Attorney General and began sending notice letters to impacted individuals. Compensation may be available for those individuals who receive notice that their sensitive personal information was compromised.WHY YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION?Data breaches are serious matters that can cause long-term damage. Hackers may use stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, or other crimes. Companies that fail to secure your personal data may be held liable for the resulting harm.HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?If you received a data breach notification letter from WestJet, an Alberta Partnership, you are likely to be affected. Follow the link below to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is investigating whether affected individuals are entitled to compensation. There is no cost or obligation to participate. Follow the link below to find out:Levi & Korsinsky, LLP is a nationally recognized consumer advocacy law firm that has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars against large corporations. The firm's team of over 70 extraordinary attorneys and professionals have a winning track record going against the most powerful defense attorneys in the world and know how to maximize your compensation. Our firm works on a 100% contingency fee basis - you pay nothing unless we win your case! Visit our website to learn more. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLPJoseph E. Levi, Esq.Ed Korsinsky, Esq.33 Whitehall Street, 27th FloorNew York, NY 10004 jlevi@ levikorsinsky.com Tel: (212) 363-7500Fax: (212) 363-7171 https://zlk.com/ SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 15:00:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 436 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Italian menswear house enters a new chapter with SGN Holding Corp., focusing on recovering its U.S. presence, elevating customer service, and renewing partnerships with key industry playersNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 /Pal Zileri, the iconic Italian menswear brand renowned for its modern tailoring and Venetian heritage, is making a powerful comeback in the United States. After a period of turnaround under CEO Leo Scordo, the brand has undergone a profound transformation over the past five years-streamlining operations, modernizing its collections with a new take on the "Italian casual " attire, and reinforcing its commitment to excellence. Pal Zileri 2025 Fall Collection New Fall Campaign 2025This season marks the second consecutive collaboration between Pal Zileri and SGN Holding Corp., the New York-based group spearheading the brand's reactivation in North America. Together, the teams have reignited relationships with historic retail partners while also opening doors with new accounts, positioning Pal Zileri once again as a key player in the premium menswear market."Pal Zileri is back-more focused, more attentive, and stronger than ever," said Sever Garcia, CEO of SGN Holding. "Our priority is to deliver not only exceptional products, but also the highest level of service. Timely deliveries, constant client support, and long-term partnerships are at the heart of our strategy." The brand's renewed momentum was recently showcased at The Collective Chicago, one of the most important menswear trade fairs in the U.S., where Pal Zileri presented its Spring/Summer 2026 collection to an enthusiastic response. The strong season results reflect a clear rebound, as retailers recognize both the design evolution of the brand and the reliability of its new operational model.As Pal Zileri looks ahead, the focus remains on expanding its footprint in North America, nurturing relationships with leading department stores and specialty retailers, and continuing to deliver Italian elegance with modern sophistication.About Pal ZileriFounded in Vicenza, Italy, Pal Zileri represents the essence of contemporary Italian tailoring and Italian casual , blending artisanal craftsmanship with a cosmopolitan spirit. Today, under the leadership of CEO Leo Scordo, the brand has redefined its strategy to bring timeless elegance and innovation to a new generation of clients worldwide.About SGN Holding Corp.SGN Holding Corp. is a New York-based fashion distribution and brand management group specializing in the development, marketing, and retail support of premium and luxury labels in North America. With a focus on operational excellence and long-term partnerships, SGN provides end-to-end services for international brands seeking to expand and thrive in the U.S. market.Contact InformationAngela CantareroProject Managerangela.cantarero@sgn-holding.com SOURCE: SGN Holding PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 19:00:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 436 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Quanex Building Products Corporation ("Quanex" or the "Company") (NYSE:NX). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.The class action concerns whether Quanex and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until November 18, 2025 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Quanex securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com [Click here for information about joining the class action]On September 4, 2025, after the market closed, Quanex announced its financial results for the third quarter of its 2025 fiscal year. Quanex disclosed, among other things, that ongoing "operational issues related to the legacy Tyman window and door hardware business in Mexico" had "impacted results more than expected[.]" Quanex also disclosed that it was "adjusting for lower expected volumes and pushing oug the timing of when [it] expect[s] to realize procurement savings" from integration of the Tyman business. Then, on September 5, 2025, Quanex held an earnings call to discuss the quarter's financial results. During the call, Chief Executive Officer George Wilson explained that the operational challenges at Tyman "negatively impacted EBITDA in the Hardware Solutions segment by almost $5 million in the third quarter alone." Wilson explained that the issue had been "identified midyear" and described the systems used to "anticipate and plan for tooling repairs" as significantly deficient.On this news, Quanex's stock price fell $2.73 per share, or 13.06%, to close at $18.18 per share on September 5, 2025.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 00:02:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 592 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 12, 2025 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Molina Healthcare, Inc. ("Molina" or the "Company") (NYSE:MOH). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.The class action concerns whether Molina and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.You have until December 2, 2025, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Molina securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com [Click here for information about joining the class action]On July 7, 2025, Molina issued a press release announcing financial results for the second quarter of 2025 and slashing full year 2025 adjusted earnings per share guidance. The press release reported second quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of approximately $5.50 per share, which was "below . . . prior expectations" due to "medical cost pressures in all three lines of business." The Company also announced that it "expects these medical cost pressures to continue into the second half of the year" and cut guidance for expected adjusted earnings per share 10.2% at the midpoint, from "at least $24.50 per share" to a "range of $21.50 to $22.50 per share." The press release revealed Molina was experiencing a "short-term earnings pressure" from a "dislocation between premium rates and a medical cost trend which has recently accelerated." On this news, Molina's stock price fell $6.97 per share, or 2.9%, to close at $232.61 per share on July 7, 2025.Then, on July 23, 2025, Molina issued a press release reporting its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 and further slashing the Company's full-year 2025 earnings guidance. The press release revealed, in part, that the Company's "GAAP net income was $4.75 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2025, a decrease of 8% year over year;" and it "now expects its full year 2025 adjusted earnings to be no less than $19.00 per diluted share." This represented another 13.6% cut to guidance of earnings per share at the midpoint, from the cut to guidance announced less than two weeks earlier. Molina also cut its guidance for its full year 2025 GAAP net income 27% to $912 million. Molina attributed its results a full year outlook to a "challenging medical cost trend environment," including mere "utilization of behavioral health, pharmacy, and inpatient and outpatient services." The Company claimed that its guidance cut also reflected "new information gained in the quarterly closing process." On this news, Molina's stock price fell $32.03 per share, or 16.84%, to close at $158.22 per share on July 24, 2025.Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 02:30:09 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 630 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 12, 2025 /WHY: New York, N.Y., October 12, 2025. Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) between October 30, 2023 and May 20, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important November 12, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you purchased V.F. Corporation securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the V.F. Corporation class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=44811 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 12, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants disseminated materially false and misleading statements and/or concealed material adverse facts concerning the true state of V.F. Corporation's turnaround plans. Specifically, defendants provided investors with material information concerning V.F. Corporation's turnaround plan ("Reinvent"), which in part focused on efforts to return the Vans brand to positive growth. The lawsuit alleges that defendants concealed that additional significant reset actions would be necessary to return the Vans brand to growth, and would result in significant setbacks to Vans' revenue growth trajectory. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the V.F. Corporation class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=44811 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.---Contact Information:Laurence Rosen, Esq.Phillip Kim, Esq.The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.275 Madison Avenue, 40th FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PR-Inside.com: 2025-10-13 16:20:08 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 332 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CHAMPIONS GATE, FL / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / Silver Scott Mines, Inc. (OTCID:SILS) announced today the resignation of Stuart Fine, its President and Chief Executive Officer. Pursuant to a separation agreement executed with Mr. Fine, the Company is transferring certain assets to Mr. Fine in exchange for 7,763,993 shares of Silver Scott Mines common stock, which represent Mr. Fine's entire ownership interest in the Company The transferred assets consist primarily of rights to certain websites and domains established in connection with the Company's blockchain and healthtech initiatives.Wesley Holland, the Company's Chairman, commented "We thank Stuart for his efforts in endeavoring to develop the Silver Scott brand. At this juncture, our Board of Directors has concluded that the long-term interests of the Company's shareholders would be best served by pursuing a different path. As a result, we are shifting our focus to maximizing the value of our remaining assets and evaluating new business opportunities, including potential acquisitions or business combinations with one or more businesses or entities." Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United Stated Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected and projected. Words such as expects, believes, anticipates, intends, estimates, seeks and variations and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements with respect to revenues, earnings, performance, strategies, prospects and other aspects of the business of Silver Scott Mines, Inc., are based on current expectations that are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from the events, performance and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to the ability to successfully implement the business plans of Silver Scott Mines, Inc.Contact information:Wesley Holland whollandmd@ gmail.com 520 907 0733SOURCE: Silver Scott Mines Inc Nollywood actor and filmmaker Adeoluwa Saga Okusaga has spoken about the inspiration behind his upcoming movie, Falling Notes. In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the former BBNaija housemate revealed that the upcoming YouTube film is a romantic story. He said the film scheduled for 19 October is designed to take viewers on an emotional journey exploring themes of love, heartbreak, betrayal, and moments of laughter. Saga, an engineer, said: The driving force behind Falling Notes really comes from my creative instinct and the need to express myself beyond acting. Ive always seen myself as more than just a creative; I wanted to introduce myself to the world as a producer, filmmaker, and storyteller. This project felt like the perfect way to do that; it reflects my artistic voice and is a step toward building stories that carry my personal touch. I wanted it to feel like life itself, unpredictable but beautiful. The music plays a big role; its meant to lift your spirit, even in the sad moments. I hope people dont just watch the film but feel it and connect with the emotions, rhythm, and message behind every scene. Falling Notes Saga further stated that the forthcoming film was not a direct reflection of his life but admitted that it contained elements of his experiences, including emotions, lessons, and moments of vulnerability. He emphasised that he deliberately ensured the story remained authentic and relatable. The lover boy energy you see is something I naturally connect with; its part of my personality and something Ive embraced in my craft. We filmed in places where I lived, which held personal meaning to me, so every frame felt authentic. Its fiction, yes, but its rooted in truth, my truth, in many ways, said the artiste. Additionally, Saga noted that he faced financial, emotional, and creative challenges while producing Falling Notes. I had huge ambitions for the project, even though it is a YouTube film, which meant putting in more time and resources than I initially planned. I even had to start singing again, something I hadnt done properly since my university days. Balancing production, being part of the writing, directing and editing while juggling other jobs wasnt easy, but Im grateful for the support from my cousin, Nastii beats (moyo okusaga), who is the music producer, my writer Anwuri Ijenebe, producer and DOP Mayowa Oladigbolu and director Valentine Edochie, who shared my vision from start to finish. It was tough, but deeply rewarding, said the actor. Duality Speaking on the films interpretation of the dual nature of fame as both a blessing and a curse, Saga said that while fame is indeed a blessing, it also attracts intense scrutiny. He explained that this is because people constantly watch, judge, and form opinions, which can sometimes be overwhelming. He added that coming from a structured and private background made it take some time for him to adjust. But as an artist, Ive learned that visibility is part of the journey. You want your work to be seen, your art to be appreciated, and your message to reach people. So while I stay intentional about what I share and how I navigate public life, I also embrace that my art deserves to be out there, to be felt, seen, and experienced. Diverse background Furthermore, he explained that his diverse background as an engineer, artiste, and reality TV star influenced every aspect of his creative process. Saga stated that engineering instilled a sense of structure, precision, and attention to detail, qualities that naturally reflect his work as a filmmaker. He further noted that his engineering experience also taught him discipline and order, adding that he likes things to be precise and purposeful. The actor said, Art, on the other hand, gave me freedom; the ability to visualise, feel, and build from emotion. Art also opened me up emotionally; it taught me to see stories from multiple angles and guide a project from concept to completion. My experience on Big Brother Naija taught me a lot about people, fame, and perception, which directly connect to Falling Notes. Together, these experiences allow me to approach filmmaking with logic and soul. I can see the big picture, from writing to editing, with intention behind every decision. Which ties perfectly into the themes explored in Falling Notes. Creation The filmmaker further stated that every aspect of his background reflects how he creates films and other works. Moreover, Saga expressed his desire to leave a lasting impact on the Nollywood industry that goes beyond mere fame. For me, its about being remembered for my creativity, the risks I took, and the stories I helped bring to life. I genuinely believe Nollywood has what it takes to stand shoulder to shoulder with Hollywood, and I want to be part of that movement. There are so many stories within us, so much depth and beauty in our culture, and I want my work to contribute to showing that to the world, said Saga. Teachers Day, celebrated worldwide on 5th October, serves to honour educators for their dual role in imparting knowledge and values, as well as acting as guardians and mentors. On Monday, 6th October, the Students Outreach Project (SOP) at the American University of Nigeria produced and screened a documentary created by students that highlights the significant impact of teachers on their academic journeys, to which they invited members of our learning community. President of the University, DeWayne P. Frazier, sharing his thoughts on the significance of the day, congratulated teachers for their special role in society: There is one profession that truly stands alone and it is teaching. All careers and successful trades launch with great teaching. A society that values their educators and medical workers, will certainly propel to the top of country-wide development. Teachers in Nigeria and around the world are not in it for the paycheck, but for the impact. I am proud of the years that I taught as well and to think, the world can really be changed, one child at a time. The interplay between teachers and students stands as a crucial aspect of human interaction across cultures. While parents play a foundational role in early education, teachers offer an environment akin to a laboratory for evaluating and enhancing knowledge acquisition, underscoring their critical influence in shaping the learning process. One can stretch this position philosophically, pointing to Platos special relationship with Socrates his teacher whose works he immortalized through an intense reinterpretation of his dialogues. I will extend this argument by positing that the experiential partnership between students and teachers creates new frontiers of knowledge and that what students see in their favorite teachers is the how, not so much as what. Style is more fundamental than substance in knowledge transmission. Therefore, when students honor their teacher, they ultimately imagine their knowledge tapestry as personified by the teachers who make the most impact. In examining the relationship between style and substance in educational contexts, it can be argued that prioritizing style may seem unconventional or controversial. However, students are not required to demonstrate their appreciation for their favorite teachers through specific actions. It is a common assumption that young minds are highly impressionable; yet, the reality is that only a select number of teachers manage to leave a significant and enduring impression on their students. This highlights the complexity of the teacher-student dynamic, where mere preference does not equate to genuine influence or impact on the educational experience. Ultimately, the effectiveness of a teacher may rely more on the substance of their teachings rather than their stylistic appeal. Harold Blooms literary paradigm easily comes to mind, describing the inherent tension between influence (the agency of the teacher) and source (original knowledge), while highlighting the crucial role of intermediation without diluting the quantum of work to be done the final work by the student, and how the student completes the teachers work through his creative reinvention of the knowledge sequence. Style over substance, or is this illusionary. So I asked three really smart AUN students what they think. Law student and immediate past President of the prestigious AUN Honor Society Mr. Israel Curtis-Dike makes his points, that the teachers who have truly impacted his life were those whose teaching styles are distinct and engaging. I initially struggled with mathematics during my early school years, recognizing my capabilities but not excelling. This situation changed in Primary Six due to an inspiring teacher who simplified the subject and encouraged my potential. His disappointment at my imperfection and celebration of my achievements, like earning the Math Star of the Week, fostered my enthusiasm. Consequently, I pursued University Calculus at AUN, driven by newfound confidence and love for mathematics. Coming to AUN, Israel encountered Professor Agatha Ukata, one of the most beloved teachers on campus and the impact was no less profound. Her (Professor Agathas) approach to teaching elevated my learning experience tremendously. She ensures that no student is left behind, and the enthusiasm she brings to each class reflects her deep passion for education. Although the coursework in her classes was rigorous, her energy made the process engaging and rewarding. I was so inspired by her teaching that I enrolled in a second course under her instruction, simply to experience that same sense of excitement and intellectual fulfillment again. Another Law student, Ms. Bilkisu Abdulkadir Alkali, who is President of AUNs Students Sustainability Club (STAR Club) offers a profound insight into students high expectations of the learning experience. The structured system of classes, grading, and syllabi is familiar. But I do think that students engage more when learning is treated not as a set of facts to be memorized, but as ideas to be questioned, argued with, and debated. When knowledge becomes a conversation instead of a command, thats when it comes alive. So yes, its not just the substance but the how. And by style, I dont just mean being charismatic or unconventional for the sake of it. Style, to me, also means teaching students that knowledge is never final. Its showing them that the version of truth youre giving them is partial that the rest of the journey is theirs. A teachers real task is to make students aware that they must go beyond what theyve been taught. Thats why good teaching forces students to engage critically. You dont just accept what youre told; you take it apart, process it, and rebuild it. That process of mental resistance of testing ideas before accepting them is how genuine understanding forms. Of course, unconventional approaches can help. Being practical, playful, or even deliberately provocative keeps learning from feeling mechanical. But those things shouldnt overshadow content. The goal isnt to entertain; its to teach in a way that activates thinking. For example, even in a math class, students should be encouraged to question the reasoning behind formulas or to find alternative solutions not because its easy, but because it makes them think like mathematicians rather than memorizers. Thats why, for me, AUNs most exciting learning happens outside the formal classroom. The informal culture here the freedom to create, organize, and experiment is where the experiential partnership truly thrives. When we call AUN a student-led or developmental university, its not just branding. Over time, those ideas have shaped an entire culture. Students here get to build real things organize TEDx events, partner with NGOs, make films, or execute projects from scratch and the university supports it. Thats experiential learning at its best. International and Comparative Politics major, and President of the AUN Students Outreach Project, Mr. Abdullahi Audu Isa, shares a unique perspective: The teachers who have influenced me most are those whose style makes learning come alive. They are the ones who make me comfortable enough to meet them after class, send an email, or share my genuine thoughts. They create an open atmosphere where youre encouraged to ask questions, challenge ideas, or even get things wrong without fear. Of course, what they teach still matters, but Ive learned that substance and style go hand in hand. A teachers depth of knowledge gives meaning to their style, while their style gives life to that knowledge. Its a balance that makes learning not just informative, but inspiring. Teachers play a critical role in the educational process, with a significant focus on those who effectively create productive learning tensions. READ ALSO: Remi Tinubu donates 21 buses to OAU These transformative educators challenge students to move beyond their comfort zones, fostering an environment where intellectual friction encourages questioning, reflection, and the reframing of understanding. Here, style matters. Rather than simply delivering content, these teachers guide learners through effective methodologies that help them build resilience when faced with complexities. This process allows students to turn uncertainty into insight, significantly impacting their knowledge acquisition. The insights gained extend beyond academic achievements, reshaping students perspectives, values, and aspirations, causing a lasting influence that resonates well beyond the confines of the classroom. The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has commended Germanys 1 billion commitment to the Global Fund. Africa CDC described the pledge as a powerful demonstration of solidarity and global leadership in strengthening health systems and ending infectious diseases. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa CDC, disclosed this at the ongoing World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany on Sunday. Mr Kaseya said the fund is expected to accelerate efforts to end HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, while supporting pandemic preparedness and advancing universal health coverage across Africa. He said the investment came at a pivotal time as the continent deepens the implementation of the New Public Health Order, which seeks to strengthen national health systems and promote equitable access to healthcare. This is a powerful act of solidarity and global leadership, he said. It reaffirms the importance of shared responsibility in global health and will help build a more resilient and equitable Africa capable of preventing and responding to health threats. He said that the Global Fund remained a vital partner in Africas health landscape, supporting disease control efforts, laboratory capacity, surveillance, and supply chain systems in many countries. He said Germanys renewed financial commitment would help African Union Member States consolidate progress towards ending preventable deaths and achieving sustainable health security. The Africa CDC welcomes this partnership as we continue to advance Africas New Public Health Order, built on strong institutions, local manufacturing, and an empowered health workforce, he added. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Global Fund, established in 2002, is a partnership that mobilises and invests resources to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, and has saved more than 59 million lives globally. (NAN) The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that between 10 and 20 per cent of adolescents globally experience mental health disorders such as depression and psychosis, often beginning between the ages of 11 and 18. WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu while speaking at the 2025 International Adolescent Health Week in Abuja on Monday, said mental health challenges among young people remain underdiagnosed and untreated, leading to long-term health and social consequences. Mr Ursu, who was represented by Mary Brantuo lamented low mental health literacy, stigma, and inadequate access to services, noting that only 2030 per cent of Nigerian adolescents engage in regular physical activity. He said improving adolescent health is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring Nigerias long-term development. He called for greater investment, intersectoral collaboration, and community engagement to promote physical and mental health across the country. Mr Ursu described the annual event as an opportunity to highlight the urgent need to invest in the physical and mental well-being of the countrys estimated 20 million adolescents. Students call for stronger action At the event, Peculiar Bassey, a student at Junior Secondary School, Karonmajigi, expressed gratitude to the government, teachers, and parents for their support but appealed for stronger action to address the silent struggles of young people. Miss Bassey noted that many young people struggle with issues that are often left unspoken, such as stress, low self-esteem, peer pressure, and loneliness. She said these challenges affect both the mind and body and must be addressed with empathy and support. She urged parents, teachers, and leaders to listen to adolescents without judgement and to create safe spaces for open conversations about mental health and personal well-being. Renewed commitment Responding to adolescent concerns, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, reaffirmed the governments commitment to improving adolescent health outcomes nationwide. Represented by the Ministrys Director of Human Resource Management, Tetshoma Dafeta, Mr Pate said Nigerias future stability depends on how well the country nurtures its adolescents, who make up about 23 per cent of the population. He listed key efforts, including the creation of an Adolescent and School Health Branch, a dedicated budget line for adolescent health, and the implementation of the National Adolescent Health Policy and related guidelines. Mr Pate urged states yet to establish such provisions to do so and called on policymakers to allocate portions of key ministries budgets, including Education, Youth, and Women Affairs, to adolescent development. He also emphasised the need for open discussions on mental health, improved counselling services, and stronger collaboration among schools, families, and communities. Inclusion and collaboration At the event, the Society for Family Health (SFH) called for greater prioritisation of adolescent-friendly services to ensure equitable access to healthcare, especially for young girls. SFHs Country Manager for Partnerships and Collaboration, Jennifer Adebambi, said the organisations Adolescents 360 (A360) project has reached over one million girls aged 1519 with family planning services, 175,000 with antenatal and safe delivery care, and 500,000 with vocational and economic empowerment programmes. Ms Adebambi urged the Federal Ministry of Health to integrate adolescent health into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), adding that SFH remains committed to supporting universal health coverage and youth inclusion. Investing in Nigerias future Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, described adolescents as the foundation of Nigerias social and economic future. Represented by the Director of Family Health, Binyerem Ukaire, she reaffirmed the Ministrys commitment to expanding youth-friendly health services, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. READ ALSO: Global health leaders seek stronger health agencies to prevent future pandemics Ms Kachollom highlighted the governments Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent, and Elderly Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) platform as a multi-sectoral effort to coordinate adolescent health and development. Take care of your body, nurture your mind, and stay positive, she told the youth, stressing that investing in adolescents is investing in the nations future. About the event The week-long event, themed Thriving Inside and Out, was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with development partners to promote inclusive health and education systems for adolescents. The theme emphasised the interconnection between physical and mental health, encouraging young people to build resilience, adopt healthy lifestyles, and develop emotional balance. The men who cornered Ita James did not come for his catch. In this bustling town of Ibaka, one of Nigerias largest fishing towns, fishers know how sudden and brutal such an encounter could be. Speedboats fitted with twin 200-horsepower engines emerge from the horizon, shots are fired, and fishermen are forced by men armed with automatic rifles to promptly unbolt and hand over their outboard engines. Those who resist are beaten, sometimes killed. After the attackers vanish, the victims boats are left dead on the water, drifting until help arrives. Many fishers return home broken, having borrowed to replace a stolen engine, only to lose it again. It is like working for the criminals, said Mr James, who lost two engines in two years. It happened more than once; I lost them. Some people have lost [engines] three or more times. After he escaped a third attack, this time with a borrowed motor, the owner promptly took the equipment away. The 51-year-old now works as a hired hand on another boat, earning just enough to keep his family. It has been difficult, very difficult. If you fight them, they kill you. People are killed and thrown in the water. During an interview in August, Mr James sat on a wooden bench with three other fishermen at Ibakas main harbour, repairing nets at a time when owners of engine-powered boats were at sea. They take our engines, phones, money; sometimes your fish and everything, said Moses Lawrence, another fisher. And you will be stranded and, [if] God helps you, another boat comes around. It is very common here; there is almost nobody who has not suffered this problem. He speaks flatly, his face lean and weathered in the morning sun, as the Atlantic lapped the coastline and dozens of traders walked by. Officially, Nigerias waters are now safer. Maritime authorities say significant progress has been made in addressing piracy, with no recorded attack on vessels in four years. But along the same coastline, small-scale fishers and women traders tell a different story: of engines stolen, people kidnapped, and deaths that are not investigated. Despite upbeat security reports, attacks have shifted from oil tankers and industrial trawlers to the countrys poorest workers at sea. It is a big challenge for us, and nobody has helped us for years, says Okon Ukutuda, a chief-designate in Ibaka and leader of one of the local fishermen unions. Our people have died in this problem. Hundreds of people are affected a year. The crisis now shapes life along Nigerias 850-kilometre coastline: small-scale fishers, who supply more than 80 per cent of the countrys domestic catch, work for years or sell their belongings to buy boats and engines, only to lose them to sea robbers. Many are sometimes beaten, abducted, or killed. Women who trade across these waters are also frequent targets. Fishers in Akwa Ibom, where Ibaka is located, have held protests to demand protection, but so far, that has not happened. The Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency said patrols have improved security. In the latest ICC International Maritime Bureau report on piracy and armed robbery at sea, the number of actual and attempted incidents in Nigeria dropped from 35 in 2020 to just one last year. But attacks targeting artisanal fishers have not abated, a joint review by Pluboard and PREMIUM TIMES found. There is hardly a week that someone has not been attacked, said Mr Ukutuda. Even last week, they lost seven engines. Nothing has changed, and we are fed up. The victims are mostly men who fish, and also women who travel the same waters to trade smoked fish, crayfish, and other goods between coastal towns and into Cameroon. Women make up about a quarter of Nigerias fishing workforce. One woman told us she was kidnapped and held for weeks at a remote creek after failing to pay a ransom. We were 27 people, and they demanded N5 million ($3,500) for each of us, she said. There is no official record of how many small-scale fishers and traders have been attacked in Nigerias waters, but testimonies from those affected show the violence is widespread. A review of news reports from 2021 found 14 recorded incidents in which 106 fishers, traders, and others were abducted, and at least three were killed. Interviews with fishermen and traders point to many more unreported attacks. Security forces have not been spared, either. In January last year, pirates disguised in military camouflage ambushed a police marine patrol along the OronCalabar waterways, leaving one officer missing and two injured. In late July, just before our visit, two naval officers were shot dead at Ibaka, according to multiple independent sources. The Navy and police did not respond to requests for comment. To understand the scale of the attacks, we visited Ibaka, Ibeno, Andoni, and Oron, interviewing more than two dozen people fishers, traders, local leaders, security officials, and marine experts. We also examined police and naval reports, alongside reports from nongovernmental and international monitoring groups. Some of those interviewed asked for their identities to be protected; some spoke on condition of anonymity. Locals in these communities have a deep fear that outsiders could be informants for the pirates; they speak cautiously, and few agree to be recorded or photographed. After seizing boat engines or abducting fishers and traders the assailants demand millions of naira in ransom. Encounters could turn deadly quickly, sometimes just a short distance from shore. Everyone we interviewed said the government has done little to respond to or curb the attacks. They are heavily armed, more than the security people, one fisher, asking not to be named, said. Last month, they killed two navy personnel; they even came into the community to abduct our people. A troubled sector Artisanal fishing small, low-tech, and largely unregulated drives Nigerias 1.1 trillion fishing industry, supporting the livelihoods of 24 million people. But its informal model also limits the sectors growth. Nigeria produces only a third of the 3.6 million metric tons of fish it consumes yearly; imports exceeded half a billion dollars in 2023. The small-scale fishing has come under growing pressure from depleted stocks, fuelled by changing weather and overfishing. Illegal fishing alone, mainly by foreign and industrial trawlers, costs up to $600 million annually, while stronger storms and rising sea temperatures drive species farther out to sea. When we were younger, you didnt need to go far to get fish; it was easy, recalled Nria Friday, a middle-aged man who grew up fishing bonga, tilapia, and barracuda off the shores of Ikwuru in Andoni, Rivers State, some 86 kilometres from the state capital, Port Harcourt. Now, everything has changed. Scientists warn that these changes are structural. Rising temperature affects fish in specific ways, and stocks tend to decline, said Isangadighe Isangadighe, head of the fisheries and aquaculture department at the University of Uyo. Few places depict this shift better than Ibaka, which lies on the Atlantic edge of Akwa Iboms Mbo Local Government Area, along a busy coastal stretch about 70 nautical miles from Limbe, Cameroon. For decades, Ibakas shores have thrived as a hub for fishing and trade, with fleets of canoes landing daily and thousands of women moving fish across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers State, and into Cameroon. Fishers in that community, and those across Ibeno, Oyorokoto, and other coastal towns, now struggle with piracy, which was once focused on oil and cargo vessels in the Niger Delta. With nearshore fish depleted, venturing deeper into the ocean risks more attacks. Attacks were also reported in Utan Brama, Inua Abasi, and Ataobong. The Fish Safety Foundation, a global non-profit, says deaths among West African fishers remain high, driven by poor government oversight, conflict with industrial vessels, and the need for many boats to travel farther from shore than in the past to find enough fish. Sam Willis, the organisations research lead, said the risks at sea are growing from foreign vessels, pirates, and even artisanal fishers from neighbouring countries. As stocks are depleted (due to both overfishing and climate change), the pressures faced by coastal communities are escalating, driving the rise in such attacks, she told us. Nigeria is particularly vulnerable to these issues due to its position on the equator (and subsequent impacts of climate change), its rapidly growing population (food security), and weak management of foreign fishing activities. Faithful God Mr James started fishing as a teenager. He knows each breathing swell of the sea, the spots where bonga gather, and when the tides favour a good haul. Before the three attacks he suffered, his canoe would cross the water at dusk and return with enough catch for good money. The first attack happened in 2020 when his engine was seized. He and his crew were near Ibeno when they were accosted by a speedboat. His engine was taken away, and he was left with a number to call for negotiations. No one answered when he tried days later. Mr James said he sold land to buy a second engine the next year, but was attacked again. The attackers asked him to head to the Ikot Abasi area, but he gave up. Sometimes, they can seize up to 10 engines a day. They also collect phones and then ask you to pay millions, he said. A new engine goes for as much as N3 million, while a Suzuki 40-horsepower can cost up to N5 million. Unable to replace engines, many fishers abandon their boats. At the wharf, hundreds of boats lie unused. The fishers say many were abandoned after the owners lost their engines. One boat reads Faithful God, and another Main A. The community leader, Mr Ukutuda, said that the previous week, seven engines were lost to pirates. He faulted claims that the government had responded to and addressed the problem. This place is very important economically, but the government does not give it attention. About 1,000 trucks of fish leave Ibaka a week, he said. Marine police and the Navy will say they are doing something, but they are doing nothing. We get no help. Women as victims Under the hesitant afternoon sun, hundreds of women crowd into long, low-slung commercial boats, carrying bananas, crayfish, cereals, and containers of dry gin, or ufofop, ready to leave the Ibaka shore. One of the women yet to board, Rose Okon, said she would be going to Ataobong in Okobo district to sell her wares. Women like Ms Okon shuttle Ibaka, Ataobong, Abana, Inua Abasi, and others to buy and sell at fishing communities. Last year, armed men attacked a boat she was travelling on and seized all the bags of crayfish on board. Mine was 10 bags. They took everything, she said. A bag sold for N250,000. Such attacks do not always end that way. Thirty-six-year-old Inemesit (we changed her name) was a fish trader until she was attacked in 2023. While travelling the Nigeria-Cameroon corridor to buy fish, her boat was intercepted minutes after leaving the Ibaka seaport. The boatman suddenly claimed the engine had a fault, she said in an interview. Before we knew it, two other boats filled with gunmen blocked us and forced us to their creek. Ms Inemesit and 26 others were marched into a tarpaulin shelter on a remote island. She remained in captivity for three weeks. She said breakfast was a handful of garri shaken inside a plastic bottle with water. Lunch was bread. No dinner. Her abductors called families and fish traders unions in Nigeria and Cameroon to raise millions in ransom. Her release came after her trade association bargained the kidnappers demands down. They first asked for 5 million each, she said. In the end, the unions contributed. They released all of us after that. By then, she had lost everything her savings, capital, and even a payment that arrived in her bank account during captivity. They collected everything, she said. The ordeal ended her business. I suffered three losses post-harvest, the kidnapping, and then health issues. I spent everything on treatment and still borrowed. Now I dont have capital. I only help my cousin in her small shop. After we spoke to Ms Inemesit the first time, she agreed to do a follow-up interview, but later turned down, uncomfortable with reliving the experience again. Paying to fish We asked the government in Akwa Ibom about the attacks and its policy toward the sector, but got no reply. The ministry in charge of agriculture and fisheries took our questions but did not respond. We visited the police main office in Uyo, called and sent messages seeking details about whether attackers were arrested or prosecuted, and efforts to contain the threat, but received no response. We also asked the Navy about the attacks, including the reported deaths of two of its personnel. We visited the naval base in Port Harcourt and contacted the headquarters in Abuja, and followed up with typed questions. Navy spokesperson Adams Aliu confirmed receipt of the questions but gave no responses. ALSO READ: Africa must not miss the boat on the WTO fishing subsidies deal In the October 2024 edition of Eastern Tide, the Navys Eastern Commands publication, the Navy referenced routine patrols against pirates and sea robbery but made no mention of interventions concerning small-scale fishermen. References were to large vessels and oil platforms. In separate reports, the Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) cited arrests of illegal trawlers and other suspects, but focused on large vessels. In September, NIMASA acknowledged that maritime insecurity persists, including piracy and armed robbery, but claimed no recorded piracy incident in the last four years. We asked the agency about the attacks on fishers and traders, and received no response. Spokesperson Edward Osagie did not comment after acknowledging receipt. To access the water safely, fishers now pay monthly protection fees to armed groups between 30,000 and 80,000 per boat, depending on size. At Ibaka, contributions from more than 130 boats are pooled and sent to the militants. Those who default risk losing their engines or their lives. If they dont pay, they cant go to fish, said Daniel Udo, a fisher and local chief at Ibeno. They know all the boats and also have informants. As the humid evening dimmed, Mr James crouched over the old net he had been patching. Nearby, women haggled over the days catch while the sea growled in the distance. When I gather enough money, I will get another engine. Theres nothing else we can do, he said. This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center Hamas has released all remaining living Israeli hostages following the implementation of the US-brokered peace agreement, which is expected to bring an end to the two-year-long war. The 20 hostages, part of the over 200 Israelis kidnapped on 7 October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, were released on Monday as part of a ceasefire deal. Last week, Israel and Hamas agreed to the peace agreement initiated by President Donald Trumps administration. The peace process is expected to be in phases. According to Mr Trump, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of hostages from both ends are the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. Many Palestinians who have been held prisoners by the Israeli army have also been released. Al Jazeera reports that crowds cheered the prisoners as they got off the buses that transported them from Ofer Prison to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Family members and friends were seen hugging the prisoners upon their arrival. Palestinians have also begun to return to what is left of their homes in northern Gaza. They are, however, in desperate need of humanitarian aid. More than 67,806 people have died and 170,066 others have been wounded since the conflict began in October 2023. READ ALSO: Global health leaders seek stronger health agencies to prevent future pandemics Israels imposed starvation has also been significantly increasing the death toll in Gaza, particularly among children. The United Nations said that since late May, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,400 people in Gaza as they tried to obtain food. However, the UN reported that humanitarian aid efforts have increased, with cooking gas entering for the first time since March, along with expanded deliveries of food and medical supplies. Ongoing examinations at several Nigerian universities were disrupted on Monday as the two-week warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) took effect. Some of the affected institutions include the Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State; the University of Jos, Plateau State; and the University of Benin, Edo State. Others, like the Bayero University Kano and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi,, had just concluded their examinations, narrowly escaping the strike period. Students at the Federal University Dutse had begun their second semester examinations on 30 September and were scheduled to end by 18 October. However, several students told PREMIUM TIMES that they were informed that examinations would continue after the ASUU strike. We are having BIO 204 today, but they have shifted it to when they come back from the strike, said Abdulqawiy Abdulazeez, a Zoology student at the university. The students said the circular was sent to them via their respective class WhatsApp groups. A final year student at the universitys Economics Department, Yunusa Abubakar, said his final paper, scheduled for Wednesday 15 October, will no longer hold. Mr Abubakar, on campus for an appointment with his final year project supervisor, said the meeting couldnt be held due to the strike. At ATBU Bauchi, one student told our reporter via telephone that examinations had been concluded. However, some final year students are still awaiting their final year project defence. When our reporter visited Bayero University, Kano, students leaving the school premises with their luggage said they had finished their semester examinations and were not affected by the strike. PREMIUM TIMES also gathered that examinations were disrupted at UNIBEN on Monday. ASUU strike Nigerian lecturers under ASUU are protesting the non-conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement and the release of the withheld three-and-a-half months salaries. The lecturers are also requesting payment of the outstanding 25-35 per cent salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years, and the release of withheld cooperative contributions deductions among others. No work, no pay In reaction, the government has directed Vice-Chancellors of all federal universities to strictly implement the No work, No pay policy on lecturers who stay away from duty due to the strike. In a letter addressed to the vice-chancellors, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, asked the vice-chancellors to conduct a roll call and physical headcount of all academic staff in their institution; submit a comprehensive report, clearly indicating staff who are present and performing their official duties, and those absent or participating in the strike; and ensure that salary payment for the period of work stoppage is withheld from those who fail to perform their duties. The education minister accused ASUU of not negotiating with the government in good faith. However, ASUU said the government has continued to neglect them, adding that nothing significant has happened since the strike ultimatum was issued two weeks ago. The union noted that an emergency meeting held with the governments delegation on Friday, 10 October was nothing to write home about. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday expressed its solidarity with the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and faulted the governments implementation of a No work, No Pay policy. In a statement by its president, Joe Ajaero, the NLC noted that ASUUs ongoing warning strike is a direct consequence of the governments refusal to honour collectively bargained agreements. Mr Ajaero called on the federal government to immediately set aside its threats and use the two-week window to address the core issues in the negotiated agreements with ASUU. He said the governments continued refusal to implement agreements voluntarily reached with lecturers and workers is undermining public tertiary institutions. He said the NLC is deeply concerned by the persistent crisis in Nigerias public education system, marked by chronic underfunding and a failure to honour agreements. Rather than engaging in good faith to resolve the crisis, the government has resorted to the unproductive threat of No Work, No Pay. This misrepresents the situation. The breach of contract lies with the state, not the scholars, he said. In light of this, the Nigeria Labour Congress hereby declares its full solidarity with ASUU and all other unions in the tertiary education sector. NLC throws support Mr Ajaero noted that the lecturers are willing to work, but the government has made it impossible for them as it continues to renege on its commitments. This struggle extends beyond an isolated industrial dispute. It reflects a broader societal issue. While the children of the elite attend private institutions or study abroad, the children of the working class and the poor are left in a public education system being systematically weakened, he said. This creates an educational divide that limits social mobility and perpetuates inequality. An educated populace is essential for a progressive nation, and the current approach appears designed to reserve quality education as a commodity for the privileged few. The NLC president said it will convene an emergency meeting with its affiliates in the tertiary education sector to develop a comprehensive strategy for engaging the government. He said the NLC will no longer allow the university-based unions to stand alone as ASUUs struggle is fight for public education and a fight for Nigerias future. We serve notice that if, after this two-week warning strike, the government remains unresponsive, the NLC will not stand idly by, the statement added. The choice is clear: honour the agreements and salvage public education or face the resolute and unified force of the entire Nigerian workforce. ASUU Strike ASUUs first nationwide strike in nearly three years began on Monday as a two-week warning strike, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the federal government to address the unions lingering demands. However, the Minister of Education immediately retaliated with a No Work, No Pay policy, asking university vice-chancellors to take note of academics who stayed away from work. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the strike, which is expected to last two weeks, disrupted examinations in some institutions across the country. READ ALSO: ASUU strike disrupts examinations in Nigerian universities Demands ASUUs over a decade-old grouse with the Nigerian government borders on its conditions of service and funding for the universities as contained in a 2009 agreement between ASUU and the government. The demands as listed by ASUU include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN- ASUU Agreement, release of the withheld three-and-half months salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, and the revitalisation of universities. Others are payment of the outstanding 25-35 per cent salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years, and the release of withheld cooperative contributions deductions. The renegotiation of the 2009 agreement has stalled since 2017, with the government inaugurating at least six committees within the period and failing to sign or implement the draft produced by the committees. The latest was the draft produced by the Yayale Ahmed-led committee, inaugurated in October 2024. Mr Ahmeds committees report was submitted to the government in December 2024. However, the minister said he didnt receive it until February, according to ASUU President, Chris Piwuna. Mr Piwuna, a professor, said the minister also waited until August before inaugurating yet another committee to look into the draft before getting back to ASUU. He noted that the union never heard from them again until about 10 days into its two-week ultimatum. At the meeting held on Friday, 10 October, the ASUU president said the proposal brought by the government was a complete departure from the draft produced by Mr Ahmeds committee. Lawyers disagreed on Monday over the documents admissibility during the hearing of former Imo East Senator Chris Anyanwus N550 million defamation suit against former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim. The hearing came up at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi, Abuja. Mr Ohakims lawyer, Ken Njemanze, raised objections against the admissibility of the copies of the newspaper publication and press release tendered by Mrs Anyanwus claimants legal team. The contents of the document are at the centre of the defamation case. Ms Anyawu, 73, instituted the defamation suit against Mr Ohakim, demanding N550 million damages for the former governors alleged defamatory remarks made about her in an interview published by The Nation newspaper in January. The admissibility arguments ensued after Adekunle Kosoko, one of Mrs Anyawus lawyers, presented a deposition statement, a newspaper publication, and a press release from NewsNaija through the claimants first witness, Joyce Ejukonemu, a researcher and gender protection specialist. Objecting to the admissibility of the copy of the newspaper publication, Mr Njemanze said what ought to be submitted was an original form of the copy, not a photocopy. He also argued that the claimants witness has not produced a receipt evidencing payment for the purported certification. Mr Njemanze urged the court to reject the document. However, Mr Kosoko said the newspaper bore endorsements from the National Library and complied with the law. He cited Section 105 of the Evidence Act and showed the court the certified true copy of the newspaper. The judge overruled the objection and admitted the document. However, Mr Njemanze also opposed the admissibility of the press statement and report from Naija News, noting that no legal foundation was laid for the admissibility of the press release, and that the Naija News document was generated electronically with no certificate of compliance. Responding, Mr Kosoko argued that Section 84 of the Evidence Act allowed for oral certification of the press release through a witness statement. The judge fixed 1 December for ruling. PREMIUM TIMES reported in June how the hearing was rescheduled twice in just three days due to the absence of Mr Ohakims counsel. Anyawu drops The Nation from suit Mrs Anyawus lead counsel, Umeh Kalu, informed the court of his clients decision to free the second defendant, Vintage Press Ltd, publisher of The Nation newspaper, from the suit. Trial judge, Mr Sani, asked the lawyer to file a proper application to reflect the development. The former senator sued The Nations publisher and parent company, Vintage Press Ltd, as the second defendant. The publisher has since admitted its error and retracted Mr Ohakims alleged defamatory comments made in an interview published on 12 January. The newspaper has since published a retraction of the interview and an apology to Mrs Anyanwu. Background Mrs Anyanwu, a journalist turned politician who represented the Imo East senatorial district in Nigerias Senate from 2007 to 2015, filed a defamation suit against Mr Ohakim, following an interview the former governor granted The Nation Newspaper, which was published on 12 January. In the disputed interview, Mr Ohakim accused the ex-senator of failing to mention in her book, Bold Leap, that she apologised to the late military Head of State, Sani Abacha, over a coup detat she authored during the maximum rulers regime. Mrs Anyanwu, who was arrested in 1995 for being an accessory after the fact of treason, following her reporting on a failed coup detat against the government of Sani Abacha, denied apologising to the dictator. Mrs Anyanwu was prosecuted behind camera by a military court and sentenced to life imprisonment on 4 July 1995. The sentence was later reduced to 15 years in October 1995 following pressure from national and international human rights groups. She was released by the regime of Abubakar Abdusalami, who took office as the Head of State after Mr Abacha died in 1998. Incensed by Mr Ohakims remarks suggesting that she apologised to the late Abacha, Mrs Anyanwu dared the former governor to publish the apology letter she had written to the late military head of state. She subsequently filed a defamation suit seeking N550 million in damages against Mr Ohakim over the alleged defamation in the Nation interview and a press statement released by the former governors aide, Amanze Ajoku. But Mr Ohakim justified his comment in the defence he filed against the suit. While admitting making the comments, he justified them as fair. He also declared his intention to publish in his forthcoming book the apology letter Mrs Anyanwu purportedly sent to the late military Head of State, Mr Abacha. But for its part, The Nation newspaper conceded making an error publishing the interview and subsequently retracted it. It notified the court of this development in its filing submitted to the court on 1 June. The Ekiti State Government on Monday disbursed N2 billion to 800 retirees to defray the backlog of gratuity arrears. It said that with the disbursement, it has expended N14.6 billion on gratuity in the last three years. It added that N25 billion has also been paid as pension to the retirees in three years. The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, disclosed this in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, while presenting cheques to the 800 retirees, who retired from service in 2015 and 2016. Addressing the beneficiaries, Mr Oyebanji, who was represented by his deputy, Monisade Afuye, said his administration has kept to the promise he made during electioneering to make elders happier in line with his vision. He said the administration in 2024 paid out N1.3 billion gratuity arrears, and that he promised to upscale the amount, which is now reflected in the N2 billion disbursement. The governor maintained that as of September 2025, there were 10,106 retirees on the state pensioners payroll, whose pensions are being paid regularly and timely. He said part of the efforts to enhance the welfare include the approval of a N20 million upward review of the monthly pension across board for all categories of pensioners. Mr Oyebanji assured that his administration would increase the tally of payments and cover more mileage in 2026, with prudent management of resources and prioritisation of government expenditures. I wish to note that through disciplined financial management and unwavering commitment, government has paid a sum of N25,967,151,534.89 as pension since I took over the reins of administration of this State in October 2022, while N1,140,943,594.38 was paid as arrears of pension. Also, in gratuity payment, we have so far disbursed N7,600,000,000.00 to State Pensioners. With additional payment of N2,000,000,000.00 being paid today, from 2022 to date, this government has achieved a cumulative gratuity payment of N9.6 billion to State Pensioners. By implication, under this administration, all 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 state retirees would have been paid their gratuity in full. Under the Contributory Pension Scheme, a total sum of N183,868,625.40 was disbursed to 159 retirees between 2022 and 2025, he said. The governor said he was ha was happy to pay the pensioners, stressing that as a son of a retired father, he understood the anxiety and uncertainty that greets every retiree. I am more than sure that you are all excited to be here today. Let me tell you that you cannot be happier than I am today. One of the things that makes me happy as governor is seeing that I am in a position to wipe away the tears of others. As a son of a retired father, I understand the anxiety and uncertainty that greets every retiree as they retire. The news of many people marking time on the queue for many years before earning their gratuity can be very traumatic. Commending Mr Oyebanji for his preference for a welfarist programme, the Head of Service, Folakemi Olomojobi, described the payment as a fulfillment of the governors promise to alleviate the sufferings of pensioners and make lives more rewarding for the retirees. The Chairperson of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Kolapo Olatunde, his counterparts in the Trade Union Congress, Omotola Farotimi, and Joint Negotiating Council, Oluwafemi Ajoloko, saluted Mr Oyebanji for changing the sordid narrative of the past by alleviating the sufferings of the retirees through prompt payment of all entitlements. Speaking for the beneficiaries, Oladapo Akinola and Adejoke Omoseebi, said the payment represented the governors third-year gift for the pensioners, adding that the N14.6 billion gratuity payment in three years was outstanding and confirmed his empathy for the elders. Global health leaders have called on countries to strengthen their national public health agencies to ensure better preparedness and resilience against future pandemics. They made the call on Sunday, in Berlin at the 2025 World Summit during a high-level session titled Strengthening National Health Agencies for Future Pandemics. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sideline event was organised by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme. At the event, Helen Clark, former New Zealand prime minister, called on countries to strengthen their national public health agencies to ensure better preparedness and resilience against future pandemics. Ms Clark, also the incoming chairperson of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, noted that despite the worlds painful experience with COVID-19, many nations are still not adequately prepared for future outbreaks, warning that lessons from the pandemic must not be forgotten. Most countries going into COVID-19 were not prepared for a pandemic. We must process those lessons and ensure they inform everything we do for better preparedness, she said. According to her, strong, capable, and trusted national public health agencies are the institutional backbone of pandemic preparedness, response, and long-term health system resilience. She emphasised that effective national health agencies require clear legal mandates, stable financing, coordination mechanisms across government sectors, and autonomy to act based on data and evidence. Ms Clark cited examples of countries that have strengthened their public health institutions following the pandemic. She highlighted the transformation of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency from a bureau under the Ministry of Health and Welfare to an independent body reporting directly to the highest level of government. The reform, she said, granted the agency autonomy over resources, staffing, and coordination, as well as authority to propose and revise laws, issue regulations, and represent the agency in high-level decision-making forums. Strong national institutions are the bedrock of national and global pandemic preparedness, she said. Their effectiveness will determine the success of global reforms such as the newly adopted pandemic agreement and the amended International Health Regulations. She stressed that pandemic preparedness should not be seen as a technical checklist but as a question of governance, how decisions are made, information flows, and how accountability is maintained between crises. She also called for equitable access to essential health countermeasures, noting that preparedness begins at home and that no country should depend solely on global markets to protect its citizens. Every region needs the capacity to detect, produce, and deploy countermeasures, from diagnostics and data systems to vaccines and protective equipment, she said. She reaffirmed the commitment of the WHO, the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, and the International Association of National Public Health Institutes to work together in building evidence, supporting institutional reforms, and promoting sustainable financing for public health systems. She urged political leaders to remain engaged and empower their national public health agencies to respond decisively to emerging threats. The success of the pandemic agreement depends on national leadership of presidents and prime ministers asking, Is my country ready for the next threat? and empowering their public health agencies to answer, Yes, we are, she said. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the WHO Health Emergencies Programmes executive director and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) s founding director, also addressed the summit. Mr Ihekweazu drew on his extensive experience in national public health agencies and emergency response. Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, he described the immense responsibility of public health leaders in advising ministers, presidents, and other high-level officials, coordinating across sectors, and communicating with the public. For the first time in our lifetimes, we saw how exposed we were to the challenges we faced. It was a traumatic experience for many, and the responsibilities we carried were immense, he said. He emphasised that while technical expertise in fields such as epidemiology and microbiology is essential, public health leaders must also navigate governance systems, balance technical advice with societal and economic considerations, and engage effectively with government decision-makers. Mr Ihekweazu highlighted recent efforts worldwide to establish or reform national public health agencies, citing Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Singapore, and Japan as examples. He stressed the importance of collective learning rather than relying solely on individual national experiences. We want to collect evidence of what works and what doesnt. That is why collaboration with the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research is so importantfor the agencies, WHO, and countries worldwide, he said. He further noted that governance systems vary across nations, influencing agency performance, and that flexible, evidence-informed strategies are critical to building resilient public health institutions. Its about our collective wisdom and learning. We want national leaders to have the tools and courage to make the difficult decisions necessary for public health, he added. NAN reports that the summit session highlighted that national public health agencies must be empowered, well-resourced, and trusted to act swiftly and equitably, ensuring that countries can respond effectively to future health emergencies both in crisis and peacetime. (NAN) After a nearly ten-week annual recess, the House of Representatives reconvened on Tuesday, 7 October, resuming plenary with a flurry of major legislative activities that signalled a busy return to business. Enter new lawmakers When the House reconvened on Tuesday, it proceeded first with a solemn but symbolic ritual, the swearing in of new members to fill some of the vacant seats in the chamber. Four lawmakers Omosede Igbinedion (APC, Ovia Federal Constituency, Edo State), who replaced Dennis Idahosa; Muktar Rabiu (APC, Garki/Babura Federal Constituency, Jigawa State), who replaced Isa Dogonyaro; Joseph Bagudu (APC, Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Kaduna State), and Yetunde Elegbeji (APC, Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency, Ogun State), took the oaths of office and allegiance. They won the by-elections that were held on 16 August to fill seats left vacant following the deaths of the previous occupants. Only one seat remains unfilled, that of Oyekunle Fola (PDP, Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Oyo State), who is to replace the late Olaide Akinremi. Tinubus fresh request for external borrowing One of the first major items taken up was a request from President Bola Tinubu, seeking legislative approval for fresh external borrowing and the issuance of a sovereign Sukuk. The government sought to raise $2.3 billion via external loans and an additional $500 million through a Sukuk issuance. The justification, as presented, is to partially plug funding gaps in the 2025 budget and refinance maturing obligations, including Eurobonds. The president explained that the 2025 Appropriation Act already provides for 9.27 trillion in new borrowing (with 1.84 trillion earmarked for external), which this request aims to operationalise through a mix of Eurobonds, syndicated loans, bridge financing, or multilateral credit lines. The request was referred to the House Committees on Aids, Loans, and Debt Management to scrutinise the terms, implications for debt sustainability, repayment burdens, and macroeconomic impact. Committees get a weeks ultimatum for pending bill reports To counter legislative logjams, the House leadership issued a stern directive to committees that have defaulted in delivering reports on pending bills and oversight requests. Lawmakers were given a one-week ultimatum to submit outstanding legislative report obligations or face further consequences. The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, announced the directive following a communication from the Chairperson of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Waive Ejiroghene (APC, Delta). Lawmakers counter U.S. Senate bill on religious freedom Another contentious development is the Houses move to counter a United States Senate bill that singles out Nigeria over religious freedom concerns. The proposed U.S. legislation reportedly contains provisions that could impose sanctions or restrictions on Nigeria if it is judged to be violating religious liberties. In response, the Nigerian House intends to formulate a legislative or diplomatic countermeasure, potentially condemning foreign interference and rejecting external narratives portraying Nigerias security crisis as a purely religious conflict. Tension over Nnamdi Kanus health A confrontation broke out between Obinna Aguocha, the Labour Party (LP) member representing Umuahia North/Umuahia South/Ikwuano Federal Constituency of Abia State, and Speaker Abbas Tajudeen over his attempt to draw the attention of the House to the worsening health condition of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu. Mr Aguocha, raising a matter of privilege, attempted to draw the Houses attention to what he described as an urgent human rights and humanitarian concern, urging parliamentary intervention to ensure Kanu receives proper medical care while in custody. Mr Tajudeen, however, ruled the motion out of order, stating that it did not qualify as a valid matter of privilege under House rules. Moves to recover $9 billion lost annually to illegal mining One of the more ambitious initiatives launched this week was the inauguration of an ad hoc committee charged with investigating the estimated US$9 billion that Nigeria loses annually to illegal mining. The committees mandate includes plugging revenue leakages, enforcing existing mining laws, holding defaulting agencies or companies accountable, and ensuring that the wealth in Nigerias mineral resources accrues to the public. Sanni Abdulraheem, the committees chairman, described illegal mining not just as an economic loss but as a national security and environmental threat. He assured that the committee will leave no stone unturned in discharging its constitutional responsibility to expose corruption, curb malpractice, and safeguard the nations resources. The committee is expected to conduct oversight visits, gather evidence, audit relevant agencies, and propose legislative reforms. Scrutinising the federal scholarship board In another oversight move, the House resolved to investigate the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) over allegations of mismanagement and non-payment of stipends to Nigerian students studying abroad. The decision followed the adoption of a motion by Chike Okafor (APC, Imo) after reports emerged that beneficiaries of government and bilateral scholarship programmes had gone months without receiving their entitlements. The House consequently mandated its Committees on Diaspora, University Education, Foreign Affairs, and Anti-Corruption to jointly probe the operations of the FSB, with a focus on its management of scholarship funds, payment processes, and administrative practices from 2015 to date. The committees are expected to recommend actionable measures to strengthen accountability, improve oversight mechanisms, and guarantee the timely and transparent payment of stipends to students under government sponsorship. Motion on International Day of the Girl Child In observance of the International Day of the Girl Child, the House adopted a motion moved by Kafilat Ogbara (APC, Lagos), urging the government to protect, empower, and invest in girls nationwide. The motion emphasised the importance of girls access to education, health, safety, and livelihoods as strategic to national development. Through debate and adoption of the motion, the House underscored its recognition of gender considerations and sought to push for policy or budgetary follow-through. The House asked security agencies and relevant stakeholders to implement concrete measures to protect girls from violence and exploitation during emergencies Panel to probe $18bn spent on non-functional Nigerias refineries The House also resolved to investigate the reported $18 billion spent on Nigerias non-functional refineries over the years. The decision followed concerns that despite the massive public expenditure on Turnaround Maintenance (TAM), none of the countrys four state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna are operational. Lawmakers agreed to constitute a special investigative committee to review all expenditures, contracts, and rehabilitation projects undertaken at the refineries from 2010 to date. The probe aims to determine how the huge sums were disbursed, identify officials and contractors responsible for failed projects, and establish why the facilities remain dormant despite repeated assurances of restoration. The House says the investigation is intended to recover misused funds, expose systemic corruption in refinery maintenance, and push for reforms to make the refineries commercially viable once again. The Senate, Nigerias highest lawmaking body, resumed plenary on Tuesday, 7 October, after a two-month and two-week recess. The lawmakers had embarked on the long recess on 23 July and were initially billed to reconvene on 23 September. However, it was shifted by two weeks. The resumption of the lawmakers was eventful, not only because of the issues that arose on the floor for discussion, but also because of some occurrences in the chamber. Akpabios welcome address In his opening speech, the Senate president expressed optimism about Nigerias economic trajectory and commended citizens for their resilience. He claimed that the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubus administration were beginning to yield positive results, particularly in boosting state revenues. Mr Akpabio said governors now have more funds to pay salaries, unlike in the past, when many relied on borrowing. He also defended the Senate under his leadership, insisting that it remains frank and firm with the executive arm of government, despite persistent branding as a rubber stamp for the upper legislative chamber. The address set the tone for legislative business in the new session. Akpoti-Uduaghans return to plenary One of the weeks major highlights was the return of Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to plenary. Her resumption drew public attention, as she took the same seat she had previously protested against. Dressed in a white outfit with a matching head tie and black sunglasses, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was warmly received by colleagues, including Senators Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Ogoshi Onawo (PDP, Nasarawa), Gbenga Daniel (APC, Ogun East), and Samaila Dahuwa (PDP, Bauchi North), who exchanged handshakes with her. Despite her return, she did not contribute to any debate throughout the week. 10-year passport ban for Nigerians convicted abroad A bill seeking to impose a 10-year ban on the issuance of international passports to Nigerians convicted of crimes abroad and subsequently deported passed second reading on Tuesday. The bill received overwhelming support through a voice vote, after which Mr Akpabio announced its passage. It was thereafter referred to the Senate Committee on Interior for further consideration and public hearing, with a four-week deadline to report back. Brand new senators On Wednesday, two newly elected senators, Joseph Ikpea (APC, Edo Central) and Nwachukwu Chibuzor (APGA, Anambra South), took their oaths of office. Mr Ikpea succeeds Monday Okpebholo, who vacated his seat after he was elected governor of Edo State in November 2024, while Mr Chibuzor replaced the late Ifeanyi Ubah, who passed away in July 2024 in a London hospital. Both lawmakers emerged as winners of the bye-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in August. Another opposition senator defects to the APC Enugu East Senator Kelvin Chukwu defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as announced in a letter read by the Senate president during Wednesdays plenary. With Mr Chukwus defection, the APC now controls 72 seats in the Senate. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds 28 seats, LP four, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) have two seats each. The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) retains one seat. Tinubu seeks fresh $2.3bn external loan Also on Wednesday, Mr Akpabio read a letter from President Tinubu requesting Senate approval for a fresh $2.3 billion external loan to be incorporated into the 2025 budget. The president explained that the facility would help finance the N54.99 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill. The Senate referred the request to its Committee on Local and Foreign Debt for further scrutiny, with a one-week deadline to submit its report. Senate to send delegation to the US over allegation of Christian genocide At Thursdays plenary, senators proposed the formation of an ad hoc committee to visit the United States Congress to address reports accusing Nigeria of perpetrating genocide against Christians. Mr Akpabio cautioned against framing Nigerias security challenges as a religious conflict, noting that Muslims and people of other faiths have also fallen victim to violence nationwide. He cited insecurity in the South-east as an example of violence unrelated to religion. A 17-year-old 100-level student at Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos State, Edu Muyyassir, has turned a personal setback into an inspiring story of resilience and purpose. His first book titled The Comeback Code, is a practical guide to overcoming lifes challenges and rebuilding strength after adversity. The self-help book, which has begun attracting attention online, offers strategies for readers to rise above disappointment, fear, and failure. Mr Muyyassir, an indigene of Epe Local Government Area in Lagos State, comes from a family of six and graduated from Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja. Although an average student academically in his secondary school days, he found his true calling in writing, coding, and chess. I have a passion for writing, playing chess, and coding for software development. I can also design websites, he said. From rejection to purpose According to Muyyassir, his journey into writing began after a major disappointment. After securing a flight ticket to pursue my education in the United States, my student visa was denied because of the restriction placed by the administration of President Donald Trump, he recalled. The rejection moved me to tears, further pushing me into despair, on the edge of depression. It broke me, and I lost my joy. Instead of giving in to frustration, he channelled his pain into purpose by writing a book that speaks to anyone struggling with lifes difficulties, whether joblessness, addiction, grief, or illness. The book also offers guidance to those facing mental health challenges, encouraging them to find meaning in their struggles. The book can help anybody, students, workers, artisans, he explained. Its broken into easy-to-read chapters that encourage readers to be deliberate about their growth, have the willingness and determination to start over again, believe again, and win again. He said the book includes sections on parenting resilience and how social media affects young people, as well as a chapter on spiritual resilience. For many people, when things do not go well, they blame God. I try to encourage them to understand that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, he added. The final part of the book, he said, offers readers practical materials to help them start their journey of rebuilding stronger. Hope for new generation Mr Muyyassir said the book targets young Nigerians, especially students navigating a tough socio-economic climate. I want young people to know they can succeed without turning to drugs, crime, violence, or other vices, he said. He added that while the book does not claim to solve all problems, it helps readers find hope and build strategies for success. It teaches general resilience, resilience in the workplace, and even helps students become clear about what they want from life, he said. Beyond writing, Mr Muyyassir plans to publish more self-help books, create motivational courses, and mentor young people across Nigeria and Africa. He dreams of becoming a data analyst and philanthropist supporting displaced communities, with an eye on public service in the future. Politics is something I might dive into, he said. I want to make tangible contributions to policies and governance, making peoples lives better, safer, and richer. Renowned Nigerian evangelist, Uma Ukpai, is dead. Uma, revered as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, died on 6 October, the family said in a statement issued on Monday, 13 October. He was 80 years old. A faithful soldier has been called to rest, the statement said, referring to Umas towering influence among Christians in Nigeria. Dedicating over six decades of his life to fiery evangelism, dynamic teaching of the Word, and prophetic demonstration of the power of God, he impacted millions of lives and transformed destinies within Nigeria and across the globe. He was a spiritual general known for evangelism, founding father of faith, loving husband, devoted father and mentor to many, and his life was a testament to Gods power and love, the family said. While we mourn his physical absence, we rejoice that he has finished his race and is now resting in eternal praise. The family said the public will be informed about the funeral date and other details. Mr Ukpai was the founder and president of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, headquartered in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He turned 80 on 7 January. Though from Ohafia in Abia State, the late cleric had spent most of his adult life in Uyo, where he hosted hundreds of Christians to a life-impacting service every Wednesday at his Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Associations cathedral. In January, his followers gifted Uma N80 million for his 80th birthday. Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State described him as Gods gift to Akwa Ibom State during the birthday celebration in Uyo. Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, preached during the birthday celebration and narrated how he (adeboye) drew strength from Uma when he (Adeboye) lost his son. Mr Adeboye had described his sons passing as the darkest moment of his life. Mr Adeboye said Uma is extremely special to him and the Christian community within and outside Nigeria. He said he met the evangelist over 40 years ago at a wonderful crusade in Lagos and has followed his activities since then. If you see me kneeling down to worship God before I stand up here, I know that if I follow the footsteps of a great man like that I think when I grow a little older, I will want to be like Uma Ukpai, Mr Adeboye said, causing the audience to laugh out loud. Mr Adeboye thanked God for Umas life of service and dedication. This is a very great occasion and I feel thoroughly humbled that someone as great as Uma Ukpai could ask me to come and say a word on this special occasion, he said. The Nigerian government has directed Vice-Chancellors of all federal universities to strictly implement the No work, No pay policy on lecturers who stay away from duty due to the two-week warning strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, issued the directive in a letter addressed to the Vice Chancellors on Monday. The vice-chancellors are to conduct a roll call and physical headcount of all academic staff in their institution; submit a comprehensive report, clearly indicating staff who are present and performing their official duties, and those absent or participating in the strike; and ensure that salary payment for the period of work stoppage is withheld from those who fail to perform their duties. Mr Alausa said in line with extant provisions of the Labour Laws of the Federation, the federal government reiterates its position on the enforcement of the No Work, No Pay policy in respect of any employee who fails to discharge his or her official duties during the period of strike action. The minister explained that academic staff under the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) are exempted as they are not participating in the strike. He had threatened to implement a No work, No Pay policy after accusing ASUU of not negotiating with the government in good faith. Meanwhile, ASUU said nothing significant has happened to change its position on strike since the ultimatum was issued two weeks ago. The union noted that an emergency meeting held with the governments delegation on Friday, 10 October, was nothing to write home about. ASUU president, Chris Piwuna, a professor, said the governments presentation to ASUU at the meeting was a total departure from the draft agreement produced with the government-appointed committee of Yawale Ahmed. Demands On Sunday, ASUU listed its demands, including the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, release of the withheld three-and-a-half months salaries, sustainable funding of public universities, and the revitalisation of universities. Others are payment of the outstanding 25-35 per cent salary arrears, payment of promotion arrears for over four years, and the release of withheld cooperative contributions deductions. In a renewed push to strengthen domestic refining capacity and end the countrys dependence on imported petroleum products, the House of Representatives, on Monday, announced plans to introduce new legislation to guarantee that Nigerias local refineries receive crude oil supply before exports. Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, disclosed this while declaring open the Inaugural Downstream Week organised by the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) in Abuja. The two-day multi-stakeholder event, themed Celebrating Our Success, Confronting Our Challenges, and Finding Solutions for the Petroleum Downstream Sector, brings together policymakers, regulators, operators, and investors to deliberate on sustainable reforms for the industry. Mr Tajudeen, represented by his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, said the revival of the downstream industry under President Bola Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the operationalisation of the Dangote Refinery, marks a turning point in Nigerias drive for energy self-sufficiency. The anticipated emergence of other indigenous refineries underlines the need for the National Assembly to continue creating a functional environment for industries to thrive, he said. He stressed that the take-off of the Dangote Refinery and other indigenous projects underscores the need for the National Assembly to create a more enabling environment for local industries to thrive. Mr Tajudeen noted that the landmark Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 has redefined the governance and fiscal framework of the oil industry, transforming the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) into a profit-driven entity and restoring investor confidence through stronger regulation by the NMDPRA and NUPRC. He said the House remains committed to crafting evidence-based legislation and providing effective oversight to ensure that the downstream sector contributes to a more secure, efficient, and resilient economy. Refinery protection bill, local feedstock priority on the way In his address, the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) Chairman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, outlined a series of legislative initiatives to consolidate recent gains in the sector. He said the committee would pursue a Refinery Protection and Promotion Bill to classify local refineries as strategic national assets, guaranteeing them the first right of refusal on crude oil allocations. Other proposals include streamlining regulatory processes, removing bureaucratic delays, and ensuring uninterrupted operations at modular and conventional refineries. One of the most commendable policy actions in recent times is the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commissions (NUPRC) enforcement of the Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligation (DCSO) on all producers in Nigeria, Mr Ugochinyere said. He emphasised that nations grow by empowering their domestic industries to produce and compete, a vision consistent with the Tinubu administrations industrialisation goals. Local capacity expanding, investor confidence rising Mr Ugochinyere highlighted what he described as a historic transformation in Nigerias downstream sector, citing expanding refining capacity and industrial growth across the energy value chain. According to him, Indorama Petrochemicals has expanded its urea and fertiliser production to 2.8 million metric tonnes per annum, while Waltersmith Refinery in Imo State is scaling up from 5,000 to 50,000 barrels per day. Other indigenous refineries, including OPAC Refinery in Delta, and new projects in Edo and Rivers States, are advancing steadily. With its 650,000 barrels per day capacity, the Dangote Refinery now stands as Africas largest and has redefined the regional refining landscape. Mr Ugochinyere added that over $13 billion in upstream investments were recorded in 2024 alone, signalling renewed investor confidence in Nigerias energy sector. Labour relations and industry stability While applauding reforms by the NNPCL and regulatory agencies, the committee chairman stressed the need for industrial harmony, noting recent labour disputes involving Dangote Refinery and oil sector unions. He urged labour and operators to prioritise dialogue and mutual respect in resolving disagreements. No reform can succeed without industrial harmony, he said. Our shared goal must be to protect jobs, sustain businesses, and promote Nigerias economic sovereignty. He warned that compliance with safety, tax, and environmental standards remains a patriotic duty, not an option, for operators in the downstream sector. The Lagos State Government on Saturday demolished about 17 houses at an estate near Oral Estate, before the Ikota River in Lekki, for allegedly encroaching on the rivers Right of Way (RoW). The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who led a monitoring team to the site alongside journalists, said the enforcement followed repeated warnings against illegal reclamation of the rivers alignment. Mr Wahab explained that the ministry had earlier received complaints about developers reclaiming parts of the Ikota River corridor for construction and resale to unsuspecting buyers. We stopped them then, but were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell to unsuspecting buyers, he said. He said the ministry had now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and remove all illegal structures within the area, adding that those behind the activity would be identified and prosecuted. Mr Wahab noted that while flooding cannot be completely eliminated in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, the government was committed to mitigating its impact through resilient infrastructure. What we can do is mitigate its impact through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has continued to provide and maintain, he said. He cited Property No. 156 as an example, saying it obstructed the coastal road alignment and blocked the natural flow of water. The property, he said, would be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon. Mr Wahab stressed that demolition was not always the states first option. Sometimes, we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers, he added, describing it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private individuals who profit from violating environmental regulations. Eyewitnesses accounts When PREMIUM TIMES visited the estate on Monday, the structures in the affected area had been reduced to rubble, while workers were seen clearing debris from the site. A security guard at the estate said some occupants had ignored earlier warnings from the government. There was a warning placed last year, and some residents moved out for a while, he said. But during the last Sallah, they started returning because they said they had reached an agreement with the government. They were supposed to construct slabs behind their houses to prevent flooding, but they didnt do it on time. Thats why the government demolished the buildings. A worker also said many affected residents returned during the demolition to recover their belongings. Some came on Saturday to carry their air conditioners and cooking gas cylinders, he said. One man came on Sunday saying he was out of the country when it happened, but we didnt see his items. During the visit, PREMIUM TIMES also observed that nearly all the buildings within the estate had been marked by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. However, it remained unclear why other buildings on the same line as the demolished 17 units were spared, or why another estate located across the river where the water appears even closer to the houses was not affected by the demolition exercise, except its fence. Some people in the estate expressed confusion over the selective nature of the enforcement, suggesting that the governments criteria for identifying encroaching structures were not clearly communicated. PREMIUM TIMES also obtained the contact of one of the affected residents, Mr Felix, but he did not respond to calls or messages. Government expands crackdown In a follow-up statement on Monday, Mr Wahab said the ministry sealed several illegal reclamation projects and issued stop-work orders on developments narrowing the Ikota River around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase II, off Orchid Road, Lekki. He described the activities as harmful to the ecosystem and a major cause of flooding, adding that the illegal reclamation had blocked critical drainage systems, including Systems 156 and 157, which channel stormwater into the lagoon. The illegal activities ongoing in the area are heart-wrenching because some individuals have deliberately chosen to destroy the ecosystem provided by nature, he said. Mr Wahab and the Commissioner for Transportation, Seun Osiyemi, jointly inspected environmental infractions along the LekkiEpe corridor. Automobile dealers operating along the route, he said, had been served abatement notices for extending beyond approved temporary sites and encroaching on wetlands under high-tension power lines. The enforcement aligns with the planned Lagos Green Line Rail Project, one of six lines under the states Strategic Transport Master Plan aimed at easing congestion and connecting emerging districts from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone. Wetlands are not wastelands. They are natures sponge, designed to hold excess water during heavy rains, Mr Wahab wrote on his X handle, adding that drone surveys revealed widespread destruction of wetlands and coconut plantations along the corridor. He insisted that no private or business interests would be allowed to compromise public safety or disrupt the states urban development plan. Flood mitigation and environmental strategy According to the Ministry of Environment, Lagos State has launched a 24-month flood control and wetland restoration plan integrating estate lakes, canals, and pumps into a Blue-Green Network that stores and gradually releases rainwater. The plan includes restoring canal rights-of-way, installing flap gates and pumps at tide-sensitive outfalls, and expanding drainage systems. Between 2023 and 2025, the ministry said, maintenance was carried out on 579 kilometres of secondary collectors and 309 kilometres of primary channels, while 218 new channels were awarded for construction. Mr Wahab said the effort forms part of a broader campaign against illegal housing developments and environmental violations. He urged property buyers to conduct due diligence and verify land titles before making purchases. This administration will not fold its hands while natures design is distorted, he said, noting that 17 illegal structures had already been demolished along the Ikota River in Oral Estate Extension as part of the ongoing enforcement. Sunday Udeh-Okoye, a former youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has resigned after unsuccessfully seeking the partys national secretary position. Mr Udeh-Okoye announced his resignation from the PDP in a letter addressed to the partys chairperson in his Agbogugu ward in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. The letter, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was dated 13 October 2025. There had been an intense contest about who the authentic national secretary of the PDP was, between Samuel Anyanwu and Mr Udeh-Okoye, before Mr Anyanwu was finally recognised as the substantive national secretary of the party. Resignation In his letter, Mr Udeh-Okoye said that although the PDP had been an integral part of my political journey, he made the decision because the party had lost its moral compass. This decision did not come lightly, he said. The former youth leader expressed gratitude to the PDP leadership for allowing him to serve in various capacities, such as a member of the Enugu House of Assembly. However, over time, I have watched with increasing concern as the ideals and vision of the founding fathers of the PDP, built on the principles of unity, justice, and equity, have been eroded. The PDP that once stood as a beacon of hope for democratic governance has regrettably lost its moral compass and ideological direction, he said. Mr Udeh-Okoye stressed that his resignation stemmed from his conviction that it is improper to remain within a system that has strayed so far from its original purpose. Therefore, I am compelled to part ways with the PDP as I embark on a progressive journey dedicated to restoring the values of democracy, accountability, and service to the people, which the party has sadly abandoned, he stated. Background The contest for the PDPs national secretary position had reached various courts, including Nigerias Supreme Court, without resolution. Mr Anyanwu, the substantive occupant of the position, had stepped aside to contest in the 11 November 2023 Imo State governorship election on the PDP platform but lost to the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodimma of the APC. He did not, however, submit a letter of resignation for the national secretary position of the party. Meanwhile, in October 2023, some weeks before the Imo election, the leadership of the PDP in the South-east nominated Mr Udeh-Okoye to replace Mr Anyanwu as the partys national secretary. PREMIUM TIMES reports that the position of the national secretary was zoned to the South-east by the PDP in 2021 ahead of the partys national convention on 30 October of that year. In the heat of the debate, a High Court in Enugu State ordered the PDP to replace Mr Anyanwu as the partys national secretary with Mr Ude-Okoye in October 2023. The former PDP national youth leader filed the suit. The PDPs National Working Committee (NWC) had countered the order in a motion filed on 24 October 2023. In the motion, the NWC asked the court to set aside the order, arguing that it was obtained by fraud and suppression of material facts. It also faulted the order for not being specific about what position Mr Udeh-Okoye should fill. In another twist, earlier in January 2024, a Federal High Court in Abuja declared Mr Anyanwu as the valid national secretary of the PDP. The judge, Inyang Ekwo, also restrained the PDPs national leadership from appointing any person as its acting national secretary until the expiration of Mr Anyanwus four-year tenure on 9 December 2025, as enshrined in the partys constitution. In December, the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, upheld the High Courts ruling that Mr Ude-Okoye be recognised as the national secretary of the PDP against Mr Anyanwu. In the lead judgement by Ridwan Abdullahi, the Court of Appeal said Mr Anyanwus claim to the position after he contested and emerged as the PDP governorship election in Imo State violated the partys constitution, and his appeal had no merit. Despite the judgement, Mr Anyanwu refused to vacate office and appealed the ruling at the Supreme Court. Mr Ude-Okoye, on his part, assumed duty on 30 December 2024 on the strength of the judgement. However, in January 2025, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ordered both parties to maintain the status quo until the Supreme Court resolved the appeal. Messrs Udeh-Okoye and Anyanwu interpreted the court order differently. Mr Udeh-Okoye believed that the status quo meant that he should continue to function as the PDP national secretary, as pronounced by the Court of Appeal. Mr Anyanwu, on his part, argued that the courts status quo order amounted to a stay of execution of the court of appeal judgment affirming Mr Udeh-Okoye as national secretary. However, on 21 March, the Supreme Court nullified the judgements of the lower courts, which sacked Mr Anyanwu as the PDP national secretary. While Mr Anyanwu celebrated the courts overturning of his sack, the PDP leadership in the South-east expressed happiness that the court held that both courts had no jurisdiction to hear the case. The South-east PDP leadership celebrated the courts ruling that matters relating to the leadership or membership of a political party fall strictly within the partys internal affairs and should not be the business of any court. On 14 May, they re-nominated Mr Udeh-Okoye as the partys national secretary before presenting the re-nomination to the partys NWC days later. By June, the PDP leaders in the zone also threatened to dump the party if its NWC refused to ratify Mr Udeh-Okoye as the national secretary. However, then-acting National Chairperson of the PDP, Umar Damagun, announced in June that Mr Anyanwu had been restored to his position as the partys national secretary, which was later opposed by a faction of the partys NWC. Before Mr Damagum announced the restoration of Mr Anyanwu as the PDPs national secretary, a bloc of leaders from the party loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had earlier reaffirmed Mr Anyanwu as the duly elected and substantive national secretary of the party. Meanwhile, Mr Udeh-Okoyes resignation occurred barely 24 hours before the planned defection of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State from the PDP to the APC. The former PDP youth leader is expected to join the APC on 14 October alongside the governor and other PDP leaders in the state. The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the economic, regulatory, and security implications of cryptocurrency adoption and Point-of-Sale (POS) operations in Nigeria has raised concerns over the N500 million to N1 billion capital requirement for Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The committee, chaired by Olufemi Bamisile, raised the concerns during its technical session with relevant regulatory and security agencies held on Monday at the National Assembly. It described the move as high and prohibitive, cautioning that while regulation is necessary to ensure transparency and consumer protection in the crypto space, the high entry threshold could discourage genuine investors, stifle innovation, and exclude young entrepreneurs who have shown growing interest in digital finance. It, therefore, urged the SEC to review the capital requirement to create a more inclusive and innovation-friendly environment. The controversial policy The SEC had earlier pegged the capital base for crypto operators at N500 million but later proposed an increase to N1 billion. The commission said the move was to ensure only credible and financially stable operators are allowed to participate and to protect users funds. It also requires companies to take insurance coverage known as a fidelity bond to guard against internal fraud or losses. However, many industry experts and stakeholders have argued that the new rule would favour only big firms and foreign investors while shutting out smaller Nigerian startups. They warned that such a policy could push local crypto businesses underground or force them to operate informally. Currently, the N500 million benchmark remains in force while consultations on the proposed N1 billion threshold continue. The SEC has also issued provisional licences to a few local exchanges under its pilot regulatory programme. EFCC speaks on confiscated digital assets During the session, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) informed the committee that it currently holds all virtual and digital assets confiscated from criminal activities in its custody. The anti-graft agency explained that it operates designated digital wallets across its zonal offices for secure management of such assets. In response, the committee directed the EFCC to submit detailed records of all confiscated digital assets to aid its ongoing legislative assessment and policy formulation. Mr Bamisile reaffirmed the committees commitment to developing a balanced regulatory framework that encourages innovation while safeguarding the financial system, ensuring transparency, enhancing youth participation, and protecting national security within Nigerias digital economy. However, the committee expressed concern over the absence of several key agencies and institutions at the session. They include the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. Mr Bamisile urged the agencies and ministries to accord due priority to the committees engagement, noting that their participation is crucial to addressing the economic and security risks associated with the fast-evolving digital financial landscape. In an environment of righteousness, our prayers and fasting will work, generating spiritual power to overcome darkness and bring about the stirring up of the spirit of revival and revolution. In an environment of righteousness, value systems will change for the better, leading to a society with conscience. With increased commitment towards righteousness, the scale and scope of corruption will diminish and prosperity will return to the land. When conscience dies in a nation, truth becomes the first casualty. A nation is not great because of the value of its wealth, but because of the wealth of its values. Dr Erwin Lutzer once said, an economic crisis is always a gift to a leader who wants to capture a nation. This is precisely the situation we find ourselves in Nigeria, the supposed giant of Africa. Despite its rich natural resources and some of the best minds on earth, Nigeria remains deficient in transformational leadership and national value systems, two critical components for national transformation. This is the story of Nigeria, a 65-year-old supposed giant, still struggling to rise to its full potentials. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34). However, we must ask ourselves: Can we nurture a nation from infancy to adulthood without understanding its lineage? There is something strategic about the lineage of a child. It defines the DNA of the child. You carry the DNA of your progenitors; those whose seeds gave birth to you. Nigeria, who gave birth to you? You were born from the imperialistic wombs of the British Empire, a product of economic transactions among greedy imperialists. Your foundation was built on divide-and-rule, and the merging of diverse ethno-cultural interests into one state, thus ensuring perpetual division and conflict among its constituent parts. That divisive strategy of the British shared similarities with the tactics of Nazi Germany, where division was weaponised to maintain control in the society. Hitlers propagandas machinery, led by the notorious Dr Joseph Goebbels, employed propaganda to create a society unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Dr Lutzer defines propaganda as, the intelligent manipulation of the masses. Goebbels controlled the narrative in Germany. He twisted the truth to satisfy the establishment, but to the detriment of the people and their socio-economic emancipation. George Orwell captures it so accurately in his famous book, they dont solve problems, they use them. Similarly, Nigerias rich resources have been exploited by imperialists and their local enablers, the Nigerian greedy establishment, leading to a society in which misinformation reigns supreme. The media does not just disseminate information, it alters the consciences of entire generations. Thus, the Nigerian media, which should be among the unbiased umpires of truth, balancing socio-economic narratives, have also been compromised, leaving the people at the mercy of various gaslighting narratives. To rescue our nation, we must first understand our past, our lineage. It is time for Nigeria to think beyond the imperialist mould. Aristotle once said, Tolerance is the last virtue of a dying society. We have tolerated this evil for too long. The Nigerian society is buried in the sands of silence. The people have been silenced and captured by poverty. They are too weak to speak out and hold their leaders accountable. As Richard Terrell aptly puts it, Create a critical mass of people who cannot discern between truth and nonsense, then you will have a society ready to fall for any leader. Not even the evil personified Hitler was unaware of how easy it is to capture and control the people. He once noted, How fortunate for governments that the people they administer dont think. In todays Nigeria, we face the scary reality of state capture, acute poverty, corruption, ritual killings, organised crime, vote-buying, election rigging, kidnapping, and the corruption of the church. The level of dishonesty and corruption in the land, whether in the church or in the secular society, is now at an all time high. The church that should be the light of Nigeria has lost her voice in the pursuit of money, influence, and relevance. It was Dr Tony Evans who once said, when conscience is absent in a nation, everyone is at risk. As I now write, everyone is now at risk because conscience is not just absent, but is gradually dying out. To rescue our nation, we must first understand our past, our lineage. It is time for Nigeria to think beyond the imperialist mould. Aristotle once said, Tolerance is the last virtue of a dying society. We have tolerated this evil for too long. The Nigerian society is buried in the sands of silence. The people have been silenced and captured by poverty. They are too weak to speak out and hold their leaders accountable. Silence is an evil culture, promising delusional solutions to problems that are never spoken about. If you dont talk about it loud enough, it wont be solved. For the remnant of Nigerians with integrity, it is time to stand for change, from our homes to our spheres of influences. It is time to turn to the Lord. We may not be able to stop election riggers or the looting of the Central Bank, but we can uphold integrity in our daily lives. Whether we split Nigeria into different regions or pursue restructuring or remain as we are, it is still righteousness that will make us great again. An unrighteous Yoruba nation is as worse as an unrighteous Nigeria. An ungodly Biafra nation is as worse as an ungodly Nigeria. Whether we split Nigeria into different regions or pursue restructuring or remain as we are, it is still righteousness that will make us great again. Nations are great because of the wealth of their values. The Nigerian church has been deeply compromised, and it is time for repentance and renewal. General Overseers and church founders must humble themselves, call for a solemn assembly, and return to God. It is righteousness that will make Nigeria great, in addition to justice, equity, fairness, integrity, rule of law, truth, love, and a progressive change in our national value systems. The messages from our pulpits as a church must change to reflect these dominant values of righteousness. In an environment of righteousness, our prayers and fasting will work, generating spiritual power to overcome darkness and bring about the stirring up of the spirit of revival and revolution. In an environment of righteousness, value systems will change for the better, leading to a society with conscience. With increased commitment towards righteousness, the scale and scope of corruption will diminish and prosperity will return to the land. Whether we split Nigeria into different regions or pursue restructuring or remain as we are, it is still righteousness that will make us great again. An unrighteous Yoruba nation is as worse as an unrighteous Nigeria. An ungodly Biafra nation is as worse as an ungodly Nigeria. Whether we split Nigeria into different regions or pursue restructuring or remain as we are, it is still righteousness that will make us great again. Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation. (Proverbs 14:34) God bless Nigeria. Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen Ministries in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through [email protected] The global response to Israels two-year war against fighters of The Islamic Resistance Movement (better known by its Arabic acronym, Hamas) in Gaza, underscores an old, and in todays much changed circumstance, very useful question: Where does the line between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israels handling of the war in Gaza lie and how thick is this line? How this question is answered is at the heart of the ongoing battle being waged by ultra-right political movements against democracies worldwide. Hate crimes, including all portrayals of certain groups (immigrants, ethnic or religious minorities, LGBTQ+ people, elites, etc.) as illegitimate or dangerous, are wrong. They harm people. They make nonsense of the notion of inclusive citizenship. Equally, Israels management of the Gaza assault war, it is definitely not in response to Hamas barbaric attack on it two years ago, has been everything but good hearted. Fine distinctions aplenty? Yes. And these lend muscle to the fact that populist nationalist movements do not emerge in a vacuum. Always, they amplify (if not exaggerate) legitimate grumbles economic insecurity, cultural dislocation, or mistrust of political elites. While this explains the current global proliferation of these movements, todays remarkable coming together of pain points has constrained the ability of traditional political movements to manage them. The old parties of right, left, and centre have not been helped by transitions in the global economy. Chinas rise is, arguably, the pachyderm in the tea set shop. It used to be that China produced cheap manufacturing baubles. Today, from renewables, through electric vehicles, to advanced research, it threatens traditional centres of manufacturing. Anyway, at the lower end of production possibilities, manufacturing had already fled Europe and North America to lower-cost Asian locations. And technological changes are altering the face of manufacturing, too. It no longer needs as many factory hands as it once did to produce more of improved varieties of goods and services. Add to this a world where globalisation has made labour increasingly as footloose as capital. The ultra-right response to this bouquet of social and economic problems has been to try to redefine the core meaning of democracy by hacking away at its liberal foundations. From the US MAGA Movement, through Brazils Bolsonaristas, to Germanys Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD), far-right movements tend to emphasise majoritarian rule the idea that the will of the majority is absolute while downplaying the importance of liberal safeguards such as minority rights, an independent judiciary, and a free press. In this view, democracy is offered anew to the electorate as a system of domination by the people, narrowly defined, rather than a framework for inclusive representation and pluralism. The presentation of immigrants, religious minorities, and other marginalised groups as outsiders or threats, central to all of this, often comes off as a poorly tacked on afterthought. As with Nazism, fascism, and Stalinism (amongst a plenitude of such isms), ultra-right ideologies erode the notion of equal citizenship on which democratic legitimacy depends. Furthermore, their populist arguments contrasting the pure people with corrupt elites delegitimises opposition parties, experts, and independent institutions, thereby shrinking the space for disagreement and deliberation. Thus, threatened by these worldviews, ought democracies to ban them? Not too long ago, womens right to vote was rejected as injurious to democracies, as was the notion of an equal vote for every human. Our progress as societies have been forced on us by a succession of fringe movements whose persistent advocacy has made accommodation with injustices and errors increasingly impossible. To ban, therefore, views that cause discomfort even to most people is the gradual democratic backsliding that invariably leads to the entrenchment of illiberal governance. If democracy shoots itself in the foot by banning views that it currently finds repellent, might it be better off inoculating itself against such views? In the end, the task environment posed by the ultra-right is not merely electoral but philosophical. It forces societies to confront the tension between popular sovereignty and liberal pluralism between the will of the majority and the protection of all. Defending democracy, therefore, requires not only institutional resilience but also a renewal of the moral and civic commitment to tolerance, inclusion, and truth. These are old problems that in our social media era, with its proliferation of alternative news platforms, cry for new solutions. Over the next decade, at least, political discourse is not about to become more deliberative and less adversarial. Conspiracy theories and deliberate misinformation will continue to chip away at trust in traditional media and public institutions. Citizens are much likelier to lose faith in democracy itself. All of this will burden global human rights regimes and embolden authoritarian actors everywhere. Only by addressing the economic and social insecurities that fuel extremist politics, while firmly upholding democratic values, can societies meet this challenge without compromising their principles. Uddin Ifeanyi, journalist manque and retired civil servant, can be reached @IfeanyiUddin. Weighed down by the heavy moral burden of the certificate forgery allegation levelled against him, politician and businessman, Uche Nnaji, last Tuesday resigned his position as Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology. In his resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu, he claimed that he was a target of blackmail by political opponents. But Mr Nnaji was being economical with the truth. The fact, as now irrefutably established, is that he forged two certificates: one, a BSc degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), purportedly awarded him in 1985, even though he never completed his studies there. And another, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate dated 1986. Both forged documents were presented to the President for his ministerial appointment. The State Security Service (SSS) and the Senate ostensibly vetted these credentials before confirming him as fit and proper to hold office as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, this newspapers two-year investigation punctured that deception earlier this month, following the unequivocal response from the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Professor Simon Ortuanya, via a letter dated 2 October 2025, to a PREMIUM TIMES enquiry on the authenticity of Mr Nnajis degree. Corroborating the VCs position, another senior university official stated categorically: The truth of the matter is that he never graduated from here. His file is intact. It contains details up to the point where he dropped out. Mr Nnaji, in effect, shot himself in the foot when he later admitted (after a series of evasions) that the university never awarded him the degree. His admission came in court papers he filed against the university and five others, in a desperate attempt to conceal his crime. The case, now before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court, Abuja, shows that Mr Nnaji even sought an ex parte order to restrain the university from tampering with his academic records. Having admitted the forgery, law enforcement agencies must not delay his prosecution in line with Section 463 of the Criminal Code Act, which classifies forgery as a criminal offence. The law becomes even more punitive when false documents are presented under oath. Mr Nnajis resignation from office, we dare say, is not enough. Our collective moral health as a nation is what now stands on trial. The Tinubu administration inflicted a great moral injury on itself by not sacking Mr Nnaji when his fraud became evident as far back as 13 May 2025, following the Registrar of UNN, Cecilia Nnebedums letter to the Public Complaints Commission, which clearly stated that his name was missing from the universitys roll of 1985 graduates. That the government allowed this dishonest and reprobate character to remain in office five months after this revelation is deeply troubling. The Registrars earlier letter to Peoples Gazette in 2023, which curiously confirmed Mr Nnajis graduation, was later recanted in May 2025. A senior university source attributed the earlier letter either to the handiwork of unscrupulous elements in the Records Unit who may have colluded with interested parties or to an honest administrative blunder. Either way, the university owes itself and the public a duty to investigate and sanction those responsible to preserve its institutional integrity. It is regrettable that the culture of fraud and deception, endemic in Nigerian society, has also entrenched itself in public office. Even more revolting, however, is the official lethargy and complicity with which such crimes are handled. In September 2018, for instance, Kemi Adeosun, then Minister of Finance under the Buhari administration, resigned after it was revealed that she presented a forged NYSC exemption certificate to the SSS and Senate during her screening. Similarly, in 2019, Governor-elect David Lyon of Bayelsa State lost his mandate after the Supreme Court found that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, had submitted forged certificates to the electoral body. The trail of such infamy stretches back to Salisu Buhari, the first Speaker of the House of Representatives in this Fourth Republic, who in 1999 was exposed for forging a University of Toronto degree and a birth certificate. On the latter, he increased his age from 29 to 36 to circumvent Section 65 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates a minimum age of 30 for membership of the House of Representatives. Overwhelmed by public outrage, Mr Buhari resigned on 23 July 1999 and publicly apologised to Nigerians. It was TheNews Magazine, under the editorship of Bayo Onanuga now Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu that exposed his fraud in a cover story aptly titled The Face of a Liar. We are persuaded that Mr Nnaji and others caught in similar scandals represent only a fraction of a broader rot in the system. The more fundamental question lies in the failure of security and legislative screening mechanisms that are supposed to protect the integrity of high public office. The SSS and the Senate, in particular, must be called to account. Their perfunctory, performative vetting of nominees, without thorough verification of documents, is a national embarrassment. It is an unacceptable abdication of responsibility that should compel immediate institutional reform. Nigeria cannot continue to normalise deceit at the highest levels of governance. Each unpunished forgery erodes public trust, undermines the merit system, and tells honest citizens that integrity no longer counts. The country will err grievously again if there are no consequences for Mr Nnajis forgery. The ministry he led Innovation, Science and Technology should, in any serious nation, be at the heart of knowledge production, technological growth, and economic transformation, especially in this age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Allowing this sordid saga to fade without full accountability, without tracing how and with whose help Mr Nnaji procured and used his forged certificates, will further tarnish not just this government, but Nigerias moral standing as a nation. Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for launching the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, describing it as a strategic intervention that aligns with the grassroots-focused development model Katsina State pioneered in November 2024. Governor Radda expressed delight that the Federal Government has adopted a similar approach to the Katsina State Community Development Programme (KSCDP), which has been yielding positive results across the states 361 electoral wards. We are excited that Mr President has recognised the transformative potential of ward-level development interventions. What we initiated in Katsina State as a grassroots empowerment strategy is now being scaled nationally through the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, Governor Radda stated. He disclosed that Katsina State released N3.6 billion in November 2024 to kick-start the Community Development Programme, with N10 million allocated to each of the states 361 electoral wards through dedicated ward-level accounts. He noted that the initiative has enhanced social cohesion, economic empowerment, gender equity, infrastructure access, and environmental sustainability across communities in Katsina State. Governor Radda commended President Tinubu for the decision to extend this model nationwide through the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which targets over 8.8 million Nigerians across 8,809 electoral wards. The Presidents commitment to drilling down development to the lowest levels to stimulate economic activity, generate employment, reduce poverty, and enhance food security perfectly complements what we are doing in Katsina State. This synergy between state and federal initiatives will accelerate grassroots transformation, he stated. He assured President Tinubu of Katsina States readiness to collaborate with the Federal Government in implementing the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, leveraging the states experience and lessons learned from the KSCDP. Mr Radda reiterated his administrations commitment to transparent governance and participatory development, assuring that Katsina State will continue to lead by example in delivering dividends of democracy directly to the people. OAS Helicopters today announced the addition of a factory-new Leonardo AW139 I0GP offshore-configured, Phase-8 model helicopter (Year 2025) to its fleet. This new industry workhouse, delivered directly from Leonardos OEM factory in Italy on 10 September 2025, and landed in Nigeria on 26 September 2025, is registered 5N-CEN. The latest acquisition reflects the OAS ongoing effort, quest, and commitment to providing safe, reliable, and high-quality support to our Nations growing oil and gas exploration and production in the deep waters. The AW139 is a globally proven multi-mission helicopter, featuring state-of-the-art avionics with advanced navigation and collision avoidance systems to enhance situational awareness, thereby reducing Pilot workload. It also offers unmatched speed, superior power margins & overall performance; the widest cabin in its category featuring high modularity for rapid reconfiguration; a 60+ minute run-dry capable Main Gearbox for enhanced reliability and safety; and up to 1,000 certified kits. This delivery marks another milestone in our mission to provide world-class aviation support for Nigeria and the West African energy sector, said Captain Denny Matulessya, Managing Director of Odengene Air Shuttle Services (OAS). With each addition to our fleet, we reinforce our role as a reliable partner for safe and efficient offshore operations. The latest acquisition increases OAS stake in oil & Gas helicopter deep water support, cementing the companys position as an indigenous leader in rotorcraft solutions and demonstrating its continued investment in cutting-edge aviation assets to support the Nations fast-growing national energy infrastructure. About OAS Helicopters OAS Helicopters is a leading indigenous aviation company providing helicopter and fixed-wing services to support offshore oil and gas exploration, production, and other specialized missions in Nigeria. With a growing fleet of technologically advanced aircraft and a commitment to local development, OAS Helicopters remains dedicated to delivering safe, reliable, and world-class aviation services across Nigeria and West Africa. For more information visit http://www.oas-helicopters.com. In the world of fine luxury, legacy is not inherited; it is built, refined, and redefined through vision, consistency, values and trust. For over three decades, Polo Luxury has embodied this philosophy, curating timeless experiences and fostering enduring partnerships with some of the worlds most prestigious watch, jewellery and leather goods brands. Today, as Polo prepares to unveil its newest Rolex and Cartier Espace in Abuja, the brand is entering a defining phase of its journey toward becoming Africas dominant luxury goods company. This strategic expansion underscores Polos commitment to deepening accessibility to authentic global luxury experiences across Nigerias key cities. The forthcoming Abuja boutique, set to be one of the largest luxury destinations in West Africa, will not only bring Polo Luxury closer to an elite clientele in the nations capital but will also serve as a benchmark for modern luxury retail excellence in the region. Polos ambition extends beyond retail expansion; it is a mission to shape Africas luxury narrative, one rooted in heritage, authenticity, exclusivity, and the seamless fusion of global craftsmanship with African sophistication. Every store, collection, and partnership tells a story of trust, a value that has been the foundation of Polo Luxurys relationships with the worlds leading maisons for over three decades. That trust was once again reaffirmed during the recent three-day visit of Cartier executives to Nigeria, led by Maud Rinaldi and Hussein Younsi. The high-level engagement reflected Cartiers continued confidence in Polo as its long-standing retail partner in Nigeria, as both brands explored new opportunities for growth, innovation, and customer engagement in a bid to elevate luxury experience in the region. The visit also symbolised the shared vision between Cartier and Polo, one that celebrates authenticity, craftsmanship, and cultural heritage as the cornerstones of meaningful luxury. While in Nigeria, the Cartier team engaged deeply with Polos leadership and team across boutiques in Lagos and Abuja, sharing insights on product storytelling, experiential retail, and brand innovation. Their immersion in Nigerias art and cultural scene further highlighted the deep synergy between global luxury and African creativity, two worlds Polo continues to bridge deeply. Speaking on the broader significance of the Abuja expansion and the Cartier visit, Jennifer Obayuwana, Executive Director of Polo Luxury Group, stated: Our vision has always been to lead, not just in retail, but in redefining what authentic luxury means for Africa. Our new Abuja boutique represents more than business growth but also an emphasis on our commitment to shaping the future of authentic luxury across West Africa. As Polo strengthens its partnerships and expands its footprint, the brand remains steadfast in its pursuit of excellence, guided by the same values of heritage, customer trust, authenticity and innovation that have defined its legacy since inception. The Abuja store opening soon and the renewed collaboration with Cartier are not just milestones; they are symbols of Polos evolution into a regional powerhouse in the luxury ecosystem. From Lagos to Abuja, and beyond, Polo Luxury is charting a bold new chapter: one that reinforces its identity as Africas trusted ambassador of authentic luxury and sets the tone for a future where West African luxury is not only celebrated but globally respected. About Polo Luxury Polo Luxury is Nigerias foremost luxury retail brand and official retailer of the worlds most prestigious timepieces, fine jewellery, and lifestyle accessories for over three decades. As the exclusive partner to globally celebrated brands such as Rolex, Cartier, Piaget, IWC, Montblanc, and Swarovski, Polo is trusted by discerning clientele for its unrivalled authenticity, craftsmanship, and service excellence. Pinnacle Digital Resources Limited, a leading provider of data-driven digital products and services, is excited to announce the official launch of its highly anticipated digital news platform, Pinnacle Daily. The event is scheduled to take place on 15 October 2025, at 10:00 AM at the Ibeto Hotel, Abuja. As Nigerias media landscape continues to evolve, Pinnacle Daily is set to become the digital platform of choice for Nigerians, delivering valuable, credible, trustworthy news, information, and intelligent analysis. With a special focus on business, politics, and the economy, Pinnacle Daily aims to empower readers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions that will impact their lives, businesses, and communities. The launch event, themed Media as Business, will feature a keynote address by Mr Isiaq Ajibola, President/CEO of CBD MediaEdge Communications Ltd, FCT Abuja. Mr Ajibola, a renowned media entrepreneur and expert, will speak on The Economics of Media Business: Understanding Revenue Models and Profitability, providing invaluable insights into the complexities of revenue generation and business sustainability in todays dynamic media industry. Speaking on the launch, the Editor of Pinnacle Daily, Sunday Michael Ogwu, said, We are thrilled to introduce Pinnacle Daily to Nigeria, a platform that aligns with our mission of providing value-driven digital products and services that help our stakeholders make knowledgeable decisions. Our vision is to be the go-to platform for reliable content and data experiences, serving not just Nigeria but Nigerians worldwide with trusted information. We are proud to have a distinguished speaker like Mr Ajibola to kick off this important conversation about the business side of media and its role in shaping the future of content delivery in Nigeria. The keynote address will be followed by a panel discussion with Azu Ishikwene, Managing Director, Leadership Newspapers, Simon Kolawole, Publisher of the Cable, Angela Agoawike, Founder, Omalicha FM Radio, Zainab Okino, Chairman, Editorial Board, Blueprint Newspaper, and Musikilu Mojeed, CEO/Editor in Chief of Premium Times as panelists. This session aims to explore how media organisations can navigate the challenges of digital transformation, media monetisation, and the business of news in the current climate. In the heart of Nigerias rapidly evolving tech ecosystem, IHS Nigeria, part of the IHS Towers group, is emerging as a catalyst for innovation and digital empowerment. Known for its industry leadership as a communications infrastructure company, IHS Nigeria is quietly solidifying its reputation as an enabler of the tech ecosystem and a backbone of Nigerias digital possibilities. Through strategic partnerships and upskilling programmes, the company is not only supporting Nigerias digital transformation but also helping nurture and build local talent to position Nigeria as a key player on the global tech stage. Innovation Infrastructure and Ecosystem Development Across Nigeria, IHS Nigeria is enabling the digital access and connectivity that helps fuel innovation from grassroots to global level, with more than 16,000 towers and over 15,000 route kilometres of fibre optic cables deployed nationwide. IHS Nigerias impact also extends into the academic corridors of Nigeria through its support and establishment of innovation hubs. These hubs are designed to serve as launchpads for future tech entrepreneurs and startups. The Ilorin Innovation Hub, powered by IHS Nigeria and believed to be the largest of its kind in West Africa, is one such hub. Unveiled in February this year, it has beendesigned as a collaborative space with co-working areas,incubation and acceleration programmes, mentorship schemes and access to funding, through its partnership with the Hubs programme managers Co-creation Hub and Future Africa. In July, in Kano State, the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) commissioned the Kano Digital Industrial Park which was rebuilt and restored with the support of IHS Nigeria, following its vandalization during the protests of August 2024. This park was first established to serve as a public centre providing a range of services to promote technological advancement and hands-on digital learning, and now that it has been rebuilt, it aims to continue serving in this role. IHS Nigeria is also building a similar park in Maiduguri, Borno State, as part of its continued interest in supporting the tech ecosystem in Northern Nigeria. In Lagos, IHS Nigeria has supported the Lagos Innovates centre, which has a focus on energy and the environment in the Alimosho area, and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce / Bank of Industry (LCCI-BOI) Innovation Hub in Ikeja. For both centres, IHS Nigeria provided funding for construction, space fit-out, computers and other ICT equipment. In neighbouring Oyo state, it has also sponsored the development of an innovation hub at the Ladoke Akintola University in Ogbomosho. These hubs are not just physical spaces, but ecosystems that help increase access to digital tools and training where ideas can flourish, businesses can be born, and futures can be shaped. Strategic Partnerships for Sustainable Growth To achieve its aim of driving sustainable growth and development through technology, IHS Nigeria has alsoentered strategic partnerships with national and international organisations including the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). The company also sustains a strong partnership with the Federal Government through the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, as well as the NCC. By the end of 2024, through its partnership with UNICEF Nigeria, IHS Nigeria had helped provide internet connectivity and essential ICT devices to over 800 schoolsin underserved communities across 17 states in Nigeria. By providing these resources, IHS Nigeria enabled these schools to access the Nigerian Learning Passport, an online and offline curriculum application reaching approximately 1.7 million users. Designed by UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Learning Passport provides students and teacherswith access to online educational materials, interactive learning platforms and digital tools. Through such partnerships, IHS Nigeria continues to support the creation of research centres, digital economy programmes, and policy advocacy platforms to further enhance Nigerias tech ecosystem. Upskilling the Next Generation IHS Nigerias commitment to innovation and driving digital inclusion is also evident in its support for the Federal Governments Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative. This initiative has enrolled 140,000 Nigerians to be trained in digital skills, helped 7,500 individuals gain full-time employment and created 30,000 entrepreneurial job opportunities as a direct result of this training. The company also champions Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and gender balancing through initiatives like the Women in Tech and Green Jobs (WITG) programme which, in 2024, provided 65 young women with training, certifications, and internship opportunities in tech and engineering vocations. School administrators and teachers appear to also benefit from IHS Nigerias commitment to digital empowerment. Teachers across Jigawa, Kwara, Abia and Osun States have been successfully trained under IHS Nigerias digital literacy initiatives, while internet routers have also beendonated to their schools to further enhance classroom engagement and promote digital connectivity. Since 2023, through various initiatives and partnerships with organisations such as STEM4DEV Project, KAD-ICT Hub, 9ijakids and the Limitless Space Institute, IHS Nigeria has contributed to the training and capacity building of over 5,736 individuals. In addition, the company continues to create pathways for Nigerian youths to further explore space science, software engineering, and digital innovation. Its recent sponsorship of the STEM Africa Fest is indicative of the companys belief that early exposure to STEM education through hands-on learning experiences will ignite early curiosity and innovation. Building the Future As Nigeria continues to position itself as a leading hub for technological advancement in Africa, IHS Nigeria remains committed to fostering the growth of high-potential startups through its innovation hubs. These hubs are envisioned as incubators for the next generation of unicorns and zebras, companies that will not only drive innovation but also generate employment, contribute to Nigerias economic development and nurture future tech talent. Through these commitments, IHS Nigeria is reinforcing its role as a catalyst for sustainable growth and technological leadership. Promasidor Nigeria is helping students think more clearly about their future through its career guidance programme, Harness Your Dream, which recently held its latest edition in Lagos. The initiative, a key part of the companys youth empowerment efforts, brought together students, educators, government officials, and professionals for a day of mentorship, motivation, and career insights aimed at junior secondary school students. Speaking at the event, Promasidor Nigerias Chief Executive Officer, Mr Francois Gillet, said the company believes education is a powerful driver of change. Promasidor is more than just a food and beverage company, were part of the community, he said. Harness Your Dream gives students a chance to understand their strengths, explore different career paths, and start thinking about their future in a focused way. He also mentioned other initiatives supported by the company, such as Cowbellpedia and Ikun Milk Day, which also aim to support learning and development. Representing the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, was Mrs Anike Adekanye, former Tutor General and Permanent Secretary of Education District II. She praised Promasidor for sustaining a programme that supports the Lagos State Governments efforts to prepare young people for success. This kind of initiative fits right into the Governors vision for a more educated and empowered generation, Mrs Adekanye said. Your dreams are important, but they need to be backed by discipline, purpose, and hard work. She encouraged students to stay curious, keep learning, and understand that the choices they make now will shape their future. Dr Chinenyem Obasi-Obonga, Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs at Promasidor, highlighted how the programme aligns with global and state goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and the Lagos State THEMES+ agenda. Our goal is to help students connect the dots between what theyre learning and who they want to become, she said. With the right support, theres no dream thats out of reach. Chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area, Mr Adebayo Olasoju, also spoke at the event, sharing his personal story to show students that no background is too humble for success. Dont let your situation define your future, he said. What matters is your drive and how much you believe in yourself. Students engaged directly with Promasidor staff who shared career advice and personal experiences. These included Mr Olabisi Ajeyomi (Head of Sales and Operations Planning), Mrs Arike Nwachukwu (National Key Account Manager), and Mr Chukwunonso Udeh (Performance and People Services Specialist). They encouraged students to dream big but also plan wisely. The event was lively and interactive, with students participating in quizzes and games, and some going home with prizes for their enthusiasm and quick thinking. Other notable attendees included the Director of Human Resources and Corporate Services, Promasidor Nigeria, Mrs Efeguom Oriero; representative of the Lagos State Agency for Mass Education, Mr Ibrahim Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the Chairman of Oshodi Local Government, Mr Leke Banjoko and members of the Education District 6 team. With Harness Your Dream, Promasidor continues to invest in the next generation, helping young Nigerians believe in their potential, make informed choices, and take confident steps toward a brighter future. Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has mourned the passing of the renowned Nigerian evangelist, Uma Ukpai, whom he described as a generational teacher. Uma died on 6 October, according to a statement from the family. He was 80 years old. Revered as the father of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, Uma was the founder and president of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, headquartered in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He turned 80 on 7 January. Although from Ohafia in Abia State, the late cleric had spent most of his adult life in Uyo, where he hosted hundreds of Christians to a life-impacting service every Wednesday at his Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Associations cathedral. In a statement on Monday, 13 October, from his special adviser on media and publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Mr Otti said he received with sadness the news of Umas passing. Mr Otti recalled the father-son relationship that existed between him and Uma over the years, and said his passing was devastating because of the massive vacuum it has created in Christendom, Abia State and the country. Our father in the Lord, Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai has, to the joy of the Heavens and celebration of the Angels, gone to be with the Lord. He was the father of all, a soldier of Christ and a generational teacher who yielded himself to Christ and became a potent instrument for healing of the sick, salvation for lost souls, fulfilment of the scriptures and manifestation of the prophesies of God. His death is devastating because of the positive influence he wielded, the positive impacts he made, the lives he touched in very special ways, and above all, the vacuum his exit has created, Mr Otti stated. The governor, while regretting that the late evangelist passed on when his services to God and humanity were still being enjoyed, said that his is not a death, but a journey to higher glory. Mr Otti, on behalf of his family, the government and people of Abia State, sent condolences to the family of Uma and the Christian community. He prayed that God would give them the courage to accept his exit and uphold the enduring fire of Glory he ignited in the vineyard of the Lord. The Nigerian Content Academy Lecture Series organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) got off to a thought-provoking start on Friday with a panoramic overview of local content strategy and implementation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and a word of caution to industry players to not trifle with the initiative. In a presentation on the topic Staying the Nigerian Content Course in the Midst of Delivery Challenges, the pioneer Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Dr. Ernest Nwapa, addressed several industry issues, dismissing the notion that the absence of final investment decisions (FIDs) in the countrys oil and gas sector over a period of time was caused by stringent implementation of local content policies by the NCDMB. According to him, There are many government policies that are affecting FIDs. He admitted that the oil and gas industry stakeholders face an increasingly complex environment shaped by global energy trends, shifting investment patterns and heightened expectations for local participation and value addition. On suggestions that the future of local content policies is under intense scrutiny, Dr. Nwapa, a one-time Group General Manager, Nigerian Content Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (2005-2010) noted that such unfounded fears had always been advocated by some industry stakeholders averse to the idea of local content. He drew attention to some unhealthy trends in the oil and gas industry, noting that there are unintended ambiguities in the Presidential Directives introduced in February 2024. Such ambiguities, he pointed out, need to be addressed by stakeholders. He regretted that the ambiguities in the Presidential Directives have created systemic problems, and that there has to be institutional adjustment to re-enact the authority in the NCDMB directives. He decried what he described as lack of respect for the authority of the NCDMB within some industry stakeholder groups, arguing that when the Board writes a letter and says this is what stands on Nigerian Content, nobody questions it. Continuing, he declared, If you challenge a letter from the NCDMB, it wouldnt stand. He said it is wrong for any agency to put aside a letter from the Board and continue doing things in its own way. Dr. Nwapa, a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), pointed out that Nigerian Content has been a national aspiration with mixed results since the Nigerian economic development model was conceived. According to him, statutes like the Petroleum Act, 1969, the Joint Venture (JV) agreements, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), and creation of NAPIMS, all hadbeen conceived to achieve some measure of local content. There was also the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, 2003. But all these were incomparable to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010. In his words, Our young engineers, our young technicians now have places to go to acquire practical skills because a lot of projects are going on in the country. For specifics, he declared, If you look at the number of Nigerians that worked in Egina at the Integration Yard [SHI-MCI Fabrication and Integration Yard,Tarkwa Bay, Lagos], its not something you can just underestimate. So we need to know there are serious consequences for failure of what weve started. Dr. Nwapa argued that Things around high costs of local contentare things that we have to continue to work on to see how we can have them reduced. He said argued further that if you dont start practising local content and get your people involved, the costs gap will be wider and wider, so its either you decide to bite the bullet right now and use activities within your local economy to drive the costs to competitive levels or you can forget about it and not do it at all. He advised that cost of projects needs to be evaluated on a project-by-project basis and handled strategically by the Board. He insisted that NCDMB has the power to do that, working with the industry players, who would provide the information and matrices. Dr Nwapa also advised that the Nigerian Content Academy, a division of the NCDMB, should be a place where we test theories, and we go outside to the field and have strong workshop discussions and analysis, and proffer practical recommendations, which could be taken to the NCDMB Executive Secretary or right up to The Presidency. When the moderator of the Lecture Series and Director of the Academy, Dr Ama Ikuru, invited questions and comments from participants, Mr Simeon Ogari, Nigerian Content Manager of SEPLAT Energy Limited, sought to know why there is Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content (NOGIC) Joint Qualification System (JQS) and a parallel JQS operated by NIPEX [Nigerian Petroleum Exchange]. Engr. Nwapa said the situation had been so for some time but that it has not disrupted industry activities, and that differences could be sorted out in time. Other participants who sought clarifications include Mr Isoboye Amachree, of Oando PLC, Mr Kamselem Mohammed and Naboth Onyesoh, Director, Legal Services, of NCDMB. The Nigerian Content Academy Lecture Series hold weekly and are intended to raise awareness of trends and issues in the oil and gas industry, and thus empower Nigerians to take full advantage of economic opportunities in that sector. Governor Dauda Lawal has reaffirmed the Zamfara State Governments commitment to continuing its partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Governor Lawal attended the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and the launch of the related strategy on Monday at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja. A statement by the governors spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that Vice President Kashim Shettima, led the official launch of NEMAs strategic plan (2025 2029), the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) strategy (2025 2030), and the Action Plan (2025 2028). The statement added that the event with the theme Fund Resilience, Not Disaster gathered all stakeholders across Nigeria. In his goodwill message, Governor Lawal praised NEMA for organizing a timely dialogue and for their dedication to enhancing Nigerias disaster risk management framework. He said: Disasters occur in a vicious cycle where one disaster fuels another. Our experience underscores the saying that no risk is truly isolated; it is interconnected, and managing it requires a strategic approach. Therefore, I also commend you on the formal Launch of your 5-year strategic plan, tagged The National Disaster Risk Strategy 2025 to 2030. As we launch the Strategic Plan and deliberate on funding models, I urge all stakeholders to deepen collaboration and ensure that no stakeholder is left behind in our collective effort to build a safer, more resilient Nigeria. The theme of todays International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Fund Resilience, Not Disasters, must be transformed into concrete plans during this roundtable. To ensure sustainability, it is crucial to build resilience in funding, as disaster management is a dynamic and evolving process. Funding mechanisms should be dynamic, flexible, and readily available. Governor Lawal further added that Zamfara faces many disasters And emergencies, both natural and man-made, such as insecurity, fires, displacement, mining shaft collapses, floods, and other adverse effects of climate change, among others. Through it all, we can always count on NEMA to be there as part of the management, recovery, reconstruction, and mitigation efforts. Therefore, I thank you on behalf of the Government and People of Zamfara State for your efforts and interventions and for always being there in our times of need. The Zamfara Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA) has been granted greater powers to enhance its emergency response. We are integrating disaster risk management into governance through early warning systems, community engagement, and institutional reforms, as we believe systemic resilience starts at the sub-national level. Before I conclude, I want to express our sincere appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, for his leadership during these challenging times. I also extend my gratitude to my brother, Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima GCON, for his support, and to Zubaida Umar, the Director General of NEMA, along with her team and all organizations assisting Zamfara in overcoming our current challenges. President Bola Tinubu has mourned the passing of the renowned Nigerian evangelist, Uma Ukpai. Mr Ukpai died on 6 October, according to a statement from the family. He was 80 years old. In a tribute issued on Monday, 13 October, Mr Tinubu described the late evangelist as an anointed crusader of the faith, filled with fire and ice for the gospel and restoring humanity to discipline, love, and good neighbourliness. Mr Tinubu said Mr Ukpai impacted generations with his ministry and that he has gone to be with the Lord. He was one of the leaders in the Lords army who brought the fervour of revival sweeping across Nigeria and parts of Africa in the 1980s. He was a firebrand. I recall his Greater Ibadan for Christ crusade in 1982 and the Greater Lagos for Christ crusade in 1985, two phenomenal events in proportion and impact, he said while acknowledging Mr Ukpais humanitarian efforts through his charities, schools, and hospitals. The president said the clerics mission was clearly to unite the Christian fold and different faiths and spread peace and harmony. He was a builder, building men and bridges linking different faiths, people, tongues, and tribes He fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. The president commiserated with his family, especially his wife, Philomena, his children, and members of his ministry, and prayed that God should grant the late evangelist eternal rest. Mr Ukpai is the founder and president of the Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association, headquartered in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He turned 80 on 7 January. Uma spent most of his adult life in Uyo Although from Ohafia in Abia State, the late cleric had spent most of his adult life in Uyo, where he hosted hundreds of Christians to a service every Wednesday at his Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Associations cathedral. In January, his followers gifted him N80 million for his 80th birthday. Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State described him as Gods gift to Akwa Ibom State during the birthday celebration in Uyo. READ ALSO: Renowned Nigerian evangelist Uma Ukpai is dead Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, preached during the birthday celebration and narrated how he (Adeboye) drew strength from Uma when he (Adeboye) lost his son. Mr Adeboye had described his sons passing as the darkest moment of his life. Mr Adeboye said Mr Ukpai is extremely special to him and the Christian community within and outside Nigeria. He said he met the evangelist over 40 years ago at a wonderful crusade in Lagos and has followed his activities since then. If you see me kneeling down to worship God before I stand up here, I know that if I follow the footsteps of a great man like that I think when I grow a little older, I will want to be like Uma Ukpai, Mr Adeboye said, causing the audience to laugh out loud. Mr Adeboye thanked God for Mr Ukpais life of service and dedication. This is a very great occasion and I feel thoroughly humbled that someone as great as Uma Ukpai could ask me to come and say a word on this special occasion, he said. Author shares that a man can change his marriage from within by becoming an "environment changer" rather than a "pinball" who reacts to external stimuli OCONOMOWOC, Wis., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Relationship and marriage expert Larry Bilotta has spent the last 15 years interviewing over 2,000 people in troubled marriages. While listening to their stories, Bilotta says that he realized that all of men he spoke with are married to women who come from troubled childhoods, with no exceptions. This Is Not The Woman I Married: Her Midlife Crisis and What Her Husband Can Do About It by Larry Bilotta In "This Is Not The Woman I Married," Bilotta provides an inside look at his own struggles and breakthroughs during an intense forty-year marriage, while offering husbands practical tools to save their relationships during their wives' "midlife transition." With step-by-step strategies and emotional insights, the book aims to empower men to respond with patience, empathy, and clarity rather than fear or frustration. "You can't force someone to stay, and you can't make anyone do anything," said Bilotta. "But you can dramatically shift the dynamic of your relationship with the right skills to control anxiety, deal with grief and feel better personally. Once you're no longer dependent on others to make you happy, everything changes." Bilotta spent 27 years in what he describes as a deeply troubled marriage before he and his wife discovered a path to reconciliation. During that long period of conflict and eventual healing, he developed practical tools to manage emotions and rebuild connection. The lessons he extracted from his own marriage became the foundation of his Chaos Scale method, designed to help others understand and measure emotional turbulence and stress level in daily life and relationships. The scale, a self-awareness tool, ranks an individual's inner emotional "noise" from calm to overwhelming and helps them recognize whether they're functioning from a place of peace and clarity, or if they're spiraling into reactive, destructive patterns. "If you were raised at the top of the scale then you have very good and positive values that you take into the marriage with no effort on your part," said Bilotta. "If your wife was raised at the bottom of the scale, she holds very negative values within her subconscious mind that will come for her when you least expect it. This creates a very troubling marriage situation after you are married for several years and have established lives with children and assets." "This Is Not The Woman I Married: Her Midlife Crisis and What Her Husband Can Do About It" By Larry Bilotta ISBN: 9798765259931 (softcover); 9798765259955 (hardcover); 9798765259948 (electronic) Available at Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the author Larry Bilotta is an author and relationship expert who developed an approach to saving marriages based on his own 40-year marriage. While not a therapist, he launched his work after an "intense forty-year training program supplied by his wife, Marsha. He spent years studying psychology, spirituality, and relationship science before developing his "common sense, accessible, and proven approach." To learn more, please visit larrybilotta.com. General Inquiries: LAVIDGE Phoenix Ziggy Goldfarb [email protected] SOURCE Balboa Press Three-year grant will expand diabetes device access via innovative pilot projects WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) Foundation and four of its member health will pilot models to expand access to care for millions living with diabetes, thanks to a $4.2 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Building on previous work supported by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the 36-month grant will reduce barriers to using continuous glucose monitors (CGM) for people living with insulin-requiring diabetes. This partnership advances ACHP's Chronic Disease Pledge to improve diabetes outcomes by 2030. CGM is a game-changing tool that offers user-friendly, unprecedented transparency in tracking blood sugar levels for diabetes management, though barriers still exist in coverage, cost and adoption. "One out of every four health care dollars spent in the United States goes toward diabetes care, and CGMs are obvious tools to improve lives while saving money," said ACHP President and CEO Ceci Connolly. "Because our plans are deeply rooted in their communities, they have a unique responsibility and opportunity to show what's possible in transforming diabetes care. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with The Helmsley Charitable Trust to expand access to CGM, especially as managing chronic diseases including diabetes remains a top priority for ACHP and federal policymakers." Five Pilots Launching October 2025: Health Alliance Plan (Michigan): Patient-Driven Bundled Payment Model Health Alliance Plan (Michigan): CGM Playbook for Non-Profit Health Care Plans HealthPartners (Minnesota): Pay-for-Performance Model for Community Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Pharmacists Select Health (Utah): Leveraging Integrated Network to Remove Educational, Financial and Other Barriers to CGM Access UPMC Health Plan (Pennsylvania): Diabetes Specialist Primary Care Integration Via Electronic Health Record Technology Together, these projects will generate proof of concept for payer-led strategies to expand CGM access and optimal use, producing real-world evidence on clinical outcomes, patient experience and financial sustainability. Models will be widely replicable, demonstrating that health plans can lead innovation in diabetes care, reduce disparities and build the case for long-term coverage policy changes that recognize CGM as a standard of care. CGMs track glucose levels throughout the day, eliminating the need for finger pricks that were traditionally required and only provided data at much longer intervals. Clinical trials and real-world data show CGM benefits for people with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes who use insulin, improving outcomes and reducing hospitalizations. Together, these projects will build additional evidence supporting CGM usage and its ability to break down barriers to utilization while promoting widespread change and adoption. Throughout the three-year project, ACHP will disseminate findings, translating them into policy-ready insights to advance sustainable CGM access. "Health plans play a pivotal role in determining whether people with insulin-requiring diabetes can access life-changing tools such as CGM," said Laurel Koester, Program Officer at The Helmsley Charitable Trust. "These pilots hold promise to remake the landscape of CGM insurance coverage and signal a future in which CGM is accessible to all who need it." This work positions ACHP and its members to shape the future of diabetes care and drive meaningful, evidence-based change across the health care system. The 36-month grant will run through September 2028. About ACHP The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) represents the nation's best local, nonprofit health plans, providing high-quality coverage to tens of millions of Americans in 40 states and D.C. ACHP is the only national organization advancing a unique partnership model of coverage and care that fosters a truly competitive market. The ACHP Foundation is a 501(c)3 dedicated to working with member plans to support innovative programs and partnerships that improve population health. We believe Americans deserve the best health care in the world. Our members are on the ground in your communities, delivering innovative and competitive coverage. ACHP's model brings together clinicians and health plans to deliver value for patients, employers and taxpayers. About the Helmsley Charitable Trust The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has granted more than $4.6 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. The Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Program is the largest private foundation funder in the world with a focus on T1D, with more than $1 billion to date granted to transform the trajectory of the disease and to accelerate access to 21st century care, everywhere. For more information on Helmsley and its programs, visit helmsleytrust.org. SOURCE Alliance of Community Health Plans DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to MarketsandMarkets, the global AI Orchestration Market size is projected to reach USD 30.23 billion by 2030 from USD 11.02 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 22.3% during the forecast period. Browse 706 market data Tables and 59 Figures spread through 470 Pages and in-depth TOC on "AI Orchestration Market - Global Forecast to 2030" Scope of the Report Market Size Available for Years: 20202030 20202030 2025 Market Size: USD 11.02 billion USD 11.02 billion 2030 Projected Market Size: USD 30.23 billion USD 30.23 billion CAGR (20252030): 22.3% 22.3% Segments covered: Offering, Orchestration Architecture, Deployment Model, Application, End User, and Region Offering, Orchestration Architecture, Deployment Model, Application, End User, and Region Region Highlight: North America emerges as the top AI orchestration region in 2025, powered by public sector programs, consulting alliances, and sovereignty-ready cloud options Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=148121911 The AI Orchestration Market is witnessing accelerated growth, as demand has shifted from chat pilots to systems that automate work within CRMs, ERPs, IT operations tools, and data platforms, backed by clear approvals and evidence. Buyers want platforms that can connect to multiple systems, safeguard actions, and display results in numbers that executives trust. They also seek deployment flexibility, allowing sensitive workflows to run in single-tenant or customer-managed environments, while low-risk use cases can begin in a shared cloud. The market is evolving with tangible use cases across customer service, IT service management, security operations, finance, supply chain management, and engineering. Vendors are releasing typed actions, approval rules, and run telemetry features for tracing changes and easy rollbacks. These enhancements allow customers to transition from a single use case to multiple use cases without having to rebuild their controls. As a result, there is consistent growth across various industries and a broader range of buyers, including large, regulated enterprises and digital-first companies that seek a faster time to value while maintaining the appropriate safeguards. Request Sample Pages@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=148121911 Multi-tenant SaaS to be the largest deployment model in 2025, leading AI orchestration rollouts with the fastest time-to-value and seamless upgrades Multi-tenant SaaS is estimated to be the largest deployment model by market share in 2025, as it provides enterprises with rapid onboarding, low upfront costs, and consistent upgrades without heavy IT lift. Organizations use it to initiate discovery and assist flows, expand into orchestrated actions, and validate ROI before committing to more controlled environments. Microsoft, Google, and Glean package orchestration features such as typed tools, approval frameworks, and observability into shared SaaS environments, making them immediately available to enterprise and mid-market clients. This reduces time to first action while ensuring that improvements in connectors, evaluation tooling, or security are rolled out seamlessly across all tenants. Cost predictability is another advantage, as shared infrastructure allows vendors to offer consumption-based or blended pricing models that lower entry barriers. Multi-tenant SaaS also attracts global system integrators that can deliver managed services over the same environment, extending reach to smaller enterprises. While customer-managed and on-premises deployments are gaining traction in regulated industries, multi-tenant SaaS is expected to hold the broadest adoption base in 2025, enabling fast pilots, repeatable expansions, and continuous feature delivery that keep orchestration portfolios moving at an enterprise pace. Distributed orchestration is set to become the fastest-growing architecture segment over the forecast period, driven by robust locality, uptime, and consistent policy Distributed orchestration is scaling as the fastest-growing architecture segment, driven by the rising demand for unifying locality, uptime, and consistent policy across enterprise AI deployments simultaneously. In this architecture, multiple runtimes function across different regions or cloud environments, each positioned near the data and systems they interact with. A shared control layer ensures consistency in approvals, tool definitions, identities, and evidence. This approach reduces latency for user-facing tasks, addresses data residency and sovereignty requirements, and enhances resilience by preventing a single point of control from becoming a bottleneck. Enterprises replicate a reference stack with infrastructure as code, promote policy packages through staged waves, and use region-level rollbacks to contain issues without halting the entire portfolio. Observability normalizes run telemetry across sites, allowing leaders to compare cycle time, exception trends, and change success regardless of location. Industries with 24x7 operations and strict locality rules benefit most, including telecom, financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing. Distributed orchestration supports cost control by routing workloads to the most efficient region and by allowing model tiering to be tuned to local demand. As organizations add more use cases and geographies, this pattern offers a pragmatic balance of speed and control, delivering proximity and continuity while preserving one language for policy, approvals, and audit evidence. Inquire Before Buying@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=148121911 North America emerges as the top AI orchestration region in 2025, powered by public sector programs, consulting alliances, and sovereignty-ready cloud options North American demand is led by the US, with Canada contributing steady growth in financial services, healthcare, and energy. Buyers prioritize deployments that combine fast rollout with strong controls, which lifts adoption across customer service, IT operations, security operations, finance, and supply chain. In the US, large banks, payers, manufacturers, and software providers fund programs that transition from assisted to approved write-backs within CRMs, ERPs, and IT platforms, supported by clear approvals, audit logs, and rollback capabilities. Public sector and defense projects add momentum by requiring portable policies, role-scoped identities, and reproducible evidence, which align directly with an orchestration control layer. In Canada, privacy and data residency preferences favor single tenant and customer-managed footprints for sensitive workloads, while multi-tenant SaaS supports discovery and low-risk use cases. Hyperscalers, global system integrators, and specialized consultancies package industry playbooks, certified connectors, and managed operations, which shorten the time to value and help buyers pass internal reviews. Procurement teams seek action-level unit economics, model routing visibility, and exportable telemetry for integration with observability stacks. Vendors providing reference architectures for customer-managed cloud, standardized approval objects, and evaluation kits for high-value flows experience faster scaling and larger renewals. North America leads as enterprises standardize policies, expand into processes with exceptions, and use measurable outcomes to justify multi-year investments. Top Key Companies in AI Orchestration Market: The major players in the AI Orchestration Market include IBM (US), AWS (US), Salesforce (US), Adobe (US), Microsoft (US), SAP (Germany), Google (US), Coforge (India), ServiceNow (US), and UiPath (US). Browse Adjacent Markets: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Retrieval-Augmented Generation Market - Global Forecast to 2030 AI Detector Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Generative AI Cybersecurity Market - Global Forecast to 2031 AI Platform Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Generative AI Market - Global Forecast to 2032 Get access to the latest updates on AI Orchestration Companies and AI Orchestration Industry About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets TAIPEI, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AnnJi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (AnnJi, TWSE: 7754) announced that the Phase 2a clinical result of AJ201 for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA, also known as Kennedy's disease) was selected as one of the seven Late-Breaking Abstracts at the World Muscle Society (WMS) 2025 International Congress in Vienna. Dr. Tahseen Mozaffar, an investigator of the study, presented the study outcome, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of AJ201 for SBMA patients. AJ201, an oral suspension of a novel curcumin analog-Rosolutamide, offers ease of use for patients with swallowing difficulties. Mechanistically, AJ201 acts through multiple pathways, including Nrf2 activation, oxidative stress modulation, and induction of heat shock proteins to facilitate clearance of mutant protein aggregates. This multi-modal mechanism positions AJ201 as a pioneering small-molecule therapy for PolyQ neurodegenerative disorders, such as SBMA. In the Phase 2a trials, positive functional outcomes were reported in AJ201 treated SBMA patients, highlighting AJ201's potential as a first-in-class therapy for SBMA in two decades. Dr. Andrew Pai presented the latest preclinical research of Rosolutamide (JM17), the active ingredient of AJ201. JM17 demonstrated multi-pathway benefits in SBMA mouse model, including enhanced mitochondrial function, reduced inflammation and fibrosis, as well as improved structural organization of muscle fibers. Upstream regulator analysis further confirmed the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-, IL-6, TGF-) alongside activation of protective signaling pathways. These findings underscore JM17's potential as a multi-functional therapeutic candidate, providing new mechanistic insights for SBMA treatment. "We are very proud of the Late Breaking Abstract, as well as the preclinical research paper presented at the 2025 WMS, which highlighted the significant advancement we have made in the development of AJ201 toward the world's first effective therapy for Kennedy's disease." said Dr. Wendy Huang, CEO and Chairperson of the Board of AnnJi. AJ201 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by both the U.S. FDA and EMA. AnnJi has also built a robust global patent portfolio, securing strong market exclusivity for AJ201. Looking ahead, AnnJi continues advancing AJ201 into Phase 2/3 clinical development and global licensing partnerships, aiming to deliver new hope for patients worldwide and establish AJ201 as a landmark success for Taiwan's new drug industry on the international stage. About Kennedy's Disease (SBMA) Kennedy's disease, also known as Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA), is a rare and serious inherited neuromuscular degenerative disorder. It is characterized by the progressive degeneration of lower motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem, and skeletal muscles. The disease primarily affects males between the ages of 30 and 40, with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 40,000. As the disease progressestypically by age 50patients often develop difficulties with chewing and swallowing, and ultimately, recurrent aspiration pneumonia becomes a common cause of death. Currently, there are no approved treatments for SBMA. About AnnJi Pharmaceutical AnnJi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TWSE: 7754) is a clinical-stage drug development company focused on the development of innovative small molecules (NCEs). The company is dedicated to addressing high unmet medical needs in the fields of neurology, dermatology, and immune-inflammatory diseases, including rare diseases, such as Kennedy's disease (SBMA) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). AnnJi is committed to develop innovative therapies that improve the quality of life for patients suffering from neglected chronic diseases. We focus on advancing high-quality, differentiated, and innovative drug candidates, and collaborating with global pharmaceutical partners. Upon achieving proof-of-concept in phase II clinical trials, we aim to out-license our products for further co-development and commercialization, with the goal of bringing them to global markets and driving sustainable growth for the company. Contact: Anne Yu; [email protected] Sylvia Lin; [email protected] Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794403/Dr__Tahseen_Mozaffar__an_investigator_of_the_study__presented_the_study_outcome__emphasizing_the_the.jpg NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackHawk Data, an award-winning woman-owned IT solutions provider and managed services firm, announced that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named BlackHawk Data a 2025 Triple Crown Award winner. This elite recognition is awarded to solution providers that have been honored on the following three prestigious CRN lists in one year. These lists include the Solution Provider 500, which ranks the largest IT solution providers operating in North America based on revenue; the Fast Growth 150, which spotlights the fastest-growing solution providers; and the Tech Elite 250, which recognizes companies that attained the highest-level certifications from leading technology vendors in the industry. Making any of the three lists is a notable achievement, but being featured on all three in the same year demonstrates an exceptional level of business acumen, focus on innovation, and dedication to building technical expertise. BlackHawk Data's inclusion marks its third consecutive year achieving CRN's Triple Crown recognition, highlighting the company's continued growth, technical excellence, and ability to adapt in a rapidly changing IT landscape. With a strong emphasis on personalized service, direct engineer access, and no vendor lock-in, BlackHawk Data continues to deliver secure, scalable, and innovative solutions across cybersecurity, cloud, and data protection "Earning the CRN Triple Crown for the third year in a row is a tremendous honor and a reflection of our incredible team," said Maryann Pagano, CEO & Co-Founder of BlackHawk Data. "It showcases our commitment to building trusted partnerships, delivering measurable outcomes, and staying ahead of the curve in a constantly evolving industry." "We're proud to be recognized alongside some of the best solution providers in the channel," added Jason Caparoso, CTO & Co-Founder. "This achievement underscores the value we bring to our customers through innovation, expertise, and a truly collaborative approach." "Triple Crown Award winners represent the pinnacle of performance in the channel," said Jennifer Follett, Vice President, U.S. Content, Executive Editor, at CRN, The Channel Company. "These solution providers consistently demonstrate a deep commitment to technical excellence, innovation in their offerings and leadership across the industry. We applaud their achievements and look forward to watching them continue to set the standard for success." The 2025 Triple Crown Award winners will be featured online on CRN's website. About BlackHawk Data BlackHawk Data is an award-winning, woman-owned IT solutions provider and managed services company based in New York City. The company delivers secure, scalable, and customized IT environments that empower organizations to thrive. BlackHawk Data specializes in modern infrastructure, cybersecurity, cloud, and data protection, with a focus on transparency, direct engineer access, and solutions without vendor lock-in. For more information, visit www.blackhawk11.com. About The Channel Company The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world's top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com. 2025 BlackHawk Data. All rights reserved. SOURCE BlackHawk Data CONVOKE was the first and only pivotal trial to show a statistically significant reduction in experiential negative symptoms of schizophrenia as an adjunct to standard of care antipsychotic therapy, as presented at ECNP Congress 1 Treatment with CT-155 demonstrated a Cohen's D effect size of -0.36 (p value= 0.0003) reflective of a 6.8-point improvement of negative symptoms severity as measured by CAINS-MAP at 16 weeks (vs. 4.2-point in digital control arm), representing a 62% relative improvement 1 The majority of participants used their assigned app until week 15 (70.4% for CT-155 and 76.5% for digital control app)1 RIDGEFIELD, Conn. and NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim and Click Therapeutics today shared data from the pivotal Phase III CONVOKE study (NCT05838625) of CT-155 (BI 3972080), an investigational prescription digital therapeutic (PDT) used as an adjunct to standard of care antipsychotic therapy for experiential negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The data were presented during an oral session at the 38th Annual European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress in Amsterdam and full results will be published at a later date.1 The study met its primary endpoint, which was change in experiential negative symptoms from baseline to 16 weeks as measured by the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms, Motivation and Pleasure Scale (CAINS-MAP).1,2 Treatment with CT-155 demonstrated a Cohen's D effect size of -0.36 (p value= 0.0003) reflective of a 6.8-point improvement of negative symptoms severity as measured by CAINS-MAP at 16 weeks (vs. 4.2-point in digital control arm), representing a 62% relative improvement.1 "The positive primary endpoint results observed from the CT-155 Phase III trial represent an important step forward in exploring how negative symptoms may be better understood, which is an area of long-standing unmet need in mental health care," said Gregory W. Mattingly, MD, Associate Clinical Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, MO and Principal Investigator in Clinical Trials for Midwest Research Group and Founding Partner of St. Charles Psychiatric Associates. "This research underscores the importance of including innovative approaches in the treatment of schizophrenia. The emergence of prescription digital therapeutics, like CT-155, if approved, may hold the potential for patients to access psychosocial intervention from anywhere." The majority of participants used their assigned app until the end of week 15 (70.4% for CT-155 and 76.5% for digital control app).1 Patients demonstrated engagement with CT-155 during the CONVOKE study, completing activities on a median of 76 out of 112 possible study days (16 weeks).1 Patients in the digital control arm completed activities on a median of 92 out of 112 possible study days.1 High engagement with both the CT-155 and digital control apps confirms that CT-155's observed benefits in the trial stemmed from its unique content, not differences in engagement or app design. "CT-155, which integrates psychosocial interventions delivered using an adaptive goal-setting technique, is the first investigational PDT to show reduction in experiential negative symptoms of schizophrenia in a pivotal trial," said Emmanuelle Clerisme-Beaty, Medical Director US, SVP Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "In collaboration with Click Therapeutics, we developed CT-155 aiming to address the dual challenges of accessibility and consistency of psychosocial therapy use for people living with negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We look forward to advancing discussions with regulators with the goal of helping patients." CT-155 was well-tolerated and demonstrated an adverse event (AE) profile consistent with past studies. The AE rates with CT-155 and the digital control arm were 8.3% vs 13.4%, respectively.1 There were no trial discontinuations attributed to CT-155 and two (2) for the digital control arm. There were no serious AEs related to either group.1 Approximately 3.7 million adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia, which places a profound burden on individuals, families and society. 3,4 About 60% of people living with schizophrenia experience negative symptoms.5 "The design and development of CT-155 was informed by an iterative patient-centered approach with more than 150 people living with schizophrenia,2 ensuring the therapeutic aimed to address the real-life challenges that people with experiential negative symptoms face, such as lack of motivation, social connection, and ability to feel pleasure," said Austin Speier, Chief Strategy Officer, Click Therapeutics. "For decades, negative symptoms have represented one of the greatest unmet needs for people living with schizophrenia, and we are proud to be exploring CT-155 as a potential new treatment modality in mental health." In addition to CONVOKE, Boehringer Ingelheim is conducting the multicenter Enspirus study (NCT06791122) to evaluate the clinical effectiveness, engagement, healthcare resource utilization, and safety of CT-155 in patients with experiential negative symptoms of schizophrenia in a real-world-like setting.6 In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted CT-155 Breakthrough Device Designation.7 About CT-155 CT-155 (BI 3972080) is an investigational prescription digital therapeutic that aims to provide interactive psychosocial intervention techniques as an adjunct to standard antipsychotic therapy for people living with schizophrenia and experiencing negative symptoms.2,7,8 CT-155 is designed to address defeatist beliefs and lack of motivation.2 CT-155 uses tailored goal-setting that aligns with each patient's current level of functioning (adaptive goal setting) to promote engagement in real-world activities (behavioral activation).2 Additionally, CT-155 delivers therapeutic interventions aimed at helping patients successfully achieve their goals (cognitive restructuring, social skills training, positive affect training, distress tolerance skills).2 CT-155 is being developed by Click Therapeutics, Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim.2 CT-155 has not been authorized by any regulatory authorities. Safety and effectiveness have not been established by any regulatory authority. About the CONVOKE study CONVOKE (NCT05838625) was a Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, 16-week study sponsored by Click Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim that evaluated the efficacy and safety of CT-155 versus a digital control app as an adjunct to standard of care antipsychotic therapy in people diagnosed and living with schizophrenia and experiential negative symptoms.2 The study enrolled participants (18 years) with schizophrenia who were stable on antipsychotic medication.2 The study was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim. The primary endpoint evaluated improvement in experiential negative symptoms as an adjunct to standard of care as measured by changes from baseline at week 16 in the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms, Motivation and Pleasure Scale (CAINS-MAP).2 CAINS is a second-generation negative symptoms scale that was developed to reflect updated conceptualizations of negative symptoms, as recommended by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) initiative.2 CAINS-MAP offers a detailed assessment of experiential negative symptoms.2 Other endpoints include: change from baseline in CAINS-MAP at week 8; change from baseline in CAINS expressivity scale (CAINS-EXP) at weeks 8 and 16; change from baseline in positive symptoms measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at weeks 8 and 16; change from baseline in social functioning measured by the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP) at weeks 8 and 16; and patient global impression of improvement measured by Patient Global Impression of Improvement Scale (PGI-I) at weeks 8 and 16.2 The full CONVOKE results will be published at a later date. About prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) PDTs are software-based interventions prescribed by healthcare professionals and installed on smartphones to help address behavioral dimensions of diseases and conditions.9,10 PDTs can provide patient-centered and flexible care to meet the patient where they are in their treatment journey.9,10 These interventions are designed to be convenient, user friendly and accessible at all times of day, potentially helping to address barriers to care such as costs and mental health provider shortagesa shortage that is particularly exacerbated in rural areas.9,10,11,12 About negative symptoms of schizophrenia Schizophrenia affects approximately 24 million people worldwide, and about 60% of people living with the condition experience negative symptoms.3,5 Negative symptoms are one of the three core symptoms domains of schizophrenia, along with positive symptoms and cognitive impairment.14 Negative symptoms include both experiential or expressive symptoms.5,14 Experiential negative symptoms include lack of motivation (avolition), decreased social interactions (asociality) and diminished ability to feel pleasure (anhedonia).5,15 Expressive negative symptoms refer to decreased expression of emotions (blunted affect) and reduction in speaking (alogia).5,14 In a U.S. single retrospective analysis, schizophrenia was associated with a significant economic burden, accounting for over $60 billion in direct healthcare costs in 2019.15 In another U.S. retrospective cohort study assessing claims from 2016-2023, the economic burden was greater for those who experience negative symptoms than those without negative symptoms, as these symptoms were associated with higher healthcare resource utilization, including higher costs, more outpatient/inpatient visits and longer hospitalizations.16 Although treatments are being used to help manage negative symptoms, there are no U.S. regulatory authority-approved treatments indicated specifically for negative symptoms of schizophrenia to date.5,7 About Boehringer Ingelheim Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry's top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. Our approximately 54,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow. About Click Therapeutics Click Therapeutics, Inc. develops, validates, and commercializes software as prescription medical treatments for people with unmet medical needs. Operating at the intersection of biology and technology, Click uses a proprietary platform-based approach to therapeutic development that leverages patient-centric design principles and innovative AI-based technologies to deliver a unique combination of engagement and clinical outcomes. Digital therapeutics on Click's platform are regulated, clinically validated prescription mobile applications that are being developed to address diverse areas of therapeutic need, including indications in psychiatry, neurology, oncology, immunology, and cardiometabolic diseases. Click's commitment to advancing digital medicine means they continually improve their platform technologies, ensuring they stay at the forefront of cognitive, behavioral, and neuromodulatory therapeutic innovation, to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. Their diverse team of innovatorsspanning clinicians, researchers, technologists, designers and moreworks together to create cutting-edge digital therapeutics, united in the mission to transform patient care. For more information, visit www.clicktherapeutics.com and connect with Click on LinkedIn. Content does not necessarily reflect opinions of ECNP. Media Contacts Boehringer Ingelheim: Jennifer Huron Senior Associate Director, Corporate Affairs E-Mail: [email protected] Phone Number: +1 (203) 448-1263 Click Therapeutics : Emily Flint VP Marketing E-Mail: [email protected] Phone Number: +1 (978) 412-7273 References Pratap A, et al. Topline results from CONVOKE: A first-in-class Phase 3 RCT evaluating a digital therapeutic for experiential negative symptoms of schizophrenia in adults. Abstract presented at: European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress 2025; October 11-14, 2025, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Lakhan SE, et al. Effectiveness, Engagement, and Safety of a Digital Therapeutic (CT-155/BI 3972080) for Treating Negative Symptoms in People With Schizophrenia: Protocol for the Phase 3 CONVOKE Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025;14:e81293 doi: 10.2196/81293. Schizophrenia. WHO. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia. Accessed October 2025. Schizophrenia Fact Sheet. Treatment Advocacy Center. Available from: https://www.tac.org/reports_publications/schizophrenia-fact-sheet/. Accessed October 2025. Correll CU, Schooler NR. Negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A review and clinical guide for recognition, assessment, and treatment. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020;16:519534. A Prospective Cohort Study to Assess Clinical Effectiveness of an Investigational Digital Therapeutic (CT-155) in Patients With Experiential Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia. Available from: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06791122. Accessed October 2025. Boehringer Ingelheim and Click Therapeutics receive FDA breakthrough device designation for schizophrenia prescription digital therapeutic. Boehringer Ingelheim. Available from: https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/human-health/mental-health/schizophrenia/fda-grants-breakthrough-status-schizophrenia-treatment. Accessed October 2025. CT-155 (BI 3972080): Prescription digital therapeutic. Boehringer Ingelheim. Available from: https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/science-innovation/human-health-innovation/clinical-pipeline/ct-155-bi-3972080-prescription-digital-therapeutic. Accessed October 2025. Phan P, Mitragotri S, Zhao Z. Digital therapeutics in the clinic. Bioeng Transl Med. May 2023;8(4):e10536. DTx Value Assessment & Integration Guide. DTx Alliance. Available from : https://dtxalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/DTx-Value-Assessment-Guide_May-2022.pdf. Accessed October 2025. Health Resources and Services Administration. Health Workforce Shortage Areas. Available from: https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas. Accessed October 2025. Health Resources and Services Administration. State of the Behavioral Health Workforce, 2024. Available from: https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/state-of-the-behavioral-health-workforce-report-2024.pdf. Accessed October 2025. Hany M, Rizvi A. Schizophrenia. StatPearls [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539864/. Accessed October 2025. Llerena K, Reddy LF, Kern RS. The role of experiential and expressive negative symptoms on job obtainment and work outcome in individuals with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2018;192:148-153. Kadakia A, Catillon M, Fan Q, et al. The economic burden of schizophrenia in the United States. J Clin Psychiatry. 2022 Oct 10;83(6):22m14458. Vaccaro J, Nili M, Xiang P, et al. Economic burden associated with negative symptoms identified through natural language processing among patients with schizophrenia in the United States. Schizophr Bull. 2025 Jun 3:sbaf073. SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Click Therapeutics Discover the array of opportunities that Commercial Contracting Corporation provides to students interested in the construction industry. Visit Workforce Development - Commercial Contracting to explore more about CCC's Industry Outreach and Workforce Development efforts. Visit CCC Careers - New Job Opportunities - Commercial Contracting to view current opportunities at CCC to be a part of a fulfilling career in construction and help build a brighter future for yourself and your community. "We are extremely grateful for the work CCC put into making an event like this possible for the students. I can't believe they we're able to bring all of this equipment to the school, free to us," said a High School Career Advisor from Macomb County Schools. "I think this was the first time most of these kids got to experience something like this with millions worth of high-tech equipment. We're hoping that it opens career doors for students who aren't interested in the typical 4-year college program." CCC fully sponsors these events by donating time, expertise, personnel, and materials. BYF is planned and executed by a team of enthusiastic CCC employees. These volunteers act as mentors and resources for students who are curious about the industry but unsure of where to begin. CCC also participates in several other industry recruitment and education events, including: Michigan Construction Career Days American Society of Professional Estimator's Mock Bid Day Notre Dame Building Trades Day Engineering Society of Detroit's Future City Competition Michigan Regional Carpenters Skilled Trades Competition SkillsUSA MSU's Construction Management Competition "Engaging with students is extremely fulfilling. You forget how passionate and enthusiastic students are to learn something new, especially when it involves tactile activities." commented a CCC Workforce Development volunteer. "The goal of events like this is multi-fold. One, we want to increase education and awareness about the various career opportunities in construction. Second, we are also passionate about assisting in guiding the youth toward a career path they find personally fulfilling and interesting. Something that caters to their interests and skills. And of course, one day we would love for them to come work for us." The construction industry faces an aging workforce, with an insufficient number of emerging construction and technology-trained workers to replace those retiring. In today's rapidly evolving society, it is crucial to have a skilled workforce capable of supporting advancements. CCC views these workforce outreach events as a valuable investment in the company's and the industry's future. Check out the following articles to learn more about 'Build Your Future' (BYF) events at Brandon and North Branch High Schools. 'Building Your Future,' trade careers at Brandon - The Citizen North Branch students get hands-on lessons in building trades career paths - The County Press About Commercial Contracting Corporation Founded in 1946 in Detroit, employee-owned CCC is a construction and project management leader providing a wide range of services to clients in commercial, industrial, and institutional markets. As one of the largest self-performing contractors, our range of projects includes large-scale new construction to small tenant improvements and maintenance work. Our commitment to quality and customer service has led to a stellar reputation resulting in repeat business. For more information on our construction and equipment installation services go to www.cccnetwork.com. Media Contact: Matt Stone, Vice President, 248-209-0500, [email protected] SOURCE Commercial Contracting Corporation Multigenerational advisory firm with offices in Washington, Idaho, and Illinois joins Cetera for its technology, personalized service, and commitment to supporting independent financial advisors SAN DIEGO, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera today announced the addition of Pillar Financial Group, led by seven partners including CEO Luke Madsen, CFP, CLU, and a 34-member advisory team. The Seattle-based firm brings approximately $1.8 billion in assets under administration including over $500 million in retirement plan assets* and has joined the Cetera Advisors community. The firm moved to Cetera from Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC. Courtesy of Pillar Financial Group Pillar Financial Group is a multigenerational, planning-centric, fiduciary firm that creates customized financial plans for every client. The team serves individuals, families, and businesses across their communities and has expanded through both organic growth and acquisitions. "We wanted a firm we could grow with, and Cetera's leadership team not only shares our vision but has the scale and focus on technology to support our growth for the long term," said Madsen. "While many large broker-dealers are navigating mergers and acquisitions, Cetera's measured approach to growth ensures we'll receive the personalized attention we need to focus on our clients. For us, that was the deciding factor." Madsen noted that Cetera's expanding platform supports the firm's ability to continue to deliver advanced estate planning and high-net-worth solutions, including alternative investments, and also, integrates tax planning. He emphasized the firm's commitment to providing succession opportunities to senior advisors while focusing on developing the next generation of advisors. "Our focus is putting highly credentialed, sophisticated advisors in front of clients not chasing transactions," Madsen added. "Pillar is a place where younger advisors can learn, grow, and ultimately become partners. We also believe we are a perfect destination for advisors in the twilight of their careers and have built our firm to provide the resources clients expect from advisors that always have the support they need." Partner and Wealth Management Advisor Keith Foe, CFP, CPA, CLU, CFA, QPFC, highlighted Pillar's unique approach to succession planning: "With advisors ranging from their 20s to their 60s, we can provide retiring advisors with a thoughtful succession plan while ensuring their clients are supported by trusted next-generation professionals," said Foe. "We want advisors to know they don't have to fully retire to transition their business. They can sell their book sooner and still control their timeline for client handoffs." Cetera Advisor Channel Leader Tom Halloran welcomed Pillar Financial Group, saying: "Luke and his team are deeply principled and client-first. They value independence and want the flexibility of an open architecture, which Cetera provides in contrast to the more restrictive insurance model. We're eager to support Pillar Financial Group as they expand capabilities and serve a growing base of high-net-worth clients." For more information about Pillar Financial Group, visit pillarfinancialgroup.com or connect with the firm on LinkedIn and Instagram. About Cetera Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, empowering independent advisors and institutions with personalized support, flexible affiliation models, and end-to-end growth solutions. Home to approximately 12,000 advisors and institutions, Cetera's multi-channel ecosystem enables financial professionals to grow, scale or transition their businesses on their own terms. Unlike traditional IBDs, Cetera offers true choice blending modern technology, integrated wealth solutions, and a community-driven culture. Cetera's five-channel model and commitment to long-term advisor value provide a scalable blueprint for consistent, repeatable growth. As of June 30, 2025, Cetera firms manage approximately $590 billion in assets under administration and $263 billion in assets under management. Its award-winning Voice of the Customer program has captured more than 40,000 advisor reviews, with over 35,000 five-star ratings, giving Cetera a 4.8 out of 5 satisfaction score. Learn more at www.cetera.com and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X. Cetera refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, those that are members FINRA/SIPC: Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (f/k/a Cetera Advisor Networks), Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC; and a Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment adviser: Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Financial professionals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services. Cetera exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice. *Value approximated based on asset holding details provided to Cetera as of June 20, 2025. SOURCE Cetera Financial Group "We are delighted to further strengthen our relationship with Eastman, a partnership that has flourished for over a decade through our mutual dedication to excellence in specialty chemical insights, sales, marketing, and innovation," said Austin Nichols, president of ChemPoint. "Our strategic focus on specialty products, digital solutions, and partnerships with producer brands has been key to expanding Eastman's coatings and inks business. Adding Eastman's TamiSolve NxG solvents to our portfolio highlights our continued success and commitment to industry leadership." Eastman's TamiSolve NxG solvents are used in various industrial applications, including coatings, inks, cleaners, electronics, agrochemical formulations, and chemical synthesis. They are not classified as developmental reprotoxic, so they can often replace n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and n-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone (NEP), as well as other solvents like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether (DMM). "Partnering with ChemPoint to bring TamiSolve NxG to customers across North America is an important step in expanding access to safer, highperformance solvent solutions," said Phil Begley, sales director of coatings and inks for Eastman. "TamiSolve NxG delivers the robust solvency and formulation flexibility customers expect, while supporting product performance, worker safety, and more sustainable outcomes." Learn more about TamiSolve NxG solvents distributed by ChemPoint. About Univar Solutions Univar Solutions is a leading global commodity and specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With a large private transportation fleet and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com. About ChemPoint ChemPoint LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Univar Solutions LLC, is a unique distribution business that provides marketing and sales services for specialty and fine chemicals in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. ChemPoint engages in exclusive product line relationships with premier manufacturers, providing tailored solutions to more than 70 supplier partners and over 200 product lines globally. Learn more at chempoint.com. About Eastman Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company's innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2024 revenue of approximately $9.4 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit eastman.com. Forward-Looking Statements and Information This communication contains "forward-looking statements" under applicable law regarding financial and operating items relating to the Company's business. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or other comparable terms. All forward-looking statements made in this communication are qualified by this cautionary language. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control, that could result in expectations not being realized or could otherwise materially and adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Although the forward-looking statements are based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, we caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this communication is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this communication. For additional information regarding factors that could affect the Company, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other financial reports, including the information set forth under the caption "Risk Factors." Any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of the date of this communication and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any subsequent date, and the Company undertakes no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update any forward-looking statement. SOURCE Univar Solutions LLC Attendees of Global Mayors Dialogue highlight heritage conservation DUNHUANG, China, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn: Dunhuang, Gansu province, was once a hub where Eastern and Western civilizations met on the ancient Silk Road with the Mogao Grottoes as a living witness, boasting vibrant Buddhist murals and sculptures. Guests engage in discussions on the opportunities and challenges of cultural urban governance during the main dialogue session of the "Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang" in Dunhuang, Gansu province, Oct 13, 2025. [Photo by Chen Zebing/chinadaily.com.cn] Today, it still uses its cultural heritage to help cities of diverse cultural backgrounds understand and collaborate with one another, as participants at a dialogue agreed on Monday. The 2025 "Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang" was held in Dunhuang from Saturday to Monday, with guests participating in cultural experiences in the city during the first two days. The official opening ceremony kicked off on Monday, under the theme "A Symphony of Civilizations, Resonance in Harmony", aiming to implement the Global Civilization Initiative and build a more effective international communication system. The event welcomed 200 attendees, both from China and abroad, including 23 international representatives from government delegations and cultural institutions across nine countries. "Over the years, we have developed a set of core conservation technologies to protect ancient murals, sculptures and grotto temples. These practices can not only be applied to the conservation of the Mogao Grottoes, but also provide valuable experiences for other countries," said Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy. The academy's cultural heritage conservation pattern has been promoted and applied in many key cultural heritage sites across China. He added that the next plan is to expand such efforts to the protection of cultural relics in Belt and Road countries, including Kyrgyzstan. During the ceremony, Dunhuang officials signed letters of intent on establishing sister-city relations with Garni, Kotayk province, Armenia, as well as friendly exchange city relations with Manisa city, Turkiye. "Both cities share a commitment to protecting cultural heritage. I'm impressed how Dunhuang promotes its deep culture via cultural and creative products and intangible cultural heritage," said Burak Deste, general secretary of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality. He shared the city's experiences and vision on the preservation of cultural heritage and expressed hope that more people from both nations will visit each other's countries to explore magnificent historical sites and gain a deeper understanding of each other's culture and history. Dunhuang officials also signed a memorandum on further enhancing friendly relations with Venice, Italy. "The two cities will cooperate in various fields, including cultural heritage conservation, commerce, and education," said Massimo Andreoli, chairman of the Venice Carnival and artistic director of the carnival's opening ceremony. He believed that for cities like Dunhuang and Venice with rich cultural heritage, the challenge lies in striking a proper balance between tradition and innovation. Tradition refers to the preservation of traditional manufacturing, while innovation means leveraging the opportunities offered by new communication and promotional tools including artificial intelligence. "Cities across the globe share common challenges such as environmental protection. It's important to have such a dialogue for participants from different countries to share our views," he said. He noted that Dunhuang was a symbolic place to host the event, just as it once served as a strategic gateway for cross-cultural exchange along the ancient Silk Road. "It's necessary to have such international cultural exchange, as it facilitates vibrant interactions among different civilizations, making this a mutually beneficial endeavor," said Steven Back, representative of the Hungarian National Museum in China. He noted that the Digital Dunhuang project enables both Chinese and international scholars to better understand and learn more about Dunhuang. SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn Bridge program covers tuition assistance for service members affected by funding freeze COLUMBIA, Mo., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the federal government shutdown enters its second week, Columbia College of Missouri today announced the "You Stand For Us, We Stand By You" award, a bridge program through which the College will temporarily cover tuition assistance for all affected military students during the funding lapse. The program ensures that active-duty service members, reservists and National Guard personnel enrolled at Columbia College can continue their education without interruption or out-of-pocket costs while their federal tuition assistance remains frozen. Columbia College of Missouri will cover tuition assistance for affected military students during the federal shutdown. Post this "For more than 50 years, Columbia College has been proud to serve those who serve our nation," said Dr. David Russell, President of Columbia College and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel. "Service members have stood in harm's way for us countless times. When they need us, we must answer the call." Immediate relief for military students The government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, has frozen all military tuition assistance programs. The College's bridge program provides: Full tuition assistance (TA) coverage for affected military students through the remainder of the Fall 2025 Semester (Oct. 20 Dec. 13, 2025). for affected military students through the remainder of the Fall 2025 Semester (Oct. 20 Dec. 13, 2025). Automatic participation for current students upon verification of tuition assistance eligibility. for current students upon verification of tuition assistance eligibility. Support for students who previously dropped courses due to financial concerns. due to financial concerns. Immediate tuition award for new, eligible military students who enroll during the shutdown . for new, eligible military students who enroll during the shutdown Students are encouraged to visit ccis.edu/MTA to learn more. "These men and women selflessly serve our country and deserve our very best, and we are making sure they can continue in pursuit of their educational goals," said Dr. Sandra Hamar, Senior Vice President and Provost. "We don't just market ourselves as military-friendly; we prove it through our actions, especially when it matters most." Columbia College has deep roots in military education, with approximately one-third of its students connected to military service. The College operates more than 15 locations nationwide, many of which are located on military installations. The institution has been recognized as a Purple Heart College and consistently ranks as a top military-friendly institution. Of Columbia College's nearly 100,000 alumni worldwide, more than 34,000 are veterans, active-duty service members or military family members who have built successful careers after completing their education. Media Contact: Sam Fleury (573) 875-7283 [email protected] SOURCE Columbia College of Missouri SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As AI compute demand continues to surge and data center energy consumption reaches new highs, balancing performance, cost, and sustainability has become a core challenge for cloud providers and enterprises. Compal Electronics (Compal; Ticker: 2324.TW), a pioneer in high-performance AI server platforms, announced that it will present its latest data center technology blueprint at OCP Global Summit 2025, showcasing innovations that span AI strategic collaboration, CXL-based memory solutions, and advanced liquid cooling, underscoring its comprehensive vision for future infrastructure. Compal Redefines AI-Driven Data Centers with CXL and Liquid Cooling Innovations at the 2025 OCP Global Summit In recent years, the server market has shifted beyond raw compute performance, placing increasing emphasis on energy efficiency and scalability. Compal continues to deepen its collaboration with NVIDIA, addressing enterprise requirements for high performance, flexibility, and efficiency, helping accelerate AI factory and inference platform deployment, and shortening time-to-market. "AI has moved beyond proof-of-concept to become a central pillar of enterprise digital transformation. Our collaboration with NVIDIA focuses on integrating compute, networking, and cooling technologies to help customers build scalable and sustainable AI infrastructure. We warmly invite attendees to visit us at OCP25 and experience our latest AI platform demonstration accelerated by NVIDIA," said Alan Chang, Vice President of the Infrastructure Solutions Business Group at Compal. The showcase will also feature PCIe-based memory pooling technology built on CXL (Compute Express Link) and RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) architectures, demonstrating next-generation data center innovations in memory expansion, dynamic resource allocation, and low-latency interconnects. By leveraging advanced interconnect technologies such as PCIe Gen5 (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express, Generation 5), NVMe-oF (Non-Volatile Memory Express over Fabrics), and CXL Fabric, the solution enables high-bandwidth data exchange and resource pooling across server nodes. This architecture further integrates memory and storage tiers, driving the realization of the Storage-as-Memory concept, allowing data to be accessed at near main-memory speed while enhancing overall system performance, scalability, and efficiency. The on-site demonstration will highlight multi-terabyte memory pooling capabilities and cache-coherency technologies, offering attendees a firsthand look at how these innovations enable a more efficient, flexible, and energy-optimized AI data center infrastructure. To tackle the thermal demands of high-performance GPUs, Compal will unveil two innovative liquid cooling servers at the OCP Global Summit 2025: the OG720-2A-L2 ORv3 7OU 8x AMD Instinct GPUs Direct-to-Chip Liquid-Cooled AI Server and the SG223-2A-I 2U 8x GPU Immersion Cooling Server. These demonstrations will highlight how both solutions sustain optimal performance and energy efficiency under maximum load, enabling data centers to achieve a partial Power Usage Effectiveness (pPUE) below 1.1. The systems provide a scalable and efficient framework for next-generation high-density AI and HPC deployments. OCP Global Summit 2025 will take place in San Jose Convention Center, California, USA. Visitors to Compal's Booth C35 will gain insight into how AI, CXL, and advanced liquid cooling technologies are shaping the next decade of data centers and will have the opportunity to engage directly with Compal's engineering team to discuss optimal solutions for performance, efficiency, and cost. About Compal Founded in 1984, Compal is a leading manufacturer in the notebook and smart device industry, creating brand value in collaboration with various sectors. Its groundbreaking product designs have received numerous international awards. In 2025, Compal was recognized by CommonWealth Magazine as one of Taiwan's top 7 manufacturers and has consistently ranked among the Forbes Global 2000 companies. In recent years, Compal has actively developed emerging businesses, including cloud servers, auto electronics, and smart medical, leveraging its integrated hardware and software R&D and manufacturing capabilities to create relevant solutions. More information, please visit https://www.compal.com Media Contact Jack Wang Vice president and Spokesperson +886-2-8797-8588 [email protected] SOURCE COMPAL ELECTRONICS,INC. MONTREAL, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Coveo , the leader in AI-Relevance, delivering best-in-class AI-search and generative experiences that maximize business outcomes at every point-of-experience, today announced that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Generative AI Competency. This specialization recognizes Coveo as an AWS Partner that helps customers and the AWS Partner Network (APN) drive the advancement of services, tools, and infrastructure pivotal for implementing generative AI technologies. Achieving the AWS Generative AI Competency differentiates Coveo as an AWS Partner with demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success supporting enterprises in building scalable, production-grade generative AI solutions tailored to business needs. Coveo possesses the experience and expertise shown from successful projects for addressing customer challenges using generative AI solutions as an enabler of their digital transformation strategies for augmenting the customer experience, delivering hyper-personalized and engaging content, streamlining workflows, and delivering actionable results powered by generative AI technology from AWS. "Achieving the AWS Generative AI Competency underscores Coveo's leadership in delivering fully managed, enterprise-grade generative AI solutions that don't just experiment, but deliver measurable business outcomes," said Sebastien Paquet, vice president of AI Strategy, Coveo. "With the Coveo Relevance Platform as the retriever, our joint customers achieve faster time-to-value and more successful AI deployments at scale." The AWS Competency Program aims to assist customers in connecting with AWS Partners who possess extensive knowledge and technical expertise in using AWS technologies and best practices to adopt Generative AI. These partners facilitate the seamless integration and deployment of AWS-based solutions to meet the unique needs of both startups and global enterprises. This designation highlights Coveo's ability to responsibly drive generative AI adoption by integrating large language models, robust cloud infrastructure, and contextual business use cases. Coveo is also listed in the new AI Agents and Tools category of AWS Marketplace and leverages AWS services, including Amazon Bedrock. About Coveo Coveo brings superior AI-Relevance to every point-of-experience, transforming how enterprises connect with their customers and employees to maximize business outcomes. Relevance is about moving from persona to person, the degree to which the enterprise-wide content, products, recommendations, and advice presented to a person online aligns easily with their context, needs, preferences, behavior and intent, setting the competitive experience gold standard. Every person's journey is unique, and only AI can solve the complexity of tailoring experiences across massive, diverse audiences and large volumes and variety of content and products. Our Coveo AI-Relevance Platform enables enterprises to deliver hyper-personalization at every point-of-experience, unifying all their data securely, with the highest level of contextual and prescriptive accuracy while simultaneously optimizing business outcomes. Coveo brings AI-Relevance to the digital experiences of many of the world's premier and most innovative brands, serving millions of people across billions of interactions. What we believe is bold: Digital is everywhere, Relevance is not. It's the only way to win in the digital age. The Coveo AI-Relevance Platform is ISO 27001 and ISO 27018 certified, SOC2 compliant, HIPAA compatible, with a 99.999% SLA available. We are a Salesforce ISV Partner, an SAP Endorsed App, AWS ISV Accelerate Program member, an Adobe Gold Partner, MACH Alliance member, Optimizely Partner, Shopify Partner, and a Genesys AppFoundry ISV Partner. Coveo is a trademark of Coveo Solutions Inc. Stay up to date on the latest Coveo news and content by subscribing to the Coveo blog , and following Coveo on LinkedIn and YouTube . Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking information"). This forward-looking information is identified by the use of terms and phrases such as "may", "would", "should", "could", "might", "will", "achieve", "occur", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "plan", "foresee", "believe", "continue", "target", "opportunity", "strategy", "scheduled", "outlook", "forecast", "projection", or "prospect", the negative of these terms and similar terminology, including references to assumptions, although not all forward-looking information contains these terms and phrases. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events or circumstances. SOURCE Coveo Solutions Inc. Join Daltile at one of their stores nationwide this week for big tile savings, exclusive vendor discounts, and the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to attend Oktoberfest 2026 in Europe. DALLAS, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Daltile, the nation's largest manufacturer of tile, stone, and countertop products for residential and commercial use, is kicking off its semi-annual Trade Pro Week 2025 in a big way. This fall's celebration includes the chance for four lucky professional contractors and tile installers (and their plus ones) to win an all-expenses-paid trip to attend Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany next year! Daltile's Fall Trade Pro Week runs the week of October 13th through October 17th 2025. This exciting trip giveaway is made possible through a collaboration between Daltile and their vendor Schluter Systems, two of the industry's most trusted brands. Daltile Celebrates Fall Trade Pro Week: Win A Trip To Oktoberfest In Germany! "Daltile's Fall Trade Pro Week applauds the hard work of trade professionals and highlights Daltile's Pro Contractor Program, a comprehensive system that provides contractors and tile installers nationwide with key services to help them succeed. Trade professionals are a key driving force within our industry, so Daltile is thrilled to partner with Schluter to honor four contractors, tile installers, and their plus ones with trips to Oktoberfest 2026 in Munich, Germany as a key part of this week's celebration!" said Scott Maslowski, executive vice president of sales, Dal-Tile LLC. "For over 78 years, Daltile has been THE resource for contractors and tile installers, providing the design, service, technology, manufacturing, and distribution leadership trade pros need to succeed. It has been our pleasure to come alongside these professionals and equip them to serve their customers effectively and grow their own businesses for so many years." "Daltile is dedicated to serving trade professionals as their trusted one-stop shop for tile, stone, countertop, and installation needs," added Maslowski. "We have over 260 Daltile Sales Service Center locations nationwide offering unmatched product selection, service, and availability year round. In addition, we offer a user-friendly Pro Contractor Program complete with exclusive contractor pricing, comprehensive project support, tools, and accessories. We also make it easy to conduct business with Daltile anytime and anywhere, on any computer, smartphone, or tablet via our free ProExchange app. With ProExchange, trade pros streamline workflows by accessing everything needed in one place from product searches to viewing available inventory, placing orders, payment, order tracking, scheduling pick-ups, and more." Oktoberfest Giveaway The Daltile Trade Pro Giveaway is open to valid trade professionals: tile installers, tile contractors, and general contractors. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win. Must have a valid and active Daltile Trade Pro account (which is free). To enter, stop by your local Daltile Sales Service Center or visit ProContractor Resources | Discover The Daltile Trade Program and click on "Daltile Trade Pro Giveaway." Please see Official Rules and Terms for Entry for complete details. For More Information On Daltile's ProContractor Program & ProExchange Visit https://www.daltile.com/trade-professionals/Pro-Contractor High-Resolution Images Click here About Daltile Daltile is the industry-leading brand of ceramic, porcelain, glass, metal, and stone tile as well as mosaics, extra-large slabs, countertops, and exterior tile products. Daltile products are distributed through over 260 company-owned sales service centers, stone slab yards, and design studios that service a robust network of trade customers. Daltile products are also sold through independent flooring retailers. Dedicated to innovative product development and distinguished style, Daltile provides a rich palette of quality products created to inspire residential and commercial designs. For more information, visit daltile.com and follow Daltile on Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and YouTube. Media Contact: Michelle Corley [email protected] SOURCE Daltile ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Doodie Calls has announced the acquisition of Pit Stop Sanitation, a leading portable sanitation provider based in Atlanta, Georgia. This marks Doodie Calls' fifth acquisition and expands its presence into one of the largest metropolitan areas in the Southeastern United States. Pit Stop Sanitation is well known for its strong presence in the events space, providing portable sanitation services and support for some of the region's largest events throughout metro Atlanta and surrounding areas. This acquisition aligns with Doodie Calls' Southeast expansion strategy and strengthens its position as a national leader in portable sanitation, mobile infrastructure, and disaster response services. With Pit Stop joining the Doodie Calls network, the company continues to advance its mission of delivering reliable, high-quality solutions across the nation. Contact Doodie Calls, LLC 400 Carillon Parkway., Suite 225 St. Petersburg, FL 33716 (813) 800-7667 SOURCE Doodie Calls New analysis reveals childcare's role as critical infrastructure PHOENIX, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Addressing the accessibility and affordability of childcare in Arizona could generate $12.4 billion in annual economic output, support more than 115,000 jobs statewide, and give Arizona families up to $9,300 more per year in household income, according to new findings from Unlocking Potential: Turn Arizona's Priorities into Economic Gains, released by Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA). Conducted by Rounds Consulting Group, the study quantifies the measurable returns Arizona could realize by addressing voters' priorities, including accessible and affordable childcare. It finds that childcare isn't just a family issue it's vital to workforce participation, continued education and training, and long-term growth. Childcare access and affordability is one of five voter priorities analyzed in Unlocking Potential the first-ever economic analysis of the Arizona Voters' Agenda. Through years of research, CFA has found that voters across political and generational lines not only agree on high priority topics but also want long-term planning and decisions that move beyond political cycles. Other areas analyzed in this series include dual enrollment, post-secondary attainment, housing affordability, and transportation infrastructure. The new findings paint a picture of how, together, these priorities form essential infrastructure for Arizona. Key Childcare Access & Affordability Findings at a Glance The analysis reveals the broad and lasting economic benefits: $12.4 billion in total economic output: The total boost to Arizona's economy from more parents being able to learn, work and earn, employers gaining reliable workers, and increased spending. 115,000 jobs supported statewide: Both jobs created in the childcare industry and those supported across the broader economy when parents can work or return to work. It also reduces costly absenteeism and turnover for employers. $465 million in new state and local tax revenues annually: Economic gains ripple through local communities, increasing spending and taxes that fund public priorities. $9,300 more per household each year: Families could save through reduced care costs and greater workforce participation, providing financial stability and boosting consumer spending. Continue reading All findings, methodology, and resources are available at arizonafuture.org/UnlockPotential. SOURCE Center for the Future of Arizona YONGIN, South Korea, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GC Biopharma (006280.KS), a South Korean biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Curevo Vaccine to secure contract manufacturing (CMO) rights for amezosvatein (development name: CRV-101), a recombinant shingles vaccine currently under clinical development. Under the terms of the agreement, GC Biopharma will be responsible for producing a portion of the commercial supply of amezosvatein for global markets. The global shingles vaccine market is currently dominated by GSK's Shingrix. Since its launch in 2018, the market has grown at an average annual rate of approximately 20%, expanding from KRW 1 trillion in 2017 to around KRW 6 trillion (USD ~4.4 billion) in 2024. Shingrix recorded over KRW 5 trillion (GBP 3.4 billion[1]) in global sales last year, capturing more than 90% of the market. Amezosvatein is an adjuvanted recombinant protein vaccine, similar in format to Shingrix, but uses a synthetic adjuvant designed to reduce local (injection-site pain) and systemic (influenza-like) reactions after vaccination to levels typical of conventional vaccines. The company believes this feature could position the product as a differentiated alternative with a superior tolerability profile. In fact, amezosvatein demonstrated non- inferior immune system activity in early Phase 2 trials compared to the leading competitor and showed favorable tolerability results. Currently, Curevo Vaccine is conducting an expanded Phase 2 study in 640 adults aged 50 and older. The company aims to complete this trial by 2026 and move directly into Phase 3, paving the way for global commercialization. The company expects that the addition of amezosvatein to the shingles vaccine landscape will offer patients and healthcare providers a valuable alternative, expanding choice in a market currently dominated by a single product. "This agreement marks a critical milestone in securing long-term growth drivers for GC Biopharma," said Huh Eun-Chul, CEO of GC Biopharma. "We will continue to expand our global vaccine business through strategic collaborations and differentiated technologies." [1] Source: GSK Q4 2024 Earnings Announcement About GC Biopharma GC Biopharma (formerly known as Green Cross Corporation) is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Yong-in, South Korea. The company has over half a century of experience in the development and manufacturing of plasma derivatives and vaccines, and is expanding its global presence with successful US market entry of Alyglo (intravenous immunoglobulin G) in 2024. In line with its mission to meet the demands of future healthcare, GC Biopharma continues to drive innovation by leveraging its core R&D capabilities in engineering of proteins, mRNAs, and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) drug delivery platform to develop therapeutics for the field of rare disease as well as I&I (Immunology & Inflammation). To learn more about the company, visit https://www.gcbiopharma.com/eng/ This press release may contain biopharmaceuticals in forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of GC Biopharma's management. Such statements do not represent any guarantee by GC Biopharma or its management of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. GC Biopharma undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. GC Biopharma Contacts (Media) Sohee Kim [email protected] Yelin Jun [email protected] Yoonjae Na [email protected] SOURCE GC Biopharma BEIJING, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Where is Hongsibu? Hongsibu is located in Wuzhong, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, at the foot of Luoshan, and is the largest centralized resettlement area for poverty alleviation relocation in China. What does "zan jin" mean? In the Northwest Chinese dialect, it means capable, daring, resilient, and defiant of fate. In the golden autumn, the "zan jin" women of Hongsibu bustle with activity. The grape harvest is in full swing, and winemaker Wu Xiuyong tirelessly works toward her "purple dream"; in the poverty alleviation workshop, Xu Haixia's goji berries are packed and shipped nationwide; at the daylily base, Li Zhiqiao leads her sisters in field management, preparing for the next year's cultivation. Most of them relocated from other parts of Xihaigu, once known as "the most unfit place for human settlement." In this new era and new homeland, they have bid farewell to more than just poverty. "The Chinese dream is the dream of the Chinese nation, and also the dream of all women in China." "On the new journey, every woman is a writer of the times and a striver in pursuit of dreams." These earnest instructions inspire and motivate. As poverty alleviation effectively transitions to rural revitalization, the five-year transition period ends this year. Visiting Hongsibu, reporters heard their stories. Work hard, stand tall In Hongsibu, the term "zan jin women" was first used to praise Li Yaomei. Her hometown in Tongxin county is drought-stricken with scant rainfall and meager harvests; after finishing a meal, a layer of sand remains at the bottom of the bowl. "Revolving around the hearth, the children, and the cattle and sheep" this was the life of the "three-revolving women," a term for women in Xihaigu at the time. Ecological migration and poverty alleviation changed their fate. But a serious illness and a car accident left Li with a 300,000-yuan ($42,067) debt. With timely help from the local poverty alleviation team and the women's federation, Li secured a 50,000-yuan loan and started a family workshop, weaving brooms from jiji grass. Her brooms gained fame, turning jiji grass into "golden stalks." In the spring of 2019, Li paid off her debts. Villagers gave her a thumbs-up, saying, "This woman is truly 'zan jin!'" "Head down in toil, you live as a comma; stand tall with a straight spine, you're an exclamation mark!" Li said. "What's your name? Don't you have your own name?" Wang Qin, now 52, also hails from Tongxin county. Years ago, when signing a document, she instinctively wrote her husband's name. But this casual question kept her awake all night. A new village rose from barren land. In 2009, ecological migrants settled in Hongsibu. Selling spicy skewers, working as a gas station attendant, and hauling bricks at construction sites, resolute Wang was determined to "live her own life." When opportunity knocked, Wang seized it, taking over the ZTO Express station in Hongsibu. No truck? She pedaled a tricycle. Picking up packages, sorting, delivering, and answering customer calls she handled it all. "Sweet days come from bitter ones. Now we've got 9.6-meter and 4.2-meter trucks," she said. Twelve years later, Hongsibu's dry sands have turned to golden sands. Wang now employs over 20 people, operates more than 30 rural delivery points, and recently acquired a new warehouse for a smart sorting workshop. Ma Huijuan, another woman seeking a new life, moved from Xihaigu's Heiyanwan village. With food on the table, new worries emerged. "I didn't want to be a grain of sand lost in the yellow wind," Ma said. An old mobile phone became her "window to the spirit." In the gaps between farm work, she typed with her thumbs on the kang (heated bed). Migration stories, essays, poems, and novels over 13 years, she wrote more than 3 million words. Her works got published, and Ma became a writer and a deputy to the National People's Congress. "When the nation faces great events, women are never absent. I will bring the voices of grassroots women to a bigger stage," Ma said. The fertile soil of the new era provides a stage for every dreamer, Wang Yanhua, chair of the Hongsibu's women's federation, reflects with emotion. Good policies lift women up "My name is Xu Haixia, the 'Xia' means chivalry, like a hero." Twenty-five years ago, Xu lost her left leg to illness. She was 26 then. With 3,000 yuan in her pocket, she moved to Hongsibu, taught herself hairdressing using instructional CDs, and opened the first salon in the area. "I didn't want to be a burden. If you don't fight, how can you find a way out?" she said. With excellent skills, her business flourished. Xu went on to establish 11 enterprises, creating jobs for over a hundred people with disabilities and those who had recently escaped poverty. At the entrepreneurship (e-commerce) incubation park in the Hongsibu district comprehensive service center for persons with disabilities, everyone is busy packaging, labeling, and answering customer inquiries. In the "Wan Xia Hong" livestream studio, Wu Xiaolan promotes rose jam made in her factory. Wu Xiaolan, who has limited mobility, said, "It was Xu who made me believe that people with disabilities can also accomplish things." The disabled persons' federation of Hongsibu has pioneered new mechanisms, entrusting Xu to fully operate the care center for persons with disabilities providing day care, rehabilitation, and employment support. For 160 people with severe disabilities, it has become their "second home." "Those who've been caught in the rain are the ones who know how to hold an umbrella for others," Xu said. "And that big umbrella is our era." At 5 am, Li Zhiqiao, head of an agricultural cooperative in Hongsibu, bends down to pick the buds of daylilies. "We can harvest over a hundred kilograms today!" When her husband died unexpectedly in 2016, Li resolved: "I must stand up. My family needs a pillar." Taiyangshan Township in Hongsibu used to be a barren wasteland, where the wind blew stones across the sand. Then came a huge project to pump Yellow River water into the area. Four pumping stations lift the river water step by step onto the once dry land. With water flowing in, Li bet everything on growing daylilies. During the first harvest season, she and her sisters began work at 3 am, their fingers stained black by the flower sap. Today, her cooperative brings in an annual output value of 4 million yuan, helping over 400 households increase their income. Taiyangshan Township is now known as "China's star daylily production area." "You see these daylilies," Li said, "they're just like the people of Hongsibu always facing the sun, always in bloom." When Li's daylilies ripen, Wang Hangdi's goji berries also bore fruit. Coming from the remote hills of Xiji county, Wang left school before completing primary education to work in larger cities. Around 2000, her family moved to Hongsibu. To develop characteristic industries, Wang set her sights on goji berries. She wanted to plant 50 mu (about 8 acres), but the 70,000 yuan she needed turned out to be far beyond her reach she only managed to gather 20,000. As the planting deadline loomed, she squatted by her field in tears. The village committee director reminded her: "The local Agricultural Bank of China branch offers women's entrepreneurship loans, and the government subsidizes the interest!" With a glimmer of hope, she applied. And within days, 50,000 yuan was deposited into her account. In March 2018, she registered her family farm and later trademarked "Xuezhonghong" and "Wang Hangdi." During peak seasons, she hires more than 200 workers, and her sales exceeded 6 million yuan in 2024. "It's not that we're so capable," she said. "It's that we're lucky to live in good times." The branches are heavy with bright red fruit. Boxes of fresh goji puree are shipped nationwide, and Wang is planning her next move. Keep moving forward, better life ahead "Done! Look!" At the foot of Luoshan, the wind brushes across the fields. Behind Kou Qifang, a herd of Tan sheep stands out prominently. After being laid off in 2003, Kou came to Hongsibu. With a degree in animal husbandry, she threw herself into raising Tan sheep a breed of one of Ningxia's "three treasures." But as they were slow-growing and had few lambs, they were neglected by local villagers. Kou decided to take a new path. She consulted experts across the country and, with government support, collaborating with universities such as Northwest A&F University. Over more than a decade of exploration and countless experiments followed. "The Tan Sheep with snowflake marbling breed succeeded!" "Multiple lambs per birth succeeded!" Today, China's largest and most comprehensive Tan sheep breeding system is rooted in Ningxia's lands. In the new era, Hongsibu's once barren lands have become a cradle of innovation and vitality. As autumn deepens, the vast vineyards at the foot of Luoshan are ready for harvest. "Back then, not only did no one grow grapes here many had never even tasted them," said winemaker Wu Xiuyong, now in her 10th year in Hongsibu. Situated in a golden latitude zone for winemaking, Hongsibu is blessed by nature. But for Wu, settling here carried deeper meaning. "The Yellow River water is sweet, but limited. By promoting drip irrigation through grape cultivation, we can conserve water effectively." She began as a quality inspector in a winery, then became a technician, and eventually mastered independent fermentation. Her dedication paid off. In June 2025, Wu's wine won the top prize at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Wu still remembers vividly how five years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the wine industry has promising prospects as the living standards of Chinese people continue to rise, during an inspection tour in Ningxia, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Unlike many Hongsibu settlers who migrated from Xihaigu, Wu came here from Yinchuan in Ningxia, a "reverse migration." "Have you ever regretted it?" Wu shook her head. She said she chose to stay because of the ecology. Yao Yifan, chairman of the people's congress in Liuquan Township, Hongsibu who has long studied the phenomenon of "zan jin" women summed it up perfectly. "A good ecology is not the success of an individual, but the growth of a group of people." During the autumn harvest season, in the wooden tea house of Liu Kairui's family in Hongsibu's Hongde village, people gather to chat and share over a cup of tea. These informal tea gatherings have become a common practice for the "zan jin" women of Hongsibu. They turn their own light and warmth into beacons that light the way for others. Along this journey, the women of Hongsibu have gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be "zan jin." Zhao Xiulan, an inheritor of the region-level intangible cultural heritage, embroidery, has lived in Hongsibu for more than 20 years. Through her "workshop + base + farmers" model, she has trained more than 8,000 impoverished women. Young writer Hu Jing collected 5,000 books, turned her new home into a village library, which has become a "spiritual fueling station" for the women in the village. There are also more recent stories. Liang Qiaohong, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) branch of Nanyuan village, once known as the "little girl" by the villagers, has grown into the "head" of the entire village. The village's average annual income per person has surged from less than 1,800 yuan to over 13,900 yuan. Lei Jinxia from the People's Hospital in Hongsibu was one of the first employees when the hospital was founded 20 years ago, witnessing the annual outpatient visits grow from 24,000 to more than 250,000 today. Individual "zan jin" is to stand firm, but the collective "progress" of the community leads to a flourishing of all. In June 2020, Xi visited Hongsibu's Hongde village. Xi expressed his hope that the villagers could keep going and create better lives for themselves, reported Xinhua. Today, Hongsibu has 235,000 immigrants who have worked hard to build a better life. The per capita disposable income in rural areas has increased from 500 yuan before resettlement to 15,258 yuan. Today, nearly 90 percent of the residents who have received national and provincial honors in Hongsibu are women. Recently, a series of public lectures have been organized, spreading the stories of the "zan jin" women across Ningxia. SOURCE Global Times HOUSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI) ("Group 1" or the "Company"), a Fortune 250 automotive retailer with 259 dealerships located in the U.S. and U.K., today announced that it will release financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025 on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 before the market opens. Daryl Kenningham, Group 1's President and Chief Executive Officer, and the Company's senior management team will host a conference call to discuss the results later that morning at 9:00 a.m. ET. The conference call will be simulcast live on the Internet at http://www.group1corp.com/events. A webcast replay will be available for 30 days. A copy of the Company's presentation will also be made available at http://www.group1corp.com/company-presentations. The conference call will also be available live by dialing in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call at: Domestic: 1-888-317-6003 International: 1-412-317-6061 Passcode: 9338636 A telephonic replay will be available following the call through November 4, 2025, by dialing: Domestic: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Replay Code: 7892681 ABOUT GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE, INC. Group 1 owns and operates 259 automotive dealerships, 324 franchises, and 37 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 36 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships and omni-channel platform, the Company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related vehicle financing; sells service and insurance contracts; provides automotive maintenance and repair services; and sells vehicle parts. Group 1 discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations at www.group1corp.com , www.group1auto.com, www.group1collision.com , www.acceleride.com , and www.facebook.com/group1auto. Investor contacts: Terry Bratton Manager, Investor Relations Group 1 Automotive, Inc. [email protected] Media contacts: Pete DeLongchamps Senior Vice President, Financial Services and Manufacturer Relations Group 1 Automotive, Inc. [email protected] Kimberly Barta Head of Marketing and Communications Group 1 Automotive, Inc. [email protected] or Jude Gorman / Clayton Erwin Collected Strategies [email protected] SOURCE Group 1 Automotive, Inc. Firm appoints two new managing directors, names Joe Rubino CTO and expands PRG and investment teams CHICAGO, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GTCR, a leading private equity firm, announced today the promotions of several senior team members as well as recent new senior hires across the firm. These promotions and additions of other leaders are reflective of GTCR's sustained growth and its focus on making investments in its infrastructure and human capital. Joe Rubino has been named GTCR's Chief Technology Officer in addition to his role as Co-Head of the Portfolio Resources Group (PRG). Mr. Rubino has deep expertise in the technology and security industries, and he has a unique perspective given his extensive experience in the private sector as well as the 15 years he spent with the Central Intelligence Agency. He will continue to lead an ambitious effort to upgrade the firm's investments in technology and data infrastructure that will also support GTCR's internal artificial intelligence initiatives. Additionally, Kirk Smith and Geoffrey Tresley were promoted to Managing Director. Mr. Smith has served as an important contributor to the firm's Financial Services & Technology investing efforts, with a specific focus on the middle market. He has played an integral role in GTCR investments in Concord Servicing, Foundation Source and Winged Keel. Mr. Tresley is a key member of the Healthcare investment team, focused on healthcare technology. He has had significant roles in GTCR investments in TRANZACT, Klick Health, Equiti and AQUA Dermatology. Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Tresley have adeptly executed GTCR's Leaders Strategy across many of their investments, and benefit the firm beyond their day-to-day roles by fostering GTCR's culture and mentoring junior investment professionals. On behalf of the firm, Co-CEOs Dean Mihas and Collin Roche stated: "We are pleased to promote Kirk and Geoff to Managing Director, which is a reflection of their significant contributions to the firm. Kirk has played a meaningful role in our Strategic Growth Fund investment activities, developing strong relationships with our CEO partners and supporting several successful Financial Services & Technology investments. In addition, he has spearheaded several of our philanthropic efforts for the New York City office, helping GTCR give back to our community. Geoff has contributed significantly to our Healthcare practice's Strategic Growth Fund investments over the last several years. Both Kirk and Geoff serve as great examples of GTCR's approach to recruiting and developing strong talent, and we are grateful for their efforts in advancing GTCR's investment approach to build better businesses. We congratulate them on this important milestone and look forward to supporting their continued success." The firm also announced the promotion of David Lalo to Principal. Mr. Lalo joined GTCR in 2019 and invests in the Financial Services & Technology sector. He has played an active role in several GTCR investments, including AssetMark, Allspring Global Investments, Clear Capital, R&T, Ultimus Fund Solutions and Winged Keel. Within GTCR's functional teams, the firm is also pleased to announce the promotions of Ben Harvey, Amanda Poirot, Kate Savina, Melissa Siochi, Renee Tobiassen and Yu-Ten Tseng to Principal. Mr. Harvey, Ms. Poirot, Ms. Siochi and Ms. Tseng are leaders in our finance and portfolio analytics areas, managing key initiatives related to portfolio data, valuations, fund administration, finance and accounting. Ms. Savina and Ms. Tobiassen are members of our Technology and Data organization and have quickly affected meaningful change, focusing on driving large-scale data and enterprise technology programs. "The growth of staffing and leadership within our functional teams illustrates how GTCR is investing in our organization to build depth and drive value both across the firm and our portfolio. We are thrilled to recognize these individuals and their valuable contributions to the firm," added Mr. Mihas and Mr. Roche. In addition to these senior level promotions across the organization, GTCR recruited several senior investment professionals in 2025: Mike Stuppler and Paul Sutphin joined GTCR as Principals on our Strategic Growth Fund team, focused on the Business & Consumer Services and Technology, Media & Telecommunications sectors, respectively. Mr. Stuppler previously worked at GI Partners, where he was responsible for originating and underwriting investments in the business and consumer services ecosystem. Prior to GTCR, Mr. Sutphin was a Partner at Waud Capital Partners, where he focused on investments in software and technology. In addition, Alisha Chaudhary joined GTCR as a Principal on our Capital Solutions team this year. Prior to joining GTCR, Alisha was an investment professional in the Hybrid Capital group at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Mihas commented, "We are pleased to add Mike, Paul and Alisha to our investment team. They bring valuable expertise as we further our investment activities across GTCR's four core verticals and to support our Capital Solutions investing efforts, which target minority equity and structured debt investments in attractive businesses within our core verticals." GTCR also expanded the Portfolio Resources Group this year, adding Ryan Beauchamp, Miten Marvania and Andrew Sagat as Managing Directors. Mr. Beauchamp works with GTCR industry teams and portfolio companies to provide expertise on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Product Management. Mr. Marvania works with portfolio companies to provide expertise for technology transformation and digitization initiatives. Mr. Sagat is focused on supporting investment teams and executives on strategic finance and value creation opportunities for our portfolio companies. Mr. Roche commented: "We live in a dynamic world, and as the pace of change and innovation continues to accelerate, it's critical that GTCR has specialized competencies to support our portfolio companies' growth. This includes investing in areas like AI and data, which are becoming increasingly critical to transforming businesses. As such, we have built a high caliber team dedicated to helping our investment teams and portfolio companies address their greatest challenges and capitalize on growth opportunities to drive value creation and position these businesses well strategically, and in the competitive marketplace." GTCR Investment Professional and PRG Team Member Bios Ryan Beauchamp, Managing Director Ryan joined GTCR in 2025 to lead AI and Product across our portfolio. He evaluates prospective investments and shapes strategic direction based on emerging AI technologies. Prior to joining GTCR, Ryan served as Chief Product Officer at 1stDibs and previously he spent a decade at Google in the adtech and commerce areas. Ryan holds an MS in computer science from Stanford University with a specialization in artificial intelligence and a BA in economics magna cum laude from Yale University. Miten Marvania, Managing Director Miten joined GTCR in 2025, working with portfolio companies on technology transformation and digitization, helping management teams to drive growth and business improvement initiatives. Prior to joining GTCR, Miten was Managing Director at Blue Owl Capital and Senior Vice President at Blackstone. Previously, Miten spent 11 years with Agio, a managed IT and Cybersecurity services company he co-founded in 2010. Miten holds a BS in Computer Science from Rutgers University. Andrew Sagat, Managing Director Andrew joined GTCR in 2025, focusing on strategic finance and value creation for portfolio companies as part of PRG. Prior to joining GTCR, he led Portfolio and Asset Management for the Tactical Opportunities fund at Blackstone. Previously, he worked in the Corporate Turnaround and Restructuring practice at A&M, where he served in both advisory and interim management roles for stressed and distressed businesses. Andrew started his career at Bear Stearns & Co. and received a BA from Washington University in St. Louis. Kirk Smith, Managing Director Kirk joined GTCR in 2022. Prior to joining GTCR, Kirk was a Principal at Bregal Sagemount where he was responsible for originating and underwriting investments in the software, tech-enabled services and financial technology sectors. Previously, he was an Associate in the Special Situations Group at Goldman Sachs. Kirk holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS in Finance with honors from the University of Kansas. He is a Director of Concord Servicing, Foundation Source and Winged Keel. Geoffrey Tresley, Managing Director Geoff joined GTCR in 2018. Prior to joining GTCR, he worked at CVC Capital, where he focused on healthcare and consumer/retail transactions. Geoff holds an MBA with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA Summa Cum Laude from Northwestern University, where he graduated first in his class and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Geoff is a CFA charter holder and serves as a Director of TRANZACT, Klick Health, Equiti and AQUA Dermatology. Alisha Chaudhary, Principal Alisha joined GTCR in 2025. Prior to joining GTCR, Alisha was an investment professional at Goldman Sachs in the Hybrid Capital group. Previously, she worked in the Financial Institutions Investment Banking group and Credit Research Group at Goldman Sachs. Alisha holds a BS in Finance from Indiana University's Kelly School of Business and an MPA in Economic Policy Management from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. David Lalo, Principal David joined GTCR in 2019. Previously, he worked as an Associate at Bain Capital and as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company. David holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Harvard College. He is a Director of AssetMark, Clear Capital and R&T, and also works closely with Allspring Global Investments, Ultimus Fund Solutions and Winged Keel. He was previously involved in GTCR's investment in Optimal Blue. Mike Stuppler, Principal Mike joined GTCR in 2025. Prior to joining GTCR, Mike spent nearly a decade at GI Partners, where he was responsible for originating and underwriting investments in the business and consumer services ecosystem. Earlier in his career, Mike was an Associate in the Private Equity Group at Ares Management and an Analyst in the Financial Sponsors, Leveraged Finance, and Restructuring group at UBS Investment Bank. Mike holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BS from the University of Southern California. Paul Sutphin, Principal Paul joined GTCR in 2025. Prior to joining GTCR, he was a Partner at Waud Capital Partners where he focused on investments in software and technology, and an Associate at Madison Dearborn Partners. Paul holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in finance from Ohio State University. About GTCR Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm that invests behind The Leaders Strategy finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. GTCR is focused on investing in transformative growth in companies in the Business & Consumer Services, Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare and Technology, Media & Telecommunications sectors. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $30 billion in approximately 300 companies, and the firm currently manages approximately $50 billion in equity capital. GTCR is based in Chicago with offices in New York and West Palm Beach. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com. Follow us on LinkedIn. Media Contact Prosek Partners Josh Clarkson/Ryan Smith [email protected] Investor Relations Jodi Rubenstein Managing Director, Head of Investor Relations [email protected] SOURCE GTCR Honored during National Hispanic Heritage Month for advancing leadership, inclusion, and U.S. business growth; award presented Oct. 9 at EB Hotel Miami MIAMI, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor America chief operating officer Claudia Marquez has been honored with the Top Corporate Entrepreneur Gold Award by Negocios and Ejecutiva Magazines. Presented during the 2025 Top Entrepreneurs of the USA Awards at the EB Hotel Miami as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the recognition highlights her leadership in driving Hyundai's innovation, advancing inclusive leadership, and strengthening the company's contribution to U.S. economic growth. Hyundai Motor Americas Claudia Marquez, chief operating officer, is awarded with Top Corporate Entrepreneur Gold Award by Negocios and Ejecutiva Magazines, in Miami, Fla., October 9, 2025. (Photo/Hyundai) Hyundai Motor Americas Claudia Marquez, chief operating officer, is awarded with Top Corporate Entrepreneur Gold Award by Negocios and Ejecutiva Magazines, in Miami, Fla., October 9, 2025. (Photo/Hyundai) Since 2010, Negocios and Ejecutiva Magazines have honored leaders who embody entrepreneurial excellence, community values, and a commitment to advancing U.S. business development. The 2025 ceremony, marking the program's 15th anniversary, celebrates its ongoing role in spotlighting innovation, inclusion, and leadership that drive progress in communities and the national economy. "I'm honored to receive this recognition from Negocios and Ejecutiva Magazines," said Claudia Marquez, chief operating officer, Hyundai Motor America. "Leading Hyundai in the United States is both an honor and a responsibility. My focus is on three pillarscustomer-centric growth, people and culture, and operational excellenceso we can deliver great products and a simple, transparent experience while building a diverse pipeline of leaders across our ecosystem. Celebrating this recognition during National Hispanic Heritage Month reflects not only my personal journey but also Hyundai's commitment to empowering diverse voices and strengthening ties with Hispanic communities across the country." Marquez's career spans leadership roles across Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States at BMW, MINI, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Infiniti, Genesis, and now Hyundai. Throughout her journey, she has emphasized end-to-end business knowledge, data-informed decision making, and collaboration across functions and cultures. "Knowledge is a powerful equalizer," added Marquez. "Mentorship expands skills and confidence, and sponsorship creates access to opportunities. I encourage leaders to embrace what makes them different, cultivate resilience, and advocate for change." "Honorees of the Top Entrepreneurs of USA Awards are selected for their outstanding performance as innovators and their commitment to advancing business and opportunity across the United States," said Eduardo A. Hapke, co-founder and publisher of Negocios Magazine. "Claudia Marquez exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit we seek to honorcombining strategic vision with inclusive leadership to drive results for Hyundai, inspire the next generation of business leaders, and strengthen the role of Hispanic executives in shaping the future of the U.S. economy." The 2025 Top Entrepreneurs of USA Awards took place Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET at EB Hotel Miami (4299 NW 36th Street, Miami, FL 33166). About Negocios & Ejecutiva Magazines Negocios & Ejecutiva Magazines are Spanish-language business publications based in Miami that highlight Hispanic leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation across the United States. Since 2010, the publications have organized the Top Entrepreneurs of USA Awards, recognizing outstanding businesswomen and men and convening leaders from across industries. The 2025 edition marked the 15th anniversary of the event. For more information, visit https://www.negociosmagazine.com/ and https://www.ejecutivamagazine.com/. About Hyundai Motor America Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company's Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai's 850 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a recent economic impact report. For more information, visit. www.hyundainews.com. Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok SOURCE Hyundai Motor America NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Freeport-McMoran Inc. ("Freeport" or the "Company") (NYSE: FCX). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Freeport and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On September 9, 2025, Freeport issued a press release announcing the suspension of mining activities at its Grasberg Block Cave operation in Indonesia, after "a large flow of wet material from a production drawpoint . . . blocked access to certain areas within the mine," trapping seven workers. On this news, Freeport's stock price fell $2.80 per share, or 5.99%, to close at $43.87 per share on September 9, 2025. Then, on September 24, 2025, Freeport provided an update on the incident, reporting that two of the seven workers were "fatally injured" and that the remaining five workers "remain missing." On this news, Freeport's stock price fell $7.69 per share, or 16.95%, to close at $37.67 per share on September 24, 2025. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of James Hardie Industries plc ("James Hardie" or the "Company") (NYSE: JHX). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether James Hardie and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On August 19, 2025, James Hardie issued a press release announcing financial results for its first quarter ended June 30, 2025. Among other items, James Hardie reported a 29% decline in first-quarter profit and projected lower-than-expected fiscal 2026 earnings, citing high borrowing costs. On this news, James Hardie's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $9.79 per ADR, or 34.44%, to close at $18.64 per ADR on August 20, 2025. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Quanex Building Products Corporation ("Quanex" or the "Company") (NYSE: NX). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. The class action concerns whether Quanex and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. You have until November 18, 2025 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you purchased or otherwise acquired Quanex securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . [Click here for information about joining the class action] On September 4, 2025, after the market closed, Quanex announced its financial results for the third quarter of its 2025 fiscal year. Quanex disclosed, among other things, that ongoing "operational issues related to the legacy Tyman window and door hardware business in Mexico" had "impacted results more than expected[.]" Quanex also disclosed that it was "adjusting for lower expected volumes and pushing out the timing of when [it] expect[s] to realize procurement savings" from integration of the Tyman business. Then, on September 5, 2025, Quanex held an earnings call to discuss the quarter's financial results. During the call, Chief Executive Officer George Wilson explained that the operational challenges at Tyman "negatively impacted EBITDA in the Hardware Solutions segment by almost $5 million in the third quarter alone." Wilson explained that the issue had been "identified midyear" and described the systems used to "anticipate and plan for tooling repairs" as significantly deficient. On this news, Quanex's stock price fell $2.73 per share, or 13.06%, to close at $18.18 per share on September 5, 2025. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP LONDON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading UK creative marketing agency Linney Create has selected Screendragon software to power growth and enhance efficiency for its customers and teams. It is adopting Screendragon's best-in-class Agency Management platform as part of its ongoing commitment to combine creative excellence with robust operational systems. Linney Chooses Screendragon Agency Management Software to Power Growth and Efficiency Linney Create is part of Nottinghamshire-based Linney, a full-service connected marketing partner for some of the world's biggest brands. Screendragon's software will provide real-time visibility of projects, smarter resource allocation and future-ready capabilities that reduce manual work, streamline workflows and deliver actionable insights. Linney Create Co-Director Maria Ottewell said: "We have a long history of identifying and investing in technology and innovation that supports our work and delivers competitive advantage. "Screendragon's software will reinforce Linney Create's reputation for efficiency, transparency and speed across a client base that already values our focus on fast delivery, seamless collaboration and measurable outcomes. "With AI capabilities embedded into the platform, we're optimising today's workflows while preparing our business and clients for the next generation of intelligent, data-driven connected marketing operations." Fergus Ashe, Chief Commercial Officer at Screendragon, added: "We're delighted to welcome Linney Create to our growing community of forward-thinking agencies. Our platform is designed to help leading creative organisations run smarter and scale faster. We're excited to see how Linney Create teams will harness both our workflow automation and AI features to deliver even more impact for their clients." Implementation of Screendragon's software will begin later this year, with phased adoption across Linney Create's teams and a full rollout planned for February 2026. About Linney Create Linney Create is part of Linney, a full-service connected marketing partner that brings together the right people, creativity and technology to solve complex marketing challenges. Linney Create's designers, writers, researchers, filmmakers and social media content creators focus on the powerful moments when people interact most closely with brands on screen, in print and in person. About Screendragon Screendragon is a leading provider of Agency Management software. Its platform enables agencies and creative teams to plan, manage, track, and deliver projects more efficiently through resource management, workflow automation, collaboration tools and AI-powered insights. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2792758/Screendragon.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2792757/Screendragon_Logo.jpg SOURCE Screendragon Accelerated pathway underscores urgent need for innovative solutions for patients with devastating, childhood-onset epilepsies Novel 5HT2C mechanism designed to reduce drug-resistant seizures in children and adults living with Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs) and improve quality of life for patients and their caregivers 1 Dual Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) in China and the U.S. underscores Lundbeck's mission to advance brain health and transform lives of patients with rare neurological diseases VALBY, Denmark, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lundbeck today announced that its investigational drug bexicaserin, for the treatment of seizures associated with Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs), has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by China's Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE). DEEs are a heterogeneous group of severe, childhood-onset, rare epilepsies marked by drug-resistant seizures and developmental stagnation or regression.2 Affecting more than 1 in 2,000 live births, DEEs carry a mortality rate of 1750%.3 Survivors are often left with profound neurological disabilities, creating a heavy burden for families and society and underscoring the urgent need for new treatment options.4 "We are honored that bexicaserin has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation, recognizing the potential of our innovative approach to advancing treatment in one of the most challenging areas of epilepsy," said Johan Luthman, EVP and Head of Research & Development at Lundbeck. "Drawing on our expertise in neuroscience, and past experiences with epilepsy therapies, we are deeply committed driving the global Phase 3 clinical program forward. Obtaining BTD for the program in China supports us in bringing Bexicaserin to patients living with DEEs as quickly as possible." Bexicaserin (LP352) is a novel investigational, oral therapy that selectively targets the 5-HT2C receptor while avoiding activity at the 5-HT2B and 5-HT2A subtypes, a profile designed to reduce cardiovascular risk. The medicine has also been granted BTD by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of seizures associated with DEEs. "Bexicaserin's Breakthrough Therapy Designation is an important step forward for Lundbeck in China and reflects our dedication to addressing the urgent needs of patients living with DEEs," said Zhang Yifan, Managing Director of Lundbeck China. "This recognition strengthens our commitment to bringing innovative neuroscience solutions to China, working hand in hand with partners to advance brain health and improve the lives of patients and their families." The BTD procedure is designed to accelerate the development and review of innovative medicines for serious or life-threatening diseases with no adequate treatment options, or where early evidence shows substantial advantages over existing therapies. The CDE prioritizes resource allocation, communication, enhanced guidance, and development promotion for drugs included in the BTD drug procedure. About Bexicaserin Bexicaserin (LP352) is an oral, centrally acting 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C (5-HT2C) receptor agonist with no engagement of the 5-HT2B and 5-HT2A receptor subtypes, potentially minimizing the risks of cardiovascular toxicity.1 Bexicaserin is being evaluated in a global Phase 3 clinical program (the DEEp Program). The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for bexicaserin for the treatment of seizures associated with Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs) for patients two years of age and older.5 Bexicaserin is an investigational compound that is not approved for marketing by any regulatory authority worldwide. The efficacy and safety of bexicaserin has not been established. About DEEs Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies (DEEs) are a group of rare neurodevelopmental disorders that typically manifest in early childhood. These heterogeneous and severe epilepsy syndromes are characterized by refractory seizures and developmental stagnation or regression. According to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), DEEs currently encompass more than 10 syndromes, including Early Infantile DEE (EIDEE), Infantile Epileptic Spams Syndrome (IESS), Dravet Syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome with various etiologies among those mainly genetic (e.g., CDKL5, STXBP1, KCNT1, SCN2A). Some of these conditions have been included in the first and second batches of the Rare Disease Catalog released by the National Health Commission. Contacts Anders Crillesen Head of Media Relations, Corp. Communication [email protected] +45 27 79 12 86 Jens Hyer Vice President, Head of Investor Relations [email protected] +45 30 83 45 01 About H. Lundbeck A/S Lundbeck is a biopharmaceutical company focusing exclusively on brain health. With more than 70 years of experience in neuroscience, we are committed to improving the lives of people with neurological and psychiatric diseases. Brain disorders affect a large part of the world's population, and the effects are felt throughout society. With the rapidly improving understanding of the biology of the brain, we hold ourselves accountable for advancing brain health by curiously exploring new opportunities for treatments. As a focused innovator, we strive for our research and development programs to tackle some of the most complex neurological challenges. We develop transformative medicines targeting people for whom there are few or no treatments available, expanding into neuro-specialty and neuro-rare from our strong legacy within psychiatry and neurology. We are committed to fighting stigma and we act to improve health equity. We strive to create long term value for our shareholders by making a positive contribution to patients, their families and society as a whole. Lundbeck has approximately 5,700 employees in more than 50 countries and our products are available in more than 80 countries. For additional information, we encourage you to visit our corporate site www.lundbeck.com and connect with us via LinkedIn. References: Ren A, et al. J Medicinal Chem. 2025;68(11):10599-10618 Scheffer IE, et al. Epilepsia. 2025;00:1-10 Palmer EE, et al. Neurotherapeutics. 2021;18(3):14321444 Gallop K, et al. Epilepsy Behav. 2021;124:10824 Longboard Pharmaceuticals News Release 2024. Longboard Pharmaceuticals Receives Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Orphan Drug Designation for Bexicaserin (LP352) in Dravet Syndrome CONTACT: H. Lundbeck A/S Ottiliavej 9, 2500 Valby, Denmark +45 3630 1311 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/h--lundbeck-a-s/r/lundbeck-s-bexicaserin-receives-breakthrough-therapy-designation-in-china-for-the-treatment-of-seizu,c4248555 The following files are available for download: SAN DIEGO, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers or acquirers of Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: MOH) securities between February 5, 2025 and July 23, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"), have until December 2, 2025 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Molina class action lawsuit. Captioned Hindlemann v. Molina Healthcare, Inc., No. 25-cv-09461 (C.D. Cal.), the Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit charges Molina Healthcare as well as certain of Molina Healthcare's top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit, please provide your information here: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-molina-healthcare-inc-class-action-lawsuit-moh.html You can also contact attorneys J.C. Sanchez or Jennifer N. Caringal of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected]. CASE ALLEGATIONS: Molina Healthcare provides managed healthcare services to low-income families and individuals under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. The Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period failed to disclose: (i) material, adverse facts concerning Molina Healthcare's "medical cost trend assumptions"; (ii) that Molina Healthcare was experiencing a "dislocation between premium rates and medical cost trend"; (iii) that Molina Healthcare's near term growth was dependent on a lack of "utilization of behavioral health, pharmacy, and inpatient and outpatient services"; and (iv) as a result, Molina Healthcare's financial guidance for fiscal year 2025 was substantially likely to be cut. The Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit further alleges that on July 7, 2025, Molina Healthcare revealed second quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of approximately $5.50 per share, which was "below its prior expectations" due to "medical cost pressures in all three lines of business." Molina Healthcare also disclosed that it "expects these medical cost pressures to continue into the second half of the year," cut guidance for expected adjusted earnings per share 10.2% at the midpoint, and that it was experiencing a "short-term earnings pressure" from a "dislocation between premium rates and medical cost trend which has recently accelerated," the complaint alleges. On this news, the price of Molina Healthcare stock fell, according to the complaint. Then, the Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit alleges that on July 23, 2025 Molina Healthcare reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025 and further cut its full-year 2025 earnings guidance. In doing so, Molina Healthcare revealed that "GAAP net income was $4.75 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2025, a decrease of 8% year over year" and it "now expects its full year 2025 adjusted earnings to be no less than $19.00 per diluted share," the Molina Healthcare class action alleges. Molina Healthcare allegedly attributed its results and full year outlook to a "challenging medical cost trend environment," including "utilization of behavioral health, pharmacy, and inpatient and outpatient services." On this news, the price of Molina Healthcare stock fell nearly 17%, according to the complaint. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired Molina Healthcare securities during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the Molina Healthcare class action lawsuit. ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud and shareholder litigation. Our Firm has been ranked #1 in the ISS Securities Class Action Services rankings for four out of the last five years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. In 2024, we recovered over $2.5 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases more than the next five law firms combined, according to ISS. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world, and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest ever $7.2 billion in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information: https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. Contact: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP J.C. Sanchez, Jennifer N. Caringal 655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101 800-449-4900 [email protected] SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The AI-powered Global Pathogen Analysis Platform aims to strengthen the pandemic preparedness globally. The platform will provide a state-of-the art, analytical toolkit for analysing genomic pathogen data and will be freely available to users worldwide. Infectious disease outbreaks are spreading faster than ever, yet the international surveillance that could help us monitor and prevent them remains fragmented. To help close critical gaps in global infectious disease surveillance, a new international infrastructure is being established at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) with partner nodes at University of Copenhagen, Statens Serum Institut and Imperial College London. The Novo Nordisk Foundation is funding the infrastructure with up to DKK 200 million. The infrastructure is called the Global Pathogen Analysis Platform (GPAP) and will give scientists and public health authorities worldwide free access to cutting-edge tools for detecting, tracking and analysing infectious diseases with help from advanced bioinformatics and artificial intelligence (AI). "Fragmented surveillance systems have left the world vulnerable to fast-moving outbreaks of infectious diseases. With the establishment of GPAP, we will get a secure, AI-powered data infrastructure that can deliver valuable support to researchers and public health authorities globally while being independent of commercial interests. The infrastructure will be free to use and specifically designed to meet the needs of low- and middle-income countries that currently lack access to such technology," says Lene Oddershede, Chief Scientific Officer, Planetary Science & Technology at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Stopping health threats before they go from local to global Many infectious diseases spread between humans, animals, and the environment, and tackling them effectively requires an integrated approach. Therefore, GPAP is built on the principle of One Health the recognition that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and the environment. Building on existing platforms and expertise, GPAP will be designed as a secure online infrastructure that allows for integration of genomic pathogen data with other types of data. Data about different types of pathogens such as virus, bacteria and parasites can be combined with a range of different data sources, for example data on climate, human mobility and food trade. The possibility of integrating and sharing different types of data on the same platform will help create a more complete understanding of the current and future health threats. This will give us the opportunity to act faster when a potential health threat is detected. "It is crucial that we detect and respond to new health threats as quickly and as locally as possible. If we can stop an outbreak of an infectious disease before it goes from local to global level, we can prevent future pandemics," says Henrik C. Wegener, who will be heading GPAP. AI-tools will help lower the technical barriers for users The adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement in May 2025 underscored the urgent need for countries to share data and strengthen preparedness through equitable access to advanced technologies. A key advantage of GPAP is the integrated, pre-trained AI-tools that make advanced analysis accessible without requiring users to build their own models. These AI features will help interpret complex genomic data, generate automated summaries of results, and act as a digital co-pilot for scientists and public health authorities. By lowering technical barriers, particularly in low-resource settings, the platform enables more users to participate in genomic surveillance and provides faster, more accurate insights to detect and respond to emerging threats. Also, the users of GPAP will be retaining full control and ownership over their data. Co-creation with global users To ensure that GPAP is designed to match the needs of the users, the platform will be co-created in collaboration with users in low- and middle-income countries. The co-creation will take place at so-called activator sites, where GPAP will be tested and developed in close collaboration with local scientists, health authorities and other potential users of the platform. "The activator sites will act as pilot hubs, making sure the platform is practical, user-friendly, and tailored to real-world needs. By providing feedback and contributing data, they will help shape GPAP from the very beginning, while also building local capacity to detect and respond to outbreaks more effectively," concludes Henrik Wegener. More details about the Global Pathogen Analysis Platform (GPAP) GPAP will be established with its main hub at DTU's National Food Institute and with partner nodes at the University of Copenhagen, Statens Serum Institut, Imperial College London and encompass collaboration with international institutions across Europe, Africa, and Asia. GPAP is developed in respect of and aligned to international and national legislation, regulations governing public health, animal health and environmental health as well as ethical aspects as covered, e.g., by the widely accepted FAIR and CARE principles. The establishment and development of GPAP will be headed by Professor Henrik C. Wegener. He has a strong leadership track record in public health, science policy, and institutional development. Until March 2025, he was rector of University of Copenhagen. Prior to that, he led national, EU and WHO surveillance programmes and served as Chief Scientific Advisor to the European Commission. He currently chairs the board of the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS). The Novo Nordisk Foundation is supporting the establishment of GPAP with up to DKK 200 million over six years. As part of the project, a plan for long-term funding of the platform will be developed. About the Novo Nordisk Foundation Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people's health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation's mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society. SOURCE Novo Nordisk Foundation PITTSBURGH, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PANTHERx Rare has been chosen by Chiesi as the exclusive specialty pharmacy to distribute MYCAPSSA (octreotide). The partnership aims to improve patient access and support for individuals living with acromegaly. MYCAPSSA is an oral somatostatin analog (SSA) indicated for the long-term maintenance treatment of acromegaly patients who have responded to and tolerated treatment with octreotide or lanreotide.1 SSAs work by decreasing growth hormone production associated with acromegaly.1,2 Acromegaly is a rare condition that occurs from the overproduction of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, most commonly caused by a benign tumor on the gland called a pituitary adenoma. Symptoms of acromegaly can vary and include enlarged hands, feet, and facial features, thickened and oily skin, increased sweating, deeper voice, headaches, and joint aches.2 Complications of acromegaly can include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, and other conditions affecting the bones and muscles.2 Treatment options may include surgery to remove the pituitary tumor, medications, and radiation therapy.2 "We are pleased to partner with Chiesi to distribute MYCAPSSA and support people living with acromegaly," said Bansi Nagji, CEO, PANTHERx Rare. "At PANTHERx, our mission is clear: to stand with individuals and families affected by rare diseases. Those in the acromegaly community often face access challenges and limited treatment options, and it is our responsibilityand our privilegeto provide the right treatment, tools, and personalized support they deserve." About PANTHERx Rare PANTHERx Rare is a specialty pharmacy exclusively focused on rare and orphan diseases, distributing several orphan products and providing access and support services to those needing them most. Known as The Rare Disease Pharmacy, PANTHERx transforms lives by delivering medicine breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to people living with rare and devastating conditions. PANTHERx is a dual-accredited specialty pharmacy, with notable distinctions in rare diseases, including the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) Distinction in Orphan Drugs and Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) Rare Disease Center of Excellence. As a pharmacy focused on patient satisfaction, PANTHERx is the eight-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award, including the 2025 honor. PANTHERx is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is licensed in all 50 states and U.S. territories. For more information, please email [email protected] or visit www.pantherxrare.com. About Chiesi Global Rare Diseases Chiesi Global Rare Diseases is a business unit of the Chiesi Group established to deliver innovative therapies and solutions for people affected by rare diseases. As a family business, Chiesi Group strives to create a world where it is common to have a therapy for all diseases and acts as a force for good, for society and the planet. The goal of the Global Rare Diseases unit is to ensure equal access so as many people as possible can experience their most fulfilling life. The unit collaborates with the rare disease community around the globe to bring voice to underserved people in the health care system. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION INDICATION AND USAGE: MYCAPSSA (octreotide) delayed-release capsules, for oral use, is a somatostatin analog indicated for long-term maintenance treatment in acromegaly patients who have responded to and tolerated treatment with octreotide or lanreotide. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Hypersensitivity to octreotide or any of the components of MYCAPSSA. Anaphylactoid reactions, including anaphylactic shock, have been reported in patients receiving octreotide. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS: Can cause problems with the gallbladder. Monitor patients periodically. Discontinue if complications of cholelithiasis are suspected. Blood sugar, thyroid levels, and vitamin B12 levels should be monitored and treated accordingly. Bradycardia, arrhythmia, or conduction abnormalities may occur. Treatment with drugs that have bradycardia effects may need to be adjusted. New onset of steatorrhea, stool discoloration, loose stools, abdominal bloating, and weight loss may occur with MYCAPSSA and other somatostatin analogs. If new occurrence or worsening of these symptoms are reported, evaluate for potential pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and manage accordingly. ADVERSE REACTIONS: The most common adverse reactions (incidence >10%) are nausea, diarrhea, headache, arthralgia, asthenia, hyperhidrosis, peripheral swelling, blood glucose increased, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, dyspepsia, sinusitis, and osteoarthritis. For additional Important Safety Information, please see the MYCAPSSA full Prescribing Information at MYCAPSSA.com . MYCAPSSA. Package Insert. Chiesi USA. 2024. Acromegaly | NIDDK. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/acromegaly#who 2025 Chiesi USA. MYCAPSSA is a registered trademark owned by the Chiesi Group. Chiesi Total CareSM is a service mark of CHIESI FARMACEUTICI S.p.A. All rights reserved. PP-RA-01192 V1.0 09/2025 SOURCE PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy BEIJING, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: A report titled "An Asia-Pacific of Vitality: Public Opinion Across 16 Countries" was released on Oct. 13 by People's Daily at the 2025 China-South Korea Media Cooperation Forum in Seoul. The report reveals that people across the region view the entire Asia-Pacific as an interdependent community with common interests and a shared future. They support enhanced cooperation among Asia-Pacific economies to build a dynamic, harmonious and prosperous Asia-Pacific community. Participants examining the report booklet at the conference. Photo by Wan Yu from People's Daily Cover of the Report Booklet According to the survey, over 80 percent of respondents acknowledge the contributions of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to regional economic development, social progress, and improvement of people's well-being. More than 70 percent support their own country engaging more actively and deeply within the APEC framework. Over 70 percent look forward to building an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040. These findings demonstrate resounding public desire across the region to deepen APEC cooperation and develop an open regional economy. As a major APEC member, China actively engages in practical cooperation with other member economies, sharing the opportunities of its high-quality development through high-level opening up and continuously contributing positive energy to regional peace, stability and prosperity. Nearly 60 percent of respondents say China plays an important role in promoting sustainable growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific; 83 percent believe China's development experience provides insights for their country; and 41 percent hope their country will strengthen economic, security, and people-to-people cooperation and exchanges with China. The survey was jointly initiated by the International News Department of People's Daily and the Global Times Institute. Among the 21 APEC member economies, this survey selected 16 representative Asia-Pacific countries based on economic size, population, and the feasibility of sampling, namely Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam. Between August 25 and September 12, 9,077 valid responses were collected through multilingual questionnaires administered in 11 languages, including Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. The report presents the region's clear public demand for open cooperation and multilateralism, providing solid popular support for building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future. At a time of global uncertainty and geopolitical turbulence, the survey indicates a strong regional commitment to multilateralism and deeper regional cooperation toward an Asia-Pacific community - a stance of substantive significance for regional stability. The 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will convene later this month in South Korea. Next year, China will host APEC for the third time. Together with all parties, China will advance the implementation of the Putrajaya Vision 2040, promote the building of an Asia-Pacific community and a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, deliver practical cooperation outcomes across sectors, and inject fresh momentum into economic growth in the Asia-Pacific and the wider world. SOURCE People's Daily DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rolling Stock Market is projected to grow from USD 30.94 billion in 2025 to USD 41.79 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 4.4%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Trains using hydrogen or battery technologies are gradually entering the market, offering more sustainable and flexible alternatives to traditional diesel-powered trains. These technologies allow trains to operate on non-electrified rail sections, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions. Hydrogen-powered trains, such as Alstom's Coradia iLint, produce electricity from hydrogen fuel cells, emitting only water vapor, while battery trains can be charged via overhead wires or at stops to enable cleaner operations. The market for hybrid trains is expanding due to growing environmental awareness and increasing demand for efficient, versatile transport solutions across various rail networks. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=4380892 Browse in-depth TOC on " Rolling Stock Market " 300 - Tables 70 - Figures 400 - Pages Wagons to lead the freight transport rolling stock market during the forecast period Wagons are expected to dominate the freight transport rolling stock market due to their adaptability in transporting a wide range of cargo, including bulk materials, containers, and specialized goods. The growing emphasis on sustainable transportation solutions has propelled the demand for rail freight, as it offers a more environmentally friendly alternative to road and air transport. Additionally, advancements in wagon design, such as increased load capacities and enhanced safety features, contribute to their competitiveness in the market. The integration of digital technologies, including GPS tracking and predictive maintenance, has improved the reliability and efficiency of wagon operations. Further, the expansion of intermodal transport networks and the development of dedicated freight corridors have increased the utilization of wagons, solidifying their central role in global supply chains. For instance, in August 2025, East Central Railways (ECR) successfully conducted a trial run of a 4.5 km-long freight train, comprising 354 box wagons, from Uttar Pradesh to a railway siding at a coal mine in Jharkhand, aimed at improving coal transportation efficiency. Rapid transit trains are expected to lead the rolling stock market The rapid transit trains are expected to lead the rolling stock market during the forecast period. Rising urbanization and the need for fast, reliable public transport across sprawling metropolitan areas are driving this growth. Increasing city populations are creating demand for mass transit solutions that reduce traffic congestion, lower environmental pollution, and provide cost- and time-efficient travel. Government support, infrastructure investments, technological advancements in rail systems, and a focus on green, environmentally friendly transportation are further boosting the rapid transit market. Expansion of existing urban transport networks has also increased the need for more rapid transit systems in major cities. Demand is expected to be particularly strong in emerging economies such as China, Brazil, and India compared with developed countries in Western Europe. The integration of smart technologies, including real-time tracking, automation, and advanced safety features, is enhancing the appeal and adoption of rapid transit solutions. For instance, in July 2025, Barcelona Metro announced plans to add 39 new trains by 2029 with a USD 386 million (331 million) investment. This will expand the fleet to 224 trains, increase rush-hour capacity by over 20,000 passengers, and allow train frequencies of less than three minutes. Asia Oceania is expected to hold the largest share of the rolling stock market during the forecast period. Asia Oceania is expected to hold the largest share of the rolling stock market during the forecast period. Globalization is transforming the industry, particularly in high-speed and connected rail systems. Rapid urbanization, growing volumes of goods transported by rail, rising demand for metro networks, and the development of dedicated freight corridors are key market drivers. For instance, the 508 km MumbaiAhmedabad high-speed rail corridor is under construction, with over 300 km of viaducts completed, and partial operations expected by 20272028, with full completion in the early 2030s. Governments across the region have also launched smart transportation initiatives, leveraging cloud computing, IoT, 5G, and AI technologies to modernize railways. Key factors driving the adoption of smart railways include upgrading rail infrastructure, investing in urban and intercity networks, and implementing regulations to improve safety. For instance, in September 2025, CRRC developed new-generation intercity EMUs for service in Malaysia. Each train can carry 312 passengers, including 36 in business class, and features modern interiors with bistro areas. The EMUs are designed to handle curves with a radius of 100 m, equipped with an intelligent driver assistance system, and comply with current impact resistance and fire safety standards. Key Market Players of Rolling Stock Industry : Prominent players in the Rolling Stock Companies include CRRC Corporation Limited (China), Siemens AG (Germany), Alstom SA (France), Stadler Rail AG (Switzerland), and Wabtec Corporation (US). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=4380892 This report provides insights on: Analysis of key drivers (energy-efficient and sustainable transportation shift, traffic decongestion and network optimization, expansion of freight transport capacity, and expansion of railroad network and freight corridors) restraints (optimization of the existing fleet through refurbishment, and high capital intensity and investment barriers), opportunities (adoption of hydrogen fuel cell locomotives, rising rail demand from industrial and mining expansion, growing market for battery-operated trains, and leveraging big data and smart analytics in rail infrastructure), and challenges (rising overhaul and maintenance cost burden, and intensive R&D investment requirements). (energy-efficient and sustainable transportation shift, traffic decongestion and network optimization, expansion of freight transport capacity, and expansion of railroad network and freight corridors) restraints (optimization of the existing fleet through refurbishment, and high capital intensity and investment barriers), opportunities (adoption of hydrogen fuel cell locomotives, rising rail demand from industrial and mining expansion, growing market for battery-operated trains, and leveraging big data and smart analytics in rail infrastructure), and challenges (rising overhaul and maintenance cost burden, and intensive R&D investment requirements). Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies and research & development activities in the rolling stock market. Detailed insights on upcoming technologies and research & development activities in the rolling stock market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyzes the rolling stock market across varied regions. Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyzes the rolling stock market across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the rolling stock market. Exhaustive information about untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the rolling stock market. Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, and product offerings of leading players, such as CRRC Corporation Limited (China), Siemens AG (Germany), Alstom SA (France), Stadler Rail AG (Switzerland), and Wabtec Corporation (US), in the rolling stock market. Related Reports: Hybrid Train Market Autonomous Train Market Train Battery Market Get access to the latest updates on Rolling Stock Companies and Rolling Stock Industry Growth About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets STOCKHOLM, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Securitas is pleased to invite investors, analysts and financial media to our Capital Markets Day in London on Tuesday June 16, 2026. The event will provide a strategic and financial update. The CMD will take place at London Stock Exchange and will also be web casted. A formal invitation including agenda and registration will follow closer to the event. Further information: Investors: Carina Floren, IR Manager; +46 73 719 21 01, [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/securitas/r/securitas-capital-markets-day--june-16--2026---save-the-date,c4249029 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/1062/4249029/3717789.pdf Save the date CMD 2026 SOURCE Securitas MILWAUKEE, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ademi Firm is investigating HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with Gildan. Click here to learn how to join our investigation and obtain additional information or contact us at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. Shareholders of HanesBrands will receive 0.102 Gildan shares and $0.80 cash for each HanesBrands share. The offer represents $6.00 per HanesBrands share and values HanesBrands at approximately $2.2 billion in equity value and $4.4 billion in enterprise value, based on Gildan's closing stock price on August 11, 2025. HanesBrands insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing transactions for HanesBrands by imposing a significant penalty if HanesBrands accepts a competing bid. We are investigating the conduct of the HanesBrands board of directors, and whether they are fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders. We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contacts Ademi & Fruchter LLP Guri Ademi Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 SOURCE Ademi LLP CHANGSHA, China, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report from Hunan Today: Shazhou Village, in Rucheng County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, nestles in the Nanling Mountains. For Qiao Laoyea Canadian who has lived in China for over 8 years and heard many touching stories of heroes and national dedicationthis village holds a special memory from 1934: the origin of the "Half a Quilt" story, which he came to share. In autumn-winter 1934, the Central Red Army arrived in Shazhou. Three female soldiers stayed at the home of Elder Xu Jiexiu. Before leaving, they cut their only quilt in half and gave one half to her. This act stayed with Xu for life; she often told her family, "Follow the Communist Partythey'd share even their last quilt with the people." Qiao once wondered why the Red Army, short on food, clothing and equipment, still helped locals. The answer lies in the Party's core mission: the Red Army, led by the Communist Party, is a people's army dedicated to "serving the people." No matter how hard their own struggle, they shared warmth with the peopleexactly what Xu meant by "the Communist Party shares its last quilt." Qiao realized the faded half-quilt is proof of the army-people bond (like fish and water) and China's national spirit of "weathering storms together." Ninety years later, Shazhou has thrived: villagers grow fruits, run guesthouses and live well through rural tourism. To Qiao, the ancestors' sentiments now shine in peacetime. Shazhou's transformation is a vivid part of China's development story. He sees China's "global community with a shared future" reflected here: true civilization lies in the warmth of sharing, even the last half of a quilt. SOURCE Hunan Today Writing and publishing a book has long been seen as a lifetime achievement slow, complex, and often inaccessible. With the launch of StoryOne 2.0, the company introduces a completely new way to publish non-fiction: Human-Centric Book Publishing. Using the Story Editor, anyone can transform their ideas, podcasts, interviews, articles, research, or manuscripts into a high-quality, fact-based non-fiction book in just about an hour. That's up to 300 times faster than traditional publishing. At the Vodafone Future Day 2025 Michael Reinartz, Chief Innovation Officer at Vodafone Germany, said: "Writing a book usually takes months or even years. With StoryOne's new AI-powered functions, this process is being reinvented. Now, professional-quality books can be created within hours while authors keep full control of their content." Books that would never have existed before A scientist turns research papers into an accessible book the very same day. Doctors publish fact-checked guides on rare diseases while the information is still current. Biographies can be created directly from audio recordings even the memories of a 100-year-old. New voices around the world become visible: personal, authentic, and moving stories that might never have been published otherwise. Human-Centric Publishing the alternative to the flood of AI-generated books StoryOne clearly differentiates itself from today's flood of low-quality "prompt books": The human remains the author, creator, and curator. remains the author, creator, and curator. AI acts as a fact-based co-editor , trained on bestseller-quality logics structuring, enhancing, and delivering instant book outlines and chapters. , trained on bestseller-quality structuring, enhancing, and delivering instant book outlines and chapters. Content can be validated and deepened through optional research. through optional research. Developed in collaboration with leading AI scientists (Neuro-Symbolic AI) and publishing professionals. (Neuro-Symbolic AI) and publishing professionals. Tested by bestselling authors. Thalia (Germany's leading book retailer and one of Europe's largest bookselling groups) is a shareholder; Libri/BOD is a strategic partner ensuring European-wide distribution and print-on-demand logistics. Research confirms global relevance A recent Harvard / OpenAI study (September 2025) shows that 40% of all work-related ChatGPT use cases involve writing in management and business contexts, it's more than half. Most importantly: two-thirds of these activities involve revising, structuring, or improving existing text, not generating new drafts. This is exactly where StoryOne's Human-Centric AI approach excels. End-to-End Publishing Platform from idea to reader StoryOne is an end-to-end publishing platform: Upload content, generate your book, design a cover, receive an ISBN, and publish worldwide all within hours. Books appear in the modern StoryOne format (80 pages, 1217 chapters, hardcover) concise, elegant, and ideal for contemporary reading habits. (80 pages, 1217 chapters, hardcover) concise, elegant, and ideal for contemporary reading habits. Transparent sales dashboard for authors. Print-on-demand production sustainable and resource-efficient. Global availability from Thalia to Amazon. Pricing: AI Book creation starts at 50 ( $55). Author copies with ISBN start at 18 ( $20) decreasing to 5 per copy in bulk. Invitation to journalists and partners Journalists can try StoryOne for free: Use the promo code "FBM25" to receive 1,000 credits (50 value) and transform your own content an interview, podcast, or research piece into a finished book within minutes. The code is valid until October 19. About StoryOne StoryOne was founded by Hannes Steiner, a former publisher and bookseller. The platform already counts more than 100,000 users and 20,000 published book titles worldwide. With its new version, StoryOne is bringing AI-assisted publishing to the mainstream responsibly, transparently, and always human-first. Its mission: More knowledge. More voices. More diversity in book form. CONTACTS For all media enquiries, please contact: David Granger [email protected] +44 (0) 777 5553139 Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794537/StoryOne_Founder_Hannes_Steiner.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794566/Vodafones_StoryOne_Book_Infographic.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794539/Story_Editor_by_StoryOne_Infographic.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794538/The_Story_Editor.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794536/story_one_Logo.jpg SOURCE story.one 21 % more press release views with Request a Demo North America's Original Blow Dry Bar Franchise Debuts in Tyler, Offers Founders Rate for Mane Squeeze Membership TYLER, Texas, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blo Blow Dry Bar, North America's original blow dry bar and blow dry bar franchise, will open its newest bar on October 24th in Tyler. Located at 113 East 8th Street, the new bar will offer guests five signature styles on its hair menu, a la carte options, a variety of hair treatments, plus five signature makeup looks and a section of customized looks to provide endless inspiration. Following the soft opening, the official grand opening will take place on November 20th, giving guests another opportunity to celebrate and experience all that Blo has to offer. The new bar is owned and operated by local entrepreneur Sharie Withers, a longtime Tyler resident and owner of a successful insurance agency for 15 years. She was inspired to bring Blo Blow Dry Bar to her hometown after experiencing a blow out while visiting a friend in Colorado. With a growing population moving to Tyler for its low cost of living and vibrant culture, Withers saw an opportunity to introduce a modern, welcoming beauty experience to the community. Located in Tyler's historic Bergfeld Center, her new Blo Blow Dry Bar is designed to provide effortless glam and become a go-to destination for locals. "I was blown away by the Blo experience when I visited a friend's location in Colorado. It was fun, friendly, and made me feel confident instantly," said Withers. "I knew Tyler needed something like this. People here want a modern, welcoming place to look and feel their best, and I'm thrilled to bring Blo to our community." For a limited time, the new bar in Tyler will offer a founder's rate for its signature Mane Squeeze Membership. From October 2426, all blow outs will be complimentary, with regular pricing for add-on services. The first 50 founding members will receive a special swag bag, with founding memberships priced at just $75. Plus, blow outs are only $34 through November 23rd. Blo Blow Dry Bar is on a mission to create a space where people of all ages, ethnicities, and orientations are welcomed, represented, and made to feel gorgeous while emphasizing the need for self-care and wellness. Combining a sophisticated design with a fun and energetic environment, Blo cultivates a seamless and enjoyable experience for guests upon their arrival, during, and after their services. Expertly trained blo-ers are available for consultation seven days a week to meet the needs of all guests. The brand's hair menu includes five signature styles from sleek and straight to bouncy curls, plus a wide assortment of customized looks including updo's and braids. Blo Blow Dry Bar also offers makeup services from expert artists on hand to help guests look and feel amazing for any occasion. Blo Blow Dry Bar is open Monday Thursday 9 a.m. 6 p.m., Friday Saturday 9 a.m. 7 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. 5 p.m. For more information on Blo Blow Dry Bar in Tyler, please visit https://blomedry.com/blo-bergfeld-center/ or call 903-374-2BLO About Blo Blow Dry Bar Blo Blow Dry Bar is North America's original blow dry bar and the world's largest blow dry bar franchise. The company transformed beauty norms and reinvented the salon industry when it launched the "no cuts, no color" concept: only blow outs. Since opening its first location in Canada in 2007, Blo has grown to over 160 locations across the U.S. and Canada and continues to expand rapidly. The brand has also evolved over time, adding makeup services, a membership program, and quality retail products to its bars. With a mission to enhance the lives of those in the community through the power of flawless blow outs and beauty services, Blo Blow Dry Bar offers perfectly styled hair and exceptional customer experiences seven days a week. For more information visit www.blomedry.com. Media Contact: Anna Florek, Fishman Public Relations, (815) 708-2166, or [email protected] SOURCE Blo Blow Dry Bar NEW HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Global Day Against Pain approaches, Ukraine is joining the worldwide effort to address one of the most overlooked medical challenges: chronic pain. Doctors United for Ukraine (DU4U), in partnership with Nova Ukraine and with the generous support of the Yale Office of International Affairs, launched a one-month observership at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and Yale New Haven Hospital to equip Ukrainian physicians with advanced knowledge in pain management and trauma care. Ukrainian Doctors in the US: Advancing Chronic Pain Care. Six Ukrainian doctors began their training at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and Yale New Haven Hospital in October, 2025. The program is a partnership between Doctors United for Ukraine, Nova Ukraine with the support of Yale's World Partnership Fund and Yale Office of International Affairs. " Relieving pain is a fundamental duty of any doctor. Especially now, for Ukrainians with physical and mental trauma from the ongoing war, resulting in chronic impairments," says Andrey Zinchuk, Vice President of DU4U, Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Yale School of Medicine. "We are partnering with Ukrainian physicians to advance evidence-based chronic pain treatment there and to learn from them about innovations forged during this war that may help people in other conflicts." "War in Ukraine caused a surge in complex trauma, amputations, and chronic pain syndromes among military and civilian populations. Chronic pain is an especially complex medical issue, affecting the daily lives of trauma survivors," said Oksana Gologorska, Vice President of Medical Projects at Nova Ukraine. "In Ukraine, this field is changing in response to unprecedented need, through updating care standards, training specialists, and modernizing facilities, however the current capacity does not match the level of patient needs. That is why supporting Ukrainian doctors in gaining international experience is absolutely critical. Our goal is to establish world class chronic pain treatment in Ukraine accessible to all." Six physicians from across Ukraine, anesthesiologists and psychiatrists, are participating in the program. They bring with them extensive wartime experience treating pain, trauma, and psychological distress in both civilian and military patients. Over the course of October, they are engaging in clinical observation, interactive seminars, and interdisciplinary case discussions with Yale specialists in anesthesiology, psychiatry, addiction medicine, and rehabilitation. Participants are gaining exposure to multimodal therapies, from pharmacology to advanced interventions such as regional anesthesia, cryoablation, and neurolysis, while contributing insights from Ukraine's frontline medical practice. "As an anesthesiologist working with military patients, I see how chronic pain is never just physical, it reshapes mental health, families, and entire communities. At Yale, I want to learn new approaches while sharing personal experience in trauma care," said Maksym Tkachuk, anesthesiologist from Chernivtsi. On this Global Day Against Pain, DU4U and Nova Ukraine call on the international community to recognize chronic pain as a critical public health priority and to join efforts to ensure that no patient, in Ukraine or worldwide, suffers in silence. Media Contact: Igor Markov 424 332 8999 [email protected] SOURCE Nova Ukraine PLANO, Texas, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vee Healthtek, a leader in technology-enabled solutions, is proud to announce that it has been named Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Company of the Year 2025 by Healthcare Business Review. This title is awarded annually to the healthcare company that has most distinguished itself in solution delivery, client satisfaction, and industry achievement in the field of revenue cycle management. For over 25 years, Vee Healthtek has combined cutting-edge technology with proven domain expertise to enable improved financial and operational outcomes for providers and payers. Known for its leadership in revenue cycle management, the company leverages generative artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, and data science to streamline workflows and maximize yield. Its advanced capabilities in agentic artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and optical character recognition have set new standards in the industry for enhanced productivity and cost efficiency. Vee Healthtek's comprehensive offerings encompass every facet of the revenue cycle, from prior authorization and benefits verification to denial management and accounts receivable follow-up. Detailed reporting systems with descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics eliminate guesswork for deeper insights and better decision-making. With near real-time guidance from artificial intelligence, teams adapt to challenges with precision and confidence. Amid rapid changes in regulations, economic conditions, and customer expectations, Vee Healthtek's agile suite of solutions delivers consistent advancements in operational efficiency for clients. In the Healthcare Business Review's feature of Vee Healthtek, the publication noted, "Vee Healthtek's story is one of partnership, innovation, and results. With customers at the center, exceptional talent on the team, and technology as a force multiplier, the company has become a trusted ally for providers navigating the financial complexities of modern healthcare." This unwavering focus on client success, explained Healthcare Business Review, earned Vee Healthtek the coveted award. Matt Michaels, CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for the award, saying, "We are thrilled to have been named the Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Company of the Year. I am incredibly proud that our steadfast commitment to our clients and our passion for technological innovation has brought Vee Healthtek to this point." Looking ahead, Vee Healthtek will continue to pursue innovation across the revenue cycle with artificial intelligence, automation, integrated reporting, and client-centric solutions in pursuit of smarter execution. Its growing teams, expanding global footprint, and proprietary technology platforms are expected to transform providers' revenue cycles from start to finish. With tailored, adaptable offerings and best-in-class account management, Vee Healthtek will continue its legacy of driving transformational results for leading healthcare organizations. Click here to read the Healthcare Business Review's feature of Vee Healthtek. About Vee Healthtek: Vee Healthtek is a leading technology-enabled solutions provider and strategic partner to the nation's top healthcare organizations. Rooted in a history of innovation, Vee Healthtek is dedicated to delivering industry-best results backed by data and technology. With a comprehensive suite of solutions for payers and providers, we drive efficiency, accuracy, and maximized yield. For more information, please visit veehealthtek.com. Media contact: Steve Meier [email protected] SOURCE Vee Healthtek, Inc. Set off by Vogue & Gigi Hadid's "scandal" over a bronzed up photo shoot, I'm amazed by what we can or cannot do. I can go to a tanning salon or the Bahamas to get as dark as can be, put on Smokey Eye and that's presumably fine. I can go into plastic surgery and give myself tits, tighter abs, a smooth face, almond eyes with a pert nose, and of course do my hair style in whatever manner or color (presumably - maybe some are off limits). If I transition to a woman, people will be supporting my right to use other bathrooms and not be discriminated against, and gender and sexual preference is a matter of what I "identify" with. If I dress up as an outrageous transvestite woman as Rudy Giuliani did, I'd just be a good sport, showing solidarity with LGBTQ. The Village People could costume up as whatever as part of the fun. De Niro could tubby up superfat to play Jake La Motta, and Daniel Day-Lewis could get in line with the intricacies and nuances of Cerebral Palsy to play Christy Brown, while dressing drag was the key plot device in Academy winners Some Like It Hot and Mrs. Doubtfire. But as a high school girl discovered, it's not okay to put on a Chinese dress (unless willing to take 1000's of Twitter condemnations). As kids are discovering, it's not okay to be Pocahantas on Halloween. As Gigi Hadid found out, fake tans are only allowed so far before "appropriation" kicks in. Presumably Adam & the Ants could never regroup and keep the Indian Native American regalia. Rachel Dolezal discovered that "identifying as black" wasn't enough, even though she followed that up with action & involvement. Injecting new momentum into global women's development 16:18, October 13, 2025 By He Yin ( People's Daily A female worker operates equipment in a textile industrial park invested by a Chinese company in Tajikistan. (People's Daily/Qu Pei) The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women is held in Beijing from Oct. 13 to 14. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote speech. The meeting, co-hosted by China and UN Women, brought together heads of state and government leaders, parliamentary leaders, deputy prime ministers, ministerial officials, leaders of international organizations and friendly personnel from various continents. The international community views this gathering as an opportunity to make it another historic milestone in advancing the global cause of women and to inject new momentum into efforts toward gender equality and the well-rounded development of women. Achieving gender equality and promoting the well-rounded development of women are key indicators of social progress and a long-standing commitment of the Communist Party of China. They form an essential part of China's vision to build a community with a shared future for humanity. Thirty years ago, the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which became a landmark in the development of women's cause. In 2015, at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, Xi expounded China's vision for promoting gender equality and women's all-round development. Later, at a high-level meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, he proposed convening another World Conference on Women in 2025. To implement this important initiative, China and UN Women co-hosted the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing. Xi's attendance and keynote speech charted the course for global cooperation on women's development and outlined a brighter future for this shared cause. At the ChinaLaos crop excellent varieties experimental station in Vientiane, Laos, local farmers pose for a picture during a pitaya harvest. (Photo/Sorsonphan Somphone) China has made unique contributions to global women's development. It has fully implemented the basic national policy of gender equality, incorporated women's development into its overall governance agenda, and launched national action plans to promote women's all-round advancement. Across all sectors, women are fully demonstrating their vital role as "half the sky." Today, 690 million Chinese women have joined the nation in achieving moderate prosperity. Females now account for more than half of university students, enjoy an average life expectancy exceeding 80 years, and make up 43 percent of the employed population. The socialist path of women's development with Chinese characteristics has demonstrated vibrant vitality and unique advantages, offering the world a vivid example of effective governance. It has also enriched human civilization and opened up new paths for progress. Many international observers have commended China's achievements in advancing women's development, noting that they provide valuable insights and models for the rest of the world. China is not only an advocate but also an active contributor to gender equality and women's well-rounded development. Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, China has deepened exchanges and cooperation on women's development, helping women, especially those in other developing countries, improve their lives and realize their potential. The Juncao technology, which supports women's employment in more than 100 countries, has been affectionately called the "grass of happiness." Projects promoting women and children's health, education, and water access have taken root in multiple countries, benefiting hundreds of millions of women. China has trained more than 200,000 women from over 180 countries and regions, organized over 100 training programs for women and children in the Global South, and established the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women. It has also carried out practical cooperation with multiple UN agencies, launched digital education and health education projects in Africa, and set up the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education with UNESCO. A technician (left) instructs a young woman on digital embroidery production at a workshop in Shibing county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou province. (Photo/Tai Shengzhi) From vision to action, China has been a strong driving force in the global cause of women's development, demonstrating the commitment and responsibility of a major country. Today, as the world faces profound transformation and uncertainty, the global cause of women's development continues to encounter daunting challenges. Countries must work together to foster peace and stability, create environments conducive to women's survival and growth, further empower women through exchanges and mutual learning. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women is both timely and significant. The international community looks forward to this event serving as a platform for extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, helping to build global synergy for solidarity and progress. Together, participants aim to accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, opening up broader prospects for the advancement of women around the world. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Du Mingming) Pilsen Community Street Naming Ribbon Cutting and Mural Unveiling Honors Company Legacy CHICAGO, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- V&V Supremo Foods , a family-owned Chicago food company, celebrated 60 years of culinary excellence, community support, and cultural contributions with a Street Naming Ribbon Cutting and Mural Unveiling Event at its Pilsen headquarters on Friday, October 10. The event brought together local leaders, community influencers, and company leadership to honor V&V Supremo's legacy and continued investment in the city. Muralist Everett Reynolds; Delilah Martinez, founder of The Mural Movement; Pilsen community leader Theresa Fraga; Philip Villasenor, V&V Supremo Chief Integrator; company co-founder Francisca Villasenor; Gilberto Villasenor II, V&V Supremo Chief Visionary Officer; Beatriz Ponce de Leon, Deputy Mayor of Immigrant Rights; and Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez join together for the V&V Supremo Honorary Street ribbon-cutting ceremony in Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood, celebrating community & heritage. A crowd gathers in Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood to witness the V&V Supremo Honorary Street unveiling, celebrating the companys deep community roots and cultural legacy. V&V Supremo unveils vibrant new mural on the exterior of its headquarters in Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood, celebrating the companys cultural roots and longstanding commitment to community, art, and heritage. Founded in 1964 by two immigrant brothers-in-law, V&V Supremo Foods, the award-winning producer of authentic Mexican cheeses, creams, and chorizo, and the maker of Chihuahua Brand quesadilla cheese, remains proudly family-owned and headquartered in Chicago. Over the past six decades, the company has become a cornerstone of Chicago's culinary landscape, producing authentic Mexican cheeses, creams, and chorizo while supporting local communities through jobs, education, and cultural initiatives. "This event is a celebration of over 60 years of sharing our food and creating great memories for families and our community," said Gilberto Villasenor, Chief Visionary Officer of V&V Supremo Foods. "We are proud to give back to the Pilsen community and to honor the people, culture, and traditions that have made our company what it is today." The ceremony was emceed by Univision's Vicky Aguilar, and featured remarks from Beatriz Ponce de Leon, Deputy Mayor of Immigrant Rights, Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez, Pilsen community leader Theresa Fraga, and V&V Supremo Foods' principals Gilberto and Phillip Villasenor, followed by a scholarship presentation to Benito Juarez High School. The celebration also included the unveiling of a vibrant mural by artist Everett Reynolds and mural founder Delilah Martinez, as well as the official street naming ribbon-cutting. V&V Supremo products are available at major retailers across the country and through Instacart. Recipes and celebration ideas can be found at vvsupremo.com . About V&V Supremo Foods, Inc. V&V Supremo is an award-winning producer of authentic Mexican cheeses, creams, and chorizo, and the maker of Chihuahua Brand quesadilla cheese. The company was founded in 1964 by Mexico natives and brothers-in-law Gilberto Villasenor, Sr. and Ignacio Villasenor. It is now the nation's oldest family-owned and operated Hispanic cheese company. V&V Supremo serves both the retail and food service industries. CONTACT: Morgan Sheedy [email protected] SOURCE V & V Supremo Foods, Inc. BOSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zeta Surgical today announced that its Zeta TMS Navigation System has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device is classified as a Class II stereotaxic instrument (21 CFR 882.4560) under product codes SGE and QFF (K251927). Zeta Surgical Navigation System (PRNewsfoto/Zeta Surgical) The Zeta TMS Navigation System provides imageguided, realtime coil positioning for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The system combines 3D imaging and motionaware tracking to help maintain target alignment during patient movement. TMS is widely used in neuropsychiatry, particularly for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TR-MDD), which affects about one-third of patients with major depression worldwide. The FDA clearance covers use of the Zeta TMS Navigation System as a stereotaxic imageguidance system for accurate positioning of TMS treatment coils to planned brain targets using 3D patient imaging, for use by trained professionals in clinical environmentssupporting deployment across a range of TMS procedures including therapeutic sessions and functional mapping. "This clearance classifies the system under product codes QFF and SGEand, to our knowledge, marks the first TMS navigation device cleared under SGE," said Hieu Le Mau, Chief Operating Officer at Zeta Surgical. "It provides a clear regulatory pathway for broader adoption." Zeta Surgical recently completed a study in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and Harvard Medical School demonstrating submillimeter translational and subdegree angular precision in bench, phantom, and cadaver testing for navigated TMS using its system. "We expect this clearance to help clinics deliver more consistent targeting in TMS, which has been shown in research to significantly improve treatment efficacy," said Jose Maria Amich, CoFounder and Chief Executive Officer of Zeta Surgical. "Our aim is to make stereotactic-grade, highaccuracy image guidance practical in everyday neuromodulation workflows." About Zeta Surgical Zeta Surgical is redefining the standard of care for imageguided surgery. Its navigation and robotics platform applies advanced AI to enable highaccuracy image guidance across any pointofcare in minutes, unlocking less invasive, more precise targeted therapies. The Zeta Surgical Cranial Navigation System is cleared by the FDA and commercially available in the U.S. Learn more at www.zetasurgical.com. Media Contact Media Relations [email protected] SOURCE Zeta Surgical If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Since its birth in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been attached to the United States by a figurative umbilical cord which has sustained its life well into old age76 years. As the Trump administration restructures the American armed forces by instituting a 10-point plan announced at the recent meeting of the generals and flag officers at Quantico, by renaming the Department of Defense the War Department, by reinvigorating our industrial plant to build more ships, planes, and other war platforms, by modernizing our nuclear forces, by pursuing Golden Dome defenses, and by redirecting the focus of our armed forces to protecting the homeland and securing the Western Hemisphere, the long-delayed need to emancipate our European allies into global adulthood is upon us. It is time for the United States to cut NATOs umbilical cord. Cutting NATOs umbilical cord does not mean wholly withdrawing from the alliance or retreating into isolationism. When a mothers umbilical cord is separated from her baby, she doesnt stop caring for the baby and nurturing the child, and often continues to support and protect the child as the child becomes a young adult. But there comes a time when the young adult matures and reaches full adulthood and needs to stand on his or her own two feet. That process doesnt end the relationship, but it changes it. The emancipated adult mostly takes care of himself or herself and begins extending support and protection to their own families. NATO is 76 years old, but continues to act as a young adult, and sometimes acts like a child, always looking to the United States for financial and military support. That has to end. The Trump administration is ending it. NATOs umbilical cord should have been cut long ago. NATOs first supreme commander Dwight Eisenhower said in 1951 that If in 10 years, all American troops stationed in Europe for national defense purposes have not been returned to the United States, then this whole project will have failed. U.S. troops are still there, and now they are committed to fighting on behalf of 31 other countries. NATOs first Secretary General Lord Hastings Ismay famously remarked that the purpose of the alliance was to keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down. The Soviet Union hasnt existed since 1991. Germany threatens no one. But the Americans are still in despite the fact that the European Unions gross domestic product is nearly 70 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. Restructuring NATO appears to be one aspect of the forthcoming National Defense Strategy (NDS) as foreshadowed in War Secretary Pete Hegseths statement of May 2, 2025. Secretary Hegseth outlined three priorities for the NDS: defense of the homeland, deterring China in the Indo-Pacific, and burden-sharing with our allies and partners throughout the world. Burden-sharing includes most especially NATO. Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby is heading-up the NDS, just as he did in Trumps first term. Colbys 2018 NDS shifted the departments focus from small peripheral wars to great power competition, especially with China. Colby also has expressed concern that wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have distracted American policymakers from the greater threat in the Indo-Pacific. Trumps Middle East peace proposals, efforts to end the Ukraine War, and repeated calls for greater burden-sharing by our European allies fit neatly within the forthcoming NDS as projected by Hegseth. The forthcoming 2025 NDS, however, will refocus the War Department on protecting the homeland and securing the Western Hemisphere as part of Trumps America First foreign policy. This approach has already manifested itself in sealing the nations southern border, mass deportations of illegal aliens, a renewed interest in controlling the Panama Canal, talk about acquiring Greenland, dispatching National Guard troops to combat crime in major cities, and using the armed forces to attack narco-terrorists in the Caribbean Sea. Trump has reinvigorated the Monroe Doctrine, which the Obama-Biden administrations treated as a historical relic of a distant past. Trumps approach to defense strategy is geographical and has strong historical precedents. It begins with homeland and hemispheric defense and then prioritizes U.S. interests in Eurasia by seeking to shift resources from the Middle East and Europe to the Indo-Pacific. It has elements of Washingtons Farewell Address by abjuring permanent and sentimental alliances. It echoes James Monroes and John Quincy Adams focus on hemispheric defense. It mirrors Theodore Roosevelts big stick diplomacy. Its burden-sharing efforts are reminiscent of the Nixon Doctrine. Finally, it recalls Ronald Reagans approach of peace through strength. The 2025 NDS will not be isolationist or limited to hemispheric defense, as some critics claim. The Trump administrations key national security personnel understand that, as Nicholas Spykman pointed out in Americas Strategy in World Politics, hemispheric defense is no defense at all. But they also understand that failing to protect the homeland and secure the Western Hemisphere would cripple our ability to project power abroad when it is in our interests to do so. The 2025 NDS will focus on geographical interests rather than values. The U.S. armed forces should fight for concrete security interests, not for democracy. The Trump administrations approach to the NDS and NATO received (surprising) support in the pages of Foreign Affairs. Jennifer Kavanagh of Georgetowns Center for Security Studies and Peter Slezkine of the Stimson Center applaud Trump for seeking to rebalance the transatlantic relationship. Our NATO burden, they write, is out of proportion with the interests at stake. The U.S., they continue, should not carry most of the operational and logistical burden for Europes security. Europe should not be militarily dependent on the United States. Kavanaugh and Slezkine agree with Trumps refocus on the Western Hemisphere and counsel pulling back from Europe and avoiding the hard pivot to Asia. NATO, they continue, should confine its activities to the Euro-Atlantic region instead of going global in search of new missions after the fall of the Soviet Union. After the Second World War, the Atlanticists running U.S. foreign policy prioritized Europe over the Americas. They cite George Kennan for the proposition that America should not need to indefinitely provide security for Western Europe. Like Kennan did, Kavanaugh and Slezkine criticize NATO enlargement as unnecessary and provocative. Also, like Kennan, they are critical of the internationalists scheme to promote democracy throughout the world. Kavanaugh and Slezkine urge Trump to carry out a retrenchment of U.S. forces in Europe and to narrow the scope of the U.S. military commitment to Europe in a crisis. There is no longer a need for U.S. soldiers to be on the frontlines in Europe. As in Ukraine, Trump should reduce the risk of entanglement and the temptation U.S. policymakers might feel to support direct involvement. The top civilian and military positions in NATO should be filled by Europeans, not Americans. Kavanaugh and Slezkine also urge Trump to avoid a strong pivot to Asia as recommended by so-called China hawks within the administration. Instead, they argue, the U.S. should pivot home by focusing on the Western Hemisphere, border security, missile defense, and port security. Their proposed pivot home will surely be part of the 2025 NDS, but they may be too sanguine about the threat posed by China to our interests in the Indo-Pacific. NATO was an important alliance, but as currently structured it has outlived its usefulness. Europe can stand on its own two feet without being tethered to the U.S. umbilical cord. Seventy-six years as a dependent is enough. Francis P. Sempa writes on global affairs. Last week marked 76 years since the Peoples Republic of China was proclaimed. Beijing marked the occasion through the usual pomp and circumstance. Speeches and parades marked the Communists' pride in the founding of their regime. In the West, Chinas National Day is an opportunity to reflect on the poignancy of the Domino Theory and the lessons for how to deal with modern China. President Dwight Eisenhower first expatiated the Domino Theory back in the 1950s. The idea being that if one country fell to communism, it wouldnt be long before neighboring countries also became communist. While this theory is often evoked to condemn the failure of the Vietnam War, the history is more complicated. Russia is the first country to have a communist government, falling to the Bolsheviks after World War I and proclaiming the Soviet Union. The creation of the Soviet Union and its rise as a superpower after the Second World War created a springboard for the spread of communism. A strengthened Soviet Union was thus able to support fledgling communist movements across the world. One of the biggest dominoes to fall was China. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, China was divided among various warlords, all jostling for supremacy. This instability created an opportunity ripe for communists to exploit. Founded in 1921, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) grew to become a major threat to the ruling Nationalist or Kuomintang (KMT), led for decades by Chiang Kai-shek. The Invasion of China by the Japanese in the 1930s gave the CCP the respite they needed to bide their time. This external threat meant Chiang Kai-shek had to focus his attention on the invading Japanese, ignoring the CCP. While the KMT exhausted itself in the fight against Japan, Mao Zedong and the rest of the CCP could wait in the shadows. After the defeat of Japan in 1945, Mao and the CCP received two helping hands from two of the Allied powers. First, a late declaration of war by the USSR on Japan meant the Red Army could secure territory and military equipment on behalf of the CCP. Second, US President Harry Truman restrained Chiang and the KMT by forcing them into what turned out to be failed peace negotiations. This pause gave Mao and the communists the needed time to secure territory and equipment previously cleared by the Red Army. Trumans failure to back the Nationalists against Mao allowed the communists to win the Chinese Civil War and the banishment of the KMT to Taiwan. This decision had consequences that we are still feeling today. For one thing, the PRC saved North Korea from certain defeat in the Korean War. The ensuing stalemate in that conflict allowed the Kim Regime to survive and continue to threaten the US and our Pacific allies with nuclear weapons. Not to mention the millions of people who have suffered under the boot of tyranny in North Korea. In addition, Chinese intervention in the Vietnam War meant communism managed to take over that country as well. Often cited as evidence to disprove the Domino Theory, Vietnam was the domino that allowed communism to spread to Laos and Cambodia as well. Millions were killed by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. That wouldnt have happened without the CCP's support of communist takeovers in Vietnam and then Cambodia. The threat of the CCP extends directly to the US as well. China continues to threaten Taiwan, the source of 90% of the worlds advanced microchips. While recent policies aim to expand production in the US, we will continue to depend on Taiwan for the computer chips needed in commercial and military goods. If China invades Taiwan, our military is beholden to one of our greatest adversaries for the technology it relies on to stay ahead. China isnt content to threaten our supply chains; they also threaten us at home. The CCP infiltrates cultural organizations to threaten dissidents and critics living abroad. The presence of Chinese police stations in New York City and elsewhere shows how grave this threat is. In addition, China is strategically buying up US farmland as well. Not only does this threaten our food security, but much of this land is very close to US military bases. This land would certainly be used by the CCP for attacks in the event we go to war. To counter the threat of the CCP, the US needs to do a couple of things. First, secure our homeland against the CCP. Private citizens from outside the owning land are not a problem, but when it comes to countries that are strategic rivals, if not enemies, we must be on guard. In addition, the intelligence community needs to work closely with local law enforcement to counter CCP efforts to repress critics in the US. Finally, we need to reaffirm our commitment to Taiwan. The Trump administration has hinted at changes in Taiwan policy to secure a trade deal, but this is short-sighted. Taiwan is critical to the United States long-term security, and we must make sure China cannot take it over by force or otherwise. Moreover, China repeatedly failed to follow agreements it signed with examples including a trade deal signed under the first Trump administration, as well as its obligations to Hong Kong. Why sacrifice a critical ally for a deal China wont follow? Common wisdom suggests the Domino Theory was overblown in its fear of communist takeover. However, the reverberations of a communist takeover of China have been felt in East Asia and beyond. To secure US interests against an increasingly aggressive China, we need policymakers in Washington and across the West to learn their lesson that the threat of communism is alive and well. Otherwise, dominoes will continue to fall. Is the shake-up at Al Jazeera mere motion or does it entail real movement away from the media networks role as a vehicle for pro-Hamas propaganda? Eyebrows around Washington were raised when a recent piece in the U.S. government-funded Alhurra hyped personnel and purported editorial changes at Qatar-owned Al Jazeera. The appointment of Qatari ruling family member Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani as director general of the Al Jazeera Media Network was not the only change in personnel, though many of the others were reassignments of existing staff. Al Jazeera, headquartered in Doha and with 70 bureaus worldwide, has long been regarded as the soft power tool used by the Qatari royal family to amplify the narratives of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and Islamists. Hamas is an offshoot of the Brotherhoods in Gaza and the West Bank. The Muslim Brotherhoods goal is to promote an Islamic revival and counter perceived Western secular influences. The Brotherhoods foundational motto which proclaims that dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope reflects an aspiration to conform all aspects of life under Islamic Sharia law, with the ultimate goal of extending it to state governance. While critics of Al Jazeera have noted its anti-Western bent, the media conglomerate has come under particular scrutiny for not merely platforming Hamas through an ostensibly legitimate news lens but rather for falsely promoting the designated terrorist group as the protector of the Palestinians, even as it massacred nearly 1,200 Israelis, including babies, teens, and the elderly. If credible changes are afoot at Al Jazeera, that would indeed mark a new day. But are personnel changes indicative of systemic editorial changes? Qatari political analysts have become more prominent on air, replacing a newsroom that has traditionally been dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood or commentators prone to fiery, populist rhetoric that often-invited ridicule, claimed Alhurra. Al Jazeeras opinion section will be subject to more direct and precise monitoring, and content will from now on be crafted with greater care under strict supervision, Alhurra said, citing an Israeli news source. No specific editorial directives have been publicly identified, leaving to speculation any commitment to change. Will Al Jazeeras coverage from now on present Hamas as a terrorist organization whose stated goal is, along with that of its Islamic Republic of Iran patron, to annihilate Israel? Will it no longer falsely refer to hostages abducted by Hamas as convicted prisoners? Changes at Al Jazeera are not organic but rather are apparently part of a tangled web of formal and informal deals currently unfolding. Led by President Donald Trump, the deals include the return of 45 Israeli and three other hostages kidnapped by Hamas from Israel on October 7, 2023; the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces to negotiated positions in Gaza; releasing 250 life-term Palestinians accused of involvement in some of the most heinous terrorist attacks against Israel; and the release of 1,700 Gazans detained since Hamass October massacre, along with the remains of some 390 slain Gazans. President Trump also signed an executive order that provides security guarantees to Qatar. Discussion on weapons sales to Turkey and settling a long case against a Turkish bank are part of the mix, too. The well-connected Arab affairs analyst Ehud Yaari explained that changes at Al Jazeera are apparently part of understandings between [Qatar] and the United States, under which Al Jazeera will reduce the amount of incitement it spreads throughout the Middle East. The scope of Al Jazeeras incitement is not small. It is systemic as is its entanglement with Hamas throughout the Al Jazeera ecosystem. On the morning of October 7, Al Jazeera exclusively broadcast Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif as Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and carried out the ensuing massacre. As noted by MEMRI, Deif declared the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and warned that this was just the first strike of the operation. He incited all Palestinians to join the war, using all means in their possession guns, knives, Molotov cocktails, and vehicles. A reported six Al Jazeera journalists simultaneously held positions in Hamass militant forces and participated in the October 7 massacre. An additional alleged Al Jazeera contributor held three hostages in his home, which was uncovered after the IDF rescued the Israelis. The network has denied the allegations, but photographic and documentary evidence are compelling. Its hard to imagine American or international networks not taking decisive action should similar allegations surface against their reporters. Far from merely broadcasting developments, Al Jazeera reportedly agreed to comply with Hamass directives on how to cover cases like a failed rocket launch by censoring details that tarnished the image of the U.S.-designated terrorist group. Qatars longtime claim that Al Jazeera is editorially independent of the emirate has been met with skepticism, especially from those in the Middle East most affected by its coverage. Even as Hamas tortures those who cross or criticize it, brave Gazans in recent months marched in the dusty streets of Gaza, chanting barra, barra, barra, Hamas, meaning out, out, out, Hamas. Protesters called on Al Jazeera reporters by name to broadcast their protests, but the network declined to do so. Ahmad Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian who has lost 33 family members in the Gaza war, plainly explained why in a post on X. Aljazeeras fake journalists & mercenaries are working overtime trying to serve their Islamist overlords & save Hamas from collapse! Never forget that Aljazeera is the media arm of Hamas; Aljazeera=Hamas. But the people of Gaza finally see through both. Theres no going back, Alkhatib, a scholar at the Atlantic Council, wrote. The protestors are reflecting the view that for years, Qatars goal, projected through Al Jazeera, is to prop up Hamas as the guardian of Palestinians, while many Gazans hold it responsible for squandering billions in international humanitarian aid and reconstruction dollars. Rather than using it to improve the lives of Palestinians, Hamas has built for itself an estimated 400 miles of underground tunnels in the 140-square-mile strip. Al Jazeera boasts that it trains journalists around the world through in-person and online programs. One example that is emblematic of an ecosystem-wide problem earning the channel rebuke: Muhammad Khamaiseh, the Al Jazeera instructor who specializes in journalism ethics, himself has a record of media bias, hatred, and discrimination. Khamaiseh, an editor at the Department of Media Initiatives at the Al Jazeera Media Institute, is a member of the Al Jazeera Journalism Reviews editorial team and oversees its Research Fellowship Program. He has used social media to spread hate against Jews. Jews have been known for centuries to be cunning thinkers, and currently, the entire global economic system is under their control, he posted on his X account in August 2018, six months after he started working at Al Jazeera, amplifying a hateful canard against an entire faith population. Does Al Jazeeras standard bearer meet its journalistic standards? If Qatars purported shift is to be more than a temporary, superficial notch on a checklist, if it is to achieve the peace President Trump envisioned, policymakers must look under the hood. They must ensure changes are system wide. The Qatari governments own posture on October 7 is representative of why many believe the petro-emirate collaborates with Hamas, not merely plays host to its leaders. Rather than using its dominion to hold Hamas accountable for its invasion and atrocities on October 7, the Qatari government, in a statement of moral inversion, blamed Israel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds Israel solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, its statement read that day. Al Jazeera has been banned by the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Some of the bans have since been lifted. Al Jazeera has had a smattering of posts that are being used as examples of change, though in average Western media, theyd hardly get noticed. One such instance is a former Egyptian assistant foreign minister quoted in an analysis piece about the unfolding deal, Its up to Hamas to reinvent itself, not as an armed resistance movement, but as a resistance movement. If Al Jazeera is to be a force for good, it needs to rethink its promotion of Hamass brand of terrorism not only in its English and Arabic channels but also in its broadcasts and digital products in French, Spanish, Chinese, and other languages. It also needs to telegraph to its 3,000 employees in 60 countries throughout its news and non-news platforms that this moment in history calls for new policies. When it was launched in 1996, Al Jazeera changed the way the largely state-controlled Middle East media reported news. Its style of viewer engagement replaced the press release journalism that was too commonplace in the region. Today, it leverages the most sophisticated technology to reach a global audience. Even with its reach, it suffers from a reputation for playing double games. The arsonist and the firefighter. The one who poisons the well and then offers the antidote. The one who starts the riot and then calls for peace. Qatar has the chance to shake things up and to favorably impact the shifting sands in the Middle East. Its too soon to tell if the changes to date are just motion or indeed real movement. Lets hope over time it proves to be the latter. The jury is still out. Toby Dershowitz is senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. Follow her on X @tobydersh Brotherhood, Zero Dark Thirty and Oppenheimer actor Jason Clarke says he was drawn to the sense of adventure at the heart of his new Alaska-set, Apple TV+ series, The Last Frontier. ADVERTISEMENT "There was always something going on," Clarke, 56, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "There were no weak little scenes in between," the Australian actor said, noting how the first episode alone includes a moose in the road, an aviation disaster, a brawl and a fatal stabbing. "I liked that. It was non-stop," he added. "I felt like every day was going to be a challenge on this. Every day was going to be exciting and there was a big action component to it, which I thought, 'I love to watch those sequences, and I love to do them.'" The series casts Clarke as Frank, a U.S. Marshal whose quiet life is upended when a plane filled with dangerous criminals crashes into snowy mountains under his jurisdiction. Haley Bennett plays Sidney, a CIA agent sent to specifically locate one of the escapees, while Simone Kessell plays Sarah, a nurse and Frank's wife. The cast also includes Dominic Cooper Alfre Woodard and Dallas Goldtooth. "He's edging closer to retirement, putting his feet up. It's time," Clarke said about Frank. "Frank's come home from the streets of Chicago in the big city and dealing with that to [returning to] where he grew up with his wife from there and they're coming home to nestle in the community and build their life and reconnect," he added. "He's been, literally, wounded in his career and now it's time to maybe put it aside and spend some time being a father and husband." FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Clarke said he was happy to have "two great women" -- Bennett and Kessell -- portraying "two great characters" alongside him in the series. "We'll start with Haley. I love that character. I love the way she played it. I love the fact that it was a female part. There's a mystery to her. There's a sensitivity and an aggression and a guardedness and an offense going on," he explained. "She blends all those and crosses those over really well," Clarke added. "Frank and her really have to earn their relationship and paddle into it, and then, before they know it, they're committed out there in the ocean and they've only got each other to hang on to." That doesn't mean Frank trusts Sidney entirely. "She's got a lot more going on than I do, in terms of her skill set, in her psychological manipulation," Clarke said. "Haley portrayed all that really well, that cat-and-mouse between them, and those secrets and lies that we all have in different stages of our lives." Clarke has known New Zealander Kessell nearly 30 years and was eager to reunite with her on this project. "We're great old friends and her husband is one of my best friends and I was so happy when I saw her," he said. "You can feel like we're a couple of pairs of old jeans, but still working out those stages in life you go through, still earning each other's love, still earning each other's time and trying to help each other change and grow, as we go through the empty nest part of our life," he added. "She embodied all of that incredibly well. She's a very fierce woman who's loving and generous." The first two episodes of the show are now streaming on Apple TV+ Disney/Christopher Willard By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/12/2025 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. ette star Joan Vassos has slammed Nicolle Kate, saying she's ruining Mel Owens' season of .Nicolle, a 64-year-old yoga instructor from Miami Beach, FL, made waves from the start of by aggressively pursuing -- and making out with -- Mel in front of the other women.And on the latest Season 2 episode, Nicole was shown telling Roxanne how their exposure on the show could advance their careers and propel them into fame."I told myself from the beginning I'm not dating Mel, I'm dating America. I'm dating everybody watching, and not watching. That gives you exposure like you've never had," Nicolle said on the 's October 8 episode."I'd love to be a spokeswoman for mid-life beauty products or healthy products," she added, "so I would become more and more of an influencer."Joan complained to Ben Higgins on his "The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous Podcast" recently about how Nicolle didn't hold back -- and her behavior was shocking."I felt like she was really full of herself that morning," Joan said."She got up with a new lease on life and she was just going to go put it all out there. She was like, 'I came here not just dating Mel; I'm dating America.' And I was like, 'I'm not even sure what that means?'"Joan also recalled Nicolle saying how she was on for those watching and not watching."I'm also not sure what that means," Joan quipped."Then she said, 'We have Real Housewives status.' I think... her thought of her [fame or reach] is overinflated. There are lots of people who come off the show and go back to their normal lives."Joan said when she finished filming ette, she returned home to Maryland on a Friday and "went back to work" on Monday morning."Your life doesn't change that much. You go back to your regular life, and I don't think she gets that, or I don't think that's what she wants. But I do feel like it was so blatant, it did kind of ruin things."Joan went on to admit, "I think she sucks the air out of the room with her weird comments!"Ben then asked Joan about a particular line from the show, and Joan immediately knew what he was referring to."I still can't comprehend it, to be honest!" Joan said."Nicolle said, 'The last cast was not that good looking,' or something along those lines," Ben recalled."Yeah, 'they weren't that great looking,' or something like that," Joan agreed."I actually stopped it and rewound it because I couldn't believe that somebody would actually say that! And I'm like, 'Yup, she sure as heck said that!'"Joan said Nicolle's comment left her speechless."I don't even know what to say to that," Joan noted, adding how there were beautiful and wonderful women on both seasons of ."I just don't think she's in touch with reality. I just think she is so full of herself and she is so -- I almost feel like her whole world is the show right now and all of her happiness and all of her status is involved in this show."Joan therefore determined that Nicolle tried to make her mark on the show "really big" and "really special, in her mind.""She's also very, very, very in tune with looks and the way people look," Joan said, adding how the women on Season 2 are not any more beautiful than the women on Gerry Turner 's season."Everybody is different. Everybody is beautiful in their own way, and she just needs this to be bigger in that way also."Joan criticized Nicolle for being "so out there" with her statements."Eventually, she's going to say something to him [that he may not like]. I just can't imagine that she's going to hide it from him for much longer," Joan told Ben.She continued, "Is trying to keep her around to create controversy? If he discovers she's lying about [things], is he going to send her home and not give her a rose?"Joan said the lie about the lemon bars -- when Nicolle took credit for a group of women's work in the kitchen -- would've been "a perfect time" for Mel to have eliminated Nicolle."Because we are all seeing from the outside that that needs to happen," Joan said.Joan insisted it was "all physical" between Mel and Nicolle."When is he ever going to get in touch with reality and what she really is like? Because she's only showing good sides of herself! He's not seeing all of the stuff we're seeing," she concluded.Interested in more news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Disney/Pamela Littky By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/12/2025 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. Taylor Frankie Paul's mother Liann May has claimed Taylor and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen still love each other and he'll sabotage her season if given an opening.Liann revealed on "The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous Podcast" that she and a nanny will be helping Taylor, a divorced mother of three kids, with her youngest son Ever True -- whom she welcomed with Dakota in March 2024 -- when she films 's 22nd season.When Ashley asked if the baby's father will be around during filming this fall, Liann replied of Dakota, "I'm hoping not."Liann went on to reveal, "I said that he will mess the whole thing up for her. He will sabotage her whole experience.""And so, I'm just like, 'If you can just keep him away, for at least those weeks, there might be some hope of her focusing in on this whole process of dating,'" she added.Liann, however, couldn't pinpoint how exactly Dakota would try to sabotage Taylor's opportunity."I don't know. Well, I guess if she can't have contact with him, he might not be able to [mess it up]. But he wanted to be there," Liann revealed."He wanted to be there with the baby?!" Ashley asked for clarification."Yes! And so I'm just like, 'Noo, that will not be good,' just because she will not be able to enjoy her time there, and it just wouldn't be good," Liann explained.Liann claimed it "would be a disadvantage" for her daughter to have Dakota on the set."[He'd be] very distracting," Liann noted.Liann admitted there is still a lot of love between Taylor and Dakota, which doesn't help the situation."Oh yeah, she so loves him," Liann revealed, "and I believe that he truly loves her."Liann went on to tease, "I can't talk about it, but on Season 3, you'll see a lot that went on with him that came out -- and it was just not good."Liann was referring to Taylor's Hulu reality series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which is set to release new episodes on November 13."And so it made all of us, just, I don't know. It's just shocking!" Liann vented.But Liann said she has no idea if ABC is going to try to include Dakota in to intentionally stir up drama or emotion in Taylor."I don't know! If so, they haven't told me about it," Liann said."And they probably won't because they know how I feel about that whole relationship, and so they're probably not going to tell me. So, if so, I will be shocked too. But I see it!"Liann recalled Dakota being "really shocked" when he discovered Taylor is going to star on , which premieres its new season in 2026."He's been like, 'Don't!' I think he doesn't want her to go on it. I know he's done videos saying otherwise, but I don't think he wants her to go on it," Liann said."Obviously he still loves her. I just don't feel like he loved her enough -- or at least, I mean he wouldn't have done the things that he did. So, I don't know."Liann claimed that she was actually "rooting" for Dakota to end up with her daughter, before he apparently messed up."I didn't like him at first but then I grew to like him because he's one of those guys that has that charisma and he's a good looking guy. He's kind of manly and came from a farm," Liann explained.She concluded, "I gave him a chance and then he proved me right, so I'm just like, 'Oh man, I don't know!'"Before getting romantically involved with Dakota, Taylor was married Tate Paul.Taylor and Tate got married in 2016 and welcomed two children together: daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5.Taylor previously admitted to violating the rules of the couple's soft-swinging arrangement by becoming more intimate with another man in their friend group, which led to their separation and eventual May 2022 divorce.The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which premiered in 2023 on Hulu, featured Taylor's cheating scandal.The show has also documented Taylor's first post-divorce relationship with Dakota, which Taylor had publicly confirmed in July 2022.Despite coming out of two failed relationships in the public eye, Taylor said she'd be open to an engagement at the end of process.'s official premiere date and cast of bachelors for Season 22 will be announced at a later date.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Disney/John Fleenor By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/13/2025 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. 's Season 1 star Gerry Turner has opened up about how he felt "trapped" with Theresa Nist and married her even though he knew it was "the wrong thing to do."Gerry, a 74-year-old retired Mr. Quick restaurant franchise owner, wrote a memoir titled Golden Years: What I've Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV that will hit shelves on November 4.Gerry -- whose engagement to Theresa aired on 's Season 1 finale in November 2023 -- shared in his memoir how prenup complications and creeping doubts about his future with Theresa made him feel hesitant to tie the knot on January 4, 2024, according to USA Today, who obtained an advance copy of Gerry's book.Gerry wrote how he had "the basic requirement" of a prenup before getting married but it allegedly took weeks of back and forth with Theresa to get her to sign it.Gerry wrote that he had received a "frantic" last-minute call from his lawyer about Theresa's missing signature and the former star didn't receive confirmation that the prenup was finalized until he was checking into the Palm Springs resort in California for the wedding weekend.Gerry recalled in his memoir how he had a "stress hangover about getting that prenup signed, which led to the worst case of cold feet" shortly before he was scheduled to film The Golden Wedding live for ABC."I began to worry she was going to run out the clock," Gerry wrote, according to USA Today."Then I would be faced with either calling off a very expensive, televised wedding at the last minute or entering into a marriage legally unprotected. I didn't like either of these options."And during a gathering the night before the ceremony, Gerry admitted he vented his concerns to one of his finalists, Faith Martin , who had finished his season in third place.Gerry apparently told Faith that he felt "trapped" and worried the wedding was "the wrong thing to do."Gerry wrote in his memoir that Faith had asked him, "What the hell are you doing?" before reminding the soon-to-be groom, repeatedly, "You do not have to do this."Gerry admitted in his book, "I wish I had listened to her wise and sincere advice. Most of all I couldn't let down Theresa whom I still loved dearly even if I worried about the pace of our relationship."Gerry therefore decided to move forward with the wedding and exchange vows with Theresa on-camera.After all, fans all over the world were rooting for them, and Gerry and Theresa's children and grandchildren seemed invested in their love story."The only alternative was to suck it up, keep my mouth shut and go through with it with my earnest commitment to give 100 percent to make our marriage a happy one," Gerry wrote.But Gerry -- who starred on after the death of his late wife Toni Turner -- announced his split from Theresa and filed for divorce in April 2024.Gerry and Theresa's divorce was finalized two months later in June 2024.In an interview with Us Weekly about USA Today's reportings on the book, Gerry was asked to elaborate on how he felt "trapped" with Theresa in the moments leading up to his wedding."Commitment is a big thing, and I felt like I was doing the right thing. I just didn't feel overjoyed about it," Gerry admitted to Us."So much of the book is about how I felt at certain moments, and that's only a momentary truth... I had second thoughts, but I don't think [they] were exaggerated from anyone's normal second thoughts."Gerry even told the magazine that he felt empty on the day of his marriage proposal.Gerry explained how he was still reeling from his breakup with runner-up, Leslie Fhima , when he popped the question to his winner, Theresa."[I had just] broken a heart. Leslie and the issue that we got into the night before stuck with me really deeply. I cared for her very much, and I felt like I had mishandled the situation, not only the previous night, but ongoing," Gerry confessed."I'd made strong comments to her that perhaps was premature to make. So 12 or 14 hours later, I'm proposing to someone else and the joy wasn't there."During Gerry's journey, he had said, "I love you," to Faith, Leslie and Theresa."I felt like I was going through the motions of what I had expected and what I needed to do, but not that I was gleefully doing and not that I, really, wanted to be in that moment at that time," Gerry explained."If it had been even a 24-hour or 48-hour window where I could have processed what had happened, I think it would have made me feel a lot different."However, Gerry eventually moved on with retired Indiana teacher, Lana Sutton. The pair had begun dating in March and now they're engaged.After receiving a bone marrow cancer diagnosis last year, Gerry announced his engagement on October 3."For a long, long time, I said, 'No, that'll never happen,'" Gerry said of getting married again. "Now that I have someone who makes me so happy, I can't say no to that anymore."Theresa, for her part, told Us in May that she was nothing but supportive of Gerry finding love again.Gerry said the real reasons for his divorce from Theresa will be revealed in his memoir. Fans are also still waiting to hear Theresa's own take on the breakup , if she's ever willing to share it.Interested in more news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group Fast as a flash, a masked man presses a pistol into your face as another entangles your arms. A short scuffle ensues, but youve been snatched off the street and forced into a van. Zip ties. Gags. Blindfolds. Like a scene from a movie. What the hell just happened? How the hell did this happen? Who are these people? What happens next? This was a kidnapping. Fast. Violent. Overwhelming. Real kidnappings arent always so dramatic and cinematic, but in a world of 8 billion, that very rare thing isnt all that rare. DEFINITIONS Kidnapping is the unlawful taking or abduction of another by fraud or force. The victim may be physically carried away, enticed, taken hostage, or coerced. The clue to the most common victim of kidnapping is right in the name kids. But regardless of your age, if someone snatches you off the street against your will, we still call it kidnapping. But this article isnt about child abduction. Children being taken, stolen, or trafficked is one of the worst crimes imaginable, but its outside the scope of this article. This piece is about adult abduction prevention. Here are some broad definitions: Kidnap for Ransom The definition is right in the name Kidnap for Ransom means being abducted and held until a ransom is paid. Its especially prevalent in Latin America and West Africa, with Mexico, Colombia, and Nigeria being major hotspots but isnt uncommon in any unstable nation or those currently in conflict (like Ukraine). Express Kidnapping This type of abduction is typically fast. This subset of kidnap-for-ransom will usually only last a few hours or even a few minutes, with the victim being forced to self-ransom from an ATM or financial institution. Express Kidnapping is one of the reasons why there are daily ATM withdrawal limits. Hostage Kidnapping When victims are detained and held by criminals until demands are met, its a hostage kidnapping. If youve watched a movie with a bank heist in it, youve seen an example of criminal hostage kidnapping. Political Kidnapping A variation of Hostage Kidnapping is Political Kidnapping, which occurs when a terrorist organization holds people hostage to demand and extort concessions from a government or to make a statement by instilling fear. Kidnap for Murder This is the kind of kidnapping you most often see on true crime TV because its within the realm of serial killers. Kidnapping is but the first crime to get the victim to a second location for further assault and worse. Statistically this is more of a concern for women than men, but if youve been kidnapped already youre living in the world of the outlier. State-Sanctioned Kidnapping Typically the most organized form of kidnapping, state-sanctioned kidnapping can be performed by one nation covertly operating within the sovereign territory of another, or by secret police within one nation. PRE-KIDNAP CYCLE The efficacy of kidnappers is an interplay between the capabilities of their targets and their own resources and experience. This spans the spectrum from opportunistic to state-sanctioned. Put more crudely: from molester to Mossad. Who they are and how they operate largely depends on who you are. In many ways, a kidnapping is like any other criminal action because the aggressor has picked the target, time, place, and location. This leaves the victim largely reactive, but not helpless. Regardless of who the kidnapper(s) are, they operate with the same pre-kidnap cycle, even if they arent consciously aware of them: Selection, Surveillance, and Snatching. Understanding the pre-kidnap cycle can help you identify and counter potential threats. SELECTION What Are You? Who Are You? Kidnappers select a victim based on known quantities. The more specific, the more planning and resources required to ensure success. This is a matter of scale. If a group is looking to just take someone of a given demographic, they can be easier to counter than one that is looking for you specifically. You might be chosen because of the nation you are from, the company you represent, personal wealth, political position, or because of a close relationship with another in the above category. While anything can happen, the likelihood of events happening are not equally distributed across the globe. Westerners visiting the Middle East are more likely to be taken hostage by terrorists, and businessmen in Central America are more likely to kidnapped for ransom. If you are a particularly high-risk individual, especially in a high-risk area? This is the sort of thing personal security details (PSDs) were invented for in the first place. No one individual, no matter how good or well-heeled, can take on everyone all the time. SURVEILLANCE Where Do You Go? When Do You Do It? Keep public information about your whereabouts and movements tight, especially if youre a high-risk person or are in a high-risk area. This isnt always possible in our always-connected social media sphere, but it doesnt mean you have to be live streaming your location openly to the world all the time (but location sharing with a trusted circle with via apps can be a good idea). Vary your routines when possible. Try to break any predictability cycles because it makes planning more difficult. If your spider sense is ringing, pay attention. At minimum, make a note of it and send it to a trusted friend to create a trail. It could be someone looking at you just a little too long. Did that kid just call someone right when you left the hotel? Are locals behaving strangely? SNATCHING The kidnapping team wants as much control as possible because they want to be successful. They need the time, space, and opportunity to take you. Ideally, they dont want anyone to see, or even anyone to know at all (until a time of their choosing). And they certainly dont want others to interfere or intervene. The moment others know, the clock starts. There is strength in numbers, so isolation is your enemy. People in groups are harder to take than individuals. Individuals are harder to take in heavily populated areas. Similarly, the more freedom of movement you have, the better it is for you. This is why having a fake taxi or rideshare driver isnt uncommon. Often the objective is to overwhelm the target into compliance. A fender bender on an empty road or a fast dead-end stop turns into SUVs screeching up on all sides with big men and big guns coming at you fast. But it can also be done softer in the form of a distraction or lure; the promise of a tryst that ends with a spiked drink. RESPONSE & QUICK CALCULUS Your ability to act in the moment is based on your capacity to see gaps and take advantage of them. You probably wont know exactly what is happening when masked men in the street run up with guns in the moment. Is it a robbery? Assassination? Kidnapping? What kind of kidnapping? Is it for you or someone else? Everyone on the internet comments sections likes to say theyll go John Wick, but reality is never so clear-cut. You have to make the call. But run like hell, fight like the devil, shoot like a snake, and generally making it a bad damned day for them is always an option. Some have expressed concern they will confuse an arrest attempt with a kidnapping, but even in the worst days of Saddams Iraq, political arrests were paired with badges and a superficial sheen of legitimacy on top even if was Uday Hussein signing the warrant. National police also like to take people in places with access control like airports, courthouses, and border crossings, especially in locales with guns in the mix. Your best odds of escape and evasion happen before kidnappers have complete control. This is not to say that when you are in custody all hope is lost, but your opportunities will generally narrow. A COMPLEX PROBLEM Kidnapping is not a problem with equal distribution nor easy overall solutions. Take Kidnap for Ransom: One of the problems is that good stats are hard to come by. Its a global issue, and not all nations are forthcoming with information, especially those that are negatively affected by reports of high numbers. Furthermore, not all of these crimes are reported to authorities at all, because often ransoms are paid instead. Insurance companies selling kidnap insurance have their own set of numbers, but of course theyre also selling policies. Though its no guarantee, paying the ransom absolutely increases the odds of survival. If these groups just killed hostages anyway, then no one would pay at all. But paying also reinforces the behavior of the criminals, adding to the problem. That said, it is a governments job to fight a systemic crime, not the burden of the individual; I pass no blame or shame on anyone who pays for the return of a loved one, regardless of the outcome. LOOSE ROUNDS If a powerful enough team, like a state-sanctioned one, wants you theyll get you. A kissing cousin is being imprisoned for political reasons under some thin criminal pretense. No individual can overcome this sort of threat themselves, but you dont have to make it easy, either. No one wants to be like your crazy Facebook aunt who sees Saudi sex traffickers sneaking around every corner when she parks at Petco, but Kidnap for Ransom and Express Kidnapping are problems that increase with economic instability. Take some time to think through your risk factors, dont take unnecessary risks, and stay safe. The Clarke County School District has announced the three finalists for the 2025-26 Teacher of the Year award, according to a CCSD press release. The finalists are Stephanie Lewis of Cedar Shoals High School, Timothy Pritchett of Barnett Shoals Elementary School and Adrienne White of Barrow Elementary School. One key development is the direct cargo connection between Chennai and Vladivostok, a crucial Russian port on the Northern Sea Route. IMAGE: A Russian ice-breaker ship. India and Russia are in discussions to jointly build ice-class vessels capable of transporting cargo along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), according to a senior official from Russia's State atomic energy corporation Rosatom. Vladimir Panov, special representative for Arctic Development at Rosatom, said talks with India also include cooperation on training crews for advanced Arctic-class vessels. He indicated that Russia supports signing a bilateral memorandum on this issue. "Cooperation with India on the Northern Sea Route is carried out within the framework of the intergovernmental format -- the Russian-Indian Working Group on Cooperation in the Northern Sea Route under the Intergovernmental Russian-Indian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation. The first meeting of the Working Group took place on October 10, 2024, in New Delhi," Panov said. Panov emphasised that the main goal of the collaboration is to boost cargo traffic along the NSR between the two countries. To enable this, modern Arctic-class ships -- especially high ice-class container vessels capable of year-round navigation -- are required. These ships are proposed to be developed through joint innovative projects. One key development is the direct cargo connection between Chennai and Vladivostok, a crucial Russian port on the NSR. Cargo volumes between the two nations are already growing, and Chennai could become a major cargo aggregation hub for containerised shipments to Russia. A minimum of 100 containers per week is needed to sustain a dedicated shipping service between Chennai and Vladivostok. The NSR and the development of infrastructure are expected to be discussed between the two countries during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India in December. The Northern Sea Route is the shortest maritime link between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2018, the Russian government appointed Rosatom as the official infrastructure operator for the route. The company oversees the 'Development of the Northern Sea Route' project and is a key player in implementing the NSR Development Plan to 2035, as well as Russia's socio-economic Arctic development programme to 2030. Rosatom's strategic objective is to transform the NSR into an efficient shipping artery connecting Europe, Russia, and the Asia-Pacific. Panov said that cargo volumes on the NSR hit 37.9 million tons in 2024, a 4.5% increase over 2023. From January to September 2025, 23 million tons of cargo had already been transported via the NSR. International interest is also growing. Containerised cargo shipments along the route are increasing. During the ongoing 2024 summer-autumn navigation season, 14 international voyages transported 276,000 tons of goods -- a 56% increase over the total for 2023. Three more voyages are currently underway. According to Panov, this year, there were 14 international container voyages between ports in Northwest Russia and China, double the number in 2023. Notably, cargo was delivered from Shanghai to Belarus via the NSR for the first time. Panov added that the traffic is now two-way, with both Russian and Chinese operators planning more than 20 voyages this year connecting Chinese ports with Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, and St Petersburg. Goods transported include dry, liquid, and general cargo, containerised shipments, and essential supplies for Arctic communities. Given the frozen conditions of the NSR, icebreakers are essential to maintaining navigability. Russia currently operates 11 icebreakers -- 8 nuclear-powered and 3 conventional. According to Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, 15 to 17 icebreakers will be needed to move around 100 million tons of cargo on the NSR, up from the current 11. Construction is underway on three universal nuclear icebreakers under Project 22220, as well as Rossiya, a next-generation nuclear icebreaker with twice the capacity of Project 22220 vessels. These ships can operate both in deep Arctic waters and shallow deltas. Their commissioning will depend on how rapidly cargo volumes grow, Panov said. Environmental Protection Panov stressed that the Arctic is ecologically unique, with fragile ecosystems, and Rosatom is committed to protecting it. Russia's Arctic strategy includes: Minimizing emissions into air and water Reducing production waste Restoring disturbed lands Conserving biodiversity Pre-project environmental impact assessments One of Rosatom's key environmental initiatives is the NSR environmental monitoring programme, launched in 2021 in collaboration with the marine research centre at Moscow State University. It runs through 2025 and includes an international expert group that promotes best practices and environmental standards. "The principle guiding Arctic development is 'do no harm'," Panov said. Infrastructure & Fleet Development Panov acknowledged the challenges in scaling the NSR as the route passes through remote and harsh Arctic regions. Its development demands systemic infrastructure and fleet investment. The 2035 NSR Development Plan, adopted in 2022, includes four pillars: Cargo base development Transport infrastructure Expansion of icebreaker and cargo fleets Navigation safety In addition to icebreakers, new port infrastructure and energy facilities are also being developed to support long-term growth. At present, 30 high Arctic-class vessels operate on the NSR. These are double-action ships, designed to move stern-first through ice and bow-first in open water, balancing icebreaking ability with speed. Panov emphasised that such innovative vessel design is essential for reliable, year-round cargo operations in Arctic conditions. Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff Indias brittle energy security is inextricably linked to two opposing paradigms fossil fuels, and the transition to green energy. Photograph: Reuters The first powers the present; the second paves the way for Viksit Bharat in 2047. But for now, both are in jeopardy buffeted by geopolitics on one side and dependency on the other. Muddling the mix are domestic taxes. Energy security was what was occupying the minds of officials from Indias oil ministry in 2024 when they burnt the midnight oil for months consulting global oil majors and state oil companies to understand why no international oil company came to drill in India, while dispatching giant offshore drilling rigs to minions like Guyana and Trinidad, a senior government official said. hese discussions laid the foundation for Indias most ambitious upstream drilling regime, the cornerstone of energy security for a nation that depends on geopolitical hotspots like Russia and the Gulf for nine out of every 10 barrels it consumes. State-run explorers ONGC and Oil India were already in advanced talks with ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, and Total and all, barring Shell, plan to bid for blocks jointly with state-run explorers under Indias 10 drilling rounds, once the government notifies the terms of the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment (ORDA) Act, 2025, a top ONGC official told Business Standard. All this optimism took just an announcement to unravel. On a day when the country was celebrating a steep cut in the goods and services tax rates, Indias oil sector was in a fix GST on exploration, development, and production of oil and gas was hiked from 12 per cent to 18 per cent effective September 22, increasing production costs for exploration and production firms amid sliding oil prices. It is a double whammy and could lead to some assets not being developed on account of poor returns, said Prashant Vasisht, senior vice president at ratings agency Icra, a Moodys affiliate. Geopolitics and GST The frailty of Indias energy security has never been so exposed as in the last few years, beginning with Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices surged to over $50 per million British thermal units, 25 times what India paid for the fuel in 2020. That was followed by two more geopolitical events: Iran-backed Houthi rebels blocking the critical Suez Canal, choking oil flows, and Israeli attacks on Iran threatening the Straits of Hormuz. An extended blockade of the Hormuz could have choked India because domestic strategic oil storage accounts for hardly 8-9 days of consumption. Domestic production has been on a perennial decline since peaking at 767,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2011. It stands at 565,000 bpd now. India also imports around half of its gas in the form of LNG, and over 60 per cent of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), according to oil ministry data. European Union (EU) sanctions on fuels produced from Russian crude dealt a further blow, with Nayara, the Gujarat-based subsidiary of Russian energy giant Rosneft, specifically targeted by the 27-nation bloc. US President Donald Trump has capitalised on Indias weakened oil and gas output, and its high dependence on imports to try and push New Delhi into a corner. The additional 25 per cent tariffs imposed by him for Indian purchases of Russian oil have the potential to impact $70 billion of Indian exports and several thousand jobs, an industry official said. Energy firms expect a proposed Oilfield Amendment Bill to futureproof India from such threats, in addition to measures for a favourable tax regime. Our industry is one of the largest tax revenue generators for the country, so perhaps easing some of the taxes will act as a fiscal incentive for producers, an industry official said. Instead, the government has chosen to increase taxes. Oil producers already pay 60-70 per cent of revenue in royalties and other taxes, a leading producer said. Most of Indias oil and gas production comes from older areas governed by a high tax regime. The decision to raise GST rates on oil equipment and services (by 6 percentage points) effective September 22, especially considering that petroleum doesnt get covered in GST, is a negative since there is no input credit to be availed of on our expenditures, said Kapil Garg, managing director, Asian Energy Services. A former top government official said ministries often worked in silos which, in this case, meant the finance ministry trying to recoup lost GST revenues from drilling, even though the measure would take some of the shine off one of Indias ambitious exploration programmes. The industry would also benefit from greater involvement from the knowledge and resources of the private sector, which includes both MNCs and domestic players, Garg said. Previous successes like the production of hydrocarbons in the KG Basin and Rajasthan were spearheaded by private companies. But foreign drillers seek regulatory certainty, officials from two foreign oil companies and a government official said at a conference earlier this year. Gas woes Domestic gas production has declined by 3 per cent this financial year to 28.7 billion cubic metres. Gas supply will need to increase substantially in the industrial sectors, replacing traditional fuels such as coal and oil, and enhancing its role to complement the growing demand for renewables, said Sehul Bhatt, director, Crisil Intelligence. But in the absence of an increase in domestic output, India must boost LNG imports more than four-fold to 120 million tonnes by 2030 to more than double the share of gas in the energy mix to 15 per cent by 2030, said Petronet LNG CEO Akshay Kumar Singh at an industry event last month. India also needs to build stocks of essential chemicals and catalysts, key components to operate refineries, Russian Rosneft-run Nayara Energy Chairman Prasad Panicker said at an industry event last month. Panickers comments come amid Nayara losing access to such materials from western vendors, after the EU sanctioned the company in July. The petrochemical sector is significantly dependent on imports for feedstock (Naphtha, LPG, and Ethane) and products such as HDPE, LLDPE, said Navanit Narayan, CEO, Haldia Petrochemicals, which will start a Rs 5,600 crore phenol and acetone project by mid-2026 to substitute imports. Chinese materials (PP, Phenol, PVC, etc) are arriving in India at a much lower costs. Transition While oil and gas will remain the core of Indias growth engine, the dependence can still be reduced to half from 90 per cent now by improving access to electric vehicles, biofuels, and renewable energy, industry officials said. India needs a multipronged approach to energy security, said Manas Majumdar, leader, oil and gas, at consultancy PwC, advocating a quicker pivot to biogas, electrification, and green hydrogen. The requirement of BESS (battery storage) in the Indian grid is huge: Just going by the National Electricity Plan, the requirement is 236 Gwh (gigawatt hour) by 2031-32, said Debmalya Sen, president, India Energy Storage Alliance. Operational BESS is a meagre 500 Megawatt-hour (Mwh), with around 20 Gwh awarded. Buffeted by stormwinds from global conflicts and an uncertain US presidency, and squeezed by hiked indirect taxes, Indias energy security framework must now look at alternatives beyond oil and gas. With the right technologies, say industry figures, such a pivot will also help the country realise its climate change ambitions more robustly. 'During the 5-day visit, Amir Khan Muttaqi would have, conceivably, bumped into our powerful security agencies one way or another and some interaction would have ensued, which, in turn, can lead to future dealings.' 'Indeed, this will be the one crucial template of the Indo-Afghan relationship that Pakistan will be monitoring closely,' points Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar. IMAGE: Afghanistan's Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Photograph: ANI Video Grab The visit to India by Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting foreign minister of the Taliban regime ruling Afghanistan, can be seen through the India-Pakistan prism as a South Asian geopolitical event. But such a tunnel vision is deceptive and wrong ideas accrue against the backdrop of the march of history in contemporary world politics. Hopefully, the government has a sense of proportion. For Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't receive Muttaqi, a visiting foreign minister, while he had an 'incredible' meeting with the ambassador-designate of the US Sergio Gor who holds a middle-ranking title in the White House but remains a key political aide to Trump. The Indian hosts treaded softly making sure that Delhi didn't ruffle American feathers at a time when Pakistan is Trump's preferred partner. In fact, Muttaqi had no scheduled meeting in his itinerary other than with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval. The tight-rope walking was also evident in that India would allow Kabul authorities to assign an ambassador to Delhi and even fly the Taliban's flag on the embassy compound but will not recognise the Taliban government unless there is an international consensus in this regard -- plainly put, until Washington is ready to accord recognition. Nonetheless, the government kept mum on the human rights issue in Afghanistan, which is one of the stated reasons why Washington refuses to green light the UN recognition of the Taliban government. Indeed, following Muttaqi's visit, the government will reopen its embassy in Kabul but at charge d'affaires level, presumably until Trump's envoy arrives. This timidity will be duly noted by the Afghans who are not only protocol conscious but also erudite enough to draw conclusions at the diplomatic level. There will be some disappointment on Muttaqi's part that Delhi is not matching the level of importance that Russia, China, Iran or the Central Asian States or Turkey are showing. But they will internalise their feelings. Delhi's best hope is that the US will allow international recognition to the Taliban government soon. Meanwhile, Delhi should at least ease visa restrictions on Afghan nationals wanting to travel to India, which is a pressing demand of the Taliban. IMAGE: Mawlawi Muttaqi addresses the press conference in New Delhi, October 12, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo During the 5-day visit, Muttaqi would have, conceivably, bumped into our powerful security agencies one way or another and some interaction would have ensued, which, in turn, can lead to future dealings. Indeed, this will be the one crucial template of the Indo-Afghan relationship that Pakistan will be monitoring closely. Coincidence or not, the Pakistani military chose Friday, even as Muttaqi met Doval, to conduct a series of retribution operations in Afghan territory. The military spokesman in Rawalpindi declined to say whether the operations included strikes on Kabul where explosions were heard. Soon fighting erupted on the Pakistan-Afghan border, which is reportedly continuing, forcing Muttaqi to scuttle his planned visit to the Taj Mahal and rush home. If Pakistan did strike Kabul, that would be a major escalation. Anyway, Pakistan has sent a message of warning to the Taliban leadership on their warming ties with India. The Indian hosts while drawing up the itinerary of Muttaqi -- a follower of the puritanical and orthodox Islamic sect of Deoband, which is heavily influenced by the 18th-century Muslim reformer Shah Wali Allah and the early 19th-century Indian Wahhabiyyah -- included the Taj Mahal in it, the ultimate symbol of magical opulence and worldly pleasures and romance in all of mankind's history. It was in bad taste. Evidently, Rawalpindi made it a non-event and sent Muttaqi packing home to Kabul without seeing the Taj. The visit is ending on a sour note with Pakistani and Afghan blood staining the Khyber Pass. Curiously, Indian analysts, including an ex-foreign minister, are already predicting that Pakistan's break-up as a nation State is becoming inevitable. These dangerous notions are borne out of either naivete or jingoism or plain opportunism. The geopolitical reality is that none of the three superpowers -- the US, Russia or China -- will condone the fragmentation of Pakistan, leave alone its fraternal nations in the Gulf, Iran or Turkey. IMAGE: Mawlawi Muttaqi arrives for the press conference in New Delhi, October 12, 2025. Photograph: ANI The Afghans are shrewd practitioners of diplomacy and, historically speaking, quite adept at playing India against Pakistan -- and vice versa -- to extract benefits. But their discerning power is never in doubt. We should respect their native intelligence to know what is good for them, and, more importantly, what is notgood for them. That is the benchmark of our friendship for Afghans. They too are human beings entitled to live in peace, educate their children and dream of a better life for them. A Pashtun general who also headed Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence once told me in a balmy evening in the Bosphorus, "Ambassador, you can never compete with us -- if an Afghan has toothache, he comes to Peshawar for treatment, such is the thickness of our blood." Truly, Afghans are a deeply religious nation and we just wouldn't know what their innermost thoughts are toward present-day India, which is perceived as 'anti-Muslim'. Much as the decision taken at the highest level in Delhi to host Muttaqi as a State guest is welcome, any hype to embellish it as a geopolitical event will be grossly improper even if it causes some irritation to Rawalpindi. Look at the geography. We do not even have an access route to Afghan territory except through Iran, which is under US sanctions. Delhi complies with the sanctions and dare not make a test case of its 'strategic autonomy'. Muttaqi invited us to do mining. But how do we evacuate the rare earths? Indeed, India will be drawing ridicule if any perception forms internationally that we are egging on Afghanistan, a desperately poor nation at subsistence level, to self-destruct by embarking on some esoteric great game. IMAGE: Mawlawi Muttaqi arrives at the Darul Uloom in Deoband in Saharanpur, October 11, 2025. Photograph: ANI There is no great game in Central Asia. Russia and China are not only stakeholders in the stability and security of Afghanistan but also view Pakistan as a friendly partner whose concerns are taken seriously and whom they are courting for integration into Eurasia. Equally, isn't it our exaggerated sense of self-importance to characterise China as a 'rival' in the Hindu Kush? China has a much higher sense of its destiny than that, and is far too busy to take note of India as a self-appointed 'influencer' in Kabul, having locked horns with the US and become a de facto participant, finally, in Russia's decisive Eurasian war against NATO. Russia, China and Iran make a formidable alliance which is rooting for a neutral, independent Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and its neighbours. And they visualise such an outcome to be in their interests. Realism lies in India coordinating with the regional powers to garner the peace dividend. We broke up Pakistan once; what came of it? Indeed, what came of the Afghan policy trajectory since the mid-1990s squandering away hundreds of millions of dollars? Be creative. Here lies right in front of us an opportunity to have a clean, cost-effective break. Take it. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov eloquently put it at an event recently in Moscow in Muttaqi's presence, 'the security and well-being of our region depend on Afghanistan's active involvement in political processes, multilateral mechanisms, and joint economic initiatives'. Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar, who served the Indian Foreign Service for 29 years, is a a former Indian envoy to Turkey and was assigned by Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao to reach out to the Afghan Mujahideeen. Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff If the Indian government is indeed serious about reversing brain drain, it needs to put much more emphasis on research and innovation, especially in areas that will determine the future, asserts Prosenjit Datta. Shortly after United States President Donald Trump announced that fresh H-1B visa application fees were being hiked to $100,000, a move ostensibly aimed at protecting domestic US job seekers against cheaper talent from India and other countries, a slew of Indian experts claimed that the country would gain massively from the move. Their assumption was that because of the visa fee hike and other measures being taken by the US to curb the entry of foreign workers, a large number of Indians on H-1B visas, in fields ranging from technology to healthcare, would return to help develop these sectors in India. This is wishful thinking. Various Indian policymakers and other luminaries, after making some encouraging and jingoistic statements, have not bothered to put together any concrete plan or announce any major steps to encourage Indian talent to return. Contrast this with other countries that have been quick to make announcements designed to attract the talent that will become available because of the H-1B visa fee hike. Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer in the United Kingdom, announced that the country would make it easier to attract global talent, even as the US was actively discouraging them. Among the steps the UK is contemplating is doubling the number of visas for high-skilled foreign workers and a special free visa for a select group of highly accomplished global talent. While these steps are in no way directed specifically at Indian talent working on H-1B visas in the US, it may be attractive to at least some of those Indians in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields in the US who are now looking at other options. The steps being contemplated are not specifically for those who were earlier planning to apply for H-1B visas -- it is also aimed at foreign researchers and others that the UK wants to woo for its own technology research. Meanwhile, several other European countries -- notably Germany, Portugal, and France -- are taking steps to attract more of the world's top talent. Some Nordic countries are also trying to attract global talent in search of attractive shores. Many Asian countries are also reportedly exploring measures to make themselves more attractive to global technology and other talent. And China, which has now become the US' biggest rival in areas of science and technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and biotech, having earlier introduced targeted programmes to bring back Chinese talent from the US, is now going all out to attract global talent as well. The newly announced K visa, starting from today (October 1), is designed specifically to attract foreign tech talent, even though China already has strong domestic talent in cutting-edge areas of science and technology. While the US H-1B visa hike to discourage global STEM talent is likely to ensure that a large number of highly skilled workers from India and other countries will now seek opportunities elsewhere, Indian policymakers seem oblivious to the fact that this will not automatically mean that the best Indian brains will flock back to the country. The government seems to be unaware that it needs to take concrete steps to make India a popular destination for global tech and other talent. If the Indian government is indeed serious about reversing brain drain, it needs to put much more emphasis on research and innovation, especially in areas that will determine the future. India's spending on research -- by the government, in universities as well as by big corporations -- is abysmal. Opportunities and the ecosystem that support researcher-entrepreneurs are practically non-existent and need to be created from scratch. Special incentives, including monetary ones, should be put in place to attract top talent from abroad. For a long time, the US remained a leader in technology and innovation because it created the perfect environment for global technology talent to flourish. It created conditions for immigrants to come to the country and build world-beating tech companies. Some of the more famous names who came to the US and flourished in areas such as chip design, AI, biotech, and genomic research are immigrants. Now that the US seems determined to actively discourage them, both new talent and some of the existing ones may look for opportunities elsewhere. India seems strangely slow in actively wooing them. A caveat here: A large number of Indians who go on US H-1B visas would not qualify as top research talent but are taken for mid-level project execution and other operational roles. However, many who went on H-1B visas went on to head the biggest companies -- Satya Nadella is one example. Also, a lot of Indian talent in the US (and at other top universities for science and technology students) went abroad to study but stayed back -- Sundar Pichai was one of them. Successive Indian governments have done little to attract the best minds from abroad or to ensure that the best minds in India stay and work towards developing the country. The fact that we have become the fifth largest economy in the world is despite this. Yet, if we want to become a truly powerful global economic player, we cannot afford to ignore the race for global science and tech talent. Prosenjit Datta is former editor Business Today and Businessworld, and founder of ProsaicView, an editorial consultancy. THE H1B CRISIS Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff 'We have 38 Dalits who are MLAs and ministers. But that does not mean the Dalits of Bihar are prospering.' IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attends a Dalit Samagam programme in Patna, February 28, 2025, organised by the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular. Photograph: ANI Photo Ashok Bharti, Chairman, National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR), has raised serious concerns about the persistent marginalisation of Dalits in Bihar. Citing government data, he points out that over 84 percent of Dalit households in the state are landless and only seven percent own cultivable land. Their average per capita income stands at just Rs 6,840 -- nearly 40 percent below the state average. Bharti also highlights the scale of caste-based violence, with Bihar recording 85,684 cases of atrocities against Dalits between 2010 and 2022, averaging 17 incidents every day. In response to these alarming realities, NACDAOR has released a 20-point agenda titled What Dalits Want, demanding urgent policy action and systemic reform. "Take, for example, the Bihar government infrastructure projects. To build those infrastructure projects, who were uprooted from their homes? Dalits. 40,000 Dalits were displaced in Patna city. The homes that were built for them during Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule (in the 1990s) were demolished," Bharti tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff. Tell us about this report that you released. This is our national body of Dalits and Adivasis since 2001. We have observed that whenever elections come, the aspirations of Dalits and the issues they have are normally unrecognised. Nobody speaks about them. We have also seen castes that have only two to three percent of population. their members name pop up as chief ministerial candidate or even prime ministerial candidates. In India, every fifth person is a Dalit but nobody discusses them. But what about the benefit of reservations? You tell me five other benefits for Dalits beside reservations. But is it not the biggest benefit? Reservation is the only benefit Dalits have and nothing else. Moreover, we do not even get reservations to the full extent. You can check this in Bihar. The report by the government of Bihar says that 1.13 percent of Dalits are in government jobs. This was also tweeted on X by Tejashwi Yadav. He was a former deputy chief minister of Bihar and this proves there is complete lack of transparency in the system as to how many Dalits have really got government jobs in spite of reservations. The lobby against Dalits always accused them of snatching away jobs in the name of reservations but in reality that is not happening on the ground. IMAGE: Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal with Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and BJP state President Dilip Jaishwal at the Dalit Mahapanchayat in Patna, April 27, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo Have you seen any kind of data personally? Yes, I have seen it. Be it in education, health or jobs, it shows that the condition of Dalits is very bad. In the last 20 years of Nitish Kumar's rule the fruits of vikas have not reached Dalit homes for sure. And this at a time when you have Dalit leaders like Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi who are part of the Narendra Modi government. How is it possible? We have 38 Dalits who are MLAs and ministers. But that does not mean the Dalits of Bihar are prospering. The Human Development Index parameter is very different for the Dalits of Bihar. And if you compare that with other castes then you will know the reality. They are bad in education indicators or even livelihood indicators. Take, for example, the Bihar government infrastructure projects. To build those infrastructure projects, who were uprooted from their homes? Dalits. 40,000 Dalits were displaced in Patna city. The homes that were built for them during Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule (in the 1990s) were also demolished. These are the realities on ground. The government must realise this because what I am talking is not fiction but a real issue. What about Dalit leaders like Chirag Paswan? Does he not know what is happening? IMAGE: Ashok Bharti. Photograph: Kind courtesy Ashok Bharti I will be surprised if he even knows about this data. There are only five percent plus Dalit children in higher education in Bihar whereas their population is 20 percent. You can ask Chirag Paswan, does he know that according to the 2011 Census the details 62 percent of Dalits in Bihar were illiterate? This percentage is higher for Dalit women. What is your expectation? Are you supporting the Rashtriya Janata Dal? I am not supporting any party. I am only stating a fact, that any political party that will bring change in the lives of Dalits on the ground, we will support that party. If Tejashwi is doing it, then we will go with him and if Nitish says he failed in changing the lives and apologises to rectify his mistake, then we will go with him. However, no rhetoric, Dalits needs delivery now. Tejashwi has accepted our 10-point charter of demands. Do you have ground support? In 2018, my organisation, the National Confederation of Dalit Organizations, called for a Bharat Bandh and that was successful. You can google it and find out. We raise issues to implement them. Our organisation is not that of traders but of leaders who want to change the lives of Dalits on the ground. IMAGE: Rashtriya Janta Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav meets Dalit leaders on SC/ST reservation in Patna, June 22, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo Are you in touch with other Dalit leaders in Bihar who want to bring about this change? What are they doing to bring about this change? Manjhi did come to our office before he became chief minister of Bihar and spent four hours with us. But once he came to power he forgot us. Now, this is the sad reality of power. Once you get power, you disown your own father, then why will he own the Dalits of Bihar? We also met Chirag Paswan after his father passed away. We told him that there is a lack of Dalit leadership in India today and he had this opportunity to become one. Chirag is more interested in applying tilak on his forehead and portray his image as Hanuman of Lord Ram and as Ambedkar of Dalits. Chirag's portrayal in politics is not for Dalits. Did he ever say that he is proud to be a Dalit? If you go back in time, you will find Dalit leaders like Babu Jagjivan Ram and Chirag's father Ram Vilas Paswan used to openly state they are proud to be Dalits. No leader today states openly that he is proud to be a Dalit. Let them not say that, but at the end they want Dalit votes. Are you hopeful NACDOR's demands will be met? We have given 20 points to political parties. Whichever party forms the government we will follow up with the new government to implement our 20 points. If they don't do that after coming to power, we will then see what to do. 'Every party want to contest more seats, nothing wrong in it. We have to compromise to take all together as the NDA.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party national president Jagat Prakash Nadda during the BJP's Central Election Committee meeting for the Bihar assembly elections 2025 at the party headquarters in New Delhi, October 12, 2025. Photograph: @BJP4India X/ANI Photo Dileep Jaiswal is a busy and most sought after Bharatiya Janata Party leader with the Bihar assembly polls slated for early next month. He is a direct link to the party's top national leadership as the BJP state unit president, and also accessible to party leaders and workers across the state. A three-time member of the Bihar legislative council, Jaiswal is also a former minister and considered close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Jaiswal has been regularly shuttling between Patna and Delhi to meet top party leaders and attend meetings of NDA allies ahead of the elections. "The BJP and JD-U are contesting more seats because both have a large party network and a strong support base," Jaiswal tells Rediff Senior Contributor M I Khan. Less than a month left for Bihar assembly polls, but seat-sharing took a long time before being announced on Sunday. Everything had already been finalised about seat-sharing, only the formal announcement was made (on Sunday). The top leaders of the BJP and allies -- Janata Dal-United, Lok Janshakti Party-(Ramvilas), Hindustan Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha -- held several rounds of talk in Patna as well as in Delhi. Reports suggest that the LJP-R, HAM and RLM wanted more seats and were not ready to accept the offers made by the BJP, delaying seat sharing. Now things have been settled. All of us have agreed to contest as the NDA. There is no issue of this and that, only the NDA. The BJP and JD-U agreed to contest fewer seats this time than in 2020 due to the hard bargaining and pressure from smaller allies. Look, we are all NDA and our goal is to contest together and win the polls. Every party want to contest more seats, nothing wrong in it. We have to compromise to take all together as the NDA. The BJP and JD-U are contesting more seats because both have a large party network and a strong support base. IMAGE: Supporters of ticket aspirants protest at the Janata Dal-United office campus in Patna, October 12, 2025, ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Photograph: ANI Photo Earlier you had claimed that there is no bada bhai aur chota bhai (big brother and small brother) in the ruling NDA. Is it not contrary to the repeated claim made by leaders of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD-U that they are the big brother in Bihar? Yes, I said that there was no big and small brother in NDA. I mean that all allies going to contest next month's assembly polls are equal shareholders in the NDA. We are united and what matters most is that the NDA will contest from all 243 assembly seats. The BJP and JD-U are contesting the same number of seats. There is no issue over it. Pre-polls surveys reveal a close contest this time like the 2020 polls. What is your assessment? NDA is a clear-cut winner. Come November 14, it will return to power again. In Bihar, people understand that the double engine government has been working to develop the state. Prime Minister Narendar Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have done a lot of development work. Development is visible everywhere -- road connectivity, national highways, bridges, railway upgradation, hospitals, pucca houses for the poor. A number of welfare schemes and cash benefits reach hundreds and thousands of people. The NDA is confident to seek votes in the name of development. The people will support and vote to continue this ongoing development. We will appeal to the people to have faith in Modi's guarantee for development. IMAGE: Election officials attend a mock poll during a training session in Patna, October 11, 2025, ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Photograph: ANI Photo Who is the NDA chief ministerial candidate, or will it be decided after the results? As of now, Nitish Kumar is our chief minister and the NDA is contesting the polls under his leadership. No need for the media to speculate on the basis of false propaganda by Opposition leaders. The NDA is united and will remain united after the polls as well; the chief minister issue will be decided smoothly in the NDA. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor had made serious allegations of corruption against you. What is your response? Allegations are allegations, neither truth nor fact. I am in politics, working day and night. Anybody can say anything, I hardly take notice of such baseless talk. Bihar Votes 2025 Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff 'Professor Kitagawa is an exceptional researcher, a good teacher and above all a great person.' IMAGE: Professor Susumu Kitagawa addresses a press conference in Kyoto, Japan, October 8, 2025, after winning the 2025 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Photograph: Kyodo/via Reuters The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is shared by Professor Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University in Japan, Professor Richard Robson from the University of Melbourne in Australia and Professor Omar Yaghi from the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States. The Nobel Prize was awarded for creating molecular constructions, called metal-organic frameworks (MOF). The astonishing ability of this substance is that it 'allows chemists to change the size of the holes as desired at the molecular level, making it possible to capture and store specific gases and separate out only targeted substances'. This makes it possible to recover toxic gases emitted from factories and automobiles, and allow the safe storage of hydrogen. Tamas Kumar Panda, Assistant Professor at the Vellore Institute of Technology, was mentored by Professor Kitagawa for his post-doctoral studies at Kyoto University. Incidentally, his PhD supervisor Professor Rahul Banerjee's post-doc mentor was Professor Omar Yaghi, the joint winner of the Nobel Prize. "Professor Kitagawa! I don't think I have met such a humble person in my life," Professor Panda tells Rediff's Shobha Warrier. Applying to Kyoto University to work on metal-organic frameworks I did my PhD at the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune under Professor Rahul Banerjee. While doing my PhD, I came to know about the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (external link) which gives 25 to 30 two year post-doc fellowships every year. It is indeed a very prestigious fellowship. Based on the work I was doing, I wrote a proposal and applied for a post-doc fellowship in 2014. And even before I completed my PhD, I got the post-doctoral fellowship. So, I had to finish my PhD in a hurry so that I could avail the fellowship. After I applied, I had a Skype call with Professor Kitagawa as he wanted to know the kind of research I was planning to do. After our conversation, he told me what I should write in the proposal. I used to send my proposal drafts to him, and he would check and make corrections and sent them back to me. Then he assigned an assistant professor -- Professor Satoshi Horike -- to follow up my proposal. Joining the Kitagawa group as a researcher Professor Kitagawa was a very big name in Japan, a very powerful scientist of great standing. He was the director of the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) at Kyoto University. Under the Kitagawa Group at Kyoto University, there were 50-55 people working -- associate professors, assistant professors, research scholars. Though all of us worked under Professor Kitagawa, because he was so busy, he would assign an associate professor and assistant professor to all those who did post doc under him at the university. IMAGE: A screen displays the 2025 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry: Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M Yaghi as they are announced at a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, October 8, 2025. Photograph: TT News Agency/Fredrik Sandberg via Reuters Meeting Professor Kitagawa I met him at the university as soon as I reached Japan. The first thing that struck me was how humble and simple he was. In India, a person of his stature would have security all around him! The moment I presented myself, in the typical Japanese way, he bowed to greet me. I was shocked. You don't expect a person of his stature to bow to you. But that is how Japanese people are. Very soon, I also learnt their culture of greeting others in that way. And Professor Kitagawa! I don't think I have met such a humble person in my life. After the greeting, he told me, 'You must be very tired after all the travel. You take rest and come back when you feel fine.' He then instructed one of his secretaries to help me find an apartment. In fact, his secretary took care of everything, from house hunting to signing papers to taking insurance... I didn't have to worry about the nitty gritty associated with a new place. IMAGE: 'We used to have this Sakura party every year when the cherry blossoms bloomed.' Photograph: Kind courtesy Professor Tamas Kumar Panda Monthly scientific meetings with Professor Kitagawa Once I started my research, we used to have monthly meetings where we have to present the progress we made. At those meetings, Professor Kitagawa and the other professors would listen to the presentations of all the research scholars. After the presentation, they would critically analyse what we did, and then give us their feedback. When Professor Kitagawa gave his suggestions, we would never feel that it was the director or a scientist of his stature talking to us. He made us feel calm and comfortable. One thing he used to tell us was, do research not thinking about publishing a scientific paper, publication is only a by-product of your research. That is how he looks at research, with a lot of passion. This changed my view towards science and research, and helped me in what I do today. IMAGE: Professor Tamas Kumar Panda with Professor Kitagawa on his right. Photograph: Kind courtesy Prof Tamas Kumar Panda MOF, a wonder material Now that the Nobel Prize has been given to the work done in this field, we see a lot of possibilities happening all over the world. MOF is such a wonder material that it not only absorbs gas but releases it also unlike other material. The beauty of this material is that because of this reversible phenomenon, you can reuse MOF a thousand times. The great thing about Japan is that they appreciate and encourage pathbreaking research done by its scientists unlike in India. Here, the researchers tend to work on well-established subjects and not something new. If you choose a new field, you face a lot of challenges and uncertainties. A Nobel Prize winner who travels by train and bus Professor Kitagawa is a man of great stature in Japan but he doesn't have a car or a driver. Every day, he came from Osaka to Kyoto by train, a train journey of 45 minutes to 1 hour. As he worked in the Katsura campus of the university, he has to get down at the Katsura railway station and travel by bus to the campus. And from the bus stop, he walked to iCeMS. That was how this great man came to the university every day, by train, by bus and then walked. A physically fit good dancer! Most people will be surprised to hear that Professor Kitagawa is a great dancer. We used to have this Sakura party -- traditional Japanese hanami, a picnic under cherry blossom trees -- every year when the cherry blossoms bloom. Professor Kitagawa loved taking us to Arashiyama where all the cherry trees would be full of flowers. At the party, he would serve drinks and food to everyone. He was like one of our best friends at the party! He must have been in his 60s when I was there but he used to dance like a young person, and he loved dancing at the parties. He was such a fit person that he gave us young people a complex. He was so fit that his energy level was always so high. So also his ability to hold alcohol. No 30 year old could beat him in that. Our lab was on the 5th floor but I never saw him take the lift. Whenever he came to our lab, he chose the stairs. His physical fitness is one of the reasons why he is so mentally fit and successful as a scientist. IMAGE: Professor Susumu Kitagawa is applauded by Kyoto University staff after winning the Nobel Prize. Photograph: Kind courtesy icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp The Kitagawa personal touch He was very particular that he addressed everyone by their first name, and he remembered the names of each and every one of us. Whenever he met me, he would say, "How are you, Tamas?" I met him in Singapore last year at International MOF 2024 where both of us were speakers. He was so happy to see me and said, "Tamas, you are here as a speaker? I am so proud of you! Very good!" Then he said cheekily, "You look the same except that you lost hair!" IMAGE: Professor Tamas Panda IMAGE: Professor Tamas Panda Replies to e-mails immediately Professor Kitagawa is an exceptional researcher, a good teacher and above all a great person. Though he is such a busy person, he would reply to mails immediately; the maximum time taken is an hour. Whenever I did something interesting or something new, I used to mail it to him. In fact, I dedicated one of my publications to him. And I would get a reply from him immediately appreciating what I did. I sent him a congratulatory message after the Nobel Prize was announced, and this is the first time that a reply has not come yet. It is understandable as he must be flooded with messages right now! Having known him, I am hundred percent sure he will reply when he gets time. In his address, he said, 'I thank all the people associated with the research including the post-doc students, even those from abroad for doing such excellent work. The work done by every single person is behind the Nobel Prize.' Who will remember the researchers at such a hour? That's why I said, you will not see a great person like him. IMAGE: Professor Kitagawa receives a bouquet from Akiko Kobayashi, secretary, Kitagawa Lab. Photograph: Kind courtesy icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp Nobel Prize, not a surprise! It is not a surprise to anyone who knows the Kitagawa group that he won the Nobel Prize. When I was there, every year, the Nobel Chemistry Prize announcement was keenly awaited by his group. Everybody knew that if the Nobel Committee considered MOF as the field for the Prize, he would definitely get the Nobel as what he has created is path-breaking in the field of science. He is a pioneer in the field, and no wonder he is called the Father of MOF. The most beautiful thing about him is that despite being such an extremely talented scientist, he remains so simple and humble. I would say Professor Kitagawa is the most deserving scientist to have won a Nobel Prize. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff A video showing two students allegedly kissing inside a classroom at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) in Vadodara city has gone viral on social media platforms, prompting varsity authorities to order a probe on Monday. Image used only for representational purposes. Photograph: Pixabay.com A preliminary probe suggests the video was purportedly recorded during a recently held 'backlog' exam in the prestigious university in Gujarat, said Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof Kalpana Gavli. In the short video, a male student can be seen kissing a girl sitting next to him inside a classroom which appeared to be belonging to the Faculty of Arts. It appears the video was shot using a mobile phone camera by an unidentified person and both the students were not aware about it. After the video went viral, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers met Gavli on Monday and demanded strict action against both the students as well as the exam supervisor for failing to stop such activities. Talking to reporters, she condemned the purported act and assured strict action against the students seen in the video and the person who shot the clip because mobile phones are not allowed inside classroom during exams. "It appears the video was shot during the backlog exam currently being held by the faculty. This is totally unacceptable. We will first identify the students seen in the video and verify all facts. If they are found guilty, we will take action against them and think of rusticating them," stated the dean. "The person who shot the video was also at fault because mobile phones are not allowed inside classrooms during exams. Once identified, we will take action against him also. Exam supervisors present in the classroom will be served a notice" she added. After missing the Nobel Peace Prize, United States President Donald Trump has claimed to have resolved eight wars, including the one between India and Pakistan, saying, he did not do this for the Nobel. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up while boarding Air Force One, as he departs for Israel, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on October 12, 2025. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Trump has been claiming to resolve seven conflicts till now, including the one between India and Pakistan. However, he has now increased that figure to eight after adding the Israel-Gaza conflict. While talking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, Trump also hinted at planning to resolve the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This will be my eighth war that I have solved, and I hear there is a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I said, I'll have to wait till I get back. I am doing another one. Because I am good at solving wars. I am good at making peace, Trump said. The US President also claimed that he resolved most of these wars within a day. We saved millions of lives, think about India, Pakistan, think about some of the wars that were going on for years. We had one going for 31, one going for 32, one going for 37 years, with millions of people being killed in every country, and I got every one of those done, for the most part, within a day," Trump added. Trump said that the prize announced by the Nobel committee was for 2024, while he resolved these wars in 2025. In all fairness to the Nobel Committee, it was for 2024. This was picked for 2024, Trump said while emphasising, I did this not for Nobel. I did this for saving lives. Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire after a long night of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim dozens of times that he helped settle the conflict between India and Pakistan. India has consistently maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. The alleged gang rape of a second-year medical student in West Bengal's Durgapur has sparked massive outrage, snowballing into a major political storm, with the survivor's father likening Bengal to 'Aurangzeb's rule' and Governor C V Ananda Bose calling for a 'second renaissance' to make the state safer for women. IMAGE: West Bengal police arrest two more accused in connection with the Durgapur gang rape case and present them in the Durgapur court on Monday. Photograph: ANI Video Grab The arrest of all five accused came amid growing political friction, as the ruling Trinamool Congress, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, and the government of the survivor's home state Odisha, sparred over the Mamata Banerjee administration's handling of the case and her remarks on women's safety. The National Commission for Women urged academic and institutional support for the survivor. "With two more arrests this morning, all five accused have been taken into custody," said Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar Choudhary. "We are satisfied with the progress of the investigation and assure the parents that the culprits will not be spared." The 23-year-old student from Balasore district was allegedly gang-raped near the private medical college in Durgapur on Friday night. Police said five men attacked the woman and her male friend between 8 pm and 8.45 pm, snatched her phone when she tried to call for help, and took turns in raping her. The friend, who had fled the scene, is now under police detention for questioning. Three of the accused arrested on October 12 were produced before the Durgapur sub-divisional court and remanded to 10 days' police custody, while the two others, arrested on Monday, were sent to nine days' custody. Meanwhile, the survivor's father said he had lost faith in West Bengal's law and order and wanted to take his daughter back to Odisha. "She (Mamata Banerjee) is also a woman. How can she say such an irresponsible thing? Should women quit their jobs and sit at home? It seems Bengal is under the rule of Aurangzeb. I want to take my daughter back to Odisha. Her life comes first, her career later," he said. His remarks came amid outrage over Banerjee's controversial statement that 'female students should not step out late at night'. Banerjee had said, 'I am shocked at what happened, but private medical colleges must take care of their girl students. They should not be allowed to go out at night.' She later clarified that her statement was 'distorted and taken out of context'. The remarks drew widespread condemnation from Opposition parties, women's rights groups, and the Odisha government. Banerjee's comment was 'disappointing and insulting to all women', Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Parvati Parida said. "A woman leader like Mamata Banerjee, who is known as 'Didi' and a female chief minister, has disappointed women with her statement that girls should not go out at night. Her statement has surprised not only me but also the four crore ninety lakh women of West Bengal. Her statement has astonished and insulted all women," Parida said. Odisha State Commission for Women Chairperson Sovana Mohanty travelled to Durgapur to meet the survivor and her parents. Governor Bose rushed to Durgapur on Monday to meet the survivor and her family. Expressing anguish, he said, "This is a very shocking incident, and it's not the first time something like this has happened. I cannot say with confidence that Bengal is safe. "Bengal once led the renaissance of India. Today, it needs a second renaissance to make the state safe for the girl child. We must own responsibility and ensure justice is done." Adding to the controversy, senior TMC MP Saugata Roy remarked: "Such cases are rare in Bengal. Women's safety here is better than most places. But girls should not go out late at night; police cannot be on every road." The NCW has also intervened, expressing 'deep anguish' and urging both the National Medical Commission and university authorities to ensure the survivor's academic safety. In an 11-point directive, the NCW recommended that the victim be allowed to take special examinations to avoid academic loss and be given the option to transfer to another medical college if she feels unsafe returning. 'Justice delayed is justice denied. The survivor must receive the best medical care, and a fast-track trial should ensure exemplary punishment,' NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar had said in the directive, which was shared by NCW member Archana Majumdar. The NCW also called for a security audit of the college, installation of CCTV cameras, and the setting up of a police outpost in the campus. Meanwhile, the BJP began a six-day sit-in at Durgapur's City Centre, accusing the TMC government of 'shielding perpetrators' and 'destroying evidence'. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that one of the arrested men was linked to the ruling TMC and was employed on contract by the Durgapur Municipal Corporation. "The father of one accused holds a TMC portfolio. This is a clear case of political shielding. The arrests are eyewash; they will be out on bail in 20 days. This is a cover-up," Adhikari claimed, alleging that the survivor's family was being denied access to medical reports. TMC's IT cell head Debangshu Bhattacharya dismissed the charge, saying, "Even if someone related to the accused is in TMC, that doesn't implicate the party. With nearly 50 per cent vote share, it's statistically normal that some individuals involved in crimes may be our supporters." Senior Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, commenting on the Durgapur gang rape case, on Monday said that women should exercise caution, as the police cannot be everywhere at once. IMAGE: TMC MP Saugata Roy. Photograph: Sansad TV/ANI Photo His remark came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee faced flak for advising female students not to venture out late at night. Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, the veteran parliamentarian claimed that women's safety in the state is better compared to other regions. "Such cases are rare in Bengal. Women's safety in Bengal is better than in any other place. But women shouldn't leave their colleges so late at night, as the police can't patrol everywhere. Police cannot be present on every road; police can take action after an incident occurs. So, women should also be cautious," Roy said. "Whatever the chief minister has said is absolutely correct," he said. His comments came after a 23-year-old second-year MBBS student of a private medical college was allegedly gang-raped near her campus on the night of October 10. According to police reports, the survivor, a native of Odisha, was returning from dinner with a friend when three men accosted her near Shobhapur in the industrial township, about 170 km from Kolkata. The accused allegedly snatched her phone, dragged her into a wooded area, and raped her before demanding money to return her belongings. The West Bengal Police on Monday arrested two more persons in connection with the case, taking the total number of arrests to five. Three accused were taken into custody on October 12. "I am shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also have to take care of their students, especially the girl child. They should not be allowed to go outside at night," the chief minister had said earlier. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress alleged that the chief minister's comments reflected the government's 'insensitive' attitude toward crimes against women and highlighted the state's deteriorating law and order situation. Later, Banerjee sought to clarify her position, saying her words had been taken 'out of context'. "The address I gave at the Kolkata airport has been deliberately distorted. My words were not what they have been made out to be," she told reporters in Alipurduar on Sunday evening. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's advice to female boarders on Sunday about not venturing out late at night, in the aftermath of the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur, drew criticism from the Opposition, which asserted that her remarks were emblematic of the state's law and order situation. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses the media at Kolkata airport. Photograph: ANI Photo Banerjee later alleged that her comments were taken out of context. During the day, three accused were arrested and sent to police remand for 10 days by a court in Durgapur over the alleged gangrape of the medical student, who hails from Odisha, as Banerjee asserted that no one involved in the crime will be spared. The chief minister told reporters in Alipurduar that her comments at Kolkata airport over the issue has been "deliberately distorted" and her words taken out of context. The father of the 23-year-old student appealed to the Odisha government to shift her to Bhubaneswar for treatment, citing threats to her life. Her parents, residents of Jaleswar in Balasore district, rushed to West Bengal after being informed about the incident. "I appeal to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to help shift my daughter to Bhubaneswar. I fear that her life may be in danger," her father told PTI. "They (not taking any name) will kill my daughter. Her health condition has improved, but there is danger to her life. I cannot trust them," he said. The second-year MBBS student is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Durgapur. Speaking to reporters after reaching natural disaster-hit north Bengal, Banerjee said, "My address at Dum Dum airport has been deliberately distorted. You ask me a question, and when I answer, my words are twisted and taken out of context. Do not try this nasty politics with me. "Unlike others, I have the decency to meet you and speak directly. Others merely respond to pre-decided questions." She had told journalists at Kolkata airport before leaving for north Bengal that her government has zero tolerance for such incidents. "This is a shocking incident... We have zero tolerance for such crimes. Three accused have been arrested and police are conducting search for others. Nobody will be spared," the CM said. The incident took place outside the campus of the private medical college in Durgapur on Friday night when the second-year student went out with a friend for dinner. "She was studying in a private medical college. Whose responsibility is it? How did she come out at 12.30 at night? Students staying in hostels, especially those who have come to West Bengal to study from outside, are expected to follow the rules of the hostels. They should avoid venturing out late at night, although they have the fundamental right to go wherever they want," the chief minister said. Banerjee said the medical institution concerned also bears responsibility for the incident. "Private colleges must ensure security within and around their campuses," she said. The police have certain logistical limitations in monitoring the movement of every individual, Banerjee said. "Officers would not know who is leaving home at night and cannot stand guard outside every home." Questioning what she called "selective outrage" over such crimes, she said "we condemn all such incidents wherever it takes place. We have seen so many cases in Bihar, UP and Odisha. In Bengal, we do not tolerate such crimes. We take them very seriously." Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya claimed that the chief minister's advice to female hostel students over venturing out during night time is an "admission" that there is no law and order in the state. "Does she have any moral right to sit in the chief minister's chair or don the mantle of police minister?" he asked. Both the BJP and the CPI-M asserted that the state was not safe for women. "She (Banerjee) has made it apparent that the state is not anymore safe for women," CPI-M Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said. The BJP and the Congress also held protests during the day in different places across West Bengal over the incident, seeking exemplary punishment for the accused. Terming the incident 'despicable and painful', Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said in an X post, 'Have learnt that the survivor is receiving medical care. Pray for her earliest recovery. Such shameful incidents and crimes against women have no place in society.' He called upon Banerjee to ensure a fair probe and strictest punishment to the perpetrators. Odisha State Commission for Women Chairperson Sovana Mohanty demanded the immediate arrest of all accused involved in the alleged gangrape. 'Soon after the incident came to light, the Odisha government wrote a letter to the West Bengal government calling for immediate action. The chief minister has talked to the survivor's family,' she said. Slamming the West Bengal government, Mohanty said, "Law and order has deteriorated in the state. Three accused persons were arrested after 36 hours of the incident, while another two are still absconding." Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Sunday expressed his desire to step down from his ministerial post as his income has significantly decreased since taking up the ministerial role. IMAGE: Union Minister and BJP's Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi. Photograph: @TheSureshGopi/X Addressing party workers at a function in Kannur, Gopi said, "I really want to continue acting. I need to earn more; my income has now stopped completely," he said. Gopi recommended BJP's newly elected Rajya Sabha member C Sadanandan as his replacement. Gopi said the senior leader's nomination to the Rajya Sabha marked a significant breakthrough in the politics of northern Kannur district. "I am saying here with sincerity that Sadanandan Master should be made a (union) minister after removing me. I believe that it will become a new chapter in the political history of Kerala," he said. Gopi, serving as union minister of state for petroleum and tourism, added that he prays that Sadanandan's MP office here will soon be upgraded to a ministerial office. The actor-turned-politician said he was among the youngest BJP members in the state, having joined the party only in October 2016. He noted that the party might have made him a Union minister in recognition of the mandate given by the people during the Lok Sabha polls. "I never wanted to be a minister by quitting my film career," Gopi said. Sadanandan Master, a senior leader of the saffron party from Kannur district, is a survivor of political violence. He lost both his legs during an alleged attack by Communist Party of India-Marxist workers in 1994. With inputs from PTI, ANI India and Canada on Monday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to boost cooperation in areas of trade, critical minerals and energy as Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as part of efforts to rebuild ties that came under severe strain following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023. IMAGE: Canada Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand meets with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Monday. Photograph: @narendramodi_X/ANI Photo In their meeting, Jaishankar and Anand agreed to commence ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment at an early date considering the global economic realities and each other's 'strategic priorities'. It is learnt that the Indian side also flagged its concerns over activities of certain pro-Khalistan elements in Canada. The two sides will pursue a 'constructive and balanced' partnership grounded in respect for each other's 'concerns and sensitivities', strong people-to-people ties, and growing economic complementarities, a joint statement said. The talks between the two foreign ministers came nearly four months after PM Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney held talks in June on the margins of the G7 summit at Kananaskis in Canada. 'In keeping with the priorities that the prime ministers of India and Canada had set out for bringing momentum to the relationship, both sides, based on mutual respect for shared democratic values, the rule of law, and a commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, reached consensus on a New Roadmap,' the statement said. Anand met PM Modi ahead of her talks with Jaishankar. In a social media post, Modi said he and Anand discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, technology, energy, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges for 'mutual growth and prosperity'. Modi conveyed to Anand that her visit to India would contribute to ongoing efforts to impart 'new momentum' to the bilateral partnership, an official readout said. The prime minister recalled his visit to Canada in June when he held an 'extremely productive' meeting with Carney, it said. Modi conveyed his warm wishes to PM Carney and said that he looked forward to their upcoming engagements, it added. In his opening remarks at the meeting with Anand, Jaishankar said India-Canada relations have been steadily 'progressing' in the last few months and that both sides working to 'restore and reinvigorate' the mechanisms necessary to advance the partnership. "When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, we see another open society, we see diversity and pluralism, and we believe that that is the basis for a close, sustainable and long-term cooperative framework," he said. The external affairs minister said an ambitious roadmap has been firmed up to advance India-Canada cooperation in various domains, including trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, civil nuclear collaboration, AI, critical minerals, and energy. "Our responsibility as foreign ministers is to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation and to ensure that it delivers on the expectation of our prime ministers and the interests of our people," he said. "It means not only taking initiatives in our particular jurisdiction but to monitor and integrate interactions across the entire breadth of the government," he added. Anand said on social media that both sides are pursuing a 'constructive and balanced' partnership grounded in ongoing law enforcement dialogue and growing economic partnership opportunities including in the areas of energy, trade and artificial intelligence. The joint statement said Jaishankar and Anand recognised that in the context of ongoing global economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions, a strong and resilient India-Canada relationship is essential. "Reviving this partnership will not only create opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation but also help mitigate vulnerabilities arising from shifting global alliances, ensure more reliable supply chains, and reinforce strategic stability in an increasingly complex international environment," it said. It said both sides welcomed and appreciated ongoing discussions in civil nuclear cooperation in support of clean energy transitions. Anand and Jaishankar also welcomed discussions between India's Department of Atomic Energy and Canadian uranium suppliers, from the standpoint of existing and proposed new mines, the statement noted. It said the economic cooperation will include ministerial-level discussions on bilateral trade and investment, and the resumption of the Canada-India CEO Forum to identify ways to facilitate increased trade and investment. Anand landed in New Delhi on Saturday as part of her three-nation trip including to China and Singapore. The India-Canada relations hit rock bottom following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had dismissed Trudeau's accusation as 'absurd'. In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats. However, Liberal Party leader Carney's victory in the parliamentary election in April helped in beginning the process to reset relations. Both sides have already posted their high commissioners in each other's capitals. The two countries also agreed to revive several mechanisms to advance relations in a range of areas. Having struck a seat-sharing deal, leaders of the Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party sat across the table in Patna on Monday to thrash out, among other things, constituencies they planned to swap or give up in favour of smaller allies in Bihar. IMAGE: Supporters of ticket aspirants stage a protest at the JD-U office campus ahead of the Bihar Assembly Election 2025, in Patna on Sunday. Photograph: ANI Photo Both parties have decided to contest 101 seats each in the polls to the 243-strong assembly, a little less than they had fought five years ago, leaving 29 for Union minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas and six each for Rashtriya Lok Morcha of Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha and Hindustani Awam Morcha founded by former chief minister, and now a Union minister, Jitan Ram Manjhi. After the meeting that took place at the residence of JD-U working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, state minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Nabin downplayed the outbursts of Manjhi, who has been feeling 'undervalued' by getting far fewer seats than Paswan, and as many as Kushwaha, even though unlike the HAM which has four MLAs, the LJP-RV and RLM have no representation in the outgoing assembly. "There is no bitterness anywhere. All is well and all constituents are now busy finalising candidates so that they could file their nomination papers at the earliest," asserted Nabin, who is himself hoping to retain Bankipur assembly seat in Patna for a record fifth consecutive term. On Sunday, when the seat-sharing formula was announced in Delhi, Manjhi was back in Patna, where he warned the NDA of 'adverse effects' of the 'raw deal' given to his party, even though he stopped short of revolting against the coalition. Asked when the BJP was likely to announce its candidates, he replied, "Give us time. It will happen soon." Sources in the party, however, said that candidates' names were being considered by the central leadership and upon its nod, the same will be announced here. They also said that at the meeting both JD-U and BJP, which had in 2020 contested 115 and 110 seats respectively, discussed the seats they would 'sacrifice' this time in order to accommodate the smaller allies. Based on local 'equations', the two parties may also 'swap' some of the seats like it was done in the Lok Sabha polls last year. They cited the example of Sheohar, which the JD-U fought and won in the parliamentary elections, though the BJP had been representing for past several terms. Sheohar MP Lovely Anand's son Chetan Anand had won the eponymous assembly seat, in 2020, on an RJD ticket but had crossed over to the NDA last year when Nitish Kumar had quit the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and gravitated towards the INDIA bloc. Lovely Anand's husband Anand Mohan had walked out of jail last year after serving life sentence in a case of 1994 when an IAS officer was beaten to death by a mob. Speculations were rife that Mohan, once seen as a Robinhood-like figure by upper caste Rajputs of Bihar, was also eyeing tickets for himself and his younger son. When journalists approached Mohan with queries, he gave an evasive reply, "I am nowhere in the picture. The media indulges in speculations on its own and then approaches me with queries." Meanwhile, JD-U sources said the list of the party's candidates would be released 'soon after an approval from the chief minister'. Filing of nomination papers for the second and final phase has begun while it will be over for the first leg on October 17. Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who quit the services in 2019 over "denial of freedom of expression" to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, joined the Congress on Monday and said he realised that only the grand old party can take the country in the right direction. IMAGE: Kannan Gopinathan tweeted this photograph with Rahul Gandhi soon after announcing he was joining the Congress party. Photograph: Courtesy, naukarshah/X Gopinathan joined the party in the presence of Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, AICC media and publicity department head Pawan Khera, and party leaders Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mewani and IAS officer-turned-politician Sasikanth Senthil. "One of the brave bureaucrats who has a passion towards the downtrodden and marginalised people of the country and who has always fought for justice and unity: this is what defines Gopinathan ji. He was born in Kerala and has worked in the Northeast and other parts of the country," Venugopal said. Gopinathan's joining the Congress party is a clear message that it's the only party fighting for justice with an ideology, he said. "He resigned in 2019, but his resignation has still not been accepted. Bureaucrats who fight for justice and the marginalised are being penalised by the government -- this phenomenon is evident in both Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Even the Chief Justice of India is not immune to these attacks," Venugopal said at the press conference. "It's the right time to fight against this divisive agenda. So, today, his entry into the Congress party is a welcome step, and we wholeheartedly welcome him," he said. Noting that Gopinathan was an IAS officer of the 2012 batch, Khera said that when speaking out in the country had become almost impossible, he raised his voice. "Kannan Gopinathan ji raised his voice loudly against the conversion of Jammu-Kashmir from a state to a UT and was vocal on the issue of the CAA as well. He conveyed the message that the right of people to speak cannot be taken away. Gopinathan ji also spoke openly on the issue of VVPAT," Khera said. "He faced many FIRs and various actions, but he did not get scared or bow down. In the end, he quit such a job that everyone wants to attain. We are happy that Gopinathan ji has chosen the Congress party. Our doors are open for every voice that speaks of freedom and justice," Khera said. In his remarks, Gopinathan said he resigned from his job in 2019, and at that time, he knew that the direction in which the government was taking the country was wrong. "I also knew that I had to fight against this wrong. After this decision, I travelled to 80-90 districts of the country, talked to people, and met with numerous leaders. I realised that only the Congress party can take this country in the right direction," he said. "We saw that in this government, anyone who asks questions is labelled a traitor. It took me quite some time, but I'm happy that today I am associated with the Congress party, and I will fulfil whatever responsibility the party gives me with complete honesty," Gopinathan said. In a post on X, Venugopal said, "We warmly welcome Shri Kannan Gopinathan, former IAS officer and fearless voice for democracy, to the Congress family." "He has served as a principled administrator, an active citizen, and a committed democrat, and his joining will certainly give a boost to our movement that stands to protect the Constitution, freedom, and inclusive social fabric of India," the Congress general secretary said. A young man was allegedly forced to wash the feet of a Brahmin community member and drink that water for sharing an 'objectionable' AI-generated image, prompting police to register a case against four persons, officials said. IMAGE: An OBC man forced to wash a Brahmin's feet for posting an AI-generated image on Instagram. Photograph: Video grab/X The incident took place on Saturday at Satariya village under the jurisdiction of Patera police station, 45 km from the district headquarters, they said on Sunday. A video of the incident has surfaced on social media. Purshottam Kushwaha, who belongs to an OBC community, allegedly posted on Instagram an Artificial Intelligence-generated image showing another villager, Annu Pandey, wearing a garland of shoes, the officials said. After the post went viral and sparked anger and tension in the area, Kushwaha deleted the post and publicly apologised, Superintendent of Police Shrut Kirti Somvansh said. A village panchayat was convened and Kushwaha was forced to wash Pandey's feet and drink the same water, the SP said. The panchayat also imposed a fine of Rs 5,100 on him. A video of the humiliating proceedings was shared on social media. Another video showed Kushwaha purportedly saying he had apologised for the mistake he made, and did not want the incident to become a political issue. The victim has not lodged any formal complaint yet, local officials said. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against four men, including Pandey, Damoh Collector Sudhir Kumar Kocher told reporters. The Congress condemned the incident as a "blot on humanity". "The Constitution has given every citizen of the country equal status. Such incidents against Dalits and backward communities are a disgrace to the entire nation and society and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms," the party said on X. It demanded strict action against the culprits and added that the country must run according to "Dr B R Ambedkar's Constitution" and not the "favoured Manuvad" of the RSS and BJP. State BJP media in-charge Ashish Agrawal accused the Opposition party of politicising every crime, and asserted the government led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav takes prompt and strict action in every crime. The FIR has been registered under Section 196 (promoting enmity between different groups) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the "process of arresting the accused is underway," he added. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Monday said Afghanistan achieved its objective in the border skirmish against Pakistan, and stopped the attack at the request of Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. IMAGE: A man sits next to trucks parked at the Torkham border crossing, after Pakistan closed border crossings with Afghanistan, following exchanges of fire between the forces of the two countries, in Torkham, Pakistan, on October 12, 2025. Photograph: Shahid Shinwari/Reuters Replying to media queries, the visiting minister said Afghanistan retaliated to Pakistani aggression on the border, and objectives were achieved. "During the operation, our friendly countries, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE, requested that the war should stop, and we agreed," Muttaqi said. There has been no significant incident after that, he added. "We believe that war is not a solution to any problem. Dialogue and diplomacy are needed to resolve issues. This will be our policy in future as well. We want people in the region to live in peace and prosper, and lead a good life," Muttaqi said. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by industry body Ficci. United States President Donald Trump on Monday praised India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi without naming him, saying 'India is a great country with a good friend of mine at the top'. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump waits to greet world leaders before a family photo at a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025. Photograph: Yoan Valat/Pool via Reuters Trump, addressing a summit of world leaders in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh after a ceasefire reached in Gaza ending the Israel-Hamas war, said from the podium that he thinks 'India and Pakistan will live very nicely together'. "India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top and he's just done a fantastic job. I think Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together," Trump said while looking at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who was standing behind him, as he responded with a chuckle. Earlier praising Sharif and his 'favourite field marshal' Pakistan army chief Gen Asim Munir, Trump also invited the Pakistan prime minister to address the gathering. Sharif said peace has been achieved in the Middle East after 'untiring and relentless efforts' of President Trump. "Pakistan had nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his outstanding (and) extraordinary contributions to first stop the war between India and Pakistan and then achieve a ceasefire along with his very wonderful team," he said. Sharif said he would like to nominate Trump again for the Nobel Peace Prize for 'saving millions of lives not only in South Asia but also in the Middle East'. After missing out on the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump has claimed to have resolved eight wars, including the one between India and Pakistan, saying, he did not do this for the Nobel. Trump has been claiming to resolve seven conflicts till now, including the one between India and Pakistan. However, he has now increased that figure to eight after adding the Israel-Gaza conflict. Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a 'full and immediate' ceasefire after a 'long night' of talks mediated by Washington, DC, he has repeated his claim dozens of times that he 'helped settle' the conflict between India and Pakistan. India has consistently maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. With all 20 remaining living hostages held by Hamas back in Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed their release after over two years of captivity and said India supports United States President Donald Trump's 'sincere efforts' to bring peace to the region. IMAGE: Released hostage Evyatar David, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at the site of Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Petah Tikva, Israel on October 13, 2025. Photograph: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters Modi's remarks came hours before President Trump and several other global leaders signed a Gaza ceasefire deal at a peace summit in Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh represented PM Modi at the summit. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated India's long standing support for a 'negotiated two State solution' and that it will support all efforts towards a lasting peace in the region. India welcomes the signing of the landmark peace agreement and hopes that this will lead to lasting peace in the region, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on the outcome of the peace summit in Egypt. Earlier in the day, Hamas released the hostages as part of the first phase of President Trump's Gaza peace plan. 'We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity,' Modi said on X. 'Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu,' he said. 'We support President Trump's sincere efforts to bring peace to the region,' Modi added. Trump addressed the Israeli parliament before travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh to attend the peace summit. It was co-hosted by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. 'India stands for peace in the Middle East and resolution of issues through dialogue and diplomacy,' the MEA said in a late night statement. 'We support the Gaza peace plan of President Trump and appreciate Egypt and Qatar for their valuable roles in achieving this and advancing the path to peace,' it said. The MEA said the peace summit was aimed at strengthening efforts for regional peace and stability, in line with President Trump's vision for lasting peace in the region. 'This is also in line with India's long standing support for a negotiated two State solution. India will support all efforts towards a lasting peace in the region,' it said. Under the Gaza peace plan, Israel is releasing nearly 2,000 prisoners and detainees. In his address to the Israeli parliament, Trump described the Gaza peace process as 'the dawn of a new Middle East' and that a 'beautiful and much brighter future' appears suddenly within the region's reach. 'After two harrowing years of darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families,' he said. In his remarks at the peace summit, the US President said: 'This is the first time the Middle East crisis has brought people together, as opposed to driving them apart, and to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of the generations past, which is foolish.' 'So together, let us continue in the spirit of cooperation and goodwill that has finally brought us to this incredible, historic breakthrough,' he said. The ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on Friday. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israeli cities on October 7, 2023 killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also took 251 people as hostages. Some of the hostages were released earlier. Israeli military operations have killed over 66,000 Palestinians since then, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Gaza has been reeling under a massive humanitarian crisis largely due to scarcity of food and medicines. The World Health Organisation said last month that Gaza's malnutrition rates have reached 'alarming levels'. Under the plan, Gaza will be a 'deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours' and that it will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of the Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Israel Prize, the country's highest civilian honour, hailing him as 'the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House'. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Knesset, Israel's unicameral legislature, in Jerusalem on Monday. Photograph: @IsraeliPM X/ANI Photo The announcement came during a historic session of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, where Trump was welcomed with a prolonged standing ovation and honoured for his leadership in brokering a peace deal that has led to the release of all 20 living hostages and a formal end to the two-year war with Hamas. "I have seen many US presidents, but I have never seen anyone move the world so quickly and decisively as our friend President Donald J Trump," Netanyahu said during his address. Netanyahu also praised Trump's record on Israel, including his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the relocation of the US embassy, acknowledgement of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, support at the United Nations, and his role in initiating the Abraham Accords. "You've already been etched in the history of humanity... We remember our friends, and we know your important and decisive role in bringing back the rest of our hostages." Netanyahu told Trump, as quoted by the Times of Israel. The remark by the Israeli Prime Minister came after Hamas released all 20 living hostages earlier on Monday. Trump arrived in Israel on Monday as the exchange of hostages continued. He is scheduled to attend the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh to advance his Gaza peace plan. In his address, Netanyahu also credited Trump with presenting a peace proposal that achieved all of Israel's war objectives and 'opened the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond'. "President Trump, we welcome you here to thank you for your pivotal leadership for the proposal that got the backing of the entire world. A proposal that brings all our hostages home. A proposal that ends the war by meeting all our objectives," the Israeli PM said. Earlier, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana compared Trump to Cyrus the Great, the ancient Persian ruler who enabled Jews to return to Jerusalem from exile. "Mr President, you stand before the people of Israel not as another American president, but as a giant of Jewish history," Ohana declared, adding that Trump will be remembered "thousands of years from now." Trump, standing at the Knesset rostrum, received a two-and-a-half-minute standing ovation, with trumpets played by the Knesset Guard. Accompanying him were senior officials, including Trump's Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, all of whom were also warmly applauded by the Israeli lawmakers, as reported by the Times of Israel. According to the Times of Israel, Monday marked the end of the two-year war, which began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that claimed over 1,200 Israeli lives and resulted in the abduction of 251 people. All 20 living hostages returned to Israel earlier today. As per the Israeli government, the hostages were identified as Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio, Ariel Cunio, Gali, Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal and were safely escorted out of the Gaza Strip by special Israeli forces after they were transferred to the Red Cross by Hamas. A non-vegetarian party in the premises of a government-run school in Surat city of Gujarat has created a huge controversy and led to the suspension of the principal. Image only for representational purposes. Photograph: Pixabay.com The incident came to light after a video of people eating chicken and mutton items during a get-together inside the premises of Primary School No 342 in Surat's Godadara area went viral on social media platforms on Sunday. The principal of the government-run school has been suspended for allegedly organising the non-veg party in the premises without the permission of authorities, an official said on Monday, adding he will also face a departmental inquiry. It was revealed that the get-together was held on Sunday afternoon and a banner in Telugu on the main gate of the school suggested it was a re-union of students who studied in the institute between 1987 and 1991. As the video of the non-veg feast went viral on social media and invited backlash from users, the Primary Education Committee (PEC) of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), which runs the school, ordered a probe on Sunday evening. Based on the findings of the probe, the PEC on Monday ordered the suspension of school principal Prabhakar Eligatin, the official said. "This is indeed a condemnable act because we can see non-veg being served to people (at get-together). No permission was taken from authorities for this event inside the school. We have suspended the school principal for tarnishing our image. A departmental inquiry will also be conducted against him," said committee chairman Rajendra Kapadia. In his defence, Eligatin claimed the non-veg items were brought from outside the school and he was not present when they were served to former students of the institute. "It was a reunion of past students and many of them came here with their children from abroad. We had planned to organise the get-together at a farmhouse, but it was cancelled at the last moment," said the suspended principal. "It was then decided to organise reunion on the backside of the school on Sunday. Non-veg items were brought from outside by them. I was not present at that time," Eligatin stated. Claiming misrepresentation in the petition seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the September 27 Karur stampede, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Monday said the Supreme Court may cancel its order directing investigation by the central agency and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, who led the rally on that fateful day, said 'justice will triumph'. IMAGE: DMK MP P Wilson. Photograph: Sansad TV/ANI Photo The principal opposition party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam termed the SC's decision as 'clearly a slap in the face for DMK' while the Bharatiya Janata Party said it would 'trust' only the central agency investigation. Actor-politician Vijay took to 'X' to post his reaction. DMK Rajya Sabha member and advocate P Wilson, who represented the Tamil Nadu government in the stampede case, Supreme Court's decision for a CBI probe into the Karur stampede case, said two people have informed the court that without their knowledge, their names had been used to file a petition. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede and appointed former apex court judge Ajay Rastogi as head of a committee to monitor it. A bench, comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria, also criticised Justice N Senthilkumar of the Madras High Court for entertaining petitions on the September 27 stampede at actor Vijay's rally and ordering an SIT probe. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Wilson said people are celebrating already, but there is a chance that the Supreme Court order can be cancelled if it is proved that the petitions are fraudulently filed. "Tomorrow if this (two people's petition) is proved, there is a chance that the order can be cancelled, as courts follow the doctrine, 'fraud vitiates all solemn acts'," he added. He also said the SC had decided to let the one-member commission headed by former high court Judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to continue its inquiry. "The court has also ordered the transfer of the findings of the SIT investigation. This means the court has confidence in the investigation held so far. Otherwise, it could have asked for de novo review, that is, to start all over," Wilson said. Meanwhile, AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said the SC's decision is "clearly a slap in the face for DMK". "They were peddling narratives and lies instead of doing justice to the victims' families. There were glaring deficiencies in the way DMK took forward the handling of the investigation in this case," he told PIT Videos. Tamil Nadu BJP former president K Annamalai said it is only proper that a "trained agency like CBI, which has handled many such cases should take over the investigation". He also said the BJP wanted a CBI inquiry from the beginning because there was no trust in the one-member commission constituted by the TN government. "This is about the lives of 41 people. We need to get to the bottom of it. Is it the mistake of the organisers or the local administration or somebody in the crowd," he told reporters Chennai. Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman said that the Supreme Court ordering a CBI probe into the Karur stampede was an insult to Tamil Nadu and its police force. He also asked if the CBI officers are specially endowed. "Our police didn't even begin the investigation and how is it fair then to transfer the case to CBI? This is an insult to not just the police, but also the state's autonomy," Seeman told reporters in Chennai. He also criticised the DMK-led government for readily handing over state matters to the Union government. "We all fought very hard for state autonomy, but now the DMK is handing everything on a platter to the Centre. Be it CBI inquiry or caste census," Seeman said. The top court on October 10 reserved its order on a plea filed by Vijay's political party and others. The TVK has sought an independent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, contending that a fair and impartial probe would not be possible if conducted solely by officers of the Tamil Nadu Police. The TVK's plea objected to the high court constituting a special investigation team (SIT) only with officers of the Tamil Nadu police. It alleged the possibility of a pre-planned conspiracy by some miscreants that led to the stampede. The plea also took exception to the scathing remarks of the high court against the party and the actor-politician that they abandoned the place after the incident and did not express any remorse. While both sides have announced the decision to restart talks for a trade deal, government officials said discussions are continuing virtually. IMAGE: US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor meets Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal. Photograph: Kind courtesy @USAmbIndia/X United States Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor held a key meeting on Sunday with Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal in New Delhi, where discussions centred around enhancing economic ties between the two countries, with emphasis on increasing investment in the US. 'During my visit to India, I met with Commerce Secretary Agrawal and discussed US-India economic ties, including increased investment in the United States,' read a post from the official account of the US ambassador to India on X. The meeting took place during Gor's visit to India from October 9 to 14. The agenda includes discussing a wide range of bilateral issues amid the ongoing trade talks between the two countries and efforts to resolve the issue of the steep 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent punitive tariff linked to purchases of Russian oil. Talks part of broader push on trade and economic ties Apart from meeting Agrawal and other senior commerce department officials, Gor held a series of meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit K Doval on Saturday. On Friday, Modi and US President Donald Trump also reviewed the 'good progress' achieved in trade negotiations. While both sides have officially announced the decision to restart talks for a trade deal, government officials said discussions are continuing virtually. US shutdown delays in-person trade negotiations Considering the ongoing US government shutdown, both sides are exploring options to hold an in-person round of talks, preferably in Washington, DC. The US government entered a shutdown on October 1 after Republicans and Democrats failed to pass a Bill to fund government services beyond September. The shutdown currently underway is the fourth-longest in US history. 'The US values its relationship with India, and under the strong leadership of President Donald J Trump and Prime Minister Modi, I am optimistic about the days ahead for both of our nations,'Gor said on Saturday. 'President Trump considers Prime Minister Modi a great and personal friend. In fact, just before I left for New Delhi, they had an incredible phone call, and that is something that will continue over the weeks and months ahead.' Kirti Singh To Represent PM at Gaza Peace Deal Archis Mohan IMAGE: Union Minister Of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh will represent the prime minister at the signing ceremony of the Gaza peace plan in Egypt on Monday, said official sources in New Delhi. This was after US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sources said the invite to the PM was from US President Donald J Trump, who is headed to the coastal city of Sharm-el Sheikh, the venue of the 'peace summit', and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. Trump and El-Sisi will co-host the summit with the objective of ending the two-year war in Gaza. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are slated to be among the over 20 heads of states and governments to attend the peace summit. Prime Minister Modi has supported and endorsed the Trump-initiated Gaza peace plan, including with his social media posts and a personal congratulatory phone call on October 9. IMAGE: 'Glad to receive Mr Sergio Gor, Ambassador-designate of the US to India. I'm confident that his tenure will further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. Photograph: Kind courtesy @narendramodi/X On Saturday, after meeting the PM, Gor said the US 'values' its relationship with India. Gor also handed over to Modi a framed photo of the prime minister and the US president during the former's visit to Washington DC in February. It is understood that Gor's six-day visit to India would lay the groundwork for the PM's meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the East Asia summit later this month. Gor's talks with the PM, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Doval on Saturday focussed on cooperation in areas of defence, trade and critical minerals. New Delhi, which has resisted criticism of Trump for imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, and restrictions imposed on H1B visas, among other issues that have hurt Indian interests, is hopeful of a breakthrough in trade negotiations. IMAGE: Sergio Gor meets meets External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, in New Delhi. Photograph: Kind courtesy @USAmbIndia/X Gor said his meeting with Modi focused on defence, trade, technology and critical minerals, adding that Trump considers Modi a great leader and a personal friend. Accompanied by Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J Rigas, Gor is visiting New Delhi days after his appointment as US envoy to India was confirmed by the senate. American officials said Gor will not present his credentials as the US envoy to the President of India during his stay in New Delhi this time. It is rare for an ambassador-designate to meet the PM before presenting credentials to the President. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said India's presence at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, at the level of a Minister of State, was in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there, and wondered whether the decision reflects 'strategic restraint' or 'missed opportunity'. IMAGE: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Photograph: @HouseForeign/X Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh is representing India at a peace summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. It is learnt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited for the summit that is expected to be attended by US President Donald Trump and nearly 20 other world leaders. However, New Delhi deputed Singh to attend the summit. Reacting to the development, Tharoor said, "India's presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there. Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?" "This is no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question; but given the galaxy of grandees present, India's choice could be seen as signalling a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey," said Tharoor, a former minister of state for external affairs. "And for reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice at the Summit on issues of reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight than it could have. In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling," the Congress MP argued. The summit is taking place days after the first phase of President Trump's Gaza peace plan came into effect. The ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on Friday. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israeli cities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people. Hamas also took 251 people as hostages, and over 50 of them are still in its captivity. Israeli military operations have killed over 66,000 Palestinians since then, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. Gaza has been reeling under a massive humanitarian crisis largely due to the scarcity of food and medicines. The World Health Organisation said last month that Gaza's malnutrition rates have reached 'alarming levels'. Calling the Gaza ceasefire 'the historic dawn of a new Middle East', United States President Donald Trump on Monday said the forces of 'chaos, terror, and ruin' have been defeated, and the 'long and painful nightmare' is finally over not only for Israelis but also for Palestinians. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One en route to Washington, DC, after participating in a world leaders' summit in Egypt on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Hailing the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, Trump said now it will be the 'Golden Age' of Israel and the Middle East. Addressing the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Trump said that the entire region endorsed the plan of demilitarising Gaza and disarming Hamas. "It is not only the End of a war--it is the END of an age of terror and death." In the first US presidential address to the Israeli parliament, since 2008, Trump said, "This long and difficult war has ended. In an unprecedented achievement, virtually the entire region has endorsed the plan that Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will be disarmed, and Israel's security will not be threatened." Trump said that Israel won all that it could with arms, and now there will be peace in the entire Middle East. "Israel has won all that they can by force of arms. Now, it's time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of PEACE and PROSPERITY for the entire Middle East. Across the Middle East, the forces of chaos, terror, and ruin that have plagued the region for decades now stand weakened... defeated. A new coalition of proud and responsible nations is emerging--and because of us, the enemies of all civilisation are in retreat", he said. He further said that there is peace at last for Israelis and Palestinians. "For so many families across this land, it has been years since you have known a single day of true peace. But now, at last--not only for Israelis but also for Palestinians and for many others--the long and painful nightmare is finally OVER," he said. Trump said that after thousands of Israeli civilians were attacked two years ago on October 7, 2003, there would be everlasting peace. Hamas attacks claimed over 1,200 Israeli lives and resulted in the abduction of 251 people. "Two years ago... thousands of innocent Israeli civilians were attacked by terrorists in one of the most evil and heinous desecrations of innocent life the world has ever seen... please know that America joins you in those two everlasting vows--NEVER FORGET, and NEVER AGAIN. Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change... Like the USA right now, it will be the GOLDEN AGE of Israel and the Golden Age of the Middle East." Trump then said that for the Middle East, this is the end of terror, and a new beginning. "This is not only the End of a war--it is the END of an age of terror and death, and the BEGINNING of the age of faith, hope, and of God... This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East. After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families... And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is FINALLY AT PEACE--a land and a region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity," he said. Trump, without elaborating much, said that in his tenure, he 'settled eight wars'. "If we go into a war, we are going to win it like nobody ever has won it before...We will not be politically correct. We have settled 8 wars in 8 months, including this one," he said. Trump then said that now, 'productive and responsible nations' of the Middle East region should not be adversaries, but friends. "It's more obvious than ever that the productive and responsible nations of this region should not be enemies or adversaries, you should be partners -- and eventually even friends. The choice for Palestinians could not be more clear. This is their chance to turn forever from the path of terror and violence... The total focus of Gazans must be on restoring the fundamentals... so they can finally have the better life their children deserve," he said. Trump called for an end to extremism and anti-Semitism. "It should now be clear to everyone throughout the region that decades of fomenting terrorism and extremism, jihadism and anti-Semitism, have not worked... From Gaza to Iran, those bitter hatreds have delivered nothing but misery, suffering, failure, and death," he said. Earlier in the day, Trump listened to all the hostages narrating their ordeals. Israel's Ambassador to the United States Yechiel (Michael) Leiter welcomed Trump to the airport, and highlighted their heartfelt conversation. Speaker of The Knesset, Amir Ohana shared glimpses of Trump's arrival at the Israeli Parliament. For the first time in over two years, Hamas held no living hostages in its captivity. "This is my great honor -- a great and beautiful day. A new beginning," Trump said earlier while signing the guestbook at the Knesset in Jerusalem. Air Force One was welcomed to Israeli airspace by Ben Gurion Airport control tower: "Welcome to the state of Israel, Mr. President. Your visit carries deep meaning for people in this time. Thank you for your friendship and unbreakable bond between our nations. God bless America and God bless Israel." US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on X, 'I wondered if I would ever see this day. It's deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home. Today, twenty families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again. But even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever. I can't help but feel the presence of my son Andrew at this moment. I am profoundly grateful for the indomitable spirit of President Trump. This day would not have been possible without him.' Release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails began after Hamas freed all 20 living Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip as part of the ceasefire deal. Trump will be heading to Egypt to co-chair an international summit on the deal, Al Jazeera reported. The Israel-Hamas conflict has killed at least 67,869 people and wounded 170,105 since October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and over 250 were taken captive. United States President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will hold, saying that people are "tired of war" after centuries of conflict. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump holds an umbrella before boarding Air Force One, as he departs for Israel, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on October 12, 2025. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters He made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, shortly after emplaning for Israel. On being asked whether the war between Israel and Hamas is over, Trump responded, "The war is over..." When asked if he believed the ceasefire deal would hold, the President replied, "I think it is going to hold. There are a lot of reasons why it's going to hold. But I think people are tired of it. It's been centuries... I think people are tired of it." Before boarding his flight, Trump described the upcoming visit as "a very special time," calling it a moment filled with excitement and unity. "This is going to be a very special time... Everybody's very excited about this moment in time," Trump said. He went on to call the visit a remarkable occasion, stating, "This is a very special event... Everybody's cheering at one time. That's never happened before. Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn't. The other is the opposite." Reflecting on the rare sense of collective enthusiasm, Trump added, "This is the first time everybody is amazed and they're thrilled, and it's an honour to be involved." "We're going to have an amazing time, and it's going to be something that's never happened before," he said. According to the White House itinerary, the President will arrive in Tel Aviv early Monday morning local time. His tightly scheduled visit, which he described as "a very special time," includes a private meeting with families of hostages at the Knesset, followed by a public address to Israeli lawmakers. This marks Trump's first visit to Israel since he announced the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The trip coincides with the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza Peace Plan, underlining its significance in the ongoing peace efforts. Following his engagements in Israel, Trump will travel to Egypt, which hosted negotiations between Israel and Hamas after he unveiled the 21-point Gaza Peace Plan that includes the disarmament of the Hamas group. The centrepiece of his visit will be a peace ceremony in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon. Trump had earlier announced plans to travel to Egypt for the official signing of the ceasefire deal, although specific details about the agreement have not yet been disclosed in the official schedule. According to the itinerary, the President will spend less than seven hours on the ground in Israel before departing for Egypt, where he is expected to remain for approximately three hours before beginning his return journey to Washington. The visit comes after the initiation of phase one of the Israel-Gaza deal, which reportedly saw the arrival of 200 US troops to establish a coordination centre. Trump's decision to address the Knesset highlights the importance Washington places on its partnership with Jerusalem during this critical stage of the peace process. The meeting with hostage families, scheduled as a closed-press event, is expected to be among the most sensitive moments of the visit. The President is set to return to the White House shortly after midnight on Tuesday. This trip marks Trump's latest engagement in Middle East diplomacy, following his visit to Gulf states earlier this year. The compressed timeline reflects the urgency shared by Washington and regional capitals to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. Officials have not provided additional details regarding attendance at the Sharm el-Sheikh ceremony or the specific agreements that may be formalised during the event. According to Mr Babar, within four days of this interview the Mumbai terror attack was underway, bringing the two countries closest to war in years -- 'The warmongers shattered Zardari's dream of peace with India'. IMAGE: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari. Photograph: ANI Photo Farhatullah Babar is well known in Pakistan as an intellectual and politician with strong loyalties to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). During Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's tenure in the 1990s, he was her speech writer and spokesperson. He has been a member multiple times of Pakistan's upper chamber or senate. Within Pakistan's political spectrum, he stands out as a prominent liberal voice who has consistently sought to reduce the role of the military establishment in political matters and equally as a strong and passionate advocate of human rights and democratic values. He was the PPP spokesperson when Benazir was assassinated in December 2007. To his surprise, Asif Ali Zardari, who emerged as Benazir's principal legatee as her husband and father of her children, asked him to stay on in the job. In the political churn of the post-assassination situation, Mr Zardari catapulted himself to the presidency in September 2008 as General Pervez Musharraf was forced to resign rather than face the humiliation of certain impeachment. The PPP had in the meantime won the general election and formed the government. Mr Babar was again surprised when Mr Zardari asked him to become the president's spokesperson. This book -- The Zardari Presidency (2008-2013): Now It Must Be Told --is Mr Babar's account of Mr Zardari's five years as president from 2008 to 2013. This was a tumultuous period of Pakistan's history. Certainly, for the outside world, two transformative events of the time were the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008 and then the assassination of Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Yet this period was a fraught time for other reasons also. In Mr Babar's recollection, the events that shaped this phase were: 'The deep state breathing down Zardari's neck; a partisan Chief Justice hounding him; fabrications and intrigues like MemoGate post the OBL disaster to make Zardari the scapegoat and pushing him to the brink; and of the troops of 111 Brigade thudding into the Presidency at night to browbeat a defiant Zardari'. If this book has a single theme, it is that of a particular phase of Pakistan's endemic and long-running civil-military conflict. But other details are equally fascinating: How the bin Laden raid was received in Pakistan's political circles; different perceptions regarding the iconic but controversial Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudhury whom Mr Zardari never trusted; the US role in different crisis situations in Pakistan and background regarding the once prominent Raymond Davies affair; how Musharraf, by resigning to escape impeachment, ensured that details of his, and others, involvement in AQ Khan's proliferation network did not enter the public domain and so on. The book also conveys a sense of just how complicit many prominent politicians are in the military's machinations to stay on top of the political process and the unapologetic veniality of the deals struck in the process. IMAGE: Farhatullah Babar. Photograph: pips.gov.pk Mr Babar relates he accepted Mr Zardari's offer to be the presidential spokesperson with some misgiving. Although he had been a close and loyal aide to Benazir Bhutto, his relationship with Mr Zardari was negligible. His account suggests that he began as a Zardari sceptic. This is hardly surprising given Zardari's poor image and the numerous allegations of corruption and even worse against him. Mr Babar's book also amounts to an account of how these initial impressions gradually changed and how he came to appreciate Mr Zardari's positive qualities -- of loyalty to friends, and political patience and forbearance. In his words, his book '... seeks to delve into the extraordinary Presidency of a man who defied the odds, endured jeers and ridicule, and navigated a treacherous course in dealing with the ambitious elements within the state apparatus distrustful of democracy and democratic institutions.' Perhaps this revisionism was overdue. It certainly helps us to understand Mr Zardari's staying power and explain how after a gap of over a decade Pakistan's civil-military contortions catapulted him to the presidency in 2024. Mr Babar's reputation is such that one may readily grant that whatever he has stated is accurate, at least in the way he knows it. There are areas he does not touch in any detail and here his silences are also informative. So, in a book that otherwise has a fair amount of detail on President Zardari's forays into foreign policy, readers in India will be disappointed at the dearth of references to India-Pakistan relations. No doubt this was a conscious choice. The few cryptic remarks on India are, however, interesting. Mr Babar notes Mr Zardari's failure to make use of the opportunity of the bin Laden raid or the Mumbai terror attack to revamp Pakistan's security and intelligence agencies. Elsewhere, he points to the consternation that followed a statement to an Indian journalist by the president soon after taking over that Pakistan was willing to discuss a 'No First Use' of nuclear weapons with India. According to Mr Babar, within four days of this interview the Mumbai terror attack was underway, bringing the two countries closest to war in years -- 'The warmongers shattered Zardari's dream of peace with India'. Readers of the book can decide for themselves whether or not this causality is plausible; it is certainly reflective of the murky currents that embed Pakistan's India policy. Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff Around 3,000 people march from Centre Church to the Common as part of a national protest called "Let Freedom Fly, No Kings!" against President Trump's policies on Saturday, June 14, 2025. William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by the Washington Post, Newsweek, History News Network and many other news outlets. Wellington City Council (WCC) is seeking one or more partners to update its human resource information system and payroll platforms on an initial five-year contract. In a request for information (RFI) document published to the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS), WCC said the systems are core to its people and culture function and used by all staff for vital activities. These include onboarding, position and organisational management, employee data management, time sheeting, leave management, compliance reporting, employee and manager self-service, and payroll. Meanwhile, the payroll functions include end-to-end pay processing, KiwiSaver and tax compliance, Holidays Act compliance, reporting, and integration with banking and finance systems. The council currently uses separate systems for recruitment, learning, and performance management, with these expected to remain in place and to be integrated alongside the updated platforms. Additionally, the platforms are also required to integrate with other systems used by WCC and other partner organisations. After the initial five-year contract, two extensions are up for grabs the first for three years and the second for two years. Other requirements include compliance with existing legislation from launch and the capability to adapt to new or updated legislation promptly at no additional cost, configurability, a focus on users, scalability, secure protection for employee data, available as software-as-a-service, and the inclusion of strong implementation, change management, and ongoing support services. Snowflake is set to be deployed within Amazon Web Services (Asia Pacific) New Zealand region within the first half of 2026. The instance will provide Snowflakes New Zealand customers with an avenue to keep data secure on shore while also tapping into the vendors AI Data Cloud. As a result, Snowflake noted that more customers across both public and private sectors will be able to scale their offerings and leverage the vendors suite of AI tools and services. Snowflake New Zealand country manager Tony Shaw said the announcement is a key milestone for the company, as it will allow its customers in the country to innovate faster and more securely than ever before. AI is set to become a key driver of economic growth, productivity and success, and we are confident this planned deployment will deliver all these benefits and more to our local customers as New Zealand upskills for the future, he added. Its a testament to our commitment to the local market and our partnership with AWS. Snowflakes partnership spans more than 28 integrations across AWS services, according to the vendors Australia and New Zealand director of channel and alliances, Cathy Conroy, in November last year. Commenting on the planned launch, Romain Groleau, New Zealand technology lead for Accenturewhich is both a Snowflake and AWS partnersaid the instance will help the company meet growing demand from clients for data sovereignty. Commerce has ground to a halt at a key border checkpoint between Pakistan and Afghanistan following deadly clashes between the two countries. RFE/RL spoke to truckers who have been stuck at the Torkham crossing. Deadly clashes erupted on October 11 at several locations along the frontier, resulting in dozens of deaths, according to officials. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stark warning to Moscow if it does not end its war against Ukraine as NATO defense ministers met to discuss spending targets, continued aid for Kyiv, and air defense systems. In Brussels on October 15 for the first official defense ministers' meeting since the military alliance's June summit in The Hague, Hegseth said Washington and its allies would "impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression" if the war doesn't end soon. "If we must take this step, the US War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do," Hegseth said. He did not elaborate but the comments come amid renewed talk that US President Donald Trump may discuss a request by Kyiv to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles at a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on October 17 in Washington. "Now is the time to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace table," Hegseth said. "This is not a war that started on President Trump's watch, but it will end on his watch." During the Brussels meeting of defense ministers, officials discussed how to achieve a pledge to spend 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2035. An estimated 3.5 percent of that 5 percent must go on what is known as hard military outlays, mostly spending on weapons, vehicles, and ammunition. Especially relevant to the effort to assist Ukraine in its war against Russia is the US-led Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), an initiative that was launched in August. So far, approximately $2 billion worth of American arms designated for Ukraine, including Patriot and HIMARS missile systems, have been financially supported by Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Another package worth $500 million is in the works, bankrolled by Belgium, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Luxembourg. And it's possible that new packages will be announced in the coming days. Hegseth urged his counterparts to increase PURL spending, which Zelenskyy had hoped would reach $3.5 billion by October. "Our expectation today is that more countries donate even more, that they purchase even more to provide for Ukraine, to bring that conflict to a peaceful conclusion," Hegseth said. Frustrations About Increased European Defense Spending But while the Europeans understand that increasing their defense spending is good for their relations with the US, there are also frustrations. One European diplomat, speaking anonymously because they weren't authorized to speak about the issue publicly, told RFE/RL before the meeting that the current scheme is not optimal as "we essentially need to pay twice: first for the US defense industry and then for ourselves." However, another European diplomat, also not authorized to speak publicly, said that this is the only way forward for now and that we will see more countries signing up" to the defense spending initiative. Sweden, Estonia, and Finland all made new pledge contributions at the meeting, but major European powers such as France and Britain did not. NATO's most pressing issue is not military aid to Ukraine but Europe's integrated air and missile defense. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance was now "testing integrated systems that will help us detect, track and neutralize aerial threats" for use on its eastern flank, while EU defense ministers are to meet on October 16 to discuss a so-called "Drone Wall" on the eastern flank. The issue has been forced front and center due to increased Russian drone incursions and violations of NATO airspace. Essentially there are three Western air defense systems that can be used to counter the Russian threat: the American Patriot system, the German IRIS-T, and the Italian-French SAMP-T. Right now, the IRIS-T seems to be alliance's first choice -- even though all three can be used simultaneously. While many European nations would like to acquire Patriots, the high demand means that there is waiting list, already stretching to several years. In addition, the Patriot is focused more on long-range ballistic missile defense, whereas the IRIS-T is tailored for quick response at close to medium ranges and is particularly effective against drones. The IRIS-T is also cheaper and, at least for now, available faster for potential buyers. How Best To Protect European Skies? There are currently three different and overlapping concepts that are being worked on: NATOs Eastern Sentry initiative, the "drone wall," and its complementary Eastern Flank Watch, which the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently floated. The Eastern Sentry, which was launched by the military alliance almost directly after Russian drones entered Polish airspace in September, will most likely become a permanent feature as NATO countries are in agreement that the military presence on its eastern border needs to be boosted. While several European countries have already contributed, mainly with jets, the question going forward is what more can be done. This is where the Eastern Flank Watch initiative comes in. While still not fully fleshed out by the European Commission, the idea is to bolster the eastern land, air, and sea borders with four key elements: ground defenses such as fortifications and anti-mobility systems designed to hinder the movement of enemy forces; a "drone wall," which will detect, track, and intercept drones entering European airspace; maritime security in the Baltic and Black Seas; and a system to monitor space-based threats. With a potential common EU defense budget of over 130 billion euros ($151 billion) in the coming years, there is a lot that needs to be agreed on. While European leaders are mostly in agreement that anti-drone systems of various sorts are needed, there are also concerns that drone technology and tactics are moving forward with such speed that a "drone wall" could be redundant and outdated when it launches in two or three years' time. As shown by the four large drones that disturbed traffic over Copenhagen Airport on September 22, the threat can also come from inside the bloc, both land and sea. That has European leaders and officials questioning just how much a drone wall would really help. Russian air strikes hit civilian infrastructure in Ukraines Odesa region, causing a massive fire and injuring one person, while other parts of the country saw emergency power cuts. Regional military administration head Oleh Kiper said on October 13 that defense systems managed to down some incoming Russian drones, but some managed to get through and hit "civilian facilities." "A massive fire broke out over an area of more than 5,000 square meters, engulfing several warehouse buildings storing fabrics, clothing, and packaging materials. According to preliminary reports, one person was injured," Kiper wrote on Telegram. State utility Ukrenergo said some industrial consumers were subject emergency power cuts early on October 13 in the regions of Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kirovohrad. "Due to the complicated situation in Ukraine's Unified Energy System caused by previous Russian strikes, emergency power outages were implemented" across seven regions, the Energy Ministry said on social media, listing territories mainly in the east and center of the country. At least three people were killed following drone strikes on Zaporizhzhya and Chernihiv, Ukraine's emergency services said. The statement added that in Zaporizhzhya, the bodies of a married couple were recovered from a destroyed car that had been targeted by a drone. Meanwhile, a fuel depot in Russian-occupied Feodosia, Crimea, was attacked by Ukrainian drones overnight. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-backed head of Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, confirmed the strike and reported no casualties as over 20 drones were allegedly shot down. Several Telegram channels, citing subscribers, reported that the strike caused a massive fire visible from dozens of kilometers away and shared photos and videos showing the large blaze. A source in Ukraine's intelligence service (SBU) confirmed to RFE/RL that drones launched by the service and special military forces hit at least five reservoirs at the facility, sparking the blaze. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend renewed calls on the international community to put more pressure on Moscow after Russia carried out a new wave of attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy on October 12 said Russia had intensified its "aerial terror against our cities and communities, intensifying strikes on our energy infrastructure." In the past week alone, Moscow had used more than 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and about 1,360 glide bombs to attack Ukraine, Zelenskyy wrote on the social media platform X. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arrived in Kyiv on October 13 for high-level discussions focused on financial and military support for Ukraine. "Ukrainians inspire the world with their courage," Kallas said in a message posted on X. "I am in Kyiv today for talks on financial and military support, the security of Ukraines energy sector, and holding Russia accountable for its war crimes." Kallas also said that Russia was "gambling with war" after a spate of Russian drones and military jets crossed into the EU and NATO airspace. "Every time a Russian drone or plane violates our airspace, there is a risk of escalation, unintended or not. Russia is gambling with war," she said during the visit to Kyiv, calling on Europe to beef up its defense capabilities. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, AFP, and Reuters The Cubans two 19-year-olds identified as Alex Vega and Andorf Velasquez recounted how they ended up wounded in battle alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. Speaking from what they said was a military hospital in Russias Kaliningrad region, the two said they had traveled to Russia to make some money, a trip they said was arranged and paid for up front, by a trio of women: two Russian, one Cuban. When they arrived in Moscow, the pair told a popular Cuban video blogger, they were forced to sign a Russian-language contract they did not understand and were then sent to the provincial city of Ryazan, where they were housed in a school dormitory. They ended up on the front lines in Ukraine, digging ditches -- and eventually being wounded, they said in the August 2023 video. Nearly 44 months into its all-out assault on Ukraine, Russia has deployed nearly 700,000 men to wage its war, according to Ukrainian and Western estimates. And Moscow has cast its net wide to keep up the flow of personnel: some 12,000 North Koreans are believed to be fighting alongside Russian forces. First among other nationalities? Cubans. Ukrainian intelligence estimates several thousand Cubans have been recruited, many of them tricked into fighting alongside Russian units. An internal US State Department cable seen by Reuters put the number of Cubans fighting in Ukraine around 5,000, and the Cuban government, US officials allege, is actively supporting them. According to Ukrainian officials who traveled to Washington last month to brief congressional leaders, at least 20,000 Cubans in total are awaiting travel and deployment to Russia. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of Cubans may been recruited by a 41-year-old, multi-lingual travel agent from Ryazan: more than 3,000 foreigners, in fact, according to a letter written by her lawyer and obtained exclusively by Systema, RFE/RLs Russian investigative unit. And she wasnt alone. Cubans In Moscow Since the outset of the Russian invasion, a patchwork network of recruitment schemes has emerged, sometimes with formal state approval, sometimes with less official backing. Private mercenary companies like Wagner Group, for example, built their own approved recruiting pipeline, targeting Russian prison inmates. The details of how Vegas and Velasquez got to Ukraine are murky; neither could be located for further comment. However, their description of the journey shares several details overlapping the scheme orchestrated by Yelena Smirnova, a Russian woman who ran her own travel agency in Ryazan, a city about 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow. Their story also overlaps with that of Frank Manfuga, a 36-year-old Cuban man who was captured by Ukrainian troops in March 2024, three months after joining the Russian military. In interviews with Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, he claimed he was tricked into boarding a Russia-bound plane with the promise of a job in construction. Sometime in early 2023, Smirnova began posting Spanish-language job announcements on Facebook and the Russian equivalent, VK, in a Spanish-language group called "Cubans in Moscow. The job postings, which have since been deleted, offered a signing bonus, a monthly salary of around 200,000 rubles ($2,000), and eventually Russian citizenship. The amounts were vastly higher than average wages in Cuba. Under terms of the contracts, detailed in the defense lawyers letter obtained by Systema, Smirnova would front the costs for a recruits travel from Havana to Moscow, accommodation in Russia, and related expenses. After arriving in Russia, the person would then reimburse her for these expenses after signing a contract. Smirnova or her co-workers would make a copy of the persons bank card and withdraw an initial payment from itto cover their expenses. A May 2023 article in the newspaper Ryazanskiye Vedomosti detailed how a group of new recruits, from Russia as well as Cuba, had signed new contracts. The main motivation is to help our Motherland in these difficult times for her, and the financial component is a nice bonus, the paper quoted a local military recruiter as saying. Twisting The Facts By the summer of 2023, however, a group of around a dozen Cuban recruits began to refuse to make payments to Smirnova. Some months later, several Cubans claimed in media interviews that she had skimmed money from their bank accounts. Two formal complaints were filed with police on April 25, 2024, and a third the following day. That same month, Smirnova was arrested, charged with theft, and jailed. In a letter to Russias human rights commissioner, Smirnovas defense lawyer Sergei Poselyagin protested her clients prosecution, and detention, saying investigators were twisting the facts and she was the victim of a conspiracy. He requested that Smirnova be granted early release in exchange for signing a Defense Ministry contract, to serve as a translator in a signals intelligence unit. The letter was provided to Systema from Ukrainian lawmaker Marian Zablotskiy, who was among those who traveled to Washington last month. He said he obtained the letter from sources he did not identify. In the letter, dated October 23, 2024, Poselyagin wrote that Smirnova has been involved in the recruitment of more than 3,000 Cubans and other foreigners. He wrote that Smirnova told all the recruits that she would be recouping her up-front payments from their bank accounts after a contract was signed. He claimed the 11 people who filed complaints were pressured to do so by law enforcement officials. Poselyagin did not respond to Systema's inquiries sent via e-mail. Three of the people who signed complaints against Smirnova are Cuban citizens, according to information from a leaked database of police reports that was reviewed by Systema. One of them, identified as Rene Fleitas, has a Facebook account, where he posted a photograph on March 11, 2025, showing him standing in Moscow with the Kremlin in the background. The man did not respond to messages sent to him via Facebook. However, a relative identified as Fleitass cousin told Systema via Facebook message, complained that Fleitas had been deceived, and ended up on the battlefield. The cousin said Fleitas was now missing. Soap Flowers In the Cubans police complaints against Smirnova, another woman named Olga Shilyayeva was also named as alleged co-conspirator. Shilyayeva, a 41-year-old, part-time hairdresser whose husband serves in a military aviation maintenance brigade, worked closely with Smirnova handling contracts for foreign recruits. According to a mutual acquaintance, who spoke to Systema on condition her name be withheld, Smirnova and Shilyayeva were seen constantly at the Ryazan recruitment center, formalizing contracts for between 30 and 40 people a day. A Cuban woman who worked as a nanny for Smirnova, caring for her three children, also assisted, helping with the paperwork, purchasing tickets, and meeting arriving recruits. Smirnova, who could not be reached for comment, was released from pre-trial detention earlier this year. Shilyayeva also declined to comment when contacted by Systema via her social media accounts. However, another acquaintance of the women told Systema both had been sent to Ukraine sometime in the spring of 2025. hey were currently serving in a unit made up mainly of former prison inmates, attached to a brigade of Russias 1st Tank Army, the person said. Some of the Cubans, when they arrived in Russia, did not know they were going to war, according to the mutual acquaintance; they believed they were going to work on construction sites or similar jobs. The acquaintance also pinned the lions share of the blame for defrauding the Cubans on a 37-year-old Cuban woman who lives in Russia named Dayana Diaz. Diazs VK page features a photograph of her wearing a hat with the letter V and the Russian flag on it, along with a Cuban flag patch on her sleeve. A Telegram account she runs advertises bouquets made out of soap elaborately carved in the shape of flowers, among other things. Diazs phone number is featured in the Facebook and VK recruitment ads posted by Smirnova. In the "Cubans in Moscow" Facebook group, some individuals accuse her of deceiving their acquaintances. The two men who appeared in the 2023 YouTube video also mention a woman named Dayana. Systema contacted Diaz via her Telegram account and asked if she helps foreigners find employment and sign military contracts. "No, Diaz replied. Tour Under Cover Its unclear to what extent the recruitment scheme allegedly overseen by Smirnova operated with official approval. Systema found no evidence pointing to direct ties between her or her alleged co-conspirators and intelligence agencies or the military, other than Shilyayevas enlisted husband. However, obtaining visas and travel permits for scores, if not hundreds, of Cubans and other foreigners would have drawn scrutiny from the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry, or other government agencies. Zablotskiy, the Ukrainian lawmaker, said he believed Smirnovas operation was conducted with the knowledge of the FSB or GRU, two of Russias principal intelligence agencies. "Tour operators have traditionally served as a cover for [Russia] for logistics, he told Systema. Specifically, in the case of Cuba, they are not essential. We see recruitment by FSB and GRU agents, whose identities are reliably known. The fact that one of them also had a tour operator [as part of the scheme] is not at all surprising," he said. A spokeswoman for Russias Foreign Ministry directed questions sent by Systema to the Defense Ministry, which did not respond to e-mails. In Havana, Cuba's Foreign Ministrydisputed US allegations that its troops were fighting in Ukraine "Cuba is not part of the armed conflict in Ukraine, nor does it participate with military personnel there, or in any other country," it said in a statement October 11. The ministry said it did not know how many nationals were involved on either side of the conflict, but said it had "a practice of zero tolerance for mercenaries, trafficking in persons and the participation of its nationals in any armed confrontation in another country." RFE/RL Senior International Correspondent Mike Eckel contributed to this report. A full-blown conflict between Afghanistans Taliban and neighboring Pakistan seemed unthinkable when the hard-line Islamist group, a longtime ally of Islamabad, seized power in 2021 as international troops withdrew and the government they supported collapsed. But fears have heightened of an all-out war after the deadliest-ever clashes involving Taliban fighters and Pakistani troops over the weekend. This confrontation is hugely significant and could have long-term consequences for the countries, said Sami Yousafzai, an Afghan political commentator. Fierce fighting erupted between Taliban fighters and Pakistani security forces on October 11-12, leaving dozens dead and key border crossings closed. The border clashes occurred just days after Pakistan carried out unprecedented drone strikes in the center of Kabul as well as air strikes in the countrys east. Pakistans strikes followed a string of deadly attacks by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) extremist group. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the TTP, an allegation it denies. Taliban fighters and Pakistani soldiers have sporadically clashed along the countries 2,600-kilometer border since 2021. But the ferocity of the violence and the explosive rhetoric marked a shift, experts say. The Talibans silent tolerance of the TTP and its growing nationalist tone have shattered Islamabads long-held expectations of a friendly government in Kabul, said Khalid Sultan, an Islamabad-based commentator. Islamabad had supported the Taliban since the group first emerged in the 1990s, including allegedly during the groups 20-year insurgency against the US-backed Afghan government. The strategy, experts say, was to install a pliant government in Kabul that would secure Pakistani interests. But that strategy appears to have backfired. In the event of a broader war, Pakistan holds the military and technological advantage, experts say, but the Taliban also has the capability to counter punch. Taliban fighters are seasoned insurgents and will likely find a new cause for jihad (holy war) that will sustain their momentum to fight for a longer period, said Hameed Hakimi, an associate fellow at London's Chatham House think tank. Additionally, a protracted war with Pakistan could also offer Taliban leaders an avenue to garner domestic support due to an inherent resentment against the Pakistani security establishment in Afghanistan, he added. Reducing Tensions Despite the growing tensions, fueled in part by a massive initiative in Islamabad to repatriate some 4 million Afghans back home, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban are unlikely to go to war, experts say. The cash-strapped Taliban government in Kabul is internationally isolated. Only Russia has recognized it. The Islamist group has also been unable to address the economic and humanitarian crises gripping the impoverished country. Pakistan, meanwhile, is also grappling with economic strain and political instability. It also waged a brief war with archrival India in May. Both sides have an interest in reducing tensions from this point onwards, said Arifa Noor, a Pakistani commentator and journalist. For the government in Kabul, it makes no sense to add to its challenges by getting involved in friction and conflict on its border, she added. The same stands true for Islamabad. Thaw With India Growing tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban could push Kabul closer to India, experts say. In a move that has angered Pakistan, the Talibans Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrived in New Delhi on October 10 for a week of talks. It is the Talibans highest-level visit to the country since the group took power. During the first day of talks, New Delhi announced it was upgrading its mission in Kabul to a full embassy. The sides were also expected to discuss trade and economic ties. India was a close ally of the former Western-backed Afghan government and invested heavily in the country. Increasing hostilities with Kabul could simply push the regime there closer to New Delhi, said Noor. This is hardly a situation that suits Pakistan. In fact, Islamabads main contention during the past was that the close relations between Kabul and New Delhi worked against Pakistans interests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Donald Trump at the White House, after the US president suggested he could allow Kyiv to receive long-range Tomahawk missiles if Russia doesnt end its war against Ukraine. Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on October 13, Zelenskyy said he would meet Trump in Washington on October 17, where the two leaders are set to discuss air defense and Ukraine's "long-range capabilities." Answering a question about Tomahawk missiles, a matter that was raised during the leaders' two phone calls over the weekend, Zelenskyy said it was too early to share details, adding that the issue was one to be discussed in person. "I shared our vision with President Trump, but some things are not for phone calls, so we will meet," he added. Photo Gallery: Here Is What Tomahawk Missiles Could Do For Ukraine US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv. The White House has not yet confirmed whether the meeting will take place. However, Trump confirmed that he discussed the missiles in a second call in two days with Zelenskyy on October 12. [Ukraine] would like to have Tomahawks. That's a step up," he told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the Middle East for a Gaza peace conference. "Yeah, I might tell [Putin] if the war is not settled, we may very well do it, he said. "We may not, but we may do it. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I dont think so," Trump added. Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 kilometers, capable of hitting deep inside Russia, including the capital, Moscow. Washington would not sell the missiles directly to Kyiv, but instead would offer them to NATO states, which could pay for and send them on to Ukraine, as part of an earlier announced program. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier warned that such deliveries would represent a completely new stage of escalation between Washington and Moscow. Still, he claimed they would not pose a major threat to the country. Can Tomahawks harm us? They can. But we will shoot them down and improve our air defense system, Putin said. Zelenskyy said "signals" from Moscow indicated fear among the Russian leadership and that Tomahawks could strengthen Kyiv's position in peace talks. Trump last week said he was waiting to hear what Ukraine would do with such long-range missiles before making a decision. The Ukrainian president said his forces would only target military assets should it be supplied with Tomahawks and not strike civilian sites inside Russia. "We've never attacked their civilians. This is the big difference between Ukraine and Russia," Zelenskyy said in an interview broadcast on Fox News. "That's why, if we speak about long-range [missiles], we speak only about military goals." With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Reuters US President Donald Trump has proclaimed a historic dawn for the Middle East and pledged to turn his attention to peace deals involving Iran and Russia. The US leader laid out his vision of Middle East peace at a speech in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on October 13 amid what could be a turning point in diplomacy in the region. Today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace, Trump declared in his speech, which was interrupted by heckling from an opposition lawmaker and several standing ovations. In a wide-ranging address that lasted more than an hour, Trump also mentioned US military strikes aimed at Iranian nuclear sites in June and said he hoped to achieve peace with Tehran, too. Youll get that deal done easy. I think thatll be easy, but first we have to get Russia donelets focus on Russia first, Trump said. Jubilant Scenes In Tel Aviv In Tel Aviv, there were jubilant scenes as some 65,000 people celebrated the release of the 20 surviving hostages held by Hamas. "I am so excited. I am full of happiness. It's hard to imagine how I feel this moment. I didn't sleep all night," Viki Cohen, mother of released hostage Nimrod Cohen, told Reuters. Israelis Celebrate As Hostages Begin Return From Gaza by RFE/RL No media source currently available 0:00 0:00:38 0:00 In return, Israel is releasing some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Usamah al-Kahlout, a journalist in Gaza City, told RFE/RLs Radio Farda that the mood there was one of celebration and joy. People are happy that two years of war, killings, and displacement are finally over. However, another Gazan who asked to remain anonymous, told RFE/RL: My dream is to manage to get out of Gaza. This is my dream. When you see or witness the amount of destruction here in Gaza, you don't even imagine how you could live the rest of your life in such a destroyed area. Released Palestinian Prisoners Arrive In Ramallah by RFE/RL No media source currently available 0:00 0:00:33 0:00 Later on October 13, Trump headed to Egypt to co-chair a summit attended by the leaders of more than 20 countries aimed at finalizing a permanent truce in Gaza. But once the initial push behind the landmark peace plan has subsided, the question remains as to whether the White House will turn its focus to the largest and deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Hopes For Peace In Ukraine More than 2,000 kilometers away from Jerusalem in Kyiv, hopes are Trump will continue to follow his inauguration pledge to be "a peacemaker and a unifier," and not quietly back away from leading peace negotiation efforts with prospects for a quick resolution seemingly beyond reach. "If a ceasefire and peace have been achieved for the Middle East, the leadership and determination of global actors can certainly work for us too, " Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X shortly after Trump finished speaking. Zelenskyy later confirmed that he plans to meet Trump in Washington later this week. "I think we need to discuss the sequence of steps that I want to propose to the president," he said at a joint press conference with European foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas. He also said he has "some other important meetings" planned with military companies and congressmen. "The main topics are air defense and our long-range capabilities to put pressure on Russia," he added. Zelenskyy said earlier that Russia was openly exploiting the fact that the world is focused on ensuring peace in the Middle East by stepping up air attacks on Ukraine. These ongoing attacks have served to underline that while Trump has achieved headway in the Middle East, talks on ending Russias nearly 4-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine have appeared to lose steam. There are, of course, key differences between the two conflicts. Israel is so diplomatically isolated that it depends on US backing. Indeed, its the largest recipient of US aid in the world. Many analysts say Trump has used this leverage privately to push Israel into agreeing to his 20-point peace plan. There has also been public pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly after an Israeli air strike last month on a Hamas target in Qatar -- a key US ally. By contrast, Russia enjoys the support of China economically and North Korea militarily. It has resisted several rounds of severe international sanctions and does not appear ready to make compromises. Kremlin messaging continues to push the narrative that Russia is winning on the battleground, even though it is paying a horrendous price. I don't think there's a lot of carry-over from [Middle East peace efforts] to Ukraine and Russia, Ben Friedman of the Washington-based think tank Defense Priorities told RFE/RL. Even if they do convince [Russia] that they're going to sanction them more, put a little bit more pressure on them, it's not going to make much difference, he added. It's difficult because we've already sanctioned them so heavily that there's not a lot of shots left to fire. Trump's Pressure On Ukraine Trump has suggested a number of steps that the United States and its allies could take to further increase the pressure on Moscow, particularly focusing on measures to curtail Russian oil exports. He has threatened secondary tariffs on countries that import Russian oil and said that a 25 percent US tariff on India was an example of this that could be applied elsewhere. But Trump has also called on European countries to do the same and to stop buying Russian oil themselves. "There are almost, I don't want to say unlimited cards, but certainly there are a lot more, a lot again, consequences for not doing a peace deal that could be brought to bear against the Russians," US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told RFE/RL on October 10. But he repeated Trumps position that European countries must also do more. "Instead of...asking what the United States is going to do, I would prefer to ask what we all are going to do because Europe is consequential." Influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has long pushed for massive secondary tariffs to cripple Russias revenues from fossil fuels, said on October 12 that US supplies of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine were another card. I want more weapons in the hands of the Ukrainians to increase the costs of the war to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Hit his refineries. Go into Russia deep, he told NBCs Meet The Press. Trump has recently spoken about this as a possibility but not given a clear signal yet. The Kremlin has warned against this, saying it would be a major escalation that would draw a response. This underlines another difference with the Israel-Gaza process, where Washington doesnt face this kind of pushback and where the security stakes for the United States are so much lower. Friedman said that, earlier in the conflict, Washington had instead sought to use its considerable leverage over Ukraine to force concessions from Kyiv. It did this most notably when it withdrew vital military intelligence and supplies, which Kyiv relies on heavily, following a bitter exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House in February. But the two leaders have come a long way in patching up their relationship since then, with Zelenskyy using a call on the eve of Trumps Middle East trip to also lobby for Tomahawk missiles. Trumps summit with Putin in August has further changed the dynamic in peace efforts. Putin was given a warm welcome by Trump in Alaska but made no concessions and has even refused a meeting with Zelenskyy. I don't think [Putin] really got much out of it. I mean, you know, it did sort of turn the Trump administration ultimately against him to a degree, that whole series of events, Friedman said. Hes let me down, hes really let me down, Trump said of Putin during his state visit to Britain in September. On October 13, Russia voiced criticism of Trumps Middle East diplomacy. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Trumps plan was not specific enough on the issue of future Palestinian statehood. "We have noted that Donald Trump's peace plan only addresses the Gaza Strip. It mentions statehood, but in rather general terms," Lavrov told reporters from Arab countries. "It's imperative to flesh out these approaches, including defining what will happen in the West Bank." Trump has received praise for pressing Israel and Hamas to accept the 20-point peace plan to end the current war triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took some 250 hostages. He now faces a war in Ukraine that he himself has said may be the most difficult international conflict in the world to resolve. Ukrainian drone strikes hit a Russian-operated oil terminal in the Crimean city of Feodosia on October 13, causing massive fires. The key energy resource -- the largest oil storage and shipment hub on the occupied peninsula -- sustained heavy damage, with multiple fires reported. Russian air strikes, meanwhile, triggered fires in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, injuring at least one person. KYIV -- In the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, Viktor Azarovsky's hometown of Melitopol was quickly occupied by Russian troops. Despite the military taking over his city, in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, the teenager's life remained largely the same, although he now studied remotely at a Ukrainian school. But at the end of October 2023, when he was 16, unknown individuals detained the teenager when he was leaving his house. He is now on trial in Russia on charges of organizing a group that planned a terrorist attack, sabotage, and the manufacture and storage of explosives. Azarovsky is one of several Ukrainian teenagers who have been taken to Russia and face charges of espionage, sabotage, treason, and terrorism -- crimes for which human rights defenders and lawyers say there is no evidence. Kateryna Bobrovska, a human rights activist and lawyer, has been helping to bring home children who were deported to Russia and represents Azarovsky. "A white van pulled up, and people in black, wearing masks, dragged him into the car. The neighbors saw what happened," she told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. Two other teenagers from Melitopol, Oleg Shokola and Denis Vasilik, were detained at the same time and are facing the same charges as Azarovsky. The initial period after Azarovsky's arrest was a trying time for his family. "No one understood what was happening," Bobrovska said. "Viktor couldn't get in touch. After a while, eyewitnesses saw him and told me that he was exhausted, very frightened, and had signs of being beaten and tortured," she said. Currently, the three young men are on trial in Russia. A copy of an earlier Russian court ruling, obtained by RFE/RL, states that Azarovsky was detained on October 31, 2023; the other two teenagers, Shokola and Vasilik, were detained shortly before him. At the time of their arrests, Vasilik was 16 and Shokola was 17. According to the copy of the Russian court ruling, the investigation took place in Russian-occupied Melitopol. Then the three boys were transferred to a detention center in Mariupol, another city in southeastern Ukraine captured and occupied by Russian forces in May 2022. Thereafter, they were taken to a detention center in Taganrog, a port city in southwestern Russia, where they are being held in a cell with adult prisoners. "Viktor celebrated his 18th birthday there," Bobrovska said. "The cell is for eight people, but there were 16. For her young client, it has been torture, Bobrovska said: "He began to have serious skin problems -- he could hardly sleep, couldn't eat, and the skin on his hands was covered with a thick crust. No visits to doctors helped." According to a copy of the court ruling, since November 2024, the case of the three Ukrainian teenagers has been under consideration by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, a large city in southwestern Russia. The court has yet to reach a verdict. However, the boys continue to be held in custody as what the Russian authorities have called a preventive measure. "They were tortured there and forced to tell a story that never happened. They were accused of attempting to blow up a Russian police lieutenant-colonel and planting explosives on railroad tracks. In other words, Ukrainian children were declared 'terrorists,'" Bobrovska said. There is absolutely no evidence for that, the lawyer said: "During the search, they seized equipment -- phones, computers -- and found nothing." Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer at the Ukrainian-based Regional Center For Human Rights, said that the serious charges the teenagers face -- of planning a terrorist act and manufacturing and storing explosives as part of an organized group -- can result in life imprisonment. The truth of what the teenagers did -- if anything at all -- is difficult to determine. Regardless, in Rashevska's opinion, the Russian authorities have committed countless violations: arbitrary detention, politically motivated criminal prosecution, deportation, possible torture, and removing their right to a fair trial. There are two scenarios that Rashevska has considered. The first assumes that the children really were planning a crime, that they got together, made Molotov cocktails or other explosives, and planned sabotage. In that scenario, under international humanitarian law, the teenagers would have the status of individuals directly participating in hostilities. "This effectively removes their protected status as civilians but does not make them combatants. Such individuals, in accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law, can be prosecuted, but not as terrorists," Rashevska said. If this were the case, Russia would have grounds under Article 78 of the Geneva Convention to intern the teenagers -- that is to lawfully restrict their freedom for a certain period of time because of the occupying state's security concerns. But, crucially, Rashevska said, in the court documents she has seen, there is no reference to international humanitarian law, the internment regime, or the status of the children as being individuals directly participating in hostilities. "There is no mention of this. They are being prosecuted as criminals," Rashevska said. Under the second scenario Rashevska has considered, the teenagers are entirely innocent and were not planning any attack at all. According to the lawyer, she had a similar case in the Zaporizhzhya region, where teenagers were detained for allegedly removing Russian flags from administrative buildings and distributing posters. They were charged with participating in a terrorist organization and preparing a terrorist attack. When those teenagers were initially arrested, Rashevska said, no explosives were found. But later, the lawyer stated that the teenagers were victims of a setup she blames on Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), which subsequently claimed to have found some explosives. "If there was no criminal intent in this situation, the children have civilian status; they remain civilians. They did not take part in any combat operations, and they did not cooperate with the Ukrainian armed forces in any way. Such an outcome would mean that they were definitely arbitrarily deprived of their freedom," Rashevska told RFE/RL. Regardless, Rashevska said, under no circumstances should officials in the occupied territories or Russia have the right to deport the boys to Russia -- neither for court hearings nor for any investigative actions. This is prohibited by Article 4 of the Geneva Convention and qualifies as a war crime, Rashevska said. The number of minors deported to Russia for trial remains unclear. Ukraine's Prosecutor-General's Office told RFE/RL that, since the full-scale invasion in 2022, they have recorded 12 cases of minors being detained in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. The charges include involvement in providing targeting information for the Ukrainian armed forces, espionage, and treason. The crucial question remains whether any of these teenagers will ever be able to return home to Ukraine. Lawyer Rashevska noted that when a criminal case is open or if there has been a court decision, it is extremely difficult to return the person back home. While military prisoner exchanges happen more or less regularly, Rashevska said, the return of civilians is a more complicated and unpredictable process. However, there are some reasons to be hopeful. There have been cases -- such as the human rights activists Maksym Butkevych and Leniye Umerova -- who were imprisoned in Russia and later released to return back home to Ukraine. "Victor celebrated his 18th birthday there. The cell is for 8 people, but there were 16. The boys were tortured in a really awful way. He began to have serious skin problems -- he could hardly sleep, couldn't eat, and the skin on his hands was covered with a thick crust. No visits to doctors helped," Bobrovska told RFE/RL. According to a copy of the court ruling, since November 2024, the case of the three Ukrainian teens has been under consideration by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. They were tortured there and forced to tell a story that never happened No verdict has been reached yet. However, the boys continue to be held in custody as a preventive measure, the lawyer said. "They were tortured there and forced to tell a story that never happened. They were accused of attempting to blow up a Russian police lieutenant-colonel and planting explosives on railroad tracks. In other words, Ukrainian children were declared 'terrorists.' The judge will make the decision they want. She doesn't listen to anything at all. During the search, they seized equipment -- phones, computers -- and found nothing; there is no evidence." By Rebecca Black, PA Evidence against a former paratrooper who is accused of the murder of two civilians on Bloody Sunday is fundamentally inconsistent, his defence has argued. The veteran, referred to as Soldier F for legal reasons, is charged with the murder of James Wray and William McKinney during disorder following a civil rights parade in Derry on January 30th 1972. Some 13 people were shot dead by the Parachute Regiment on the day. Soldier F is also accused of attempting to murder Michael Quinn, Patrick ODonnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon and an unknown person. He has pleaded not guilty to the seven counts. Soldier F sits in the courtroom at Belfast Crown Court behind a curtain during each day of the non-jury trial, which began last month. The key evidence described as decisive by the prosecution includes statements by two other former paratroopers known as Soldier G and Soldier H. Their accounts place Soldier F in Glenfada Park North, and allege that he had opened fire. The prosecution concluded their case on Friday when the court also heard that Soldier F had been interviewed voluntarily under caution across two days from March 8-9 2016 by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He declined to respond to questions on the basis that he no longer have any reliable recollection of those events and made no comment to all questions put to him. On Monday morning, Mark Mulholland KC, for the defence, described that hearsay evidence as unconvincing, and contended that any conviction of Soldier F would be unsafe. Mr Mulholland also said the evidence is fundamentally inconsistent. It is not a matter of it not supporting the prosecution case on the accounts of G and H, but in fact it is in stark contradiction to how this case was opened, he said, referring to civilian witness evidence of seeing one soldier firing by himself. The prosecution case at its highest is firing by G and F having entered Glenfada Park North together, and both opening fire in or about the same time followed by H, who himself opens fire, and of all the civilian accounts that the court has heard, its very clear there is no support for that proposition. Ultimately the starting point in our application is that this simultaneous firing, as found in the initial accounts of G and H, is simply not borne out by the civilian evidence. He also expressed concern at the inability to cross-examine the veterans about how their accounts changed over the years from statements on the night of the shootings to the Royal Military Police, to the Widgery Inquiry in 1972 and then to the Saville Inquiry. Soldier G has since passed away, while H has indicated he will exercise his right against self-incrimination. The problem we face is we cant look behind any of this so one is left in a state of bemusement, and the cherry-picking of certain aspects to say that equates with that that is the danger of this case, thats the danger of hearsay evidence when it is the decisive evidence in this case, Mr Mulholland said. One may scratch ones head and say what was going on in this first account, well when you look at the other accounts from H, the rhetoric respectful answer has to be, goodness knows and thats the sort of evidence to convict a man of murder? The trial continues. The council is seeking members of the public to join a new community safety organisation. The Roscommon Local Community Safety Partnership replaces the former Roscommon Joint Policing Committee, and a meeting of the new partnership had been hoped to take place by September. The council has extended the deadline for expressions of interest from the public to this Friday October 17th. Nine representatives are being sought. Seven councillors have already been elected to the LCSP. The partnerships members work on a voluntary basis to shape local safety priorities and solutions for County Roscommon, the council said. The LCSP is a new and inclusive approach to community safety in Ireland. It brings together a wide range of stakeholders, each offering unique experiences and perspectives, to collaboratively address safety concerns and develop coordinated responses at a local level, it said. This multi-agency structure ensures that the voices of residents, young people, older people, minority groups, and local businesses are heard and reflected in safety planning and decision-making. Expressions of interest are being sought from four local resident representatives; one representative from minority groups / new communities; an education representative; a business representative; a disability services representative; and a parent sporting organisation representative. "This is your opportunity to represent your local group or network and help shape the future of community safety in Roscommon," the council said. For queries about the application process or eligibility, please email: communitysafety@roscommoncoco.ie. Click here for more information. Met Eireann is planning a new radar facility in the county. The national forecaster said it will be lodging the plans for a proposed weather radar facility at Cloonfad with Roscommon County Council. The proposal will be on Coillte lands and will be one of the five new radar facilities to be installed nationwide. The location at Cloonfad has been carefully selected in a semi-isolated and elevated area, to provide optimal precipitation coverage for the country, Met Eireann said. Each of the selected locations provides good coverage over large population centers and key river catchments at a local and national level, an essential feature for the prediction of potential floods, while ensuring the best possible coverage across the country, it added. Each location for a new radar has been selected to minimize any impact in terms of construction and operation on the surrounding environment and community. The planning application being submitted to Roscommon County Council proposes a white weather radar dome, metal lattice tower and support structure. The total height of the radar dome and tower will be approximately 36 metres "to ensure that it is above the current and future height of the surrounding tree line, which is necessary to ensure it can collect weather data without interference". As is the case with existing weather radars in Ireland and internationally, the radar scan from each of the new radars will be directed above all human settlements, structures and vegetation. As such, they will have no impact on surrounding communities or landscape and habitats. The radar will only collect weather information such as wind and rainfall data, the forecaster said. It should also be noted that the new radar at Cloonfad will benefit communities nationally and locally. For example, the areas surrounding each of these new weather radars will benefit from having the highest rainfall data accuracy, and local stakeholders such as local authorities and emergency services, as well as local communities, will be able to plan effectively and efficiently by using rainfall data from the weather radars. Cllr Paschal Fitzmaurice, who was informed of the proposal by Met Eireann, has welcomed the proposal. I think the big advantage of this will be predicting weather in our area. We often see situations where we may not have had that accurate weather reports for West Roscommon, he said. This has been borne out in the recent storms, when we were on a yellow warning and probably deserved to be on an orange or red at times. 1st Seven Israeli Hostages Handed Over in Gaza; 13 More on the Way: Confrims IDF Meanwhile, buses carrying Palestinian prisoners have begun moving out of Ofer Prison in the West Bank, Reuters reported. Number of Israeli Hostages Released by Hamas Today; Donald Trump in Israel Latest News: The first seven Israeli hostages have been handed over in Gaza and were accompanied by the Israel Defense Force Manpower Directorate and IDF medical teams about an hour ago. The hostages will undergo an initial medical evaluation and will reunite with their families at the initial reception point in southern Israel, the IDF said in a statement. Advertisement The seven hostages were transported to the IDF by the Red Cross from Hamas earlier today. After that, the Red Cross was on its way to a meeting point in southern Gaza, where a second set of hostages would be handed over to the Red Cross, and the second set of hostages had just been transferred to the Red Cross, Reuters reported, citing officials. The official it cited, who is involved in the operation, stated that 13 remaining living hostages had been transferred from Hamas' armed wing to the Red Cross in Gaza and the IDF has confirmed the same. According to an October 10 statement by the IDF, there were 48 hostages in the captivity of Hamas. Advertisement Today, following the release of seven hostages by Hamas, the IDF stated that it is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on. Meanwhile, Palestinian prisoners are also due to be released Monday. All 1,966 prisoners expected to be released on Monday boarded buses earlier today, Reuters reported, citing an official involved in the operation. Of those, 250 are due to be released to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and other countries, while 1,716 are expected to be released at Gaza's Nasser Hospital, it said. Advertisement Israel's President Isaac Herzog will, in the coming months, award U.S. President Donald Trump the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor in recognition of his efforts to bring back Israeli hostages who were held in Gaza. President Trumps legacy will be remembered for generations by the State of Israel and the Jewish people," Herzog is quoted as saying by Reuters in a statement earlier. The Israeli Presidential Medal is Israel's highest civilian honor and is awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the State of Israel or to humanity through their talents, service, or other means, Reuters said. Advertisement According to the news agency, in 2022, Herzog also gave U.S. President Joe Biden a Presidential Medal of Honor, while former U.S. presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were given the award in 2013 by then Israeli President Shimon Peres. President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire, landed in Israel before 10 a.m. today and was received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, together with President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal, at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Israel. From the airport, Netanyahu rode in the limousine known as "the Beast" with Trump, and the two leaders departed for the Knesset. President Trump is due to address the Knesset today. Meanwhile, buses carrying Palestinian prisoners have begun moving out of Ofer Prison in the West Bank, Reuters reported. At Israel's Knesset, Trump was seen signing a guestbook. "This is my great honor - a great and beautiful day. A new beginning," he wrote. The Reuters report added that as Trump walked into the Knesset, he told reporters that Hamas would comply with the plan to disarm. It further noted that further steps in Trump's 20-point plan have yet to be agreed. The plan includes how the demolished Gaza Strip will be governed once fighting ends, and the ultimate fate of Hamas, which has rejected Israel's demands for disarmament. (For more news apart from Ab1st Seven Israeli Hostages Handed Over in Gaza; 13 More on the Way: Confrims IDFr, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) "After 738 days in captivity, our IAF helicopter is ready to meet our hostages and bring them back home" says the Israel Defence Force The IDF has launched Operation Returning Home" to secure the return of the remaining 48 hostages from Hamas captivity. Israel Defense Forces Announces Return Of Seven Hostages To Israel From Hamas Captivity News: Seven returning hostages are currently being accompanied by IDF and ISA forces on their return to Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment, the Israel Defense Forces informed a while ago at the time of filing this report on Monday. The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel, it said in a post on X. Advertisement Earlier, it informed that the seven hostages were transferred into the custody of the Red Cross and were on their way to IDF and ISA forces in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces stated, citing the Red Cross. The IDF is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on, the Israel Defense Forces added in a post on X. Earlier, in a separate post, it said, According to information received, the Red Cross is on its way to a meeting point in northern Gaza where several hostages will be transferred into their custody. Advertisement After 738 days in captivity, our IAF helicopter is ready to meet our hostages and bring them back home, it said in a post earlier today. The IDF has launched Operation Returning Home" to secure the return of the remaining 48 hostages from Hamas captivity. In a few hours we will all be reunited - one people, embraced and united, said the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, yesterday, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Advertisement The military pressure we applied over the past two years, together with the complementary diplomatic measures, constitute a victory over Hamas. We will continue to act in order to shape a security reality that ensures the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians, the Chief of the General Staff added. The ceasefire came into effect at 12:00 on October 10, 2025, after more than two years. (For more news apart from Theyre Coming Home Says Israel Defense Forces As It Announces Return Of Seven Hostages To Israel, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Israeli PM Netanyahu Adds Personal Message to Welcome Kit as Hostages Set to Return; Here's Detail Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path a path of building, a path of healing, and I hope a path of uniting hearts. Israeli PM Netanyahu Adds Personal Message to Welcome Kit as Hostages Set to Return Latest News: As the hostages are scheduled to be released today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara included a personal message for the returning hostages in the welcome kits prepared by the Prime Ministers Office Hostages Authority. The welcome kit includes clothing and personal items, a laptop computer, a cellphone, and a tablet, according to a post by the Israeli Prime Ministers Office on X. Advertisement The message reads, On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome back! We have been waiting for you. We embrace you. Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu. Last evening, the Israeli Prime Minister said, according to his office, "Citizens of Israel, my brothers and sisters, this is an emotional evening an evening of tears, an evening of joy. Because tomorrow, children will return to their border." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara added a personal message for the returning hostages to the welcome kits prepared for them by the Prime Ministers Office Hostages Authority and include clothing and personal equipment, a laptop computer, a cellphone and a tablet pic.twitter.com/dk4QMDiFkP Advertisement October 13, 2025 He added, Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path a path of building, a path of healing, and I hope a path of uniting hearts. Yesterday, Netanyahu visited the memorial wall at the National Library and lit a candle to commemorate the victims and fallen of the war. Advertisement (For more news apart from Israeli PM Netanyahu Adds Personal Message to Welcome Kit as Hostages Set to Return; Here's Detail, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Palestinian militants stand guard as the hostages were being handed over to International Committee of the Red Cross in Khan Younis (Courtesy: The Reuters) the release of the Palestinians from the captivity of Israel is due, and all over 1900 hostages will be released today. No More Living Israeli Hostages in Hamas Captivity: IDF Says After Release of 20 Hostages: The Israeli Defense Force on Monday afternoon claimed that there are no more living hostages in Hamas's captivity. A total of 20 Israeli hostages were released by Hamas and handed over to Israel in two batches under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement on Monday. In the first batch, seven living hostages were handed over through the Red Cross, and the second batch, which comprises 13 hostages, was handed over later on. Advertisement Israeli hostages released would undergo an initial medical assessment, and then would be allowed to meet their family members. "The Government of Israel embraces our hostages who have returned to their border," the Prime Minister of Israel wrote in a post on X. "The Government of Israel, the security establishment, the Coordinator for the Captives and the Missing, and the Prime Ministers Office Hostages, Missing and Captives Authority will be with them and their families throughout the reception and rehabilitation process," the prime minister wrote in a separate post. Advertisement "The Government of Israel is committed to the return of all hostages held by the enemy and will work to that effect relentlessly and with determination," he added. Earlier, Netanyahu's office welcomed the release of seven of the hostages in a post on X. Meanwhile, the release of the Palestinians from the captivity of Israel is due, and all over 1900 hostages will be released today, according to Reuters. Advertisement Moreover, the US President landed in Israel today and will address soon. (For more news apart from No More Living Israeli Hostages in Hamas Captivity: IDF Says After Release of 20 Hostages, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Red Cross vehicles transport hostages in Gaza City October 13, 2025 (Courtesy: Reuters) Red Cross is on its way to an additional meeting point in southern Gaza, where several hostages will be handed over to the Red Cross. Seven Israeli Returning Hostages to Meet Families at Initial Reception Point in Southern Israel: IDF: Seven returning hostages, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, have crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago, the Israel Defense Forces informed. The returning hostages, Eitan Mor, Alon Ohel, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Omri Miran, and Matan Angrest, are currently on their way to the initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will reunite with their families, it said. Advertisement These hostages will undergo an initial medical assessment. The IDF is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on, it said. The Israel Defense Forces has released photos of the seven returning Israeli hostages and stated that they are returning after 738 days in captivity in Gaza. Advertisement Yesterday, the IDF launched Operation Returning Home to bring hostages back from Hamas captivity. The IDF is preparing to receive a total of 48 hostages, it said on October 10. According to Reuters, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its teams will receive hostages held in Gaza and transfer them to Israeli authorities. Earlier, the Israeli hostages in Hamass captivity were handed over to the ICRC. In a separate operation, ICRC teams will transfer Palestinian detainees held in Israeli detention centers to Gaza and the West Bank. Advertisement According to Reuters, all 1,966 Palestinian detainees expected to be released on Monday have now boarded buses, citing an official involved in the operation, it said. Of those, 250 are due to be released to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and other countries, while 1,716 are expected to be released at Gaza's Nasser Hospital. "These operations are highly complex and require meticulous logistical and security planning to minimize risks to all involved," ICRC is quoted as saying by Reuters. The ICRC will also facilitate the transfer of human remains, it added. Since October 2023, the ICRC has facilitated the release and transfer of 148 hostages and 1,931 detainees, Reuters further said in the report, citing the Committee. Advertisement Meanwhile, Israelis in Tel Aviv celebrated the release. In a separate development, the Israel Defense Forces informed just a while ago that the Red Cross is on its way to an additional meeting point in southern Gaza, where several hostages will be handed over to the Red Cross. (For more news apart from Seven Israel Returning Hostages to Meet Families at Initial Reception Point in Southern Israel: IDF, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) When Others Abandoned Us, You Stood By Our Side: Netanyahu Thanks Trump For Extraordinary Friendship He called the return of the remaining hostages a momentous day of great joy, adding, It has been a long journey to get here. When Others Abandoned Us, You Stood By Our Side: Netanyahu Thanks Trump For Extraordinary Friendship: US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from the Israeli Knesset before his address at a special session held in his honour today, as Israel and Gaza exchanged hostages after two years of hostilities. Addressing the Knesset, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Trump for his extraordinary friendship, for bringing back hostages to Israel, and for supporting Israels march to victory, paving a path to peace. Advertisement Netanyahu said, The Knesset welcomes you and your delegation to the eternal capital of Israel, Jerusalem. This is your first visit to Jerusalem since you recognised it as our capital and moved the embassy here. There are many other reasons to thank you since your last visit. Thank you for recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and thank you for standing up to the lies against Israel at the United Nations. Thank you for brokering the Abraham Accords, withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, supporting Operation Rising Lion, and for your bold decision to launch Operation Midnight Hammer A little after midnight, you really hammered them (Iran). Donald Trump is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. No American President has ever done more for Israel, Netanyahu added. Netanyahu thanked Trump for his pivotal leadership and for putting forth a proposal that received the backing of almost the entire world a proposal that brings all our hostages home, that ends the war by achieving all our objectives, and that opens the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond. Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, we will achieve this peace. We have done it before, and we will do it again. Advertisement Netanyahu further noted that, according to the Jewish calendar, today marks the end of the war that began on October 7. You always tell me and the world remember October 7 and we remember, he added. Reflecting on the aftermath of Hamass attack on October 7, Netanyahu said, We remember the thousands of Hamas terrorists who stormed into our towns. We remember the 1,200 people Hamas savagely slaughtered in cold blood, including dozens of Americans. We remember entire families burnt alive as they embraced each other. In response to this barbaric attack on October 7, Israel did what it had to do, Netanyahu stated. Advertisement He said that since then, Israel has lost nearly 2,000 of its finest soldiers, nearly half of them in battle. Because of them, our nation will survive, thrive, and achieve peace. Thousands of our soldiers were also injured, Netanyahu added. Netanyahu called the October 7 attack a catastrophic mistake. Our enemies now understand just how powerful and determined Israel is. They understand that attacking Israel on October 7 was a catastrophic mistake. They understand that Israel is here to stay. This is the indispensable foundation of peace through strength, Netanyahu said. Advertisement He called the return of the remaining hostages a momentous day of great joy, adding, It has been a long journey to get here. He admitted that, over time, governments around the world turned against Israel following the October 7 attack. In the first week of the war, our soldiers put military pressure on Hamas, and the international community put diplomatic pressure on them. But as time went on, we all know what happened the diplomatic pressure was turned on its head. More and more governments bought into Hamass false propaganda. More and more governments succumbed to antisemitic mobs in their own countries. They turned against Israel. They called for us to surrender to Hamass demands to leave Gaza immediately and end the war without committing to disarm Hamas or demilitarize Gaza, Netanyahu said. However, he pointed out that when the world turned against Israel, President Trump stood by them. In no time, Hamas killers would have been back at the fence, ready to repeat the October 7 horror. But just at that point, a man named Donald J. Trump was elected as the President of the United States and overnight, everything changed, Netanyahu continued. Netanyahu thanked the U.S. President for his unequivocal backing of Israel. Under your leadership, we can forge peace with Arab nations and the Muslim world beyond Arab nations. The sons of Abraham will work together. President Trump, you brought America back into the drivers seat. The last two years have been a time of war, but now the future will be one of peace peace inside Israel, peace outside Israel, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the special session of the Knesset in honour of U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking about Trumps nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, Netanyahu said, The fact that you were not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is a grave mistake by the committee. They will have no choice but to award it to you next year. Netanyahu further stated that he has submitted Trumps nomination to be the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize, the countrys highest award. When others were weak, you were strong. When others were fearful, you were bold. When others abandoned us, you stood by our side. On behalf of the government and people of Israel, I thank you for your extraordinary friendship for helping bring back our hostages home, for supporting Israels march to victory, and for paving a path to peace, Netanyahu said. Another Israeli official speaking at the special session stated, Mr. President, you, more than any other individual, deserve the highest recognition for your efforts in promoting peace. We announce that we will rally speakers and parliaments from around the world to submit your candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize next year. (For more news apart from When Others Abandoned Us, You Stood By Our Side: Netanyahu Thanks Trump For Extraordinary Friendship, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) The ethnic Romanians in Istria The ethnic Romanian community in Croatia, in Istria peninsula, is one of the least known ethnic Romanian communities from outside Romania's borders. The History Show Steliu Lambru, 13.10.2025, 14:00 Romanias neighbours the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria are home to Romanian ethnic communities, as are countries like Greece, North Macedonia, Albania and Croatia. The Romanian community in Croatia, more precisely in Istria peninsula, is least spoken of, on account of being the least numerous and the most remote from the compact mass of Romanians in the Carpathian arc and the Danube basin. The historian and writer Gheorghe Asachi was among the earliest scholars to write about this community, beginning with mid 19th century. Other writings belong to the Slovenian philologist Franz Miklosich and Andrei Glavina, the first Istro-Romanian to write about his own community. After 1918, when Greater Romania was created, many Romanians from outside Romania immigrated and became Romanian citizens. But few Istro-Romanians did so. Domenico Cvecici was one of those few Istro-Romanians who chose to become Romanian citizens. In 1937, at the age of 11, he left his native village of Susnievita to study in Romania, in Cluj. Cvecici came from a sub-mountainous region, mostly made up of rocks, which formed a karst landscape. The inhabitants main occupations were sheep breeding and mining. In 2002, he told Radio Romanias Oral History Centre the access to education of the children from those poor mountain regions was very limited. The children of Istro-Romanians didnt have much chance to leave their home, helping in their parents house, until they found another occupation or emigrated to the city. At home, I spoke Istro-Romanian, I spoke only in dialect. Italian was only taught in primary school, when I first went to school I didnt know a single word of it. Some of the children never really learnt it, only spoke a few words or at best were able to read. Many couldnt advance further because of the dire economic situation of their parents who could not support them in school beyond primary education. The landscape did not allow for the economic development of the area, but there was also another, more serious, problem: the lack of water. Domenico Cvecici described how people managed, however, to get hold of it: The economic situation was precarious. Another problem was the shortage of drinking water. In the south, in the seven villages inhabited by Istro-Romanians, there were only two springs with drinking water. It came from the hills or from up the mountain where there was a hay meadow for the cattle and there was another well made by people for the cattle to drink. People would bring their drinking water either in barrels transported on carts and pulled by oxen, a rarer case, or with women carrying it on their backs. There was a special vessel that would mould itself, and which women carried on their backs, tied to a belt, like a backpack. The drinking water situation was tragic and many people who lived farther away from the springs had to do with filtered rainwater. The water flowed from the roofs of the houses, through gutters, into a well and thats how the water was filtered. There was sand in the well, and the dirty part in the water went to the bottom and cleaner water remained on top, but without any content necessary for the human body. Domenico Cvecici remember how holidays were celebrated in the Istro-Romanian community: Holidays were restricted, especially at Christmas, to cakes. Pigs were bred for their meat to be consumed by the family, each family had their own. The fire, in most houses, especially in winter, was made on the hearth and in the room where the kitchen was and the food was prepared, in winter the meat was also smoked. Other families had wood-burning stoves in the kitchen. At Easter there were more cakes and red eggs, and the adults would also baptize these dishes with a glass of wine and the children would taste it, given by their parents or in secret. Domenico Cvecici also remembered the dialect they spoke at home and in the community: I dont remember much Istro-Romanian, I only remember certain words Cire esti tu?, cire instead of cine, this rhotacism, that intervocalic n transformed into r. There were no poems and prayers in Istro-Romanian, they were in Italian during the Italian period, and before I think maybe they were in German. I dont remember to have heard of any prayer translated into Istro-Romanian. Istro-Romanians are a small group of Romanians living in Croatia who are aware of being different from others. However, they are an ethnic group that has contributed to local history. October 13, 2025 UPDATE A roundup of local and world news October 13, 2025 UPDATE Newsroom, 13.10.2025, 20:00 ECOFIN The finance minister Alexandru Nazare said that Romania has a duty to support its interests firmly, with arguments and a realistic understanding of the European context, but at the same time to meet its commitments. He took part in the ECOFIN meeting of EU finance ministers, held in Luxembourg, where talks focused on the future budget of the European Union. The Romanian official told his counterparts that the EU budget funding must be based on the principles of equity, efficiency, transparency and simplicity, which should take into account the economic development level of each EU member state. Minister Alexandru Nazare emphasised that impact assessments must better reflect the specificities of member states with emerging economies and include differentiated analyses to ensure evidence-based decisions adjusted to national realities. POLL 55% of Romanians do not want Bucharest to send troops to the neighboring state should the Russian Federation attack the Republic of Moldova, according to an opinion poll conducted by Avangarde and quoted by the media. 28% of respondents are in favour of sending troops, and 17% do not know or do not answer. The danger of Russia intentionally attacking Romania is perceived as small / very small / non-existent by 58% of those interviewed, while 33% claim that it is large /very large and 9% do not know / do not answer. The Romanian Army is not able to withstand a prospective attack for 48 hours, as specified in NATO regulations, 49% of Romanians believe, while 35% of them are optimistic. 58% of the interviewees agree with an increase in military spending for all NATO member countries, including Romania, while 30% disagree and 12% are undecided. The Romanian government is poorly managing the national defence according to 58% of Romanians. 22% perceive it as well managed and a fifth (20%) fall into the dont know/dont answer category. In the current geo-military context, 75% of respondents claim that a retired senior officer with recognised professional skills should lead the defence ministry, while 11% would prefer a civilian. The survey was conducted by telephone, between October 6 and 10, on a sample of 920 Romanian adults. FINANCES The finance ministry announces that it managed to attract approximately EUR 4 billion in foreign markets at the beginning of this month, in one of its most successful Eurobond issues in international markets, the last this year. The issue has maturities of 7, 12 and 20 years and covered a very diverse investment base, both geographically and in terms of types of investors, most of whom are privately managed asset funds. On this occasion, the ministry explained, Romania also carried out an early redemption of Eurobonds maturing next year. Basically, it managed to cover approximately EUR 1 billion out of a total of EUR 4.25 billion in the three issues maturing in 2026. MIDDLE EAST Israel began releasing Palestinian prisoners on Monday, following the return from Gaza of the last surviving Israeli hostages. Under a ceasefire agreement with the Islamist group Hamas, Israel is to release about 1,700 Palestinians held since October 7, 2023, and about 250 prisoners, some of whom are serving life sentences. Earlier in the day, Hamas released the last 20 surviving hostages, handing them over to the International Red Cross Committee. The hostages, all men, returned to Israel after 738 days in captivity. The handing over of all the hostages taken by Hamas, alive or dead, is part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, ahead of a peace summit in Egypt attended by the US president Donald Trump. NOBEL Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economics for having explained innovation-driven economic growth. Specifically, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Monday that half of the prize goes to Israeli-American Joel Mokyr for for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress, and the other half goes jointly to the Frenchman Philippe Aghion and the Canadian Peter Howitt for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction. The Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, is the only one of the six prizes not originally created by the Swedish magnate, but was established in 1968. PARLIAMENT A simple motion tabled by AUR party (opposition) against the economy minister Radu Miruta (USR) was dismissed on Monday by the Senate with 34 votes in favour, 66 against and 3 abstentions. The authors complained about the lack of vision, management incompetence, excessive politicisation and the inability to champion Romanias economic interests. In response, Radu Miruta said the document filed by AUR contains accusations without evidence, lies, untruths and a lot of manipulation and a collection of political labels recycled with more passion than truth. Simple motions initiated by MPs do not lead to the dismissal of a minister, even if they are voted on by a majority of Senators. No-confidence motions on the other hand, tabled against the entire government, can lead to the fall of a Cabinet. AUR has previously filed simple motions against two members of the cabinet led by Ilie Bolojan: the education minister Daniel David, and the environment minister Diana Buzoianu. Both of them failed. (AMP) Fitchs report on Romania Romania's budget deficit will not be reduced by the percentages estimated at the start of the year, international financial analysts say. Foto: pixabay.com Stefan Stoica, 13.10.2025, 13:50 The coalition government in Bucharest is anxiously awaiting any assessment or signal coming from rating agencies. The reason is simple: a downgrade of the countrys rating would place Romania in the category not recommended for investors, and this would make loans much more difficult and expensive. The downgrade was avoided, thanks to the fiscal and budgetary reform measures taken in a first phase by the government. However, there is no reason for enthusiasm, because Fitch Ratings has revised its forecast regarding the evolution of Romanias budget deficit. According to Fitchs analysis published on Friday, the deficit is expected to go down this year to 8.5% of GDP, from a record of 9.3% of GDP last year, and, due to the high starting point, is expected to reduce in the coming years only to 7% of GDP in 2026 and 6.5% of GDP in 2027. Fitch says the upward revision of the budget deficit forecast following the analysis highlights the challenges Romania faces in halting the deterioration of public finances and in implementing sufficient consolidation measures to reduce large fiscal deficits and stabilize debt over the medium term. Additional fiscal measures may face implementation challenges amid consolidation fatigue, muted growth and lingering political uncertainty, Fitch experts say. According to the budget revision of October 1, this years deficit will be 8.4% of GDP, compared to 7% as forecast in the February budget. The main adjustments will be operated on the expenditure side, increasing by 1.6% of GDP estimated by Fitch, mainly in higher interest payments, as well as in social assistance and healthcare spending. Fitch analysts believe that this budget revision shows that Romanias overall fiscal deficit will decrease by only 0.3%, despite the initial spending freeze announced in January 2025 by the former government and the fiscal package introduced by the new coalition in July, the impact of which was initially estimated at 1.1% of GDP. This underscores the challenges from social spending pressures, higher borrowing costs and sluggish growth to achieving deficit reduction consistent with government debt stabilisation over the medium term, Fitchs analysis shows. The rating agency emphasizes that reducing deficits and stabilizing debt are crucial conditions for lifting the negative outlook associated with Romanias BBB minus country rating. Given the magnitude of the deficit and the multi-year consolidation process, a key challenge is to strengthen fiscal policy credibility, especially after repeated revisions to fiscal targets in 2024, which saw the budget deficit rise from an initial target of 5% to an actual 8.7% in cash terms. The additional packages should underscore the governments broad commitment to deficit reduction. (VP) Romania supports a realistic European budget We are supporting a sustainable and realistic European budget the Romanian Finance Minister, Alexandru Nazare, says Photo: fb.com / Alexandru Nazare Leyla Cheamil, 13.10.2025, 14:00 Funding the European Union budget must be based on the principles of equity, effectiveness, transparency and simplicity. This is the message the Romanian Finance Minister, Alexandru Nazare, conveyed at the meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, ECOFIN, held in Luxembourg on Friday. According to a Finance Ministry communique, the meetings central topic was updating the EUs own resources, which represents roughly 90% of the community budget incomes. The European Commission proposed five new own resources, namely the EU Emissions Trading System, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the E-waste own resource, which is a contribution to the EU budget with reference to the weight of electrical and electronic equipment in each member state that is not collected annually, the Corporate Resource for Europe, and also the Tobacco excise duty own resource. We are supporting a sustainable and realistic European budget able to support the EU priorities and bring tangible benefits to citizens. It is essential the green transition not generate disproportionate costs for the states currently undergoing a process of economic recovery, Minister Nazare went on to say. In the meantime, Romania voiced concerns regarding some Commission proposals such as the introduction of resources based on electronic waste or cutting collection costs for traditional resources, such as custom duties. Regarding the idea of simplifying the European legislative process, the Romanian side underlined the need for reducing the administrative and bureaucratic burden mainly in the case of small enterprises and public administration. Minister Alexandru Nazare underlined the impact assessment must better reflect the specific of the member states with emerging economies and include differentiate evaluations to ensure decision-making based on evidence and adjusted to national realities. Romania is promoting equilibrium and European solidarity. Romania has supported the European initiatives of directing economies towards productive investment and reiterated the support for financial assistance and sanctions imposed to Russia, the communique also says. On the other hand, Alexandru Nazare says that Romania has a duty to firmly promote its interests with arguments and a realistic understanding of the European context but to also meet its assumed pledges. On the ECOFIN sidelines, the Romanian official held talks with the EU Commissioner for Economy, Valdis Dombrovskis, on measures of curbing the budget deficit Romania has endorsed and also on the next steps to be taken in order to draw up a realistic national budget for the year 2026. Another major topic was the renegotiation of the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience, PNRR, with a view to endorsing a new plan for the upcoming Finance Ministers meeting due in November (bill) Paul Gessing New Mexico is facing an increasingly dire situation on its roads. A recent Albuquerque Journal story stated that New Mexico faces a $471.6 million gap in funding for priority projects around the state. A total of $5.6 billion is needed for road maintenance. Furthermore, the report noted that the percentage of acceptable roads in New Mexico has decreased in recent years, from 75% in 2011 to 69% in 2023. Deteriorating roads have real economic and safety implications. According to SourceNM, deteriorating roads result in drivers paying an average of $2,074 annually, for vehicle maintenance, congestion and safety costs. New Mexico has 1.74 deaths per 100 million miles driven, which is the third-highest fatality rate in the country. Of course, New Mexico remains awash in money. It has $64 billion in its permanent funds. Some of that money should be dedicated to road expansion and maintenance. New Mexico also has a $500 million general fund budget surplus this year and has had billions of dollars in annual surpluses in the recent past as state spending skyrocketed 70% under this governor. Clearly, roads were not a priority during the recent boom years. Instead of pledging to use some of the plentiful existing money available to them on roads Sen. Antonio Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, told the Journal, Its been a failure of government not to gradually increase the gas tax rate over the past 30 years. We disagree. New Mexicans should not be forced to pay higher taxes to fund something as basic as road maintenance when the state is flush with cash. Before even considering raising taxes here are a few ideas to improve our roads without raising regressive taxes on average New Mexicans. Free up some of the unspent $7.2 billion in unspent capital outlay money that is typically used for pork projects for roads. Make EV owners pay a fee for road maintenance (they currently do not). Repeal New Mexicos mini Davis-Bacon law that allows unions rather than market forces to set construction wages. Tax gas at the rack to capture gas taxes on tribal lands (they currently do not remit state gas tax). These are some simple ways to either generate more money for road repairs or to drive costs down. We are open to others but remain implacably opposed to raising the gas tax until or unless a few of these other efforts have been undertaken. Ad Clearly, roads are not a top priority for either the Legislature or the governor. What is? The governor recently outlined plans to spend an estimated $3 million annually to fund Planned Parenthood. She also has allocated $20 million in capital outlay in recent years for multiple abortion clinics designed to serve people from out of state. Of course, there is also the new free child care program the governor just outlined as well. The state is already spending $463 million each year on free child care for those making up to 400% of the federal poverty level (more than $100,000 for a family of three). Expanding the program to those with even higher salaries will cost another $120 million with an additional one-time capital expenditure of $20 million. The debacle over roads is on par with the approach Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has taken from day one: Allocate resources to growing state government and placating political allies while letting core functions of government suffer. Its nothing new, but in New Mexico it is shocking how unwilling voters have been to hold Democrat politicians accountable for these and other policy failures. Tecan Group AG (TCHBF,TECN.SW), a Swedish laboratory instruments and biopharmaceuticals solution provider, on Monday reported that third-quarter sales improved by mid-single-digit percentage in local currencies from the preceding second quarter. Further, the company confirmed fiscal 2025 and medium-term outlook. In its third-quarter trading update, the firm reported that the Life Sciences Business segment recorded a low-single-digit sales decline, while the Partnering Business segment achieved a low teens percentage range sales improvement, both in local currencies and in line with expectations. For both segments, order intake exceeded sales in the third quarter. In the second quarter, sales had declined in a low-single-digit percentage in local currencies. Looking ahead, for fiscal 2025, Tecan continues to expect sales in local currencies to be within the previously communicated range of a low single-digit percentage decline to low single-digit percentage growth. However, the current trends indicate the full-year performance will be in the lower half of the range. The firm also reiterated its adjusted EBITDA margin forecast of 17.5% to 18.5% of sales for full-year 2025. The company projects, as earlier communicated, that if the higher reciprocal tariff levels are maintained, the estimated net impact on the adjusted EBITDA margin for 2025 would be around 100 basis points. However, if the US dollar to Swiss franc exchange rate were to remain at current spot levels for the rest of the year, there would be a further negative impact on the adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately 100 basis points. Additionally, the firm updated that for US academia and government, sales are expected to trend toward the middle of the initially assumed range, from a halving of 2024 revenues to a decline in the teens. In China, sales are tracked slightly below the lower end of the initially assumed range of high single-digit percentage decline to a stable sales range due to subdued demand. Further, Tecan reiterated its mid-term outlook, anticipating a return to average organic growth rates in the mid- to high-single-digit percentage range in local currencies under normal market conditions. However, end are expected to recover gradually, so a full normalisation is not anticipated by the firm in 2026. On Friday, the stocks had closed 1.65% lower at 148.70 Swedish Kronor in the Swiss market. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Oil prices rebounded on Monday after settling down nearly 4 percent to hit five-month lows on Friday. Benchmark Brent crude futures jumped 1.8 percent to $63.86 a barrel in European trade, while WTI crude futures were up 1.9 percent at $60.03. The rebound came after U.S. President Donald Trump said that he thinks the U.S. relationship with China will be "fine" and the U.S. wants to help China, not hurt it. Trump said the Nov. 1 deadline is an "eternity," but could advance the date if China takes further actions. Separately, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that President Trump is willing to pursue reasonable negotiations with China, but all options remain open, including the removal of Chinese companies from the U.S. market. Investors also cheered improved foreign trade data from China showing surprising strength in September, with both exports and imports beating forecasts. On the geopolitical front, the United States has imposed sweeping sanctions on more than 50 companies, individuals, and vessels accused of helping Iran export petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), in violation of international restrictions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the new sanctions aim to dismantle Iran's "energy export machine" as part of Washington's ongoing "maximum economic pressure" campaign. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis China's exports and imports logged notable growth in September as the world's second largest strengthened its trade ties with other nations amid escalating trade tensions with the US. Exports advanced 8.3 percent year-on-year in September, data from the customs office showed Monday. The annual rate was forecast to rise moderately to 6.0 percent from 4.4 percent in August. Moreover, the 8.3 percent growth was the fastest in six months. Similarly, growth in imports accelerated to 7.4 percent from 1.3 percent in the previous month. This was the biggest growth in 17 months and also much faster than forecast of 1.5 percent. Due to the stronger growth in imports, the trade surplus fell to $90.5 billion in September. Also, the surplus remained below the expected level of $98.5 billion. Exports to the US plunged 27.0 percent from the last year. This was offset by the increase in exports to other economies. Shipments to EU advanced 14.2 percent and that to ASEAN climbed 15.6 percent. The resilience shows that China has strengthened trade with the rest of the world amid US protectionism, said ING economist Lynn Song. Song said that external demand should remain an important driver of China's growth for the rest of the year. China's rare earth exports decreased nearly 31 percent in September from the previous month. China announced export controls on rare earth and related technologies last week, prompting a threat from US President Donald Trump to impose additional tariff of 100 percent on Chinese goods. Trump is set to meet President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News American-Israeli economic historian Joel Mokyr, French economist Philippe Aghion, and Canadian economist Peter Howitt have won the Nobel Prize in economics. Announcing the award Monday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said one half of the prize money will go to Joel Mokyr "for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress" while the other half will go jointly to Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction". "Over the last two centuries, for the first time in history, the world has seen sustained economic growth. This has lifted vast numbers of people out of poverty and laid the foundation of our prosperity. This year's laureates in economic sciences, Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt, explain how innovation provides the impetus for further progress," the Swedish Academy said. Technology advances rapidly and affects us all, with new products and production methods replacing old ones in a never-ending cycle. This is the basis for sustained economic growth, which results in a better standard of living, and quality of life for people around the globe. However, this was not always the case. Quite the opposite - stagnation was the norm throughout most of human history. Despite important discoveries now and again, which sometimes led to improved living conditions and higher incomes, growth always eventually leveled off. Joel Mokyr used historical sources as one means to uncover the causes of sustained growth becoming the new normal. He demonstrated that if innovations are to succeed one another in a self-generating process, we not only need to know that something works, but we also need to have scientific explanations for why. The latter was often lacking prior to the industrial revolution, which made it difficult to build upon new discoveries and inventions. He also emphasized the importance of society being open to new ideas and allowing change. Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt also studied the mechanisms behind sustained growth. In an article from 1992, they constructed a mathematical model for what is called creative destruction: when a new and better product enters the market, the companies selling the older products lose out. The innovation represents something new and is thus creative. However, it is also destructive, as the company whose becomes passe is outcompeted. In different ways, the laureates show how creative destruction creates conflicts that must be managed in a constructive manner. Otherwise, innovation will be blocked by established companies and interest groups that risk being put at a disadvantage. "The laureates' work shows that economic growth cannot be taken for granted. We must uphold the mechanisms that underly creative destruction, so that we do not fall back into stagnation," says John Hassler, Chair of the Committee for the prize in economic sciences. Peter Wilkinson Howitt is the Professor of Social Sciences at Brown University. Dutch-born Joel Mokyr is a Professor at Northwestern University and Professorial Fellow at the Eitan Berglas School of Economics at Tel Aviv University. Philippe Mario Aghion is a professor at the London School of Economics and at the Paris School of Economics. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Royal Marine snipers disabled a drugs boat speeding across the Gulf of Oman as frigate HMS Lancaster dealt a blow to the vessel carrying 35 million pounds worth of illegal narcotics on board. Commando snipers brought the 'skiff '- zipping over the waves at speeds in excess of 40 knots while its crew tried to ditch their illegal cargo - to an immediate halt with a bulls eye shot to knock out the boat's engine. The snipers took aim from a Wildcat helicopter launched from the warship to intercept three suspect craft in one of the most dramatic counter-drugs intercepts the Royal Navy has been involved with in the Middle East. More than one-and-a-half tons of drugs were recovered in all - heroin, crystal methamphetamine and hashish with an estimated UK street value in excess of 35 million pounds, according to the UK Ministry of Defense. This is the first time snipers have been called upon to use non-lethal force to disable a suspicious boat in the Gulf region - where typically slow-moving dhows are used to hide the illicit cargoes - unlike the Caribbean, where the tactic has proved effective on several occasions. The operation began when HMS Lancaster launched her Wildcat from 815 Naval Air Squadron on a dawn patrol over the Gulf of Oman. Her crew soon picked up three suspicious skiffs travelling at speed - and secretly shadowed them while relaying critical information back to the warship. That allowed Lancaster to launch her Peregrine mini-helicopter drone to continue monitoring the skiffs - again undetected - providing a live video feed to the ship's operations room. Meanwhile, the Wildcat returned to refuel and embark a Maritime Sniper Team from 42 Commando - the Royal Marines' specialists in boarding operations - to close in for the interception. When the helicopter appeared over the skiffs, their crews immediately increased speed to more than 40 knots and began hurling their cargo into the water to reduce weight. Ultimately, it led to two of the skiffs being abandoned - but not the third which persisted in trying to get away. At this point, the marines targeted the outboard engine, neutralizing it with a single round, while crew of the warship's sea boat recovered the discarded packages and located a partially-submerged abandoned skiff. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News As GST 2.0 rates rolled out in September 2025, most automakers have witnessed rising demand more particularly on a MoM basis. Hyundai too has reported a significant improvement in its sales in the past month which grew to 51,547 units. This was a 1% YoY growth from 51,101 units while MoM sales improved sharply by 17% as against 44,001 units sold in Aug 2025. Last month, Hyundai passed on the full benefit of GST cuts to customers which brought down prices by Rs 75,000. The company range is now available in a price range of Rs 5.47 lakh to Rs 20.96 lakh. Hyundai Sales Breakup Sept 2025 Hyundai Creta was the companys best-selling SUV last month with sales of 18,861 units. This was a 19% YoY improvement over 15,902 units while MoM sales were up 18% from 15,924 units. Showing increased demand was also the Hyundai Venue. Sales were up at 11,484 units, a 12% YoY and 42% MoM increase from 10,259 units and 8,109 units sold in Sept 2024 and Aug 2025 respectively. At No. 3 was the Exter with 5,643 units sold last month. While sales declined by 18% on a YoY basis, it did show off a strong 11% MoM improvement. At No. 4 on the list was Hyundai Aura with 5,387 unit sales. YoY demand increased by 21% from 4,462 units while it was a marginal 1% growth on a MoM basis. Hyundai Grand i10 also suffered a 17% YoY decline but emerged strongly with an 8% improvement in MoM sales to 4,238 units. The i20 Elite also saw its YoY demand dip by 12% while MoM growth stood at 7% to 3,884 units. Lower down the sales order, sales declined for Hyundai Alcazar, Verna, Tucson and IONIQ 5 on a YoY. Alcazar was down to 1,234 units in Sept 2024 by 54% but showed off a 4% MoM increase. Verna sales were down by 39% YoY and 6% MoM to 725 units while Tucson sales at 85 units saw a 49% improvement MoM. IONIQ 5 sales stood at just 6 units last month marking a 81% YoY and 57% MoM decline. Hyundai Sales Breakup Q3 2025 Hyundai Motor India has reported sales of 1,39,521 units in Q3 2025, marking a 6.76% decline year-on-year compared to 1,49,639 units in Q3 2024. The brands performance was primarily supported by the Creta, which continued to be the top-selling model in Hyundais portfolio with 51,683 units, growing by 3.34% YoY and contributing 37% to overall quarterly sales. Despite the overall decline, a few models showed resilience. The Aura registered a healthy growth of 13.58% YoY with 15,359 units sold, driven by steady demand in the compact sedan segment. However, the Venue, Hyundais second-best-selling SUV, saw a marginal dip of 1.91% YoY, with sales slipping to 27,647 units. Meanwhile, newer and smaller models faced sharper drops. The Exter, once a strong contributor, saw volumes fall by 19.40%, while the Grand i10 Nios and i20 declined 23.94% and 23.56%, respectively. These models were likely impacted by shifting buyer preferences toward SUVs and the impact of ongoing market corrections post-GST rate revisions. Among larger models, Alcazar sales dropped 12.77% YoY to 3,840 units, while the Verna saw a more pronounced fall of 39.09%, reflecting reduced demand in the midsize sedan segment. Hyundais premium EV, the IONIQ 5, registered just 45 units in the quarter, indicating slower traction in the premium EV category. Few SUVs in India have managed to build a legacy as powerful as the Mahindra Scorpio. Launched more than two decades ago, it was the SUV that gave middle-class India its first taste of a tough, no-nonsense utility vehicle with modern appeal. Even in 2025, when rivals like the Hyundai Creta and Tata Safari dominate headlines, the Scorpio quietly continues to dominate the second-hand SUV space. According to market data, the Scorpio accounted for 22% of all used Mahindra SUV transactions in 2024, putting it well ahead of siblings like the Thar and XUV500. Thats not just a number, its proof of how strong the Scorpio brand still is in the pre-owned market. But why exactly does the Scorpio remain the first choice for so many buyers across metros like Mumbai and Bangalore, as well as in smaller towns? Lets go over each reason in detail. 1. Scorpio Holds Strong Across Generations The Scorpio has been able to remain relevant across generations, unlike most of the SUVs that fade away after one or two upgrades. The 2002 model was boxy and raw, but it established the theme of what Indian families desired in an SUV. Every iteration since then has refined that formula without losing that rugged DNA. This consistency creates trust in used buyers, as even a 78-year-old Scorpio does not feel old-fashioned like some competitors. 2. Rural Buyers Keep Demand High The Scorpio has a high urban demand, but the rural and semi-urban pull is the true secret of the Scorpio. Small-town buyers are fond of its dominating road presence, its capability to cope with poor roads and the pride of owning a big SUV. This steady rural demand means that the resale prices will not fall deeply even when newer SUVs are flooding the metro markets. To put it briefly, the Scorpio is among the few vehicles that have pan-India popularity. 3. Built to Last: What Owners Say One of the biggest reasons behind Scorpios popularity is how well it ages. Owners on Team-BHP routinely post about their cars running an extensive number of kilometres without major issues. Comments like mechanically solid, zero niggles at 10,000 km or handles bad roads and no roads with equal ease are common across forums. The mHawk diesel engines of the Scorpio have been tested to be durable in Indian conditions. They are known to be reliable even after years of abuse, provided they are serviced as per the service intervals. Many threads highlight real-life examples of Scorpios being used for long highway hauls as well as rural duty, where rough roads are the norm. 4. Strong Resale Numbers Resale value is where the Scorpio really shines. Its five-year value retention is pegged by many aggregators at 6065%, which is much better than most of the SUVs in its segment. Simply put, a Scorpio with a price tag of ?15 lakh new can be resold at ?910 lakh in five years, provided it is well maintained. This strength comes from two factors: 1. Universal demand: The Scorpio is also popular in the rural markets, unlike the premium crossovers, which only sell in urban India because of the ruggedness. 2. Brand trust: Buyers know the Scorpio has been around for over 20 years, so spare parts and service support will never be a problem. As an example, a used Mahindra Scorpio in Mumbai often attracts urban families who require a reliable family ride that does not fail in terms of durability and resale value. 5. Community, Image, and Road Presence Cars are not merely metal: they are perception. The macho road presence of the Scorpio is still respectable. Owners frequently say that nothing clears smaller cars like a Scorpio in the rear-view mirror. Nearly 1 million units sold since launch implies that the Scorpio has a massive community of owners online and offline. There is never a lack of assistance, whether it is through detailed maintenance threads or local garages that know every nut and bolt. Not Perfect, But Forgivable There is no car that is flawless and Scorpio buyers understand what they are getting into. Common complaints include: Cabin plastics that rattle after a few years. Electrical issues like temperamental sensors or glitchy infotainment systems. Rapid tyre wear on the front axle occurs if wheel alignment is ignored. Another compromise is city driving. The size of the Scorpio makes it a chore during parking and traffic manoeuvres in the congested metros. The point here is that all these problems are not deal-breakers. They are familiar and predictable. In fact, this is the reason that even in an IT hub like Bangalore, the Mahindra Scorpio has carved a niche among families and travel enthusiasts who regularly escape the citys gridlocked traffic for hill station getaways. Mahindra Scorpio used car in Bangalore boasts a rugged build, commanding road presence, and reliable diesel engine making it an ideal companion for long highway runs as well as rough rural roads. Buying Advice: What to Check in a Used Scorpio? The Scorpio may be reliable, but due diligence is important in the used space. Experts recommend: Service history: Look for consistent authorised service stamps. Engine health: Listen for abnormal diesel clatter or turbo whine. Suspension: Sagging rear springs are a common wear point. Electronics: Test every switch and sensor, from power windows to infotainment. Accident history: Inspect for rust or mismatched paint on body panels. Fleet usage: Be wary of ex-taxi units with tampered odometers. There is always a concern of unknown problems when purchasing a second hand SUV, but Scorpios massive ecosystem makes it easier to have confidence. Still, it pays to be careful. Having a pre-delivery inspection done with a reliable mechanic or an authorised service centre can help you avoid future surprises and provide you with confidence before you sign the deal. Summary The beauty of the Scorpio is not only about nostalgia, but also about daily, tested reliability. There are very few SUVs that combine ruggedness, space, resale strength, and sheer road presence like the Scorpio. Yes, the cabin could be better finished, but those who buy a Scorpio rarely regret it. Browser Compatibility Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks. We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: A small, isolated population of common hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) was present in the Upper Rhine Graben in southwestern Germany during the middle Weichselian, a period spanning from 47,000 until 31,000 years ago, according to new research. Hippos colonized Europe from Africa in multiple waves, probably by multiple species of the genus Hippopotamus, including the common hippo that is only found in sub-Saharan Africa. During their maximum geographic distribution in Europe, hippos ranged from the British Isles in the northwest to the Iberian and Italian peninsulas in the south. Their presence in the fossil record generally implies temperate conditions with denser vegetation and open water bodies. Their origin and relationships to living African common hippos and the exact age of their extinction in central Europe, however, still remain unclear. Until now, it was believed that common hippos became extinct in central Europe around 115,000 years ago, with the end of the last interglacial period, said co-senior author Professor Wilfried Rosendahl, general director of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim. Our study demonstrates that hippos inhabited the Upper Rhine Graben in southwestern Germany sometime between approximately 47,000 and 31,000 years ago. In the study, Professor Rosendahl and colleagues examined 19 hippo specimens from fossil localities of the Upper Rhine Graben. The Upper Rhine Graben is an important continental climate archive, said study co-author Dr. Ronny Friedrich, a researcher at the Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archaometrie. Animal bones that have survived for thousands of years in gravel and sand deposits are a valuable source for research. Its amazing how well the bones have been preserved, he added. At many skeletal remains it was possible to take samples suitable for analysis that is not a given after such a long time. The teams analysis of ancient DNA showed that European Ice Age hippos are closely related to living African hippos and belong to the same species. The radiocarbon dating confirmed their presence during a milder climatic phase in the middle Weichselian. An additional genome-wide analysis indicated very low genetic diversity, suggesting that the population in the Upper Rhine Graben was small and isolated. These results and further fossil evidence show that heat-loving hippos appeared in the same time frame as species adapted to cold temperatures, such as mammoths and woolly rhinos. The results demonstrate that hippos did not vanish from middle Europe at the end of the last interglacial, as previously assumed, said study first author Dr. Patrick Arnold, a researcher at the University of Potsdam. Therefore, we should re-analyze other continental European hippo fossils traditionally attributed to the last interglacial period. The current study provides important new insights which impressively prove that the Ice Age was not the same everywhere, but local peculiarities taken together form a complex overall picture similar to a puzzle, Professor Rosendahl said. It would now be interesting and important to further examine other heat-loving animal species, attributed so far to the last interglacial. The results were published on October 8, 2025 in the journal Current Biology. _____ Patrick Arnold et al. Ancient DNA and dating evidence for the dispersal of hippos into central Europe during the last glacial. Current Biology, published online October 8, 2025; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.09.035 1Spatial shares were sliding on Monday, even after it reported a 9% rise in first-half revenue to 17.7m for the six months ended 31 July, driven by continued growth in recurring income and strategic contract wins in the UK and US. Recurring revenue increased 20% year-on-year to 10.7m, accounting for 61% of total revenue compared with 55% a year earlier. Annualised recurring revenue rose 11% to 19.9m. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) and term licence sales grew strongly, with SaaS revenue up 300% to 0.8m and term licence revenue up 37% to 5.6m. Adjusted EBITDA rose 5% to 2.1m, with the margin easing slightly to 11.9%. The company said net borrowings increased to 2.5m from 0.9m a year earlier, reflecting continued investment in product development, partly offset by lower cash outflows. It highlighted several multi-year licence agreements signed during the period, including $1.1m with Montana and 1.1m each with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Network Rail. Since the period end, 1Spatial said it had secured further major deals, including a $1.7m enterprise agreement with the California Department of Transportation and a 1m 1Streetworks contract with UK Power Networks. The company said these agreements underpin a strong second-half pipeline and support its confidence in achieving full-year targets. We have delivered a positive first half, despite challenging global market conditions, said chief executive Claire Milverton. We have focused on the successful execution of our strategic priorities, expanding our engagements with existing customers and securing some good wins towards the end of the half and into the third quarter. Milverton added that as the company looked ahead, its focus remained on accelerating SaaS adoption, converting its pipeline and deepening its presence in the substantial US market. We are confident the strength of our IP, breadth of customer base and expertise across our team mean we are well placed to deliver attractive growth and cash generation over the medium term. The company said the second half has begun well, with a robust order book and European programme activity supporting expectations for results in line with management forecasts for the full year. At 1042 BST, 1Spatial shares were down 3.35% at 52.67p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. London stocks edged higher in early trade on Monday amid hopes of a de-escalation in the latest trade dispute between the US and China. At 0825 BST, the FTSE 100 was 0.2% firmer at 9,442.74. Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, said: "Late on Sunday afternoon, Donald Trump seemed to backtrack on his threat to impose a further 100% tariff rate on China after it applied controls to rare earth mineral exports. "The President posted on his Truth Social account, saying Dont worry about China, it will all be fine!, he said that President Xi had a bad moment He said that the US wants to help China, not hurt it !!! This seems fairly conciliatory, even if Trump will not take responsibility for escalating this latest trade war. "However, this tweet does not suggest that there has been a solution to the latest trade spat between China and the US, and instead Trump appears to be suggesting that financial markets have overreacted to his threat of 100% tariffs. Thus, even if there is a stock market recovery today, investors could still remain edgy this week and continue the sell off if the situation deteriorates. "The TACO trade, Trump Always Chickens Out, fueled the recovery rally in April, so if it looks like the same will happen again, then we could see markets absorb Trumps tariff threats relatively quickly, and volatility could retreat at the start of this week." In equity markets, precious metals miner Fresnillo and gold miners Hochschild and Endeavour all shone as gold prices shot higher. Lloyds gained after saying it was putting aside a further 800m to cover compensation costs related to the motor finance mis-selling scandal. The bank said it has now made a 1.95bn provision, including both redress and operational costs, up from 1.15bn previously. This follows the FCAs ruling last week that lenders must pay out 11bn including costs after finding "widespread failings" in how motor finance firms disclosed commission payments and commercial ties between lenders and brokers on agreements signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: "Investors chose to view the news positively since it removes a plank of uncertainty with regard to the eventual cost for the bank." Financial services firm Legal & General was in the black after saying that Scott Wheway will succeed John Kingman as chairman following the group's next annual general meeting on 21 May 2026. Wheway, who currently serves as chairman of Scottish Widows, will join the board of Legal & General as a non-executive director and chairman designate on 2 January 2026. AstraZeneca rose after striking a deal with the White House to cut prices of the drugs it sells in America, allowing it to avoid steep tariffs on US imports. The blue chip said it will provide direct to consumer sales to eligible patients with prescriptions for chronic disease at a discount of up to 80% off list prices. In return, the US Department of Commerce has agreed to delayed section 232 tariffs for three years. AstraZeneca will onshore medicines manufacturing during that time, it confirmed, so that "all medicines sold in America are made in America". Aviva edged up after RBC Capital Markets resumed coverage of the stock at outperform. IP Group surged as it said it was "encouraged" by the results of a recent clinical trial of a Metsara obesity drug, which could result in future sustainable royalties if approved by regulators. The company, which invests in early stage businesses in the deeptech, life sciences and cleantech sectors, owns and exclusively licenses certain underlying IP relating to Metsera's programmes including its lead product MET-097i, a monthly injectable GLP-1 drug. Oxford Instruments slid after an interim trading update. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 9,442.74 0.16% FTSE 250 (MCX) 21,874.13 0.33% techMARK (TASX) 5,546.56 -0.19% FTSE 100 - Risers Fresnillo (FRES) 2,514.00p 5.81% Anglo American (AAL) 2,945.00p 2.26% Antofagasta (ANTO) 2,745.00p 1.93% M&G (MNG) 258.80p 1.53% Persimmon (PSN) 1,149.50p 1.41% Glencore (GLEN) 350.30p 1.29% Rio Tinto (RIO) 5,045.00p 1.23% Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,213.50p 1.17% WPP (WPP) 343.30p 1.09% Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 83.78p 1.06% FTSE 100 - Fallers BAE Systems (BA.) 1,966.00p -0.83% Vodafone Group (VOD) 84.82p -0.73% Babcock International Group (BAB) 1,221.00p -0.65% HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 987.80p -0.61% Scottish Mortgage Inv Trust (SMT) 1,115.50p -0.58% SSE (SSE) 1,811.00p -0.55% BT Group (BT.A) 183.65p -0.54% Halma (HLMA) 3,480.00p -0.40% Reckitt Benckiser Group (RKT) 5,746.00p -0.35% Barclays (BARC) 371.30p -0.32% FTSE 250 - Risers IP Group (IPO) 56.80p 6.97% Endeavour Mining (EDV) 3,240.00p 4.92% Hochschild Mining (HOC) 380.20p 4.91% Rank Group (RNK) 130.20p 4.33% Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 62.00p 3.94% Discoverie Group (DSCV) 593.00p 2.95% Vistry Group (VTY) 618.80p 2.38% Ninety One (N91) 212.20p 2.12% Bytes Technology Group (BYIT) 412.60p 2.03% Dr. Martens (DOCS) 88.95p 1.77% FTSE 250 - Fallers Oxford Instruments (OXIG) 1,820.00p -8.08% Grafton Group Ut (CDI) (GFTU) 883.20p -2.06% Hilton Food Group (HFG) 656.00p -1.20% B&M European Value Retail S.A. (DI) (BME) 226.20p -0.92% Unite Group (UTG) 609.00p -0.73% Bakkavor Group (BAKK) 214.50p -0.69% SDCL Efficiency Income Trust (SEIT) 56.20p -0.53% VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd. (VOF) 482.50p -0.52% Murray International Trust (MYI) 299.00p -0.50% TBC Bank Group (TBCG) 4,430.00p -0.45% London stocks were set to edge up at the open on Monday, as worries about US President Donald Trumps fresh tariff threats on China eased. The FTSE 100 was called to open around 10 points higher. Danske Bank said: "On Friday, Trump threatened China with 100% tariffs on top of the existing rates as a retaliation against China's new export control measures on rare earth minerals. However, comments received over the weekend appear to downplay the risk of trade war escalation. "Focus now turns to a Xi-Trump meeting at the end of the month, where the two sides can dial back the escalation. We see a more than 50% chance for this. "While the 100% tariff hike would push the pre-substitution US average tariff rate to around 28%, or close to the highs seen last May, the effective increase would be more modest due to re-routing of trade. "Both importers and exporters have adapted to the new tariff landscape which alleviates downside risks to both US and Chinese economies even if the higher tariffs go into effect. We expect the Fed to cut rates by 25bp later this month irrespective of the near-term trade war outcome." In corporate news, Lloyds said it is putting aside a further 800m to cover compensation costs related to the motor finance mis-selling scandal. The bank said it has now made a 1.95bn provision, including both redress and operational costs, up from 1.15bn previously. This follows the FCAs ruling last week that lenders must pay out 11bn including costs after finding widespread failings in how motor finance firms disclosed commission payments and commercial ties between lenders and brokers on agreements signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024. Financial services firm Legal & General said that Scott Wheway will succeed John Kingman as chairman following the group's next annual general meeting on 21 May 2026. Wheway, who currently serves as chairman of Scottish Widows, will join the board of Legal & General as a non-executive director and chairman designate on 2 January 2026. AstraZeneca said it has struck a deal with the White House to cut prices of the drugs it sells in America, allowing it to avoid steep tariffs on US imports. The blue chip said it will provide direct to consumer sales to eligible patients with prescriptions for chronic disease at a discount of up to 80% off list prices. In return, the US Department of Commerce has agreed to delayed section 232 tariffs for three years. AstraZeneca will onshore medicines manufacturing during that time, it confirmed, so that all medicines sold in America are made in America. The agreement - specific details of which remain undisclosed - was first unveiled at a White House event over the weekend. London Stock Exchange Group announced a new phase of its strategic partnership with Microsoft on Monday, in a bid to transform how financial institutions access and use LSEGs licensed data through Microsofts AI platforms. The collaboration would allow LSEG customers to deploy agentic AI tools built in Microsoft Copilot Studio and powered by LSEG data, integrating advanced analytics directly into workflows. LSEG said the initiative would build on its AI Everywhere strategy. Through a new Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, the group said it would enable secure and seamless connections between its datasets and Microsofts AI environment. The data would initially be accessible via LSEG Financial Analytics in a phased rollout. LSEG said the system would let customers create custom AI agents within Microsoft 365 Copilot using financial data licensed through products such as Workspace and Financial Analytics. The agents would be able to analyse and interpret decades of LSEG datasets - amounting to more than 33 petabytes - to enhance decision-making, streamline processes and improve productivity. LSEG's partnership with Microsoft is transforming access to data for financial professionals with cutting-edge, AI-driven innovation at scale, said LSEG chief executive David Schwimmer. LSEG customers can build, deploy and scale agentic AI directly into their workflows with secure, seamless connectivity through MCP. Microsoft said the collaboration represented a step forward in embedding trusted market data into its AI ecosystem. Our continued partnership with LSEG underscores a shared commitment to redefining the future of financial services through secure, AI-driven innovation, said Nick Parker, Microsofts chief business officer and president of worldwide sales and solutions. By combining LSEG's trusted market data with Microsoft's cloud and AI capabilities, we're empowering customers to unlock deeper insights, accelerate decision-making and streamline complex workflows. The partnership between LSEG and Microsoft was first announced in 2022. At 0852 BST, shares in London Stock Exchange Group were up 1.89% at 8.948.7p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. Rachel Reeves must avoid a half-baked dash for revenue or risk damaging economic growth as the chancellor seeks to close a large gap in next months budget, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said. The tax and spending thinktank has warned there was a danger the chancellor would create unnecessary economic damage if she chooses to stitch together unrelated tax-raising measures to cut the shortfall in government revenues and keep within her fiscal rules. Guardian Beijing has told the US it will retaliate if Donald Trump fails to back down on his threat to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports as investors brace for another bout of trade war turmoil. Chinas commerce ministry blamed Washington for raising trade tensions between the two countries after Trump announced on Friday that he would impose the additional tariffs on Chinas exports to the US, along with new controls on critical software, by 1 November. Guardian A cryptocurrency crash triggered by Donald Trumps threat of 100pc tariffs on China has unleashed fresh claims of insider trading. There is growing anger among crypto investors after reports claimed that an anonymous investor made up to $200m (150m) by betting that the worlds two biggest digital currencies would fall. Telegraph Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that Britain is at risk of falling into a Chinese debt trap because of its dependence on borrowing from Beijing. Senior economists and politicians have sounded the alarm over hundreds of billions of pounds in UK debt owned by overseas investors. They fear that this reliance will allow China to meddle in British affairs and strong-arm the Government as it is caught in an ever-tighter vice of unaffordable spending and interest payments. Telegraph Some of Britains biggest developers have been left stunned after being approached about appointing the former Tory minister Michael Gove, who is roundly loathed by the industry he once called a cartel. Headhunters, acting on behalf of the former housing secretary, are understood to have made calls to several big housebuilders offering his services as a board member after his retirement from politics last year. The Times A government-backed developer of the worlds largest aircraft is in a race to close a 130 million investment round as its latest accounts warned it had only enough resources to last four to six weeks. Hybrid Air Vehicles, which has developed a hybrid of an aircraft and an airship, is aiming to secure the investment round this year which will allow it to move towards production in a project expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and multibillion-pound revenues The Times ICAI may share financial data to help build Indias sovereign AI model Talks underway with MeitY to support locally trained LLMs AI expected to reduce financial frauds and boost auditing efficiency The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is in talks with the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) to share financial and economic data of listed companies to support India's homegrown Artificial Intelligence model. India is building its own sovereign Large Language Models (LLMs), and ICAI aims to contribute by offering verified financial data, such as audit reports and balance sheets. This data will help train Indian AI models with accurate and authentic information. A Senior ICAI official said, Were in discussions with MeitY. ICAI has proposed to provide trusted financial and economic data to India-made LLMs. The institute, which has over 4 lakh members, plays a key role in financial reporting, taxation, and audit practices in the country. Indias sovereign AI model is expected to be unveiled before the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which will be held on February 19-20 next year, according to IT Secretary S. Krishnan. ICAI is also using AI tools to assist its members in auditing by automating repetitive tasks, enabling real-time auditing, and analyzing data for fraud detection and risk assessment. Also Read: India, South Korea to Boost Ties in Electronics and EV Supply Chains The institute believes its initiatives could help reduce nearly 25% of online and digital financial frauds. It is also exploring more AI use cases to improve accuracy and transparency in financial reporting. This move strengthens Indias efforts to create AI solutions rooted in local, credible data. Tata Motors trades for the last time as a consolidated entity ahead of its commercial vehicles demerger. Infosys launches its Customer Experience Suite for Salesforce, boosting digital transformation offerings. Axis Bank, DMart, and Waaree Renewables stay in focus with regulatory updates and strong earnings. As the markets open on Monday, several major companies are likely to be in the spotlight due to key developments and announcements. Heres a quick look at the stocks that could see movement in todays trade. Tata Motors: Today marks the last trading day for Tata Motors as a consolidated entity. The companys demerger of its commercial vehicles business will take effect from Tuesday, October 14, which has made the stock a major focus for investors. BLS International: The Ministry of External Affairs has imposed a two-year ban on BLS International, restricting the company from participating in new tenders for Indian missions. This action could weigh on the companys shares today. Avenue Supermarts (DMart): The retail chain reported a 4% rise in net profit year-on-year, supported by a 15.5% increase in revenue and an 11% jump in EBITDA. The companys steady growth in sales could keep investor sentiment positive. Welspun Enterprises: The companys board is set to meet on October 15 to consider raising funds through convertible warrants or preferential allotment of shares, which may attract attention from traders. Zen Technologies: Zen Technologies announced a new order worth around Rs 37 crore from the Ministry of Defence for supplying anti-drone systems with Hard Kill capabilities, strengthening its defense portfolio. Also Read: TCS Leads Market Buzz as Key Earnings and Big Deals Steal the Spotlight Infosys: The IT major launched the Infosys Customer Experience Suite for Salesforce, offering enhanced Agentforce solutions to help businesses in their digital transformation journeys. The move underscores Infosys push into advanced digital and cloud-based services. Axis Bank: Axis Bank received a Letter of Caution from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) advising the bank to strictly comply with KYC regulations. The bank stated it has already taken corrective measures in line with RBIs guidance. Kotak Mahindra Bank: Kotak Mahindra Bank announced that Sonata Finance has merged with BSS Microfinance. Following this merger, Sonata Finance is no longer a subsidiary of the bank, effective October 11. Lupin: The US FDA completed a pre-approval inspection at Lupins Somerset facility in New Jersey, resulting in one observation. The inspection outcome is relatively positive for the pharmaceutical company. Waaree Renewable Technologies: The solar energy firm reported its best-ever quarterly performance in Q2 FY26, with net profit surging 117% year-on-year to Rs 116.3 crore and revenue rising nearly 48% to Rs 774.8 crore, driven by strong project execution and improved margins. The solar energy firm reported its best-everin Q2 FY26, with net profit surging 117% year-on-year to Rs 116.3 crore and revenue rising nearly 48% to Rs 774.8 crore, driven by strong project execution and improved margins. Overall, the day is expected to see active trading across multiple sectors from auto and retail to banking and renewables as investors react to these latest updates. TCS CEO K Krithivasan notes a 'small positive bias' in the global business climate, with improving client sentiment and better growth in Europe and the UK. Company aims to become the worlds largest AI-driven services firm, investing $6-7 billion in global AI data centres and end-to-end AI infrastructure. TCS maintains low visa dependency and steady hiring, adding nearly 19,000 employees in Q2 despite workforce optimization, to strengthen digital and AI capabilities. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO K Krithivasan has moderated optimism about the business climate across the world, saying that the macro environment is beginning to exhibit 'a small positive bias' as the sentiment of clients is improving in markets. TCS is also experiencing greater positivity from its locations and teams, particularly in Europe and the UK, which have shown better growth compared to previous quarters. While acknowledging that the consumer business segment, especially discretionary retail, remains under strain, Krithivasan claimed that most of the other verticals and geographies have been good, which reflects on an even recovery in client confidence and project activity. Krithivasan said while certain projects had been suspended or delayed in the previous quarters, there has been a 'slight reduction' in doing so. Clients waiting to make long-term decisions are now reassessing their change approaches, and TCS is seeing improvement in such interactions. "It's too early to say all is behind us, but teams are more optimistic relative to Q1", he said, adding that the second half of the year is appearing more positive for business opportunities. Complementing TCS's strategic focus, Krithivasan underlined the company's vision to be the world's largest AI-driven services company. In pursuit of that vision, TCS is investing big bucks in artificial intelligence infrastructure through its $6-7 billion AI data centre programme, which could eventually get extended worldwide. Also Read: TCS and C-DAC Join Hands to Build India's Sovereign AI Cloud The company is seeking to build end-to-end solutions for clients, from providing GPUs and AI infrastructure to supporting diverse AI models, from those that are housed by hyperscalers to those developed by companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. "There's plenty of unserved demand not only for data centre space but also from the AI needs of India, which we believe remain not fully met", he stated. Krithivasan also spoke about concerns of increased H-1B visa scrutiny and anti-outsourcing posturing in the US, stating that the reforms have not been a big setback for TCS operations. He said that the company has purposefully kept dependency on onsite visas low and focused on local hiring in key markets. "We have utilized only around 500 H-1B visas till now this financial year", he added further, highlighting that the company's global delivery model remains robust. On talent acquisition trends, Krithivasan clarified that the just concluded 19,755 employee cut at TCS is not reflective of a hiring halt. The firm actually added between 18,000 and 19,000 new staff in the September quarter, primarily to build its expertise in digital technologies and high-growth segments. "We are still hiring for the right skills", he stressed, underscoring TCS's focus on talent alignment with its long-term growth strategy through AI and digitalization. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Alicia Zayas says her boyfriend, Anthony Casalaspro, was a good man, a city sanitation mechanic who stepped up to help raise her children, according to the New York Post. Now, shes mourning his brutal death and pleading for understanding as her son, 19-year-old Damien Hurstel, faces murder charges in one of Staten Islands most horrifying crimes in recent memory. He didnt have to do that, Zayas said in an interview with the New York Post. Anthony was helping me raise my kids. He was a great man. An investigator inspects the front porch of the home at Cary Avenue. (Advance/SILive.com | Scott Axelrod) Hurstel is accused of stabbing Casalaspro to death and decapitating him inside the familys West Brighton home. Hurstel allegedly showed his 16-year-old sister Bri the mutilated body and asked, Do you want her (Zayas) to live? during a terrifying encounter, Zayas recounted in the New York Post interview. Zayas said Bri fled behind the familys shed and called her in a panic. After racing home, Zayas said she found her son in the kitchen. He said he was cleaning, she said. Like he was doing dishes. His eyes looked differentdark, like something had changed. After discovering the horrific murder scene in the bathroom, Zayas said she called 911 and begged responding officers not to hurt her son. This was preventable Zayas said she hopes to expose what she describes as a catastrophic failure of the mental health system. This was preventable, she said to the New York Post. Something is seriously wrong with my son. He wasnt like this before. Hurstels defense attorney, Mark Fonte, previously told the Advance/SILive.com that the accused killer suffered from multiple mental illnesses. Its my understandingagain, this is just a cursory review of some of his medical recordshe had an antipsychotic medication, bipolar medication, schizophrenic medication, kind of the whole gambit of mental health issues," Fonte said. And its very sad, he continued. Its very sad that anyone would have to go through life suffering from these chronic mental health issues. And its also sad that in this country, we really dont address the mental health crisis thats going on. Fonte also called Hurstels mental health history long and tortured. Zayas told the NY Post that Hurstel began struggling with mental illness at age 6, after his father went to prison. Damien was hospitalized twice after suicide attempts but stabilized by age 14. Fonte told the Advance/SILive.com that until Hurstel turned 18 the family was on top of him with respect to his psychiatric medication and doctors visits and hospitalizations, as any caring family would be. But once an adult, Fonte said, the doctors were no longer allowed to speak to the family and extended family about his medical treatment. So they had to rely solely on the patient to determine what medication hes supposed to be on, how he was feeling, was he compliant with his treatment protocols. And thats where things started going haywire. Fonte said that strife began in the household as discussions about medication and Hurstels treatment became confrontational. The two attorneys hired by the family, Fonte and Louis Gelormino, are now working to obtain Hurstels full psychiatric history. Zayas also said in the interview that her son had violently beat her on her birthday last year after she asked him to clean the kitchen; she insists that Casalaspro was never abusive. He loved my kids, she said. He loved Damien. Doctors hold defendant in murder case In the latest developments in the case on Friday, Hurstel remained hospitalized at Richmond University Medical Center, as prosecutors submitted an indictment on charges that include second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in connection with the slaying Monday. Hurstel was ordered held from appearing in the courtroom amid concerns over his psychiatric condition, according to court proceedings and sources with knowledge of the case. Family of the defendant, including his mother, uncle and cousin, have shown up to court each of the past three days in an attempt to see him. Judge Raja Rajeswari adjourned the case to Oct. 16 in state Supreme Court, St. George, in light of the grand jury indictment. A repeat offender with a lengthy criminal history has been charged in a fatal hit-and-run that killed a Queens mother who had just completed cancer treatment, authorities said. Timothy Bohler, 31, was arrested Friday in connection with the March 22, 2024, death of Lelawattie Narine, a 52-year-old Richmond Hill woman, who was struck by a motorcycle, police said. Bohler was already in custody at Rikers Island on charges stemming from a machete attack that severed an MTA workers fingers, the New York Post reported. Police said Narine was standing at the intersection of 114th Street and Liberty Avenue when she was struck by motorcycle allegedly driven by Bohler. The suspect fled on foot after the collision, leaving Narine mortally injured on the ground, according to authorities. She was taken to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition and died less than three weeks later. The victim had recently been declared cancer-free after completing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Her son reportedly said doctors had encouraged her to walk for exercise. Bohler faces charges including leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and operating without a license in connection with Narines death, the report said. Court records show Bohler has accumulated 45 prior arrests. His criminal history includes charges for assault, rape, weapons possession and unlawful surveillance related to a domestic violence case, according to sources. According to the outlet, the new charges come while Bohler is already facing assault and menacing charges for a Jan. 24 machete attack on MTA worker Tayquon Young in a Bronx bodega. The 34-year-old father had four fingers severed in the attack, which began when the mens dogs got into an altercation while they were walking them in Crotona, police said. As a result of his injuries, Young lost his job as an MTA bus cleaner, the report said. Police responded July 8, 2024 to a report of a violent robbery inside OMW Smoke Shop at 490 Broadway in West Brighton. Google STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Two men who carried out a violent robbery last year at an illegal smoke shop on Staten Island are headed to prison, in a case that the boroughs District Attorney says embodies an ongoing public safety hazard. The defendants Rayquan Douglas, 23, of the 200 block of Westwood Avenue in Castleton Corners, and Dustin Johns, 19, of the 200 block of Schmidts Lane in Castleton Corners both pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree robbery in connection with the 2024 incident in West Brighton. In exchange for his plea, Douglas is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 13 in state Supreme Court, St. George, to eight years in prison and five years post release supervision. Johns is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 5 to six years incarceration and five years post release supervision. Attorneys for both defendants declined to comment. The robbery was one of several crimes reported over the past five years in and around unlicensed smoke shops on Staten Island, including incidents of drug dealing, assaults, robberies and homicides. Wielding a pipe, hammer Police said the robbery unfolded at about 1:30 a.m. on July 8, 2024, inside OMW Smoke Shop at 490 Broadway in West Brighton. The store was located across the street from a 24-hour McDonalds restaurant. Johns, who is listed in jail records as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and 140 pounds, was wielding a metal pipe as he allegedly stated in sum and substance: Give me everything you got. Wheres the weed. The victims were described as a 17-year-old male and a 35 year-old male. The two men forcibly took cannabis from the store before fleeing the scene, but were arrested soon after, police said at the time. The defendants used a metal pipe and hammer to threaten and assault their victims, said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon in a written statement following their recent court hearings. Today, these brazen lawbreakers were held accountable in the courtroom for their violent crimes, said McMahon, who went on to thank members of the NYPD and Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Hendershott for their efforts in pursuing a conviction. In this July 1 photo, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon holds a press conference in his St. George office for Operation Road Test, an elaborate scheme involving the alleged unlawful distribution of driver permits and licenses. Reining in illegitimate storefronts: D.A. In his statement Thursday, McMahon referenced an explosion of black market cannabis across Staten Island and elsewhere as lawmakers botched the rollout of a legalized industry. This case epitomizes the very real public safety concerns my office raised around the proliferation of illicit cannabis dispensaries in our borough and across New York City, said McMahon. In this July 3, 2024 photo, city officials inspect an alleged, illegal smoke shop on Staten Island. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Flush with cash and contraband, illegal smoke shops naturally attract nefarious actors and criminals and drastically diminish a neighborhoods quality of life. McMahon said his office continues to work tirelessly, using every tool at our disposal, to rein in these illegitimate storefronts, shutter their doors, and hold their criminal proprietors accountable. In 2024, the district attorneys office announced a law enforcement blitz on nearly 20 smoke shops across Staten Island that were shuttered for alleged black market cannabis sales. In this September 2023 photo, Borough President Vito Fossella announced a series of law enforcement raids of illicit smoke shops operating across Staten Island, netting a trove of illegal cannabis and other contraband. In 2023, Borough President Vito Fossella announced a massive seizure of cannabis and other contraband from 17 smoke shops across the borough. In recent years, crimes carried out at unlicensed smoke shops on Staten Island and elsewhere have included armed robberies, burglaries, assaults, homicides and other narcotics sales. Project Hospitality's Harvest Gala is set for Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. in LiGreci's Staaten, West Brighton. (Staten Island Advance/Derek Alvez) Staten Island Advance STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Project Hospitality will host its 40th annual Harvest Gala on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. in LiGrecis Staaten to benefit the interfaith effort to serve the needs of hungry and homeless. Honored with the Richard E. Diamond Memorial Award for Exemplary Commitment to People in Need, will be the late Dr. Salman Zafar. The Staten Island United Federation of Teachers will receive the Denis P. Kelleher Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to the People of Staten Island. Jon Del Giorno will be presented with the Catherine (Mac) and Pearse OCallaghan Memorial Award for Social Justice. And Tami DiCostanzo, executive director of RSVP Serve and head of the Americorps Service Program for Staten Island, will accept the Monsignor Finn Service Above Self Award on behalf of Americorps RSVP Program of Staten Island. Tickets are $150 per person. To purchase tickets, visit projecthospitality.org or phone 718-448-1544. Dr. Salman Zafar Dr. Zafar, a dedicated Project Hospitality volunteer, along with his wife and son, conducted free health clinics, health screenings and vaccinations for decades at Project Hospitality Port Richmond storefront. He also organized holiday meals from the Muslim community for homeless and hungry Staten Islanders at the Project Hospitality Homeless Drop In Center and Port Richmond storefront of El Centro and served for many years as the Chair of Quality Improvement and secretary of the Board of Directors. Dr Zafar, who died in 2021, was a physician in the NYC Health and Hospitals health care system. Jon Robert Del Giorno Del Giorno, a lifelong Staten Islander, has advocated for poor and disenfranchised communities for 40 years. He will receive the Mac and Pearse OCallaghan award for Social Justice. The late Pearse OCallaghan was a mentor to Jon in his social justice advocacy work. His public service to Staten Island has included a run for North Shore City Council seat and active volunteer leadership roles in fighting for LGBTQ rights and the rights of immigrants. He is a founding member of Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno LLC, a firm that has provided pro bono and low-cost advice, consulting services to help fledging Staten Island not profits trying to navigate access to government funding to carry out their mission. Staten Island United Federation of Teachers Borough representative Sean Rotkowitz and the Staten Island Office of the United Federation of Teachers have repeatedly coordinated one of Project Hospitalitys largest food donations efforts annually, collecting over two tons of food to help Project Hospitality food pantry through the distribution of holiday pantries and meals for hungry Staten Island families. Additionally, the UFT holds a longtime commitment to the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Midland Beach, where hundreds of UFT members don pink and march in solidarity to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. The annual event not only supports a vital cause but also showcases the unions commitment to health and community wellness. SIUFT is also a key participant in the boroughs annualNight Out Against Crime along with community leaders of the NYPD. The Staten Island UFT hosts an annual back to school barbecue, where, along with other community partners, they give away hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies to the families on Staten Island. Tami DiCostanzo For nearly 60 years, the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program has connected older adults with meaningful volunteer opportunities providing an opportunity to share their time, talents, and experiences to assist their neighbors in need. Established in 1966 by the Community Service Society of New York, Project SERVE (Serve and Enrich Retirement by Volunteer Experience) was a pioneering initiative harnessing the expertise and dedication of older adults to meet community needs. Starting with just 23 volunteers assisting residents at Willowbrook State School, the program demonstrated the profound impact senior volunteers can makelaying the foundation for a legacy of service that continues today. The group evolved into RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) one of the largest volunteer networks in the United States, and is now part of AmeriCorps Seniors. DiCostanzo will be accepting the award on behalf of the program and will be joined by RSVP volunteers. The AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Program of Staten Islands history includes a more than three-decades long partnership with Project Hospitality. RSVP connects individuals to volunteer with various Project Hospitality programs. Each week 11 volunteers serve four days a week helping to feed tens of thousands of neighbors in need. An entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy campus in Annapolis, Maryland, is pictured in this Jan. 9, 2014 photo. AP The recent death of a New Jersey man enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy is under investigation, according to reports. Midshipman Second Class Kyle Philbert James, a junior at the military school in Annapolis, Maryland, was found dead Friday, nj.com reported. The 20-year-old from Morris County had been missing since Thursday night. According to WFSB 3, a local Baltimore station, his mother received a call from the Naval Academy informing her he had missed several classes. Followed by a phone call informing the family of his death. It is painful to lose a member of our Naval Academy family, and as we attempt to better understand this tremendous loss, we offer our deepest condolences to Philbert James family, close friends, classmates, and company mates during this extremely difficult time, the U.S. Naval Academys statement continued. James, a member of the 36th Company, was a history major and participated in the USNA Gospel Choir, nj.com reported. His mother told WFSB 3 that she had spoken with him Thursday morning through text messages, and that he told her he loved her. Academy officials contacted James family Friday to inform them that his remains had been found near the Naval Academy, according to the Baltimore Sun. A 14-year-old boy from Australia is lucky to be alive after he was attacked by a shark in Far North Queensland. (NJ.com/Lori M. Nichols) FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA A severely injured teenager is lucky to be alive and has his friends to thank for it after he was attacked by a shark last week, according to several reports. The boy is still listed in critical condition. The 14-year-old was fishing off a wharf when he decided to take a quick dip near Cook Esplanade, according to the Daily Mail. Shortly after entering the water, a shark bit the teens torso. Incredibly, despite all the danger, the teens friends jumped into the water to help their friend. It is believed the friends involvement saved the boys life. The boy suffered life-threatening injuries. In fact, he lost a significant amount of blood after the shark damaged internal organs. He was airlifted from one hospital to Townsville University Hospital before undergoing emergency surgery. A number of individuals, including Torres Shire Mayor Elsi Seriat, praised the victims friends for risking their own lives to save their buddy. The mayor, in fact, said the friends displayed incredible bravery. A Statue of Christopher Columbus is shown at Columbus Circle, Friday, June 12, 2020, in New York. In recent years, critics who point to evidence of Columbus' brutality toward indigenous peoples have called for New York City to remove his 70-foot-tall statue standing atop a column in Columbus Circle. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) AP STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As much as any other issue, such as transportation, cost of living, and affordable housing, debates over the remaining Christopher Columbus statues in the city are a sticking point for the mayoral candidates. While Mayor Eric Adams has dropped out of the race, he has announced his desire to landmark two of the Italian explorers monuments at Columbus Circle in Manhattan and Astorias Columbus Square. The action was likely sparked by Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdanis X post in June 2020 showing himself flipping off the Columbus statue in Astoria, with the caption: Take it down. However, Mamdani has not made any public statements about removing the monuments should be he become mayor. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Adams pursuit to landmark the monuments. The beauty of New York City is that we celebrate and respect all our diverse communities and cultural heritage. As mayor of the city with one of the largest Italian populations in the world, I am proud that we celebrate Italian American heritage, today and every day, said Adams. We are calling for a full and fair review of the applications to preserve Columbus statues as scenic landmarks in Manhattan and Queens so that the public is given the opportunity to participate in the process. We also recognize the contributions of our indigenous community and are proud to establish a new special grant program for cultural programs and art projects representing that community, he added. Meanwhile, Andrew M. Cuomo, Independent candidate for mayor who can trace his familys roots back to Southern Italy, on Columbus Day, reaffirmed his commitment to protect the Columbus statue at Columbus Circle. Columbus Day has always been about honoring the courage, sacrifice, and contribution of the Italian-American community to this city and this nation, said Cuomo. For generations of Italian immigrants who came to New York with nothing but a dream, the statue of Christopher Columbus stood as a symbol that they belonged. It represented acceptance, dignity, and the belief that in America, hard work and family values could overcome prejudice and poverty. I fought to protect the Columbus statue when others wanted to tear it down and as mayor, I will continue to defend it, he said, also criticizing Mamdani for hurling profanities" at a Columbus statue." And Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa has gone as far as committing to not only preserve the existing Columbus monuments, but to erect one on Staten Island. At a rally last month, Sliwa, who is of Italian and Polish descent, noted how other boroughs across New York City are home to various statues and parades celebrating Christopher Columbus. Yet Staten Island, the most Italian of all the boroughs, does not have such a monument. How is it that Staten Island, the most Italian of boroughs, Staten Italy, you dont have a parade? You dont have a statue? Well guess whos going to correct that?... Sliwa said. Who was Christopher Columbus? Under the sponsorship of Spain, Columbus, an Italian explorer, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 in search of a new route to Asia. Instead, he landed in the Americas, which ignited centuries of colonization. Columbus Day commemorates his landing and has become a celebration of Italian American heritage. However, Columbus has become a controversial figure due to his treatment of Indigenous peoples, including acts of violence, enslavement, and the spread of diseases that obliterated native populations. As a result, many communities forgo Columbus Day and observe Indigenous Peoples Day to honor the cultures and histories of Native American peoples. Yousif Algahmi, a senior at the Michael J. Petrides School, created this piece of artwork for Casa Belvederes annual Italian Festival & Exotic Car Show, which was scheduled to take place this past weekend on Grymes Hill. (Courtesy of Gerard Ucelli) IN CLASS: This feature is part of an ongoing education column highlighting the various activities that engage school communities. Want this before everyone else? Subscribe to our Beyond the Classroom newsletter. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Artwork created by Staten Island students was recently chosen for display at a Staten Island car show. High school students at Michael J. Petrides School prepared Italian-themed vehicle artwork to be displayed at Casa Belvederes annual Italian Festival & Exotic Car Show, which was scheduled to take place this past weekend on Grymes Hill. Seen here is artwork created by sophomore Nethra Perera. (Courtesy of Gerard Ucelli) The Michael J. Petrides School is proud to see our students artwork being featured at Casa Belvederes annual Columbus Day Weekend Car Show, said Anthony Tabbitas, principal of Michael J. Petrides School. This exciting opportunity allows our young artists to showcase their creativity to the Staten Island community. Student art enrichment is an integral part of our program, and we are thrilled to see our students talent recognized at such a vibrant community event. The display was coordinated by art teacher Gerard Ucelli, in partnership with Casa Belvedere, which is a cultural center devoted to Italian studies. This piece was created for the car show by senior Catherine Keag. (Courtesy of Gerard Ucelli) Mayka Rodriguez, a sophomore at Petrides, said that the journey of creating an art piece was both challenging and rewarding. Art is a window into the mind and soul a light that can brighten even the dullest room without needing the sun, said Rodriguez. The piece I created for the Casa Belvedere Car Show is that window for me. It reflects my passion and love for art. This picture was produced by junior Giuliana Pannozzo. (Courtesy of Gerard Ucelli) Erika Varga, assistant principal at Petrides, said that opportunities like this inspire our students to connect their artistic talents with Staten Islands rich cultural heritage. Student Yousif Algahmi, who is a senior, said: I had a great time making this and am very pleased to have my work featured in this event, where many people can view and enjoy what I was able to make. Sophomore Mayka Rodriguez created this colorful picture of a scooter. (Courtesy of Gerard Ucelli) Proceeds from the Casa Belvedere car show and festival benefit the Italian Cultural Foundations arts and cultural programs, college-bound student scholarship fund, and On Your Mark, which empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Senior Jordan Aimetti created this piece of artwork for the car show. (Courtesy of Gerard Ucelli) Send us your stories Do you have a story idea for the In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com. New York City public and Catholic schools are closed on Monday. (Advance/SILive.com|Jan Somma-Hammel) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York City public and Catholic school students are enjoying a three-day weekend, as schools are closed on Monday. Students wont head to class on Monday in observance of Columbus Day, Italian Heritage Day, and Indigenous Peoples Day. According to the Department of Education academic calendar, schools are closed to observe Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples Day. For Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York, the calendar gives time off for Columbus Day. Along with recognizing the anniversary of Christopher Columbus journey to America in 1492, the federal holiday honors the history and culture of Native Americans and other indigenous people. Students will return to classes on Tuesday, Oct. 14. For those looking further ahead, there are plenty of days off before the end of the year. Public schools are closed for Diwali just a week later on Oct. 20, and for Election Day on Nov. 5. Public and Catholic schools will both be closed on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day, and on Nov. 27-28 for Thanksgiving recess. Winter recess will begin in late December. The DOEs public school calendar includes some two dozen days off between the first day and the last day of classes. The calendar gives time off for the religious holidays, week-long breaks for winter recess, mid-winter recess and spring recess, and federal holidays. The Archdiocese of New York Superintendent of Schools calendar for Catholic elementary school students on Staten Island also includes time off for religious and federal holidays. The U.S. Capitol is silhouetted by the stark glare of the morning sun as a government shutdown begins its tenth day, in Washington, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) AP As Republicans and Democrats remain locked in a stalemate over the government shutdown, Americans have grown increasingly frustrated with both parties, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. Some 67% of the 1,154 respondents said Republicans deserve at least a fair amount of blame for the shutdown as it stretched into Day 10, while 63% said the same of Democrats. President Donald Trump also drew scrutiny with 63% saying he deserved a share of the blame. The survey had a margin error of 3 percentage points in either direction, meaning the level of blame is broadly similar for the clashing political parties and for Trump. The Senate adjourned Thursday after failing to advance the House-passed Republican bill and will not return until Tuesday, meaning the shutdown will extend into this week with thousands of federal workers furloughed. Many Americans remain concerned that there is no clear end in sight, with 49% of the Reuters poll respondents saying they are concerned about delays in services like Social Security payments and student aid. The shutdown has also caused flight delays at several U.S. airports including Newark due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. White House Office of Manager and Budget director Russ Vought announced that mass firings of federal workers began Friday, affecting federal health workers, the Education Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The RIFs have begun, Vought wrote in a post on X, referring to the White Houses reduction-in-force plans. As the shutdown continues to cause problems around the country, Congressional Democrats have continued to advocate for extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits before they expire this year and undoing the Medicaid cuts passed in Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill. Their Republican opposition has said that those negotiations should only happen once the government reopens. Right now, it is the critical issue facing our country, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said of the expiring subsidies. Already, in many states, people are getting their notices. Theyre seeing their premiums double, triple, quadruple. Attorney General Pam Bondi doesnt have a problem with Amy Poehlers depiction of her on Saturday Night Live over the weekend. Loving Amy Poehler! the AG tweeted in part after the show, USA Today reported. Poehler joined fellow SNL alum Tina Fey for the cold open on the show. Fey played Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The sketch lampooned Bondis recent appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The skit portrayed Bondi as combative and insulting to lawmakers. She refused to answer any questions and read from a prepared list of roast-style burns. Before I dont answer, Id like to insult you personally, she told Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Mikey Day) in the sketch. When asked if the FBI found pictures of President Donald Trump during a raid on Jeffrey Epsteins property, Poehlers Bondi replied, Sir, Im not even going to dignify that question with a lie. Playing Noem, Fey joined the sketch holding an assault rifle, praising my boys at ICE. She said that the immigration agency is looking to recruit big, tough men who are not tough enough for the army or police but take supplements that you bought at a gas station and like to use zip-ties because people in your life dont trust you with keys. Tagging Noem and posting a picture of Poehler and Fey from the sketch, Bondi tweeted: @Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago? Loving Amy Poehler! .@Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago? Loving Amy Poehler! pic.twitter.com/3wNCnS0sGX Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) October 12, 2025 The Department of Homeland Security used a clip of Fey in the sketch to promote ICE recruitment, editing the clip to remove the jokes made at the agencys expense. Thanks for the free advertisement @NBCSNL, the post read. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic representative of Queens 36th assembly district; Curtis Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Staten Island Advance STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Democrat Zohran Mamdani continues to lead New York Citys mayoral race with 46% support in the wake of Mayor Eric Adams withdrawal from the race, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll which dropped Wednesday. Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, however, has made some noteworthy gains, climbing to 33% support citywide pulling ahead of Mamdani on Staten Island. While Mamdani maintains a double-digit lead across the five boroughs, the poll reveals several differences. On Staten Island, Cuomo leads with 44% of the vote, compared to Mamdanis 29% and Republican Curtis Sliwas 22%. This marks Cuomos best performance in any borough and Mamdanis worst contrasting how his campaign is being perceived across the city. The survey of 1,015 likely voters was conducted October 37 and carries a margin of error of +3.9 percentage points. In the previous Quinnipiac poll conducted Sept. 10, Mamdani had the edge with 45%, with Cuomo trailing at 23%. These new numbers show Cuomo picking up much of Adams former support a trend most clearly visible on Staten Island. The numbers changed but the contours of the race havent. Andrew Cuomo picked up the bulk of Adams supporters cutting into Zohran Mamdanis lead, but Mamdanis frontrunner status by double digits stays intact, said Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Mary Snow. Mamdani continues to gain support from younger voters 62% among 1834-year-olds; Asian American voters 67%; and religiously-unaffiliated voters at 69%. He leads among Democrats citywide with 60% support. However, Staten Island remains an exception. Voter enthusiasm for Mamdani here is weaker, and his favorability ratings dip compared to his citywide numbers. According to the poll, only 31% of Staten Island voters view Mamdani favorably, compared to 47% unfavorable a contrast to his overall 4335% percent favorability citywide. Cuomo, in the meantime, sees an improvement in his image on Staten Island, where his favorability rating rises above his citywide average of 37%. Mamdani leads on key progressive issues, such as lowering housing costs (48% citywide) and managing public schools (41%). But Cuomo holds an advantage on economic growth, where 41% of voters say hed be most effective, compared to Mamdanis 35% with an even wider margin on Staten Island. On the question of who would better represent New York City under a second Trump presidency, voters are pretty much evenly split 35% say Mamdani to 34% Cuomo but Staten Island once again leans Cuomo. The Israel-Hamas conflict has become a political minefield in the race. While Mamdani leads citywide on the question of who shares voters views on the conflict, with 41%, Cuomo gains more ground on Staten Island, where Mamdanis more harder stance including his pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an ICC warrant is met with opposition. Overall, 43% of citywide voters oppose Mamdanis pledge, compared to 38% who support it. On Staten Island, opposition spikes to 58%. Despite Cuomos strength on Staten Island, Mamdani remains the clear citywide frontrunner at least for now. But the poll shows a divide between the boroughs and the progressive base that pushed Mamdani to the top of the field. Were Cuomo to continue capturing support, specifically in places where Mamdani is underperforming, the race could tighten further as we barrel toward Election Day. A top MAGA supporter is slamming President Donald Trump for a major military initiative. Steve Bannon, Trumps former political strategist, slammed the president for allowing Qatar to build a military base on U.S. soil. This whole thing is so screwed up, Bannon said while appearing on a podcast with commentator Eric Bolling, per the Daily Mail. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth on Friday announced that Qatar will build a U.S. military training facility at an Air Force base in Idaho. Hegseth said that the facility will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability. A Qatari embassy spokesman in Washington, D.C., on X said, This will not be a Qatari air base. The post continued, Rather, Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to construct and maintain a dedicated facility within an existing US air base, intended for advanced training and to enhance interoperability in defending and advancing our shared interests around the world. Qatar hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. The nation will cover the costs of building the Idaho training facility. Bannon has urged Trump to follow an America first path instead of focusing on the Middle East. He said the Idaho base shows you the price were paying for this blind following of the Israel First crowd. Staunch Trump supporter Laura Loomer called the plan an abomination. No foreign country should have a military base on US soil, Loomer wrote on social media. Especially Islamic countries. The Daily Mail noted that plans for the base were first conceived during President Joe Bidens administration. President Donald Trump fumed as his speech to the Knesset in Israel was interrupted by two far-left, pro-Palestinian Israeli lawmakers, ABC News reported. As Trump was addressing the Israeli Knesset legislature on Monday, a sign was held up that read Recognize Palestine, and two Knesset members began shouting at the president. The members were identified as Ofer Cassif, an Israeli, and Ayman Odeh, an Arab Israeli. They were detained by security and then escorted out of the Knesset for the disruption. That led Trump to say from the podium, That was very efficient. Cameras captured the outburst and Trumps glaring reaction to it. Footage was broadcast on CNN. Trump got multiple standing ovations during his speech to the Knesset. Trump left for a Middle East peace summit in Egypt following his address to Israeli lawmakers. Trump last week announced the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, who have been at war in Gaza for two years. This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen, Trump announced on TRUTH Social at the time. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS! Hamas freed 20 remaining living Israeli hostages on Monday as part of the peace agreement brokered by Trump that saw Israeli military forces partially withdraw from war-torn Gaza. Israel in turn has released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The two-year war began in 2023 after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people. More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict and a majority of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. Not just Qantas: beware of broader scams Loading Qantas is one of nearly 40 high-profile companies including Toyota, Disney and IKEA, along with fellow airlines Air France and KLM whose illegally accessed consumer data is being marketed by hackers on the dark web. Since Qantas is not the only company that has been targeted, its possible the scammers could reference the other affected companies in their attacks. Cybercriminals try to identify the same consumers across different hacked corporate databases, to form a clearer picture of a victim they can target. For example, finding a Qantas customer who also subscribes to a Disney Plus allows the creation of a more nuanced profile, which can then be used for more realistic and effective scam communication. Qantas has posted examples of scam emails, notifications and websites on Qantas.com. Hunt says this type of cross-referencing of customer data by scammers is very similar to what marketing companies do. Qantas is using multi-factor authentication for key communication. Credit: Qantas This is often referred to as enrichment, where you take multiple different sources and combine them together. Qantas data will indicate how much a person travels, said Hunt, which can give a good sense of a potential targets relative wealth. Combine that with the customer information that was stolen during the Optus and Medibank Private breaches and then a scammer can piece together a targets profile much more adequately. Hours after the data was released, HaveIBeenPwned.com, flagged that 7.3M unique customer email addresses of Vietnam Airlines had also been exposed. The compromised data also included names, phone numbers, dates of birth, and loyalty program membership numbers, the service said. Loading While discerning exactly how many Australians were affected, Hunt estimates probably tens of thousands of Aussies have been drawn up in the breach of Vietnam Airlines data. Vietnam Airlines has been contacted for comment. Meanwhile, Toyota Australia said on Monday that there was no evidence that their Australian customer data has been compromised. Toyota Australia is aware of recent media reports regarding a global cybersecurity incident involving Salesforce-connected environments. We can confirm that an internal review has been conducted, and there is no evidence that Australian customer data has been compromised, it said in a statement. Disney has also been contacted for comment. What else can you do to be safe? Following the release of the data, Qantas encourages customers to use where available two-step authentication for email and online accounts. Two-step authentication requires log-ons to have not one, but two, codes often a regular one, and a unique one generated by an app or a secondary source, for that specific instance of communication. Darktrace global field CISO Max Heinemeyer says affected customers should make sure all your devices are up-to-date with the latest software and security patches. As a precaution, log in to any potentially-affected accounts and create strong unique passwords for each account, said Heinemeyer. Loading Customers should be vigilant of any communications purporting to be from Qantas or other official organisations that ask for information. Hackers using stolen information and AI-powered social engineered techniques can create communications that are near impossible to tell from the real thing. Kevin Gosschalk, founder and CEO of Arkose Labs, said hacks will continue to substantially increase the likelihood of fraud against Australian consumers of these companies. Bad actors will be using the leaked and stolen data to compromise other accounts, such as financial accounts, with a mixture of the newly learned personally identifiable information, plus prior breaches and leaks and use that to socially engineer consumers. Alert but not alarmed Loading While the hackers have leaked the data, they will still try to shape the public conversation in ways that encourage affected organisations to pay. Since both Qantas and Salesforce whose customer service platform is also used by Qantas have said they are not paying ransom, the criminal group will seek to monetise the customer data in other ways. For example, scammers can use the heightened awareness of cyber breaches highlighted in the media to trick customers to click through links or share personal details, sometimes in emails designed to appear as if they will help secure a persons profile. Qantas meanwhile has tried to limit the fall-out of the hack by getting an injunction in NSW on the publishing of the contents of the data (which, according to Cyber Security Coordinator Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness, included the home addresses and phone numbers of several high office holders). 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 Its midday, and the Palais Theatre is a hive of controlled chaos. The stage is being transformed into an abstracted space overgrown with reeds and flowers, and bays of screens and AV panels are squeezed between the stall seats. Victorian Operas latest production, Katya Kabanova, written by Czech composer Leos Janacek, and directed by Heather Fairbairn, is a technically complex one a 21st-century production staged in a building that, though beautifully restored, maintains one foot firmly in the 1920s. Performers preparing to enter the stage at a rehearsal of Katya Kabanova at the Palais. Credit: Wayne Taylor The Palais has been a part of Melbourne for more than a century. It was a dance hall in 1914, then a cinema, and after being destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt from scratch in 1927. Today, it is mostly a music venue, and Victorian Opera is its resident theatre company. Though the Palais has been restored extensively in recent years from its major $26 million renovation in 2017 to the installation of a much-awaited new air-con system earlier this year its 20th century foibles remain. From front of house, its a large, resplendent theatre. Backstage, its a rabbit warren. A performance of Katya Kabanova involves nine principal cast members, a 57-person orchestra and a 16-person chorus, supported by 30 crew. A large LED screen and full-sized cinema screen features live-captured video, harking back to the Palais history as a movie house. Theres also extra lighting, sound, rigging, about 150 costume items, changing rooms and communications infrastructure in the form of cameras and video feeds networked throughout the venue. It all has to go somewhere. Advertisement Daniel Gosling, Victorian Operas head of technical and operations, is a strangely calm presence backstage, despite having bumped in a theatres worth of equipment in three days. Its a bit square peg, round hole, he says. When we come in its literally four bare walls and some curtains. Daniel Gosling, Victorian Operas head of technical and operations. Credit: Wayne Taylor Theres one loading dock, for a start, and its the size of a single garage door, which opens right onto the street. About six 40-foot containers worth of equipment has to come through that dock. If it doesnt fit through, it cant come in. But first, the crew has to dismantle half the stage and remove the front half-dozen seating rows to accommodate the orchestra. With space at a premium, the seats are crammed into a shipping crate on the street. In the car park at the back, a 24 by 12-metre marquee satellite city houses overflow wardrobe and production. Make-up and wigs are scattered across camp tables, and a washer-dryer waits to be plugged in. Shrubbery and flowers lie drying on the floor, ready to be used as set dressing. Victorian Opera chief executive Elizabeth Hill-Cooper says its all worth it. She first came to the Palais Theatre when she was seven years old. My father used to get tickets to the Stars of World Ballet through his work, and my sister and I were mad ballet fans, she says. I was sitting in the stalls and I saw Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev dance on that stage. Dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn at the Palais Theatre. Advertisement Apart from the buildings century of history and its art-deco beauty, Hill-Cooper says its acoustics are unmatched. She recalls the moment she was sure. In 2014, she was sitting in the dress circle with then-artistic director Richard Mills, plotting how the Palais could become an opera venue again. There were two blokes kneeling on the centre of the stage, and we could hear every word they were saying from way up there, she says. And I said, That is why we should come here. Its one of the best venues for opera in the country. Even better than the quite prominent opera venue they have in Sydney? Yes, says Hill-Cooper. The Palais is much better. Much better. Elizabeth Hill-Cooper, chief executive of Victorian Opera. Credit: Wayne Taylor The venues history is in full view backstage. Signs commemorate shows by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Dua Lipa. A moth-eaten wage adjustment guide, listing stagehand pay rates from 1959, remains stuck to the wall. Next to that, ancient circuit breakers, some of which are still in use. The fly rails, by which sets, curtains and the venues old cinema screen are raised and lowered onto the stage, are still run by a counterweighted rope pulley system (most contemporary theatres have that automated). The cast are squeezed into a handful of small dressing rooms, busying themselves before their 1pm dress rehearsal. Advertisement Antoinette Halloran, the soprano who plays Kabanicha, the devious mother-in-law of Desiree Frahns Katya, is finishing off her make-up. Conductor Alexander Briger summed up her character to her as a horrible, vicious old lady. Shes saying to her son that if he doesnt step up, his wife is going to have an affair, says Halloran. Shes an archetype in a way, the typical mother-in-law, and shes kind of misogynist as well. But shes not wrong. Its a tricky role to play. Im just playing it in the context of when it was written. Its a piece of history. Halloran, too, has memories of the Palais running through her life. Her favourite is seeing INXS. My girlfriend got up on stage and kissed Michael Hutchence, she says. I was so jealous. Antoinette Halloran plays Kabanicha in Katya Kabanova. Credit: Wayne Taylor While we talk three other actors huddle in the tiny room. Its cosy, says Halloran. Some of the newer theatres feel a little bit clinical. Here you get the feeling that youre all in it together. We have a lot of fun. Its only two shows. If it was two years, it might be a different story. Before the show, the orchestra will be crowded into a small, damp-smelling room beneath the stage. Then they will crawl into the pit via a four-foot-high Hobbit door. The wind from Port Philip Bay is a ghostly hum. The old girls got a few gaps, says Gosling. Shes a bit weepy sometimes. When it rains weve had water coming in down the walls. Advertisement Advertisement Eating outGood Food Guide Whats up, whats down: Which restaurants gained (and lost) hats in the new SMH Good Food Guide While talent flourishes in Sydneys west and CBD, some of the restaurants in the citys eastern suburbs lost a hat at the launch of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2026. Scott Bolles Updated October 14, 2025 ,first published October 14, 2025 Save 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 SMH Good Food Guide 2026 Awards collection. See all stories . Advertisement As Sydneys Red Rooster Line creeps east, the Good Food Guide Awards dine line is pushing west. Guide co-editor Callan Boys said Sydneys inner west and greater west continued their dining ascent: Lidcombe snared its first hat in the 41-year history of the Guide. It added to last years western gains, where Sinclairs in Penrith and Cricca in Windsor bore fruit. Yeodongsik may not be what some people have traditionally considered a hatted restaurant, Boys said of the Korean diner in Lidcombe. The setting is modest, but Boys said the restaurant provides a high level of hospitality, and every dish is terrific, especially the haejangguk soup of rounded flavour built on long-simmered beef bones When youre queuing outside at Yeodongsik, and theres always a queue, owner Justin Shin will also bring you a cup of barley tea while you wait. Service is super-efficient and friendly, and staff are always happy to guide newcomers through the short no-filler menu. Advertisement The cluster of restaurants on Australia Street in Newtown Mister Grotto, Osteria Mucca and Continental Deli all picked up hats, while a few blocks away, restaurateurs Alessandro and Anna Pavoni put the sugar on the cannoli with a hat at Vineria Luisa on Enmore Road. King Street, Enmore Road and the surrounding streets have got to be the most exciting place to eat and drink in Sydney, said Guide co-editor David Matthews. There are incredible bars, nine hatted restaurants. The Pavonis moving in is another tick of approval for all the operators whove invested so much in building up the areas culture. Yeodongsik in Lidcombe. Jennifer Soo With fork and pen in hand, the Guide team picked over more than 600 restaurants this awards season. The crowning of Eleven Barrack as Best New Restaurant came from a highly competitive field in the Sydney CBD. Boys said The Grill at The International and Garaku at Prefecture 48 were nipping at Eleven Barracks heels all the way to the finishing line. Advertisement With its strong Japanese focus, the new Prefecture 48 hub on Sussex Street led the way for a strong showing for the cuisine. Prefecture 48 is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Japanese; out of its four restaurants three of them have hats, Boys said of the contribution of the hub to the rush of newly hatted Japanese venues. It was also great to acknowledge tiny Amuro in Darlinghurst for its singular menu of regional Japanese cuisine and sake-led drinks list. In an awards season in which Balmains The Dry Dock, Chinese newcomer Grandfathers and Infinity the sky-high revolving restaurant marking a Sydney return for chef Mark Best all joined the one-hat club, there were still a few quirks. Neil Perry pulled off a Houdini-like move at Double Bay, flipping the Cantonese Song Bird into Italian Gran Torino without dropping a hat. Sadly, there were a few bumps for the rest of the field, with the plush Armorica in Surry Hills and Martin Place restaurant Morena both dropping out of the hats category. Corner 75 in Randwick received a hat. Edwina Pickles Further afield, Boys said one of the most significant trends in regional and ACT dining was the continued rise of great wine bars. Im quite sure Paranormal Wines in Canberra is the first bottle shop to ever be awarded a Good Food Guide hat. Well done to owner Max Walker and chef Reece Inkpen for delivering such great service and dishes such as mackerel XO noodles and beetroots with pickled green peaches, almonds with a shishito dressing. Advertisement Meanwhile, wine bars Hey Rosey in Orange and Tenterfields Stonefruit were awarded a hat for the first time. While Orange has always been well represented in the Guide, Stonefruit is the first hatted venue for New England in many years. Related Article The ultimate guide to the Good Food Guide Photo: Good Food A free 80-page Good Food Guide liftout with all the award winners and Critics Picks will be inserted in The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, October 14. The Good Food app is the home of the 2026 edition of the Good Food Guide, with more than 600 reviews. The app is free for premium subscribers of the SMH and also available as a standalone subscription. You can download the Good Food app here. * Note: NEW denotes a venue that has opened in the past 12 months Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has written to the heads of the House of Representatives and the Senate seeking an investigation of Senator Lidia Thorpes comment that she would burn down Parliament House to make a point about Palestinian and Indigenous rights. In a letter co-signed by the Coalitions Senate leader, Michaelia Cash, Ley called on Speaker Milton Dick and Senate President Sue Lines to urgently investigate the credibility of Senator Thorpes threats, and the implications of her comments. Senator Lidia Thorpe made the comment at Sundays pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui Our social cohesion is being tested by extreme ideologies and overseas conflagrations. It is beholden on parliamentarians to refrain from incendiary behaviour that may incite those unable or unwilling to differentiate between naive rhetoric and a call to arms, Ley said. Thorpes comment, made at a pro-Palestine protest in Melbourne on Sunday, is being investigated by the Australian Federal Police to determine if it was illegal. Thorpe said it was obviously not a literal threat. More widely, Ley said the threat of political violence was rising. She referenced the vandalism of political offices throughout the recent election campaign and a Brisbane man being charged for allegedly threatening to kill the prime minister. Finally, it is not only, however, the threat to the heart of our democracy that is of great concern, Ley said. There are the many hundreds of staff who come to work at Australian Parliament House each day, who have the right to do so unencumbered by the threat of violence being perpetrated against them and their workplace. An alarming number of Australian women have been killed in recent years. Find out more about their lives. Some of the cases are still before the courts. My ex-boyfriend is here and hes trying to kill me. These were the first alleged words spoken by 34-year-old Tatiana Dokhotaru in a desperate Triple Zero call for help moments before her former partner is accused of throwing her phone off her balcony and murdering her. Tatiana Dokhotaru was found dead in her Liverpool unit in May 2023. In that 89-second call, played to the jury as the NSW Supreme Court murder trial began against 28-year-old Danny Zayat on Monday, Dokhotaru is allegedly heard telling emergency services Zayat was stealing her money and bashing her. In his opening remarks, Crown prosecutor Alex Morris said the jury would hear evidence that Zayat took the mobile phone from her, ended the phone call and shortly after threw her phone over the balcony with her phone never to be found again. He said CCTV footage will show her phone flying off the balcony as well as Zayat leaving the building, holding what was submitted to be money he stole from the apartment. After roughly 50 days without more than a millimetre of rain in Brisbane, a cool change could bring severe storms to parts of the south-east this evening. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Livio Regano said hot northerly winds over the region would collide with cooler southerlies coming up from New South Wales, creating prime conditions for thunderstorms. Its kind of like a line along which you get a lot of upheaval think of it like tectonic plates crashing together on a fault line, he said. Along that line, you often get some quite severe weather. A southerly change could bring severe storms to Brisbane this evening. Credit: Felicity Caldwell Last nights rain broke a long dry spell for Brisbane, with parts of the city and the Sunshine Coast receiving up to 70 millimetres. Fist-sized hail fell in some areas. However, the CBD and southern suburbs only received between three and seven millimetres of rain not great news for those hoping their lawns would get a good drink. Last night broke that long streak, and if you get some more tonight, itll break it well and good, Regano said. A top of 26 degrees is forecast for Tuesday due to the southerly change, but the temperature is due to climb back into the 30s by the weekend. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has reshuffled her frontbench following the resignation of Andrew Hastie in a shake up that promotes both conservative and moderate MPs and injects new talent into the shadow ministry. Ley suffered a huge slump in her approval ratings in the latest Resolve Political Monitor following a month of instability, leaks, resignations and sackings engulfing the Liberal Party, prompting former prime minister Tony Abbott to call for the Coalition to focus on distinguishing itself from Labor. Asked on Nines Today show about the troubles plaguing the Liberals, Abbott said a lesson he had learned as opposition leader was to be a clear and strong contrast to the government of the day. Abbotts comments follow the Resolve poll published in this masthead, which recorded a 14 per centage point drop in Leys popularity in the past month, as senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and West Australian MP Andrew Hastie exited the frontbench. We are seeing a system that is being exploited with prescriptions issued without proper clinical oversight and patients bypassing their regular GP and pharmacist, Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey said in a statement. AMA president Danielle McMullen said urgent action was needed to ensure medicinal cannabis was prescribed, dispensed and regulated in the same manner as other registered drugs of dependence. The Penington Institute, which campaigns for drug law reform, warned it would be dangerous to make the drug more difficult to get than was possible via the medicinal cannabis regime. The last thing we want is for medicinal cannabis to be so difficult to access that people simply switch to easily available illicit cannabis, the institutes research director, Jake Dizard, said. A spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said the statements from the AMA, pharmacists, Penington and others had been made as part of the Therapeutic Goods Administrations review of laws around medicinal cannabis. She said that review would ensure that regulatory settings remain fit for purpose and responsive to emerging risks. This masthead revealed in July that one telehealth doctor had churned out 72,000 prescriptions to 10,000 patients in just two years. AHPRAs new guidelines make clear doctors are personally responsible for safe prescribing decisions, even when they are employed by telehealth companies. The agency said it was especially concerned about services that focused narrowly on a single treatment or drug and offered no pathway to in-person consultation. Psychiatrist Professor Danny Sullivan, a consultant forensic and adult psychiatrist at Forensicare, which runs Melbournes Thomas Embling Hospital, a high-security forensic mental health facility, said the growth of online cannabis prescribing in particular had created a parallel economy of medicine operating outside normal safeguards. The medicinal cannabis industry functions like a sort of parallel economy that doesnt seem bound by the same good medical practice guidelines that other areas are, Sullivan said. People are being prescribed cannabis without any effort by the prescriber to contact their treating clinicians. Loading Sullivan said his team regularly encountered patients with psychotic illnesses who were still receiving online prescriptions for cannabis often without their psychiatrists knowledge. In some cases, the lack of communication between prescribers created direct clinical risk. If you have a serious mental illness, cannabis is strongly contraindicated, he said. Its highly associated with psychotic symptoms, and for people with schizophrenia, its a toxic drug that can cause deterioration in mental state. Sullivan said cannabis prescribing was treated differently to other areas of medicine. If a patient is being treated for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and they get a cannabis script through telehealth, the prescriber almost never writes to the treating psychiatrist or GP, he said. Thats a breach of basic continuity of care. Too often, Sullivan said, he could not contact the doctors prescribing cannabis to his patients to tell them these people have psychotic illnesses. But we often dont even know who [the doctors] are they havent written to us, they havent sought us out, and the patient often wont say. He said that secrecy the absence of shared information between prescribers was at the heart of the problem. You end up with a fragmented system where no ones accountable, he said. Its a model built for convenience, not continuity of care. Consumer advocate Michael Fraser. Credit: Paul Harris Veronica Casey, chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Board, said the reforms were aimed at restoring accountability. As a health practitioner, your duty of care always comes first, she said. That responsibility sits with you, not your employer. The new guidance urges practitioners to avoid prescribing without a face-to-face consultation, and prohibits the use of chatbots or artificial intelligence to simulate medical advice without disclosure. Consumer advocate Michael Fraser, of Operation Redress, has followed the rise of telehealth closely and said AHPRAs updated guidance went nowhere near the required decisive intervention. AHPRAs function is to protect the public. This guidance doesnt do that, he said. The public deserves better than press releases from the regulator that remind practitioners of their basic obligations. The large telehealth companies business models are designed to be a subscription to a prescription, signed by doctors you may never meet vertical integration and increased sales are the goal, not patient safety. Yet regulatory responses seem futile or non-existent. Legalise Cannabis Party Victorian MP David Ettershank. Credit: Simon Schluter A spokesman for Montu said doctors at its Alternaleaf clinics made clinical assessments based on patient need and could prescribe products from other companies. We make no apologies for keeping consults affordable and timely for patients, or for paying doctors fair rates, he said in a statement. State MP David Ettershank, of Legalise Cannabis Victoria, said harms from cannabis needed to be put in perspective. People get very excited about cannabis, but what are we doing about opioids, benzos, alcohol or tobacco? he said. They are all way above cannabis for hospital admissions or damage, and all of these things are literally an order of magnitude greater in terms of any clinical risk. Loading Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr Michael Wright said commercial interests should not win out over the wellbeing of patients. A model of care with only one treatment can only provide that one treatment and may not provide the care that you need, he said. Many are hoping and willing the hostages deal to be the beginning of some sort of mutually acceptable outcome for the Middle East, but the NSW Greens prefer to see the conflict as an opportunity for war profiteering. Somebody in the NSW Greens headquarters chose to observe the second anniversary of Hamas terrorist attacks by sending out a remarkably insensitive email to raise money, urging supporters to help end the occupation and stand with Palestine by donating $25, $50, $75, $99, $250 or more to the Greens campaign fund. Greens donations web page Credit: NSW Greens The October 7 email exhorts supporters to attend last Sundays Palestine rally in Hyde Park and ends: P.S. Donate today to help end the occupation and stand with Palestine. Lest supporters not get the message, the headquarters included a heart-rending photograph captioned: Gaza war crisis shown as a woman sits with children amidst rubble and damaged tents, symbolising displacement and extreme hardship during ongoing conflict. Gaza, Palestine July 10, 2025. Editorial use only. In this series, we explore all you need to know about Australias first treaty, between Victoria and its Indigenous peoples. The treaty between the state of Victoria and Indigenous people will soon become law. In an Australian first, the treaty establishes a new democratically elected authority, the Gellung Warl, a Gunaikurnai phrase for tip of the spear. It will have the power to negotiate terms with the state government, hold public hearings and question government ministers. This treaty also contains a commitment to continued truth-telling and healing, with both parties agreeing to update Victorias school curriculum to teach the true history of the state. A unit owner will be upsizing to a six-bedroom luxury home in Strathfields Golden Mile after outbidding three doctors at auction on Saturday. The sleek house at 24 Highgate Street sold for $100,000 more than its official $8 million reserve for $8.1 million. Guided at $7.5 million, the tri-level home came with a low maintenance garden, half a basketball court, infinity swimming pool and a cinema room. There is no legal requirement for a vendors reserve to be in line with their propertys price guide. It is go time for Hawthorn. The Hawks have won at least one final in consecutive years and led Geelong by 21 points before losing the clubs preliminary final clash last month. Essendon captain Zach Merrett could be the missing piece in Hawthorns premiership puzzle. Credit: Getty Images Coach Sam Mitchell told everyone at their club champion function that he hated watching the grand final because he felt his players would have been comfortable in the grand final pressure-cooker. And they are just 0.3 years younger and 16.2 games more inexperienced than the average in both categories for the AFLs past 23 premiers. HNLMS Van Amstel briefly relieves HNLMS Groningen for regular maintenance. HNLMS Van Amstel was in the region for an international exercise on the American East Coast. After the completion of this exercise, the Amstel departed for the ABC Islands. As soon as the Groningen's maintenance is completed, the Amstel will depart to resume her role as flagship of SNMG1. The Amstel will be active in the Caribbean in the coming week. The maritime military presence is usually filled by patrol vessels; the change from the OPV (Ocean Patrol Vessel) type to M-Frigate is due to the availability of resources. HNLMS Van Amstel also sailed in the region in September to fill the gap between two station ships. With the permanent presence of a station ship in the region, the Ministry of Defence contributes to peace and security in the Caribbean Region. SAINT-MARTIN:--- The island of Saint-Martin is set to celebrate its rich culinary landscape with the return of the Festival de la Gastronomie for its fifth edition. This highly anticipated event, running from November 9th to November 22nd, 2025, promises to be an unforgettable showcase of the island's unique blend of Caribbean, French, and international flavors. The festival aims to reinforce Saint-Martin's identity as a premier culinary destination, boost the local economy by supporting agriculture and fishing, and unite the community through the art of food. This year's festival will feature an impressive lineup of local talent and international culinary stars. The event's patron is Chef Laurent Huguet, a consultant chef with a Michelin star and 33 years of experience in prestigious kitchens. He will be joined by a distinguished panel of jury presidents, including mixology expert Arthur Sutley, Boston-based chef and Hell's Kitchen finalist Jason Santos, and Texas barbecue icon Kevin Bludso. A team of seven local chefsShane Huggins, Gaelle Mussington, Kareem Brooks, Danitza Dormoy, Kenila Hyman, Angela Marcenat, and Ashanta Danielwill serve as the 2025 ambassadors, representing the island's vibrant culinary scene. The festival schedule is packed with a diverse array of events designed to appeal to all food lovers. The celebration kicks off on November 9th with "Taste of Sunrise" at Loterie Farm, a brunch event featuring the local chef ambassadors. The official launch will take place on November 10th with a free, open-to-the-public event on the Boulevard de Grand-Case, the island's culinary capital. Throughout the festival, attendees can participate in a variety of activities: Gastronomy Village: On November 14th and 15th, the Marigot Seafront will transform into a bustling village featuring local producers, food trucks, restaurants, and caterers. On November 14th and 15th, the Marigot Seafront will transform into a bustling village featuring local producers, food trucks, restaurants, and caterers. Cooking Workshops: From November 15th to 17th at Marina Fort Louis, adults and children can learn from renowned chefs in hands-on workshops. Special "Sip n' Cook" sessions will pair cooking with cocktails. From November 15th to 17th at Marina Fort Louis, adults and children can learn from renowned chefs in hands-on workshops. Special "Sip n' Cook" sessions will pair cooking with cocktails. Competitions: A series of thrilling competitions will highlight the island's talent. These include a BBQ Competition (Nov. 16), Private Chefs Competition (Nov. 12-13), a High School Student Competition (Nov. 17), and the prestigious "Best Table of Saint-Martin" competition (Nov. 18, 19, & 21). A series of thrilling competitions will highlight the island's talent. These include a BBQ Competition (Nov. 16), Private Chefs Competition (Nov. 12-13), a High School Student Competition (Nov. 17), and the prestigious "Best Table of Saint-Martin" competition (Nov. 18, 19, & 21). Special Evenings: The festival will host several exclusive ticketed events, including a "Food & Cocktails Pairing" (Nov. 20) and a Charity Dinner at the Daniella Jeffry Vocational High School (Nov. 20), with a menu crafted by chefs Xavier Isabal, Laurent Huguet, and Angela Marcenat. A major highlight is the Closing Evening on November 22nd. The Marigot Seafront will host an all-inclusive event featuring over 15 guest chefs from across the Caribbean, including Haiti, Grenada, Curacao, and the British Virgin Islands, for a grand celebration of regional cuisine. The festival not only serves as a platform for culinary excellence but also as a significant economic driver for Saint-Martin. By spotlighting local products like Guavaberry Colombier Tradition and connecting producers with a wider audience, the event strengthens local supply chains. The extensive media coverage, with press and influencers attending from Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean, will further promote Saint-Martin as a creative and flavorful destination on the global stage. From discovery menus at participating restaurants across the island to specialized wine-and-cheese pairings, the 5th Festival de la Gastronomie invites residents and visitors alike to immerse themselves in a two-week celebration of food, culture, and community. Press Release from Business Wire: I-Pulse (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 ALBUQUERQUE, Oct 13, 2025 (BSW) - I-Pulse Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Robert Friedland and Laurent Frescaline, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, are pleased to welcome Codelco as the company's latest strategic investor and key partner in the development and commercialization of its disruptive pulsed power technologies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251012216264/en/ I-Pulse Co-Founder Chairman and CEO Robert Friedland and Codelco Chairman Maximo Pacheco Codelco, the world's largest copper miner, will provide capital and real-world experience to accelerate the commercialization of I-Pulse's breakthrough innovations for drilling, continuous underground mining, tunnelling and rock crushing. Codelco joins world leading mining majors BHP, Ivanhoe Mines, Newmont, Rio Tinto, and Teck Resources in investing in I-Pulse and advancing the development of its family of technologies. Over nearly 20 years, I-Pulse has pioneered the application of high pulsed power technology to revolutionize the use of electrical energy. This groundbreaking technology enables the release of short yet immensely powerful electrical discharges at minimal marginal cost. I-Pulse technology can take the energy of a cell phone battery and safely and repeatedly turn it into the power output of a nuclear power plant for tiny fractions of a second. This has enabled I-Pulse to bring disruptive change to a multitude of industries, including mining, resource discovery, manufacturing, agriculture and geothermal energy. "All of our management and scientists at I-Pulse welcome our new shareholder Codelco," Robert Friedland said. "Minerals are crucial to our daily lives and critical to meeting global energy and technology demands. The way the mining industry has always crushed rocks with compressive force cannot deliver the step change required to produce the vast amount of copper and other critical minerals needed to improve national security, build data centers and AI infrastructure, and meet the many demands of the energy transition. Our technology can reduce the energy required to unlock critical minerals from rock by up to 80% and could render the ball and SAG mill circuits obsolete. We see I-Pulse technology as delivering a scale of change to the mining industry not seen since the invention of dynamite in 1867 by Alfred Nobel, who later went on to establish the Nobel Prize." "The world needs dramatically more copper and critical minerals. Traditional technology to crush rocks to extract the metals within requires vast amounts of energy, and to meet this challenge we must be more effective and more efficient," said Codelco Chairman of the Board, Maximo Pacheco. "I-Pulse's portfolio presents opportunities with high financial and strategic potential for mining, and with this step, we maintain our leading role at the forefront of the industry and the energy transition." Using its proprietary high pulsed power technology in its I-ROX division, I-Pulse creates extremely powerful gigawatt-scale shock waves and tensile forces which tear rock apart from the inside. The use of tensile force fundamentally improves how we extract metals from the Earth. Current technology to crush rock requires 4% to 5% of the world's electrical energy and electrical consumption will rapidly increase as demand for critical minerals skyrockets. I-ROX technology can massively reduce the energy required by conventional crushing and grinding technologies that use compressive force and, by breaking rock along mineralogical boundaries, can increase metal recoveries by approximately 5%. The increased recoveries will result in direct benefits for all the resource owners and host governments involved. I-Pulse is also developing its G-Pulse drilling technology to liberate the Earth's vast untapped resource of geothermal energy by using high pulsed power to soften hot granite before it comes into contact with a drill bit. Geothermal energy is an abundant source of carbon-free, continuous power that can significantly contribute to the world's growing baseload energy supply. However, advanced geothermal energy systems require a massive reduction in the cost of drilling through hard granite. I-Pulse's I-Mine division will combine the I-ROX rock crushing and the G-Pulse drilling technologies to enable continuous underground tunnelling, mining and processing, reducing costs and eliminating the need for chemical explosives. The practical outcome for underground mining is the elimination of poisonous gases, an increased productivity profile and a significant step change in safety in the mineral extraction process. Codelco has half a century of experience in developing efficient mining technologies and deploying them on a world leading scale. The company has some of the world's largest copper reserves and produces over 5% of global copper supply. Chile is the world's top copper producing nation and has one of the world's largest reserves of untapped geothermal energy. More than 300 geothermal resources have been identified throughout Chile. In addition, I-Pulse's business verticals are developing and deploying a diverse range of pulsed power applications for various crucial industries. -- Bmax uses electrical arcs and shockwaves to weld or form metals without heat or pressure, enabling clean, low-cost manufacturing solutions for automotive parts, aerospace applications, EV trucks, luxury goods and other industrial solutions. The company has worked for over 600 major global industrial customers and has recently opened a new manufacturing facility in Detroit, Michigan. -- BlueSpark Geothermal technology uses high pulsed power to create powerful shockwaves to clear blockages in wellbores without using harmful chemicals or mechanical interventions that may damage the well. -- I-Terra is commercializing a system to replace chemical herbicides for farmers by using high pulsed power and artificial intelligence to kill weeds down to the roots, increasing crop yields and eliminating chemical pollution. -- I-Pulse Water (IPW) deploys the most accurate and powerful geophysical survey technologies to locate hidden water resources deep in the Earth. ABOUT I-PULSE I-Pulse is a private American company co-founded by Robert Friedland and Laurent Frescaline to bring high pulsed power technology into civilian sectors. I-Pulse technology - which repeatedly compresses and releases brief yet immensely powerful electrical discharges - holds the potential to address critical global issues like the unlocking of competitive geothermal base-load energy sources, efficient critical mineral production, agricultural crop protection, and disruptive welding, metal-forming and crimping solutions at industrial scale. Founded in 2007, I-Pulse has offices in New York and London and lab and manufacturing facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Detroit, Michigan and Toulouse, France. ABOUT CODELCO Codelco is the world's largest copper producer, specializing in the exploration, development, and extraction of mineral resources. It processes these resources to produce refined copper and by-products, which are then marketed to customers worldwide. Since its nationalization in 1971, Codelco has contributed a total of $158 billion to the Chilean State. The company operates across seven major mining divisions in Chile: Chuquicamata, Ministro Hales, Radomiro Tomic, Gabriela Mistral, Salvador, Andina, and El Teniente, along with the Ventanas Refinery. Codelco also maintains commercial offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and Singapore. Download the photos from the signing ceremony here: https://we.tl/t-7qA8mIoebT Photo Credit: Chris Olivotos Visit www.ipulse-group.com to learn more and follow @I-Pulse Group on LinkedIn View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251012216264/en/ Contact For Media: Ross Larsen, [email protected] For Investors: Abby Symes, [email protected] 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. Press Release from Business Wire: Datassential (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 CHICAGO, Oct 13, 2025 (BSW) - Datassential, the leading global food and beverage intelligence platform, announced the appointment of Pascal Hartwig as General Manager of EMEA. This expansion is part of Datassential's ongoing strategy to shape the future of food and beverage intelligence with a unified platform that delivers scale, speed, and precision for every customer type across the foodservice industry, including operators, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers. Hartwig's leadership marks a pivotal step in positioning Datassential as the definitive source of truth in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa - building on its North American dominance to establish a stronger global footprint. Pascal was previously the Chief Product Officer at BeZero Carbon, and held senior leadership roles at S&P Global Market Intelligence. During his career, Pascal has established a strong track record in financial services, data solutions, product innovation and delivering value to customers. "Pascal's appointment reflects Datassential's commitment to serve the global food and beverage industry," said Jim Emling, CEO of Datassential. "With Pascal onboard, it accelerates our ability to scale internationally, ensuring that companies across the region gain access to the same transformative insights that have redefined success in the U.S." Pascal will lead Datassential's expansion across EMEA, overseeing strategy and operations to deliver unparalleled food and beverage intelligence solutions to the European market. "Datassential has built a unique platform that translates food and beverage insights into actionable sales intelligence that pinpoints whitespace, prioritizes high?value accounts, and accelerates pipeline and revenue," Hartwig said. "I am excited to lead the company's expansion in EMEA and partner with brands and operators across the region to sharpen go?to?market execution, shorten sales cycles, and unlock new opportunities for growth." Alongside this leadership expansion, Datassential released Top Chains in Europe - a first-of-its-kind report ranking the 75 biggest foodservice chains in France, the UK, Spain, Germany, and Italy. Get your copy here. About Datassential Datassential is the food and beverage industry's trusted insights and intelligence partner, helping brands make smarter decisions since 2001. Following its acquisition of Brizo FoodMetrics, Datassential now offers the largest and most complete sales intelligence solution in foodservice. Over 90% of the biggest names in foodservice, including Danone, France Boissons, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi, Red Bull, Lactalis Italia, Vandemoortele Europe and Sysco, rely on Datassential to stay ahead of what's next. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013748149/en/ Contact Media [email protected] 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. Press Release from Business Wire: FoodChain ID (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 FAIRFIELD, Oct 13, 2025 (BSW) - FoodChain ID today announced that Mulino Bianco's Buongrano has been certified to the FoodChain ID Regenerative Agriculture (RGN) Certification, marking Italy's first bakery brand to introduce a cookie certified with 100% regenerative soft wheat flour.1 The certification provides independent verification of regenerative outcomes and will be communicated on-pack via the FoodChain ID RGN mark, helping consumers identify products sourced from farms advancing soil health, biodiversity and climate resilience. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013488950/en/ FoodChain ID today announced that Mulino Bianco's Buongrano has been certified to the FoodChain ID Regenerative Agriculture (RGN) Certification, marking Italy's first bakery brand to introduce a cookie certified with 100% regenerative soft wheat flour. FoodChain ID's Regenerative Agriculture Certification is a globally applicable, outcome-based certification aligned with ISO 17065 principles, with options to ensure traceability to market. The certification framework promotes agriculture practices that restore degraded soils, support biodiversity, sequester carbon and build climate resilience. By certifying Buongrano's soft wheat flour to RGN, Mulino Bianco adds independent assurance to its regenerative commitments - making progress transparent and traceable. The Buongrano project launched in 2018 as part of La Carta del Mulino, the brand's code of practice for sustainable soft wheat cultivation, with goals for product quality, biodiversity protection and fair recognition of farmers' work. Seven years later, the biscuit returns to consumers with a new identity for environmental impact: 100% regenerative soft wheat flour certified to FoodChain ID's internationally recognized, outcome-based Regenerative Agriculture Certification. Mulino Bianco has committed to extend regenerative soft wheat flours across all product categories by 2030. "We are honored that Buongrano's soft wheat flour is certified under our Regenerative Agriculture Certification (RGN). For nearly 30 years, FoodChain ID has helped brands and producers translate sustainability intent into credible, verifiable results - from farm to finished product. RGN's outcome-based approach gives companies the confidence to scale regenerative practices, substantiate claims, and connect their efforts to climate-finance pathways," said Dr. Chetan Parmar, Senior Vice President of Technical Services for Europe and Asia. About FoodChain ID FoodChain ID is a trusted provider to over 30,000 companies across the global supply chain. The company delivers technology-enabled solutions and technical expertise to keep the food supply chain safe, compliant and transparent. Service areas include product development, regulatory compliance, food safety certification, product certification and testing. Visit www.FoodChainID.com for more information. 1 The first cookie in Italy certified with 100% soft wheat flour from regenerative agriculture as per Mulino Bianco's company materials. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013488950/en/ Contact Media ContactCeci SnyderFoodChain [email protected] +1 515-491-5173 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. OpenAI announces Broadcom partnership to build AI chips San Francisco, United States, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced Monday it is teaming up with chip giant Broadcom to design and build its own specialized computer processors for artificial intelligence. The partnership was the latest in a series of recent announcements by OpenAI as it seeks to strengthen its position as the preeminent company of the generative AI revolution that began with the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. In the past few weeks, under the leadership of CEO Sam Altman, OpenAI has signed huge investments in data centers and AI chips with US companies Nvidia and AMD, as well as with South Korea's Samsung and SK Hynix. The partnerships come even as there are no real signs that the AI business is close to breaking even, despite its strong growth. The deals to build out AI's immense infrastructure needs also threaten further stress on electricity providers, with AI data centers demanding significant power and resources to deliver the computing necessary for the expected usage of the technology. The financial terms of the deal were not part of the announcements and remain unclear for many of the recent deals, drawing some skepticism from observers who worry the AI frenzy may have created a financial bubble, posing a risk to investors. By designing its own chips rather than relying solely on off-the-shelf processors, OpenAI says it can build hardware specifically tailored to how its AI models work, potentially making them faster and more powerful. "Partnering with Broadcom is a critical step in building the infrastructure needed to unlock AI's potential and deliver real benefits for people and businesses," said Altman, OpenAI's co-founder and chief executive. The custom processors will be installed in data centers operated by OpenAI and its partners to keep up with soaring worldwide demand for AI services. OpenAI has grown rapidly to more than 800 million people using its services weekly since its 2022 launch. Broadcom, which will manufacture and help develop the chips, called the collaboration "a pivotal moment" in AI development. arp/aha BROADCOM NVIDIA AMD - ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES Press Release from Business Wire: Eaton (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 CLEVELAND, Oct 13, 2025 (BSW) - Intelligent power management company Eaton today announced the delivery of a new reference architecture designed to accelerate the adoption of 800 VDC power in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. Eaton's new design, built in support of the 800 VDC architecture announced by NVIDIA, leverages Eaton's innovative power management technology to protect and optimize high-density computing infrastructure and serves as a critical milestone in Eaton's grid-to-chip strategy for meeting the increasing energy demands of AI data centers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251010367772/en/ Eaton's new reference architecture is a key milestone in its collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate 800 VDC power infrastructure in AI factories. Data center energy load growth, driven by increasingly demanding AI workloads, continues to expand beyond the limits of existing data center capabilities. NVIDIA is working with leading power, silicon and data center partners to pioneer the adoption of 800 VDC and help unlock new levels of scalability and energy optimization in AI factories. These next-generation systems, which feature power distribution integrated with energy storage, are uniquely positioned to handle the power demands of modern AI factories, delivering megawatt-scale rack power safely, efficiently and with minimal material and infrastructure costs. Eaton's reference design incorporates Eaton solutions with NVIDIA AI infrastructure. Eaton products featured in the design include supercapacitors for fast-cycle power backup; power distribution technology through busbar included in the ORV3 design; a hot aisle containment system to support busway and cable trays within the application; DC connectors and more. "The introduction of 800 VDC architectures is a transformative advancement for data center innovation that will enable new possibilities in AI computing," said JP Buzzell, vice president and data center chief architect at Eaton. "We're proud to deepen our collaboration with NVIDIA with the introduction of this new reference design, a major step in our grid-to-chip strategy, as we help accelerate the transition to the AI factory of the future." Eaton's grid-to-chip strategy is a comprehensive approach to providing intelligent solutions for the full AI data center power chain, including power distribution, backup power and digital technologies. Other recent advancements in Eaton's strategy include its collaboration with Siemens Energy to support fast construction of modular data centers with integrated on-site power generation as well as its new edge-based solution to detect and proactively mitigate AI power bursting in data centers. "Streamlined 800 VDC architectures enable AI infrastructure to meet rising workload demands while maximizing energy efficiency," said Dion Harris, senior director, HPC, Cloud and AI Infrastructure at NVIDIA. "NVIDIA's collaboration with innovators like Eaton is paving the way for high-density computing environments built for the AI industrial age." Eaton will showcase its latest developments for the 800 VDC architecture in booth A15 at the Open Compute Project Global Summit, taking place October 13-16, 2025, in San Jose, California. To learn more about Eaton's grid-to-chip power management solutions for AI data centers, visit Eaton.com/DataCenters. Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to protecting the environment and improving the quality of life for people everywhere. We make products for the data center, utility, industrial, commercial, machine building, residential, aerospace and mobility markets. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ? today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we're helping to solve the world's most urgent power management challenges and building a more sustainable society for people today and generations to come. Founded in 1911, Eaton has continuously evolved to meet the changing and expanding needs of our stakeholders. With revenues of nearly $25 billion in 2024, the company serves customers in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251010367772/en/ Contact EatonKristin [email protected] Mark Van HookLargemouth [email protected] 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. Press Release from Business Wire: Textron Aviation Inc. (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 LAS VEGAS, Oct 13, 2025 (BSW) - The Cessna Citation Ascend landed today at Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas, marking its world debut at the 2025 National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). The aircraft, which flew to the show using sustainable aviation fuel, will be on display Tuesday, October 14 and Wednesday, 15 alongside other industry-leading Cessna Citation business jets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013102318/en/ Cessna Citation Ascend makes world debut at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas (Photo Credit: Textron Aviation) The Cessna Citation Ascend is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company. "We asked our customers what they wanted in this iconic aircraft, and our teams worked to bring their vision for the Citation Ascend to life," said Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing. "With the aircraft making its debut at NBAA-BACE, visitors can see the new Garmin G5000 cockpit and experience the sleek new interior features including a flat floor, larger windows and wireless cabin management system." Currently under development, the aircraft recently achieved a major milestone as the first production unit rolled out of the factory. Textron Aviation expects the aircraft to enter into service later this year following certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. With more than 1,000 Cessna Citation 560XL series aircraft delivered since 2000, owners and operators appreciate the aircraft for its unparalleled combination of performance, comfort, ease of operation, range of mission capabilities and favorable operating efficiencies. Textron Aviation's static display (AC_08) at Henderson Executive Airport will feature: -- The flagship Cessna Citation Longitude super-midsize business jet -- The best-selling midsize business jet, Cessna Citation Latitude -- The Cessna Citation Ascend featuring Gogo's Galileo HDX optional connectivity solution -- The Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 -- And the Cessna Citation CJ3 Gen3 mockup About the Cessna Citation AscendTextron Aviation designed the Citation Ascend based on customer feedback for ultimate performance and comfort. With sleek and modern features, customers can enjoy many of the luxuries found in the best-selling Cessna Citation Latitude and Cessna Citation Longitude, including a flat floor to provide generous legroom and flexibility for passengers. The aircraft offers Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines designed to deliver fuel efficiency and increased thrust, as well as Garmin G5000 avionics that feature the latest software and hardware, including autothrottle technology. The Ascend also features a Honeywell RE100 [XL] Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) approved for unattended operations. With 19 standard USB charging ports and three universal outlets throughout the aircraft, all crew and passengers have access to at least one charging port in the Citation Ascend. The aircraft can be configured for up to 12 passengers. Learn more about the Citation Ascend at cessna.com/ascend. About Textron AviationWe inspire the journey of flight. For more than 95 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. For more information, visit www.txtav.com. About Textron Inc.Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com. Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251013102318/en/ Contact Media ContactKate [email protected] txtav.com 2025 Business Wire, Inc.Disclaimer:This press release is not a document produced by AFP. AFP shall not bear responsibility for its content. In case you have any questions about this press release, please refer to the contact person/entity mentioned in the text of the press release. SpaceX to launch Starship test flight Monday South Padre Island, United States, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 SpaceX is set to attempt the next test flight of its massive Starship rocket on Monday, as concerns grow that Elon Musk has overpromised his company's ability to deliver NASA's lunar projects and fulfill his own Mars ambitions. The US space agency plans to use the mammoth Starship -- the world's largest and most powerful rocket -- in its efforts to return astronauts to the Moon. It is also key to Musk's zealous vision to take humans to Mars. And while its last test mission in August was chalked up as a success, that followed a series of spectacular explosions that raised eyebrows among critics that Starship might not live up to its promises -- at least not on the timeline lawmakers and the scientific community had hoped for. The US space agency's Artemis program hopes to return humans to the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival effort that's targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission. US President Donald Trump's second term in the White House has seen the administration pile pressure on NASA to accelerate its progress -- efforts Starship is key to. Musk's company has a multibillion-dollar federal contract to develop a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander. The manned Artemis III mission is intended for mid-2027 -- but a NASA safety advisory panel has warned it could be "years late," according to Space Policy Online. - 'Second space race' - NASA's acting administrator Sean Duffy has insisted the US will still win the "second space race," telling reporters last month that "America has led in space in the past, and we are going to continue to lead in space in the future" while dismissing the notion that China could get there first. Starship's 11th test flight window is slated to open at 6:15 pm local time (1115 GMT) from the company's launch facilities in southern Texas. Previous tests of the enormous rocket have resulted in explosions of the upper stage, including twice over the Caribbean and once after reaching space. In June, the upper stage blew up during a ground test. But in August's successful flight SpaceX for the first time managed to deploy eight dummy Starlink internet satellites, with onboard cameras beaming back live views of a robotic mechanism pushing each out one by one. Musk has identified developing a fully reusable orbital heat shield as the toughest task, noting it took nine months to refurnish the Space Shuttle's heat shield between flights. Another hurdle is proving Starship can be refueled in orbit with super-cooled propellant -- an essential but untested step for the vehicle to carry out deep-space missions. NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has emphasized "threats" related to ensuring that vital transfer can be carried out, with member Paul Hill saying the timeline is "significantly challenged." California enacts first US law requiring AI chatbot safety measures San Francisco, United States, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 California governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law a first-of-its-kind law regulating artificial intelligence chatbots, defying a push from the White House to leave such technology unchecked. "We've seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won't stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability," Newson said after signing the bill into law. The landmark law requires chatbot operators to implement "critical" safeguards regarding interactions with AI chatbots and provides an avenue for people to file lawsuits if failures to do so lead to tragedies, according to state senator Steve Padilla, a Democrat who sponsored the bill. The law comes after revelations of suicides involving teens who used chatbots prior to taking their lives. "The Tech Industry is incentivized to capture young people's attention and hold it at the expense of their real world relationships," Padilla said prior to the bill being voted on in the state senate. Padilla referred to recent teen suicides including that of the 14-year-old son of Florida mother Megan Garcia. Megan Garcia's son, Sewell, had fallen in love with a "Game of Thrones"-inspired chatbot on Character.AI, a platform that allows users -- many of them young people -- to interact with beloved characters as friends or lovers. When Sewell struggled with suicidal thoughts, the chatbot urged him to "come home." Seconds later, Sewell shot himself with his father's handgun, according to the lawsuit Garcia filed against Character.AI. "Today, California has ensured that a companion chatbot will not be able to speak to a child or vulnerable individual about suicide, nor will a chatbot be able to help a person to plan his or her own suicide," Garcia said of the new law. "Finally, there is a law that requires companies to protect their users who express suicidal ideations to chatbots." National rules aimed at curbing AI risks do not exist in the United States, with the White House seeking to block individual states from creating their own. The new California law sets guardrails that include reminding users that chatbots are AI-generated and mandating that people who express thoughts of self-harm or suicide be referred to crisis service providers. "This law is an important first step in protecting kids and others from the emotional harms that result from AI companion chatbots which have been unleashed on the citizens of California without proper safeguards," said Jai Jaisimha, co-founder of Transparency Coalition nonprofit group devoted to the safe development of the technology. - Creators accountable - The landmark chatbot safety measure was among a slew of bills signed into law Monday by Newsom crafted to prevent AI platforms from doing harm to users. New legislation included a ban on chatbots passing themselves off as health care professionals and making it clear that those who create or use AI tools are accountable for the consequences and can't dodge liability by claiming the technology acted autonomously, according to Newsom's office. California also ramped up penalties for deepfake porn, allowing victims to seek as much at $250,000 per infraction from those who aid in distribution of nonconsensual sexually explicit material. Trump says would be 'great to get a peace deal' with Iran Jerusalem, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 US President Donald Trump on Monday said he wanted a peace deal with Iran, after the United States joined Israel in striking the Islamic republic's nuclear sites during a brief war earlier this year. "They got it from one side, from the other, and you know it would be great if we could make a peace deal with them," Trump said of Iran, a key backer of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, during a speech to Israel's parliament. "Would you be happy with that? Wouldn't it be nice, I think. Because I think they want to." Trump said the ball was in Tehran's court for any agreement to come to pass. "We're ready when you are," the Republican said. Trump also defended pulling Washington out of an agreement brokered under ex-president Barack Obama on Iran's nuclear programme, long a sticking point in Israel's relations with its arch-foe. "I terminated the Iran nuclear deal and I was very proud to do it," Trump said. "Yet even to Iran, whose regime has inflicted so much death on the Middle East, the hand of friendship and cooperation is open," he told the Knesset. "They want to make a deal and we're going to see if we can do something," he added. "Neither the United States nor Israel bear the people of Iran any hostility. We merely want to live in peace." Burkina magistrates, journalists kidnapped, missing: sources Abidjan, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 Three appeals' court magistrates in Burkina Faso and two senior journalists from leading private daily newspapers have been kidnapped or reported missing, a media organisation, a friend and a legal source said Monday. Since taking power in a September 2022 coup, the west African country's junta has been accused of repressing critical voices, including by sending people to the front line to fight jihadist violence. Authorities have in recent months released about 10 people who had been kidnapped or arrested and forcibly mobilised. Earlier Monday, Ousseni Ilboudo, editorial director of L'Observateur Paalga, was arrested by individuals who presented themselves as intelligence agency members, while he was preparing to hold the daily editorial conference, the newspaper said on Facebook. He was put into a van "to a destination unknown to us", it said. Another journalist, Michel Nana, deputy chief editor of the Le Pays newspaper, was abducted earlier in the day by men in civilian clothing, one of his friends told AFP. Two magistrates from the Ouagadougou court of appeal were kidnapped on Friday and Sunday, and another has been missing since Saturday, a legal source told AFP. Dozens of military officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, have also been arrested over the last year, accused of "conspiracy" or "attempting to destabilise republican institutions". Junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore seized power promising to put an end to the spiral of violence that has plagued Burkina Faso for more than a decade. But jihadists, who have pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, have continued to commit violence across swathes of the desert nation. bur/bam/bdi/kjm/rmb Allow Google Search To use the search feature, we need your consent to load Google Custom Search, which may use cookies or similar technologies. Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to enable search. See our privacy policy for more information. Allow and Continue In a statement issued through his solicitor Hodge Jones and Allen, Mr Lawrence said: The use of undercover officers to gather information about my family is yet another example of wrongdoing by the Metropolitan Police, an organisation that has let me down time and time again. Hanifs mother said: Words cannot comprehend how I felt, and how I still feel. That's my baby, he's my baby boy and he's gone. As a family, we are utterly speechless and still at a loss one year on. I pray to God that we may get closure and justice for Hanif. Providing inclusive and accessible leisure and sport in Tower Hamlets and tackling barriers to women's health and fitness, has been one of my top priorities, which is why I brought our leisure centres back into public hands to make them more affordable and why I introduced free swimming lessons for all women and girls in the borough, as well as men over the age of 55, to tackle health inequalities." He added: I also today think of all of the hostages that have been released. I cannot imagine what they have endured for the last period of time, cannot imagine the fears and worries that their families have lived with and today, their loved ones are reunited in the arms of their families and we think of them today too. Sir Keir held a series of meetings with leaders in Sharm El Sheikh as they waited for Mr Trump to arrive from Israel, where he met families of hostages and addressed the parliament, saying: Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change. The evidence was the evidence as it then was, thats the only relevant evidence, and that evidence was the situation as it was under the last government, the Tory government, rather than under this Government, he said last week. And also for her daughter, of course. It makes me feel sad, and I always put myself in her shoes how she feels like knowing very well she didnt even get a chance to see her mum. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On October 12 local time, XPENG AEROHT, the Asia-based low-altitude mobility solutions provider affiliated to XPENG, hosted the first international showcase of its "Land Aircraft Carrier" in Dubai. During the event, the flying car completed its first public, piloted flight demonstration outside China, marking the company's official entry into the global stage. At the launch, XPENG AEROHT unveiled its new international brand "ARIDGE," along with a logo inspired by the Chinese character for "." The company also announced the completion of its advanced manufacturing base for flying cars in Guangzhou at the end of September, preparing for the mass production and delivery of the "Land Aircraft Carrier" in 2026. Photo credit: XPENG A major highlight of the event was XPENG AEROHT's signing of purchase agreements with Ali & Sons Group (UAE), Almana Group (Qatar), AlSayer Group (Kuwait), and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce UAE for 600 units of the "Land Aircraft Carrier." This represents the largest bulk order for flying cars in overseas markets to date and establishes a key foothold for the company in the Middle East. The demonstration marked the "Land Aircraft Carrier's" public debut in the Middle East. A pilot took off from a helipad and guided the craft toward the Persian Gulf coastline, circling above the water before making a smooth landing. The intelligent cockpit supports both manual and autonomous driving modes. The event also featured a live demonstration of the vehicle's automatic detachment and reattachment between its ground and air modules. Flight operations were authorized after a detailed review by the General Civil Aviation Authority of UAE and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. XPENG AEROHT also showcased its next-generation hybrid flying car prototype, the A868, designed for long-range travel with a flight endurance exceeding 500 km and a top speed of over 360 km/h. The model is expected to make its domestic debut in Guangzhou this November. As part of the company's "three-step" development strategy, the A868 targets long-distance mobility scenarios, complementing the "Land Aircraft Carrier" to form a diversified ecosystem for low-altitude transportation. The newly launched ARIDGE brandderived from the words "Air" and "Bridge"symbolizes the company's ambition to serve as a bridge connecting the sky and the ground, reflecting XPENG AEROHT's vision to become a global leader in low-altitude mobility. The logo, inspired by the Chinese character "" (fly), uses geometric abstraction to express vertical spatial movement and technological innovation. It embodies the company's mission to "make flying freer" and will appear on future production models of the "Land Aircraft Carrier." The newly completed Guangzhou manufacturing base stands as the world's first large-scale flying car production facility built around a modern automotive-style assembly line. With an annual capacity of up to 10,000 units, the plant combines aerospace-grade precision with automotive efficiency. Once operational in 2026, it will be capable of producing one aircraft every 30 minutes, laying the groundwork for mass-market commercialization. Through its partnerships with leading distributors and business groups across the Gulf region, XPENG plans to advance regulatory certification, sales channels, and localized use cases for flying cars. With over 7,000-unit preorders already secured globally, the company is strengthening its strategic presence as it prepares to scale operations in international markets. According to a report by Boston Consulting Group, the global manned eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) market is expected to reach US$225 billion by 2040, with the Middle East accounting for about US$11.7 billion. Personal-use eVTOLs are projected to make up nearly 85% of that market. With its progressive regulatory environment, strong industrial base, and openness toward futuristic mobility, the region presents a promising frontier for XPENG AEROHT, which aims to formally enter the Middle Eastern market as early as 2027. Israel's President holds a largely ceremonial role but he does have authority to pardon convicted criminal if there are unusual circumstances presented. However, there has been no ruling in Netanyahu's long-running trial which began in 2020 and has been interrupted frequently during two years of war and Middle East upheaval. He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. Frost Bank was the target of an alleged scheme that resulted in the theft of more than $1 million from its ATMs in 2021. Nine individuals were indicted earlier this year. One pleaded guilty last week and will be sentenced in January. Shown is a Frost Bank branch in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Nine people have been indicted in connection with an alleged scheme that stole more than $1 million from Frost Bank ATMs in 2021. Shown in a file photo is the Frost Bank Tower looming over the Robert E. Lee Hotel in downtown San Antonio. Kin Man Hui /Staff file photo An internal flaw in Frost Banks ATMs allowed nine individuals to loot more than $1 million from the San Antonio institution over a two-month period in 2021, according to federal court documents. The alleged scheme involved more than 1,800 ATM transactions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Frost Bank spokesman Bill Day didnt have any information on whether it was able to recover any of the allegedly stolen money. We have implemented measures to prevent any future similar fraud, Day said Friday. Frost, with more than $51 billion in assets, is the largest bank based in San Antonio and among the 50 largest in the country. It previously has said it has the largest ATM network in the state. In March, a grand jury indicted the nine individuals on bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and identity theft charges. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Advertisement Article continues below this ad One of the defendants, 37-year-old Blake Semien of San Antonio, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft on Thursday. As part of his plea, the conspiracy charge will be dropped after his sentencing on Jan. 22. Another defendant, Samuel Guerra, whose age and hometown couldnt be determined, has agreed to plead guilty. His plea hearing is set for Oct. 22. Both men have been in custody since their arrests. Six other defendants have entered not guilty pleas. The remaining defendants name has been redacted in the indictment because the individual hasnt yet been arrested. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The charging document didnt mention Frost Bank by name, only disclosing that the victim was a San Antonio-based financial institution. However, Frosts name appeared in Semiens plea agreement, which was unsealed last week. The court filings laid out how the alleged scheme worked. The ATMs targeted by the defendants have an internal flaw allowing an individual to withdraw cash in such a way that the withdrawal did not register with the machine, and, therefore, did not result in the debiting of funds from the associated account, the indictment said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Semiens plea agreement said he and others learned that if they requested a cash withdrawal from the ATM but did not actually remove all of the bills, a security feature would activate and attempt to pull the bills back into the ATM. By holding onto all but one of the bills during the retraction process, Defendant (Semien) and others were able to retain most of the money presented by the ATM, while tricking the ATM into registering the transaction as a failed withdrawal and not debiting the account used for any of the money that they received, his plea agreement said. Semien withdrew about $90,000 using that method, his plea agreement said. It added that he exchanged Facebook messages with Guerra about carrying out the scheme with prepaid debit cards. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MORE ON FROST: Frost Bank posts strong 2Q results on increased lending, branch expansions The defendants would secure debit cards in their own name or in others names, the indictment said. They would recruit individuals to either provide debit cards for accounts already open or would ask them to open accounts and then provide the associated card. The defendants also had others open accounts in the names of unwitting friends and family members, the indictment said. In addition, the defendants allegedly used identifying information for individuals who previously lost their wallets to open accounts in their name. Semiens defense lawyer, Charles Mais Jr., declined to discuss the case. Semien faces up to 30 years in prison, up to five years post-release supervision and a maximum fine of $1 million for bank fraud, He also faces the possibility of two years in prison, to run consecutively, and a $250,000 maximum fine for identity theft, his plea agreement shows. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The other defendants named in the indictment are: Chelsea Corrales, 34, of Bandera William Conners, 36, of San Antonio Darrin Donnell Williams, 41, of Schertz Perkins Clayton Sexton Jr., 24, of Austin Desiree Marrie Morris Smith, 30, of San Antonio Brandylee Curry, also known as Brandylee Preston, 42, of San Antonio. All six have pleaded not guilty and save Sexton were released on a $30,000 unsecured bond. Sexton remains in custody. Attorneys for the defendants either declined to comment or didnt immediately respond to an email. The six are currently set for trial in December in U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcias court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Just how their alleged scheme was detected wasnt revealed in court documents. But after law enforcement began a probe, Semiens plea agreement said, he told Corrales in a Facebook video message that Guerra mentioned that Corrales and others might be talking to police. Corrales allegedly responded with her own video message, saying she didnt know who was telling the truth about speaking with law enforcement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Elon Musk attends a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September in Arizona. After moving some of his most well-known companies to Texas because of political disagreements with leaders of the state of California, Musk is quietly expanding operations in the Bay Area. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Elon Musks brain-implant startup Neuralink Corp. has leased a vacant building in South San Francisco, a fresh sign of the billionaires renewed interest in the Bay Area tech scene. The lease adds to a refreshed and growing area presence for Musk, who moved several of his companies to Texas after criticizing Californias business climate during the pandemic. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tesla Inc. and X Corp. relocated their headquarters to the Austin area as Musk shuttered Twitter Inc.s San Francisco offices after renaming the social media platform X. He moved SpaceX headquarters to Starbase, his new company town in South Texas. Now, both Neuralink and Musks California-based artificial intelligence startup xAI are expanding in the Bay Area., with xAI reportedly scouting for even larger office space. Elon Musk properties are seen early this year in Bastrop. They house operations for SpaceX, The Boring Co., the social media platform X and others. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Neuralinks new lease is for a 144,000-square-foot property that had been vacant since biotech firm InterVenn Biosciences pulled out of its lease in 2023, according to a report by the San Francisco Business Times. Last year, Neuralink expanded its operations in Central Texas with construction of a 112,000-square-foot facility in suburban Austin. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Founded in 2016, the Fremont company has developed a brain-computer interface designed to help people with paralysis control devices with their thoughts. The company, valued at more than $3 billion, began human trials last year and says 12 patients worldwide now have its implant. The latency between a users intention and the systems output is roughly 10 times faster than typical brain-to-muscle response, president and co-founder DJ Seo told PC Mag in July. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He added that Neuralinks robotic surgical arm could bring its implant to the masses, noting a backlog of 10,000 people eager to participate. The company has partnered with hospitals in the U.K. to expand its clinical research and recently raised $650 million in new funding. Neuralink did not respond to a request for more information. Ana Gutierrez is a Colombian-born, bilingual journalist covering Austins vibrant entertainment scene. She writes about dining trends, live music, and upcoming film releases. Before turning to print journalism, Gutierrez produced television news for Spectrum News and KOMU 8, and hosted a radio show on KCOU 88.1 FM in Missouri. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Buc-ee's has dropped 1% in customer satisfaction since 2024 and now ties as the No. 5 convenience store in America, according to a 2025 ACSI report. Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman Unfortunately, not everyone seems to appreciate Buc-ee's as much as Texans do. A Wisconsin-based brand is the most beloved convenience store in the country, instead. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) measures customer satisfaction across private and public sector products and services on the national level and is the only existing tool to do so. Corporations, government agencies and investors use these scientific insights to predict financial performance and benchmark results against competitors. Over 300,000 consumers are surveyed each year on more than 400 companies. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The ACSI Convenience Store Study 2025, released Tuesday, reveals which chains Americans seem to prefer based on 8,601 surveys. For the second consecutive year, the industry's customer satisfaction held steady with a score of 76 out of 100. Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip topped the ACSI ranking with 84, while also boasting one of the greatest leaps in improvement at 8%. Pennsylvania-based Wawa, which topped the 2024 chart, tied with Sheetz for the No. 2 spot; Sheetz had a 4% improvement while Wawa recorded no significant improvement. Oklahoma-based QuikTrip, which has a different owner than Kwik Trip, came in at No. 4. Buc-ee's and Oklahoma-based Love's tied for fifth place in the ACSI ranking, both with a score of 79. This is a 1% drop for Buc-ee's. When separated by region, Buc-ee's tied with Sheetz for No. 2 in the South with ACSI scores of 81, behind Wawa's score of 82. Convenience stores with highest ACSI scores, 2025 Rank Brand 2025 ACSI 2024 ACSI % change 1 Kwik Trip 84 78 8% 2 Sheetz 82 79 4% 2 Wawa 82 82 0% 4 QuikTrip 80 81 -1% 5 Buc-ee's 79 80 -1% 5 Love's 79 N/A N/A 6 Maverik 78 N/A N/A 6 Meijer 78 N/A N/A 6 Murphy USA 78 80 -3% 6 RaceTrac 78 76 3% Advertisement Article continues below this ad What are 2025 customers looking for in a convenience store? Aside from brand preferences, the new ACSI report also reveals emerging trends relating to what customers value in a convenience store and how brands have responded to new demands. Where customers once sought cleanliness and low prices above all else, 2025 data shows priorities shifting towards mobile app usage. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source This year, 34% of surveyed customers reported using a store's mobile app a figure which increases to 60% among loyalty rewards program members. As a result, benchmarks relating to mobile apps have improved by 3% to 4% in 2024. Although the convenience store industry is adopting mobile apps at a slower rate than quick-service restaurants and travel-related industries, usage is consistently climbing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A similar trend is apparent for made-to-order food items, to the extent that convenience stores may compete with quick-service restaurants. Other benchmarks indicate the traditional features of stores like hours, location, quality of dispensed cold beverages and speed of the checkout process continue to lure customers. All benchmarks also rise when customers are members of loyalty programs. Here are the customer experience benchmarks from the 2025 ACSI study: Advertisement Article continues below this ad A lawsuit has been filed against a Hutto daycare claiming that two unrelated infants were exposed to marijuana smoke from a vape. American-Statesman A Georgetown man has received a 90-year prison sentence for sexual assault of a child. A Williamson County jury convicted Richard Vincent Ramos, 43, of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child on Wednesday, according to a news release from the district attorney's office on Monday. During the trial, a victim testified that Ramos had sexually abused her on multiple occasions during a five-year period beginning when she was 7 years old, the release said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "The assaults took place both in California and at Ramos residence in Georgetown where he lived with his parents," the release said. Prosecutors presented evidence during the trial of Ramos' crimes against a total of four children, including physical and sexual abuse, officials said. "Ramos was known to the victims and held a position of trust in their lives," the release said. It said the investigation against Ramos started after a 6-year-old victim reported physical abuse, which led a 10-year-old victim to disclose to her mother that Ramos had inappropriately touched her. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source The jury also heard evidence that Ramos had child pornography on his phone portraying children that were the same age as the victims, the release said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Choosing to dismiss his court-appointed counsel, Ramos represented himself a twisted move that allowed him to directly confront his victims during the trial," according to the release. The jury found him guilty after less than an hour of deliberation, officials said. "The victim and her parents delivered moving statements to the court after sentencing, focusing on their journey of healing and the victims empowerment to serve as a voice for other survivors of child abuse," the release said. Ramos will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 30 years in prison. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ramos used a position of trust to commit heinous crimes against vulnerable children for years, and today, justice has been delivered, said District Attorney Shawn Dick. Members of the Texas National Guard arrive on Oct. 7, 2025, at the Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood, Illinois. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS) Brian Cassella/TNS In response to Gov. Greg Abbott backing the deployment of the Texas National Guard by the Trump administration to out-of-state, Democratic-led cities, social media users have begun organizing an "Abbott boycott" against Texas-based companies. Last week, Trump deployed Texas National Guard troops to Portland, Ore. and Chicago to protect federal property and staff at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement facilities after a series of protests. The organizers of the boycott hope to to economically pressure Texas officials to revoke support by refusing to spend money with companies headquartered in the state. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Social media users have named Austin-based companies Tesla and Oracle, along with Round Rock-based Dell, as targets of the boycott. Other companies based in Texas are also being targeted, namely American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, Exxon Mobil, Caterpillar, Texas Instruments, USAA Insuranc, and Kimberly-Clark. "Good luck with your next quarterly reports," a Reddit post advertising the boycott said. "To any other state that may want to do the same by sending your armed troops to a state that explicitly asks you not to expect the same fate! We ask other countries to help your friends and family in the US with the boycott." Trump cited attacks on federal agents near a Chicago ICE facility as his rationale, invoking a law that lets presidents assume control of state guards in times of unrest Advertisement Article continues below this ad Courts in both Oregon and Illinois have since halted the deployments of the National Guard, calling them unlawful. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source The boycott expands an existing movement that already targeted Tesla over its close ties to Trumps administration. Military personnel in uniform, with the Texas National Guard patch on, are seen at the U.S. Army Reserve Center, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Elwood, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. Erin Hooley/Associated Press Some Texas National Guard soldiers deployed to Chicago have been sent home for failing to meet fitness standards after an ABC News photo of heavyset troops went viral. A small group of the 200 National Guard soldiers sent to Illinois last week have been replaced for not being in compliance with its validation process, the Texas Military Department confirmed to military news site Task & Purpose over the weekend. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The switch comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he was tired of seeing fat troops who give the military a bad look in a speech to hundreds of military commanders on Sept. 30. After the speech, Hegseth mandated that active-duty troops take two physical fitness tests each year and work out every day. Hegseth praised the Texas National Guard replacements in a social media post. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Standards are back at The @DeptofWar, Hegseth captioned a screenshot of the Task & Purpose report on Monday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Some social media users had pointed out the irony of Hegseths comments in viral posts of the photos. A member of the Texas National Guard, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the hurried nature of the deployment to Illinois allowed a handful of soldiers to be included even though they did not meet fitness standards. The standard screening process includes dental, physical, mental health and financial exams and can take days to complete. But the Illinois deployment was so rushed that readiness screenings were being conducted as soldiers were preparing to fly to Chicago, the Guard member said. The Texas Guard deployed within 24 hours of receiving orders from the Trump administration, the Guard member said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Three or four soldiers failed to meet fitness standards and were replaced as the screening process continued, not in response to the viral photo of seemingly overweight Texas Guard troops arriving in Illinois, the Guard member said. Few if any states have the kind of training and readiness that Texas has, which is why they could be on the ground in Chicago within 24 hours, the Guard member said. And no doubt thats one of the reasons why Texas was called up. Almost all National Guard soldiers are reservists who have full-time civilian jobs. A Chicago federal appeals court on Saturday allowed troops to remain federalized in Illinois, but temporarily blocked their active deployment. President Donald Trump had ordered the troops there to protect federal officials at a suburban Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that has seen protests in recent weeks. Advertisement Article continues below this ad On Thursday, U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a two-week restraining order against the mobilization, saying she saw no credible evidence that there is a danger of a rebellion in the state of Illinois and finding that the show of force likely violated the 10th and 14th Amendments. The Trump administration has said it will continue to fight a lawsuit filed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the city of Chicago. The legal battle will likely lead to the U.S. Supreme Court. A statement from the National Guard Thursday said troops have to meet height, weight and fitness standards. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet requirements. On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission," the statement said. "The National Guard, states, territories and District of Columbia are committed to excellence and lethality and are laser-focused on compliance and standards. FILE - Former President Barack Obama speaks at the Obama Foundation Democracy Forum, Dec. 5, 2024, in Chicago. Erin Hooley/AP Former President Barack Obama criticized the deployment of Texas National Guard troops to his hometown of Chicago, noting that the Republicans who now support it, including Gov. Greg Abbott, had attacked him a decade ago for overseeing routine military exercises in Texas. If I had sent in the National Guard into Texas and just said, You know what, a lot of problems in Dallas, you know, a lot of crime there, and I dont care what Governor Abbott says, Im going to kind of take over law enforcement because I think things are out of control it is mind boggling to me how Fox News would have responded, Obama said in an appearance on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast that posted on Monday. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Obama then went on to talk about outrage sparked by regular military exercises in Texas when he was president, an apparent reference to Jade Helm 15, an operation that fueled right-wing conspiracies. Abbott, then in his first year in office, directed the Texas State Guard to monitor the military exercise, saying he wanted Texans to know their "safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Ted Cruz and a number of other folks were out there lending credence to the fact that I was preparing for, you know, the whole black helicopter, one world government I was about to take over Texas, Obama said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cruz's office did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Abbott said in a statement: "If the liberal governments in Obamas hometown were protecting people and property and upholding law and order, we wouldnt be having this conversation. Public safety should be the first priority for any elected official, and President Trump is stepping up where Democrats are failing." Abbott was a regular adversary of Obamas when the Democrat was in the White House and Abbott was the state attorney general. He sued the Obama administration dozens of times, joking "I go into the office, I sue the federal government and I go home. Abbott earlier this month agreed to send Texas soldiers to Chicago at President Donald Trump's request. The Texas Republican has said the soldiers are putting America first by ensuring that the federal government can safely enforce federal law. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But the move has drawn criticism, even from some Republicans. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told the New York Times he was surprised Abbott agreed to send troops to Illinois. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Bureau recently released a revised draft of the "Implementation Guidelines for Road Testing and Demonstration Applications of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (Draft for Public Opinion)", soliciting public feedback, according to a press release Shenzhen Fabu (the Shenzhen Municipal Government Information Office's official WeChat account) issued on October 11. This revision introduces several adjustments aimed at advancing the development and application of autonomous driving technology. Key changes in the revised draft include support for fully driverless testing scenarios, allowing businesses to conduct road tests and demonstration activities without a driver on board. This move provides conditions for enterprises to validate autonomous driving technology in complex scenarios and encourages the rollout of high-level autonomous driving products. Photo credit: Shenzhen Fabu Additionally, the revision proposes the establishment of a mutual recognition mechanism for test results across different locations, simplifying the application process and reducing costs for companies testing autonomous vehicles in Shenzhen. This is expected to attract more Chinese firms to carry out driverless vehicle tests in the city. To reduce the cost for businesses, the revised draft also adjusts vehicle inspection requirements. First-time applicants must conduct autonomous driving function tests and 1,000 kilometers of real-world testing, with no less than 2% of their fleet undergoing these assessments. Moreover, vehicles from the same batch with identical models, systems, and architectures will be exempt from repeating autonomous driving function tests and real-world trials, thus easing the burden on enterprises. The threshold for road test applications has also been lowered. The number of vehicles allowed for first-time applications for driverless testing or demonstrations has increased from the current limit of five to ten, while the number of vehicles for unmanned cargo tests or demonstrations can now reach up to 20, encouraging companies to prioritize cargo vehicle testing. Meanwhile, revisions have been made to traffic accident responsibility guidelines. The phrase "no traffic violations and no traffic accidents where the testing vehicle side is responsible during road testing/demonstration" has been replaced with "no traffic violations and no traffic accidents where the testing vehicle side assumes primary or higher responsibility during testing/demonstration". According to industry data, by 2024, the total length of fully driverless testing roads in China is expected to reach approximately 9,800 kilometers, with over 710 driverless vehicle licenses issued. Cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Wuhan are showing clear trends in the adoption of autonomous driving. As of May this year, Shenzhen has opened a cumulative total of 2,101 kilometers of testing and demonstration roads, accounting for nearly a quarter of the city's total road mileage, ranking among the top in China's first-tier cities. In 2024, Shenzhen's intelligent connected vehicle industry cluster is projected to exceed 100 billion yuan in added value for the first time, reaching 102.37 billion yuan, with the highest growth rate among the city's top 20 strategic emerging industries. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China's passenger vehicle market posted record retail sales of 2.241 million units in September, marking a 6.3% year-on-year increase and an 11% rise from August, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association ("CPCA"). Cumulative retail sales for the first nine months of 2025 reached 17.005 million units, up 9.2% from a year earlier. For clarity, the PVs mentioned here are all locally produced on the Chinese mainland. September's performance surpassed the previous all-time high of 2.19 million units set in 2017 by 50,000 vehicles, highlighting strong demand momentum ahead of the anticipated phase-out of certain purchase incentives toward the year's end. The overall growth trend aligns with forecasts made earlier this year: retail sales accelerated from a modest 1.2% growth rate in the first two months to 11% by midyear, before easing to around 6% between July and September as the market stabilized at a high base. A shift away from excessive price competition is helping the market stabilize, with fewer aggressive discounts and a more measured pace of promotional activity. In September, 23 passenger vehicle models saw price cutsdown from 36 a year earliersuggesting that automakers are easing back from the "price war" dynamics that dominated in previous cycles. Discount levels for new energy vehicles (NEVs) averaged around 10.2%, up 2.6 percentage points year-on-year but only slightly higher than in August, reflecting continued but controlled promotional intensity. Traditional fuel vehicles saw an average discount rate of 23.9%, up 1 percentage point from last month, signaling moderate competitive pressure as inventories normalize. China's self-owned brands continued to outpace the broader market, with retail sales climbing 13% year-on-year in September to 1.5 million units, representing nearly two-thirds of all passenger vehicle sales nationwide. Their market share reached 66.9% for the monthup 3.6 percentage points from a year earlierand averaged 64.8% in the first nine months of 2025, an increase of 5.9 percentage points year-on-year. The gains were driven by expanding NEV adoption and robust export growth, while major legacy automakers such as Geely, Changan, and Great Wall Motor showed strong progress in electrification and brand upgrading, helping lift their overall share in the domestic market. Mainstream joint-venture brands continued to face pressure, with September retail sales down 6% year-on-year to 490,000 units, though up 4% from August. German marques saw their combined market share slip to 14.3%, a decline of 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier, while Japanese brands fell 1.1 percentage points to 11.6%. U.S. brands performed comparatively better, led by SAIC-GM's 48% year-on-year rebound, lifting the overall American-brand share slightly to 5.8%. Korean and other West European brands recorded marginal declines amid intensifying competition from Chinese automakers. Luxury passenger vehicle sales reached 240,000 units in September, slipping 1% year-on-year but rising a solid 16% from the previous month. Their market share stood at 10.8%, down 0.8 percentage points from a year earlier. Analysts note that traditional luxury marques are now under even greater competitive pressure than joint-venture brands, as high-end Chinese NEV makers gain traction among affluent buyers. China's passenger vehicle wholesalers delivered 2.803 million units in September, setting a new record for the month. The figure marked a 12.4% year-on-year increase and a 13% rise from August. Cumulative wholesale volumes for the first nine months of the year reached 20.845 million units, up 13.1% from a year earlier. The wholesale growth rate outpaced retail sales by six percentage points, partly reflecting inventory adjustments across dealerships. China's indigenous automakers continued to dominate the wholesale market, with sales rising 18% year-on-year to 1.975 million units in September, a 14% increase from August. Mainstream joint ventures sold 539,000 vehicles, roughly flat from a year earlier but up 10% month-on-month. Luxury carmakers reported wholesale sales of 289,000 units, up 4% from a year ago and 11% from August. The country's passenger vehicle wholesale landscape continued to shift, with several mid-tier manufacturers showing signs of rapid growth. Companies such as SAIC-GM-Wuling, SAIC MOTOR Passenger Vehicle, GAC Honda, and GAC Trumpchi delivered strong month-on-month performance. In September, seven carmakers exceeded 100,000 units in monthly salesup from six in August and five in the same month last yearcollectively accounting for 53% of total market share. Automakers in the 50,000100,000 unit range represented 21% of the market, while smaller producers with 10,00050,000 units each held another 21%. Production also accelerated. China's automakers produced 2.838 million passenger vehicles in September, up 17.2% year-on-year and 15.7% from August. Total output for the first nine months reached 20.78 million units, a 13.9% year-on-year increase. September's production volume surpassed the previous high of 2.44 million units recorded in the same month last year by 400,000 units, underscoring steady momentum in factory activity. Luxury passenger vehicle production grew 7% year-on-year, joint-venture output rose 11%, and Chinese brands led the pace with a 21% increase. Exports remained a bright spot. Passenger vehicle exportsincluding both fully assembled and CKD kitsrose 20.7% year-on-year in September to 528,000 units, up 5.7% from August. Between January and September, total exports reached 3.999 million units, representing a 12.5% increase from the same period last year. NEVs made up 40.1% of September's exports, 15 percentage points higher than a year earlier. China's self-owned brands led the charge with 463,000 units shipped overseas, up 27% year-on-year, while exports from joint ventures and luxury marques fell 10.8% over a year earlier to 65,000 units. China's new energy passenger vehicle (NEPV) output surged to 1.501 million units in September, up 22.9% year-on-year and 17.5% month-on-month. Cumulative NEPV production for the first nine months totaled 10.376 million units, an impressive 32.2% increase from the previous year. Wholesale sales of NEPVs in September reached 1.5 million units, up 22.4% from a year ago and 15.9% from August. Year-to-date wholesale volume jumped 31.9% over the year-ago period to 10.444 million units, reflecting sustained market expansion. At the retail level, China's NEPV sales reached 1.296 million units in September, up 15.5% year-on-year and 16.2% month-on-month. For the first three quarters, retail deliveries totaled 8.866 million units, an increase of 24.4%. Exports of NEPVs continued to surge, with 211,000 units shipped in Septembernearly doubling from a year earlier. Month-on-month growth was 3.9%, while cumulative NEPV exports from January to September surged 67.5% year on year to 1.627 million units, underscoring the growing global appetite for Chinese NEVs. We are rapidly approaching multiple Earth system tipping points that could transform our world, with devastating consequences for people and nature. This demands immediate, unprecedented action from leaders at COP30 and policymakers worldwide, says Professor Tim Lenton from the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, a longtime Centre collaborator. The second Global Tipping Points Report finds that warm-water coral reefs on which nearly a billion people and a quarter of all marine life depend are now passing their tipping point. Widespread dieback is occurring, and unless global warming is reversed, extensive reefs as we know them will be lost. However, small refuges may survive and must be protected. Authored by 160 scientists from 87 institutions in 23 countries, the report warns that the planet is dangerously close to triggering other catastrophic tipping points from melting ice sheets to Amazon rainforest dieback and the collapse of key ocean currents. This demands immediate, unprecedented action from leaders at COP30 and policymakers worldwide, repeats Tim Lenton. Solar and wind: Positive tipping points crossed The report also highlights progress on positive tipping points and opportunities for a cascade of positive change. Positive tipping points have already been crossed in solar PV and wind power globally, as well as in the adoption of electric vehicles, battery storage, and heat pumps in leading markets. Coordinated policy action, it says, can trigger further transformative change across sectors and societies. There has been a radical global acceleration in some areas, including the uptake of solar power and electric vehicles. But we need to do more and move faster to seize positive tipping point opportunities. By doing so, we can drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions and tip the world away from catastrophic tipping points and toward a thriving, sustainable future, says Lenton. Equity at the heart of transformation Centre researcher Dr. Laura Pereira served as the equity and justice liaison for the reports Risks chapters and also contributed to the Human Rights chapter together with former Centre MSc student Ida Edling. Their work highlights that climate tipping points are deeply intertwined with social justice and human rights. Whilst we are entering an unprecedented phase of human-induced change to the planet, there remains time to act and to create a more sustainable and just future for all. The findings of this report require a strong reckoning with our current social and economic systems, which have led to this moment of potentially imminent cascading crises across our planet and societies, whilst offering some of the transformative solutions we must undertake to enable a more just and sustainable future, says Dr Pereira, adding: We cannot address the climate crisis by perpetuating the same systems of injustice and oppression that caused it in the first place - we need deeper, more equitable solutions that allow a sustainable future for both people and planet. From crisis to transformation The report calls on global leaders ahead of COP30 in Brazil to embed tipping point science into governance, economic planning, and adaptation policies. Researchers are working with Brazils COP30 Presidency to ensure that tipping points are included on the summits agenda. Current policy thinking doesnt usually take tipping points into account. Tipping points present distinct governance challenges compared to other aspects of climate change or environmental decline, requiring both governance innovations and reforms of existing institutions, says report contributor Dr Manjana Milkoreit from the University of Oslo. Dr Mike Barrett, Chief Scientific Adviser at WWF-UK and co-author of the report, adds that the findings are incredibly alarming. That warm-water coral reefs are passing their thermal tipping point is a tragedy for nature and for the people who rely on them for food and income. This grim situation must be a wake-up call: unless we act decisively now, we will also lose the Amazon rainforest, the ice sheets, and vital ocean currents. In that scenario, we would face a truly catastrophic outcome for all humanity. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll speaks at the opening ceremony of the AUSA convention Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said Monday he would not tolerate sending soldiers into a modern conflict with decades-old weapons, using an expletive in a public speech to highlight his distaste for the services slow acquisition system. No one can predict the next war, but we cannot wait we cannot f------ wait to innovate until Americans are dying on the battlefield, Driscoll said in his keynote speech Monday at the outset of the annual Association of the U.S. Army convention in Washington. We must act now to enable our soldiers. Our window to change is right now, and we have a plan to do it. The Armys top civilian an ex-Army officer, Iraq war veteran, lawyer and former venture capitalist pledged to adopt a Silicon Valley-like approach to weapons and tech development and procurement. Driscoll demanded that Congress and arms developers must allow the Army to quickly adopt new technology in communications, artificial intelligence, drones and robotics outside of the traditional acquisition system that has proven slow and expensive. The Army has long failed its soldiers, he said during his speech at the Armys largest soldier development conference and trade convention, where manufacturers show off their latest gear and gadgets from rifles and tiny drones to helicopters and armored vehicles. Members of the United States Army Band, Pershings Own, perform during the opening ceremony of the AUSA convention Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) Retired Gen. Robert B. Brown, president and CEO of AUSA, speaks during the opening ceremony of the AUSA convention Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) Members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, "The Old Guard, enter the ballroom during the opening ceremony of the AUSA convention Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) Driscoll spent part of Monday listening to small companies pitch their latest technology to Army leaders in a competition dubbed XTechDisrupt for a chance at a potential contract to supply the service their tech. But theres also more soldiers can do themselves to improve their battlefield kits, he said. In some cases, soldiers can develop their own technology, like those in the 101st Airborne Division who have built their own 7-inch drone systems, known as attritable battlefield enablers. The tiny drones cost about $750 a piece, can travel about 2 kilometers and reach speeds approaching 90 mph, according to the Army. They are modular (and) you can swap components, make software updates, transition between attack, recon or defense, Driscoll said. Trained soldiers can assemble it in 20 minutes and then deliver it to the front lines 100% soldier assembled. Soldiers can also solve other costly problems on expensive platforms like UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, which manufacturers have long limited how much the service can repair on its own because of intellectual property rights agreements. Driscoll has pushed for Congress to remove such agreements and grant the service right-to-repair powers even in its most expensive legacy programs. Driscoll held up a small black and tan fin for a Black Hawk external fuel tank that soldiers 3D printed for about $3,000. The vendor charges the Army more than $14,000 to replace the part, which he said breaks often. Another Black Hawk part, a quarter-size screen control knob can be 3D printed by soldiers for about $60, Driscoll said. The manufacturer will not replace the knobs which Driscoll said break at an Army-wide rate of about four every month alone but requires the service to replace the entire screen assembly for some $47,000. Were spending around $188,000 every month for what we can solve for $60, Driscoll said. Now multiply this across thousands of components, and you see why our $185 billion budget simply doesnt buy enough combat power, and in some cases, the parts take literally years to arrive for our soldiers. Driscoll vowed to cut red tape until soldiers have battlefield technology more advanced than they use at home. When you train you literally step into the same platforms that we fielded 30 to 40 years ago, like the Humvee, Driscoll said. You struggle to communicate beyond line of sight, and you wonder why the hell you cant just use the smartphone in your pocket. Before and after work our soldiers live in the real world, but when theyre on duty, our soldiers time travel to the [technology of] the early 2000s at best or earlier. The U.S. Naval Academy was put on lockdown after a person was injured in a shooting and after the military school received threats on Sept. 11, 2025. (Dreamstime/TNS) (Tribune News Service) The United States Naval Academy announced an investigation Sunday into the death of a student from New Jersey who had gone missing days earlier. Kyle Philbert James, 20, of Whippany, in Hanover Township, Morris County, was a junior at the military school in Annapolis, Maryland, according to a statement from the U.S. Naval Academy. It is painful to lose a member of our Naval Academy family, and as we attempt to better understand this tremendous loss, we offer our deepest condolences to Philbert James family, close friends, classmates and company mates during this extremely difficult time, Cmdr. Ashley Hockycko, an academy spokesperson, said in a statement sent to NJ Advance Media. Hockycko did not specify when or where James was found dead. The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation, the statement said. James had been missing since Thursday night when his mother received a call from the Naval Academy informing her that he hadnt attended any of his classes that day, according to WFSB 3, a local Baltimore station. Please help me find him, James mother, Diane, said. James was a history major and member of the 36th Company at the academy, and participated with the schools gospel choir, the academy said. 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. NCIS: Origins actor Caleb Foote interviews Jasmine Lopez and her mother, Sandra, during NCIS Tuesdays of Honor campaign. (Sonja Flemming/CBS) Jasmine Lopez was 6 years old when her father, Army Sgt. Luis Lopez, died while stationed in Germany on Oct. 16, 2011. At the time, she couldnt fully comprehend his death. I just thought, Hes gone, but hes going to come back, Lopez told Stars and Stripes about her memories of the time. Lopez was living in Los Angeles with her mother, Sandra, and her three sisters. A few months later, the loss began to feel real after she attended her first Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors event TAPS offers support and resources to those who lost a loved one in the military at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Since then, Lopez, 20, and her family have volunteered with TAPS. I dont know what it would be like had we not gone to TAPS, but I know that going to TAPS definitely helped us gain a connection that I dont think we would have had, said Lopez, who is a junior at the University of Oregon. TAPS brought us closer together [as a family]. Lopez and her familys story of courage, sacrifice and service will be featured Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS as part of NCIS Tuesdays of Honor a campaign honoring military families, veterans and Gold Star families with an all-NCIS primetime lineup. This years campaign began Sept. 23 and concludes on Veterans Day. NCIS: Origins actor Caleb Foote takes a photo with Jasmine Lopez and her mother, Sandra, during NCIS Tuesdays of Honor campaign. (Sonja Flemming/CBS) TAPS has such a big impact on my life, and my family, Lopez said. The people that we met through that program have been such a great pillar. Lopez serves as a Legacy Mentor in the organization. Legacy Mentors are military survivors who guide and support new, younger survivors. In her role, she finds fulfillment in supporting kids who are experiencing the same emotions she first faced as a child. Now being on the other side and seeing the way that the kids light up, I get to see the actual impact, said Lopez. Sandra is a TAPS Peer Mentor who provides support throughout an individuals personal grief journey and Lopezs sisters Karen, Liliana and Margaret also are volunteers. Lopez and her military family are longtime fans of the television show. She said NCIS reflects the values of honor and loyalty principles that are central to her family and the broader military community. She said those values are also embedded in places such as TAPS, making the show feel familiar, comforting and relatable to watch. At CBS, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect, comfort and honor a spirit that lives at the heart of our NCIS series, Mike Benson, president and chief marketing officer at CBS, said in a news release. Audiences worldwide will watch Caleb Foote, an actor from NCIS: Origins, sit down with Jasmine and Sandra Lopez to reflect on their memories of Luis and their familys connection to TAPS. Jasmine Lopez hopes viewers will gain insight into the legacy her father left behind. My dad was a compassionate person, Lopez said. Whenever I hear stories about him, its always about what he was doing to give back to the community, what he was doing to give back to his family. That is such an important thing to me. I want to volunteer (with TAPS) until I physically cannot anymore. An undated photo of the Lopez family. (Jasmine Lopez) Viewers who tune in on CBS or stream the program on Paramount+ will see cast members from NCIS, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney recognizing other military families on-air and social media throughout the evening each week leading up to Veterans Day, which will feature a special crossover episode between NCIS and NCIS: Origins. Each honored family will also receive brand-new living room upgrades such as a new couch and television donated by Lovesac and VIZIO. Its so important to honor the military families because theres such a big commitment, Lopez said. After you lose the person that youre connected to in the military, or after you get out of the military, theres so much that goes on behind the scenes that I think is so important for people to understand. Members of the Texas National Guard arrive on Oct. 7, 2025, at the Army Reserve Training Center in Elwood. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune/TNS) The Texas National Guard sent home some of the 200 troops who were sent with 24 hours notice to a federal mission in Illinois after they were found to be out of compliance with certain standards, state military officials said Saturday. Texas National Guard officials did not provide exactly what standards the group of soldiers did not meet or how many troops were sent home. In less than 24 hours, Texas National Guardsmen mobilized for the Federal Protection Mission. The speed of the response necessitated a concurrent validation process, during which we identified a small group of service members who were not in compliance and have been replaced, according to the Texas National Guard. The move followed a photo that quickly circulated online and drew criticism last week of Texas soldiers arriving in Illinois who appeared to be larger than the height and weight standards for the service. It came within days of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths pledge of stricter enforcement of those standards. President Donald Trump called up the Texas soldiers alongside roughly 300 Illinois National Guard troops more than a week ago to protect federal personnel and property in Chicago where federal law enforcement are conducting enhanced immigration enforcement raids. The raids have led to protests. It is similar to the circumstances of a June deployment of the California National Guard to Los Angeles. About 100 troops remain in the city. Illinois and Chicago filed a lawsuit to stop the deployment. A federal judge ruled Saturday that troops can remain there under federal control but cant be deployed for the next two weeks when further arguments can be heard. Guard members in Illinois are not conducting any operational activities at this time, according to U.S. Northern Command, which is overseeing the federal protection mission. Instead, soldiers are planning and training. Manuel Garcia and Maria Angeles became engaged during the patron's day celebrations of the Guardia Civil in Antequera. A fairly sombre Guardia Civil ceremony in Antequera in Malaga province on Sunday 12 October ended with the potential sound of wedding bells. At the end of the institutional act, which marked Dia del Pilar, the patron's day of the Guardia Civil, officer Manuel Garcia Gutierrez asked his fiancee, Maria Angeles Brenes Llamas, to marry him. She had been told that her boyfriend was going to be presented with a diploma, but in the end it was Maria Angeles who was presented with something... an engagement ring. After the institutional act in the courtyard of Antequera town hall, Captain Jose Antonio Galvez asked those present to wait for an event that was about to take place and Maria Angeles Brenes Llamas was called to the podium. A.J.G. Luis Manuel Garcia Gutierrez, escorted by fellow Guardia Civil officers, walked towards the podium, where he stepped forward, got down on one knee, took out a ring and asked Maria Angeles to marry him. Known each other since they were five years old The officer is an assistant lieutenant at the Antequera barracks and his fiancee is a teacher in Archidona. Luis Manuel is from Cordoba, is 31 years old and his mother is also a Guardia Civil officer. Maria Angeles is from Villanueva de Algaidas, is 30 years old and her father is also a Guardia Civil officer. They have known each other since they were five years old despite their families having moved several times. They have been dating for ten years and have maintained a long-distance relationship. He has been an officer since 2013 and has been stationed in the Canary Islands, Guadalajara, Madrid, Cordoba and in Antequera for the last three months. When he found out about his new destination and she was working in Archidona, he decided to ask Maria Angeles to marry him on 12 October and he did so without her suspecting anything. The biggest stash of drugs ever seized in Archidona prison was detected inside the body of a prisoner upon his return from leave on 6 October. Following an X-ray scan, the workers at the prison in the north of Malaga province caught the man with several inflated condoms filled with 500 anabolic pills, 15 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of coca base or crack for smoking. Due to the suspicions of the prison staff, the inmate underwent an X-ray upon his return to module 1. The 'mule' had introduced the condoms into his body rectally in order to avoid being detected by the scanners. However, the precision of the radiologist and the work of the control team, who were closely following his steps, prevented the stash of drugs from entering the prison. The Tu Abandono Me Puede Matar (TAMPM) staff union highlighted the professionalism of the workers, "who act without proper tools and institutional support", and warned of the problems that this seizure will cause with the inmate for whom the drugs were intended, since inside the prison these substances can be three times their market price. Cristina Pinto Monday, 13 October 2025, 11:32 Share The case of the Basque paediatrician who worked extra hours to look after children with palliative care, which came to light in May, has highlighted the need to restructure continuous care with more resources and professionals to be able to treat "complex cases" of terminally ill children. For years, the Cudeca Foundation on the Costa del Sol has been looking at ways to address this problem, which the public healthcare system does not cover. But now the association has managed to gather support to find a solution by setting up a paediatric palliative care day unit, in addition to the home follow-up they have been offering for years. Today, the unit has around 20 paediatric palliative patients who arrive by referral from the Hospital Materno Infantil in Malaga city. A team of paediatricians, social workers, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and volunteers from the Cudeca Foundation are the driving force behind this initiative, which not only cares for the children, but also for their families with psychological, financial and medical advice throughout the care process and also during the grieving stage. This free service is supported by grants and donations from private companies, charity shops and volunteers who collaborate with Fundacion Cudeca so that it can continue the work it has been doing since 1992: offering professional palliative care totally free of charge to people with cancer and other advanced illnesses. One of the main objectives Cudeca Foundation's new paediatric palliative care day unit is colourfully decorated with decor that generates confidence in the children's visits. Paediatrician Ana Devesa talks to SUR to explain how this new space works. But, above all, to stress the importance of the fact that "at last" this service has been set up. This Cudeca service improves child wellbeing and family rest with personalised therapies "We feel that with this big step we are achieving Cudeca's goals. This is an idea that came up in 2023 because a social worker from the team, during one of her home visits, was treating a child who had a lot of insomnia problems; he could not relax despite trying different methods and medications. So we thought we could use the adapted bath which offers a relaxing bath while treating the child. We tried it one day and, indeed, that night the child slept. We realised that by creating this day unit we could alleviate many symptoms of children who needed it, in addition to offering comprehensive support to family members who requested it," recalls Dr Ana Devesa, who has been working at Fundacion Cudeca since 2022. At the same time as rehabilitative therapy is offered to the children, other professionals are available to any family member. It is not easy for parents to be the child's caregivers all day long; it also happens to siblings that they change roles, receive less attention or feel displaced. "We try to do our bit to make the family dynamics work better and as far as the child is concerned, we don't focus on how long he or she will live, but on how he or she will live and how he or she lives every day. That is the main objective of our day unit," the paediatrician points out. Insufficient public resources "These are children who have life-threatening illnesses, many of which have no curative treatment. They parents need to relax, have time for themselves, talk to the psychologist, disconnect or simply do an artistic activity or yoga that we offer thanks to the volunteers," explains Devesa. Professionals denounce lack of public resources for paediatric palliative care in Malaga This day unit currently offers its service from Monday to Friday, but its professionals believe that the health service should be covering the missing hours to complete the paediatric palliative care service. "Right now we have no support or resources to provide continuity at weekends and our colleagues at the Materno Infantil are doing their best, working 24-hour shifts or taking turns to provide care as best they can. But there are not enough resources for this and it ends up being a struggle in any province in the Andalucia region, not only in Malaga," Devesa points out. "The care support of a palliative paediatrician is key to providing quality treatment and is still not specialised in Spain. That is why we are fighting so hard to give a voice to this service, which provides benefits that not just anyone can provide because the families who come here are accompanied 100% by an interdisciplinary team," Devesa and social worker Lorena Vanzini explain. Irene Quirante Malaga Monday, 13 October 2025, 15:15 Share Police in Malaga's Guadalhorce valley have opened an investigation following the discovery of two bodies inside a "substandard housing property" in the Arroyo de las Piedras area in Coin. The Local Police went to the house at around 7pm on Sunday, where they found the man and the woman already dead. According to sources consulted by SUR, they were the parents of a young girl and had only been living in the area for a short time, as they had moved from another municipality. Following the discovery, 112 Andalucia operators immediately alerted the health services and the Guardia Civil, although they were only able to confirm the deaths. Investigators went to the scene and proceeded to remove the bodies for transfer to the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML) in Malaga. Police are awaiting the results of the autopsies to clarify the cause of death. At the moment, it is not known whether the bodies displayed any signs of violence. Juan Cano Malaga Monday, 13 October 2025, 10:35 Share The Spanish DNI identity card found after the fatal accident on the old N-340 near Malaga Airport on 9 October has ended up linking two events which, at first sight, should have no relation to each other. Initially, Local Police officers thought that the ID card might belong to the pedestrian who died in last Thursday's accident, but they discovered a different owner when they went to the address indicated on the document. Instead of confirming the pedestrian's identity, the investigators met the owner of the DNI card - a 48-year-old Spaniard, who had reported a robbery on 26 September. This turn of events has left the accident investigators with three pending tasks: the complete reconstruction of the incident with the help of witness accounts, expert reports and video surveillance footage; identifying the deceased pedestrian; and finding out how the ID of a third party appeared at the scene of the accident. Although his witness statement has not been revealed, it has been confirmed that the owner of the DNI card was the subject of another incident reported by SUR in September. Robbery with violence The 48-year-old man was the victim of a robbery with violence, which happened in Malaga on the night of 24 September. According to his version of events he was walking along Avenida Valle Inclan, when a car approached him and the driver offered to give him a lift. The man accepted and got into the vehicle, oblivious to the actual intentions of the car passengers. Once he was inside, they assaulted and even reportedly stabbed him in order to rob him. The question the police are now trying to answer is how the DNI ended up at the scene of the fatal accident on the old N-340 According to witnesses, after taking the victim's mobile phone, his wallet and a gold chain he was wearing, the suspects threw him out of the moving car on the same road, a few metres from the point where they had picked him up. The man was then transferred to Hospital Regional, where he was treated for multiple stab wounds, including one on the back of his neck. The theft of the wallet, therefore, would explain why the DNI was not in his possession. The question is how it ended up at the scene of the fatal accident on the old N-340. Ester Requena Malaga Monday, 13 October 2025, 14:57 | Updated 15:03h. Share Malaga Airport debuted its direct connection with Korea on Sunday, 12 October (Hispanic Day). Korean Air subsidiary Hanjin Travel carried out the first direct connection between the airports of Incheon and Malaga. From October to November, the airline will operate four charter flights back and forth (a total of eight flights) between the South Korean capital and the capital of the Costa del Sol. This flight is part of a package promoted by Hanjin Travel, which is one of the most renowned tour operators in Asia and a leader in offering international tourism products. Flights between Seoul and Malaga are operated on a Boeing 777-300ER. The plane offers 291 seats in three classes: eight seats in First Class (Kosmo Suites), 56 seats in Business Class (Prestige Sleeper) and 227 seats in Economy Class. According to AirlineRatings, Korean Air is the best airline in the world and has been recognised as a five-star airline by Skytrax for the fifth consecutive year. There will be four charter flights back and forth, eight in total, between the South Korean capital and the capital of the Costa del Sol until the beginning of November The Hanjin Travel package includes, in addition to the flight to Malaga and back, nine nights, as well as cultural and leisure experiences in different Andalusian cities: Malaga, Seville, Granada and Cadiz. Second biggest Asian market in Malaga In 2024, some 4,421 South Korean tourists arrived in Malaga, generating 7,622 overnight stays. This makes it the second most important Asian country, behind only China, in terms of both the number of passengers and overnight stays. Between January and August 2025, the city welcomed 2,514 visitors and a total of 4,621 overnight stays. The direct flight operation in October is expected to further boost numbers in the last quarter of the year. One of the characteristics of Asian passengers is their high purchasing power: on average, they spend around 250 euros per day, outside their flights and accommodation expenses. Irene Quirante Malaga Monday, 13 October 2025, 11:20 Share Malaga's provincial court has sentenced a man to three years in prison for setting fire to a flat in an attempt to take revenge on an acquaintance with whom his girlfriend had been intimate. His plan did not work out as he had hoped, as he made a mistake and set fire to a neighbour's house. According to the sentence, the incident happened one afternoon in September 2021. After convincing a friend and, surprisingly, his own partner to go along with his plan, they went to a petrol station to buy a container of fuel. The three defendants went to the home of the victim, whom the main defendant had repeatedly been threatening to kill through phone calls and messages. Without caring about the risk of causing damage to other people's flats, the defendants set the container on fire and threw it into the flat. However, according to the sentence, they got the wrong window and the bottle ended up inside the flat of their target's neighbour. The woman's property caught fire, threatening to quickly spread to other flats. Damages amounting to 18,000 euros The damage caused to the woman's home amounted to 18,000 euros. What was more concerning was that the woman was injured and it took ten days for the wound on her right inner thigh to heal. However, she did not make a claim, as her insurance company paid for the damages. The prosecutor asked for 12 years in prison for the three defendants for the crime of arson endangering human life, to which an additional charge of making threats was added in the case of the main suspect, carrying a further one-year prison sentence. However, all three defendants acknowledged their responsibility before the court, which led to a considerable reduction in the sentences. In the end, the main suspect was served a three-year prison sentence for arson and a 600-euro fine for the threats. His friend and partner were sentenced to two years in prison as accomplices. The court decision is final. SUR Malaga Monday, 13 October 2025, 13:18 Share After browsing through endless websites, we finally find, with just a click, the apartment of our dreams for long-term rental or just for a few days of beach holiday. The number of rooms, the location and the price, perhaps lower than the others listed, all align. However, when we enquire, we are asked to make an advance payment by bank transfer in order to formalise the reservation. Should we go for it? The Bank of Spain's online blog has recently published a post warning consumers about scams involving bank transfers to secure such bookings: "In these cases, think carefully before proceeding, because transfers are irrevocable payment mandates. As soon as you realise it's a scam, contact your bank as soon as possible. In accordance with good financial practices and customs, you are required to make reasonable efforts to try to recover the amount transferred by contacting the receiving bank." The financial institution also points out that we should keep in mind "that the amount already credited to the beneficiary's account cannot be returned without their consent or by court order. That is why you should exercise extreme caution in these cases and make sure you are fully aware of the circumstances before making the transfer." How can we truly know if we are dealing with a scam or fraud? The Bank of Spain reminds us of some things that should raise alarm bells. "Some clues that should make you suspicious are, among others, that the photos look like they're from a magazine, that the advertiser tells you that they are overseas and cannot show you the apartment, that contact is done wholly by email and contains sentences with spelling or grammatical mistakes, and - here comes the interesting part - they ask you to pay in advance by bank transfer to hold the booking." The deceased's remains were transported in bags to the institute of forensic medicine in Valencia. David Maroto Valencia Monday, 13 October 2025, 09:23 Share Local Police officers in Spain's Valencia region have found the skeletal remains of a man who could have been dead for 15 years in his flat, located in the Turia area. The shock discovery was made following the torrential downpours that have been ravaging the eastern Mediterranean area since 9 October. According to local media reports - including Levante-EMV and SUR's sister newspaper Las Provincias - the building where the man lived, located in Calle Luis Fenollet, suffered a blockage in the drainage system due to the rains of recent days in Valencia, which has flooded the terrace of the house where the body was found. It was the residents of the building who called the local police, who have not yet confirmed the cause of death. Local Police officers and firefighters were called to the house, and later the National Police, who took charge of the investigation. According to initial inquiries, the corpse corresponds to a man named Antonio, born in 1936, whose whereabouts had been unknown to his friends for years. The first hypothesis is that the death was due to natural causes. Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard is asking candidates who have submitted validated petitions to run for mayor a weekly issue-oriented question. The candidates get up to four days to reply and must limit responses to 250 words or less. This weeks question: How would you go about filling your top management positions (senior aides, commissioners, department heads) during the transition from the Walsh administration? Where would you be on a spectrum that ranges from wholesale changes to keeping the current leadership team in place? Thomas Babilon (R): One of the most important things that the incoming mayor must do is to ensure that the Department Heads of the City are competently staffed by the most qualified available professionals. As we have seen in the past, putting the wrong people in these positions can compromise public health and safety, have negative impacts on our quality of life, make our lives more difficult, and cause us to spend millions of dollars on wasteful expenditures. I have already begun to establish a transition team. This team will be staffed by persons with decades of experience in local governance and from both sides of the political spectrum. I have already met with the partially established team several times and have discussed potential candidates, who we would like to keep from the current administration, who we would like to bring back from prior administrations, who we would like to bring in brand new, and what candidates might be appropriate for promotion to department head. I dont care how they are registered to vote, whether they were a supporter of me in my campaign, or even if they have previously endorsed Sharon Owens. My only concern is whether they are the most qualified person for the job, do they share my vision to make Syracuse a better place for all of us, are they honest and trustworthy, and are they willing to do the necessary work to assist me in making my vision for Syracuse become a reality. Alfonso Davis (independent): I am interested in securing the best and brightest among us. I am committed to hiring locally when possible. I would start by visiting each department to gain an insight into the current needs, issues, and look at how responsive those in management have been to real issues. From there, I can make an honest and fair assessment of abilities, fit with the job requirements, and management effectiveness. I am sure that this process will lead to a range from a complete change in departments to support and retention of others. Sharon Owens (D): Executive experience is critical when managing, supporting, and guiding the team that implements the vision and provides public service to the people of Syracuse. I respect and appreciate the expertise and service of City of Syracuse staff. That is why during November and December 2025 I will meet with not only senior staff, commissioners and directors to gather their input regarding City operations, but non-management staff as well. Taking into consideration my own thoughts regarding department operations and projected changes, as well as desired staff skills and performance, I will then make personnel decisions. Where would I be on a spectrum that ranges from wholesale changes to keeping the current leadership team in place?: Ive experienced in past executive roles where I was new to an organization, the opinion that I should wipe the slate clean. That is just not smart business. City of Syracuse personnel consists of a delicate mix of employees with critical historic information and expertise, and those who are new with new perspectives and strategies. Maintaining this delicate balance is important, while also creating opportunities for city residents not currently employed by its government. This questionnaire is unfair to City staff about their professional future. The answer for them should not be identified in a news article. That determination will be made after a conversation between myself and each of them. What I am certain of is that I will have a team of professional, skilled individuals, prepared to serve our city. Tim Rudd (independent): Proverb suggests a fish rots from the head down. Like the Mayor himself, too many city leaders lack an awareness that they are in charge and simultaneously lack a vision for how we can do better as a city; they are content to service the status quo. I will hire new leaders with the courage, will, and ability to do what is necessary to change and improve the conditions in Syracuse. I would replace a majority of department heads. Additionally, the Walsh administration is plagued by too many Chiefs; I would permanently eliminate 2/3s of the Walsh senior leadership positions. Specifically, the roles of Deputy Mayor, Chief Policy Officer (who is really the Chief Propagandist), the Chief Operating Officer, and the Chief Administrative Officer would all be replaced by one Chief of Staff. The number of politically appointed positions would be dramatically reduced. Many such employees reside in the shadows of the SURA payroll; SURA payroll would decrease substantially. I would post all open positions and hire the best. This approach will establish a culture of accountability while freeing resources to invest in our workers. Lastly, Neighborhood and Business Development would be reoriented along with the citys annual allocation of Community Development Block Grant funds. I would shrink the number of staff in favor of making investments in physical infrastructure. The approach would plow resources into our neighborhoods with two goals: 1) eliminate conditions that discourage private investment and 2) incentivize private investment. Emilie Munson, Esther Sun, Times Union, Albany, N.Y. (TNS) ALBANY Packed into small concrete cells inside U.S. Customs and Border Protections Oswego station, detained immigrants were falling asleep standing up or lying on top of each other. With up to 30 people crowded in a 10-square-foot cell, the station had become the first holding site for nearly 60 workers detained in a September factory raid in the Central New York town of Cato one high-profile example among rising numbers of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests across Upstate New York. Inside, there were no beds, no showers and no hot meals delivered. Under prior presidential administrations, migrants werent held there long usually a few hours. But now, at least one migrant was confined in that station for a week, according to his attorney. And while detainees languished inside the station, their attorneys were running into bureaucratic dead-ends. Border Patrol officials refused to confirm where the detainees were being held or to allow their attorneys inside the stations. The clients locations also did not show up in the online detainee locator maintained by ICE. Attorney Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer drove to county jails and the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility hunting for them, unaware that they were still in Border Patrol custody. It would be days before she and attorney Jose Perez would pin down their clients whereabouts. At that point, they had already been moved to facilities in other states. This experience once unprecedented is now becoming common in New York. At border and immigration offices around the state, small cells and conference rooms intended for short waits are now being used to detain immigrants for days, forcing them to sleep on concrete floors, on benches or in chairs in spaces jammed with dozens of people. The attorneys described cramped, uncomfortable and unhygienic conditions in the facilities and say immigrants are often unable to call family members or to get legal advice while in there. Several attorneys also recounted being unable to confirm with federal agencies that their clients were in fact detained in the locations, sometimes for days. Almost no one knows whats happening inside there, said Cesar Cuauhtemoc Garcia Hernandez, a law professor at Ohio State University specializing in civil rights and immigration. Pretty much the only people who go into the ... cells at the Border Patrol stations are either working for the Border Patrol or the people who are detained. While the number of migrants crossing the northern border has fallen dramatically this year, Border Patrol is increasingly confining migrants, including children, for extended periods in their New York stations with around 40% staying for more than three days in June, the Times Union found. This is despite the agencys own standards advising it should generally hold migrants for no more than three days before transferring, releasing or sending them back to their country of origin. At the same time, thousands of immigrants picked up by ICE have also experienced long waits in small holding cells at immigration courts and field offices in New York City, Buffalo, Albany, John F. Kennedy International Airport and on Long Island this year, the Times Union found. ICE had a longstanding policy of not detaining immigrants in temporary hold rooms for more than 12 hours but, in June, the federal agency issued a waiver to extend the permitted stay to three days, absent exceptional circumstances. At Federal Plaza immigration court in New York City, over 600 migrants were detained for more than three days in temporary hold rooms in the first seven months of this year, ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the Times Union shows. In the overcrowded holding rooms, there were no beds, no showers, no confidential legal calls and two small meals per day, according to a lawsuit filed in August. One man in his 60s remained there for more than two months, data shows. Meanwhile, in Buffalo, at least 180 immigrants were detained in a temporary ICE hold room in an office building this year. Forty percent of them were confined there for more than three days. ICE said it permitted longer stays in temporary holding rooms to manage the surge responsibly while upholding detention standards, emphasizing that the move was both lawful and necessary. The waiver is a temporary tool to ensure order, continuity, and compliance during extraordinary circumstances not an abandonment of standards, said Jason Koontz, an ICE spokesman. ICE operates these hold rooms and holding facilities in strict accordance with its National Detention Standards (NDS) to ensure the safety, security, and humane treatment of individuals in custody. These facilities are designed for short-term processing, transfer, and repatriation, with clear limitations and oversight. Border Patrol officials did not respond to a request for comment. Federal officers with US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Diplomatic Security Service wait in a hallway outside of a courtroom at New York-Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York City on July 16, 2025. Data shows over 600 migrants were detained for more than three days in temporary hold rooms here in the first seven months of this year. Charly Triballeau | AFP via Getty Images Charly Triballeau | AFP via Getty Images Why the holds are happening Long waits in temporary facilities can largely be attributed to the nationwide surge in ICE arrests amid President Donald J. Trumps deportation campaign and a lack of adequate space for the ensuing detentions, according to ICE, immigration attorneys and academics. Koontz characterized this heightened volume of arrests and detentions as a direct result of individuals choosing to break the law and an effort by ICE to restore integrity to the U.S. immigration system following the administration of former President Joseph L. Biden, whose policies had triggered an immigration crisis when millions of migrants flowed across U.S. borders. Traditionally, Customs and Border Protection centers and ICE holding rooms were meant to hold detainees for initial short-term processing while agencies determined next steps: transfer to ICE facilities, release, or deportation. But the volume of detainees has left ICE with less available space in its long-term detention centers the majority and largest of which are concentrated along the U.S. southern border in states like Texas and Louisiana. New York, by contrast, has only one: the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia. In New York, the issue is particularly acute. The Batavia center has been full or near capacity for many months. In other states, ICE has contracted with private prison companies and county jails to house detainees; while detentions in New Yorks county jails have also skyrocketed, private prisons are illegal in this state. Koonz noted that state and local sanctuary policies have also limited ICEs ability to contract with authorities in those areas for detention services. Some advocates believe the rise in long detentions in temporary facilities stems from a federal strategy of overpopulating detention facilities, even with people who may have open cases or qualify for hearings, to intimidate them into giving up their rights. Even if people arent (immediately) deportable, they are subjecting them to such harsh conditions that theyre hoping that they will just choose to leave, said Jessica Maxwell, executive director of the Workers Center of Central New York. Its a tactic. Bare bones Border Patrol cells The three-day time frame for Customs and Border Protection detention is a guideline, not a law or regulation. Across multiple presidential administrations, CBP has held migrants for extended periods primarily along the southern border with hundreds of children apparently held in custody for more than a week at times under the Biden administration, when crossings were especially high. Nevertheless, detentions of this length used to be rare in New York. Thats changing. In June, the number of people detained by CBP for longer than three days included 74 migrants along the Buffalo border sector and 47 migrants along the Swanton sector, CBP data obtained by the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the Times Union shows. Since 2013, Buffalo had typically seen between two or less such detentions, and Swanton fewer than 15. In both sectors, the June numbers amount to nearly 40% of people held longer than CBPs benchmark. Exhibits filed by Customs and Border Protection in federal court recently also showed seven children detained by the agency for more than three days in June in the Buffalo and Swanton sectors, and 12 in July. CBP has New York stations in Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Wellesley Island, Oswego, Rochester, Erie, Massena, Ogdensburg, Malone and Champlain, divided between these two sectors. The Swanton sector also includes Vermont. Unhygienic and overcrowded conditions in CBP facilities have been well documented for years, and advocates familiar with recent detentions in western New York say those conditions are more severe than ever unlivable, according to Claire Molholm, a staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union. There is no bedding. They are forced to sleep on a concrete bench basically, said Matthew Borowski, an attorney whose clients have been held at Border Patrol stations in Tonawanda and elsewhere. They get something like a peanut butter sandwich with chips, not real food. ... Its small and bare bones. A nursing mother detained at the Wellesley Border Patrol station told Maxwells team that nobody working on-site could speak Spanish to communicate with the detainees, so they asked her to translate for them. Without adequate medical care at the station, Border Patrol officers had to drive the woman to a hospital in Watertown, which is nearly 40 minutes away, because her breasts were engorging painfully due to separation from her baby, she told legal aides. In contrast, long CBP detentions have declined in southern border sectors in Texas and California, where such detentions used to reach thousands per month, but recently have dipped to the low hundreds. But the data shows that other sectors along the northern border Detroit, Michigan, Montana and Maine saw swells akin to New York. Like dogs in ICE hold rooms Immigrants arrested by ICE in New York have faced similar conditions in temporary holding rooms. Some are waiting five days or more in these spaces, data shows. Children are among those subject to long stays in facilities not designed for overnight detention. In June, 24 children were held in ICEs New York City holding room for more than three days, five kids in Buffalo and one in Albany, according to an exhibit the federal government filed last month in connection with a lawsuit challenging its detention policies thats pending in U.S. District Court. In July, 10 children experienced holds longer than three days in New York City, one in Albany and one in Buffalo. In Buffalo, many immigrants have been detained in ICEs field office, located on the seventh floor of a modern office building that includes a hotel and retail shops. Perez said before Trumps second term began in January, clients would wait there for three to four hours, but now it is three to four days. They are waiting in a conference room, he said. There are no beds, no showers and no calls permitted. For food, they just get some snacks, not proper food. Men, women and children are all confined together there, he said. Nearby, at the 650-bed Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, the facility is so crowded that in September, roughly 75 to 100 detained men slept on gym mats and mattresses on the floor of the gymnasium, according to a man detained in Buffalo Federal Detention Facility. He asked not to be named due to his ongoing detention. The immigrants all share one toilet, he said. He surmised some might have been there for days or longer. Justice for Migrant Families, a Buffalo-based organization which regularly works with immigrants in that area, had never heard of those conditions under prior administrations, said Executive Director Jennifer Connor. At ICEs Malta office, near Albany, detained immigrants can access their phones, personal belongings and landline telephones while supervised by officers in the holding area, according to an attorney who visited the space but requested not to be named to protect their clients cases. The space also contains three lockable, cell-like rooms with no furniture and just a toilet inside. In New York City, ICE detains 50 to 90 people at a time in the four holding rooms located on the 10th floor of the Federal Plaza immigration building, according to the class action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, New York Civil Liberties Union and others on behalf of people detained there. The detainees sleep on concrete floors, are fed small rations of food twice per day, are subject to extreme hot and cold temperatures and have been denied prescription medications, the lawsuit alleges. They must use a toilet in the holding room with no privacy, wear the same clothes and are denied items like soap, toothbrushes, menstrual products and the opportunity to bathe. Look how we are like dogs in here, said an immigrant detained by ICE in one of Federal Plaza hold rooms in a video he filmed there in July that was published by the New York Times. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York, which is representing the Department of Homeland Security in the lawsuit, wrote in August that people held in the rooms have access to medical care, hygiene products, can call attorneys on a landline phone and are issued a change of clothes upon request. People in custody are typically fed two meals per day, a filing confirmed. The office wrote in August most individuals are transported to other facilities within three days, except in exceptional circumstances. Data shows from January to late July, 14% of waits at that holding room were longer than three days. In September, a judge issued a preliminary injunction to prevent ICE from overcrowding holding rooms and requiring them to provide bedding mats, hygiene materials, confidential calls to attorneys and space that is cleaned three times per day. Legal black holes Temporary detention facilities pose several limitations for detainees in contrast to standard ICE centers, according to advocates. A major one is restricted access to legal counsel. At least there are some protocols, Maxwell said, regarding ICE centers and jails. Its clear how you make a phone call or when you get your phone access. None of that exists in these other places that are more makeshift and temporary. For one, it is much harder for the public to track individuals in CBP custody. Those detained for less than 48 hours do not appear in ICEs online detainee locator database, making it difficult for attorneys and family members to find them. Even after Kelley-Widmers clients from Cato appeared in the locator, it only showed them as being in CBP custody, without information about where they were being held. According to Albany-based immigration lawyer Matthew Geiling and New York Immigration Coalition Legal Director Rosanna Eugenio, the overlap in law enforcement agencies involved in immigration now ICE, CBP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local police often makes it difficult to even determine who has custody of a person. Kelley-Widmers experience is a common one, according to Eugenio, who said that CBP often refuses to confirm whether someone is in its custody. Essentially, thats just kidnapping, she said. When (we) dont know where the person is and you wont tell us, what is the recourse for that persons family member or their attorney or their community? Even when attorneys can locate their clients in detention, they are typically barred from meeting with them inside CBP stations a longstanding practice that lawsuits have alleged is turning the facilities into legal black holes that leave detainees incommunicado with the outside world. That was the case for Kelley-Widmer and Perez. Federal statutes and ICE standards guarantee access to legal counsel in ICE detention centers. CBP has argued, however, that these requirements do not apply to their detainees because of a federal regulation that excludes inspections at ports of entry from the right to legal counsel. And once detainees are transferred to other states, attorneys like Kelley-Widmer are no longer able to represent them in certain matters because they are not licensed in those states. She and her team at the Cornell University clinic are still working with one Cato client because they are co-counseling with a Texas attorney. For most detainees, however, the transfer effectively ends their legal representation, as they struggle to find new counsel especially pro bono lawyers in other states. If they cannot access supports such as loved ones and attorneys, they are very likely to accept the pressure to sign documents agreeing to their deportation, she said. As of early October, Maxwell said at least 10 of the Cato workers had been deported. 2025 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) . Visit www.timesunion.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Washington President Donald Trump is setting off for Israel and Egypt on Sunday to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas and urge Middle East allies to seize the opportunity to build a durable peace in the volatile region. Its a fragile moment with Israel and Hamas only in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the Trump agreement designed to bring a permanent end to the war sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants. Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the Mideast and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It is a moment, the Republican president says, that has been helped along by his administrations support of Israels decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House says momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States I think you are going to have tremendous success and Gaza is going to be rebuilt, Trump said Friday. And you have some very wealthy countries, as you know, over there. It would take a small fraction of their wealth to do that. And I think they want to do it. A tenuous point in the agreement The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final 48 hostages held by Hamas, including about 20 believed to be alive; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main cities. Israeli troops on Friday finished withdrawing from parts of Gaza, triggering a 72-hour countdown under the deal for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages, potentially while Trump is on the ground there. He said he expected their return to be completed on Monday or Tuesday. Trump will visit Israel first to meet with hostage families and address the Knesset, or parliament, an honor last extended to President George W. Bush during a visit in 2008. Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said Trump also was likely to meet with newly freed hostages, too. Knock on wood, but we feel very confident the hostages will be released and this president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person, Vance told CBS Face the Nation. Trump then stops in Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East. It is a tenuous truce and it is unclear whether the sides have reached any agreement on Gazas postwar governance, the territorys reconstruction and Israels demand that Hamas disarm. Negotiations over those issues could break down, and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not met. I think the chances of (Hamas) disarming themselves, you know, are pretty close to zero, H.R. McMaster, a national security adviser during Trumps first term, said at an event hosted by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies on Thursday. He said he thought what probably would happen in the coming months is that the Israeli military is going to have to destroy them. Israel continues to rule over millions of Palestinians without basic rights as settlements expand rapidly across the occupied West Bank. Despite growing international recognition, Palestinian statehood appears exceedingly remote because of Israels opposition and actions on the ground, The war has left Israel isolated internationally and facing allegations of genocide, which it denies. International arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister are in effect, and the United Nations highest court is considering allegations of genocide brought by South Africa. Hamas has been militarily decimated and has given up its only bargaining chip with Israel by releasing the hostages. But the Islamic militant group is still intact and could eventually rebuild if theres an extended period of calm. Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would continue with its demilitarization of Hamas after the hostages are returned. Hamas agreed to the deal only when it felt that the sword was on its neck and it is still on its neck, Netanyahu said Friday as Israel began to pull back its troops. Trump wants to expand the Abraham Accords Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and rebuilding is expected to take years. The territorys roughly 2 million residents continue to struggle in desperate conditions. Under the deal, Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings, which will help ease the flow of food and other supplies into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine. Trump is also standing up a U.S.-led civil-military coordination center in Israel to help facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid as well as logistical and security assistance into Gaza. Roughly 200 U.S. troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players. U.S. troops will not be sent to Gaza, Adm. Brad Cooper, the U.S. military commander for the region, said in a social media post Saturday. The White House has signaled that Trump is looking to quickly return attention to building on a first-term effort known as the Abraham Accords, which forged diplomatic and commercial ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. A permanent agreement in Gaza would help pave the path for Trump to begin talks with Saudi Arabia as well Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, toward normalizing ties with Israel, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. Such a deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state, has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israels standing in historic ways. But brokering such an agreement remains a heavy lift as the kingdom has said it wont officially recognize Israel before a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Microsoft has confirmed that the latest version of the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool (MCT) is malfunctioning on devices running Windows 10 22H2. The tool, intended for downloading Windows and creating bootable USB drives or DVDs, may abruptly close without displaying any error message when used on these systems. The timing cannot be anymore perfect. It has happened on the eve of End of Life for Windows 10. This follows Microsofts earlier confirmation that, after the release of Windows 11 25H2, the Media Creation Tool has stopped working on ARM64 devices. Affected users encounter error messages stating, Were not sure what happened, but were unable to run this tool on your PC. What Actually Happened Microsoft notified it on Friday on their health dashboard that the tool may not work on computers running Windows 10 22H2. The Windows 11 Media Creation Tool version 26100.6584, released on September 29, 2025, may not function properly on Windows 10 devices. The company is actively working on a fixing the issue for all the users. The fix will be released with the future update to the Windows 11 media creation tool. This bug also impacts Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025, causing freezes, black screens, and additional problems after installing the August preview update or subsequent releases. Official Temporary Workaround Method 1 : You can download bootable Windows 11 media directly from the official Microsoft website. Go to https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 and look for the section labeled Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices. Also Read Windows 11 ISO Files Download for Free Method 2 : Go to the Windows Update settings in Windows 10. If you dont see the Download and Install option, try manually checking for updates by clicking the button. Keep in mind, this option may not appear depending on your systems specifications. When Can we Expect the Fix? While there is no official date for it but you can expect it soon, given how Microsoft is pushing users for moving to Windows 11. You can keep a tab on it through their update page. It is updated regularly with new developments. Who is setting fire to the Amazon? Sao Felix do Xingu, Brazil, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 "Red John" is an old acquaintance of landowners and ranchers in the Brazilian Amazon. He helps clears pastures cheaply, but also leaves blackened earth and charred trees in his wake -- threatening the planet's largest tropical forest. In northern Brazil's cowboy country, fire is so entrenched in ranching that locals nicknamed it "Joao Vermelho" (Red John). Abandoning it is almost unthinkable. "Fire is a cheap way to maintain pasture. Labor is expensive, pesticides are expensive. Here we don't have any public funding," Antonio Carlos Batista, who owns 900 head of cattle in the municipality of Sao Felix do Xingu, told AFP. During dry season, a bit of gasoline and a match are enough to get the job done. When someone goes to light a fire, they say, "I'm going to hire the worker Red John!" said Batista, 62. But Red John is a worker who cannot be controlled -- and an unprecedented drought in 2024 linked to climate change sent fires blazing out of control, scorching nearly 18 million hectares (44.5 million acres) of the Brazilian Amazon. The resulting loss of trees caused deforestation to rise four percent in the 12 months to July, reversing a 30-percent decline achieved the previous year. This was a setback for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has pledged to eradicate deforestation by 2030. For the first time, more tropical forest burned than grassland. Most of the fires began on cattle ranches and spread through dry vegetation to forested areas. Sao Felix do Xingu recorded the highest number of fire outbreaks in Brazil -- more than 7,000. In the Amazon, today "the big challenge is deforestation caused by fires," Environment Minister Marina Silva told AFP. Experts say solving it will require firefighters, stricter sanctions, and, above all, a cultural shift. - Fire 'devoured everything' - Sao Felix is in Para state, which will host the COP30 UN climate conference in November -- the first to take place in the Amazon -- in its capital Belem. Para is almost the size of Portugal, with 65,000 inhabitants and the largest herd of cattle in Brazil, with 2.5 million head, partly for export. The municipality is also responsible for Brazil's worst carbon dioxide emissions due to deforestation, according to 2023 data. In 2019, Sao Felix took center stage on the so-called "Fire Day," when landowners deliberately set blazes to support the climate-skeptical policies of then-president Jair Bolsonaro, sparking international outrage. Here, miles of dusty roads stretch past vast, deforested expanses. Many of the biggest ranches, their headquarters in distant cities like Sao Paulo, do not identify themselves. Some -- like the Bom Jardim ranch, home to 12,000 cattle -- are identified only by a wooden fence. Bom Jardim's young foreman Gleyson Carvalho, seated in the shade outside the stable in a black cowboy hat, with a silver buckle glinting on his belt, admits that using fire is increasingly risky. "On the one hand, it's good," he said, because the burned vegetation acts as a natural fertilizer, enriching soil and stimulating growth of more nutritious grass for cattle to eat. However, last year, the fires -- which Carvalho insists came from outside the ranch -- "devoured everything." "There was no food, the cattle lost weight. We had to fight hard to prevent any animals from dying," he said. According to satellite data from the Mapbiomas monitoring network analyzed by AFP, more than two-thirds of the ranch burned. The property belongs to the former mayor of Sao Felix, Joao Cleber, who has been repeatedly fined for deforestation and other environmental crimes. Located on the banks of the Xingu River, it borders a Kayapo Indigenous village, whose families suffered from the clouds of toxic smoke from the fires. "There were days when you couldn't even breathe," said Maria de Fatima Barbosa, a teacher at the village school. "During the night, it was difficult to sleep because the sheets, the bed, everything smelled of smoke." A 2021 Greenpeace report notes that the ranch has indirectly sold cattle to Brazilian meatpacking giants Frigol and JBS, which export some of the meat abroad, especially to China in the case of Frigol. - 'They alert you' - Flying over Sao Felix during the dry season, clouds of smoke can be seen rising over patches of scorched pasture. "It's very sad because you arrive in a region where everything is green, and then the fire comes and destroys everything," said Jose Juliao do Nascimento, a 64-year-old small-scale rancher in the rural neighborhood of Casa de Tabua, north of the Bom Jardim ranch. He was like many farmers in the region, who arrived in the Amazon from the south of the country from the 1960s and 1970s onwards, encouraged by the military regime to clear the land, exploit it and enrich themselves. "A land without men for men without land," read the slogan of the time. Last year, the out-of-control flames reached his pasture, as did terrified cows from other properties that had traveled for kilometers in search of food. The lush forest visible from his small wooden house was burned to the ground. Although Para state completely banned pasture maintenance fires last year to avoid a major catastrophe, enforcement is weak. "Everyone has WhatsApp, a phone. When a police car or a car from (environmental watchdog) Ibama shows up, they alert you. That way, even if someone is working with a tractor, they can hide the machine and flee," he told AFP. Government representatives are scarce in the region. Ibama president Rodrigo Agostinho told AFP that when officials from the watchdog are called to issue fines, they receive "threats." - 'No one helps us' - Small farmers say they feel powerless while large agricultural corporations thrive. "They call us criminals of the Amazon, responsible for the fires and deforestation, but no one helps us," said Dalmi Pereira, a 51-year-old small-scale farmer living in Casa de Tabua. "Here we have no rights. When the police come, we have to hide." Facing some of the small farmers is Agro SB, an agricultural giant in the region. The company bought land in 2008 to build its Lagoa do Triunfo complex, a ranch the size of a large city. The ranch has received six environmental fines since 2013, and has yet to pay any of them. The property recorded more than 300 fires in 2024, according to data analyzed by AFP. That same year, it received the "More Green Integrity" seal from Brazil's ministry of agriculture and livestock for "its social responsibility and environmental sustainability practices." Pereira complains that Agro SB receives preferential treatment when dealing with the government, while "we remain at the door." He and other ranchers are engaged in a standoff with Agro SB over land titles, claiming right of ownership of some of the company's land by usucapion, a legal process that allows people to claim land they have occupied and used for a certain period. Agro SB told AFP the ranchers are "invaders" who it is suing for allegedly starting all the fires recorded on its farm. - No fire brigade - In the Amazon, traditional communities and small producers use fire culturally. However, the main offenders in razing trees are large farms, followed by illegal miners, said Cristiane Mazzetti, forest coordinator for Greenpeace Brazil. The mayor of Sao Felix do Xingu, Fabricio Batista, emphasized that most people do not have titles for their land. "The first thing we must do is document the people," he told AFP at a parade of cowboys on horseback. "People who are documented will be careful with their heritage, because when they don't have documents, they sometimes do illegal things." Batista also owns a ranch and was himself fined for deforestation in 2014. He appealed, and the fine was canceled. He said Sao Felix needs more federal support to fight fires. "There isn't a single fire brigade here. When there's a fire, who puts it out? We need infrastructure," he said. Regino Soares, a 65-year-old farmer and president of the Agricatu small-scale livestock association, lost a fifth of his animals in a fire last year. He called for controlled burning to be done in a better way. "You have to light the fire at the right time, make firebreaks" by removing dry vegetation around the pasture, "let neighbors know when something's going to burn," he said. - 'Back turned to the Amazon' - This year, the Amazon is experiencing a reprieve, with fires at their lowest level since records began in 1998. Ane Alencar, scientific director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, attributes this to a combination of the climate and human factors. "The drought persists in some areas, but rainfall has been more evenly distributed this year because the Amazon is in a neutral phase, unaffected by either El Nino or La Nina," she said. "There was also greater oversight by authorities and the effect of trauma on some producers, who were more cautious after what happened in 2024." The Ibama president, Agostinho, said the state has intensified surveillance in the Amazon since Lula's return to office, which followed years of a hands-off approach under Bolsonaro. Despite deploying record numbers of firefighters, vehicles and aircraft, the effort still looks small against the immensity of a territory spanning five million square kilometers (1.9 million square miles). Finding and punishing the person who lights the match is also an uphill battle for authorities. "You have to conduct an expert report, find someone responsible and consult satellite images," said Agostinho, adding that Ibama is making progress thanks to artificial intelligence. Enforcing fines remains a challenge. Greenpeace showed in 2024 that five years after "Fire Day," the large majority of fines imposed were not paid. During Lula's first two terms (2003-2010), monitoring and control policies led to a 70 percent drop in deforestation in the Amazon. "The solution always starts with good public policy," journalist and filmmaker Joao Moreira Salles, author of an investigative book on the Amazon, "Arrabalde," told AFP. But he warns that no public policy will succeed without popular support. "What matters most is not that the world sees what's being done, but that Brazil and Brazilians see it," he said. "The problem is that Brazil has its back turned to the Amazon." 14 injured in Philippines aftershock, weeks after deadly quake: rescuers Manila, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 A moderately strong earthquake struck the central Philippine island of Cebu Monday, injuring at least 14 people and damaging infrastructure already weakened by a deadly tremor two weeks earlier, officials said. The magnitude 5.7 aftershock, recorded by the United States Geological Survey, struck just after 1:00 am on Monday (1700 GMT Sunday). Its epicentre was located near Bogo city, the same area devastated by a 6.9 magnitude quake on September 30 that killed 75 people and damaged or destroyed 72,000 houses, according to the provincial government. The latest tremor tore up a road in the town of San Remigio and caused a wall to collapse at a government hospital in Bogo, which had already sustained damage in the earlier quake, local officials said. Eight people were injured in Bogo, while six were hurt in San Remigio and the municipality of Daanbantayan, according to official data. The Bogo district hospital "temporarily evacuated patients" after a parapet fell at one of its buildings, and also suffered a power cut, a provincial government statement said. On Friday, twin earthquakes measuring 7.4 and 6.7 struck the eastern part of the main southern island of Mindanao, killing eight people and injuring hundreds. Earthquakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Massive UK dieselgate lawsuit reaches court London, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 A trial involving five major carmakers opened at London's High Court Monday, marking the latest chapter of the dieselgate emissions scandal that has rocked the auto industry for a decade. The High Court will decide in a three-month hearing whether systems installed in Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Nissan diesel vehicles were designed to cheat clean air laws. The trial of the five lead defendants will set a precedent for other manufacturers, potentially paving the way for billions of pounds in compensation. The claims were brought on behalf of 1.6 million motorists against 14 carmakers, including Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, Vauxhall-Opel and BMW, among others. Martyn Day, lawyer at Leigh Day representing the claimants, said the case could lead to "serious amounts of compensation". "The most important thing for us is to persuade the judge that there are defeat devices in all of these cars," he told AFP outside court. The dieselgate scandal first erupted in September 2015, when German automaker Volkswagen admitted to fitting millions of vehicles with software to make engines appear less polluting in regulatory tests than in real driving conditions. It caused waves in the global car industry, ensnaring several other top carmakers and leading to legal action in multiple countries including France, South Korea and the United States. - 'Protect our children's health' - The court in London will examine evidence to determine whether major carmakers installed defeat devices in cars to reduce nitrogen oxide readings in order to cheat emissions tests. The five lead defendants deny that their systems were designed to circumvent the tests. London resident Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah, whose nine-year-old daughter Ella died in 2013 from an asthma attack linked to air pollution, joined around twenty protestors outside the court Monday. "The coroner said if it wasn't for the illegal levels of air pollution where we live, not only would she not have got asthma, she wouldn't have died on that fatal night," she told AFP. She hopes for "an apology" from the manufacturers. "There are still millions of diesel cars on our roads and making our children sick," said Jemima Hartshorn, a clean air campaigner at Mums for Lungs. She said she hoped the trial would encourage the government to "get these cars off our roads to protect our children's health". - 'Hold to account' - Adam Kamenetzky, one of the claimants, said he felt "defrauded" after he bought a Mercedes SUV in 2018 on the belief that it was less polluting than other models. "We live in a built-up neighbourhood in London where there are children with lungs that can be harmed immeasurably by the emissions that these cars are producing," he told AFP. Kamenetzky said outside the court that he wants to "hold to account" the manufacturers. But it will take some time for any possible compensation to reach claimants. The trial beginning Monday must first determine whether carmakers are liable, before a separate compensation phase can follow next year. German automaker Mercedes and US carmaker Ford both rejected the claims as having "no merit", while Japan's Nissan declined to comment. French manufacturers Renault and Stellantis, parent of Peugeot and Citroen, both said the vehicles they sold were compliant with regulations at the time. When the High Court in 2020 found Volkswagen had used defeat devices to cheat emissions tests, the German automaker settled out of court, paying pound193 million ($259 million) to 91,000 British motorists. Overall, to date, Volkswagen has had to pay more than 32 billion euros ($37 billion) in penalties over the scandal, mostly in the United States. Rain warning lowered in northeastern Spain, 18 injured Madrid, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 Spain's national weather agency on Monday downgraded its rain alert for northeastern Catalonia following torrential rain that left 18 people injured, including one seriously, authorities said. Videos circulating on social media showed torrents of mud carrying away cars and debris on Sunday, as Storm Alice swept through the region. National weather agency AEMET reduced the alert level for Catalonia from its highest warning red to orange, indicating a "significant risk of rain". Regional President Salvador Illa urged residents to remain "extremely cautious". Catalonia's civil protection service said 17 people were lightly injured, and one seriously, due to the torrential rains. Firefighters responded to dozens of calls from people trapped in vehicles or requiring assistance to remove fallen trees or debris from rockslides, it added. In Santa Barbara, one of the hardest-hit towns, mayor Josep Lluis Gimeno described the damage caused by the storm as "historic", particularly to farms in the area. "We can't even find the manhole covers. We can't find anything. Everything is uprooted," he told local radio. Heavy rains forced the temporary closure of key roads and railway lines and led to university shutdowns. The AP-7 highway along the Mediterranean coast reopened on Monday morning, but authorities reported severe traffic congestion, with one lane still closed in each direction. Widespread flooding in the neighbouring Valencia region in October 2024 killed more than 200 people in Spain's worst such disaster in decades. Scientists say that a hotter atmosphere, which holds more water evaporating from the rapidly warming Mediterranean Sea, increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall in the region. Spain's Valencia region on red alert for torrential rain Madrid, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 Spain's national weather agency issued a red alert Monday for torrential rains for the eastern region of Valencia, where deadly floods struck last year. The warning came a day after a storm swept through the neighbouring region of Catalonia, leaving 18 people injured, including one seriously. National weather agency AEMET said its highest red alert would be in place for the coast of Valencia until midnight, warning of "extraordinary danger" and the risk of flash floods. Earlier on Monday the agency downgraded its alert level for Catalonia a notch from its highest red level to orange, signalling a "significant risk of rain". Videos circulating on social media showed torrents of mud carrying away cars and debris on Sunday in the region, as a storm swept through the region. Catalonia's civil protection service said 17 people were lightly injured, and one seriously, due to the torrential rains. Firefighters responded to dozens of calls from people trapped in vehicles or requiring assistance to remove fallen trees or debris from rockslides, it added. In Santa Barbara, one of the hardest-hit towns, mayor Josep Lluis Gimeno described the damage caused by the storm as "historic", particularly to farms in the area. "We can't even find the manhole covers. We can't find anything. Everything is uprooted," he told local radio. Heavy rains forced the temporary closure of key roads and railway lines and led to university shutdowns. The AP-7 highway along the Mediterranean coast reopened on Monday morning, but authorities reported severe traffic congestion, with one lane still closed in each direction. Widespread flooding in Valencia in October 2024 killed more than 200 people in Spain's worst such disaster in decades. Scientists say that a hotter atmosphere, which holds more water evaporating from the rapidly warming Mediterranean Sea, increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall in the region. Massive UK dieselgate lawsuit reaches court London, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 A trial involving five major carmakers opened at London's High Court Monday, marking the latest chapter of the dieselgate emissions scandal that has rocked the auto industry for a decade. The High Court will decide in a three-month hearing whether systems installed in Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Nissan diesel vehicles were designed to cheat clean-air laws. The trial of the five lead defendants will set a precedent for other manufacturers, potentially paving the way for billions of pounds (dollars) in compensation. During the first day of the hearing Thomas De La Mare, lawyer for the claimants, argued that manufacturers "chose to cheat rather than comply with the law". The claims were brought on behalf of 1.6 million motorists against 14 carmakers, including Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, Vauxhall-Opel and BMW, among others. Martyn Day, lawyer at Leigh Day representing the claimants, said the case could lead to "serious amounts of compensation". The first day of hearings, dedicated to the arguments presented on behalf of the claimants, concluded late Monday. The dieselgate scandal first erupted in September 2015, when German automaker Volkswagen admitted to fitting millions of vehicles with software to make engines appear less polluting in regulatory tests than in real driving conditions. It caused waves in the global car industry, ensnaring several other top carmakers and leading to legal action in multiple countries including France, South Korea and the United States. - 'Children's health' - The court in London will examine evidence to determine whether major carmakers installed defeat devices in cars to reduce nitrogen oxide readings in order to cheat emissions tests. Closing arguments will take place in March, with a judgment expected mid next year. The five lead defendants deny that their systems were designed to circumvent the tests. London resident Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah, whose nine-year-old daughter Ella died in 2013 from an asthma attack linked to air pollution, joined around twenty protestors outside the court Monday. "The coroner said if it wasn't for the illegal levels of air pollution where we live, not only would she not have got asthma, she wouldn't have died on that fatal night," she told AFP. She hoped for "an apology" from the manufacturers. "There are still millions of diesel cars on our roads and making our children sick," said Jemima Hartshorn, a clean air campaigner at Mums for Lungs. She said she hoped the trial would encourage the government to "get these cars off our roads to protect our children's health". - 'Hold to account' - Adam Kamenetzky, one of the claimants, said he felt "defrauded" after he bought a Mercedes SUV in 2018 on the belief that it was less polluting than other models. "We live in a built-up neighbourhood in London where there are children with lungs that can be harmed immeasurably by the emissions that these cars are producing," he told AFP. Kamenetzky said outside the court that he wants to "hold to account" the manufacturers. But it will take some time for any possible compensation to reach claimants. The trial must first determine whether carmakers are liable, before a separate compensation phase can follow next year. German automaker Mercedes and US carmaker Ford both rejected the claims as having "no merit", while Japan's Nissan declined to comment. French manufacturers Renault and Stellantis, parent of Peugeot and Citroen, both said the vehicles they sold were compliant with regulations at the time. When the High Court in 2020 found Volkswagen had used defeat devices to cheat emissions tests, the German automaker settled out of court, paying pound193 million ($259 million) to 91,000 British motorists. Overall, to date, Volkswagen has had to pay more than 32 billion euros ($37 billion) in penalties over the scandal, mostly in the United States. At least 64 dead, 65 missing in Mexico floods Tenango de Doria, Mexico, Oct 13 (AFP) Oct 13, 2025 Rescuers scrambled Monday to reach people cut off by devastating floods that have claimed 64 lives in central and eastern Mexico, with another 65 reported missing. Torrential rains battered several Mexican states over several days last week, turning village streets into rivers, triggering landslides and sweeping away roads and bridges. President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday around 10,000 troops have been deployed with boats, planes and helicopters as part of rescue efforts and to deliver critical food and water for those trapped. Shelters have been opened for those displaced from their homes, and helicopters were flying to and fro to bring essentials to people cut off from the rest of the world. "Many flights are needed... to deliver enough food and water," the president told reporters Monday. According to Laura Velazquez, the head of Mexico's civil defense authority, the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo and Puebla were hardest hit by flooding brought on by days of heavy rains. In Hidalgo alone, 43 people were reported missing. She updated the death toll that had stood at 47 just 12 hours earlier, indicative of the fast-unfolding scale of the disaster. Mexico has been hit by particularly heavy rains this year, including a record for the capital Mexico City. - 'Difficult' to predict - In the municipality of Tenango de Doria in Hidalgo state, AFP witnessed residents walking kilometers in search of food and water, with flooded roads inaccessible for most vehicles. Some carried bundles of belongings with them in the hopes of finding a shelter for displaced people. A small-scale merchant from nearby San Clemente told AFP he had been stranded with a ton of vegetables since Thursday. Unable to make it to the market, his precious merchandise will likely go to waste. Heavy rains often occur during Mexico's wet season from May to October, but last week's downpours were made more dangerous by the combination of a tropical system from the Gulf of Mexico and a cold front from the north, according to meteorologists. Dwellers of coastal cities and towns in the state of Veracruz, criss-crossed by many rivers, were instructed last Friday to evacuate due to rising waters. In several high-lying inhabited areas, however, the persistent rains washed away mountain sides that spilled downhill as landslides. Sheinbaum on Monday batted away questions about possible failures in early warning and preparedness. "It would have been difficult to have information in advance about this situation, unlike what happens with hurricanes," she said, citing a combination of unpredictable meteorological factors. Skies cleared in many parts on Sunday, allowing work with heavy clearance machinery to get underway. Age has not withered One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975), Milos Formans barnstorming account of the men who were once labelled lunatics inside what was once called an asylum. Shifting social attitudes cant blunt its barbed comedy or draw the sting of a drama that pits timid patients against the icy, rigid Nurse Ratched. Time, if anything, has only sharpened the films edges, so that it feels more lawless and hazardous than it did in the past. Lovingly dusted down and reissued for posterity, it swaggers into cinemas this week like Randle Patrick McMurphy into the Oregon state mental hospital. Formans film is now 50, a solid, respectable age, except that Cuckoos Nest has never really been respectable, let alone staid and settled, and more resembles a disreputable uncle who struck gold and joined the country club. It was an orphan, an outlier, rejected by every major studio until United Artists picked it up; the unruly underdog that went on to clean up at the Oscars and become the second-highest-grossing picture of the year behind Jaws (1975). Most movie classics are the industrys equivalent of elder statesmen or museum exhibits, coddled by history or pinned under glass. Cuckoos Nest, though, continues to twist and turn in our grasp. Its a film of its era a dinosaur even and yet it doesnt feel dated and speaks across party lines. Cuckoos Nest loves freedom, self-sufficiency and the pursuit of personal happiness, and is therefore beloved by both old-school hippies and hard-right Maga types. Each side can claim that the film shares their values. Each sees itself in McMurphy while regarding the other side as Nurse Ratched. The production was a scramble; it ran on adrenaline and confusion. Cuckoos Nest was produced by the 29-year-old Michael Douglas, who inherited the project from his father, Kirk, who longed to play McMurphy, the live-wire convict who galvanises the psych ward. And he was furious when the role went instead to Jack Nicholson, a younger, hotter property, fresh off the back of Chinatown (1974) and The Passenger (1975). Forman, a hero of the Czech New Wave, had been holed up in the Chelsea Hotel recovering from a nervous breakdown when he was hired to direct and brought his own experience of Eastern Bloc oppression to this purely American tale. The communist party was my Nurse Ratched, he explained. The film was shot inside a working psychiatric facility, with medics and patients folded in amid the cast and crew. There was an arsonist employed in the art department. One inmate escaped through an open upstairs window (he injured himself in the fall and was promptly recaptured). The budget ballooned, tempers flared and the actors turned mutinous. Pretty much every day was a struggle, which served the material well, because the real-life drama spilled over and sparked. Arriving late on set, Nicholson was alarmed to note that many of his fellow performers seemed unable to break character. To reheat an old joke, you didnt have to be mad to work on Cuckoos Nest, but it helped. Which one of you nuts has got any guts? asks McMurphy, the hospitals riotous new inmate, thereby setting himself and his flock on a collision course with the authorities in general and Ratched in particular. The comedy pops like a firework display. The dramatic scenes land with the force of a hammer. Formans drama was based on the 1962 bestseller by Ken Kesey, the hippie founder of the Merry Pranksters, and was viewed at the time as a film of the left, a counter-cultural touchstone, although its language has since been appropriated and tweaked by the libertarian right. McMurphy hates bureaucracy, bridles at regulations and gives the patients a dose of undiluted machismo. The men are emasculated wrecks who need to rediscover their mojo. The women are either giggly sex workers or castrating mother-hens. But the film is not without nuance and a sense of lifes tense complexities. Crucially, Louise Fletchers performance as Ratched ensures that Keseys monster stays human. Shes a harried professional, and as much a creature of her time as McMurphy. Ratched is outnumbered and the wards under siege. Small wonder, on balance, that she resorts to the jump leads. Cuckoos Nest is one of those rare pictures that, if it catches you early, partially owns you forever. I stumbled across it on TV in my teens and briefly decided it must be the best film in the world. It was ecstatic and tragic and funny and fierce. It looked and smelled like real life, but it swelled and roared like great music. I later read that Formans grasp of English was so poor that he had to trust his ear during the improvised therapy sessions, following each actors voice as though it were an instrument in an orchestra and only calling cut when he heard a flat note. He had a habit, too, of keeping three cameras running throughout the scenes on the ward, to record every twitch, every scratch, every startled jerk of the head. Forman, one could say, directed in the manner of McMurphy: loose and easy, wild and free, so that the film gives the impression of pouring out of the screen, playing out in real time before our very eyes. Louise Fletcher as the terrifying Nurse Ratched ( CPC/THA/Shutterstock ) Rewatching it today, its clear it still resembles McMurphy, in good ways and bad, meaning that the film has its problems, numerous psychological hang-ups. Its critics have a point. Cuckoos Nest fumbles women, First Nation people and African-American men. Medically, too, the tale is boneheaded: sentimental but crass. It did for mental health nurses what Jaws did for sharks. Its a film of the Seventies, it would never get made today, and yet its longing for freedom feels timeless, its battles are ongoing and its emotional arc stirs the blood. And just as with every work of art that endures, its uglier aspects are all part of a piece. They add texture and context and connect it to the wider world. So Ill always be happy to see this reappear for big birthdays, rolling in like a drunk, constantly geared towards mischief. Its magnificently unreconstructed; its flawed, but its perfect. I wouldnt change a single frame. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is back in cinemas from 17 October Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ben Stiller has told his daughter Ella that cutting her out of his 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was the worst decision he has ever made. The Zoolander star, 59, directed and starred in the adaptation of James Thurbers 1939 short story. In his new Apple TV documentary, Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, Stiller examines his relationship with his own parents, the acclaimed comedy double act Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. He also reckons with how his experiences growing up with them would later shape him as a father. In a discussion about his perfectionism, which he believes he inherited from his father, Stiller tells his 23-year-old daughter, Ella, that he struggled to cut her from what would have been her film debut. I cut you out of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Its probably the worst decision I ever made in my life, says Stiller. In response, Ella tells her father that she was really scared during filming, and accepts that the short scene she was in didnt make sense in the movie. Ben Stiller and his daughter Ella pictured in New York in October 2024 ( Getty for Equality Now ) Ella had been set to play a younger version of Odessa Mitty, the sister of Stillers titular character Walter Mitty. She has since landed film and television credits in projects including And Just Like That... and Happy Gilmore 2. Stiller said the decision felt like more than a simple edit, explaining: For me, it kind of goes deeper. What it relates to is my own issues with my own obsession with my work, or perfectionism. Stillers 20-year-old son Quin, who also features in the documentary, tells his father that his dedication to his work created distance within the family. I think theres things, you know, after a tough day or something was going wrong, you can get very much in your own head, says Quin. And I think, once you kind of go into that place ... [its] hard to get you out of it. So that would kind of put a damper on the fun part about being on vacation. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Quin goes on: You have all these hats that youre trying to balance, you know? Being a director, an actor, you know, a producer, a writer... but also, just, like, a father, right? And sometimes I felt that that would come, you know, last to these other things. Stiller reflects that he had similar experiences growing up with his own comedy-star parents, and believed he didnt want to end up like them. The irony is, I thought I was doing so much better than my parents. I thought I was pulling it off, says Stiller. I was flying home on the weekends and having special places for the kids to play when they come visit the set, but in reality and just hearing them talk about it for them, it was the same thing I was going through as a kid, and I just couldnt see that at all at the time. Elsewhere in the documentary, Stiller also reflected on the ups and downs of his marriage to Christine Taylor. - " "! , ! , , . Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Jeremy Clarkson has praised the NHS following a hospital visit that occurred hours after calling the service a creaking monster that needed a rethink. The former Top Gear host has not revealed details about his health scare, but he did say that he required urgent treatment, which his private health care could not provide for him. Clarkson said that his private health service could only find him treatment two hours away in London, so he instead had to use an NHS facility in Oxford. Speaking of his experience in his Sunday Times column, Clarkson said that he genuinely couldnt find anything to moan about at all. The doctors, the nurses and everyone I met were kind. It was all spotless. Lunch was kids food-brilliant, and they even made me better for which I shall be eternally grateful. The 65-year-old pointed out that, only hours before his health scare, he had lamented the NHS, suggesting that it was past its sell-by date. Nine hours after that piece appeared on the nations kitchen tables, I needed to go to the hospital in something of a hurry, he wrote. Addressing his ailment, the broadcaster said that he had a very hot neck and that the treatment he received was Defcon 1 painful. open image in gallery Clarkson has not revealed the details about his health scare ( Prime Video ) They had to chisel me off the ceiling with a spatula afterwards and I was forced to stay the night, but it was OK, he added. Clarksons previous column had seen him criticise the NHS for reportedly employing international doctors who had been banned from practising medicine in their own countries. Earlier this month, The Times reported that 22 doctors have been subject to disciplinary action or restrictions overseas, but there is no record of that on their General Medical Council licences in the UK. The findings of an investigation by The Times were horrific and a serious failure in our medical regulatory systems that I will not tolerate, health secretary Wes Streeting said. open image in gallery The latest season of Clarksons Farm aired earlier this year ( Getty ) Clarkson ended his latest column by declaring that, despite receiving good care, he still believed the NHS needed to be changed. Yes, its an excellent organisation and the frontline staff are superb, he wrote. But in its current state, we as a nation cannot afford it. Last year, Clarkson underwent a heart procedure after experiencing sudden health deterioration that left him maybe days away from dying. In September, the Clarksons Farm host also revealed he had been taking Mounjaro weight loss injections. I should explain Im on Mounjaro, my trousers are falling down, he joked during a speech at the National Television Awards. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice TV star Ross King has been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing, becoming the second contestant to leave the show. The Scottish presenter best known from Lorraine and Good Morning Britain and his professional partner, Jowita Przystal, exited the competition after a tense dance-off against Eastenders actor Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon during Sunday nights (12 October) results show. Both couples performed their Movie Week routines from Saturday (11 October) once more, with King and Przystal dancing the Paso Doble to the theme tune from Thunderbirds. Sopal and Caillon danced a foxtrot to The Way You Look Tonight from the film Swing Time. open image in gallery Contestants crowd around Ross King and Jowita Przystal during the results show of Strictly Come Dancing ( BBC ) Judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke all voted to save Balvinder and Caillon. Head judge Shirley Ballas said that she would have made the same decision. Speaking about his time on the programme, King said: I have loved every single minute of it. I would like to say thank you to everyone who has supported us, all the people who voted theyve been amazing. I want to thank everyone here in this room, backstage, the judges, the crew every single person here has made me so, so welcome. Speaking about Przystal, he said: I want to thank a very special lady who has been with me through it all and has been absolutely everything: shes been a mentor, teacher, carer. I could not have wished for a better partner, and I could not have wished to be on a better show. Thank you, judges, for all your remarks. open image in gallery Ross King and Jowita Przystal after dancing to the theme from Thunderbirds ( BBC ) Przystal thanked King for his work and time during rehearsals, adding: I hope Im going to be a little part in your life forever. Kings elimination does not come as a huge surprise given that he was awarded the lowest score on Saturdays live show, earning just 19 points. (You can find the week three leaderboard in full here.) Du Beke, however, did praise the presenter as the most improved contestant this week. Ballas acknowledged Kings dedication to the performance, stating: You gave 1,000 per cent of yourself this week you can go home and be very proud of what youve achieved. open image in gallery King breaks down in tears following emotional Loch Lomond trip ( BBC ) Sundays results show also featured a group routine from the Strictly professionals in tribute to this years Minecraft movie, as well as a performance of the song Reflection from the Disney film Mulan by Chinese pianist Lang Lang. He was accompanied by professional dancers Nancy Xu and Kai Widdrington. As was announced earlier this week, Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis did not perform on Saturday due to illness. In line with the shows rules, he and Dianne Buswell will automatically go through to the next stage of the competition. Writing on Instagram, Dennis said that he was so sorry to miss the episode but expected to be back next week with a rip roaring dance. Buswell, meanwhile, addressed claims that she was the real reason behind Denniss absence. The remaining 13 couples will return to the Strictly dancefloor next week on Saturday (18 October) at 6.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The creators of The Inbetweeners have confirmed that the cult UK comedy is set to return, more than a decade after its finale aired. Created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the Channel 4 sitcom followed the adolescent travails of four foul-mouthed teens, and became such a hit that it spawned two blockbuster films. Beesley and Morriss production company, Fudge Park, has now signed a new partnership with Banijay UK, which paves the way for the return of the hit comedy title. The duo confirmed the return of the series, saying in a statement: Incredibly exciting to be plotting more adventures for our four favourite friends (ooh friends). No major details have been revealed but the deal unlocks the rights and the potential to bring The Inbetweeners back for new audiences across a range of platforms including film, TV, and stage, according to a statement by Banijay. Banijay UK chief executive, Patrick Holland, said he was delighted to pick up the conversation about the future of The Inbetweeners with Morris and Morris. They have an infectious creative vision for the brand which will resonate with audience old and new so I cant wait to get going, he said. open image in gallery Creators of The Inbetweeners confirm that the cult UK comedy is set to return ( Channel 4 ) We are thrilled to announce this exciting partnership with Banijay who share our vision and ambition for one of the most iconic comedies in British history, Jonathan Blyth, managing director of Fudge Park, said. This is a wonderful moment for fans, there are exciting conversations afoot and more news to follow. It isnt yet known whether the revival will take the form of a new series, film or spin-off, although the statements by the creators can be assumed to mean the story will revolve around the original four characters. First broadcast on E4 from 2008 and 2010, The Inbetweeners follows the misadventures of Will McKenzie (Simon Bird), Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas), Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison), and Jay Cartwright (James Buckley), a group of socially inept sixth-formers enduring school life, failed romances, and fragile masculinity at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The series, conceived as a more realistic counterpoint to the darker teen drama Skins, went on to become a surprise phenomenon, pulling record audiences and winning a Bafta Audience Award in 2010. Two films followed: The Inbetweeners Movie in 2011 and The Inbetweeners 2 in 2014, which together grossed over 100m worldwide, setting box-office records for UK comedies. The announcement comes shortly after Buckley and Thomas sparked fan excitement online by teasing a reunion. In August, Buckley shared photos of himself with Thomas on Instagram, writing: Working on something It was later revealed that the pair had teamed up for a new podcast, Joe and James Fact Up. In August last year, Thomas said the cast were eager to return. All of us feel it would be nice to do, he said on the Always Be Comedy podcast. Were all still around, were all still in each others lives. We all still like each other. And if it was something that came up, I think we would want to do it. open image in gallery The Inbetweeners cast ( Channel 4 ) The cast reunited for a two-hour special that aired on New Years Day in 2019, marking the 10th anniversary of the sitcoms debut. The special received overall negative feedback with many fans confused that the programme, titled Fwends Reunited, wasnt a new episode but instead adhered to a chat-show format, and some said it looked as though the four actors didnt want to be there. The reunion, hosted by Jimmy Carr, saw the stars of the series participate in an Inbetweeners quiz, a fake award ceremony and watch old clips from the show. Critics dubbed the two-hour special shambolic, with Buckley calling it a mistake. It was maybe a mistake doing that reunion, he told Heart Radio in 2019. Me personally, I dont want to ruin The Inbetweeners any more. At the moment, I wouldnt want to go anywhere near it. Bird also said later that year that he wasnt sure a revival would work, with the characters grown up, which we now all are. No one is going to buy us as teenagers any more, he told Screen Daily. And I think the idea of the four of us back together as 30-somethings is going to be a bit more depressing for everyone. I cant see us doing any more of it. In 2024, Bird shut down any conversation about the cast getting together and said there were no plans for any forthcoming Inbetweeners projects. Speaking to the MailOnline, Bird said: Im afraid to be the one pouring cold water on this but its not happening. I can tell you emphatically that there are no prospects of a reunion. He added that the cast would be happy to but its not up to us, its up to the writers, Iain and Damon, and I know theyre both very busy these days. Its not more likely to happen now than it was 10 years ago Im afraid. I think it was a comedy that inhabited a certain time, he continued. So, no, there has been no discussion about a new show or film. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice It might be known to millions as the Happiest Place on Earth, but Disney is also on its way to achieving another title: the most expensive place on Earth. Disney fans, including me, are angry and upset that the companys latest price hike announcement means single-day, single-park passes will jump to well over $200 per person for the first time during Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026. Tickets for this same period in 2025 top out at $199 for Magic Kingdom and less for the other parks. Its the fourth consecutive year that the company has raised prices for single-day or annual passes at its Anaheim and Orlando theme parks. And those $200 per-person, single-day passes? That includes children aged 10 or over. If youre thinking that younger kids must be significantly cheaper, Im about to burst your bubble because tickets for those aged three to nine are just $5 cheaper than an adult pass. Only those under age three can get in without the purchase of a park ticket. Thats a hefty day trip for a family of any size. And the price hikes dont stop there. open image in gallery Former Disney Cruise Line cast member Caitlin Hornik, seen at Disney World in 2021, reacts to Disney's latest price hikes ( Caitlin Hornik ) Disney has quietly raised prices across its U.S. theme parks on food, drinks, and souvenirs this month. One example, shared by popular account Disney Food Blog, was the price of Disney's signature Celebration Cake, which rose from $39 to $45 for a Mickey Mouse-inspired mousse creation that feeds four to six people. Disney is known to roll out price hikes each October as part of its fiscal plan, but this years announcement has struck a deeper nerve for fans. As the cost of a Disney vacation grows increasingly out of reach, the very enthusiasts who helped build the brands legacy are being priced out of the magic. Im one of them. Working for Disney Cruise Line as a performer in the Walt Disney Theatre was my first real job at barely 20 years old. I lived and worked on the Disney Wonder, sailing around Alaska and then the Caribbean, for more than seven months. It was every bit as magical as youd imagine. It was also my real introduction to Disney. I didnt visit the parks growing up, aside from one short-lived trip to Disneyland California. I didnt actually step foot onto Walt Disney World property until I worked for the company. But Ive now visited the Florida, California, Tokyo, and Paris parks as an adult and aim to hit all seven one day. I've been to the U.S. parks so many times that Ive lost count, but I know it's at least a dozen times in the past 11 years. open image in gallery Posing in front of my floating home, the Disney Wonder, while docked in Vancouver, Canada in September 2014 ( Caitlin Hornik ) Though its been many years since my cast member days, I take as much pride in having worked for the company now as I did then; I wear it like a badge of honor. And because of that, I love visiting the parks as often as possible. It reminds me of such a wonderful time in my life, sailing the high seas with Mickey Mouse as my boss. What more could I have asked for? For myself and millions of others, Disney is comfort. Its putting on Peter Pan when youre sick and being instantly brought back to childhood. Its listening to the Fantasmic theme when youre feeling blue and being immediately uplifted at the thought of Mickey Mouse dancing in Hollywood Studios. Its knowing you have a sense of belonging and community as a Disney fan, regardless of where you are in the world. But now Im priced out and Im only buying a ticket for one (Maybe two if Im treating my mom). Im far from being a family of four, and soon wont be able to step into a single park for less than $800. While planning a 2026 vacation to Florida's Disney World recently, I was struck by how expensive park tickets had become and that was before Thursdays announcement. No stranger to the companys prices as a former Disney Cruise Line cast member, I quickly tallied up the cost of park tickets and a hotel for four nights and was disheartened when I realized I was approaching $2,000 before even considering flights, food, and drinks. It became immediately apparent that I could no longer afford a quick weekend trip to get my Disney fix. open image in gallery Posing with my favorite princess and old friend, Snow White, during a 2023 visit to the parks ( Caitlin Hornik ) As an adult with no children, Im not someone who plans years in advance and saves for a dream Disney vacation. Sure, when I book a trip I put money aside each month in preparation, but I dont travel to the parks with any regularity, nor am I an annual pass holder. But so many people plan and save for years for this dream vacation that now just became less attainable. With Disneys dynamic pricing model, ticket prices vary depending on the date of the trip. Certain times of year are less expensive, while peak times, like holidays, are much more expensive. Even the difference of one week can mean saving (or spending) hundreds more. That means a family of four hoping to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas Day 2026 at the Magic Kingdom will have to shell out $209 per person for the day instead of this years $199. While it might not seem like a lot, it adds up quickly when you consider the other price hikes around the parks. Its a disappointing reality for me and thousands of others who see Disney (and their fellow fans) as their safe place. Of course, I could just go somewhere else. I could go to an all-inclusive resort on a beautiful tropical island or to somewhere more cultured than a theme park, but as a former cast member, Disney is a uniquely comforting place to me. open image in gallery My first visit to Walt Disney World in 2014 ( Caitlin Hornik ) The only thing more magical than landing at Orlando International Airport and taking the first ride of the trip (the airports monorail, of course) to the waiting Mears buses (RIP the Magical Express) is that first glimpse of Magic Kingdoms castle while skipping joyfully (yes, Im that person) down Main Street. Its a feeling of pure joy one that carries me all the way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Knowing it may be a long time before I feel that again is genuinely upsetting. Its comforting to know that Im not alone in this; that others longing for a jolting ride on Space Mountain or a healing hug from Mickey Mouse will have to wait. Though for what, Im not quite sure. Prices certainly arent going to decrease anytime soon, no matter how loudly we scream into the ether or on social media. Comments on Disney Food Blogs Instagram post announcing the new price hikes ranged from anger to heartbreak. We are not renewing our annual passes next year after 11 years, one person who commented on Disney Food Blogs post promised. The prices are insane and the parks are too crowded. Not magical anymore. Another park-goer lamented the ticket prices on Facebook, saying that while he and his family have been avid visitors for the last 20 years, their Disney vacations might be coming to an end. We have loved our time there, but this [price hikes] could put us in a situation where we may never visit again! he wrote. This is so sad for young families who could be enjoying all the fun there is there, but just can't cover the cost. You should be ashamed Disney!! The most magical place on earth has become the most costly place on earth! open image in gallery The joy of skipping down Main Street USA is unrivaled ( Caitlin Hornik ) open image in gallery Posing in front of the castle in 2023. It will never get old ( Caitlin Hornik ) Meanwhile, a Disney spokesperson told Business Insider the parks have "options designed to suit a wide range of needs and budgets for all who visit." "Our commitment to creating magical experiences for everyone remains at the heart of what we do and that will never change," they added. That said, not everyone is upset, of course. Some Disney diehards argue the higher prices might reduce crowds during peak seasons. "If you charge just enough to have some people second-guess going during the best time of the year, people who are at the parks then are probably going to enjoy it a bit more," Disney fan Lucas Lozano told Business Insider. Travel planner Rob Stuart agreed, saying, It wont affect demand at all except in the positive people will think its less crowded. Maybe theyre right. Perhaps this is part of Disneys strategy not just to manage crowds but also to nudge would-be park visitors toward other, equally profitable experiences, like Disney Cruise Line. Once I realized a 2026 trip to the parks was out of the question, it dawned on me to check DCL sailings instead. Sure enough, it was significantly cheaper to sail on the new Disney Destiny for four nights than to visit the parks for the same amount of time thousands of dollars cheaper. With DCL slated to roll out the Destiny and the Adventure in the coming months, bringing the total number of ships in its fleet to eight (with several more in the works), there are more options than ever before to sail on a Mickey boat, as I like to call them. Disney knows exactly what its doing even if its at the expense of families whove spent years saving for a visit, only to have that dream priced out of reach. Maybe, instead of walking down Main Street, theyll find themselves sailing into the sunset. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice An Arkansas man accused of killing his daughters rapist has announced his plan to run for sheriff after saying the legal system failed. Aaron Spencer allegedly shot and killed 67-year-old Michael Fosler after discovering him with his missing 14-year-old daughter. He announced his intention to run for the Lonoke County sheriff position in a Facebook video, which has received over five thousand likes and has been shared over three thousand times. Lonoke County is located just under 30 miles from Little Rock. Im the father who acted to protect his daughter when the system failed, Spencer says in the video. Through my own fight for justice, I have seen firsthand the failures in law enforcement and in our circuit court, he continues. And, I refuse to stand by while others face these same failures. open image in gallery Aaron Spencer has announced his intention to run for Lonoke County sheriff after allegedly shooting his daughter's rapist ( Facebook/Aaron Spencer for Lonoke County Sheriff ) Spencer goes on to say that he wants to restore trust in law enforcement, following his harrowing case. This campaign isnt about me; its about every parent, every neighbor, every family who deserves to feel safe in their homes and in their community, he says. Its about restoring trust, where neighbors know law enforcement is on their side and families know they will not be left alone in a moment of need. Spencer was charged with second-degree murder in October 2024, according to court documents. On the night of the alleged shooting, Spencer said that the barking of his dog awoke him. He later became suspicious after discovering a stuffed animal, dressed in a hoodie, under his daughters bed sheets to appear as though she was in the bed. Following that, the court documents allege that Spencer got in his truck and drove around his neighborhood until he discovered his daughter in a truck with Fosler, prompting a desperate car chase. Fosler, who had previously been charged with numerous sexual offences against Spencers daughter, was forced off the road before the father shot him. open image in gallery Spencer says that he felt as though the legal system failed him ( Lonoke County Detention Center ) Spencer called 911 to report that he had shot Fosler, who died at the scene, according to court documents. Following Spencers arrest, his wife, Heather, launched a GiveSendGo campaign to support her husband. She said that her daughter had been targeted, groomed and ultimately raped by the boyfriend of a family friend. We let the justice system do its job. The monster who hurt our child was charged quickly, but released even faster on a $50k bond, she added. He was awaiting court in December for several felonies in relation to what he did to our child. Heather also described the charges against her husband as outrageous and said that he was a hero, because she believed her child would have not come home if my husband hadnt found her. open image in gallery He has received a wave of support on social meda ( GiveSendGo ) Spencers pre-trial date is set for December 16, and his trial will begin on January 26, 2026. Residents have flooded the comments section of his video announcing his intention to run for the sheriffs office. Lonoke needs you for sheriff! Best of luck to you, one wrote. We need this!!!!!! Please let us know what we can do to support you!!!!!, said another. Even Spencers son, Malachi, commented under the post. Proud to call this man my father! he wrote. The Independent has approached the Lonoke County Sheriffs Office for comment. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Friday evening turned into a nightmare for a California family when a woman was allegedly set on fire by her husband of 10 years an attack that has left her children reeling. Sean Hoffman, 42, is accused of intentionally dousing his wife, Sheena, with a highly flammable liquid and setting her on fire, according to KFSN. He was arrested at the scene. Tulare County sheriffs deputies were called to the couples home in Porterville around 5:30 p.m. Friday. They found Sheena, a mother of seven, suffering from severe burns to her face, arms, and torso. Sheenas adult son, Michael Post, told KFSN that he was at his own home when he got a call from his sister about his mother and stepfather that changed everything. She was like, You need to get to moms house now, Post said. Your stepdad just covered her in gasoline and said hes going to light her on fire. open image in gallery Sheena Hoffman was airlifted to Bakersfield Memorial Hospitals burn unit in stable condition ( GoFundMe ) He said his mother and Hoffman had been married for about a decade and shared a blended family with seven children. While he never saw physical violence between them, he said their arguments were frequent. Her home is where everybody goes to. Its always like if anybody needs anything, they call her, Post said. Shes always the one who runs to peoples rescue if they need it. Sheena was airlifted to Bakersfield Memorial Hospitals burn unit. She remains in stable condition but faces a long road to recovery, Post said. The family has created a GoFundMe to help with expenses as Sheena continues her recovery. open image in gallery Hoffman faces charges of aggravated assault and arson ( Tulare County Sheriffs Office ) I never dreamed I would have to be doing this but my mother Sheena was badly burned yesterday due to a horrific domestic violence incident, Post wrote. Were asking for donations to help with gas, and food for my siblings and I and hopefully we raise enough to help with my moms bills until she can fully recover. Hoffman faces charges of aggravated assault and arson. He remains behind bars at the South County Detention Center. 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 Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Two brothers have been accused of murdering a Lyft driver in Louisiana before joyriding in her car to Texas, according to a press release from the local sheriffs office. Ethan Bush, 23, and Tristan Bush, 26, were found in Harris County before the younger man died in an attempt to evade arrest. The investigation began on Friday, when the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana responded to a call after a woman was found dead in a ditch with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as 62-year-old Lawanna J. Lewis, according to a CPSO press release. The car was spotted hours later in the Houston area, where the brothers were driving it. This prompted a high-speed pursuit involving the Harris County Sheriffs Office. open image in gallery Tristan Bush has been accused of killing a 62-year-old Lyft driver ( Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office ) Eventually, the pair sprang from the car and tried to make their escape on foot, with Ethan leaping onto a nearby highway. According to a traffic release record from the Harris County Sheriffs Office, he was fatally struck by a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado. dead. The driver of the that car was cooperative with police and did not display any signs of intoxication, according to the traffic release. Tristan was later found hiding in a backyard two hours later. The elder Bush brother now awaits extradition to Louisiana and has been charged with second-degree murder, according to the Calcasieu press release. His bail bond has been set at $2.5 million by Judge Bobby Holmes. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely, the press release read. According to arrest records released by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office and seen by KPLC, Tristan had been arrested several times by police in the past. open image in gallery Ethan Bush was killed when he jumped onto a beltway to try and escape the police ( Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office ) In 2022, he was arrested for entry or remaining after being forbidden and resisting an officer. Tristan was arrested in Lafayette a year later for resisting an officer with force or violence. His younger brother had no existing criminal history. A fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe to help Lewis family with their relatives funeral costs. Help Lay LaWanna Lewis to Rest After a Senseless Act of Violence, the description of the fundraiser read. We are heartbroken to share that our beloved LaWanna Lewis has tragically passed away as the result of a senseless act of crime. Her loss has left our hearts shattered and our community in grief. We are raising funds to help cover LaWannas burial and final expenses, including funeral services, burial plot, and related costs. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help ease the financial burden on her family as they navigate this unimaginable tragedy. The Independent has contacted Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office for comment. Snapchat must have known what it was doing when it called its photo tool memories. Really, its just a back-up tool like any other, allowing users to store their pictures. But calling them memories was a recognition that those pictures are not just files, but a reminder of peoples most precious moments. So when the company announced recently its decision to start charging for memories, it was met with a backlash that it should really have seen coming. How can we run out of storage space for memories? How dare anyone ask us to pay a recurring fee to keep our memories safe? The recent march of technology suggests that this kind of conflict is going to keep happening. Companies are increasingly treating our data as something to own, to fight about and to charge for. And the advancement of AI is only going to make this worse. Around the same time as Snapchats announcement, fitness social media platform Strava announced that it was suing the smartwatch maker Garmin. The details of the case are fairly niche, since it relates to the segments and heat maps on the platforms. But at the heart of the argument is the question of who gets to display data, and how. Garmin wants Strava to show the fact that a workout was done by someone using one of its devices, but Strava refuses. Notably, in one of Stravas many statements about the falling out, it recognised the emotional and moral pull of owning ones own data. It suggested that it shouldnt be required to show Garmins information because We consider this to be YOUR data. If you recorded an activity on your watch, we think that is your data, a company representative wrote. The fitness world is a useful test case for arguments about who owns what data, because it relies on the idea of sharing it around. Runners record their run on a Garmin smartwatch, say, but that data gets sent up to Strava so that their friends can see it, and to training platforms for recommendations for future runs, only for those future runs to be sent back down to the Garmin watch. Until now, there has always been something slightly retro about the relatively good relationship between all of those technology companies. But even the utopia of fitness tech appears to be getting muddied, as the rush to own as much data as possible continues. There is something deeply frustrating about generating that data especially when it requires doing a long workout and not feeling like it is your own. But that is happening more and more, especially as AI platforms turn data into the central and most in-demand resource on the internet, required not only to power the offerings of today but to train the future as well. Companies are increasingly treating our data as something to own, to fight about and to charge for ( Getty ) Reddit and Wikipedia, for instance, remain two of the most useful troves of quality training data for AI. But companies that use them to teach their AI systems about language dont actually need to worry about the people who created that data in the first place, since that was done on a voluntary, and often even anonymous, basis. All of this matters because we have no real way of sharing our data outside of this system. The dream of a web powered by a host of decentralised servers all talking to each other is over, even if some people try to revive it. If youre going to share photos with your fiends, youre probably going to have to do so on Instagram, at which point they sort of stop being your photos at all. This might be part of the reason why people have been retreating from public social media and into the safety of the group chat. Many of the most popular messaging platforms iMessage, for instance, and even Metas WhatsApp make big privacy promises that they actually keep, which means that they cannot read the content of messages. Chats are safe from prying eyes or AIs. Privacy has long felt like something of an abstract concern, in part because it has always seemed so impossible to achieve on the internet. But as the web becomes a training ground for AIs, we might finally want to take proper control of our data. Until we do so, we wont just be paying for our memories, but having them used to train whole new machines, too. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Microsoft is ending support for one of the worlds most popular operating systems on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of millions of people exposed to cyber attacks and data theft. From 14 October, Microsoft will no longer provide security and feature updates for Windows 10, despite just over 40 per cent of all Windows users still running the software. An estimated 5 million people in the UK still use laptops and PCs that run Windows 10, with a recent survey by consumer group Which? suggesting that a quarter of those intend to keep using it after the deadline passes. Whether Windows 10 users are upgrading or not, security experts have advised them to create a full backup of their data in the event of either a cyber attack, or an issue with their systems upgrade. Any devices that continue to run Windows 10 after the deadline passes will also likely experience decreased functionality and see their performance degrade. open image in gallery Support for Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system ends on 14 October, 2025 ( Getty/iStock ) Cyber security advisor Matt Balderstone, who works at IT platform CyberArk, warned of the urgent need to upgrade any systems still running Windows 10 or else risk they risk repeating devastating incidents from the past like the WannaCry attack that targeted the NHS. Once Windows 10 reaches end-of-life, the absence of security updates will leave millions of machines exposed to future vulnerabilities that will never be patched, creating the prime conditions for attackers to exploit legacy systems, he told The Independent. In an era of unprecedented cyber risk, with new cyberattacks targeting businesses every day, one Windows 10 machine is now too many. Its crucial that consumers and businesses work to update their systems by the deadline to avoid exposing their operations to security risks. People with devices that are eligible can upgrade to Windows 11 for free, or else sign up to Microsofts Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. Anyone who has not upgraded by the 14 October deadline, or enrolled in ESU, should be particularly weary of suspicious phone calls, emails and pop-ups, experts warned. End of support is not the end of the world, but it is the end of free safety nets, said Luis Corrons, a security expert at cyber defence firm Avast. Attackers know that, which is why unpatched Windows and driver bugs become long-lived entry points. It is also an opportunity for scammers. People may see fake pop-ups, upgrade offers or even get phone calls pretending to be from Microsoft. Columnist Will Sutton looks at race, and endorsements, in the New Orleans mayoral campaign. "In the race for New Orleans mayor, most serious New Orleans voters are listening to state Sen. Royce Duplessis, City Council Vice President Helena Moreno and City Council District E member Oliver Thomas as candidates most likely to replace Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Each is qualified. One is White. Two are Black. And, yes, race matters. So do endorsements." Infini Resources has pulled off a strategic land-grab in Canada adding an additional 10,250 hectares, or 102.5 square kilometres of mineral claims contiguous to its highly prospective Portland Creek uranium project in the countrys most easterly province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The company staked an additional 410 mineral claims within four new licence areas, bringing its total ground in the province to 25,200 hectares, or 252 sq km. Infini Resources Falls Lake uranium prospect lies at the foot of a prominent escarpment, interpreted as a granite block thrust over underlying carbonate rocks. The move to lock up a greater landholding near Portland Creek follows several eye-catching uranium readings across multiple zones which last week saw the companys share price soar almost 250 per cent to hit a 2025 peak of 76c. Infini noted spot pXRF values of 12,000 parts per million (ppm) uranium from 270 metres and 11,700ppm from a depth of 289m from its recent phase-two drill program. Visible uraninite along joint surfaces have been identified within intensely altered granites. In what may be the cherry on top, molybdenum grading up to 2.38 per cent based on pXRF values, was discovered within a 4m albatised granite section, potentially a fertile polymetallic hydrothermal system. When the studio bosses started pressuring me to cut scenes and to lose shooting days, I discovered that Diane and Mel had called them secretly and told them to back off the director, me. We learnt much later that MGM, for whom I was possibly the first female director, was about to crash big time, which meant there was huge pressure to do those cuts. Our release budget was chopped, our marketing manager was fired on the very week of that release when the plan had been to push for Oscar nominations for both Diane and Mel. I, unfortunately, was back in Sydney, about to have my first baby. No wonder our film disappeared. I am always supercritical, but Diane was transcendental as the oppressed Mrs Soffel, the prison wardens wife who fell in love with a death-row prisoner. Owen Gleiberman, from Variety, wrote regarding our film on Sunday: Keaton showed you how deeply she could enact not just the wistfulness of love but the danger of it. Her scenes reading the Bible to Mel, the troubled prisoner, and their touches through those sexy bars were heartbreakingly beautiful. I was transported just watching along with our incredible Australian cinematographer, Russell Boyd, and later in the cutting room, holding Dianes every breath with another Aussie, our brilliant editor, Nicholas Beauman. You completely believed the relationship and the life-changing risk the real Mrs Soffel did take. For Diane and I, the key to telling this true story was that we must truly feel what happened to make her give up her whole life and children. The night before we were to start the shoot, Dianes manager, Arlene, had dinner with us and cheerily announced that NO ONE would want to see Diane Keaton in this film, that they just wanted her to be funny ... to be Annie Hall. Loading Aagh! The last thing we needed to hear. Looking back, in many ways she was right, I too was a huge fan of Diane as Annie, and there was a lot of Annie in her: the charm, the girlie nervousness and gentle comic timing. But she was also an incredible actress, and I think she wanted this; she wanted to stretch herself as a unique artist. (My fave Diane movie, apart from Annie Hall and Manhattan, would have to be The Godfather with Al Pacino, a chilling and heartbreaking and un-Annie performance.) Loading By the end of our shoot, I had a lot of sympathy for both Diane and Mel and the downside of stardom. Their trapped lives meant they couldnt just go wandering out and about. A radio station even put out a competition with a prize to anyone who could find out where Mel was staying. Diane overheard me discussing in the make-up room where to go for my week off post-shoot to escape the cold. My mad friend Stu was coming over from Sydney. Our Canadian hairdresser and the costume person knew of somewhere in the Caribbean, on Saint Barthelemy, and offered to come. Diane said, can I come too? And she did! We forget that superstars can be lonely. We were the oddest bunch and had the greatest time, including bursting into giggles at the first dreadful accommodation and doing a hysterical runner, led by Diane! And she did enjoy our mad, funny Ballarat boy Stu (who could be an acquired taste). Diane the artist wasnt just styling those incredibly unique clothing looks; she was photographing clever themes way before anyone else, like her crazy hotel foyers book and ultimately directing and producing along with an acting career in Nancy Meyers brave Somethings Gotta Give with its dynamic older-women love story. We all loved her romantic scenes with the wonderful Jack Nicholson. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Every restaurant featured in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2026 in Canberra and the ACT. See all stories . Carlotta is Melbournes Lucas Restaurants groups first Canberra venture, and it has pulled out all the stops, sending talented executive chef Mark Glenn to oversee the launch. Formerly of Cumulus Inc. and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in Melbourne, hes been in Canberra before (at Pialligo Estate), and knows the territory. Its a little Melbourne, but at its heart its an Italian tratt, with wood-fired oven, open grill and a list of house-made pasta. Across pillowy focaccia, stracciatella with broad beans, and wood-grilled buttermilk-brined chicken with garlic, lemon and anchovy, the palate is punchy, bright and lemony. Crab spaghettini with lobster oil and chilli has molto umami. Tiramisu is dense and boozy (although the chocolate-cherry trifle is the pick). And the room is Lucas lovely, with a glamorous marble bar, wine cellar and half-curtains along the windows. It may be a ring-in, but it sure has Canberra talking and eating it up. Good to know: Go large with Super Tuscans by the glass, or hit aperitivo hour (until 6pm daily) for $15 spritzes and $9.50 snacks. Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant cant pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. A wine and drinks list with its own unique identity, featuring options that pair with the restaurants food and style across a range of prices. Congratulations to the winners of this years Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards. See all stories . Sydney CBD It had our attention with a cocktail named Live and Let Rye, but theres a lot more to Jacqueline Turner and Alex Kirkwoods drinks list than cutely named tinctures of whisky, baked banana and sherry. The Wine Bar at The International. Dexter Kim While The Grill upstairs at The International has a broader selection of European and Australian greats, The Wine Bars list is a creative celebration of emerging producers, beaut fizz from NSW and France, and Turners love of riesling from Coal River to the Mosel. There are sparks of by-the-glass excitement on every page, and the bar has also become something of a social club to engage with the countrys most innovative winemakers during regular takeovers of the list. If you want to chat Orange chardonnay with Will Gilbert, or drink Margaret River cabernet with Julian Langworthy, this is the place. And if youre simply in the zone for a quick gimlet and a gilda, that can always be arranged, too. A new award recognising a quintessential pub new or old thats embedded in its community, offers food and drink thats a cut above, and is welcoming to all. Balmain What a difference turfing the pokies makes, huh? Not to mention a multimillion dollar renovation in 2023 that turned Balmains oldest pub from a run-down drinkers den into a sizable split-use hotel of aged brass, leather and dark timber. The Dry Dock doesnt feel too slick for its own good either, largely thanks to an engaged floor team, dog-friendly attitude and a public bar thats comfortably full most nights. The new-look Dry Dock in Balmain. Jennifer Soo A spot by the fireplace is one of the most sought-after seats on the Peninsula in winter and all the better with a glass of Barbaresco from the terrific wine list while summer afternoons are all about schooners under streetside umbrellas and seafood platters in the hatted dining room. Is a Sydney pub still a Sydney pub if theres no chicken schnitzel on the menu? We say yes, absolutely, especially when the kitchen cares enough to use Berkshire-breed pork for a juicy crumbed cutlet instead, and does a tiger prawn and lettuce sandwich on soft white bread that feels more Aussie than any bit of crumbed chook. Head for a cold one down at Mort Bay today. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. The best beyond metro limits a celebration of its surrounds with a strong connection to the local community. Congratulations to the winners of this years Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards. See all stories . Hunter Valley EXP. is running a celebratory lap thanks to the twin milestones of marking its 10-year anniversary and winning two hats in this years Guide for the very first time. Now it has one more feather in its cap: its our Regional Restaurant of the Year. The business that Emma and Frank Fawkner started in 2015 has done it the long way, moving from the original site at Oakvale Wines into Pokolbin Village, adding a bakery-cafe, then going all-in on fine-dining. Pie-tee tartlets at EXP. TMR Photography Today, the room is temple-like, but theres a sense of enjoyment radiating from the open kitchen, right from an elaborate and intricate snack course through to dishes that present simply and elegantly, but reveal layers on the palate. Donald Trump has urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a long-running corruption trial. Hey, I have an idea, Mr President, Why dont you give him a pardon? Trump said in an unscripted moment of discomfort that was nevertheless met with applause. Donald Trump urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu over corruption allegations. Credit: Getty I happen to like this gentleman right over here, and it just seems to make so much sense, you know, whether we like it or not, [he] has been one of the greatest wartime presidents. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust all of which he denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. Acknowledging the controversy surrounding his remarks, Trump quipped, I dont think its very controversial. President Donald Trump talks with Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset. Credit: AP You are a very popular man, Trump said of Netanyahu. You know why? Because you know how to win. It is not the first time Trump has applied pressure on the Israeli judicial system over the allegations. In a more recent intervention, Trump in June lashed out at prosecutors over the corruption trial, saying Washington, having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel, was not going to stand for this. The mother of a man accused of killing his neighbour has been forced to give crucial evidence against her own son, telling a court he punched the woman in the head three times before she was found dead. Belinda Torney also told the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday she had asked her son to call an ambulance when he revealed he could not wake 49-year-old Emma Bates days before she was found dead in Cobram, in Victorias north, last April. John Torney has been charged with negligent manslaughter in relation to Emma Bates death. Credit: Sunraysia Daily John Torney, 40, who appeared at the committal hearing via video link, is alleged to have had a relationship with Bates and moved into her home in the weeks before she died. He has been charged with assault and negligent manslaughter which he denies. The roar of a mighty V8 motor echoes across the national capital as the American ambassadors preferred car, the mighty Pursuit Special, screeches out of the embassy gates, laying rubber on Canberras previously civilised streets. Mad Max of the Main Force Patrol is in town. Could Toecutter and Nightrider be far behind? From Mad Max to ambassador - it couldnt happen could it? Credit: Alamy The nations public servants hurry for the sanctuary of departmental basements, now known as bunkers. Far-fetched? In this series, we explore all you need to know about Australias first treaty, between Victoria and its Indigenous peoples. Victorias treaty legislation would be rescinded within 100 days if the state Coalition is elected, it has emerged as parliament returns this week to debate the historic laws. Victorias treaty agreement with First Peoples will be front and centre when parliament returns from a month-long break on Tuesday, as it is debated for the first time. Rueben Berg (left) and Ngarra Murray, the current co-chairs of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria. Credit: Justin McManus (digitally altered) It will kick off with addresses from co-chairs of the First Peoples Assembly, Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg in the lower house, with debate expected to run much of the week. But before parliament resumes, representatives from the state opposition will inform leaders from the assembly of their policy position if they are successful in the November 2026 election. Air Force One: US President Donald Trump has warned Russia that he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesnt settle its war there soon suggesting that he could be ready to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putins government using a key weapons system. I might say, Look: if this war is not going to get settled, Im going to send them Tomahawks, Trump said aboard Air Force One as he flew to Israel. The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One. Credit: AP Trump also said, I might tell them that if the war is not settled that we may very well. He added, We may not, but we may do it. I think its appropriate to bring up. His comments came after Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Trump said he mentioned possibly sending Tomahawks during that conversation. While weve watched footage of 20 hostages released from Gaza reuniting with loved ones, dozens of families are still waiting for the bodies of those remaining to be brought home. Yael Adar, who has been campaigning to recover the body of her son Tamir, after he was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, told Israeli TV she felt betrayed by the governments failure to use its leverage to secure the immediate release of bodies. Tamir Adar was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. Credit: Bringthemhome.net In an interview on Channel 12, reported in English by the Times of Israel, Adar said the Gaza ceasefire deal did not define what would happen if Hamas failed to return all the bodies, and families could still wait months, even years, for closure. Loading Israel agreed there was no [absolute] deadline, Adar said. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said any delay by Hamas in returning the remaining bodies would be viewed as a violation of the ceasefire deal. The fate of two hostages, Bipin Joshi and Tamir Nimrodi, is still unknown. The Jerusalem Post reported the Nimrodi family had not received any updates on his condition as of Monday (Israel time), and called on the public to keep hope with us and refrain from spreading unverified information. He did have to twist Netanyahus arm to get the ceasefire, and it wasnt something Netanyahu necessarily wanted to do because of the [political] repercussions that hes trying to avoid, she says. This time, we had President Trump saying no, the wars over, and our patience with you has run its course. Author and former Brookings Institution expert Shadi Hamid said Trumps concerted pressure on Netanyahu underlined the importance of American power, despite its problematic role in the Middle East over decades. It shows the US was the only party that could really bring this to an end, he told CNN. That wouldnt have happened with any other country. The US is still indispensable in that way. Trump, who is openly seeking next years Nobel Peace Prize, made it clear in his address to the Israeli Knesset that he had told Netanyahu: Its now time. Effectively, Trump said he told his friend the world was losing patience with Israel, and ultimately, the world wins. History would be kinder to Netanyahu if he stopped the war now. Loading While there is no doubt that Trump is at least partly motivated by narcissism, he genuinely seems to dislike war. He noted that his early political opponents painted him as a brutal warmonger. But actually, he said, his personality was all about stopping wars, and it seems to work. Of course, enacting a ceasefire is not the same as stopping wars, let alone ending decades of territorial conflict, centuries of sectarian violence and millennia of Jew hatred. On that front, could it be counterproductive, or worrying, that Trump seems to already regard this as mission accomplished? There are countless question marks over the remainder of Trumps 20-point peace plan, not least the scheme for governing Gaza. According to the plan, it will be managed by a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee supervised by the so-called Board of Peace, chaired by Trump and led by other heads of state, along with former British PM Tony Blair. But as Hassan from the Carnegie Endowment says: We are already seeing some of the Trump plan crumble. Donald Trump greets his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron in Egypt on Monday. Credit: AP For one, Trump appears to be wavering on the idea of chairing the board, noting on Monday that he is busy. He also backed away from Blair, saying he had to find out if Blair would be acceptable to everyone else involved. More fundamentally, Hassan says the proposed peacekeeping force would put Arab troops and governments in harms way by asking them to provide security for a traumatised population that is again being asked to live under a form of foreign occupation. If [Trump] really believes hes created a peace agreement thats Nobel Prize-worthy in 2026, I think he is going to have to modify, she says. Hes going to have to take the regions preferences and concerns, and Palestinian rights, into account. Loading Not only would that require changes unpalatable to Netanyahu and his allies, but it would need Trump to stay deeply involved and not lose interest. That is a risk, says former State Department veteran Aaron David Miller, who advised six secretaries of state on Arab-Israeli relations. If its going to work, I think Donald Trump is going to have to show an extraordinary degree of focus and determination, Miller told MSNBC. American leadership, by and large, I would argue was the determining factor that led to today. Many of the world leaders gathered in Egypt must have been snorting internally at Trumps insistence that he had solved the Middle Easts ancient problems. David was named on Monday as one of the freed hostages, who were taken to an Israeli hospital as soon as they were transferred by the Red Cross. His best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, was also kidnapped at the Nova festival and also released on Monday. Finally, our Evyatar is home, his family said after releasing a photo of him being hugged by his parents, Avishai and Galia. Evyatar David with his parents Avishai and Galia. Evyatar David gestures to the crowd outside Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre. Inset: A still showing David from a video released by Hamas in August. Credit: Getty Images From the first moment, we knew he would return, and here, after two years of suffering, he is here. Even in our incomprehensible joy, our hearts are with the families who lost their most precious. The joy at return of the hostages was marked with grief over those who died in captivity as well as the deaths of 1200 Israelis when Hamas a designated terrorist group in Australia and other countries launched the attack two years ago. Loading Hamas fighters handed the hostages to Red Cross aid workers as agreed in the ceasefire terms, with the first seven crossing into Israel about three hours ahead of the deadline of noon on Monday in Israel (8pm AEST). In a move that angered families, Hamas did not transfer the bodies of 28 dead hostages as agreed; only four were released. The moments were shown live as crowds cheered at gatherings across Israel when officials confirmed the hostages were being returned alive as expected after 736 days in captivity. One of the first hostages to emerge was Alon Ohel, a young man who was set on a career in music before he was taken by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. Ohel, a pianist, had only just returned to Israel from a holiday in Asia ranging from Thailand to India and Nepal when he chose to join friends at the music festival. He was trapped in a group at a bomb shelter and seized while others were slaughtered. Two others released were twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman, taken by Hamas from their home in the Kfar-Aza kibbutz along with their friend Emily Damari, a young British Israeli woman. While Damari was released in January in a temporary ceasefire, the brothers were kept as bargaining chips. Hostages had been released before, some through negotiated prisoner exchanges during the war and some by determination of Israeli troops to find Hamas tunnels and do everything necessary to free those inside. The search for the hostages became daily proof to the world of the relentless nature of the war and the fact that Israel would never rest until every possible citizen had been rescued. What some saw as a merciless war, inflicting unbearable civilian casualties, Israel saw as a just cause. The hostage transfer cleared the way for Israel to release almost 2000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who were jailed for life, to ensure the ceasefire continues under terms agreed last week. Palestinian prisoners are greeted after being released from Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Credit: AP US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv. Credit: Getty Images President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. Credit: AP Loading Trump raised hopes that the ceasefire could be turned into a long-term peace after further talks with global leaders at a summit in Egypt that will include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads a governing authority that is meant to help restore stability to Gaza. The war is over, you understand that, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel. In his address to the Knesset after the hostage release, the US president reminded the Israeli parliament that US weapons had been key to the war against Hamas and that it was time for Israel to end the fighting. The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace, he said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. But there is no agreement on the power structure to manage Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli troops over the past few days. The Israeli Defence Forces said the country remained in a multi-front war and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled there could be more fighting to come. This is a historic event that blends sorrow over the release of murderers and joy over the return of hostages, Netanyahu said in a televised address on the eve of the hostage release. And I want to say: Everywhere we fought we won. But in the same breath, I must tell you: the campaign is not over. There are still very great security challenges ahead of us. Some of our enemies are trying to rebuild themselves to attack us again. And as we say Were on it. People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv. Credit: AP People celebrate in hostages square. Credit: AP Hamas fighters have returned to parts of Gaza following the withdrawal of Israeli troops under the terms of the ceasefire, fuelling speculation about further conflict. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces, said the country was in the midst of a multi-front war with more challenges ahead. Netanyahu is not expected to attend the summit at the Sharm El-Sheikh resort in Egypt. Those planning to attend include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordans King Abdullah II and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Loading United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Council President Antonio Costa are expected to attend. Netanyahu appeared to be aware of the heated opinions about his leadership ahead of the hostage release. Netanyahu was booed when his name was mentioned in front of the crowd in Tel Aviv on Saturday, when about 500,000 people gathered to commemorate those killed and kidnapped. Several media organisations with reporters in the square now known as Hostage Square reported the booing. ICRC vehicles transporting released Israeli hostages head toward the Israeli border in Khan Younis. Credit: AP ICRC vehicles carrying released Israeli hostages make their way through groups of Palestinians and Hamas gunmen on their way to the Israeli border, in Khan Younis. Credit: AP London: The bombs have stopped near the clinic in southern Gaza where Rachael Cummings works, but the hunger has not changed. Children are still turning up to the clinic with diarrhoea and signs of malnutrition. Women trying to breastfeed their newborn babies are still arriving malnourished. The need for supplies is huge, says Cummings, the humanitarian director for Save the Children in Gaza. Trucks carrying aid wait at the border crossing for entry into the Gaza Strip on October 12, 2025, in Rafah, Egypt. Credit: Getty Images Like other aid workers, Cummings hopes the ceasefire in Gaza will end the restrictions on food, water, medical supplies and shelter for Palestinians who have lost their homes over two years of unremitting war. Noa Argamani pleads for her life while being driven away from the Nova festival on October 7. Credit: X Argamani was seen on an all-terrain vehicle, crying, Dont kill me! and reaching out her arms to Or, who was being marched away by militants. The Hamas video of Avinatan Or and his partner Noa Argamani being abducted from the Nova music festival in southern Israel became one of the defining images of October 7, 2023. In the hours that followed, the released hostages held tearful reunions with partners and relatives, many of whom had feared they would never see their loved ones again. Here are some of the reunions, in footage released by the Israeli government. Tel Aviv: Hamas release of the 20 living Israeli hostages on Monday brought one of the conflicts darkest chapters to a close, amid hopes that the new ceasefire deal may also signal an end to two years of war in the devastated Gaza Strip. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Guy Gilboa-Dalal was shown being greeted by relatives in an emotional homecoming video on Monday. He was also abducted from the Nova music festival, along with his childhood friend Evyatar David, while his brother managed to escape. Citing Channel 12, The Times of Israel reported that Or had been held entirely in isolation and did not see any other captives until his release. Or is then taken to a room where he finds Argamani, 28, who was rescued by Israeli special forces in Gaza along with three other hostages in June 2024. The two embrace and kiss, apparently overwhelmed by the moment. On Monday, the pair was finally reunited. An Israeli government video showed Or, 32, first hugging and kissing his parents as his mother Ditza chants the Jewish shehecheyanu blessing, voicing gratitude for new experiences on his return from two years in captivity in Gaza. The condition of the hostages in the videos horrified Israelis, with tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets to demand a ceasefire deal, in one of the largest turnouts for the weekly hostage protests in months. Evyatar David was shown being greeted by cheering crowds outside Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, before meeting relatives after 738 days in captivity. He was also taken hostage at the Nova festival with his friend Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Another video released on Monday showed him reuniting with David in hospital. According to Israels Channel 12, the pair had been kept together in captivity before being separated about two months ago. His son made binoculars in kindergarten, which he often uses to go out and look for his father, according to Bohbots mother, Ruhama. Bohbot was also kidnapped from the Nova music festival and, in the past year, Hamas has published multiple videos of him, filmed under duress, including one where he has a fake telephone conversation with his wife and son and his mother and his brother pleading with them to help him get out of Gaza. Elkana Bohbot appeared in a video reuniting with his wife, Rivka, and their young son, Reem David. In July, Sharon shared a photo of the twins marking their fifth birthday, their second without their father, writing on Facebook that the girls have changed so much while hes been in captivity that theyre not the same little girls he knew. Ariel and David Cunio with their family at the initial reception point after their release. Credit: Israeli Defence Forces David Cunio was also kidnapped with his wife, Sharon, and their three-year-old twins from the Nir Oz kibbutz. Sharons sister, Danielle, and her five-year-old daughter, who were visiting, were also kidnapped. All were released in November, except for David. The youngest of the four brothers, Ariel was kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz with his partner, Arbel Yehoud, and her brother, Dolev, a married father of four who was later killed in captivity. Yehoud was released during the ceasefire in January. The Cunio brothers, David and Ariel, were reunited with their partners, Sharon and Arbel, as well as their parents, Sylvia and Luis, and their other brothers, Eitan and Lucas. Eitan Mor was filmed reuniting with his parents at an Israeli military base. Mor was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival, where he helped evacuate people injured in the attack. His parents helped found the Tikva Forum, a loosely organised group of hostage families. Freed Israeli hostage Eitan Mor gestures from a van as he arrives at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. Credit: AP They advocated for military pressure, not an immediate ceasefire or hostage release deal, as the best chance for bringing the hostages home; a stance that put Mors father at odds with many of the other hostage families. Matan Zangauker, 25 Matan Zangaukers tearful reunion with his mother, Einav, was shown in Israeli military footage. Youre my life, she tells him. My life. My hero. Come, come. Zangauker was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz along with his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky. The two met while working on a medical cannabis farm there. Gritzewsky was released after 55 days and advocated tirelessly for Zangaukers release, wearing his hat, which she rescued from their burnt home. His mother has been a constant presence at protests, giving impassioned speeches and even being hoisted in a cage above the crowd to draw attention to the hostages plight. Einav Zangauker, who said she was previously a Netanyahu supporter, has emerged as one of his harshest critics Matan Angrest, 22 Matan Angrest, an Israeli soldier kidnapped from his tank in southern Israel on October 7, was released in the first group of hostages to be returned and later filmed reuniting with his family in hospital. His mother, Anat Angrest, told Israels Channel 12 her son had suffered very severe torture because he was a soldier. He was alone for a long period, under special guard, she said, adding that Matan told her he refused to break for the monsters who held him hostage. Matan is the oldest of four children from Kiryat Bialik, outside of Haifa. His family has been among the most vocal protesters and very critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gali Berman and Ziv Berman, 28 Gaza hostage Ziv Berman celebrates from a helicopter as he arrives at Chaim Sheba Medical Centre in Israel. Credit: Getty Images Gali and Ziv Berman embrace on the Gaza Strip after being released by Hamas on Monday. Credit: Israeli Defence Forces The fraternal twins were taken from their homes in kibbutz Kfar Aza, on the border with Gaza, during the October 7 attack. Seventeen others were also abducted from Kfar Aza, but the Berman twins are the only hostages from the kibbutz who remain in captivity. The family has heard from hostages who returned in a previous deal that, as of February, the brothers were alive but being held separately. Liran Berman, their older brother, said its the longest the two have ever spent apart. In Kfar Aza, the twins lived in apartments across from each other. Gali is more outgoing, while Ziv is more reserved and shy with a sharp sense of humour, their brother said. Alon Ohel, 24 Freed Israeli hostage Alon Ohel gestures from a van as he arrives at Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel. Credit: AP Alon Ohel, who also has German and Serbian citizenship, was kidnapped at the Nova music festival from a mobile bomb shelter along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli who was killed in captivity in August 2024. Ohel is a talented pianist, and his family has placed pianos across Israel and several sites around the world to raise awareness of his plight. Three other hostages who had been held with Ohel for more than a year were released during the previous ceasefire, including Eli Sharabi, who said Ohel was like his adopted son. Sharabi said they were kept chained for the entire period of their captivity and subsisted on a mouldy pita per day. Ohel has shrapnel in his eye from the attack on the bomb shelter, and his family is worried he may be partially blind. Omri Miran, 48 Hostage Omri Miran was filmed reuniting on Monday with the children he had not seen for two years. Miran was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz kibbutz. During the attack, militants held his family, including his two-year-old and six-month-old daughters, hostage in the kitchen of a neighbours house and broadcast it on Facebook Live. Hostage Omri Miran, 48, reunites with wife Lishay at the initial reception point in southern Israel. Credit: Israeli Defence Forces Miran and the father of the other family, Tsachi Idan, were both kidnapped. Idans body was released during the last hostage exchange after he was killed in captivity. Lishay Miran Lavi, Mirans wife, said their younger daughter knows Daddy Omri only through photos and videos, and doesnt really understand what a father is. Maksym Harkin, 37 Maksym Harkin, right, meets with his family after being released from Hamas captivity. Credit: AP Maksym Harkin was abducted from Nova, which was the first festival he had ever attended, according to his family. Harkin was born in Ukraine and moved to Israel with his family, where he lived in Tirat Carmel in the north. He has a three-year-old daughter and was the primary provider for his mother and 11-year-old brother. Just before he was taken, his mother said he sent a final text message that said, I love you. In July, Hamas released a video of him filmed under duress several months prior. Rom Braslavski, 21 Rom Broslavski meets his family after his release. Credit: Israeli Defence Forces Braslavski was working as a security guard at the Nova festival. He attempted to help festival-goers evacuate and was wounded in both hands before being kidnapped, witnesses said. In August, the Islamic Jihad militant group released a video of a skeletal Braslavski sobbing and pleading for his life, adding that injuries to his foot prevent him from standing. The videos of Braslavski and Evyatar David digging his own grave horrified Israelis, sparking some of the largest attendance in months at weekly protests. His father, Ofir, said Rom is usually a strong, happy-go-lucky kid, and that video is the first time hes seen his son cry. Nimrod Cohen, 21 Nimrod Cohen and his family were flown to a hospital in Tel Aviv in a helicopter piloted by Israeli Air Force chief Major General Tomer Bar, the Times of Israel reported. A soldier, Cohen was kidnapped on October 7 from a tank near where he was stationed in southern Israel. Cohen is obsessed with Rubiks cubes, his family said, and a burned Rubiks cube was found in the tank he was abducted from. He was the only survivor of the four-member tank crew. Eitan Horn, 38 Eitan Horn was filmed reuniting with his brother Iair, who was also taken hostage and released under an earlier deal. Eitan, originally from Kfar Saba, was visiting his brother at the Nir Oz kibbutz on October 7. Both were kidnapped, and for most of the war, they were held with three other hostages in a filthy cell underground. In early February, militants filmed the emotional interaction between the brothers as they were told that Iair would be released and Eitan would stay in Gaza. Since his release, Iair Horn campaigned for his brother and the other hostages, flying frequently to the United States and meeting with politicians. Segev Kalfon, 27 Gaza hostage Segev Kalfon arrives at Chaim Sheba Medical Centre at Tel HaShomer after his release. Credit: Getty Images Segev Kalfon was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was last seen attempting to flee militants along the highway. Before the attack, he worked at his familys bakery in Dimona, in southern Israel. The middle child of three, Kalfon, had recently been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, a condition his family has highlighted in urging his release. Kalfons family received a sign of life from him after the last ceasefire, when some of the hostages said they were held with him for months. Kalfons family has focused on religious rituals in their fight for his release, including travelling to the grave of prominent rabbis and dedicating a Torah scroll in his honour. Bar Kupershtein, 23 Bar Kupershtein was greeted by his family, including his wheelchair-user father, Tal, who managed to stand and hug his son on his return from captivity. A paramedic, Bar Kupershtein was working at the Nova festival when he was abducted. Witnesses said he stayed at the festival to try to provide first aid to people who had been shot and injured. Kupershtein was the main financial support for his family after his father was severely injured in an accident several years ago, his aunt, Ora Rubinstein, told reporters. She said that his father had worked with a physical therapist to regain the ability to speak, so he could meet politicians to advocate for his sons release. Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25 Yosef-Chaim Ohana, front, meets with family members after being released from Hamas captivity. Credit: AP Yosef-Chaim Ohana was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a bartender. Witnesses saw him attempting to help others escape before he was kidnapped. He is the oldest of three brothers, one of whom previously died from an illness. The two hostages determined to be dead Bipin Joshi, 24 Bipin Joshi, 24. Credit: Bring Them Home Now Bipin Joshi arrived in Israel from his native Nepal a month before the attack. He is the only non-Israeli hostage believed to be alive in Gaza. He came to Israel on a student exchange to work and study agriculture at the Alumim kibbutz on the Gaza border. Ten of the 17 Nepali students in the program were killed during the attack. Joshi, who was able to throw a number of live grenades out of the bomb shelter where they were hiding, was injured and kidnapped. Joshis sister, 17-year-old Pushpa Joshi, regularly travels eight hours each way on buses to Kathmandu from her home in western Nepal to lobby officials to secure her brothers release. In August, his family travelled to Israel to meet with President Isaac Herzog and join families demonstrating in Tel Avivs Hostage Square. Last week, Joshis family released footage of him in captivity filmed under duress from around November 2023. Tamir Nimrodi, 20 Tamir Nimrodi, 20. Credit: Bring Them Home Now Tamir Nimrodi was kidnapped from Erez, a crossing on the northern border of Gaza that had been the main route for people entering and leaving the territory. He had been serving with the Israeli defence body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza. Nimrodi was kidnapped with two other soldiers by militants who walked them to the Gaza gate and forced them to cross. Israel confirmed the deaths of the two soldiers who were kidnapped with Nimrodi. There has been no sign of life from Nimrodi in the two years since he was seen in footage walking into Gaza in shorts and a T-shirt without his glasses. Herut Nimrodi, his mother, has said she doesnt know what is worse: to think he has been killed in captivity, or that hes alive but being held in terrible conditions. Im scared to even imagine, she said. Prior to Mondays release, there were 48 hostages held in Gaza, including the body of one soldier from a previous war. Israel had determined that at least 25 of the hostages were killed on October 7, 2023, or died while in captivity. AP, Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter. Graduates Polls BJP to tap those who traditionally dont vote Dayashankar Tiwari, Dr Milind Mane, Sandip Jadhav and others at the residence of a voter in North Nagpur. By Vikas Vaidya : With local body polls nearing, political parties are taking efforts to woo the voters in their own style and are also trying to stay ahead of their opponent parties. Most aspirants endeavoured during Ganeshotsav and Navratri when maximum programmes were organised. As far as Graduates polls are concerned, the Congress has stepped ahead of others as it has already declared name of its candidate-Adv Abhijeet Wanjari, the present MLC of the same constituency. Now Bharatiya Janata Party, in its style, adopted a new approach wherein, it is tapping the voters who usually dont vote for it. As its city President Dayashankar Tiwari said, No voter should be left out of political arena, the party workers are contacting citizens. City BJP team is trying to cover at least 50 wards, 700 booths and over 200 shakti kendras. On the seventh day on Sunday, Tiwari-led team visited 52 wards, 758 booths, and 253 Shakti Kendras across seven divisions. The BJP office-bearers, workers are trying to reach every home and establish connect with the people, wherein they are interacting with people in person, in their own homes. During Tiwaris visit, plans were made to organise Mann Ki Baat at 12 different locations in each booth over 12 months, connecting citizens with it, and holding booth committee meetings every month within the same programme. The goal is to establish contact with estimated voters who do not vote for BJP. This connect is being established through social platforms and religious festivals. It is trying to transform that contact into a friendly relationship, bringing them into the family circle, and then converting them into voting for BJP. Tiwari has clearly told the booth chiefs to pay special attention to ensure that no citizen of the area is left out of contact with politics in view of expanding voting. Congress appoints coordinators for Nagpur Graduates polls Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Harshvardhan Sapkal has announced the names for the district-level coordinators for the 2026 Maharashtra Legislative Council polls. The term of Adv Abhijeet Wanjari, the present MLC of Graduate constituency and also the Senior Vice-President of MPCC, is ending after 14 months. Congress has already declared name of Adv Abhijeet Wanjari as its candidate for the 2026 Graduate polls. Satej Patil, Group Leader in Legislative Council is the Coordinator for Nagpur Division for the Legisaltive Council elections. The division comprises six districts, viz Nagpur, Wardha, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gondia. Manikrao Thakre, Member of All India Congress Committee (AICC) has been appointed as Coordinator for Chandrapur district. Senior State Vice-President and former Minister Dr Sunil Deshmukh for Nagpur, ex-Education Minister Vasant Purke for Wardha, Senior Vice-President and ex-MLC Dr Wajahat Mirza for Bhandara, Senior Vice-President of MPCC Sachin Naik for Gadchiroli, General Secretary of MPCC Atul Kotecha for Gondia. Operation Blue Star a mistake!!! Indira Gandhi paid for it with her life: PC SHIMLA : CONGRESS leader P Chidambaram said Operation Blue Star was not the right way to capture militants holed up in the Golden Temple in 1984, due to which the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, paid with her life. There was a way to retrieve and capture all militants but Operation Blue Star was the wrong way and I agree that Mrs Gandhi paid with her life for the mistake but the mistake was cumulative decision of the Army, intelligence, police and civil defence and you cannot completely blame (just) Mrs Gandhi, the former Home Minister said during a book launch in Himachal Pradeshs Kasauli on Saturday. Chidambaram made the remarks during a conversation with journalist and author Harinder Baweja on her memoir They Will Shoot You Madam: My Life Through Conflict at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival. Operation Blue Star was a military operation held between June 1-10, 1984, to remove Damdami Taksal leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest site among Sikhs. Later that year, Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister at the time, was assassinated. The Congress leadership is very upset with former Home Minister P Chidambaram for his remarks on Operation Bluestar, and is of the view that senior leaders should be careful before making public statements that create embarrassment for the party, sources said on Sunday. Party sources said the Congress leadership was of the view that senior leaders, who have got everything from the Congress party, should be more careful in making statements that create embarrassments for the party. And, this cannot become a habit. They said senior leaders should make public statements with care because their repeated statements create problems for the party which is not correct. The BJP hit out at the Congress after former Union Home Minister P Chidambarams remarks on Operation Blue Star and said history must record the truth that it was not a national necessity but a political misadventure by Indira Gandhi. Will the Congress now act against Chidambaram for speaking the truth and exposing their false narrative? the ruling party asked. Chidambaram said, No disrespect to any service or military officer, but Operation Blue Star was not the right way to retrieve the Golden Temple and about 3-4 years later we showed the right way by keeping the Army out in Operation Black Thunder. Operation Black Thunder was carried out in 1986 and 1988 to flush out militants hiding in the Golden Temple. Baweja said that Operation Blue Star led to the next chapter of violence in Punjab. She added that Indira Gandhi mixed religion with politics and engaged Bhindranwale to help control the Akalis, which she said was a supremely bad idea. Chidambaram objected to the suggestion that Bhindranwale was created by Gandhi. I am not sure whether that accusation against Mrs Gandhi is correct that she created Bindranwala. The Kashmir issue was also discussed at length at the book launch. Baweja, who has covered several conflicts in the Valley, said, I think Kashmiris very early understood that Pakistan was using them but somehow New Delhi never seized the opportunity to reduce the trust deficit with people of the Valley. We are talking about the wounds conflicts inflict on the population, she said. Chidambaram said there is an alternative story of Kashmir than the one seen on television every evening. Pakistan, Afghanistan cross-border clashes escalate ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR : Pakistan claims 19 Afghan security posts captured and over 200 Taliban terrorists killed in response to unprovoked attacks by Afghan forces; Kabul claims 58 Pakistani soldiers killed during retaliatory ops PAKISTAN seized 19 Afghan military posts and terrorist hideouts in response to what it termed unprovoked attacks by Afghan forces in the border areas, security sources said on Sunday, while Kabul claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 30 others injured during the retaliatory operations. At least 23 Pakistani soldiers and over 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists were killed in intense overnight clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Pakistani army said on Sunday, as tensions escalated between the two neighbours amid mutual accusations of cross-border aggression. The Taliban-led governments Defence Ministry confirmed the attacks early on Sunday, saying that its forces had conducted retaliatory and successful operations. If the opposing side again violates Afghanistans territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nations borders and will deliver a strong response, the Ministry said. Afghan forces targeted Pakistani posts at Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baramcha in Balochistan. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban Governments chief spokesman, said that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed and around 30 others wounded during the operations on Saturday night, Tolo News reported. Mujahid added that during the retaliatory operations across the Durand Line, 20 Pakistani security outposts were destroyed, and numerous weapons and military equipment were seized. He said that nine Afghan soldiers were killed and 16 others were wounded in the operations, according to the report. The spokesperson said that the operation was halted at midnight following requests from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, it added. Pakistans Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the Taliban attacks on border posts unprovoked, accusing them of firing at civilians. Firing by Afghan forces on the civilian population is a blatant violation of international laws. Pakistans brave forces have given a prompt and effective response that no provocation will be tolerated, he said. He said Pakistans forces are alert, and Afghanistan is being answered with stones for bricks. The situation deteriorated between the two neighbours following repeated terrorist attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), allegedly using the Afghan soil, including one in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwas Orakzai district last week, which claimed the lives of 11 military personnel, including a Lt Colonel and a Major. On Thursday night, explosions were reported from the Afghan capital. Kabul blamed Islamabad for the attacks, but the Pakistani army refused to confirm or deny its involvement. Apparently prompted by the Kabul strikes, the Afghan security forces targeted attacks against Pakistan on Saturday night. Pakistan launched its retaliatory response early Sunday, hitting several border areas and destroying border posts, the state media reported. However, security sources confirmed that Pakistani forces deployed at the international border targeted several Afghan border posts, adding that there were reports of significant damage inflicted on multiple Afghan posts and militant formations. So far, Pakistan has captured 19 Afghan posts on the Afghan border from where attacks were being launched on Pakistan, state broadcaster PTV News said on X, citing security sources. They claimed several Afghan soldiers were killed and militant formations were forced to retreat due to the effective and intense retaliation by Pakistani forces. Artillery, tanks, light and heavy weapons were used in the retaliatory action, along with air resources and drones, said the sources. They added that Afghan posts failed to provide covering fire to the militants, and there are reports of heavy losses among Afghan border posts and militants. The state broadcaster issued the following statement quoting security sources: Unprovoked firing from the Afghan side at Pak-Afghan border, a strong, intense response from Pakistan Army. It said Pakistan was currently targeting terrorist camps and hideouts of khawarij, ISIS located near the Pak-Afghan border inside Afghanistan with great precision. Afghan forces have retreated from several areas. Afghanistan will not tolerate external aggression: Afghan Foreign Minister: AFGHANISTAN wants a peaceful resolution of its ongoing conflict with Pakistan but if the peace efforts dont succeed, then it has other means, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday, asserting that his country is fiercely united in confronting any external invasion. As fresh fighting between the two sides broke out following Pakistani air strike in Kabul on Thursday, Muttaqi, currently on a six-day visit to India, said the overall situation is under control and that his country will not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty. In retaliation against the Pakistani action, Afghan forces on Saturday night attacked a number of Pakistani military posts along the frontier between the two neighbours that triggered fears of a wider conflict. A Taliban spokesperson said in Kabul that Afghan forces captured several Pakistani border posts and killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in the fighting. The policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is to resolve all problems through discussion and understanding. We want to have zero tension and if they dont want that, then Afghanistan has other means, Muttaqi said in a clear message to Pakistan from New Delhi. The Afghan Foreign Minister said Afghanistan has no problem with people and politicians of Pakistan, but added that certain elements in that country are trying to spoil the environment. Pakistan has been accusing the Taliban regime of giving shelter to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists, blaming the group for a series of attacks inside the country. Kabul has rejected the charges. We have no difficulties with Pakistani people and politicians. There are some specific elements in Pakistan who are trying to spoil the situation, he said. Afghanistan will maintain the security of its territory and airspace. There have been violations and we have given immediate responses to them. In the night, there were retaliatory operations in which we achieved our objectives, he said. Muttaqi said Afghanistan has the capacity to defend its territory and airspace, adding Kabul wants to peacefully resolve all issues through dialogue and understanding. If some people dont want to resolve this episode, Afghanistan has the capacity to protect its territory and airspace. The people and forces of Afghanistan are united to defend the country. Afghanistan has another great speciality that even if we have internal differences, when the issue of external interference comes up, then all the Afghan people, government and clerics get united to confront it and defend the country, he said. Even in the future, our people and the Government will unite and defend the country, he said. The Afghan Foreign Minister said several friendly countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, contacted Kabul and conveyed that the fighting should stop. From our side, we have stopped the fighting, and the situation is under control. We want good relations. Our doors for talks are open. We brought peace to Afghanistan. We want peace in the entire region, he said. Muttaqi also cited Afghanistans recent history to assert that the country is determined to defeat external forces. We have a policy of desiring good relations with all countries. There was fighting in Afghanistan for more than 40 years. The Soviet Union came and was defeated. The troops of more than 50 countries came with the US and NATO and there was fighting for 20 years and now Afghanistan is independent and standing on its own feet, he said. There have been no bad incidents in Afghanistan for four years. From East to West and North to West, people are united and standing with the Islamic Emirate, he said. Muttaqi further added: The policy of the Islamic Emirate is to resolve all problems through discussion and understanding. SC to order on probe into Karur stampede today NEW DELHI : THE Supreme Court is slated to pronounce its order on Monday on pleas challenging the Madras High Courts directive for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Karur stampede a tragic incident that claimed 41 lives and left over 100 injured. As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a Bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria will pronounce its decision on October 13 on a batch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the matter. While actor-politician Vijays party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has sought a probe under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge, several others, including BJP leader Uma Anandan, are seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry. The tragedy, one of the worst crowd-control failures in Tamil Nadu in recent years, sent shockwaves across the country and raised serious questions about public safety at political events. Earlier, the Madras High Court had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under IPS officer Asra Garg to probe the tragic incident, while refusing to proceed further on a petition seeking a CBI investigation. In an order passed on September 3, the Madras High Court had criticised the political leadership of TVK for abandoning their followers in the aftermath of the deadly incident. Shockingly, the programme organisers, including the leader of the political party, absconded from the venue, abandoning their own cadres, followers, and fans. There is neither remorse, nor responsibility, nor even an expression of regret, observed a single-judge Bench of Justice N. Senthilkumar. The Madras High Court strongly condemned the conduct of Vijay, the organisers of the event and the members of the political party for fleeing from the scene of occurrence immediately after the mishaps. It is incumbent upon such a party to have taken immediate steps to rescue and assist individuals caught in the stampede-like situation arising from the massive crowd in which many children, women, and several young person tragically lost their lives, it added. In its special leave petition (SLP), TVK Secretary Aadhav Arjuna objected to what the party termed unverified and prejudicial observations made against its leadership by the Madras High Court, adding that TVK leaders and cadre had, in fact, immediately coordinated relief and medical aid when reports of people fainting emerged. The Madras High Court had directed the SIT to conduct an impartial and time-bound investigation and submit periodic updates. JINAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- When 22-year-old Zhou Tiancong from Yantai in east China's Shandong Province returned to his college after the recent eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, his luggage stood out: a bag of flour and several freshly made, cartoon-style fruit-shaped Huabobo -- steamed buns representing Chinese folk dough art. Back at the college's intangible cultural heritage research center, Zhou's fellow students were eagerly waiting to exchange ideas with him about their own holiday creations. A centuries-old craft recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Shandong, Jiaodong Huabobo is far more than just steamed buns. Significantly larger than ordinary ones, they are skillfully molded by artisans into symbolic forms like mandarin ducks, carp, dragons, phoenixes and longevity peaches, all carrying auspicious messages in Chinese culinary tradition. After steaming and cooling, they are painted in vibrant colors, transformed into vivid artworks that symbolize prosperity and a thriving life. They play a central role in Chinese folk customs for weddings, birthdays and festivals. Now, this traditional art is gaining fresh momentum from China's post-2000s generation. In the hands of Zhou, Huabobo has been reinvented with modern twists and creative concepts. His latest design, celebrating both the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, features a two-tiered "cake" adorned with exaggerated cartoon figures of the Lunar Goddess Chang'e and her pet -- Yutu (jade rabbit) -- in Chinese mythology. Zhou's fascination with Huabobo began in childhood. He would linger at festive banquets, captivated by the intricate dough sculptures, reluctant to look away. His passion was ignited during a primary school session on intangible cultural heritage, where he first tried making Huabobo himself -- an experience that sparked a lasting devotion. China joined the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2004. To date, the country leads the world with 44 items inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage lists. In recent years, China has been actively building systems to nurture intangible cultural heritage talent, promoting heritage workshops and integrating traditional mentorship with modern education. This has attracted growing numbers of post-2000s youth, who are breathing new life into traditional crafts through creative innovation. At the intangible cultural heritage research center of Taishan College of Science and Technology, Zhou and his fellow students experiment weekly in their "Huabobo Lab," a dough modeling workshop he established with the college's support, where he regularly guides students alongside instructors. "Making Huabobo is a nuanced art," Zhou said. "Seemingly minor variables -- the batch of flour, water hardness, temperature, humidity -- can spark completely different artistic outcomes." "Huabobo is a centuries-old treasure, and I want to create innovative works that express the vitality of youth," Zhou said. His dough creations, along with those of his peers, range from traditional figures like ancient court ladies and opera roles to popular animation characters and his own original cartoons. He aspires to build his own brand and develop a unique cultural IP. In August, Zhou took his first entrepreneurial step by opening a Huabobo store in his hometown, which quickly became a hit. During holidays, he would sometimes work from 7 a.m. until after 2 a.m. the next morning. "It's tiring, but deeply satisfying," he said. The creative process brings him a sense of fulfillment and inner peace. Looking ahead, he plans to launch Huabobo DIY kits, aiming to make them not only visually appealing and tasty but also a medium for emotional connection. Through these efforts, he hopes to transform this tradition from festive food into a cultural symbol embraced by the younger generation. Entertainment / Celebrity by Simbarashe Sithole/Gideon Madzikatidze HARARE - Renowned music producer Tapiwa "Maselo PaBit" Jera has launched a passionate campaign against drug abuse, pledging to use his influence to steer Zimbabwean youth away from substance dependency and toward positive life choices.Maselo, known for his vibrant productions and youth appeal, called on fellow artistes to shun drugs and join him in promoting a culture of empowerment and resilience."I want to work with other like-minded artists to ensure that we use our influence to convince the youths that drugs do not pay but destroy," Maselo said.His initiative complements the efforts of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who has long championed youth empowerment and health education. Maselo's campaign aims to produce a hard-hitting riddim that highlights the devastating effects of drug abuse, using music as a tool for transformation."There are a lot of young people out there, both boys and girls, who can change overnight through arts and other life-changing projects," he emphasised.The campaign has already attracted support from influential figures, and Maselo hopes to collaborate with more artistes to amplify the message and reach communities across the country.By leveraging his platform and creative talent, Maselo's initiative stands as a beacon of hope for young Zimbabweans struggling with addiction, offering them a path toward purpose, healing, and self-belief. News / Africa by Staff Reporter Mtshengiseni Gcwensa a Maskandi musician in South Africa popularly known as Indidane was loved by thousands of fans, respected for his humility and his respect for other people, but according to the book, Indidane Inkosi Kamaskandi, the star was hiding a dark secret.It is claimed that Indidane was a hitman who killed for money.The author of the book, former journalist Eric Ngobe, alleges that maskandi artist, Gcwensa, better known by his stage name of Indidane, told him all his secrets before his death last year."He asked me to write the book and to reveal those secrets - but only after his death because he would get into trouble if the truth came out while he was still alive," said Ngobe.Ngobe claimed when Indidane first arrived in a Joburg hostel he needed money. So he allegedly took a job as a hitman because he needed the money.That was before he started performing maskandi music with his late friend Mgqumeni "Ibhova Likadikadika" Khumalo."Maskandi music rescued him from being a hitman as he became popular and sold many records. He also won many awards," said Ngobe.He said the book contains many secrets, including the matter that made his former best friend Mgqumeni his enemy, and the disease that finally claimed his life last year."I cannot reveal everything but the book will tell all."Indidane wanted the people to know everything after his death," said Ngobe, who said Indidane asked him to write the book because he was a traditional writer at a newspaper.Indidane's family spokesman, Velo Bhengu, told Daily Sun that they knew that Indidane had chosen Ngobe to write about his secrets."The family knows every shocking secret that is written in the book," he said.The book will be officially launched next Sunday at a Maskandi festival in Indidane's home town of eMsinga in KwaMajozi Village.Entrance will be free.Indidane died in July last year after suffering complications from TB. More than 50 000 people from different provinces attended his funeral.He has won at least 18 awards as a Maskandi artist. IPOM condemns | IMPHAL, Oct 12: The demolition of the historic Rajbari in Shillong without consulting the people first is strongly condemned, Indigenous Peoples Organisation Manipur (IPOM) has said. Had the Art and Culture Department and the Planning and Development Authority (PDA) clarified and made known their intentions before the historic structure was demolished, people's reaction would have been different, said IPOM vice president Chandramani Khumancha, speaking to reporters at Manipur Press Club, Imphal. Representing several organisations, Chandramani said, the PDA's clarification came late while it should have issued such a clarification sooner before the Rajbari was dismantled for reconstruction. Now that the structure has been demolished, the authorities concerned of the Government should publicly set a deadline for completion of the scheduled reconstruction, he said. Dragging the reconstruction work endlessly without setting a deadline would anger the already agitated people. The Government and the Department concerned, therefore, must give a specific time period for completion of the reconstruction, he said. The press meet was jointly organised by IPOM, Meitei Pangal Council Manipur (MPCM), Anouba Senmitlon, Progressive Alliance For Leadership & Empowerment of Mother (PALEM), UPACO, Yelhoumi Kanba Lup (YEMKAL), World Meitei Organisation and MPF. UKLF welcomes | IMPHAL, Oct 12: The United Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) has welcomed NSCN(IM) General Secretary Th Muivahs historic return to his birthplace, Somdal village, Ukhrul district after a 50-year absence. The UKLF sincerely hopes that his homecoming will foster deeper understanding and strengthen the relationship between our communities. It is our fervent hope and prayer that this occasion will lead to lasting peace and unity among the tribal communities under Gods guidance and blessings, said a press release by the UKLF ministry of info and publicity. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Tata Motors is set for demerger on October 14 as two separate entities: Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd. The existing listed company will be renamed Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd and it will include passenger cars and JLR business of the company. On the other hand, the new entity will assume the name Tata Motors Ltd and will have commercial vehicles. The move is expected to unlock value for investors. However, it has slumped around 11 per cent this year amid challenges faced by its luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover. It has plunged 5 per cent in the last one month. Pre-opening session For investors who are awaiting Tata Motors demerger, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has scheduled a special pre-opening trading session on Tuesday. The session is scheduled from 9 am to 10 am ahead of stock split and restructuring. Record date and ex-date The record date, October 14, will determine which shareholders are eligible to receive shares of the demerged entity. Those who are holding Tata Motors shares by end of Tuesday market closure will be eligible to receive one share of the new demerged company for every share they have. It should be noted that the ex-date was October 13. Any purchases made on or after the ex-date will not be eligible for the demerger allocation. Since the settlement is T+1 cycle, investors have to buy shares by October 13 to be on record by October 14. Share allocation The shares of the new entity will be allocated likely by October or early November. Listing date The listing date of the PV entity is expected to be announced after regulatory formalities are completed. How will demerger affect Tata Motors share price? The stock price of Tata Motors will be adjusted to reflect the value of the two entities with the combined value of both stocks remaining close to the pre-demerger price. Investors should expect price fluctuations in the short term as the market value of both entities will be discovered independently. India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft programme will witness a major leap as the the Indian Air Force will receive the first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A later this month, enhancing the operational capabilities of the IAF and improving its aircraft strength. According to media reports, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will witness the first flight of these fighter jets, designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), on Friday (October 17) in Nashik. The delivery of the fighter jet, as part of the Rs 48,000 contract signed in 2021 with the HAL for 83 aircraft, was supposed to begin in 2024. As per the contract, HAL was to deliver the first three aircraft in the third year and 16 aircraft per year for the subsequent five years. However, as the engine deliveries from General Electric got delayed, the Bengaluru-headquartered aerospace and defence company was unable to begin the delivery of the jets to the IAF, which has been facing a critical shortage of fighter squadrons. The crisis deepened following the recent retirement of the MiG-21 jets. The 4.5 generation multi-role fighter aircraft, capable of air defence, ground attack, and maritime strike missions, will be equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite and Air to Air Refuelling (AAR), and has an indegenous content over over 50 per cent. The process of acquisition and induction of aircraft and aero engines, land-based systems, electronic warfare equipment, armaments, and projectiles for the Indian security forces appear to be occuring at a rapid pace as the defence ministry has utilised Rs 92,211.44 crore (more than 50 per cent) of the capital outlay of Rs 1,80,000 crore for the financial year 2025-26 by the end of September 2025. Capital expenditure is crucial for the defence sector as it funds the acquisition of new assets, research and development, and infrastructural development in the border areas. The ministry had utilised 100 per cent of the capital expenditure amounting to Rs. 1,59,768.40 crore in the last financial year. The use of over 50 per cent of capital outlay for the sector will result in ensuring timely delivery of critical platforms such as aircraft, ships, submarines, and weapon systems required for the modernisation of the country's armed forces in the coming year. ALSO READ: India's battle tank evolution set to hit new gear: AVNL to come out with prototype of Bharat tank by 2026 The ministry said with this pace of expenditure and big-ticket projects which are at advanced stages of approval, it is committed to fully utilising the allocation under the capital head. The ministry is also working on the budgetary projections to be discussed for revised estimates. The defence ministry said it has been consistently strengthening the domestic industries by earmarking funds for procurement from them since the financial year 2020-21. For FY 2025-26, Rs 1,11,544.83 crore has been earmarked for the domestic industry. Major expenditure to the extent of 45 per cent has been recorded till date out of the funds earmarked for domestic procurement. Amid exaggerated claims and counterclaims of damage inflicted and the killing of hundreds of soldiers and fighters, the fierce border clashes between Pakistani troops and the Afghan Taliban fighters have opened up the difficult challenge of a two-front hot border for Islamabad. Nor does a resolution of the issue seem possible in the near future due to the complexity of the problem. With its western border heating up with raging battles with the Taliban-led Afghan troops and the eastern border with India already tense, the latest developments will vastly reduce Islamabads capacity to stir up trouble on and across the Line of Control (LoC)the de facto border of Pakistan with India. Afghanistan shares two main border points with Pakistan at Torkham in the north and Chaman in the south, which have now been closed. The border firings have taken place in several places, including Kurram, Dir, Chitral, Angoor Adda, Baramcha and Bajaur. Kabul also accuses Pakistan of carrying out air strikes in Kabul last week. ALSO READ: Taliban tanks, Humvees destroyed in Khyber, 200 fighters killed: What Pakistan is saying about Afghanistan clashes Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is currently on an official visit to India, declared on Friday that Afghan soil would not be used against any country, which is being seen as a statement against Pakistan. But to be fair, there is not much India can do to aid the Taliban-ruled regime, as the Indian effort in Afghanistan has largely been based on humanitarian and on infrastructure development in the war-ravaged country. Any active Indian involvement in Afghanistan will also draw in the wrath of the United States, which has warmed up its bilateral relations with Pakistan. The US action against India may be in the form of far more stricter sanctions. But India will be concerned about China stepping into the Af-Pak rumble, with Beijings foreign ministry spokesperson saying, China is willing to continue to play a constructive role in improving and developing Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. The downturn in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations is mainly due to the problem of refugees who had migrated into Pakistan from Afghanistan in a huge exodus. With Pakistan trying to push the refugees back into its western neighbour, the ruling Taliban regime doesnt want such a vast number of people back in the country who have professed an anti-Taliban position. The Taliban also fears that these vast numbers of returned refugees can become the core of an anti-Taliban political mobilisation effort. More than 35 lakh Afghan refugees are in Pakistan, while the Pakistani government's number is much more. More than 7 lakh Afghans moved into Pakistan after the Taliban took over power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistan also accuses Kabul of aiding and sheltering the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan or the TTP that continues to engage the Pakistani military in its revivalist bid for an Islamic system of government. In a shocking incident in West Bengal, which is already reeling from the shock of the gangrape of a medical student, a father-son duo were arrested in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl. The accused have been identified as Arabindu Mondal (48), a YouTuber with 4.3 million followers, and his teenage son. They allegedly lured the girl, a resident of Haroa, with the promise of featuring her in dance reels. Police said the accused took her to several locations and secretly filmed her when she was changing her dress, according to a Times of India report. The duo later used these visuals to blackmail her and sexually assault her. Arabindus son even put vermillion on the part of her hair to suggest he would marry her, then raped her, a police officer told the newspaper. As per the report, the victims father is a constable of the Kolkata Police. The family trusted Mondal, an acquaintance, and had no idea about what the girl was going through until she finally revealed her ordeal. Haroa police have filed a POCSO case against the accused and seized his phone, cameras and other devices. Mondal was remanded in police custody for five days while his son was sent to a juvenile home, the report said. The incident came to light amid outrage over the alleged gangrape of a second-year student of a private medical college in Durgapur outside the campus. The 23-year-old girl, who hails from Odisha, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Durgapur. The three persons arrested in connection with the case have been remanded to 10-day police custody. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, accusing him of staying silent while US President Donald Trump claimed for the 51st time that he halted India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The Congress has been targeting the Modi government over Trump's claims of halting the India-Pakistan conflict in May this year. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a video link on X, questioned the prime minister's silence over Trump's claims. "This time - the 51st time that he has made this claim of having used tariffs to force India into the abrupt halt to Operation Sindoor." Ramesh said the US president gave specific figures of tariffs he threatened to impose on India this time. "President Trump has given specific numbers on the tariff threats he reportedly made, and our PM continues to be silent while hailing him on his peace efforts in relation to Gaza," Ramesh added. Before heading to the Middle East for the Gaza peace meet, the US president told presspersons that he used tariffs to halt the India-Pakistan conflict within "24 hours". Trump claimed he threatened to impose a 100 per cent to 200 per cent tariff on India and Pakistan if the nuclear nations continued the conflict. India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan on May 7 to avenge the killings of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. India destroyed terror launchpads along the Line of Control. However, Pakistan retaliated and launched airstrikes targeting India's military assets along the LoC. After days of military action, both India and Pakistan agreed to stop firing on May 10. While India has maintained that the ceasefire talks were bilateral, the US president has been claiming credit for stopping the war. Earlier on Monday, Modi welcomed US President Trump's "sincere efforts" to bring peace to the Middle East, by finalising the Gaza peace pact. Hamas released the hostages as part of the first phase of President Trump's Gaza peace plan. "We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity. Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of (Israeli) Prime Minister Netanyahu," he said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees comments on the Durgapur gangrape case have stirred up a storm, with the opposition BJP alleging that her remarks amount to victim shaming. Banerjee, while speaking to reporters at Kolkata airport, had questioned why the victim, a second-year medical college student, was out at 12:30 am when the crime took place. On Sunday, the chief minister clarified her statement, saying her remarks were being misreported and distorted. My words were twisted and taken out of context. Do not try this nasty politics with me, Banerjee said while speaking at Jalpaiguri where she is on a visit to assess ongoing relief work post the North Bengal floods on October 4. Mamata questioned why the private medical college authorities allowed the victim to leave the campus situated in a forest area. It is a shocking incident. That girl was studying at a private medical college. So wasnt it the responsibility of the college? How did they come out at 12:30 am at night? So far as I know, it happened in a forested area," the chief minister said, adding that the perpetrators of the crime will not be spared. #WATCH | Kolkata, WB: On the alleged gangrape of an MBBS student in Durgapur, CM Mamata Banerjee says, "... The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people. Nobody https://t.co/9cck7wwxcn pic.twitter.com/OnuFiFSIAz ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2025 Banerjee went on to question what action had been taken in Odishawhere the BJP is in poweron rape cases. The saffron party had questioned the safety of women in West Bengal under the current regime, accusing it of being unable to provide security to the victim from the neighbouring state of Odisha. Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday stepped up its attack on Banerjee over her remarks. We have a Taliban government, we have Mamata Banerjees government in West Bengal, said BJP leader Agnimitra Paul. She also questioned the time Banerjee had mentioned in her remark on the crime. Mamata Banerjee is saying today that this girl, the victim of the Durgapur incident, had gone out at 12 o'clock at night. Mamata Banerjee, please don't lie. The CCTV footage shows that she went out to fetch her food at 7.58 pm or 8 pm. So please do not try to put the blame on the girl and the institution. What do you think? After 12 am, women shouldn't go out? Paul asked. According to the complaint, the alleged crime took place around 8 pm. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari is expected to visit Durgapur to assess the situation. Three arrests have been made so far in the case, and one person has been detained. The chargesheet filed in connection with the alleged rape of the medical student at West Bengals Durgapur has detailed the events of the day, and cast a shadow over the classmate of the girl who accompanied her at the time of the incident. The victim, who is undergoing treatment, has claimed that the incident happened between 8 pm and 8:45 pm on Friday, according to Bengali newspaper Anandbazaar Patrika. She added that she was surrounded by three people first. Seeing them, she tried to call her friends, but they snatched her phone away. Two more people came later. All five raped her and then asked for 5,000 taka (Bangladeshi currency) before returning the phone, the report added. The victim added that the girls classmate fled after being surrounded by the five men. This has triggered suspicion. The father of the victim filed a complaint against the classmate, in which he alleged the persons involvement in the case. These are the four accused of Durgapur gang e case. Sheikh Riyaz Uddin Sheikh Ferdaus Sheikh Shafikul Apu Bauri The victim's friend Wasim is also under investigation scanner!! Mamata Banerjee never disappoints her core voters. Shame on you Mumtaz !! pic.twitter.com/m8xokoAq65 Sunanda Roy (@SaffronSunanda) October 13, 2025 The probe team is also investigating why the classmate fled, leaving the girl in danger, and why he didnt alert his friends or the police when the men dragged the girl away. Meanwhile, the police have arrested one more person in this connection, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to four. The search is underway for one more person. The police said a total of six people, including the classmate, are currently under police radar. The victims family has also demanded that the girl be shifted from West Bengal to Odisha, her home state. My daughter is suffering from pain. Now she cannot even walk; she is bedridden. There is no safety for her in this state. We want to take her back to Odisha. Trust has been lost. We don't want to keep her in Bengal anymore. She will continue her studies in Odisha. Her life is in danger here," he told ANI. The victims of the Karur stampede have revealed that a petition was filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of the political party for using their names without their consent. A new petition is likely to be filed in the Supreme Court today regarding the same. ALSO READ | Vijay to arrive in Karur this week? TVK chief determined to meet families of stampede victims before Diwali Sharmila, the mother of nine-year-old Prithvik, and Selvaraj, the husband of Chandra, who died in the Karur stampede, have been in the dark about the public interest petitions filed in the supreme court petitions in their name. P. Selvaraj (51), who lost his wife, K. Chandra, in the stampede during actor-politician Vijays rally, is shattered. More than the death of Chandra and the sorrow that has filled his family, a petition filed in the Supreme Court in his name, seeking a CBI probe into the stampede, has shaken him psychologically. I am unaware of all these developments. I am illiterate and I do not know how the court and justice system operate. I am not financially sound to handle these situations. How do you think I can afford to hire a Supreme Court advocate and argue in the Supreme Court? asks Selvaraj, over the phone from Karur. A little away from Selvarajs place at Emoor Puthur village, Sharmila, who lost her nine-year-old son, Prithvik, is exhausted and shaken. Her ex-husband, Paneerselvamwho had abandoned her and her son eight years agohad approached the Supreme Court in a separate petition saying that the government has failed in its duty to ensure public safety and police investigations were compromised, due to official negligence and political interference". Hailing from the Arunthathiyar community in Karur district, the families of Selvaraj and Sharmila are clueless as to what will happen next. ALSO READ | EXCLUSIVE | Why Vijay wrote to DGP asking for 'zero-tolerance crowd control' from Trichy airport to Karur My husband wants the compensation money to be paid to him. He wanted the cheque from the government and the TVK party in his name. He doesnt even know where the Supreme Court is, and how the legal system works, Sharmila told THE WEEK over the phone from Karur. In fact, she has got a government certificate saying that she is a single mother and that her husband had abandoned her. He didnt even visit the hospital mortuary when we were waiting to receive Prithiks body. He made a quick visit to the crematorium and left immediately. He didnt even talk with us, says Sharmila. She says he asked the government to give the cheque for compensation in his name. Panneerselvam, a private bus driver, lives in Coimbatore and has never visited the family in the past eight years, except when he met with an accident. We only took care of him and treated him when he got bedridden. For one year he was with us. But after he got well, he moved out and did not even visit his son, says Sharmilas mother. Panneerselvam was not available for comments. Selvaraj is now looking for ways to come out of the Supreme Court and the legal fight in his name. The daily wage labourerwho makes hardly Rs 700 a daylives with his two sons at Emoor Puthur village. On September 27, Vijays TVK organisers took over 50 people in a van from the village, in which Chandra, Sharmila, and her nine-year-old son Prithvik, travelled to Velusamypuram to get a glimpse of Vijay. Everything was peaceful and good until his bus arrived at the spot. I was talking to my wife till then, says Selvaraj. But he doesnt know that a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court in his name. Days after the tragedy, when the family was mourning the death of Chandra, one of the local AIADMK functionaries, calling himself a close aide of former minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar, approached him. He promised government compensation and a job for my elder son. He asked me to sign a few papers for that. Because I am illiterate, I signed in all the papers he showed me without reading it. He also took my Aadhar card copy, Selvaraj told THE WEEK over the phone. However, Selvaraj didnt know it was for a court case. Sources say that the vakalat for Selvaraj was signed by S. Karikalan, joint secretary of AIADMKs Karur district MGR youth wing. Karikalan, who was an additional public prosecutor during the AIADMK regime, had signed the vakalatnama to appoint senior counsel A. Lakshmi Narayanan to conduct the case for Selvaraj. What has now come to light in the petition at the Honourable Supreme Court seeking a CBI inquiry into Karur TVK stampede, is nothing short of an attempt to mislead the highest court of the land, said DMK organising secretary R.S. Bharathi. He also said that this was a calculated political act aimed at manipulating the judicial process. "This is a dangerous attempt to use grief and tragedy for cheap political gain. I hope the Honourable Supreme Court investigates what appears to be brazen fraud in the court and deals with those behind it with the severity they deserve," he added. When contacted, sources in the TVK said that they had filed a petition with the apex court in their own capacity, and did not approach any of the families of the deceased to play such cheap politics. However, with the Supreme Court likely to pronounce the interim orders on Monday, the petitioners who sought a CBI enquiry have decided to appear in the Supreme Court alleging that they were misled into signing and being included as petitioners in the case. With the orders expected to be announced today, all eyes are on the Supreme Court. The National Conferences refusal to offer a safe seat to Congress in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls has strained the relationship between the allies in Jammu and Kashmir. As a consequence, the Congress has decided to withdraw from the elections. In the 90-member Assembly, the NC and the Congress have 48 members (NC 42 and Congress 6). With the support of five Independents and the CPI(M), the NC-Congress alliance has 53 members, the BJP has 28, the PDP 3, and the AIP, PC and AAP one each. The current strength of the Assembly is 88 due to the death of a BJP MLA and the vacating of one of the two seats, Budgam, from where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was elected. Given the numbers game, the NC is safe in three of the four Rajya Sabha seats. The fourth seat that the NC has offered to the Congress gives the BJP an edge. The Congress has called the seat risky, forcing the party not to contest. Since a safe seat was not available, we have decided not to nominate our candidate for the seat offered by the NC, JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra said. He said they sought one of the first two Rajya Sabha seats, but were instead offered seat number four, which he described as risky. Congress not to participate in Rajya Sabha elections in J&K: Tariq Hameed Karra pic.twitter.com/5NCuJf94pX Daily Excelsior (@DailyExcelsior1) October 12, 2025 Karra said the party's decision to pull out of the race was taken at a meeting attended by AICC General Secretary and CLP Leader G.A. Mir, Working President Raman Bhalla, Peerzada Sayeed, Mula Ram, Choudhary Lal Singh and all six Congress MLAs. The Congress chief further said that the party has formally communicated its stance to the NC leadership. We sent an official letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah outlining our position. He directed us to forward it to party president Dr Farooq Abdullah, which we have done. So far, we have not received any reply, Karra said. Expressing dismay over the NCs unilateral announcement of three Rajya Sabha candidates, Karra said the fourth seat offered to Congress was not acceptable. The four Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant in Jammu and Kashmir in February 2021. The Election Commission of India announced elections to fill the Rajya Sabha vacancies from Jammu and Kashmir nine months after the Assembly elections were held in the Union Territory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, welcomed the release of 20 Israeli hostages by Hamas even as he praised US President Donald Trump's "sincere efforts" to bring peace to the region and the "strong resolve" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The hostages were released as part of the first phase of President Trump's Gaza peace plan. Taking to social media, the prime minister said, "We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity." "Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu," he said. "We support President Trump's sincere efforts to bring peace to the region," Modi added. Trump described the Gaza peace process, under which Israel is releasing nearly 2,000 prisoners and detainees, as "the dawn of a new Middle East" and that a "beautiful and much brighter future" appears suddenly within the region's reach. "After two harrowing years of darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families," Trump said in an address to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. President Trump claimed that the ceasefire he brokered was "the most challenging breakthrough of them all, the most challenging breakthrough maybe ever." Israeli lawmakers chanted Trump's name and gave him a standing ovation after his address. Netanyahu hailed Trump as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House and promised to work with him going forward. The Israeli prime minister also thanked Trump for "unremitting help" in securing the release of the hostages even as the next phases of the peace deal is yet to be negotiated. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has found itself in a fix just ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, which are inching closer. Party founder and president Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi, and son Tejasvi Yadav have all been charged with criminal cases in the alleged IRCTC scam case. The court order came just before the elections next month. The politician and his family have pleaded not guilty and said that they would face the trial. The Delhi Rouse Avenue court framed charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy, and cheating against Lalu Yadav and his family, a report from Bar and Bench said. #WATCH | Delhi: On Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court framing charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav and others in the IRCTC hotels corruption case, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, "... We will fight this case. We have been saying this from the beginning that since the elections are coming, pic.twitter.com/ZaocN1JnBl ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2025 The setback and its timing may affect the opposition Mahagathbandhan, or the Grand Alliance, in the upcoming Bihar polls. The opposition alliance was to announce its seat-sharing plan this week and also expected to release a joint manifesto. The top leadership from both the RJD and Congress were to meet on Monday. On Sunday, Lalu Prasad Yadav had said that the talks were on. Tejasvi Yadav, however, did not share any details. The two were in Delhi for the court hearing. The charges and the case give points to the JDU-BJP and the NDA alliance in the upcoming elections. If the voter base of the Mahagathbandhan does not switch sides, they could shift within the alliance. Reports had said that Congress was likely to get a smaller number of seats than in the last elections due to their performance; They had only managed to secure 19 out of the 70 seats it contested in 2020. Meanwhile, the RJD contested and bagged 75 out of the 144 seats it contested in the last elections. The 2025 Bihar assembly polls will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, and counting will take place on November 14. The IRCTC land scam case The allegations against the family date back from 2004 to 2009. During Yadavs tenure as railway minister, two IRCTC hotels in Rancihi and Puri were given to a company named Sujata Hotels through a manipulated tender process. The family then received land worth crores in return through a company linked to Lalu Yadavs wife and son at a fraction of the market value. The allegation was that the then railway minister and his family accepted prime land as a bribe from the private firm. VIDEO | Delhi court framed charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly, in the alleged IRCTC scam case, setting the stage for a trial ahead of polls in Bihar. pic.twitter.com/BmHAEFrEJB Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 13, 2025 The FIRs were filed against them in 2017. A total of 14 people were named in the case. Lalu Yadav has been charged with criminal misconduct as a public official and conspiracy to defraud in the IRCTC scan case. The court had reserved its decision on the case on May 29, and on September 24, Special Judge Vishal Gogane had directed the family to appear before the court. On the case Tejasvi Yadav and the rest of the family have maintained that the allegations were from a political vendetta. He said "We have been saying this from the beginning that since the elections are coming, all this will happen. We respect the verdict of the court. We will fight the case. The people of Bihar are smart, and they know what is happening. All this is a political vendetta." "I will keep fighting with the BJP as long as I am alive," he added. by Arison Tamfu YAOUNDE, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- When day breaks in Cameroon, Elove Marie-Cleophas Messanga stands in front of her cellphone camera and ring light to promote products via livestreaming on her TikTok account, occasionally responding to inquiries from potential customers in the chat. "I sell on TikTok in the morning and in the evening. When you purchase goods from me, I label your name, location, and address, and send the items out the following morning. Once they arrive, you must confirm that you've received them," Messanga said. It has become a daily routine for the 24-year-old, who is now living her entrepreneurial dream by harnessing the power of Chinese online shopping platforms. In 2016, Messanga and her family were affected by the persistent crisis in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest, where separatists have been clashing with government forces in an attempt to secede from the French-majority Cameroon and create an independent nation. In late 2017, they left their village of Bafia to seek refuge in Buea, the chief town of the Southwest Region, which was considered safer. "When I came to Buea, I continued my studies, and after graduating, I learned hairdressing. But I soon realized that almost everyone wanted to do hairdressing, and after standing for hours braiding hair, you might make only 10,000 XAF (about 17.7 U.S. dollars) a day," she said. Life was difficult because the income from hairdressing could not cover her needs or those of her younger siblings, who had been displaced with her. She took on odd jobs, but none offered a stable career path. Through a friend, Messanga discovered abundant business opportunities in cross-border e-commerce. She immediately went online and began buying children's clothing from China. She said shopping on Chinese online platforms is "convenient and helps me reach potential customers quickly." "Chinese online shopping gives people the opportunity to start a business with whatever capital they have -- even with just 50,000 XAF," Messanga said. "China can produce large quantities of goods in various styles and designs. Chinese products are of good quality and affordable." Messanga said since she began buying from China online, she has made a "reasonable" profit that enables her to support some of her younger siblings' needs. For many young people in Cameroon, Chinese online shopping is no longer a novelty. They scroll through apps and click "buy" as easily as they check messages, tracking deliveries that travel thousands of kilometers to reach them. "People find physical shopping tiring and time-consuming. Since Cameroon has a young population, interest in online shopping is growing. Importantly, this trend has empowered young women, enabling them to earn a decent living with dignity," said Cameroonian economist Victor Arrey. When Xinhua visited Messanga's shop in Buea, she was busy packing clothes to send to her buyers. Next to her stood two customers who had come to make a purchase. Most of her customers, she said, were online buyers. Messanga expressed gratitude to China for making online shopping easy and affordable, and emphasized the importance of China continuing to open up to empower young women like herself. "I would love to go to China to see the markets, build contacts, and strong relationships with suppliers. There are many products I would like to buy from China. I want to become a distributor in different cities in Cameroon," she added. The Kerala Devaswom Vigilance has found that Unnikrishnan Potti, a Bengaluru-based Malayali who had positioned himself as a donor for controversial restoration projects at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, had no steady or legitimate source of incomeeither through business or any other means. In a report submitted to the Kerala High Court, the vigilance wing noted that for the financial year 202526, an amount of 10,85,150 came to his account in the name of an organisation named Kamakshi Enterprises, and was classified as Other Social or Community Service. Apart from this, no regular income was reflected in that years financial statement. The report further observed that all the works and offerings made by Potti at Sabarimala, under the banner of sponsorship, should be investigated to determine who the real sponsors were. The vigilance also stated that it is reasonably suspected that Potti, under the guise of sponsorships and donations, had derived undue financial benefit. It was about eight years ago that Potti arrived at the Sabarimala shrine as an assistant to the Keezh Shanthi (sub-priest). The son of a temple priest, Potti hails from Pulimath near Kilimanoor in Thiruvananthapuram district. Though he eventually moved out of the job that brought him to Sabarimala, he soon carved out a niche for himself as the go-to man for arranging special privileges for the temples affluent patrons. Offerings and contributions from devotees outside Kerala allegedly began to flow through him. By July 2019, Potti had become a high-profile sponsor in a dubious dealapproved by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the autonomous body managing 1,252 temples including Sabarimalato repair and re-fix gold-clad copper coverings on the Dwarapalaka idols at the entrance to the temples sanctum sanctorum. The vigilance report alleges that Potti misappropriated around two kilograms of gold, affixed to the gold-plated copper sheets attached to the Dwarapalaka sculptures on either side of the Sreekovil, with the intent to defraud the Devaswom Board and gain illegally. He had offered to undertake the repair and renovation of these sheets and submitted an application on June 17, 2019. Pursuant to this, the Travancore Devaswom Board issued an order granting him permission on July 5, 2019. Following the order, on July 19 and 20, 2019, the Devaswom authorities removed and entrusted 42,800 grams of copper sheets from the Dwarapalaka sculptures and adjoining corners to Potti. The sheets were subsequently transported from Sabarimala to Bengaluru and later to Hyderabad, purportedly for repair work. They were finally delivered to Smart Creations, Chennai, on August 29, 2019, where only 394.9 grams of gold was reapplied as plating, while the remaining quantity was allegedly misappropriated. The vigilance also discovered that the sacred and highly valuable Dwarapalaka sculptures and copper sheets from the sanctum were taken to various houses and temples in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kerala, without security, for ritual worship and profit-making purposes. The investigation also confirmed that while the original copper sheets weighed 42,800 grams, the replaced sheets weighed only 38,258.1 grams, indicating a significant loss of gold. The vigilance report also noted that despite having no steady income since 2017, Potti had carried out multiple sponsorship-based offerings at Sabarimala. Notably, for the restoration of a door at the shrinepublicly attributed to himthe actual sponsor was found to be Govardhan, a businessman from Ballari, Karnataka. Potti is also said to have sponsored Annadanams (mass feedings), special poojas, temple decorations, and artefact donations, in addition to the controversial gold-plating of the Dwarapalaka idols. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs son and Congress leader Yathindra Siddaramaiah has sparked a political storm with his remark likening the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to the Taliban. Yathindra made the remark at a time when Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is visiting India and the two countries are preparing to revive the bilateral ties. "They (the RSS) have a similar mindset to that of the Taliban," he said, alleging that the Sangh wants to enforce fundamentalist aspects of Hinduism the same way the Taliban issues diktats to ensure those tenets in Islam are followed. VIDEO | Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah says, "Putting restrictions on public programmes of RSS is necessary." (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/KwwFuxWyGA Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 12, 2025 They believe that in one religion, only one view should be there. The Taliban issues diktats so Islam can be one particular way. They curtail the freedom of women. Similarly, RSS also wants the Hindu religion in one way only, he said. Yathindra further alleged that functioning as a volunteer group, instead of a registered body, allows RSS certain exemptions. It is an influential organisation and they have to act in accordance with the law. If they are operating without registration, then it is wrong, he added. Bidar, Karnataka: Former Union Minister Bhagwanth Khuba says, "The son of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah, linked the RSS with the Taliban in his remarks. This shows the kind of absurd thinking some Congress leaders haveit seems like a strange pic.twitter.com/CQ8wsGLNXH IANS (@ians_india) October 13, 2025 The Congress leaders remarks came days after Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge urged the government to impose a ban on all RSS activities in government institutions and public premises across the state. In a letter to the chief minister dated October 4, Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, alleged that "slogans are shouted and negative ideas are instilled in the minds of children and youth at these RSS 'shakhas'. "When divisive forces that sow hatred among the people raise their heads, our Constitution, founded on the core principles of integrity, equality, and unity, grants us the authority to curb such elements and uphold the secular values of the nation," the letter noted. Another Congress leader, B.K. Hariprasad, too, demanded restrictions on RSS activities. "The RSS is not a registered body and has to take permission from the concerned authorities for functions in public places, such as grounds or parks," he said. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede tragedy and expressed serious reservations over the manner in which the Madras High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe. A bench headed by Justice J.K. Maheshwari constituted a three-member monitoring committee, led by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to oversee the CBI investigation. The committee will include two IPS officers belonging to the Tamil Nadu cadre, but crucially, they must not be natives of the state, the court clarified. Serious concern over propriety The top courts strongly-worded order reflects a rare instance of judicial censure of a High Court judge for what it termed a breach of jurisdictional and procedural propriety. The learned single judge did not have any occasion to entertain or take cognisance of the matter during the pendency of the case before the Madurai Bench, the order noted. Ignoring the fact that the chief minister had already constituted a one-man commission of inquiry, the single judge suo motu referred to the formation of an SIT without referring to any materials. Such recourse ignores propriety. VIDEO | Karur Stampede case: As the Supreme Court appoints former Judge Ajay Rastogi to head committee for monitoring the CBI probe, TVK lawyer Gauri Subramanian says, I think the law has taken its course. We have been given a very sound, long, detailed hearing by the judges. pic.twitter.com/R2szkYz1Hh Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 13, 2025 Justice Maheshwari observed orally that this court had seriously noted the functioning of the High Court and emphasised that it would not hesitate to take cognisance if judicial processes were found wanting in fairness or discipline. High Courts overreach questioned The controversy began after a stampede at a distribution event in Karur districtorganised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Vijayclaimed 41 lives and injured several others. The Madras High Court, taking suo motu cognisance of the tragedy, had directed the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and made sweeping remarks about political accountability and administrative failure. However, the Supreme Court noted that the TVK was never made a party to the proceedings and that the High Court had extended the scope of the writ petitions beyond what was originally before it. Karur falls within the jurisdiction of the Madurai Bench, the apex court underlined. Such being the case, there was no reason why a single judge of the principal bench should have entertained the matter. It added that the High Courts suo motu action was taken without adequate material and amounted to an improper assumption of criminal jurisdiction. Call for explanation from the High Court The Supreme Court has sought an explanation from the Registrar General of the Madras High Court, asking that the order be brought to the notice of the Chief Justice of the High Court. The above is a matter of concern and requires to be explained by the High Court on how the formation of a Standard Operating Procedure for political parties would fall within criminal jurisdiction, the order said. The bench emphasised that while the judiciary must remain vigilant in upholding accountability, institutional discipline and jurisdictional propriety cannot be compromised. CBI probe to ensure fairness Ordering the CBI investigation, the Supreme Court said it was doing so to ensure a fair and impartial inquiry, free from administrative or political interference. The monitoring committee under Justice Rastogi will ensure periodic oversight and report back to the court. What lies ahead The apex courts order effectively nullifies the High Courts earlier directions for a state SIT probe, transferring the case entirely to the CBI. The agency is expected to register a fresh FIR and take over all relevant materials and evidence collected by state authorities so far. The Karur incident has already triggered a political storm in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling DMK and opposition parties trading charges over administrative negligence and crowd control failures. Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who made news by resigning from the civil service criticising the central government's policies, has joined the Indian National Congress on Monday. Joining the IAS was a means for me to serve. Leaving it was a necessity to speak. Through the Indian National Congress, I find the space to do both, to serve the people and to raise my voice against injustice. Grateful to Shri @kharge ji, Shri @RahulGandhi ji, Shri pic.twitter.com/tvpQhN1RUS Kannan Gopinathan (@naukarshah) October 13, 2025 Kottayam native Kannan Gopinathan accepted Congress membership at the AICC headquarters today morning. A critic of the Modi government, the 39-year-old had resigned from service as a mark of protest against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. K.C. Venugopal stated that Kannan Gopinathan is joining the Congress after holding meetings with Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. We warmly welcome Shri Kannan Gopinathan, former IAS officer and fearless voice for democracy, to the Congress family. He has served as a principled administrator, an active citizen, and a committed democrat, and his joing will certainly give a boost to our movement that stands pic.twitter.com/caGAyab3Wj K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) October 13, 2025 Venugopal, who is the General Secretary (Organisation), handed him the membership, media reports said. He accepted the membership in the presence of leaders including Kanhaiya Kumar. Gopinathan joined the Congress at a time when Kerala is going to witness assembly elections soon. "He has served as a principled administrator, an active citizen, and a committed democrat, and his joining will certainly give a boost to our movement that stands to protect the Constitution, freedom, and the inclusive social fabric of India," Venugopal said. Who is Kannan Gopinathan? Kannan Gopinathan is a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, of the 2012 batch of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, who resigned from the civil service in August 2019 in protest against the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. Speaking to the press after accepting the Congress membership, Kannan said that he would work for the people. He stated, "This is a party of citizens. However, what is happening now is a journey from citizens to subjects. The goal is a journey back to citizens." "Joining the IAS was a means for me to serve. Leaving it was a necessity to speak. Through the Indian National Congress, I find the space to do both, to serve the people and to raise my voice against injustice," Gopinathan jotted on X. He had previously served as the Secretary, Power Department, for the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. During his tenure in Mizoram, he was noted for sending an unusual letter to the then State Bank of India chairperson requesting an ATM in the remote subdivision of Hnahthial. Gopinathan had first come into the limelight when he hid his identity and joined in relief work during the 2018 Kerala floods. The Kerala High Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking a ban on Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy's latest book, 'Mother Mary Come to Me', with a cover image of the author smoking. The High Court dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), noting it should not be used for personal publicity or slander. Hearing the matter on Monday, A division bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji dismissed the PIL moved by Kochi-based lawyer Rajsimhan seeking to prohibit the sale of the book. The petitioner argued that the book's cover photo, an image showing the author smoking, "glorified" the act of smoking and it sends out a "damaging message" to society. The petitioner also argued that the image violated statutory norms, and the image was carried sans any health warnings. The petitioner claimed that the cover image of the book "Mother Mary Comes to Me" violated statutory norms as it showed the author smoking without the mandated health warning label. "Glorification of smoking by an eminent author like her amounts to creating a false belief that such acts enhance intellectual creativity," the petitioner said in the plea. The petitioner also argued that the publishers violated guidelines regarding the advertisement of tobacco products. However, the High Court dismissed the petitioner's charges after it noted that the publisher had carried a disclaimer. Roy's lawyer informed the Court that the petition was filed without adequate research, and without verifying the publisher's disclaimer clarifying that the image was not intended to promote smoking. The Kerala court also noted that any violation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA), which deals with the prohibition of direct and indirect advertisement of tobacco products, must be determined by the competent authority under the Act, PTI reported. The court cautioned the petitioner and said PILs should not be used as a vehicle for self-publicity or personal slander. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Karur stampede, in Tamil Nadu, which killed 41 people during a rally organised by actor Vijays Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The court has also appointed former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ajay Rastogi to head a three-member committee, which will monitor the investigation into the Karur stampede. A bench of Justices comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria observed that a fair and impartial investigation is the right of the citizens, while transferring the probe to the CBI. The Supreme Courts order came while hearing a batch of petitions filed by the TVK, which challenged the Madras High Court directive ordering a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under IPS officer Asra Garg to probe into the incident. Supreme Court orders a CBI probe into the Karur stampede during TVK chief and actor Vijays rally on September 27, leaving 41 persons dead and many others injured. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also ordered a three-member committee to be headed by a pic.twitter.com/rCufSdSGe5 ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2025 While the Supreme Court thinks that a fair investigation is the right of the citizens, the interim order has come in the wake of two of the family members coming out and saying that they were not aware of the petitions filed in their name. While the court said that this can also be represented to the three-member committee, the order seems to be a huge setback for the ruling DMK. The DMK government, which had already lost its face, politically, in the aftermath of the stampede, has now lost legally in the Supreme Court. Though the government machinery was in action to handle 39 cadavers, immediately after the deadly stampede and more than 110 people who were injured in the crowd crush, the opposition AIADMK and Vijays TVK maintained that the fatal accident was orchestrated by the DMK and former minister V. Senthil Balaji, DMKs Karur strongman. The DMK was not able to break this narrative among the people, as Vijays followers believed that the reason for the crowd crush was that there was not enough police force at the venue. The sympathy for Vijay has not gone down even after he chose to stay back indoors, and even after the governments measures to distribute Rs. 10 lakh as compensation. Apparently, Vijays party has been successful in moving the case out of the purview of the Tamil Nadu police. We believed in Justice. The Supreme Court, by transferring the case to the CBI, has ensured that there will be a fair investigation. The ruling DMK has been trying to crush us politically after the Karur stampede, said Aadhav Arjuna, TVK general secretary (election campaign). Aadhav also alleged that the Tamil Nadu government and the DMK influenced the Madras High Court in constituting a SIT for investigation. The CBI investigation will be supervised by a committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge and two IPS officers from Tamil Nadu (who are not natives of the state), which has turned out to be a serious concern.The state government authorities, including the IAS and IPS officers who defended the governments actions, post-stampede, will be summoned by the CBI authorities. Also, DMKs former minister and Karur MLA Senthil Balaji, whose name is being dragged in by the TVK from day one, might also be summoned by the CBI authorities. Again, the Supreme Court pulling up the Madras High Court for taking up the petition seeking SOP for public rallies as a criminal investigation petition has come as a huge embarrassment for the government as the opposition has been claiming that the DMK influenced the high court. The fault line in the MHC order is the constitution of the SIT for a petition seeking SOP for political rallies. The state should have challenged this, as the single judge did not adhere to the prayer. And the other issue is that the MHC doesnt have the jurisdiction to entertain the petition. The petition should have been transferred to the Madurai Bench, a senior advocate at the Madras High Court said. While the Karur stampede had already turned out to be a political setback for the DMK, the Supreme Courts interim order has turned out to be a massive legal setback. US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his claim that he had "ended eight wars in eight months." He was speaking in Israeli Parliament to celebrate the return of hostages from Gaza, calling it a moment of peace for the Middle East. Trump also urged the Palestinians to turn from the path of terror and violence, while promising to rebuild Gaza. He asked them to focus on rebuilding and "building their people up". He also praised the Arab and Muslim leaders who mediated the deal. "Let me also convey my tremendous appreciation for all of the nations of the Arab and Muslim world that came together to press Hamas to set the hostages free and to send them home," he said. The US president then asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon PM Benjamin Netanyahu in the corruption charges. Netanyahu's trial started in 2020 and he is accused of fraud, bribery and breach of trust in three separate cases. The Israeli PM has denied all the charges and had pleaded not guilty. This comes as 20 hostages were released on Monday as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. In return, Israel wwill release more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. Besides, 250 Palestinians convicted over attacks that killed or injured Israelis will also be released. Talking about Iran, Trump said "it would be great if we could make a peace deal with them. I think they want to, I think they're tired... They want to survive. The last thing they want to do is start digging holes again in mountains that just got blown up." "We are ready when you are and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made, and it's going to happen," the president said. But he then pointed out that "first, we have to get Russia done." US President Donald Trump has declared the war is over as he travels to Israel in support of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which includes a significant hostage exchange. Speaking from Air Force One, Trump expressed confidence in the deal, stating that the truce would hold and that a Board of Peace would soon be established for the Gaza Strip. He described Gaza as resembling a demolition site but reiterated his belief that the situation could be turned around, echoing his past remarks that Gaza had the potential to become the Riviera of the Middle East. He also credited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar for their roles in brokering the deal. The hostage and detainee exchange forms the centrepiece of Trumps 20-point plan to end the conflict. Israel expects to receive 20 of its citizens alive from Gaza later today.. These hostages are among the 48 people still believed to be held in the territory. Once released, they will be transported in Red Cross vehicles before being taken either to a military base for family reunions or directly to hospitals if medical attention is needed. Israel has even conducted simulation drills with actors to prepare hospitals for the incoming hostages. In return, Israel is preparing to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees. This includes approximately 1,700 from Gaza and 250 others who have been long-term prisoners. Some of the latter are regarded as prominent Palestinian figures, though notable individuals requested by Hamas, such as Marwan Barghouti and the doctors Hussam Abu Safiya and Marwan al-Hams, are not part of the initial release. Many of those being freed will be relocated either back to Gaza or sent into exile in neighbouring countries. Israeli authorities have reportedly instructed the families of released detainees to refrain from public celebrations and to limit contact with the media. Trumps visit marks the start of a broader diplomatic push aimed at securing a permanent peace in the region. During his stay, he plans to address the Knesset and meet the families of freed hostages. He will later travel to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to co-chair a peace summit with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. The summit aims to finalise a lasting truce and move towards a postwar framework for Gaza. Trump has presented this ceasefire as a turning point, claiming there is widespread celebration in both Israel and across the Arab world. The United States intends to build on the momentum of the Abraham Accords by encouraging further normalisation of relations between Israel and key regional players such as Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. However, the challenge of rebuilding Gaza looms large. Years of war have left the territory in ruins, with over 67,000 Palestinians killed and roughly 170,000 injured. Most of Gazas infrastructure has been destroyed, and large parts of the population are displaced or in desperate need. As part of the ceasefire agreement, the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza is set to resume at scale. The Israeli military agency responsible for aid coordination anticipates about 600 trucks a day entering the strip, matching prewar volumes. The United Nations has 170,000 metric tonnes of food, medicine, and other supplies ready to be delivered. The World Food Programme has confirmed that road clearance and repair are underway to facilitate aid distribution. However, the urgency of the situation is stark. The worlds leading authority on food crises has declared a famine in parts of Gaza, though Israel rejects this claim and accuses the reporting body of relying on misinformation. Adding to the complications is uncertainty over the role of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was originally proposed to replace the UN in aid coordination. The foundation has been criticised for its militarised approach, leading to the deaths of more than a thousand people during deliveries. Moreover, many critical aspects of the postwar framework are yet to be agreed upon, including the disarmament of Hamas, the future governance of Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that the military will continue its mission to dismantle Hamas even after the hostages are returned, describing the group as having a sword on its neck. Adding to the concern is the fact that Hamas is redeploying thousands of its members to regain control in areas recently vacated by Israeli troops. Internal clashes have already broken out in Gaza City, including a deadly confrontation between Hamas forces and members of the Dughmush family, one of Gazas most influential clans, resulting in dozens of fatalities. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday received seven Israeli hostages from Hamas: the first of 20 survivors to be exchanged, as part of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the two-year war in the Gaza Strip. As per the peace deal, roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israel in return. After that, the handover of 28 more Israeli hostages from Hamas' side is expected to follow. US President Donald Trump, who played an important part in brokering the ceasefire deal, arrived in Israel's Ben Gurion airport today. ALSO READ | 'War is over,' says Trump as Israelis and Palestinians await hostage-prisoner swap The war is over, OK? Trump had told reporters travelling with him on the Air Force One, adding that he felt the ceasefire would hold because people were "tired of it (war)". Meanwhile, the devastated Gaza Strip continues to await vital aid, because the ceasefire is merely a stop in hostilities as the humanitarian crisis continues. "We still have a famine to fight and diseases are spreading, so we really need that scale-up (of aid deliveries) to happen quickly and efficiently," UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram told The Guardian. In that regard, hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid are expected to begin entering Gaza from Egypt. Around 400 trucks had already been lined up on Sunday. Israeli authorities added that the number of trucks per day would rise to 600, under the deal, as per an Associated Press report. "I am so excited. I am full of happiness. It's hard to imagine how I feel this moment. I didn't sleep all night," said Viki Cohen, the mother of Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen, as she travelled to Reim, an Israeli military camp where the transferred hostages will be brought, as per a Reuters report. The terms of the peace deal will now be formalised at a global peace summit in Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Trump. Israel on Monday accused Hamas of violating the first phase of the Donald Trump-backed ceasefire deal, claiming that the group released bodies of only four of the 28 slain hostages. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum sought to halt the implementation of the ceasefire deal until the "full and complete release of all the fallen". "The violation of the agreement by Hamas must be met with a very severe response from the government and the mediators," the forum said. "An agreement must be respected by both sides, if Hamas does not fulfill its part, Israel should not fulfill its part either." The bodies of Yossi Sharabi, Daniel Perez, Guy Illouz and Bipin Joshi were handed over to Israel. Hamas did not clarify when the bodies of the remaining 24 dead hostages would be released. Israel's allegations come after Hamas returned the final 20 living hostages. Yossi Sharabi, 53, was the brother of Eli Sharabi who was freed by Hamas earlier. They were kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, 2023. Daniel Perez, 22, was a platoon commander in the 7th Armoured Brigade's 77th Battalion. Guy Illouz was abducted from the Nova music festival and died at a Gaza hospital after allegedly not receiving medical treatment. Bipin Joshi was a Nepali agricultural student but his death was not previously confirmed by Israel. After the caskets of the dead hostages are examined by sappers "for security purposes", the civilian hostages would be taken to the Abu Kabir forensic institute for identification. The bodies of slain soldiers will be shifted to IDF's Shura Camp. Hamas had told mediators that they were not aware of the whereabouts of the bodies of 28 dead hostages. After 738 days in captivity, all hostages within Hamas were released on Monday, a major turn of events that could mark the two-year devastating war that left Gaza in tatters. The first batch of seven hostages arrived earlier on Monday, while the 13 arrived later. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office informed that all hostages were with the IDF forces in the Strip and will soon head to Israel. The occasion was marked by the arrival of US President Donald Trump in Israel. Trump was given a heros welcome as he arrived to address the Israeli Parliament. "This is a great day. This is a new beginning," Trump said, adding that the war in Gaza was over. Trump is also likely to visit the hostages who are the Sheba Medical Center, according to Israeli media. If it happens, it will likely be at the Sheba Medical Center, The Times of Israel reported. As part of the deal, Israel has also started releasing Palestinian prisoners. Videos from Israel showed buses carrying Palestinian prisoners who have been released from Israeli prisons moving out of Ofer Prison in the West Bank. Israel will deport 154 released Palestinian detainees outside Israel and the Palestinian territories, an official involved in the operation told Reuters on Monday. Israel also made last-minute changes to its list of Palestinian prisoners, replacing two prisoners and swapping about 120 Gazans who were detained after October 7 with others who will be freed in their place. Syrias former President Bashar al-Assad, who fled his country to Russia following civil unrest, is spending time playing video gams and mall hopping, according to reports. Assad is reportedly staying at a luxury tower block in central Moscow under the protection of security operatives loyal to Vladimir Putin. Deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad now spends hours playing video games while living in a luxury tower block in central Moscow. He remains out of sight and is guarded by security operatives loyal to Vladimir Putin, according to a report by German newspaper Die Zeit. The luxury apartment has over 20 apartments across three floors, all of which are being occupied by his family members. There is a shopping mall underneath the complex, and Assad is often seen visiting the mall. The report quoted an Arab journalist, who claimed Assad keeps a low profile and the details of the Syrian dictators life were given to him by someone he identified as K. He and his family can move freely around Moscow, K told the Arab journalist, adding that the family has employed private bodyguards who are paid for by the Russian government. Bashar spends long hours playing online video games, he added. However, Assads wife Asma, is in critical condition after her breast cancer returned in 2024. As for Assads younger brother Maher, he is staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow, spending his time drinking and smoking hookah. The report also gave details of the sky scraper where Assad lived, describing it as a gleaming, high-security skyscraper filled with foreign residents and politicians. It features a 20-meter-high ceiling, modern art, and private reception areas that are lavishly decorated cream-colored wardrobes with gold trim, crystal chandeliers, and wide sofas reminiscent of Middle Eastern palaces. The apartment also features a huge heated bath and a window frontage which offers one of the finest views in Moscow. On Victory Day on May 9, you can watch the fireworks from the bathtub with a glass of champagne, Natasha, a real estate agent in the region, was quoted by the German newspaper. As preparations are underway for the freeing of the 48 hostages, both alive and dead, and for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, US President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed confidence that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will hold. Talking to reporters during an interaction with the press aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel, Trump asserted that the "war is over". "I think it (ceasefire) is going to hold. There are a lot of reasons why it's going to hold. But I think people are tired of it. It's been centuries... I think people are tired of it," he said. #WATCH | As US President Donald Trump embarks for Israel, he says, "This is going to be a very special time...Everybody's very excited about this moment in time...This is a very special event...Everybody's cheering at one time. That's never happened before. Usually, if you have pic.twitter.com/TmAxV38Skq ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2025 Trump, who is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday to meet the families of the hostages, will later leave for Egypt. Cairo is hosting the negotiations between Israel and Hamas after the US President announced the 21-point Gaza Peace Plan. Israel expects that its 20 living hostages will be released on Monday. They are expected to be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and to the Israeli military, which will take them to the Reim military base in southern Israel. These hostages have been in captivity for the last 737 days since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 250 others. #WATCH | US President Donald Trump emplanes for Israel. This is Trump's first visit to Israel after he announced the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (Video Source: Unrestricted Pool via Reuters) https://t.co/A9o5cgboGk pic.twitter.com/LF6o0oXCEC ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2025 "This is going to be a very special time... Everybody's very excited about this moment in time," Trump said. "This is the first time everybody is amazed and they're thrilled, and it's an honour to be involved". 'Eighth war I have solved' Trump reiterated his claim of ending several long-standing global conflicts and said he could take up the ongoing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan once he returned. "This will be my eighth war that I have solved, and I hear there is a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I said, I'll have to wait till I get back. I am doing another one. Because I am good at solving wars," he said. As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel will release around 2,000 Palestiniansaround 1,700 of them were captured by the IDF from Gaza during the war and held without charge since. The rest are Palestinians serving prison sentences. Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations are preparing to surge aid into the Gaza Strip, particularly food, which has been in short supply in many areas. Theres so much delightful science happening around us these days that its hard to decide what to marvel at first. A team of European physicists were honoured with the Ig-Nobel Prize for uncovering the ideal starch concentration, precise cheese-water emulsions, and guidelines for temperature for creating a creamy, smooth sauce, in the now famous Cacio-e-pepe study. Another study burst the age-old myth that nursing mothers must avoid garlic; instead, it showed that babies in fact liked garlic-flavoured milk and nursed longer when their mothers consumed garlic, winning the researchers the Ig-Nobel in Paediatrics. Meanwhile, the regular Nobel Prize reminds us that curiosity can rewrite physics. In the piece on the 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics, I had ended on a hopeful note, We will perhaps witness very soon if Mother Nature, what Einstein deemed as 'God', indeed plays dice, or if she doesn't. Interesting times are all ahead of us. Little did I know the interesting times would be here so soon. BREAKING NEWS The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPrize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit. pic.twitter.com/XkDUKWbHpz The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2025 Here we are in 2025, when three scientists have been awarded the Physics Nobel Prize again in the arena of quantum computing. As always, chatter is high on questions like what is different this time, and why this prize now? The three curious minds The three laureates, John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis, did their prizewinning work together in the mid-1980s at the University of California, Berkeley. At the time, Clarke was leading the group with Devoret as a postdoctoral researcher and Martinis as a graduate student. John Clarke, born in Cambridge, had moved to Berkeley after completing his PhD. He specialised in superconductivity and Josephson junctions, and led the research group focusing on macroscopic quantum phenomena. Michel Devoret, from Paris, brought theoretical boldness and creativity when he joined Clarke's group as a postdoc. John Martinis, a first-generation American, was an engineering-minded graduate student who helped build the apparatus needed to demonstrate the effect, which was crucial in turning theory into experiments. From Waves and Walls to Circuits and Chips As Feynman once said: If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you dont understand quantum mechanics. Yet here I am taking a shot at demystifying quantum tunnelling, which is the buzzword associated with this years prize. In quantum tunneling, a particle trapped behind an energy barrier somehow sneaks through to the other side without the energy needed to climb over it. The math works, the intuition struggles. Erwin Schrodinger formalised the wavefunction in 1926, and Friedrich Hund soon after applied it to a particle in a potential valley; the concept of tunnelling emerged. By 1928, George Gamow and, independently, Gurney and Condon, had shown that alpha decay in radioactive atoms could be explained by this very mechanism. Yet for most of the 20th century, physicists assumed tunneling was limited to the realm of the subatomic: electrons, nuclei, and photons. Surely, macroscopic systems, millions of particles acting together, would behave classically, as these would be too large to tunnel through anything. Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis disagreed. What is so important about this work? What did they prove and why was it considered worthy of a Nobel? A Josephsons junction is made with an insulating layer sandwiched between two superconducting wires. This insulating layer allows pairs of electrons to quantum mechanically tunnel through it, enabling unique superconducting phenomena known as Josephsons effect. Brian Josephson had made this theoretical discovery at Cambridge that led to his Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973, after it was experimentally proven at Bell Labs. In the mid-1980s, an ordinary-looking circuit was constructed that made use of these junctions. In a 1985 paper in Physical Review Letters, the three 2025 laureates reported that, when chilled to very cold conditions, the superconducting circuit could tunnel between a state in which there is no voltage across the junction and one in which there is, thus bringing the Josephson effect from the quantum world to the macroscopic realm. To add a cherry on the cake, they also showed, in later experiments, that the circuit absorbed energy in discrete chunks, which is known as quantization. The circuit could exist in quantized energy states and, most spectacularly, that the state defined by Cooper pairs could tunnel across the insulating barrier, switching states in a probabilistic fashion. In effect, the whole circuit behaved like an artificial atom. This was not merely a demonstration of Josephsons theory; it also proved that quantum mechanics does not resign itself to the boundary of the microscopic. It extended the frontier. One might now ask: is this only a beautiful proof-of-principle, or does it have a tangible impact? The answer is an emphatic yes. The implications are profound. First, this work laid foundational principles for superconducting qubits, one of todays leading platforms for quantum computing. Quantum bits are building blocks of quantum logic as opposed to conventional digital bits, zero and one, on which the current digital logic relies. Second, these circuits allow extreme sensitivity to magnetic flux, and thus can be used to make highly accurate sensors like SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices), which have broad applications in geophysics, medical imaging, biomagnetism, and fundamental physics. Third, this work means that quantum cryptography and fault-tolerant quantum information protocols have a stronger footing. The fact that quantum mechanics can persist in macroscopic circuits emboldens researchers to scale, control, and integrate them into future technology. In short, what was once the realm of thought experiments now becomes an engineering tool. The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics rewards more than a demonstration of quantum weirdness on a chip. It recognises that the rules of the microscopic can be coaxed, guided, and controlled in circuits of macroscopic size. Clarke, Devoret, and Martinis have shown us that the quantum world need not be shrouded in inaccessibility; it can be engineered, manipulated, and harnessed. Building superconducting qubits requires precision cryogenics, advanced nanofabrication, and sophisticated control electronics, areas where close collaboration between academia and industry is essential. The next quantum leap could emerge from an academic lab in Stanford, Tsinghua, Delft, Tainan, Bangalore, Sydney or, as Martinis journey shows, from a corporate enterprise. In any case, it will stand firmly on the shoulders of these pioneering giants. (The author holds a Ph.D. in experimental Condensed Matter Physics from National Taiwan University. Currently, the author works at Imec-Leuven on EUV lithography) The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK. Pakistan's Muridke remains a battlefield between Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters and law enforcement personnel, with the party claiming that more than 250 of its workers have been killed and more than 1,500 injured so far. This follows claims from the party that TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi was shot multiple times and was critically injured during the intense clashes. No official statement has identified the location of the incident or the identity of the attackers yet. The arrest comes ahead of the radical Islamist party's 'Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March', planned for today outside the US Embassy in Pakistan. #Tlp #SaadHussainRizvi #Pakistan #PakistanNews https://t.co/aqbIBUc0Bw THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) October 10, 2025 Rizvi's condition remains serious, and he was taken to a nearby medical centre where he is receiving treatment, a TLP spokesperson added, as per a Bhaskar English report. Pakistan's Punjab police have since claimed that the TLP protesters at Muridke had been dispersed. Security forces, including the Pakistan Rangers, were said to have used batons and tear gas to disperse the protesters, who had set up camps despite heavy barricades. The TLP protesters had camped at Muridke since the Punjab police had blocked entry into Islamabad. The TLP party workers had planned to stage a protest in support of Gaza outside the US Embassy in Islamabad. The TLP protesters, who began demonstrations on October 9, has taken a hardline stand against Israel and in support of Palestine, aligning itself with Hamas and demanding more humanitarian aid for Gaza by the Pakistan government. Pakistan's interior minister Talal Chaudhry has since accused Rizvi and other TLP leaders of making inflammatory speeches, rejecting the need for its "so-called protests, speeches". "Why do those who want to protest not accept peace?" he said, as per another Dawn report. Britain's housing market is not working. Families are desperate for more space, first-time buyers struggle to get a foothold, and older people are trapped in homes that no longer suit their needs. One of the biggest reasons for this logjam is too often overlooked: the system has failed to provide the kinds of homes people actually want to downsize into. The evidence is striking. More than 1.2 million over-55s have abandoned plans to move in the past two years, according to the HomeOwners Alliance. A third say the lack of suitable properties has put them off entirely. Savills calculates that the over-60s now own 2.95 trillion worth of property but this wealth is frequently locked up because there's nowhere to move and no way to release it. The knock-on effects are obvious. Couples rattling around in family-sized houses remain where they are. The four-bed property they no longer need is unavailable to the young family that's desperate for more space. The starter home that family might vacate never reaches the first-time buyer. Chains stall; the market seizes up. This is why downsizing is not simply a lifestyle preference but one of the fastest ways to unclog the housing market. One retired couple moving into a smaller property can trigger two or three other moves down the line. Multiply that effect nationally and the results are transformative. On the move: Downsizing is not simply a lifestyle preference but one of the fastest ways to unclog the housing market The trouble is, we're moving in the opposite direction. Consider bungalows. For decades they were a familiar part of Britain's housing mix: practical, manageable and adaptable as people age. They are exactly what millions of people say they want. Single-storey living is easier to maintain, safer, and helps people remain independent for longer. Retirement communities built around such homes also provide something else: the chance to stay connected to neighbours, shops and services. Yet supply has totally collapsed. National House Building Council figures show bungalows accounted for 11 per cent of new homes in 1990. Last year it was 1 per cent. Since 2010, the figure has never risen above 2 per cent. All the while, demand has grown: nearly five million older people say they would like their next move to be to a bungalow, while nine million want more of them built. Some developers are starting to respond. At McCarthy Stone, for example, we now have 22 bungalow developments comprising over 500 units either sold out or on sale, making us one of the largest builders of retirement bungalows in the country. But this is still only part of the solution. The shortfall is partly a function of how the housing system is structured. Planning rules rarely prioritise later-living homes. Land allocation tends to tilt towards other tenures. Local demand for retirement housing is too often under-assessed. The result is a mismatch between what people need and what actually gets built. The opportunity is clear. By treating later-living housing as a national priority, on a par with homes for first-time buyers, we can unlock vast amounts of under-used stock. Local authorities should be required to assess demand and allocate sites accordingly. Developers, planners and policymakers can then build homes, including bungalows that meet changing needs, not just demand from first-time buyers. Britain's population is ageing fast. But with the right focus, downsizing can become a catalyst for renewal: freeing up family homes, helping first-time buyers, and giving older people the chance to live in places that suit their lives. Far from being a niche reform, this is one of the most powerful opportunities we have to get the housing market moving again. LVMH will hope to build on its shows at Paris Fashion Week at the start of the month when it updates investors in the coming days. Analysts at Deutsche Bank said that while times are tough, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. One said: 'Consumer confidence faces less obvious geo-political challenges in 2026, stock markets remain robust and housing wealth should recover.' Stylish: LVMH's Louis Vuitton brand modelled by Naomi Campbell (pictured) LVMH (its Louis Vuitton brand modelled by Naomi Campbell) is anticipated to post sales of 13.6billion for the three months to the end of September a 1 per cent fall compared to the year before. Investors will be hoping for signs of green shoots after sales plunged earlier this year amid deepening gloom in the luxury world. The boss of one of Britain's biggest housebuilders has called for the return of the bungalow to allow older homeowners to downsize. McCarthy Stone chief executive John Tonkiss said many retirees are stuck in larger family homes even after their children have left as they have nowhere suitable to move to. This, he argues, clogs up the housing market and leaves younger and growing families struggling to find somewhere big enough to live. Writing for the Daily Mail, Tonkiss placed the revival of bungalows at the heart of his solution to 'unlock' the UK's stagnant housing market. 'Couples rattling around in family-sized houses remain where they are,' said Tonkiss, whose firm specialises in housing for the elderly. 'The four-bed property they no longer need is unavailable to the young family that's desperate for more space. The starter home that family might vacate never reaches the first-time buyer. Chains stall; the market seizes up.' More than 1.2m over-55s have abandoned plans to move in the past two years with a third saying the lack of suitable properties has put them off entirely, according to a report by the HomeOwners Alliance. Streets ahead: John Tonkiss has called for the return of the bungalow to allow older homeowners to downsize The advisory firm Savills has found over-60s own 2.9 trillion worth of housing wealth that is frequently 'locked up' in a broken ladder with pensioners having nowhere to move. Tonkiss said bungalows 'are exactly what millions of people say they want'. 'Single-storey living is easier to maintain, safer, and helps people remain independent for longer,' he said. Bungalows made up 11 per cent of new builds in 1990 but just 1 per cent last year, according to the National House Building Council (NHBC). This figure has not topped 2 per cent since 2010 despite the huge unmet demand. The NHBC reported 5m older people want to move to this type of housing, and 9m pensioners want more built. Paula Higgins, chief executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, said: 'Our research shows that too many older homeowners feel stuck in homes that no longer work for them but struggle to find an appropriate alternative 'With the UK's rapidly aging population, we hope the Government's long-promised housing strategy looks at a better range of retirement housing including single-storey solutions.' Tonkiss noted that housing for those in later life needs to be considered a UK-wide priority that is consistent with how first-time buyers are treated. He said: 'We can unlock vast amounts of under-used stock. Local authorities should be required to assess demand and allocate sites accordingly.' 'Developers, planners and policymakers can then build homes, including bungalows that meet changing needs, not just demand from first-time buyers.' Banking giant Lloyds has raised the amount it hs set aside to cover car finance payouts by almost 70 per cent to 2billion, as it fired a broadside at the financial watchdog. Plans to force lenders to pay-out billions of pounds in compensation to car finance customers are disproportionate and do not accurately reflect borrower losses, Lloyds Banking Group has said. It follows proposals published last week that could see lenders pay out 11 billion in total compensation and operational costs related to the car finance commissions scandal. It came after a probe of around 14.2million motor finance deals agreed between April 2007 and November 2024 found were likely to be considered unfair. Lloyds on Monday said it would raise its concerns with the Financial Conduct Authority as it ramped-up provisions for potential costs by 800million. Last week, the FCAs proposals prompted the bank, which owns the Black Horse motor finance lender, to warn investors that Lloyds' 1.2billion provisions for payouts may be insufficient. Now Lloyds said today that the FCAs proposals in their current form suggest the potential impact will be at the adverse range of previous expected outcomes, as the lender announced it would boost provisions to almost 2billion. Lloyds has set aside 2bn for costs related to the car finance commissions scandal The bank said: This reflects the increased likelihood of a higher number of historical cases, particularly [discretionary commission agreements], being eligible for redress, including those dating back to 2007 and also the likelihood of a higher level of redress than anticipated in the previous scenario based provision, reflecting the FCA's proposed redress calculation approach, which is less closely linked to actual customer loss than previously anticipated. Lloyds' dispute over the FCA's methodology in calculating potential redress is in part driven by the regulator's definition of 'unfairness', which the lender doesn't think matches a landmark Supreme Court judgement earlier this year. It also doesn't think the proposed redress methodology outlined by the FCA reflects actual losses to customers. The lender also questions if the proposed compensation plan meets the FCA's objective of ensuring consumers are compensated proportionately and reasonably where harm has been demonstrated. Lloyds told shareholders it does not believe the FCAs proposed methodology for calculating redress owed by lenders reflects the actual loss to the customer. It added: Nor does it meet the objective of ensuring that consumers are compensated proportionately and reasonably where harm has been demonstrated. In addition, the approach to unfairness in the redress scheme does not align with the legal clarity provided by the recent Supreme Court judgment in Johnson, in which unfairness was assessed on a fact specific basis and against a non-exhaustive list of multiple factors. The Group will make representations to the FCA accordingly. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please visit my profile to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, disable notifications and hide this message. We never really have space for nice news on our blog but it's important to understand, remember and consider . . . Kansas City is filled with really great people doing their best for their neighborhoods & community. Whilst partisan hacks diligently work to strip opposition of humanity and convince locals that anyone who votes against their agenda is the enemy . . . We hope this quick www.TonysKansasCity.com collection of nicer news reminds us that so many of our selfless neighbors are dedicated to making this cowtown a better place. Check-it . . . Red Card KC Campaign aims to stop bullying in the KC Metro For nearly a decade, Sporting Kansas City and Children's Mercy Hospital have teamed up to stop bullying in the metro. Dr. Ram Chettiar with Children's Mercy joins Heart of the Matter to give an update on the campaign, and why it matters. Great Jobs KC aims to impact 50,000 Kansas City scholars within a decade - one life at a time "Our most immediate need is assistance with getting people off the waitlist," said Natalie Lewis. "We built this hope. People wondered if it was too good to be true. Now they are showing up, but we need the rest of the funding." Kansas City community steps forward for cure to Type 1 diabetes at annual Breakthrough T1D Walk Hundreds of families and supporters are lacing up their shoes today for the annual Breakthrough T1D Walk at Liberty Memorial, raising awareness and funds for research aimed at curing Type 1 diabetes. Johnson County girl raises money for children experiencing homeless A young Johnson County girl is making a difference for children in need by selling Halloween candy. Goldenberg Duo to play six free fall recitals The Goldenberg Duo, consisting of siblings Susan and William Goldenberg, will present a series of free recital performances at the end of October. KCPD fleet supervisor crafts Chiefs-signed guitars to raise money for officers in crisis A Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department fleet supervisor is turning his passion for handcrafted guitars into a way to give back to colleagues. UMKC music student living in senior community shares music, friendship with older adults A University of Missouri-Kansas City piano student has a group of what some may consider nontraditional roommates. Right now we share local history and some great writing & reporting about a Kansas City first responder sacrifice to protect public safety . . . "Ten years ago today, two Kansas City firefighters Larry Leggio and John Mesh made the ultimate sacrifice while battling a blaze in the 2600 block of Independence Avenue, just steps from where the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Northeast News offices now stand." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Ten Years Later: Northeast Remembers Firefighters John Mesh and Larry Leggio - Northeast News Bryan StalderNortheast News Ten years ago today, two Kansas City firefighters - Larry Leggio and John Mesh - made the ultimate sacrifice while battling a blaze in the 2600 block of Independence Avenue, just steps from where the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Northeast News offices now stand. This October, the Fort Lauderdale Marriott has debuted its fully reimagined pool deck, bringing a fresh, elevated energy to the heart of South Florida. (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - October 13th, 2025 - FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA (October 9th, 2025) This October, the Fort Lauderdale Marriott has debuted its fully reimagined pool deck, bringing a fresh, elevated energy to the heart of South Florida. Designed with both relaxation and celebration in mind, the new space offers an upscale yet laid-back atmosphere, perfect for unwinding under the sun or hosting memorable outdoor events. From intimate wedding ceremonies to corporate receptions and lively social gatherings, the revitalized pool area sets the stage for unforgettable experiences in a modern coastal setting. Fort Lauderdale Marriott offers a welcoming retreat for both leisure and business travelers. Guests can stay active with access to on-site pickleball courts and a fully equipped fitness center, then unwind in modern accommodations. With a laid-back South Florida vibe and warm, attentive service, the property combines comfort, convenience, and local charm for a well-rounded stay. The updated deck features refreshed landscaping, brand-new restrooms, a soft seating area shaded by a new awning, and an enhanced sound system. The new pool deck offers about6,000 square feetof stylish, functional space with upgraded poolside furniture, including three new private cabanas, two rentable daybeds, new lounge chaises, and umbrellas, all designed to create a modern, upscale vibe. We are excited to have this great amenity return to the property after years of planning, says Raymond Balkey.As the General Manager of the Fort Lauderdale Marriott North, Balkey brings over 13 years of hospitality leadership experience with Pyramid Global Hospitality and has led the Fort Lauderdale Marriott North team for the past three years. The new pool and refreshed area will offer our guests a new and enhanced experience to enjoy while relaxing in South Florida. This will also provide the property the opportunity to host events outdoors, creating endless opportunities for corporate receptions, social gatherings, wedding ceremonies, and much more. With programming planned to include seasonal promotions, special celebrations, private parties, and day packages, the new pool deck is positioned to become a vibrant space for both leisure and events. A newly installed sound system sets the tone to match the relaxed, upscale atmosphere. Whether unwinding after a day of meetings or soaking in the South Florida sun, guests can look forward to an enhanced experience that blends comfort with elevated design. Experience it for yourself click here to book your stay at Fort Lauderdale Marriott North. FORT LAUDERDALE MARRIOTT NORTH: Fort Lauderdale Marriott North is a full-service hotel offering a refreshing oasis for leisure travelers, families, and business guests alike. Located in North Fort Lauderdale, the property features a well-equipped fitness center, new pickleball courts, and stylish accommodations with luxurious bedding and modern amenities. Guests enjoy convenient access to nearby destinations including Pompano Beach, Harrahs Pompano Beach, and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The hotel blends the casual charm of Florida with warm Southern hospitality for a comfortable, memorable stay. 6650 N Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. www.marriott.com/fllcc About Marriott Bonvoy: Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Internationals portfolio of more than 30 hotel brands and 10,000 global destinations, offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable locations around the world. The award-winning travel program and marketplace gives members access to transformative, eye-opening experiences around the corner and across the globe. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit marriottbonvoy.com. To download the Marriott app, go here. Travelers can also connect with Marriott Bonvoy on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok. EVOLVE & CO: Evolve & Co is a full-service advertising agency located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The company is a collective of brand strategists and creatives, specializing in the lifestyle vertical. The firm is located at 475 Central Avenue Suite M7, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. www.evolveandco.com About Pyramid Global Hospitality: Pyramid Global Hospitality was formed by the 2021 merger of three hotel and resort management companies, creating the most owner-focused, experiential company in the industry and establishing a position as a best workplace. The organizations global portfolio spans more than 240 properties across the U.S., Caribbean and Europe. It maintains offices in Boston; The Woodlands, Texas; Cincinnati; and London. For more information, visit www.PyramidGlobal.com Editors: For details, or to schedule an interview contact Lisa Williams lisa@evolveandco.com or 727.490.9835. ### Cheapfaremart releases its discount coupon usually 90 days before the event date. Thanksgiving in the United States in 2025 falls on Thursday, November 27, 2025. (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - October 13th, 2025 - Cheapfaremart, the IATAN-accredited US-based Online Travel Agency (OTA), has published its Thanksgiving flight coupon. Cheapfaremart releases its discount coupon usually 90 days before the event date. Thanksgiving in the United States in 2025 falls on Thursday, November 27, 2025. This date aligns with the tradition of observing Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. Thanksgiving is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, as established by U.S. federal law. The release of flight coupon around holidays is a sales-and-making strategy to attract more travelers as time off from offices and schools provide individuals and families with the opportunity to plan holiday. The Thanksgiving promo code is applicable to booking flights through its official website and mobile platforms exclusively. According to Aftaf Ahmad, Head of Sales Operations at Cheapfaremart LLC, the Thanksgiving promo code is valid on all domestic and international routes and with any airlines. Talking about the flexibility, he said, Our goal with this years Thanksgiving promo code is to give travelers complete flexibility whether theyre booking a quick domestic getaway or an international adventure, they should focus on creating memories, not worrying about restrictions. However, the overall booking price goes up with the base fare increase as Thanksgiving Day and other festivals approach and booking demands increases. Thanksgiving Day is closely followed by Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year. So, airline ticket prices are bound to go up. Hence, travelers booking Thanksgiving flights early can expect a higher discount. The selection of fare type impacts your total booking amount. All major and low-cost airlines release their fares under different fare types with each having their set of flexibilities and restrictions. Understanding the comfort and conveniences you need based on seat type, priority boarding, meal, ticket change, etc., you should select your flight itinerary. When booking a long-haul flight, breaking the itinerary with a connection can help you get more flight deals for effective comparison. It maximizes your chance of getting a cheaper flight. About Cheapfaremart Cheapfaremart.com is a flight and rental car booking website controlled by Cheapfaremart LLC, an IATAN (International Airlines Travel Agent Network)-accredited online travel agency (OTA) based in Orlando, USA. The agency is also certified by ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation). Cheapfaremart was established in 2015 to make travel planning smarter and more affordable with an effective comparison of flight options available with major and low-cost carriers. Contact Information Aftaf Ahmad,Head of Operations Cheapfaremart LLC 771 S Kirkman Rd, Unit 112 Orlando, FL 32811 Ph: 1-844-869-5222 | Email-Fares@Cheapfaremarat.com ### BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Delegations from Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia will conduct a joint inspection of key infrastructure along the North-South international transport corridor tomorrow, Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at a trilateral meeting with representatives from the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Trend reports. The deputy prime minister recalled that in order to develop the North-South transport corridor, a number of important documents were also signed between the parties at the bilateral level during the past period. In May 2023, an agreement was signed between the Iranian and Russian governments on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway in Iran. In addition, in December 2024, an agreement was signed between the governments of Azerbaijan and Russia on cooperation in the development of transit freight transport along the North-South corridor. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Elimination of signal interference has been discussed between Iran and Azerbaijan in Tehran at the bilateral meeting on frequency spectrum regulation, which started its work today, the Iranian Communications Regulatory Authority said in a statement, Trend reports. The three-day meeting is attended by high-level officials in the fields of communications and information technologies of the two countries. The meeting will discuss issues such as harmonization of mobile networks in the 2300, 2600, and 3500 MHz frequency bands, determination of coordination methods between mobile networks, and analysis of the results of signal measurement tests (drive tests) conducted in border regions. The primary aim of the convening is to mitigate the interference of communication signals in frontier zones and to guarantee the maximization of frequency spectrum utilization. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Views on the development of cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan were exchanged during a meeting of the Turkmen delegation at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture today, the ministry's statement said, Trend reports. The meeting was held within the framework of the Days of Turkmen Culture being held on October 13-15, organized by the ministry. In relation to the Days, a substantial cohort of cultural luminaries and artistic virtuosos from the allied nation, spearheaded by the Deputy Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan, Nursahet Shirimov, is undertaking a visit to Azerbaijan. In a ceremonial address, Minister Adil Karimli extended his felicitations to the attendees in recognition of the Turkmenistan Days of Culture being celebrated in Azerbaijan. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kapital Bank, one of the largest employers among the countrys financial institutions, has once again been awarded the international Great Place to Work certification, confirming its consistent success in maintaining high employee satisfaction and workplace standards. Kapital Bank has become the first and only company in the country to receive this certification three times, reflecting its strong corporate culture and commitment to employee well-being. It should be noted that Great Place to Work is an international research and consulting organization operating in more than 60 countries that evaluates companies based on employee feedback. The certification is granted only to organizations that demonstrate outstanding results, assessing the quality of the work environment, employee motivation, development opportunities, and the effectiveness of internal communication. Board member, Chief Human Capital and Organizational Development Officer at Kapital Bank, Fargana Mammadova, emphasized that this achievement is the result of mutual trust and support between the bank and its employees. For the third consecutive year, Kapital Bank has received the international Great Place to Work certification. For us, this is not just an award, but a sincere reflection of our corporate environment as seen through the eyes of nearly six thousand employees. What matters most to us is that every team member feels valued and has real opportunities for growth and well-being. The high results we achieved across more than 20 criteria are clear proof that our approach has earned international recognition. This achievement not only reaffirms Kapital Banks commitment to employee satisfaction and its people-centered organizational culture but also strengthens its leadership position both nationally and internationally. Moving forward, the bank will continue to support employee development, enrich the workplace environment, and nurture a strong team spirit. Kapital Bank, the country's first bank, is part of PASHA Holding. Kapital Bank has the largest service network in Azerbaijan with 119 branches and 52 departments all over the country. For more detailed information about the banks products and services, please refer to https://kapitalbank.az website, 196 Call Centre or the banks various social network pages. To apply for a consumer loan visit https://kbl.az/prgtk, for a Birbank installment card visit https://kbl.az/prcrc. AzInTelecom LLC participated as a partner in the CIDC 2025 2nd Cybersecurity Conference, recognized as one of the most significant events in the regions cybersecurity sector. Held on October 910 at the Baku Congress Center and jointly organized by the Special Communication and Information Security Service and the State Security Service, the conference brought together industry experts, government representatives, and leading companies. During the event, Tamerlan Mashadihasanli, Head of AzInTelecoms Products and Services Division, took part in the panel discussion on International Practices in Protecting Smart Infrastructures. While presenting AzInTelecom Solutions for a Secure Digital Transformation, T.Mashadihasanli emphasized the role of cloud and biometric technologies in reducing risks in the digital environment and ensuring the resilience of services. On the second day, Ruslan Dadayev, Director of AzInTelecoms Information Security Department, addressed the panel The City That Knows You: Biometric Control, Data Collection, Human Rights, and Protection Which Matters Most? R.Dadayev highlighted the technological and security measures implemented to safeguard sensitive data, including biometric information, within cloud infrastructures. R. Dadayev also emphasized the effectiveness of encryption and authentication technologies in protecting biometric and other critical data in the cloud. It should be noted that AzInTelecom, operating a 24/7 Security Operations Center that delivers reliable and resilient security services, joined the conference as a Silver Sponsor. With a special focus on training professional specialists in the field, the companys core mission is to support the development of Azerbaijans cybersecurity ecosystem and strengthen information security across the country. About AzInTelecom AzInTelecom LLC, one of the companies of AZCON Holding, provides secure, reliable, and easily adaptable services for those who prioritize quality in the digital world. The company offers advanced and secure cloud solutions, next-generation digital signature and identification services, digital platforms that enhance business efficiency, and comprehensive cybersecurity solutions. Through these services, AzInTelecom empowers its users with the latest technologies in digital transformation, playing a leading role in bringing innovation to the business landscape. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. On September 27, 2020, in response to a large-scale provocation of Armenian armed forces along the front line, the Azerbaijani army launched a counter-offensive operation, later named "Iron Fist". The 44-day Second Karabakh War led to the end of almost 30-year occupation and restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. On 13 October, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was interviewed by the Turkish Haber Turk TV channel. On 14 October, the TV channel broadcast the interview with the head of state. Trend presents the interview. - We are with the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev. Mr. President, you have a busy schedule, both at the front and in diplomacy. Thank you very much for your time with Haber Turk. - Thank you. - Mr. President, a meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan took place in Moscow, which lasted 11 and a half hours. But after that meeting, Armenia bombarded the city of Ganja and targeted civilians with particular cruelty. It is noteworthy here that Armenia aims at Azerbaijan from its own territory. Why did Armenia need this attack at a time when the meeting was held at the diplomatic level? Have you received the desired support from the world community or any messages on this issue? - This dirty policy of Armenia is understandable because they resort to such heinous actions whenever they are defeated on the battlefield. The display of cruelty towards civilians and unarmed population is a common thing for them. The Azerbaijani people saw this in the example of the Khojaly genocide. This time the Azerbaijani Army, having carried out a successful operation along the entire front, liberated several cities and villages. Our operation to liberate us from the occupation continues successfully. This morning, I was informed that the Azerbaijani Army has achieved even more impressive successes in this direction. We will provide this information at the right time. The reason for this treacherous attack by Armenia is that they are trying to expand the geography of this conflict and involve the Collective Security Treaty Organization of which they are a member. This is why they bombard Azerbaijani lands, civilians and provoke us to retaliate. But as I said, our revenge would be on the battlefield. We never take any action against civilians. All our goals are military. From the first days of the operation, military targets were reviewed again, and we eliminated them with precise and aimed fire. The Armenian army suffered a lot of damage. We have destroyed more than 200 tanks, two S-300 anti-aircraft installations, and numerous other pieces of equipment. A total of 33 tanks and other hardware have been taken as trophies. This is another terrorist act on the part of Armenia, but it cannot break the will of the Azerbaijani people. We will fight the enemy with even greater determination, we will liberate our lands with even greater zeal, and we will raise the flag of Azerbaijan in all the occupied lands. As for the reaction of international organizations and the international community to this, as always, Turkey has openly and unequivocally supported us on this issue again. The statements of my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the statements of other high-ranking officials were further manifestations of the position of brotherhood. Pakistan and its Prime Minister have made a very positive statement, showing great solidarity. Other countries have made similar statements. But I can't say that it was widespread on a global scale. However, it is as clear as day. A statement is made about a ceasefire, but such a cowardly attack is organized less than a day later. This shows yet again who is not interested in a ceasefire. I said that our goal is to return the citizens of Azerbaijan to all the occupied lands. I said that the ceasefire would allow things to move from a military to political and diplomatic levels. At the diplomatic level, this issue should be resolved around the negotiating table, Armenia should withdraw from the other occupied territories, Azerbaijani citizens should return there and peace should be established. But it seems that Armenia's plans were completely different. They believed that by using this ceasefire, they could reduce their military losses, gain time, mobilize new forces and thus continue their attacks on Azerbaijan. They were wrong. I said that if Armenia did not act positively, they would regret it, and I was right. - Mr. President, your Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister held a meeting that lasted 11 and a half hours. When this meeting was underway, you said that you have one condition they should provide a timetable, in other words, a timetable for Armenia's withdrawal from Karabakh. Was the timetable provided at the Moscow meeting? Did Moscow submit any project or plan related to the future of Karabakh? - No, the timetable was not provided, but we did not particularly insist on that because we were satisfied with the provisions of the Moscow agreement, the Moscow statement that met our interests. I should also say that the Moscow discussions dragged on because there were plans to include articles that did not suit us in this statement. We didn't know about that. When our foreign minister arrived in Moscow and sat down at the negotiating table, proposals were presented to both ministers. Naturally, I was informed as we were in constant contact. I set out our conditions, outside of which no arrangements were possible. This is why, given the situation, we have slightly softened our position in relation to the timetable. But this does not mean that there will be no timetable. There will be one. When? This will be established during the discussions. It was indicated in the statement that the discussions would be resumed on the basis of the fundamental principles, i.e., the Madrid principles, which confirm the return of our occupied lands to Azerbaijan. At the same time, the format of negotiations remains unchanged. In particular, negotiations will be held between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The participation of any representative of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh republic" in these talks is not negotiable. We are satisfied with that. Our expectation was that negotiations should start immediately and the timetable should be presented to us within these negotiations. We must be satisfied with this timetable. In other words, it cannot be a long process. We have waited for 30 years. The patience of the Azerbaijani people has already run out. I am sure that if negotiations resume, this timetable will be provided to us. However, the violation of this agreement, of this statement on the part of Armenia shows that they simply intend to gain time and continue attacks on Azerbaijan. - Mr. President, Armenia is making attempts related to the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia is trying to solicit political pressure from France, Russia and other countries with a strong Armenian diaspora. You are taking a decisive position on the issue of liberating Karabakh from occupation. What is your model related to Karabakh after its liberation? Will it be an autonomous region or an independent entity? What will be the process related to Karabakh like? - First of all, I have to say that the attempts currently being made by Armenia are inappropriate and very harmful for themselves because no country will ever grant independence to Nagorno-Karabakh, which is an integral part of Azerbaijan and belongs to it from the point of view of international law. No country will recognize it. This being the case, all such attempts will be fruitless. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is recognized by the whole world. Notice that the Minsk Group co-chair countries recognize our territorial integrity. We have initiated a document entitled "Partnership Priorities" with the European Union. It expresses support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the inviolability of our borders. So I do not believe that any country will recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh because an hour later we will cut off all diplomatic ties with such a country. Definitely! Therefore, all attempts by Armenia are designed simply for the internal audience, i.e., its own public, as if they are engaged in some kind of diplomatic activity too. As for the post-war period, there will be no changes in our position. Our position is based on historical justice, international law, and best international experience. In other words, at the first stage, the Armenian armed forces must withdraw from the occupied territories. In principle, this issue has already been reaffirmed within the Minsk Group five districts, then two districts, then Nagorno-Karabakh itself, Shusha, Khankandi the Azerbaijanis lived in many villages there. Azerbaijani citizens must return there and discussions on the future of Nagorno-Karabakh in a new environment, in a new climate will be continued. We will get even closer to peace. Therefore, there is no change in our position on the Armenians living there. Azerbaijan is a multiethnic state. Thousands of Armenians live in different parts of Azerbaijan, especially in Baku, and they are our citizens. There are many ethnicities living in our country and this increases the strength of our country. Therefore, the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh should not be worried at all. Once we save their lives from that criminal junta, they will live better, safer, in a more secure environment and their well-being will improve because they live in poverty now. We will invest in it, we will implement social programs there, we will have programs to create jobs. All this will be a new stage for the Armenians living there and the Azerbaijanis who will return there. This is our position. And Armenia's position is to expel the Azerbaijanis from there, carry out ethnic cleansing, raze the historical and religious sites of Azerbaijan to the ground, and then declare that this is ancient Armenian land. The Armenians were resettled there by Tsarist Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. This is history. We know this history. Therefore, this is our position. The Azerbaijani people know and support this position. - Mr. President, as far as I understand, you have explained not only the operation but also the period after it, provided a phased concept. However, we know that during the conflict, sad events took place in Karabakh, 30,000 Azerbaijani Turks were killed, became martyrs. Will the two people be able to live together again in this geographic space? Or will Armenians and Azerbaijani Turks live in separate districts? What is the plan? - You know, the Azerbaijani people are very kind. That is exactly why representatives of dozens of other ethnicities live in Azerbaijan peacefully and with dignity. Therefore, I am absolutely convinced that Armenians and Azerbaijanis will be able to live together in these regions. Just like they live in other places of Azerbaijan today, just like, for example, they live in Georgia. More than 300,000 Azerbaijanis and about 200,000 Armenians live in Georgia. In some villages, they live together, in the same village. There are no problems between them. They live like normal neighbors in Russia, in Ukraine and other countries. Why can't we do it here? I believe that we must be ready for that. We must prepare our peoples for this. Everything I have told you today is accepted by the Azerbaijani people and receives their support. At the same time, this is my appeal to the Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh today. Let them know that the Azerbaijani people are not their enemy. The Azerbaijani people simply want to live in the land of their ancestors. They have the right to do so. Let them live there alongside us. But to drive us out of there so that they could live there on their own is unfair. We can never agree to that. Of course, any war ends in peace. Therefore, we must also look at the post-war stage now. If both sides show a firm will and international organizations help us in this matter, then I think this can be achieved. It won't be easy, but we must try to achieve this. - Mr. President, Armenia is currently shelling the settlements of Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan takes aim only at military sites in the course of operations, conducts operations only in the territories of the Karabakh region. At the same time, Armenia is shelling Ganja, Mingachevir, Barda and other places with dense population centers. What is the goal: to sow panic, chaos and fear? What is the psychological state of the Azerbaijani people at the present time? - You are right, the goal is exactly this to sow panic, chaos and fear. Azerbaijan is a completely different country today. A new generation has grown up. New people have been raised in the conditions of independence patriots, both morally and physically strong. At the same time, the older generation has a completely different world outlook today. Our state has a strong determination. We have a powerful army. That is why the heinous attacks failed to break our resolve. The city of Tartar suffered the most from the Armenian vandalism. Thousands of shells fell on Tartar. Tartar is a small town. Not as big as Ganja. I was informed this morning that from 7 o'clock to half past 9, over a thousand shells fell on the city of Tartar in two and a half hours. But the people of Tartar stand as firmly as a mountain, united in a single fist, do not go anywhere and say: we will die but we will not retreat. The same holds true for Aghdam, Goranboy, Aghjabadi and all other regions located close to the frontline. They are used to living face to face with the enemy. In 2016, after the famous April battles, I went to the regions affected by Armenian vandalism. I visited one village. The distance from that village to Armenian positions was 100-150 meters. Our servicemen told me: don't go there, don't go, it is dangerous there. I replied that our people live there, isn't it dangerous for them? Imagine how brave and proud these people are to live there, create and raise children under enemy fire. Such are Azerbaijani people! So these treacherous attacks will not force us to deviate from the chosen path. Another goal of Armenia is to stop us. They think these mean strikes will stop us. Nobody can stop us because our cause is fair. We are going along this path and we are following it successfully. We raise our flag, free our lands and we will go all the way to the end! - Mr. President, regarding the Minsk Group. Although the conflict has been going on for 30 years, no solution has been found. Yesterday, in an interview with one of the media, you spoke about the possibility of revising the format, more precisely, the possibility of changing the composition. What should this composition be like? Should Turkey get a seat at the negotiating table? The fact is that a message came from Russia in the morning that they did not really want Turkey's presence at this table. What is your attitude to this issue? I would like to ask you another question in this regard. Mr. President, if Russia wants to send peacekeepers to Karabakh, how will you react to this? If I am not mistaken, one of the media outlets has already asked you this question. - First of all, I must say that the dispatch of peacekeepers to the region should take place on the basis of the consent of both countries Armenia and Azerbaijan. The dispatch and composition of peacekeepers. In other words, who will be there and what countries they will represent. If one of the countries vetoes it, then, of course, this will not happen. The second question is that everyone should understand: when people talk about sending peacekeepers today, they talk about Azerbaijani lands, the territory of sovereign Azerbaijan. Without our permission, no country will be able to send its peacekeepers to our lands. This is against the law. This runs counter to international law. This is unacceptable. Therefore, we are not worried about that. There may be such efforts and intentions. I do not rule that out but all questions should be decided at the table. I must also say that the fundamental principles that are the topic of discussion envisage the dispatch of peacekeepers at the final stage. First of all, it is necessary to resolve the issues I have noted - the liberation of our lands, the return of internally displaced persons, the opening of borders, the establishment of transport and trade communications. After that, the dispatch of peacekeepers is not rule out. But since we have not come close to a positive result in the 30 years of negotiations, this issue was not discussed at all. So there may be various assumptions and interests on this issue but it is impossible without Azerbaijan's consent. As for the question related to the activities of the Minsk Group, I have already said several times that the Minsk Group was established in 1992. We do not know what groundwork there was at the time. There are countries in this group that are not interested in this region at all. They have no interests and no influence in this region. Therefore, if they want a solution to this conflict we do want this then there must be countries that could contribute to peace in real life. Of course, we see fraternal Turkey in this process. We welcome this. We know that the Minsk Group was established by the OSCE, which has its own rules. There are probably some legal procedures involved in changing the composition of this group. We don't want to go too much into detail. Therefore, I said that it did not matter whether this would be de jure or de facto the main thing is that Turkey should be at this table. It is already there because my dear brother, dear Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has repeatedly met and talked with respected Putin about the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. For many years now, i.e. for more than 10 years, this issue has been on the Turkish-Russian agenda. I am aware of this. Both the President of Turkey and the President of Russia told me about this. Turkey is already there. There is an even larger volume, an even larger scale now. You know, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaks on the phone with Mr. Lavrov, the Turkish Defense Minister Mr. Hulusi Akar, speaks with Mr. Shoigu. Who can say that Turkey is not in the process. If there is no Turkey, then why are you saying this? Turkey is there. And we will do everything possible to keep it this way because this issue cannot be resolved without Turkey's participation. Everyone should understand this. As for the formal side of the issue, I repeat that the Minsk Group may remain, it has not achieved any result in 30 years anyway. But the sooner this issue is resolved, the sooner the Minsk Group will become unnecessary. - Mr. President, on the one hand, the prime minister of Armenia Pashinyan danced in Shusha before the operation and tried to cheer up his people. On the other hand, suffering defeats in this war, he began to blame Turkey. He accused Turkey of transferring foreign fighters here. At the same time, we see that international media also devote a lot of attention to this topic. Among other things, one of the American newspapers circulated reports about foreign fighters and Turkish planes in Azerbaijan. How do you assess that dance of Pashinyan? Is the current situation obvious? Secondly, I would like to know your opinion regarding Turkey's position and the topic of these aircraft. - Pashinyan's dance in a drunken stupor and his other insults aroused legitimate anger among the Azerbaijani people. We are avenging these escapades of his on the battlefield. Azerbaijani soldiers are showing on the battlefield who is right and who is not. We demonstrate our power, the will of the people on the battlefield. Pashinyan's other provocations also do not and will not remain unanswered. The dignity of the Azerbaijani people is being restored. The blood of our martyrs does not and should not remain unavenged. The cities and villages we have already liberated are our best response to the likes of Pashinyan. He already understands who is who. I warned him. I told him that this path would lead them to disaster. I told him not to play with the dignity of the Azerbaijani people, to be attentive and careful. He thought that Armenians of the world would protect him. He thought that big states would fight in his place, and he still wants it today. In the course of one day, he telephoned the President of Russia, esteemed Vladimir Putin, several times. Some of these calls were reported on in the media, others were not. We have information that even after the latest ceasefire, Pashinyan called Putin. These actions of his, of course, demonstrate that this person is in panic, he is confused. The Azerbaijani army is inflicting such a crushing blow on the enemy that they have found themselves in an awkward state. This is one side of the issue. As for the involvement of Turkey here or the transfer of some foreign forces, this is an absolute lie. I have already expressed my attitude to the issue related to the Turkish F-16. Turkish F-16 aircraft are here. They flew here during the exercises, stayed here afterwards, and after the Armenian attacks. But they are on the ground, not in the air. None of them took part in this war. Not a single person from Turkey participates in this war. As for foreigners, this is also a lie. This is slander. We were not provided with any evidence. There were just statements from France and Russia, and that was all. - Has any specific evidence been provided? - There is no evidence. No statements were made. Our intelligence is not informed of anything. I can tell you now that our intelligence agencies contacted the countries that slandered us and asked for evidence. They did not give any. Only words. Let them write whatever they want in the media, we are not concerned. Western media have always been on the side of Armenia. They treated us negatively before. Therefore, we are used to this kind of slander. But statements of certain officials are unacceptable. Either prove it or take your words back. This is not the case. And this is not necessary. Azerbaijan has a strong enough army to resolve these issues on its own. Besides, as for the participation of foreign citizens, let them look at Armenia and see how many terrorists there are there. There are RKK camps there. They also exist in Nagorno-Karabakh. After the liberation of this region from the invaders, we will destroy these camps too. So many foreigners are taking part in these battles against us today. The terrorists killed there have passports of Canada and Lebanon. Whether they are of Armenian origin or not is another matter. A citizen of another country has come here and is fighting against us. They are mercenaries. They also say that Turkey is providing military assistance to Azerbaijan. You know, Turkey is our brother. Our fraternal relations have already gone through great trials. We buy military equipment from Turkey, but we also buy it from other countries. We buy it from Russia, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Ukraine, Eastern European countries, including Turkey. Turkey has a developed military-industrial complex today. Why shouldn't we buy it from them? Notice what Armenia is doing. We buy everything with money. I have a complete list and it will be published later, but I want to draw your attention to several issues. During these two weeks, more than 200 Armenian tanks were destroyed and 33 tanks were taken as trophies. In other words, we have destroyed 233 Armenian tanks. Two S-300 installations were destroyed. Everyone knows the cost of each one. In addition, the OSA-35 air defense systems were destroyed. "TOR", "KUB", "KRUG", trucks, anti-tank weapons. If you count all this, the cost of equipment we have destroyed and taken as trophies is estimated at 1-2 billion dollars. The question is where poor Armenia found the money to buy all this. Did it buy it with money? No! They received it for free. Everyone knows who gave it to them. They give and continue giving them weapons. After the clashes in Tovuz District, the conflict ended on 16 July and starting from 17 July cargo planes began delivering weapons to Armenia every day. Are these items in Armenia's budget? No! Armenia's foreign exchange reserves amount to $1.5 billion. That's all. It has no more money. The external public debt of this country is approximately $8 billion. So it is a failed state. Where does so much of destroyed equipment come from? And much more equipment will be destroyed. If the war continues, we will destroy their entire army, all of their army! Therefore, the sooner they stop the war, the more tanks and guns they will be able to save. There is so much more of this is on the territory of Armenia. Russia has a military base in Armenia and there are 5,000 soldiers there. Does Turkey have a military base in Azerbaijan? No! Armenia's border with Iran and Turkey is protected by Russian border guards. Are there Turkish border guards on the border of Azerbaijan? No! So no-one should accuse us. Otherwise, we will have to reveal all the unpleasant moments. - Mr. President, you have mentioned RKK camps in Karabakh. Is there information in what districts they are located? - We have intelligence about this. I don't want to talk about this in more detail. Most of all, they are present in mountainous regions. A part of the occupied territories is in the mountains and a part is in the lowland. Most of all, they are located in forests and mountainous areas. We have repeatedly contacted international organizations in this regard. Even when I was in my previous capacity, as a Member of Parliament and head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, I raised the issue there too. I drew the attention of European parliamentarians to the fact that they should apply sanctions to Armenia. Armenia is a terrorist country, a country that encourages terror. Therefore, this kind of intelligence is available. At the same time, this was confirmed in a statement of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. For some reason, this statement was not published in any media. It said that foreigners were fighting in Azerbaijan. Even though Armenia is not mentioned in that statement, it says that RKK is also involved in the battles. It is clear that there can be no RKK in Azerbaijan. Why isn't there a single word about this in the Western media? They want to conceal this, to divert attention from it. But after the flag of Azerbaijan is hoisted on all these lands, not a single terrorist can remain there alive. - Mr. President, issues of energy security are being discussed today. Armenia has carried out attacks that targeted TANAP or pipelines going to Turkey. How will you ensure security in this direction? Europe needs energy resources. What do European friends think about this? - They are a little worried. Of course, we take this into account because anything can be expected from Armenia. One of the reasons for the clashes that took place in Tovuz district in July was also to approach this pipeline or to establish control over it. That was why they wanted to enter our territory and occupy new lands. But they experienced the bitterness of defeat. Since 2006, when the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was put into operation, to this day, there has not been a single problem on the territory of Azerbaijan related to the security of pipelines, not a single one neither technical nor due to any provocation. Because on the territory of Azerbaijan we have a fairly sophisticated security system. Monitoring, physical protection and electronic protection are carried out. The location of the pipeline deep under the ground provides a certain degree of protection from air attacks, of course. But if Armenia implements these dirty intentions, i.e. plans to put the pipelines out of operation, then the response to their actions will be very tough. We have already warned them about this. I believe that European countries that will receive gas through TANAP next year should also warn them because TANAP is not only our project. It also has other shareholders. TAP has European shareholders. This is a project of exceptional importance for the energy security of Europe. Therefore, we should all be interested in this project not sustaining any damage. - Mr. President, I want to ask one more question. Pashinyan is confused now. He has endangered not only himself but also the Armenian people. The 3 million people living in Armenia are in danger. Did any of the Armenians living of Europe, some businessmen working there act as an intermediary, saying that the Armenian people are not to blame, he is crazy. Have there been any phone calls from people interested in speaking about that? - No, we have not received any phone calls or messages in this regard. But this wasn't something unexpected. You know, every leader, every manager must have some experience. Knowledge also matters, but you need experience, managerial experience. The people who have now come to power in some countries have no experience whatsoever. He did not even run a small collective farm. He didn't even manage a small company or a shop. He probably didn't even manage five people. How can he lead a country? It is difficult to lead a country, especially in our region. This is not so difficult in established European countries because there are countries where people do not even know who is leading them. People are not interested in this, they live their own lives, there is an established system, everything is systematized. In our region, a lot depends on the person leading the country life, security, well-being of people, international authority. Pashinyan is a man from the street. Who was he before? Nobody! A writer, not even a writer but a correspondent for a newspaper. He came from the street and became a leader. What did he do after that? He is leading Armenia into an abyss. Look, there is absolute dictatorship in Armenia today. Criminal cases have been initiated against both ex-presidents. One of them served a couple of years, then he was released, but the criminal case remains open. The other was forbidden to travel outside the country. Two days before these clashes, the chairman of the main opposition party was arrested. Then Pashinyan crushed the Constitutional Court, dissolved it. He blackmailed the chairman of the Constitutional Court, threatened him with arrest and placed his own people there by force. He imprisons journalists and media representatives. One of them went on a hunger strike and died in prison. There are problems in the international arena, with traditional allies. He has created problems with Russia, Belarus and other traditional allies. Now Pashinyan pins most of his hopes on the Collective Security Treaty Organization. In Russian, this organization is called the CSTO. Its Charter says that in the event of an attack on one of the countries from the outside, the other member-countries must save it. But the general secretary of the CSTO was an Armenian, a man of the previous regime. He threw him in jail, thus insulting this organization too. He has done so much. Everyone already knows that Pashinyan is a product of Soros. He is someone managed by Soros. The source of the coups and "revolutions" that took place in post-Soviet republics is one and the same. Soros has already become a household word. I don't mean only him. Look for photos of Pashinyan with Soros on the Internet. They stand hand in hand, pressed against each other. A disgusting photo. This is who his father is. Therefore, Soros controls him. The events that took place in Armenia are yet another defeat for Soros. In 2005, they wanted to do the same in Azerbaijan the Orange Revolution. But I stood in front of them, crushed them, drove them out of here and then closed the Soros foundations. I drove other non-governmental organizations out of here. I said that we know what to do ourselves. Go and make revolutions somewhere else. They settled in Armenia, money started flowing there through non-governmental organizations and people were brought up in that spirit. Today, 90 percent of Pashinyan's team are representatives of Soros, Transparency International, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other similar dirty organizations. Therefore, in an interview with one of the Russian channels the other day, I said that our goal is not to create problems for Pashinyan. The longer he stays in power, the better for us. You know what I mean. - Mr. President, last question. Frankly, I didn't plan to ask it but I want to ask it as well. How will events develop after this? There is very serious public support from Turkey. In other words, speaking about the public, I mean people, everyone watches your speeches and supports them. I have been in Azerbaijan for 15 days, I have visited Barda, Mingachevir, Ganja. People provide you with tremendous support. Wherever we have been, I ask people, and they say: "Never mind, let my house be destroyed, let my car burn out, that doesn't matter, the main thing is to return Karabakh". Immense support! We see this when we ask each of them a question. Everyone here supports you both the opposition and the government. How will this process develop now? What do you expect? How long do you think this process will last? You are the son of an experienced father, the son of Heydar Aliyev, the most experienced political figure in the Caucasus and the region. Do you remember what he told you about Karabakh, Turkey and this region? - You know, we will solve the problems of people whose houses have been destroyed. Let them not be worried. And in the shortest possible time. I remember when Armenia attacked us in April 2016, more than 1,000 houses were destroyed. During my meetings with the owners of these houses, I said: don't worry, we will restore all the houses. About eight months later, I visited them again, I visited Aghdam and other front-line regions, and handed them the keys to their houses. An earthquake occurred in the city of Shamakhi a year and a half ago, and thousands of houses were destroyed. I went there and said: don't worry, we will restore all the houses. We did that too. There are several houses left, but they will also be restored. About 10 years ago, a flood occurred in our country, a large area remained under water. More than 5,000 houses were destroyed. All of them were restored by the state. My approach is this: if you had a house with an area of 100 square meters, you will get a new one with an area of 120-150 square meters. If you had a shack, then you will get a new beautiful and well-renovated home. Therefore, people who have lost their home and property will receive help. In addition, many people in our villages have also lost their livestock. It was a source of income for them. I have already issued an instruction, they are calculating how many animals have been lost, and this will also be reimbursed. We will definitely resolve this issue. The Azerbaijani people know that they will not apply to any insurance company, that there will be no red tape, that some official will not create problems for them because all this is under my personal control. Everyone knows this, and my instructions will be fulfilled. These events demonstrate the greatness of the Azerbaijani people again. They say, let my house be destroyed, let my property be gone if only Karabakh is returned. We all live with this idea, everyone. For 30 years, we have lived with this dream, in separation for 30 years. Wasn't there supposed to be an end to that? We will put an end to this and are doing exactly that. Therefore, we must only go forward in this matter now. We gave Armenia a chance. We did not have to agree to this ceasefire. We could have said that we disagree. Who could have forced us?! No-one! We agreed to this so that people would not die on this and on the other side. I feel sorry for them too. They are also being driven. Our Ministry of Defense has circulated video footage of Armenian soldiers being chained, chained to iron, to each other's feet so that they do not run away. So many such bodies have been found. This is horror. They are not humans. On top of that, punitive battalions have been following Armenian soldiers in recent days. If someone retreats, then they shoot them on the spot. So there is such atrocity, such fascism. Since we have lived with this dream, we want to return there, but in a peaceful way. Therefore, we gave Armenia a chance observe the ceasefire, do not violate it, sit down at the negotiating table, resolve this issue, return our lands to us. We don't need your land. We do not claim the lands of Armenia. I told you that the Armenians can live on where they lived. We have no problems with them. So our policy fully consists in this at the current stage. As for the post-war period, of course, not only the region but also the whole world will change. It is already changing. Everyone saw our power. We will be reckoned with even more. The role of Azerbaijan in certain regional issues is already very significant, and it will grow further. Of course, the Turkish-Azerbaijani unity will become even stronger. This is vital for both Turkey and Azerbaijan. The unity of Turkey and Azerbaijan brings stability and peace to the region because our intention is to secure our interests. Turkey plays a very important stabilizing role in the region and in the new geography today. The support my dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan has provided since very first hours of these clashes has maintained stability. Some may not understand this. If it were not for these words, if my brother had not said that Azerbaijan is not alone and that Turkey is next to Azerbaijan, then the situation may have deteriorated. Someone else may have tried to fish in troubled waters here. Therefore, we must now create a new strategic picture, a strategic vision in this region. We have already started thinking about this, but we do not want to get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to solve this job, complete this work, restore our territorial integrity, after which a new period will begin for Azerbaijan, a new period will begin for the region, the balance of forces will change, and I believe that the power of Turkey and Azerbaijan will increase even more. - Mr. President, thank you very much. You have taken your time despite the busy schedule, in particular when news comes from the frontline. On the other hand, you are in the thick of diplomatic processes. Of course, during the conversation with you, during this interview, I saw again that you are actually very well aware of what is happening in Armenian society. On behalf of Haber Turk, I express to you, Mr. President, my deep gratitude for your time. - Thank you! Many thanks. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 14. The Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist", on September 27, 2020, in response to the large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline, Trend reports. The erupted 44-day Second Karabakh War ended with the liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation. Trend presents the chronicle of the 18th day of the Second Karabakh War: - President Ilham Aliyev interviewed by France 24 TV channel. - "Azerbaijans glorious Army has liberated Garadaghli, Khatunbulag, Garakollu villages of Fuzuli district, and Bulutan, Melikjanli, Kemertuk, Teke and Tagaser villages of Khojavend district. Long live Azerbaijans Army! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a post on his official Twitter account. - Armenian armed forces' missile firings destroy shopping center in Azerbaijans Tartar, Aghdam and Agjabedi districts. - Azerbaijani MoD reveals Armenian equipment destroyed over night. - Azerbaijani army destroys one more ballistic missile system of Armenia. - Azerbaijani civilian killed as a result of Armenian Armed Forces' missile firing. - Azerbaijani journalists targeted by Armenian Armed Forces. - Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office lists names of wounded in Tartar. - Legitimate military targets aimed at the civilian population of Azerbaijan neutralized. - Footage of Azerbaijani Jabrayil city liberated from occupation unveiled. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The Third Trilateral Meeting of Parliamentary Speakers from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkiye was held in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on October 13, with an initial Executive Session, Trend reports. The ceremony began with remarks from the Speaker of Pakistans National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who welcomed the Azerbaijani and Turkish parliamentary leaders and highlighted the platforms importance in deepening relations between the three nations and their peoples. He expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan and Turkiyes support on the Kashmir issue and stressed the need to end injustice in international relations to ensure peace, security, and prosperity. Azerbaijans National Assembly Speaker, Sahiba Gafarova, thanked Pakistan for its hospitality and emphasized that the trilateral parliamentary cooperation is rooted in shared historical, cultural, religious, and moral values. She reaffirmed that Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkiye have always supported one another, noting that Azerbaijan will never forget the political and moral support provided by Pakistan and Turkiye during the first days of the 44-day Patriotic War. She also highlighted Azerbaijans consistent backing of Pakistan on regional issues, including the Kashmir dispute, advocating for dialogue and solutions based on international law and UN Security Council resolutions, and reiterated Azerbaijans stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict in support of a two-state solution. Gafarova recalled that four years have passed since the first trilateral meeting, which was held in Baku in 2021 and marked the creation of this trilateral parliamentary cooperation mechanism. The first meeting was also notable for a visit to the liberated city of Shusha. She highlighted the second meeting in Istanbul in 2022, hosted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which adopted the Istanbul Declaration. The current meeting in Islamabad confirms the platform as a successful and sustainable mechanism for parliamentary cooperation, contributing to the expansion of bilateral and multilateral relations. According to the Speaker, the continuous engagement of our legislative bodies within international parliamentary organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Union of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, as well as our joint activities on issues of mutual interest and mutual support, is highly commendable. She highlighted that one of the key platforms is the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, established at the initiative of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and currently chaired by the Azerbaijani Parliament. Gafarova expressed gratitude to the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan as members of the Network, and to the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye as a special guest, for their active support of the organizations work. The Speaker noted that the strong unity and solidarity demonstrated by our countries at the international level today is not only a reflection of our brotherhood and shared interests but also a demonstration of an approach grounded in the absoluteness of international law and the principles of truth and justice. She emphasized that this approach is essentially a call to the international community to strengthen collaborative efforts based on mutual respect for the sake of a brighter future built on peace, security, and progress. In her speech, Gafarova emphasized that peace, security, and development are closely interconnected. She underscored that, as Azerbaijan marks the 5th anniversary of the 44-day Patriotic War, the country continues to demonstrate this principle through its ongoing efforts. She recalled that approximately 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories were under Armenian occupation for thirty years. During this period, hundreds of cities and villages, along with historical, religious, and cultural monuments, were destroyed, and one million Azerbaijanis were displaced from their homeland. She criticized the mediators, the OSCE Minsk Group, for failing to ensure the enforcement of international law norms and principles. Highlighting Azerbaijans achievements, Gafarova stated that the country restored its territorial integrity in 2020 and its sovereignty in 2023, thereby laying the foundation for a path to peace. She added that immediately following the war, it was victorious Azerbaijan that initiated the peace process, proposing the main principles of peace and the draft peace treaty. She recalled that, following bilateral negotiations in August 2025 in Washington, with the participation of the leaders of the United States, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed the peace treaty text. The President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia signed a Joint Statement under the watch of U.S. President Donald Trump. The importance of opening regional communications was confirmed during this process. Gafarova stated that one of the main outcomes of the Washington meeting was the opening of the Zangezur corridor, initiated by President Ilham Aliyev. With the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the Zangezur corridor is set to become a crucial transport link in Eurasia, promoting regional cooperation and progress. She emphasized that these achievements are primarily the result of President Ilham Aliyevs proactive peace diplomacy and his intensive efforts for security, cooperation, and development. She noted that, in light of these developments, new opportunities are emerging for expanding cooperation among our brotherly countries. Over the past period, the Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkiye trilateral cooperation mechanism has consistently developed at the parliamentary, foreign affairs, and defense ministry levels. Gafarova further stated that the trilateral meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkiye and the prime minister of Pakistan in Astana in July 2024, and especially the Trilateral Summit in the liberated city of Lachin in Azerbaijan in May 2025, enriched this mechanism and elevated it to a qualitatively new stage. These meetings expressed the determination to strengthen unity and solidarity between the brotherly countries and to expand trilateral cooperation across political, economic, trade, transport, energy, defense, humanitarian, and other sectors. She added that the current Trilateral Meeting at the level of parliamentary speakers reflects the commitment to reinforce parliamentary support for the cooperation among the three nations, expressing her confidence that parliamentarians will achieve this goal through joint efforts. Speaking next, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, Numan Kurtulmus, welcomed the participants and shared his perspectives on the importance of the meeting. He stressed the significance of trilateral cooperation in the context of ongoing issues in international law, particularly double standards. Kurtulmus emphasized Turkiyes commitment to strengthening trilateral collaboration with the parliaments of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, noting the critical role parliaments play in formulating joint solutions to global challenges. Addressing the fight against terrorism, Kurtulmus underlined Turkiyes strong stance against terrorist threats targeting the sovereignty and independence of states. He also congratulated Azerbaijan on the progress achieved regarding the peace agenda with Armenia. Finally, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, highlighted the importance of the third parliamentary meeting. He emphasized the critical role of cooperation among brotherly countries in the current geopolitical context and underlined the importance of strengthening inter-parliamentary relations. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Azerbaijan remains committed to principles of friendly neighborliness, mutual understanding, and equal partnership in its relations with both the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, the countrys Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev stated, Trend reports. Speaking at a trilateral meeting with representatives from Russia and Iran, Mustafayev emphasized that Azerbaijans multifaceted ties with both countries will continue to develop in the spirit of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, both bilaterally and trilaterally, and will be further enriched with new dimensions. Mustafayev highlighted the importance of strengthening interstate relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in each others internal affairs. "Promoting peace, stability, security, prosperity, and cooperation in the region is essential for developing collaboration across all sectors. In this context, the 3+3 regional consultation mechanism, initiated by the President of Azerbaijan, is gaining relevance. The initiative complements existing bilateral and other cooperation formats, strengthens regional security and stability, and creates new opportunities for economic growth and development. I should also emphasize that the trilateral meeting format between our countries was established at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Following this initiative, the first summit of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Russian Federation took place in Baku on August 8, 2016, followed by the second summit in Tehran on November 1, 2017," the Deputy Prime Minister noted. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. It is necessary to develop economic and trade cooperation between our countries based on equal and mutually beneficial principles, while working to create a permanently favorable environment for the implementation of investment projects, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, said, Trend reports. He made the remark at a trilateral meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mustafayev noted that the Declaration of the Presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Russian Federation dated August 8, 2016, and the Joint Statement dated November 1, 2017, play an exceptional role in economic cooperation, the development of safe and reliable regional and international transport corridors, and the implementation of projects in the energy sector. In addition to the summits, a meeting between our countries was held in Baku in 2022 with the participation of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Azerbaijan and Russia, as well as the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The trilateral meetings between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia play a crucial role in deepening cooperation in trade and economic relations, transportation and logistics, energy, and other areas of mutual interest, Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said, Trend reports. Speaking at the trilateral meeting with representatives from the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mustafayev noted that the meeting is focused on current issues in trilateral cooperation in transportation, energy, and customs. "The discussions in the trilateral format are of great importance for expanding trade, economic, transportation, and energy ties among the three countries. I am confident that constructive and positive discussions will contribute to strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in the relevant sectors," he said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The volume of cargo transported by rail through Azerbaijan will amount to at least 15 million tons annually, Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said, Trend reports. He made the announcement at a trilateral meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that in May 2023, an agreement was signed between the Government of Iran and the Government of Russia on the construction of the Resht-Astara railway in Iran. In addition, in December 2024, an agreement was signed between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Government of Russia on cooperation in the development of transit cargo transportation along the North-South international transport corridor. "According to the agreement, the guaranteed volume of cargo to be transported through Azerbaijan annually after the modernization of the relevant railway infrastructure is set at no less than 5 million tons per year from January 1, 2028. After the parties adopt the relevant decision, this volume will be at least 15 million tons," Mustafayev said. Translated with DeepL.com (free version) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The new Agband-Kalala road bridge over the Aras River, being constructed under the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding signed between Azerbaijan and Iran in March 2022, will become a key part of the regions strategic transport infrastructure, Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev stated, Trend reports. In his speech at the trilateral meeting with representatives from the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mustafayev added that construction of the bridge, an important component of the Aras corridor, is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with the associated border and customs infrastructure finalized in the first quarter of next year. The foundation-laying ceremony of the Aghband road bridge on the state border with Iran in the territory of the East Zangezur economic region was held on September 21, 2022. The Horadiz-Jabrayil-Zangilan-Aghband highway, with a length of 112 kilometers, will be connected to the highway network of the Islamic Republic of Iran through the Araz river. The bridge will be 216 meters long and 24.5 meters wide. The bridge will have two lanes for vehicles and one lane for pedestrians in each direction. It is also planned to build a state border exit point on the territory of both countries, capable of receiving at least 1,000 cargo vehicles (export, import, and transit goods) with 500 entries and 500 exits per day. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The volume of cargo transportation via the Middle Corridor has increased by approximately 90 percent since 2022, Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said, Trend reports. He made the announcement at a trilateral meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that transit time through the corridor has been significantly reduced. The Middle Corridor is a strategic trade and transport route linking Asia and Europe, offering an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors. The route starts in China and runs through Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye before reaching Europe. The corridor provides a land-based alternative to longer sea routes, connecting East Asia, including China, with Europe. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The energy sector promises good prospects in the context of trilateral cooperation, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev said, Trend reports. He made the remark at a trilateral meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that there are currently separate connections between the Azerbaijani power grid and the Iranian and Russian power grids: "These connections allow for the exchange and trade of electricity. The agenda for our cooperation in this area is the project for a trilateral connection between the power grids of Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia." BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The measures we are taking in the transport sector necessitate the simultaneous improvement of customs and border crossing point infrastructure, Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said, Trend reports. He made the remark at a trilateral meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that in this context, the simplification and digitization of customs operations are among the priority areas of cooperation. Therefore, our trilateral meeting today will be devoted to discussing all these pressing issues. We are confident that our negotiations and the decisions we have taken will further strengthen our cooperation in the relevant areas and benefit all three countries and our region as a whole," concluded Shahin Mustafayev. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Peace, security, and progress are directly interconnected, and Azerbaijans actions today reaffirm this truth as the country marks the fifth anniversary of the 44-Day Patriotic War, said Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Trend reports. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Third Trilateral Meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkiye, Gafarova emphasized that Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity in 2020 and its sovereignty in 2023, laying the foundation for lasting peace. She noted that immediately after the war, victorious Azerbaijan proposed a peace initiative, outlining the key principles and draft text of a peace agreement. The speaker recalled that as a result of bilateral negotiations, in August of this year, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed the text of the peace agreement during a meeting in Washington with the participation of the leaders of the United States, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. It was noted that, under the witness of U.S. President Donald Trump, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister signed a joint statement confirming the importance of opening regional communication links. Gafarova added that one of the key outcomes of the Washington meeting was the opening of the Zangazur Corridor, an initiative put forward by President Ilham Aliyev. With the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the Zangazur Corridor will become a vital transport link in Eurasia, fostering regional cooperation and development. The Speaker underlined that all these achievements are primarily the result of President Ilham Aliyevs intensive efforts and his commitment to peace diplomacy, security, cooperation, and progress. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. As previously reported, President Ilham Aliyev arrived at the International Congress Center in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to participate in the summit on peace in the Middle East, Trend reports. Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, posted on his X page a publication dedicated to the summit on peace in the Middle East. ''President Ilham Aliyev attends the Middle East Peace Summit in Sharm El Sheikh. It is a reflection of Azerbaijans growing regional role and its Global foreign policy as a middle power. Azerbaijan is a desirable partner for all parties for the regional peace agenda in the Middle East,'' the post reads. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The Zangezur corridor will become an important transport hub in Eurasia, the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Sahiba Gafarova, said at the opening ceremony of the third trilateral meeting of the speakers of the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkiye, Trend reports. According to her, peace, security, and progress are factors that are directly related to each other. "At this time, when we are marking the fifth anniversary of the 44-day Patriotic War, Azerbaijan is once again confirming this with its actions. Emphasizing that Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity in 2020 and in 2023, its sovereignty, thereby laying the foundation for peace, the Speaker of the Parliament stated that immediately after the war, it was Azerbaijan, the victor, that came forward with a peace initiative, put forward the basic principles of peace, and proposed a draft peace treaty. Sahiba Gafarova recalled that as a result of bilateral negotiations held in Washington in August this year with the participation of the leaders of the U.S., Azerbaijan, and Armenia, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed the text of the peace treaty. It was noted that the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia signed a Joint Declaration in the presence of US President Donald Trump. The importance of opening regional communications was confirmed. According to Speaker Sahiba Gafarova, one of the main outcomes of the Washington meeting was the opening of the Zangezur Corridor, an initiative of President Ilham Aliyev. "Thus, with the implementation of Trump's Roadmap for International Peace and Prosperity, the Zangezur Corridor will become an important transport link in Eurasia, serving cooperation and progress in our region. The Speaker of the Parliament emphasized that all this is primarily the result of President Ilham Aliyev's peaceful diplomacy and his persistent work in the name of security, cooperation, and progress. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. A trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia was held in Baku, Trend reports. The session is co-chaired by Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, and Irans Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh. Senior officials from the relevant agencies of all three countries are also participating. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev reaffirmed Azerbaijans commitment to the principles of good neighborliness, mutual understanding, and equal partnership in its relations with Iran and Russia. He expressed confidence that multifaceted cooperation among the three nations would continue to grow both bilaterally and trilaterally, further enriched with new dimensions. The trilateral cooperation format between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia was noted as initiated by President Ilham Aliyev, with the first and second summits of the three heads of state held in Baku and Tehran, respectively. The discussions emphasized the significance of expanding trade, economic, transport, and energy ties among the countries. Shahin Mustafayev highlighted the importance of promoting economic and trade cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit. He noted the crucial role of the August 8, 2016, Declaration and the November 1, 2017, Joint Statement signed by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia, which laid the foundation for collaboration in economic development, safe and reliable regional and international transport corridors, and energy projects. The meeting underscored the strategic importance of cooperation in the fields of transport, energy, and customs. Mustafayev recalled that, to advance the North-South Transport Corridor, key agreements had been signed between Iran and Russia on constructing the Rasht-Astara railway in Iran, and between Azerbaijan and Russia on the development of transit cargo transportation along the corridor. He noted that after the modernization of the railway infrastructure, the annual cargo volume transported through Azerbaijan is projected to reach at least 5 million tons starting from January 1, 2028, with plans to increase this figure to around 15 million tons upon further agreements. Mustafayev also mentioned the inauguration of the new Astaracay automobile bridge and border checkpoint between Azerbaijan and Iran in December 2023, and the near completion of the South Cargo Terminal owned by Azerbaijan Railways in Irans Astara city, both key components of the North-South route. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Azerbaijans victory in the Patriotic War and the liberation of its occupied territories have created new geopolitical realities and transport-logistics opportunities in the region. Within this framework, he highlighted the ongoing construction of the AghbandKalala bridge over the Araz River, a vital element of the Araz Corridor, under the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding signed between Azerbaijan and Iran in 2022. The bridge is expected to be completed by the end of this year, along with the border and customs facilities, in early next year. Additionally, the HoradizAghband highway and railway are planned to be finalized next year, forming a new branch that connects both East-West and North-South international transport corridors and links the Persian Gulf with the Black Sea. Touching on the Middle Corridor, Mustafayev informed that cargo transportation via the route has grown by nearly 90 percent since 2022, with a significant reduction in transit times. Regarding energy cooperation, Mustafayev noted that Azerbaijans power grid is already connected separately to those of Russia and Iran, enabling electricity exchange and trade. He added that the integration of the three networks into a joint trilateral framework remains on the energy cooperation agenda. He further underlined that the implementation of transport initiatives requires simultaneous improvement of infrastructure at customs checkpoints, prioritizing the simplification and digitalization of customs operations. The Deputy Prime Minister also announced that on October 14, delegations from the three countries will jointly inspect key infrastructure facilities of the North-South International Transport Corridor. Following the remarks by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Aleksei Overchuk and Irans Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadeq, the participants held detailed discussions on current issues in the fields of transport, energy, and customs cooperation. The trilateral meeting concluded with the adoption of a Communique. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. A trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia was held in Baku, Trend reports. The session is co-chaired by Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, and Irans Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh. Senior officials from the relevant agencies of all three countries are also participating. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev reaffirmed Azerbaijans commitment to the principles of good neighborliness, mutual understanding, and equal partnership in its relations with Iran and Russia. He expressed confidence that multifaceted cooperation among the three nations would continue to grow both bilaterally and trilaterally, further enriched with new dimensions. The trilateral cooperation format between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia was noted as initiated by President Ilham Aliyev, with the first and second summits of the three heads of state held in Baku and Tehran, respectively. The discussions emphasized the significance of expanding trade, economic, transport, and energy ties among the countries. Shahin Mustafayev highlighted the importance of promoting economic and trade cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit. He noted the crucial role of the August 8, 201,6 Declaration and the November 1, 2017, Joint Statement signed by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia, which laid the foundation for collaboration in economic development, safe and reliable regional and international transport corridors, and energy projects. The meeting underscored the strategic importance of cooperation in the fields of transport, energy, and customs. Mustafayev recalled that, to advance the North-South Transport Corridor, key agreements had been signed between Iran and Russia on constructing the Rasht-Astara railway in Iran, and between Azerbaijan and Russia on the development of transit cargo transportation along the corridor. He noted that after the modernization of the railway infrastructure, the annual cargo volume transported through Azerbaijan is projected to reach at least 5 million tons starting from January 1, 2028, with plans to increase this figure to around 15 million tons upon further agreements. Mustafayev also mentioned the inauguration of the new Astaracay automobile bridge and border checkpoint between Azerbaijan and Iran in December 2023, and the near completion of the South Cargo Terminal owned by Azerbaijan Railways in Irans Astara city, both key components of the North-South route. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Azerbaijans victory in the Patriotic War and the liberation of its occupied territories have created new geopolitical realities and transport-logistics opportunities in the region. Within this framework, he highlighted the ongoing construction of the AghbandKelaleh bridge over the Araz River, a vital element of the Araz Corridor, under the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding signed between Azerbaijan and Iran in 2022. The bridge is expected to be completed by the end of this year, along with the border and customs facilities, in early next year. Additionally, the HoradizAghband highway and railway are planned to be finalized next year, forming a new branch that connects both East-West and North-South international transport corridors and links the Persian Gulf with the Black Sea. Touching on the Middle Corridor, Mustafayev informed that cargo transportation via the route has grown by nearly ninety percent since 2022, with a significant reduction in transit times. Regarding energy cooperation, Mustafayev noted that Azerbaijans power grid is already connected separately to those of Russia and Iran, enabling electricity exchange and trade. He added that the integration of the three networks into a joint trilateral framework remains on the energy cooperation agenda. He further underlined that the implementation of transport initiatives requires simultaneous improvement of infrastructure at customs checkpoints, prioritizing the simplification and digitalization of customs operations. The Deputy Prime Minister also announced that on October 14, delegations from the three countries will jointly inspect key infrastructure facilities of the North-South International Transport Corridor. Following the remarks by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Aleksei Overchuk and Irans Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadeq, the participants held detailed discussions on current issues in the fields of transport, energy, and customs cooperation. The trilateral meeting concluded with the adoption of a Communique. 10:05 A trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia is taking place in Baku, Trend reports. The session is co-chaired by Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev, Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, and Irans Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh. Senior officials from the relevant agencies of all three countries are also participating. The meeting is expected to focus on transportation and logistics, energy, and customs issues. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The participation of President Ilham Aliyev in the Middle East Peace Summit, held at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, marks a strategically significant milestone for Azerbaijans foreign policy, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend. Garayev noted that the event is not merely a protocol-level visit but a formal acknowledgment of Azerbaijan entering a new geopolitical vector in international diplomacy, specifically the Middle East region. President Aliyevs consistent multi-vector diplomacy strategy in recent years is now yielding tangible results: Azerbaijan is evolving from a regional actor in the South Caucasus to a balanced power center at the intersection of WestEastSouth politics. The invitation to the Middle East Peace Summit, extended by both the U.S. leadership and a leading Arab nation like Egypt, reflects international recognition of Azerbaijans diplomatic influence, he said. Garayev highlighted several key points in this matter. "Azerbaijan participates in the summit not as an observer but as a partner state, meaning Baku is actively involved in shaping the peace and security agenda rather than merely monitoring regional developments. The invitation demonstrates simultaneous confidence from both the West and the Arab world, which is possible only for countries with balanced, reliable, and predictable diplomatic policies. Furthermore, Azerbaijan is moving beyond its previous roles as a supplier country and transit hub to become a state exporting mediation and stability," he added. Garayev added that President Aliyevs participation signifies Azerbaijans transition to a new functional stage in diplomacy, taking part in global dialogue tables and demonstrating international recognition of the countrys balanced and predictable policy model. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev and Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk met in Baku on October 13, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers. The meeting focused on the current state and prospects of Azerbaijani-Russian economic cooperation in various areas. The sides noted that in 2024, trade turnover between the two countries increased by more than 10 percent. It was emphasized that this positive trend continues in the current year. Over the past eight months, mutual trade turnover increased by 13.5 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching $3.35 billion. In addition, it was noted that the volume of traffic along the North-South corridor increased by 8.3 percent in the first nine months of 2025. Of this, 10.4 percent was accounted for by road transport and 2 percent by rail. Over the first eight months of this year, Azerbaijan's agricultural exports to Russia increased by 15 percent, with fruit and vegetables accounting for 23 percent of this total. The parties expressed satisfaction with the progress of joint projects in the areas of investment, industry, transport and transit, energy, customs, and other areas. In the context of strengthening transport links, particular attention was paid to the development of the North-South international transport corridor, and the importance of synchronized implementation of work to expand infrastructure along the corridor and ensure sustainable growth in freight traffic was emphasized. In the course of the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on the effective use of existing cooperation potential, further expansion of bilateral relations, and implementation of new joint initiatives. Furthermore, the sides noted the importance of the trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia held in Baku and expressed confidence that the negotiations and decisions made would contribute to the further strengthening of cooperation in relevant areas and benefit all three countries and the region as a whole. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The Third Trilateral Meeting of Parliamentary Speakers from Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkiye was held in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on October 13, with an initial Executive Session, Trend reports. The ceremony began with remarks from the Speaker of Pakistans National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who welcomed the Azerbaijani and Turkish parliamentary leaders and highlighted the platforms importance in deepening relations between the three nations and their peoples. He expressed gratitude for Azerbaijan and Turkiyes support on the Kashmir issue and stressed the need to end injustice in international relations to ensure peace, security, and prosperity. Azerbaijans National Assembly Speaker, Sahiba Gafarova, thanked Pakistan for its hospitality and emphasized that the trilateral parliamentary cooperation is rooted in shared historical, cultural, religious, and moral values. She reaffirmed that Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkiye have always supported one another, noting that Azerbaijan will never forget the political and moral support provided by Pakistan and Turkiye during the first days of the 44-day Patriotic War. She also highlighted Azerbaijans consistent backing of Pakistan on regional issues, including the Kashmir dispute, advocating for dialogue and solutions based on international law and UN Security Council resolutions, and reiterated Azerbaijans stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict in support of a two-state solution. Gafarova recalled that four years have passed since the first trilateral meeting, which was held in Baku in 2021 and marked the creation of this trilateral parliamentary cooperation mechanism. The first meeting was also notable for a visit to the liberated city of Shusha. She highlighted the second meeting in Istanbul in 2022, hosted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which adopted the Istanbul Declaration. The current meeting in Islamabad confirms the platform as a successful and sustainable mechanism for parliamentary cooperation, contributing to the expansion of bilateral and multilateral relations. According to the Speaker, the continuous engagement of our legislative bodies within international parliamentary organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Union of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, as well as our joint activities on issues of mutual interest and mutual support, is highly commendable. She highlighted that one of the key platforms is the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, established at the initiative of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and currently chaired by the Azerbaijani Parliament. Gafarova expressed gratitude to the National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan as members of the Network, and to the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye as a special guest, for their active support of the organizations work. The Speaker noted that the strong unity and solidarity demonstrated by our countries at the international level today is not only a reflection of our brotherhood and shared interests, but also a demonstration of an approach grounded in the absoluteness of international law and the principles of truth and justice. She emphasized that this approach is essentially a call to the international community to strengthen collaborative efforts based on mutual respect for the sake of a brighter future built on peace, security, and progress. In her speech, Gafarova emphasized that peace, security, and development are closely interconnected. She underscored that, as Azerbaijan marks the 5th anniversary of the 44-day Patriotic War, the country continues to demonstrate this principle through its ongoing efforts. She recalled that approximately 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories were under Armenian occupation for thirty years. During this period, hundreds of cities and villages, along with historical, religious, and cultural monuments, were destroyed, and one million Azerbaijanis were displaced from their homeland. She criticized the mediators, the OSCE Minsk Group, for failing to ensure the enforcement of international law norms and principles. Highlighting Azerbaijans achievements, Gafarova stated that the country restored its territorial integrity in 2020 and its sovereignty in 2023, thereby laying the foundation for a path to peace. She added that immediately following the war, it was victorious Azerbaijan that initiated the peace process, proposing the main principles of peace and the draft peace treaty. She recalled that, following bilateral negotiations, in August 2025 in Washington, with the participation of the leaders of the United States, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed the peace treaty text. The President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia signed a Joint Statement under the watch of US President Donald Trump. The importance of opening regional communications was confirmed during this process. Gafarova stated that one of the main outcomes of the Washington meeting was the opening of the Zangezur corridor, initiated by President Ilham Aliyev. With the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the Zangezur corridor is set to become a crucial transport link in Eurasia, promoting regional cooperation and progress. She emphasized that these achievements are primarily the result of President Ilham Aliyevs proactive peace diplomacy and his intensive efforts for security, cooperation, and development. She noted that, in light of these developments, new opportunities are emerging for expanding cooperation among our brotherly countries. Over the past period, the Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkiye trilateral cooperation mechanism has consistently developed at the parliamentary, foreign affairs, and defense ministry levels. Gafarova further stated that the trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkiye and the Prime Minister of Pakistan in Astana in July 2024, and especially the Trilateral Summit in the liberated city of Lachin in Azerbaijan in May 2025, enriched this mechanism and elevated it to a qualitatively new stage. These meetings expressed the determination to strengthen unity and solidarity between the brotherly countries and to expand trilateral cooperation across political, economic, trade, transport, energy, defense, humanitarian, and other sectors. She added that the current Trilateral Meeting at the level of parliamentary speakers reflects the commitment to reinforce parliamentary support for the cooperation among the three nations, expressing her confidence that parliamentarians will achieve this goal through joint efforts. Speaking next, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, Numan Kurtulmus, welcomed the participants and shared his perspectives on the importance of the meeting. He stressed the significance of trilateral cooperation in the context of ongoing issues in international law, particularly double standards. Kurtulmus emphasized Turkiyes commitment to strengthening trilateral collaboration with the parliaments of Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, noting the critical role parliaments play in formulating joint solutions to global challenges. Addressing the fight against terrorism, Kurtulmus underlined Turkiyes strong stance against terrorist threats targeting the sovereignty and independence of states. He also congratulated Azerbaijan on the progress achieved regarding the peace agenda with Armenia. Finally, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, highlighted the importance of the third parliamentary meeting. He emphasized the critical role of cooperation among brotherly countries in the current geopolitical context and underlined the importance of strengthening inter-parliamentary relations. Photo: Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Current issues of Azerbaijani-Iranian cooperation were discussed during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev and Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran Farzaneh Sadegh in Baku today, the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend. The meeting was all ears for the thorough growth of bilateral relations, leaving no stone unturned in its appreciation. The sides exchanged views on current issues on the agenda of mutually beneficial cooperation, particularly in the fields of transport-transit, energy, customs, and other areas. As part of the project to develop transport links between Azerbaijan's Eastern Zangezur economic region and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the parties discussed the completion of the construction of the Aghband-Kalaleh road bridge over the Araz river and the customs-border infrastructure. The sides also reviewed current issues related to the development of the North-South International Transport Corridor. The meeting also noted that the volume of freight transportation along the North-South corridor increased by 8.3 percent during the first nine months of 2025, with 10.4 percent attributed to road transport and two percent to rail transport. The importance of coordinated efforts to expand infrastructure along the corridor and ensure the sustainable growth of cargo volumes was emphasized, with a focus on the completion of construction work on the South Cargo Terminal, a key component of the corridor. The sides also exchanged views on the necessary measures to ensure the full operation of the automobile bridge constructed over the Astarachay river. At the same time, both parties underlined the significance of the Azerbaijan-Iran-Russia meeting held in Baku in terms of further expanding trade, economic, transport, and energy ties among the three countries. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. As earlier reported, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is on a working visit to Egypt at the invitation of President of the United States Donald Trump and President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to participate in the Middle East Peace Summit, Trend reports. Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, posted footage from the summit on peace in the Middle East on his X page. "Peace in the Middle East!!! History in the Making!!! Azerbaijan is at the forefront of regional diplomacy!!!'' the post said. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Press service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's social media pages have published footage from the Middle East Peace Summit in Egypt, Trend reports. "President Ilham Aliyev with participants of the Middle East Peace Summit," the publication said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. U.S. President Donald Trump once again mentioned Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev while speaking at the signing ceremony of the final ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Trend reports. Thank you all for being here today. I have resolved the war for this man, for Azerbaijan, Trump said at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit, addressing President Ilham Aliyev. Do you get along? There was 32 years of conflict, but we resolved the issue in about an hour, didnt we? the U.S. president added, referring to the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Hes a very strong leader; he does a very good job, Trump noted. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Speaking today at the Middle East Peace Summit in Egypt, U.S. President Donald Trump drew particular attention to the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Trend reports. Trump recalled that the decades-long conflict between the two countries had come to an end after more than 30 years of war. Referring to his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the Oval Office this August, Trump expressed his appreciation to both leaders. "By the time we finishedjust an hour laterthey were hugging. And now they're friends, and they have a great relationship. Look at it. So I want to thank you both. It's truly incredible," Trump said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) is participating as a partner in The Economist magazines 9th Sustainability Summit for Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean, held under the theme Seeking a new balance amidst a derailed green transition. Trend reports. This marks the second consecutive year that NGIC has partnered with the annually held summit. The event, traditionally hosted in Athens, brings together policymakers, international organization leaders, academics, and business figures from around the world to discuss the climate crisis, challenges of the green transition, and sustainable development goals. Among the NGIC members attending the summit are Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly; Kateryna Yushchenko, former First Lady of Ukraine; Rosen Plevneliev, former President of Bulgaria; Volkan Bozkr, President of the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly; Hakima El Haite, Vice President of COP21; and Dimitris Avramopoulos, former European Union (EU) Commissioner. As part of the summit, NGIC members will hold panel discussions on the outcomes of COP29, preparations for the XIII Global Baku Forum, and the XIII World Urban Forum to be held in 2026. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Restoration, construction, and reconstruction work are being carried out in stages in Azerbaijans liberated territories, enabling the gradual return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to rehabilitated areas, Trend reports. The next phase of relocation will involve several additional territories. 50 IDP families will be resettled to Chapar village in the Aghdara district, 620 to Khojavend city, 210 to Guneykhirman village, and 100 to Khankendi city. The State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons of Azerbaijan has completed the necessary preparations for the relocation. A contract valued at 950,748 manat ($559,270) has been signed with Pelican Service Limited Liability Company (LLC) to carry out the transfer of IDP families. Pelican Service LLC was registered in 2019 with a charter capital of 10 manat. The companys legal representative is Togrul Gurbanov. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The open court hearing on the criminal cases of citizens of Armenia continued at the Baku Military Court on October 13, Trend reports. The court proceedings witnessed the announcement of a number of secret documents of the Armenian armed forces and their images, along with other files. The documents revealed that various instructions were given to different structures of the Armenian armed forces, as well as the "army" of the so-called regime (the largest armed formation of the Armenian armed forces - ed.) to be carried out in the formerly occupied Azerbaijani territories. For instance, the secret order No. 0119, dated 04.05.2016, issued by Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed Forces, Colonel General Yuri Khachaturov, revealed that the commander of the so-called army of the illegal regime was tasked to provide the anti-tank ditches and roads of the "6th defensive region" with earth layers and to use them as average trenches and defensive lines, to link the anti-tank ditches and roads of the "9th defensive region" with each other, and to camouflage the equipment. The court also disclosed the joint secret order No. 016 dated 24.12.2016, issued in Yerevan by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces, Lieutenant General Movses Hakopyan, and the Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff, Colonel V. Sargsyan, as well as a photo of the document. According to the secret document, a trip of the working group of the 24th Special Purpose Separate Radio Technical Regiment via the Yerevan-Khankendi-Aghdara-Sugovushan-Khankendi-Yerevan route was organized on January 10-14, 2017, to inspect the territory in the northeast direction of the so-called "army" and select the area for the radio-electronic reconnaissance (REK) units. The Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces was entrusted to oversee the implementation of the order. The court proceedings continue against Armenian nationals accused of crimes including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, aggression, terrorism, and violations of the laws of war. The charges also include financing terrorism, the violent seizure and retention of power, and other serious offenses. A delegation from AzerGold Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) visited Izmir, Channakkale, and Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic for business purposes. The visit aimed to strengthen cooperation in the mining sector, expand mutual investment opportunities, and facilitate technical practice exchange in areas such as geological exploration, extraction, research, processing, and refining of mineral resources. During the visit, the representatives of AzerGold CJSC toured to the Tumad, Zenit, and Bilfer mines in Turkiye. Discussions were held on enhancing the successful cooperation between the two countries in the mining industry, applying new technologies, sharing experience and knowledge, and managing potential joint projects in the future. The delegation visited Bishkek at the invitation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic after visit to Turkiye. Within the framework of the visit, meetings were held with Deputy Minister Marat Jusufbekov, as well as with senior officials of the leading mining company Kyrgyzaltyn LLC. The parties exchanged views on AzerGold CJSCs advanced experience in the mining industry, as well as on prospects for cooperation and investment. During the discussions, particular attention was given to the technical and geological assessment of the Unkurtash, Sarytube, and Karatube gold deposits in Kyrgyzstan, potential investment opportunities, and the development of mutual training and knowledge-sharing programmes in geological research and workforce development. The representatives from the Kyrgyz side highlighted their interest in cooperating with AzerGold CJSC in these areas. The delegation from AzerGold also visited the Kumtor gold mine operated by a foreign company and now managed by the Kyrgyz enterprise Kumtor Gold. The delegation observed the underground gold extraction process and gained firsthand insights into local mining practices. It should be emphasized that such visits form an integral part of AzerGold CJSCs international cooperation strategy, aimed at strengthening regional collaboration and fostering economic integration. The agreements reached and the constructive exchange of views during the visit have established a strong basis for the effective implementation of prospective joint projects between the parties. On October 10, 2025, PR Forum 2025 was successfully held with the support of Yelo Bank, bringing together local communication specialists, media representatives, as well as government and private sector leaders. This years forum focused on some of the most pressing challenges of our time brand trust, disinformation, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Throughout the day, participants engaged in professional discussions on modern PR strategies, their practical applications, and successful case studies. In her opening remarks, Gunay Jalilova, Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Yelo Bank, welcomed the guests and emphasized that PR is not only public relations, but also a broader communication style one that serves as a bridge between people, between brands and society, and even between the past and the future. She noted that such forums provide an important platform for professionals to exchange experience and for young specialists to grow and develop.\ The forums main panel discussions explored the following topics: Maintaining brand trust in an era of growing disinformation The impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on corporate image and society Effective communication methods during crises Successful PR campaigns from Azerbaijan and around the world Renowned local and international PR experts shared their strategies and real-world experiences, while the forum also offered young communication professionals valuable opportunities to learn, network, and find inspiration. Yelo Bank remains committed to supporting initiatives that foster knowledge exchange, encourage innovative approaches, and promote the values of social responsibility. Need more information about our banking services? Then call 981 or visit our Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, or yelo.az accounts. Yelo Bank Brighter Banking! Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaija BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Samarkand, Uzbekistan hosts a coordination meeting of "Unity-2025" (Birlik-2025) joint regional exercise, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense told Trend. The executive personnel of the delegations from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were briefed on the operational objectives of the exercise. The contingents executed operational maneuvers for the preliminary stage of the regional drill. Azerbaijani commando and UAV crews will participate in the implementation of 14 activities in 20 tactical episodes of "Unity-2025" joint regional exercise. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The open court hearing on criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, who are accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimesincluding the preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of waras well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure and retention of power, and numerous other crimes resulting from Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, continued on October 13, Trend reports. During the court session held at the Baku Military Court, presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev with a panel consisting of Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), each of the accused individuals was provided with an interpreter in their native language, as well as legal representatives for their defense. The session was attended by the accused individuals, their defense counsel, a portion of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the state prosecution. The court hearing continued with the announcement of several documents. One of the documents revealed that during the period of the so-called regime, the Goyamart (fight for survival) weekly military TV program was broadcast. The episodes of the program were monitored and analyzed, the activities of high-ranking Armenian officers serving in the formerly occupied Azerbaijani territories were recorded, aiming to promote the occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and improving the combat readiness of the Armenian armed forces stationed there. The accused Davit Manukyan, serving as a Major general at the time, was one of those high-ranking military officials. According to the episode of the Goyamart program, broadcast on May 16, 2020, "exemplary exercises" were held in the divisions across the largest armed formation of the Armenian armed forces on the "forms and methods of firing small arms in defensive combat" and "application of a grenade launcher platoon in defensive combat" in the formerly occupied Azerbaijani territories. The exercises were overseen by Lieutenant General Jalal Harutyunyan, commander of the Armenian armed formation, and his first deputy, Major General David Manukyan, who gave "necessary instructions." Another document announced in court highlighted the establishment and activity of the Krung organization. Other documents included facts about the establishment and structuring of the Armenian Ministry of Defense. According to the papers, on January 28, 1992, by the decision of the Armenian government, the Separate Defense Committee under the Council of Ministers was abolished, with all of its property being transferred to the newly established Ministry of Defense. Vazgen Sargsyan was appointed as the Minister of Defense. Later, the court proceedings witnessed the announcement of a number of secret documents of the Armenian armed forces and their images, along with other files. The documents revealed that various instructions were given to different structures of the Armenian armed forces, as well as the "army" of the so-called regime (the largest armed formation of the Armenian armed forces - ed.) to be carried out in the formerly occupied Azerbaijani territories. For instance, the secret order No. 0119, dated 04.05.2016, issued by Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed Forces, Colonel General Yuri Khachaturov, revealed that the commander of the so-called army of the illegal regime was tasked to provide the anti-tank ditches and roads of the "6th defensive region" with earth layers and to use them as average trenches and defensive lines, to link the anti-tank ditches and roads of the "9th defensive region" with each other, and to camouflage the equipment. The court also disclosed the joint secret order No. 016 dated 24.12.2016, issued in Yerevan by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian armed forces, Lieutenant General Movses Hakopyan, and the Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff, Colonel V. Sargsyan, as well as a photo of the document. According to the secret document, a trip of the working group of the 24th Special Purpose Separate Radio Technical Regiment via the Yerevan-Khankendi-Aghdara-Sugovushan-Khankendi-Yerevan route was organized on January 10-14, 2017, to inspect the territory in the northeast direction of the so-called "army" and select the area for the radio-electronic reconnaissance (REK) units. The Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces was entrusted to oversee the implementation of the order. The court also disclosed and presented confidential order No. 0261, a combat mission issued by Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, Lieutenant General A.Davtyan, dated 24.09.2019 and drawn up in Yerevan. The document reveals that the Chief of Armaments of the Armenian Armed Forces was instructed to supply the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th defense districts of the so-called army with 20 sets of 82-millimetre M-69 mortars and 26 sets of 82-millimetre BM-37 mortars, instead of 46 sets of 120-millimetre M-75 (M-74) systems. The same order directed the so-called army commander to arrange the transfer of these weapons and ammunition to the listed defense regions and to report the results to the Chief of General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces within five days. The court also released secret combat order No. 0671, signed by the 1st Deputy Chief of Staff of the Command of the so-called army (Major General Kamo Vardanyan), titled On the destruction of enemy settlements by fire and dated 25.09.2020. The order instructed commanders of the formation and of the military unit in Khankendi to target the settlements specified in the order by September 28, 2020. Commanders were further ordered to calculate firing positions and include them in combat documents. They were to clarify combat calculations and prepare a single BM-21 system (YARS) in artillery units specifically for firing G-2000 missiles with a 40 km range. The order required keeping 40 of the 80 missiles intended for that system in the transport-loading vehicle of the combat vehicle that would conduct constant fire. The other 40 missiles were to be loaded into the combat vehicle before it deployed in combat formation. The BM-21 YARS was to be equipped with interchangeable tools. The list of settlements designated for fire destruction included the cities of Mingachevir and Naftalan, and the regions of Tartar, Yevlakh, Beylagan, Aghjabedi, among others, as well as a number of additional settlements and villages. According to the documents presented, a directive was also issued to destroy Azerbaijani settlements that were not under occupation before the Patriotic War and that were inhabited by civilians. The directive named exact coordinates of target settlements and specified the types of missiles to be used. It was stated that the coordinates listed as targets were checked by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. That verification confirmed the coordinates correspond to settlements in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The court proceedings will continue on October 16. Fifteen defendants of Armenian origin are accused in the criminal case concerning numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian state - including the aforementioned criminal association - on the territory of Azerbaijan, in violation of domestic and international legal norms. These crimes were committed for the purpose of military aggression against Azerbaijan and were carried out under the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, officials of its state institutions, its armed forces, and illegal armed formations, through their written and verbal orders, instructions, and guidelines; material, technical, and personnel support; centralized management; as well as under strict control and under the leadership and direct or indirect participation of Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel Andraniki Babayan, Vitali Mikaeli Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Garamyan, Monte Charles Melkonyan, and others. The following individuals - Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, Davit Rubeni Ishkhanyan, David Azatini Manukyan, David Klimi Babayan, Levon Henrikovich Mnatsakanyan, Vasili Ivani Beglaryan, Erik Roberti Ghazaryan, Davit Nelsoni Allahverdiyan, Gurgen Homeri Stepanyan, Levon Romiki Balayan, Madat Arakelovich Babayan, Garik Grigori Martirosyan, and Melikset Vladimiri Pashayan - are being charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging a war of aggression); Article 102 (attacking persons or organizations enjoying international protection); Article 103 (genocide); Article 105 (extermination of the population); Article 106 (enslavement); Article 107 (deportation or forced displacement of population); Article 109 (persecution); Article 110 (enforced disappearance of persons); Article 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law); Article 113 (torture); Article 114 (mercenary service); Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare); Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict); Article 118 (military robbery); Article 120 (intentional murder); Article 192 (illegal entrepreneurship); Article 214 (terrorism); Article 214-1 (financing terrorism); Article 218 (creation of a criminal organization); Article 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, and possession of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and devices); Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security); Article 277 (assassination of a state official or public figure); Article 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state); Article 279 (creation of armed groups not provided for by law); and additional articles. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. As reported, the open court hearing on criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure and retention of power, and numerous other crimes resulting from Armenias military aggression against Azerbaijan, continued on October 13, Trend reports. The session, held at the Baku Military Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Aghayev, with a panel consisting of Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that each of the accused was provided with an interpreter in their preferred language and defense lawyers. The hearing was attended by the accused, their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the states accusations. The trial will continue on October 16. Fifteen defendants of Armenian origin are accused in the criminal case concerning numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian state - including the aforementioned criminal association - on the territory of Azerbaijan, in violation of domestic and international legal norms. These crimes were committed for the purpose of military aggression against Azerbaijan and were carried out under the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, officials of its state institutions, its armed forces, and illegal armed formations, through their written and verbal orders, instructions, and guidelines; material, technical, and personnel support; centralized management; as well as under strict control and under the leadership and direct or indirect participation of Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel Andraniki Babayan, Vitali Mikaeli Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Garamyan, Monte Charles Melkonyan, and others. The following individuals - Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, Davit Rubeni Ishkhanyan, David Azatini Manukyan, Davit Klimi Babayan, Levon Henrikovich Mnatsakanyan, Vasili Ivani Beglaryan, Erik Roberti Ghazaryan, Davit Nelsoni Allahverdiyan, Gurgen Homeri Stepanyan, Levon Romiki Balayan, Madat Arakelovich Babayan, Garik Grigori Martirosyan, and Melikset Vladimiri Pashayan - are being charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging a war of aggression); Article 102 (attacking persons or organizations enjoying international protection); Article 103 (genocide); Article 105 (extermination of the population); Article 106 (enslavement); Article 107 (deportation or forced displacement of population); Article 109 (persecution); Article 110 (enforced disappearance of persons); Article 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law); Article 113 (torture); Article 114 (mercenary service); Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare); Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict); Article 118 (military robbery); Article 120 (intentional murder); Article 192 (illegal entrepreneurship); Article 214 (terrorism); Article 214-1 (financing terrorism); Article 218 (creation of a criminal organization); Article 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, and possession of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and devices); Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security); Article 277 (assassination of a state official or public figure); Article 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state); Article 279 (creation of armed groups not provided for by law); and additional articles. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The Naval Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria were placed on alert to participate in a rescue operation for the crew of a vessel sailing under the Cameroonian flag, Trend reports. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Varna launched the operation following a distress signal from a cargo ship reporting a hull breach and incoming water. The incident occurred within the Bulgarian search and rescue maritime area, 140 nautical miles east of Varna. The ship reported listing and being unable to manage the situation independently. As a result, the crew of 10 Ukrainian sailors abandoned the vessel in two lifeboats. The MRCC Varna immediately dispatched rescue assets to the location of the incident. Upon request for assistance from the Bulgarian Naval Forces, a helicopter was deployed, and the corvette Bodri was put on alert for action. Through coordinated efforts between the helicopter and the Turkish ship Morat Ilhan, both lifeboats were located, and the crew of 10 Ukrainian sailors was safely transferred onto the Turkish vessel. After assessing their health, there was no need for air evacuation using the Bulgarian Naval Forces helicopter, which remained in the area until the completion of the rescue operation. Thanks to effective coordination between institutions, the rescue of the Ukrainian crew was completed quickly. Afterwards, the Bulgarian Naval Forces helicopter returned to the Chaika Naval Helicopter Base. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The University of Latvias House of Science hosted The Riga Conference 2025 the largest annual security and foreign policy forum in the Nordic region from October 9 through 11, Trend reports. The event brought together high-level participants, including U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew J. Whitaker, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, former Chair of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna, and European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, among many other influential policymakers and experts. Opening the forum on October 9, participants discussed how Europe can ensure lasting peace through strength by reinforcing NATO unity, enhancing cooperation among allies, and strengthening the transatlantic partnership. I always call our friends in Latvia model partners and rightly so. Latvia does everything necessary to defend its nation, fully upholding the principles of the Washington Treaty. Latvias contribution to national defense strengthens our collective security, making it more resilient and ensuring NATO remains vital in the decades ahead, U.S. Ambassador Whitaker emphasized Latvias key role within the Alliance. On October 10, discussions focused on reinforcing NATOs collective defense and the commitment of European nations to increase defense spending. Latvian Minister of Defense Andris Spruds highlighted the importance of transatlantic solidarity. As democratic nations, we must respect each others political processes and social differences. What matters most is the understanding that both sides of the Atlantic stand united upholding the principle of one for all and all for one, Spruds noted. The final day of the conference, October 11, featured a panel on tariffs, industrial policy, economic security, and proposed sanctions packages. European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis underlined the complexity of ongoing EU-level discussions. Talks on new sanctions packages, including the 19th package, remain ongoing. Progress is not simple, but the European Unions decision-making principles are rooted in its founding treaties, which can only be amended with full member state unity, he mentioned. Panelists also discussed former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghis recent report on Europes competitiveness, calling it an important foundation for future economic recovery. In the closing discussion, which focused on the United Nations evolving role in a fragmented world, Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braze emphasized the need for reform. We must improve the UN Security Councils working methods, efficiency, and transparency so that it can effectively address both military and non-military threats. Every country must contribute and take responsibility in line with its international commitments, reaffirming its role as an active and accountable member of the global system, she said All conference discussions are available on YouTube and through Latvian and international media partners. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, The Riga Conference gathered more than 700 participants from around 45 countries. The event was organized by the Latvian Transatlantic Organization (LATO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense of Latvia, the University of Latvia, the European Commission Representation in Latvia, and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The conference was supported by the embassies of Sweden, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Israel, and Canada in Latvia. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. On Thursday, October 9, the State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Varteressian, and Latvias Minister of Finance, Arvils Aseradens, signed Memoranda of Understanding to implement the European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway Grants program through 2031, Trend reports. Under this new funding period, Latvia will receive a total of 109.5 million euros in grant support. For Norway, the EEA and Norway Grants are among our most important contributions to a strong, secure, and united Europe. They are a cornerstone of our close and trusted partnership with Latvia a partnership built on solidarity, mutual respect, and shared values. By deepening and expanding our cooperation, we are investing in the resilience of our societies and in the democratic values that unite us, said State Secretary Maria Varteressian. Harald Aspelund, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iceland to Latvia, highlighted the importance of continued collaboration. At a time of complex challenges and geopolitical uncertainty, Latvia remains a close friend and ally in Europe. The EEA Grants have strengthened our mutually beneficial cooperation, and Iceland looks forward to continuing this partnership to support development, resilience, and closer ties between our countries, he said. Minister Aseradens emphasized that the signing marks an important continuation of Latvias long-standing cooperation with Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. The EEA and Norway Grants have consistently provided vital support for Latvias economic and social development from strengthening business development, education, and research to promoting green innovation and social inclusion. In this new period, the funding will directly contribute to Latvias key national priorities security, sustainability, and support for families, he added. In the new grant period, support will focus on three main priority areas. 43 million euros will be directed toward strengthening local development and resilience, including the construction of new shelters, upgrades to civil protection infrastructure, and the installation of generators to ensure energy continuity for essential services. 27.5 million euros will support green innovation, entrepreneurship, and the remediation of polluted sites. 15 million euros will go toward correctional services, including the construction of a new womens prison and the expansion of rehabilitation programs for children with substance addictions. As in previous periods, targeted funding will also be available for Latvian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), with 10 million euros allocated to the Civil Society Fund (formerly the Active Citizens Fund). The funds implementation will be fully managed by the Financial Mechanism Office established by the donor states in Brussels, without the involvement of Latvian institutions. Donor countries will select the fund operator from Latvias NGO sector. The Memorandums of Understanding define financial allocations and the principles of program management. Following their signing, Latvias responsible ministries in cooperation with national partners, NGOs, and donor-state representatives will develop detailed program concepts for approval within three months. Once approved, the program agreements will be finalized and signed bilaterally between Latvia and the donor states, launching the implementation phase, expected at the end of 2026 or early 2027. In parallel, Latvias Ministry of Finance is preparing the national regulatory framework to support program delivery. The EEA and Norway Grants are provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway to promote social and economic cohesion in Europe and to strengthen bilateral cooperation with beneficiary states. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 13. Uzbekistan and the United States have reached agreements to implement energy projects worth $34 billion, Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov told local media, Trend reports. According to the minister, the American company Air Products is ready to make new investments and diversify its operations in the country. The Ministry of Energy has executed significant contracts to transition from gas-powered units to electric propulsion systems within the gas transportation infrastructure, including at current compressor and booster facilities. The U.S. Export-Import Bank has indicated a strategic inclination towards capitalizing on these initiatives. In the drilling sector, agreements were signed with Schlumberger and Baker Hughes to introduce advanced technologies, expertise, and management practices. Additionally, Uzbekneftegaz and the Gulf Company signed a $100 million memorandum to establish a nationwide network of fuel stations. The minister indicated that the retrofitting of units at compressor stations within a biennial to triennial framework is projected to incur costs of no less than $800 million, while the U.S. Exim Bank is poised to activate a credit facility amounting to $852 million to facilitate these initiatives. Mirzamakhmudov emphasized that, taking into account all new agreementsincluding Air Products projects for coal gasification, synthesis gas production, and manufacturing ammonia, methanol, and other value-added productsthe total investment volume could reach $34 billion. Earlier, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks with Air Products CEO Eduardo Menezes, after which both sides agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Bukhara gas-chemical complex, coal gasification projects, and the production of eco-friendly aviation fuel. Air Products is one of the worlds leading producers and suppliers of industrial gases. With a market capitalization exceeding $63 billion, the company operates nearly 750 production facilities in over 50 countries and produces approximately 200 million tons of industrial gases annually BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. New oil and gas reservoirs have been discovered in the Pazan oil and gas field in Fars Province, located in southern Iran, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad told local media, Trend reports. According to him, the Pazan oil and gas field is located 21 kilometers from Jam city in Bushehr Province. ''Exploration operations in this field had been suspended for about eight years. Meanwhile, exploration operations on the second well in the field were recently completed, and tests were conducted. As a result, the gas reserves of the field rose by 10 trillion cubic feet (about 283 billion cubic meters),'' he added. Paknejad said that the production rate increase to 70 percent would enable to production of seven trillion cubic feet (about 198 billion cubic meters) of gas from this field. This is equivalent to the volume of gas that will be produced in the first phase of the South Pars gas field, which is currently a joint gas field between Iran and Qatar, for about 17-18 years. As the minister pointed out, the exploration operations also determined that there are at least 200 million barrels of crude oil in the Pazan field. With the improvement of research, it's expected that the oil reserves in this field will grow. "The development of the Pazan oil and gas field will begin soon on a contractual basis. It's expected that production will be possible from this field within the next 40 months," he added. The Pazan field was discovered in 2015. The field was reported to contain 20 trillion rials (approximately 566 billion cubic meters) of gas and 430 million barrels of gas condensate. ---- Follow the author on X: @BaghishovElnur BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) has released the official exchange rates for foreign currencies as of October 13, Trend reports. According to the rates announced by the CBI, the value of 41 currencies increased, while the value of 4 currencies decreased compared to October 12. The official rate for $1 is 589,121 rials, while one euro is valued at 684,336 rials. On October 12, the euro was priced at 682,157 rials. Currency Rial on October 13 Rial on October 12 1 US dollar USD 589,121 587,115 1 British pound GBP 788,223 784,513 1 Swiss franc CHF 736,994 734,513 1 Swedish krona SEK 61,937 61,736 1 Norwegian krone NOK 58,207 58,000 1 Danish krone DKK 91,661 91,226 1 Indian rupee INR 6,638 6,609 1 UAE Dirham AED 160,414 159,868 1 Kuwaiti dinar KWD 1,917,535 1,911,707 100 Pakistani rupees PKR 209,533 208,836 100 Japanese yen JPY 390,073 388,633 1 Hong Kong dollar HKD 75,699 75,441 1 Omani rial OMR 1,530,042 1,524,824 1 Canadian dollar CAD 421,363 419,212 1 New Zealand dollar NZD 337,084 335,969 1 South African rand ZAR 33,666 33,540 1 Turkish lira TRY 14,095 14,088 1 Russian ruble RUB 7,222 7,225 1 Qatari riyal QAR 161,846 161,295 100 Iraqi dinars IQD 44,948 44,812 1 Syrian pound SYP 45 45 1 Australian dollar AUD 383,645 380,135 1 Saudi riyal SAR 157,099 156,564 1 Bahraini dinar BHD 1,566,811 1,561,476 1 Singapore dollar SGD 454,672 452,645 100 Bangladeshi takas BDT 483,501 481,461 10 Sri Lankan rupees LKR 19,479 19,413 1 Myanmar kyat MMK 281 280 100 Nepalese rupees NPR 414,680 412,889 1 Libyan dinar LYD 108,654 108,267 1 Chinese yuan CNY 82,599 82,285 100 Thai baht THB 1,804,719 1,797,654 1 Malaysian ringgit MYR 139,472 139,005 1,000 South Korean won KRW 412,652 412,215 1 Jordanian dinar JOD 830,918 828,089 1 euro EUR 684,336 682,157 100 Kazakh tenge KZT 109,500 109,032 1 Georgian lari GEL 217,397 216,757 1,000 Indonesian rupiah IDR 35,554 35,438 1 Afghan afghani AFN 8,853 8,859 1 Belarusian ruble BYN 173,680 173,048 1 Azerbaijani manat AZN 346,372 345,199 100 Philippine pesos PHP 1,010,932 1,007,395 1 Tajik somoni TJS 63,591 63,645 1 Turkmen manat TMT 168,309 167,493 Venezuelan bolivar VES 3,039 3,042 The CBI adopted the SANA system for currency exchange offices, where one euro costs 841,079 rials and $1 costs 724,056 rials. NIMA is a scheme for selling a percentage of the foreign money earned from exports. The price of one euro in this system amounted to 816,582 rials, and the price of $1 totaled 702,967 rials. On the black market, $1 is worth approximately 1.09 -1.12 million rials, while one euro is worth 1.27-1.30 million rials. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Deputy Prime Minister for Political System, Justice, and Anti-Corruption of Montenegro Momo Koprivica participated in the high-level meeting of the Berlin Process, titled Anti-Corruption and Good Governance in the Western Balkans: Advancing the Path to Integration, held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trend reports. In his address, he stated that Montenegro, as the EU candidate country that has made the most progress in European integration, has seven chapters already closed and expects to close at least five more chapters by the end of the year, completing all obligations by the end of 2026. This represents a strong example in the Western Balkans and demonstrates the ongoing transformation of the legal system in accordance with EU acquis. He emphasised that the anti-corruption strategy forms the foundation for planning and implementing anti-corruption policies and strengthening legal and ethical integrity at all levels. Deputy Prime Minister Koprivica stressed that integrity is the cornerstone of good governance and a prerequisite for sustainable reforms. As an example, he cited the establishment and verification of integrity mechanisms prior to implementing a zero-tolerance policy towards cigarette smuggling, which enabled the Government to credibly destroy 1.3 billion cigarettes in a single operation a record in Europe thanks to strong political will, international partnership, and strengthened institutional integrity. He also noted that Montenegro has signed and ratified the International Treaty on Exchange of Data for the Verification of Asset Declarations, which will serve as a robust tool in the fight against corruption. No country in the region should serve as a safe haven for illicit capital. The data exchange mechanism will enable faster and secure verification of asset declarations, particularly in cases of cross-border asset, income, and related-party links, reducing opportunities for abuse and conflicts of interest while enhancing preventive institutional work. He pointed out that Montenegros experience shows that joint efforts within the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, collaboration through the Berlin Process, and the Regional Cooperation Council lead to tangible results in strengthening institutional capacity, aligning regulations and policies, and sharing information and experiences. Efforts should continue towards establishing common integrity standards in the region, implementing digital tools for corruption prevention, and effective mechanisms for financial investigations and asset verification. Deputy Prime Minister Koprivica emphasised that integrity is not the result of a single decision or regulation but a continuous process of strengthening legal awareness and democratic culture, requiring political will, trust, synergy, collaboration, and free public oversight. He also recalled that the Berlin Process highlights the rule of law as the foundation of European integration. Many elements of the Berlin Process, while not directly related to anti-corruption, have facilitated anti-corruption efforts and prevention. He highlighted forms of economic connectivity and digital tools within the Berlin Process that reduce opportunities for interaction between officials and citizens, thereby limiting the potential for corruption. Koprivica stressed that the Berlin Process, to which Montenegro is strongly committed, provides a framework and an incentivising system for improving the rule of law. Regional cooperation, he concluded, must be productive rather than merely declarative, with responsibility and integrity as shared values. Asian Dev't Bank alls shots with tender for Baku metros green makeover The Asian Development Bank has announced the start of the selection process for consultants to implement a project to decarbonize the Baku Metro, aimed at improving energy efficiency and developing sustainable urban transport in Azerbaijan. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Large-scale infrastructure projects are currently being implemented in the liberated territories, with more than 65 million manat ($38.2 million) invested to date, the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Khankendi, Aghdara, and Khojaly districts, Elchin Yusubov, said, Trend reports. He made the remark at the event Moral Values dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the Victory in Karabakh. ''New roads and railways, airports, electricity and water supply systems are being built, and important projects are being implemented in the economy, education, healthcare, public utilities, restoration of cultural heritage, and other areas,'' he emphasized. Yusobov noted that, despite the short period of time, significant results have been achieved in these areas. Not only local but also important international events are held in these territories. According to information provided by the Public Relations Department of the Service for Restoration, Construction, and Management in the city of Khankendi, Aghdara and Khojaly districts, E. Yusubov also provided information on the phased and voluntary return of former internally displaced persons to territories liberated from occupation as part of the Great Return program. According to him, about 22,000 people have now settled in the city of Khankendi and the Aghdara and Khojaly districts. Among them, in addition to former internally displaced persons, there are also employees of state and private organizations, as well as their family members. Under the plan, the resettlement of the population is being carried out in stages through restoration and repair work in the village of Karkijahan in the city of Khankendi, 11 villages in the Khojaly district, and 7 villages in the Aghdam district. As a result, it is planned to resettle about 6,000 former internally displaced persons in these settlements. At the same time, important steps have been taken to restore the region's economy, ensure employment, and expand entrepreneurial activity. To date, investors have invested more than 65 million manats in the liberated territories. Karabakh is hosting a Week of Spiritual Values dedicated to the 5th anniversary of Victory in the Second Karabakh War. The project is being implemented jointly by the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, Karabakh University, the Azerbaijan Theological Institute under the Committee, and the Foundation for the Promotion of Spiritual Values. The main goal is to strengthen the national identity and patriotic consciousness of young people, increasing their commitment to our historical and cultural heritage and national spiritual values. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 13. Switzerland is keen on expanding its partnership and implementing joint initiatives with Kazakhstan, said Filippo Lombardi, Coordinator of the Switzerland-Kazakhstan Parliamentary Friendship Group, during a meeting with Kazakhstans President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh President. During the meeting, prospects for trade and investment cooperation between Astana and Bern were discussed, along with efforts to coordinate actions within international organizations. Tokayev highlighted that Kazakhstan attaches great importance to its longstanding relations with Switzerland, which has proven to be a reliable and time-tested partner in Europe. The president also recalled his official visit to Switzerland in 2021, which laid a solid foundation for strengthening the partnership between the two countries. Tokayev emphasized that the visit of a Swiss parliamentary delegation further demonstrates the mutual desire for deeper and more comprehensive cooperation. The president underscored the crucial role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening mutual understanding and expanding bilateral collaboration. Irans Zanjan Province recaps product exports via its customs In the first half of the Iranian year 2025, Zanjan Province exported 71,000 tons of goods valued at $159 million. These products were shipped to 22 countries, including Turkiye, Iraq, and Turkmenistan. During the same period, imports totaled 120,000 tons worth $218 million, mainly from Turkiye, the UAE, Switzerland, and Germany. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 13. Deputy Minister of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic Ulugbek Kalenderov met with Peteris Ustubs, Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European Commission, on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels and discussed bilateral cooperation and water sector reform, Trend reports via the Ministry of Finance. During the meeting, the parties signed a grant agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and the European Union totaling 17 million. The funds will be directed toward implementing comprehensive reforms in the water sector, improving water resource management, modernizing infrastructure, and promoting sustainable water use. Following the talks, both sides reaffirmed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the European Union. COLOMBO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has demonstrated strong commitment and global leadership in advancing women's rights and gender equality through concrete actions such as hosting the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, said Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua at the Sri Lankan parliament ahead of her visit to China for the summit in Beijing, Amarasuriya said the event will boost confidence in the global cause of women's development. "Beijing hosted an extremely important summit on women's development and on women and gender 30 years ago. What was discussed then holds true even now," she said, deeming it "really significant" that Beijing once again hosts a summit focused on women's development after three decades. "It's really important that we remind the world of the importance of taking into consideration women's issues when it comes to development or anything else," she added. Unequal access to economic opportunities, she said, remains a major barrier to women's progress. In some developing countries, women still face low wages, informal employment, and limited social protection, leading to the persistent undervaluation of their contributions. "This situation impacts women's ability to participate as full citizens," she said. "To achieve genuine changes, we need to bring about structural changes that give women access to the economy, education and health systems, and ensure women's substantive participation in the decision-making process." On China's achievements, Amarasuriya said that Chinese women today are more confident, independent and active in public life. "With that comes then higher levels of freedom as well," she said, describing this as China's unique contribution to global women's empowerment. She noted that China's political and economic systems allow it to address systemic inequalities and reduce marginalization. "China has made real advances in empowering women economically. It continues to support women and is also willing to take global leadership on these issues," she said. Amarasuriya said Sri Lanka and China enjoy broad prospects for cooperation in advancing women's empowerment and gender equality. "There are strong female leaders in China, and Sri Lanka has a historic number of women in parliament this year," she said. "On issues like education and health, which directly affect women's and children's wellbeing, there's a lot of scope for our collaboration." She also thanked China for its assistance in providing school uniform fabric to Sri Lanka, which is a "tremendous gift" from the Chinese people. "We deeply appreciate it," she said. Looking ahead to the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, Amarasuriya said she is full of expectations. "It will be my first opportunity to take part in a global summit centered on women," she said, adding that meeting and sharing experiences with female leaders from around the world will be deeply meaningful. "I believe this summit will be very useful for us as a reflection of the last 30 years and how we need to move forward," she said. "We hope to send a clear message through this meeting that women still need to be counted, and women still need to be prioritized in our political and development agendas." JERUSALEM (AP) Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement on Monday by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory. But thornier issues such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza and the question of Palestinian statehood remain unresolved, highlighting the fragility of an agreement that for now only pauses the deadliest conflict in the history of Israel and the Palestinians. For Israelis, the release of the 20 remaining living hostages brought elation and a sense of closure to a war many felt they were forced into by Hamas, although many pledged to fight on for the return of deceased hostages still in Gaza. But with the living hostages freed, the urgency with which many were driven to call for an end to the war will likely diminish, easing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the next phases of the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Four deceased hostages were returned to Israel on Monday, and another 24 are supposed to be turned over as part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza. While there was an outburst of joy in Gaza for prisoners returning from Israel and hope that the fighting may wind down for good, the torment drags on for war-weary Palestinians. Gaza has been decimated by Israeli bombardment; there is little left of its prewar economy, basic services are in disarray and many homes have been destroyed. It remains unclear who will pay for reconstruction, a process that could take years. Israel says the deal achieves its war objectives U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to the region to celebrate the deal. In an address to Israel's parliament, he urged lawmakers to seize a chance for broader peace in the region. In Egypt, he and other world leaders gathered to set the trickier parts of the deal into motion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu, who according to his office did not join the meeting in Egypt because of a Jewish holiday, told parliament that he was committed to the agreement, saying it ends the war by achieving all our objectives. Israel had said it would not end the war until all the hostages were freed and Hamas was defeated. Critics accused Netanyahu of allowing the war to drag on for political reasons, which he denied. The war began with Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack, when militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 captives. Israels retaliatory campaign killed more than 67,000 people, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts. The war has rippled across the Middle East, with conflict erupting between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen and Iran itself. Israel is elated by the return of the living hostages Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israelis watched with jubilation in public screenings attended by thousands as the 20 living hostages, all male, reunited with their families. Crowds broke into cheers, as tears of joy streamed down relieved faces. You are alive! Two arms and two legs, said Zvika Mor, upon seeing his son Eitan for the first time in two years. When Bar Kupershtein was reunited with his family, his father, Tal, who uses a wheelchair after a car accident and stroke, fulfilled a promise to himself by standing up for a few minutes to embrace his freed son. Unlike previous releases, Hamas held no ceremonies for the captives before freeing them. Instead, families received video calls from masked militants who allowed them a first glimpse at their loved ones before they came home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plight of the hostages had widespread support in Israel, where thousands would join the families for weekly protests demanding Israel secure their release. The fate of the hostages was a central driver of a movement in Israel to end the war. Many Israelis viewed Netanyahus twin goals of freeing the captives and defeating Hamas as incompatible. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said any delay by Hamas in retuning the remaining bodies of deceased hostages would be viewed as a violation of the ceasefire deal. Israel frees some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners Large crowds greeted freed prisoners in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza. The prisoners flashed V-for-victory signs as they descended from buses that took them either to the West Bank, Gaza or into exile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Praise be to God, our Lord, who has honored us with this release and this joy, said Mahmoud Fayez, who was returned to Gaza after being detained early last year in an Israeli raid on the main Shifa Hospital. The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. The fate of the prisoners is a sensitive issue in Palestinian society, where almost everyone knows or is related to someone who has been imprisoned by Israel. They are viewed by Palestinians as freedom fighters. Trump celebrates the deal in Israel and Egypt Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers their country must now work toward peace. Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms, Trump said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. His speech was briefly interrupted when two Knesset members staged a protest and were subsequently removed from the chamber. One held up a small sign reading, Recognize Palestine. In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Trump attended a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who administers parts of the West Bank, also attended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite Trump's optimism, many thorny issues remain Among the most difficult issues left to resolve is Israels insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza. So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gazas far north, and along the length of Gazas border with Israel. The future governance of Gaza remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gazas government should be worked out among Palestinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan envisions an eventual role for Abbas Palestinian Authority something Netanyahu has long opposed but it requires the authority to undergo reforms. The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police. Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are in Israel to monitor the ceasefire. The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu. ___ Magdy reported from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel and Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Melanie Lidman, Samy Magdy And Wafaa Shurafa, The Associated Press BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 13. Ravshanbek Sabirov, Director of the National Investment Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic, met with Shinji Tarutoko, Chairman of the KyrgyzJapan Economic Cooperation Association, Advisor to the Kyrgyz Ambassador to Japan, and former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, and discussed expanding cooperation in medicine, education, information technology, and the mining industry, Trend reports via the agency. The meeting was also attended by Hideki Goda, Ambassador of Japan to Kyrgyzstan, Michinori Yotsuhashi, Honorary Consul of Kyrgyzstan in Yaizu, and representatives of Japanese companies IB System and Okikai. Particular attention was paid to a project to establish a medical center for early cancer diagnosis using Japanese technologies. The sides also discussed launching a pilot educational program to train students according to Japanese standards. The Japanese side expressed interest in receiving support from the National Agency for the Implementation of Initiatives in the Mining Sector. Preparations for the upcoming Kyrgyz-Japanese business forum, to be held within the framework of the "Central Asia + Japan" summit, were also discussed, along with the possibility of signing a bilateral agreement on mutual protection and promotion of investments. Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their commitment to strengthening economic cooperation and implementing high-tech projects aimed at developing Kyrgyzstans innovative economy and human capital. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Targeted measures in managing public debt and financial obligations have led to significant achievements in Azerbaijan, reducing risks in the debt portfolio, strengthening debt sustainability, and ensuring long-term stability, Trend reports via the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry stated that these measures included extending the maturity of government bonds and implementing a mechanism to deposit national currency funds from the unified treasury account in local banks, generating additional revenue for the budget. To reduce refinancing risks, some 13 year government bonds were replaced with 710 year bonds, increasing the average maturity of government bonds. As a result, the share of 13 year bonds decreased to 60.6 percent, while 510 year bonds increased to 39.4 percent, in line with the updated medium- and long-term public debt management strategy. The average maturity of government bonds reached 3.52 years, 2.4 times higher than at the end of 2024. As part of efforts to mitigate these risks, a portion of 13-year government bonds was replaced with 710-year bonds. Consequently, as of October 1, 2025, the share of 13-year bonds in the government bond portfolio decreased to 60.6 percent, while the share of 510-year bonds rose to 39.4 percent. In line with the updated objectives of the Medium and Long-Term Strategy for Public Debt Management in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 20222025, the average maturity (MTO) of government bonds increased 2.4 times compared to the end of 2024, reaching 3.52 years in the first nine months of this year. Simultaneously, to enhance the efficiency of managing state budget funds and generate additional revenue, the Ministry of Finance began actively managing treasury account funds in national currency starting in 2025. Under this framework, deposit auctions are conducted to place a portion of the treasury balance in the five largest local banks by capitalization and asset volume. As a result of these treasury management measures, as of October 1, 2025, total interest income reached 75.1 million manat ($44.1 million), including 65.8 million manat ($38.7 million) from funds in national currency and 9.3 million manat ($5.4 million) from foreign currency. This represents roughly 4.3 times the 17.5 million manat ($10.2 million) generated from treasury fund management in 2024. These efforts have collectively contributed to reducing risks in debt management, strengthening debt portfolio resilience, and improving the efficiency of public fund management in Azerbaijan. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 13. The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic announced that the joint-stock companies AsiaUniversalBank and Ak-Bank are currently undergoing liquidation, Trend reports via the bank. The Deposit Protection Agency has been officially designated as the liquidator for both financial institutions. As reported by the National Bank, Kyrgyzstan is currently home to 21 commercial banks and 304 banking branches, with five of these institutions also offering services based on Islamic banking principles. AsiaUniversalBank (AUB) was once one of the most prominent banks in the Kyrgyz Republic, at one point holding about a quarter of the entire banking system's combined assets and deposits. Ak-Bank was also part of the group of financial institutions, eventually facing closure due to insolvency, breach of banking regulations, or other financial irregularities. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. As glaciers shrink and rivers thin, Central Asia is confronting an uncomfortable truth: its most precious resource - water - is running out. In a region where every drop fuels both lights and livelihoods, the old competition over water is turning into an urgent call for cooperation. That shift was on full display last week in Brussels, where the European Union and its partners unveiled a wave of new investments aimed at tackling the regions water and energy challenges. At the heart of the announcement was the Kambarata-1 hydropower project in Kyrgyzstan - a long-discussed dream thats finally moving from blueprint to reality. Kambarata-1 is poised to become the largest hydropower facility in Kyrgyzstan and one of the biggest in Central Asia. Rising on the Naryn River, it will generate about 1,860 MW of clean energy and store more than five billion cubic meters of water behind its dam - enough to power over a million homes and stabilize irrigation flows across the region. At the Global Gateway Forum, the EU and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed 900 million euros in agreements with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, while the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signaled plans to mobilize another 1.3 billion euros. The EU and the World Bank will also co-fund a feasibility study - a crucial step before construction begins on the roughly $5-6 billion megaproject. For Kyrgyzstan, this marks the revival of a project first imagined decades ago but stalled for lack of financing and consensus. For the region, it could become a turning point - a shared investment in both clean energy and shared stability. European officials are framing the project as a model for sustainable cooperation. "During my recent mission across Central Asia, I have very well learned the importance of water for the stability of the whole region," said Jozef Sikela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. "Smart investments in hydropower can improve access to reliable and affordable electricity, generate income for local people, while supporting sustainable agriculture and protecting the environment. We are proud to support the future construction of the Kambarata-1 hydropower plant". From the financing side, EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris called Kambarata-1 "instrumental in expanding renewable electricity trade in the region, fostering economic development, and enhancing energy security". And for the EBRD, which has operations in all three partner countries, the project is about more than megawatts. "Kambarata-1 is a flagship regional project for Central Asia," said Odile Renaud-Basso, the banks President. "It enhances energy and water security and supports the expansion of renewable energy. We are pleased to support regional connectivity and effective water management, with the EU and partners". Hydropower in Central Asia has long been a source of friction. Upstream countries like Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan control the headwaters, while downstream Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan depend on the same rivers for agriculture. For years, the two sides clashed over seasonal water releases and winter energy shortages. Kambarata-1 could mark a turning of the tide. By giving each country a stake in the projects ownership and output, it ties their energy and irrigation futures together. Shared infrastructure becomes shared interest - a rare alignment in a region historically divided by water politics. Kambarata-1 isnt the only megaproject reshaping the landscape. In neighboring Tajikistan, the Rogun hydropower plant - home to the worlds tallest dam - is expected to double the countrys power output by 2032 and transform it into a net exporter of electricity. Both Kambarata and Rogun fall under the EUs Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate Change, which aims to help Central Asia adapt to climate change while building cross-border energy links. The logic is simple: energy and water security cant be solved within borders that rivers ignore. That cooperation is also extending beyond energy. On the sidelines of the Forum, Kyrgyz Deputy Finance Minister Ulugbek Kalenderov and EU Director for Asia and the Pacific Peteris Ustubs signed a 17 million euro grant for comprehensive water-sector reforms - from modernizing irrigation systems to improving sustainable water use. Still, turning these promises into power is no easy task. Kambarata-1 will require unprecedented coordination, strict environmental oversight, and billions in long-term financing. The dams location - in a seismically active zone - adds another layer of complexity. Environmental groups have urged caution, warning that regulating the Naryn could alter downstream ecosystems and affect farmers in the Ferghana Valley. Development banks insist those risks will be addressed through transparent impact assessments and public consultations. For Europe, the project is about more than climate action - its about building lasting partnerships in a region long courted by other powers. Through the Global Gateway, the EU is positioning itself as a stable, values-based alternative to opaque financing models. As EIBs VP Kakouris said in an exclusive interview with Trend, EIB Globals activities in Central Asia are fully aligned with the European Unions Global Gateway strategy. "We provide technical assistance and advisory services to ensure projects are bankable, sustainable, and aligned with EU standards. We often blend EU grants with EIB loans and equity to reduce financial risk and accelerate project preparation," he explained. The EIB is preparing to open its first Regional Representation in Central Asia, marking a new milestone in the banks engagement with the region. The new office will serve as a regional hub for coordinating EIB Globals activities across Central Asia. "It will deepen our engagement under Global Gateway," Kakouris noted, adding that "having staff on the ground will strengthen cooperation with both the public and private sectors". In other words, this is Europes green diplomacy in action - helping the region generate not just electricity, but stability. If Kambarata-1 succeeds, it could rewrite Central Asias narrative: from water tension to water partnership, from scarcity to shared sustainability. Hydropower alone wont solve the regions challenges, but it can buy something just as vital - time. Time to modernize agriculture, invest in efficiency, and strengthen institutions before climate change turns the trickle into a crisis. For now, the message from Brussels to Bishkek is clear: the rivers that once divided Central Asia might just become the currents that unite it. Uzbekistan firms thrive in Afghan market, showcasing success Photo: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are strengthening private sector ties, with Uzbek companies securing over $60 million in contracts during 2025 events in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif. Business meetings in Tashkent brought together hundreds of entrepreneurs to explore trade, joint projects, and investment opportunities across key sectors. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The investors of the Shafag (Jabrayil) solar project bp, SOCAR Green, and the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund are pleased to announce that construction activities for the project are progressing on schedule in the Jabrayil district of Azerbaijan, Trend reports via bp. Following the final investment decision in June 2025, the project has awarded two major contracts: Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract. Valued at around $117 million, this contract has been awarded to Intec and Complant. It covers the full scope of engineering, procurement, and construction services, as well as operation and maintenance for the first two years of plants operations. Construction activities are already underway, with site mobilization completed and earthworks and internal road construction currently in progress. Module supply contract. Valued at more than $29 million, this contract has been awarded to Trina Solar (Schweiz) AG for the supply of solar panels. Under this agreement, work has also commenced and the first shipment of panels was successfully delivered to the site in August 2025. Construction activities for the project are expected to continue through mid-2027, with a strong focus on utilizing local resources. At peak, the project is expected to create up to 400 jobs. The $200 million Shafag (Jabrayil) solar project, sanctioned in June 2025, consists of construction of a new 240MW AC solar plant in the Jabrayil district of Azerbaijan. The project is linked to the Sangachal terminal electrification (STEL) project via a new commercial structure called virtual power transfer arrangement, which will enable the terminal to connect to the national grid, operated by AzerEnerji, via new facilities to be built both within and outside the terminal, including a new 220/110 kV electricity substation. Together, the Shafag and STEL projects are expected to support the reduction of operational emissions by around 50% over the future life of the Sangachal terminal, based on the current outlook and plans. Following the electrification of the terminal, the seven gas turbines currently used at the terminal to generate power, will be removed in phases, freeing up the fuel gas for export. The shareholding interests in SJSL are: bp 50.01%, SOCAR Green (wholly owned subsidiary of SOCAR) 39.99%, and ABDF 10%. Lightsource bp, a company fully owned by bp is the developer of the project. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) has temporarily restricted the activities of Greentek Group LLC, Trend reports via the CBA. In the thick of an unannounced check-up conducted by the regulatory body at the LLC, facts were revealed that payment accounts weren't opened for users in accordance with the requirements of the legislation, and errors were made in preventing illegal activities carried out through internet resources. Therefore, an order was issued to temporarily suspend all payment services provided within the framework of the license (except for operations to return funds of payment service users) in accordance with Articles 48.2.4 of the Law of Azerbaijan "On the Central Bank" and 63.1 of the Law of Azerbaijan "On Payment Services and Payment Systems." Greentek Group LLC operates as a payment and financial technology service. It is a payment system that facilitates money transfers through its website and mobile app. In July 2025, the Central Bank of Azerbaijan issued a temporary ban on Greentek Group's foreign currency transfer operations until it was integrated into the required system. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 13. On the sidelines of the Global Gateway 2025 Forum in Brussels, Turkmenistans Minister of Finance and Economy, Mammetguly Astanagulov, met with European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Sikela, and discussed preparations for the upcoming EUTurkmenistan Business Forum and prospects for strengthening economic cooperation, Trend reports via the Turkmen Embassy in Belgium. During the meeting, Minister Astanagulov announced that the first-ever EUTurkmenistan Business Forum is planned for next year and invited Commissioner Sikela to personally participate in the event. The parties also discussed further expanding bilateral and regional cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union. Special attention was given to the EUCentral Asia Economic Forum, held biennially, noting that this years session will take place in Uzbekistan, while the next one is already on the books for Turkmenistan in 2027. The minister also invited Commissioner Sikela to attend the International Forum on Peace and Trust, which will be held in Turkmenistan on December 12, 2025, marking the 30th anniversary of the countrys permanent neutrality. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 13. As part of the visit to Malaysia, representatives of the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, headed by Ulugbek Shakirov, Director of the Republican Center for Telecommunications Network Management, held a meeting in Kuala Lumpur with Victor Zeng, Chief Commercial Officer of Ookla, to discuss ongoing joint projects, Trend reports. The sides exchanged views on the prospects of launching the RootMetrics initiative in Uzbekistan, as well as on the introduction of Ooklas new service Ookla Certified. During the meeting, the company presented innovative solutions aimed at developing the countrys internet infrastructure and improving systems for monitoring connection quality. Ooklas representatives, in turn, commended Uzbekistans significant progress in recent years in expanding internet access and increasing both mobile and fixed-line internet speeds. Meanwhile, earlier this year, it was reported that trade between Uzbekistan and Malaysia had grown by 25 percenta testament to the flourishing and multifaceted partnership between the two countries. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 13. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov received the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Kyrgyzstan, Monika Lenhard, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz president's office. He accepted the ambassadors credentials and congratulated her on the start of her diplomatic mission in Kyrgyzstan. The meeting focused on the current state and prospects of Kyrgyz-German cooperation. Our countries enjoy friendly relations. We highly value our interstate ties and are interested in further expanding them in all areas of mutual interest, said President Zhaparov. He noted the constructive political dialogue between Kyrgyzstan and Germany, highlighting his productive meetings with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Bishkek in 2023 and Berlin in 2024, and conveyed warm greetings and best wishes to his German counterpart. The president emphasized that trade cooperation has been steadily developing and expressed interest in expanding collaboration with German partners, particularly in the field of organic agricultural products. Ambassador Lenhard thanked President Zhaparov for the warm welcome, reaffirming her commitment to deepening Kyrgyz-German relations and supporting the implementation of joint projects. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Dutch government has taken control of Chinese-owned computer chipmaker Nexperia, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing as a global fight brews over technology intellectual property, especially around semiconductors. The government said late on Sunday that it has intervened in Nijmegen-headquartered Nexperia, which manufactures chips for cars and consumer electronics. It cited worries about the possible transfer of technology to Nexperia's Chinese parent company, Wingtech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amsterdam invoked never-before-used powers under a Dutch law known as the "Availability of Goods Act". The decision led to a 10% fall in Wingtech's shares in Shanghai on Monday. The Dutch government will not take ownership of Nexperia, but it will now have the power to reverse or block management decisions it considers harmful. The company's regular production is continuing. WINGTECH SAYS DECISION DRIVEN BY 'GEOPOLITICAL BIAS' U.S. President Donald Trump is ratcheting up pressure on Chinese tech firms as part of a broader trade war that saw him threaten 100% tariffs on China's exports last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. and the Netherlands typically cooperate closely on computer chip industry export controls. A Dutch Economic Affairs Ministry spokesperson, however, said there was no U.S. involvement in its decision regarding Nexperia and the timing was "purely coincidental". Washington last month expanded a list of blacklisted firms seen as threats to national security to include subsidiaries. Wingtech had already been placed on the United States' "entity list" in December 2024 for its alleged role "in aiding China's government's efforts to acquire entities with sensitive semiconductor manufacturing capability." Nexperia, which is 100%-owned by Wingtech, said at the time that it would comply with the U.S. rules, though it said its operations were kept at arm's length from its Chinese parent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wingtech called the Dutch government's intervention in Nexperia, once part of Dutch electronics group Philips, "excessive interference driven by geopolitical bias". Wingtech also alleged that non-Chinese Nexperia executives had tried to forcibly alter the company's equity structure through legal proceedings in a "cloaked power grab" on the company. Wingtech said in a statement that it was consulting with lawyers and seeking government support to "protect the legitimate rights and interests of the company". Nexperia, which Wingtech bought for $3.63 billion in 2018, said it complied with all relevant laws and regulations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COURT ORDERED WINGTECH CHAIR SUSPENDED FROM NEXPERIA BOARD In its statement, the Dutch government cited issues around "crucial technological knowledge" without elaborating. "The loss of these capabilities could pose a risk to Dutch and European economic security," it said. Nexperia is one of the world's largest makers of simple computer chips such as diodes and transistors, though it also develops more advanced technologies such as "wide gap" semiconductors used in electrical settings and useful for electric cars, chargers and AI data centres. Wingtech said in a filing to the Shanghai stock exchange on Monday that its control over Nexperia would be temporarily restricted due to the Dutch order and court rulings, affecting decision making and operational efficiency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wingtech said its chairman Zhang Xuezheng was suspended from Nexperia's boards by an Amsterdam court order on October 6, and an independent non-Chinese person with a "deciding vote" would be appointed in his place. In addition to the United States, Wingtech has had run-ins before with other Western governments over its operations, with Britain ordering it to divest ownership of a facility in Newport. The Netherlands scrutinised Nexperia's purchase of startup Nowi in 2023. (Reporting by Toby Sterling; additional reporting by Samuel Shen and Brenda Goh in Shanghai. Editing by Diane Craft, Edmund Klamann, Michael Perry and Joe Bavier) Azerbaijan reports construction progress for Astara terminal The construction of the Astara Terminal in Iran is nearing completion, with 80% of construction and installation work finished. About 92.5% of the design work has also been finalized. Once operational, the terminals annual cargo handling capacity is expected to increase to four million tons. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 13. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov and newly appointed Swiss Ambassador Siroko Messerli discussed prospects for expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries during their meeting, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz President's office. President Zhaparov accepted the ambassadors credentials and congratulated him on the start of his diplomatic mission. President Japarov emphasized the importance of joint efforts to maintain and increase trade turnover, noting the positive dynamics of Kyrgyz-Swiss relations. Ambassador Messerli expressed gratitude for the warm reception and commended Kyrgyzstans economic achievements. He reaffirmed Switzerlands interest in deepening cooperation in areas of mutual benefit. The parties confirmed their readiness to strengthen multifaceted collaboration between Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Serbia secures EBRD loan to boost flood protection Photo: EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a 50 million euros sovereign loan to Serbia for the construction of a new dam and reservoir in Pambukovica. The project aims to bolster flood protection, improve water management, and support agricultural productivity in the Kolubara River Basin, one of Serbias most flood-prone regions. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 13. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov received Remi Duflot, Head of the European Union Delegation to Kyrgyzstan, on the occasion of the presentation of his credentials, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz President's office. The meeting focused on current cooperation and prospects for further development of KyrgyzstanEU relations. President Zhaparov reaffirmed Kyrgyzstans readiness to deepen collaboration with the European Union, while Ambassador Duflo highlighted the EUs commitment to strengthening ties and providing necessary support. Concluding the meeting, the President wished the Head of the EU Delegation success in his important work. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. A delegation led by the Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), Taleh Kazimov, has left for a working visit to Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual Meetings of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Trend reports via the CBA. During the Annual Meetings, which will take place on October 13-18, the CBA delegation will participate in the meeting of the Selection Group, which includes Azerbaijan, events attended by finance ministers and central bank governors of the Caucasus, Middle East, and Central Asia countries, as well as meetings with the heads of the WB and IMF. Within the framework of the visit, the delegation will also hold bilateral meetings and mutual discussions with the heads of a number of foreign central banks and financial institutions. The Annual Meetings held by the WB and IMF will discuss global and regional challenges by leaders representing the state and private sectors, international organizations, influential representatives of civil society, and academic circles. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, October 13. Tajikistan and France discussed cooperation through the aircraft manufacturer Airbus and French investment companies with the aim of developing the country's civil aviation and attracting foreign investment, Trend reports via the country's Civil Aviation Agency. The meeting was held between Khabibullo Nazarzoda, Director of the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, and Elsa Pignol, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Tajikistan. The discussions also covered the potential establishment of direct flights between Tajikistan and France. Director Nazarzoda highlighted that, following the adoption of the Governments Open Skies Policy, Dushanbe International Airport JSC announced discounts on all services. He emphasized that the Civil Aviation Agency is ready to cooperate with French airlines through four Tajik airports: Dushanbe, Khujand, Kulob, and Bokhtar. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 13. Come October 26, 2025, Centrum Air will take to the skies, launching direct flights that connect Uzbekistan's Tashkent with Russia's Saint Petersburg, Trend reports. Air travel operations on this corridor will be orchestrated tri-weeklyspecifically on the first day of the week, the second day of the week, and the fifth day of the week. Centrum Air operates as a privately held aviation entity in Uzbekistan, having launched its commercial flight operations in 2023, subsequent to a strategic directive from the Government of Uzbekistan. The airline provides a comprehensive portfolio of both scheduled and charter operations, facilitating connectivity to an extensive array of global destinations, encompassing markets such as China, Egypt, Russia, Germany, Israel, Qatar, Kazakhstan, and Turkiye, among numerous others. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 13. JSC Uzbekneftegaz held a meeting with the delegation from S&P Global Ratings and representatives of UzAssets and discussed the companys activities, development strategy, and key investment priorities, Trend reports. During the event, the company presented an overview of its operations and its development strategy. The presentation highlighted key areas, including the expansion of hydrocarbon production and processing, strengthening financial stability, implementing a transformation program, and achieving ESG objectives. JSC Uzbekneftegaz reaffirmed its position as a key player in the national economy and a leader in Uzbekistans energy sector. The company places particular emphasis on developing its resource base and strengthening partnerships with leading international firms, facilitating the adoption of advanced technologies and enhancing hydrocarbon production efficiency. At the same time, modernization of the Bukhara Oil Refinery continues, and the Uzbekistan GTL plant operates stably at full capacity. Financial performance also shows positive growth. The company maintains a balanced capital structure and high liquidity, supported by increased production volumes, government backing, and the confidence of international financial institutions. As part of the ongoing transformation in collaboration with UzAssets, Uzbekneftegaz is actively working on digitalizing and optimizing production processes and implementing modern corporate governance standards. Under its ESG agenda, the company continues to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable development principles. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 13. President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov called on foreign countries to actively participate in major investment projects aimed at strengthening cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz President's service. This was announced during the ceremony for the newly appointed ambassadors from different countries. The credentials were presented by Ambassador Alenka Sukhadolnik of the Republic of Slovenia, Ambassador Antonello De Riu of the Italian Republic, Ambassador Luciano Nkogo Ndong Ayekaba of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Ambassador Eric De Meyer of the Kingdom of Belgium, and Ambassador Eduardo Enrica Hernandez Recinos of the Republic of Guatemala. In his address, Zhaparov emphasized that since gaining independence, Kyrgyzstan has consistently developed political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, and cultural ties with countries around the world. Your diplomatic mission begins at a special historical period for our country. Today, Kyrgyzstan is demonstrating sustainable economic growth. Major investment projects are being implemented in key sectors such as energy, construction, finance, and tourism. I invite your countries to actively participate in these projects to expand interaction and strengthen cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, said Sadyr Zhaparov. The head of state additionally emphasized that anticipatory legislative elections are scheduled for November 30 in the Kyrgyz Republic, with the objective of fortifying systemic stability and upholding democratic tenets within the nation. He drove home a robust assurance that the envoys will play a pivotal role in fortifying camaraderie and diplomatic ties predicated on reciprocal esteem and collaborative engagement among the sovereign states. In order to facilitate the integrity and oversight of the electoral mechanism, I would like to extend an invitation to global monitors, including delegates from your respective nations, to engage in this significant event, he articulated. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 13. A meeting was held at the Ministry of Investment, Innovation, and Technology (MIIT) between Alisher Mursaliev, Director of the Department, and a delegation from Koreas InnoBiz Association, led by Director Seung Kyu Oh, during which the parties signed a Letter of Intent, Trend reports. The discussion focused on potential cooperation in innovation, digitalization, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as the implementation of joint projects to enhance technological capabilities and facilitate the exchange of expertise between enterprises from both countries. The Letter of Intent delineates the framework for the advancement of synergistic innovation initiatives, the enhancement of entrepreneurial ecosystems, and the fortification of strategic alliances between Uzbekistan and Koreas InnoBiz Association. The InnoBiz Association, established with the support of the Korean government and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is the Association of Technological Innovation for Small and Medium Enterprises in Korea. It brings together innovative companies, promotes the adoption of advanced technologies, and supports exports and the competitiveness of Korean businesses. The INNOBIZ certification recognizes companies with high technological capabilities and grants them access to state support programs. The association plays a central role in advancing research and technology initiatives, fostering international cooperation, and promoting environmentally sustainable solutions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Azerbaijani-Russian export-import figures shrink in 9M2025 In JanuarySeptember 2025, Azerbaijan exported 75.3 million kWh of electricity to Russia, earning $3.2 million. This marked a drop of 55.1 million kWh and $4.1 million compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan imported 59.5 million kWh of electricity worth $2.1 million from Russia Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register Azerbaijan tallies natural gas imports from Russia in 8M32025 Azerbaijan imported 21.2 million cubic meters of natural gas from Russia during the first eight months of 2025. The country spent $3.9 million on the purchase of this volume. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 13. Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna, Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund, and Lord John Alderdice, the UK Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia, discussed prospects for enhancing cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UK, Trend reports via Samruk-Kazyna. The sides explored opportunities for British companies to participate in Kazakhstans investment and infrastructure projects. Samruk-Kazyna acts as the Kazakh co-chair of the KazakhstanUK Business Council, which serves as a key platform for deepening business dialogue and advancing new investment initiatives. On June 6, 2025, a military cooperation plan for 2025-2026 was signed between the defense ministries of Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, in April 2025, during the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held in London, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Alibek Kuantyrov, highlighted that the UK remains one of Kazakhstan's key trading partners and the largest investor, with direct foreign investments exceeding $22 billion. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 13. Kazakhstan is set to adopt new legal frameworks, including the Construction and Digital Codes, as well as the Law on Banking Activities, by the end of 2025, the Speaker of the Mazhilis, Kazakhstan's lower house of parliament, Yerlan Koshanov, said during a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president. Koshanov also highlighted ongoing work on draft laws concerning elections, consumer rights protection, and the prevention of offenses. Currently, 15 laws have been passed and sent to the Senate, with 77 bills under consideration in the Chamber. Additionally, parliamentarians have initiated amendments to the Law on Local Government and Self-Governance, along with bills supporting the creative industries, science-based territories, the protection of historical and cultural heritage, and government assistance to horticultural societies. Koshanov noted that the legislative process is open, with active participation from the public, expert community, and media, ensuring that all political parties contribute suggestions based on the needs of their constituencies. The most significant bills are being reviewed at sessions of the Public Chamber. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 13. Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Chairman of the Board of Directors of China's Zijin Mining Group Chen Jinghe discussed investment cooperation in the mining and metallurgical sector, Trend reports via the Kazakh government. The sides noted the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in geological exploration and the development of new deposits. They also discussed joint measures for the implementation of a large-scale investment mining and metallurgical complex in the Akmola region. Bektenov emphasized that the government will continue to provide full support for investment projects with high added value. Such partnerships, he said, will contribute to expanding mineral production, creating permanent jobs, and introducing advanced, environmentally sustainable technologies. In turn, Chen Jinghe praised ongoing efforts to create favorable investment conditions and expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, according to the information, Kazakhstan ranks sixth globally in gold production and 13th in terms of reserves. The mining and metallurgical sector accounts for 8 percent of GDP, with annual output exceeding 14 trillion tenge ($26 billion). Around 224,000 people are employed in the industry, which attracted $3 billion in investments last year. Zijin Mining Group is one of the worlds largest metallurgical companies, implementing 30 projects across 15 countries. The conglomerate ranks 778th on the Forbes Global 2000 list and 77th on Fortune China 500. Its shares are traded on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 13. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on his diplomatic triumph in securing a long-awaited peace agreement for the Gaza Strip, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president. In his message, Tokayev praised Trump for demonstrating strong political will and a genuine commitment to establishing peace and harmony among nations. On October 9, 2025, the U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan brokered with American mediation, marking what he described as "a great day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all surrounding nations, and the United States". On October 10, 2025, Israel and Hamas officially halted hostilities. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Iran's relations with China and Russia aren't affected by various processes, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran today, Trend reports. According to him, Iran is keeping the ball rolling with its consultations with China and Russia on a regular basis. Speaking about the opinions put forward regarding Iran's adoption of the CFT within the FATF at the insistence of China and Russia, Baghaei said that the practical step of the two countries in question can be observed in opposing the activation of the 'snapback' mechanism at the UN Security Council meeting. He explained that if Russia and China didn't believe in relations with Iran, they wouldn't have put their cards on the table regarding their stance on Iran. Moreover, according to the official, the fact that Russia and China demonstrated their positions openly and with legal facts reflected the legal aspects of continuing relations with Iran. "Iran makes decisions based on its own interests. The study and ratification of conventions such as the CFT is one of the important international documents on Iran's agenda. The ratification of such conventions removes obstacles to facilitating banking and trade relations with various countries," he pointed out. To note, Irans Guardian Council has conditionally approved the countrys accession to the Convention on Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) on October 1, 2025 On May 15, 2025, the Iranian Advisory Council approved the FATF Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo). The Convention against the Financing of Terrorism (FT) is currently under review. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is an intergovernmental body that regulates the rules for combating money laundering and terrorist financing. At the last meeting of this organization, Iran was warned that if the country's program of steps is not improved, Iran may be added to the list of non-cooperative countries. Iran has complied with 37 out of 41 FATF steps. The remaining four steps or conventions fall under the scope of the legislation. "Amendments to the Law on Combating Money Laundering," "Amendments to the Law on Combating the Financing of Terrorism," "Accession to the International Convention on Combating Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo)," and "Accession to the International Convention on Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT)" have been drafted by the Iranian government and sent to the parliament. Although the four conventions were approved by the parliament and sent to the Advisory Council, the CFT conventions and the Palermo Convention have not yet been approved by the mentioned council. The G7 group founded the FATF in 1989 to address money laundering. The organization comprises 37 members, with its administration situated in Paris. The FATF designated Iran as a high-risk jurisdiction in 2007 and enacted formal sanctions on Tehran in 2009. Consequently, nations needed to exercise prudence in financial and banking transactions with Iran. Since 2016, diplomatic initiatives have postponed the implementation of retaliatory actions against Iran. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) designated Iran as a non-cooperative country (blacklist) on February 21, 2020. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Iran expects the European trio (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) to demonstrate their reliability in negotiations concerning Irans nuclear program, said the countrys Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, at a press conference in Tehran on October 13, Trend reports. According to him, Iran expects the European trio to reassess their policy towards Iran. Baghaei stated that the 10-year experience of implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program shows that the European trio has failed to fulfill its commitments and has misused the activation of the "Snapback" mechanism, which involves the re-imposition of United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iran. This, he argued, would be unjustifiable both legally and ethically. On September 26, the UN Security Council held a session to discuss the initial draft resolution presented by Russia and China, which aimed to extend the validity of Resolution 2231 and prevent the activation of the "Snapback" mechanism. In the vote, four countries supported the resolution, nine countries opposed it, and two countries abstained. As a result, the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on Iran were reinstated as of September 28. On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231. This resolution led to the repeal of six previous resolutions against Iran and the imposition of broad sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. According to Articles 36 and 37 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, if one party to the plan complains about a violation of the plan by another party, various stages are initiated. If these stages are unsuccessful, the complaining party may raise the issue with the UN Security Council. If a complaint against Iran is filed and accepted by the UN Security Council, international sanctions against Iran may be reinstated. In addition, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action authorizes members of the UN Security Council to take military action against Iran. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. It is natural for Iran not to have nuclear weapons, as the country does not possess nuclear weapons and does not intend to develop them, said the countrys Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, at a press conference in Tehran on October 13, Trend reports. According to him, the joint statement by the European troika (the UK, France, and Germany) on this issue is a repetitive step. European countries must demonstrate that they have the necessary authority and independence in decision-making in order to be recognized as reliable negotiating parties. The spokesperson added that Iran's ambassadors to these countries, who were recalled for consultations after the European trio decided to activate the snapback mechanism, have already returned to these countries. On September 26, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the initial text of a resolution submitted by Russia and China to extend Resolution 2231 and prevent the activation of the snapback mechanism. At the meeting, four countries voted in favor of the resolution, nine countries voted against it, and two countries abstained. Thus, as of September 28, the UN Security Council resolutions on Iran have been reinstated. On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231. This resolution led to the repeal of six previously adopted resolutions against Iran and large-scale sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. According to Articles 36 and 37 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, various stages are initiated upon a complaint by one of the states participating in the plan about a violation of the plan by another party. If the stages are not completed, the complaining country may raise the issue with the UN Security Council. If a complaint against Iran is filed and approved by the UN Security Council, international sanctions against Iran may be reinstated. Moreover, this gives UN Security Council members the authority to take military action against Iran. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Iran has sought to create the necessary conditions for cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under an existing agreement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said at a press conference in Tehran on October 13, Trend reports. Baghaei noted that cooperation could not fully materialize due to the activation of the Snapback mechanism by other parties, which restores UN Security Council resolutions against Iran. He emphasized that Iran remains a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and continues to adhere to safeguards agreements. The Iranian official added that diplomatic efforts have not been halted, but in the coming days, no dialogue is expected regarding Irans nuclear program. On September 26, the UN Security Council held a meeting on the initial text of a resolution submitted by Russia and China to extend Resolution 2231 and prevent the activation of the snapback mechanism. At the meeting, four countries voted in favor of the resolution, nine countries voted against it, and two countries abstained. Thus, as of September 28, the UN Security Council resolutions on Iran have been reinstated. On July 20, 2015, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231. This resolution led to the repeal of six previously adopted resolutions against Iran and large-scale sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. According to Articles 36 and 37 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, various stages are initiated upon a complaint by one of the states participating in the plan about a violation of the plan by another party. If the stages are not completed, the complaining country may raise the issue with the UN Security Council. If a complaint against Iran is filed and approved by the UN Security Council, international sanctions against Iran may be reinstated. Moreover, this gives UN Security Council members the authority to take military action against Iran. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed U.S. President Donald Trump as the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House during a special Knesset session attended by the American leader, Trend reports. Mr. President, we welcome you here to thank you for your pivotal leadership in putting forward a proposal that brings all our hostages home, ends the war by achieving all our objectives, and opens the door to a historic expansion of peace, Netanyahu said. You are committed to this peace, I am committed to this peace and together, we will achieve it. We did it before in the Abraham Accords, and well do it again. Netanyahu credited Trumps administration with helping roll back Irans missile program and weakening Houthi forces, while acknowledging the heavy cost of recent battles. Nearly 2,000 of Israels finest were lost, he said. To the families of our fallen fighters, I know the depth of your pain. The State of Israel bows its head in eternal gratitude. Because of these heroes, our nation will survive, thrive, and have peace, Netanyahu concluded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced at a special Knesset session that he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump to receive the Israel Prize, the countrys highest civilian honor, Trend reports. Mr. President, thank you for all you have done for us, Netanyahu said. I have submitted your nomination to be the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize - our highest award, to our greatest friend. Netanyahu praised Trumps unwavering support for Israel, saying, When others abandoned us, you stood by our side. On behalf of the government and people of Israel, I thank you for your extraordinary friendship for helping bring our hostages home, supporting Israels march to victory, and paving a path to peace. He also expressed confidence in furthering regional peace efforts, noting, Abrahams children will work together to build a better future, uniting civilization against barbarism, light against darkness, and hope against despair. With President Trumps leadership, this will happen a lot faster than people think. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Knesset, calling the moment a historic dawn for Israel and the wider Middle East, Trend reports. This is not only the end of a war, this is the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God, Trump said. Its the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. He praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his leadership: I want to express my gratitude to a man of exceptional courage and patriotism whose partnership did so much to make this momentous day possible. You know who Im talking about theres only one, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump also highlighted U.S. support: Like the U.S. right now, it will be the golden age of Israel and the golden age of the Middle East. Id like to thank several great American patriots for their invaluable help in getting something done that almost everyone thought was absolutely impossible. But we werent, because we had talented people working with us. BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Knesset, urging a new era of stability and development for Israel and Gaza, Trend reports. I just want to congratulate you for having the courage to say, thats it, weve won, and now lets enjoy our lives, and lets rebuild Israel and make it stronger and bigger and better than its ever been before, Trump said. He called on Palestinians to turn away from violence: The choice for Palestinians could not be more clear now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down. Trump stressed the need to restore stability and dignity in Gaza: The purpose of Gazans must be on restoring the fundamentals of stability, safety, dignity, and economic development, so they can finally have the better life that their children really do deserve. He announced the Board of Peace, a multilateral initiative to rebuild Gaza, noting strong financial pledges from Arab and Muslim nations. Many Arab countries said well put up tremendous amounts of money to rebuild Gaza. And I think thats going to happen, Trump said. Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. U.S. President Donald Trump is the only leader capable of ensuring peace in our region, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said during a bilateral meeting with Trump, who arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh to participate in the Middle East Peace Summit, Trend reports. "We want Trump to play a major role in the reconstruction of Gaza. Humanitarian aid must be ensured to Gaza," the Egyptian president pointed out. In addition, el-Sisi articulated his appreciation to the U.S. president for his pivotal role in facilitating the establishment of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. It is noteworthy that approximately 20 sovereign entities and governmental leaders are engaging in the Middle East Peace Summit. A formal ratification event concerning the geopolitical stabilization in the Middle East is anticipated to occur during the summit proceedings. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel - BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. The second phase of the 20-point ceasefire plan to end the Israel-Hamas war is already underway, U.S. President Donald Trump said during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ahead of the Middle East Peace Summit, Trend reports. He observed that the execution stages of the strategy are somewhat intermingled with one another. I mean, it started as far as were concerned, Trump added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer engaged in a bilateral dialogue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the ancillary sessions of the Peace Summit convened in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, today, the prime minister's office said in a statement, Trend reports. Starmer expressed gratitude to President Erdogan for his pivotal contribution in facilitating a cessation of hostilities in Gaza and bringing an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The parties articulated that the prevailing circumstances ought to serve as a pivotal juncture, advocating for sustained momentum towards the operationalization of the peace framework. During the strategic session, synergies between the two nations were thoroughly analyzed, culminating in a consensus on enhanced collaboration within the defense sector. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 13. After years of suffering and bloodshed, the war in Gaza is over, said the U.S. President Donald Trump, delivering a speech at the Middle East Peace Summit in Egypt, Trend reports. "People around the world have been working, striving, hoping, and praying for this moment. Over the past month, things have happened that I truly believe were once unthinkable. Nobody believed it could be done. But with the historic agreement weve just signed, the prayers of millions have finally been answered. As you know, the hostages have been returned, and further work continues, sadly, regarding the bodies. Together, we have achieved what everyone said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East. Its such a simple phrase peace in the Middle East. Weve heard it for many years, but no one thought it could ever happen. And now it has. After years of suffering and bloodshed, the war in Gaza is over. Humanitarian aid is pouring in hundreds of truckloads of food, medical equipment, and other supplies, much of it paid for by people in this room," he said. Trump noted that civilians are returning to their homes, hostages are being reunited with their loved ones. "Its a deeply moving sight. I was watching it backstage the level of love and emotion is unlike anything Ive ever seen. Its amazing to see people who havent seen their mothers or fathers for so long finally hold them again. On one hand, its terrible that such suffering ever took place. But on the other, its beautiful to see a new and hopeful day rising. And now, the rebuilding begins. Rebuilding may actually be the easiest part. Weve already done the hardest. We all know how to rebuild and we know how to build better than anyone else in the world. I want to express my tremendous gratitude to the Arab and Muslim nations that helped make this incredible breakthrough possible. And you truly did. Special thanks to President El-Sisi of Egypt for so generously hosting us today. Thank you for the outstanding work your country is doing in so many ways, and for helping us so much with this peace agreement," he said. Afghan FM Muttaqis visit to India and Darul Uloom Deoband Muttaqis visit to India should be acknowledged as a pragmatic and well-meaning move both by the Indian and Afghan leadership, and it may lead to stabilising the region besides isolating Pakistan Monday October 13, 2025 12:49 PM , Asad Mirza [Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi addressing an event organised by RSS offshoot Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) in New Delhi] The Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi is on a 7-days visit to India. Muttaqi's visit assumes importance as it is the first such high level visit by any Afghan official to India since the Taliban-led government of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was proclaimed in August 2021, after the abrupt and hasty withdrawal of American forces from the country. Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday (October 09) held a meeting with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in the national capital on the next day. In a post on X, Jaishankar said that the Afghan Foreign Minister's visit marks an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring India-Afghanistan friendship. Indias relations are now warming again under the second Taliban government. Although India has not yet officially recognised the Taliban regime, Afghanistans Foreign Minister's visit signals a strategic engagement for both the countries. Muttaqi's maiden visit to India was marked by India restoring full diplomatic relations with Afghanistan. New Delhi will also upgraded its Technical Mission in Kabul to an embassy, Jaishankar said during his meeting with Muttaqi, asserting a "deep interest" in the progress of the neighbouring country. Terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have long operated from Afghan soil. But the Taliban has wiped out all terrorists in the last four years, claimed visiting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during his India visit, advising Pakistan to follow the same path of peace. [Female journalists at Afghan FM Muttaqi's Press Conference in New Delhi.] Muttaqi also had a message for Pakistan, delivered from the Indian soil that has been a victim of cross-border terrorism: "Let other countries also act against such terror groups like Afghanistan did for peace." In his press conference, Muttaqi also addressed the reports of a recent blast in Kabul and accused Pakistan of orchestrating the act. He also warned that the courage of Afghans should not be tested. "If someone wants to do this (cause Afghans trouble), they should ask the Soviet Union, America, and NATO. They will explain that it is not good to play games with Afghanistan," the minister said.Kabul also wants better relations with Islamabad, but it cannot be one-sided, he asserted. Speaking on relationswith India, he praised New Delhi for being the first responder after the recent earthquake in Afghanistan."Afghanistan looks at India as a close friend. Afghanistan wants relations based on mutual respect, trade, and people-to-people relations. We are ready to create a consultative mechanism of understanding, which helps towards strengthening our relations," said the visiting minister. Sending Pakistan a tough message from New Delhi, Muttaqi said: The policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is to resolve all problems through discussion and understanding. We want to have zero tension and if they dont want that, then Afghanistan has other means. His remarks came a day after Pakistan summoned the Taliban ambassador to convey its strong reservations over the India-Afghanistan joint statement issued in New Delhi in which Kabul strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April this year. We have good relations with the people of Pakistan and the government but some elements in that country are trying to create problems, Muttaqi said. Meanwhile, Muttaqis India visit was marred by two unconnected and unsavoury incidents. The first involved not inviting women journalists to his press conference in New Delhi. After the uproar from the journalistic community, the Afghan officials convened another press conference to undo the damage, at which women journalists were also invited. This strange decision might have happened due to the strict policy of the Taliban against involving women in the public sphere, but in this case, they should have taken a pragmatic approach besides following the norms of the country in which they were present. The second issue which gained quite a lot of traction was Muttaqis visit to Darul Uloom Deoband , the highest seat of Islamic learning and an institute which is also termed as the Al Azhar (the oldest and most influential Sunni Islamic seminary in the world) of the east. The critics wondered as to why Muttaqi visited Darul Uloom, which is often maligned as an institution spreading Wahabism amongst Indian Muslims, though it is far from truth. Video: Amir Khan Muttaqi at Darul Uloom But the critics should also acknowledge that before leaving for Darul Uloom, Muttaqi attended an event in New Delhi, organised by Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF),a think tankwith known links to the RSS. The VIF was founded in 2009 under the aegis of the Vivekananda Kendra, a spiritual organisation founded by Eknath Ranade, a prominent RSS leader in the 1970s, and is considered an RSS affiliate.The event was well attended by diplomats, security experts, and leading political and defence commentators. So, if Muttaqi had no qualms about attending an event at an RRS-offshoot, why hue and cry should be made about his visit to Darul Uloom. Before criticising, it would be better for the critics to get their facts right about Darul Uloom and Afghanistan, first. It is a known fact that before 1980, before the promulgation of a central law barring foreign students in India, a large number of students at Darul Uloom used to come from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and other central Asian republics, as Darul Uloom holds the highest place amongst the centres teaching moderate Islamic theology in south Asia. In fact, many teachers (Ustaad) of some of the recent Taliban leaders studied at Darul Uloom and they spread the message of moderation and tolerance amongst their disciples in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere. Additionally, most people know that ties between Afghanistan and India goes centuries back, and even if we dont go so far back, then even in the last century, it was Afghanistan which provided a safe ground to the Indian freedom fighters. Firstly, it was in Afghanistan that the first Indian government-in exile or the Provisional Government of India, was established in Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 1, 1915. It was led by President Raja Mahendra Pratap and Prime Minister Maulana Barkatullah. Secondly, the Silk Letter Conspiracy led by Deobandi leadersin 1913-1920,duringIndian the independence movement was aimed to overthrow British rule through alliances with Germany, Turkey, and Afghanistan. The conspiracy was named for the letters written on silk cloth that were used to secretly communicate plans for an armed revolt, which were intercepted by the British. Leaders like Maulana Mahmud Hasan and Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi were central figures in this effort, which ultimately failed but is recognised as a significant part of India's freedom struggle. I have written in details about these two historical events in my book, Demystifying Madrasah and Deobandi Islam. Muttaqis visit to India should be acknowledged as a pragmatic and well-meaning move both by the Indian and Afghan leadership, and it may lead to stabilising the region besides isolating Pakistan. (Asad Mirza is a New Delhi-based senior commentator on national, international, defence and strategic affairs, environmental issues, an interfaith practitioner, and a media consultant.) Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Maharashtra SSC, HSC 2026 Exam Dates Out, Time Table Soon The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has confirmed the dates of Class 10 (SSC) and Class 12 (HSC) board exams 2026, and is set to release detailed time table soon Tuesday October 14, 2025 0:21 AM , ummid.com News Network Pune: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has confirmed the dates of Class 10 (SSC) and Class 12 (HSC) board exams 2026, and is set to release detailed time table soon. According to a notification released by Secretary of the Maharashtra State Board Pramod Gophane, Maharashtra SSC or Class 10 exam will be held from February 10 to March 18, 2026. He also said the Maharashtra HSC or Class 12th exam of the year 2026 will be held from January 23 to February 9, 2026. The notification further said that the Practical exams along with oral exams of Class 10 (SSC) will be held from February 2 to 18, 2026, and that of Class 12 (HSC) will be held from January 23 to February 9, 2026. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has confirmed only the start and end dates of Class 10th and 12th board exams 2026. The detailed time table of the two exams will be released soon, the board sources said. Maharashtra 10th, 12th Exams 2025 The Class 10 exams in Maharashtra last year were held from February 21 to March 17, 2025. The Class 10th result 2025 was declared on May 13, 2025. On the other hand, the Class 12 exams in Maharashtra last year started on February 11 and ended on March 11, 2025. The Class 12th result 2025 was declared on May 05, 2025. The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examinations in the state are conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) during the months of February and March through its nine Divisional Boards, which are primarily located at Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Latur, Nagpu, Amravati and Ratnagiri. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic Welcome Guest! You are here: Home October 13, 2025: The Day of Netanyahu's Defeat Today marked the defeat of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Hamas led Resistance Groups released the hostages and captives in exchange of Palestinian prisoners Monday October 13, 2025 9:50 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies [Defeated Benjamin Netanyahu reduced to a mere onlooker as Trump talks to daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv October 13, 2025.] Palestine/Tel Aviv: Today marked the defeat of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Hamas led Resistance Groups released the hostages and captives in exchange of Palestinian prisoners. The Resistance Fighters had taken into custody 251 captives and hostages in order to force the far right Zionist regime to release thousands of Palestinians languishing in Israeli jails and end the illegal Israeli occupation. Some 203 hostages and captives were released following the prisoners' exchange deal signed earlier. The remaining 48 - 20 living and 28 dead, were released today in exchange of around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. October 13, 2025: The Day of Netanyahu's Defeat Today marked the defeat of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Hamas led Resistance Groups released the hostages and captives in exchange of Palestinian prisoners...https://t.co/LRrXq2JXvR pic.twitter.com/2NEZxWOdRR ummid.com (@ummid) October 13, 2025 Hamas and other Palestinian Resistance Groups have repeatedly claimed since October 07, 2023 that the release of the hostages is possible only through negotiations and prisoners exchange and not by force. Benjamin Netanyahu, however, indiscriminately, 24x7 and round the clock, bombed Gaza, destroying more than 80% of the besieged strip, and killed more than 65,000 civilians - majority of them women and children. Despite all the so called military myth and full U.S. backing, Benjamin Netanyahu and his forces could not free a single hostage. The hostages were released in exchange of Palestinian prisoners and a peace deal which U.S. President forced Netanyahu to sign off. Prisoners' Exchange Hamas concluded the release of 20 living Israeli hostages captured on October 07, 2023 on Monday morning as part of the first phase of the Gaze peace and ceasefire deal. In exchange, Israel released a total of 1,968 Palestinian detainees - a good number of them after more than 20 years in jail. Among them are 1,700 Palestinians from Gaza whereas 250 prisoners are serving life or long sentences. Out of the total 1,968 Palestinians released today, 154 detainees have been exiled to Egypt. The 154 Palestinian prisoners exiled abroad were received and transferred to the Arab Republic of Egypt to complete their release procedures as part of the implementation of the deal, Asra Media Office said. In a heart-wrenching scene captured on camera, a Palestinian woman fainted upon learning that her brother, freed from Israeli prisons, had been exiled outside of Palestine. She had not seen him for 25 years, and his long-awaited return was shattered by the news that he would not be allowed to come home. Local journalists have captured emotional scenes in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza as the Palestinians return home after spending in jail. Among those released today is Palestinian detainee Tareq al-Barghouthi from Beit Rima, North of Ramallah, who reunited with his family after 22 years in Israeli detention. Also released today is Omar Bsais from Tulkarm who returned and re-united with family after spending 24 years in Israeli occupation prisons. Mohammed Rajab Abu Quteish, who was arrested wounded by the Israeli occupation in 2022 and sentenced to 15 years in prison, also reunited with his family in Jerusalem after his release under the latest prisoner exchange deal. A number of Palestinian detainees, who were abducted from the Gaza Strip during the Israeli onslaught, have also returned to the enclave as part of the ongoing prisoner exchange between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli occupation. Cheering crowds also gathered in Ramallah to welcome home their loved ones freed from Israeli prisons as part of the exchange agreement between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation. Celebrations at Hostages Square The relatives of the hostages and their friends were also seen celebrating at Hostages Square as 20 living captives freed by the Resistance Fighters returned home after two years. The first seven living hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City, in the Strips north, at about 8 a.m. and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza about an hour later. The remaining 13 were released shortly before 11 a.m. and transferred to Israeli forces inside Gaza about an hour later. As part of the deal, Hamas is supposed to also release the bodies of 28 hostages who died in Israeli airstrikes. The Resistance, however, said it is releasing only 4 bodies today as it will take more time to recover the remaining bodies because of the devastation caused by the relentless bombing of Gaza by the occupation forces. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language to Translate in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic Daubed in Arabic-looking graffiti, London's Big Ben is shown smouldering above piles of rubbish and crowds dressed in traditional Islamic garb in an AI-generated, dystopian vision of the British capital. Far-right leaders and politicians are seizing on such clips of reimagined European cities changed by migration to promote racist views, falsely suggesting AI is objectively predicting the future. The videos -- which show immigrants "replacing" white people -- can be made quickly using popular chatbots, despite guardrails intended to block harmful content, experts told AFP. "AI tools are being exploited to visualise and spread extremist narratives," the CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate watchdog, Imran Ahmed, told AFP. British far-right leader Tommy Robinson in June re-posted the video of "London in 2050" on X, gaining over half a million views. "Europe in general is doomed," one viewer responded. Robinson -- who has posted similar AI videos of New York, Milan and Brussels -- led the largest far-right march in central London for many years in September, when up to 150,000 people demonstrated against the influx of migrants. "Moderation systems are consistently failing across all platforms to prevent this content from being created and shared," said Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. He singled out X, owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, as "very powerful for amplifying hate and disinformation". TikTok has banned the creator account behind the videos posted by Robinson. According to the platform, it bans accounts that repeatedly promote hateful ideology, including conspiracy theories. But such videos have gained millions of views across social media and have been reposted by Austrian radical nationalist Martin Sellner and Belgian right-wing parliamentarian Sam van Rooy. Italian MEP Silvia Sardone from rightwing populist party Lega in April posted a dystopian video of Milan on Facebook, asking whether "we really want this future". Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom released an AI video of women in Muslim headscarves for the October elections titled "Netherlands in 2050". He has predicted that Islam will be the Netherlands' largest religion by that time, despite just six percent of the population identifying as Muslim. Such videos amplify "harmful stereotypes... that can fuel violence", said Beatriz Lopes Buarque, an academic at the London School of Economics researching digital politics and conspiracy theories. "Mass radicalisation facilitated by AI is getting worse," she told AFP. Using a pseudonym, the creator of the videos reposted by Robinson offers paid courses to teach people how to make their own AI clips, suggesting "conspiracy theories" make a "great" topic to attract clicks. "The problem is that now we live in a society in which hate is very profitable," Buarque said. Racist video creators appear to be based in various countries including Greece and Britain, although they hide their locations. Their videos are a "visual representation of the great replacement conspiracy theory," Buarque said. Popularised by a French writer, this claims Western elites are complicit in eradicating the local population and "replacing" them with immigrants. "This particular conspiracy theory has often been mentioned as a justification for terrorist attacks," said Buarque. Round dates such as 2050 also crop up in a similar "white genocide" conspiracy theory, which has anti-Semitic elements, she added. AFP digital reporters in Europe asked ChatGPT, GROK, Gemini and VEO 3 to show London and other cities in 2050, but found this generally generated positive images. Experts, however, said chatbots could be easily guided to create racist images. None has moderation that "is 100 percent accurate", said Salvatore Romano, head of research at AI Forensics. "This... leaves the space for malicious actors to exploit chatbots to produce images like the ones on migrants." Marc Owen Jones, an academic specialising in disinformation at Northwestern University's Qatar campus, found ChatGPT refused to show ethnic groups "in degrading, stereotypical, or dehumanising ways". But it agreed to visualise "a bleak, diverse, survivalist London" and then make it "more inclusive, with mosques too". The final image shows bearded, ragged men rowing on a rubbish-strewn River Thames, with mosques dominating the skyline. AFP, along with more than 100 other fact-checking organisations, is paid by TikTok and Facebook parent Meta to verify videos that potentially contain false information. Faculty members and students from the University of Wyomings Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources recently joined researchers and conservation leaders at the inaugural Saving Yellowstone Conservation Summit at the Jackson Fork Ranch near Bondurant. Bringing together leading scientists, policymakers and students, the summit centered on the shared responsibility of conserving the Yellowstone ecosystem, one of Earths last nearly intact temperate ecosystems. Discussions throughout the event emphasized how collaborative science, private land stewardship and community partnerships can safeguard wildlife corridors, restore habitats and preserve the ecological balance that defines this remarkable region. The event marks the first significant milestone of a multiyear research partnership between UW and the Jackson Fork Ranch, made possible through a grant from Joe Ricketts. The partnership supports Haub School-led studies on species connectivity, wildlife behavior and landscape resilience, which are projects designed to guide real-world conservation policy across the Yellowstone ecosystem. The vision and belief of Joe Ricketts and Jackson Fork Ranchs commitment to support conservation have opened doors for students and faculty to engage in fieldwork and science communication that directly impact conservation practice, says John Koprowski, dean of the Haub School. Big ideas are required for conservation of the massive landscapes like that of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, and conservation works best when rooted in science, community and collaboration. This partnership allows our students to study those relationships firsthand and carry that experience in collaboration into their future careers. UW researchers presented new studies funded through the grant, including work on golden eagle migration; beaver-driven habitat restoration for moose; the interactions of large and medium-sized carnivores; and the powerful impact of tiny red squirrels as forest ecosystem engineers. Haub School faculty members also joined panels alongside researchers from the University of Montana, Montana State University, the University of Idaho and the University of Colorado Denver, each highlighting how research collaboration is critical to long-term ecosystem health. Throughout the three-day gathering, discussions centered on conservation innovation, private land stewardship and the future of ecosystem management. Ricketts, founder of Saving Yellowstone, emphasizes that the summits goal is to turn research into action, ensuring that todays lessons shape tomorrows resilience. The Yellowstone ecosystem is one of the most important natural laboratories in the world, Koprowski says. The Haub School is proud to contribute science that strengthens ecological understanding and community partnerships across Wyoming and the West. The Saving Yellowstone Conservation Summit will continue to be held annually at Jackson Fork Ranch to foster collaboration among scientists, policymakers and conservation leaders. UWs ongoing partnership with the ranch ensures that the next generation of researchers can study, innovate and lead in preserving the wild heart of the American West. Ed Seidel Members of the public will find out more about the University of Wyomings presence in Niobrara County, and UW alumni will connect with their alma mater during a UW in Your Community gathering Wednesday, Oct. 29, in Lusk. The public is invited to the event from 5-7 p.m. at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds auditorium. Free appetizers and soft beverages will be served. UW President Ed Seidel will be in attendance and speak during a brief program, highlighting the universitys collaborative efforts with the states community colleges to prepare students for the modern economy and boost entrepreneurism and the states economy, among other topics. Also on the agenda: -- UW faculty member Rob Colter will discuss UWs Pathways from Prison program, a collaboration between UW and the Wyoming Department of Corrections that has delivered college courses to incarcerated women at the Wyoming Womens Center in Lusk for nearly a decade. -- UW faculty member Dan Fetsco, former executive director of the Wyoming Board of Parole, will discuss his research and upcoming book regarding life sentences in Wyomings criminal justice system. -- UW Dean of Students Tyler Crisman, who grew up in Lusk, will discuss his career journey that has taken him from Niobrara County around the world and back to Wyoming. Also scheduled to speak are current UW students from Niobrara County, Bryn Bruch and Wyoming Cowgirl track and field athlete Melody Zumbrunnen. The Niobrara County gathering is the 22nd in a series of UW in Your Community gatherings taking place around the state. This will be a great opportunity for community members to interact with President Seidel and others from UW, learn about exciting initiatives for students and the state, and see some of the collaborative work UW is doing with local partners, says Chad Baldwin, UWs associate vice president for marketing and communications. UW alumni and everyone across Niobrara County are invited for what will be a fun evening. Holocaust survivor Segre hits back at claims by Minister Roccella. An Italian government minister has sparked controversy by claiming that the purpose of school trips to Auschwitz is to underscore the link between antisemitism and fascism. Eugenia Roccella, Italy's minister for the Family, the Birth Rate and Equal Opportunities, made the comments during an address at an event organised by the Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) in Rome on Saturday. Roccella, a member of premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Fratelli d'Italia party, claimed that educational visits to the concentration camp are organised and promoted "because they tell us that antisemitism was something that concerned a time already established in history, now placed in the historical past, and located in a specific area: Fascism", adding: "The trips to Auschwitz, in my opinion, were a way of reiterating that antisemitism was a fascist issue and nothing more". "We haven't fully come to terms with antisemitism", Roccella claimed, arguing that contemporary Italian society is incapable of addressing the problem of its own antisemitism without relegating it to a bygone era. "Antisemitism has found justification in the latest phase of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for its resurgence and re-legitimisation" - Roccella claimed - "The relish with which the word genocide is used, throwing it back in the faces of those with well-documented and precise experience of genocide, is truly shocking". She claimed that this was demonstrated by the alleged lack of solidarity with Israel after the Hamas attacks of 7 October 20, claiming: "I believe there was a creeping antisemitism that Italy had never fully confronted, and which had already begun to take effect". Backlash Roccella's words were criticised by several opposition figures, including the leader of the centre-left opposition Partito Democratico (PD) Elly Schlein, who asked Meloni to distance herself from the minister "because there is a limit to everything, even though this government demonstrates how it is possible to exceed it, even by insulting memorial trips to Auschwitz and trying to rewrite history." Riccardo Magi, leader of the centre-left Piu Europa, accused Roccella of offering "an instrumental and provincial interpretation of the memory of the Holocaust" and appearing "to want to downplay the role of Nazi-fascism, which a century ago planned the deliberate extermination of the Jews in Europe." "Roccella shouldn't be blind" - Magi fumed - "It is also in the memory of the Holocaust and the rejection of fascism, thanks precisely to initiatives like the visits to Auschwitz, that the younger generations have developed a firm opposition to the Gaza massacre and the rejection of war in all its forms." Italian senator for life Liliana Segre, who was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944 because she was Jewish, also harshly commented on Roccella's remarks. Segre, 95, said she found it "hard to believe" that an Italian government minister could say that educational trips to Auschwitz "were encouraged to foster anti-fascism". Segre noted that during the second world war the Nazis - assisted by the "zealous contribution" of Italian fascists - "created a colossal industry of death to wipe Jews, Roma, Sinti, and other minorities from the face of the earth". "The education of our children and grandchildren must begin with a knowledge of history" - Segre said - "The memory of historical truth only harms those who keep skeletons in their closets." Find a top doctor in the Rome Metro Area- from oncologists to pediatricians, dermatologists to surgeons. The clinics listed here will assist you in accessing english- speaking medical providers. For specific needs, we have also added recommendations in various categories. Clinics Mater Dei . Located in the Parioli neighborhood, this large, private clinic provides 24 hour health services, maternity care, and lab work. Check their website for information on their insurance agreements. Via Antonio Bertoloni 34. Paideia. This private clinic in Parioli offers specialist services, including outpatient surgery. Find information about their insurance agreements on their website. Via Vincenzo Tiberio 46. UPMC Salvator Mundi. Situated at the top of the Gianicolo Hill, this private healthcare facility also offers emergency first- aid services. Viale delle Mura Gianicolensi 67. Campus Bio-medico University Hospital. The facility, located near Eur, provides health care under the National Health Service as well as privately. They also have a radiation and oncology hub in the Prenestino area. Via Alvaro del Portillo 200. FirstMed FirstMed is an English-speaking, multi-specialty, private out-patient medical clinic in Rome that gets you to see the doctor faster so you can enjoy Rome to the fullest. FirstMed can directly bill to many international insurance companies and features a fully stocked lab, x-ray, and ultrasound. The clinic is only 1 minute away from Policlinico Metro B stop (blue line). Check out their website to learn more! Via Morgagni 30/H, 00161 Roma (RM), Italy, 2nd Floor Child Psychology Homeopathic Medicine/ Acupuncture Ophthalmologist Centro Sinapsy . A center for neurology and cognitive rehabilitation that provides diagnostics, occupational therapy, and psychotherapy, with a focus on children. They also offer tutoring in English, French and Spanish, as well as family therapy. Via Quintino Sella 20. Loredana Coppola . A medical studio in Trastevere that specializes in acupuncture, as well as respiratory allergies, post surgery treatment, and fertility with a homeopathic approach. Viale di Trastevere 269. Centro Valeo . TDr. Claudio Caggiano speaks English and Spanish and provides medical consults for problems of the eyes of adults and children. His studios are located in Parioli (via Panama 108) and in Montagnola (via Accademia degli Agiati 65). We reccomend to call him for an appointment: tel. +39 3356092481. Studio Oculistico. This studio is located in Prati, and provides services for adults and children. We recommend an appointment with Dr. Erica Burrato who speaks english. Via Candia 20. Orthopedic Home Visits AlphaMed . The city center studio provides a range of orthopedic services, from x- rays to physical therapy. They are a multi- lingual office with a great reputation. Via Zanardelli 36. MedInAction . As part of the Salvatore Mundi International Hospital, they provide english- speaking medical care 24/7. Doctors in Italy. An easy to use platform for travelers, they will connect you with doctors in your area in addition to house calls. Amid the flowing movements of water sleeves, the youthful vigor of a new generation carrying on the legacy of Chinese cultural traditions is on full display. Through the melodic strains of Peking opera, the profound echoes of Chinese cultural heritage resonate across mountains and oceans, connecting past and present. From overseas Chinese returning to their roots to share their artistry to young performers sharing the stage in harmonious collaboration, the city of Qianshan in Anqingknown as the hometown of Peking opera master Cheng Changgenghas recently witnessed the vibrant vitality of this traditional art flourishing among the new generation. In commemoration of the 235th anniversary of the Anhui opera troupes' entry into Beijing, Qianshan has meticulously organized a series of events, including the "Mount Tianzhu Cup" Young Peking Opera Amateur Competition, injecting powerful momentum into the preservation and promotion of Peking opera art. On a summer evening, as lanterns lit up the historic Xuehuli Lane in Qianshan, the air filled with the enchanting melodies of Peking opera. A total of 132 performances from 17 provinces and cities across China, as well as participants from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Canada, gathered to compete on the same stage. Classic arias were performed one after another, showcasing the enduring charm of this quintessential Chinese art form. Yi Qianchen, a Chinese-Canadian teenager from Toronto, captivated the audience with her rendition of "The Drunken Beauty." Her clear, melodious vocals and nuanced interpretation were the fruits of years of persistent and diligent practice. For her, this was more than a competition; it was a profound cultural homecoming. "Peking opera's costumes and music are so beautiful. It's my first time participating in a competition in China, and I find it incredibly meaningful. It has also given me a deeper understanding of the cultural heritage behind Peking opera. I hope to promote Chinese culture everywhere in the future," Yi Qianchen expressed in her youthful voice, demonstrating a budding but conscious confidence in her Chinese cultural identity. The stage also featured many other young talents. Luo Wanze from Huainan, just 10 years old, already has six years of traditional opera experience. Zhang Mi from Nantong, Jiangsu, participated for the second time with even greater confidence. Young performers from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, including Hu Xinyuan, Wang Yuxuan, Ye Yuduo, and Xiong Tianyi, shared the spotlight. From the dynamic performance of "Raising Havoc in the Dragon Palace" to the poignant melodies of "Silang Visits His Mother," these young artists measured the profound depth of Peking opera with their budding skills and conveyed their immense passion for this quintessential Chinese art form through their clear, resonant voices. Cheng Rong, a professor at Beijing Vocational College of Opera and Arts and descendant of a Kunqu opera family, exclaimed in admiration, "It's astonishing how well these children performed. Their stage movements, stage presence, technical precision, and vocal skills are all outstanding." Wang Runjing, a National First-Class Performer of China National Peking Opera Company and renowned Zhang School artist, remarked with emotion, "Traditional art needs the participation of numerous young people. The enthusiasm of these children gives us hope for the inheritance and development of Peking Opera." The competition was not merely a contest of skill, but also a cultural homecoming and an interaction of ideas. As the hometown of Cheng Changgeng, revered as the "founding father of Peking Opera," Qianshan is steeped in a profound operatic heritage. Two hundred and thirty-five years ago, Cheng Changgeng, leader of the Anhui opera troupes, brought the elegance and spirit of Anhui's landscapes to Beijing, ultimately nurturing the birth of Peking Opera, a quintessential Chinese art form. Today, Qianshan is dedicated to building the Cheng Changgeng cultural IP and exploring the contemporary value of his artistic spirit. Song Xiaochuan, Deputy Director of the Performance Center at China National Peking Opera Company and a renowned Ye School artist, stated, "This is the hometown of Master Cheng Changgeng, a must-visit place for opera practitioners. We should develop this landmark effectively, turning it into a cultural brand and a popular destination." To promote the integrated development of opera culture and tourism, Qianshan City meticulously designed special study tour activities during the event. These allowed the young participants to immerse themselves in the landscapes and culture that nurtured the origins of this national art form through an innovative model combining "competition observation + study tours + hands-on experience." Professor Tong Hang from Shanghai Theatre Academy proposed a forward-looking concept: "We could connect the cultural landscapes and historical sites along the Yangtze River in Anqing to create a 'Peking Opera Route.' This would allow people to understand its lineage and appreciate its aesthetics through exploration, potentially developing this event into a new cultural brand for Anhui." Source: anhuinews.com Anne O'Loughlin A credit union which was found to have breached the requirements of anti-money-laundering law has been fined over 36,000 by the Central Bank. The President of the High Court on Monday confirmed the sanction by the Central Bank on Swilly Mulroy Credit Union, Co Donegal, which also includes a reprimand. Mr Justice David Barniville noted the credit union accepted there were breaches of certain provisions of the legislation, and it admitted to a number of contraventions between 2014 and 2021. The issue came to light during an inspection by the Central Bank Anti Money Laundering Division in 2022. According to the Central Bank, its investigation found that Swilly Mulroy Credit Union operated a practice of soliciting and accepting cash from depositors, the majority of whom did not hold accounts with the credit union. This money would then be electronically transferred to a branch of a local bank, without first being deposited in an account in the customer's name at Swilly Mulroy. The Central Bank said that as a result, Swilly Mulroy failed to conduct the necessary anti-money laundering checks on the depositors and the transactions. The probe found that Swilly Mulroy operated in this way between January 2nd, 2014 and June 30th, 2021, during which time it processed 8,751,694 in deposits from 2,329 cash lodgements. The High Court heard that a new management team in 2021 ceased the practice. Mr Justice David Barnville said the monetary penalty of 36,273 must be paid within seven days. By John Besley, PA A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a report of a suspicious death in the Old Mill Drive area of Newtownabbey. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the 40-year-old remains in custody and is assisting with police enquiries. Waterford City & County Council is one of many local authorities across the country hosting a wide range of events for National Climate Action Week. This year the event takes place throughout this week, until Sunday, October 19. Nationally, Climate Action Week is coordinated by An Taisces Climate Action Team, who describe it as 'Irelands largest pop-up climate festival. Cian Gill, Climate Action Officer with Waterford City and County Council said: Were incredibly lucky in Waterford to have a number of very creative organisations who are taking this opportunity to offer the public a chance to try something new or learn something new." Quite often we hear that people arent sure what Climate Action means its a term that can seem vague, or perhaps technical or scientific," he said. "So, for this special week were showing what it can look like on the ground, at an individual level. Cian went on to comment: Many of the events focus on consumption, and changing our thinking on it. This is a very accessible way to get into thinking and acting on climate. How much stuff do we buy? Is there another way to swap, reuse, or cut down on consumption? It can be as simple as that. Swap shops and repair training sessions are taking place during Climate Action Week. For those who want to dig deeper? Use Your Voice is an all-day event for schools a media literacy conference to encourage young people to think critically in an age of instant -and constant - information. There will also be a film night of movies about fast fashion looks to connect our purchasing habits to larger-scale global problems. A spokesperson for Waterford City & County Council said: "Our attitudes towards everything from nature to renewable energy are influenced by what we hear and read, often online. Its important to think about where this information is coming from." Also happening during the week will be clinics for learning how to reduce your energy use at home and webinars on how local groups can help to protect marine species. For the most up-to-date information on Climate Action Week, visit www.waterfordcouncil.ie. (Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme) In City Hall last week, a local councillor called for additional supports for local retailers. Cllr Joe ORiordan, who has been outspoken about the difficulties facing local retailers in his hometown of Dungarvan and across Waterford, asked for plans from the council. "It would seem that retail business are very much at the base of the pyramid as far as the council goes" he said. "My town has had six retail business close in the last few years for a variety of reasons. Have we any plans to listen to retailers and their concerns, and engage in a dedicated constructive plan, to engage, support and actively aid retail businesses, outside of the grant systems which appear to have little take up." Michael Quinn, Director of Services with Waterford Council, responded: "We have the most generous support scheme that weve been able to identity in Ireland for retail businesses. An awful lot of our investment is about trying to animate the city, to have things on around the city that people can come in for." (Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme) A man who harassed his ex-partner in breach of a protection order has been given a suspended prison sentence at Waterford District Court. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 18 months, suspended for 18 months, by Judge Kevin Staunton. Judge Staunton said that he had been given the man a chance when he breached the order last year and that he just doesnt learn. EVIDENCE Inspector Niall Daly told the court that in June 2024, the injured party reported a breach of a safety order she had been granted against her ex-partner. He was not to contact her except to arrange access to his children. However, she reported to gardai that he had bombarded her with messages, including 22 text messages, 10 emails and nine missed calls as well as messages on Facebook. The messages were abusive in nature, and in one, he called her a Judas. A month later, he sent approximately 69 further messages all abusive and insulting in nature. The man was convicted in October 2024, but the judge put the matter back a year to October 2025 to give the defendant a chance. FURTHER BREACHES The inspector told the court that since his conviction, the man had breached the order a further three times. On one occasion, he approached the injured party at traffic lights and filmed her, and in another, harassed her at the courthouse while they were there for consideration of access to the children. He later, in the courthouse lobby, punched a wall while speaking to his solicitor, which frightened her. MINOR IN NATURE The solicitor acting for the defendant said that his client had pleaded guilty and he was going through a challenging time when he committed the offences. His clients relationship had just broken down, there were issues with access to his children and that he did not have a support system. Unfortunately, we are not where we would like to be, said the solicitor. He said the new matter was minor in nature and brief chance encounters, and there was no physical violence. The solicitor also pointed out that the incident in the lobby was in her proximity but not targeted at her. The solicitor asked that the judge apply Section 1.1 of the Probation Act to reflect the minor nature of the matters. MEND Judge Staunton declined, saying the man just doesnt learn. He was given a chance last year and all he had to do was behave himself. "The matters happen with such regularity and cause great distress to the victim and the court has to take account of that, said Judge Staunton. The judge imposed two nine-month sentences to run consecutively but suspended them on the condition that he attend an anger management programme and the Men Ending Domestic Abuse (MEND) programme. MEND involves one-to-one assessment and sessions followed by group sessions and aims to support men to change their behaviour in intimate relationships. The programme also provides an integrated Partner Support Service for the partners or ex-partners. The defendant was also ordered to have no further contact with his ex-partner, save for text or emails to arrange access to his children. If he breaches again, he will serve 18 months. "So it is a matter for himself. We have gone beyond safety orders and are now into suspended sentences, said Judge Staunton. Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme. Ottoline Spearman From words that leave tourists baffled to phrases only heard after a few pints, the Irish are known for their creative and colourful use of slang. We want to test whether you can talk the talk. Do you think you know your Irish slang? Take our quiz and find out! Breaking the Patterns exhibition is the final result of a three-month residency in Lisbon for Waterford artist Caoilfhionn Hanton. She told the News and Star that her time in Lisbon was, transformative. Upon arriving in Lisbon she had no idea what she would create. We were all terrified, she said. Participating artist Caoilfhionn Hanton. Photo: John Power But she was determined to explore and play. She befriended a local framer in Lisbon and decided to make a documentary about his work. She thanked Phi Convey, the artist mentor at Capacity Ireland. Ms. Convey said: Meeting them [the artists] at the beginning and seeing how their practice developed was an honour. She is one of 14 artists who were part of the programme funded by local arts offices, Capacity Ireland and Creative Europe. The programme is designed to inspire early career artists. Exhibit. Photo: John Power Director of Capacity, Daniel Smith said: "Developed through three month-long residencies in Crete and Lisbon, the works respond to new cultures, places, people, and climates. Indeed, many of the artworks interacted with landscape and climate of Lisbon and Crete." Speaking about the process of working with the artists throughout their residency, assistant arts officer for Wexford Una Cahill said: Their chins are up, their shoulders are back. Something has shifted. Participating artist Niamh Twoomey. Photo: John Power Curator, Director & founder, GOMA Gallery, Jenna Whealen said: The body of work reveals a shared exploration of strength, resilience, stability, and tradition. Traditions foster strong social ties and a sense of belonging, both of which are essential for resilience and inner strength. At the same time, cross-cultural exchanges such as these encourage artists to move beyond the familiar expanding connections, references, and methodologies and to pursue bold, experimental new directions" Attending were Ires and Mariana Lourenco, Participating Artist. Photo: John Power The launch party was bustling with writers, artists, musicians, friends and family. A new Waterford band named the Mulligans (Anthony Roche, Pob OBrien and Dylan Bible) played punk trad music in the back courtyard. People enjoyed the mild evening and welcoming space. Attending were Jenna Whelan, Director, GOMA and Phi Convey. Photo: John Power It is clear that despite economic hardship, Waterfords community of artists is thriving. Exhibit. Photo: John Power The exhibition showcases the artworks of 14 artists in total (Ireland-based, Crete-based and Lisbon-based artists): Roibi O Rua, Larry Dunne, Ally Nolan, Cuan Cusack, Despina Liopiari, James Wellwood, Mariana Lourenco, Niamh Twomey, Luke McAleenan, Luca Cosentino, Chloe OBrien Bates, Caoilfhionn Hanton, Elyssa McDonagh, Elena Stavropoulou. The exhibition will run until October 25. GOMA gallery opens daily from 11am - 5pm, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Advertisement PoliticsNSWNSW State Parliament Deeply troubling: Demand for investigation into allegations of ministerial interference Max Maddison October 13, 2025 3:00pm Save 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 Premier Chris Minns says it is very reasonable for Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig to want thorough and prompt inquiries into the conduct of a Sydney Labor mayor, after it was alleged he improperly tried to exert influence. Opposition leader Mark Speakman said if the allegations Hoenig asked repeatedly about the case against former Bayside mayor Bill Saravinovski were true, the impropriety requires Chris Minns to sack his minister. The Greens called for an investigation into deeply troubling suggestions there had been a serious misuse of public resources to further the interests of the NSW Labor Party. Premier Chris Minns has backed Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig (left) after allegations he pressured a senior public servant. The Herald on Monday revealed allegations that on five separate occasions, Hoenig pushed Office of Local Government deputy secretary Brett Whitworth to expedite a tribunal submission as part of the ministers desire to deal with council preselections in Bayside. Advertisement In secret parliamentary evidence in mid-September, Whitworth claimed he protested against Hoenigs involvement in the Saravinovski matter, saying it was improper. Whitworth alleged the minister persisted despite the public servants objections, and said the incident led him to consider resigning. Minns said on Monday the matter had been referred to OLG by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, but said I dont have any knowledge of Whitworths evidence, including a submission made public in August that made similar allegations against Hoenig. Related Article NSW State Parliament Buried bombshells, vanishing votes and hidden hearings: The downfall of a Sydney mayor Its very reasonable that the minister would say that these inquiries need to be thorough and prompt, and I would expect that to be the case for all my ministers when dealing with issues in front of them, Minns said. Id also make the point that if this report had been delayed or stopped I think a lot of people, critics of the government, critics of Minister Hoenig, would be alleging, you are sitting on a report, youre slowing down the investigation. Advertisement Speakman said: If the allegations said to have been made by the Office of Local Government deputy secretary about Mr Hoenig are true, the impropriety requires Chris Minns to sack his minister. NSW Greens anti-corruption spokesperson Kobi Shetty said the suggestion Hoenig may have engaged in political interference must be fully and transparently investigated. Greens MP Kobi Shetty says the suggestion Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig interfered to further the interest of the NSW Labor Party should be investigated. AAP These allegations against a senior member of Minns cabinet are deeply troubling. If found to be true, this would suggest a serious misuse of public resources to further the interests of the NSW Labor Party, she said. After 40 years on Rockdale then Bayside council, Saravinovski was dumped as a candidate ahead of the council elections last year. A case at the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal ultimately found him guilty of three grounds of misconduct. Advertisement Saravinovski was issued with a reprimand in February. Six months later, the ICAC announced charges of providing misleading evidence would be brought against him. As part of the investigation into Saravinovskis downfall, the Herald also established that one of Minns most senior advisers, Cherie Burton, lobbied Bayside councillors to help Ed McDougall become mayor. McDougall is the chief of staff of Lands and Property Minister Steve Kamper, and widely seen as a potential replacement should Kamper retire. Minns said he was unaware of whether she made the call or whether it had an impact. But he noted Burton and McDougall had known each other for 20 years and it was unsurprising a member of the Labor Party will have a view as to who would be a good local MP or a good mayor. I do know that the two of them have known each other for a long time, and she might have a regard as to whether he would be a good mayor or not, he said. According to party sources, Burton told Labor councillor Joe Awada to stand aside, providing McDougall a clean run at the mayoralty. In exchange, Burton said he would be supported as mayor in two years when McDougall ran for the seat of Rockdale at the 2027 state election. Advertisement Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement WorldEuropeEpstein fallout Prince Andrew told Epstein we are in this together Neil Johnston and Liz Perkins October 13, 2025 11:34am Save 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 London: Prince Andrew told the late American Jeffrey Epstein they were in this together the day after a damning picture of the prince with Virginia Giuffre was published, a leaked email has revealed. The Duke of York wrote that he was concerned about his friend, the paedophile financier, and would rise above questions from the press. Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre, centre, in 2001, with Epsteins then personal assistant, Ghislaine Maxwell. The email, obtained by the Mail on Sunday, was sent 12 weeks after Andrew has said he ceased contact with Epstein. In his disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew said he stopped contacting the convicted sex offender in December 2010 after they were pictured in Central Park, New York. Advertisement Epstein was convicted in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution and was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the United States. He died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Among Epsteins victims was Giuffre, who lodged a civil lawsuit against Andrew in August 2021. She alleged that she had been trafficked by Epstein to London and raped and abused by the duke on three separate occasions when she was 17. Epstein died in his prison cell in 2019. AP Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022, avoiding a jury trial. He paid her an estimated 9 million ($18.4 million) but has always vehemently denied the allegations, insisting that he had no recollection of ever meeting her. The prince has continued to face questions over his relationship with Epstein and whether he maintained contact with him longer than he has publicly claimed. Advertisement The email, dated February 28, 2011, appears to undermine Andrews position in the Newsnight interview, when he said he had cut ties after I was aware that he was under investigation and that was later in 2006 and I wasnt in touch with him again until 2010. The email followed the publication of a photograph in the Mail on Sunday showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre, then 17, at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, the socialite and former girlfriend of Epstein. Virginia Giuffre in 2022, with a photo of herself as a teenager. Miami Herald via Getty Images At the time, Giuffre said she had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Epstein for four years. Her introduction to the prince occurred during a six-week trip to Europe. In the email, reported by The Sun and the Mail on Sunday, Andrew wrote: Im just as concerned for you! Dont worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it. Otherwise, keep in close touch and well play some more soon!!!! Advertisement He reportedly signed off the message with: A, HRH The Duke of York, KG. KG refers to his title of Knight of the Garter, which he has held since 2006 and still holds. Sarah, Duchess of York, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, at a requiem mass for Katharine, Duchess of Kent, last month. Getty Images It is claimed that Epsteins email address was confirmed through official records, and Andrews email address was also verified. Andrew was forced to withdraw from public life shortly after the Newsnight interview and was stripped of his military titles and charity affiliations by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Advertisement However, historians said that his association with Epstein continues to cause reputational damage to the royal Family. Historian A N Wilson described Andrews conduct as a major crisis for the monarchy perhaps the gravest since the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he added: The King and the Prince of Wales cannot be seen to support or underwrite Andrew any more. King Charles III, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward gather at Windsor Castle for the committal service for Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. AP His very existence as an official royal is a scandal. So they must cast him out, for if they show him mercy, they are themselves implicated, and we are only a hairs breadth away from a republic. British royal author and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward told The Sun: Im afraid this looks very, very bad for Andrew. Its a small but hugely damning email. By getting caught in this lie, he has put one foot in the mire and slipped and got his whole body in the muck. Advertisement If it was his contention that he had never met Virginia, or indeed that the infamous image was a creation, then surely he would have said something straight away? Related Article Epstein fallout Charities ditch Fergie over reported Epstein email She added: This is the point of no return for Andrew. The lifeless tentacles of Epsteins reputation are ruinous to many people and I cant see a way back from this. Andrew has categorically denied the claims made by Giuffre. In the interview, he told broadcaster Emily Maitlis that the alleged London encounter with Giuffre never happened. He added that the picture with Ms Giuffre could have been forged and said: Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph has been doctored but I dont recollect that photograph ever being taken. Advertisement The program suggested there had been emails following the meeting in New York and that there had been friendly exchanges, if not a direct conversation. According to the court documents, on February 27, 2011, Epstein emailed: Jes Staley will be in London on next tue afternoon, if you have time. A reply from the member of the British Royal family asked: Jes is coming on March 1 or next week? Staley, who worked for Epstein when he was head of J.P. Morgans private bank, has always denied knowing about Epsteins crimes. Giuffre died by suicide on April 25, 2025, at her home in Western Australia at the age of 41. Advertisement Advertisement WorldMiddle EastIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Evyatar David thought he was walking to his grave. Today, he walked to freedom David Crowe Updated October 13, 2025 8:22pm ,first published October 13, 2025 4:15pm Save 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 Israeli hostages have returned to home soil in a vital step towards peace in Gaza after two years of brutal war, with crowds erupting in joy at their freedom and families weeping at their reunion. The hostage release was greeted with celebrations around Israel and live broadcasts around the world as US President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli parliament to mark the historic moment after the ceasefire negotiated last week. Trump is planning talks with more than 20 world leaders at a summit in Egypt after the hostage release in a bid to negotiate a lasting peace now that the opening steps in the ceasefire deal have been confirmed. The Israeli Defence Force released this image of Gali and Ziv Berman embracing on the Gaza Strip after being released by Hamas on Monday. Israeli Defence Force Freed Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. AP Advertisement Freed Israeli hostage Eitan Mor gestures from a van as he arrives at Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva, Israel. AP Gaza hostages Ziv and Gali Berman wave to supporters as they are transported in a vehicle. Getty Images Among those released was Evyatar David, a young man last seen in a video posted by Hamas in August that showed he was emaciated and anticipating his death in captivity. David, 24, was with friends at the Nova music festival in southern Israel when Hamas launched an assault on October 7, 2023. Two of his friends were murdered; he was kidnapped. Im walking directly to my grave, said in the video released in August, as he dug at the sand at the base of a narrow tunnel. This is the grave where I think Im going to be buried. Advertisement David was named on Monday as one of the freed hostages, who were taken to an Israeli hospital as soon as they were transferred by the Red Cross. His best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, was also kidnapped at the Nova festival and also released on Monday. Finally, our Evyatar is home, his family said after releasing a photo of him being hugged by his parents, Avishai and Galia. Evyatar David with his parents Avishai and Galia. Evyatar David gestures to the crowd outside Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Centre. Inset: A still showing David from a video released by Hamas in August. Getty Images From the first moment, we knew he would return, and here, after two years of suffering, he is here. Advertisement Even in our incomprehensible joy, our hearts are with the families who lost their most precious. The joy at return of the hostages was marked with grief over those who died in captivity as well as the deaths of 1200 Israelis when Hamas a designated terrorist group in Australia and other countries launched the attack two years ago. Related Article Israeli-Palestinian conflict Gaza hostage release: All October 7 hostages released by Hamas; Trump lands in Israel, speaks at Israeli parliament Hamas fighters handed the hostages to Red Cross aid workers as agreed in the ceasefire terms, with the first seven crossing into Israel about three hours ahead of the deadline of noon on Monday in Israel (8pm AEST). In a move that angered families, Hamas did not transfer the bodies of 28 dead hostages as agreed; only four were released. Advertisement The moments were shown live as crowds cheered at gatherings across Israel when officials confirmed the hostages were being returned alive as expected after 736 days in captivity. Loading One of the first hostages to emerge was Alon Ohel, a young man who was set on a career in music before he was taken by Hamas at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. Ohel, a pianist, had only just returned to Israel from a holiday in Asia ranging from Thailand to India and Nepal when he chose to join friends at the music festival. He was trapped in a group at a bomb shelter and seized while others were slaughtered. Two others released were twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman, taken by Hamas from their home in the Kfar-Aza kibbutz along with their friend Emily Damari, a young British Israeli woman. While Damari was released in January in a temporary ceasefire, the brothers were kept as bargaining chips. Advertisement Hostages had been released before, some through negotiated prisoner exchanges during the war and some by determination of Israeli troops to find Hamas tunnels and do everything necessary to free those inside. The search for the hostages became daily proof to the world of the relentless nature of the war and the fact that Israel would never rest until every possible citizen had been rescued. What some saw as a merciless war, inflicting unbearable civilian casualties, Israel saw as a just cause. The hostage transfer cleared the way for Israel to release almost 2000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 who were jailed for life, to ensure the ceasefire continues under terms agreed last week. Palestinian prisoners are greeted after being released from Israeli prison following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. AP Advertisement US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv. Getty Images President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel. AP Related Article Analysis Israeli-Palestinian conflict One group holds key to Gaza ceasefire but a devilish question remains Trump raised hopes that the ceasefire could be turned into a long-term peace after further talks with global leaders at a summit in Egypt that will include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads a governing authority that is meant to help restore stability to Gaza. The war is over, you understand that, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel. Advertisement In his address to the Knesset after the hostage release, the US president reminded the Israeli parliament that US weapons had been key to the war against Hamas and that it was time for Israel to end the fighting. The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace, he said. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. But there is no agreement on the power structure to manage Gaza after the withdrawal of Israeli troops over the past few days. The Israeli Defence Forces said the country remained in a multi-front war and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled there could be more fighting to come. Advertisement This is a historic event that blends sorrow over the release of murderers and joy over the return of hostages, Netanyahu said in a televised address on the eve of the hostage release. And I want to say: Everywhere we fought we won. But in the same breath, I must tell you: the campaign is not over. There are still very great security challenges ahead of us. Some of our enemies are trying to rebuild themselves to attack us again. And as we say Were on it. People react as they gather to watch a live broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv. AP People celebrate in hostages square. AP Advertisement Hamas fighters have returned to parts of Gaza following the withdrawal of Israeli troops under the terms of the ceasefire, fuelling speculation about further conflict. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces, said the country was in the midst of a multi-front war with more challenges ahead. Netanyahu is not expected to attend the summit at the Sharm El-Sheikh resort in Egypt. Those planning to attend include British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordans King Abdullah II and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Related Article Israeli-Palestinian conflict Who are the hostages believed to still be alive in Gaza? Advertisement United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Council President Antonio Costa are expected to attend. Netanyahu appeared to be aware of the heated opinions about his leadership ahead of the hostage release. Netanyahu was booed when his name was mentioned in front of the crowd in Tel Aviv on Saturday, when about 500,000 people gathered to commemorate those killed and kidnapped. Several media organisations with reporters in the square now known as Hostage Square reported the booing. ICRC vehicles transporting released Israeli hostages head toward the Israeli border in Khan Younis. AP ICRC vehicles carrying released Israeli hostages make their way through groups of Palestinians and Hamas gunmen on their way to the Israeli border, in Khan Younis. AP Advertisement I know there are many disagreements among us, Netanyahu said in his televised address to Israel on the eve of the hostage release. But on this day, and I hope also in the period ahead, we have every reason to put them aside. Because through joint efforts we achieved enormous victories. Victories that astonished the entire world. As the third day of the ceasefire held, Associated Press footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian Red Crescent said they carried medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel. Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on whats making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter. Advertisement WorldNorth AmericaDonald Trump Opinion Trump may be winning on the world stage, but success at home is elusive Ross Douthat Columnist October 13, 2025 8:15am October 13, 2025 8:15am Save 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 69 View all comments When Donald Trump was first elected president, foreign policy seemed like the zone of greatest danger, the place where a political novice promising to remake the world order was most likely to blunder into true catastrophe. Instead, Trumps first-term foreign policy was broadly successful, with more stability, fewer dramatic stumbles and more breakthroughs than his domestic policy efforts. And it was much more successful than the rolling crises and debacles of the Joe Biden presidency, a contrast that was one of the underrated cases for Trumps restoration. President Donald Trump prepares to board Air Force One at Maryland on Sunday as he heads to the Middle East. AP Now, with the provisional deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, the pattern of Trump 1.0 is reasserting itself. As a domestic leader, the president is powerful but unpopular, with a scant legislative agenda and an increasingly vendetta-driven public image. But on the world stage, he is currently much more successful (allowing, yes, for strong scepticism about the administrations China strategy). If peace in Ukraine remains elusive, Trump has induced Europe to bear more of the burden without yielding to the Russians, as many critics feared. The Iranian nuclear program and terror networks have been hammered without major blowback. And now, there is the possibility of a real breakthrough in Israel and Palestine, an achievement thats clearly the result of the White Houses strong-arming diplomatic efforts. Advertisement Related Article Analysis Israeli-Palestinian conflict One group holds key to Gaza ceasefire but a devilish question remains All of which raises a question: What if Trumps domestic policy was more like his foreign policy? Yes, presidents stymied at home often find it easier to manoeuvre overseas; that pattern is hardly unique to Trump. But there are still a few keys to his success on the world stage that, if applied at home, might make his domestic efforts more popular. First, float above ideology. Trumps first-term foreign policy team was staffed by traditional Republican hawks; his second has been divided between hawks and would-be realists, who have often feuded viciously with one another. But in both periods, Trump himself has moved easily between different orientations sometimes behaving like a conventional hawk, sometimes like a realist or a dove, going hyper-Zionist one moment and putting extra pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu the next, and generally refusing to let any single ideological camp rule his agenda. On key domestic issues, by contrast, Trump has never quite shaken free of the pre-existing GOP consensus, which is why his populist presidency has repeatedly delivered unpopular tax-and-spending legislation, overweighted to the interests of corporations and the rich. Meanwhile, various potential projects that might break this mould, from infrastructure and industrial policy to family policy, have been disappointing or stillborn. Advertisement Thats partially because Trump has never found a consistent way to make deals with his political opposition, a contrast to the second key to his foreign policy success: be open for dealmaking with everyone. Irans mullahs, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, the Taliban even when nothing comes of it or the whole thing ends in bombing raids, Trump is eager to have the conversation, to look for the unexpected bargain, the outside-the-box deal. Critics will say that this is because Trump likes strongmen like Kim and Putin more than he likes fellow Americans who happen to be Democrats. But hes also made deals with overseas figures whom he definitely doesnt love, from left-leaning Eurocrats to the leaders of Hamas. Loading Its only in domestic politics that hes been unable to consistently execute the pivot from insulting rivals on social media one day to making important bargains with them the next. And despite all the America first talk, its only in domestic politics that hes been a true unilateralist, exploring the frontiers of executive power in ways that a future president could reverse as opposed to a situation like the Gaza deal, where the hopes for its durability rest on Pan-Arab commitment, not just US power. One reason for this difference is that in foreign policy, he has followed a third rule: Let business-oriented outsiders run your negotiations. The fact that figures like Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have seemingly done better or at the very least no worse than credentialled diplomatic professionals has striking implications for how we think about expertise in foreign policy. Advertisement But it also contrasts with Trumpian domestic policy, where in the first term, outsider figures like Kushner and Steven Mnuchin played notable roles but where more second-term power is in the hands of committed partisan fighters like Stephen Miller and Russell Vought. Related Article Opinion Trump diplomacy The world looks to Trump for peace, we get volatility and the master of grift Cory Alpert Former White House staffer It is Trump who has given them that power, to be clear, and many of the differences Im describing have clearly been consciously chosen by the president. Foreign policy is for grand achievements and the pursuit of Nobel Prizes, it seems, while the domestic front is where he hopes to get revenge for years of investigations and prosecutions. If theres anything that Middle Eastern politics should teach the president, though, its that true success lies somewhere outside the cycle of vengeance if, that is, you want your victories to last. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Donald Trump Opinion For subscribers Ross Douthat is a columnist for The New York Times. A new Publix grocery store is coming to Prospect Point, but several longtime businesses said the development could leave them with no choice but to move or close their doors for good. Record enrollment at Weber State leads to all-time high in completions October 13, 2025 OGDEN, Utah Student-focused innovations and multiple years of record enrollment are fueling an all-time high in the number of people earning certificates and degrees at Weber State University. WSU degrees lead to high-yield careers From associates degrees to bachelors degree and professional certificates, WSU students are crossing the finish line in record numbers. Weber State awarded 7,553 credentials during the 202425 academic year: 969 certificates (undergraduate and graduate) 3,507 associates 2,614 bachelors 426 masters 37 doctorate WSU President Brad Mortensen said that total is an all-time high. Were extremely proud of those numbers because theyre more than figures, Mortensen said. Those are the students who persevered. Weve done hard work across the university to ensure were removing barriers, innovating wherever possible, continually checking in with students to ensure they reach their goals one being their degree, but ultimately uplifting their life and career. Mortensen also noted that, according to the Utah System of Higher Educations performance funding program, 80% of the certificates and degrees earned by Weber State students qualify as high-yield awards credentials that lead to high-wage, high-demand careers. Serving students in all phases of life Unlike most institutions across the nation, WSUs dual-mission approach allows students to pursue two-year, bachelors, and graduate degrees all within one university. Two-thirds of students who earned an associates degree at WSU in the 202324 academic year returned for additional credentials within a year. Graduation rates for those earning bachelors degrees have soared over the years, from 31% in 2018 to 47% last year. That jump includes increases in first-generation college students and students 25 and older. Being a dual-mission institution means were serving students in various phases of life, Mortensen said. And were making it easier for them to transition from one phase to the next by offering ways to stack their credentials and move seamlessly into the next degree program. Last year, in an effort to make the first two years of college more affordable, Mortensen announced a freeze on tuition and fees for all students with fewer than 60 credit hours, which benefits half of WSUs matriculated degree-seeking students. Weber State also saw a record-high number of concurrent enrollment students high school students who are beginning their college journey through WSU courses taught in their schools. Underrepresented races or ethnicities make up roughly a quarter of Weber States student body, with Hispanic and Latino enrollment increasing by more than 500 students, or 13%. WSUs Ogden campus sits within Utahs only majority-Hispanic school district. What is Weber States enrollment? Weber State is serving more students than ever with a headcount of 33,293 this fall. Other universities across the country are seeing declines in enrollment, but Weber State is seeing an uptick, said Jessica Oyler, vice president of Student Access & Success. That really shows the value of regional public universities like Weber. Were serving folks right here in our community, and our community directly benefits from it. As of last week, the university saw a 6.4% increase in first-generation student enrollment, and a notable spike in students taking online classes. Oyler, whose division oversees admissions, said the university thinks outside the box to reach students who may not otherwise pursue college, including a recent Direct Admissions initiative that automatically admits high school seniors in nearby counties. This year, WSU also became Utahs first public university to offer accelerated bachelors degrees that can be completed in three years and save students $6,500 in tuition and fees alone. Mortensen said the degrees, which require roughly 90 credits versus 120, help meet changing needs of both students and employers. What programs does Weber State offer? WSU offers more than 250 certificate and degree programs, with the bulk of students enrolled in healthcare and STEM programs. The universitys largest colleges are the Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions with 5,227 students this fall, and the College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology, which welcomed 3,107 students. WSU is home to four other academic colleges and more than 600 full-time faculty who are focused primarily on teaching but also contribute to cutting-edge research. Our faculty are Weber States top strength, said WSU Provost Leslie Durham. Not only the time they invest in each student, but the talents and expertise they bring to fields that have positive impacts in Utah and our region. They continually find ways to engage our students and prepare them to make powerful contributions to their workplaces and communities. Partnering with employers, community Weber State continues to focus on workforce and community needs, refining course offerings to better serve Utahns. Earlier this month, the university hosted more than 40 employers at its inaugural Northern Utah Employer Exchange, a collaborative forum to strengthen partnerships with industry leaders and seek feedback on workforce training, hiring, retention, and more. The university also reinforced its crucial role in healthcare. A 21% increase in health sciences enrollment came partly because of a new partnership with Intermountain PEAK. The partnership aims to grow the next generation of healthcare professionals through expanded access to educational pathways, offering tuition assistance to eligible Intermountain Health employees. This fall, over 500 employees registered for classes at Weber State. Leesville, LA (71446) Today Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit COMMUNITY NOTES: CHARLESTOWN - WESTERN PEOPLE (OCTOBER 14 EDITION) Birthday greetings and best wishes are extended to Maisie Mulhearn Doyle (nee Mulhearn), Milton Keynes, London and formerly of Ballyglass, Charlestown who celebrated her 100th birthday with a family celebration at her home recently. Her friends in and around Charlestown congratulate her on the magnificent achievement of reaching the century mark, wish her many more milestones of this nature in the future, good health and happiness for many more years to come. Close links with industry enhance value created by the School of Mining Engineering The future of mining depends on fresh thinkers, young graduates who blend solid scientific foundations with a passion for emerging technologies. For the mining sector to fully benefit from fast-moving scientific advancements, there must be a steady flow of young minds from universities with both a grounding in established disciplines and an appreciation of the opportunities afforded by new technologies. The learning process through which students develop this expertise relies on a depth of collaboration between the university and mining companies, according to Dr Paseka Leeuw, Head of the Wits School of Mining Engineering. Mining is a key consumer of technology, and practitioners in the sector are continually absorbing this technology into their disciplines to the benefit of mining operations, says Leeuw. The more we can expose our students to the industry during their studies, the more they can understand and advance the technologies they learn about. Value of data The progress in the digital sphere, for instance, has highlighted the value of data in tracking and optimising mining and process plant operations. The conversion of data into information, and in turn into knowledge and business intelligence, has become an important focus of the Schools teaching and research. On the strength of our relationships with mining industry players, the School works hard at opening doors for students into mining companies and other organisations who share our commitment to skills development, he continues. Just as we need them to give our students experience, so they (industry) are rewarded by the value of the research and other contributions that our students offer over time. Professor Bekir Genc, responsible for research and innovation in the School, points out that a vital platform provided to students by the School includes not only foundational knowledge in science and engineering, but the inspiration and ability to think in innovative ways about problems and their solutions. Problem-solving skills Industry expects a high level of problem-solving ability, and the School must also meet the stringent requirements of the Engineering Council of South Africa which accredits our courses, explains Genc. Students in the Schools postgraduate programme contribute directly to innovation in mining through their research reports, adds Leeuw. Over 50% of our postgraduate research is aimed at solving a specific challenge faced by the sector. The School also collaborates with research institutions like the Mandela Mining Precinct and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Ohveshlan Pillay, a lecturer in the School with a focus on rock engineering, and Chairperson of the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering (SANIRE) Gauteng branch, highlighted how academic staff engage leading professionals in the mining sector for roles such as external examiners. As academics, we co-teach and co-assess with these experts in the field, who often contribute to the lecture programme, says Pillay. We also encourage students to engage with industry professionals through the various associations and societies. Guiding students in research The SANIRE for instance, holds regular gatherings each year one of which is hosted by the School. Students learn directly from the technical talks at these events and start to network with their future peers, he explains. Similarly, other organisations across the mining sector host technical events and forums to which our students are regularly exposed. Equally important, our teaching staff are often in a position to guide postgraduate students into research projects with direct value for mining companies, and to supervise these projects to ensure the most productive outcomes, he says. This leads to considerable value addition to the sector as a whole, often in immediate financial terms but especially in longer term innovations. He noted that the research of postgraduate students is frequently published in respected journals alongside their academic supervisors. A leading rock engineering expert and Emeritus Professor at the School, Professor T.R. (Dick) Stacey, acknowledges the role of student research in a 2017 paper he wrote on Rock Engineering as a Creator of Value. He called the paper a celebration of the students he had supervised in his field over the years, Pillay. Conducting their research while employed on mines, in consulting companies and in research organisations, these students make a valuable contribution to the mining industry. Around 500,000 people rallied in London on Saturday in the 32nd national demonstration since the beginning of Israel genocide in Gaza in October 2023. The rally marked the second anniversary of the slaughter and destruction of Gaza, and was the first held since the ceasefire negotiated by the Trump administration, the Israeli government and Hamas. The march began on Londons Embankment by the Thames, concluding with a rally on Whitehall, the seat of government. For two years, millions of people have protested in London in solidarity with the Palestinians, fighting to end the genocide. But they have been offered no perspective of struggle by the Palestine Coalition organisers of the demonstrations, led by the Stop the War Coalition and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. With plans advanced for the transformation of Gaza into a US protectorate and amid scenes of desperate Palestinians returning to a Gaza City and other urban areas in ruins, Saturday was no different. Instead, platform speakers doubled down on their politically bankrupt appeals to the Starmer government to finally end its collusion with Israel. All that could be done was to keep marching and do more of the same. Rather than a sober appraisal of two years of genocideapart from a two-minute silence for those killedthe tone of the rally was one of self-congratulation in supposedly forcing a ceasefire, peppered by claims that the Palestinians were undefeated. Introducing the rally, a Palestine Coalition compere declared, After two years of genocide, the Palestinian people remain steadfast, still undivided, still unbowed, still unbroken, still undefeated. Today we share in the relief and joy felt by our Palestinian comrades. Although the ceasefire is precarious and horribly inadequate, it offers a breathing space, an opportunity to mourn and regather and a defeat for the genocidal leaders of Washington and Tel Aviv. The Palestinian people have once again resisted erasure and dispossession. None of this is true. What is being imposed at this point is a victors peace, with terms dictated by Washington and Tel Aviv to Hamas, with the backing of the Arab regimes, under threat of death. And it remains to be seen how long a ceasefire will be honoured by Israel following the release of the remaining hostages. Some of the coalition leaders clearly felt that it was impossible to sell such a rosy picture to a mass audience who have seen all the horrors of the genocide for two years. Ismail Patel of the Friends of Al-Aqsa told the rally, Unfortunately, we must acknowledge Israel is emptying Palestine of the Palestinians. The unimaginable horrors and violence inflicted upon the people of Gaza over the past two years served as a stark reminder of this reality. How can words convey 90 percent of all buildings in Gaza are damaged? How can we find words for the tragedy of one out of every 33 people in Gaza has been killed or the heartbreaking reality of one child being killed every 45 minutes, day after day and week after week, over the past two years? But speaking for the Stop the War Coalition, Lindsey German was far less honest. It was tremendous to see the Palestinians going back to what was left of their homes yesterday in Gaza City, she said. And this was due to the international solidarity movement which has done so much to bring their plight to the attention of the world and to challenge every government that supports Israel to stop arming Israel, to stop allowing it impunity. Lindsey German speaking at the October 11 rally in London Only then did German state that a ceasefire is not enough, decrying Donald Trump and Tony Blair who now thinks he going to run Gaza like some kind of viceroy from Egypt. The Gazans can run their own society she said, but as to how this was to happen the only answer offered was to put more pressure on the self-same war criminals. Briefly revealing political realities, German said Keir Starmers Labour government say that they have stopped arming Israel. That is a lie. There were more arms from Britain went to Israel in August and September this year than weve ever done in the last two years. Therefore, we keep mobilising, we keep organising, we are not stopping now. Former Labour leader and soon to be anointed leader of Your Party Jeremy Corbyn declared that theres a reckoning to come for all those politicians that propped up the Israeli war machine, providing the political cover and the support for them. But that would not come through a mobilisation of the working class internationally against the warmongers and all their parties. Instead, everyone must simply carry on marching: We will be there as often and as long as it takes until the war is over and every Palestinian child can go to school, get fed, get medicine when they need it, and lead the life that we want every child, everywhere in the world to lead. The war will only be over when that has been achieved. Jeremy Corbyn speaking at the Palestine Coalition rally, October 11, 2025 Zarah Sultana, co-founder with Corbyn of their new party, said pressure had to be piled on to make politically impossible continued support by Starmers government for Israel: to build a movement so powerful that Britain cannot arm Israel, it cannot silence protest, and it cannot pretend that this is normal. Zarah Sultana speaking at the London rally, October 11, 2025 Palestine Solidarity Campaign leader Ben Jamal noted that we share the trepidation of the Palestinian people that this ceasefire will not hold. A trepidation rooted in the knowledge that Israel has violated every ceasefire agreement it has ever signed, and been enabled to do so by Western governments, including our own. He then denounced Trumps plan, as one to normalise Israels ongoing crimes, to return to business as usual, to be enforced based on maintaining Zionism, a structure of racist supremacy, that inevitably establishes a racist mindset across the whole of society. But once more he offered the prospect of more of the same. Announcing another national march in November, Jamal concluded that pressure on the Labour government must continue because instead of holding Israel to account, introducing sanctions, a full arms embargo, as its own members demanded at the Labour conference last week, this Labour government is devoting its energy to ramping up the repression of our movement, planning to bring in yet another law to suppress our right to protest. Socialist Equality Party members and supporters distributed thousands of copies of the WSWS Editorial Board statement, 2 years of the Gaza genocide: A crime of Zionism and imperialism at the demonstration. In opposition to the bankrupt perspective of the Stop the War Coalition, Corbyn and Sultana, the statement explains: The development of opposition to the genocide must be guided by an understanding of the political lessons of the past two years. The central lesson is the total bankruptcy of all appeals to governments of the imperialist powers. They are not the instruments for halting genocide but its perpetrators and enablers. The perspective of a two-state solution has failed. Only the unification of all the peoples of the Middle East can lead to a viable future. The Israeli state has proven to be a historical monstrosity, resulting in demoralization and degradation. The Israeli working class must repudiate the poisonous ideology and politics of Zionism, reject the reactionary dystopia of the Jewish state and strive for the unity of Israeli and Palestinian workers in the struggle for the United Socialist Federation of the Middle East. The SEPs stall on Whitehall attracted a lot of attention, with march participants eager to discuss the SEPs strategy for the way forward. Among literature sold was the SEPs new pamphlet Corbyns New Left Party: What It Is And What It Isnt and The Logic of Zionism: From nationalist myth to the Gaza genocide. The team raised with demonstrators about attending the upcoming public meeting the party is holding in London, The American Volcano: Towards Fascism or Socialism. The meetingto oppose the establishing of a presidential dictatorship, based on the military, police, paramilitary forces and fascist gangsis being held on November 22, and will be addressed by David North, chairman of the World Socialist Web Sites Editorial Board. North will speak with the benefit of 50 years experience in the struggle for Trotskyism in the United States and internationally. Tickets are available here. Millet: Life on the Land at the National Gallery, London, marks the 150th anniversary of the death of French artist Jean-Francois Millet (18141875). Modest in scale yet rich in resonance, it is the first dedicated UK show of Millets work in nearly fifty years, bringing together fifteen of his quintessential paintings and drawings that illuminate agricultural life in mid-nineteenth-century France. Jean-Francois Millet, photographed in 1856-58 [Photo: Felix Nadar, Metropolitan Museum, New York] Millets art captures a vanishing peasantry and a newly emergent class of rural landless labourersimpoverished by capitalism and condemned to an endless cycle of back-breaking toil. He elevated agricultural labour to a near-sacred status, dignifying and monumentalising sawyers and wood gatherers, shepherdesses and milkmaidsfigures long ignored, sentimentalised, or ridiculed in art. Born into a farming family in Normandy, Millets journey from provincial obscurity to the Parisian art world was shaped by a succession of artistic mentors. In 1849, amid political upheaval, he left the capital for Barbizon, a rural village fifty miles away, joining an artists colony that included Theodore Rousseau and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. The Barbizon School marked a decisive break from academic classicism, pioneering direct observation from natureen plein airand focusing on both the beauty and hardship of rural life. This was a radical gesture in an era dominated by history painting, mythological subjects, and elite portraiture, where rural labour was deemed aesthetically and socially inferior. Millets declaration that It is the treating of the commonplace with the feeling of the sublime that gives to art its true power encapsulates his ethos. Unlike Romantic predecessors such as Turner and Friedrich, who sought sublimity in natures terror or grandeur, Millet found it in the ordinary and overlooked. He resisted sentimentality, insisting: I want to put strongly and completely all that is necessary, for things weakly said might as well not be said at all. The Barbizon Schools innovations in technique, theme, and social engagement laid the groundwork for Realism and Impressionism, inspiring artists across Europe and beyond. The exhibition opens with The Sower (184748), where a solitary peasant strides across a dusky field, arm swung wide as he scatters seed, silhouetted against a chilly sky. Rendered in earthy tones and blues, the image was condemned by the Paris art establishment as rough, menacing, and socialistic. The Sower (1847-48) [Photo: Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales] Millet responded: I have never painted a single picture for the purpose of propaganda. Yet the American poet Walt Whitman saw in Millets work a visual analogue to his own vision, praising its sublime murkiness and original pent fury as heralding a new prototype for the creative artistone who sows both seed and the possibility of social change. The Winnower (184748) depicts a lone man in rag-protected trousers and straw-stuffed shoes, shaking a wide basket to release a golden cloud of wheat seeds. In Wood Choppers (1850), Millet uses black chalk to portray two men: one tying a bundle of sticks, the other chopping wood, while a distant figure builds a pile. These scenes evoke the legally precarious labour of firewood gatheringcriminalised under Frances new forest codes that privileged private property and state control over communal rights. A Milkmaid (1853) [Photo: The Henry Barber Trust, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham] Millet revisits this theme in The Faggot Gatherers (185055), where two women rest from their labour. Light falls on the gnarled hands and worn face of the elder, contrasting with her youthful companion. The fleeting nature of youth recurs in The Goose Girl at Gruchy (185456), where a weary girl leans on her staff amid a gaggle of geese, and in A Milkmaid (1853), where moonlight suffuses the figure in white, lending her an ethereal, almost religious aura. The Wood Sawyers (185052) exemplifies Millets naturalism and figural composition. Two muscular labourers, viewed from behind, grapple with a long saw as they cut a massive tree trunk. A third figure, clad in red, wields an axe. Though wood sawing was low-status work, the paintings paletteblue, white, and redevokes the French tricolour and its revolutionary promise of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. The Wood Sawyers (1850-52) [Photo: V&A Images / Victoria and Albert Museum, London] The exhibitions centrepiece, LAngelus (185759), depicts two peasants harvesting potatoes, bowing in prayer at dusk to the sound of a church bell. Millet recalled how his grandmother would make him and his siblings join in this Catholic devotion, recited three times daily in rural France. The scene is rich in symbolic detail: the sun has set but still bathes the workers bowed heads, the hay bales, and the curved pitchfork in golden light. The final work, Winter: The Faggot Gatherers (186875), painted near the end of Millets life, is a haunting unfinished canvas. Three women, burdened with firewood, stagger across a stark winter landscapea testament to exhaustion and endurance. LAngelus (1857-59) [Photo: Musee d'Orsay, Dist. Grand Palais Rmn / Patrice Schmidt] Yet despite the power of these works, the exhibitions curators offer little historical context for Millets radical vision. His artistic achievements are attributed to his peasant origins and fortunate mentorship, while his departure from Paris in 1849 is vaguely explained as a response to chaos. But as David North noted in his 2011 lecture The Revolutions of 1848 and the Historical Foundations of Marxist Strategy, Europe was on the verge of a political explosion Capitalism was in the throes of a major economic crisis that had a devastating impact on broad sections of the working population. The years 184647 witnessed human suffering on a scale greater than during any previous period in the nineteenth century. The economic crisis was compounded by a crop failure that produced widespread famine The unemployment rate skyrocketed. Winter: The Faggot Gatherers (1868-75) [Photo: Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales] The corrupt regime of Louis-Philippethe Citizen Kingwas overthrown in 1848 by a popular uprising, in which Millet briefly participated. The revolt was crushed by the conservative bourgeois Provisional Government. For Karl Marx, who had published The Communist Manifesto in 1847 and The Class Struggles in France in 1850, the suppression of the Parisian working class was a world-historic event. It revealed the brutal reality of class conflict behind the slogans of democracy and liberty. As Marx wrote, the bourgeois republic was bound to turn immediately into bourgeois terrorism, confronting its scarred, irreconcilable, invincible enemythe working class. To exclude these events from an appreciation of Millet is to underestimate the true significance of his art: a consummate reflection of an epoch marked by contradiction, struggle, and transformation. Today, the works of Millet and the Barbizon School endure not only as historical documents but as visionary meditations on humanity, nature, and the role of the artist in imagining a more just society. In the aftermath of a White House press conference that reignited the most reactionary narratives surrounding autism, the crisis of public health in the United States has reached a new and dangerous phase. Standing beside Donald Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that acetaminophen use during pregnancy contributes to autism and that a folate-based therapy might mitigate its symptoms. No new data was presented. Instead, the announcement relied on tenuous associations and long-discredited claimsechoing the decades-old vaccines cause autism myth that has served as a political rallying point for the far right. Scientists and watchdog organizations immediately condemned the spectacle for its distortion of evidence and its brazen manipulation of parental fear. These events are not isolated missteps but part of a systematic dismantling of the scientific and institutional infrastructure that underpins public health. In 2025, Kennedy summarily dismissed all seventeen members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), replacing them with appointees loyal to his anti-vaccine agenda. A month later, CDC Director Susan Monarez was forced out, triggering a wave of resignations among career scientists who warned that the agency was being weaponized to legitimize pseudoscience. In this climate of intimidation and political intrusion, research itself becomes suspect; expertise, long cultivated through collective inquiry, is recast as an elite conspiracy. It is against this backdrop that the following conversation with Dr. Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer of the Autism Science Foundation (ASF), took place. Halladay, who has dedicated her career to advancing rigorous, evidence-based autism research, now finds herself working within an atmosphere of suspicion deliberately cultivated by those in power. Her insistence on scientific integrityand on communicating that science clearly to the publicstands in sharp contrast to the reactionary forces that have sought to turn autism into a political weapon. Dr. Halladay brings both technical expertise and moral clarity to this discussion. At ASF, she oversees grants and research programs that examine gene-environment interactions in autism, improve early detection and diagnosis, and support brain donation and open data initiatives. Previously at Autism Speaks and the National Alliance for Autism Research, she has been instrumental in establishing funding streams for studies that integrate genetics, neurodevelopment, and environmental exposure research. She holds a Ph.D. in biopsychology and a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacology and toxicology from Rutgers University and has authored more than two dozen peer-reviewed papers. Her service on editorial boards such as Neurotoxicology and Frontiers in Pediatrics, and her membership on the U.S. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, underscore her central role in the contemporary autism research landscape. In this interview, Dr. Halladay discusses how science has been hijacked by political interests, why simplistic one-cause theories of autism persist, and how misinformation spreads through a media ecosystem driven by profit and ideology. She speaks candidly about the social roots of distrust in science, the enduring power of collective public health measures like vaccination, and the human realities of autism researchparents seeking answers, scientists working under pressure, and the fragile boundary between knowledge and manipulation. Benjamin Mateus (BM): Dr. Halladay, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Its a pleasure to have you join us. Alycia Halladay (AH): Thank you, Benjamin. Please, call me Alycia. Im happy to be here. BM: I appreciate Professor Dorit Reiss connecting us. Weve spoken with her about the legal and policy aspects of vaccine science, and I wanted to follow up with you to explore the scientific dimensionsespecially the current controversy over Tylenol, autism, and the broader public health issues emerging under the TrumpKennedy administration. Dr. Alycia Halladay [Photo by Alycia Halladay] To begin, could you please introduce yourself and describe your role as Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation, and perhaps outline the foundations commitment to evidence-based science regarding autisms causes? AH: My name is Alycia Halladay, and Im the Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation. I oversee our scientific initiatives and research grants, including our Early Career Investigator awards, targeted funding programs, including those that support collaborations studying early signs and features of autism and genetic causes of autism. We also fund projects that examine specific scientific questionsfor example, the Autism Sisters Project, which explores why females are less likely to be diagnosed with autism compared to males. BM: Following the White Houses recent statements suggesting a link between acetaminophenor Tylenoluse during pregnancy and autism, the Autism Science Foundation cautioned that these claims rest on limited, conflicting, and inconsistent evidence. Could you explain why the administrations claims are scientifically unsupported or potentially misleading? AH: The idea of a link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism has been circulating for several years. A few small studies have reported an associationnot causationsuggesting that as reported Tylenol use increased, so did the likelihood of a child being diagnosed with autism. The problem is that many of those early studies, such as some published around 2020, had very small sample sizes and couldnt adequately account for confounding variables. For example, they didnt always examine why a pregnant woman was taking acetaminophen, how frequently, or under what medical circumstances. They also rarely controlled for underlying genetic factors or family history of autism. With such small samples, its impossible to draw reliable conclusions. One often-cited study didnt even measure acetaminophen use during pregnancyit measured acetaminophen in umbilical cord blood at birth. But because the drugs half-life is only a few hours, that result likely reflects use immediately before or during labor, not throughout pregnancy. Yet those limited findings are what the administration has cited as evidence that Tylenol causes autism. More recent large-scale studies contradict that claim. For example, a Swedish study analyzed 2.4 million pregnanciesabout 35,000 of which involved children later diagnosed with autismand found no association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism. A separate Japanese study of roughly 220,000 participants also found no link. These larger studies were able to compare siblings within the same familyone exposed to more acetaminophen, another lesswhile controlling for genetic background and other shared environmental factors. They also tracked the reason for taking acetaminophen and verified reported use at medical visits. That level of rigor provides a much more accurate picture. So, despite repeated claims about 40 studies showing a connection, that simply isnt true. Its more like a game of telephonewhere information becomes distorted as its passed along through media and political commentary. Figures get repeated, misquoted, and amplified until the public hears something entirely different from what the original studies said. When you examine the research, about half of the small studies show some weak association, and half do not. Those that find one typically have methodological limitations, while the large, well-controlled studies find no evidence of a causal relationship. Smaller studies still have value because they raise questions worth exploring further. But they shouldnt be treated as conclusive proof. Unfortunately, in this case, those preliminary, underpowered studies were promoted as definitive answers. Thats not how public health decisions should be made. The review by Dr. Andrea Baccarelli BM: The administrationled by Secretary Kennedy and with support from NIH Director Bhattacharyaheavily promoted a review associated with Dr. Andrea Baccarelli of Harvard. Baccarelli was also a prominent expert witness in the 2023 Tylenol litigation, although a judge excluded his testimony for being methodologically selective. In their Mt. Sinai study, Baccarelli and colleagues had downplayed the large Swedish sibling-control study, dismissing it as high bias. Could you walk us through the strengths and weaknesses of that Baccarelli-led review? And to what extent do you see political or agenda-driven motives shaping this particular study and the administrations emphasis on it rather than on the larger, more robust studies? AH: Yes. The paper youre referring tothe one often cited by the administrationwas the systematic review led by Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, who is now the Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A systematic review means that investigators start with a specific hypothesisin this case, whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with autismand then collect and evaluate all available studies that appear to address that question. The Baccarelli group did exactly that. Trump speaks in the White House, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. He is joined, from left, by NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, acting assistant health secretary Dorothy Fink, and Jackie O'Brien. [AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein] They gathered existing studies and summarized what each reported. Some were small and showed a weak association, while others found none. But the reviews strength depends entirely on the quality of the studies included, and thats where the main concern lies. For instance, one of the studies they heavily weighted measured acetaminophen levels in umbilical cord blood, not during pregnancy. Even the studys own authors clearly acknowledged that limitation in their paper, writing that cord blood reflects exposure only in the final hours before birth, not across the full gestation. They also noted that their analysis didnt account for a family history of autism or other genetic and environmental factors. In short, the authors themselves cautioned against overinterpreting their results. The systematic review did attempt to evaluate risk of bias across studies, ranking each according to sample size, data completeness, and potential conflicts of interest. But it appears they applied that rating unevenlybeing somewhat lenient with small, limited studies, while applying unusually harsh criteria to the large Swedish population study that found no association. I cant speak to their internal reasoning, but the risk of bias assessment has been questioned by other scientists. The authors were transparent about their process, and to their credit, they published their bias ratings in full. They also excluded the large Japanese sibling-control study simply because it was published after their review period, which ended in 2024. Thats understandableyou either publish or risk waiting indefinitely for new data. Still, the end result was a review that gave disproportionate weight to weaker studies and discounted the strongest evidence available. Some of the included papers didnt even address autism as a diagnosis, but rather measured isolated behavioral traits. So, its fair to say that, while the review was conducted systematically, its conclusions reflect the limitations of the underlying data. As the saying goes, perspectives may vary. But from a scientific standpoint, those methodological inconsistencies are significantand they certainly dont justify the administrations claim of a proven causal link. BM: I think its also important to emphasize that one of the major strengths of the Swedish study was its sibling-comparison design. It wasnt just a broad population analysis it compared outcomes within the same families, which allowed researchers to control for genetic and environmental factors that are otherwise very difficult to separate. And beyond that, the study drew on Swedens national health registries, which are exceptionally comprehensive and detailed. That level of population data is rare and gives the findings real weight. I dont mean to suggest there was anything devious in how the Harvard group handled their review, but it does seem that by downplaying such a robust dataset, the overall picture can become skewed. Especially since most readers arent going to examine these studies line by line, which makes it easy for misleading conclusions to take hold. Would you like to comment on that aspectthe sibling-control design and the significance of having such rich, reliable registry data in drawing evidence-based conclusions? AH: Thats exactly the case with both the Swedish and the Japanese studiesthe latter, unfortunately, wasnt included in the Baccarelli review, though it really should have been part of the discussion. I sometimes feel like only a handful of us have even mentioned that Japanese study, because the public focus has been almost entirely on those smaller, less rigorous papers. What makes the Swedish study so important is its sibling-comparison design. Instead of comparing one family that used acetaminophen with another that didnt, it compared pregnancies within the same family. So, for instance, one child was later diagnosed with autism while a sibling was not. That approach allows researchers to control for shared genetic background and many environmental factors that are nearly impossible to separate across unrelated families. You can only do this kind of analysis when you have an enormous sample, which is why the Swedish registry is so valuable. Sweden tracks pregnancies, maternal medication use, and child health outcomes throughout development, sometimes even into adulthood. That makes it possible to study subtle relationships between exposures and diagnoses on a scale that smaller studies simply cant match. By examining siblings within the same household, researchers can rule out many confounding factorsespecially genetics and, to some extent, socioeconomic conditions and access to medical care, which are likely consistent within families. Thats a major methodological strength. The Japanese study followed a similar logic, although on a smaller scale, and it also found no association between acetaminophen exposure and autism. Together, those two studies provide the most compelling evidence to date. Now, one limitation across all these analyses is that acetaminophen is an over-the-counter medication. Unlike a prescription drug, its difficult to track exact doses and frequency. Researchers often rely on self-reportmothers estimating how often they took itwhich introduces some uncertainty. Even so, because acetaminophen use during pregnancy is relatively commonsomewhere between 7.5 and 50 percent of pregnant women report taking itits still one of the more accessible exposures to study. The key takeaway is that these registry-based sibling studies, with their massive sample sizes and careful controls, carry far more weight than small, hypothesis-generating studies. Theyre not perfect, but theyre far closer to what we should rely on for public health guidance. BM: And I think both the Japanese and Swedish studies initially showed a slight uptick in association. But once they applied the full siblingor co-siblingcomparison methodology, that association disappeared, correct? AH: Absolutely, yes. When they incorporated the sibling analyses, any initial signal of association vanished. And those studies didnt stop therethey also accounted for a range of additional factors: other medications taken during pregnancy, underlying conditions such as arthritis or chronic headaches, maternal body mass index, smoking history, psychiatric disorders, and prescription drug use. In other words, they were able to analyze not just whether someone took Tylenol, but the broader medical and behavioral context around that pregnancy. The recommendations of obstetricians and gynecologists BM: Along with this line of inquiry, I have one last question. Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine continue to recommend acetaminophen as safe when used appropriately during pregnancy. Given the current climate, what are the public health risks if pregnant individuals begin avoiding necessary treatment out of fear? And how should families approach acetaminophen use responsibly amid this confusion? AH: Thank you for that question. I think this entire situation has been incredibly confusing for familiesand understandably so. On September 22, there was a nationally televised press conference where President Trump said, essentially, Dont do it. Dont take it. He even added, If you have to take it, itll happen, which was never explained but was widely interpreted as a warning that Tylenol causes autism. Then, standing beside him, the FDA Commissioner stated that women should exercise caution and use the lowest possible dose of acetaminophen during pregnancy. That advice, however, was not newits consistent with what ACOG and most obstetricians have said for years: if youre experiencing pain or fever, talk to your doctor, describe whats going on, and use the minimum effective dose when advised. One critical point that often gets lost in public discussion is that acetaminophen reduces feverand prolonged fever itself is associated with an increased risk of autism. So, in some ways, this is a damned if you do, damned if you dont situation if people misunderstand the context. Avoiding fever treatment entirely could raise the risk that the administration claims to be trying to prevent. Thats why its so important for pregnant women to consult their doctors rather than react to headlines. Your physician knows your medical history, understands your risks, and can guide you toward the safest course of action. The official FDA communication to providers was far more measured than the messaging that dominated the news cycle. The letter reiterated existing guidance: use the lowest effective dose, for the shortest necessary time, and only as needed. But the public heard something entirely different from the press conference, where the president claimed that acetaminophen causes autism. That disconnect between science-based guidance and flashy sound bites is what families are now struggling with. BM: As a brief aside, I wanted to ask about COVID-19. Given the scale of the pandemicthe number of infections, and the high, sometimes prolonged fevers associated with ithave we seen any evidence of an increase in autism diagnoses among children born during or after the pandemic? In other words, is there any indication that COVID-related maternal fever has translated into higher autism rates? AH: Thats a really good question. There was a recent study that used medical records collected early in the pandemicback when people were getting PCR tests through pharmacies or clinics and those results were automatically linked to their health records. Because those records included information about pregnancies and newborn screenings, researchers were later able to track developmental outcomes, including autism, in the children born during that time. What they found was no difference in autism screening outcomes between children whose mothers tested positive for COVID during pregnancy and those who didnt. That doesnt mean theres absolutely no connection, but so far, the data havent shown any clear association. Now, there are some limitations to keep in mind. Many pregnant women didnt get tested at all, or they used at-home tests that werent recorded in medical databases. Others may have had COVID symptoms or fevers but never sought medical attentionespecially early in the pandemic, when people were being told to isolate and avoid healthcare settings unless absolutely necessary. So, the picture is incomplete. We do know from previous research that maternal fevernot specifically COVID-relatedcan be associated with a slightly higher likelihood of neurodevelopmental differences, including autism. But for COVID infection itself, the evidence just isnt there yet. The key next step is to study COVID with fever and inflammatory response, not just positive test results. Thats where the more meaningful biological questions lie. The wide range of autism BM: Secretary Kennedy often describes autism as an epidemic or even a preventable disease. From your perspective, what are the dangers of this kind of rhetoricfor autistic individuals and their families, and for the integrity of autism research? AH: Characterizing autism as a disease is problematic on several levels. Autism is a neurodevelopmental conditionnot a communicable, fatal illness. When people call it a disease or an epidemic, it implies theres something to be eradicated, which undermines the lived realities of autistic individuals and, more importantly, is a mischaracterization of autism to begin with. Autism involves complex genetic and environmental contributions and manifests very differently from person to person. Roughly 20 percent of cases are associated with rare genetic syndromes; the rest reflect a combination of factors that are still being studied. Secretary Kennedy appears to focus on profound autismindividuals who are minimally verbal, have significant intellectual disability, and need intensive support. But research and media coverage often treat the entire spectrum as one homogeneous group. Thats misleading. On one end of the spectrum are people who require roundtheclock supervision for safety; on the other are individuals with university degrees, jobs, friendships, and largely independent lives, though they may still have specific challenges. Because autism encompasses such a wide range of experiences and needs, many advocates now talk about autisms, to capture the diverse genetic backgrounds, causes, and trajectories. When policymakers frame autism as a preventable epidemic, it not only stigmatizes autistic people but also threatens to divert research and resources away from understanding its complexity and improving quality of life across the spectrum. BM: Understood. Stepping back, what is the current scientific consensus on the main factors that contribute to autism? How do genetics and environment interact, rather than it being one or the other? And at a high level, which biological pathways are most implicated? AH: Genetics plays a major role. We now know of well over 200 genes where variants or mutations are linked to neurodevelopmental conditionsand, for a substantial subset, specifically to autism. Autism also runs in families. Siblings have a much higher likelihood of diagnosis than unrelated individuals, and different combinations of rare and common genetic variants can increase probability. That said, environment also contributes, but it needs to be defined broadly. It includes social and contextual factors (neighborhood, education, stress, access to care), chemical exposures (air quality, pollutants), and medical factors (infections, medications, maternal health). Think of hundredsif not thousandsof environmental influences interacting with both known and as-yet-unknown genes. That gene-environment interplay is likely central to why autism develops in some individuals. For some people, the genetic component is dominant; for others, environmental influences and timing may matter more. And importantly, social determinantslike socioeconomic status and healthcare accessshape who gets evaluated and diagnosed in the first place. So, its outdated to seek a single culprit (a medication or one exposure). The more accurate picture is multiple biological pathwaysincluding synaptic development, chromatin and transcriptional regulation, and immuneinflammatory signalingoperating within diverse life contexts. BM: These genes youre referencingthe more than 200these are primarily involved in how neural connections form in the brain, correct? AH: Absolutely. Many of these genes are active very early in development, even when a fetus is just beginning to form the basic structures of the brain. They guide how neurons migrate to their proper locations and establish connections between different regions. Think of it this way: the fetal brain starts with thousands of neurons scattered throughout, and these genesthrough the proteins and signaling molecules they encodehelp determine where those neurons should go and how they should connect. Some genes influence which cells become excitatory neurons, which activate other cells, while others help form inhibitory neurons, which act more like stoplights, regulating and balancing brain activity. If everything were excitatory all the time, the brain would be overactive and chaotic. Inhibitory neurons ensure efficiency and proper signaling, keeping neural communication precise. So, these genes essentially converge on key biological processes: how brain cells form, differentiate, connect, and communicate. They shape both the structure and the functional wiring of the developing brain. BM: Something you said earlier made me think about the social context you come from, and how certain narratives take hold. During that White House press conference, Trump asked Kennedy whether the Amish have autism, and Kennedy replied that they dont. That struck me because theres well-documented research showing the Amish do have autismand that they also vaccinate. It felt like a deliberate distortion of the facts. AH: Thats right. The claim that the Amish dont have autism simply isnt true. There are published studies documenting autism diagnoses within Amish communities, and research also shows that many Amish families choose to vaccinate. What hasnt been done is a specific, population-wide study linking vaccination rates to autism among the Amish. But to suggest theyre untouched by either vaccines or autism is just factually wrong. The rising prevalence of autism BM: Can you speak about the rising prevalence of autismfrom one in 150 in 2000 to roughly one in 36 today? How do experts explain this increase, and why do most researchers reject the idea that it represents an epidemic caused by environmental toxins? AH: The rise in autism prevalence is undeniable, but the crucial question is why its happening. The evidence tells us that most of the increase reflects changes in how autism is identified, diagnosed, and reportednot a sudden surge in cases caused by an external agent. Over the past twenty years, several important developments have taken place. First, clinicians and educators have become much more aware of what autism looks like, including milder and less obvious forms that were once overlooked. Second, diagnostic criteria have broadened multiple times, so people who might not have met the definition decades ago are now being accurately recognized. Third, improved insurance coverage and state mandates have made autism evaluations and treatments far more accessible, meaning more families can seek and receive a diagnosis. Weve also seen that the biggest increases have occurred among those with what we call non-profound or less severe forms of autism, while prevalence among people with profound autism has also grown but at a slower pace. These shifts strongly suggest that greater awareness, changing criteria, and improved access to care are major drivers of the rising numbers. This isn't an either-or explanation. An unknown portion of the increase may reflect real changes in incidence, influenced by environmental or biological factorsthough environmental in this context doesnt necessarily mean chemical toxins. It can include many aspects of the world we live in, from prenatal and perinatal factors to social and medical influences. But to date, no credible evidence supports the claim that autism is an epidemic triggered by an environmental toxin. The far stronger evidence points to multiple factors. BM: One of the things I came across when looking into this was what you just mentioned that shifts in diagnosis mean some conditions have gone down as autism has gone up. In other words, its not that the total number of cases suddenly increased, but that people previously diagnosed with one disorder are now being identified more accurately as autistic. AH: Yes, thats right. We saw that most clearly with intellectual disability, previously referred to as mental retardation. For a period, as autism diagnoses rose, the number of intellectual disability diagnoses declined. That substitution explained part of the increase early on. But more recently, the rise in autism prevalence cant be explained by that alone. The diagnostic criteria have changed multiple times; insurance mandates have expanded coverage; and families now have stronger incentives to seek an evaluation, since services are often tied to an official diagnosis. Increased public awareness and a deeper understanding of autism have also played big roles. So, while diagnostic substitution helped explain the early trends a couple of decades ago, the ongoing increase today is driven more by these broader systemic and social changes. That said, theres still room to consider how environmental factorsbroadly definedmight also influence prevalence over time. BM: And one last follow-up before we move on. Do we know why autism is more common in males than females? AH: Autism is diagnosed about four times more often in males than in femalesor, more precisely, in people assigned male at birth. There are several possible reasons for this. Some studies suggest a biological or genetic protective factor that makes girls less likely to cross the diagnostic threshold. Others point to differences in how autism manifests. Girls and women may have more subtle social communication differences or different kinds of restricted and repetitive interests, which can make their symptoms less visible or less likely to meet current diagnostic criteria. Thankfully, theres been a surge of research and clinical interest in better identifying and supporting autistic females, who have historically been underserved and underdiagnosed. The vaccines cause autism lie BM: Im also curious from a historical perspective about how this false link between vaccines and autism took hold. How did that claim begin, and why has it persisted for so long despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary? Anti-vaccine movements have existed since vaccines themselves, as Professor Reiss pointed out, but what explains this particular connection between autism and vaccines? AH: Anti-vaccine sentiment has existed for as long as vaccines have, especially whenever mandates were introduced. It intensified during COVID, but the specific link between autism and vaccines really began in the late 1990s. The Lancet retracts the Wakefield-led study purporting to link vaccines and autism. [Photo: The Lancet] In 1998, a British physician named Andrew Wakefield, and several colleagues published a paper in The Lancet claiming that the MMR vaccinemeasles, mumps, and rubellawas associated with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms in twelve children. The study was small, poorly designed, and later found to involve serious ethical violationsWakefield had taken blood from children at a birthday party without proper consent and failed to disclose financial conflicts of interest. The paper was eventually retracted in 2010, and he later lost his medical license. But by that time, the damage was done. The idea that a common childhood vaccine could cause autism triggered understandable fear among parents, especially because symptoms of autism often become noticeable around the same age the MMR is given. That timing created the false impression that one caused the other. The media amplified the claim, framing it as a legitimate scientific debate when in fact there was no supporting data. In response, researchers and governments around the world conducted dozens of large-scale studies to test the hypothesis. The first major one, from Denmark in 2002, followed more than half a million children and found no association between vaccination and autism. Many more studies sinceusing registry data from the U.S., Japan, Sweden, Israel, and elsewherehave reached the same conclusion. Even so, the myth persists. Vaccination can be an emotional experience for parents: it happens when children are very young and vulnerable, and the diseases vaccines prevent are no longer visible in daily life. That combination makes vaccines, as many public health experts say, a victim of their own success. Scientifically, the verdict is clearvaccines do not cause autism. What keeps this idea alive isnt evidence but emotion, misinformation, and the erosion of trust in institutions. BM: Would it be correct to say that autism spectrum disorder begins in utero? AH: It begins in utero, and some researchers would even say the biological groundwork starts at conception. One of the known factors that increases the likelihood of an autism diagnosis is advanced parental age, especially in fathers. Scientists have investigated why that is, and one explanation involves de novo mutationsgenetic changes that occur spontaneously in sperm or egg cells and arent inherited from either parent. Because collecting eggs for research is invasive, most of the data comes from sperm studies. These have shown that sperm from older men are more likely to carry new mutations, and some of those mutations have been found in children with autism. Its important to emphasize, though, that this doesnt explain all cases. Many young parents have autistic children, so this is just one biological pathway among many. Whats interesting about this finding is that it illustrates how genetic and environmental factors interact. Age itself isnt a cause; its a condition that can increase the likelihood of certain mutations that might influence brain development. Theres also growing evidence that some autism-related traits and vulnerabilities can be passed down across generations, even through non-genetic mechanismsthings like epigenetic changes or factors in the prenatal environment. So, whether its through inherited genes, de novo mutations, or early developmental processes, the consensus is clear: autisms origins lie very early in life, most likely before birth. BM: That brings up an important point: if autisms origins lie in uteroor even at conceptionthen the vaccines children receive at 18 or 24 months occur long after those developmental changes have taken place. So, it couldnt be the vaccines. Is that a fair conclusion? AH: Absolutely. We know that the biological processes underlying autism begin far earlier than when vaccines are given. When scientists have been able to follow infants who are later diagnosed with autism, they find measurable brain differences as early as six months of agelong before the 18- to 24-month period when the MMR vaccine is administered. Those differences dont allow us to make a diagnosis yet, but they show that autism begins as a process of early brain development, not as something caused later in childhood. Researchers have also seen this in laboratory models. Using stem-cell technology, they can take a persons skin cell, reprogram it into a neuron, and observe how it behaves as it connects with others. Even at that earliest stage, we see distinct patterns in cells from people with autism compared to those without it. These findings make it clear that autisms biological roots form before birth. For parents, though, the developmental milestones can be confusingespecially for first-time parents who may not know what to expect. Pediatricians track things like babbling, pointing, eye contact, or social play, but those are broad ranges, not hard rules. Every child develops at a different pace. Thats why public health groups have created tools like Autism Navigator, which help families recognize early signs and bring questions to their doctors. So, my message to parents is, Please dont blame yourselves. Autism isnt caused by something you did or didnt do, including vaccination. Timing alone makes that impossible. Autism is nobodys fault. Environmental factors in autism BM: Along this line of inquiry, what environmental factors are researchers at the Autism Science Foundation studying? Have any been identified as potential contributors? And secondly, are there testssuch as serum markers or imaging studiesthat can detect early indicators of autism? AH: There are several environmental factors that can contribute to the likelihood of an autism diagnosis, but none that cause autism on their own. Its important to understand that these are risk modifiers, not direct triggers. One example is valproic acid, an anti-seizure medication thats known to significantly increase the risk of autism and other developmental differences when taken during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should not stop medication on their own but should talk to their physician about switching to a safer alternative. Valproic acid carries a specific warning for this reason. Other contributing factors include premature birth and very low birth weight. Advances in neonatal care mean that babies born before 27 weeks or weighing less than a pound now often survive, but they can face a range of neurodevelopmental challenges, including a higher risk for autism. Parental age is another consistent association, particularly advanced paternal age. As we discussed earlier, this seems related not to age itself but to genetic mechanisms that become more common in sperm as men get older. There are also links between maternal illness during pregnancy, especially infections accompanied by high fever, and a modest increase in risk. Air pollution exposure, particularly during the first or second trimester, has also been associated with higher rates of autism, but usually at very high levelsfor example, in families living near major highways or agricultural equipment emitting heavy particulate matter. Finally, pregnancy complications such as maternal diabetes, preeclampsia, or prolonged labor may play a role, though its not clear whether the risk comes from the underlying condition or the physiological stress of the pregnancy itself. So, these are all contributing factors that may add to genetic vulnerability. None of them, individually or collectively, can be said to cause autism, but they help researchers understand the complex interplay between biology and the environment. To your other question, although early signs of autism can appear before a year of age, a diagnosis is typically not made until at least 16 months of age. Unfortunately, the average age of diagnosis in the US is still around 4 years of age for boys. We have a long way to go to ensure early detection and intervention for all with a diagnosis. BM: Returning to Andrew Wakefield and the Lancet controversy, its striking that his claims emerged during a period when vaccines were among the great public-health success stories. By the 1970s and 1980s, vaccination campaigns had drastically reduced childhood disease and mortality. At the same time, clinicians were beginning to better recognize and diagnose autism spectrum disorders. Do you see a connection between these overlapping developmentsand perhaps the rise of more affluent, educated groups of parentswho began attributing their childrens neurodevelopmental challenges to vaccines? AH: I think it was a mixture of several things happening at once. In the 1980s and early 1990s, there was relatively little scientific research on autism, but that began to change with the rise of parent-led advocacy groups. Organizations like the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and Cure Autism Now (CAN)both founded in the early 1990sreally helped push autism research and public awareness forward. The Autism Society of America, which was already established, also became more active in promoting education and advocacy. These groups successfully lobbied for federal funding and helped build momentum for scientific inquiry into autisms causes and early detection. In 2004, the CDC launched its Learn the Signs. Act Early. campaign to promote awareness of developmental milestones, not just for autism but for child development more broadly. So, the early 1990s became a kind of watershed moment when advocacy, science, and public health began working together to expand recognition and understanding of autism. Then came the Wakefield paper, published in The Lancet in 1998 and later fully retracted. All of Wakefields co-authors withdrew their support once they realized the findings couldnt be replicated. But by then, the damage was done. The study had been published in one of the worlds most respected medical journals, which gave it enormous visibility and legitimacy. Without that paper, I think the trajectory of autism research might have unfolded differentlyperhaps more squarely focused on genetics and neurodevelopment rather than being sidetracked by disproven vaccine theories. But vaccines are an easy thing to blame. Theyre visible, they involve putting something into the body, and they go against what some people perceive as natural, especially when it comes to infants. Weve seen this pattern repeat itself with COVID-19: people blaming the vaccine for causing long COVID, or claiming the vaccine gives you COVID, when in reality its the virus itself that causes those outcomes. When something works as well as vaccines doquietly preventing disease and saving livesit paradoxically becomes a target. Because when you no longer see the diseases vaccines prevent, its easy to forget whats at stake. Anti-vaccine ideology BM: If we step back for a moment, it seems that the resistance to vaccines isnt only about science or safetyits also about ideology. Vaccines represent something deeply social: they dont just protect the individual who gets them, they protect the community. Their success depends on a shared sense of responsibility, a recognition that health is collective, not private. But that ideaof public health as a social goodruns directly against the grain of a certain worldview that sees medical decisions purely through the lens of personal freedom. The notion that society has any claim on the individual, even in the name of protecting others, provokes a kind of visceral backlash. Do you see that tensionbetween individual liberty and collective responsibilityas part of what has historically fueled the anti-vaccine movement? AH: I think thats absolutely truetheres a philosophical resistance to the idea that health is collective. But layered on top of that, we now have an information environment that amplifies misinformation at an unprecedented scale. Im not blaming everything on the internet, but the rise of social media and influencer culture has completely changed how people encounter information about health. Anyone can post something dramatic or conspiratorial, and if it goes viral, they might even be rewarded for itfinancially or socially. Thats a powerful incentive to spread content that may not be accurate. Theres also evidence that coordinated disinformation campaigns have targeted vaccines specifically. Studies done around the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections traced a significant number of anti-vaccine posts to automated accounts and foreign bot networks, designed to sow confusion and mistrust. So, its not just individuals misunderstanding science; its also a system that profitspolitically or economicallyfrom undermining public trust. Put together, those forcesideological individualism, misinformation, and deliberate manipulationcreate the perfect storm. People are exposed to falsehoods constantly, and when those messages come from someone they already follow or trust online, they feel credible. Meanwhile, the voices of science and public health often struggle to compete in that same emotional, fast-paced space. So yes, its about liberty and distrust, but its also about the way our modern information ecosystem rewards outrage and uncertainty. And that combination has made vaccine misinformation extraordinarily resilient. BM: As we begin to wrap up, I want to return to something you just touched onthe way science itself can become a political battleground. The recent Tylenol controversy is a good example: evidence was selectively framed and amplified to serve a narrative, not the data. What lessons do you think this moment holds about the relationship between evidence and power? And when science is misused or systematically undermined, how should the scientific community respond? AH: I wish there were a single, elegant answer to how we should respond when science becomes politicizedbut what I can offer instead are some personal dos and donts Ive learned from watching misinformation spread. First, listen to your doctor. Trust the professionals who know you, who have reviewed your medical history, and who are trained to interpret evidenceyour pediatrician, your OB-GYN, or your family physician. These are the people equipped to give individualized medical advice, not the voices on social media who may be speaking without accountability or expertise. Second, question motives. Many social media influencers are paid to create content, and theres currently no universal requirement that they disclose sponsorships or financial ties. If someone posts a video claiming that Tylenol or vaccines cause autism, ask yourself: who benefits from this message? Are they being compensated by a rival company or promoting an alternative product? Even if not, they might still be chasing views, followers, or controversybecause online outrage is profitable. Third, beware of simple explanations. Autism is a profoundly complex neurodevelopmental condition. If anyone claims that a single factorwhether acetaminophen, vaccines, air pollution, or parental ageexplains all cases of autism, that should raise every red flag. The same goes for anyone promising a universal cure. No credible science supports such claims. Finally, consider the source. Before accepting any scientific claim, look for where the evidence comes from. Is it based on peer-reviewed studies, or just someones opinion? Has it been replicated, or is it anecdotal? True expertsthe physicians and scientists who dedicate their careers to studying neurodevelopment, pregnancy, and child healthare constantly reading and re-evaluating the science. Those are voices worth listening to. In the end, combating misinformation isnt just about debunking falsehoodsits about rebuilding trust. Trust in expertise, trust in the scientific process, and trust that most people working in this field genuinely want to help children and families live healthier lives. BM: Thank you for these excellent insights. As we close, are there any final thoughts youd like readers to take away from this discussion? AH: I think its important to keep an eye on how this conversation unfolds, especially around the political attention being given to acetaminophen. There are investigative journalists already examining possible financial and political ties behind these claims, and its worth asking why certain figures are suddenly focusing on a single medication when the study they cite was completed long before these recent announcements. The broader body of research still points to genetic and gene-environment interactions as the most credible explanations for autism. Thats where the science continues to movetoward understanding how genetics intersect with the environments in which people live, grow, and develop. On a positive note, the National Institutes of Health recently announced $50 million in new funding across 13 research sites in the United States to study those very interactions. The goal is to look broadlynot just at chemical exposures or medications, but also at social and environmental contexts such as neighborhood conditions, access to healthcare, maternal health during pregnancy, and other contributing factors. That kind of comprehensive, collaborative research is exactly whats needed right now. Its encouraging to see support for rigorous science that considers autism in all its complexity. And if readers would like to learn more, we just released a new episode on the ASF Weekly Science Podcast that discusses these studies in greater detail. BM: Dr. Halladay, thank you for all the time. AH: Thank youand thank you for helping share accurate information with your readers. Its so important that people understand the science, the evidence, and how to interpret it, rather than being swayed by every new flash-in-the-pan claim about what causes autism. Most of those theories arent even biologically plausible. *** The day after the interview, Dr. Halladay sent a link to a critical research published on October 5, 2025, by international researchers in the journal Child & Adolescent Psychiatry which is a systematic review and meta-analysis that studied acetaminophen use during pregnancy and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. She also explained that this more rigorous meta-analysis published recently failed to show an association between neurodevelopmental disorderautismand Tylenol use in pregnancy. This calls into question how much we should be relying on small studies with methodological problems. Indeed, the authors of the study found no convincing evidence of a link to autism. When studies relied on confirmed medical diagnoses, the results showed no increased risk. One smaller study using a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic test, which suggested a possible connection. However, that type of data isnt considered reliable. A large sibling study, which helps account for shared genetics and family factors, also found no difference in autism rates between children exposed and unexposed to acetaminophen in the womb. For ADHD, the analysis found a modest increase in risk, about 17 percent higher on average, among children whose mothers reported acetaminophen use during pregnancy. Yet, this finding weakened or disappeared in studies that used more rigorous designs, such as sibling comparisons, suggesting that family traits or other confounding factors might explain the difference. Researchers also noted that most studies couldnt precisely measure how much acetaminophen was used, when during pregnancy it was taken, or why, which makes drawing firm conclusions difficult. Basically, this comprehensive study shows that acetaminophen use in pregnancy has not been proven to cause autism or ADHD. The small association seen for ADHD remains uncertain and may not reflect a true effect. IG Metall protest on June 14 in Duisburg to demand subsidies for Thyssenkrupp The IG Metall bargaining committee intends to approve the wage contract it negotiated last week for 60,000 employees employed in metal and steel companies in northern and western Germany. In doing so, the union wants to create the conditions for another wave of job cuts. The contract has caused outrage and anger among steelworkers. The deal once again reduces real wages. Spread over its entire 15-month term, the increase amounts to a miserly 1.4 percent, according to the employers association, Stahl. For the company and union, reaching into the pockets of employees once again in the interests of shareholdersas bitter as this is for each individual employeeremains the lesser evil. With this agreement, the IGM apparatus is attempting to initiate a far-reaching restructuring of the steel industry. The Thyssenkrupp company has announced it will cut almost half of its 27,000 jobs, a total of 11,000. Salzgitter, Arcelor and other corporations are also tightening up their austerity measures. Industrial action to defend jobs and wages has never been more urgent. The contract reached on September 30 between IG Metall and the employers association is expressly intended to prevent such action taking place. Outside of collective bargaining disputes, strikes are prohibited by law in Germany; where a so-called industrial peace obligation prevails. IG Metall officials and their pseudo-left supporters use this argument to reject any call for a strike against job cuts and wage reductions. At midnight on September 30, the peace obligation in the collective bargaining negotiations would have expired. Warning strikes and strikes could then have taken placeand IG Metall had threatened to carry out such actions, but then, just a few minutes before midnight, it concluded the negotiations. With friends like these, who needs enemies? Now further job losses and wage cuts are looming. This is because the steel industry is at the center of the escalating capitalist crisis. The US government under President Donald Trump, who is establishing a presidential dictatorship, is seeking a military redivision of the world in response to the economic decline of the United States, just as Germany had attempted to carry out on two occasions in the 20th century. The other imperialist nations, led by Germany, are responding with massive rearmament and a political shift to the right. The costs of rearmament are to be recouped by attacks on the working population. This is incompatible with democratic forms of government. The US is plunging the world into trade war and open warfare. Its main targets are Russia and China, but even former allies are not spared under Trump. European steel is subject to a 50 percent tariff, and almost all other goods are subject to a 15 percent tariff. Trade wars and increased competition are putting pressure on production and sales in important steel-consuming industries such as construction, mechanical engineering and the auto industry. Domestic crude steel production fell by almost 12 percent to 17.1 million tonnes in the first half of the year, according to the German Steel Association. The emissions trading scheme introduced by the European Union was intended to protect energy-intensive European industry, including the steel industry as one of the largest emitters, from global competition. The EU member states issue corresponding emissions certificates for a state-set upper limit on all permitted emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2. Each certificate entitles the holder to emit one tonne of greenhouse gas. Open trading with a simultaneous gradual reduction of these certificates was intended to create an incentive to reduce CO2 emissions. Most European steel manufacturers have therefore begun to switch to the production of green steel, i.e., away from CO2-intensive steel production using coal and coke, to gas and hydrogen produced from renewable energies. To this end, Thyssenkrupp is building a new direct reduction (DR) plant in Duisburg, which is set to replace two existing blast furnaces by the end of 2027. By the end of 2027, a large DR plant will also be built at Salzgitter AGs main plant, where pig iron will be melted down in an electric furnace, as well as an electrolyser that uses green electricity to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The federal and state governments are supporting the companies, with Thyssenkrupp receiving 2 billion and Salzgitter 1 billion. Europes largest steel producer, Arcelor Mittal, has now halted its billion-euro plans to convert its plants in the German cities of Bremen and Eisenhuttenstadt to green steel due to a lack of economic viability. The 1.3 billion in subsidies that the federal government and the state of Bremen had promised the company were not enough for Arcelor Mittal to offset high gas and electricity prices and limited hydrogen production options. So while the transformation in Europe is stalling, the Chinese state-owned steel group HBIS has announced plans to sell 10,000 tonnes of green steel to Italy. In this situation, the IG Metall trade union is seeking to join forces with the corporations and federal government. The union is demanding that the government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Christian Democrats, CDU) and Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (Social Democrats, SPD) provide corporations with reduced industrial electricity prices, funds from the 500 billion investment fund to strengthen competitiveness, and counter-tariffs on steel from China and other non-European countries. It is concluding agreements with corporations that include the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs and wage cuts in order to reduce costs and secure profits. The elimination of almost half of the jobs and 8 percent income cuts at Thyssenkrupp are only the beginning. Like all trade unions, IG Metall supports the war policy of the federal government. A recurring argument used by IG Metall in its defence of the steel industry is security of supply in emergenciesin other words, war. The steel companies must be preserved so that they can produce high-quality steel for tanks, weapons and artillery. That is why the union has placed the collective bargaining negotiations under the slogan Collective bargaining round of responsibility. In this way, it shares responsibility for Germanys imperialist interests pursued on the backs of the workforce. This development must be stopped before it is too late. Preventing the current collective contract must be a first step in this direction. On October 17 in Dusseldorf, 100 works council members and full-time trade union officials, whose jobs are secure, want to enshrine the downward spiral into unemployment, poverty and war in the collective bargaining commission. These are some of the officials: Knut Giesler, chief negotiator, district manager IG Metall NRW Ali Guzel, works council chairman Thyssenkrupp Stahl, Duisburg/Beeckerwerth Helmut Renk, works council chairman at Thyssenkrupp Stahl, Kreuztal-Eichen Wolfgang Kleber, works council chairman at Arcelor Mittal, Duisburg-Ruhrort Mike Bohlken, works council chairman at Arcelor Mittal, Bremen Ralf Heppenstiel, works council chairman at Outokumpu, Dillenburg Dirk Riedel, shop steward, Thyssenkrupp Steel, Hamborn/Beeckerwerth Nils Knierim, shop steward, Salzgitter Flachstahl Markus Beckmann, shop steward, Georgsmarienhutte Murat Develioglu, shop steward, Arcelor Mittal, Bremen Selin Cakir, JAV chairwoman, Salzgitter Flachstahl We call on steelworkers and trainees: Prepare to stand up for your interests independently and against the trade union apparatus. The collective contract must be rejected and the IG Metall bargaining committee must have its negotiating mandate revoked. To this end, it is necessary to establish action committees that are independent of the trade union, are accountable only to the rank and file, and network across the industry and internationally. The struggle to defend jobs must also be directed against the governments trade war and war policies, which are being waged on the backs of workers. The focus must be on the rights and needs of workers, not on maximising profits. Contact us via Whatsapp at +491633378340 and fill out the form below to participate in the establishment of action committees. Your personal details will be treated with strict confidentiality. Backed by the federal and state Labor governments, the New South Wales (NSW) Court of Appeal last Thursday issued a far-reaching threat to the right to protest, free speech and basic democratic rights. The judges declared that unprecedented contempt of court chargespotentially carrying indefinite terms of imprisonmentcould be laid against anyone who defied the courts prohibition of a planned march to the Sydney Opera House yesterday to oppose the continuing US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. Sydney Opera House [Photo: Bernard Spragg via Wikipedia] That could mean mass arrests, detentions and prosecutions of thousands of people, and not just the march organisers, until they purged their contempt by either apologising to the court or serving whatever time in prison the court ruled necessary to uphold its authority. The court, the highest in NSW, emphasised from the start of its judgment that it was reversing multiple previous rulings by the state Supreme Court that disobedience of such a protest ban would have only lesser legal consequences, such as prosecutions for obstructing traffic under the states Summary Offences Act. NSW Labor Premier Chris Minns immediately welcomed the contempt of court threat. He told reporters on Thursday: Anyone who breaches the Supreme Court decision can expect the full force of the law, and thats how a civil society should operate. The ruling was hailed in the capitalist media. In Murdochs Australian, Chris Merritt wrote that it represented a clean break from the past by adding backbone to protest laws. Together with millions of people around the world and across Australia, thousands had been expected to march to mark two years of the genocide and oppose the Labor government-backed US and Israeli plan for a neo-colonial occupation of Gaza. The Opera House had been chosen as an iconic location to draw global attention to the protest, as had happened when up to 300,000 people joined an anti-genocide march over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on August 3. In their judgment, the three Court of Appeal judges admitted this iconic appeal, then justified their prohibition of the march, citing fatuous claims by the police that the demonstration would have been an unacceptable risk to public safety via crowd crushes. That was despite similar claims proving false in the Harbour Bridge event, when participants successfully managed their own safety, even after police dangerously intervened to turn marchers back across the bridge. Moreover, the lawyers for the march organisers had pointed out that the Opera House had been the site of political protests over many years, as well as a 1996 Crowded House farewell concert that was estimated to have attracted more than 100,000 people. In handing down last Thursdays decision, Justice Stephen Free spelt out the courts elevation of the spurious safety concerns over the fundamental right to free speech and the historic significance of the Gaza genocide itself. Free stated: The court further held that the risk to public safety associated with this public assembly was so significant that it would be irresponsible to allow the public assembly to proceed irrespective of the political significance of the event and the importance of freedom of political expression. The judges deliberately went further, however. Even before citing the alleged safety issues, they overturned the precedents set by the state Supreme Court in earlier protest cases that defiance of such a court ban would only expose participants to prosecution for more minor summary offences. Under the states anti-protest regime, introduced in 1979, demonstration organisers must apply to the Police Commissioner for a form 1 public assembly permit to avoid criminal prosecutions under the Summary Offences Act. If the police reject the application, the Supreme Court and its appellate Court of Appeal have an absolute power to either authorise or prohibit the event. In this weeks hearings, the barrister for the Palestine Action Group, Felicity Graham, argued that finding someone in contempt of court would be a radical departure from what the Supreme Court had previously said about orders prohibiting rallies. Graham pointed out that, despite the prohibition terminology in the Summary Offences Act, the Supreme Court had consistently ruled it to merely mean people were not afforded immunity under the Act for obstructing traffic, for example. But the three judgesFree, Ian Harrison and Chief Justice Andrew Bellsaid her argument was not persuasive and that the text of the legislation was decisive. It would be highly incongruous for the legislature to empower the court to make an order prohibiting the holding of a public assembly, if the terms of that order did not accurately reflect the legal consequence of the order, they wrote in their judgment. A breach of that order may render persons with knowledge of that order in contempt of court. This court proceeds on the basis that its orders will be respected and obeyed. The penalty for contempt of court is at the Supreme Courts discretion, with no maximum penalty. The judges further warned that attending a prohibited protest could see people also charged under section 545C of the NSW Crimes Act for knowingly joining an unlawful assembly. That offence carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail. They cited earlier cases in which judges said liability for contempt may extend, in certain circumstances, to persons who were not parties to the proceedings in which the order was made. In other words, everyone who joined a banned demonstration. Fundamental democratic rights under attack On Facebook, Nick Hanna, a lawyer for the Palestine Action Group, warned that the ruling had undermined the right to protest. The impact of this judgment will not be limited to protests for Palestine. It can be applied equally to protests for any cause across the political spectrum. The decision will likely have a chilling effect on political expression in this country by deterring people from attending protests out of fear of being violently arrested by police. Hanna pointed to the police assault in June on former Greens election candidate Hannah Thomas outside a Sydney military-related factory, causing horrific facial injuries and threatening the sight in her eye. Such scenes, in which she was brutally assaulted for attending a peaceful protest earlier this year could become the norm. Notably, NSW Police command defended that police operation but could not explain the legal grounds upon which they banned and attacked the rally. Months later, they charged a police officer with assault occasioning bodily harm. Hanna explained: The right to protest is one of the fundamental democratic rights that we have in this country and without it, there can be no real freedom of political expression. Many of the rights and privileges that we cherish today were obtained as a result of mass protest movements. Any threat to the right to protest is a threat to democracy itself. In welcoming the court ruling, Premier Minns backed police threats to arrest anyone who tried to protest at the Opera House. Reasonable people in Sydney would expect the police to uphold this judgment, he insisted. Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese threw his weight behind the crackdown, denouncing plans for demonstrations to mark the second anniversary of the onset of the Gaza genocide. The court ruling set two other precedents. First, while accepting the police argument to limit the issue entirely to supposed public safety, the court permitted lawyers representing two Zionist lobby groups, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, to tender evidence in the proceedings. These groups asserted, without evidence, that the protest would cause fear in the Jewish community, even though one of the groups organising the protest, Jews Against the Occupation 48, consists of anti-Zionist Jews. Second, the judges cited commercial interests that could allegedly have been affected by the march. They referred to the substantial impact and financial burden that would fall on the [Opera House] Trust, its patrons and performers scheduled to be involved in events that would need to be cancelled if the procession were to go ahead. Over the past two decades, governments across Australia, both Labor and Liberal-National Coalition, have imposed barrages of anti-protest laws, particularly to protect profit-making, notably by coal and other fossil fuel companies, but with far broader potential to outlaw political demonstrations. In NSW, these laws include maximum punishments of two years imprisonment or $22,000 fines for unauthorised protests that obstruct major bridges, tunnels and roads. Up until now, however, the courts and the police have not attempted to invoke contempt of court measures. Last November, the NSW Supreme Court issued a prohibition order against Rising Tide organisers planning a blockade of the worlds largest coal port in Newcastle, a working-class city two hours north of Sydney, to demand greater action on climate change, also citing safety concerns. After people went ahead with the protest anyway, the police tried to corral them to ensure the passage of coal ships, then arrested 173 people, many on the serious charge of obstructing a major facility. But no move was made to pursue contempt of court detentions. The Court of Appeal ruling is another signal that governments in Australia, now spearheaded by the Albanese Labor government, are mounting a frontal attack on the right to protest and other essential democratic rights, just as their counterparts in the US and Europe are doing. This is their police-state response to deepening popular hostility over the genocide, as well as worsening social inequality, declining working-class living conditions, the climate disaster, anti-immigrant repression and the danger of another world war. Australia is no exception. AI was meant to help small retailers compete with giants. Instead, 73% say cost is locking them out. monday.coms latest study exposes the growing divide in retail tech. Whats happening: Australian retailers are rapidly adopting AI agents, with 82% piloting or deploying the technology, but trust remains low. Only 9% are confident enough to let AI manage full customer journeys without human intervention, according to new research from monday.com surveying 500 ANZ retail decision-makers. Why this matters: The research exposes a critical divide: whilst nearly all retailers believe AI can help local businesses compete globally, small retailers are being priced out. With 73% of micro retailers citing cost as the main barrier, the technology meant to level the playing field is instead widening the gap between large and small players. Australias retail sector has reached a turning point in artificial intelligence adoption, but the path forward is far from straightforward. Whilst the majority of retailers are embracing AI agents, deep-seated concerns about trust, transparency and accessibility are preventing the technology from reaching its full potential. New research released by monday.com, surveying 500 senior retail decision-makers across Australia and New Zealand, reveals that 82% of retailers are either piloting or have already deployed AI agents within their businesses. Yet despite this widespread uptake, fewer than one in ten trust these systems to manage the full customer journey without human involvement. Retailers across ANZ understand AI isnt just a trend, its a transformative shift, said Gavin Watson, Senior Industry Lead at monday.com. But access must be fair, and trust must be earned. Our research shows a clear appetite for AI-led innovation, but also highlights where vendors and decision-makers can step up to ensure no business gets left behind. Trust remains fragile The research found that whilst 70% of retail leaders believe AI agents will be transformative, significant concerns are holding back full implementation. More than two-thirds (68%) said they are worried about the quality and consistency of AI-generated outputs, whilst 64% cited customer scepticism as a key concern. Were seeing real caution in the market, and for good reason, said Watson. Retailers are right to question where their data is going, and how its being used. At the end of the day, protecting the brand-customer relationship is paramount. Integration challenges are also proving problematic, with 68% of retailers reporting difficulties embedding AI across multiple platforms. The same proportion warned that a lack of transparency could directly impact brand loyalty. Watson emphasised that successful AI adoption requires more than enthusiasm. To truly unlock the benefits of AI, retailers need more than just tools; they need the right frameworks to ensure AI supports, rather than undermines, the customer experience. That means building in guardrails for data privacy, keeping humans in the loop, and ensuring automation reflects a brands values at every touchpoint. Cost blocks small players One of the most pressing findings is the growing divide between large and small retailers in terms of AI readiness. Whilst nearly all respondents (93%) believe AI has the potential to help local businesses compete with global retail giants, only 62% of small retailers with fewer than 50 employees agree. Among small retailers, just 40.9% have AI agents live today, compared to 71.4% of mid-sized chains with 100 to 499 employees. For micro retailers with one to nine employees, cost is the biggest barrier to adoption, cited by 73% of respondents in that category. The skills gap is also significant. Only 65% of small firms reported strong in-house AI expertise, compared to 78% of all respondents. Whilst ambition is high, many small businesses simply lack the resources, tools or know-how to bring AI to life. The irony is AI should help small businesses do more with less, but right now, theyre the ones being left behind, Watson said. For smaller retailers, this isnt just about cutting costs. Its about gaining back time, improving operations, and being able to compete on a more level playing field. Sector-specific strategies The research reveals that AI adoption strategies vary significantly across retail categories. In the fashion and e-commerce industries, businesses are leading in the deployment of AI-powered customer support (63.6%) and marketing automation (54.5%). Food and beverage retailers are taking a different approach, prioritising AI for inventory optimisation (62.1%) and logistics support. Meanwhile, luxury retailers are leveraging AI primarily for fraud detection (58.1%) and customer service enhancement (54.8%). As AI adoption becomes more sophisticated, retailers are increasingly aligning their AI investments with their core operational challenges, from delivery efficiency to brand protection. The accessibility challenge Watson argued that closing the gap between large and small retailers requires real support, not just more tools. Vendors and platforms like monday.com have a responsibility to make AI accessible. That means helping small retailers understand where AI can genuinely move the needle, not just automating for automations sake. Our role at monday.com is to surface the insights that matter, and make it easy for businesses of every size to adopt AI in ways that are practical, purposeful, and impactful. The research, which included an additional 1,350 retailers surveyed globally, suggests that the retail sectors AI revolution is still in its early stages. Whilst adoption rates are high, the industry faces critical questions about trust, fairness and implementation before AI can deliver on its promise to transform retail operations across businesses of all sizes. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, accompanied by Attorney General Pam Bondi, right, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, April 16, 2025 [AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana] On Wednesday, October 1, Education Department Secretary Linda McMahon and the White House sent a letter to nine universities across the United States demanding that they comply with the Trump administrations guidelines for education. The nine universities targeted include Brown University, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Vanderbilt University, the University of Arizona, the University of Southern California, the University of Virginia and the University of Texas at Austin. This is the latest attack by the Trump administration on higher education in an American version of the Nazi policy of Gleichschaltung, that is, the synchronization of culture, education and more into the arms of the state as a propaganda tool. The letter, titled the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, states that the universities should advance the national interests and priorities of the U.S. government. In addition, the compact makes clear that universities which refuse to adhere to the demands set by the Trump administration will lose all federal funding, and universities that accede to the demands are required to strictly adhere to them. Some of the demands include prohibiting faculty from speaking about political and social issues; prohibiting transgender women from participating in womens sports; cutting tuition for students in hard science programs which serve military research; and participating in financial programs to prevent university services from being used to facilitate money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. In a further attempt to crack down on those protesting the genocide of Palestinians by the state of Israel, the compact demands that universities prohibit incitement to violence, including calls for murder or genocide or support for entities designated by the U.S. government as terrorist organizations. The implication is that universities must violently crack down on any opposition to the corporate and financial oligarchy. Therefore, the Trump administration permits universities to [use] lawful force if necessary to prevent these violations and [allow] swift, serious, and consistent sanctions for those who commit them. Seeking to transform universities into cooperating surveillance arms of the state, the compact also demands that Universities shall share all known information about foreign students to the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. This section of the letter, titled foreign entanglements, takes up more space than any other sections at two full pages. It asserts that allowing significant populations of foreign students risks saturating the campus with noxious values such as anti-Semitism and other anti-American values, creating serious national security risks. This section of the compact concludes with the demand that students who are in the United States on a visa cannot make up more than 15 percent of a universitys undergraduate student population. Furthermore, universities are demanded to reduce administrative costs as far as reasonably possible and streamline or eliminate academic programs that fail to serve students. The end-goal of this demand is the firing of thousands of university staff in order to save money as well as eliminate classes deemed unnecessary or which do not promote American and Western values. One section of the compact hypocritically demands a vibrant marketplace of ideas on campus, by which the Trump administration means allowing the flourishing of the far-right on university campuses. To this end, it calls for abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas. Although the compact was sent to nine universities, the Trump administration has made it clear that they wish to see the guidelines implemented by colleges and universities across the country. Senior White House Policy Strategist May Mailman was quoted in the New York Times as saying we hope all universities ultimately are able to have a conversation with us. Since the compact was sent, only two of the nine universities have made a decision on the matter. Just one day after the letter was sent, the University of Texas System Board of Regents Chair Kevin Eltife told the Texas Tribune that the University of Texas at Austin was honored to be chosen by the Trump administration for the education compact. Eltife further added that We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and reviewing the compact immediately. So far, only MIT has rejected the education compact. In an open letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent on Friday, October 10, MIT President Sally Kornbluth rejected adhering to the compact. However, Kornbluth pleaded that she and McMahon have priorities we share for American higher education, and that MIT meets or exceeds the demands made in the compact. The response by faculty and students at the targeted universities, however, has been explosive. Faculty at the University of Virginia voted 97 percent in favor of a resolution opposing the demand. A petition at the University of Pennsylvania addressed to UPenn President James Jameson has been signed by over 1,600 students, faculty and staff. A petition signed by over 500 professors and staff at Dartmouth stated that [w]hen the state demands that a university shutter departments and programs that do not conform with its political ideology, dictates what kind of research faculty must perform, and insists that standards of knowledge arrived at through decades of scientific and humanistic research be replaced with false and politically-motivated definitionswe will no longer have a university. Vanderbilt Universitys chapter of the American Association of University Professors published a statement which stated that [w]e cannot sincerely ask our students to dare to grow in the environment of fear and mistrust that this Compact would produce in our community. Since taking office, the Trump administration has targeted universities across the country such as Harvard, Columbia, University of California, Los Angeles and George Mason University among others, looming the threat of cuts to the schools funding, or worse, if they refuse to comply. Just one day before the compact was sent, Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth assembled hundreds of generals and admirals to establish plans for a presidential dictatorship and a rollout of the military onto American cities to eliminate political opposition. Since then, Trump has utilized the government shutdown to order military occupations of Portland, Oregon and Chicago, Illinois with more cities on the horizon for military occupation. The Trump administration is preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act and calling for the systematic and physical liquidation of left-wing organizations. The effort to establish a presidential dictatorship has been met with total-indifference by the media and political establishment. The Democratic Party and the various pseudo-left organizations that operate in and around it have maintained complete silence on the drive to dictatorship and the attacks on education. What they fear is not the ruling classs drive towards dictatorship, but the mass movement of the working class which threatens the foundation of capitalist rule. The working class is the decisive revolutionary force in society, carrying immense economic, political and social power. To this end, youth and students must turn and connect their struggles to the working class. The fight against dictatorship and attacks on democratic rights requires the independent mobilization of the working class under a socialist program. The Socialist Equality Party and its youth section, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, call for the formation of rank-and-file committees in every workplace, school and neighborhood as the new organizations of struggle against war, genocide, dictatorship, fascism and social counterrevolution. The White House announced Sunday that all US soldiers will receive their full paychecks on October 15 despite the federal shutdown, after President Trump instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to shift funds within the Pentagon budget. All other employees of the federal government are either furloughed or working without pay because of the partial shutdown after the new fiscal year began October 1 without congressional passage of a budget. Members from the 117th Military Police Battalion of the National Guard and a Memphis Police Department officer conduct a community safety patrol at Tom Lee Park, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Memphis, Tennessee. [AP Photo/George Walker IV] Trumps action has two, interrelated and deeply sinister purposes. He wishes to insure against any discontent within the ranks of the military as he deploys thousands of soldiers into American cities in a step-by-step coup. And he wants the paychecks delivered before the October 18 No Kings protests, widely expected to be the largest-ever demonstrations against his drive to establish a presidential dictatorship. According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, which is spearheading the permanent layoff of thousands of federal workers, the money is coming from $8 billion in unspent Pentagon funds for research and development. In a social media post Saturday, Trump said he would use his authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th. He later posted, We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS. The Pentagon funds will be shifted if the partial federal shutdown continues through Wednesday, as is expected. In that case, 2 million civilian federal workers will receive no pay, while 1.3 million uniformed military will receive their full pay. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed a continuing resolution that would extend the budget deadline from October 1 to November 22, but Senate Democrats blocked the bills passage through a filibuster, demanding that Trump and the Republicans agree to restore health insurance premium subsidies for millions of people enrolled under the Affordable Care Act. While neither the White House nor the Pentagon acknowledged this explicitly, the full paychecks for soldiers will also apply to National Guard troops who have been federalized for deployment in Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, including troops from Illinois and Texas who are now at a training facility outside Chicago. All federalized National Guard troops are paid out of the Pentagon budget, not the budget of the state from where they come. The decision to pay the troops on time comes amid increasingly hysterical denunciations of the upcoming October 18 No Kings protests by Republican congressional leaders and state governors, with demands that the National Guard be mobilized against the protesters in Washington D.C. and in other cities. On Friday, Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise smeared the demonstrators as Hamas supporters and terrorists who were carrying out the wishes of Antifa. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer called October 18 a Hate America rally, although the previous No Kings protests, on June 14, brought an estimated 5 to 11 million people onto the streets in a massive but entirely peaceful show of opposition to Trump. The response from leading Democrats was tepid at best. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is scheduled to be a speaker at an October 18 rally, issued a brief statement on Facebook declaring that the protests would be Love America rallies. But he did acknowledge that those who participated were opposed to Trumps drive to turn this country into an authoritarian society. As in his other statements on this subject, however, Sanders proposed no action outside of verbal protest. He did not suggest that Trump and Vice President Vance should be impeached and removed from office, let alone any action by working people, leading up to and culminating in a general strike. Like all the Democrats, Sanders is committed to the defense of the profit system and the capitalist state machine that upholds the interests of the financial oligarchy. While National Guard troops are on the streets of Washington D.C. and in Memphis, Tennessee, where the states Republican Governor Bill Lee deployed nearly 200 soldiers at Trumps request, the troop deployments in Portland and Chicago have been delayed by court orders. A federal appeals court allowed Trump to federalize 200 Oregon National Guard soldiers but barred him from deploying them in Portland, declaring that the presidents repeated claims that the city is being burned down by antifa terrorists was untethered to the facts. Trump has made use of videos generated by fascist provocateurs masquerading as journalists, who pick fights with protesters peacefully demonstrating outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland. On Wednesday, Trump invited several of these fascists to the White House for his summit meeting on the supposed threat of antifa, which does not even exist as an organization. In Chicago, a federal appeals court issued a ruling similar to that in Oregon, allowing 200 troops from the Texas National Guard, as well as 300 federalized Illinois National Guard troops, to remain at a training facility outside the city, but barring their deployment on the streets. The court cited the likelihood that the presence of the troops would be inflammatory. The appeals court effectively rebuffed the Trump administrations claim that a lower court judge had impermissibly second-guessed the Commander in Chiefs military judgments. But it allowed the Texas troops to stay in Illinois, declaring, Members of the National Guard do not need to return to their home states unless further ordered by a court to do so. A representative of the US Northern Command, which controls all federal military operations within the borders of the United States, said the troops sent to Portland and Chicago are not conducting any operational activities at this time. Trump has also proposed to send troops to New Orleans, as well as to other cities in California besides Los Angeles. Significantly, billionaire Democrat Marc Benioff, co-founder of Salesforce.com and owner of Time magazine, issued an appeal for Trump to send troops to San Francisco, claiming the police department was too understaffed to preserve law and order. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, however, the US military cannot be used as a substitute or supplement for local police. The only exception is when the president invokes the Insurrection Act of 1807, based on a total breakdown of local and state authorities, which Trump has openly threatened to do over the past two weeks. At a meeting with his Cabinet of fascist flatterers on Thursday, Trump repeated the lies that he has voiced with increasing frequency to justify invoking the Insurrection Act. Were directly confronting the sinister threat of left-wing domestic terrorism or violence, he said. Antifa is out of control in Portland and other places. In an appearance Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, Vice President JD Vance said that Trump was still considering whether to invoke the Insurrection Act, clearly holding it over the heads of Democratic mayors and governors to demand further collaboration with Trumps drive to military rule. Peru's newly appointed President Jose Jeri meeting with heads of security forces [Photo: Presidency of the Republic of Peru] Celebrations that erupted in Lima over last Fridays sudden ouster of Perus unelected President Dina Boluarte have quickly turned into protests against the Congress that sacked her, and also against her replacement, Jose Jeri, the Congress president. Demonstrations were called for both Sunday and Wednesday with the demand que se vayan todos, or throw them all out being directed at both Jeri and the right-wing majority that controls the Congress. The Peruvian legislators voted to remove Boluarte from office in the early hours of October 10, citing permanent moral incapacity. Out of 130 congressmen, 122 voted in favor of her impeachment, while eight abstained. Boluarte had the distinction of being the most hated president in Perus history. She left office with a 93 percent disapproval rating, including 0 percent approval among young people and in southern Peru, known as deep Peru. Accusations against her included (1) failing to declare luxury items in her assets, (2) indifference to a rising citizen insecurity crisis caused by extortionist mafias, (3) recklessness of duty during critical moments due to travel abroad, (4) allegations of corruption, and (5) political responsibility for the deaths of 49 protesters during demonstrations from January to March 2023. Jose Jeri has taken over as Perus president just six months before the 2026 elections, marking the third presidency in the 2021-2026 term, following Pedro Castillo, the elected populist president who was overthrown in a legislative coup, and his successor, Boluarte. In a reflection of the increasing ungovernability of a country that, according to some studies, ranks as the fourth most unequal on the planet, Peru has set a record of eight presidents in ten years, averaging one year and three monthsthat is 25 percent of the five-year presidential term. Jeri, a member of the Somos Peru party, comes into office facing charges of rape and graft. His appointment appears aimed at controlling the upcoming elections and quelling ongoing strikes and protests that threaten the power of big banks, mining corporations and businesses. The rising class struggle has caused unease among the bourgeoisie, prompting Congress members from all parties to sacrifice Boluarte in a bid to win back public support from those who oppose her. Significantly, Jeris first official action as president was to meet with the commanders of Perus armed forces and police. Ostensibly called to organize a law-and-order crackdown on street crime, the meeting underscored the role of the security forces as the ultimate arbiter of political life, crucial to enforcing the anti-working class program of the Peruvian ruling class. Recent events have highlighted mounting unrest in Peru, including a two-week strike in September involving 60,000 doctors, nurses and technicians from EsSalud, as well as thirteen 24-hour strikes by urban transport unions in Lima and the seaport of Callao. These protests in the public transport sector, combined with the EsSalud strike and the so-called Gen Z marches of youth, have raised concerns among the bourgeoisie and the corrupt politicians entrenched in Congress. The bourgeoisie fears that continued large-scale strikes and demonstrations could have dire consequences for its profit interests. The sacrifice of Boluarte appeared to have some of its desired effect, at least with the leadership of the employer-dominated transportation unions, which called off an October 15 strike. The Gen Z group, however, said it would go ahead with its protests. Essentially, power remains in the hands of corrupt, right-wing factions operating through Congress. Boluarte acted primarily as a figurehead in the executive branch. In reality, the effective power lies with two mafia-like parties linked to criminal activities: Fuerza Popular (FP), led by Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of deceased President Alberto Fujimori (in office from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000), and Alianza Para el Progreso (APP) founded by Cesar Acuna, who made his fortune from privatization of education, along with their allied parties, such as Renovacion Popular, Podemos, Peru Libre, and Avanza Pais. The right-wing parties that supported Boluarte in Congress withdrew their backing with an eye on the 2026 election. The mainstream media suggested that an armed attack during an Agua Marina concert in Chorrillos, which injured five people, triggered the end of Boluartes government, highlighting her inability to manage the crisis. However, this view oversimplifies the larger context of widespread strikes and protests by workers and the youth, known as Generation Z. Moreover, the near unanimous vote to oust her was almost certainly coordinated in advance, with the shooting merely providing a convenient pretext. Another theory claims Boluartes dismissal followed the replacement of 14 senior military commanders, raising suspicions of a coup attempt. She will be remembered for authorizing police and military action that resulted in 49 deaths during protests after the December 7, 2022, CIA-backed coup that ousted democratically elected President Pedro Castillo. A trial may be initiated against Boluarte, similar to the trial that resulted in a 25-year sentence for Fujimori. Fujimori was convicted of crimes against humanity for ordering paramilitary massacres, including the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta University incidents, where teachers and students were killed. Seven out of the eight Peruvian presidents since 1990 have been jailed or faced detention orders. Boluartes exit deepens Perus institutional instability, with a new president under investigation and widespread public dissatisfaction towards both the executive and legislative branches. The demand for justice for the wave of murders during Boluartes administration will continue. Future struggles will pit Jose Jeris narco-criminal coalition government against the working class, peasants and youth, and the 9.4 million Peruvians living in poverty. Labor leaders also fear an uprising of the working class and most likely will push for granting Jeri a grace period, as this would allow corrupt elements to solidify their influence in the new government. For his part, Jeri appears bent on pursuing the so-called Bukele solution, aping the hardline repression of El Salvadors president. On Saturday he joined prison officials on a surprise search of cells at the Ancon 1 prison, after which the inmates were crowded together on the floor with their hands clasped behind their necks in an apparent imitation of similar scenes stated at El Salvadors infamous CECOT mega-jail. Somos Peru is a political party of the center-right founded by the late former mayor of Lima, Alberto Andrade. Since 2023, it has governed 7 of the 25 departments in Peru: Cajamarca, Cusco, Lambayeque, Loreto, Moquegua, Jeri, and San Martin. The crisis of democracy in Peru is not exclusively national. It is part of the shift by billionaire elites and global corporations toward authoritarianism, internal repression, and the preparation of the government of would-be Fuhrer Donald Trump to declare war on Russia and China. Perus 1993 Constitution, an extremely reactionary charter that favors privatization and transnational corporations, while destroying the democratic rights of the working class, has been ignored by the current Congress, which has been passing laws that favor organized crime, the mining transnationals, banking, foreign capital, and agro-export business groups. Jose Jeri is a creature of this system and of the popularly hated Congress dominated by right-wing reaction, linking the national bourgeoisie with lumpen figures and corrupt congressmen tied to organized crime. There is not the slightest will in this body to repeal the laws that have promoted insecurity and extortion, and the reign of criminal organizations. In other words, the war on crime announced by the new interim president is false and cynical. Jose Jeris government faces overwhelming public opposition, similar to that of his predecessor, Boluarte. Despite the union leaderships willingness to call a truce, planned protests will challenge the new governments authority, as it does not represent the majoritys democratic aspirations. The national bourgeoisie is terrified that the conciliatory program pushed by trade union leaders will lead to a more militant leadership of the working class. As the strikes continued to escalate, workers began to raise questions that could jeopardize the rule of the bourgeoisie. One new slogan appeared on the marches, calling for the creation of armed defense committees to safeguard working-class districts from the extortionist mafias. The rejection of all parties participating in the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for April 2026, is a positive sign that workers, peasants, and especially the youth are seeking a different kind of leadership. The program proposed by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) aligns with the needs of the oppressed masses in Peru and internationally. It fights for: 1. The political independence for the working classfrom all bourgeois parties and the corrupt leaders in trade unions and their pseudo-left satellites. 2. The international working classobjectively, workers around the world are already united and collaborating within supply chains that cross national borders and oceans. 3. A socialist program to bring all of the major banks and corporations under public ownership under an economic plan led by the working class, putting an end to production for profit, which is the root of social inequality, and prioritizing the needs of the working class and the entire population. To implement these proposals, a Peruvian section of the ICFI must be established. Over the past two months the University of Michigan (U-M) administration has renewed and escalated its attacks on current and former students for their involvement in on-campus protests against Israels US-backed genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. According to an article in the Michigan Advance on September 29, U-M has handed down seven charges against pro-Palestinian protesters, again targeting students and alumni. These charges come roughly two months after administrators brought disciplinary charges against 11 protesters, while the campus was largely empty during the summer semester. The IYSSE at U-M calls on all youth and workers on campus, across the country and internationally to oppose the frame-up of anti-genocide protesters at the University of Michigan and universities throughout the US and around the world. The IYSSE demands that the GEO and AFT defend their members and all students facing disciplinary charges, and take strike action to halt the universitys repressive measures. A protest at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, on August 28, 2024 As was the case in the first round of charges at U-M, the new charges reportedly carry a range of penalties, including academic suspension, re-enrollment ban, formal reprimand and a lifetime ban from the campus. Its currently unclear whether the students and alumni targeted in the first round are among those receiving these new charges. The 11 individuals charged in the first round still face the threat of further disciplinary action. Those facing charges now include several leaders from the pro-Palestinian Tahrir Coalitionincluding members from the Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE, the U-M chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine), the Muslim Student Association, the Arab Students Association and Jewish Voice for Peaceand four former members of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), Local 3550 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Four of these 11 were among the pro-Palestinian protesters charged by Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for their involvement in anti-genocide protests on the U-Mich Ann Arbor campus. In May, Nessel dropped all charges, including felonies, against roughly a dozen protesters her office charged between September 2024 and January 2025 for their involvement in anti-genocide demonstrations and the U-M solidarity encampment in May 2024. The real intent behind Nessels sudden reversalafter months of public prosecution had become a lightning rod for public oppositionis that there was a determination by the Democratic Party that the U-M administration would be better suited to suppress political dissent at U-M, through anti-democratic on-campus mechanisms. The U-M administrators had already spent much of the previous two years working with the Biden administration and Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer in erecting an anti-democratic apparatus on campus. Since the election of the fascist Donald Trump as president in November 2024, the U-M administration has worked swiftly to accommodate the authoritarian attack on campuses across the country. This includes the recent formation in the fall semester of the Office of Student Accountability (OSA), and several new amendments to U-Ms Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities (SSSR). Previously, all disciplinary actions were overseen by the Office of Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR). The OSCR typically processes disciplinary actions within 180 days of receiving a formal complaint. The OSA, as well as new amendments to the SSSR, appear to allow the administration to now bypass these limits and align previous violations to reflect changes to federal, state, or university laws under the Trump regime. In issuing the charges against protesters, U-M claims the pro-Palestinian protests were disruptive, compromising regular university operations and infringing on the rights of other U-M students. In his communication to Michigan Advance, Jarvis stated, The university has been clear that we will enforce our policies related to protests and expressive activity, and that we will hold individuals accountable for their actions in order to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all. In effect, creating an inclusive environment for defenders and apologists for the genocide inflicted by Israel in Gaza means punishing and excluding those who publicly oppose the genocide and call it what it is. Over the last two months, U-M has also wielded this argument to suppress the Tahrir Coalitions Freedom School, which was intended as a week-long art exhibit featuring teach-ins and social events. Just days into the events, the universitys Division of Public Safety and Security mobilized and removed it from campus grounds. Over the past two years, the university administration has made sweeping changes to its conduct policy and internal operations, with the sole intent of restricting the democratic rights of students and workers on campus in response to growing opposition to the Gaza genocide. Revisions to the conduct code made by the Board of Regents enable the administration to define virtually any protest action it wishes to suppress as disruptive to the universitys functioning. On this basis, it allows the administration to subject students, staff and faculty to a wide range of disciplinary measures, including the charges brought against students and alumni. The OSCR itself has received several modifications to serve this end, most significantly the Regents July 2024 revision to the student conduct code, which created the Student Conduct Investigator position under the OSCR. The investigator works directly with the U-M police and surveillance networks to collect information and file complaints against students, faculty and staff on behalf of the university. U-M augmented this operation with the hiring of private investigators employed by Detroit-based City Shield to the tune of $800,000 between June 2023 and September 2024. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality at the University of Michigan (IYSSE at U-M) demands an end to disciplinary hearings and the dropping of all charges. This is a witch-hunt against students and workers whose only crime is to have opposed the genocide in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian students and workers face slanderous accusations of antisemitism for peacefully protesting against the war crimes of US imperialism and the Zionist Israeli regime. Despite it having been two months since the initial round of disciplinary charges were issued against their alumni members and students, the GEO and AFT bureaucracy have not taken any measures to defend workers and youth except for a paltry statement issued on the GEOs website and distributed through its Twitter/X account. While acknowledging the grave threat the charges pose, and the parallel between U-Ms attack on democratic rights and the authoritarian nature of the fascist Trump administration, the union bureaucracy makes no calls for mobilizing workers and youth to take action to defend their democratic rights. The charges are part of a national campaign to suppress opposition to US imperialisms crimes abroad, directed in Michigan by Democratic Governor Whitmer and coordinated at U-M with the Democrat-dominated Board of Regents. Between 2023 and 2024, the Democratic Biden administration served as the nerve center for this national repression campaign. The IYSSE at U-M supports the Socialist Equality Partys (SEP) call for workers and youth to take the initiative by forming rank-and-file committees in every workplace, school and neighborhood to defend their coworkers, their families and their communities. The SEP is spearheading the building of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), to unify workers across all industries and countries into a political movement against dictatorship, war and capitalist oligarchy. Internationally, opposition to the Gaza genocide is emerging in record mass protests once more, drawing tens of millions of workers and youth around the world into struggle with the interests of world imperialism. Students, workers and youth at U-M and other universities looking to oppose Trumps dictatorship, the Gaza genocide and war must take up the fight for socialism and join the IYSSE and SEP today. Jean-Luc Melenchon attends a political rally Saturday, May 25, 2024 in Aubervilliers, near Paris. [AP Photo/ Aurelien Morissard] Political crises are always a test for political parties. While they may hide behind a veil of rhetoric and illusions in normal times, a crisis reveals their true colours. This applies in particular to the current political crisis in France and Jean-Luc Melenchons La France insoumise (Unsubmissive France). The resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu after only 27 days in office and his reappointment Friday evening is not simply another government crisis, such as France has repeatedly experienced over the past three decades. It is a crisis of capitalist rule. Lecornu is already the fifth head of government appointed by President Macron to have been forced to step down in the space of two years. And the terms of office are getting shorter and shorter. The reason for this is the impossibility of implementing, within the framework of bourgeois-democratic institutions, the massive cuts in pensions, social benefits, education, health care and other public services that the ruling class considers indispensable to finance its massive military buildup, budget deficit reduction and hunger for profits. The underlying cause is the governments persistent inability to secure a functioning parliamentary majority for much-needed fiscal consolidation, financial expert Mohamed El-Erian summarised the reason for Lecornus resignation in the Financial Times. In 1929, when democratic regimes in numerous European countries were replaced by authoritarian and fascist ones, Leon Trotsky compared democracy to a system of safety switches and fuses to guard against too strong currents of national or social hostility. Under the too high tension of class and international oppositions, the safety switches of democracy fuse or burst. This is the essence of the short-circuit of dictatorship, he wrote. The same thing is happening today in Franceand not only there. Decades of social spending cuts by left-wing and right-wing governments, which repeatedly met with mass protests, have discredited the established parties to such an extent that they can no longer achieve stable majorities. Leading representatives of the bourgeoisie are increasingly openly toying with the idea of bringing the far rightMarine Le Pen and Jordan Bardellas Rassemblement National (RN) and Eric Zemmour and Marion Marechal-Le Pens Reconqueteto power. Bruno Retailleau, the leader of the conservative Les Republicains (LR), who brought down Lecornus cabinet with his resignation, is open to working with the far right. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy has even asserted that the RN belongs to the republican arc, meaning it is clearly a democratic party. For his part, RN leader Bardella has declared himself willing to enter into a government agreement with the conservatives. In the election polls, the RN has a third of the votes, while no other party has more than 15 percent. This development is reminiscent of the death throes of the Weimar Republic, when economic crisis and explosive social conflicts shattered the fragile framework of democracy. From 1930 onwards, no government had a parliamentary majority and ruled by emergency decrees and semi-dictatorial measures. Finally, the leaders of the state, the economy, and the military decided to bring Adolf Hitler to power. They needed the Nazis to break the backbone of the working class. In the US, Trump is following a similar path. Ongoing wars and social decline under the Democrats responsibility have paved his way back to the White House. Now he is using his power to fill top government positions with fascists, set the ICE Gestapo on migrants, smash social gains, and suppress resistance with the National Guard and the army. The Democrats are not resisting because, like Trump, they represent the interests of Wall Street and fear a working class movement far more than a fascist dictatorship. France is moving in the same direction. President Macrons reappointment of Lecornu as head of government will not stop this, but accelerate it. Should Lecornu prove capable this time around of forming a new government, it will bow to the dictates of finance capital, which demands drastic cuts in social spending because the countrys high debt now threatens its profits and the stability of the euro and the European Union. France is at a crossroads: either the working class intervenes independently in political events, declares war on the capitalist oligarchy and its parties, and reorganises the economy and society on a socialist basisor it will be subjected to a brutal dictatorship. Melenchon insists on compliance with the Constitution In this situation, Jean-Luc Melenchon and his LFI play a decisive role in covering up the manoeuvres of the ruling class from the left, lulling the working class into complacency and disarming it politically. If one believes Melenchon, there is no capitalist crisis and no fascist danger. The fall of several governments in a short period of time is merely the result of the contradiction between the legitimacy of the presidential elections and the parliamentary elections inherent in the Fifth Republic. This, Melenchon writes in his blog post of October 6, leads to confusion in peoples minds, in institutions, among economic actors and among political decision-makers, which makes everything worse. Melenchon identifies the president as the source of the chaos for not accepting the results of the early parliamentary elections and refusing to appoint a prime minister from the ranks of the New Popular Front (NFP), which emerged from the election as the strongest faction. Macron also failed to respond to the mass protests of recent weeks. To solve the core of the problem, Melenchon says, we must return to the people. The legitimacy of the President of the Republic must be questioned in the forms permitted by our parliamentary democracy. I repeat: in the institutional forms available to us, he said. Specifically, Melenchon proposes impeachment proceedings against the president in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, whichas he himself knowsare so high that they cannot be fulfilled. Elsewhere in his blog, Melenchon also insists on strict adherence to the Constitution and respect for state institutions. The political life of a people runs through its institutions. And respect for the functioning of its institutions requires strict respect for the will of the people. Otherwise, it is no longer a democracy, he writes. The whole world is in turmoil. The European powers are arming themselves as they have not done since World War II and are intensifying the war against the nuclear-armed power Russia. In the US, Trump is establishing a fascist dictatorship and encountering growing resistance from the working class. In France, mass protests and strikes against Macron and his government are taking place regularly, and the extreme right is on the rise. But Melenchon responds by swearing allegiance to the Constitution and refraining from any call to struggle. A few constitutional changesMelenchon calls for a Sixth Republicand the election of a different president are, he argues, sufficient to dispel the spectre of fascism. Melenchons attitude is reminiscent of the German Social Democrats, who relied on the Reich president and the Constitution in the fight against Hitler andas Leon Trotsky wrotebelieved that the question of which class will be in power in todays Germany, shaken to its core, does not depend on the fighting power of the German proletariat, ... but on whether the pure spirit of the Weimar Constitution (with the necessary amount of camphor and naphthalene) will settle in the presidential palace. Behind the radical rhetoric Melenchon is capable of in his hours-long monologues lies a bourgeois politician who believes in the state. The WSWS has shown in numerous articles how Melenchon has contributed to the current crisis. Born in 1951, he began his political career in Pierre Lamberts Organisation Communiste Internationaliste (OCI), when it broke with Trotskyism and turned to Francois Mitterrands Socialist Party (PS). In 1976, he joined the PS himself and rose through the ranks, leading him to a deputy ministerial post under Lionel Jospin in 2000. In 2008, Melenchon left the PS and founded the Left Party. This was followed in 2016 by La France insoumise, for which he won just under 20 percent of the vote in the 2017 presidential election and 22 percent in 2022. Although LFI presented itself as a left-wing alternative to the PS and the Communist Party, it strictly rejected a class analysis of society and an orientation towards the working class. Instead, it relied on populist theories developed by sociologists Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, which are also invoked by other pseudo-left parties such as Podemos in Spain. In his book Lere du peuple (The Era of the People), published in 2014, Melenchon writes: Action will be carried out in the name of the general human interest: that will be the new battle cry. The people will lead it, not a particular class that rules over the rest of the population. It is now clear what lies behind this invocation of the people: the rejection of class struggle in favour of shabby political manoeuvres within the framework of the bourgeois order. In Melenchons case, this goes hand in hand with unbridled nationalism: he professes his commitment to Frances interests, whether in foreign or economic policy. The international working class has no place in his universe. Although he is now calling for his removal, Melenchon played a key role in keeping the hated president in power. For the early parliamentary elections in 2024, LFI forged an alliance with the discredited Socialists, Communists, and Greens under the name New Popular Front (NFP) and ceded numerous constituencies to them. In the second round of voting, many NFP candidates withdrew in favour of the presidents party, Ensemble, thereby strengthening Macrons base. Subsequent governments were also able to rely on the support of the NFP time and again. In the recent government crisis, Melenchon did not participate in the negotiations with Macron in order to avoid discrediting himself too much. The other parties in the NFPthe Socialists, the Greens and the Communistsworked intensively with Macron to help him resolve the crisis. They repeatedly offered to form a government under his presidency. And while Melenchon remained publicly reserved, two leading LFI officials, Manuel Bompard and Mathilde Panot, appealed to the Socialists and Greens to form a joint government. The struggle against Macron and the threat of a takeover by the far right can only be waged against Melenchon and his LFI. It requires a socialist perspective that unites the international working class, not populist slogans that paralyse and mislead workers and young people. Sri Lankan President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake is currently preparing his governments 2026 budget, which will be presented to parliament on November 7. Last week, a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) team declared in no uncertain terms that Sri Lankas next budget had to be fully in accord with the banks austerity demands. IMF delegates speak with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on October 7, 2025. [Photo: Facebook/Anura Kumara Dissanayake] The IMF officials were in Colombo from September 24 to October 9 to review whether the government had met its past targets and how the new budget proposals were being prepared. Addressing the media on October 9, IMF mission chief Evan Papageorgiou said: The IMF will monitor both the size and quality of government spending. Papageorgiou warned that although the IMF had reached a staff-level agreement to release $US347 million, the fifth instalment of its $3 billion bailout loan, IMF Executive Board approval of the tranche was contingent on parliaments passage of the 2026 budget. Next years budget, he added, had to be in line with program parameters and the completion of the financing assurances review, to confirm multilateral partners financing contributions and assess adequate progress with debt restructuring. These parameters include slashing the fiscal deficit to show a primary account surplus of 2.3 percent of GDP and ensure that the repayment of foreign debts, which the country defaulted on in 2022, would start in 2028. In 2021, Sri Lankas deficit was 6 percent of its GDP. The IMF staff review called on the government to introduce measures to improve tax compliance, broaden the tax base and ensure efficient public expenditure. In practice, this means extracting more revenue from the working people through new tax increases, slashing state subsidies, restructuring or privatising about 400 state owned enterprises (SOE) and imposing other austerity measures. An official report informed a parliamentary committee last week that Sri Lanka must begin repaying $37 billion in foreign loans, starting in 2028, with annual repayments of $4 billion over the following decade. During last years presidential and general elections, Dissanayake and his Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna/National Peoples Power (JVP/NPP) falsely promised voters that they would ease the previous governments austerity measures. Dissanayake quickly dropped these pledges after being elected. Meeting with the IMF delegation on October 7, Dissanayake said his government regards IMF support, not merely as external assistance but as an integral element of its comprehensive strategy. The IMF, he added, was a key strategic partner in Sri Lankas ongoing journey toward financial stability and economic resilience and it was imperative for Sri Lanka to exceed the targets set by the IMF. This means even more ruthless social assaults. A key aspect of the IMFs cost-cutting program is the dismantling of the public sector and the destruction of thousands of jobs. IMF mission chief Papageorgiou stressed that the SOE reforms were needed to contain systemic fiscal risks. The brutal character of this agenda is seen in the ongoing restructure of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which employs around 22,000 workers. It is being broken into four companies, with plans to list their shares on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Papageorgiou said these measures were necessary to ensure that the electricity company operates on commercial grounds, much like any private company would, and makes sound and operationally good financial decisions. Energy sector reform and cost-recovery pricing are paramount to ensuring fiscal discipline, he added. In other words, higher electricity tariffs. Under pressure from the IMF, the government is expected to lift the cost of electricity by 7 percent in coming days. Papageorgious statements are an indirect threat against CEB employees who have taken industrial action since September 4 to demand assurances of continuity of their jobs, wage levels, pension funds and other rights under the new companies. On September 21, Dissanayake imposed Essential Services Regulations banning all industrial action by CEB employees. These draconian laws carry heavy penalties, including jail, for workers who do not comply. Last month the government decided to liquidate 33 non-functional and financially unsustainable SOEs, including Mihin Lanka, Lanka Cement PLC and Magampura Ports Management Company. These liquidations are being justified under the guise of improving fiscal discipline and eliminating wastage. Thousands of workers from these institutions will be laid off and paid meagre compensation. The World Bank has also called for the downsizing of Sri Lankas public sector. Its Sri Lanka Public Finance Review 2025 has said the countrys public-sector workforce of 1.21 million should be rightsized, stressing that the government must trim its bloated public sector via well-targeted attrition policies. While Dissanayakes claims that the IMF is a strategic partner of Sri Lanka for financial stability and economic resilience will be music to the ears of big business and international investors, it will bring further misery for workers and the poor. Current IMF austerity measures have already devastated the living standards of working people. The World Bank reports that 22 percent of the population now live below the poverty line of 16,397 rupees ($54) per month with another 10 percent hovering just above this figure. More than 55 percent of the population struggles with food insecurity. Notwithstanding Dissanayakes demagogic claims of economic recoveryon August 7, he told parliament that the country would exceed its revenue target of 4.5 trillion rupees this yearSri Lanka, like every other country, confronts a deepening international economic crisis and trade war. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported on September 30 that US President Trumps 20 percent tariffs on Sri Lanka have begun to bite into exports. It estimated that the overall effective average tariff rate increase on the island is 17.4 percentthe highest since the Great Depression of the 1930spotentially causing $634 million in export losses and threatening 16,000 jobs, mainly among female apparel workers. The parliamentary opposition parties have kept their mouths shut about the latest IMF talks. Their unwavering support for the harsh attacks on public sector workers was seen in their unanimous approval of the Essential Services Regulation in parliament on September 25. Likewise, the CEB trade union bureaucracies, and their union counterparts in other public sector workplaces and institutions, fully support the IMFs demands and are conspicuously silent about Dissanayakes use of the repressive Essential Services Regulation. The only way the working class can defeat Dissanayakes IMF-dictated assault on jobs, wages, and working conditions is by breaking from every faction of the capitalist class and fighting for a socialist program that repudiates all foreign loans and nationalises all the major companies, banks, and plantations, placing them under workers democratic control. This requires the building of action committees in every workplace and among the rural masses to lay the foundations for a democratic and socialist congress to develop the program and strategy to bring a workers and peasants government to power as part of the fight for international socialism. On October 3, 2025, a Ukrainian court ruled against a request from the defense that the judge in the case of Ukrainian Trotskyist Bogdan Syrotiuk should be removed. Bogdan, then 25 years old, was arrested in April 2024 on charges of high treason under martial law, which carry between 15 years and life in prison. Bogdans defense lawyers had argued that the judge should be recalled for bias. Bogdan Syrotiuk with an image of Leon Trotsky in an old Soviet edition of John Reed's Ten Days that Shook the World, April 2023 Bogdans indictment was based primarily on articles that he wrote and translated for or distributed from the World Socialist Web Site, the publication of the International Committee of the Fourth International. Yet while the prosecution describes the WSWS as an information agency of the Kremlin, the WSWS and Bogdans Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), have consistently opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine from an internationalist standpoint, fighting for the unity of the Russian and Ukrainian working class. This line has been publicly documented, including in the articles cited as evidence by the prosecution. Since his arrest, Bogdan has been detained in an overcrowded prison in Nikolaev in southern Ukraine. In virtually all court decisions regarding his arrest and the seizure of his property, the court used language that was almost identical to the requests submitted by the prosecuting body, the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU). In many instances, entire paragraphs were simply copied and pasted. This is under conditions where, in multiple court sessions, the prosecution has been unable to muster any evidence to substantiate its grave charges, despite calling multiple witnesses. The recent decision to not dismiss the judge for bias underscores yet again that, within the Ukrainian court system, everything is stacked against Bogdan. A few days earlier, on October 1, the Nikolaev appeals court had ruled against a request by the defense that Bogdans imprisonment be changed to house arrest. The same appeals court had also ruled against the same request of the defense in July. The unlawful detention of Bogdan is the principal basis for his case before the European Court of Human Rights, which recently agreed to hear the case. Bogdans lawyers argue that his arrest constituted a violation of Article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to liberty. But many other aspects of the case also speak to a systematic violation of his basic human and democratic rights. In particular, there is growing evidence that the conditions under which he is being held constitute inhuman treatment, which is prohibited by Article 3. Bogdan was already in ill health at the time of his arrest, suffering, in particular, from serious dental problems. Because of his arrest, he was unable to get a planned dental procedure. Now, in a prison with poor food and hygiene, he has been suffering from pain because several of his teeth are severely damaged. However, an urgently necessary appointment with a dentist outside the prison, which was originally due to take place in July, has been repeatedly postponed. This kind of procedure is not uncommon for the Ukrainian prison system. In June, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of Benyukh v. Ukraine that the Ukrainian state had withheld necessary treatment for 19 months from a prisoner who was suffering from adentia (loss of his teeth). Despite the authorities being aware of the diagnosis since at least October 2019, it was only thanks to the intervention of an NGO, Youth with a Mission, that the prisoner Benyukh, who had no financial means to pay for his treatment, received dentures in 2021 at the expense of the NGO. The ECHR found that the state of Ukraine violated Articles 3 and 13 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Article 3 prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and Article 13 says, Everyone whose rights and freedoms as set forth in this Convention are violated shall have an effective remedy before a national authority notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity. The World Socialist Web Site has turned to the NGO to request its involvement in the case of Bogdan Syrotiuk. To support the campaign to free Bogdan Syrotiuk and his case before the ECHR, go to this page to sign the petition, donate, and learn more. In a display of naked contempt for the French people, President Emmanuel Macron announced late Friday night that he was renaming as prime minister Sebastien Lecornu, who resigned on Monday as his government coalition collapsed. Macrons week of consultations with Frances parliamentary parties proved to be a lengthy delaying exercise to prolong a fallen government. Last week, French media were dominated by plans that Macron would make a deal with forces from Jean-Luc Melenchons New Popular Front (NFP). While Melenchons France Unbowed (LFI) party kept demanding Macrons resignation, almost all the other parties in the NFP rushed to negotiate with Frances hated president of the rich. The bourgeois Socialist Party (PS), the Greens and the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF) all rushed to the Elysee presidential palace to beg Macron for access to power. Friday afternoon, however, they were stunned when Macron rejected their advances and denied them the prime ministership, even though the NFP came in first in the last legislative elections in July 2024. We emerged stunned from the meeting, Green Party leader Marine Tondelier said as she left the Elysee. We have had no answer, except that the prime minister named in the coming hours will not be from our political camp. At 10 p.m., with no further explanations, the Elysee presidential palace issued a two-line communique, stating: The president of the Republic has named Mr Sebastien Lecornu prime minister and tasked him with forming a government. Macron and the capitalist oligarchy are exploiting the NFPs political bankruptcy to place before it a poisoned choice. Melenchon insists that opposition cannot take the form of class struggle, but rather a peoples revolution in the parliament. Macron is therefore placing the NFP in a parliamentary dead end. Either it discredits itself by supporting a hated Lecornu government as it carries out a policy of austerity, war and dictatorship, or it joins the neo-fascist National Rally (RN) in voting to bring down Lecornu and trigger elections that the RN could very well win. RN officials have reacted by threatening to censure a new Lecornu government, which RN party president Jordan Bardella denounced as a contraption with no future and a bad joke, a democratic shame and a humiliation of the French people. The PS, the Greens, the PCF and LFI are also threatening to censure Lecornu, who cannot escape falling if these parties act upon their threats. The holding of new elections is a very distinct possibility. Currently, polls indicate that the RN and the right-wing The Republicans (LR) could together win a narrow majority in the Assembly. Moreover, factions of Macrons party, notably figures such as his former prime minister Edourd Philippewho is now calling for Macrons resignationare also engaged in back-channel discussions on forming a government with the RN. In the French ruling class, plans to impose a fascistic dictatorship led by the RN are far advanced. NFP leaders have reacted with demoralized predictions that a neo-fascist victory is inevitably. Late Friday night, Tondelier of the Greens appeared on LCI news, declaring: The electoral fuel of the RN is social despair, seeing that voting does no good, Macron is no good. The people who voted for us when we came in first in the elections, they are telling themselves: Well, they did not even take office. You see what that does to public opinion. Emmanuel Macron is taking us all to a very dangerous place, he is taking the country into a dangerous place. I will never forgive him. We will wake up one day with the far right having the prime ministership, maybe the presidency. A neofascist victory is not at all inevitable, but it is impossible to prevent it without mobilizing the working class and breaking the NFPs diktat over the class struggle. There is explosive working-class anger against Macron, workers unanimously reject his policy of social austerity, and calls are circulating to block everything with a general strike. But the union leaderships have not even fixed a next protest day of action against Macron and his attempts to rule against the people. By demobilizing opposition, as when they called off strikes in 2023 against Macrons vastly unpopular pension cuts, it is the NFP itself that fuels social despair and the rise of the RN. A revolutionary strategy, organizing and mobilizing rank-and-file workers independently of the bureaucracies, in committees of action, is necessary to rally the working class against austerity, imperialist war and dictatorship. The only viable perspective for such a movement is the expropriation of the capitalist oligarchy, which is driving far-right forces internationally, by the socialist revolution. The French bourgeoisie, for its part, aims to defend its wealth and world position via a vast social retrogression in workers living conditions. Its policy follows the basic lines laid out by Trump in Washington. As Trump fires government workers and threatens basic social entitlements, he is sending troops to occupy US cities from Los Angeles to Chicago and Washington with authorization to use full force on the people. Class relations are not fundamentally different in Europe and in the United States. The marching orders from financial markets to the French state were laid out in a recent article in the Washington Post, titled Europes high quality of life is getting hard to afford. Just ask France. Blaming Russia and China, it demanded deep cuts to European quality of life. Europe, it wrote, is sandwiched between an aggressive Russian threat and a mercurial US president who is squeezing traditional allies on tariffs and who seems to shift security commitments from one day to the next. At the same time, France and Germany both face a rising economic challenge from China, which is competing with European manufacturing on big-ticket goods such as German-made electric vehicles and French-made nuclear power plants. It concluded, The cost of Europes way of lifehealth care, affordable education, and an dignified retirement for all through high social spendingis becoming unbearably high. The conclusions drawn by the ruling class are not hard to see. If social rights to health care, affordable education and dignified retirement pose a threat to their obscene wealth, then workers should forgo health care, go massively into debt to finance their education, and should not have dignified retirements. From this flows the necessity for a fascistic dictatorship to repress mass opposition to social retrogression and plans for total war against Russia. The only viable perspective is the international mobilization of the working class against the accelerating attempts by the capitalist oligarchy to impose a dictatorship. The Parti de legalite socialiste explained in its statement, Which way forward for the working class after the fall of the French government?: Two stark alternatives are presented. Either the capitalist oligarchy builds a fascistic dictatorship to crush the working class, or the working class wages a revolutionary struggle on a socialist program to expropriate the oligarchs. This requires breaking through the straitjacket of the union bureaucracies and building genuine, rank-and-file organizations dedicated to prosecuting the class struggle. The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) calls for the transfer of power from the trade union bureaucracies to the workers in all factories and workplaces. Such new forms of class organization, uniting workers in France and throughout Europe, are necessary to organize resistance to and defeat the corporate-financial oligarchys program of fascism, genocide and war. An article by New Zealand journalist Nicky Hager, published on the website Newsroom on October 9, sheds light on the advanced preparations by the United States and its allies for all-out war against China. The article is based on handwritten notes taken by a New Zealand Defence Force official during a meeting of the Five Eyes, held at Britains Royal Navy Warfighting Centre in Portsmouth from May 13-16 in 2024. The notes were mistakenly left in an op shop (thrift store) and discovered by a member of the public in August 2025, providing a rare glimpse of secret discussions between the imperialist powers war planners. HMNZS Te Kaha passing through the South China Sea in 2007 [Photo by New Zealand Defence Force / CC BY 2.0 The Five Eyes originated during World War II. For decades, it has been the key mechanism for the coordination of global surveillance and sharing of intelligence between the spy agencies of the US, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. More than just an intelligence-sharing network, however, the Five Eyes is now playing a central role in the web of military alliances led by US imperialism, which is fomenting wars throughout the worldagainst Russia, in the Middle East, and especially in the militarisation of the Indo-Pacific region against China. A 211-word press statement by the British Strategic Command, dated May 20, 2024, described the Five Eyes Combined Digital Leadership Forum in broad terms as an opportunity to share insights and ideas, and exchange and coordinate our data, digital and technology approaches with close allies. It discussed digital deterrence, cyber resilience and artificial intelligence, with the aim of enhancing digital interoperability between allies to produce an even more resilient and unified group ready to face current and future threats. Newsroom reports that the main focus of discussion, kept secret from the public, was a network described as a globally integrated, all-domain, command and control system. Hager explains: A command and control system means computer programmes that allow all enemy (red) and friendly (blue) military forces to be tracked and orders to be sent for attacks. All Domain means navy, land, air and space forces; and globally-integrated means intelligence and military actions can be launched and directed anywhere in the world. The meeting notes suggest this system is to be operational in 2027-2030. It is the electronic infrastructure for a superpower confrontation. The NZ officials notes state that the aim is to develop a credible and effective combined joint all-domain [command and control] capability for counter-PRC Operations. PRC stands for the Peoples Republic of China. Hager continues: In the staffers notes we hear the urgency coming from the US and UK commanders. The officer writes of The Need to move even faster to get it into the hands of the forces, where it is the war-ready intelligence making up the federated [Five Eyes] data fabric. This is a common theme in US military publications: the urgent need to speed up the development of advanced war fighting capabilities in order to confront China. The handwritten notes make clear that systems are being developedincluding what are referred to as Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE)to seamlessly integrate the activities of all the Five Eyes countries militaries to prepare them for peer-level conflict. In other words, the imperialist allies are not preparing for a conflict against a weak, under-developed country such as Afghanistan. Nor are they building up their navies to counter drug trafficking or to provide disaster relief to countries in the Pacificjustifications commonly put forward by governments in Australia and New Zealand. They are readying for war against the main economic rival of US imperialism, i.e., China. All of this is being hidden from the population in each of the Five Eyes countries. The revelations in the Newsroom article were not denied by the New Zealand Defence Force. Asked whether NZDF had been involved in discussions about war against China at the Portsmouth meeting, a spokesperson told Newsroom: NZDF routinely considers and plans for a range of scenarios and events. Yet the article has been ignored by the US, Canadian, British and Australian media, and by other New Zealand publications. An incessant propaganda barrage in the corporate media depicts China as an aggressive power, seeking to expand its territory in the South China Sea and across the Pacific, and with plans for an invasion of Taiwan in the near future. The reality is that the imperialist powers, led by the US, are engaged in a rapid military build-up because, as the Five Eyes meeting notes make clear, they are working to a timetable for launching a war of aggression. The aim is to establish total control over the resources and markets of Asia and to eliminate China as an economic rival to the US by reducing it to colonial status. Regular military exercises are being carried out by the Five Eyes countries and regional allies including Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, in an attempt to provoke Beijing into retaliating and thus provide pretexts for further US escalation. Through the AUKUS military pact and other arrangements, Australia is being rapidly militarised to serve as a base for anti-China operations. The military encirclement and warmongering against China has been underway at least since the pivot to Asia strategy announced in 2011 by US President Barack Obama. But the drive to war has accelerated sharply in recent years, particularly following the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. US attacks against Iran and threats against Venezuela, as well as the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza, are all aimed at rolling back Chinas economic influence. Through its global tariffs, the Trump administration is carrying out economic war against China. In May, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared that China posed an imminent threat and demanded that US allies in Asia end their attempts to manoeuvre between China and the US. He said they had to prepare for war over Taiwan as early as 2027. This aligns with the timeframe discussed at last years Five Eyes meeting for implementing an all-domain command and control system. The imperialist powers have embarked on an expanding global war, which is leading inexorably to a clash between nuclear-armed powers. Two years of mass, global protests against the genocide in Gaza have proven that it is useless to appeal to the fascist Trump regime or any of its allies to change course. They are being driven to violently redivide the world, not by subjective whims, but by the objective crisis of capitalism. The only force powerful enough to stop this unfolding catastrophe is the international working class, mobilised on the basis of a socialist program, to put an end to the capitalist and imperialist system which is the root cause of war. Governor Gavin Newsoms signing of Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) on October 10 was hailed across the political establishment and corporate media as a historic reform that will finally tackle Californias housing crisis. The Los Angeles Times praised it as one of the most ambitious state-imposed housing efforts in recent memory, a supposedly bold strike against exclusionary zoning and local obstruction. In the breathless coverage that followed, Newsom was presented as a pragmatic progressive fulfilling his long-stated promise to build more homes faster and to put housing near jobs and transit. SB 79 represents not a social reform but a calculated concession to the construction and financial industries that dominate California politics. Behind the technocratic rhetoric of density, climate efficiency, and transit-oriented development lies a naked transfer of power and profit to corporate developers and hedge fund-backed real estate trusts served by the Democratic Party machine. The law overrides local zoning in eight of Californias largest countiesthose with at least fifteen passenger-rail stationsallowing private developers to build up to nine-story residential projects directly adjacent to subway or commuter-rail stops, seven stories within a quarter-mile, and six within a half-mile. It takes effect in July 2026 and is advertised as a measure to promote smart growth and reduce automobile dependence. SB 79 contains a maze of exemptions and carve-outs. Areas designated as high fire-risk zones, historic districts, or environmentally sensitive lands may be excluded. Local governments retain certain powers to delay implementation or re-map boundaries, a provision that can be exploited by affluent municipalities. The law follows Newsoms June 2025 enactment of Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131 which prepared the regulatory and legal environment for SB 79 by weakening environmental oversight and streamlining development approvals. The bills gutted the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), stripping away decades of environmental protections and public oversight. A devastating assault on workers was delivered by Newsom a few days later through the 2025-26 California budget, which imposed deep cuts to essential social services. The combined effect of these initiatives is to strip cities of much of their traditional zoning authority in favor of a state-level framework that grants by-right construction privileges to developers in transit-rich corridorsprecisely those areas where land values are highest and profits greatest. The primary beneficiaries of SB 79 are not the millions of Californians who face crushing rents and homelessness, but real estate capital and its financial backers. The bill offers them legal certainty to pursue high-density, high-yield projects under the pretext of environmental necessity. It doesnt guarantee affordability, but instead gives investors a green light to saturate transit hubs with luxury apartments and high-end condominiums marketed to upper-income professionals. California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. [AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez] The legislation includes no enforceable requirement that developers allocate substantial proportions of units to low-income tenants. Nor does it establish rent caps, displacement protections, or public ownership mandates. Density becomes a synonym for profitability, not social need. Absent massive public investment and democratic control, the new housing stock will be priced far beyond the reach of most workers. Already, similar up-zoning schemes in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Oakland have unleashed waves of gentrification and displacement. Once height limits are lifted, land speculation accelerates, property taxes rise, and working-class residents are driven out. Transit hubs such as MacArthur BART in Oakland or Boyle Heights stations in Los Angeles stand as cautionary tales: transit-oriented development becomes the spearhead of urban cleansing of low-income people. SB 79s gradual implementation schedule, with full effect only in mid-2026, gives financial interests time to acquire parcels and secure permits, positioning themselves ahead of a speculative boom. Newsoms measure is being promoted as a necessary assertion of state authority over parochial local governments. But the question is not whether power is centralized, it is in whose interests that power is wielded. SB 79 does not empower working people to plan their communities; it consolidates control in a state apparatus entirely subordinated to capital. California state agencies coordinate the interests of developers, banks, and construction conglomerates. When Newsom overrides local zoning, he is not expanding democratic participation but disarming local opposition to real estate profiteering. The few protests from city councils, such as Los Angeles officials invoking local control, express not working-class resistance but inter-elite friction between layers of the capitalist class, or fear of workers opposition. Wealthy enclaves demand autonomy to defend their property values, while state Democrats seek a uniform legal environment conducive to large-scale investment. In both cases, the needs of tenants and homeless workers are entirely excluded. Among the self-styled left faction on the Los Angeles City Council, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) representativesNithya Raman, Eunisses Hernandez, and Hugo Soto-Martinezlined up squarely behind the pro-developer SB 79, voting against the Councils resolution opposing the measure. Their support for Newsoms deregulation package exposes the real class character of the DSA: a privileged layer of the middle class that promotes progressive branding while advancing the profit interests of real estate capital. Only Ysabel Jurado voted with the majority to oppose SB 79, a move that amounted to political posturing. Her token dissent was an attempt at preserving credibility in a district certain to be devastated by the bills upzoning mandates, which will accelerate gentrification and displacement in working-class neighborhoods like Boyle Heights. SB 79s architecture of carve-outs exposes its class character. Exemptions for historic neighborhoods or fire-risk zones, and delays for small jurisdictions, will protect the very communities least burdened by the housing crisis. The so-called Beverly Hills carve-out allows the states most affluent city to preserve its low-density zoning. Meanwhile, working-class transit corridors in South Los Angeles, East Oakland and San Jose will bear the brunt of speculative redevelopment. These differential treatments are deliberate mechanisms of class privilege. The patchwork implementation ensures that up-zoning will deepen, not reduce, inequality. Developers are already maneuvering to exploit these loopholes. In wildfire-affected areas such as Pacific Palisades or Altadenawhere recent rebuilding efforts have drawn major contractorsthe exemptions for fire risk and historic character will provide legal cover for selective exclusion. The market will determine outcomes, not social need. The entire discourse around the housing crisis has been reframed to exclude the real culprit: capitalist speculation in land and housing. California has millions of vacant units. The crisis is not one of physical shortage but of ownership and profit. The Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) movement, heavily cited in media praise for SB 79, personifies this distortion. YIMBY groups posture as progressive advocates for more housing but in practice function as a lobby for real estate interests. Their alliance with Democratic politicians reflects the convergence of a professional-managerial layer with speculative capital. For them, up-zoning is not a tool for social equality but a strategy to boost returns and property values. SB 79 rests on the false claim that increasing total housing units will automatically make rents affordable. This pseudo-economic argument ignores the dynamics of capitalist property markets. Without social ownership and strict regulation, new supply gravitates to the most profitable sectorsluxury and upper-middle income housingleaving working-class families priced out. Californias own record proves this. Despite a decade of streamlining and density incentives, rents have soared, with homelessness reaching record levels and developers routinely flouting inclusionary zoning rules. SB 79 also serves an important political function. It allows the Democratic Party to posture as the defender of reform and progress while pursuing policies indistinguishable from those of the Republicans in substance. Newsom, whose presidential ambitions are widely known, seeks to polish his national credentials as a problem-solver willing to confront bureaucracy and NIMBYism. As Trump advances his dictatorial plans, the real alignment of forces must be laid bare: the state, the banks, the developers on one side with Democrats and Republicans; the working class on the other. The fight for decent, affordable homes cannot be entrusted to Newsom or any section of the capitalist state. It requires expropriating the major landholders and real-estate corporations, bringing housing under public ownership and democratic control. Housing must be recognized as a social right, not an investment vehicle. This means the independent mobilization of the working class through rank-and-file housing committees, united across workplaces and neighborhoods, to demand public ownership, social planning, and the abolition of profit. Only in this way can the housing crisis be ended and society reorganized to meet human need, not corporate greed. The verdict is in: three days a week in the office is the sweet spot for hybrid work, with 74% of Australian CEOs expecting this model to continue, according to KPMG research. Whats happening: Australian CEOs are significantly more confident about domestic economic growth than their global counterparts, according to KPMG Internationals annual CEO Outlook. However, expectations for full-time office returns have collapsed from 82% to just 22% in one year. Why this matters: The dramatic shift in workplace expectations confirms hybrid work as the permanent model for Australian business, with three days in the office emerging as the preferred arrangement despite rising AI investment priorities. Australian business leaders are outpacing their global peers in economic optimism whilst simultaneously abandoning expectations of a full return to office, marking a significant shift in how CEOs view both growth prospects and workplace strategies. KPMG Internationals 11th annual CEO Outlook, covering 1,350 chief executives across 11 leading economies including Australia, reveals that Australian CEOs have dramatically backflipped on their return to office expectations, with just 22% saying they now expected corporate employees back in the office full-time in the next three years. That was a sharp drop in expectations compared to a year ago, when 82% of Australian CEOs said they expected their workforce to be fully in office in the next three years. Asked what the expected working environment was for their corporate employees, 74% of Australian leaders expected a hybrid model to continue, compared to 66% globally. Forty-eight percent of Australian CEOs expected hybrid with three days in the office, 8% said hybrid with two office days and 18% said hybrid with four days in the office. No Australian CEOs thought that roles would be fully remote. The majority of CEOs have said that theyve found three days a week in the office to be the sweet spot, but I think ultimately its about what works for each business, Yates said. The numbers confirm what we have long suspected: a return to a fully back-in-the-office workforce in Australia is unlikely. The findings align with earlier research showing the business benefits of flexible work arrangements. In 2023, 84% of ANZ businesses viewed the adoption of hybrid and remote work as a boon to their bottom line, with CEOs placing hybrid work flexibility as the top driver for successful employee experience strategies. However, technology gaps remain a concern. Less than half (43%) of ANZ organisations believe their employees have access to the technology required for effective hybrid work. Optimism gap Almost 90% of Australian CEOs are confident in the domestic economys growth prospects over the next three years. That compares to 82% of CEOs globally who expressed confidence in their own domestic economies. Im not surprised that Australian CEOs are still feeling optimistic about the growth of our economy, given household spending has seen a recent uptick, and the RBA has cut the cash rate. While the global economy is still facing uncertainty, Australia is less impacted by tariffs than many other countries and so our export markets have remained strong, said KPMG Australia CEO Andrew Yates. Confidence in the growth prospects of their own organisations remained high, with 80% of Australian CEOs saying they were optimistic over the next three years. Still, that optimism had softened somewhat, down from 86% a year ago. When it came to the growth of the global economy, Australian CEOs were less optimistic than their US and Japanese counterparts. Sixty-six percent of Australian leaders said they were confident in global growth prospects over the next three years, an uptick from 62% a year ago, but lower than in the US, where 73% of CEOs were optimistic, and in Japan where 72% said they were confident. The divergence in sentiment reflects Australias unique economic position. Whilst global uncertainty persists, particularly around trade tensions and tariffs, Australias export markets have remained resilient and the Reserve Banks recent cash rate cut has provided a tailwind for domestic confidence. AI investment paradox Seventy percent of Australian CEOs indicated that AI was a top investment priority, up sharply from 58% last year. Despite this enthusiasm, the survey uncovered a significant investment gap compared to global peers. Nearly a third (29%) of Australian CEOs were committing less than 10% of their overall investment budget to AI. This was nearly double the proportion of companies globally (17%) investing less than 10% of their overall investment budget in AI. The proportionately low investment levels among Australian CEOs were coupled with the fact that 40% of Australian CEOs admitted to learning as they go when it came to AI, compared to just 23% of companies saying they were ad-libbing globally. Still, Australian companies continued to tout their AI readiness, with 82% of Australian leaders saying their board was equipped to navigate the adoption of and strategic use of AI. Without a national plan and effective regulation around the responsible use of AI, Australians are unwilling to trust it, and without trust there will continue to be a lack of investment. Without investment, we wont be able to reap the full productivity benefits, Yates said. Australia stands at a pivotal moment in harnessing the power of AI, but adoption requires more than just enthusiasm, it requires a strategic plan that builds trust and confidence in its use. By empowering businesses to invest in AI and equipping the workforce with the necessary training, we can not only drive innovation but also ensure that the benefits of AI are shared equitably across the economy, Yates said. Risk mitigation priorities When it came to mitigating business risk, cybersecurity and digital risks resilience were the biggest area of increased investment with 36% of Australian CEOs saying it was a focus area. The emphasis on digital security reflects the growing complexity of operating in an increasingly distributed workforce environment, where traditional perimeter-based security models no longer suffice. High-performing companies that increased their IT spending and invested in employee experience technology reported 56% more business growth and 89% greater employee satisfaction compared to underperformers, illustrating the tangible benefits of a well-supported and technologically empowered workforce. The KPMG CEO Outlook provides a snapshot of executive sentiment at a pivotal moment for Australian business, with leaders navigating economic uncertainty, technological transformation and fundamental shifts in workplace culture simultaneously. The data suggests Australian CEOs are approaching these challenges with confidence tempered by pragmatism, particularly when it comes to AI investment and workplace flexibility. ALSO READ: CEOs champion hybrid work as key employee strategy Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 25 years ago: UK rail privatization leads to fatal Hatfield crash On October 17, 2000, a passenger train on the Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) traveling from London to Leeds derailed at 115 mph near Hatfield, United Kingdom. Four people were killed: Robert Alcorn, 37, of Auckland, New Zealand; Steve Arthur, 46, of West Sussex; Leslie Gray, 43, of Nottinghamshire; and Peter Monkhouse, 50, of Leeds; more than 35 others were injured. Some survivors escaped by crawling through shattered windows; others had to wait to be freed by rescue crews. The disaster occurred barely a year after the Paddington rail crash, which claimed 37 lives and injured over 400. Early speculation in a media-driven frenzy about a terrorist attack proved unfounded. Once experts combed through the wreckage and interviewed survivors and rail workers, the evidence revealed chronic neglect of the tracks, leading to a fractured rail line. The company responsible for the privatized maintenance of the networks tracks, signals, tunnels and bridges was Railtrack, created from British Rail in 1994. A memorial garden for victims of the Hatfield rail crash To contain public anger and protect its market value, Railtrack launched a damage-control campaign. CEO Gerald Corbett admitted the poor state of the tracks after the broken rail was identified as a key factor in the derailment. He offered his resignation, but the board, being notified beforehand about this public spectacle, refused to accept it, seeking to avoid a hit to share prices. Evidence showed systemic negligence on the part of Railtrack. Faults on the Hatfield section were flagged as early as January 2000 and judged in need of renewal, yet repairs were delayed for nearly a year. Railtrack carried out temporary fixes, such as rail grinding, but a routine inspection just a week before the accident led to no action in fixing serious problems. Company officials claimed such delays were normal due to scheduling conflicts between train services and maintenance work. The crash exposed the failure of privatization promises. Annual broken rail counts increased from 739 in 199697 to over 900 by 199899 and 19992000, despite Railtracks pledges to improve safety. Labour government assurances of investment and tighter regulation did not change the stubborn facts taken from the catastrophic crash: that profitability for investors took precedence over safety and that democratic control by railway workers over decision-making would have prevented such a disaster. The Hatfield disaster starkly demonstrated the consequences of placing private profit ahead of passenger safety. On Britains privatized railways, the drive for returns to shareholders outweighed the most essential obligation to protect lives. 50 years ago: South Africa invades Angola with US backing On October 14, 1975, the armed forces of South Africas apartheid regime, fully backed by US imperialism, launched an invasion of Angola. Codenamed Operation Savannah, the invasion was a desperate offensive aimed at destroying the Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) before the countrys scheduled formal independence from Portugal on November 11. The goal was to oust the left-nationalist MPLA and install a puppet regime subservient to Washington and Pretoria. The invasion came three months after the MPLA, which had widespread popular support among the impoverished Angolan masses, had successfully driven the CIA-backed National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) from the capital, Luanda. The MPLA had by this point already established itself as the new government. This victory threatened American plans to control the oil-rich and diamond-rich nation through its proxies, the FNLA and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). South African Eland tanks [Photo by Sam van den Berg / CC BY 2.5 The CIAs Operation IA Feature had been financing and arming anti-MPLA forces since at least July. Washington was fully aware of South Africas invasion plans and actively assisted. A major airlift was organized to supply the invading forces. The invasion was an attempt to decapitate the MPLA before it could entrench itself as the sole legitimate government on the November 11 independence date. The invasion began with several columns of the South African Defence Force (SADF) crossing into southern Angola from occupied Namibia. The main armored column, Task Force Zulu, advanced rapidly up the Atlantic coast, capturing the strategic port cities of Mocamedes, Lobito and Benguela within weeks. With the objective of seizing Luanda before independence day, the South African forces, fighting alongside UNITA and FNLA troops, pushed hundreds of kilometers into Angolan territory. Given that the South African forces were better armed with tanks and other armored vehicles, the MPLA was confronted with the threat of a military retreat from Luanda and losing control of the capital. The MPLA made an urgent appeal for assistance from its allies. In response, Cuba sent combat troops that began arriving in early November to bolster Luandas defenses. About 6,000 Cuban soldiers would aid in combating the imperialist siege of the city. Weapons supplies and about 1,000 military advisers from the Soviet Union were also sent to aid the MPLA. The South African advance was ultimately halted by MPLA and Cuban forces just south of the capital in the Battle of Quifangondo on November 10. Faced with stiff resistance and growing international condemnation of the invasion, the SADF would begin a slow withdrawal. By January 1976 the South African forces would be forced into retreat and eventually pushed back across the border. 75 years ago: Imperialist forces capture Pyongyang, North Korea On October 19, 1950, the Battle of Pyongyang concluded with a victory for United Nations (UN) forces, with soldiers from the United States Army marching into Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. It took place less than a month after US forces recaptured the South Korean cities of Incheon and Seoul, marking a turning point in the Korean War that had, up to this point, largely consisted of victories for the Korean Peoples Army (KPA). Preparations had already begun in the weeks prior for US forces to cross north over the 38th parallel, the latitude line along which US imperialism divided the Korean Peninsula at the end of the Second World War. The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized UN Commander-in-Chief Douglas MacArthur to invade North Korea on September 29, the same day that US-backed dictator Syngman Rhee was reinstated as the South Korean president. During the march to Pyongyang, US forces were joined by troops from the South Korean Army, who had already crossed into North Korea on September 30, making their way eight miles north of the 38th parallel within the next several days. Also accompanying the US Army were military units from Britain and Australia. Captured North Korean troops after US forces enter Pyongyang The Battle of Pyongyang itself consisted of three days of heavy fighting which began on October 17, when combined US and South Korean forces met with KPA defenses near the North Korean capital. US troops marched directly from the south while the South Korean forces flanked the KPA from the east. The North Korean military was unable to hold off this advance for more than a few days and swiftly retreated further north, as the government relocated to Sinuiju on the border with China. The fall of North Koreas capital to imperialist forces marked an escalation in the Korean War, which had already claimed tens of thousands of lives. MacArthur would soon after instruct his commanders to press forward to the Yalu River near the Chinese border, which was the precursor to Chinas intervention into the war which would later bring Pyongyang back under North Korean control. 100 years ago: Syrian rebels take neighborhoods in Damascus from French On October 18, 1925, in one of the key episodes of the Great Syrian Revolt against French imperialism which had begun in July, rebels under the leadership of Hasan al-Kharrat seized French strongholds in the capital of Damascus. Guerrillas under al-Kharrats command had been harassing French troops in Ghouta, the green belt to the southeast of Damascus, since September, disarming troops and taking hostages. On October 18, 40 of his troops were able to infiltrate the ancient Al-Shaghur neighborhood of Damascus, where they were greeted by crowds of residents, many of whom joined the band. Together they captured the areas police station and disarmed officers. These fighters were able to seize and burn the Al-Azm Palace, the residence of the French High Commissioner Maurice Sarrail (who was not on the premises), in the Old City of Damascus. Hasan al-Kharrat About 200 troops of the nationalist politician and ally of al-Kharrat, Nasib al-Bakri, sealed off the entire Old City. About 180 French troops were killed during the action, and those remaining fled to the fortified Citadel of Damascus. The French shelled civilian areas from the Citadel, including the commercial neighborhood to the south, called at the time Sidi Amoud but since 1925 been known as Al-Hariqa (The Conflagration), since it was completely burned down, as well as other neighborhoods. At least 1,500 Syrians were killed. While Damascus was eventually turned over again to the French, there was international condemnation of the massacre of so many civilians, and Sarrail was dismissed by the end of October. 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 Businesses falling short of payday super rules through no fault of their own will escape harsh penalties, the ATO says. Heres how the three-tier risk system will work. Whats happening: The Australian Taxation Office has released draft guidance showing employers falling short of payday superannuation rules through no fault of their own will escape harsh penalties when the reforms commence on 1 July 2026. Why this matters: The ATOs compliance approach recognises businesses will need time to deploy, test and embed changes within their payroll systems, potentially avoiding what one expert called a period of chaos. The Australian Taxation Office has signalled it wont harshly penalise small businesses struggling with the transition to payday superannuation, unveiling a risk-based compliance approach that acknowledges the complexity of the July 2026 reforms. See: Payday super bill arrives in parliament with a $124k problem for SMEs The draft guidance, published on 9 October alongside legislation tabled in Parliament, recognises fears that some employers will not have had sufficient time to deploy, test and embed changes within their payroll systems and business processes prior to 1 July 2026. Under the payday superannuation reforms, employers will be required to pay superannuation guarantee contributions at the same time as wages, rather than quarterly. Employers who do not align their superannuation guarantee payments with regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly wage payments could face significant financial penalties if the legislation passes in its current form. Three-tier risk system To address industry concerns, the tax office said it would use a three-tier risk system, with businesses that quickly identify and fix mistakes least likely to face an ATO investigation. Employers might be deemed low-risk if they attempted to meet their payday super obligations, found some or all of those payments did not land in an employees fund on time, but addressed the problem as soon as reasonably practicable. The level of risk for these cases will depend upon whether the error is corrected, and how quickly the employer corrects the error, the tax office stated. An employer who corrects the error as soon as is reasonably practicable will fall into a lower risk zone than an employer who does not. Medium-risk businesses might have a super guarantee shortfall on payday, but ensure the shortfall is nil by 28 days after the end of the quarter in which payment should have occurred. High-risk businesses, and the ones most likely to draw the ATOs ire, are those with outstanding super guarantee shortfalls outside of that 28-day buffer. The guidance covers the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 inclusive, and is subject to further consultation and the ultimate passage of payday super legislation into law. Feedback on the draft guidance is open until 7 November 2025. Industry welcomes balance MYOB CEO Paul Robson said the ATO guidance strikes the right balance between penalising superannuation-dodging businesses, while preventing small employers from punishment when payment delays are not their fault. We are pleased to see the government has considered industry feedback and taken a commonsense approach to compliance timeframes, Robson said. Small and medium-sized businesses employ around two-thirds of Australias workforce, making their readiness essential to the successful rollout of Payday Super. Empowering these businesses to implement the changes effectively will be key to achieving the Bills goals. MYOB supports superannuation payments for approximately 1.2 million Australian employees through its software. Angad Soin, Xeros ANZ managing director and global chief strategy officer, said the company will work with the ATO to assist small businesses already facing time, compliance and financial pressures. Employment Hero CEO Ben Thompson shared similar views, saying enforcement should recognise the realities of how small and medium businesses operate. Employment Hero welcomes the introduction of the Payday Super bill to the Australian Parliament. With the 1 July 2026 implementation date fast approaching, this legislation provides much-needed clarity and certainty for Australian businesses preparing for one of the most significant payroll and compliance reforms in decades, Thompson said. However, not all industry voices were equally enthusiastic about the approach. Richard Webb, superannuation lead for CPA Australia, said the organisation is pleased that the government has heard calls for more proportionate penalties for small businesses who fail to immediately comply with the new rules. However, Webb noted the three-tier risk system is not the same as if the bill formally allowed businesses time to adjust. The start date of July 2026 remains a major challenge, Webb said. A period of chaos could ensue as businesses try to fulfil their compliance obligations while trying to balance their books. The compliance window The legislation reflects a key change advocated for by industry, with the compliance window revised from seven calendar days to seven business days. Employers will generally need to ensure contributions arrive in employees superannuation funds within 7 business days of payments of qualifying earnings. Qualifying earnings is a new concept which includes ordinary time earnings, salary sacrifice superannuation contributions and other amounts currently included in an employees salary or wages for superannuation guarantee purposes. An extended timeframe to pay contributions will apply in certain circumstances, for example when an employer is contributing to a superannuation fund for the first time for an employee, including new employees, when payments of qualifying earnings are made to an employee outside their regular pay cycle, and where exceptional circumstances have impacted the ability of multiple employers on large scale to pay superannuation contributions. What businesses should know The reforms represent a significant shift in how superannuation is paid and monitored. New modelling from Employment Hero reveals small and medium-sized businesses face a $124,000 working capital gap to meet the new requirements. A survey of Employment Hero customers found 15% of small businesses remain unaware of the payday super changes, whilst 32.5% say they will need to build cash reserves to maintain solvency under the new system. More than 20% of businesses indicated they may change their pay cycles to accommodate the requirements, despite 84% of employees opposing such changes. The reform aims to address widespread underpayment issues. Data shows unpaid super affects one in four workers across Australia, with $5.1 billion going unpaid for 2.8 million Australians in 2021-22. The average underpayment stood at $1,800 per worker, with $100 million of super failing to reach workers accounts each week. Shane Hancock, AustralianSupers General Manager for Retirement, said research shows strong public backing for the change. Recent polling commissioned by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia found 80% of respondents agreed super should be paid at the same time as wages. For many working Australians, this means their super will be paid earlier and invested earlier, maximising the benefits of compounding growth. Payday super will also help to address issues of unpaid and underpaid super so Australians receive the super they have earnt, Hancock said. Treasurer Jim Chalmers told Parliament that workers will benefit from more frequent and earlier super contributions that compound over their working lives, with the average 25-year-old worker gaining the equivalent of an extra $6,000 in todays dollars by retirement. Currently, when the ATO responds to an employee complaint about unpaid super, it may be investigating two years of unpaid contributions. The government is investing in the ATOs capability to detect suspected non-payment of super in real time as part of the reform. As part of the changes, the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House will be retired from 1 July 2026 and closed to new users from 1 October 2025. The improvement in payroll software solutions over recent years provides employers with cost-effective and higher quality options for paying superannuation contributions more timely and accurately. The bill will now progress through parliament, with businesses closely watching both the legislative process and the ATOs final compliance guidelines ahead of the July 2026 implementation date. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. From open-source side project to enterprise customers processing billions of tokens weekly. A 20-year-old founder is solving it with technology that adapts and forgets like the human brain. Whats happening: Dhravya Shah, who turned 20 last month, has raised $3 million to build Supermemory, a memory infrastructure layer for AI applications. The Mumbai-born founder built his own vector database to solve what he calls one of AIs hardest challenges: enabling models to retain context across multiple sessions. Why this matters: As AI adoption accelerates globally, the inability of large language models to maintain long-term memory across sessions remains a critical limitation. Shahs approach addresses a fundamental infrastructure gap that affects everything from chatbots to video editors, with hundreds of enterprises already building on the platform. A teenager who started building a bookmarking tool in his university dorm has secured $3 million in funding from some of Silicon Valleys most influential technology executives to solve one of artificial intelligences most persistent problems: memory. Excited to announce that I've raised $3 Million to build @supermemoryai, the best memory for LLMs and agents. I turned 20 last month Memory is one of the hardest challenges in AI right now. I realized this when building the first version of supermemory, which was merely a pic.twitter.com/0VMrYIgJHi Dhravya Shah (@DhravyaShah) October 6, 2025 Dhravya Shah, who turned 20 last month, announced the seed funding round for Supermemory, describing it as infrastructure that enables AI applications to remember and adapt like the human brain. The round was led by Susa Ventures, Browder Capital and SF1.vc, with backing from Googles Chief Research Scientist at DeepMind Jeff Dean, Cloudflare CTO Dane Knecht, Sentry founder David Cramer, and executives from OpenAI, Meta and Google. Memory is one of the hardest challenges in AI right now, Shah said in the funding announcement. I realized this when building the first version of supermemory, which was merely a bookmarking and notetaking tool I was building as a side-project in dorm two years ago when I was 18. From bookmarks to billions Originally from Mumbai, Shah began building the initial version of Supermemory, then called Any Context, as part of a personal challenge to create something new each week. He released it as an open-source project on GitHub that allowed users to chat with their Twitter bookmarks. The consumer application quickly gained traction, reaching 50,000 users and accumulating more than 10,000 stars on GitHub, making it one of the fastest-growing open-source projects in 2024. Users saved millions of items through the platform, and the project won multiple grants, including the buildspace grant. At scale, the consumer app ran into many issues, and to our surprise the infrastructure for Memory for LLMs like this simply didnt exist, Shah explained in his announcement. I had some experience in infrastructure and started sharing more details on how we were building the infrastructure behind the consumer app ourselves. Memory as infrastructure At the time he was developing Supermemory, Shah was working on AI infrastructure at Cloudflare, where he contributed to work that filed a patent to make agents faster. He also worked at startups focused on memory solutions and created multiple consumer applications. The experience reinforced his understanding of memorys fundamental challenge. Its not just a search problem, its about really understanding the users and making their experience magical by contextualising the LLMs they talk to, he wrote. Interest from companies wanting to use Supermemorys infrastructure for their own products prompted Shah to make a decisive shift. Many were prepared to pay immediately, and some offered contractual work for help implementing the open-source project. Shah decided to drop out of university, move to San Francisco full-time, and transform Supermemory into a commercial product. This is my lifes work, Shah wrote. I dropped out of college, moved to SF, and continued to build out the product as a solo founder. The commercial version of Supermemory functions as a universal memory API for AI applications. It builds a knowledge graph based on processed data and personalises context for users, supporting queries across different types of applications from writing tools to video editors. Building from scratch Shahs approach involved building core infrastructure components from the ground up. I built my own vector DB, content parsers and an engine that works like the human brain, he wrote in his announcement. The platform can ingest multiple data types, including files, documents, chats, projects, emails, PDFs and application data streams. It offers multimodal input support, allowing it to work across different types of AI applications. There is also a chatbot and notetaker feature that lets users add memories in text, add files or links, and connect to applications like Google Drive, OneDrive or Notion, along with a Chrome extension for adding notes from websites. The infrastructure now serves hundreds of enterprises and builders, with some customers processing billions of tokens weekly. The company is working with various AI applications, including desktop assistants, video editors, search platforms and real estate tools, as well as a robotics company to retain visual memories captured by robots. Today, I am delighted that we have one of the best and fastest memory products in the world, with many hundreds of enterprises and builders building apps on top of supermemory, Shah wrote. And this is just the start. The vision ahead Shah positions memory as a critical missing piece in the development of artificial general intelligence. He argues that whilst model providers are racing to build superintelligence with PhD-level knowledge and the ability to use tools, memory and adaptation remain underdeveloped. Its increasingly obvious that the final big hill to climb to make intelligence truly feel human, the next exciting inflection point in AI, is memory and personalisation, he wrote on the company website. He emphasises that memory infrastructure must remain independent of specific model providers. If Google releases the next best model this week, but youre stuck to OpenAI because their API has memory, you would be locked into using what you are, he explained. Memory should be a universal right, not a moat. Shah argues that almost all early customers saw increases in app usage, customer satisfaction or revenue by making their experiences more personalised for users. Users should not be locked into a chatbot because it knows everything about them. Because all chatbots can know everything about them. All of them work with supermemory. His long-term vision is ambitious. Intelligence without memory is nothing but sophisticated randomness, he wrote. One day, when AGI is a thing and robots are walking around everywhere, they would need a memory as sophisticated as their intelligence. And it would be supermemory. The company is now hiring across engineering, research and product roles as it scales its infrastructure to serve growing demand from enterprises building AI applications that require persistent, contextual memory. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Diane Keatons close friend is recalling her final visit with the legendary actress before her death. I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin," Carole Bayer Sager told People in an interview published on Sunday, October 12. "She had lost so much weight." The Oscar-winning songwriter, 81 who cowrote Keatons solo single, First Christmas told the outlet that she had less interaction with the actress this year due to the deadly January wildfires in California. (The track dropped in 2024 alongside co-writer and producer Jonas Myrin.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keaton, for her part, spent months in Palm Springs after the devastation. "She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything," Sager recalled. "She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she'd lost." How Did Diane Keaton Die? Actress Health Reportedly Declined Very Suddenly Sager shared that Keaton was a magic light for everyone, adding, "I just loved her. She was so special, she just lit up a room with her energy. She was happy and upbeat and taking photographs of everything she saw. She was completely creative; she never stopped creating." News broke on Saturday, October 11, that Keaton died at age 79. A spokesperson for the actress family told People that they would not be sharing further details, asking for privacy as they mourn her loss. Us Weekly reached out for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A separate friend of Keatons told People in an interview published on Saturday that the Father of the Bride stars health declined very suddenly in her last few months. A source shared that Keaton had a routine of taking daily walks with her dog Reggie in the Brentwood, California, neighborhood but stopped appearing in public earlier this year. Keaton reportedly opted to keep her health issues private, choosing to be around her closest family. (Keaton adopted daughter Dexter and son Duke in 1996 and 2001, respectively.) Diane Keaton, Star of Father of the Bride, Annie Hall and More, Dead at 79 Several stars have since paid tribute to the actress, including Reese Witherspoon, Father of the Bride costar Steve Martin and Marvins Room costar Robert De Niro. In a statement, De Niro, 82, described Keaton as brilliant, funny and unapologetically herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A legend, an icon, and a truly kind human being, he shared. I had the honor of working with her at 18. She will be deeply missed. Ahead of her death, Keaton exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2022 that she would be open to more projects down the line. I would say more of everything that comes my way. I dont know whats going to come my way. Maybe nothings going to come my way, she shared at the time. Ive been so lucky, and so I just dont want to push off anything without knowing if I could have a chance to know, would I be doing it or what. I wouldnt knock out anything unless I read something that I really felt that I wouldnt be right for, something like that. That just is not good for me. Darius McCrary, best known for playing Edward Eddie Winslow in the show Family Matters, was reportedly held at the U.S. border before getting arrested. He seems to have been arrested on an out-of-state warrant and is currently held at San Diego Central Jail. The details surrounding the warrant and the circumstances of his arrest remain unclear at this time. Darius McCrary held in San Diego after fugitive arrest at US border Darius McCrary is being held at San Diego Central Jail after being arrested by the United States Border Patrol. His arrest reportedly took place at the US-Mexico border on October 5, 2025. According to records, this is a fugitive arrest, which seems to be for an out-of-state felony charge based on the code section of his arrest. Currently, he is not eligible for bail, with his court date set for Wednesday, October 15, 2025. As per TMZ, his rep stated that the warrant from a Michigan case stems from a missed court appearance. The court appearance was for McCrarys failure to pay child support, for which he is also reported to have been arrested twice before. His first arrest was in Michigan in 2015, and he was released after paying a fine. Later in 2023, authorities arrested him again over unpaid back payments. This time, he pleaded not guilty and secured release on bond with location monitoring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McCrary married Tammy Brawner in 2014, and they finalized their divorce in 2019. At the time, Brawner received full legal and physical custody of their 3-year-old daughter, Zoey. As per reports, the court ordered him to pay Brawner a child support sum of $1,366. Despite all the reports and speculation, the exact nature of the warrant remains unclear and is expected to be revealed during the upcoming court hearing. Originally reported by Elton Fernandes on Comingsoon. The post Family Matters Darius McCrary in Jail Following Arrest Near Us-Mexico Border appeared first on Mandatory. It was announced on Sunday that Italian shoe designer Cesare Paciotti died in his home in Civitanova Marche, a small city in the province of Macerata in central Italy. Paciotti is known for his luxury self-titled shoe brand featuring his iconic dagger logo, which he launched and developed alongside his sister Paola. So far, a cause of death has not been disclosed. "He wrote a fundamental page in the history of Made in Italy shoes," a statement said. "The iconic pointed dagger, the brand's symbol, will remain as a declaration of identity and courage. He will be remembered for his seductive style and his extraordinary human generosity." Designer Cesare Paciotti attends Uomo Vogue 40th Anniversary Celebration Party as part of Milan Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2009 on June 22, 2008 in Milan, Italy. Cesare's parents, Giuseppe and Cecilia Paciotti, started a craft shoe-making business in 1948 in Civitanova Marche, where they produced a wide range of shoes made entirely by hand. They paid particular attention to details and used high-quality materials for their products. After inheriting the family business in 1980, Cesare Paciotti took on the role of creative director and renamed it Paciotti, while Paola looked after operational matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Cesare's direction, the brand grew from classical men's shoes into a broader portfolio including womens shoes, sneakers, accessories and signature statement pieces. Many artists and celebrities, including Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Chloe Bailey, Blanco, Peggy Gou, Nicki Minaj, Demi Lovato and more have been seen wearing Paciotti. Besides its main line, Paciotti offers the more casual, athleisure and younger-oriented 4US line, as well as accessories like bags, eyewear and jewelry. The late designer left behind his two children, Ludovica and Giuseppe Paciotti, from his first wife, and a three-year-old daughter from his second marriage. According to the statement, Cesare Paciotti was surrounded by family, his loved ones and his children when he passed. He was 69 years old. Related: '70s Star Diane Keatons Death Sparks Reaction From Former Assistant This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here. King Charles IIIs latest appearance with Prince William at the Countdown to COP30 event at the Natural History Museum in London on October 9 sparked concern after several people noticed that the monarch was looking frail. His suit was hanging off him, one source told Rob Shuters ShuterScoop. He looked like a man fighting something bigger than hes letting on. In the images shared by E! Online, Charles, 76, wore a navy pinstripe suit as he stood alongside William, 43. The appearance follows reports that the King has reduced his workload while continuing cancer treatment announced earlier this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event was held just weeks before William is set to attend the COP30 World Leaders Summit in Belem, Brazil, and it marked a rare joint appearance for the father and son. The pair toured exhibits focused on sustainability and met with Brazilian officials to discuss the upcoming climate conference, a cause that has consistently been important to Charles over the years. However, the focus quickly shifted from their environmental mission to Charles frail frame. The king, who revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2024, has significantly reduced his public appearances and has left William to take on more of the royal workload. Williams upcoming solo trip to Brazil is possibly being seen as another sign that the Prince of Wales is quietly preparing for a larger role, despite Buckingham Palaces insistence that Charles is in good health. This story King Charles Joint Appearance With Prince William Sparks Health Concerns Over His Frail Figure first appeared on National Examiner. Add National Examiner as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Gist Its an unlikely pairing on the surface, but when you dig a little deeper, it makes sense as to why Prince William and Gisele Bundchen are working together on a big project next month. The Prince of Wales and the supermodel are both environmentally focused, and Bundchenwho hails from Brazilis joining forces with the future king to serve on his Earthshot Prize Council to help him choose 2025s Earthshot Prize Awards winners. The awards ceremony will be held in Rio de Janeiro in November. When he was in Cape Town, South Africa for his 2024 Earthshot Prize Awards last November, Prince William was supported in his cause by the likes of supermodels Heidi Klum and Winnie Harlow. Now, as he prepares to bring the 2025 Earthshot Prize Awards to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next month, hes enlisting another supermodelGisele Bundchento help out. Getty Prince William on March 11, 2025 Prince William on March 11, 2025 Bundchen, who is not just a supermodel but a philanthropist, will join the Prince of Waless Earthshot Prize Council to help select this years cohort of winners, People reported. In addition to being environmentally conscious, Bundchen is originally from Brazil, and in joining the council will become the first person from that country to have a seat at that table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Williams Earthshot Prize is a global awards program that celebrates bold ideas tackling the planets biggest challenges, according to People. This years awards ceremony is its fifth iteration, following stops in London in 2021, Boston in 2022, Singapore in 2023, and Cape Town in 2024. It will head to Rio on November 5, and Bundchen said she was honored to be a part of Williams mission to better the planet. Getty Images Gisele Bundchen on March 21, 2024, in New York City. Gisele Bundchen on March 21, 2024, in New York City. Protecting nature has always been close to my heart, and Ive seen the power of the global communities coming together and supporting innovation to create real change, she said in a statement. Every action matters, big or small, and together we can nurture change to protect the planet we call home. The Earthshot Prize shines a light on solutions that inspire hope and transformation, and Im proud to represent Brazil in sharing these stories with the world, she added. Getty Gisele Bundchen on March 21, 2024 Gisele Bundchen on March 21, 2024 Bundchen and her family created the Clean Water Project in southern Brazil, and she has been involved with initiatives focused on wildlife protection and reforestation as well. The supermodel was chosen for her unique record of leadership and environmental progress, said Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize. Her passion and commitment to the environmental movement in Brazil and beyond and her dedication to amplifying solutions will be invaluable to our mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her voice, leadership, and dedication will inspire everyone to keep building the future we all want for people and the planet, he continued. Getty Gisele Bundchen in Geneva, Switzerland on April 9, 2024 Gisele Bundchen in Geneva, Switzerland on April 9, 2024 AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, pool Prince William and Kate Middleton at the 2021 Earthshot Prize Awards Prince William and Kate Middleton at the 2021 Earthshot Prize Awards While Bundchen will no doubt be on hand at the awards ceremony in a few weeks, its currently unclear if Kate Middleton will join her husband as he ventures to South America. Though she was on hand in London and Boston, she skipped Singapore and Cape Town in favor of having at least one parent there for their three kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis back home in the U.K. Read the original article on InStyle Former The Young and the Restless actor Darius McCrary, known for his role on the soap as Malcolm Winters from 2009 to 2011, has found himself in legal trouble once again. The Family Matters alum was arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border in California and is currently being held in a San Diego jail. Key Takeaways Darius McCrary was arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border on an out-of-state felony warrant. The warrant reportedly originated in Michigan after a missed child support court appearance. This marks his third arrest tied to child support issues. McCrary portrayed Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 2009 to 2011. He remains in custody in San Diego as extradition proceedings move forward. Arrest Details According to a report from TMZ, McCrary was taken into custody on Sunday by the United States Border Patrol. Jail records list the case as a fugitive arrest, meaning he was detained in California while wanted in another state for a serious offense. The report states that the warrant originated from Michigan and was issued after McCrary missed a scheduled court appearance in connection with unpaid child support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His representative, Ann Barlow, confirmed to TMZ that the situation stemmed from a missed appearance rather than a new criminal charge, emphasizing that McCrary intends to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. Ongoing Legal Troubles McCrarys arrest marks the third time he has been detained in connection with child support-related issues. He was previously arrested in 2015 and again in 2023 for similar allegations. In 2019, he finalized a lengthy and contentious divorce from ex-wife Tammy Brawner following a two-year legal battle. As part of their settlement, McCrary was ordered to pay $1,366 per month in child support. Sources close to Brawner told TMZ that this latest incident is unrelated to their original child support case, though the arrest reignited public interest in McCrarys ongoing legal and financial troubles. From Sitcom Stardom to Soap Opera Drama Before joining Y&R, McCrary rose to fame as Eddie Winslow on the beloved 1990s sitcom Family Matters. His turn as Malcolm Winters on the CBS soap marked a dramatic shift in tone and career direction. He brought his own edge to the role originally made famous by Shemar Moore, portraying Malcolm as passionate, unpredictable, and flawed. Photo Credit: JPI Studios. After leaving Genoa City in 2011, McCrary continued acting in both television and film, though much of his recent public attention has focused on his personal and legal struggles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of now, McCrary remains in custody in San Diego while awaiting extradition to Michigan. No official court date has been announced, but the arrest has once again drawn attention to the challenges that have followed the actor since his days as one of daytimes most recognizable faces. read next This story was originally reported on Soap Hub on October 13, 2025. Add Soap Hub as a Preferred Source by clicking here. This week on FYI Philly, we get the Oscar buzz from this year's Philadelphia Film Festival, learn how family recipes formed the foundation for a baklava business and more! Rockwell & Rose is a brand new steakhouse at the Curtis Center, from the team behind P.J. Clarke's. The classic cuisine with a unique spin brings together Asian flavors and dry-aged steaks. T The warm design aesthetic is balanced with views of Washington Square Park, and interior spaces that include a parlor designed for after-dinner conversation. From filet mignon to a poached king salmon, dishes and drinks are served in a setting fitting of such a classic location, with a familiarity of service that makes it more than just a spot for special occasions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rockwell & Rose | Instagram At The Curtis Center - 601 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 215-918-8009 open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, from 4:00pm Triple Crown is a new dining destination inside the Radnor Hotel. The menu features breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner with classic dishes done with a twist. The restaurant is decorated in an equestrian theme honoring the Main Line's long-running history with the sport of horse racing. Equestrian jackets, helmets and other equipment hang on the walls along with art that creates a lavish aesthetic. The bar is at the heart of the restaurant, creating a high-energy environment. There are 4 other dining rooms, each with its own theme and different vibe. There is a private dining area for events. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Triple Crown has also taken charge of the event space at the Radnor Hotel with a 300-person capacity under the outdoor canopy. They are building a 200-person indoor conservatory in the outdoor event space. And the indoor banquet room hosts special events and is known for its holiday buffets, including the very popular Thanksgiving feast. Triple Crown | Facebook | Instagram 593 East Lancaster Avenue, St. Davids, PA 19087 At Cafe Duskaia, Meyling Morena is serving up some of Nicaragua's most popular dishes right in the heart of the Italian Market. Morena hand makes tortillas for quesillos, a popular Nicaraguan street food with cheese, onions and sour cream. She also makes the Nicaraguan favorite, Nacatamales, a corn and spice mix cooked down then scooped onto a plantain leaf, topped with veggies and rice then wrapped and boiled for 3 hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She owns a plot on her family's coffee farm, and the coffee she roasts and sells here comes from beans grown by female farmers in Nicaragua. With the cafe, Meyling hopes to teach people about the coffee farm to cup process and the northern Nicaragua mountain towns where the beans are grown. If you want to drink like a native, order your coffee hot with a triple strain process. Cafe Duskaia | Facebook | Instagram 1007 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19147 (267) 213-4463 |duskaiacoffee@gmail.com Yia Yia's Baklava pays homage to the famous Greek delicacy in Colmar, Pennsylvania. It's a family business between husband and wife, Dimitri and Leticia Samaras, and Dimitri's mother, Christina Samaras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every week, they produce their three staple flavors called Original, Lemon, and Chocolate Hazelnut. In addition to a weekly rotating menu created by Leticia, there are four new flavors produced each week. Their most requested item has been their Dubai chocolate baklava, baked with pistachios, pistachio butter, and topped with chocolate, shredded filo, and drizzled with more pistachio butter. The selling of baklava started with Christina when she decided to sell Greek foods at farmers' markets to raise money for Dimitri's tutoring to help with his dyslexia when he was a kid. After she experienced a severe car accident, she had to put the farmers' markets on hold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2021, Dimitri's urge to start a business with his family sparked Yia Yia's Baklava. They began in a church and now have their first brick-and-mortar, where they sell a variety of baklava pieces in Colmar, PA. Yia Yia's Baklava | Facebook |Instagram 252 Bethlehem Pike A108, Colmar, PA 18915 Every October, the Philadelphia Film Festival transforms the city into a global stage, curating the best films from around the world. This year, there are more than 100 feature films and 30 plus shorts, kicking off October 16th with "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery." There are about 250 screenings in three venues, including the newly remodeled Philadelphia Film Society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 11-day festival also offers exclusive premieres and meet the maker events. And, if history is a guide, you'll get a sneak peek at next year's Oscar nominees. One of the most talked about films is "Hamnet," which follows the relationship between Shakespeare and his wife after the death of their child and explores how that tragedy inspired Shakespeare's masterpiece, Hamlet. There's a Philadelphia section, which includes films made by Philadelphians or shot in Philadelphia. The Bradley Cooper-directed "Is This Thing On?" is a festival centerpiece. The Philadelphia Film Society's 34th Philadelphia Film Festival | Facebook | Instagram October 16-26 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Venues: Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19102 Film Society Bourse, 400 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106 Film Society East, 125 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106 Military history walking tours complement Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps events. You can hear some of the country's military origin stories while literally hitting the bricks around Independence National Historical Park. Tours were built to help guide visitors coming to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of these two military branches. One tour includes the Free Quaker Meeting House and the Arch Street Meeting House, where you can see the grave of Samuel Nicholas. Another tour features St. Peter's Episcopal Church, and if you're not into walking, you can do a bike tour of the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information: Homecoming 250 Navy Marine Corps Link to Homecoming 250 Walking & Bike Tours The McCausland Arena is a brand new forty-five thousand square-foot equestrian facility in the heart of Fairmount Park. The non-profit organization connected to the arena is the Work to Ride program. The program is designed for young people ages eight to eighteen from disadvantaged backgrounds who may not be exposed to horses. Through equestrian activities, participants get a chance to learn aspects of the sport, and develop qualities and skills of responsible adults. Work To Ride | Instagram | Facebook McCausland Arena 98 Chamounix Drive Philadelphia, PA 19131 215-877-4419 The action-packed premiere of Starzs Spartacus: House of Ashur is coming December 5 with two episodes, and Deadline has new insight as to what fans can expect when Nick E. Tarabay returns to Steven S. DeKnights gladiator universe as Ashur, more powerful than ever before. There will be plenty for both returning fans and those who are entering the ludus (gladiator school) for the first time, including the intrigue, battle scenes, deception and lots of Jupiters expletives, all of which made the original series a hit for Starz. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The next chapter of the Spartacus universe poses the question: What if Ashur had lived and the Romans rewarded his treachery with the gladiator school where he once bled? Welcome to the House of Ashur. No longer a slave, Ashur has clawed his way to power, owning the same ludus that once owned him. But ruling a band of merciless gladiators is childs play compared to surviving the savage world of Roman politics a cutthroat game in which betrayal isnt a sin, its currency. He flips tradition on its head by unleashing Achillia (Tenika Davis), a fierce and powerful gladiatrix eager to prove herself worthy in a mans world. Together, they ignite a new kind of spectacle that shocks, disrupts and offends the elite with every drop of blood. The series also stars Graham McTavish, Jordi Webbe, Jamaica Vaughan, Ivana Baquero, Claudia Black as Cossutia, India Shaw-Smith, Jackson Gallagher, Jaime Slater and Leigh Gill. Tarabay and DeKnight spoke with Deadline at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, teasing the resurrection of everyones favorite villain, connecting to the shows origins with the return of Lucy Lawless as Lucretia, and how John Hannah was thisclose to returning as Quintus Lentulus Batiatus and how the possibility isnt dead. Nick E. Tarabay, Steven S. DeKnight of "Spartacus: House of Ashur," at San Diego Comic Con DEADLINE: Nick, what insight can you share into how you reconnected with the character of Ashur after all these years? NICK E. TARABAY: I wish there were a process for Spartacus, but there isnt. Its one of those worlds where the more you prep, the better, but until youre in it, you dont know what to expect. Its a show thats demanding and takes a lot out of you. But Ive known about how this works for a while now. Steven called me in 2022, so I couldnt sleep for two years before we started filming because I was super excited [laughs]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He knew how to hook me by telling me the last sentence I would say when Season 1 ends. I cant tell you what it is, but he told me what I would be doing and saying in the first finale before the screen goes black. This is why I havent slept in two years, because I couldnt wait to say that line. Im a big fan of Stevens, and its such a privilege to work with him. Im down for whatever he wants to do. DEADLINE: What type of prep work did you do? TARABAY: I started working on Shakespeare because I knew the writing was going to be demanding, and it delivered. What I love about this show is Stevens writing and how you can never get ahead of it. I never know whats going to happen. STEVEN K. DEKNIGHT: I remember Nick asking me during the original series how John Hannah did all of those speeches. There is so much material. And now, thats you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TARABAY: In hindsight, I think John had it easier [laughs]. In the first couple of episodes, I talk so much. But you know what? It all makes sense. Sometimes you work on shows, and you struggle to say the words because you cant make sense of them. But on Spartacus, its so poetic. Its very close to Shakespeare. Its Shakespeare meets The Sopranos. DEKNIGHT: I would say its Shakespeare meets Conan the Barbarian. 'Spartacus: House of Ashur' Season 1, Nick E. Tarabay DEADLINE: Steven, you really had the choice of bringing nearly any character back from this franchise, and you picked Ashur. Why did you go with Ashur? DEKNIGHT: I love working with Nick so much that I wanted to bring him back from the dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TARABAY: Aww, thank you. DEKNIGHT: Ashur is just such a juicy character. He is definitely a villain in the original series. But when you go to Gods of the Arena, you see why he became that. He just wanted to be part of the brotherhood. He wanted to have friends and love, and he was denied that. It was pretty much, If I cant serve in heaven, Ill rule in hell. This deep-seated emptiness in his heart really drives him, his need to be accepted and loved. One of the challenges we face in the new show is how to take a character who was so despicable in the original and get the audience behind them. And the answer is, introduce even worse people, and they are the Roman elites who really work them over. DEADLINE: Did you view Ashur the same way, Nick? TARABAY: I never perceived my character as bad or evil. I saw that everything he did was justified because he had to survive. Back then, it wasnt like, Oh, we disagree and we can go our own way. No, we disagree, so you die. So he had to develop that. I always saw Ashur as a loyal dude who wants to belong, but he wasnt given that opportunity. This season, Ashur is going up against the big dogs. Im talking about the big dogs like Caesar and Cornelia, the biggest people of Rome. After meeting them, youll think Ashur isnt so bad after all. DEADLINE: What can you say about Ashurs ambitions? TARABAY: Hes extremely ambitious. There are no friends in this show. One moment, you see two people, and you think theyre buddies, but something bad is going to happen. You are your own man. Its either deliver or be delivered. 'Spartacus: House of Ashur' - Left to Right: Jamaica Vaughan as Hilara, Nick E. Tarabay as Ashur and Ivana Baquero as Messia DEADLINE: Steven, in addition to giving us Ashur, the gods will be blessing us with the return of Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. Her appearance is brief, but it explains how bringing back Ashur from the dead was possible. What can you tease? DEKNIGHT: I think it was so important to bring a legacy character back to introduce this what if world. We wanted someone who was intimately connected to Ashur in the original series, which was definitely Lucy Lawless as Lucretia. Since Vengeance, Lucy became basically his slave, for all intents and purposes. Thats how we built the show, based on that one scene that Ashur has with Lucretia, where he tells her, Im going to get the Ludus and the villa and everything your husband had, and this will be the rise of the house of Ashur, which was the germ of that idea. So we were delighted that Lucy agreed to come back and kick off the show. DEADLINE: Had you considered anyone else? DEKNIGHT: We had a contingency plan: John Hannah, in case Lucys schedule didnt work out. We reached out to his team, and they told us he was busy shooting a movie in Spain. So we were like, Peter Mensah? [Laughs] It all wouldve been so different, though, because the relationship between Lucretia and Ashur was so powerful. She was responsible for his getting his head cut off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TARABAY: Working with Lucy is always such a pleasure. It was so lovely to see her and to play with her back in this universe. The little bit of time I got with Lucy was absolutely brilliant. I wouldve loved to have played with John; hes one of my favorite people Ive ever worked with. DEKNIGHT: We almost put John in the first season. Actually, it was the second season. We had a storyline of you having nightmares and being haunted by John Hannah. But that didnt quite work out. TARABAY: Even if you can bring him back for one episode, I would love that. Nick E. Tarabay DEADLINE: The biggest star of the franchise hasnt been announced, but will be making many appearances in Season 1: Jupiters c**k. What can fans expect? TARABAY: Youll hear more about him in Season 1, as well as some new variations [laughs]. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DEKNIGHT: [Laughs] Youll hear Jupiters c**k, the song called My C**k Races On There are a lot of surprises. I cant wait to see what the fans have to say. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Luxury hotel brand Aman is set to launch its first property in Singapore at The Skywaters a 63-storey skyscraper projected to be the nations tallest building upon completion in 2028. Aman Singapore will feature a hotel, branded residences, and a global private members club, marking the fourth "urban Aman" property after Tokyo, New York, and Bangkok, according to The Business Times. An artist's impression of Aman Singapore at The Skywaters in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Aman Traditionally known for secluded and tranquil retreats, the Switzerland-headquartered hotel operator is now expanding its ethos of privacy and serenity into vibrant urban financial districts. The launch of Aman Singapore "marks an exciting chapter for our brand and is something our devoted community has long anticipated," said Vlad Doronin, CEO and chairman of Aman Group, as reported by Channel News Asia. Earlier reports suggested the hotel will be located on the 24th to 26th floors with branded residences ranging from one- to five-bedroom layouts situated above. Room rates for Aman Singapore are yet to be revealed, however, Aman Nai Lert Bangkok starts from about US$1,700 per night and Aman Tokyo from around $2,300 per night. Founded in 1988 by Adrian Zecha in Thailands Phuket, Aman is renowned for its tranquil environments, architecture in harmony with nature, and a nearly invisible service culture. Since Russian-born businessman Vladislav Doronin became sole owner in 2015, Aman has expanded from about 24 properties to 36 resorts, hotels, and branded developments. The United States is a vast feast of flavors, where every region tells its story through food. From smoky barbecue highways to coastal oyster routes, these trails connect travelers with the countrys culinary soul. Road-tripping hungry means discovering local traditions, meeting the people behind the recipes, and tasting the passion that defines American cuisine. Whether its a family-run diner, a farm-to-table gem, or a roadside shack with a line around the block, every stop serves more than just a meal, it serves a memory. Here are 17 American food trails that prove every calorie is worth the ride. The Texas BBQ Trail Lockhart to Luling, Texas Image Credit:Shutterstock. Few journeys are as mouthwatering as the Texas BBQ Trail, where smoke, spice, and tradition define the route. Lockhart, dubbed the Barbecue Capital of Texas, sets the tone with slow-smoked brisket, ribs, and sausage links that melt in your mouth. Each stop, from Kreuz Market to City Market in Luling, carries its own pitmaster secrets and fiercely loyal fans. The aroma of oak and mesquite fills the air as you follow the trail through small towns and open plains. Every bite tells a story of heritage and the Southern art of patience and fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trail isnt just about meat; its about community and pride. Locals gather at long wooden tables, sharing stories over plates of sliced brisket and homemade pickles. Travelers are welcomed like family, often leaving with sauce stains and new friendships. Whether youre a purist who skips the sauce or a newcomer trying it all, youll understand why Texans guard their BBQ recipes like family heirlooms. Its more than food, its a pilgrimage. The Maine Lobster Trail Portland to Bar Harbor, Maine Image Credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstoc Maines rocky coast is a paradise for seafood lovers, and the Lobster Trail delivers ocean-to-table perfection. Start in Portlands working harbors, where fishermen haul in the days catch, then follow Route 1 up the coast to Bar Harbor. Every stop offers buttery lobster rolls, steaming chowders, and seaside shacks with unbeatable views. The scent of salt air and melted butter lingers as you crack open fresh lobster by the shore. This trail is pure New England charm, simple, scenic, and delicious. Beyond the food, the journey is filled with coastal villages, lighthouses, and artisan shops. Meet local lobstermen who share stories of the sea and recipes passed down for generations. Pair your meal with local craft beer or blueberry pie for the perfect Maine experience. The Lobster Trail celebrates tradition and sustainability, ensuring future generations can enjoy it too. Every shell cracked feels like a small victory of travel and taste. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Louisville to Lexington, Kentucky Image Credit: Shutterstock This legendary trail blends history, craftsmanship, and flavor into one unforgettable journey. Winding through rolling bluegrass hills, it features iconic distilleries like Woodford Reserve, Makers Mark, and Buffalo Trace. Visitors can learn the secrets of barrel aging, sample rare small-batch releases, and experience Southern hospitality at every stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scent of oak, caramel, and vanilla hangs in the air, mingling with the rhythm of country music. Each sip connects you to centuries of American tradition. The Bourbon Trail also introduces travelers to Kentuckys culinary scene, fried chicken, burgoo stew, and rich chocolate bourbon pie. Cozy inns and rustic taverns along the route offer the perfect setting to unwind. Its not just about whiskey but about savoring time and place. Whether youre a connoisseur or a curious traveler, this journey fills both the glass and the heart. The Pacific Coast Wine Trail California to Oregon Image Credit:Shutterstock. Stretching from Paso Robles to the Oregon border, the Pacific Coast Wine Trail showcases vineyards kissed by ocean breeze and golden sunsets. Each stop invites you to sip, swirl, and savor the distinct character of coastal wines. The journey winds through charming towns like Cambria and Monterey, blending scenic drives with unforgettable tastings. Rolling hills, cypress trees, and cliffside views make every stop feel cinematic. Its a trail that indulges all senses. Visitors can pair vintages with local cheese, oysters, and farm-fresh produce. Many wineries are family-owned, offering personal stories alongside each pour. Outdoor tastings at sunset create moments of calm and connection. Whether you prefer crisp whites or bold reds, this trail delivers both beauty and balance. Every glass celebrates the harmony between land, sea, and craft. The New Mexico Green Chile Trail Santa Fe to Hatch, New Mexico Image Credit:Shutterstock. No flavor defines New Mexico quite like green chile, and this trail celebrates it in every delicious form. Start in Santa Fe with green chile stew and enchiladas, then follow the aroma south to Hatch, the Chile Capital of the World. Roadside diners and food trucks serve fiery combinations that awaken every taste bud. From burgers to burritos, green chile adds the perfect kick to any dish. Its a trail thats as spicy as it is soulful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along the way, youll meet farmers whove perfected chile cultivation under the desert sun. Local festivals showcase the harvest with music, art, and endless tastings. The culture is as vibrant as the flavor, warm, bold, and welcoming. Every bite reminds travelers that food in New Mexico isnt just eaten; its celebrated. The Wisconsin Cheese Trail Madison to Door County, Wisconsin Image Credit:Shutterstock. Cheese lovers, rejoice, Wisconsins dairy-rich countryside offers a creamy adventure worth savoring. This trail winds through family creameries, cheese shops, and rolling farmland dotted with red barns. Taste award-winning cheddars, fresh curds, and artisanal creations that showcase Wisconsins dairy heritage. Each stop invites you to learn the craft and meet the makers behind Americas favorite comfort food. From tangy to buttery, theres a flavor for every palate. Pair your tastings with local cider or crisp Midwestern beer, and dont skip the cheese festivals held year-round. Scenic drives through green valleys make the experience even richer. Its an authentic slice of rural America where tradition thrives. Every bite brings you closer to the heart of the Midwest, humble, hearty, and full of flavor. The Carolina Seafood Trail Charleston, SC to Wilmington, NC Image Credit:Shutterstock. This coastal route celebrates the flavors of the Atlantic, oysters, shrimp, crab, and Lowcountry charm. In Charleston, the journey begins with shrimp and grits, moving north through marshlands and seaside towns. Fishermen sell fresh catches right off the docks, and local restaurants transform them into coastal masterpieces. Every meal reflects generations of coastal living and culinary pride. The air smells of salt, spice, and Southern comfort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Historic towns and lighthouses line the route, adding beauty to each stop. Meet local chefs who elevate simple ingredients into works of art. From oyster roasts to crab boils, the trail is a feast for both palate and soul. With every stop, you taste the heartbeat of the American South, warm, flavorful, and endlessly inviting. The Vermont Maple Trail Burlington to Stowe, Vermont Image Credit:Shutterstock. Each spring, Vermont turns into a wonderland of syrup and sugar. The Maple Trail guides travelers through family-run sugarhouses where sap is transformed into golden sweetness. Taste maple candy, sugar-on-snow, and farm breakfasts drizzled with fresh syrup. Scenic byways wind through forests that glow with autumn color. Its a trail that feels timeless and comforting. Artisan shops and cozy cafes offer maple-infused everything, from coffee to cocktails. Visitors can learn the syrup-making process and enjoy small-town charm along the way. The mix of flavor and nostalgia makes it an ideal weekend getaway. Every pour of syrup tells a story of patience, craft, and natures reward. The Louisiana Cajun Trail Lafayette to New Orleans, Louisiana Image Credit:Shutterstock. The Cajun Trail is a symphony of spice, soul, and celebration. Starting in Lafayette, travelers dive into boudin, gumbo, and crawfish etouffee. As the route winds toward New Orleans, zydeco music fills the air and the scent of spices dances through the streets. Every dish bursts with flavor and history, shaped by French, African, and Creole roots. Its a trail that feeds both stomach and spirit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along the way, festivals, live music, and local markets keep the culture alive. Conversations flow as easily as cold beer on a hot Louisiana night. The people are as warm as the dishes they serve. Each stop feels like a party that never ends, proving food here isnt just a meal, its a way of life. The Oregon Coffee Trail Portland to Bend, Oregon Image Credit:Shutterstock. For caffeine lovers, Oregons Coffee Trail offers a smooth, aromatic ride. Start in Portlands vibrant cafe scene, where roasters experiment with single-origin beans and artisanal brewing. Follow the trail through forested highways to Bend, home to cozy mountain coffeehouses and creative blends. Every stop has its own style, from minimalist espresso bars to rustic roasters. Its the perfect balance of craft and comfort. Local baristas share their passion for sustainability and flavor. Small towns surprise with their own unique brews and baked goods. Coffee tastings become meditative moments between mountain drives and misty mornings. Each cup tells a story of community, creativity, and care. Its not just a caffeine fix, its a ritual. The Pennsylvania Dutch Dessert Trail Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Image Credit:Shutterstock. This sweet trail highlights the heart of Amish country, where desserts are made the old-fashioned way. Shoofly pie, apple dumplings, and sticky buns fill bakery windows along quiet country roads. Each bite carries generations of tradition and farm-fresh ingredients. Travelers can visit roadside stands, family farms, and bustling markets for authentic treats. Its a nostalgic journey through Americas baking heritage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friendly locals share recipes and stories, turning every visit into a cultural exchange. The smell of cinnamon and butter lingers everywhere. Horse-drawn buggies and red barns add to the charm. Its an experience that feels both timeless and comforting, a reminder that simple pleasures are often the sweetest. The Pacific Northwest Oyster Trail Washington Coast Image Credit:Shutterstock. For seafood lovers, the Pacific Northwest Oyster Trail is a briny dream. From Olympia to the Hood Canal, each stop offers freshly shucked oysters paired with local wine and breathtaking views. The air smells of salt and pine, and every taste reflects the clean waters of the Pacific. Restaurants and farms welcome travelers to watch shucking demonstrations and taste varieties from sweet to smoky. Its coastal dining at its purest. Nature and flavor intertwine at every turn. Visitors can kayak between oyster farms or picnic by the shore. The simplicity of the experience is what makes it unforgettable. The Pacific Northwest proves that great food doesnt need to be complicated, just honest and close to the earth. The Michigan Cherry Trail Traverse City, Michigan Image Credit:Shutterstock. Michigans Cherry Trail bursts with color and flavor each summer. Traverse City, the Cherry Capital of the World, leads the way with festivals, farm stands, and cherry-infused everything. From pies to wines, every treat celebrates the regions vibrant harvest. Country roads lined with orchards create a postcard-perfect backdrop. Its a sweet slice of Americana youll never forget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Visitors can pick their own fruit or explore charming towns nearby. Local artisans craft jams, sauces, and chocolates that make perfect souvenirs. The cherry blossoms in spring are a sight to behold. Every season brings new reasons to return to this cheerful, fruit-filled paradise. The Tennessee Hot Chicken Trail Nashville to Memphis, Tennessee Image Credit: Shutterstock Spicy, crispy, and utterly addictive, the Tennessee Hot Chicken Trail is not for the faint of heart. Starting in Nashville, where the fiery dish was born, travelers can sample versions ranging from mild to molten. Local joints like Princes and Hattie Bs define the standard, while roadside diners add their own twist. Every bite delivers a rush of heat followed by pure satisfaction. Its comfort food turned into legend. Beyond the spice, the trail explores Tennessees musical roots and Southern hospitality. Blues bars, live shows, and soul food spots create an unforgettable atmosphere. Pair your meal with sweet tea or a local beer to balance the burn. The journey captures the heart and flavor of the South in every crunchy bite. The Colorado Beer Trail Denver to Fort Collins, Colorado Image Credit: Arina P Habich / Shutterstock. Colorados Beer Trail celebrates craft brewing at its finest. Starting in Denver, the route winds through mountain towns filled with creative breweries and taprooms. Sample hoppy IPAs, smooth stouts, and inventive seasonal brews made with local ingredients. The Rockies provide a stunning backdrop for every pour. Its a craft beer lovers dream come true. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Friendly brewers share their process and stories, making each tasting session personal. Outdoor patios and festivals make it easy to relax and soak in the scenery. Whether youre hiking between breweries or biking the trail, theres a perfect pint waiting for you. Every glass feels like a toast to freedom, flavor, and mountain air. The Florida Key Lime Trail Key Largo to Key West, Florida Image Credit:Shutterstock. Tart, sweet, and sun-soaked, the Florida Key Lime Trail is a citrus lovers paradise. Following the Overseas Highway, this trail connects pie shops, beach cafes, and roadside stands serving the states signature dessert. The tropical breeze and turquoise waters create the perfect backdrop for indulgence. Every slice of pie bursts with flavor, balanced by a flaky crust and whipped cream cloud. Its summer in every bite. Beyond dessert, the trail offers ocean adventures, coral reefs, and postcard-perfect views. Stop for key lime cocktails or ice cream along the way. Each cafe has its own secret recipe, sparking friendly debates about the best pie in the Keys. By the time you reach Key West, youll understand why this trail is pure sunshine on a plate. The Alaska Seafood Trail Anchorage to Seward, Alaska Image Credit:Shutterstock. The final trail takes you to the edge of the world, where glaciers meet the sea and seafood reigns supreme. Alaskas coastlines offer wild-caught salmon, halibut, and king crab so fresh they practically leap from the plate. The route between Anchorage and Seward showcases both rugged wilderness and refined cuisine. Restaurants highlight local harvests, and fishing boats dock just steps away. Every meal feels like a gift from nature itself. Travelers can pair their meals with glacier views, whale sightings, and crisp mountain air. Local chefs emphasize sustainability, preserving both flavor and the environment. The experience is raw, authentic, and humbling. The Alaska Seafood Trail reminds us that great journeys, and great meals, are about connection, respect, and wonder. In the Western world, we regularly enjoy food with Thai, Indian, or Japanese influence. But there's another country with an equally vibrant and flavorful food scene that's often overlooked. Nestled between China and India, Nepal is perhaps best known for its awe-inspiring, mountainous landscapes, but it's a place that also deserves recognition for its unique cuisine. Nepali food is the unsung hero of the Asian culinary landscape, offering bold flavors and an array of hearty dishes with a delightfully nourishing quality. To gain some expert knowledge on the wonders of traditional Nepali food, we interviewed Mr. Anish Waiba, Head Chef at Shinta Mani Mustang a luxury resort in the town of Jomsom, Nepal. Waiba's passion for his country's cuisine is clear, and he describes how the food "reflects the country's rich cultural and geographical diversity". Providing us with valuable insights into the diverse array of dishes he prepares, the chef tells us that many recipes are underpinned by a delicate balance of spicy, sour, and savory flavors. "A hallmark of Nepali cooking is the use of fresh, seasonal, and locally grown ingredients", adds Waiba, whilst also highlighting that "every community from the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley to the Sherpas of the Himalayas and the people of the southern lowlands contributes its own ingredients, flavors, and cooking methods." With Waiba's help, we've selected seven signature dishes that are a must-try if you're sampling Nepali cuisine for the first time. Whether you're visiting a Nepali restaurant or recreating the magic at home, these wholesome picks are sure to impress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Dining In Italy Mo:Mo Plate of Nepali Mo:Mo dumplings with spicy dip - Andrey Starostin/Shutterstock These spicy dumplings are bursting with bold, aromatic flavor, and they're fantastically versatile too. Mo:Mo consist of a wheat flour-based dough, that's filled with meat or vegetables, but it's the selection of spices and aromatics that set these hearty bites apart from the Chinese-style steamed dumplings you're perhaps more familiar with. Anish Waiba explains how the Mo:Mo filling ingredients are marinated with momo masala a Nepali-style spice blend that typically includes cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, and mustard seeds. Onion, ginger, garlic paste, salt, and extra Nepali spices also add heaps of flavor to the filling. For the meat element, ground chicken is a popular choice, but you'll also see versions made with beef or pork. Common vegetable add-ins include green onions, celery, cabbage, and mushrooms. Once the filling ingredients have been mixed up, the dough is prepped by simply combining flour and water, and kneading everything into a smooth ball. Rolled out and cut into circles, each piece is then filled and sealed up. According to Waiba, Mo:Mo can come in various different shapes, but you'll often see them finished with a pleasing pleated effect. The dumplings can then either be steamed, to keep things tender and chewy, or fried, which yields a crispier result. The chef describes Mo:Mo as "a popular everyday snack and a favorite at gatherings" in Nepal. The dumplings are typically paired with a spicy tomato chutney called achar, and often served floating in a bowlful of ginger- and garlic-infused tomato soup called jhol. Dal bhat Plate of traditional Nepali dal bhat (lentil soup with rice) - Thamkc/Getty Images An everyday staple for the majority of households in Nepal, dal bhat consists of rice (bhat) served with lentil (dal) soup. To make the soup, red lentils are first boiled, then tempered with garlic and spices like turmeric, cardamom, and cumin, as well as jimbu a leafy herb belonging to the onion family. The platter is then assembled with a mound of steamed white rice, a bowlful of the lentil soup, and some equally nourishing extras, such as homemade pickles, or other seasonal curries. Tarkari, a curry made with an array of veggies like cabbage, cauliflower, and green beans, is a particularly popular accompaniment. The resulting medley of foods on the dal bhat platter is wonderfully well-rounded, providing an excellent source of sustenance and plenty of vital nutrients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anish Waiba explains how the exact components and flavors of dal bhat can vary in different regions of Nepal. He says, for example, that the dish "has a distinct taste in Mustang compared to the Terai regions. The Thakali set is milder, while the Terai style leans closer to Indian curries as the region is closer to India." There's also the option to transform the soup into a thicker, dip-like dal, garnishing it with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and fresh chili pepper slices. Sel roti Deep-frying sel roti (traditional Nepali ring-shaped bread) - NARESH SHRESTHA/Shutterstock Sel roti is Nepal's take on fried bread. These ring-shaped treats are made with a fermented rice flour batter, and deep-fried for an indulgent finish, being delightfully crispy on the outside yet soft and chewy in the middle. Anish Waiba shares that sel roti is traditionally prepared during Tihar, a Nepali festival that celebrates light and love, as well as being served at weddings and other religious ceremonies. To make sel roti, uncooked rice (typically short to medium grain) is first washed, then soaked in water overnight to soften. Once rinsed, half of the rice is then ground down to a sand-like consistency, with the other half blended into a milky liquid. These two portions are then combined and mixed with ghee, sugar, and rice flour to create a smooth batter. Next comes the fermentation stage: the batter is left to sit at room temperature for at least eight hours. The finished batter should be thick enough to hold its shape. To create those signature rings, you can either use your hands to shape the batter pre-frying or transfer it to a squeeze bottle and add it to hot oil in a swift circular motion. The sel roti should take around one to two minutes to reach crispy, golden perfection. After a quick drain on some kitchen paper, the breads can be enjoyed warm with sides such as yogurt, pickle, or a mug of hot tea. Yomari Nepali yomari dumplings in steamer - NARESH SHRESTHA/Shutterstock Dumplings don't necessarily have to be savory, and these moreish bites are a favorite on the Nepali dessert scene. Yomari consist of a rice flour dough, filled with a sweet chaku (also known as jaggery) mixture, or a type of reduced milk called khuwa. Anish Waiba tells us that yomari are a delicacy in Newari culture, and "specially made during Yomari Punhi, a Newari festival celebrating the end of the rice harvest on the full moon". The Newar people make up approximately 50% of the population of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, and their culture has strong Indian influences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the addition of hot water and salt, the rice flour comes together in a smooth dough, which can be left to rest while the filling is prepared. Chaku, which is similar to palm sugar, is heated with ghee, and sometimes sesame seeds, coconut pieces, nuts, or dates, to form a thick, sticky filling. For the khuwa option, the milk solids are combined with sugar and perhaps a sprinkling of ground cardamom, for a creamier and more fragrant approach. To create the distinctive yomari shape, portions of the dough are molded into cone-like pieces, with an opening made in the base. Spoon the filling in, then pinch and twist the dough to seal the mixture inside, creating an almost fish-shaped dumpling. The final step is steaming the yomari until lovely and glossy on the outside, and piping hot in the middle. Dhido Traditional Nepali dhido on plate with vegetables, bread, and dips - Dheer85/Shutterstock It might not have the most appetizing appearance, but dhido is a brilliantly versatile staple that fits in beautifully alongside a whole host of other Nepali foods. This porridge-like creation sees buckwheat, millet, or corn flour mixed with boiling water until thickened. It's high in fiber, naturally gluten-free, and serves as a satisfying base for building a complete meal. Dhido is eaten daily in many parts of Nepal, being especially popular in rural and high-altitude regions. Typically eaten with the hands, dhido is thick enough in consistency to break apart and roll into balls, making it ideal for dipping into curries, soups, yogurt, and various condiments. Dishes frequently served alongside dhido include masu ko jhol (a curry often made with chicken or mutton), and saag (spiced leafy greens such as spinach or radish leaves). And, pickles are great for providing a fresh, tangy contrast to the flour mixture. You can also stir ghee into the dhido itself for a richer finish. Gundruk Basket of gundruk (traditional Nepali fermented leafy greens) - Nabaraj Regmi/Shutterstock Packed with punchy, umami-rich flavor, gundruk is a unique Nepali dish that exemplifies resourcefulness. It consists of fermented and dried leafy greens, such as mustard greens, radish leaves, cauliflower leaves, or spinach. According to chef Waiba, the greens are "packed and left to ferment for about a week, resulting in a tangy, earthy flavor". Originating from the remote mountainous regions of Nepal, gundruk was developed as a traditional way to preserve the fresh leafy ingredients for long periods, locking in their nutrients while minimizing waste. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The gundruk preparation process involves first washing the greens, letting them dry out, then slicing them up. Next, the leaves are crushed in a mortar and pestle, before being firmly squeezed to remove any excess water. Packed into a lidded jar or clay pot, the greens are then left to ferment for around 10 to 15 days, which gives them their sour taste. The final step is drying the fermented greens, either in the sun or using a dehydrator. Then, they can be stored in an airtight container in the pantry for up to a year. Gundruk also forms the base of gundruk ko jhol, a warming vegetable soup with a spicy, turmeric-infused broth. The gundruk is soaked and cooked with the other aromatics and veggies like onion, garlic, ginger, potato, and tomato. The mixture is seasoned with spices and topped up with water, creating a vibrant broth that's full of tangy, savory flavor. It's fantastic served with rice and a sunny-side up egg. Thukpa Bowl of thukpa (traditional Nepali noodle soup) with beef and carrots - Pvince73/Shutterstock Thukpa is the ultimate Nepali comfort food, perfect for keeping warm during the harsh Himalayan winter nights. This dish has its roots in Tibet, a high-altitude autonomous region of China that borders Nepal. Though thukpa is widely consumed in Nepal today, it remains popular amongst Tibetan sherpa communities, as well as in Bhutan and India. In fact, this warming soup is allegedly one of the Dalai Lama's favorite dishes. A standout component of a classic thukpa is the chewy wheat or rice noodles, which make it ultra-satisfying. The soup also contains a medley of vegetables and aromatics, and sometimes meat, which might be in the form of chicken, pork, or even mutton. Garlic, ginger, onion, and chili are popular add-ins to the broth, with veggies like carrots, cabbage, and bell peppers fitting in beautifully too. A squeeze of lemon juice is great for adding a hint of brightness, and zesty cilantro leaves makes for a refreshing garnish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thukpa tastes amazing served alongside Mo:Mo dumplings and steamed vegetables. You can also top it with a dollop of spicy tomato chutney to turn up the heat, or pair it with roti, which is great for mopping up every last bit of that flavor-packed broth. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. Read the original article on Tasting Table. Most of us have fantasized about finding treasure at some point in our lives. Some dream of stumbling upon pirate treasure while vacationing in known hot spots for serious treasure hunters. Others imagine tripping over the lost crown jewels of King John as they meander around the Norfolk Broads, minding their own business. There are those who seek fossils hoping for a put-in-your-pocket and take-home ammonoid or perhaps the kind of multimillion-dollar find that can change a person's life. Some seek relics of the past, pieces of ceramic from the height of the Roman Empire, coins from Byzantine times, or segments of intricate scrimshaw from whaling days long since passed. Most of us just want to find the odd pretty shell or two. It's not all about metal detecting. Still, the word "treasure" suggests the inclusion of a monetary value of some sort. Here, however, we won't be looking at the best places to find lost pieces of contemporary jewelry, or the occasional still-functional smartwatch. Such locations are easy enough to spot; simply look for a busy beach in an affluent area and don a snorkel. It's a tried and tested method. Instead, the focus is very much centered on items that people specifically go looking for and those places where they are most likely to find them. Locations where sea glass can be fashioned into brooches and sold in shops around the globe. Beaches close to ancient ruins or mysterious shipwrecks that have yet to reveal all their hidden secrets. Coastlines littered with fossils, dunes with cities buried beneath them, and distant shores that have seen battles, natural disasters, and the ravages of time peel back the layers of forgotten moments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 50 Of The Most Mesmerizing Places On Earth Glass Beach, British Columbia, Canada Hands holding sea glass found on a beach - Olga Pankova/Getty Images Canada's East Coast is a wondrous place. From its southernmost point, it stretches almost 2,000 miles towards the windswept depths of the Arctic Circle. It is a place of islands roughly 6,500 of them -- and among them you'll find bucket-list worthy destinations offering a chance to spot rare bears, breathtaking fjords with waterfront campsites, and hidden coves. And of course, there are treasures to be found. There are always treasures to be found. Glass Beach sits on a southern outcropping of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, just under 17 miles from the provincial capital, Victoria. It's a popular beach park in its own right, but for treasure hunters it holds particular significance. The clue is, of course, in the name. Sea glass is a catch-all description for any coastal glass or pottery fragments that have been smoothed over time by the motion of the waves and the abrasive nature of rocks. The town of Sidney in which Glass Beach rests was founded in 1891. A glass factory was built in the 1950s. After it caught fire and was burned to the ground, the remains were piled back into the ocean. Time and tides did their thing. Eventually, whether by some trick of the current or the idiosyncratic nature of the coastal weather, the glass began returning to its place of origin. Today, you'll find it scattered all over the beach; much of it arrives in the form of clear pebbles, although colored stones of every imaginable hue are also found lying around ready to be collected. And collect it you may. While any large-scale attempt to clear the beach of its treasures would most certainly be frowned upon, gathering a souvenir or two is not against the rules. Skeleton Coast, Namibia Rusty remains of a ship wreck in the fore ground with the bow section clearly visible on the Skeleton coast, Namibia - Oscarcatt/Getty Images Namibia lies on the West Coast of Africa. Its capital, Windhoek, is in the central region of the country, an almost 15-hour drive north of Cape Town. At its southern border, you will find unforgettable destinations with stunning beaches and incredible wildlife. Further north, the region becomes ever more hostile to human life, and nowhere is that better demonstrated than over the 310-mile-long stretch of shoreline known as the Skeleton Coast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The region gets its name from the preponderance of whale and seal bones scattered across its shore, but also for a more sinister reason. The Skeleton Coast is home to over a hundred shipwrecks. Their presence is the natural consequence of two age-old maritime hazards, sharp rocks and curling banks of fog. Cool air from the ocean colliding with the heat of an arid desert creates the billowing fog; the hidden reefs are simply there for good measure. In terms of treasure, many of the ships lost here in the 20th century are well-documented, understood, and most definitely off-limits. Older ships dating back to the 16th century are another matter, but these are the purview of archeologists and conservators. In 2008, the wreck of a Portuguese ship known as the Bom Jesus lost without a trace in 1533 was found to contain 2,000 gold coins and innumerable artifacts made from silver. The final worth of the treasure trove came to $13 million, and, tantalizing though that might sound, there are, of course, restrictions in place. Artifacts found here are protected by legislation and normally become state property given over to museum custody. Anything found should be photographed but not disturbed, and its GPS location noted. Charmouth, Devon, U.K. Fossil hunters on the world famous fossil beach of Charmouth in Devon - Ashley Cooper/Getty Images Scientists have a very different understanding of time than the rest of us mere mortals. Planck time is mostly theoretical, physicists speak of relativistic time, and here on Earth, geological time refers to periods of time of sufficient length to warrant their own name. There are 12 periods found within the Phanerozoic Eon, a period stretching across 542 million years during which time life took on increasingly complex forms. Some of these periods have more familiar names than others, while others offer interest beyond the simple aging of rocks. A quiet corner of England's southern coast might seem like an unlikely candidate for a fossil-hunting mecha, but the truth is, it's a veritable hotbed of potential discoveries. Indeed, thanks to the unusual composition of the local cliffs there, you will find the only place in the world where millions of years of geological events lie exposed for all to see. The name Jurassic Coast is, in some ways, misleading. The exposed cliffs reveal a timeframe that spans three distinct periods: the Jurassic, yes, but also the preceding Cretaceous period and the Triassic that followed. Together, all three provide a fascinating snapshot of our planet's history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some finds are easier than others. Ammonite fossils, dating back 200 million years, for example. Trilobites are older, yet they, too, can be found along the coast. Truly spectacular discoveries are the stuff of Netflix documentaries: Dinosaur footprints and a fully intact pliosaur skull are both relatively recent finds. Digging into the cliffs is forbidden, and anything found on the beach should be reported, although for the most part, ownership is transferred back to the person who found the fossil. The whole coast is littered with them after all, but Charmouth Beach, 33 miles east of Exeter, has a peculiar charm all of its own. K'gari (Fraser Island) Beaches, Queensland, Australia Wreck of SS Maheno which ran aground on K'gari island in 1935. - Alex Fonda/Shutterstock K'gari Island is the largest island you'll find made out of sand anywhere on the face of the planet. It sits just off a rugged spit of land in Queensland, 226 miles north of Brisbane. The main beach is one of the most stunning you will find in the Southern Hemisphere, and it's a must-stop on what is surely Australia's prettiest coastal road trip. The 75-mile-long island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to a myriad of lakes and huge swathes of dense, tropical forest. It's also a fantastic place to spot some of Australia's more exotic wildlife: possums, sugar gliders, and wallabies coexist with dozens of species of lizards and over 300 kinds of birds. And there are, of course, snakes. It's a great place to come face to face with Australia's most dangerous wildlife and learn how best to avoid them. The tides are filled with hidden perils, and coastal swimming is not recommended. It's best to respect said advice or else find yourself guilty of one of those annoying beachgoer habits that put a damper on everyone else's day. Head inland instead, for a dip in one of the many lakes and pools. There are 23 identifiable wrecks dotting the island's coast, the most famous of which is the remains of the Mahano. Built in 1905 and sold for scrap thirty years later, it was set adrift en route to Japan, and it has rested on the island's beachfront ever since. The presence of said wrecks means that artifacts do crop up from time to time. Removal of such items is illegal, and any finds should be reported to the local authorities. Cape Hatteras, North Carolina The Bodie Island Lighthouse seen from a distance along the Cape Hatteras shoree - The Best Photo Is Earned/Getty Images Where Africa has the Skeleton Coast, North America has the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Cape Hatteras lies off the coast of North Carolina and is part of the Outer Banks. As with the Skeleton Coast, the region is known for its thick banks of fog, strong currents, and propensity for storms. The true danger, however, lies beneath the waves. The so-called Diamond Shoals are in fact a series of shifting sand bars that refuse to stay in one place for too long. Collectively, they have been responsible for at least 600 shipwrecks, the earliest dating back to the early 16th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the ships lost in the region, you will find the USS Monitor, an ironclad that sank in 1862 and has now been partially recovered. Several U-boats met their end in these waters, including U-576, which has been resting on the bottom of the ocean since July 1942. Of more interest to treasure hunters are the remains of Queen Anne's Revenge, the flagship of notorious pirate Blackbeard. Wrecked in 1718, it was rediscovered in 1996, to great fanfare. Artifacts certainly wash up on the shore from time to time, and visitors to Cape Hatteras would do well to keep their eyes peeled. A collection of coins, some dating back as far as 221 B.C.E., was discovered on the island itself, while a ship containing $1.5 million worth of gold was successfully recovered in 2014. Permits are required for any kind of underwater archeology, and the removal of items found on the beach is not permitted. Still, the thrill of finding Civil War-era buttons or a cache of ancient coins remains a pastime worth pursuing in and of itself; the lack of monetary award does little to change that. Playa de Bolonia, Cadiz, Spain The ancient Roman city of Baelo Claudia located on the Bolonia bay, Cadiz province, Andalusia, Spain - Jose Luis Vega/Shutterstock Andalusia an autonomous region on Spain's southern coast is many things to many different people. It is a beloved dream destination for solo female travelers, a place of intense historical timbre where East once met West, a surfer's paradise, and a genuine Mecca of foodie desire. Here you'll find Cadiz, one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. A 75-minute drive south of its Old Town lies the stunning beach of Bolonia. The shoreline is home to one of Europe's largest sand dunes, almost 100 feet high and 656 feet wide; those standing atop it can clearly make out the African coast. Beneath it lie ancient tombs dating back to the very depths of antiquity. It is this confluence of history and geography that makes the beach of such interest to treasure hunters. The beach is deep and the strait is narrow. Hundreds of shipwrecks lurk in the waters known as the Strait of Gibraltar. Excavations here have yielded fascinating discoveries: former Roman baths, a fish salting plant where garum a popular condiment in the ancient world was produced, and even a central forum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coins, from ancient wrecks and former inhabitants, wash up from time to time; it's a very windy place, and the dunes are constantly shifting. Metal detecting is permitted, but finds are heavily regulated. A century-old find is the cut-off point; items older than that need to be returned to officials. Fernando de Noronha Beaches, Brazil Wide angle shot of baia dos porcos and Cacimba do Padre in Fernando de Noronha Brazil. - Christian Herzog/Getty Images Some 225 miles off Brazil's easternmost point sits Fernando de Noronha, a volcanic archipelago of unerring beauty. This hidden gem has crystal clear waters and diverse marine life. Its main island offers only 10 square miles of real estate rising 1,089 feet above sea level and fringed with well over a dozen stunning beaches. Named after its discoverer who was gifted the island in 1504 the subsequent centuries saw numerous attempts by rival powers to seize the island, but it remained in Portuguese hands throughout. So distinguished are its beaches that many of them are known worldwide for their specialties. Baia do Sancho, for example, was named best beach in the world in 2019, because it is recognized as one of the best places to go snorkeling on the face of the planet. From there, it's just a 12-minute drive to Praia do Leao, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to thousands of nesting turtles. Praia da Conceicao is the place to go for sunsets, Praia do Cachorro and Praia da Cacimba do Padre both offer excellent surf, while Boldro Beach positively teems with exotic wildlife. Still, the island's proximity to maritime trading of old is what makes it of interest to treasure hunters. Shipwrecks dot the whole region, and the waters are both warm and incredibly clear, with visibility on the seabed extending out over 130 feet. There is a strict limit on who can dive or indeed comb the sand for architectural finds; 3,000 people are granted access at any given time, no more. Fines for disturbing wildlife are astronomical, and any actual treasure found on the ocean floor does, of course, belong to the Brazilian government. Amber Beaches of the Curonian Spit, Lithuania Man wearing fisherman's coat and boots hunting for amber amongst the waves of Lithuania's coast - Michele Ursi/Getty Images Lithuania's coast is split into two sections. A narrow strip of shore faces the Baltic in the northern half of the country, extending until it encounters a wafer-thin spit of land known as the Curonian Spit, separating the Baltic Sea from the freshwater Curonian Lagoon. It's something of an unusual sight to those who experience it firsthand, and a must-visit part of any Baltic adventure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The unusual geography on display across the region has created a haven for some particularly interesting treasures. Here, both within the lagoon and in the forested areas close to its western shores, you can find some of the finest deposits of amber in the world. For those unfamiliar with the substance, amber is essentially fossilized tree resin that has hardened over the millennia into what appears to be a semi or fully opaque gemstone. They come in a variety of hues, but favor orange, brown, and red. In some cases, insects and plants that were trapped in the resin are perfectly preserved within a plot point people might remember from the Jurassic Park movies that used said samples to extract DNA. The fact that amber is lighter than most rocks means you can find it scattered around the beaches on both sides of the spit. Amber can be quite valuable, or practically worthless; some of it is turned into jewelry, while other pieces, particularly those with preserved specimens inside, are of unique scientific interest. Regardless, anything you find is yours to keep, although it can be quite delicate and, as such, needs handling with care. Port Royal, Jamaica Small boats hauled up the coast in Port Royal Kingston Jamaica - Lieblingsbuerger/Shutterstock On the Palisadoes spit of southeastern Jamaica, you'll find Port Royal, home of the remains of a 17th-century fort and a genuine former pirate city now long since vanished beneath the waves. Treasure awaits those with the wherewithal to find it. During the turbulent 1600s, the town of Port Royal known then as the most wicked city in the world made skillful use of its natural, deep harbor and strategic location close to the shipping lanes of the day. The OG hive of scum and villainy itself, pirates used the port as a home base, raiding Spanish galleons as they transported pilfered wealth back to the Old World. No less austere a character than Blackbeard himself called Port Royal home, and other famous names joined him. Calico Jack and Captain Henry Morgan now more famous as a brand of rum than for his time as a bloodthirsty corsair were also known to frequent the town's dive bars and taverns. An earthquake in 1692 put an end to the party. Built not on bedrock, but rather on layers of dense sand, much of the colony simply sank into the ocean, never to be seen again. Thousands of people died in the natural disaster. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, the sunken city is an archaeological marvel with few peers. It stands as a testament to a way of life that was atypical even by the standards of the day. Coins made of gold and silver, along with bullion, bronze cannon, and even a pocket watch. You'll need to obtain special permission to dive to the actual site of archaeological interest, and needless to say, any hidden booty you find is the property of the Jamaican government and not yours to take home. How we made this list Golden treasure chest hidden beneath the sea filled with precious coins - Chinnachart Martmoh/Getty Images In some cases such as in the search for amber along the Baltic coast or the fossil hunting coves of Dorset these beaches are well known to me. In others, I drew from meticulous research into where you'd find the best treasure beaches. Few of them are likely to reveal vast hordes of pirate treasure, and none of them would let you keep such archaeological marvels if you did. Still, each place on the list is of genuine interest to treasure hunters who enjoy the thrill of the hunt, Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets. Read the original article on Explore. Hidden secrets @brearkeologi/X Climate change is having a devastating impact on our planet, destroying natural landscapes with flooding, droughts and other forms of extreme weather. But sometimes, among the devastation, these climatic phenomena can expose artefacts and archaeological sites previously lost to time. See desert cities and thawed fossils revealed by the ravages of climate change... Dolmen de Guadalperal, Spain Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images The Spanish region of Extremadura is famed for being dry but when the Iberian Peninsula experienced one of its driest Junes on record in 2019, a remarkable historic site that had not been seen for 50 years reared above the waterline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dubbed the Spanish Stonehenge, the Dolmen de Guadalperal is a Megalithic stone circle believed to date as far back as 5000 BC. However, the dolmen was drowned by the Valdecanas reservoir in 1963 after the construction of a dam. Dolmen de Guadalperal, Spain Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images The dolmen was originally excavated in 1926 by German archaeologist Hugo Obermaier, who noted 140 upright boulders arranged in a concentric circle. Since the creation of the reservoir in 1963, the dolmen has only been seen four times, including in 2022. It's currently below the surface once again, but the reservoir endangers its existence. Locals have called for the stones to be removed to a drier location, as some granite monoliths show signs of significant water damage. Submerged forest, Wales, UK Robin Weaver/Alamy In 2014, fierce storms stripped a beach in Cardigan Bay, Wales, of thousands of tonnes of sand, revealing an eerie sight: an ancient, petrified forest buried beneath the sea. The forest which radiocarbon dating suggests stopped growing 4,000 years ago once stretched for a few miles and was filled with a wide arboreal array, including pine, alder, oak and birch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The existence of the forest was already known to scientists and archaeologists, but the unprecedented storms revealed some curious new finds. Submerged forest, Wales, UK The Photolibrary Wales/Alamy The storms exposed an ancient timber walkway, which Waless early inhabitants constructed to cross increasingly waterlogged terrain as sea levels rose around them. The trees were eventually buried under layers of peat, preserving human and animal tracks, before being submerged by the sea. The forests unfortunate fate gave rise to the Welsh legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod, a mighty kingdom drowned beneath the waves. The frozen-in-time forest can sometimes be seen at extreme low tide in the town of Borth. Sunken warships, Serbia Associated Press/Alamy Summer 2022 was a time of dire droughts, particularly in central Europe, where the Danube reached its lowest level in almost a century. Low water levels revealed some unusual occupants on the river bed; in the Serbian port town of Prahovo, the rusting hulks of 20 Nazi warships lay in the water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They formed part of the Black Sea Fleet, but as Russian forces advanced up the Danube in 1944, the Nazis deliberately scuttled the ships to stop them falling into enemy hands. Sunken warships, Serbia Associated Press/Alamy The ships pose a danger to the people of Prahovo. A Serbian transport minister stated that the warships may still be carrying up to 10,000 explosive devices, which have the potential to leak toxic chemicals into the water (not to mention, explode). The hulks, exposed by extremely low water levels, also made navigating the river far more difficult, as the width of the shipping lane at Prahovo almost halved when they were visible. The process of removing the warships began in August 2024, and is ongoing, but logistical difficulties mean it could take at least a year and half. Kemune Palace, Iraq University of Tubingen, eScience Center and Kurdistan Archaeology Organization In 2018, the waters of the Mosul Dam reservoir near Kemune in Iraq's Kurdistan province drastically fell due to drought, revealing a sturdy brick palace built during the period of the Mitanni Empire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Mitannis thrived in the 15th and 14th centuries BC in the fertile Mesopotamia region and were a notable ally of ancient Egypt, but little is known about their society because the few Mitanni archaeological sites that exist have rarely contained written texts. Kemune Palace, Iraq University of Tubingen and Kurdistan Archaeology Organization The accidental discovery of the palace at Kemune has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of this ancient kingdom. Besides red-and-blue hued murals in a remarkable state of preservation, 10 clay cuneiform tablets were excavated. They contain writing that dated the palace to around 1800 BC. These texts were recently translated and have revealed new details about the Mitanni economy and society, including that the grand palace was a building for public use. Iron Age shoe, Norway @brearkeologi/X Climate change means glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, but the thawing ice can sometimes defrost centuries-old items previously lost to the permafrost. In 2019, a hiker on Norways Lendbreen glacier spotted a tangled mass of old rawhide and lace poking out of the ice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He shared its location with glacial archaeologists from Secrets of the Ice, who rushed to the site before a snowstorm could blanket the mysterious object again. Iron Age shoe, Norway Espen Finstad/secretsoftheice.com The hide was soon reconstructed into a dapper-looking sandal. Radiocarbon dating dated the object to the 4th century AD. Even more interestingly, Secrets of the Ice archaeologist Lars Pilo said that the size nine shoe closely matched the style of Roman carbatina sandals, suggesting that fashions travelled across the entire European continent. Archaeologists have recovered more than a thousand artefacts from the glacier (including clothing, horseshoes and walking sticks), which is now believed to be the site of a mountain pass, used for a thousand years but abandoned over 500 years ago. Pre-Viking skis, Norway Andreas Christoffer Nilsson/secretsoftheice.com The Secrets of the Ice project has also excavated a hoard of other treasures from Norways melting glaciers, such as these 1,300-year-old skis. The first Iron Age ski was uncovered in 2014, while the second ski was dug out after further glacial melt in 2021 in far better condition as it was buried much deeper under the ice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Archaeologists have theorised that, since many objects related to reindeer hunting have been found in the area, the skis may have belonged to a hunter. Pre-Viking skis, Norway Espen Finstad/secretsoftheice.com Measuring about 6.2 feet (1.9m) in length, the skis were tied to the users foot using leather straps and birch bark bindings. They had also been repaired in multiple places, showcasing Iron Age ingenuity, and rank amongst the worlds best-preserved Iron Age skis. As of June 2023, the skis, the sandal and other amazing artefacts found by the Secrets of the Ice team can be seen in a permanent exhibition at the Norwegian Mountain Center in Lom, Norway. Nunalleq artefacts, Alaska, USA Mark Ralston/Getty Images As glaciers melt with the global temperature rise, so too does the frozen soil in Earths arctic regions. In Alaskas Yukon, archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen have been digging away at newly defrosted dirt to learn more about the old Yup'ik village of Nunalleq about 400 miles (644km) west of the states largest city, Anchorage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the ice defrosts, its a race against time to preserve the valuable Yup'ik artefacts before they degrade. Nunalleq artefacts, Alaska, USA Mark Ralston/Getty Images The site has yielded around 100,000 objects from Yup'ik life. Pictured here is lead archaeologist Rick Knecht showing some artefacts to local Yup'ik children. The most interesting find was the charred husk of a communal sod house (a log cabin used during frontier settlement of the Great Plains in the 1800s and early 1900s), which contained the bodies of almost 30 murder victims. Yup'ik tales had long told of a brutal massacre of an entire village some time before 1840, but the site had never been located. Perhaps Nunalleq was where it took place Dr Knecht described the site as the "Yup'ik equivalent of Troy". Neros Bridge, Italy Andreas Solaro/Getty Images In 2022, Italy experienced its worst drought in 70 years, bringing water levels in the Tiber down to critical levels. The low water revealed a pier from a Roman bridge thats rarely seen. Neros Bridge almost directly beneath Romes 19th-century Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II was built in the 1st century AD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the bridges name, historians arent sure whether this bridge was actually built by the notorious Nero, as the Latin name Pons Neronianus (Bridge of Nero) only appeared in chronicles in the 12th century. Neros Bridge, Italy Stefano Montesi - Corbis/Getty Images The bridge fell into disrepair and was partially dismantled by the 3rd century. Then, in the 19th century, two of the bridges four pillars were demolished to allow larger river boats to pass. One pier can sometimes be seen in a normal dry season, but it took an exceptional heatwave for this second pier to be visible; a rare opportunity for Rome's modern citizens to peer at an unseen part of their city's history. Corinthian columns, Israel @IsraelAntiquitiesAuthority/Facebook After a strong storm ravaged the coast of Israel in May 2023, sea swimmer Gideon Harris spotted something unusual through his goggles. At the bottom of the seabed lay some hand-carved marble objects, revealed by the shifting sands. Harris contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority, which sent divers to excavate the site. The columns were 1,800 years old, measured up to 19.6 feet (6m) and were made of the finest marble, decorated in a floral Corinthian style. So how did they end up at the bottom of the sea? Corinthian columns, Israel @IsraelAntiquitiesAuthority/Facebook Archaeologists believe the columns were the cargo of a huge Roman ship, intended to adorn a grand public building such as a theatre or temple. During a storm the heavily-laden ship was wrecked in shallow water, its fine cargo scattered across the sea floor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The find helps solve an age-old academic question about where Roman architectural elements were completed. These columns were being imported in a partially-carved state, leaving local artisans to finish the job. Previously it was thought that pieces were completed in their land of origin, then shipped to their destination. C-53 plane, Switzerland Ursula Perreten/Shutterstock Switzerlands 2018 heatwave caused large parts of the Gauli glacier (pictured) to melt away. As the glacier retreated, the wreckage of a C-53 Skytrooper plane that had crashed there in 1946 was revealed entombed inside the ice for 72 years. The transport plane was travelling from Austria to Italy, carrying four crew and eight passengers (including two high-ranking US military officers). However, bad weather and sudden winds disoriented the pilot, leading the plane to crash-land on the glacier at an altitude of almost 11,000 feet (3,350m). C-53 plane, Switzerland Edvard Majakari/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0 All the people aboard the plane survived and were retrieved in a huge rescue operation a few days later, with reports suggesting theyd had to drink snow water and ration chocolate bars to survive. The C-53 plane (similar to the one in this image) was soon buried under layers of snow and ice, but the hot and dry summer of 2018 meant scientists were able to recover much of the wreckage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tourists came to see the stricken plane once it was found; the final chapter of a decades-old saga. Brookhill Ferry, Louisiana, USA Associated Press/Alamy On his daily walk trawling the Mississippi riverbanks for artefacts, archaeology enthusiast and Baton Rouge resident Patrick Ford saw an otherworldly wooden exoskeleton poking out of mud. He hit the jackpot that day extreme drought meant that a 19th-century ferry was exposed, in full, for the very first time. Brookhill Ferry, Louisiana, USA Associated Press/Alamy State archaeologists soon confirmed that it was the wreck of the Brookhill, an 1896-built ferry that crossed between Baton Rouge and Port Allen (on the other side of the Mississippi) each night. The ship sank in a storm in 1915, never to be recovered until 2022, when 80% of the hull was suddenly above the surface. The wreck was briefly opened to the public, but after thieves stole parts of the boat and the Mississippi returned to its usual levels, it was closed again. However, a 3D model of the wreck can be seen on the states website. Luoxingdun, China Noel Celis/Getty Images Usually, Luoxingdun (a 10th-century religious island) seems to perfectly float on the surface of Poyang, Chinas largest freshwater lake. However, more and more droughts plus the impact of human intervention on the Yangtze and other rivers mean the temple's foundations have occasionally been fully exposed in recent years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This image from August 2022 shows the Buddhist temples base completely visible for the first time in 71 years. Luoxingdun, China STR/Getty Images The scales of climate change can tip the other way too. This image from July 2020 shows the temple under dangerous floodwaters, threatening its delicate pagoda and ancient Tang Dynasty architecture. Much of the island was submerged again in May 2024, but thankfully this time the temple itself remained above water. Church of Sant Roma de Sau, Spain Josep Lago/Getty Images The springtime dry spell of March 2023 in northern Spain one of the worst droughts in half a century meant that the Catalonia region's Panta de Sau reservoir shrunk to 7% of its usual capacity, slowly revealing the remains of Sant Roma, a remarkably well-preserved 11th-century Romanesque church sunk beneath the lake. Its the worlds oldest submerged church. In normal times, only the pyramidal steeple can be seen. Church of Sant Roma de Sau, Spain Josep Lago/Getty Images The church was originally consecrated in 1062, serving a thriving village for centuries through inquisitions and earthquakes, until it was condemned to drown in the 1960s after the Spanish government decided to build a dam on the Ter river. Even the bodies in the church graveyard were exhumed and moved to the replacement town, Vilanova de Sau. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the 2023 drought, locals were able to reconnect with their ancestral village, examining the plethora of unique archaeological features on the church, plus the rubble of old farmhouses. Seahenge, England, UK Homer Sykes/Alamy Growing numbers of fierce storms and rising sea levels are bad news for Britains coastline coastal erosion is increasing at an alarming rate. After a storm hit Norfolks shores in 1998 and removed some silt, an amateur archaeologist discovered what he thought was a Bronze Age axehead and an upturned tree stump. It turned out to be a unique circle of 55 wooden pillars and a central altar, constructed in a salt marsh in 2049 BC. Seahenge, England, UK Daniel Leal/Getty Images Seahenge, as it became known, is thought to have been constructed by the Bronze Age farmers who lived in the area. As with Stonehenge, historians are still not exactly sure why it was built it could have been used for funerary rituals, or to mark the solstice. In a controversial bid to preserve the henge, the local council opted to remove the wooden pillars from the sea. Pictured here during the British Museums 2022 Stonehenge exhibition, they are on permanent display at the Lynn Museum in Norfolk. Hunger stones, Czechia/Germany MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images In the summer of 2022, Europe was hit by record-breaking heatwaves and droughts that killed more than 20,000 people, destroyed crops and saw rivers drop to levels not seen for centuries. The water level fell so low that a series of medieval hunger stones were revealed along the riverbed of the River Elbe, including this 15th-century stone in Decin in Czechia. Its inscription reads: "If you see me, then weep." Hunger stones, Czechia/Germany Associated Press/Alamy These ominous stones bear inscriptions chiselled into them during previous droughts in the Middle Ages. The inscriptions served to mark record low water levels and to warn future generations that if they were seeing them, hard times lay ahead. They had remained hidden under the River Elbe for centuries and were first exposed by the drought of 2018. Sabre-toothed cat mummy, Russia Alexey V. Lopatin et al/Scientific Reports/CC BY 4.0 In 2020, Russian scientists in Yakutia, part of the vast Russian region of Siberia, made a one-of-a-kind discovery. While digging for mammoth tusks near the Badyarikha River, they unearthed the mummified body of a sabre-toothed cat cub, barely three weeks old when it died. Estimates suggest that the animal is around 35,000 years old, and, unlike previous skeletal specimens found in Texas, it retains its brown fur. Bordering the Arctic Ocean, around 95% of Yakutia is covered by permafrost, which is now melting thanks to rising global temperatures, revealing traces of a long-lost ancient world. Sabre-toothed cat mummy, Russia Valentyna Chukhlyebova/Alamy After years of study, the find was officially announced in November 2024, to the delight of palaeontologists worldwide. Superbly preserved by the permafrost, the cub is far and away the best specimen of its species ever found, and the head and front paws have survived intact. This image shows a 3D digital rendering of how a full-grown sabre-toothed cat might once have looked. The cub isn't the only ancient carcass to be pulled from the melting tundra: in 2021 scientists in Siberia recovered the remains of a 44,000-year-old wolf. Now discover the famous world landmarks under threat from climate change Niall Harbison continues to work miracles in the lives of dogs. Launching the Thailand rescue Happy Doggo in 2021, Harbison has fed and helped heal thousands of neglected and abused canines living on the street. His rescue has evolved into a global project and the Happy Doggo founder shows no signs of slowing down. Harbison loves and cares for every dog he comes across, yet one Golden Retriever truly stole his heart. Harbison discovered Tina, a Golden Retriever, in very poor condition in 2023. She was starving and covered in scabs and mange. He took her in as his own and the two formed a special bond that has stayed with him to this day, even after Tina passed away just six months after they crossed paths. Harbison made that special girl a promise and was determined to keep it. That day has finally come. In May of this year, Harbison's bestselling book Tina: The Dog Who Changed the World hit the shelves and gave more background on this beautiful canine and their unbreakable bond. He shared his promise to Tina on his rescue's website, and how it's coming to fruition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Tina left a lasting legacy on Happy Doggo (and indeed people all over the world). To honor her memory, we can't imagine anything greater than a hospital built in her name dedicated exclusively to saving Thailand's most vulnerable street dogs," Harbison wrote. "We've been lucky enough to work with an incredible team of architects, designers, and veterinarians to produce a hospital that not only honors Tina's memory, but will help us tell the stories of the many dogs like Tina who will pass through its doors." Tina's Hospital Is Now Up and Running In a very special Instagram video, Harbison announced that Tina's hospital was open for business and had already performed three operations. He shared the wonderful news as he stood by Tina's grave. "Its a big day for us today," the caption explained. "Tinas hospital has patients being operated on. I remember when I stayed with her for 6 hours at a time on a drip in my little house, I said to myself the street dogs needed better care. I promised her future dogs would have that." Harbison noted that while there is still work to be done, his promise to Tina is already changing lives. He got emotional as he gave a quick tour of the facility and shared details in the caption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Today Tinas field hospital is officially open," Harbison wrote. "We have our full licenses, permits and can operate on dogs. Our first full time vet has started. Dr Signa and our vet assistants and team had a busy day. Our first patient was Big Red who has been shot twice. In a 3-hour operation, the team removed 2 bullets. The hospital is for street dogs and 3 were operated on today. There are another 3 coming in tomorrow. It is changing their lives." Related: Rescue Chihuahua Gives Up Dog Bed for 20-Year-Old Dachshund and We're Crying All treatments are free for the Thai community. Harbison plans on bringing in plenty of X-ray machines and advanced equipment to give dogs in need the best treatment. "She would love this," Harbison said of Tina, as he thanked his followers for supporting this heartfelt mission. This promise in progress is such a gift in honoring Tina's memory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Learn more about Happy Doggo or make a donation by visiting their website or accounts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. SIGN UP to get pawsitivity delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends This story was originally reported by Parade Pets on Oct 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the Dogs section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here. NEED TO KNOW Anesu Masube was grieving the loss of his mother and trying to get home to his family three international flights away in Zimbabwe On his first packed fight from Washington, D.C. to London he was seated next to a solo female passenger Over the course of the flight, the complete strangers began to bond over the unexpected Desperate to reunite with his grieving family 7,000 miles away, Anesu Masube booked a flight from Washington D.C. to Zimbabwe two days before Christmas in 2017. Already mourning the loss of his mother, he was prepared for what he thought would be the worst flight of his life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only available route took him from D.C. to London, London to Johannesburg, then Johannesburg to Harare, Zimbabwe. And because of the last-minute nature I got a middle seat, Masube told CNN Travel. I was so cramped, almost sitting sideways. He spotted an emergency exit row with only one person it it and asked a flight attendant if he could swap seats and she thankfully gave him the green light, so he grabbed his backpack and sat next to the female passenger. Getty Emergency exit row on a plane Emergency exit row on a plane I think she made a joke: Welcome to Paradise. Something like that, Masube said. That was almost the opposite reaction I was imagining or expecting in my head. He continued: I just remember from that moment onward, it was an unexpected kindness. Someone being really nice to me at a moment that I really needed it. And we just started speaking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hannah Brown, the passenger who previously had the row to herself, tells CNN she remembers making maybe a little joke to Masube. But her initial internal reaction was UghTheyre gonna move this guy next to me. Christmas was also a difficult time for Brown, whose father had died unexpectedly two years earlier. At the time, she was working in Tanzania, similar to Masube, had to travel across the world alone to reunite with her grieving family. I swear as I was putting the earphone back in, hes like, Hi, Im Anesu. And just started chatting, Brown remembers And I remember thinking, Oh God. This guys a chatterer. But as the conversation progressed, the travelers learned that they had a lot more in common than they initially thought. Brown had studied abroad in Botswana and traveled to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe with her father when he visited her in Africa. Getty Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe Brown assumed Masube was traveling back for the holidays to be with his family and he debated telling her the truth. Eventually he shared the stark reality that his mother had died the day before. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having been in a similar situation not long ago, they pair quickly bonded. "I remember us having lots of immediately deep conversations about grief and losing a parent overseas and how difficult that is, and how lonely that is," says Brown. For the rest of the flight, the complete strangers continued to chat, celebrating the lives of the ones theyd lost. Brown admits thinking, "He's cute...Not just cute. Hes hot, attractive Even the flight attendant caught on to their connection, saying: You guys really hit it off. When the plane landed at London Heathrow airport, the travelers went their separate ways Masube to Zimbabwe and Brown to France, where she was vacationing with family. But, they were sure to swap numbers beforehand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the next 10 days, Masube and Brown texted one another. When he had to return to D.C., he flew the exact same route back. On an early January morning in 2018, he waited for his final leg of the journey out of London Heathrow. Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty London Heathrow Airport London Heathrow Airport I was at a lounge bar, waiting for my flight, he said. And then I just saw her walk in. I was like, Are you going back today? What time are you, which flight?, he continued. 11:30 a.m., same flight. Virgin Atlantic, coming back to DC. Whats your seat number? She was sitting on 60A. I was sitting on 61A. One in front of each other 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. When they boarded, their fellow passengers in 60B and 61B even offered to switch seats so Masube and Brown could sit together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What was so real was just the connection and the feeling. And so we immediately started dating, days after landing back in D.C," he says. Getty Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. They have been together ever since. Nearly eight years later, they're now married and living together in D.C. Its been a great relationship, life, marriage so many experiences, so many positives, some challenges. We have traveled the world togetherI couldnt have thought of a better partner to experience that life with except Hannah, Masube said. Im just looking forward to the rest of our lives together and seeing whats in store. Read the original article on People With forests shrouded in mist, steaming volcanoes towering over verdant valleys, monkeys swinging through canopies, and sloths casually hanging out to survey the scene, Costa Rica is a destination that has a little bit of everything. Over 800 miles of tropical shores wind along either the Caribbean or the Pacific, and there's adventure everywhere. You can raft on wild rivers or zip line over dense forests; in a country defined by Pura Vida (pure life), you'll never run out of activities. Costa Rica is also a place where you can slow down and relax with simple pleasures like natural hot springs and peaceful walks in nature. Throw in all the small-town communities and welcoming locals, and you have a place everyone should visit at least once. However, is it dangerous? The short answer is no. Costa Rica ranks highly on the Global Peace Index but nowhere is perfect. Opportunistic thieves target crowded tourist spots, and it's vital you lock up valuables in hotel safes and carry minimal cash, and don't even think about leaving anything in your vehicle. Thankfully, violent crime is rare, but that's not to say it doesn't happen, and there are places you absolutely should avoid or spend as little time in as possible. The U.S. Department of State has set a Level 2 advisory warning for Costa Rica, which means travelers should exercise increased caution. This is the same level as France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, so it's no scarier than a trip to London or Paris. But it's not all about crime. Costa Rica has plenty other dangers to be aware of, and we've tried to cover everything you'll want to know before visiting. With all that in mind, here are the most dangerous destinations in Costa Rica and what you might encounter there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The Most Dangerous Caribbean Destinations, According To Research San Jose An aerial view of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. - Gianfranco Vivi/Shutterstock The Judicial Investigation agency (OIJ) states that the homicide rate in Costa Rica reached record-breaking numbers in 2023 (as reported by Cronkite News). The data indicate this is more than double the rate of 2006, with the OIJ linking most murders to drug trafficking. In San Jose, official figures show that there were 96 murders in 2024 (according to La Nacion), which prompted the U.S. President to compare the crime rate in Washington, D.C., with that of the Costa Rican capital and other Latin American cities as justification for deploying the National Guard in the American capital. But the comparison drew objections in Costa Rica, where officials contend that security concerns in the city have been overblown. Indeed, tourists are more likely to be targeted by petty crime. Pickpockets and bag snatchers are a problem, and precautions should be taken. Vehicle break-ins, burglary, and passport theft are other low-level crimes that also pose a risk. The Coca-Cola bus terminal is marked as a particular danger zone, as are sections of the downtown area. Mercado Central a popular place for market stalls and food for both tourists and locals and public parks are also considered risk zones. Any adventurers straying away from these tourist hotspots in San Jose should reconsider areas with more problematic crime stats. If you are considering any of Leon XIII, Los Guido, Desamparados, or La Carpio for any reason, exercise a high level of caution. Additionally, the Santa Rita de Alajuela area to the northwest of the city near the airport is known as "El Infiernillo" (Little Hell) for a reason. There is very little need for tourists to venture into this area, but it is one to avoid at all costs due to drug- and gang-related activity. Jaco, including the Tarcoles River 'Crocodile Bridge' Large American saltwater crocodiles dominate the waters of the Rio Tarcoles. - John Coletti/Getty Images One of the first destinations you may well go to after San Jose is Jaco, and there are several dangers there to look out for. The first is a popular stop-off on the way the bridge over the Rio Tarcoles, aka "Crocodile Bridge." It's a popular spot where tourists excitedly snap pictures of dozens of American crocs basking in the sun below. However, don't get too close. A Nicaraguan man did in 2014 and met a particularly brutal demise that was witnessed by helpless onlookers, while another unidentified man perished that same year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dangerous reptiles aside, there are other problems in the area. For example, the sea around Jaco is infamous for its powerful waves and rip currents a powerful, narrow flow of water that pulls out to sea. They are very dangerous, and if you are caught in one, rather than fight against it, you should maintain your composure and swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it. In 2023, a rip current claimed the life of a 45-year-old American swimming in the water at Jaco Beach. Just south of Jaco at Playa Hermosa, powerful waves and currents claimed the life of a Canadian man in 2017, while just a couple of years before, a 2-year-old child and an elderly woman were also victims. Pay attention to the flags, especially when no lifeguards are present. Red means danger, yellow means exercise caution. If you're not confident, don't go out any further than waist-high. Jaco also poses a threat to visitors in terms of petty crime. According to the OIJ, there were 279 property crimes against tourists in 2023 (as reported by the Tico Times), including theft and robbery, so maintain the same caution you would in other cities. Limon City An aerial view of Puerto Moin in Limon. - Mix Tape/Shutterstock The province of Limon is home to some first-class tourist attractions, including Tortuguero and Cahuita National Parks, Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, and Puerto Viejo, with its stunning beaches and nightlife. The danger isn't in the province as a whole, but in the capital city, Puerto Limon. It's a city of around 65,000 inhabitants that tourists might use for transit, cruise port access, or maybe even an overnight stay if arriving late. Unfortunately, there is very little reason to hang about. According to the Global Organized Crime Index, Costa Rica faces moderate levels of organized crime. However, the opening of Moin Port in Puerto Limon in 2019 has led to criminal organizations competing for control of the area to traffic cocaine. This has transformed the facility and surrounding areas into a hub of gang and trafficking-related activity, while economic hardships have led to scarce employment opportunities and increased poverty rates. As a result, much of the city's youth has been recruited into organized crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city has the unwanted record of the highest murder rate in the country, accounting for 25% of all homicides in Costa Rica. In fact, Puerto Limon has triple the national average, and around 90% of local deaths are the result of clashes between rival gangs. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on drug traffickers working in the city who move cocaine and launder money through the port, with any assets they have in the U.S. frozen. It also blocks any business an American tries to do with them. In short, stay away from Puerto Limon or spend as little time there as possible if a visit is unavoidable. Puerto Viejo de Talamanca An aerial image of the ocean near Puerto Vieja. - Roger Paris/Shutterstock Puerto Viejo is a popular stop for travelers seeking palm-lined beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, and lively nightlife. Premier attractions include Playa Cocles, Punta Uva, the lush jungle of Cahuita National Park, and Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge for some protected nature on the coast. As tourist towns often attract unsavory characters anywhere in the world, there are, naturally, several safety factors you should be aware of. Statistics by Numbeo show crime is very much on the rise in the city, with petty crime and drugs a particular problem. Additionally, unlicensed taxis operate here, and it's advisable (especially for female travelers) to use only the licensed red or orange cabs. Dark streets at night also require precaution, as many are poorly lit or even completely blacked out. You should also seek local insights into which bars and nightclubs are generally considered safe, as there have been incidents. Like the beaches at Jaco, Puerto Viejo is known for its dangerous rip currents. In an August 2025 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the U.S. Department of State advised against swimming if there are no lifeguards on duty, and Puerto Viejo is one place where you should pay particular attention to this. The rip currents at Playa Cocles, just outside of town, can measure as strong as 9.1 feet per second. A good swimmer can only manage an average of around 5 feet per second, so the conditions there are deadly. In fact, on July 20, 2025, the actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner of "The Cosby Show" fame drowned at the age of 54 when he was pulled out to sea by a strong rip current at Playa Cocles. Puerto Viejo's natural beauty does come with real risks that demand respect, particularly if you want to enjoy the area's azure waters. Poas Volcano The vibrant lake at the center of Poas Volcano in Costa Rica. - Manuel Espana/Getty Images Located at an elevation of 8,884 feet (2,708 m) is a deep crater with a striking turquoise lake at its center. Volcan Poas, or Poas Volcano, belches out smoke plumes reaching up to the heavens, and it's one of Costa Rica's most famous. However, it is also one of the most hostile environments in the world. The year 2025 brought intense volcanic behavior, which started with minor eruptions in the early months. Activity escalated in March, which prompted authorities to close the park. Alert levels went through the whole traffic-light cycle, with the Costa Rican National Emergency Commission (CNE) issuing a red alert late in April. Explosive events launched ash 14,700 feet into the air along with heavy releases of toxic gas, while the area was classed as hazardous with unstable ground and volcanic rock projectiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, the park closure didn't stop illegal tours from taking place. They visited restricted areas along unauthorized trails, and authorities have requested public help in combating them. Parque Nacional Volcan Poas has since reopened, but under a very strict set of rules. Tickets are available online only, and visits to the crater are limited to 20 minutes. Daily numbers are strictly controlled, and everyone must sign a waiver acknowledging the dangers, especially for noxious gases. However, 2025 wasn't the park's only recent disaster. In 2009, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck near the volcano, generating deadly landslides and claiming the lives of at least 23 people and injuring scores more. Visit at your own risk. Route 32 The Zurqui Tunnel road to Braulio Carrillo National Park. - Gianfranco Vivi/Shutterstock The most dangerous road in Costa Rica is a 40-mile stretch from San Jose to Guapiles that passes directly through the lush Braulio Carrillo National Park. In this hair-raising section of Route 32, there is no proper drainage system or slope stabilization. This means there's a constant threat of landslides, particularly during the wet season. Storms often result in water cascading down onto the highway, and slow-moving trucks force drivers into dangerous overtaking maneuvers. The condition of the road has been described as "critical" by local media, and there are counterproductive laws at the heart of it. They prevent any infrastructure work within the park, which means no highway upgrade and no safety measures implemented. The most vulnerable section is a 15-mile stretch between the Zurqui Tunnel and the Rio Sucio within the park, and it's this area that is subject to serious landslides. In fact, there have been at least 30 recorded, with a third of them categorized as "very large." Thankfully, the conditions have not led to many fatalities, but an accident involving a tree falling onto the road caused the deaths of two people in 2020, while in 2021, a landslide caused a truck to overturn, with several people needing hospital treatment. In August 2025, the entire highway from San Jose to Limon was closed for 12 hours during heavy rain as a preventative measure. Just outside the park, a major rehabilitation including a four-lane expansion is scheduled for completion in October 2025. For the problem section within the park, however, there has been no significant movement, although the National Concessions Council (CNC) is currently reviewing development proposals. Rio Pacuare A group of people rafting on the Rio Pacuare in the pouring rain. - Fabienne Kunz/Shutterstock The Rio Pacuare is the river that established Costa Rica as a world-class rafting destination. With year-round whitewater rafting set against lush jungle landscapes, it's an underrated adventure spot with unforgettable rapids. However, this wild waterway is fed by multiple tributaries that can trigger sudden changes in water levels, and there is no automated flow gauge. Calm sections can be transformed into hazardous rapids without warning, and tour operators rely entirely on rock markings and local expertise. For some tourists, it's this danger that adds to the river's allure. However, there have been too many occasions when things have gone horribly wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January 2000, two American tourists drowned after their raft capsized in flash-flood conditions. A few years later, a 19-year-old Canadian woman died after she was ejected from her raft and became wedged between rocks where rescuers could not get to her. And, more recently, in 2022, a Colombian woman was found dead after drowning while swimming, which highlights the fact that the river is just as dangerous beyond rafting tours. It isn't only the Rio Pacuare. If you're planning a whitewater rafting trip anywhere in Costa Rica, it pays to consider the dangers. In 2018, three rafts capsized on the Naranjo River, drowning four Americans and one Costa Rican guide. Survivors of this disaster noted that emergency responses were extremely slow, and the majority of the rescue effort was conducted by local bystanders. Elsewhere, a Canadian tourist fell from her raft in high water on the Sarapiqui River in 2015 and drowned. That particular incident was just one adventure-tourism fatality of six in Costa Rica that month. These accidents have highlighted poor safety regulations, with criticism directed at a lack of government inspections. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve Ziplining in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. - Malena Barrios/Getty Images Nestled high up in the Tilaran Range is Monteverde, a canton that has gained fame for its Cloud Forest Reserve a tropical wonderland of rare orchids and vibrant beauty. With almost half of the country's flora and fauna (and around 2.5% of the entire world's), it's a wonderful destination that draws everyone from families to nature lovers from all over. Only 250 people can visit each day, so it's not a place where you have to battle for photos or join long queues. There are around 8 miles of trails to explore, and visitors can also enjoy elevated canopy walks, after-dark forest tours, hanging bridges, and some extreme zip-lining. In fact, it's said that this forest was the first place to offer zip-lining for recreational purposes, and it's really something that shouldn't be missed. So, where's the danger? Well, the truth is, it actually is a spectacular place to visit. Just don't come in the wet season. In 2024, rains triggered by the Central American Gyre a seasonal low-pressure weather system caused flooding that blocked roads and caused damage to multiple homes. Some people ended up stranded and had to be rescued, while rivers overflowed, landslides buried roads, and infrastructure and property suffered serious damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wasn't the first time the heavens inflicted so much devastation, either. Just seven years prior, Tropical Storm Nate dumped 25 inches of water on the Monteverde area in just a few days. The area had already been experiencing severe weather, and Nate ensured the situation reached crisis levels. Landslides blocked access routes, creeks turned into raging rivers, and an upstream dam threatened to burst in what were some very precarious moments. If you visit Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in the wet season, bring an umbrella. Methodology A couple of macaws on a palm tree in Costa Rica - F.j. Jimenez/Getty Images As Costa Rica is generally considered a safe country, we decided to only include the places with the absolute highest crime rates and potential dangers. For the rest, we wanted to inform readers about other real dangers. We scoured news reports, government alerts, travel advisories, and tourism resources to find these dangers and focused on locations with documented incidents that have affected visitors, including crime, natural hazards, and accidents. Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets. Read the original article on Islands. The South is known for its beaches, and whether it's during the heat of summer or the dead of winter, there's something about the crashing waves and sandy coastline that fosters relaxation. And while your mind may immediately go to the always sunny beaches in Florida or the upscale vibe of Hilton Head Island, the often overlooked sleepier towns are well worth a visit. When planning your next beach getaway, North Carolina's Crystal Coast should top your list. From quaint historic districts filled with shops and eateriesall of which are locally ownedto pristine stretches of sand ripe for taking a sunset walk, theres something new to discover in every corner. No matter what's on your agenda, a Crystal Coast vacation can suit, even if your itinerary includes planning to do nothing at all. Peter Frank Edwards Where Is North Carolina's Crystal Coast? If youre familiar with the Outer Banksa line of coastal North Carolina islandsthe Crystal Coast is situated in the southern part and spans 85 miles. The region encompasses remote islands, urban areas, and a wide range of activities to suit almost any type of to-do list. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whether you choose to relax in a vacation rental set against the blue-green waters of Emerald Isle, peruse the quaint shops of Beaufort, or rent a UTV to explore Cape Lookout, plenty of surprisesand things to doawait. Peter Frank Edwards Paddle-boarding in Emerald Isle. Best Things To Do Spend Time on the Water While you definitely want to make time to walk on the sand and stick your toes into the seathe beaches at Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach are ideal for doing sothere are other ways to experience the ocean. After a short lesson, you can explore Bogue Sound by slowly paddling through estuaries with Emerald Isle Paddle Tours. If you prefer a more leisurely pace, book a cruise with Lookout Cruises. Whether you select their six-hour tour to Cape Lookout or the 90-minute sunset voyage, you'll experience time on the water surrounded by stunning 360-degree views. Get Close to Marine Life A visit to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores offers the opportunity to get up close to aquatic species, such as river otters and loggerhead sea turtles. Their 306,000-gallon ocean habitat is complete with a replica shipwreck that houses sharks, tarpon, and several other fish species. One perk is that your entry fee helps support conservation efforts. You can also get a glimpse of the rehabilitation process for animals during one of the behind-the-scenes tours. Due to the aquarium's popularity, purchasing a timed ticket in advance is recommended. Hike Around a Historic Spot Fort Macon State Park is suitable for both history and nature lovers. A pre-Civil War fort is at its center, and the park also served to protect the coastal region during World War II. If you're looking for a spot to hike, select the 3.2-mile Elliott Coues Nature Trail, where you can explore the marsh, dunes, and maritime forest. For a shorter walk, consider the quarter-mile Yarrow's Loop, a nature trail that features informational placards about the area's flora and fauna. Guests can also swim, fish, and bike in specific areas within the park. Courtesy Crystal Coast Tourism Authority Take a Different Type of Farm Tour Seafood lovers should definitely prioritize heading to one of the local farmsthe water-centric kind. Not to be missed are the excursions led by Oysters Carolina, where, depending on the weather, you can pick oysters, ride to a sandbar, and then casually consume oysters surrounded by your fellow-harvesting friends. Caviar-curious folks will enjoy spending time at Marshallberg Farm, where you can take a tour of their facility and do a champagne-included caviar tasting. If you're planning to take some home, bring a cooler to keep the product chilled. Explore a Remote Island The truly adventurous will enjoy the excitement of traversing Cape Lookout National Seashore while driving a UTV. The bonus of the experience is that you need to take a ferry ride from Harkers Island to get there. You can upgrade your ferry ticket to include a stop at Shackleford Banks, where you can usually spot some of the 100 free-roaming horses. Cape Lookout is very remote with spotty cell service (if any), but you can view the lighthouse, ride to see buildings of the historic district, and ride on the beach, where you'll find dedicated fishermenand womenangling for the perfect catch. Penny Britt/Getty Images The wild horses of Shackleford Banks. The wild horses of Shackleford Banks. Learn Something New If you enjoy learning new skills, consider taking a class during your stay. BluSail Golitz Studios in Morehead City is a creativity-inducing place to play with clay. A husband and wife teamshe paints and he makes potteryowns the studio and designs seasonal, but simple, pottery projects for those who want to get their hands dirty. Nearby is Wine & Design, where you can take a paint and sip class or sign up for one of their seasonal offerings, such as making stained glass earrings or experiencing a cookie decorating lesson. Sipspiration in Beaufort also has a variety of courses for those who want to DIY. Photo: Jennifer Prince Fish Hut Grill in Emerald Isle. Fish Hut Grill in Emerald Isle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where To Eat and Drink Rise and Shine at a Local Breakfast Spot For a hearty Southern breakfast before a day on the water, fuel up at The Trading Post in Emerald Isle. Or wake up and head to Oceana Pier House for a well-thought-out menu and spectacular views from the pier in Atlantic Beach. For a relaxed, coffee shop vibe in an upscale setting, pop into Mug Shot in Morehead City, where you can sit and work remotely or chat as you sip their latest coffee creation. In Beaufort, you'll find Historic Grounds Coffee, a coffee shop that offers a variety of gift items, including antiques and pottery. Stop for a Midday Bite Moonrakers in Beaufort offers delicious food and drinks, served in both indoor and outdoor spaces, including a rooftop with a water view. Although Fish Hut Grill typically has a line out its door, don't let that scare you away. Customers order at a counter (hence the line) and then seat themselves as they wait for food to be delivered to the table. When the day calls for a relaxed, quick meal, don't sleep on Tower 7, which is right on the water and serves fresh, tasty Mexican food with a Baja flair. When you need an on-the-go meal for the ferry, order a salad or sandwich from Turner Street Market to eat on the way. Photo: Jennifer Prince 34 Degrees North in Beaufort. 34 Degrees North in Beaufort. Plan a Nice Dinner The abundance of quality seafood, coupled with the remarkable creativity of the local chefs, almost makes it impossible to cull down the list of dinner restaurants. In Beaufort, have dinner with a view at 34 Degrees North, then stop by City Kitchen for dessert. It serves locally sourced fare with water views, but the capstone is the house-made Sticky Toffee Pudding. Beaufort's namesake, Beaufort Grocery, and Bahia Beach House & Surf Bar in Atlantic Beach both offer full menus catering to a wide range of tastes. To concentrate on steak and seafood, drive to Morehead City to dine at Catch 109, Prime Bistro, or Circa 81. End the Day with a Sip As with many other areas, the Crystal Coast has jumped onto the craft beer scene with local breweries, such as Beaufort's Fishtowne Brew House and Shortway Brewing Co. in Newport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to vodka and gin, Bogue Sound Distillery is renowned for unique whiskey flavors, such as peanut butter and salted caramel. Wine lovers should visit the tasting room of Mountain Brook Vineyards in Emerald Isle. If craft cocktails are more your speed, sip for a while at Blue Mountain Bistro to savor their twist on classic drinks. Photo: Jennifer Prince BLUSAIL golitz studios in Morehead City. BLUSAIL golitz studios in Morehead City. Where To Shop Pop into a Farmers' Market One of the best ways to spend a Saturday morning while getting a pulse on the community is to stop by a local farmers' market. There you'll find local producers selling tasty goods and artisans selling handcrafted wares. Both The Market at Cedar Point and Olde Beaufort Farmers' Market fit the bill perfectly. Whether you're making dinner at your rental home or restocking your gift closet, you'll find what you need while mingling with locals who call the Crystal Coast home. Patronize Locally-Owned Boutiques One highlight of heading to smaller towns is the presence of locally owned businesses, often with the owners themselves working in the shop. Front Street in Beaufort draws visitors due to the large number of quality stores. Beaufort Linen Co. is a Southerner's dream with its lovely selection of clothing and home goods, or stop by Mattie King Davis Art Gallery for a handmade piece. Morehead City also has a nice selection of shops. Buy handcrafted jewelry at DP Jewelry Designs, browse a curated collection of home goods at Dorsea, or stock your kitchen at Ginny Gordon's. Find Preloved Goods Whether you enjoy thrifting for wall decor or picking up treasures at an antique mall, get ready to empty your trunk before going coastal. Morehead City is a haven for these types of keepsakes. Antique lovers will enjoy stepping into Seaport Antiques, which is open daily, and you never know what you'll find at the well-stocked Hope Mission Thrift Store. Cedar Point also has a healthy selection of vintage shops. You'll find an eclectic mix of hand-selected goods at Red House Antiques, A Muse Me Antiques & Treasures, and CAPT Cardigan Vintage Heap. Photo: Jennifer Prince Beaufort Hotel. Beaufort Hotel. Where To Stay Book a Local Hotel Staying along a strip of barrier islands definitely calls for a unique stay, and even the hotels are on board with the idea. The Beaufort Hotel overlooks Taylor Creek, making it the perfect spot for a relaxing getaway. With an on-site restaurant that overlooks the watermake reservations during sunset for a stunning vantage point of the colorful skyand cozy, modern rooms, you won't feel like leaving at all. Another waterfront option is Bask Hotel in Morehead City, where restaurants and shops are just a few steps away. Whether you need an accessible studio room or a two-bedroom suite with a full kitchen, there are multiple options available to suit your travel needs. Photo: Jennifer Prince Spinnaker's Reach Realty Rental on Emerald Isle. Spinnaker's Reach Realty Rental on Emerald Isle. Have a House to Yourselves The Crystal Coast is the ideal destination for a family getaway, and everyone from grandma to the newest grandbaby can enjoy time at one of the many spaces available through Spinnaker's Reach Realty or Emerald Isle Realty. From oceanside villas for four to stately homes for 20+ guests, you can book a rental for a romantic getaway or your next family vacation. Many of the rentals also feature pools, adding an extra element of interest, and pet-friendly accommodations welcome the furriest guests. Get Cozy at a Bed-and-Breakfast For a true home away from home vibe, while feeling attended to, choose one of the local bed and breakfasts along the Crystal Coast. In the heart of Beaufort, you'll find several B&Bs so you can have a cozy stay within walking distance of waterfront shops and restaurants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stay at Inn on Turner, where their breakfasts feature local cuisine and even their toiletries are handmade. Or you could choose one of the thoughtfully decorated rooms at Ann Street Inn or watch the world go by from the large front porch of Pecan Tree Inn. Read the original article on Southern Living Greece is one of those countries where every view looks like a screensaver, be it the sun, food, and idyllic beaches of Crete, or the underwater caves and sea turtles of Corfu. Every traveler has a favorite island, but the more you look past heavy-hitters like Santorini and Rhodes, the more hidden gems appear. One such destination is Ikaria, where life rolls by in the slow lane, and the beaches are pristine and azure. From tranquil fishing villages like Armenistis to the cute shops and nightlife of Christos Raches, you'll find your own personal paradise in Ikaria. As with most Greek islands, going to Ikaria is a bit of an adventure. The easiest way to get there is to catch a flight with a connection in Athens before flying to the island -- or book separate tickets. Another option is taking the ferry from the Port of Piraeus in Athens to the island. The ride to Agios Kirykos and Evdilos villages takes anywhere between six to eight hours, depending on the number of stops your ferry makes. Summertime ferry frequency is high, with departures almost every day, while winter sees a reduced service with only two to three available each week. Agios Kirykos is the island's capital, with plenty of accommodations available including the waterfront Kastro Hotel, Hotel Maria Elena, Hotel Filioppi, and more. If you're vacationing on the northern shore in Evdilos, you can enjoy a comfortable stay at Atheras Hotel, Hotel Evdoxia, or book a rental at Sunset Apartments. Many will recommend staying at the picturesque village of Armenistis, which has a variety of resorts -- Erofili Beach Hotel, Cavos Bay Hotel and Studios, Hotel Daidalos, and Toxotis Villas, to name a few. Other villages worth making your base are Nas, Fanari, and Magganitis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The Most 'Overtouristed' Places In Europe Ikaria's beaches boast fifty shades of blue Seychelles beach on Ikaria island, Greece - George Pachantouris/Getty Images There's no competing with Greek beaches. The Mediterranean is ever-so-glittering, the water is at the right temperature, and the sun is always shining. Travelers in Agios Kirykos can head to the namesake beach. While this shoreline is pebbly, it makes for a quick dip in the sea before you have lunch at one of the beachfront restaurants. A short drive away is Therma Beach, where you can lounge under umbrellas and fish at the pier. The best part is the natural hot springs, where you can soak in the therapeutic waters. People staying in Evdilos have a couple of beaches to check out. Evdilos Beach is great for unbothered lazy days by the sea. While the facilities are few, the charming vistas might make up for it. Fles Beach is a secluded spot where you can recline on the warm rocks while coastal bluffs serve as your backdrop. The nearby Keramio Beach, east of the town, is just as beautiful, with crystal-clear waters begging you to splash around. Walk half a mile west, and you'll arrive at Fitema Beach. On the other hand, Kampos Beach is a five-minute drive, with a sandy shore perfect for sunbathing. Are you living it up in the well-liked village of Armenistis? Make your way to Armenistis Beach, where you can sink your toes in the sun-kissed sand, go for a swim, rent a canoe, or try your hand at watersports. Meanwhile, Nas Beach might be one of the most popular coves in Ikaria. This clothing-optional beach features aquamarine waters surrounded by striking cliffs. Seychelles Beach is another famous one that you can't miss. This remarkable stretch of sand is ideal for swimming, cliff jumping, and snorkeling. Don't forget to visit Trapalo Beach, a scenic hideaway located about 45 minutes from Magganitis. Discover ancient history and relics in Ikaria Drakano Fortress in Ikaria, Greece - Ablokhin/Getty Images Aside from beaches, Ikaria is also home to multiple historic sites and archeological attractions spanning centuries. For an introduction to local customs and history, view the exhibits at the Ikarian Folklore Museum in Agios Kirykos. With more than 1,500 relics on display, you'll observe vintage dresses, archaic pottery, and other tools and artifacts the highlight is the 1912 flag of the Free State of Ikaria. If you're walking around Magganitis, you might notice some peculiar cave-like stone houses in the village. These dwellings were built back in the Byzantine era so that locals could deter piracy and invasion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Near Evdilos, explore the Byzantine ruins of the Castle of Koskina that date back to the 10th century. The fortress was reduced to walls during the 15th century when Ikarians fought against the Genovese you can still see the basilica and columns of the castle. Kampos has several points of historical interest, such as the first-century Odeon of Ancient Oenoe. Also a Byzantine structure, this theater consists of the cavea, scene, and orchestra. Back in the day, it hosted dramatic performances for aristocrats. While you're there, stop by the Archaeological Museum of Kampos to admire clay sculptures, engraved stones, old coins, and Neolithic tools. The most noteworthy landmark on the island is Drakano Fortress, situated in Kirikos. The iconic tower was constructed with limestone back when Alexander the Great was in control in the fourth century. Reaching 44 feet high, the watchtower fell into disrepair in the 19th century. Make sure to embark on the many hiking trails in Ikaria, which lead you to gorges, mountains, and lush forests. There's always a new island to discover in Greece; if you haven't been to Kos yet, this is your sign. The affordable destination has gorgeous golden beaches without the crowds of Mykonos. Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets. Read the original article on Islands. Greece's islands are undeniably worth visiting for a laid-back vacation full of culture and good food. Travel icon Samantha Brown has learned this from her many visits and says that islands make up four out of seven of her all-time favorite Greek destinations. Also gracing Brown's list are the nation's capital, Athens, and Thessaloniki, Greece's underrated second-largest city. Another place Brown says she adores isn't even a town at all; in fact, it's relatively out of the way and quite small . Nevertheless, Meteora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with towering cliffs and stunning churches, made it to her list of her seven favorite places in all of Greece. Situated in the north of Greece's mainland, around 200 miles from Athens, Christian monks inhabited Meteora from as early as the 11th century, building their first settlement at the base of the area's iconic, towering rock formations. However, the threat of conflict moved the settlers upward, onto the flat tops of the rocks. Here, they built Great Meteoran, the area's oldest monastery, in the mid-1300s. They continued to build more and more monasteries on the rocks until, at one point, there were 24 in all. Although just six remain open, these monasteries are a must-visit for their reflective atmospheres and incredible panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. As Brown puts it, "This place forces you to slow down and take it all in," via Parade. There are a few ways to get to Meteora, but if you're coming from the U.S., flying into Athens International Airport will be the most convenient. European travel influencer Rick Steves would agree that this would be an appropriate beginning, as he reckons that Athens is the best city to start your Greek vacation. Once you're in Athens, rent a car, and drive about 3.5 hours northwest to reach Kalabaka, the closest town to the monasteries, located at the base of the rocks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The 12 Best Christmas Markets Across Europe Explore Meteora on foot for the most amazing views Varlaam Monastery in Meteora in the sunshine - Peter G Unger/Shutterstock Note that the six Meteora monasteries that welcome visitors today all have slightly different operating hours. If you want to visit them quickly, then you can drive; however, a fun way to experience this blend of natural and human-made phenomena is by hiking. There are a few routes that wind up and around the rocks from town, with some that take you past the best viewing points. These treks can range from one to four hours of just walking time; make sure you also factor in time to appreciate the wonderful, hidden architectural features of the buildings as well as their interiors, several of which have interesting museums. Also, be sure to include plenty of time for admiring the views. If you don't want to trek all the way up to the monasteries, the surrounding area has many less challenging and more horizontal walks, though most do have some hilly sections, as it's a mountainous area. This includes a half-mile trek to the Meteora Digital Projection Center, a heritage museum that has captured the beauty and history of the monasteries in 3D films. Regarding how to prepare for adventures in and around Meteora, Samantha Brown avers that understanding the terrain and weather at your destination will make preparations easier. She says she asks herself questions such as, "What do the paths look like? ... are there going to be a lot of uneven sidewalks or cobblestone paths?" (per her article on her website, Places to Love). Previous visitors have mentioned how steep and muddy the trails can be around Meteora, so make sure you pack all of your walking essentials, including sturdy footwear, water, sun protection, and a waterproof jacket. Entrance to each monastery is three euros ($3.50), and, as these are religious sites, you must dress modestly to be allowed entry. Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets. Read the original article on Islands. US, China, and Thailand coordinate to seize record 5 tons of meth in East Sea A China Coast Guard vessel is seen near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Feb. 16, 2024. Photo by AFP Drug enforcement agencies from the U.S., China, and Thailand have coordinated to seize a record haul of nearly five tons of methamphetamine near a reef in the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), China's anti-narcotics agency, the Chinese Coast Guard, and the Royal Thai Police carried out a joint operation intercepting the vessel Jisheng, located 240 km southwest of Scarborough Shoal. Authorities seized 4,973.4 kg of methamphetamine and arrested seven suspects, according to the Bangkok Post, which cited the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, People's Daily. The operation took place on Feb. 24 but was only officially reported by People's Daily on Oct. 10. Jisheng is a general cargo ship with a maximum capacity of 700 tons, built in 1994, and currently sails under the Mongolian flag, the report added. The seizure marked the largest maritime drug haul in the Asia-Pacific in recent years and demonstrated a major milestone in trilateral law enforcement cooperation, China Daily reported, citing a statement from the Office of China National Narcotics Control Commission. The office stated that the operation relied on intelligence provided by the U.S. DEA, with the Royal Thai Police and DEA collaborating on the investigation and proactively sharing information with Chinese authorities, who responded promptly. Drug control remains one of the few areas where the U.S. and China maintain cooperation amid rising bilateral tensions. This cooperation was suspended by China in August 2022 but resumed a year and a half later with the launch of a joint counter-narcotics working group in January 2024. According to Reuters, the group primarily addresses the fentanyl crisis but also serves as the main mechanism for bilateral cooperation against all types of illegal drugs. Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea is a circular coral reef located about 240 km from Luzon, Philippines, and nearly 900 km from China's southeastern coast. Both the Philippines and China claim sovereignty over Scarborough, but Beijing has effectively controlled the shoal since 2012. When Edwin Castro stepped out of the shadows as the winner of the largest Powerball jackpot in US history, he stayed mostly quiet letting his new multimillion-dollar homes and collection of vintage Porsches do the talking. But in the wildfire-ravaged hills of Altadena, California, the quiet didnt last. Castro, who won a record $2 billion Powerball jackpot, has spent roughly $10 million buying up 15 fire-scorched properties in his hometown of Altadena, with plans to rebuild homes where thousands once stood before Januarys wildfires devastated the foothill community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is for a family that wants to move in, Castro told the Wall Street Journal on a recent walk through one of the neighborhoods reduced to ash. Those are the people that need to be looked out for right now. After winning the $2 billion Powerball, Edwin Castro has become one of the largest buyers of fire-scorched lots in his hometown of Altadena, Calif. Diggzy/Jesal / SplashNews.com Castro is spending $10 million on 15 properties destroyed by the devastating January fires. REUTERS The 33-year-old former Boy Scout and architecture consultant who once rented a room in Altadena before his lottery win now finds himself among the largest private landowners in town. Hes planning to build mostly single-family homes, including a personal residence he described as Willy Wonka-esque, complete with secret underground rooms. I want to have kids like yesterday, he told the Journal. Its about family. Family is important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Castro is one of several investors purchasing lots from displaced residents who opted to sell rather than face the multiyear challenge of rebuilding. Though a novice developer, Castro says hes driven by a personal mission to help rebuild the neighborhood where he grew up, aiming to construct mostly single-family homes for families not rental investors with plans to eventually settle there himself. NY Post His rebuilding effort has drawn both cautious optimism and skepticism from locals, who fear Altadenas small-town charm and historically diverse, middle-class fabric may erode amid a wave of post-disaster investor interest and loosening California zoning laws. REUTERS Some, including developers from San Diego and Arizona, have announced plans for new construction. But local reaction to the outside interest has been mixed. Altadena lost about 9,000 structures in the January blaze. While cleanup is largely complete, only a handful of new homes are under construction. Many homeowners remain in limbo fighting insurance companies, awaiting permits or struggling with the costs of reconstruction. Ive never been in this situation before, so its been step-by-step, figuring out all the what-ifs, 76-year-old retiree Carl Fromm, who is trying to rebuild the home he shared with his wife, said. He spoke to the Journal from temporary housing. While some developers eye higher-density multifamily builds, Castro insists his approach prioritizes community character, promising reasonable profit margins and Willy Wonka-esque creativity. REUTERS Castro has assembled a small team, including a design consultant, to manage the process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Architectural plans for the first two homes three-bedroom Craftsman-style houses with additional residential units have been submitted for permits. His family office is run by friends from Crescenta Valley High School. He insists this is not a real-estate empire in the making. The profit margin doesnt need to be egregious, Castro said. But Im not building these homes just to give them away. Castro is trying to gain trust through partnerships with local nonprofits and slow, intentional planning, saying his 10-year rebuild is less a business strategy and more a deeply personal project rooted in legacy and family. Getty Images Castro said he plans to sell only to buyers who want to live in the community long term not investors. You dont want to be the first to finish your homes because everybody else will be doing construction, he added. If you sell at the end of the timeline, the whole neighborhood will be at value. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While some residents have expressed concerns about the future character of the town, others have welcomed Castros presence. I feel better about him than anybody else because hes from the area, Joel Bryant, a contractor and longtime local, said in an interview with the Journal. In an aerial view, a view of newly built residences in the aftermath of Januarys Eaton Fire on Sept. 23, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. VCG via Getty Images Zaire Calvin, whose family lost two homes in the fire and whose sister, Evelyn McClendon, died during the evacuation, told the Journal he sees potential in Castros involvement. Billionaires should be the first ones in line to help, he said. A collaboration with him would be great to make sure that actually happens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Castro said he does not plan to purchase any more properties. Its too much work, he said. Imagine a 10-year project. Thats a good chunk of your life. For now, the gas station where he bought his winning ticket still stands one of the few structures that survived the fire untouched. Greece has long been one of the most glamorous and sought-after European destinations for adventurous travelers. That said, it is also fair to say that some parts of this wonderful country suffer from overtourism. Whether it's the queues to get the perfect Instagram shot or rugged coastlines filled with cut-and-paste resort hotels, Greece's natural beauty can sometimes be obscured by the many travelers who come to see it. Luckily for anyone searching for something a little different, European travel expert Rick Steves has the answer and it's one of the best destinations across Europe for people who hate crowds. The Mani Peninsula is known for offering a more authentic Greek vacation experience than many of the country's more famous islands, thanks to its atmospheric sea caves, beautiful Byzantine churches, and rocky coves. In particular, Steves suggests the village of Kardamyli as the ideal base to explore the area. Kardamyli is "the gateway to the Mani Peninsula and its best home base," he says. "It's an anti-resort that delicately mixes chic hotels and conscientious travelers with real-world Greece." Kardamyli is located on the western coast of the Outer Mani, the northern half of the peninsula. Part of the area's charm is how far from the modern world it is, but this does make it a little tricky to get to. You could take a ferry from Italy to the port of Patras, or from Athens to Gythion, before taking a car, taxi, or bus towards Kardamyli. The nearest airport is Kalamata, which is just under an hour's drive away by car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 50 Of The Most Mesmerizing Places On Earth What to see and do around Kardamyli boats moored in Kardamyli harbor - Andrew Mayovskyy/Shutterstock Kardamyli has been around for thousands of years, and it has always been considered one of the jewels of the Peloponnese region. In ancient Greek myth, Agamemnon offered Kardamyli to Achilles to attempt to persuade him to fight in the Trojan War. These days, it is one of the loveliest beach towns in Greece, a cluster of centuries-old stone houses overlooking glittering turquoise waters and backed by lush forested hills. Rick Steves waxes lyrical about the "locals-only mom-and-pop shops [that] mingle with trendy tourist boutiques," all overlooked by the imposing bulk of the Mourtzinos Tower. The village is dotted with similar eye-catching 'tower houses,' originally built to protect residents from pirate raids and Ottoman invaders. Today, many have been converted into fabulous guesthouses and chic hotels. There's plenty to do here, both around the village and further afield. The Outer Mani is full of stunning towns and rolling hillsides covered in olive groves. Meanwhile, Ritsa Beach is just a 15-minute walk from the Old Town, and the surrounding hills offer excellent hiking trails with some beautiful panoramic views over the Ionian Sea. Further down the coast, the charming village of Stoupa is also worth a visit, with its picturesque crescent harbor and excellent beachside bars and restaurants. Mythical experiences on the Mani Peninsula a boat explores the underground river in Diros Caves - F8grapher/Getty Images The southern end of the Mani Peninsula, known as the Deep Mani, is where things get really exciting. This remains one of Europe's wilder, less-explored regions, and there's adventure to be found around every corner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The highlight of the Deep Mani is a journey beneath the surface of the Earth, through the underground river network that fills the Diros Caves. On a private punt with your own personal ferryman, you'll feel as close to the world of Hades and Persephone as it is possible to be. And this isn't the only otherworldly experience the Deep Mani hides. At the far south of the peninsula lies Cape Tenaro, which splits the Ionian from the Aegean Sea this is said to be mythical location of the gates of Hades, where Hercules defeated the threeheaded dog Cerberus. As well as these sites of legend, the Deep Mani offers a wealth of quaint, traditional villages, each dotted with those iconic stone tower houses, as well as a handful of gorgeous Byzantine churches, their recognizable domes covered in bright, vivid ceiling paintings in the unique Orthodox style. The dramatic scenery makes a drive south an unmissable experience, as you explore the rugged coast and picture-perfect pebble beaches that make the Mani Peninsula one of Greece's most underrated regions. Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets. Read the original article on Explore. America's Great Lakes region boasts sand dunes, lighthouses, and waterfront fun. This region is also known for its cosmopolitan cities, like Chicago, as well as its charming towns, like Belgium, Wisconsin. Belgium is located on the Lake Michigan coast in Ozaukee County, about a 40-minute drive north of Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport. It's a small rural Wisconsin town, spanning 16,000 acres of farmland, with a population of around 2,600 residents per the 2023 census report. If you find yourself on a road trip exploring Wisconsin's Lake Michigan coast, between the cities of Green Bay and Milwaukee (Wisconsin's own culinary capital of the Midwest), Belgium makes for a worthwhile stop, especially to get your beachy nature fix. Along these lines, check out the lovely Harrington Beach State Park, which is spread across 715 acres of land, including a mile-long sandy beach, white cedar marshes, a quarry, a pond, and an observatory for stargazing. The location is popular in all seasons but especially in summer, with opportunities for a multitude of outdoor activities, from swimming, fishing, picnicking, and camping to hiking and birdwatching. While the beach in the state park is certainly one of the main draws, the other landscapes in the park are also inviting, with plenty of spots for strolling and quiet contemplation. Read more: One Of West Virginia's Best-Kept Secrets Is A Train Ride Through A Canyon You Can't Reach By Car Learn about Belgium's Luxembourgish heritage Luxembourg flag Another reason to visit the town of Belgium is if you have Luxembourgish heritage and want to learn more about it. Wait, what? Yes, interestingly, the town of Belgium is culturally and historically related to Luxembourg, not Belgium. Why the name then? First, though the founders of the town were mainly immigrants from Luxembourg, there was already a Wisconsin town named Luxemberg. Second, the immigrants had grown up in an area of Luxembourg that had since been annexed by the country of Belgium in 1839, so the town's founders thought that the name Belgium was a better fit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Luxembourg American Cultural Center in Belgium, Wisconsin, is the only place in the world to honor Luxembourgish patrimony and is also home to the Dooley-Wagner Research Center, a major research institute focusing on Luxembourg genealogy. The Luxembourg American Cultural Center offers guided tours, or you can easily visit it on your own. If you do, take some time to explore the "Roots and Leaves Museum," which tells the story of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and its ties to the United States, as well as Luxembourgish immigration to the U.S. The cultural center has also created an audio guide narrated by a historian, which you can listen to while you stroll around Belgium's historic downtown. The audio guide, called "Voices from the Village," shares local stories and describes the history of several landmarks in the town, like the Old Town Hall, the Hubing & Hames Grocery, and Curley's Tavern. Lastly, the institution organizes a celebration known as Luxembourg Fest that's held annually in August. This event features traditional food and drinks, parades, folk dancing, live music, and entertaining activities like the traipen eating contest, in which contestants need to eat an entire blood sausage dish within a minute, followed by a second portion if they're able to finish the first one. More things to do in and around Belgium Ozaukee Interurban Trail bridge - James Meyer/Shutterstock No trip to Wisconsin is complete without a visit to a working farm! Fortunately, Belgium has Buechler Farms, a family-owned business that initially began as a dairy farm before shifting to cattle. Nowadays, the farm hosts special events throughout the year, such as live music and karaoke, a rodeo, and a circus in summer and pumpkin and Christmas tree picking in the colder months. Check the farm's website for goings-on while you're passing through town. To explore more of the local area, head to the north-south 30-mile-long Ozaukee Interurban Trail, which used to be a railway that ran from Milwaukee to Sheboygan. Today the paved trail links Belgium to other nearby municipalities like Brown Deer, Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Cedar Grove, Oostburg, Sheboygan, and Port Washington (an artsy village with New England charm on Lake Michigan's shoreline). Meandering along this pretty trail on foot or by bicycle or even cross-country skis, if you will you can marvel at a wide range of Wisconsin ecosystems, such as dense forest, grassland, marshland, agricultural areas, and more Lake Michigan beaches. You can also stop to grab a bite or beverage at many cafes, bars, and restaurants that you'll see along the way before heading off to your next destination. Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world's best-kept travel secrets. Read the original article on Islands. Authorities in Japan are searching for a black bear in connection with the gruesome deaths of three people in the last week, including one man who was decapitated, AFP reported. Three Bodies Discovered In One Week Two bodies were discovered last week in the Iwate Prefecture. The first, found on Oct. 8, was found by witnesses who told local outlets that the mans head had been separated from his torso. On Oct. 10, a man in his 70s was reported missing after heading out into the woods to scavenge. He was later found dead, and authorities believe that a black bear is to blame. "We suspect he was attacked by a bear based on scratch marks," officials said. Then, on Saturday, a 78-year-old man was found deceased within the Nagano Prefecture. Though the most recent death is still under investigation, authorities say the victim suffered from claw-like marks similar to the second attack. Supermarket Attack Leaves Victims Injured The three fatal incidents occurred around the same time as a terrifying, though non-fatal, episode in a supermarket in Numata City. On Oct. 7, at around 7:30 p.m. local time, a bear entered a supermarket in which about 40 people were shopping and headed straight for the raw fish and sushi department. During the incident, the bear injur[ed] one man, and another man was attacked and injured by the bear when he noticed the bear at the entrance and tried to escape, according to a statement from the Gunma Prefectural Government Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It looked to me as if the bear was confused, a store manager told local media. It was in the store for 10 to 15 minutes. It didn't look like it was foraging. UNSPECIFIED - MAY 08: Asian black bear standing in the forest (Ursus thibetanus) (Photo by DEA / C.DANI / I.JESKE/De Agostini via Getty Images) Japan Has Seen Sharp Increase In Bear Attacks Japan has seen a significant increase in the number of bear attacks in recent years due to a number of factors, such as climate change, deforestation, and a decline in human population in some regions. Between April and September of this year, 103 people have been attacked by bears in Japan. Six of those attacks proved fatal. The country is home to two different types of bear: the Asian black bear and the Ussuri brown bear. Asian black bears can weigh up to 440 pounds and are omnivorous, eating insects, fruit, nuts, small mammals, and birds. Ussuri brown bears, on the other hand, can weigh as much as 1,210 pounds but are nominally vegetarians. However, they have been known to kill any prey that wanders through their habitat. This story was originally reported by Men's Journal on Oct 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Three Miami-Dade police officers charged with manslaughter in the death of a UPS driver during a 2019 shootout at a busy Broward intersection were granted a Stand Your Ground hearing almost a month after a judge dismissed the charge of another officer, citing immunity. On Monday, Broward Circuit Court Judge Ernest Kollra scheduled the lengthy hearing during which evidence of the shootout and officers use of force will be presented for the week of Feb. 2. The proceeding, Kollra said, will include the three remaining officers in the case: Richard Santiesteban, 34, Leslie Lee, 58 and Rodolfo Mirabal, 40. In September, Kollra ruled in favor of suspended officer Jose Mateo, who had argued that Floridas controversial Stand Your Ground law barred his prosecution. Kollras decision came after prosecutor Charles Morton and Mateos attorney Richard Diaz sparred about evidence in the case during two weeks of hearings. MORE: Miami-Dade cop cleared in UPS truck shootout under Stand Your Ground: judge In the eight-page order, Kollra determined that Mateo was justified in his use of force because he acted to prevent death or injury. The judge also said prosecutors failed to establish that Mateos use of force wasnt reasonable or justified. Prosecutors appealed Kollras ruling. Frank Ordonez, driver of the UPS truck that was hijacked Thursday, was killed in the chase and shootout that followed. Frank Ordonez, a 27-year-old UPS truck driver, and Rick Cutshaw, 70, were killed in a hail of gunfire in the packed intersection of Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road during rush hour in December 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immunity from prosecution is not the same as a defense presented to a jury from this community, the Broward State Attorneys Office said after the ruling. It is our belief that Stand Your Ground immunity does not apply in matters involving innocent bystanders, like Frank Ordonez and Richard Cutshaw, who presented no danger to officers. In this incident, two innocent men were killed and the lives of numerous other innocent bystanders were endangered. Mateo, 33, and the three other Miami-Dade police officers were indicted on manslaughter charges in June 2024. All pleaded not guilty and all have been suspended without pay. Defendant Jose Mateo with his lawyer Richard Diaz argues Floridas stand-your-ground statute before Judge Ernest A. Kollra on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. Mateo is one of four Miami-Dade officers charged with manslaughter in the case stemming from the death of UPS driver Frank Ordonez, who was shot by police during a shootout with his kidnappers. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Attorneys for Mirabal and Santiesteban already filed their Stand Your Ground motions. During Mondays hearing, Lees attorney said he would file his motion in the next day or so. David Braun, who is representing Mirabal, argued that the Stand Your Ground hearing was not necessary because the judge previously ruled that Mateo had immunity from prosecution under the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why do we have to go do another Stand Your Ground hearing at all? Braun said. It seems to me that the state should be [dropping the charges]... The facts are the same facts. Kollra, however, said each case is separate and ordered the hearing. Cross-county chase ends in gunfire The Dec. 5, 2019, shootout began with ex-cons Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Jerome Hills bungled attempt to rob a Coral Gables jewelry store. After, Alexander and Hill, both 41, carjacked the UPS truck driven by Ordonez, a father of two who was making a routine delivery and was inside the truck. The carjacking ignited a high-speed police chase across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, including on Interstate 75. But when the UPS truck got stuck in standstill traffic at the Miramar intersection, chaos ensued. More than 200 rounds of ammunition were fired as officers shielded themselves behind cars stuck in traffic. When it was over, Hill, Alexander, Ordonez and Cutshaw, a local union worker on his way home, were dead. Police from Miramar Police Department and Miami-Date Police Department work the scene at the intersection of Miramar Parkway and Flamingo Road Thursday after a jewelry store in Coral Gables was robbed, the suspects hijacked a UPS truck and its driver and led police on a chase all the way to Miramar. The chase came to an end with a shootout on a traffic packed stretch of Miramar Parkway. During Mateos hearing, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent who investigated the shooting testified 20 officers fired up to 219 rounds during the mayhem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Santiesteban emptied two 23-round capacity magazines and could have fired up to 44 rounds. Mateo fired up to 18 rounds from his department-issued Glock 17, according to FDLE. The magazine holds up to 17, and he had one round left in the chamber, the agent testified. Rick Cutshaw, 70, was killed in the shootout between cops and robbers in Miramar traffic Thursday. He was a union representative from Pembroke Pines. The officers were charged after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement identified five bullets from Ordonezs autopsy. Two linked to back to Santiesteban, and the rest to Mateo, Lee and Mirabal. A single bullet was recovered during Cutshaws autopsy. That one was tied to Mirabal, the report states. Only Mirabal was charged with Cutshaws death. Editor's note: This article was Ukraine war latest for Oct. 13. You can find Ukraine war latest for Oct. 14 here. Hi, this is Chris York reporting from Kyiv on day 1,328 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: Russia is ready to test European borders and escalate the current tensions into an open confrontation at any moment, German intelligence head Martin Jaeger told German lawmakers on Oct. 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We can't simply wait and assume that a potential Russian attack won't come before 2029," Jaeger said. "We're already under fire today." The comments echo warnings by Western officials about Moscow's escalating hybrid operations across Europe, including drone incursions, sabotage, and cyberattacks. While NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russia will be ready for an open military clash with the alliance in five years, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted that the ongoing hybrid campaign means Europe is already no longer at peace. "Russia is concealing its true intentions, but in fact it's probing our borders," Jaeger told the Bundestag. "At best, Europe is in a state of cold peace one that could flare into a hot confrontation at any moment." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Russia ready for hot confrontation with Europe at any moment, German intelligence head warns 'Hunt for the nearest mechanic' NATO chief mocks Russia over malfunctioning submarine Last updated: 7:33 p.m. Kyiv time NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte mocked Russia on Oct. 13 over the malfunction of its submarine Novorossiysk, which was forced to surface off the coast of France last week. NATO naval forces detected the submarine off the coast of Brittany on Oct. 9. The submarine surfaced and was later escorted by the Dutch navy along with the tugboat Yakov Grebelsky, the Dutch Defense Ministry said, indicating the vessel was likely being towed. During his speech in Slovenia, Rutte openly ridiculed the "limping" Russian submarine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Now, in effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence left in the Mediterranean," Rutte said. "There's a lone and broken Russian submarine limping home from patrol." "What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic," he added. Read also: NATO chief mocks Russia over malfunctioning submarine limping home from patrol Russia has seized tens of thousands of properties belonging to Ukrainians who fled Russian-occupied territories, Le Figaro reports Nearly 25,000 properties in the four oblasts annexed by Russia have been identified by Le Figaro, which also met with some of the victims. Read the full story at Le Figaro. Ukraine to use more helicopters to down Russian drones Last updated: 7:28 p.m. Kyiv time Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine will form new helicopter groups to intercept drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 13. "We are working with partners to provide Ukraine with more of the necessary types of aircraft," he wrote in a post on social media. A Ukrainian helicopter intercepted and destroyed a Russian Shahed drone at close range a rare and bold encounter. pic.twitter.com/3NMUK1oW2U Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) October 9, 2025 Zelensky confirms meeting with Trump in Washington this week Last updated: 7:20 p.m. Kyiv time President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Oct. 13 that he plans to meet his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in Washington later this week. The meeting, reportedly scheduled for Oct. 17, will follow two phone calls between the two leaders regarding Ukraine's air defenses and long-range capabilities in the wake of Russian attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Zelensky confirms meeting with Trump in Washington this week 2 Russian colonels charged in absentia over 2023 missile attack that killed 24 people Last updated: 2:48 p.m. Kyiv time The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has charged two Russian colonels in absentia over a 2023 missile attack on a high-rise residential building in Uman that killed 24 people including six children. Russia hit a 9-story apartment building in Uman in the early hours of April 28, 2023 during a mass missile strike against Ukraine. The SBU said in a statement that Colonel Mykola Varpakhovych, commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Russian Federation, and Colonel Oleg Skitsky, commander of the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Russian Federation, were involved in the preparation of the strike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It added that "overall management of the operation was carried out by Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash" who has previously been charged over the deadly strike against the Ohkmadyt children's hospital in Kyiv in July 2024. The two Russian colonels in absentia over a 2023 missile attack on a high-rise residential building in Uman (SBU) Russia convicts 190 people of treason and espionage in occupied Ukraine Last updated: 1:48 p.m. Kyiv time Russia has convicted at least 190 people of espionage or treason in areas of occupied Ukraine, nearly a third of them women. Read the full story at iStories. Russia denies its submarine malfunctioned off the coast of France Last updated: 1:36 p.m. Kyiv time Russia has denied that one of its submarines suffered a malfunction and surfaced off the coast of northern France last week. We. Are. Watching. Atlantic Ocean A French Navy frigate conducts surveillance of the Alliances maritime approaches, marking the presence of a Russian submarine operating on the surface off the coast of Brittany. NATO stands ready to defend our Alliance with pic.twitter.com/SeTh3Ij7NN NATO Maritime Command (@NATO_MARCOM) October 9, 2025 Read the full story on Reuters. 314 Belarusian nationals killed fighting for Russia Last updated: 1:13 p.m. Kyiv time Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least 314 Belarusian citizens have been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, according to a report published on Oct. 13 by the Ukrainian project "I Want to Live." Belarus remains one of Russia's closest allies in the war against Ukraine. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian authorities have reportedly been recruiting Belarusians through draft commissions operating inside Belarus. Earlier, the "I Want to Live" project published the names of 1,338 Belarusian nationals who have fought or are still fighting on Russia's side. The organization estimated that roughly one in four of them has died. Yet, the group noted that this list is incomplete, and the actual death toll may be significantly higher. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Over 300 Belarusian nationals killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine Time no longer on Russia's side, Kaja Kallas says Last updated: 2:58 p.m. Kyiv time Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 13 for discussions with Ukrainian officials on Europe's financial and military support for the war-torn country. The talks will also concern Ukraine's energy sector and "holding Russia accountable for its war crimes," Kallas said on X. The visit comes as Russia has escalated attacks against Ukraine's energy grid as winter draws near. A combined missile and drone strike on Oct. 10 caused widespread outages in Kyiv and across Ukrainian regions. Ukrainians inspire the world with their courage. Their resilience calls for our full support. I am in Kyiv today for talks on financial and military support, the security of Ukraines energy sector, and holding Russia accountable for its war crimes. pic.twitter.com/xQ3juq9aTT Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) October 13, 2025 Read also: EU diplomacy chief arrives in Kyiv to discuss aid, Ukraines energy sector Trump says he will urge Putin to end war or face the US sending Tomahawks Last updated: 3:04 a.m. Kyiv time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. President Donald Trump said on Oct. 12 that he is prepared to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine but said he plans to first discuss the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest, about the Tomahawks, Trump told reporters. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I dont think so. When asked if he meant he would speak with Putin before supplying the missiles, Trump said that possibility depends on Moscows willingness to end the war. Maybe Ill talk to him. I might say, look, if the war is not settled, Ill send them the Tomahawks, he said, calling the weapon a very offensive weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Trump says he will urge Putin to end the war or face the US sending Tomahawks to Ukraine Ukrainian drones spark massive blaze at Russia's largest oil terminal in occupied Crimea, source confirms Ukrainian drones struck the largest Russian oil depot in the city of Feodosia in occupied Crimea overnight on Oct. 13 sparking a massive blaze, a source in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent. "Drones hit at least five tanks. A large-scale fire is recorded on the territory of the oil depot," the source said. Videos shared on social media during the night showed a large blaze and thick black smoke rising from the depot. Residents reported that the glow from the fire was visible from various parts of the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The source said an electricity substation in Feodosia had also been hit, as well as another in Simferopol. "The SBU continues to systematically reduce the enemy's military, logistical and economic capacity to wage war against Ukraine," they added. Russian air defenses intercepted 103 drones overnight across Russian and occupied Ukrainian territories, including 40 over Crimea, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed. Read also: At least 5 tanks hit Ukrainian drones spark massive blaze at Russias largest oil terminal in occupied Crimea, source confirms 3 killed, 18 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day At least three people have been killed and 18 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities reported on Oct. 13. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 69 out of the 82 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones launched by Russia overnight, according to the Air Force. Thirteen drone strikes were recorded at seven locations. In Kherson Oblast, five people were injured in Russian attacks, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. One person was killed and six injured in Kharkiv Oblast, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. In Odesa Oblast, Russian drones hit civilian infrastructure starting a large fire in warehouses in the oblast, according to Governor Oleh Kiper Two men aged 50 and 45 were injured in first-person-view drone strikes in Sumy Oblast, according to the regional military administration. In Chernihiv Oblast, five people were injured and a train was hit by a drone, local authorities reported. In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed two people, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. General Staff: Russia has lost 1,121,570 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022 Russia has lost around 1,121,570 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Oct. 13. The number includes 1,140 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,251 tanks, 23,345 armored fighting vehicles, 64,043 vehicles and fuel tanks, 33,599 artillery systems, 1,520 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,225 air defense systems, 427 airplanes, 346 helicopters, 69,242 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine. Read also: Investigation: Top Russian defense industry boss tries to lift sanctions, spills own secrets instead Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Israeli military says 20 living hostages and the bodies of 26 deceased hostages have been handed over by Hamas and have returned to Israel under the Gaza ceasefire deal. Until 13 October, when the living hostages were released, 48 hostages were still being held in Gaza, 28 of whom were dead. All but one of those hostages were among the 251 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 69,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Living hostages who have been released Twin brother Gali and Ziv Berman after their release [IDF] Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, Emily Damari. Ziv was held with Emily for 40 days before they were separated. She was released in January 2025 during the last ceasefire. Gali and Ziv's family said they had been informed by other hostages released in early 2025 that they were still alive. Ariel Cunho and his girlfriend Arbel Yehud - also a hostage until earlier this year [Reuters] Ariel Cunio, 28, was abducted in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. Ariel's brother Eitan, who escaped the Hamas-led gunmen, said the last message from Ariel said: "We are in a horror movie." Ariel's partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed as part of a ceasefire deal in January 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement David Cunio, 35, another of Ariel's brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz. David's wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their then-three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were among the 105 hostages released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. Sharon's sister Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia were also freed. Avinatan Or, 32, was kidnapped at the festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, but they were immediately separated. Noa and three other hostages were rescued in an Israeli military operation in central Gaza in June 2024. His British-Israeli mother, Ditza, had said she just wanted to put her ear to his chest and hear his heartbeat again. Avinatan Or kissing his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who was also a hostage until being rescued last year [Reuters] Matan Angrest, 22, an IDF soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections. Matan Zangauker, 25, was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky from Nir Oz. Ilana was released during the November 2023 ceasefire. In December 2024, Hamas released a video showing Matan in captivity. He said he and his fellow hostages were suffering from skin ailments, shortages of food, water and medicine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eitan Horn, 38, an Israeli-Argentine dual national, was kidnapped along with his elder brother Yair from Nir Oz. Yair was freed in February 2025 during the last ceasefire. Hamas released a video at the time showing Eitan and Yair hugging and breaking down in tears ahead of the latter's release. "Every day we imagined what we'd do if we were freed," Yair recalled recently. Nimrod Cohen, 21, was serving as an IDF soldier when his tank was attacked by Hamas at Nahal Oz. After the new ceasefire was agreed, his mother Viki posted on social media: "My child, you are coming home." Omri Miran, 48, was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz. His wife, Lishay, said she last saw him being driven away in his own car. She and their two young daughters, Roni and Alma, were not taken with him. In April 2025, Hamas released a video showing Omri marking his 48th birthday. In response: Lishay said: "I always said and I always knew, Omri is a survivor." Omri Miran playing with his daughter after being released on Monday [Reuters] Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, attended the Nova music festival with his brother Gal. The last time they saw each other was just before Hamas launched its first barrage of rockets into Israel at the start of the attack. Gal evaded the gunmen on the ground, but Guy was kidnapped. Last month, Hamas released a video showing Guy and another hostage, Alon Ohel, being driven around Gaza City in late August as the Israeli military prepared to launch an offensive there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alon Ohel, 24, has Israeli, German and Serbian citizenship. Hamas footage showed him being taken away from the Nova festival. Alon was not seen in another video until August 2025, when he was filmed being driven around Gaza City with Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Last month, a picture of him was released, which his family said showed Alon had gone blind in one eye. Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, had been at the festival with a friend, who said they had remained to help people escape the gunfire before running themselves. Yosef-Chaim Ohana kisses his delighted mother after they were reunited [Reuters] Elkana Bohbot, 36, was working at the festival when he was abducted. Earlier this year, Israeli media cited a released hostage as saying Elkana, who has asthma, was being held in inhumane conditions and had developed a severe skin disease. Eitan Mor, 25, was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival. His father Mor said he saved dozens of people before being kidnapped by Hamas gunmen. His family had been told by a previously released hostage who spent time with Eitan in a tunnel that he had acted as a "spokesman to the captors" and "lifted everyone's spirits". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maxim Herkin, 37, is an Israeli-Russian dual national who was invited to the festival at the last moment. His two friends were killed in the attack. In April 2025, Maxim appeared in a Hamas video along with Bar Kupershtein. The following month, Maxim was seen alone in another video and appeared to be bandaged up. Hamas said was the result of an Israeli air strike. Dual Israeli-Russian national Maxim Herkin shakes hands with an Israeli officer [EPA] Bar Kupershtein, 23, was working at the festival and stayed behind during the attack to help treat casualties. He told his grandmother that he would head home as soon as they were finished. But he was later identified in a video of hostages. Segev Kalfon, 27, was running away from the festival with a friend when he was taken hostage by Hamas gunmen. Two months later, the Israeli military found a video of the abduction. In February 2025, released hostage Ohad Ben Ami told Segev's father, Kobi, that they had been held captive with four other men in a tunnel in "terrible conditions". During captivity, distressing video of Evyatar David was released, showing him handcuffed and emaciated [Reuters] Evyatar David, 24, was at the festival. He texted his family to say "they are bombarding the party". His family say they later received a text from an unknown number, with a video of Evyatar handcuffed on the floor of a dark room. In August 2025, Hamas published a video of an emaciated and weak Evyatar in a tunnel. The footage caused outrage in Israel and deep concern among his family. "He's a human skeleton. He was being starved to the point where he can be dead at any moment," said his brother Ilay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rom Braslabski, 21, was working on security at the festival. According to an account published by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was trying to rescue an injured person when he was caught in a volley of fire. In August 2025, Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Rom, in which he is seen crying as he says he has run out of food and water. He said he is unable to stand or walk, and "is at death's door". Medical experts said he was suffering from "deliberate, prolonged, and systematic starvation". A smiling Rom Braslabski is reunited with his family [Reuters] Hostages whose bodies Hamas has returned Bipin Joshi's fate was unknown until Monday, when Hamas named him as one of the four hostages whose remains were being returned [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum] Bipin Joshi, 23, a Nepalese agriculture student, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim. A fellow student told the BBC that Bipin threw back a grenade thrown by Hamas attackers before being taken hostage. Footage from 7 October showed him walking inside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. His family received no signs of life for a year, until the Israeli military shared a video showing him in captivity around November 2023. On 14 October, the Israeli military confirmed Bipin was among the bodies returned by Hamas the previous day. Guy Illouz, 26, was shot twice during the attack on the Nova festival and died of his wounds after being taken hostage, his family said. Released hostages were said to have confirmed his death. Yossi Sharabi, 53, was kidnapped from Be'eri along with his brother, Eli. In January 2024, the kibbutz announced that the father-of-three had been killed in captivity in Gaza. The following month, the IDF said an investigation had found that he was likely to have been killed when a building collapsed following an Israeli strike on another building nearby. Eli, who was released earlier this year, told the BBC how important it was for the family to have a funeral for closure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniel Peretz, 22, was a captain in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade. Originally from South Africa, he was killed in an attack on his tank near Nahal Oz on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza, the IDF said. Guy Illouz died in captivity as a result of injuries sustained in the attack on the Nova festival [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum] Tamir Nimrodi, 20, was a staff sergeant in the IDF who was serving as an education officer at the Erez Crossing on 7 October. The last time his mother, Herut, saw him was in a video of his abduction posted on social media that day. She received no signs of life after that and his fate was unknown until his body was handed over on Tuesday night. After his remains were formally identified, Tamir's family said that he had been "murdered in Hamas captivity". Uriel Baruch, 35, was abducted from the Nova festival. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the father-of-two's family were informed by the IDF in March 2024 that he was killed on 7 October and that his body was taken back to Gaza as a hostage. Eitan Levi, 53, was a taxi driver from Bat Yam who was killed by Hamas gunmen on a road close to the Gaza perimeter on 7 October, while he was driving a friend to Be'eri. The father-of-one's body was then taken to Gaza, where Palestinians were filmed beating and kicking it. Inbar Hayman was the last female hostage held by Hamas [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum] Inbar Hayman, 27, was a graffiti artist from Haifa. She was volunteering at the Nova festival when Hamas gunmen attacked on 7 October. She was killed and her body was taken into Gaza, the IDF said, citing the information and intelligence available to it. She was the last female hostage being held. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Muhammad al-Atarash, 39, was a sergeant-major in the IDF's Northern Gaza Brigade. In June 2024, the IDF confirmed the father-of-13 from the Bedouin village of Sawa was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen near Nahal Oz on 7 October and that his body was being held in Gaza. Ronen Engel, 54, a resident of Nir Oz kibbutz, was abducted from his home and killed by Hamas on 7 October before his his body taken to Gaza. The Israeli military announced his death in December 2023. Engel's wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their teenage daughters, Mika and Yuval, were also taken hostage but were later freed during the first truce. Israel's Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Engel was remembered by loved ones as a man with "hands of gold and the soul of an artist." Eliyahu Margalit, 75, was from Kibbutz Nir Oz. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said he was a "cowboy at heart" and managed the cattle branch and horse stables of the kibbutz for many years. The IDF said he was killed on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza. He was pronounced dead on 1 December that year. His daughter was also abducted and taken to Gaza and was released after 55 days. Eliyahu Margalit was killed on 7 October 2023 [Reuters] Tal Haimi, 41, was part of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak's rapid response team and was killed during the attack there on 7 October. The father-of-four's body was returned on 20 October 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sonthaya Akrasri, 30, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, Thailand's foreign ministry said in May 2024. He was the father of a seven-year-old daughter and planned to open his own farm in Thailand one day, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said. Tamir Adar, 38, was an IDF reservist master sergeant, Nir Oz's deputy security co-ordinator and a member of its rapid response team who was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen during the 7 October attack, his kibbutz announced in January 2024. Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, was abducted by Hamas gunmen from Nir Oz on 7 October. In November 2023, Hamas released a video showing him saying he felt unwell. The following month the grandfather-of-five's kibbutz said he had died in captivity. After Arie's body was returned, the IDF said it estimated that he was murdered in captivity on 17 November 2023. Amiram Cooper, 84, was abducted along with his wife, Nurit, from Nir Oz on 7 October. Hamas released Nurit after 17 days, but it continued to hold Amiram. The IDF said it estimated Amiram was murdered in captivity in February 2024. It had previously said he was killed along with three other hostages - Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger - in Khan Younis while troops were operating in the area. Hamas had claimed they were killed by an Israeli strike. Amiram Cooper was abducted with his wife Nurit on 7 October. Nurit was released after 17 days in captivity [Hostages and Missing Families Forum] Sahar Baruch, 25, was kidnapped during the attack on Be'eri by Hamas gunmen, who also killed his brother and grandmother. The IDF said it estimated that he was murdered in captivity on 8 December 2023. It had previously announced that he was killed during a rescue attempt by Israeli forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asaf Hamami, 40, was a colonel in the IDF and commander of the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade. The IDF said the father-of-three was among the first troops to reach the combat zones on 7 October and was "the first to declare war". He was killed fighting near Kibbutz Nirim and his body was then taken to Gaza by Hamas as a hostage, it added. Omer Neutra, 21, an Israeli-American and grandson of Holocaust survivors, was a captain in the IDF who was serving as a tank platoon commander when Hamas attacked on 7 October. The IDF said he was killed that day near the Gaza perimeter and his body taken by Hamas. Joshua Mollel was on an agricultural internship when he was killed on 7 October [Mollel] Oz Daniel, 19, was a staff-sergeant in the IDF's 7th Armoured Brigade and was killed during a battle with Hamas gunmen near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. His body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF. Itay Chen, 19, was an Israeli-American serving as a soldier in the IDF's 7th Brigade on 7 October. The IDF said he was killed inside a tank during a battle in Nir Oz and that his body was taken as a hostage by Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joshua Mollel, 21, was a Tanzanian student who was undertaking an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when it was attacked on 7 October. The Tanzanian government confirmed that he was killed that day and that his body was being held by Hamas. Lior Rudaeff, 61, was killed while attempting to defend Nir Yitzhak from attack on 7 October, the IDF said. His body was then taken captive by armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Hadar Goldin, 23, was a lieutenant in the IDF's Givati Brigade who was killed in combat in Gaza in 2014. Meny Godard, 73, was killed during the attack on Be'eri with his wife, Ayelet, and his body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, his family said. In March 2025, the IDF said some of Meny's remains had been found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah, but that the group was believed to be holding the rest. Meny Godard's body was taken into Gaza after Hamas killed him alongside his wife [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum] Dror Or, 48, and his wife, Yonat, were killed in the attack on Be'eri, the kibbutz confirmed. Two of his three children, Noam and Alma, were taken hostage and were released as part of the November 2023 ceasefire deal. Dror Or was killed alongside his wife [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum] Other deceased hostages still in Gaza Ran Gvili, 24, was a sergeant in the Israel Police who was killed while fighting Hamas-led gunmen in Kibbutz Alumim on 7 October. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suthisak Rintalak, 43, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, Thailand's foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza. President Trump on Monday completed a whirlwind trip to the Middle East to tout what he called an historic dawn of a new Middle East and formally sign a peace deal to end the fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The trip was something of a victory lap for Trump, who basked in applause from Israeli lawmakers at the Knesset and was repeatedly praised during proceedings in Egypt. It was also a cause for celebration for many families as Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released after two years of captivity. Palestinians also rejoiced when Israel let out 250 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and 1,700 Gazans arrested after Hamass Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are five takeaways from Trumps trip. Trump confident war is over Even as Trumps 20-point peace plan for Gaza was in its early stages and many questions remain, the president expressed confidence from the time he departed for the Middle East that the agreement would hold. Aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, Trump told reporters the war is over. Trump relayed the same message to reporters upon landing in Israel. And during remarks in Egypt, Trump declared, War in Gaza is over. This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? Trump said as he signed the peace agreement at a ceremony in Egypt. And its going to hold up, too. Its going to hold up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But experts and even some Trump allies are less certain, pointing to various obstacles that remain to ensure a lasting peace in the region. The peace plan requires Hamas to decommission its weapons, and its unclear whether the militant group will do so. A word of caution, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) posted on the social platform X after Trumps Knesset speech. As I speak Hamas is attacking groups that have stood up to them and will purge all opposition if a regional stabilizing force is not deployed quickly. Case in point, dozens were killed in Gaza today after conflict between Hamas and local militias. Disarming Hamas and making sure they never have a voice in the future of Gaza is going to require efforts by the region never known before. Israel works to recover deceased hostages While the last remaining 20 living hostages all returned from Gaza to Israel on Monday, a wide search was being carried out for the bodies of 28 other hostages Hamas had kept inside Gaza over the course of two years of war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israeli military said the coffins containing the remains of four hostages were transferred to Israel, bringing the count of remaining bodies to 24. The International Committee of the Red Cross is helping facilitate the transfer of the deceased bodies. Israeli media reported that Hamas conveyed it needs more time to retrieve and hand over the bodies of the deceased, suggesting some of the bodies might be in areas currently held by the Israeli military. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a coalition of advocates and families of the hostages held by Hamas, said in a statement Friday it wants the ceasefire suspended over Hamass failure to return all 28 of the bodies on the agreed upon moment. The group has historically been a strong backer of the ceasefire and hostage release deal and often critical of Netanyahu as an obstacle to an agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamass violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators, the group wrote in a statement. An agreement must be honored by both sides. If Hamas does not fulfill their part, Israel should not fulfill their part either. Netanyahu skips peace summit but Abbas attends Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah as preventing his travel to Egypt for the peace summit despite an invitation from Trump. But his physical absence appeared to demonstrate the enormous challenge ahead to reach a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Absent Netanyahu, Trump embraced Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the 89-year-old leader who holds power in the West Bank. It was only the second time Trump was meeting Abbas, with the president smiling and holding the Palestinian leaders hand as they posed for a photo, and held a short conversation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has identified a reformed Palestinian Authority being brought into a stabilized Gaza Strip. Netanyahu has laid out strict metrics for the Palestinian Authority to meet before returning to Gaza. But he has rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state, which Trumps plan also lays out. The president also repeatedly cited the other Middle Eastern nations represented in Egypt, including leaders from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, not all of which have strong relations with Israel but who will be critical to ensuring peace in the region. Trump calls on other countries to join Abraham Accords Trump repeatedly referenced the Abraham Accords, a key foreign policy achievement of his first term, during Mondays events, a sign he is already looking at ways to build on the Gaza deal and bolster his legacy in the region. Were going to get a lot of people joining the Abraham Accords, Trump said in Egypt. We have the four great nations that did it early on, and they stayed with it. Now a lot of people, even today, theyre talking about all joining up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump at multiple points pronounced Abraham in a manner similar to how Netanyahu would, quipping that he enjoyed the Israeli pronunciation. The Abraham Accords, which were signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and multiple Arab states: Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco. Prior to the accords, only Jordan and Egypt had recognized Israel. Other Arab nations, like Saudi Arabia, have said there must be a Palestinian state before they agree to normalize relations with Israel. But Trump appeared to be riding high off of the Gaza deal, speaking throughout the day about other diplomatic wins he had set his sights on. Those included both expanding the Abraham Accords and ending the war in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump even repeatedly referenced another ambitious deal, floating a possible truce with Iran. And to Iran we are ready when you are, and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made, Trump said at the Knesset. Gaza future remains uncertain While the mood on Monday was largely celebratory about the release of hostages and the completion of a long-sought peace deal, there are still serious questions and concerns about what will come of Gaza, which has been ravaged by the war. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the past two years amid Israels military campaign. The infrastructure in Gaza has been decimated. And watchdog groups have described a growing humanitarian crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The challenge now is tomorrow, and implementation, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview with Sky News following the conclusion of the peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Starmer said he volunteered the United Kingdom to help demilitarize the Gaza Strip, but he did not put himself forward on Trumps so-called Board of Peace, which is being put forward as a potential oversight committee of Gazas governance absent Hamas rule. I think the makeup of the peace board is still being discussed, Starmer said. Trumps special envoy for peace Steve Witkoff said Monday there is a long list of applicants to be on the board, but there is no official membership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is the chair of the Board of Peace, and its ranks include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is a key figure in drafting the framework for a post-war Gaza, including Trumps 20-point peace plan. Hamas has yet to accept key parts of that proposal, to include renouncing power and giving up all its arms. Hamas spokesperson Bassem Naim earlier told Sky News that Blair was not welcome in Gaza because of his role in committing British troops to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Copyright 2025 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. LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (WFLA) Eight people were injured in a fiery crash Saturday night when an SUV slammed into a stopped school bus in Bradenton, causing a chain reaction of crashes. The Florida Highway Patrol said three school buses from Fort Pierce Central High School, carrying 90 students and six adults, were stopped on the eastbound outside lane of State Road 70 at around 8:20 p.m. on Saturday. Parents at the scene told 8 On Your Side that the students were returning from a band competition. While the buses were stopped, a Ford Expedition slammed into the back of the last bus, pushing it into the one in front of it, and pushing that one into the one in front of it. In all, one bus was rear-ended by the Ford, and two buses were rear-ended by another bus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ford sustained heavy damage and caught fire after the crash, FHP said. The driver, a 32-year-old Tampa woman, had minor injuries, but a 2-year-old passenger in the car was seriously injured and airlifted to the hospital. Authorities did not offer any other details on why the buses were stopped or what caused the Ford to crash into them. Six students on the buses were taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. None of the bus drivers were injured. Copyright 2025 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. President Donald Trump repeatedly touted the Abraham Accords in his Middle East trip on Monday, seeking to build on 2020 agreements that expanded the number of Arab states with diplomatic ties with Israel. The term is filled with religious and cultural meaning, citing a biblical patriarch revered as a founding figure in three major religions whose adherents encompass more than half the world's population Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Anyone trying to build a bridge between faiths is liable to invoke Abraham known to Muslims as Ibrahim as someone they hold in common. But this legacy can also be a source of division because some faith groups portray themselves as his true heirs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everybody has tried to claim Abraham as their own, but in fact Abraham belongs to everybody, said Bruce Feiler, author of Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. Even in the last two years, we have seen this battle play out in a way that has played out for 4,000 years, he said. Everyone is trying to say, This is my story, my point of view is the only point of view that matters.'" But, he said, "the story belongs to all of us, the land will need to be shared, and the legacy will need to be a shared legacy for all of us. The Abraham Accords as a template The Abraham Accords were a series of diplomatic and commercial agreements forged with U.S. influence between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in 2020, during Trump's first term. A permanent agreement in Gaza could help pave the path for talks with other majority-Muslim lands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From the Bible to the headlines Abraham first appears in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, described as a childless elderly man who God promised would be the father of a great nation. God sends Abraham on a journey that leads to the area of present-day Israel and the Palestinian lands. Abraham first has a son, Ishmael, with an enslaved woman, Hagar. Then Abraham's wife, Sarah, who is beyond childbearing years, miraculously conceives and bears Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael are banished, although Ishmael returns after Abraham's death to help Isaac bury their father. In a pivotal biblical story retold each Rosh Hashana, marking the Jewish new year God orders Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham agrees, binds Isaac to an altar and is stopped before killing his son by an angel who says Abraham has passed a test of faith. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isaac and his son Jacob become ancestors of the Jews, according to Genesis. Christianity embraces Abraham as an exemplar of faith willing to believe and obey God. Islamic and Jewish traditions depict a young Abraham as smashing his fathers idols as he embraced the worship of one, almighty God. Muslims, however, place Ismail (Arabic for Ishmael) rather than Isaac at the center of the binding story. They honor Ismail as a righteous prophet who, according to tradition, is an ancestor of the prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe the rock upon which Abraham offered his son is within the Dome of the Rock, the gold-domed shrine in Jerusalem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abraham is a dividing figure and a unifying one Each of the three monotheistic religions Christianity, Judaism and Islam have claimed to be the true heirs of Abraham at different points in a history that included crusades, terror attacks and other violence. At the same time, because all three faiths revere Abraham, he is invoked for efforts such as the diplomatic accords brokered by the majority-Christian United States between the Jewish state of Israel and majority-Muslim Arab states. We see in Islam a religion that traces its origins back to Gods call on Abraham, then-President George W. Bush said at an iftar (fast-breaking) dinner with Muslims soon after the 9/11 attacks, seeking to differentiate mainstream Muslims from terrorists claiming to act in the name of Islam. We share your belief in Gods justice, and your insistence on mans moral responsibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The term Abrahamic faiths is also used to promote dialogue between religions. The United Arab Emirates is home to an Abrahamic Family House, which includes a church, mosque and synagogue. In the United States, many involved in inter-religious dialogue see the term as more inclusive than Judeo-Christian, which was often used in the 20th century. While Abrahamic doesn't encompass all faiths, it reflects an effort to broaden the tent. Such efforts come amid sharpening religious divisions on other fronts. A surge in antisemitism has accompanied the current Middle East war. Anti-Muslim sentiment has risen as New York appears poised to elect its first Muslim mayor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With words about Abraham, context is key During his speech to the Israeli Knesset on Monday, Trump emphasized the specifically Jewish tradition around the patriarch. He offered thanks to the "God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a central Jewish formulation. He was applauded when he said he preferred calling the diplomatic agreements the Avraham Accords, using the Hebrew pronunciation. At the same time, he has praised Arab and Muslim leaders whose countries engaged in the agreements, some of whom gathered at a summit in Egypt Monday. It may seem head-spinning that this is the same Trump who was first elected after responding to a 2015 terror attack by calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. His current administration has launched a crackdown on foreign students and others who have advocated for Palestinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But it's less perplexing if one pays attention to the last 4,000 years, when everyone has lived within the tension of the story of Abraham, Feiler said. The story of Abraham, his two sons and their two mothers is one of tensions, of inviting people in and pushing people out, Feiler said. It's a timeless story of relations and rivalries between family members, neighbors and others, he said. "We want it all for ourselves, but we keep being reminded that we can only live alongside the other. ___ 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. A view of the University of Toronto in Canada. Photo courtesy of the school Canada's immigration department is reviewing over 47,000 international students for possible visa violations, intensifying scrutiny on the country's fast-growing education system. Aiesha Zafar, assistant deputy minister for migration integrity at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration that 8% of international students reviewed were "potentially non-compliant," meaning they were not attending classes as required. "In terms of the total number of students we asked for compliance information from, that results in potentially 47,175. We have not yet determined whether they are fully non-compliant, these are initial results provided to us by institutions," Zafar said, adding that IRCC shares its data with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which investigates and removes visa violators, The Pie News reported. Determining whether students are truly non-compliant is complex, Zafar noted, as schools report attendance data at different times, and some students may legally change institutions, graduate or take authorized leave. Maria Mathai, founder of M.M Advisory Services, said portraying the 47,000 figure as a "crisis" misses the broader picture. "Front-end Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) screening now blocks thousands who would have entered before, and ongoing oversight is catching legacy issues. The 47,000 non-compliance cases are a backlog, evidence that fraud detection is strengthening, not weakening, Canadian standards," she said. Mathai added that the system is adjusting, noting that Ontario, home to the largest share of foreign students, previously sent most of its PALs to colleges with higher default rates. With new federal limits on study permits, she said, provinces are being pushed to "adapt entry practices based on evidence and learning." Canada's international student compliance regime, introduced in 2014, relies on twice-yearly reports from Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). New rules now allow the suspension of non-reporting schools for up to a year, part of a wider effort to curb visa abuse. The challenge is longstanding. Earlier this year, reports showed nearly 50,000 "no-shows," students who obtained study permits but never enrolled, with the largest share coming from India, followed by China, Nigeria and Ghana. Pranav Rathi, associate director of international recruitment at Fanshawe College, said stricter screening is already underway. "Each application is carefully reviewed, and checked for aggregate scores, backlogs, and authenticity of mark sheets," he said. "It is mandatory for a student to provide English language tests approved by IRCC and we also verify English proficiency through IELTS or equivalent test reports." He added that allowing students to switch institutions after receiving study permits had worsened the problem. "Institutions should ensure that their representatives are transparent, well-trained, and follow ethical recruitment practices that align with institutional and regulatory standards," Rathi said. The issue has drawn political attention in Ottawa as well. Conestoga College president John Tibbits, questioned in Parliament about high foreign student numbers and alleged strain on housing and public services, said colleges are committed to supporting local economies. "Looking ahead, we believe this is the time to stabilize the system to build an international student program that is sustainable, fair, globally competitive and focused on Canada's economic priorities," he told lawmakers, CTV News reported. "The summit aims to end the genocidal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, boost efforts toward lasting peace, and usher in a new era of regional security," according to Egyptian media. The Arab and Muslim world is optimistic about the Sharm El- Sheikh summit which is taking place in Egypt. This is because they see a US administration that is focused on peace, and they believe they can trust US President Donald Trump. They tend to like his style, which blends US strength with a transactional doctrine. What this means is that with Trump they believe what they see is what they will get. They know that Trump is serious about peace and also serious about boosting trade between the US and countries in the region. Many countries have already signaled they want to invest billions in US airplanes and defense products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Egypt stands to gain a lot as a US partner. It already purchases US military equipment and receives billions in US support as part of the Egypt-Israel peace deal decades ago. However, Egypt has been wary about the US in the past because it wondered about the US's commitment to Cairo. This was because it was suspicious of Barack Obama and his message for the region that appeared to unleash chaos more than 14 years ago. But things are now different, and Egypt feels it is getting the respect it deserves. This is why Egypts president spoke with Israels Prime Minister as Trump arrived in Israel. "They agreed on his attendance at the peace summit, which will also include Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian media said. This is important because Cairo has tried to enable Palestinian reconciliation over the years. US President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One en route to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, Israel, Oc (credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS) Egypt expects summit to bring peace Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Trump will co-host a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, bringing together more than 20 world leaders. The summit aims to end the genocidal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, boost efforts toward lasting peace, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability in the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Egypts Ahram Online noted that Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US President Donald Trump will co-host a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, bringing together more than 20 world leaders. The summit aims to end the genocidal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, boost efforts toward lasting peace, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability in the Middle East. It is clear that Egypt expects that the summit will bring peace. What are other countries in the region saying and what might they be expecting to come out of the meeting in Egypt and the new era of peace in the region? Arab News has an article about Saudi Arabia potentially having a role in Gaza. The statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, which welcomed the Gaza agreement and the beginning of the implementation of the first phase of US President Donald Trumps proposal, indicates that Riyadh is treating the ceasefire as a transition point to a new phase. This phase is expected to see a halt to the genocide committed by Israeli occupation forces over the past two years and open a path toward managing the Strip in the aftermath of a war that has left massive destruction and caused a famine that the occupation authorities used as a weapon and as collective punishment against the Palestinians, Saudi writer and researcher interested Hassan al-Mustafa writes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Al-Arabiya is also focused on the summit. It has a whole page of its website devoted to it. One article noted that French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed that France will have a very special role in governing the Gaza Strip in the future, alongside the Palestinian Authority. According to the report, Macron has said we will play a very special role alongside the Palestinian Authority, and we will ensure that it has its role, but also that it carries out the reforms (needed) for the day after." Trump receives another medal Another report stated that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi decided on Monday to award US President Donald Trump the Nile Medal in appreciation of his contributions to peace efforts and conflict resolution, most recently his role in halting the war in Gaza. What is the Nile Necklace, the highest Egyptian medal? According to the official website of the Egyptian Presidency, the Collar of the Nile is the highest and most prestigious Egyptian decoration, and it holds paramount importance. It is personally awarded by the President of the Republic, who grants its recipient a signed certificate. Upon their death, recipients of the necklace are granted military honor, Al-Arabiya noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While media in Saudi Arabia and also Egypt appear confident, reports in UAE media such as Al-Ain and The National appear to be focused elsewhere. But this may not be due to having less confidence in the summit. It may be due to the other news in the region such as Trumps arrival in Israel. However, it could also mean that locals are downplaying expectations. Turkish media reported that Trump has said the war in Gaza has ended. This is important for Ankara. It wants to play a role in Gaza. This could mean that it, alongside France, Saudi Arabia and others are rushing to get a piece of the action. Turkeys Anadolu also reported on Turkeys important role in bringing about the end of the war. It noted that Trump has called Turkeys role fantastic. This emphasizes Ankaras influence in the region, Anadolu said. Turkey was fantastic too. President Erdogan was fantastic. He really helped a lot, because he's very respected. He's got a very powerful nation. He's got a very, very powerful military. And he helped a lot, Trump told reporters while coming to Israel. Trump also thanked Qatar for its role, specifically Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who Trump has called an amazing man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Anadolu, Trump said of Qatars Emir that his country is right in the middle of everything, more so than any other country. As such, Turkey and Qatar will be focused on the meetings in Egypt. Qatar and Turkey have both been more supportive of Hamas in the past. Doha hosts Hamas leaders and Turkeys president has also met with them in the past. Meanwhile, Jordan and other countries have been praised by Trump for their role. According to Jordanian state media, King Abdullah II departed for Egypt on Monday to head the Jordanian delegation participating in the Sharm El Sheikh Summit for Peace. Petra News in Jordan noted that the summit is being co-chaired by Egypt President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and United States President Donald Trump, with the participation of other world leaders as part of collective efforts to end the war on Gaza and promote peace, stability, and security in the region. The Jordanian delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh. His Royal Highness Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein was sworn in as Regent, in the presence of Cabinet members. The joint summit push of Seven Summit Treks and Imagine Nepal on Dhaulagiri ended at Camp 1, when an avalanche hit some of the tents. No one was injured, but a climber from the Imagine Nepal team told ExplorersWeb that the slide buried most of the oxygen stored in the camp, along with gear from other teams Even getting to Camp 1 had been extremely slow for the Sherpas climbing ahead of the group, because so much fresh snow had fallen some days ago that it buried the ropes and forced the leaders to break trail again. David Klein and Marcy Nagy of Hungary had considered climbing roped up to each other if the fixed ropes were buried all the way. In the end, however, they cancelled their push when they learned that the slide had buried their gear in Camp 1. Makalu Over the weekend, Artem Tsentsevitsky and Denis Alekshenko climbed completely alone on Makalu, without supplementary oxygen, a broken trail, or fixed ropes. The climbers were out of touch, although Aleksenko had a tracker that allowed us to check his live location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two men struggled on Sunday, with very slow progress -- some 400m in six hours, according to Alpymon. Today, they passed the Makalu La -- the wide col between Makalu's main peak and Kangchungtse -- and continued up the ridge that led to the summit area. However, something apparently went wrong, as they retreated in the afternoon. Denis Aleksenko's tracker on Makalu shows that he had passed the Makalu La and started up the final ridge today, but retreated. Track by InReach on Google Maps According to the tracker, the highest point they reached was 7,687m, at around 1 pm Nepal time. By 4 pm, Aleksenko was descending fast and had reached 6,480m. His partner, Tsentsevitsky, does not have a tracker. We will wait for details when both have returned to Base Camp. The two Russian climbers had launched their summit push on Friday, despite running out of time and money to cover the cost of returning to Kathmandu. Their determination and austere, self-sufficient style are rare on the 8,000'ers these days. Cho Oyu summits IFMGA guide Chhiring Sherpa has completed his 14x8,000m list on Cho Oyu with a speed climb from Base Camp to the summit. Chhiring Sherpa shared summit news on Instagram today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chhiring has guided for several companies, mostly 8K Expeditions, where he climbed with American Chris Warner on 9 8,000m peaks. Recently, he' been working as the head of his own company, Expedition Base. The Madison Mountaineering team also reached the top today, in apparently good conditions. Both Adventure Consultants and the Seven Summit Treks team are also on the way to the summit and are currently at Camp 1. Ama Dablam ready A team of seven Sherpa rope fixers, assigned by Nepal's Association of Expedition Operators, made the first summits on Ama Dablam this autumn. Nuru Wangchu Sherpa led the rope fixers, as he has for the past four seasons, The Tourism Times reports. Today, a number of commercial climbers followed them to the top. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ama Dablam is one of the most popular peaks in Nepal and is mostly climbed between the second half of October and the beginning of winter. Climbers on their way to Camp 3 on Ama Dablam. Photo: 8K Expeditions Last fall, 494 climbers summited Ama Dablam, a success rate of 95.5%. It was the most summited mountain that season, even more than Manaslu, which had 313 summits in 2024. Seven more climbers climbed Ama Dablam in the early winter of 2024, and all of them topped out, according to The Himalayan Database. Boeing has announced plans for a family of new, tiltrotor drones that are intended to support existing crewed military helicopters, especially those of the U.S. Army, providing something like an equivalent to the U.S. Air Forces Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Indeed, the company describes the drones as collaborative rotorcraft and expects them to serve alongside more conventional helicopters undertaking attack, logistics, and other types of missions. Renderings were revealed today by Boeing at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) tradeshow. At least two rotary-wing drones are currently projected, both based on a tiltrotor design, drawing upon the companys experience with the proven V-22 Osprey. However, the modular concept means more mission versions of the drones will be possible. The first rendering of the new collaborative rotorcraft were released by Boeing at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) tradeshow. Boeing Boeing describes the drones as completely uninhabited, with no plans for them to be offered as optionally piloted platforms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In each case, the drone has a high wing and a V-tail. Each will be powered by a single turboshaft engine driving a pair of prop-rotors. Boeing chose this classic powerplant option as it considered it the most mature technology, making it easier to get the drones into service rapidly. As part of its evolution, however, other propulsion systems might well be offered in the future, Boeing says, including hybrid electric/gas turbine. Boeing has said that the drones will likely have a maximum gross weight in the region of 5,000 to 7000 pounds, including a payload in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 pounds, depending on range and specific mission load-out. Speaking to journalists ahead of AUSA, Chris Speights, chief engineer for Boeing Defenses Vertical Lift division, said the drones will have relevant range [and] relevant payloads [] to truly be collaborative, meaning they can keep up with a crewed helicopters mission profile. The drones will be in the Group 4 or 5 category. Of these, Group 4 encompasses drones weighing over 1,320 pounds, and operating at altitudes usually below 18,000 feet, while Group 5 covers the same weight category, but typically flying above 18,000 feet. An overview of Federal Aviation Administration drone categories. FAA The first of the drones to be described in detail is the CxR, or Collaborative Transformational Rotorcraft. Speights explained: The idea is that the CxR is a modular core that we can adapt for things like a loyal wingman, collaborative rotorcraft, that would partner with an aircraft like the Apache or even the Little Bird or whatever else you may have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CxR would be able to carry various types of effectors and other payloads, including launched effects (LE), which are smaller drones capable of being configured to strike, reconnoiter, and jam targets far from their launch platform. LEs are increasingly seen as being critical to the future survival of combat helicopters, especially when operating in higher-threat areas. One rendering shows the drone carrying a pair of tubes on stub wings on each side of the fuselage, likely signifying launched effects. Speights outlines Boeings vision of Apaches, collaborative rotorcraft, and launched effects all working together as layers of capabilities that we can apply to different situations. A close-up of this rendering of the CxR shows a pair of tubes on stub wings on each side of the fuselage, likely containing launched effects. Boeing Speights said the CxRs tiltrotor configuration is ideal for missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, or RSTA, where you need very good maneuverability, nap-of-the-earth [flying], hide behind hills, mountains and trees, and have the maneuverability to be able to perform that mission with the level of survivability thats really needed to be successful. That would enable it to fully support the types of attack, reconnaissance, and scout missions that the Apache performs, Speights added. It would be able to carry the payloads that are relevant for Apache-type missions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the CxR is currently primarily being pitched as a drone that can operate collaboratively with the Apache, Boeing expects that it will have the relevant speed, range, and endurance to complement the Armys forthcoming MV-75 tiltrotor assault transport as well. With this in mind, the company is targeting a speed in the range of 200 to 250 knots. A rendering depicting a flight of Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotors, now designated MV-75s. Bell At the same time, the CxR will be designed to be expeditionary, so that it can be rapidly deployed aboard fixed-wing C-130 Hercules transports. A logistics version of the new rotary-wing drone is also being proposed. This is the CLR (Collaborative Logistics Rotorcraft), which would be expected to augment the H-47 Chinook and other logistics platforms, especially in contested environments. A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook from B Co Big Windy, 1-214th General Support Aviation Battalion lifts a 173rd Airborne Brigade tactical vehicle during Exercise Saber Junction 20 at Grafenwohr Training Area, Germany, in 2020. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Robert Fellingham U.S. Army photo by Maj. Robert Fellingham The logistics version of the drone would make use of the CxRs common core, including the propulsion system, but we would simply replace the modular fuselage portion with something that can support the payload that would complement heavy- and medium-lift needs, Speights explained. When we think about the speed capability, we believe that being able to rapidly deploy the cargo is what adds value in this case. So well get distance, well get range, and speed. In a contested logistic environment, that can make all the difference if youre bringing critical munitions to the battle and not risking human life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boeing sees the new drones very much in the context of a broader family of systems approach, meaning they can work together with a range of platforms used by the U.S. Army and other forces around the world. In the case of the Apache, in particular, the attack helicopters ability to work with the planned collaborative rotorcraft will be aided considerably by the fact that being able to control drones is a core part of its existing capability set. The Manned-Unmanned Teaming-Extended (MUMT-X) initiative adds a new rotor mast extension and other hardware that allows Apache pilots to take direct control of the sensors and flight paths of multiple RQ-7B Shadow V2 and MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones, as well as the latters weapons. You can read more about the MUMT-X here. An AH-64E attack helicopter sits at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Alaska, with a MUMT-X mast attached. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Kyle Abraham, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade As it does now with MUMT-X, an AH-64E working with the CxR would mean the attack helicopter crews would be able to spot, evaluate, and kill targets from dozens of miles away, and do so even by controlling multiple drones at once. The system would presumably also facilitate the transfer of high-bandwidth live video feeds and other forms of data, from the collaborative rotorcraft to the Apaches and to other nodes elsewhere, supporting multiple data connections simultaneously. The latest AH-64E v6.5 version also features a modular open system architecture (MOSA) approach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speights said that the MOSA interface allows us to bring in either our own or third-party applications and integrate them rapidly within the Apache and work under the glass so it will be seamless, as far as the pilot is concerned. From a safety and a design perspective, weve really been able to isolate that into an adjunct processor that does not have an impact on core vehicle management, flight control, critical mission systems. Using the latest AH-64E v6.5, Boeing has already demonstrated integration of launched-effect management, not just on a one-to-one basis, but also using swarms of launched effects. Boeing concept artwork showing Modernized Apaches deploying launched effects in the form of small drones. Boeing The same kind of approach is planned to be leveraged for the Apaches collaborative rotorcraft loyal wingman. At this point, the drones are still in the conceptual design phase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In terms of U.S. Army involvement, Speights said that Boeing is currently sharing the concepts with the customer so that we can get feedback and tailoring to make sure that were homing in on the right problem statements and the right needs for the new collaborative rotorcraft. Should the Army, or another customer, decide to move forward, Boeing would expect to rely heavily on its Phantom Works team to achieve a very rapid development cycle, although no precise timeline has been given so far. Kathleen KJ Jolivette, vice president and general manager of Boeing Defenses Vertical Lift division, said that the company wants to be aligned with the Army as they want to rapidly field capabilities. She also said that she expects the service to have a requirement for many thousands of collaborative rotorcraft, which means the Armys going to need more than one company building this type of capability. The Armys need for collaborative rotorcraft may also become more urgent based on its ongoing rotary-fleet rationalization effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The service plans to shelve a reengining effort for its UH-60 Black Hawks and retire the MQ-1 Gray Eagle drone entirely. The CLR would provide a means of adding logistics capacity to support the UH-60s, while the CxR would appear to be a potential Gray Eagle successor in the RSTA role. U.S. Army soldiers inspect a UH-60 Black Hawk during a joint K-9 helicopter training mission at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, in 2021. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Derry Staff Sgt. Jacob Derry At the same time, the Armys Apache fleet is being realigned, with all AH-64Ds planned for retirement. As part of this process, more capable AH-64Es are being shifted to the National Guard. This means the Armys active-duty AH-64E numbers will drop from 408 to 240 between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026. Here, again, the CxR, or similar collaborative rotorcraft, could provide a means of addressing the deficit. Outside of the U.S. Army, Boeing still sees strong interest for the AH-64E, with deliveries to three new customers having begun this year alone: Australia, Morocco, and the Indian Army. Meanwhile, Poland is gearing up to become the largest international operator of the Apache, with 96 examples on order. The first flight of an Australian Army AH-64E Apache in Mesa, Arizona, on August 17, 2025. Boeing The good, solid demand that Boeing Defenses Mark Ballew, senior director, business development and strategy, Vertical Lift, sees for the Apache on the international marketplace could, in the future, translate to demand for collaborative rotorcraft, too, as a cost-effective way of boosting capabilities, especially in more contested areas of operation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More broadly, the collaborative rotorcraft concept could help answer some of the questions surrounding the survivability of crewed combat helicopters on future battlefields. Fueled by lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine, there have been claims that the attack helicopter is irrelevant. While that is arguably overstated, it remains true that armies will need to more closely look at the return on investment for rotary attack, with survivability and employability under real scrutiny. A lower-cost collaborative rotorcraft could be one part of the solution to that emerging challenge. Meanwhile, other concerns around crewed attack helicopters focus on their questionable utility in a very long-range fight in the Pacific. Here, too, rapidly deployable collaborative rotorcraft could play an important role, especially when it comes to operations from remote locales with strictly limited infrastructure and support footprint. A Russian Aerospace Forces Mi-28N Havoc attack helicopter that was downed near Kharkiv, Ukraine, in May 2022. @UAWeapons A Mi-28N from the Pushkin-based 332nd Independent Helicopter Regiment was downed near Kharkiv, Ukraine, in May 2022. @UAWeapons Highly autonomous tactical rotary-wing wing drones are also becoming an area of fast-growing interest, reflected by Boeings pitching of the new Collaborative Logistics Rotorcraft. Already, entrants in this field include Sikorskys Nomad family, all using a common tail-sitting design powered by twin proprotors. Rather than being tiltrotors, these employ Sikorskys rotor blown wing configuration, and the family includes increasingly large aircraft, all the way up to a size broadly equivalent to the Black Hawk. Then there is Bells V-247 Vigilant, a tiltrotor design that has been offered to the U.S. Navy for its Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) development effort. Bells Vigilant While Boeing sees crewed helicopters as being central to its rotary-wing offerings and to U.S. Army capabilities, long into the future, the companys announcement of its collaborative rotorcraft today indicates that it increasingly sees these helicopters being supported, in a range of missions, by their own loyal wingmen. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com A bus has crashed in a mountainous region in the north of South Africa, killing at least 42 people. The vehicle veered off a steep mountain road on the N1 highway near the town of Makhado in Limpopo province on Sunday evening, before tumbling down an embankment and landing upside down. The vehicle was travelling from Gqeberha in South Africas Eastern Cape province to Zimbabwe and Malawi. Emergency crews worked through the night to pull victims from the wreckage and transport survivors to nearby hospitals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 30 injured passengers received medical treatment. Authorities said some people may still be trapped inside the overturned bus. According to public broadcaster SABC, the dead included 18 women, 17 men and seven children. A 10-month-old baby was among the victims, Violet Mathy, a transport official for the Limpopo province, told Newzroom Afrika. The road, a major highway connecting South Africa to Zimbabwe, remained closed in both directions on Monday as rescue operations continued. Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba visited the crash site before meeting survivors in hospital. Losing so many lives in one incident is painful beyond words, she said, offering condolences to families in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities are investigating what caused the driver to lose control, with initial assessments pointing to possible fatigue or mechanical failure as potential factors. The provincial government is providing counselling support to survivors while working with diplomatic missions from Zimbabwe and Malawi to assist bereaved families. South Africas roads are among the most dangerous in the world, with thousands of people dying in crashes each year. Long-distance buses carrying migrant workers between countries in Southern Africa are frequently involved in serious accidents on the regions highways. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, convicted of conspiring to accept illicit funding from Libya for his 2007 election campaign, appears in court on Monday to find out when he must begin serving a five-year prison sentence. It is the first time in modern France's history that a former head of state will be sent behind bars. Sarkozy, 70, was found guilty on 25 September of criminal conspiracy over a scheme to find funding from Libya's then leader Moamer Kadhafi for the presidential campaign that ultimately brought him to power. Although he plans to appeal the verdict, a special court order means that he must start serving his sentence even before the case is retried. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sarkozy, who was President of France between 2007 and 2012, could therefore be incarcerated as soon as this week. France's Sarkozy ordered to serve prison time in historic first Isolation wing At Monday's hearing, the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) will inform the former president both when he has to register as an inmate and which prison will hold him. Due to Sarkozy's profile he is expected to end up in an isolation wing, most likely at at La Sante prison in southern Paris, which has a section reserved for public figures. He will remain in detention while awaiting his appeal trial, which is set to begin within months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sarkozy told reporters after the guilty verdict: "I will assume my responsibilities, I will comply with court summonses, and if they absolutely want me to sleep in prison, I will sleep in prison but with my head held high". A few weeks' grace Sarkozy also railed against what he called a politically motivated judgment. Jean-Francois Bohnert, head of PNF, rejected the charge. Bohnert told French broadcaster RTL: "We have no hatred to express. Our compass is the law the rule of law". Peimane Ghaleh-Marzban, president of the Paris judicial court, told France Inter radio that the decision to delay Sarkozys incarceration by a few weeks to get his affairs in order sparing him handcuffs in the courtroom showed the court had, if anything, exercised discretion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Many ordinary defendants go straight to prison even while appealing," he noted. Macron slams 'unacceptable' threats to judge after Sarkozy court ruling Multiple convictions The Paris court ruled that as minister and president of the UMP, a centre-right party, Sarkozy had allowed his close associates and supporters to approach the Libyan authorities to seek funding his 2007 campaign. In exchange, prosecutors argued, Sarkozy helped ease Kadhafi back onto the international stage. Sarkozy was cleared of benefitting from illicit funds. His campaign director and interior minister were also convicted of involvement in the scheme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to the Libya case, Sarkozy had been convicted in two separate trials, but had so far avoided prison. In 2021 he became the first French president since World War II to be sentenced to jail when he received a one-year term for corruption. He served it at home with an electronic tag before being granted conditional release. He was later convicted in the so-called Bygmalion affair over excessive spending during his failed 2012 re-election campaign. An appeals court last year upheld the ruling but reduced his sentence to six months in prison and six months suspended. Sarkozy is still contesting that decision. (with newswires) A Connecticut man who advertised limousine services on Facebook is facing criminal charges after police say he repeatedly took money from customers for rides that were never provided. Mitchell Thomas Kloter, 25, of Coventry, was charged with fifth-degree larceny, fifth-degree telephone fraud and illegal operation of a motor vehicle in livery service Tuesday, following Portland and East Lyme police investigations into his alleged scheme, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charges stem from separate complaints filed this summer by people who said Kloter failed to refund them for airport transportation they paid for but never used. The first complaint was filed by a Portland woman on July 18, who claimed to have been "scammed/defrauded by a limousine service company" that was being advertised on Facebook, according to a warrant for Kloter's arrest. She identified the company as Eastern Rentals & Transportation and Kloter as the owner, the warrant says. The woman told police she paid Kloter $625 in April to provide transportation to an airport in New York on June 31, and back to Portland on July 18, but wound up canceling the service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based on the invoice she received from Kloter - which said rides canceled within 72 hours of the pick-up time would be fully refunded within 24 hours of cancellation - the woman said she was due a refund, but had not received one. The complainant told police she had been in contact with Kloter since her cancellation and he told her he would pay her, but kept making excuses and stringing her along. The warrant for Kloter's arrest says the woman decided to contact police after doing some online research and finding "numerous other customers with similar complaints" about Kloter and his business. Police said they contacted Kloter and he told them he intended to refund the woman's money, but claimed to be having issues with Venmo and "provided various other excuses." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The warrant for Kloter's arrest says police recommended that he resolve the matter with the complainant without police involvement. They also told him that the complainant had been instructed to inform police if the matter didn't get resolved, the warrant says. By early August, police said Kloter still hadn't issued the refund and the complainant told them she wanted to pursue criminal charges. When police called Kloter on Aug. 20, the warrant for his arrest says, he told them he would try to pay the complainant in the next several days. When police reached back out to him on Aug. 25, the warrant says Kloter told them he texted the complainant and got no response. He was advised to rectify the issue and refund the complainant prior to the completion of Portland police's criminal investigation into the matter, but apparently never did and a warrant for his arrest was obtained in early September. East Lyme complainant had been 'intentionally scammed' Days after the Portland woman filed her complaint, court documents show police in East Lyme launched their own investigation after receiving a fraudulent activity complaint about Kloter in their town on July 26. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The warrant for Kloter's arrest in that case says a man and woman told police they saw Kloter's limo service advertised on Facebook in June and paid him $825 for a ride from New London to New York on July 8. The morning they were supposed to be picked up, the warrant says the complainants received a call from Kloter who told them he did not have a driver available. He then called back minutes later and said a driver was en route to get them, according to the warrant. At 4:24 a.m. July 8, the warrant says Kloter informed the complainants that the driver was running late. After getting his phone number from Kloter, the warrant says the complainants contacted the driver and he told them he wouldn't be able to pick them up until 5:15 a.m. The warrant says the complainants couldn't wait that long, so they cancelled the service and requested a refund. They told police Kloter never refunded the $825 and had been unresponsive since the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complainants told police they realized they had been "intentionally scammed" after searching online and finding Kloter's name "associated with multiple alleged similar scams," according to the warrant. East Lyme police said Kloter's DMV records showed he had a valid Connecticut driver's license but lacked a livery endorsement required for providing limousine or ride services. The warrant says they also found a Facebook post from someone who said Kloter did not refund money they sent him for a ride service that was never provided, and seven individuals commented on the post saying they were scammed as well. A law enforcement database search also revealed a Bridgeport police complaint filed by an individual who said they were subcontracted by Kloter to pick up a passenger and never compensated, according to the warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It became evident to East Lyme police that Kloter had "repeatedly victimized individuals who sought rides through his advertised business," according to the warrant for his arrest, which says he acted as a broker or manager, securing customers and subcontracting drivers to complete rides, but often failed to uphold his agreements. "Due to the repetitiveness of the lack of fulfilled business arrangements," the warrant says East Lyme police believed Kloter's actions were criminal in nature and constituted "a scam or ruse." When they contacted him on Aug. 13, the warrant says Kloter denied scamming people and claimed to have discussed a cancellation policy with all of his customers. Kloter also told police he had not driven people for months "due to the stress of being called a scammer and was only outsourcing drivers to pick his clients up," according to the warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said Kloter told them he'd contact the complainants to negotiate a refund - but when they followed up with the complainants 18 days later, the warrant says police were told Kloter had not attempted to contact them. Court records show Kloter was arrested on the East Lyme and Portland police warrants last Tuesday and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 28. This article originally published at CT man who advertised limo service on Facebook accused of scamming customers, warrant says. Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Locals said a drone and artillery attack on a refugee shelter by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in el-Fasher, Sudan, late Friday killed at least 60. Local activists said the RSF struck the Dar al-Arqam refugee camp with two drone attacks and eight artillery shells, which the RSF has denied, the BBC reported. "Children, women and the elderly were killed in cold blood, and many were completely burned," members of an el-Fasher resistance committee said in a prepared statement on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strikes killed at least 14 children and 15 women in the besieged city that is located in North Darfur in western Sudan. Another 21 people, including five children, also were injured, according to the Sudan Doctors' Network. The SDN called the attack a "massacre" and blamed the RSF, despite the paramilitary unit's denial. The attack struck the al Arqam Home that shelters displaced families in el-Fasher, Sky News reported. The city has been under siege from paramilitary forces and caught in the middle of fighting between Sudan's military forces and paramilitaries operating in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The RSF is among those paramilitaries and is trying to establish a separatist government in the North Dafur region. El-Fasher is the last stronghold held by Sudan's army in the Darfur area and has been surrounded by the RSF for 17 months. The RSF controls most of the Darfur region and much of the Kordofan province in central Sudan. The vote on Israels participation was proposed because several countries that take part in Eurovision, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Iceland. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced Monday that its changing its tune when it comes to the planned vote of its general assembly about kicking Israel out of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 the vote has been cancelled. The vote on Israels participation was proposed because several countries that take part in Eurovision, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Iceland. These had threatened to boycott the competition if Israel were allowed to compete because of the war in Gaza. Spain one of the 'big five' Spains decision was especially significant because it is one of Eurovisions big five sponsors; the others are France, Italy, Germany, and the UK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vote had been planned for December but was moved up recently to November. Eurovision is set to take place in Vienna in 2026, but several Austrian officials said last week that if Israel was booted from the contest, they would not host the glitzy musical extravaganza, a decision that could have cost Austria 40 million Euros in penalties. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said recently that Germany should bow out if Israel is excluded and called the discussion of Israels participation a scandal. Yuval Raphael, representing Israel, performs ''New Day Will Rise'', during the Grand Final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, May 17, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/DENIS BALIBOUSE) The decision to cancel the vote following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas may have put the issue to rest, at least as far as the EBU, the body that sponsors Eurovision, is concerned. Ynet reported, In recent weeks, Israeli officials have worked behind the scenes with European countries and directly with the EBU to block Israels removal. President Isaac Herzog established a special team at the Presidents Residence and within the public broadcaster, led by CEO Golan Yochpaz and attorney Ayala Mizrahi. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seems that these diplomatic efforts have been successful. Since the Hamas attack and the outbreak of the war, European broadcasters and performers have been calling for Israel not to be allowed to take part. These calls intensified since, despite protests, threats, and boos, Israels past two contestants have done extremely well at Eurovision. Eden Golan, in 2024, came in fifth overall and second in the audience voting, and Yuval Raphael, in 2025, came in second overall and first in the audience voting. Israel has won Eurovision four times since it began participating in 1973. Estonia has taken the unusual step of temporarily closing a road vital for its citizens, which ordinarily passes through a segment of Russian territory. The decision came after the interior minister reported the presence of Russian soldiers on the route, according to Estonia's public broadcaster. The closure, implemented on Friday, was confirmed by Estonias Police and Border Guard Board. In a statement, the board explained that the action was taken "after border guards observed a larger-than-usual unit moving on the territory of the Russian Federation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This measure affects the Saatse Boot, a distinctive boot-shaped area of Russian land that extends into southeastern Estonia. Typically, Estonian citizens and others are permitted to drive through this area without a permit, though stopping is strictly prohibited. The Estonian border agency stated that the closure of the Saatse Boot was "necessary to ensure the safety of people in Estonia and to prevent possible incidents." This measure affects the Saatse Boot, a distinctive boot-shaped area of Russian land that extends into southeastern Estonia (Associated Press) Estonian media reports indicated the Russian unit comprised approximately 10 men. While Russian border patrols are a regular sight in the vicinity, their reported presence standing directly in the middle of the road used by Estonians is considered highly out of the ordinary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Interior Minister Igor Taro was quoted as saying Saturday that the Russian soldiers had left the area again. He added that the situation was calm but that the road would remain closed at least until Tuesday. There is no direct threat of war. This has been constantly confirmed by the Estonian Defense Forces. The Saatse Boot incident has not changed the situation," he was quoted as saying by the daily newspaper Postimees, according to the public broadcaster EER. While Russian border patrols are a regular sight in the vicinity, their reported presence standing directly in the middle of the road used by Estonians is considered highly out of the ordinary (Associated Press) Estonia has been on alert for Russian border incursions after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission last month and stayed there for 12 minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A week earlier, Russian drones violated Polands airspace in the most serious cross-border incident involving a NATO member since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Other NATO countries on the bloc's eastern flank have reported similar incursions and drone crashes on their territory. Two Paths to Memory Safety: CHERI and OMA in the Fight Against Cyber Threats The last year has been brutal for businesses globally. Taking examples from my home country, the UK, the cost is over 1B and still rising, as well as the loss of at least one life due to cybercrime. These arent isolated incidents - theyre symptoms of a systemic vulnerability in how we build computer systems. According to the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, credential abuse and exploitation of vulnerabilities continue to dominate as attack vectors, accounting for 22% and 20% of breaches respectively. The exploitation of vulnerabilities saw a 34% surge year-over-year, creating what Verizon describes as a concerning threat landscape. Were yet to learn the root causes and attack chains involved in each of the examples above, but many involved ransomware, which frequently uses software exploits as a post-initial-access vector to gain control of target systems and spread across a network. Heres the kicker: approximately 70% of all software vulnerabilities stem from a single root cause - memory safety issues. This isnt a new problem. Google, Microsoft, Apple, Mozilla and the Linux Foundation have all reported similar figures for their software over the last two decades. The uncomfortable truth is that current CPUs are fundamentally incapable of preventing these vulnerabilities, and traditional software patches have proven woefully inadequate. Rewriting all the worlds software into memory safe languages, such as C#, Java and Rust, is unviable. While new projects may be adopting Rust over C/C++, and some critical components are being rewritten into safe languages, the scale and depth of the C and C++ ecosystems makes it practically impossible to rewrite all the worlds unsafe software. The risk of introducing other (non-memory-safety) issues during a software rewrite also poses a substantial barrier. Given sufficient software compatibility, it is actually easier to swap the hardware! Two architectural approaches have emerged to tackle this trillion-dollar problem at the hardware level: CHERI : Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions - pioneered at University of Cambridge (UK), and : Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions - pioneered at University of Cambridge (UK), and OMA: Object Memory Architecture - pioneered at University of Bristol (UK) and now being commercialised by Doubtless Computing. Both aim to make memory-unsafe systems safe-by-design but they take different paths to get there. Understanding these differences matters because the choice between them will shape the security and performance characteristics of computing for decades to come. The Memory Safety Crisis Before diving into solutions, its worth understanding what were solving. When software runs, it constantly allocates and deallocates memory - think of it like booking rooms in a hotel. Memory safety vulnerabilities arise when this process goes wrong. If you stay in the same hotel twice, you shouldnt be able to access your old room even if you remember the number (use-after-free/ use-after-reallocate). Similarly, you shouldnt be able to enter a neighbouring room (buffer overflow), or use a room without booking one in the first place (invalid pointer dereference). Software has these same problems with memory allocations (room bookings). These bugs become catastrophic vulnerabilities when attackers exploit them to read sensitive data they shouldnt access, manipulate critical system variables, or inject malicious code. The underlying architecture of todays processors - paging-based virtual memory - lacks the granularity needed to enforce security within a single application or process. Memory safety breaks down into three categories: Referential safety ensures pointers genuinely reference allocated memory and cant be forged. Think of it as ensuring software has a valid booking for a room, ensuring accesses to memory are authorized, and that bookings cant be faked. ensures pointers genuinely reference allocated memory and cant be forged. Think of it as ensuring software has a valid booking for a room, ensuring accesses to memory are authorized, and that bookings cant be faked. Spatial safety prevents accessing memory outside allocated bounds - no going into neighbouring rooms. prevents accessing memory outside allocated bounds - no going into neighbouring rooms. Temporal safety addresses what happens over time, ensuring memory cant be accessed after its been freed and reallocated. In our hotel analogy, a second stay at the hotel shouldnt allow you to access your previous room, even if you remember the room number. Traditional architectures like x86, Arm, and RISC-V rely on coarse-grained page-level protection (typically 4KB or larger pages), which is far too blunt an instrument for modern security needs. CHERI: Capabilities Meet Legacy Systems CHERI, developed over more than a decade by the University of Cambridge and SRI International, extends conventional instruction set architectures with hardware-enforced capabilities. A CHERI capability is a form of fat pointer - it contains not just a memory address but also bounds information, permissions, and validity metadata. Every memory access gets checked against these constraints in hardware, catching violations before they can be exploited. The architecture provides strong referential and spatial safety guarantees. When you have a CHERI capability, you provably have legitimate access to a specific bounded region of memory, and the hardware wont let you stray outside those bounds. CHERI achieves this while maintaining compatibility with existing paged memory architectures, which is both its greatest strength and a source of limitations. Heres where it gets interesting: CHERIs capabilities are large. On a 64-bit system, a CHERI pointer requires 129 bits (including the hidden tag bit) - essentially double the data width of the base architecture. This decision to encode all protection metadata within the pointer itself has profound implications. Every data structure that stores pointers effectively doubles in memory consumption for those fields. Capabilities in memory (stack/heap) must be aligned to natural 128-bit boundaries. Cache lines, which are precious and limited, now hold fewer actual pointers. Memory bandwidth requirements increase because for each pointer youre moving twice as much data around. CHERI provides hardware-enforced referential and spatial safety but leaves temporal safety to software. You can achieve temporal memory safety with CHERI, but it requires modifying your memory allocator and implementing pointer revocation mechanisms - essentially software to scan memory to find and invalidate stale pointers. This software-based approach to temporal safety remains part of the trusted computing base and requires careful verification. Its also closely related to software garbage collection. Research has explored various temporal safety mechanisms for CHERI, but they all involve non-trivial software complexity and performance overhead. In theory, hardware acceleration may be possible but is likely to always require software involvement. This is because a CHERI capability covers a range of memory, which may include more than one object. Software allocation and object type information is required to differentiate objects and thus revoke capabilities appropriately. The software ecosystem for CHERI has made impressive progress. Most code recompiles with minimal changes, though the capability width difference can require significant rewrites for certain applications. Additionally, it causes a division in the ISA where load/stores of capabilities must be handled separately from ordinary data. This leads to some complexity in the compiler to detect edge cases where the compiler does not know for certain whether a register or memory slot contains a capability or not. C/C++ code which abuses pointers by treating them as integers, which is uncommon but frequent enough to cause a headache, requires some effort to address. Arms Morello project, which implemented CHERI on a modified Neoverse N1 core, revealed performance challenges that have pushed commercial CHERI efforts toward smaller embedded processors for the time being. Notably, Arm declined to join the CHERI Alliance, instead indicating they will take a step back from new work on Morello and wait to see if CHERI gains the long-sought commercial traction. OMA: Rethinking Memory From the Ground Up Doubtless Computings Object Memory Architecture takes a fundamentally different approach. Rather than extending paged memory, OMA implements object-based memory management directly in hardware. Every allocation becomes a first-class hardware object with its own identity, bounds, and metadata maintained by the processor itself. This architectural choice enables several key advantages. OMA pointers are leaner - 65 bits on a 64-bit architecture, including the hidden tag bit. Rather than carrying all metadata with every pointer, OMA stores object information centrally in hardware-managed directories. This reduces memory bandwidth requirements and means that multiple pointers to the same object dont duplicate metadata. The hardware maintains a complete understanding of object relationships and lifecycles, enabling optimizations that software-only approaches cant match. A critical differentiator is temporal safety. OMA implements garbage collection in hardware, scanning for and reclaiming unreachable objects in real-time as part of the processors normal operation. This isnt the same as software garbage collection - its parallel, highly optimized, and doesnt block program execution. By managing object lifecycles in hardware, OMA provides hardware-guaranteed temporal safety alongside referential and spatial protections, completing the trinity of memory safety properties. It would be tempting to say that memory safety is solved by using a managed language like Java, JavaScript, Swift or Python. Unfortunately, this doesnt hold up in practice. Managed language runtimes, as well as many supporting libraries, are written in C/C++ and suffer memory safety issues just as much as any other C/C++ code. The operating systems and hypervisors are also exposed to these languages, offering yet another attack surface. This leaves managed language apps vulnerable. Memory safe languages, including both Rust and managed languages, are a distinct improvement over traditional C and C++, but only hardware can provide the safety guarantees we need in todays systems. For managed languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, C# and Go, the OMA architecture delivers dramatic performance improvements. Doubtless Computings analysis of CPython 3.12 reveals that 32-44% of instructions are spent on memory management operations - allocation, deallocation, reference counting, and garbage collection. Moving these operations into parallel hardware execution, along with microarchitectural optimisations derived from hardwares new understanding of the structure of data in memory, yields 2-5x speedups for managed language applications. Even C/C++ applications see 1.2-2x improvements as the hardware optimizes memory management functions and eliminates per-object metadata from cache. The architecture maintains full source code compatibility for managed languages - all changes are confined to the runtime. For C/C++, the story is much the same as with CHERI: recompilation with modified standard libraries and a modified compiler, such as LLVM or GCC. Maintaining the pointer width the same as the data width, and the same alignment requirements, avoids the ISA-level split for handling pointers, which simplifies the compiler and improves compatibility with legacy C/C++ code. This compatibility approach differs from CHERIs and aligns with OMAs target market: server-class and application processors, where managed languages dominate. Fundamental Trade-offs: Where the Architectures Diverge The philosophical differences between CHERI and OMA create distinct trade-off profiles. CHERI carries all metadata with pointers, enabling incremental adoption where different parts of a program can use capabilities independently. OMAs centralized metadata requires the hardware to maintain a consistent view of all objects but enables more aggressive optimization. CHERI works within the existing paged memory model, simplifying system software migration. OMA introduces a new memory model that requires deeper changes but delivers performance gains that paged architectures cant match. These differences manifest in pointer width - CHERIs 129-bit capabilities versus OMAs 65-bit pointers. While both exceed the base address width, the doubling effect in CHERI has more severe implications for data structure layouts, cache efficiency, and memory bandwidth. Research on CHERI implementations has shown there is a long road ahead to achieve performance parity for managed languages. In the meantime, OMA offers a shorter path with substantial speedups rather than equal performance. Temporal safety represents perhaps the most significant divergence in security. CHERIs software-based pointer revocation requires explicit memory scanning and manipulation, adding complexity to the trusted computing base and verification burden. OMAs hardware garbage collection happens transparently and continuously, providing stronger guarantees with less software complexity. This matters enormously for total cost of ownership - every line of security-critical software that doesnt need to be written, verified, and maintained is a win. The instruction set philosophies differ too. CHERI historically opts for ISA changes beyond pure memory safety to achieve its security goals, which can complicate adoption. OMA has historically prioritized backward compatibility, though this is adaptable based on market requirements. The consensus in the industry is that software compatibility presents the primary barrier to new processor designs, which favours architectures that minimize disruption. Industrial Relevance and Market Fit CHERI and OMA target fundamentally different computing environments, which is why calling them competitors misses the point. Theyre complementary solutions to a shared problem, each optimized for distinct use cases. CHERI finds its natural home in embedded systems and microcontrollers. These environments predominantly use C, C++, or Rust with restricted or no dynamic memory allocation. The code bases are smaller and more amenable to the verification required to ensure CHERI capabilities are used correctly. The memory overhead from wider pointers, while still present, matters less in resource-constrained designs that carefully manage every allocation. Four companies - SCI Semiconductor, Codasip, lowRISC, and Secqai - are actively commercializing CHERI for embedded applications. SCIs ICENI family of CHERIoT microcontrollers, built on Microsofts open-source CHERIoT-Ibex core, targets the IoT and operational technology markets. Codasip offers CHERI-enabled RISC-V IP cores for custom processor designs. lowRISCs Sonata platform provides an open-source FPGA-based development environment for CHERIoT research and prototyping. Arms experience with CHERI tells an important story about scaling limitations. The Morello project, which implemented CHERI on a modified Neoverse N1 server-class core, yielded results that Arm appears to have found unsatisfactory. There has been no apparent follow-up on the substantial initial investment made into the Arm Morello designs. This assessment seems to reflect the performance challenges that CHERI faces in larger systems. OMAs sweet spot sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. Application-class and server-class processors running managed languages benefit enormously from hardware-accelerated memory management. Python, Java, JavaScript, C#, and Go all share similar memory models that align naturally with OMAs object-based approach. These environments already use garbage collection extensively, so moving that functionality into hardware removes overhead, rather than adding it as it would in embedded systems. The performance gains - up to 5x for managed languages - become transformational for data centre workloads where every percentage point of efficiency translates to millions in operating costs. The market dynamics favour different adoption paths. CHERI benefits from strong government backing, particularly from the now-ended UKs Digital Security by Design programme and recognition from the US White House and NSA. This institutional support hopes to accelerate adoption in defence and critical infrastructure applications. CHERIs open-source foundation through the CHERI Alliance creates a broad ecosystem but limits opportunities for proprietary differentiation. OMAs proprietary nature and performance advantages position it for commercial data centre deployment. The technology directly addresses the performance problems that hindered CHERI at scale. While OMA lacks CHERIs first-mover advantage and government momentum, it offers compelling value for cloud providers and enterprises running managed language workloads. The economic argument is straightforward: if you can eliminate 70% of vulnerabilities while quintupling performance for your Python services, the return on investment is measured in weeks from deployment, rather than years. OMAs proprietary technology makes it attractive for investment as it can be patented. However, CHERIs openness makes it possible for independent security teams to verify the safety of the architecture. Open implementations of CHERI processors also enables those designs to be independently verified. Doubtless Computing will need to make its ISA public, which is inevitable anyway for a new CPU as customers will require it. Doubtless will also need to offer a public platform for independent researchers to build confidence in the security claims. The CHERI Ecosystem: Whos Building What The CHERI Alliance, formally launched in 2024, coordinates standardization and adoption efforts across industry and academia. Founding members include the FreeBSD Foundation, Capabilities Limited, SCI Semiconductor, Codasip, lowRISC, and the University of Cambridge. Googles participation as a founding member signals serious industry interest, though notably Arm is not a member. SCI Semiconductor, based in Cambridge, leads commercialization of Microsofts open-source CHERIoT Ibex implementation for embedded systems. Their ICENI family of processors targets microcontroller applications in automotive, industrial control, defence, and aerospace. The company has secured strategic distribution through EPS Global, which specializes in automotive tier-one suppliers and contract manufacturers. SCIs early access program, in collaboration with lowRISC, allows select partners to begin development on lowRISCs FPGA-based Sonata platform with guaranteed migration paths to production silicon. Codasip, a RISC-V processor IP vendor, offers the X730 - a CHERI-enabled 64-bit application-class core based on their A730 design. Their Custom Compute methodology allows customers to license CHERI-enhanced cores or customize them further using Codasip Studio. The company has donated a CHERI SDK built on open-source tools to the CHERI Alliance, making it freely available for anyone implementing CHERI on RISC-V. Codasip is also developing Linux kernel support for RISC-V CHERI, which will be crucial for broader adoption. lowRISC, a not-for-profit organization spun out of Cambridge University, maintains the Sonata evaluation platform and leads the UK-government-funded Sunburst Project. Sonata provides a complete FPGA-based development environment for CHERIoT, enabling software development and hardware experimentation before silicon is available. The Sunburst Projects recent expansion to include SCI Semiconductor aims to validate CHERIoT designs through commercial tapeout on GlobalFoundries 22nm process, with all project deliverables remaining open-source. zeroRISC is a startup and partner in the OpenTitan project administered by lowRISC. Their goal is to commercialise the OpenTitan silicon IP through their Integrity Management Platform. Microsofts role deserves special mention. Microsoft Research developed CHERIoT-Ibex, an open-source RISC-V core optimized for embedded systems. Theyve made this core freely available and co-maintain the CHERIoT Platform repository with SCI Semiconductor. David Weston, Microsofts VP of Enterprise and OS Security, has publicly endorsed SCIs commercialization efforts, stating that CHERI represents a promising technology that can be used to enhance computer security. This corporate backing from a major software vendor adds credibility to the embedded CHERI ecosystem. The UK governments support through the now-ended Digital Security by Design programme and UKRI funding has been instrumental in advancing CHERI. The programme provided ~190 million in research funding over five years and continues to support development through initiatives like Sunburst. This institutional backing, combined with endorsements from the US White House and NSA, positions CHERI advantageously for government and defence procurements. Conclusions CHERI and OMA represent two responses to the memory safety crisis, each with distinct strengths that make them suited to different computing environments. The notion that one must win while the other loses misunderstands the landscape - the computing world is large enough, and varied enough, that multiple approaches can and should coexist. Cybersecurity principles also demand diversity of solutions. CHERIs compatibility with existing paged memory architectures and incremental deployment model make it an excellent fit for embedded systems where code bases are manageable, languages are predominantly C/C++/Rust, and the verification burden is acceptable. The active CHERI ecosystem, backed by government support and open-source collaboration, has created momentum that shouldnt be underestimated. For IoT devices, industrial control systems, and safety-critical embedded applications, CHERI offers a practical path to hardware-enforced memory safety that companies can adopt today. OMAs object-based architecture and integrated hardware garbage collection (IHGC) deliver transformational performance for managed language workloads. By tackling temporal safety in hardware alongside referential and spatial protections, OMA provides more complete memory safety with less software complexity. The performance gains - up to 5x for Python, Java, JavaScript, C#, and Go - directly address the scalability problems that have limited CHERI in larger systems. For data centres, cloud infrastructure, and application servers where managed languages dominate, OMA presents compelling advantages. Both architectures eliminate memory safety vulnerabilities. The formal guarantees that CHERI can provide are a subset of what OMA delivers, since OMA includes hardware-enforced temporal safety. However, CHERIs earlier start and ecosystem momentum matter significantly in technology adoption. The question isnt which architecture is better in absolute terms but rather which is more appropriate for specific use cases and deployment contexts. Looking ahead, memory safety will increasingly become a non-negotiable requirement. The UK National Cyber Security Centre, US White House, and NSA have all called for fundamental changes in how we build secure systems. The attacks on Marks & Spencer, Co-op, Jaguar Land Rover, the NHS, Transport for London, and many others, demonstrate that our current approach isnt working. Software-only solutions like Rust, while valuable, face adoption barriers that make them insufficient on their own. Hardware-based memory safety, whether through CHERI, OMA, or future approaches we havent yet invented, represents the most practical path to eliminating this class of vulnerability at scale. The semiconductor industry moves slowly, with design cycles measured in years and deployment timelines measured in decades. Todays architectural decisions will shape computing security through 2040 and beyond. The good news is that we now have proven approaches to memory safety that work in real hardware. CHERI has demonstrated its viability in embedded systems. OMA has shown it can deliver both security and performance for managed languages with a hardware prototype on AWS Cloud FPGAs supporting CPython 3.12 and Jupyter Notebooks. The challenge now isnt technical feasibility - its economic deployment and ecosystem coordination. For embedded designers, CHERI offers immediate benefits with manageable overhead. For cloud and data centre operators, OMA promises to eliminate vulnerabilities while dramatically improving performance. The fundamental insight is that both approaches work by making the right choices for their target markets. We dont need to pick one winner. We need both, deployed where each makes the most sense, steadily displacing the insecure architectures that enabled the attacks weve seen this year. The trillion-dollar memory safety problem is solvable - and the will to deploy the solutions weve built is growing as organisations can no longer afford the risk of being vulnerable. The European Council has agreed to reduce and eliminate duties on a range of Ukrainian agricultural products, paving the way for the first significant update to tariffs under an EU-Ukraine trade agreement since it was adopted in 2016. The original agreement, known as the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, or DCFTA, cut most tariffs and aligned regulations with EU standards. But several Ukrainian agri-food products were subject to tariff-rate quotas trade instruments that permit tariff-free imports of a product up to a certain limit. The tariffs were abolished after Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022 to facilitate Ukraines agricultural exports, whose main trading routes through the Black Sea were blocked by Russia. The restrictions were reintroduced in June 2025, following pressure mainly from Poland and Hungary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The planned changes approved today offer broader market access for Ukraine compared to the original DCFTA, but are more restrictive than the measures between June 2022 and June 2025. "Todays decision reaffirms the EUs unwavering and multifaceted support for Ukraine, after three years of Russias unprovoked and unjustified military aggression," said Lars Lokke Rasmussen, foreign minister of Denmark, which currently holds the presidency of the European Council. "Both the EU and Ukraine will benefit from the elimination of customs duties, leading to sustained economic stability, enduring trade relations, and further Ukrainian integration with the union," he said in a press release on Oct 13. 2025. The approved changes to the trade agreement will now move to the EU-Ukraine Association Committee, which will make the final approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unlike the unilateral abolishment of duties on Ukrainian products in June 2022, this agreement sees both sides make concessions. Ukraine will increase its tariff-free allowance for imports of European pork, poultry, and sugar, and will gradually reduce or eliminate remaining tariffs on imports from the EU. On the EU side, 31 Ukrainian agri-products will face tariffs above a certain level, as opposed to 36 before under the original agreement. Of those 31, all but four have expanded limits meaning they allow a greater quantity of the goods before tariffs are applied. However, for several Ukrainian products, the new agreement imposes quotas lower than what Ukrainian producers exported when the measures were abolished between June 2022 and June 2025. "For wheat, barley, poultry, honey, sugar, eggs, and apple juice, the new tariff-rate quotas are lower than what Ukrainian producers exported to the EU in 2024," Veronika Movchan, director at the Kyiv-based Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, Ukrainian exports of wheat were 6.4 million metric tons, but the new quotas will only allow for 1.3 million metric tons before tariffs are applied, according to a forthcoming IER report. Sugar exports were 320,000 metric tons in 2024, but the new quota is just 100,000. "Additionally, the tariffs outside of the quota are so high that I would not expect exports above the quota specified for wheat, barley, and sugar," Movchan added. The new agreement will form the basis of the trading relationship, which has been frequently fraught. The abolishment of trade restrictions in 2022 caused an influx of Ukrainian agri-products into neighboring countries. Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary applied unilateral bans on some Ukrainian goods in September 2023, citing national security issues but defying EU trade rules, which allowed for the import of Ukrainian goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were also protests and blockades led by farmers in neighboring countries against increased quantities of Ukrainian products in both 2023 and 2024. "This agreement reflects well on Ukraines negotiating team, given the pressure from some neighboring countries on the European Commission," according to Svitlana Taran, policy analyst at the European Policy Center. "Some neighbouring countries had suggested that the EU revert back to the previous DCFTA, or agree to smaller increases in the tariff-rate quota limits," she added. The new agreement will be binding for at least three years, unlike the previous measures, which were renewed every year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This agreement is a step forward in Ukraines access to the EU market, and demonstrates that Ukraine is aiming for membership sooner, rather than later," Movchan added. The modified agreement provides for greater trade liberalization in three years, conditional on Ukraines progress on legal harmonization with the EU. Read also: Estonia spots Russian troops without insignia near border officials say not a new tactic Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Experts and former presidents warned that organized crime, narcotrafficking and authoritarian rule are converging into an unprecedented threat to democracy across Latin America as they met during a high-level forum held in Washington, D.C. The event, titled Democracy and Organized Crime in Latin America, on Thursday brought together scholars, diplomats and political figures under the auspices of the Interamerican Institute for Democracy, Florida International University, Universidad Austral, and Infobae. From the start, the tone was grave. Organized crime in the region, including the global networks to which it is connected, is the single biggest threat beyond the Peoples Republic of China to U.S. security and prosperity, said Professor Evan Ellis, an educator at the U.S. Army War Colleges Strategic Studies Institute. Evan Ellis, professor at the U.S. Army War College, speaking at the forum Democracy and Organized Crime in Latin America held Thursday in Washington D.C. Speaking before a packed conference room near Capitol Hill, Ellis said that what was once a regional problem has evolved into a hemispheric crisis, feeding instability, corruption and authoritarianism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organized crime in the region, he warned, brings drugs that kill more Americans than virtually any other non-medical cause, while exploiting migrants and eroding democratic institutions across Latin America. A Hemisphere Awash in Cocaine Ellis described a continent awash in cocaine, pointing to soaring coca cultivation in Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru. These illicit economies, he said, fuel cycles of violence, illegal mining, human trafficking, and massive migration that are destabilizing entire nations. He identified a nexus of criminal power stretching from Mexicos Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel to Brazils Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Venezuelas Tren de Aragua. These organizations, he said, have capitalized on state weakness and corruption to build transnational networks that move drugs, launder billions, and infiltrate political systems. The U.S. cannot view these developments as distant, Ellis cautioned. Economic malaise and institutional failure open the door for the capture of power by anti-U.S. populists, citing Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Bolivia as examples of governments that have curtailed law enforcement cooperation and created safe havens for criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ellis also drew attention to Chinas expanding role in the regions illicit economy. The PRC is the leading source of precursor chemicals for fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, he said. Its banks and companies are used for money laundering, creating new challenges for financial intelligence units. He urged a coordinated response involving extradition treaties, financial transparency, and the denial of safe havens to criminal organizations. It is vital not to permit regimes to continue to serve as sanctuaries for criminal groups, he concluded. Either We Act, or We Witness the Death of Democracy The forum then turned from academic analysis to the political and personal, as former Ecuadorian president Jamil Mahuad and ex-ambassador to the U.S. Ivonne Baki described how organized crime has infiltrated their own country. Ecuadors nightmare began when Rafael Correa eliminated visa requirements and opened the borders, Baki said. He gave the drug trade free rein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Baki said President Daniel Noboas administration had shown willingness to cooperate with the United States and international partners but warned that the challenge was urgent. The narcos are organized, and we are not, she said. If we dont act fast and together, it will be too late. Mahuad traced Ecuadors transformation from a relatively peaceful country into one of the most violent in the region, with criminal networks turning coastal ports into export corridors for cocaine. Ninety percent of the worlds cocaine is produced in Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru, he said. Ecuador has become the strategic exit point. He argued that successive governments had underestimated the threat by treating narcotrafficking as a social issue rather than a national security emergency. The result, he said, was a weakened state striking deals with traffickers instead of confronting them. His conclusion was stark. Either we witness the chronicle of the death of democracy in Latin America, Mahuad warned, or we believe that the generations condemned to a hundred years of solitude still have a chance on this earth. Bolivias Crossroads For Eduardo Gamarra, professor of political science at Florida International University, Bolivia illustrates how organized crime can intertwine with political power until the two become indistinguishable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For two decades, Bolivia has been governed by a narco-competitive regime, Gamarra said, referring to the government of former president Evo Morales and his Movement for Socialism (MAS). The line between the state and the criminal world has vanished. From the Chapare regionlong the heart of coca cultivationto the business hub of Santa Cruz, which he described as a safe haven for illicit organizations, Bolivia has become a central node in the global cocaine trade, Gamarra said. Where the state is absent, organized crime rules. Yet Gamarra also saw signs of change. With the MAS weakened and two center-right candidates competing in an upcoming presidential runoff, he said Bolivia stood at a historic crossroads. The next administration has the great responsibility to combat this scourge hand in hand with international institutions, Gamarra said. The authoritarian structure is dying, but the narcotics network remains alive. Bolivia must act firstreplace two decades of narco-politics with sovereign leadership. Regional Crisis, Shared Consequences Elliss and Gamarras analyses reflected a broader consensus among participants: that the fusion of organized crime and politics represents a new phase of instability in Latin America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speakers described a region where the rule of law is eroding, institutions are captured by criminal interests, and illicit economies sustain both authoritarian leaders and violent groups. The overlap of political and criminal agendas, they argued, has transformed traditional governance challenges into a direct assault on democracy. Countries such as Venezuela and Nicaragua, they said, have evolved into narco-states, where criminal networks operate under state protection. Participants also highlighted the role of corruption, weak judicial systems, and foreign actors in perpetuating impunity. Without coordinated international action, they warned, the hemisphere risks a generation of entrenched instability. A Call for Collective Action Throughout the forum, one message recurred: that the threat facing Latin America is transnational, and that only multilateral cooperationlinking governments, the private sector, and civil societycan counter it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Ellis, this means rethinking security partnerships and economic strategies. For Mahuad and Baki, it means rebuilding the moral and institutional foundations of democracy. And for Gamarra, it means replacing regimes that have normalized criminality with ones that restore the rule of law. All agreed that the window for action is narrowing. The narcos are organized, and we are not, Bakis warning echoed across the session as participants discussed how to prevent further state capture by organized crime. A Region Under Pressure The concerns raised at the forum come amid a broader regional surge in violence and political instability. Homicide rates have climbed in Ecuador, Honduras, and Haiti; mass migration continues from Venezuela and Central America; and in several countries, police and military forces have been implicated in drug-related corruption. Analysts say these developments have not only weakened public confidence in democracy but also created openings for authoritarian leaders who promise order while consolidating control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elliss reference to China underscored the global dimensions of the crisis. With Beijing expanding its economic footprint in Latin Americathrough infrastructure projects, energy investments, and tradeU.S. officials and regional experts have warned that criminal networks are exploiting the same channels to launder money and traffic illicit goods. The growing nexus between state corruption, transnational crime, and great-power competition has made policy coordination increasingly complex, even among allies. Warnings for Washington While the forum focused on Latin America, speakers repeatedly emphasized the implications for U.S. national security. Ellis described organized crime as the single biggest threatbeyond the Peoples Republic of Chinato U.S. security and prosperity, linking narcotrafficking to the domestic fentanyl crisis and border instability. The flow of drugs, money, and people across the hemisphere, he added, is not only reshaping Latin American politics but also reaching deep into American society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Economic malaise and institutional failure open the door for the capture of power by anti-U.S. populists, he said, warning that democratic backsliding abroad will eventually reverberate at home. The Fight Ahead By the forums close, participants returned to the same question that had opened the day: whether democracies in the Americas can withstand the combined pressures of crime, corruption, and authoritarianism. The answer, most agreed, will depend on political will. Renewed cooperation, transparency and judicial reform were repeatedly cited as essential. So were citizen engagement and accountability, which speakers said are being eroded by fear, apathy, and disinformation. Despite the grim outlook, there was also a sense of determination. It is vital not to permit regimes to continue to serve as sanctuaries for criminal groups, Ellis said. Mahuad, invoking Garcia Marquezs famous line, offered a note of hope: that Latin Americas generations still have a chance on this earth. By Saeed Shah ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Border clashes over the weekend between Afghanistan and Pakistan led to the deaths of dozens of soldiers, the most serious clash between the two countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, and gained the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump. By Monday, the exchange of fire had ceased. WHAT HAPPENED? Late on Saturday, Taliban forces attacked Pakistani military posts along the length of the 2,600 km (1,600 miles) border, with Pakistani forces later retaliating. Guns, artillery and drones exchanged fire into the early hours of Sunday. Some sporadic fighting continued on Sunday. Pakistan said 23 of its soldiers died and the Taliban said nine of its men were killed, though both sides claimed to have inflicted far higher damage on the other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WHAT CAUSED THE FIGHTING? Pakistan carried out an air strike on the Afghan capital of Kabul last week, which targeted the head of the Pakistani Taliban militant group, according to Pakistani security officials. It is not clear if he survived. The Taliban said its Saturday attack was in response to the violation of Afghan airspace. WHO ARE THE PAKISTANI TALIBAN? In 2007, a number of jihadist outfits active in northwest Pakistan from the Pashtun ethnic group formed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban. The group was modelled on the Afghan Taliban, an ethnic Pashtun outfit that in the 1990s conquered Afghanistan - before being ousted by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001. But the TTP was more radical, taking its ideology from al Qaeda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the next few years, the TTP attacked markets, mosques, airports, military bases, police stations and also gained territory - mostly along the border with Afghanistan, but also deep inside Pakistan, including the Swat Valley, where they later shot schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai. They also fought alongside the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan and hosted Afghan fighters in Pakistan, forming a close bond. Pakistan launched a series of military operations against the TTP on its own soil, with limited success. In 2014, the TTP attacked a school in the northwest city of Peshawar, killing more than 130 children. That triggered a further military offensive, which largely pushed the group into Afghanistan. WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE TALIBAN TOOK AFGHANISTAN? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan welcomed the return to power of the Taliban in 2021, with then Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying that Afghans had "broken the shackles of slavery". But Islamabad soon found that the Taliban's loyalties lay elsewhere. There has since been a sharp increase in attacks by the TTP in Pakistan. Islamabad says that the TTP's leadership and many of its fighters are based in Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban administration to rein in the TTP, but Kabul says that the group does not have a presence in the country. Islamabad has been accused of supporting the two-decade Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan against the U.S.-backed government - which it denies - but any influence over the group has collapsed. Now, Islamabad says its patience has run out. WHY IS PAKISTAN ALSO ACCUSING INDIA? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Islamabad says India, its longstanding adversary, is working with Afghanistan to support the TTP and other militants against Pakistan. New Delhi denies the claim. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is currently on a multi-day trip to India, during which New Delhi upgraded relations between the two nations, raising further concerns in Pakistan. WHAT HAS TRUMP SAID? "I hear there's a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan," Trump said Sunday, as he flew to the Middle East. "I'll have to wait till I get back. You know, I'm doing another one, because I'm good at solving wars." (reporting by Saeed Shah; writing by Saeed Shah; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus) As Israel and Hamas traded hostages and prisoners on Monday, taking a first step toward peace, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Knesset, Israel's parliament, telling them he had ended his eighth war. After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm. The guns are silent. The sirens are still. And the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace, Trump said. He then upped the number of wars he claims to have ended in his first eight months in office, saying, "Yesterday I was saying seven, but now I can say eight." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Trump's claim is exaggerated. Much work remains before an end to the war between Israel and Hamas can be declared. That's also true in other countries where Trump claims to have ended wars. Heres a closer look: Israel and Hamas While the ceasefire and hostage deal is a major achievement, it is still an early and delicate moment in the path to a permanent end to the war, let alone a two state solution. The first steps of the agreement Trump brokered included the release of hostages in Gaza, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, a surge of humanitarian aid and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main cities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But major elements remain to be worked out. After his stop in Israel, Trump gathered with other world leaders in Egypt for a Summit of Peace to discuss the ceasefire plan. Trump acknowledged that leaders had taken the first steps to peace and urged leaders to build on the breakthrough. Trump and other leaders signed a document that he said would spell out a lot of rules and regulations and lots of other things, and its very comprehensive," though details were not immediately available. The next phase of talks is expected to address disarming Hamas, creating a post-war government for Gaza, reconstruction, and the extent of Israels withdrawal from the territory. Trumps plan also stipulates that regional and international partners will work to develop a new Palestinian security force. At least some, if not all, of those elements need to be worked out, and negotiations over those issues could break down. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that he and Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, were already working on implementation issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel and Iran Trump is credited with ending the 12-day war. In June, Israel launched attacks on the heart of Irans nuclear program and military leadership, saying it wanted to stop Tehran from building a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied it was trying to do that. Trump negotiated a ceasefire after directing American warplanes to strike Irans Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. Evelyn Farkas, executive director of Arizona State Universitys McCain Institute, said that Trump should get credit for ending the war. Theres always a chance it could flare up again if Iran restarts its nuclear weapons program, but nonetheless, they were engaged in a hot war with one another, she said. And it didnt have any real end in sight before President Trump got involved and gave them an ultimatum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawrence Haas, a senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the American Foreign Policy Council who is an expert on Israel-Iran tensions, agreed the U.S. was instrumental in securing the ceasefire. But he characterized it as a temporary respite from the ongoing day-to-day cold war between the two countries that often involves flare-ups. Egypt and Ethiopia This could be described as tensions at best, and peace efforts, which do not directly involve the United States, have stalled. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River has caused friction between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan since the power-generating project was announced more than a decade ago. In July, Ethiopia declared the project complete. It was inaugurated in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Egypt and Sudan oppose the dam. Although the vast majority of the water that flows down the Nile originates in Ethiopia, Egyptian agriculture relies on the river almost entirely. Sudan fears flooding and wants to protect its own power-generating dams. During his first term, Trump tried to broker a deal between Ethiopia and Egypt. He could not get the countries to agree and suspended aid to Ethiopia over the dispute. In July, he posted on social media that he helped the fight over the massive dam (and) there is peace at least for now. But the disagreement persists, and negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have stalled. It would be a gross overstatement to say that these countries are at war, Haas said. I mean, theyre just not. India and Pakistan Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The April killing of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir pushed India and Pakistan closer to war than they had been in years, but a ceasefire was reached. Trump has claimed that the U.S. brokered the ceasefire, which he said came about in part because he offered trade concessions. Pakistan thanked Trump, recommending him for the Nobel Peace Prize. India has denied Trumps claims, saying there was no conversation between the U.S. and India on trade in regards to the ceasefire. Although India played down the Trump administrations role in the ceasefire, Haas and Farkas believe the U.S. deserves some credit for helping stop the fighting. I think that President Trump played a constructive role from all accounts, but it may not have been decisive. And again, Im not sure whether you would define that as a full-blown war, Farkas said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Serbia and Kosovo The White House lists the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo as one Trump resolved. But there has been no threat of a war between the two neighbors during Trumps second term or any significant contribution from the Republican president this year to improve relations. Kosovo is a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Tensions have persisted since, but never to the point of war, mostly because NATO-led peacekeepers have been deployed in Kosovo, which has been recognized by more than 100 countries. During his first term, Trump negotiated a wide-ranging deal between the countries, but much of what was agreed on was never carried out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Trump has played a key role in peace efforts between the African neighbors, but he is hardly alone and the conflict is far from over. Eastern Congo, rich in minerals, has been battered by fighting with more than 100 armed groups. The most potent is the M23 rebel group. It is backed by neighboring Rwanda, which claims that it is protecting its territorial interests and that some of those who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide fled to Congo and are working with the Congolese army. The Trump administrations efforts paid off in June, when the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers signed a peace deal at the White House. The M23, however, was not directly involved in the U.S.-facilitated negotiations and said it would not abide by the terms of an agreement that did not involve it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The final step to peace was meant to be a Qatar-facilitated deal between Congo and M23 that would bring about a permanent ceasefire as well as a final agreement to be signed separately between Congo and Rwanda as facilitated by the administration. However, talks have stalled between the different parties amid setbacks, and deadly fighting continues in eastern Congo. Armenia and Azerbaijan In August, Trump hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House, where they signed a deal aimed at ending a decades-long conflict. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the signed document a significant milestone. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed Trump for performing a miracle. The agreements were intended to reopen key transportation routes and reaffirm Armenias and Azerbaijans commitment to signing a peace treaty. The treatys text was initialed by the countries foreign ministers at that meeting, which indicated preliminary approval. But the two countries have yet to sign and ratify the deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control of the Karabakh province, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh, and nearby territories. In 2020, Azerbaijans military recaptured broad swaths of territory. Russia brokered a truce and deployed about 2,000 peacekeepers to the region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions. The two countries have worked toward normalizing ties and signing a peace treaty ever since. Cambodia and Thailand Officials from Thailand and Cambodia credit Trump with pushing the Asian neighbors to agree to a ceasefire in this summers brief border conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cambodia and Thailand clashed in the past over their shared border. The latest fighting began in July after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Tensions had been growing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thai politics. Both countries agreed in late July to an unconditional ceasefire during a meeting in Malaysia. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pressed for the pact, but there was little headway until Trump intervened. Trump said on social media that he warned the Thai and Cambodian leaders that the U.S. would not move forward with trade agreements if the hostilities continued. Both countries faced economic difficulties and neither had reached tariff deals with the U.S., though most of their Southeast Asian neighbors had. According to Ken Lohatepanont, a political analyst and University of Michigan doctoral candidate, President Trumps decision to condition a successful conclusion to these talks on a ceasefire likely played a significant role in ensuring that both sides came to the negotiating table when they did. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ Associated Press writers Michelle Price, Chinedu Asadu, Melissa Goldin, Jon Gambrell, Grant Peck, Dasha Litvinova, Fay Abuelgasim, Rajesh Roy, and Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report. ___ Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) The family of Fannie Lou Hamer donated the civil rights leaders Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). Former President Joe Biden awarded the nations highest civilian honor posthumously to Hamer in January 2025, describing her as one of the most powerful voices of the Civil Rights Movement. Hamer fought for voting rights in pursuit of Black peoples constitutional right to vote. Renovations begin at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We feel this is an honor that should be shared with everyone, said Monica Land, Hamers niece and producer of the award-winning film, Fannie Lou Hamers America. Our hope is that others will see it and want to learn more about Aunt Fannie Lou, her life, her legacy and the tremendous sacrifices she made on behalf of others. The medal will be displayed at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. The museums recently commemorated Hamers 108th birth date on October 6, 2025. Fannie Loue Hamer Presidential Medal of Freedom (Courtesy: MDAH) President Joe Biden, right, posthumously presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nations highest civilian honor, to Doris Hamer Richardson on behalf of her late aunt Fannie Lou Hamer in the East Room of the White House, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) We are incredibly thankful to the family of Fannie Lou Hamer for donating this medal to the people of Mississippi, said Michael Morris, director of the Two Mississippi Museums (The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum). The medal demonstrates the national significance of Hamer and commemorates her enduring legacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamer was born in 1917 in rural Mississippi into a family of sharecroppers, and she grew up working on a plantation. After she attended a meeting held by members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1962, she became a SNCC organizer. Gun used in murder of Emmett Till on display at Two Mississippi Museums In 1963, Hamer and several others were severely beaten by local law enforcement after they returned from a voter registration workshop in South Carolina. The assault left Hamer with lifelong injuries. Hamer was co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), which attempted to seat an interracial delegation at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. In her testimony before the credentials committee, she vividly described the opposition and threats she and other Black people faced for attempting to vote, before declaring: I question America. FILE Fannie Lou Hamer, a leader of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, testifies before the credentials committee of the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, N.J., on Aug. 22, 1964, as her racially integrated group challenged the seating of the all-white Mississippi delegation. (AP Photo, File) Officials said her testimony and the activities of Freedom Summer 1964, which she also helped organize, were among the factors leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Years later, Hamer was a member of the first integrated Mississippi state delegation at the DNC in 1968. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamer died in 1977 at the age of 59. Morris said curators will determine where the medal will be exhibited in the museum and the artifact will go on display within a few months. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 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. Walt Dabney, a retired National Park Service ranger, hikes on the Maah Daah Hey trail near Medora, North Dakota, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) MEDORA, N.D. Public lands advocate Walt Dabney joined a group of North Dakota conservationists in the Badlands on Sunday to see how federal funding cuts are affecting public lands in the state and how members of the public are stepping up in the governments place. Dabney, a former National Park Service ranger, is in North Dakota this week to deliver a series of talks about the importance of public lands and conservation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His career included stints at Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Yosemite, Grand Teton, Everglades and Mount Rainier, eventually serving as superintendent and chief ranger of the National Park Service. But until Sunday, he had never been hiking in the North Dakota Badlands. Dabney, 79, retired from the U.S. National Park Service in 2010 after 43 years of service. He now spends his time advocating for the National Park System. He said hes worried about the future of the parks. Federal agencies like the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have had their staffs reduced under the Trump administration. Thousands of remaining workers are on furlough during the ongoing government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, there are fewer people taking care of the trails. Shannon Straight, executive director of the Badlands Conservation Alliance, and Kathrin Youngberg of the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust stand on the new Bear Creek Bridge on the Maah Daah Hey Trail on Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) Conservationists on the hike pointed out several areas where deferred maintenance on federal land like unaddressed erosion made it harder and less safe to traverse. But Dabneys hosts were proud to show him a new bridge on the 144-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail. The wooden bridge, which crosses Bear Creek and was installed in July, replaced an old one that had collapsed after a storm in 2023. The project was a team effort between Dakota Prairie Grasslands staff, conservation groups and volunteers. Dakota Prairie Grasslands applied to get a mule train to get materials to the bridge site. Staff also borrowed equipment from the state of North Dakota to reroute part of the trail to the new bridge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The combined support allowed Dakota Prairie Grasslands workers to complete the project in a matter of days rather than months. What Walt talks about in his talk, this is a great example of that, Shannon Straight, executive director of the Badlands Conservation Alliance, said during the hike. Dabney said the purpose of his tour is to educate the public about the origin of the National Park System, what parks offer the American public and why he thinks they must be protected. Retired park ranger and conservationist Walt Dabney hikes the Maah Daah Hey Trail in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands on Oct. 12, 2025, near Medora, North Dakota. (Photo by Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) He said his talk is partly a response to efforts to transfer federal land to states. As part of this movement, Utah along with a group of other Republican-led state last year sued the federal government over millions of acres of public land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dabney will be delivering three talks in North Dakota: one Tuesday evening at Dickinson State Universitys Beck Auditorium, another Wednesday evening at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck and the last on Thursday evening University of North Dakotas Gorecki Alumni Center in Grand Forks. Dabney said hes using his voice in part because federal park workers cant. Mass layoffs and funding cuts in the executive branch have made it so that rank-and-file park federal employees are afraid to express themselves, he said. He urged them to keep a low profile so they have a chance to keep their jobs. The federal government needs to retain employees who care about public lands, he said. Do your job, take care of each other, take care of the visitor, he said. You can only fall on your sword once. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walt Dabney will visit three North Dakota cities this week. The public events start at 6:30 p.m. with a film, followed by a question-and-answer segment with Dabney. The dates and locations are: Tuesday at Dickinson State Universitys Beck Auditorium Wednesday at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck Thursday at the University of North Dakotas Gorecki Alumni Center in Grand Forks SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Protests escalated last Saturday at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, where more than a dozen protestors have been arrested in recent weeks. Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said Monday that the city will be shrinking the zone where protesters are allowed after the situation "degenerated into chaos" Saturday night, according to CBS News. "There were 15 arrests, and 10 of those were around the age of my own daughter. As a mother and a mayor, I am mad at what happened," Thompson said in a statement. "Broadview didn't choose to have the ICE facility in our community. But it's here. And so are Broadview residents." Here's what social media users are saying about the protests this past weekend. Some users praised the Illinois State Police's response to protesters Just now Illinois State Police push back on ICE Protestors. Its time for Law and Order. pic.twitter.com/dRNQceqFNc Joe T (@BryptoJoe) October 11, 2025 BREAKING: Illinois State Troopers are dragging and ARRESTING anti-ICE rioters outside the Broadview ICE facility near Chicago President Trump is FORCING the state of Illinois to finally address the lawlessness. KEEP PUSHING, 47! pic.twitter.com/CHSt2UTzLH Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 10, 2025 Others cheered on demonstrators Various characters were seen at protests some darker than others Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A guy in a dinosaur costume came to protest Trump and ICE in Broadview, Illinois. These people pic.twitter.com/Ez63d7uoPf Chad Prather (@WatchChad) October 10, 2025 Some claimed police clashed with protesters after attempting to enforce a curfew Illinois State Police issue a final warning to disperse from in front of the Broadview ICE facility, a full 20 minutes before the protest curfew time. pic.twitter.com/TU8MqbvYas amanda moore (@noturtlesoup17) October 11, 2025 Broadview, IllinoisIllinois State Police declared the protest over. The protestors immediately declare themselves above the law. https://t.co/gxFJ8UmCgT pic.twitter.com/jEACebxz0I Midwest Millennial (@MillennialVerse) October 11, 2025 BREAKING: Illinois police attack & arrest ICE protesters outside Broadview Detention Center near Chicago. This occurred after a protest curfew imposed by city of Broadview passed. LIVE LINK pic.twitter.com/bLzwzIPs3E Status Coup News (@StatusCoup) October 11, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, others described protests as peaceful and criticized force used by authorities This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Protests in Broadview, Illinois: See footage, photos A gathering of old high school classmates at a South Carolina bar turned deadly early Sunday morning after four people were killed and 20 more were wounded in a mass shooting. The shooting unfolded around 1 a.m. on Sunday at Willies Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island, the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. The bars owner, Willie Terrell, told local outlet WJCL the venue was hosting an alumni party for graduates from Battery Creek High School. It was one of multiple alumni parties scheduled this weekend, he said. Terrell described his bar as packed, and police said hundreds of people were nearby when gunshots rang out. The owner recounted a chaotic scene after hearing shots that sounded like machine gun fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was just mayhem, a tragedy, outside, Terrell told WJCL. Its just unreal. Beaufort County EMS transported several victims to local hospitals, including four people who were in critical condition. More victims have continued to show up at area hospitals seeking treatment for their injuries, according to the sheriffs office. The owner of Willies Bar and Grill described the scene as mayhem (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Police said hundreds of people were near the venue when the shooting started (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) A security officer was among those killed, Terrell told WJCL. Police have yet to release the victims names as they work to notify their families. One of the security officers who passed away happens to be the son of my dad's best friend, Terrell said. He came and we spoke the night before...it was close, real close. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office said it is investigating persons of interest and urged anyone with information on the shooting to contact law enforcement. This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone, the sheriffs office said. We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their loved ones. The Beaufort County Sheriffs Office declined to provide additional details when contacted by The Independent. A sticker on the door of the bar said no weapons were allowed on site. (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Representative Nancy Mace, whose district includes St. Helena Island, shared a statement asking for anyone with information on the shooting to contact the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COMPLETELY HEARTBROKEN to learn about the devastating shooting in Beaufort County, she wrote on X. Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence. Senator Tim Scott also called the shooting heartbreaking. Im lifting up in prayer the families who lost loved ones and those who were injured, he wrote on X. All of us in South Carolina will be holding those affected close in our hearts in the days ahead. This photo taken on Oct. 6, 2025 shows Zhou Tiancong's dough figurine work of a tiger in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua) JINAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- When 22-year-old Zhou Tiancong from Yantai in east China's Shandong Province returned to his college after the recent eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, his luggage stood out: a bag of flour and several freshly made, cartoon-style fruit-shaped Huabobo -- steamed buns representing Chinese folk dough art. Back at the college's intangible cultural heritage research center, Zhou's fellow students were eagerly waiting to exchange ideas with him about their own holiday creations. A centuries-old craft recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Shandong, Jiaodong Huabobo is far more than just steamed buns. Significantly larger than ordinary ones, they are skillfully molded by artisans into symbolic forms like mandarin ducks, carp, dragons, phoenixes and longevity peaches, all carrying auspicious messages in Chinese culinary tradition. After steaming and cooling, they are painted in vibrant colors, transformed into vivid artworks that symbolize prosperity and a thriving life. They play a central role in Chinese folk customs for weddings, birthdays and festivals. Now, this traditional art is gaining fresh momentum from China's post-2000s generation. In the hands of Zhou, Huabobo has been reinvented with modern twists and creative concepts. His latest design, celebrating both the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, features a two-tiered "cake" adorned with exaggerated cartoon figures of the Lunar Goddess Chang'e and her pet -- Yutu (jade rabbit) -- in Chinese mythology. Zhou's fascination with Huabobo began in childhood. He would linger at festive banquets, captivated by the intricate dough sculptures, reluctant to look away. His passion was ignited during a primary school session on intangible cultural heritage, where he first tried making Huabobo himself -- an experience that sparked a lasting devotion. China joined the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2004. To date, the country leads the world with 44 items inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage lists. In recent years, China has been actively building systems to nurture intangible cultural heritage talent, promoting heritage workshops and integrating traditional mentorship with modern education. This has attracted growing numbers of post-2000s youth, who are breathing new life into traditional crafts through creative innovation. At the intangible cultural heritage research center of Taishan College of Science and Technology, Zhou and his fellow students experiment weekly in their "Huabobo Lab," a dough modeling workshop he established with the college's support, where he regularly guides students alongside instructors. "Making Huabobo is a nuanced art," Zhou said. "Seemingly minor variables -- the batch of flour, water hardness, temperature, humidity -- can spark completely different artistic outcomes." "Huabobo is a centuries-old treasure, and I want to create innovative works that express the vitality of youth," Zhou said. His dough creations, along with those of his peers, range from traditional figures like ancient court ladies and opera roles to popular animation characters and his own original cartoons. He aspires to build his own brand and develop a unique cultural IP. In August, Zhou took his first entrepreneurial step by opening a Huabobo store in his hometown, which quickly became a hit. During holidays, he would sometimes work from 7 a.m. until after 2 a.m. the next morning. "It's tiring, but deeply satisfying," he said. The creative process brings him a sense of fulfillment and inner peace. Looking ahead, he plans to launch Huabobo DIY kits, aiming to make them not only visually appealing and tasty but also a medium for emotional connection. Through these efforts, he hopes to transform this tradition from festive food into a cultural symbol embraced by the younger generation. Zhou Tiancong guides a girl to make Huabobo in Yantai, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 12, 2025. (Xinhua) Editor: Zhang Zhou French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu spent Sunday negotiating in a bid to form a government after losing a key political ally, with time running short before a fast-approaching budget deadline. France has been gripped by political instability since President Emmanuel Macron called snap polls last year that he hoped would consolidate power but instead resulted in a hung parliament and gains for the far right. Macron reinstated Lecornu late Friday, just four days after the premier resigned and his first government collapsed, triggering outrage and vows from opponents to topple any new cabinet at the first chance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former defence minister must now assemble a government to present a 2026 draft budget before a Tuesday deadline, giving parliament the constitutionally required 70 days to scrutinise the plan before year's end. But the right-wing Les Republicans (LR), a key political ally, dealt a blow to his chances Saturday by announcing they would not take part in the new government but only cooperate on a "bill-by-bill" basis. As Macronists turn their backs on the president, left and right struggle to unite For his part, the premier has pledged to work with all mainstream political movements and vowed to select cabinet members who are "not imprisoned by parties". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Macron loyalist who previously served as defence minister, Lecornu agreed after he quit to stay on for two extra days to talk to all political parties. He told French weekly La Tribune that he resigned "because the conditions were no longer met" and said that he would do so again if that remained the case. "I won't do anything foolish," he told the newspaper, which said his new cabinet could be announced on Monday or Tuesday. Parliamentary impasse The French president, facing the worst domestic crisis since the 2017 start of his presidency, has yet to address the public since Lecornu's first government fell. On Monday, Macron is to travel to Egypt to support a Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by the United States a trip that could delay the presentation of the draft budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lecornu's reappointment comes as France faces political deadlock and a parliamentary impasse over an austerity budget against a backdrop of climbing public debt. France hit with credit downgrade as new government faces budget squeeze The country faces EU pressure to rein in its deficit and debt, and it was the fight over cost-cutting measures that toppled Lecornu's two predecessors. Lecornu has pledged to do "everything possible" to give France a budget by the end of the year, saying restoring the public finances was "a priority" for the future. But he is under pressure from parties across the political spectrum, including the leftist Socialists, who threatened to topple his government unless he backs away from the 2023 pension reform that pushed the retirement age from 62 to 64. Lecornu said Saturday that "all debates are possible" over the pension reforms, and that his "only ambition is to get out of this situation that is painful for everyone". (with AFP) The data-center economy is booming in California, and Gov. Gavin Newsom doesnt want to slow it down. The governor vetoed a bill on Saturday that would have provided more transparency around the water usage of data centers, which regularly require millions of gallons of fresh water to cool their computers. While I appreciate the authors intent, Newsom wrote in his veto message, I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on businesses and the consumers of their technology Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill, AB 93, would have required data centers applying for business licenses to disclose to their water supplier how much water they expected to use. For existing data centers, it would have required a disclosure of annual water use to renew a business license. According to the nonprofit Environmental and Energy Study Institute, data-center water usage can vary from 110 million gallons per year for a midsize center to 1.8 billion gallons annually for a large data center. As Californias needs for data processing grows, a better understanding of the ratepayer impacts and environmental tradeoffs must be understood, argued the bills author, Diane Papan, D-San Mateo. AB 93 was one of four bills meant to regulate data centers and their enormous usage of resources. Two others that didnt make it out of the legislature would have required data centers to publicize their energy consumption and would have given a tax exemption to centers that used renewable energy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fourth, Senate Bill 57, was signed by the governor on Saturday in a watered-down form. It was originally intended to protect electricity ratepayers from having to shoulder the costs of data centers in their communities, but now simply authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to study whether the cost-shift is happening. The discussion comes amid a huge surge in spending on data-center infrastructure. In August, chip maker Nvidia estimated AI infrastructure spending in 2025 alone would total $600 billion and that it would be between $3 and $4 trillion by 2030. Newsom has shown ready willingness to work with artificial-intelligence companies, even as he bucked some in the industry when he signed a major AI safety bill earlier this summer. The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies is driving an unprecedented demand for data center capacity throughout the nation, Newsom said in his veto message for AB 93. As the global epicenter of the technology sector, California is well positioned to support the development of this critically important digital infrastructure in the state. Migrants coming to Germany struggle to get jobs, facing a slew of bureaucratic hurdles, plus a language that is not familiar to many. But public and private employers alike are desperate to find skilled workers and depend heavily on people from abroad to fill vacancies. For applicants, the main problem is the long wait for visas and the inadequate administrative and infrastructure in Germany. The problem is especially aggravating because skilled immigrants are in demand in many countries and some are discouraged from even coming here - or staying - due to the hurdles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newcomers struggle to navigate complex residency permit procedures and have foreign qualifications recognized. They may also have difficulties finding a place to live - compounded by problems such as discrimination and xenophobia. Nursing is an area where both sides urgently persist, as hospitals depend on workers from abroad, says Sabine Richter, director of Nursing at the University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH). Otherwise, the institution sinply wouldn't run. "We are a diverse organization," she says. Some 17,000 people from 110 countries work at the UKSH. The hospital has locations in Kiel and Lubeck and has brought in around 1,000 international skilled workers to the state of Schleswig-Holstein since 2016, Richter says. She is proud to say that only 13% left the UKSH, while 87% remained, proof of the hospital's successful integration concept. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But employers face hurdles to hiring the staff they desperately need. Overburdened authorities Thi Theu Nguyen from Vietnam has been working at the UKSH for seven years. In December 2024, she reapplied for her residence permit. "I got my residence permit in May, after six months," she criticizes. The process was frustrating, dragging long beyond when her residence permit had expired. "I wrote emails, but often the response was. 'I'm not responsible for that', she says. "It's almost impossible to get appointments with the immigration office on your own," says Kadie Rogers, nursing coordinator at the UKSH. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She says the authorities often have to deal with tens of thousands of people at the same time. Perhaps not surprisingly, nurses who go to the offices without support are often turned away. Finally, the UKSH established direct contacts with the employment office and relevant ministries, says Richter. It also offers integration and language courses itself. But officials still demand a surprising number of certificates. "The best thing would be if we had a central location for all this bureaucracy," she says. Thoughts about returning Brazilian Lais Oliveira Silva came to Schleswig-Holstein six years ago and now works as a nurse at the UKSH. "I saw this advertisement at my university, and there is too much staff in Brazil," she says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Especially in the first two years, Silva often thought about returning to her home country, not only due to the bureaucracy, but also to the language, psychological stress and the difficult integration process. "I feel that many people in Germany don't want us here, but they can't do anything because they need us," she says. She experiences racism repeatedly, especially outside of work: people who look away or refuse to move their backpacks if there's a seat free next to them on the bus. "That's also one of the reasons why my husband and I are considering returning to Brazil." Nursing director Richter says with such a large number of employees, you also have a range of political opinions at work - which can lead to problems, or minor incidents that no one talks about and remain unresolved. "But we have a very clear zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and racism," she says. Patience is needed Rufin Arnaud Foejo came from Cameroon to Germany after graduating from high school because his aunt lives in Lubeck. After studying electrical engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Kiel, he found a trainee position at the state capital's public utility company and applied. "I received a response quickly and was accepted," says Foejo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he ran into problems with the immigration authorities who wanted numerous permits, which he submitted. "But the problem is that once you've submitted all the documents, you don't hear anything back," Foejo says. Often you wait for weeks. "I was lucky that the Kiel public utility company offered to postpone my start date by a month." "I don't think every company would have been so patient," says Foejo. During that long wait, he was tempted to apply for other jobs abroad. But he sensed the company's support. "And that feeling was really important to me." Kiel's public utility company also criticizes the sluggish pace of the authorities. Communication is mostly in writing, says Tina Struck from the company's HR recruitment department. "It hardly ever happens that someone from the immigration office approaches us directly, in person or by telephone." Lack of digital processes Ukrainian Yevheniaa Salii fled Russia's war on her country and now works for Agrarservice Lass, which distributes and services renewable energy storage power plants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At first, she struggled to navigate German bureaucracy, compared to at home. "We can do most things on our mobile phones," Salii says, using a special app so you can do everything from home. "I was very surprised that everything is done by letter," she says. On reaching Germany, she had to submit a document within a month, but the next available appointment was six months away. "It was difficult at first to adapt and understand the extent of the bureaucracy." Complicated recognition of documents Another obstacle is that Germany does not automatically recognize the documents of foreign skilled workers, whether it is their diplomas or their driving licences, says Nils Martensen, who is responsible for operational management and human resources at Agrarservice Lass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Converting driving licences in particular involves a lot of effort. "Our colleagues all drive cars, some of them for many years, and suddenly they have to start all over again," adds a company spokeswoman. Because of the bureaucracy, this often takes a very long time. She wishes there was a fast track for companies to resolve these situations with the authorities. Reducing bureaucratic effort The situation is frustrating for all concerned. "Almost 40% of migrant workers who come to Schleswig-Holstein quit within the first six months," says Ozgur Yurteri from the Flensburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many then change companies or leave the state. He says state or federally funded positions are needed to handle all the bureaucracy effort and actively support integration. 'Courageous discussion needed What is needed is a "broad, courageous discussion" on labour migration says Claus Ruhe Madsen, Schleswig-Holstein's minister for the economy, transportation, technology and tourism. He is familiar with the struggles companies face. Germany must clarify where it wants to go, whether it wants to recruit skilled workers abroad in a targeted manner and how it intends to implement this, he says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One issue is fierce competition, with the United States and Canada also seeking skilled workers from abroad, he says. For Germany to become more attractive, it needs more digital processes, clearer rules and leaner procedures. "If it takes one and a half to two years from the moment you decide to work in Germany to the moment you start work, then we lose a lot of talent." And a more pragmatic approach is needed, says Madsen. Where possible, qualifications should be verified directly in the workplace. Right now, companies are put off by the many differences in requirements and decide not to proceed at all - a loss for both sides. Yevheniaa Salii, a war refugee from Ukraine, sits on the reception desk at Agraservice Lass where she works. Salii was surprised that letters are still used to communicate in Germany, since most bureacracy is carried out via an app in Ukraine. Frank Molter/dpa Lais Oliveira Silva (l), a nurse from Brazil, and Thi Theu Nguyen, a nurse from Vietnam, on the campus of the university hospital in Schleswig-Holstein Markus Scholz/dpa German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday promised Romania and Bulgaria support against Russia as he set off for a two-day visit to the EU countries. The two states are "partners that are crucial for Europe's security and stability," Wadephul said ahead of his departure. "South-eastern Europe is a strategic centrepiece of our continent," he argued. The threat to the EU's external borders and on NATO's south-eastern flank war can be seen on the Black Sea amid Russia's war in Ukraine, the minister said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is also where it will be decided whether Europe remains capable of acting - in terms of security, solidarity and the further development of our union," he added. Given that the Black Sea is a border region to the war in Ukraine, Wadephul's Bulgarian counterpart Georg Georgiev emphasized when they met on Monday evening: "Our concern is that the Black Sea is increasingly present on the agenda of NATO and the European Union." Bulgaria, he said, has a great interest in maintaining the region's stability. Ahead of their meeting, Wadephul said that Bulgaria serves as a model for the countries of the Western Balkans, showing how closely security and integration belong together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He described the country's imminent accession to the eurozone as a strong signal of stability for Sofia and for Europe as a whole. Bulgaria is due to replace the lev with the euro in January, becoming the 21st member of the eurozone. After Wadephul's meeting with Georgiev, he was expected to fly on to Bucharest for talks with Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu on Tuesday. With regard to recent violations of Romanian airspace by Russian drones, Wadephul said that attacks on the sovereignty of a NATO partner were unacceptable. "We are clearly determined to protect and defend Europe together with Romania," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Foreign Office in Berlin said Wadephul's talks would cover economic cooperation, efforts to boost European competitiveness and the EU's enlargement agenda. Wadephul had originally planned to start his trip in Athens for talks with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis, before continuing to Sofia. However, the Athens leg was cancelled after Gerapetritis travelled to Egypt for the signing ceremony of the Gaza peace plan. (NewsNation) A German woman has returned the top of an ancient column to Greece after over 50 years. The column fragment comes from the Leonidaion of Ancient Olympia and is made of limestone, measuring about 9 inches high and 13 inches wide, as reported by CBS News. The Greek Culture Ministry announced the recovery of the artifact on Saturday. The Leonidaion was a 4th-century BC guesthouse used by athletes and dignitaries in ancient Olympia. The woman illegally removed the columns top during a visit to the site in the 1960s, according to the announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Live updates: Gaza ceasefire summit begins in Egypt after hostages released Giorgios Didaskalou, a senior culture ministry official, described it as a particularly moving moment. This act proves that culture and history know no borders but require cooperation, responsibility and mutual respect, he continued. Third artifact returned by the University of Munster since 2019 Fragment of a column capital, originating from the Leonidaion in Ancient Olympia (Image: Greece Culture Ministry) The return of the top of the ancient column marks the third time the German University of Munster has returned an artifact since 2019. Motivated by the recent return of important antiquities from the University of Muenster to their countries of origin, she decided to hand it over to the university, with whose valuable contribution it returned to Greece and Ancient Olympia, the ministry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 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. The main change to the list is centered around two security prisoners who will be swapped for Hamas-linked terrorists who aren't facing life sentences. Government ministers participated in an urgent telephone vote to approve amendments to the list of terrorists and security prisoners to be released during the first phase of the hostage deal, Kan journalist Michael Shemesh reported. The main change is centered around two security prisoners -one of whom had already been released in a previous deal, while the other is associated with Fatah- for two prisoners with Hamas links who aren't facing life sentences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second change involves the removal of 7 Gazan minors from the list, the inclusion of 2 new women, and the replacement of a group following new security establishment considerations. These new changes reduce the number of prisoners to be released from 1,722 to 1,718, while the ministers also pre-approved five new Gazans who would be added to the release schedule if needed. Palestinians, who were displaced to the southern part of Gaza at Israel's order during the war, make their way along a road as they return to the north, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip, October 11, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa) Hamas accuses Israel of last-minute changes to prisoner list Senior Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad, speaking to Al Jazeera from Cairo on Sunday night, accused Israel of playing with and changing the lists of Palestinian prisoners slated for release under the emerging ceasefire-for-hostages deal. He also warned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would return to aggression in Gaza without sustained international pressure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He urged Arab states and mediators to restrain the Zionist madness and ensure full implementation of the agreement. Hamad said Hamas was coordinating with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and in contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to carry out the exchange as stated in the agreement, but alleged that Israeli delays in verifying names on documents sent to the parties were creating obstacles. Liran Aharoni contributed to this report. GREECE, N.Y. (WROC) The Greece Police Department arrested a man on Saturday after video allegedly caught him attempting to break into a liquor store. According to the Greece Police Department, officers were called to Henrys Liquor Store, located at 451 Denise Road, at 12:58 a.m. on Saturday, for a report of a man attempting to break into the store. The store owner was reportedly watching live security footage when they saw the suspect trying to open a window with a screwdriver. As officers responded, they were provided with information about the suspects appearance and the direction he walked away from the store. Several streets over on Denise Road, officers found a man, later identified as 52-year-old Jesus Aponte, who matched the description and detained him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aponte was confirmed to be the same individual seen in the video and was found in possession of a screwdriver, leading to his arrest. According to police, the screwdriver recovered from Aponte matched the markings left on the damaged window at the liquor store. He has since been charged with attempted burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief in the third degree, and possession of burglar tools. Aponte was taken to the Greece Police Headquarters for processing before being taken to the Monroe County Jail for arraignment in CAP Court. Police say Aponte also had an active warrant for his arrest with the Irondequoit Police Department at the time of the incident. Copyright 2025 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. According to Gazan reports, Aljafarawi one of the most prominent pro-Hamas voices online in the Gaza Strip was found shot in the head. Saleh Aljafarawi, a well-known social media influencer affiliated with Hamas known as "Mr. FAFO", was killed by an anti-Hamas militia in the Sabra neighborhood in southern Gaza City, Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV confirmed on Sunday. According to reports, Aljafarawi one of the most prominent pro-Hamas voices online in the Gaza Strip was found shot in the head. Saleh Aljafarawi's body lies in the Gaza Strip. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT) The influencer had gained global attention for his viral videos from Gaza, frequently appearing in clips even after being falsely reported dead. On several occasions, he filmed himself from hospital beds after reportedly surviving attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additional reports from the Gaza Strip said that the son of Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official in the groups political bureau, was also killed during violent clashes with the Doghmush clan in Gaza City. Bassem Naim's son, who was allegedly killed in the clashes with the Doghmush clan. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT) A senior source in Hamass Interior Ministry told the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera that members of Hamass internal security forces were killed following an attack by a local armed militia in Gaza City. Hamas was attempting to arrest militia members The source said Hamas security forces were currently besieging members of the militia with the goal of arresting them. The source further claimed the militia had killed Gazan refugees returning to Gaza City from the southern part of the Strip. It emphasized that the security apparatus in Gaza was determined to impose order and punish those responsible for the killings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The escalation between Hamas and the Doghmush clan reportedly began when members of the clan ambushed several Hamas operatives near the Jordanian Hospital in Gaza City this past Friday, shortly after a ceasefire went into effect. According to reports, the ambush led to the killing of Muhammad Imad Akl, a member of Hamass military wing and the son of a senior operative who participated in the October 7 massacre. Earlier in the day, additional clashes were reported in the Rafah area in southern Gaza, amid exchanges of fire between militias and Hamas operatives. Reports also emerged of summary executions carried out by Hamas against members of the Doghmush clan in Sabra, including claims that children from the clan were also targeted by gunfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sources in the IDFs Southern Command confirmed that fighting had broken out between armed militias in Rafah and Hamas operatives who had returned to the area until recently under Israeli military control to settle scores. Simultaneously, defense officials expressed serious concern over how quickly Hamas has reasserted itself in Gaza and resumed acts of violence, both against civilians and against armed factions that have defied its rule. In off-record conversations, officials in Israel's defense establishment have reportedly urged the political leadership to make clear decisions regarding how to respond to such scenarios. During the height of the war, when news emerged of coordination between Israeli security forces and armed clans opposed to Hamas with political approval it sparked domestic controversy in Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over time, however, these armed clans, whose primary goal has been protecting their own family strongholds, proved increasingly effective in limiting Hamass operational reach across Gaza, thus posing a growing threat to the groups rule. The initiative to build ties with thousands of these armed clan members began within the Shin Bets southern division and was spearheaded by S. the deputy to the outgoing Shin Bet chief and currently the agencys deputy head. Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad accused Israel of changing prisoner lists under the deal, warning that Netanyahu may resume the Gaza war Senior Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad, speaking to Al Jazeera from Cairo on Sunday night, accused Israel of playing with and changing the lists of Palestinian prisoners slated for release under the emerging ceasefire-for-hostages deal, and warned that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would return to aggression in Gaza without sustained international pressure. He urged Arab states and mediators to restrain the Zionist madness and ensure full implementation of the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamad said Hamas was coordinating with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, and in contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to carry out the exchange as stated in the agreement, but alleged that Israeli delays in verifying names on documents sent to the parties were creating obstacles. He nevertheless said the process was moving in a good direction and that Hamas would do everything we can to make both the prisoner exchange and the wider deal succeed. His claims came amid mounting disputes over prisoner lists. Israels Justice Ministry published 250 names of Palestinian prisoners set for release as part of the deal, while Palestinian officials said no final roster had been agreed upon, highlighting ongoing friction over the criteria and sequencing of releases. Ghazi Hamad, member of Hamas Political Office, delivers remarks on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, during a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon, October 28, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/AMR ALFIKY) Al Jazeera Arabic reporting on Sunday also amplified Palestinian assertions that Israel was trying to impose its own terms on the prisoner file, with sources saying Hamas continued contacts via Cairo, Doha, and Ankara to amend the Israeli-published list. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ICRC has reiterated that any exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners must be conducted safely and with dignity, underscoring the organizations neutral role in transfers and family reunifications under the ceasefire framework. 20 Israeli hostages to be freed The remarks came as Israel and Hamas prepared for the next phase of the agreement. Israeli officials and international media reported that 20 living Israeli hostages were expected to be freed on Monday in parallel with large-scale prisoner releases, part of a broader truce architecture brokered with the help of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Hamads interview echoed past Hamas statements describing Netanyahu as a war criminal, rhetoric the group has used repeatedly while rejecting Israeli conditions tied to disarmament or postwar governance arrangements in Gaza. Under the ceasefire terms reported over the weekend, Israel has been transferring detainees in preparation for releases while international agencies scale up humanitarian operations inside Gaza. Disagreements over specific prisoner names and categories have persisted in recent days, including last-minute changes approved by Israels government to the first batches. It was a day of jubilation, one for the history books a day on which an entire country finally exhaled. But it was also a day on which the limelight was, if not quite stolen by Donald Trump, then at least shared with the US president as he made a triumphant visit to Israel for the first time in his second term. Ordinary Israelis had waited 737 agonising days for this moment. Across the country, the outpouring of emotion was visceral there was raw, raucous celebration and relief as a nation welcomed back its missing sons after more than two years in subterranean captivity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump was never far away, there to take credit for the ceasefire that brought the hostages home and that could translate into a deal that will permanently silence the guns in Gaza. With his loyal lieutenants in tow, he held court in the Knesset, soaking up the adulation as legislators vied to outdo one another in honouring a man they feted like a monarch. Amir Ohana, the Speaker of Israels parliament, hailed him as not only the greatest US president of all time but also the most towering giant of Jewish history since Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who freed the Israelites from Babylonian captivity in the sixth century BC. Air Force One flew over a giant sign laid across a beach in Tel Aviv thanking Donald Trump for orchestrating the release of their stolen sons - Anadolu If Mr Trump was an interloper, he was a welcome one. In Tel Avivs Hostages Square, crowds cheered as Air Force One landed at Ben Gurion airport after flying low over a beach bearing a giant sign thanking him for orchestrating the hostages release, which had been laid across the sand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The square, long a place of vigil, distress and anger, echoed with singing, dancing and merrymaking as Israelis watched the days events unfold on big screens. They may have welcomed Israels special guest, but not even a president as revered as Mr Trump could eclipse the main event. For most Israelis, he was the days supporting act. With tears streaming down their faces, they watched scenes of reunion unfold across television screens a nation transfixed by every intimate moment as hostages embraced their families after years apart. Nowhere was jubilation more profound than in the waiting rooms where relatives gathered. With nervous anticipation, they watched a Red Cross convoy of white Land Cruisers snake through the gates of a Gaza warehouse, carrying the first of the hostages, who were released in three batches over several hours. Credit: Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamas gunmen held back crowds of curious Palestinian onlookers hoping for a glimpse. Some whistled and raised V-for-Victory signs but most were silent, perhaps contemplating the enormous price that ordinary Gazans had paid for the captives held so long by their Hamas overlords. Such devastation was evident as the convoy wound through the rubble of a war that has reduced Gaza to a wasteland of famine, death and despair, heading towards the Netzarim Corridor and awaiting Israeli troops. b' ' For some hostages, the first reunions were virtual, with their masked captors making video calls to relatives in Israel even before the handover began. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is no war, shouted Einav Zangauker down the phone to her 25-year-old son Matan, who was abducted from the Nir Oz Kibbutz with his girlfriend Ilana, who was released in November 2023. Its over. You are coming home. Those awkward first exchanges soon gave way to physical reunions. Away from their gun-toting captors, families felt the human touch they had been denied for so long. My hero, my champion, my life, Ms Zangauker said, her voice breaking as she embraced her son a few hours later. Crowds in Tel Avivs hostage square celebrated as the hostages were released after 737 days in captivity - Shir Torem/Reuters Mr Trump had wanted to be present for such moments a request that was declined. For the traumatised, emaciated hostages who emerged blinking into the sunlight, the razzmatazz of meeting the US president was deemed too much to bear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, he basked in the Knessets praise and doled out plenty of his own particularly to senior members of his inner circle as he hailed the birth of a new Middle East to endless standing ovations. At times, the enthusiasm dimmed as he signalled his intention to hold Israel to a lasting peace. Saying that the ceasefire deal he had prodded Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting had saved Israel from international isolation, he urged the Israeli prime minister to translate history into peace and prosperity before floating the idea of a permanent deal with Iran. For a moment, the applause faltered. To widespread relief, Mr Trump made no mention of Palestinian statehood and ignored two legislators who interrupted with Recognise Palestine! signs. Both were swiftly ejected. Credit: Reuters Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For some Palestinians, the day also brought catharsis. As part of the peace deal, Israel released 1,968 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 people serving life sentences, who returned to the West Bank and Gaza to jubilant welcomes. Across the divide, the shared joy of homecomings briefly seemed to transcend ancient hatreds. Yet optimism may prove short-lived. Relief that a ceasefire is in place is tempered by anxiety in Gaza that peace might prove ephemeral and that survival will be hard in a territory where more than 90 percent of homes have been destroyed or damaged, according to UN estimates. Aid is arriving in significant quantities at last, humanitarian agencies said, and Mr Trump has promised Gulf-funded reconstruction. But the task is enormous and the presidents suggestion of the dawn of a new Middle East seemed far removed from the grim reality of daily life. While Israeli bombs may no longer be falling at least for now not all guns have been stilled. Over the weekend, clashes broke out between Hamas and a powerful clan militia in Gaza City, killing at least 27 people and raising fears that the territory could descend into communal bloodshed. Omri Miran embraces his father, Dani, following his release - Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS For the returning hostages, too, there will be challenges as families struggle to find normality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Omri Miran returned to a heartfelt welcome from his family, but there was also recognition of how hard adjustment will be for a man whose daughters five-year-old Roni and two-year-old Alma have heard so much about a father who is almost a stranger. After more than 700 long, painful and agonising days, Omri will finally receive from Roni and Alma a healing embrace, the family said in a statement. We are at the beginning of a complex and challenging, yet moving, journey of recovery. Alon Ohel, a Hamas-held hostage, reunites with his family at Rabin Medical Centre following the release - Stoyan Nenov All who endured Gazas dank, airless tunnels have suffered. But none more so than this final batch of hostages, who endured captivity for so long, starved of sunlight and food, and sometimes held in chains, according to hostage support groups. I dont know what kind of son Im going to get back, confessed Ilan Gilboa-Dalal. The last time he had glimpsed his son Guy, in a video released by Hamas last month, he saw despair in his eyes following a prolonged captivity in which he had been routinely beaten and humiliated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the moment of their reunion came, despair was dispelled as the Gilboa-Dalal family wept and laughed in a tight, extended bear hug. Credit: Reuters For others, closure remains elusive. So far, Hamas has only located four of the 28 bodies of the hostages who died in Gaza. Their remains must be returned under the terms of Mr Trumps peace plan. It is not only the families who must heal many Israelis say the entire country must. For 737 days, it has reeled under a double agony. The ferocity of the Oct 7 2023 massacre the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust shattered the fragile sense of security Israelis hoped was finally emerging after decades of terror and war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The seemingly endless hostage saga fell like a repeated blow upon an existing bruise. While any Israeli remained captive in Gaza, there could be no healing of the vast, suppurating wound Hamas inflicted on a nation whose leaders had grown complacent about the threat from the narrow strip on its south-western flank. The concept of no one left behind is deeply ingrained in Israels national and military psyche, a moral imperative rooted in the Jewish tradition and an obligation that many of the thousands who gathered weekly in Hostages Square felt Mr Netanyahu had betrayed. Many view Mondays events as an opportunity to advance a lasting solution to a conflict that has subsumed the Middle East - Shutterstock Receiving his guest at the foot of Air Force Ones steps, Mr Netanyahu might have felt overshadowed. As much as he would have liked to present the release as his triumph, particularly with elections looming, few Israelis doubted that the credit actually belonged to the US president. Mr Trump revelled in every moment of it as he departed for the final stop of his victory lap in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where world leaders queued to be photographed with the worlds most powerful man. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here, he shared a long handshake with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, whose US visa the Trump administration had revoked only last month. People wore hats that read Trump The Peace President inside the Knesset ahead of Mr Trumps appearance - KENNY HOLSTON Determined to prove that his 20-point plan had ended the Gaza war once and for all, Mr Trump sought to show he was a friend to all and an enemy to none. Such a day was not one for the ritual humiliations he so often delights in. The summit in Egypt focused on optics, not the devilish details that could yet upend his plans to finish the Gaza problem for good. And there was no begrudging the sense of occasion. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, likened the occasion to a moment like the moon landing where time freezes as we watch this historic moment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hyperbole is a hallmark of the Trump administration, but one could give the ambassador his point. So far, Mr Trumps script for achieving peace in the Middle East has gone to plan - Shutterstock So far, the script has followed Mr Trumps ambitious plan. The hostages are home. Palestinian prisoners are returning to Gaza or heading into exile. Aid is beginning to return to the shattered Strip. Far greater challenges lie ahead. But for now, there is hope for the future and, in Israel at least, relief in the present. If Oct 7 2023 was a moment of infamy for the Jewish state, Oct 13 2025 marks the beginning of its healing and just possibly the dawn of the new era Mr Trump believes he can deliver. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Photo: https://zaxid.net Chernivtsi Solar LLC, part of the Kernel group of companies, plans to build the largest solar power plant (SPP) in the western region of Ukraine with a declared capacity of 250 MW on the territory of the Kitsman territorial community in Chernivtsi region, the Molody Bukovynets publication reported with reference to acting mayor of Kitsman Ivan Semeniuk on Monday. "This is one of the largest strategic directions and projects in the community in its entire existence... All stages of preparation have now been completed - from land issues to approvals with investors," Semeniuk noted. The SPP will be located on an area of 212 hectares, the first works will start in the spring of 2026. "During the first stage of construction of the solar power plant, the community budget will receive UAH 8.6 million per year. Then, the amount will increase to UAH 12 million per year. The lease agreement is for 25 years. The total investment volume will amount to UAH 5 billion," said the acting chairman said. According to him, the investor is currently completing the design stage of the solar power plant and will carry out installation work for the first stage implementation in the spring of 2026. Before the war, the Kernel agricultural holding ranked first in the world in the production of sunflower oil (about 7% of world production) and its export (about 12%). It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. In addition, it is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products. Kernel increased its net profit by 7% to $218 million in the first 9 months of FY2025, its revenue during this period increased by 19% to $3 billion, and EBITDA increased by 4% to $398 million. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum called for all aspects of the ceasefire with Hamas to be suspended until all of the slain hostages were returned to Israel. IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin confirmed on Monday afternoon earlier rumors that only four deceased hostages would be returned by Hamas on Monday evening. Hamas later named the hostages as Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Peretz. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response, the Hostage Families Forum called for an immediate suspension of Israel's agreement with Hamas until every deceased hostage was returned. Hamas initially agreed to release all hostages, living and alive, by Monday. "Hamas's violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators," a statement from the forum reads. The IDF initially informed Ilouz's family of his death 56 days after October 7, 2023. Sharabi was killed by a building collapse where he was being held hostage following an Israel Air Force strike, according to an IDF inquiry into the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peretz's family was informed of his death in March 2024, though he was killed on October 7. Joshi's fate was the only one of the four that remained unclear until today. Deffrin initially provided no information about the other 24 deceased hostages, their timeframe for being returned, the circumstances for their return, or how many additional deceased hostages Israel believed would be findable. Hamas believes that not all deceased hostages will be found Hamas had openly said in recent days that, given the extensive destruction in Gaza from Israel's invasion, not all of the deceased hostages would be found. For example, if Hamas buried hostages near a particular building and that building and all the ones around it were later destroyed, finding the spot may be possible over time, but it would be much more difficult. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, in a briefing on Sunday night, IDF sources had not hinted that the number of returned deceased hostages would be so low on the first day. Rather, most observers were expecting a more significant number of hostages to be returned on the first day and the majority to be returned within a few days, with only a small number of unresolved cases. Defense sources indicated to The Jerusalem Post on Monday that while the future was hazy, it still might improve in the coming days, given that Israel could retaliate against Hamas if it felt the Gaza organization was lying and withholding information about deceased hostages. Even without returning to war, Israel can slow the Gaza rebuilding process if it feels Hamas is not living up to its end of the bargain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further, until more deceased bodies are returned, Israel can freeze movement and activity in areas where it suspects bodies may be buried, in order to preserve the area for digging and searching. Who was slain hostage Bipin Joshi? Joshi was an Agricultural student studying at Kibbutz Alumim. He was from a remote region of Nepal, and had arrived in Israel just three weeks before the October 7 massacre. His family authorized the release of a Hamas propaganda video of him shortly before the hostage deal came into effect. It was recorded in late 2023. Ismi (my name is) Bipin Joshi, Im from Nepal. Im 23 years old. I came to Israel 25 days ago. I came here for the Learn and Earn program. Im a student," he said in the video. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Until Monday's announcement, Joshi's status was completely unknown. Who was slain hostage Yossi Sharabi? Sharabi, 53, was a resident of Kibbutz Beeri and a father of three. He was kidnapped from Be'eri on October 7 with his son, Oren. He is survived by his wife, Nira, three daughters, Ofir, Yuval, and Oren. Yossi's brother, EIi Sharabi, was released in February 2025. Sharabi also had three other siblings, Sharon, Osnat, and Hila. Yossis brother, Sharon, shared that Yossi was a man renowned for his affection towards others, continuing to say that he embodied care and an unwavering commitment to everyone in his life, always radiating happiness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yossis family and friends described him as brimming with life, always looking forward to the future. His loved ones told the Israeli organization that he was a skilled surfer, loved Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Maccabi Tel Aviv, and found peace in nature. Who was slain hostage Guy Illouz? Illouz, 26, was a sound technician who was taken from the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023. Originally from Ra'anana, he was a gifted musician and had worked with well-known Israeli artists such as Shalom Hanoch, Matti Caspi, and the band, HaYehudim. His death was announced in 2023. Who was slain hostage Daniel Peretz? Peretz, 22, was an IDF officer who was killed on October 7 and was subsequently taken to the Gaza Strip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He resided in Yad Binyamin and was a Division Commander in the 77th battalion of the 7th "Storm from the Golan" formation. He was originally from South Africa, but moved to Israel in 2014 with his family. Daniel's father, Rabbi Doron Peretz, spoke about his son's experience on October 7 with the Post in a 2024 interview. On October 7, Daniel immediately ran to his tank and fought valiantly, saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers, as well as civilians. Eventually, terrorists surrounded his tank, and he was taken hostage. The report also mentioned that a technical meeting was held last night between Hamas and the Red Cross team to arrange the handover. Hamas informed the International Committee of the Red Cross that the handover of the hostages will take place after 8:00 a.m. from three different points in the Gaza Strip, Saudi newspaper Asharq reported, citing a source familiar with the details. Hamas will determine the exact dates and inform the Red Cross of the locations of the handover, according to the report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also mentioned that a technical meeting was held last night between Hamas and the Red Cross team to arrange the handover. Hamas updated the Red Cross on the status of the living hostages, without further details. The exchange operation will reportedly take place simultaneously, and Hamas has received a new list of the names of the Palestinian prisoners to be released, the source added. According to him, the mediators are continuing to work until the last minute to improve the list, and the list does not include the names of senior terrorists such as Marwan Barghouti. This is a developing story. A Pennsylvania State Police trooper shot the evening of Oct. 8, 2025, in Franklin County has been upgraded to satisfactory condition at WellSpan York Hospital. Lucas Amarose, 31, is one of two troopers injured in the incident that began with the pursuit of retail theft suspects near Chambersburg and ended with a shootout at Exit 3 of Interstate 81 south of Greencastle. WellSpan York Hospital is pleased to share that the remaining individual in our care related to the shooting in Franklin County has been upgraded to satisfactory condition at this time, an Oct. 12 news release announced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'Fierce gunfight' detailed by officials: Killing of man who shot two troopers 100% justified, Franklin County DA says Amarose was initially in critical condition after he and fellow trooper Thomas Pack, 23, were flown to York after being shot with a .40-caliber handgun wielded by Lamar Foy, 31, of Baltimore, accordiing to police. Pack was released on Oct. 9 to recover at home, Col. Christopher Paris, Pennsylvania State Police commissioner, announced at a press conference about the incident. Foy was shot and killed by a third trooper, police said. He was driving the van associated with the retail theft at Dicks Sporting Goods reported at 6:11 p.m. Police pursued the van, which was stopped with spike strips at Exit 3. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two women in the van Amir Loren Swift, 21, and Giani Jaida McGowan, 21, both of Baltimore, complied with troopers demands to get out of the vehicle, but Foy did not and started shooting, according to police. Prioritized local news. Make The Record Herald a Google preferred source This article originally appeared on Waynesboro Record Herald: Pennsylvania State Police trooper shot in Franklin County improving By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) -One of Cuba's best known dissidents went into exile from prison on Monday, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said, headed for the U.S. at the Trump administrations request. A brief ministry statement said Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia, 54, and his family had left the Communist-run country. The departure, bound for the United States, follows a formal request from that country's government and Ferrer Garcia's express acceptance, the ministry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded in July that Havana prove Ferrer was alive. "The Cuban Regime continues torturing pro-democracy activist Jose Daniel Ferrer. The United States demands an immediate proof of life and the freedom of all political prisoners, Rubio stated on social media. Ferrer founded an opposition group called the National Patriotic Union, or Unpacu, in 2011, closely aligned with Miami-based exiles. He had been in and out of prison ever since. The opposition activist was last arrested in April for violating the terms of his parole just three months after his release from jail as part of a Vatican-brokered deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ferrer, who lived in eastern Santiago de Cuba, has maintained that he was wrongly jailed by Cuban authorities from the start. Cuba has long accused the U.S. of underwriting Ferrer's dissidence in a bid to overthrow the island's government. (Reporting by Marc FrankEditing by Bill Berkrot) Milking machines are attached to the udders of dairy cows that stand on a carousel at Riverview's Campbell Dairy in Wilkin County, Minnesota, on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) An international organization that seeks to protect water quality in the Red River will conduct a review of two large dairy projects underway in North Dakota. The provincial government of Manitoba announced in a news release that the International Joint Commission has directed its International Red River Watershed Board to review information and permits related to the dairy operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minnesota-based Riverview LLP plans to build two milking operations near the Red River, which flows north into Canada and Lake Winnipeg the Herberg Dairy in Traill County with 25,000 cows and the Abercrombie Dairy in Richland County with 12,500 cows. Both dairies have received permits from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality. That agency considers issues such as protecting groundwater and preventing polluted runoff into waterways. Marty Haroldson, director of the Division of Water Quality for the environmental agency, said it would answer questions or provide information to the International Joint Commission. Manitoba Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes supported the decision by the International Joint Commission to assess the impacts of the projects on the Red River. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The health of Manitobas lakes and rivers is a top priority for our government, and we want to be sure that developments upstream dont negatively affect Lake Winnipeg and the Red River, Moyes said in a news release Thursday. We must protect Lake Winnipeg for generations to come. The Manitoba government and environmental groups are concerned about algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg, the worlds 10th largest fresh water lake. Nutrients from fertilizers, including cow manure, can contribute to algae blooms. Cows feed at a Riverview dairy operation near Campbell, Minnesota, on July 10, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) A letter from Moyes to North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong outlined the provincial governments concerns. The letter said water quality monitoring in the Red River at the U.S.-Canada border shows that levels of nutrients are above target levels set by the two countries in 2022. In an emailed statement, Armstrongs office said North Dakota follows state and federal laws related to permitting agricultural facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our state agencies apply the same high standards for protecting the Red River that they apply to all waters within North Dakota, and we have some of the safest drinking water in the country, the Governors Office said. The Manitoba Eco-Network, an environmental group, says Lake Winnipeg is one of the worlds most-threatened lakes with high rates of nitrogen and phosphorus that can come from fertilizers. The state permits show that the cows from the two dairies would produce about 214 million gallons of manure each year. Our dairies are designed, built and operated to be protective of the environment for generations to come, Riverview said in a statement Friday. Discharges to surface waters are prohibited by state and federal law, and our farms are designed and operated to meet or exceed strict environmental standards. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riverview squeezes out the liquid from its manure, separating it from the solids. The liquid manure is then transported through pipes or hoses to be injected into the soil of a farm field. There are no trucks hauling the liquid manure. Ted Preister, executive director of the Red River Basin Commission, a nonprofit group that has members from the U.S. and Canada, said the dairies have been a topic of discussion this summer, with Canadian officials seeking to learn more about the existing Riverview dairy operations in Minnesota and the planned dairies in North Dakota. He said the potential for 37,500 cows along the Red River is a substantial concern to Canadians who value Lake Winnipeg for its commercial fishing and recreation. Preister said the International Joint Commission can review permits to look for errors and can review water sampling reports to monitor for changes. If the commission finds something of concern, it would be up to Canadas federal government to appeal to the U.S. Department of State. The commissions findings could also be used in a legal challenge, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Preister said a visit to a Riverview dairy in Minnesota included Canadian representatives from the International Joint Commission, which can investigate pollution and water quality questions. He said Canadians asked very pointed questions of North Dakotas Department of Environmental Quality, which approved permits for the two dairies. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Phone messages left with the International Joint Commission were not returned Friday. Canada and the United States created the International Joint Commission to manage lakes and rivers along their border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The International Red River Watershed Board is an independent group established by the International Joint Commission under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. The board assists the commission in preventing or resolving disputes regarding the Red River and its tributaries. Madeline Luke has been the point person for the Dakota Resource Council on the groups concerns about the large dairies. Pollution, like water, has no boundaries, Luke said in an email. The IJC is a non-political body with deep technical expertise. So with the urgent need to avoid further harm to Lake Winnipeg, this action is much applauded. Reach North Dakota Monitor Deputy Editor Jeff Beach jbeach@northdakotamonitor.com. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SOUTHWICK, Mass. (WWLP) The invasive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) has spread to numerous municipalities across the state and has started laying eggs. The spotted lanternfly, originally from Asia, has become an increasingly common sight across New England in recent years, and its been seen in western Massachusetts. They were first discovered in Massachusetts in 2021, and they have been widespread in the western part of the state, causing concern for residents. Free fly fishing clinic being held in Huntington this weekend Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) states that spotted lanternflies have mated and eggs are laid starting in September and continue through late November. The egg masses, which resemble a splotch of mud, are about an inch long, flat, rectangular, and grayish in color, and are typically covered with a gray or beige waxy protective coating. They do feed on hundreds of different plants, said Natasha Wright, Technical Director at Braman Termite & Pest Elimination. The most common one they prefer is the tree-of-heaven, which is probably all over many properties here in Massachusetts. They can be found on just about anything, such as trees, porch lights, vehicles, outdoor furniture, potted plants, and other outdoor decor. MDAR says that the egg masses will survive over the winter. They advise residents to crush them and scrape them off the surface. Once that hard frost hits, its going to kill the adults off, but the eggs are going to remain until next year, Wright said. Stages of spotted lanternfly Spotted lanternflies are currently entering their adult stage, marked by gray wings with black spots and red hindwings. Residents are encouraged to be vigilant, especially in areas with grapevines, tree-of-heaven, bittersweet, maple, or black walnut. Spotted lanternfly stages Spotted lanternfly first instar nymph (immature). Note that the nymph is black with white spots. This coloration persists through the third instar. Photo courtesy of Gregory Hoover. Spotted lanternfly fourth (final) instar nymph (immature). Note the color change to red and black with white spots. Photo courtesy of Gregory Hoover. Spotted Lanternfly. (Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture) Photo sent to 22News from Luke Fish Photo: Spotted lanternfly adult (left) and late-stage nymph (right) (Credit: USDA) Photo sent to 22News from Diane Hamelin in Springfield A mature spotted lanternfly found in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The bug is in this stage between July and December. (Getty) This photo shows a Spotted Lanternfly, in Long Branch, NJ, Aug. 7, 2022. Kill-on-sight requests in New York City and elsewhere are part of an aggressive campaign against an invasive pest that has spread to about a dozen states in eight years. (Heide Estes via AP) The most noticeable impact of the spotted lanternfly is the sticky residue known as honeydew, which can be an inconvenience for outdoor activities. What to do when you find a spotted lanternfly in Massachusetts MDARs SLF Management Guide provides practical solutions for dealing with this pest, including advice on setting up traps and removing host plants like tree-of-heaven. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide for Infested Areas Download The spotted lanternfly was recently seen by a 22News viewer in Southwick. Joe Impoco said the photo was taken on October 9th at the Southwick Wildlife Management Area. He said that the last map by MDAR did not have Southwick listed. According to the MDAR Invasive Pest Dashboard, as of October 13, there are 19 communities in western Massachusetts where the invasive spotted lanternfly has spread. In a previous report by 22News in August, four communities have since been added, Monson, Northampton, and Southwick. Map comparison: MDAR Invasive Pest Dashboard (Screenshot: Aug. 27, 2025 vs Oct. 13, 2025) Agawam Belchertown Chicopee East Longmeadow Granby Hampden Holyoke Longmeadow Ludlow Monson Northampton Palmer South Hadley Southwick Springfield Warren West Springfield Westfield Wilbraham Photo sent to 22News from Joe Impoco via Report It As the spotted lanternfly continues to spread, MDAR is focusing its efforts on slowing the pests expansion in areas where agriculture is most at risk. Residents and businesses are encouraged to take proactive measures to manage the pest and report new sightings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MDAR says new sightings not listed on their current dashboard should be documented with a photo and reported via mass.gov/slf. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Download the 22News Plus app on your TV to watch live-streaming newscasts and video on demand. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. Two Iowa lawmakers sent a letter to the Iowa Board of Regents Sunday, calling on the board to join a new higher education compact. (Photos by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch. Logo via Iowa Board of Regents) Iowa lawmakers are urging the Iowa Board of Regents to sign on to a new educational compact that would require universities to freeze tuition, make changes to admission processes for international students and poll campus communities annually about their compliance with the compact. Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, and Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, sent a letter Sunday to the Board of Regents asking the body to join the Compact for Excellence in Higher Education, developed by President Donald Trump and his administration, as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iowa has a chance to be a leader in higher education reform by having our universities be the first to sign on to this compact, the letter stated. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Board of Regents spokesperson Josh Lehman said in an email the board received the letter from Collins and Evans and is reviewing the compact. Published in its entirety by the Washington Post, the compact lists the benefits the higher education system receives from its extraordinary relationship with the U.S. government, including direct and indirect research funding, student loans, grant funding and other contracts, approval of visas for students and university officials, and preferential treatment under the tax code. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Universities that do not wish to follow the eight rules of the compact which span admissions, hiring, discourse on campus, finances and more do not have to, the compact document stated, if the institution elects to (forgo) federal benefits. The compact directs universities to not allow demographics like sex, ethnicity, race, nationality, political views, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious associations, or proxies for any of those factors to impact student admission or hiring decisions, unless excused by federal law or exempted by the fact that an institution is religious or single-sex. Colleges that opt in to the compact would have to freeze tuition for five years, according to the document, and disclose any and all foreign funding. Institutions would not be allowed to have more than 15% of their undergraduate student body come through the Student Visa Exchange Program, of which no one country can represent more than 5% of the population. Other rules of the compact include committing to institutional neutrality and ensuring no single ideology is dominant on campus by having varying viewpoints by revising governance structures as necessary. The compact also directs universities to grade and discipline students equally, and define male and female by reproductive function and biological processes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These common sense reforms would not only be welcome news for Iowa students and taxpayers, but joining this compact would greatly benefit Iowas universities by giving them preferred access to federal funding, Collins and Evans letter stated. Universities in the compact would be required to conduct an annual poll of students and staff to evaluate the universitys performance against this compact, the document stated, and results will be published online. The U.S. Department of Justice will oversee the compact, and universities found in violation will lose access to its benefits for one year, to start. Multiple universities have already stated they will not join the compact, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology one of nine institutions specifically invited to sign on. The American Council on Education, American Association of Colleges and Universities and Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges have also released statements saying the compact threatens university independence and academic freedom. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Vice President JD Vance is shutting down the news about a Qatari Air Force facility being built in Idaho despite Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth making the announcement just two days prior. Hegseths announcement ignited a whirlwind of backlash among many factions, including from Trumps MAGA base supporters. Politics: Donald Trump Makes Angry 'World Class' Claim Over Qatar Jet 'Gift' While appearing Sunday morning on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, host Maria Bartiromo asked Vance about the facility, questioning what Qatar is planning to develop in Idaho. Vance called Hegseths announcement a fake story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yeah, I saw some reporting about this, Maria. I actually talked to the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, this morning, Vance said. This is largely a fake story. We continue to have with countries that we work with, we have relationships where sometimes their pilots work on our bases, sometimes that we train together, sometimes we work together in other ways. Vance went on to blame misreporting for the confusion over the so-called facility. The reporting that somehow theres going to be a Qatari base on United States soil, thats just not true, he explained. We are continuing to work with a number of our Arab friends to ensure that we are able to enforce this peace, but were not going to let a foreign country have an actual base on American soil. Politics: Donald Trump Stuns With Latest Hoax Claim: The What Of What Was What Now? Vance added: So theres a bit of misreporting on that, as there often is, as you know, Maria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hegseth made the announcement about the facility during a meeting with the Qatari defense minister, Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Oct. 10. Im also proud that today were announcing were signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho, Hegseth said. The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots. Vice President JD Vance is shutting down news about a Qatari Air Force facility being built on American soil, despite Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announcing so two days earlier. Getty Images Hegseth added at the time that the facility will enhance our combined training, increase lethality and interoperability between nations. Later that day, Hegseth made an important clarification about his statement in an X post. Politics: Donald Trump's 'Gross' Remark About Karoline Leavitt Is Condemned Online The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including todays announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft, he wrote. However, to be clear, Qatar will not have their own base in the United Statesnor anything like a base. We control the existing base, like we do with all partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, conservative political activist and staunch Trump ally, Laura Loomer, complained about the facility in a series of X posts, calling it an abomination. WTF IS AMERICA FIRST ABOUT ALLOWING QATAR TO HAVE A MILITARY BASE ON US SOIL? This is an abomination. So much for Make America Safe Again, she wrote Friday, referencing Trumps America First agenda. Loomer added: By letting funders of HAMAS and the Muslim Brotherhood have a military base on US soil. Un fucking believable. Just unbelievable. Steve Bannon, who served as White House chief strategist during Trumps first term, also argued to Newsweek that there should never be a military base of a foreign power on the sacred soil of America. Related... Read the original on HuffPost NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) A group of students at one Jessamine County school is making a global impact. Jessamine Cares is a student-led initiative that began about six months ago, when Lisa Prestons third-grade class learned about Malawi, the third-poorest country in the world. After watching a video on the country, the students decided they wanted to raise money to help the orphans there by building an orphanage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group of students has partnered with a local organization called Circle of Hope International that is already helping children in Malawi. As part of the collaboration, funds are being raised that will help provide housing, food, education, and emotional support to children who have lost one or both of their parents in Malawi. Preston said that this project is helping her students become lifelong givers and leaders. Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news This has been the highlight of my career as a teacher. Ive never had children create an initiative that went over into the next year. We still meet, we might grab each other at recess or lunch and, this is really just the beginning for Jessamine Cares, and the kids are talking about the legacy theyre going to leave, how theyre inspiring other kids to create their own service projects and what is so special about this is that the whole county is pulling together, Preston said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group of students at Rosenwald-Dunbar Elementary has three phases in their plan to help the country. The first phase is to provide food for around 800 orphans. The second phase aims to create sustainability programs, while the final phase is to build a permanent orphanage for the children. Malawi, being one of the poorest countries in the world, it highlighted the poverty, and my kids just couldnt get over that. There are so many orphans there. So, one of the little boys said, I want to go right now and build an orphanage for those kids and there was applause all around, and it just became a heartbeat for our class. We couldnt stop thinking about it, Preston said. The group of students has a big dream and wants to invite all of Jessamine County, as well as the surrounding communities, to join in and help make a change and give a group of orphans a real home. What inspired us is how many people there are that need help, said fourth-grade student, Aiden Whitten. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The students were also treated to a special video call from the orphans in Malawi who sang a song for the students at Rosenwald-Dunbar Elementary. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: It was amazing cause I never thought we were ever gonna see them, and I never thought we were going to get on call with them because they live half a world away, said Whitten. It was really joyful cause they sang a song for us and everything. They were talking to us, waving to us, making hearts. The school held an assembly at the beginning of the month to help kick off this initiative and share its mission with the rest of the school. City leaders in Nicholasville have declared October as Jessamine Cares month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The students goal is to raise $82,000. Each school in Jessamine County is going to get a Jessamine Cares bin during a week in October and have a change challenge to see how much can be raised between all of the schools. If every student in Jessamine County brought in $10, we could do it, Preston said. I have like a massive piggy bank at my house, added Whitten. If you would like to help or for more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Oct. 13Kalispell City Council will consider Monday a regional hazard mitigation plan to retain disaster aid eligibility. Council meets for the work session on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E. The 2024 Wester Montana Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan is meant to reduce long-term risks from natural disasters and serve as a "blueprint for coordinating and implementing hazard mitigation policies, programs and projects," according to the document. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Montana Disaster and Emergency Services in 2022 began developing regional hazard mitigation plans across the state. The base plan was approved by the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but localities must adopt county-specific plans. Columbia Falls and Whitefish have already adopted the Flathead County portion of the plan, but Kalispell has yet to follow suit. Adoption was postponed in April after Councilor Sid Daoud passed a motion to delay voting until he and his colleagues had enough time to read through the hefty document. Flathead County completed a hazard mitigation plan back in 2014, which the new document builds off. Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected]. Photo: Raytheon Missiles & Defense US President Donald Trump is ready to send Ukraine Tomahawk missiles if Russia does not stop the war. I can talk to him (Putin IF-U). I can say: look, if this war is not settled, I will send them (Ukraine IF-U) Tomahawks. I can say that, he said, answering the question of what to talk to Putin about first. Trump called the Tomahawk missile "a very offensive weapon " and a new step of aggression. "And frankly, Russia does not need it. They do not need it. But if this (war IF-U) is not settled, we can do it accordingly," he said. As we celebrate President Dwight D. Eisenhowers 135th birthday on Oct. 14, its worth remembering what Ike saw as an even harder struggle than winning a war: winning peace. After seeing the hunger and despair in Europe after World War II, Eisenhower said: In many ways, the fight to win the peace will be a harder battle than any other.v Kansas only president encouraged aid to war stricken nations something we should remember today as we try to win peace in the Middle East and other regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ike, as reported in The Times, urged a sense of responsibility toward each other. Today, we cannot forget our responsibility for helping those who are hungry and impoverished. In war zones, it is hunger that long outlasts the fighting. We cannot abandon aid programs that save lives and give people hope of recovery from desperate situations. Decades of war and hunger have caused massive suffering and despair in the Middle East. There is famine in Gaza because of the Israel-Hamas war, making it urgent to end the conflict to allow aid to reach everyone in need. Rebuilding food supplies in Gaza will be a massive task. We cant overcome that by cutting humanitarian aid, which is sadly what has happened this year. The Food for Peace program started by President Eisenhower has seen less funding, and has even been considered for elimination by the Trump administration. Food for Peace is our main tool for fighting world hunger by sending food from U.S. farms and donations to countries in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eisenhowers birthday would be a good opportunity for the American public to advocate for Food for Peace. Contact your elected officials and let them know you support feeding the hungry overseas and to increase funding for global food aid. We need Food for Peace very much given his level of war and famine taking place around the globe. There is real hope for an end to the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, as a ceasefire has finally been announced and border crossings are open. But the enemy of hunger will fight on unless there is robust humanitarian aid. Right now, the UN World Food Program is experiencing funding shortages as it tries to provide relief in Gaza and other nations including Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Congo. The peace process in Gaza and other nations will languish without enough food aid. Food is the foundation of reconstruction and peace building. The World Food Program also needs funding for the largest hunger emergency in Sudan, where there is famine and massive displacement of civilians. Likewise in Africa there is severe hunger in the Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and other nations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the United States has a strong and well-funded Food for Peace program, we can provide emergency rations to war victims, nutrition for infants and even help develop farmland. Food for Peace is a major supporter of the World Food Program. Food for Peace provides funding to infant nutrition programs which feed starving children with foods such as PlumpyNut. This fortified peanut paste saves children from deadly malnutrition. On Eisenhowers birthday, contact your elected officials and urge them to support the Food for Peace programs and to increase their funding. Tell them to make food and other humanitarian aid a top priority for winning the peace today. William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by The Washington Post, Newsweek, History News Network and many other news outlets. North Korea flaunted its most powerful nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at a military parade. The Hwasong-20 weapons were driven along the streets of Pyongyang in front of leaders from China and Russia on Friday. The parade, which marked 80 years of the ruling Workers Party, allowed North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un to show off a growing arsenal that is capable of targeting America, as well as his rivals in Asia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Guests watching the event included Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russias Security Council and an outspoken Kremlin hardliner known for his nuclear sabre-rattling. Chinese premier Li Qiang and Vietnamese leader To Lam were also present alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The parade saw the debut of the Hwasong-20 ICBM, with at least three examples wheeled through Kim Il Sung Square on 11-axle launcher trucks. Credit: Reuters The Hwasong-20, hailed as its most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system, is the latest in a long line of long-range ICBMs, which Pyongyang first tested in 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The display featured some of the hermit kingdoms most advanced weapons, including multiple launch rocket systems, drones, hypersonic glide vehicles, newly upgraded battle tanks and surface-to-air missile systems. Edited footage from North Korean state television showed what appeared to be tens of thousands of spectators packed into the square. They cheered and waved the national flag as columns of soldiers and missile-mounted vehicles paraded through the rain-soaked streets. The soldiers included troops Kim had sent to Russia marching under North Korean and Russian flags as state media hailed them as invincible warriors. Soldiers march through the streets during North Koreas show of force on Friday - KCNA via KNS The Hwasong-20s existence was first revealed a few weeks ago when North Korea tested a new solid-fuel rocket engine that it said was intended for future ICBMs. State media said the engine, built with carbon fibre, was more powerful than past models. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In September, the countrys state media released images of Kim inspecting the missile while visiting a weapons factory, and said the maximum thrust of the new-type solid-fuel engine using the composite carbon fibre material is 1,960 kilonewtons. This level of thrust could allow it to carry heavy payloads thousands of miles. Hwasong-20s predecessors - Hwasong-18 and Hwasong-19 - are capable of reaching almost anywhere on the US mainland. Kim has called for the development of multi-warhead systems that would improve the chances of penetrating missile defences, and some experts say the latest missile could be designed for that purpose. North Koreas Kim Jong-un greets a vast crowd during the military parade in Pyongyang - KCNA via Reuters It is not clear, though, how precise its guidance system is or whether the warhead it carries could survive atmospheric re-entry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a speech at the parade, Kim hailed the bold heroism, staunch stamina and matchless fighting spirit of Pyongyangs army, saying it should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats. He also praised the more than 12,000 North Korean soldiers who fought for Russia in Ukraine, extolling their heroic fighting spirit and the victory achieved on foreign battlefields for international justice and genuine peace. Kim met Medvedev and asked him to convey warmest greetings to dearest comrade Vladimir Putin, according to Russian state media TASS. They discussed deepening cooperation after the joint operation in Kursk, which Medvedev said testified to the strength of the fraternal ties between the two countries and the indestructibility of the allied relations forged in blood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In June, the two countries signed a mutual defence pact and committed to strengthening military cooperation as North Korea continued to send large shipments of artillery shells, rockets and missiles to support Moscow in the ongoing conflict. The parade also gave Kim a platform to consolidate growing diplomatic relations with China, after he stood shoulder to shoulder with Xi Jinping at Chinas largest-ever military parade last month. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A ceasefire in the war in Gaza was holding for the third day on Sunday as aid agencies worked to rush in more desperately needed aid to the besieged territory under the truce deal. Preparations were also underway for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. U.N. officials said that real progress was being made Sunday with the aid being allowed into Gaza Eri Kaneko, a spokesperson for the U.N.s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said supplies of cooking gas had entered Gaza for the first time since March. Other aid moving through include flour, fruit and meat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. President Donald Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, is expected to arrive in Israel Monday morning. He will meet with families of hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament, according to a schedule released by the White House. Trump will then continue on to Egypt, where the office of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has said he will co-chair a peace summit on Monday with attendance by regional and international leaders. Gaza's Hamas-run Interior Ministry has deployed thousands of police in areas the Israeli military withdrew from after the ceasefire took effect. Heres the latest: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UN distributes hot meals on first day of increased aid The United Nations said it was able to distribute hundreds of thousands of hot meals, bring in frozen meat and fresh fruit and medical supplies on the first day of scaling up aid in Gaza. An increase in aid going into Gaza is one of the stipulations of the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas, after pressure from the U.S. and Arab and regional countries. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs didnt specify how much aid was allowed in on Sunday but called it real progress. A trickle of aid had been coming into Gaza for weeks since May, following over two months Israel has enforced a total ban on aid coming in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OCHA said it secured Israels approval for more aid, bringing the amount cleared to get into Gaza to 190,000 metric tons, up from 170,000 metric tons. This includes shelter items ahead of the winter for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians living amid massive destruction. Hamas in talks over prisoner-release list A Palestinian official says Hamas has a delegation in Cairo that is currently holding talks with mediators to modify the lists of Palestinian prisoners who are to be released. The official added Sunday evening that despite the Israeli rejection, mediators are still working for a final solution regarding the names, adding that Hamas wants Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat as well as several others serving life sentences to be released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media about the talks, said Hamas wants Israel to abide by the list that we agreed on last Thursday. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Abbas to participate in Egypt summit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will participate in the summit in Egypt on Monday, according to an adviser. Mahmoud al-Habbash, a judge and adviser to Abbas, told The Associated Press that the leader would travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday to attend the peace summit. The Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit will be attended by the King of Jordan, the Emir of Qatar, the Prime Minister of Kuwait, the King of Bahrain, and the President of Palestine. It will also be attended by the presidents of Turkey, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, France, and Cyprus, the German Chancellor, the prime ministers of the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Greece, Armenia, Hungary, Pakistan, Canada, Norway, and Iraq, and the Vice President of the United Arab Emirates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also expected to take part is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, the President of the European Council, the Minister of State for External Affairs of India, and the Ambassador of Japan to Cairo. Tehran declines invitation to attend summit in Egypt Iran's state-run IRNA news agency says the countrys foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told a Cabinet meeting on Sunday that Egypt had formally invited Irans president to attend the gathering of world leaders in the Arab country on Monday. Araghchi said the Islamic Republic declined the invitation, which Egypt then renewed. It wasn't immediately clear if Iran, an ally of Hamas, responded to that second invitation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel warns against celebrations in the occupied West Bank Israel has warned Palestinians in the occupied West Bank against celebrating after prisoners are released on Monday, according to a prisoners family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. In neighborhoods where prisoners families live, Israeli forces distributed fliers warning that anyone who participates in such activities exposes himself to punishment and arrest, the official said. The Associated Press reviewed a copy of the flier. Families have also told Palestinian Authority officials that Israeli security personally warned them not to hold celebrations, the official and members of one of the families said. They spoke anonymously because of not being authorized to discuss the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israels military didnt immediately respond to questions about the warnings. By Sam Metz and Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank; Real generosity needed to rebuild Gaza, UN official says The United Nations humanitarian chief said that the United States and Egypt will co-chair at a Red Sea resort on Monday shows the international community's commitment to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. There are so many things that could go wrong in the coming days and weeks, Tom Fletcher told The Associated Press in Cairo. But all of us working on this want to get the hostages home and want to get masses and masses of aid ... into Gaza to save as many lives as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fletcher said trucks of aid have begun going into Gaza on Sunday, including cooking gas for the first time in months but not yet at the scale they hope for in the days and weeks ahead. Much of Gaza is a wasteland, he added. We are looking to the world to respond with real generosity. We will deliver outside of that plan, but we need the funding, and we need the access. And of course, we need this peace agreement, this ceasefire, to hold. Aid entering into Gaza U.N. officials said real progress was being made Sunday with the aid being allowed into Gaza Eri Kaneko, a spokesperson for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said cooking gas supplies have entered Gaza for the first time since March. Other aid moving through include flour, fruit and meat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that officials were also given additional access to move in medical equipment and help move Palestinians from flood-prone areas to safer locations ahead of the winter. Family of hostage in shock over imminent release Alana Zeitchik, a relative of Israeli hostage David Cunio, said she is nervous about the condition he will be in when he is freed from captivity. Cunios wife, Sharon Aloni Cunio, and his twin daughters were held captive by Hamas and released in November 2023. Zeitchik said Cunios wife received guidance on how to tell her daughters that their father is coming home and that they were in shock after hearing the news. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zeitchik told The Associated Press: We wont really be able to exhale and have a sigh of relief until he is back on Israeli soil. Gaza rebuild requires private sector, German minister says Germany wants to provide rapid support for the reconstruction of Gaza in the event of a lasting peace agreement, Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said. Germany is ready to assist with the reconstruction, Alabali Radovan told the Handelsblatt newspaper on Sunday. She said Germany wants to initially help with mobile temporary housing and was in favor of bringing in the private sector for the reconstruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It wont work without private capital. The reconstruction of Gaza, Syria, or Ukraine requires sums of money that we could never raise from public budgets alone, she said. Violence at pro-Palestinian protests in Swiss city An unauthorized pro-Palestinian protest in the Swiss capital of Bern descended into violent clashes between demonstrators and police, leaving 18 police officers and an unknown number of protesters injured, Swiss public broadcaster SRF said. Police also said that at least 57 buildings and nine police vehicles were damaged in the clashes on Saturday afternoon, and five people were temporarily detained, SRF reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police used water cannons to keep thousands of protesters away from the citys parliament building and the train station. The demonstrators were rallying against Israels actions in Gaza and what they claim as the Swiss governments lack of support for the Palestinian people. UN aid agency standing ready The largest humanitarian actor in Gaza, UNRWA, which has the equivalent of 6,000 trucks of aid waiting outside in Egypt and Jordan, said it had no clarity on its role in the new scaling up of relief provided to Gaza. Spokesperson Jonathan Fowler said the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees is standing ready to contribute and has enough food supplies in its warehouses for the entire population of the Gaza Strip for three months. No US troops in Gaza, says Vance As Trump prepares to travel to the Middle East, his vice president said he believes we are on the cusp of peace in Gaza for the first time not just in a couple of years, but really in a very long time. Trump has been able to unite the Israelis with the Gulf Arab states for a common objective, and that is to bring the hostages home, to stop the war and to build the kind of long time settlement that we really do believe can lead to a lasting peace, JD Vance told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday. He said about 200 troops from U.S. Central Command are already in the region to monitor the terms of the ceasefire and help ensure the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. It's not going to be necessary for American troops to be in Gaza, Vance said. In a separate interview, Vance said Trump also was likely to meet with the newly freed hostages. Knock on wood, but we feel very confident the hostages will be released and this president is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person, Vance told CBS Face the Nation. More aid into Gaza Associated Press footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian Red Crescent said they carried medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel. The trucks will head to the inspection area in the Kerem Shalom crossing for screening by Israeli troops. Abeer Etifa, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program, said workers were clearing roads inside Gaza Sunday to facilitate delivery. The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, said that the amount of aid entering the Gaza Strip is expected to increase Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement. Egypt said it is sending 400 aid trucks into Gaza Sunday. The trucks will have to be inspected by Israeli forces before being allowed in. Preparations for release of hostages A message sent Saturday from Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing and obtained by the AP, told hostage families to prepare for the release of their loved ones starting Monday morning. One of the families of the hostages confirmed the notes authenticity. Hirsch said preparations in hospitals and in Reiim camp were complete to receive the live hostages, while the dead will be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification. Israeli officials believe about 20 of the hostages out of 48 held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza are still alive. All of the living hostages are expected to be released Monday. Palestinian prisoners to be freed The timing has not yet been announced for the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel who are to be freed under the deal. They include 250 people serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 people seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. Health authorities in Gaza are preparing for the return of 1,900 Palestinian prisoners many of whom are expected to require urgent treatment and dead bodies taken by Israels military from the strip, Dr. Mounir al-Boursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in the enclave, said in a statement. He said he hopes that the bodies of medical personnel who died in Israeli detention centers will be among those handed over and called for the release of doctors Hossam Abu Safiya and Marwan al-Hams, who were detained from Gaza during the war. Satellite photos show Gazans returning home The photos, taken on Saturday and analyzed by the AP, show a line of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City. The line of vehicles was seen on Al Rashid Street, which runs north-south along the Gaza Strips coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. Tents along the coast also could be seen near Gaza Citys marina. Many people have been living along the sea to avoid being targeted in Israeli bombardment of the city. Armed police were seen in Gaza City and southern Gaza patrolling the streets and securing aid trucks driving through areas from which the Israeli military had withdrawn, according to residents. The police force is part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. A bus veered off a road and plunged down an embankment on a steep mountain pass in northern South Africa, killing at least 42 people and leaving another 49 passengers injured, authorities said on Monday. The crash happened around 6pm Sunday on the N1 highway near the town of Louis Trichardt, around 400km (248 miles) north of the capital, Pretoria. The Transport Ministry said in a statement that the victims included seven children, 17 men and 18 women. It said six people were critically injured and another 31 had serious injuries and had been taken to several hospitals. One critically injured child was airlifted to a hospital, the ministry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Images released by authorities showed the blue bus lying upside down in the embankment with rescuers working underneath it to search for victims. A map of Louis Trichardt: The Limpopo provincial government said rescue operations continued late into Sunday night. The bus was travelling to Zimbabwe and was carrying Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals who were on their way to their home countries, the Transport Ministry said. It said the cause of the crash was not yet known. In a statement, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa offered his deep condolences to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi who have lost compatriots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This sadness is compounded by the fact that this incident has taken place during our annual transport month, where we place a special focus on the importance of safety on our roads, Ramaphosa said. Last year, 45 people were killed in a bus crash in the same Limpopo province when their vehicle veered off a bridge and into a ravine. An eight-year-old girl was the only survivor of that crash. That bus was carrying mainly Botswana nationals who were travelling to an Easter church gathering in South Africa. Oct. 13 (UPI) -- At least 42 people, including seven children, were killed after a bus in a northern region of South Africa left the road as it was driving over a steep mountain pass and plunged into a ravine. The crash occurred in Limpopo Province on Sunday night on the N1 highway about 250 miles north of Pretoria, the capital, according to traffic authorities who stressed the casualty figures were not final and could be revised. An unknown number of injured people in the crash were taken to area hospitals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Official photos showed an overturned bus with its roof crushed. Most of those killed were Zimbabwean and Malawian migrant workers traveling back to their home countries. Further details were yet to be released, apart from that it was known the bus was on a long-distance route from Port Elizabeth in South Africa's Eastern Cape region, more than 930 miles to the south. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the tragic loss of life was a disaster for the country as well as "our sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi." In June, a bus carrying supporters of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters party home from a rally in Kwa-Zulu Natal crashed in Vryheid, 185 miles north of Durban, killing at least 12 people on board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South African roads are among the most dangerous in the world, with 10,180 fatal crashes that killed 11,883 drivers and passengers and 5,360 pedestrians, a mortality rate of about 20 per 100,000 head of population, according to a report published in the scientific journal, South African Family Practice. Approximately 21% of the accidents involved hit-and-run incidents. Other major contributing factors included speeding, distraction, alcohol or other substances, inadequate law enforcement, unroadworthy vehicles, poor road conditions and maintenance, and lack of road safety awareness among pedestrians. South Africa's legal "town/city" speed limit of a little over 37 mph, compared with 25 mph in the United States and 19-31 mph across most of Europe, was also cited as a factor raising the risk of death or serious injury. Visit Lebanon Valley announced a special Lebanon County Wooden Nickel History Trail in honor of the America250 celebration. Twelve participating historical sites, museums and businesses throughout Lebanon County will distribute commemorative wooden nickels to visitors. Officials said the program's goal is to help connect visitors to local history "in a fun and memorable way while celebrating the nations milestone anniversary." Our tokens are more than souvenirs, Jennifer Kuzo, president of Visit Lebanon Valley, said in a release. Theyre tangible reminders of the role that Lebanon County has played in shaping our region. We hope they inspire people to explore our local sites and feel more connected to the larger American story. Celebrate 250 in the Valley and see if you can collect all 5 nickels! Visit Lebanon Valley announced a special Lebanon County Wooden Nickel History Trail for America250PA. Twelve participating historical sites, museums, and businesses throughout Lebanon County will distribute commemorative wooden nickels to visitors. Each nickel features one of five unique designs marking Americas semi quincentennial and highlights the importance of preserving a shared history in the Lebanon Valley. The five nickels feature an American flag, a Railroad, a Miners Hat, a Pretel, and an Iron/Steel Foundry token. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wooden nickels first popped up during the Great Depression to boost local economies when regular currency was scarce. Officials said the phrase dont take any wooden nickels was a playful warning to be cautious in ones dealings to avoid deception. The nickels later became "quirky giveaways and symbols of civic pride." "Visitors can collect nickels from multiple participating sites, creating an engaging way for families to tour historic locations, learn about the past, and celebrate the spirit of America250 together," officials said in the release. The nickels are free to visitors; paid entry to each site is not required. Officials said the trail will continue into 2026 while supplies last. Participating locations include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Annville Free Library Cornwall Iron Furnace Indiantown Gap National Cemetery (Nickels will be distributed at the Administration Office, which is located on the right side of the main road shortly after entering the cemetery) Isaac Meyer Homestead Lebanon County Historical Society Lebanon Farmers Market- at Candy Rama, Foltz Pretzels, Nomadix Coffee, and S. Clyde Weaver. Mount Gretna Historical Society Myerstown Library PA National Guard Military Museum Members of the public are highly encouraged to visit the Fort Indiantown Gap installation and its military museum which requires passage through the installations access-control point. Those without military identification must park and go inside the Visitor Center where personnel will scan their drivers license to conduct a background check. Passengers under 18 do not need to be vetted or have ID as long as they are with someone with a compliant ID or visitors pass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seltzers Smokehouse Meats Retail Store Visit Lebanon Valley Wertz Candies America250 mosaic: Lebanon County America250PA Mosaic unveiled at Expo center ceremony For more details on the History Trail and operating hours of the participating locations, residents can visit LebanonPa250.com. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Celebrate American history with Lebanon Co Wooden Nickel History Trail Lebanese President Joseph Aoun suggested Monday that Lebanon could consider negotiations with Israel, citing the shifting regional climate toward dialogue and compromise in the region. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) quoted Aoun as saying to a visiting group of economic journalists that "things are moving toward negotiations to establish peace and stability, and they are yielding results," adding that "solutions can be reached through dialogue and negotiation." But the president called on Israel to commit to halting military operations against Lebanon so that a negotiation process could begin, emphasizing that "this process we see in the region must not be challenged." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cannot be outside the current path in the region, which is the path of crisis resolution," he said. "We can no longer tolerate more war, destruction, killing and displacement." Aoun recalled that Lebanon had previously negotiated indirectly with Israel under US and UN auspices in 2022, resulting in the maritime border demarcation agreement announced from the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura. "What prevents the same thing from happening again to find solutions to the outstanding issues?" he asked, adding that even Israel "resorted to negotiating with Hamas after realizing that war and destruction brought no results." Lebanon and Israel are technically in a state of war. Madagascars president has been evacuated on a French military plane after an elite army unit mutinied and joined Gen Z protests calling for him to step down. Andry Rajoelina said an attempted coup was under way in the Indian Ocean nation after the Capsat army unit urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders and side with demonstrators. His evacuation followed a deal with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, radio station RFI reported on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crowds began gathering in Antananarivo, the capital, ahead of a scheduled speech as rumours swirled that he would announce his resignation after three weeks of mass demonstrations. We hope that he will apologise and genuinely announce his resignation, Finaritra Manitra Andrianamelasoa, a 24-year-old law student, told AFP. Afterwards, we can consider organising elections and determine who will be suitable to take the leadership role, he said. Youth-led demonstrations have been taking place in Madagascar over the last three weeks - Luis Tato/Getty Images Members of Madagascars army patrol in an armoured vehicle during a protest in Antananarivo - Luis Tato/Getty Images The former French colony has been shaken by protests after demonstrations about electricity and water cuts escalated into expressions of wider dissatisfaction with the government and Mr Rajoelinas leadership. The president had not been seen in public since last week, and the public security minister had said that his whereabouts was unknown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By Monday, officers in Madagascar supporting youth protesters had taken control of the paramilitary gendarmerie, Reuters reported. Troop with Capsat, which helped Mr Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup, urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders and back the demonstrators. Col Michael Randrianirina, an officer in the unit, said at the weekend that it had responded to the peoples call. Speaking to crowds from an armoured vehicle, he said the president, his new prime minister, the minister of the gendarmerie and the commander of the gendarmerie must leave power. Thats all, adding: Do we call this a coup? I dont know yet. Soldiers are greeted by people gathering for a ceremony in tribute to demonstrators killed during recent anti-government protests in Antananarivo - Mamyrael/AP The presidents office said an attempt to seize power illegally and by force had been initiated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A statement said the president strongly condemns this attempt at destabilisation and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defence of constitutional order and national sovereignty. Similar protests under the banner of Gen Z meaning those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s have swept Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Indonesia, Kenya and the Philippines in recent months. The anti-establishment protests, which have appeared to inspire each other, have mobilised over social media without obvious leaders. They have railed against grievances including inequality, rising costs, youth unemployment, corruption, nepotism and poor governance. Last month, Mr Rajoelina attempted to appease protesters by firing his entire government, including the prime minister, but the move was unsuccessful. Andry Rajoelina, Madagascars president, attempted to appease protesters by firing his entire government - Alexander Joe/AP Madagascar has had several leaders removed in coups since it gained independence from France in 1960. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Rajoelina first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government following the 2009 coup, which forced Marc Ravalomanana, the then president, to flee the country. Mr Rajoelina was elected president in 2018 and re-elected in 2023 in a vote that was boycotted by opposition parties. The Foreign Office warned against all but essential travel to Madagascar, saying that Antananarivo had seen significant incidents of violence, including looting, which has spread to other towns and cities. It added: The situation remains very fluid. We expect curfews to remain in place in Antananarivo and other cities. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Madagascars President Andry Rajoelina said that an attempted coup was under way in the African island country on Sunday after an elite army unit known as CAPSAT claimed control of the military, calling for the president to step down following anti-government protests. The statement from Rajoelinas office said he wishes to inform the nation and the international community that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force has been initiated. In view of the extreme gravity of this situation, the presidents office strongly condemns this attempt at destabilisation and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defence of constitutional order and national sovereignty, the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rajoelinas office offered no details on who was behind the attempt, and no signs of violence were immediately visible on the streets on Sunday. The island nation has faced weeks of significant protests prior to the alleged coup attempt. On Sunday, the minister of armed forces in Madagascar acknowledged that an officer had been selected by a military group supporting demonstrators calling for Rajoelina to resign as the country's new army chief. Armed Forces Minister Manantsoa Deramasinjaka Rakotoarivelo attended the ceremony at army headquarters, where General Demosthene Pikulas was appointed Chief of the Army Staff. At least 22 dead in weekslong youth protests The protests are led by a group calling itself Gen Z Madagascar, and the United Nations says the demonstrations have left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured. The government has disputed this number. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Saturday, the CAPSAT forces joined the weeks-long protests, which reports claim to be among the largest since the unrest began on 25 September. Protesters are tear-gassed during a protest calling for the president to step down in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Joe) - AP Photo A commander of the unit, Col. Michael Randrianirina, said his troops had exchanged fire with security forces who were attempting to quell the protests on Saturday and that one of his soldiers had been killed. Speaking to crowds from an armoured vehicle, Randrianirina said that Rajoelina, his new prime minister, the minister of the gendarmerie and the commander of the gendarmerie must leave power. Thats all. Do we call this a coup? I dont know yet, Randrianirina had said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The whereabouts of the president were not immediately known on Sunday. Rajoelinas government said in a statement that he remained in the country and had not fled. Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina and his wife Mialy Rajoelina arrive for the 19th Francophonie Summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Lo - AP Photo The 51-year-old Rajoelina first came to power as the leader of a transitional government, following a 2009 military-backed coup that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to flee the country. He returned in 2014 but hasnt held office since. Meanwhile, in an email message on Sunday, Air France's French division announced that flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, will not operate from Saturday to Tuesday "due to the security situation" on the ground. According to Air France, "the resumption of operations will remain subject to a daily assessment of the situation," and the airline was keeping a close eye on the situation with authorities. A large island of 31 million people off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar has had several leaders removed in coups after gaining independence from France in 1960. On the night of October 13, Russia attacked Ukraine with 82 Shahed, Gerbera attack UAVs and other types of drones, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram on Monday morning. "Air defenses shot down/suppressed 69 enemy Shahed, Gerbera and other types of drones in the north, east and south of the country," the message said. In addition, 13 attack UAVs were recorded hitting seven locations, as well as the fall of downed ones (fragments) at two locations. The attack continues, several enemy UAVs remain in Ukainian airspace. The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. In September, companies reported layoff and furlough plans affecting more than 1,600 Illinois workers. The job reductions were reported to the state as part of the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The layoffs span multiple industries, including transportation, manufacturing and health care. Illinois hospital closes, workers laid off Weiss Memorial Hospital submitted a WARN notice Sept. 5, announcing the layoffs of 289 workers on Oct. 25. The medical and surgical hospital closed in August. A spokesperson for Weiss declined to comment. Air freight transportation company to lay off 55 Chicago employees Citing a lost contract, Air General, Inc. submitted a WARN notice Sept. 5 announcing its intention to lay off 55 workers at Chicago OHare Airport on Nov. 8. The Peoria Journal Star reached out to Air General via telephone and email but did not receive a response. Illinois senior living community laying off employees Brookdale Senior Living announced in a Sept. 19 WARN notice that it was closing its Brookdale Lake View facility in Chicago. The closure will result in 117 layoffs on Nov. 17, according to the WARN report. The Journal Star reached out to the company via telephone and email but received no response. Health care firm laying off Chicago workers Carolina Therapeutic Services, doing business as CTS Health Inc., announced on Sept. 26 that it had temporarily laid off a total of 33 employees at three Chicago facilities. The Journal Star reached out to Carolina Therapeutic Services by telephone but did not receive a response. Logistics company closes two Illinois plants CNC Logistics, Inc. has laid off 57 workers from its Palatine facility and 53 more from its West Chicago location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CNC reported the Aug. 27 Palatine layoffs in a Sept. 23 WARN notice. A Sept. 30 notice announced that the West Chicago layoffs took place Sept. 23. The reason provided was the closure of both plants. CNC lists three other locations on its website: Greenwood, Illinois, along with Durham, North Carolina, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. CNC, a transportation and warehousing company, has worked with the ecommerce giant Amazon as an Amazon last mile provider since 2017, according to its website. "CNC Logistics has exited the Amazon Delivery Service Partner program, an Amazon spokesperson said. Affected employees will have the opportunity to apply with other Delivery Service Partners in the region." Chicago manufacturer may close plant The metal container manufacturer Mauser Packaging Solutions announced the possible closure of its plant in Chicago in a Sept. 30 WARN notice. The closure will result in 168 workers being laid off on Nov. 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company cited union negotiations as the reason for the move. Teamsters Local 705 has been on strike against Mauser since June. Penske Logistics has planned layoffs in Illinois On Sept. 9, Penske Logistics, LLC announced the coming layoffs of 37 employees from its Naperville facility. The layoffs are slated to take place on Nov. 4, according to the WARN note. Previously, Penske laid off 337 Missouri workers in July after losing a contract for warehousing services with the supermarket chain Schnuck's. Penske, a Pennsylvania-based company, specializes in supply chain management and logistics services. The Peoria Journal Star reached out to Penske via phone and email but did not receive a response. Montana-based manufacturer to lay off 126 Rantoul employees Revelyst Inc. submitted a WARN notice on Sept. 4 reporting layoffs for 126 workers from its Rantoul distribution center on Nov. 3 due to restructuring. The company, a manufacturer of outdoor products, did not respond to telephone or email inquiries. Rising Pharmaceuticals laying off 86 workers in Decatur Rising Pharmaceuticals announced a consolidation effort and stated in a Sept. 15 WARN notice that it intends to lay off 86 employees at two sites in Decatur on Nov. 15. The Journal Star did not receive a response to telephone and email inquiries. Airline scales back operations at O'Hare Spirit Airlines, Inc. announced on Sept. 24 that it intends to lay off 64 workers at Chicago OHare International Airport on Dec. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The layoffs at OHare are part of a nationwide effort to align staffing with fleet size and anticipated flight volume, according to Spirit spokesperson Cameryn Junck. Spirit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Aug. 29 and announced a restructuring plan that called for a reduced presence in certain markets. Spirit already has cut its scheduled flights at OHare International Airport by one-third compared with a year ago, according to Crain's Chicago Business. Spirits August Chapter 11 filing marked the second time in under a year that the company had filed for bankruptcy protection. The airline has also scrapped plans to launch service at Middle Georgia Regional Airport, which was set to begin on Oct. 16. Capital One laying off more workers from Illinois site Citing a financial restructuring effort, Capital One Financial submitted a supplemental WARN notice on Sept 16. The company plans to lay off 382 workers from its Riverwoods facility on Nov. 17, and 10 more on Dec. 19. Capital One had previously reported in August that it would lay off nearly 200 employees this month and 22 more employees on May 1, 2026. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We conducted an extensive strategic business review of Discovers home equity and refinance loan business to better understand its position and potential as part of Capital One's business portfolio, a Capital One spokesperson said. In late June, we announced the difficult decision to exit this business. More: Illinois businesses report major layoffs across various job sectors The Room Place/Harlem Furniture closing Lombard plant Furniture retailer Harlem Furniture formerly known as The RoomPlace announced that the upcoming closure of its plant in Lombard will lead to 35 layoffs. Harlem Furniture announced the plant closure and the layoffs in a Sept. 8 WARN notice. The layoffs are scheduled for Nov. 2, according to the WARN report. Harlem Furniture was formerly branded as The RoomPlace Furniture and Mattress LLC. The RoomPlace announced a voluntary Chapter 11 restructuring plan last February that would refocus its efforts on strengthening stores in the Chicago area. As part of the restructuring effort, The RoomPlace also closed its Peoria location in Northwoods Mall last April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The RoomPlace was founded in 1912 in Chicago as Harlem Furniture, and it rebranded to the original name. The company also announced this month that it is closing its four remaining stores and will operate as a direct-to-consumer retailer. The Journal Star reached out to Harlem Furniture by telephone and email for comment but did not receive a response. Food service provider to lay off more Illinois workers On Sept. 12, The Compass Group reported submitted plans to lay off 37 TouchPoint Support Services workers at Ascension Living St. Anne Place in Rockford and 20 at Ascension Living St. Joseph Village in Freeport due to lost contracts. The firm also filed WARN notices Sept. 19 announcing the November layoffs of 105 TouchPoint workers at Prime Health St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet and 48 at Mercy Medical Center in Aurora. The Compass Group USA did not respond to telephone calls and emails. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: WARN Act: More than 1,600 Illinois employees to be affected by layoffs US nationals visiting Mali will be required to post a $10,000 bond for tourist and business visas in a tit-for-tat response to the Trump administrations imposition on the West African country. Mali has become the latest African nation to be hit by a visa bond since Washington instituted the requirement in August, starting with citizens of Malawi and Zambia. The Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, and Mauritania were later added to the list, which Washington says is a move to prevent visa overstays, as part of its ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration. Last week neighboring Burkina Faso, which like Mali is also under military rule, took its own retaliatory measures against new rules from Washington, refusing to accept deportees from the US after the White House suspended the issuance of visas in the West African nation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sahels junta regimes have steadily reduced diplomatic ties with the West as they deepen partnerships with China and Russia. In January, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger also withdrew from West African regional bloc Ecowas, having earlier formed their own Alliance of Sahel States grouping. COURTESY HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT Pomaikai Olson COURTESY HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT Pomaikai Olson A Naalehu man, 31, has been arrested for first-degree robbery after a violent crime spree in Volcano on Saturday afternoon, according to the Hawaii County Police Department. At 4 :43 p.m., police dispatch received multiple calls about a reckless driver heading Hilo-bound on Highway 11 within the Hawai i Volcanoes National Park. A man was allegedly driving recklessly with a stolen white Dodge pickup truck, forcing oncoming vehicles off the roadway and causing several traffic collisions, according to a news release. As officers responded to the call, a 62-year-old woman called police and reported her Hummer H3 had been carjacked at gunpoint near Highway 11 and Luna Ikena Road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect was later identified as Pomaikai Olson who reportedly left the white pickup truck in the roadway and fled with the Hummer heading toward Hilo. Police dispatch received more calls of a reckless driver in a Hummer. Olson who was allegedly driving the stolen Hummer ran two marked police vehicles off the runway and struck three more vehicles before it was disabled. Olson allegedly exited the disabled Hummer and attempted to flag down passing motorists. A man, 79, reported that when he slowed down Olson pointed a firearm in his direction and demanded control of the his vehicle. The man fled the area and dialed 911. Olson reportedly approached a nearby resident by foot on the 17-400 block of Volcano Road in Kurtistown and attempted to enter a home by force. A male resident, 53, confronted Olson who pointed a firearm at him and demanded the keys to his parked Dodge pickup truck. The man gave him the keys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Olson allegedly entered the truck, hit the gas, struck a parked vehicle then reversed when he nearly struck a 26-year-old man who jumped out of the vehicles path. Olson allegedly continued on Highway 11 where he struck another vehicle and disabled the Dodge truck. He attempted to flag down passing motorists and reportedly threw the firearm at a passing vehicle. The 53-year-old man and and his 26-year-old nephew restrained Olson until police arrived and took him into custody at 5 :05 p.m. Police later determined the weapon Olson was using was an airsoft pistol that closely resembled a real firearm. Area 1 Criminal Investigation Section detectives responded to multiple scenes to investigate. The stolen Hummer and Dodge pickup trucks were both recovered pending execution of search warrants. Detectives determined Olson did not have permission to operate the white Dodge pickup truck owned by a family member. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police detectives will confer with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney to determine any charges. Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the events or may have been a victim to contact detective Amy Omaya at 808-961-2381 or email amy.omaya @hawaiipolice.gov. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide CrimeStoppers number at 808-961-830. Tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $1, 000. See more : 8 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? . LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) A man was arrested in possession of nearly 60 pounds of methamphetamine in drug deal setup arranged by law enforcement, according to the Davis County Task Force. Arnulfo Ruiz Mendez, 42, was arrested in Davis County on one charge of distribution of a controlled substance (second-degree felony). On Oct. 11, a confidential source in contact with a drug supplier arranged a delivery of a substantial amount of methamphetamine. The supplier had reportedly offered the source meth in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The source informed police that the drug courier, from out of state, was on his way to Utah and had arrived in Layton. The source arranged with the courier to meet at a hotel in Layton and confirmed the details surrounding the deal. Agents with Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force and FBI were briefed on the operation. Agents set up in the area of the hotel and were able to locate two suspects inside the hotel lobby. Once agents set up in the area of the hotel, the confidential source contacted the courier and they met up in the parking lot of the hotel. At this point, agents took both suspects into custody in front of the hotel. Law enforcement found around 56 pounds of methamphetamine inside a large bag inside the suspects vehicle, a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mendez admitted to obtaining the meth in Phoenix, Ariz., and transporting it to Utah for delivery. He told police he was going to get paid $4000 for the transportation. Mendez was booked into Davis County Jail on the aforementioned charges. No further information is available at this time. Latest headlines: Copyright 2025 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. NATCHEZ, Miss. (WJTV) Adams County deputies announced a man was arrested for kidnapping a 12-year-old girl. Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said the suspect, Victor Alfonso Xol Mez, was taken into custody by Concordia Parish deputies during a traffic stop in Clayton, Louisiana, on October 12, 2025. Woman shot in head while inside SUV with child: JPD Investigators said the 12-year-old was last seen at a residence on Duck Pond Road at 11:00 p.m. on October 11, 2025. Patten said the girl was safely recovered in Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are extremely thankful for the quick coordination between our office and the Concordia Parish Sheriffs Office, said Patten. Victor Alfonso Xol Mez (Courtesy: Adams Co. Sheriffs Office) Xol Mez was charged with kidnapping. The investigation is ongoing. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 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. The brother-in-law of embattled Northwest Florida contractor Matthew Banks is also gearing up for his own trial related to allegations of contractor fraud throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. A panel of jurors are scheduled to be picked Oct. 13 to sit before Jesse LaCoste in which he is charged with racketeering, organized fraud and other felonies related to his alleged practice of taking customer money and not returning to work. When asked about the case and trial, LaCostes attorney, Todd Early, told the News Journal, It's not as cut and dry as they want you to think it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In November 2023, an Escambia County grand jury indicted LaCoste under Florida's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act as well as organized fraud, both first-degree felonies. The grand jury found LaCoste used his company, LaCoste Construction Group, to conduct a pattern of racketeering activity, involving forgery, perjury, false official statements, theft and insurance fraud. LaCoste allegedly defrauded homeowners, insurance companies and subcontractors of more than $2 million and falsified his applications to obtain his county and state contractor licenses, according to the state's investigators. Along with the fraud and racketeering case, LaCoste has an additional four cases opened by the Office of the State Attorney, facing in total four counts of grand theft, two counts of contractor fraud and two counts of insurance fraud. Alleged victims of Jesse LaCoste reached out to Escambia County for help Carol Bergeron had a Pensacola Beach home damaged during Hurricane Sally in 2020, but when she chose LaCoste to repair the damages, she felt she was scammed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue I have with LaCoste Construction Group is I was charged $104,765 for a new roof, repairs to two decks, and demolition to the interior of the house, Bergeron wrote in a complaint to Escambia's Contractor Competency Board. This in my opinion was way over what the costs of the work performed actually were. The charges depleted all the funds I had received from the insurance company plus additional money I had given him for deck repairs. I dont believe this money was used appropriately and strongly feel Jesse LaCoste scammed us. Bergeron says the only work he finished was the roof, and he left the house basically gutted, with no sheetrock or cabinets and she included pictures to prove her point. She ended up selling the house as is because she could no longer afford to keep it. Not only was she losing the nearly $3,000 a month in rent it usually brought in, but she was running out of funds to make the repairs. Another Pensacola couple, James and Joan Mitchell, said they owed their bank almost $400,000 in loans after LaCoste failed to even get started on the house they hired him to build in 2022. Jesse LaCoste's brother-in-law Matt Banks faces RICO charges for alleged contractor-related scams According to the Office of the State Attorney, Banks allegedly stole more than double the money LaCoste is accused of stealing, saying Banks "engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity, stole over $5 million in funds, materials and services from more than 150 victims" from 2019 to 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Assistant State Attorney Russell Edgar said Banks "conducted Banks Construction LLC in an unlawful manner by committing instances of theft of money and funds from homeowners and business owners, by committing theft of payroll monies from his employees ... forgery of building applications, workers compensation fraud and insurance fraud." Banks faces upwards of a dozen charges including fraud and RICO. He's next scheduled to appear in court Nov. 5. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Matt Banks brother Jesse LaCoste ready for contractor scam trial Monroe County could see a handful of new local judges come Election Day. In New York, judges in town and village courts preside over traffic hearings, small claims, eviction filings and other civil and criminal matters. There is no race in Chili, Clarkson, Greece, Irondequoit, Mendon, Penfield or Wheatland this year; candidates in those towns are running uncontested. Courts in Gates, Ogden, Perinton, Pittsford, Sweden and Webster have multiple candidates vying for a limited number of judicial seats. There is also a race for a single Monroe County Family Court judgeship this fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We sent quick questionnaires through the Democrat and GOP committee to all candidates in the contested races. Those with expanded information and photos below responded to the questionnaire, and those with only names listed did not respond.Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and space. Monroe County Family Court (1) Tonia Ettinger, Democrat Tonia Ettinger Age: 47 Residence: Brockport Current or prior elected offices: Currently serving as Monroe County Family Court Judge, appointed in June 2025 Professional experience: Over my 21-year legal career, I have dedicated the last 16 years exclusively to family court in Monroe County first as an attorney for the child at the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, where for 10 years I made sure children's voices were heard. Then, as a principal court attorney for six years, I supported a family court judge with thousands of cases and ensured that proceedings were efficient, fair, and consistent with the law. I am honored to currently be a family court judge, and my perspective as a mother gives me a deeper understanding of the real-life challenges families face. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues of importance: A top issue driving my candidacy is ensuring that Monroe County families have a judge with the proven family court experience, integrity and compassion needed to make decisions that profoundly affect children's lives. Our families deserve a judge who knows this court inside and out and understands the real impact these cases have on people every day. Mallorie Rulison, Republican Mallorie Rulison Age: 40 Residence: Pittsford Current or prior elected offices: None Professional experience: I am currently a principal law clerk for a New York State Supreme Court Justice. I have served as a law clerk for approximately 5 1/2 years and have handled a mixture of matrimonial actions and civil litigation. As a law clerk, I assist the judge with researching and drafting decisions. Before my current job, I was a deputy county attorney for Monroe County, where I spent 6 1/2 years representing the various county departments and Monroe County Sheriff's Office in litigation actions. Before starting there, I was an associate attorney at Trevett, Cristo, Salzer and Andolina representing clients in family law, matrimonial and real estate actions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues of importance: I have dedicated the majority of my career to public service. I care deeply about this community and seek to continue my commitment to making a meaningful and positive difference in the lives of children and families throughout Monroe County. Gates Town Justice (2) Frank Cassara, Republican Sarah Krzemien, Democrat Sarah Krzemien Age: 40 Residence: Gates Current or prior elected offices: None Professional experience: My work experience is in academia as a political scientist specializing as an Americanist and law scholar. I've taught constitutional law and conducted doctoral research on judicial decision-making and jurisprudential democratic legitimacy. My background gives me a strong foundation in the Constitution, the courts, and a commitment to fairness and impartiality on the bench. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues of importance: I believe the judiciary needs judges who combine deep knowledge of the law with the energy and adaptability to keep cases moving, ensuring that justice is not only fair, but also timely. A courtroom should be a place where people feel their voices are heard without unnecessary delay, and where decisions are made with both rigor and efficiency. I bring a commitment to improving case management and ensuring that our courts serve the people with integrity, effectiveness, and respect. Justice delayed is justice denied and I am running to ensure our courts meet the highest standards of both fairness and timeliness. Peter Pupatelli, Republican Autumn Young, Democrat Age: 31 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residence: Gates Current or prior elected offices: None Professional experience: I joined the Monroe County Conflict Defender's Office in 2023. I represent parties in custody and visitation cases, neglect proceedings and in domestic violence court. Issues of importance: I am driven by the desire to serve my community by increasing judicial efficiency. Being involved in any kind of litigation has a significant impact on every aspect of a party's life, and my goal is to make that process as quick and painless as possible. Ogden Town Justice (1) Andrew Kleehammer, Democrat Andrew Kleehammer, Democrat, is a candidate for Ogden Town Justice in the 2025 election. Professional experience: For the past 10 years, I have worked for the Monroe County Law Department handling child abuse and neglect cases in Family Court. I am in court each day and have conducted hundreds of trials and hearings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issue of importance: The top issue driving my candidacy is experience. I believed Ogden deserves a judge who has knows, understands, and appreciates the law. I believe that in order be an effective judge you must have experience as a litigator in a court room. I will utilize my experience to ensure each citizen who appears in front of me is treated fairly and respectfully. Christopher Mears, Republican Christopher Mears Age: 58 Residence: Ogden/Spencerport Current or prior elected offices: Currently serving as Ogden Town Justice since January 2025. Professional experience: Retired chief of police for the Ogden Police Department, now director of security for the Spencerport Central School District. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues of importance: I believe everyone who comes into contact with the criminal justice system must be treated in a fair and impartial manner. Rights of the accused must be protected, while maintaining a sense of public safety. Town courts are those closest to the people, and I would be honored to continue to serve the public in this role. Perinton Town Justice (1) Matthew Lenhard, Republican Matthew Lenhard Age: 53 Residence: Perinton Current or prior elected offices: None Professional experience: Trial attorney for 25+ years with Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC. Litigated 50+ jury trials to verdict with a proud record of successfully representing businesses and individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues of importance: The top issue in this campaign is public safety, because keeping Perinton safe is essential to preserving the quality of life that makes this community such a special place to live and raise a family. I am honored to be the only candidate endorsed by the Rochester Police Locust Club and the Finger Lakes Police Federation, whose members work every day to protect our community. Charles Steinman, Democrat Age: 75 Residence: Perinton Current or prior elected offices: I am one of two current Perinton Town Court judges. I was first elected in 2021. Professional experience: I have been a practicing litigator for 50 years. I was formerly with the New York State Attorney General's Office and have been in private practice since 2015. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues of importance: As a judicial candidate, I cannot speak on any issues other than my qualifications. Pittsford Town Justice (1) John Bernacki Jr., Republican Age: 59 Residence: Pittsford Current or prior elected offices: Councilman of Pittsford Town Board from 2002-2009. Current Pittsford Town Judge, elected in 2009. Professional experience: Managing partner of Bernacki Law, with over 30 years of experience. Issues of importance: A top issue driving my candidacy, in addition to continuing the competent administration of justice, is to help restore public confidence in our courts and in the criminal justice system in Pittsford. (Bernacki details a case where a judge let a defendant go with an appearance ticket instead of holding them and a victim was killed). Upholding defendants' rights does not and should not result in ignoring the rights of victims and protecting the public. Being a town justice means freeing yourself from any ideological moorings and fulfilling your duty to the proper administration of justice and to the public. Rich Murajda, Democrat, is running in the Pittsford Town Justice race in 2025. Rich Murajda, Democrat Age: 41 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residence: Pittsford Current or prior elected offices: None Professional experience: Served as a public defender in Monroe County for five years, where I defended the constitutional rights of the most vulnerable members of our community. For the last 10 years, I've served as a court attorney, advising judges as they uphold the Constitution in the same types of cases I'll hear in Pittsford. Issues of importance: Our judges matter now more than ever. Our judiciary must be independent, bipartisan, and make every decision based on the facts and the law, and never on fear or favor. I would like to innovate Pittsford Town Court to make it easier for all people to get justice. In my current role, Ive simplified court forms to help people who want to handle legal matters themselves. Ive also helped implement virtual proceedings so people dont have to take off work or find childcare when a case is appropriate for it. I believe in a court system that works for the people and Ive worked throughout my career to break down barriers to justice. Sweden Town Justice (1) Joann Sharp, Democrat Age: 58 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Residence: Sweden Current or prior elected offices: None Professional experience: 28 years of legal experience. Currently working for the Monroe County Conflict Defender's Office. Issues of importance: Judicial neutrality. We have laws. They should be enforced equally and fairly. Paul Vadas, Republican Paul Vadas Age: 59 Residence: Sweden Current or prior elected offices: Currently serving as Sweden Town Justice, appointed January 2025. Professional experience: Retired lieutenant for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office in charge of special operations. My responsibilities encompassed supervision of the K9 unit, Greater Rochester International Airport, Community Services Unit, Marine Unit, Mounted Patrol and the Tactical Unit. I have over 31 years of law enforcement experience and community service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Issues of importance: I am a long-time resident of Monroe County and am committed to serving the Sweden community. I believe the court should be fair and impartial and it is imperative to understand another person's viewpoint, while maintaining the integrity of our laws and respecting the dignity of all those we encounter. Every case should be handled diligently to ensure fair and just outcomes. Webster Town Justice (1) Brittany Bonanno, Democrat Brittany Bonanno Age: 39 Residence: Webster Current or prior elected offices: None Professional experience: I have 14 years of experience in law enforcement with the State of New York. Within the last year, I transitioned to Xerox as a Global Corporate Investigator. Issues of importance: The primary focus driving my candidacy has always been Webster Community First. Politics can be deeply polarizing, and when our spaces become so divided, our shared humanity is often lost. I am committed to ensuring fair, accessible, and community-centered justice in Webster. I have seen firsthand how the courts impact individuals, families, and neighborhoods, and I believe every person deserves equal treatment under the law, regardless of background or circumstance. Rather than engaging in partisan debates, my campaign is centered on strengthening public trust in the justice system through transparency, ethical decision-making, and genuine responsiveness to the community I serve. Thomas DiSalvo, Republican Thomas DiSalvo is a town justice in Webster, NY. Age: 72 Residence: Webster Current or prior elected offices: I have been a Webster Town Justice for over 24 years. Prior to that, I served as a Webster deputy town attorney for about 5 years. I was assigned to the planning board. I also prosecuted town code violations and Article 78 cases for the Town of Webster. Professional experience: As an attorney in general private practice for 42 years, I have litigated both civil and criminal cases. I have represented clients in both bench and jury trials, in the town, city, county, family and supreme court. I have also handled appeals before the Fourth Department Appellate Division. As a town justice I have presided over hundreds of hearings and trials and over jury trials. My experience includes presiding over hundreds of arraignments in Webster Town Court. I am also presiding over arraignments in the county-wide Centralized Arraignment Part. I am still practicing law on a full-time basis. Issues of importance: The top issue that defines my candidacy is to preside over cases with fairness and impartiality. The Justice Courts are the courts closest to the people, which means that for most people, the Justice Court is their first and only experience with the justice system and the courts. So, it is imperative that that the litigants in my court feel that they have been treated with respect and that their case was decided in accordance with the law. Uncontested races Chili Town Justice (2): Eric Stowe (R) and Ronald Evangelista (R) Clarkson Town Justice (1): Ian Penders (R) Greece Town Justice (3): Shannon Pero (R), Deb Crowder (R), Brett Granville (R) Irondequoit Town Justice (2): Alison Camp (D) and Joseph Valentino (D) Mendon Town Justice (1): Amanda Balling (R) Penfield Town Justice (1): James Mulley Jr. (R) Wheatland (2): Nicole Bayly (R) and Michael Smith (R) How to vote Early voting is available to all voters in Monroe County from Saturday, Oct. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 2. Polls are open for regular voting between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4. You can look up where you can vote on Election Day at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov. Check back with the Democrat and Chronicle for the full election results as they become available. Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram at @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who's running in local judge races in your Monroe County town? POZA RICA, Mexico (AP) The death toll from Mexicos torrential rains rose to 47 on Sunday as the fallout mounted from flooding and landslides in different states around the country, as the authorities were rushing to help affected residents, look for missing people and try to clean several areas. Days after heavy rains drenched several parts of Mexico, the country saw over the weekend the extension of devastation in some states, where the flooding swept away vehicles and destroyed houses and roads. President Claudia Sheinbaum traveled to some of the states and said the government will begin a census among affected people to distribute aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexico's Civil Protection agency said as of Sunday night, the heavy rains had killed 18 people in Veracruz state on the Gulf Coast and 16 people in Hidalgo state, north of Mexico City. At least 12 people were killed in Puebla, east of Mexico City. Earlier, in the central state of Queretaro, a child died being caught in a landslide. That toll could still rise as rescue workers continued to dig through sodden villages clogged with mud and debris on Sunday. Civil Protection said at least 38 people were missing in three different states. Authorities have attributed the deadly downpours to two tropical systems that formed off the western coast of Mexico and have since dissipated, Hurricane Pricilla and Tropical Storm Raymond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Veracruz and Puebla, hundreds of army personnel, police officers and firefighters conducted rescue operations and set up temporary shelters where stranded residents could find food and medical attention. Thousands of residents across the country were still struggling with a lack of running water and electricity. There are still various communities in Veracruz that find themselves cut off that fortunately today they were able to establish air bridges to be able to take food, water and attend to any sick people, Sheinbaum said on a visit to Veracruz Sunday. We know that there is a lot of desperation and worry. Were going to get to everyone. Parts of Veracruz state received some 21 inches (54 centimeters) of rain from Oct. 6 to 9. In Poza Rica, an oil town 170 miles (275 kilometers) northeast of Mexico City, where Sheinbaum spoke with residents in muddy streets, some low-lying neighborhoods saw 12 feet of water or more when the Cazones River jumped its banks Friday. The release of the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza has begun, with seven abductees handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. "According to information provided by the Red Cross, seven hostages have been transferred into their custody, and are on their way to IDF and ISA [Israel Security Agency] forces in the Gaza Strip," the IDF said in a statement. It added that it was prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shortly before, the ICRC said in a statement it had started "a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas." "Starting today, ICRC teams will receive the hostages held in Gaza and transfer them to Israeli authorities," the statement read. "The ICRC will also facilitate the transfer of remains of the deceased so that families can bury their loved ones with dignity." Crowds who had gathered in central Tel Aviv's "Hostage Square" erupted in cheers as news spread that the mission to return the last hostages still being held following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack had begun. The freed hostages were identified by Israeli media as Alon Ohel, Matan Angrest, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Eitan Mor, Gali and Ziv Berman, and Omri Miran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli broadcaster N12 reported that all seven were were able to walk into Red Cross vehicles under their own power. They were released after 738 days in captivity. In total, 20 of the remaining living hostages are expected to be freed on Monday, with a second group due to be released at 10 am (0700 GMT). Israel's military said it does not expect Hamas to deliver all 28 deceased hostages within the 72-hour timeframe agreed under the ceasefire, amid concerns that bodies may be missing in the largely destroyed Gaza Strip. The hostages will be transferred to the Israeli military base of Re'im for medical checks, showers and clothing changes. Families will be reunited with their loved ones before the captives are flown to hospitals for further treatment. Under the terms of the truce agreement, Israel is set to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The ICRC said it would transfer Palestinian detainees held in Israeli places of detention to Gaza and the West Bank in a separate operation. EMINENCE, Mo. A wave of what county leaders call whistle-blower complaints from Shannon County officials and citizens has prompted Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to fast-track a performance audit of the rural county, set to begin later this month. The audit, part of the states regular schedule of county reviews, was moved up following months of turmoil among county leaders over budget disputes, missing turnovers, and growing financial strain. The last audit of Shannon County was completed in 2018, when the county received a fair rating a sign of needed improvements. County treasurer among those raising alarm Shannon County Treasurer Michelle Osborne Shedd said she had been urging the state to intervene for months. Roger Bell, Shannon County concerned citizen, films Shannon County Treasurer Michelle Osborne Shedd during the Commissions meeting Monday, Sept. 8. STAFF PHOTOS/KATHRYN SKOPEC Ive been begging the state auditors office to help, Shedd told Ozarks First on Friday, Oct. 10. They told me they had an audit scheduled for some time next year. I told them not to bother. Its unlikely well still be solvent by that time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shedd said Herman Kelly, Shannon County Southern Commissioner, traveled to Jefferson City on Sept. 25 to meet with the State Auditors Office. They took him seriously and have scheduled an audit for this month, she said. Concerns over sheriffs office finances Ozarks First obtained emails county whistle-blowers sent to the state, along with commission meeting minutes, that highlight months of tension between the Shannon County Commission and the Shannon County Sheriffs Office (SCSO). According to commission records, Shedd informed the Commission on June 9 that the SCSO had not turned over any funds to her that year a routine process for county departments. Other offices, she said, submit turnover money monthly for deposit into designated accounts. Shannon County Southern Commissioner Herman Kelly listens to the Commissioner meeting Monday, Sept. 8. He traveled to Jefferson City to urgent the state to expedite the regularly-scheduled audit. At that meeting, minutes show Shannon County Sheriff Steve Hogan offered to remove one deputy to address budget issues, but commissioners noted the department still lacked sufficient funds to cover payroll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That discussion led Kelly to move that the Commission send letters to sheriffs deputies warning they would not be paid after June 15 because of a budget shortfall. The motion carried unanimously. The commissioners all agree that they regret having to take this action, but as county commissioners, they must try and keep the county as a whole running, the June 9 minutes stated. Commissioner Vester Crider said Hogan had depleted nearly his entire annual budget in less than six months and was projected to exceed it by roughly $300,000 before years end a gap the county could not cover, leading to a lawsuit that ended in Hogans favor. By the commissions first August meeting, Shedd again reported no turnover from the SCSO, raising additional concerns about money tied to a deputy supplemental grant. In past years, those funds had been deposited into Civil Fees and General Revenue accounts to support the grant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without turnover from the sheriffs office, Shedd said, she could not send required payments to the state. Lawsuit deepens county rift Shannon County Presiding Commissioner Beth Long told Ozarks First in previous coverage that the commissions strained relationship with the SCSO worsened after the county prosecuting attorney filed a lawsuit against the commission in mid-June. Long previously said the case passed through multiple judges before the Missouri Supreme Court appointed one to hear it. The judge, she said, signed documents prepared by the prosecutor without giving commissioners an opportunity to review them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We then went back to court to challenge this, and the judge apologized as he stated he was not aware that the prosecuting attorney had not provided the county commission with an opportunity to review, Long said. Pictured is Shannon County Coroner Allen Ford, who previously spoke with Ozarks First regarding the fear and anxiety he felt from his interactions with the SCSO. He has overreached his authority; Shannon County Coroner speaks out against Sheriffs allegations She called the process divisive. There has been no responsibility accepted by the sheriff for his budget deficit, she said. The county commission has also made mistakes, but have also tried very hard to work with every office. Sheriff responds In a statement to Ozarks First, Hogan who has 26 years of law enforcement service under his belt, as well as 27 years as a paramedic said his office had inherited a department in disarray and that every expenditure since he began serving in January had gone toward restoring basic operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every dollar spent by this administration has gone directly toward law enforcement operations, officer safety, and restoring the basic functions of the Sheriffs Office, Hogan said. He disputed Shedds claims that his office failed to turn over funds. Contrary to Treasurer Shedds claim that no funds were turned over, the Sheriffs Office did submit its turnovers, Hogan said. Those deposits were held within the Treasurers Office for nearly two months before being posted to the proper accounts. Hogan accused the Treasurer and Commission of politicizing the issue and said long-standing financial problems within county government predated his administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He cited findings from the 2018 State Auditors report, which documented internal control failures, missing records, and noncompliance with state financial laws by multiple county offices including the Commission, Clerk, and Treasurer. Hogan said he personally requested the upcoming audit after discovering irregularities in county grant reporting and financial documentation. Shannon County Sheriff Steve Hogan speaks at the Commission meeting Monday, Sept. 8. My office has already provided complete records to the State Auditors team and stand ready to fully cooperate once the audit begins, he said. Any attempt to portray this audit as punishment or mismanagement by the Sheriffs Office is false, misleading, and politically motivated. He added that, in his view, the SCSO remains confident that the upcoming audit will make clear what the record already shows that systemic financial mismanagement by the Commission and Treasurers Office has persisted for years. Audit set to begin Oct. 20 Fitzpatricks office announced on Friday that the performance audit will begin Monday, Oct. 20, starting with an entrance meeting between auditors and county officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Concerned taxpayers and officials in Shannon County have raised a number of red flags with our office in regard to the performance of their county government, and this audit provides a good opportunity to provide them with the answers they want and deserve, Fitzpatrick said in a press release. Were eager to get to work on behalf of the people of Shannon County. The 2018 audit cited several weaknesses in county financial oversight, including disbursements exceeding receipts in the General Revenue Fund, unpaid balances to the Special Road and Bridge Fund, and failures to reduce property tax levies to offset sales tax revenues as required by law. Despite months of tension, Shedd said she welcomes the states involvement. Im elated, she said. Weve been painted with such an ugly brush. What I really want the public to know is that we havent been trying to hide anything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 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. Okay, so CBS 60 Minutes will present the storm of the year review. Trump's old pay for sex partner shall appear. Just waiting for the end of the NCAA Basketball thingy to end; it is now in overtime. No. 1 Kansas v. No. 2 Duke. I do not care even if I should. Speaking of overtime. This dalliance, as you might recall occurred just shortly following the birth of Donald's last kid (we think?) whom we never get to see. Photo: Raytheon Missiles & Defense American long-range Tomahawk missiles successfully hit Russian air defense targets during the fighting in Syria in 2017-2018, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, has said. "Packet launches of cruise missiles at airfields and facilities in Damascus and Homs showed that Russian and Syrian reports of mass shootdowns were mostly informational in nature - independent assessments confirmed that most of the ammunition reached its targets. Technically, the reason is simple: Tomahawk flies low, with complex combined navigation, its detection by radars gives seconds to react, so effective interception requires a dense network of low-horizon radars, instant transmission of target designations and synchronized operation of air defense systems - Russian systems then covered Syrian targets and did not achieve success," Kovalenko said on Telegram. According to him, Tomahawk missiles are especially effective in batch launches, while overloading the air defense with various other targets increases the chance of success. "Russian S-400 or Pantsir systems are weak against Tomahawk. It is important to develop our own massive and long-range means of destruction in order to create just such redundant strike logistics, and at the same time to intensify air defense reconnaissance and integration with partners - without a reliable detection network, any air defense easily turns into a propaganda tool, rather than a factor of real defense. The Russians can expect unpleasant surprises. They are to blame - they could have stopped the war," Kovalenko added. Calls for the United States to return astronauts to the moon before the end of the decade have been increasingly loud and frequent, emanating from bipartisan lawmakers and science advocates alike. But underlying that drumbeat is a quagmire of epic proportions. NASA plans to use SpaceXs Starship the largest rocket system ever constructed for a key portion of the lunar journey, yet its still unclear whether the vehicle will work. And a fierce competitor is nipping at the agencys heels. The China National Space Administration will almost certainly walk on the moon in the next five years, Bill Nye, the entertainer of Science Guy fame and CEO of the nonprofit exploration advocacy group The Planetary Society, said during a recent demonstration against the Trump Administrations plans to cut science funding. This is a turning point. This is a key point in this history of space exploration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starship is still in the nascent stages of a long and laborious development process. So far, parts of the vehicle have failed in dramatic fashion during six of its 10 test flights. Another prototype recently exploded during ground testing. SpaceX is set to launch its next test, Flight 11, as soon as 7:15 p.m. ET Monday from the companys South Texas launch facilities. The megarocket has yet to hit several key testing milestones. These include figuring out how to top off Starships fuel as it sits parked in orbit around Earth. Such a step is necessary given the vehicles design and enormous size but its never been attempted before with any spacecraft. Adding to the uncertainty is that no one knows exactly how many tankers full of fuel SpaceX will need to launch to give Starship enough gas for a moon-landing mission, which NASA has planned for mid-2027. A SpaceX Starship prototype launches from Boca Chica beach on the fourth integrated test flight of the rocket system on June 06, 2024, from Starbase, Texas. - Brandon Bell/Getty Images One SpaceX executive estimated in 2024 that number will roughly be 10-ish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, more recently, engineers at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston estimated that a single moon landing could require SpaceX to launch more than 40 tankers which are Starship vehicles designed to carry fuel, according to one former NASA official who spoke on condition of anonymity. That estimate may be specific to the current version of Starship, referred to as Version 2 or V2, that SpaceX is flying, the source noted. And the company is expected to debut an upgraded version of the vehicle after its next test mission on Monday that could change those predictions. Still, even if the number of refueling flights is somewhere between 10 and 40, in general, the path NASA has chosen to return to the moon is extraordinarily complex, Jim Bridenstine, who was NASA administrator during President Donald Trumps first term, said at a Senate committee hearing in September. This is an architecture that no NASA administrator that Im aware of would have selected had they had the choice, Bridenstine said, referring to the decision to use Starship as the vehicle that will land astronauts on the moon. That choice was made in 2021 when the space agency was without a Senate-confirmed leader. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy responded to the Senate hearing during a September 4 town hall with agency employees, saying the hearing amounted to shade thrown on all of us. Maybe I am competitive. I was angry about it, Duffy said. Ill be damned if that is the story that we write. We are going to beat the Chinese to the moon. A spokesperson for current NASA leadership did not provide comment due to the government shutdown. Why NASA isnt repeating Apollo Given Starships gargantuan size and refueling needs, NASAs road map for its planned moon-landing mission, called Artemis III, appears far more convoluted than the Apollo missions of the 20thcentury. The Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket lifts off with astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin on July 16, 1969, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. - NASA On those lunar treks decades ago, NASA launched a single rocket the Saturn V that had everything the astronauts needed already on board, including the Apollo crew capsule and the landers, such as the Eagle, they rode to the moons surface. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NASA is not repeating that streamlined approach for several reasons. For one, spaceflight is not as simple as dragging out blueprints from old missions. The supply chains, construction methods and institutional capabilities that built the Apollo launch vehicles no longer exist. Even if NASA could resurrect its retro rockets, the space agency has made it clear that path wouldnt align with its goals. NASA hopes the Artemis program will accomplish far more difficult missions than Apollo, including allowing humans to visit the moons largely unexplored south pole region, where researchers believe water is stored in ice form beneath the dusty surface. Its trickier to land there due to the rough terrain and a flight path that requires far more energy. But water and other lunar resources could be harvested and used to sustain a moon base where astronauts would live and work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The goal as NASA leadership frequently says is not to merely plant a flag on the moon but to pave the way for a permanent crewed operation. Such a vision requires far larger and perhaps more versatile lunar landers, according to former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who helmed the agency under President Joe Biden. For the research that were going to do on the surface of the moon, particularly at a very difficult place to get the south pole it takes a larger lander, Nelson told CNN during a September phone call. You just simply cant take everything with you, like the Apollo astronauts did, he added, because of the law of physics. Artemis III: A twisted path Still, critics argue, its possible for NASA to carry out a moon mission that while not as simple as Apollo is at least less complicated than relying on Starship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the current road map for Artemis III, the mission will begin with the launch of a single, bare-bones Starship vehicle that will serve as a refueling depot. That spacecraft will sit in orbit as it waits for additional Starships, also flying with nothing but propellant as cargo, to launch, dock with the depot and pass off more fuel. Whether it requires 10 launches or 40, the process must be carried out quickly to counter the effects of fuel boiling off, noted Doug Loverro, a consultant who previously was NASAs associate administrator for human exploration. Loverro resigned from NASA, as CNN previously reported, because he improperly communicated with an Artemis contractor. The cryogenic fuels Starship requires must be kept at super-cold temperatures or else they will evaporate. And its not clear just how much propellant may boil off as it is moved from one place to another in space. Nobody knows how efficient the transfer is going to be, Loverro said. Its nearly an impossible question to answer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the refueling depot is filled up, SpaceX would then launch a Starship vehicle that is equipped to carry humans called the Starship HLS, or Human Landing System which would be decked out with all the systems necessary to support life. Only after the Starship HLS docks with the refueling depot and is topped off with propellant can it begin its trek to the moon. Meanwhile, NASA astronauts will launch into orbit aboard a different vehicle: the Orion spacecraft, which rides to space atop NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Following launch, Orion separates from SLS and begins its own journey to orbit around the moon. Once there, the Orion spacecraft will link up with the Starship lander, docking while orbiting above the moons surface. Two of the astronauts will then transfer to the Starship HLS, which will carry them down to the moons south pole, a treacherous area pockmarked with steep craters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After about a week, the astronauts would then climb back aboard Starship HLS and launch into lunar orbit where they would once again dock with Orion. The Orion capsule would fly the astronauts back to Earth, making a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean. If NASA achieves its hope of carrying out this mission in mid-2027, it would beat Chinas goal of pulling off an astronaut landing by 2030. The politics of Starship A boy builds a sandcastle on the beach as SpaceX's Starship sits on the launchpad ahead of the vehicle's third integrated test flight from the company's launchpad near Brownsville, Texas, on March 13, 2024. - Cheney Orr/Reuters NASAs plan, however, is incredibly hard, complex and likely a decade away from reality, Loverro said. From his vantage point, Loverro said NASAs decision to use Starship as the lunar lander for the Artemis III mission was made in error. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SpaceX made big promises on paper, he said, referring to the bid the company submitted to secure the $2.9 billion contract for the job. And while Loverro said he believes the company will eventually deliver on its pledges to make Starship operational he also thinks there is no way it will have the vehicle ready before China lands astronauts on the moon. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment for this story, nor does the company typically respond to requests for information. One former NASA official close to the selection process told CNN that Starship beat out its competitors in a series of technical evaluations that a team of NASA experts conducted. The assessments evaluated Starships capabilities as well as costs to the government an important consideration because NASA had limited funds to dole out. It was not like this was a controversial decision at that stage from the agencys point of view, the source said, adding that NASA would have liked to have chosen two companies to compete to build lunar landers but simply did not have the money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SpaceXs competitor, Blue Origin, sued the federal government over the decision, alleging the space agency unfairly favored SpaceX. But a judge ultimately upheld NASAs decision. (After Nelson lobbied Congress and secured additional funds, NASA brought Blue Origin on as a second contractor in 2023 to build lunar landers for use later in the Artemis program.) SpaceXs Starship promised not just to get the job done for the moon landing but to be transformative for the space industry. The massive rocket could conduct missions NASA could previously only dream of. Still, critics say, Starship was likely chosen for its future promise, not for its potential to perform under an ever-looming deadline. It quite frankly doesnt make a lot of sense if youre trying to go first to the moon, this time to beat China, Bridenstine said during his testimony in September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Duffy, the acting NASA chief, indicated that the space agency remains confident in SpaceX. I think its important to be honest, and if I thought we were going to have concerns I would tell you, Duffy told CBS News in August. And if theres a point that I do have concerns, Ill make that public. Figuring out we have a problem Despite a growing chorus of voices expressing concern that pinning the outcome of a moon race on Starship may be a losing bet, not many stakeholders are ready to decry the plan publicly or recommend shifting course. In fact, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a key figure in US space policy, made it clear during a September hearing that he thinks it is too late to ditch Starship for an alternative plan: Any drastic changes in NASAs architecture at this stage threaten United States leadership in space, Cruz said then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Behind closed doors, however, some space industry leaders have voiced deep concerns. When asked about the public discourse, Loverro said that its possible that the gravity of the issue may not have fully sunk in across space industry leadership. An artists concept shows SpaceXs Starship Human Landing System (HLS) on the moon. - SpaceX/NASA I think were really at step one of the 12-step process of figuring out we have a problem, he said. Still, others remain optimistic, pointing to SpaceXs remarkable success across other projects it has worked on with NASA, such as the International Space Stations Commercial Crew Program. During a September 21 meeting of NASAs Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, member Paul Hill, who had visited SpaceXs Starship development facilities in August, said the timeline for this vehicle is significantly challenged. The ASAP committee expects the vehicle will be years late to the 2027 deadline, Hill said. In a September 23 statement responding to the meeting, NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens said the agency appreciates the opportunity to hear from our advisory groups and stakeholders. These discussions are important to helping NASA safely execute our missions. However, Hill also complimented SpaceX, repeating sentiments frequently voiced by space industry leaders and stakeholders: Even if SpaceX is behind schedule, the company has a long track record of excellence and tends to get things done even when conventional wisdom suggests it will fail. There is a multifaceted, self-perpetuating genius, for lack of a better way of saying it, at SpaceX, Hill said, heaping praise on the companys business model and development approach. There is no competitor, whether government or industry, that has this full combination of factors. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A bird stands on the head of the statue "Dignity: Of Earth and Sky" on Sept. 20, 2024, near Chamberlain, South Dakota. The statue, which depicts a Native American woman, is a creation of South Dakota artist Dale Lamphere and a gift of the McKie family of Rapid City. (Photo by Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) Today is Native Americans Day in South Dakota, which is described in state law as a legal holiday dedicated to the remembrance of the great Native American leaders who contributed so much to the history of our state. Gov. George S. Mickelson and the Legislature created the annual holiday in 1990. They chose the second Monday in October, which is federally designated as Columbus Day. The effort was part of a broader Year of Reconciliation proclaimed by Mickelson at the urging of Native American newspaper publisher Tim Giago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following is an excerpt from a speech that Mickelson delivered Oct. 8, 1990, at Crazy Horse Memorial on South Dakotas first Native Americans Day. He began by speaking in Lakota, and then provided the English translation for the traditional greeting: Today, I stand before for you and shake your hand with a happy heart. And today that really takes on extra meaning as we stand here and make history. Chief Standing Bear made a statement long ago that became the theme of the Council for Reconciliation. It is hard for us to imagine, but it was the attitude in 1879 that it had to legally be decided in this country, in this nation, whether or not Indians were people under the law, in the context of an issue that was being decided at that time. South Dakota Gov. George Mickelson in an undated image from the 1980s. (Courtesy of South Dakota Mines, University Relations/Digital Library of South Dakota) And there was a judge by the name of [Elmer] Dundy who was sitting in judgment on Chief Standing Bear when Chief Standing Bear made a point that is the theme for the year of reconciliation. And what Standing Bear told Judge Dundy was, My hand is not the color of your hand, but if you pierce it, I shall feel the pain. The blood that will flow from mine will be the same color as yours. I am a man. The Great Spirit made us both. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Great Spirit made us both. That concept is what Native American Day is all about. The Great Spirit made us, but years of turmoil, years of misunderstanding, years of mistrust have built walls between us and have made separate nations within the same state. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Im not so naive to believe and I know that you arent either that we can turn back the clock of history by a hundred years and undo those things that have gone on in the past. But what this day represents, and what we can do, is both turn to the future together and face it. We can reason together. We can negotiate. We can reach deep into our hearts for compassion. We can reach down and have a better understanding and trust of each other, and we can make a better life for ourselves and our children. The most important thing to remember about today is that it is just a beginning. It is a foundation upon which to build friendship and trust. NATO has begun its annual manoeuvres to practise defending the alliance's territory with nuclear weapons. Around 2,000 military personnel will be involved in the Steadfast Noon exercise over the next two weeks, the alliance announced on Monday at the start of the manoeuvres. Around 70 aircraft will be used in the air manoeuvres, it said, including German fighter jets capable of transporting US nuclear bombs stationed in Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year's manoeuvres are due to take place primarily in the airspace above the North Sea. The Dutch air base in Volkel and military bases in Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Lakenheath in England and Skrydstrup in Denmark are also expected to play key roles. NATO says the German Armed Forces are providing three Tornados equipped to drop US nuclear bombs and four Eurofighters for the exercise. NATO emphasizes that Steadfast Noon is a routine exercise and is not a response to recent Russian airspace violations or other provocations. Nevertheless, the manoeuvre is also intended to send a clear signal to Moscow that NATO is prepared to defend itself with nuclear weapons if necessary. The exercise is necessary to ensure that nuclear deterrence remains as credible and effective as possible, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reason why Germany, a country without its own nuclear weapons, is participating in the exercise is due to NATO's principle of nuclear sharing. This provides that, in an emergency, US B61 nuclear weapons stationed in Europe can also be dropped by aircraft from partner countries and then used to take out enemy forces, for example. According to officially unconfirmed reports, US nuclear weapons are stored in northern Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany, for example. NATO has not provided any details on the exact exercise scenario. Military experts say the manoeuvres, which take place regularly in October, include practising how to safely transport the weapons from underground magazines to the aircraft and mount them under the fighter jets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, only practice bombs without real nuclear warheads are used in this and the subsequent attack exercises. There is great anticipation as to whether there will be any incidents involving drones. Due to the sighting of unmanned aerial vehicles, alarms have been repeatedly triggered at civil and military airports in recent weeks. At times, air traffic even had to be suspended as a result. NATO remains calm for the time being. "Drones are not a new threat to us. We are very familiar with this issue," Daniel Bunch, chief planner responsible for nuclear operations, said before the exercise. Ultimately, NATO will always be one step ahead and able to fulfil its missions in all threat situations, he said. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte mocked Russia on Oct. 13 over the malfunction of its submarine Novorossiysk, which was forced to surface off the coast of France last week. NATO naval forces detected the submarine off the coast of Brittany on Oct. 9. The submarine surfaced and was later escorted by the Dutch navy along with the tugboat Yakov Grebelsky, the Dutch Defense Ministry said, indicating the vessel was likely being towed. During his speech in Slovenia, Rutte openly ridiculed the "limping" Russian submarine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Now, in effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence left in the Mediterranean," Rutte said. "There's a lone and broken Russian submarine limping home from patrol." "What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic," he added. The Novorossiysk, a diesel-electric submarine armed with Kalibr long-range cruise missiles, entered service in 2014 as part of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. It had reportedly been on patrol in the Mediterranean before the malfunction. The Russian Black Sea Fleet denied reports of an emergency surfacing, claiming on Oct. 13 that the submarine was merely conducting a "scheduled inter-fleet transit" after completing Mediterranean operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Dutch media outlet NL Times, the submarine suffered a serious fuel leak, forcing it to surface near France. Unable to dock in Black Sea or Syrian ports, it was redirected toward northern waters for repairs under NATO supervision. Russian VChK-OGPU Telegram channel, believed to have ties to Russian security services, reported that the crew discovered fuel flooding the submarine's hold in late September. The post claimed that with no qualified specialists on board to repair the damage, the crew was forced to surface and "drain the hold" directly into the sea to avoid an explosion. Read also: Nearly a year on, Ukraine armys shift to corps command struggles to deliver Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Another mass protest of the Trump administration is taking place this weekend at hundreds of sites nationwide, including 69 cities across Minnesota. Nearly 20 "No Kings" rallies are planned in the Twin Cities on Saturday. Another 52 events will happen in other parts of the state. About 2,500 events are planned throughout the country on Saturday, according to the Indivisible Project, a progressive nonprofit that's behind No Kings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The president thinks his rule is absolute," organizers said in a statement. "But in America, we dont have kings, and we wont back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty." The first No Kings protest happened on June 14 in tandem with President Donald Trumps military parade in Washington, D.C. Tens of thousands of people gathered for a rally at the Minnesota Capitol despite advice from authorities, who urged people to stay home following the shootings of state Rep. Melissa Hortman, state Sen. John Hoffman and their spouses, as alleged assassin Vance Boelter remained on the run. More than 40 other No Kings events were scheduled on June 14 across Minnesota. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Find more information about No Kings and events happening Saturday here. Thousands of people gathered at the Minnesota Capitol for a No Kings rally on June 14, 2025.Indivisible Twin Cities | Facebook These are the No Kings events happening in the Twin Cities: A recent protest in downtown Minneapolis.Indivisible Twin Cities | Facebook No Kings events in other parts of Minnesota: This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Oct 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the MN News section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The "No Kings" movement is set to return across the country on Saturday, Oct. 18, in response to recent actions by the Trump administration and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstrations are scheduled across the U.S. and several Kentucky cities, including Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro and Bowling Green. For those planning to participate at the rallies, here's what to know about which rights are protected and what actions should be avoided. Protesters' rights: What you can and can't do during a protest in Kentucky Protestors are granted certain freedoms under the First Amendment, including the right to: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protest. Demonstrate, such as taking part in a rally or march Donate to groups and political candidates Get together with other people to talk about issues These rights come with limitations, however. ACLU of Kentucky lists a few legal rules and tips for attending protests, among other suggestions: Your right to free speech is strongest in public spaces, such as streets, sidewalks and parks. Speech can be restricted on private property. In the event of a counter-protest, police can separate the two groups as long as the groups can still see and hear each other. But they must treat protesters and counter-protesters equally. Memorize an emergency contact's phone number or write it on your arm in case you lose your phone or other belongings. Can police disperse protests? Police may shut down a protest through a dispersal order, according to the ACLU, but it must be used as a last resort in situations where there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder or interference with traffic, as well as any other immediate threats to public safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If officers choose to do so, they must provide protestors a reasonable opportunity to comply with the order, including sufficient time and a clear, unobstructed exit path, ACLU says. Demonstrators must be given clear details concerning the order before they are arrested or charged with any crime, according to ACLU. These include information about how much time they have to disperse, the consequences of failing to do so, and what clear exit route they can follow. What to do if you believe your rights have been violated ACLU of Kentucky suggests the following: Write down everything you remember when you can, including the officers badge and patrol car numbers and the agency they work for. Get contact information for witnesses. If you're injured, seek medical attention and take photographs of any injuries. File a written complaint with the agencys internal affairs division or civilian complaint board. What to do if you are stopped by police Stay calm with your hands visible. Ask if you are free to leave. If you are under arrest, ask why and request a lawyer. You do not have to answer any questions. You do not have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings. Police may "pat down" your clothing if they suspect you have a weapon. If you refuse a search, that may not stop them from searching you against your will, but objecting before it happens or during the search can be helpful in legal proceedings. Police officers may not confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, nor may they delete any data. What are 'No Kings' protests? The "No Kings" protests, organized by a nonprofit coalition of progressive political action groups called Indivisible, is described on the organizer's website as a "nationwide day of defiance" in response to Trump and the military parade, saying, "were taking action to reject authoritarianism." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With an emphasis on nonviolent activism, the website outlines the movement's broad appeal, "from city blocks to small towns," and makes a promise to battle Trump's "ego" in a fight for democracy. "On June 14th, were showing up everywhere he isnt to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings," the website reads. When and where are protests in Kentucky? The locations of some of the Oct. 18 protests scheduled in Kentucky can be found below. Exact locations and more details can be found after signing up on the "No Kings" website. Louisville: 2-5 p.m. Bowling Green: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Danville: 10-11:30 a.m. Frankfort: 2-4 p.m. Franklin: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Hazard: 4-7 p.m. Henderson: 5-6 p.m. Hopkinsville: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Lexington: 1-4 p.m. Madisonville: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Morehead: Noon-2 p.m. Owensboro: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Paducah: 2-4 p.m. Shelbyville: 10:30 a.m.- noon. 'No Kings' protests 2025: Thousands gather in Louisville to protest the policies of Donald Trump. See photos from the 'No Kings' rally Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alex Perry, Kathryn Palmer, Tom Vanden Brook, Hannah Hudnall and Jenny Porter Tilley contributed to this article. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 'No Kings' Oct. 18 rallies: Know rights as protesters in Kentucky STOCKHOLM (AP) Three researchers who probed the process of business innovation won the Nobel memorial prize in economics Monday for explaining how new products and inventions promote economic growth and human welfare, even as they leave older companies in the dust. Their work was credited with helping economists better understand how ideas and technology succeed by disrupting established ways a process as old as steam locomotives replacing horse-drawn wagons and as contemporary as e-commerce shuttering shopping malls. The award was shared by Dutch-born Joel Mokyr, 79, who is at Northwestern University; Philippe Aghion, 69, who works at the College de France and the London School of Economics; and Canadian-born Peter Howitt, 79, who is at Brown University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A clearer understanding of creative destruction The winners were credited with better explaining and quantifying creative destruction, a key concept in economics that refers to the process by which new innovations replace older technologies and businesses. The concept is usually associated with economist Joseph Schumpeter, who outlined it in his 1942 book Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. Schumpeter called the concept the essential fact about capitalism. The Nobel committee said Mokyr demonstrated that if innovations are to succeed one another in a self-generating process, we not only need to know that something works, but we also need to have scientific explanations for why. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aghion and Howitt studied the mechanisms behind sustained growth, including in a 1992 article that offered a complex mathematical model for creative destruction that added new aspects not included in earlier models. Examples of creative destruction include e-commerce disrupting retail, streaming services replacing videocassette and DVD rentals and internet advertising undermining newspaper advertising. A classic illustration is horse-cart whip makers put out of business by the automobile. Process is key to economic growth and human welfare The laureates work shows that economic growth cannot be taken for granted. We must uphold the mechanisms that underlie creative destruction, so that we do not fall back into stagnation, said John Hassler, chair of the committee for the prize in economic sciences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howitt and Aghions model showed that markets with too few dominant companies can hinder innovation and growth a concern that has been raised about industries such as telecommunications, social media platforms and airlines. They found it was important to support people who are affected by changes while making it easy to move to more productive workplaces to protect workers more than specific jobs. They also stressed the importance of social mobility, where a person's profession or trade is not defined by their parents' identity. Mokyr has long been known as an optimist about technological innovation. About a decade ago, many economists took a more pessimistic view, arguing that inventions such as smartphones or even the internet had less of an economic impact than previous developments such as the airplane or the car. Mokyr responded that because many new services were either cheap or free, their impact wasnt evident in economic data, but they still provided enormous benefits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with The Associated Press in 2015, he cited the music streaming service Spotify as an example of an absolutely astonishing innovation that economists had difficulty measuring. Mokyr noted he once owned more than 1,000 CDs and many vinyl records, but now he could access a huge music library for a small monthly fee. He acknowledged that new inventions often cause at least short-term job loss or reduced earnings for workers. Like many economists, he argued that innovations also created unexpected jobs that offered fresh opportunities. The Nobel committee noted that for much of human history, economic stagnation, rather than growth, was the norm. Starting with the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, European and later other economies began to grow. Innovation and how to foster it is an urgent question in Europe, where a report by former European Central Bank head Mario Draghi argued that Europe faces a rising productivity gap with the U.S. in digital technology. Aghion said the challenge was for Europe to keep pace with the U.S. and China in innovation by promoting research and the venture capital financing to turn ideas into businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have to wake up," he told AP. "Because you know who will win in this competition? Those who innovate. The effects of artificial intelligence Aghion said he believes artificial intelligence has huge growth potential, but it all depends on the institutions and policies we put in place. He said policies need to foster competition because big actors already in the sector know how to manage regulations, and that may discourage new entrants. Mokyr said the notion that AI is a monstrosity that will drive humans into extinction comes from people who have read too much dystopian fiction. Nothing of the sort is ever going to happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead, he said at a news conference at Northwestern that he views it primarily as a magnificent research assistant that can gather and process information quickly. He also disputed the notion that machines replace people. They move us to more interesting, more challenging work," he said. Early morning surprises Mokyr said he awoke around 5 a.m. and opened his laptop to find multiple congratulatory messages, which confused him. He checked his phone and saw a message from a Swedish number. He called it and was told he won the prize. I think I sat there for 15 minutes, sort of dazed, he told AP in an interview at his home in Skokie, Illinois. He will turn 80 next summer but said he has no plans to retire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the type of job that I dreamed about my entire life, he said. Howitt said he discovered he had won the Nobel prize when a Swedish reporter called him as he was waking up. At first, he thought it was a hoax. We had no Champagne in the refrigerator. We were not anticipating this, he joked with reporters. Aghion said the Nobel committee did not have his co-winners contact information, so they asked him for it. "Its really the dream prize, with the people I dreamed of getting it with, Aghion said. What exactly did the three economists win? One half of the 11 million Swedish kronor (nearly $1.2 million) prize goes to Mokyr, and the other half is shared by Aghion and Howitt. Winners also receive an 18-carat gold medal and a diploma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The economics prize is formally known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The central bank established it in 1968 as a memorial to Nobel, the 19th-century Swedish businessman and chemist who invented dynamite and established the five Nobel Prizes. Since then, it has been awarded 57 times to a total of 99 laureates. Only three of the winners have been women. Nobel purists stress that the economics prize is technically not a Nobel Prize, but it is always presented together with the others on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobels death in 1896. Nobel honors were announced last week in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ___ McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. Rugaber reported from Washington and Corder from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press journalists John Leicester and Oleg Cetinic in Paris, Laura Bargfeld in Skokie, Illinois, and Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report. Coastal flooding and beach erosion caused by a nor'easter continued to impact Delaware Oct. 13. High winds, 12- to 18-foot waves, substantial beach erosion and dune breaching were expected, a National Weather Service report said. The state remained under a coastal flood warning throughout the day, with flooding likely to peak with the afternoon high tide, according to the National Weather Service. A nor'easter washes water into the dunes at Pennsylvania Avenue in Rehoboth Beach Oct. 13, 2025. The Delaware Emergency Management Agency announced the activation of the National Guard late Oct. 12. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were monitoring the situation and proactively positioning additional resources to support counties and municipalities in safe-guarding residents, DEMA Director A.J. Schall said in a statement. DEMA will continue to alert the public with Watches and Warnings and other possible protective actions. Forecast: Nor'easter continues to hit Delaware causing coastal flooding. Here's the forecast Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore state parks closed beaches Oct. 12. The mayors of Bowers Beach issued a voluntary evacuation order Oct. 12, as well. Many roads were flooded Oct. 12 and 13, especially along the bays in Sussex County. Coastal Highway was closed overnight north of Dewey Beach due to flooding, but reopened by morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All Sussex County state service centers are open until 4:30 p.m. daily for people in need of warm, dry shelter, according to Department of Health and Social Services. They include: Adams State Service Center, 546 S. Bedford St., Georgetown Bridgeville State Service Center, 400 Mill St. Laurel State Service Center, 31039 N. Poplar St. Milford State Service Center. 13 SW Front St. Pyle State Service Center, 34314 Pyle Center Road, Frankford Shipley State Service Center, 350 Virginia Ave., Seaford (This story has been updated to include fresh photo.) Send storm photos and videos to smcnaught@gannett.com or through Facebook. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Beach erosion, flooding in southern Delaware due to nor'easter A nor'easter impacting the East Coast will continue hitting Delaware today, according to the National Weather Service. Delaware is under a coastal flood warning until 8 p.m. Oct. 13. The Delware National Guard was activated Oct. 12 to assist with emerging needs from the storm. Reception center for people impacted by the storm were set up at the Magnolia FIre Hall in Kent County and Millsboro Fire Hall in Sussex County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is also a voluntary evacuation order is for residents east of Whitwell Delight Road in Bowers. How will the Nor'Easter impact Delaware? Coastal flood threat While the heavy rains have passed through the First State, residents can expect the following: Coastal flooding: Moderate tidal flooding will cause flooded roads, beach erosion and damage to coastal structures in the coastal ares of Delaware Dangerous currents: Northeast gales at 35 to 40 knots will produce 12 to 18 foot waves in the coastal areas of Delaware Strong winds: The winds will diminish today, but there will be northeast winds at 30 to 40 mph that could cause power outages and tree damage in the coastal areas of Delaware. Wind hazards How to stay safe in a flood As coastal flooding impacts Deaware here are a few tips on how to stay safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Evacuate immediately, if told to evacuate. Never drive around barricades. Local responders use them to safely direct traffic out of flooded areas. Listen to EAS, NOAA Weather Radio or local alerting systems for current emergency information and instructions regarding flooding. Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn around. Dont drown! Stay off bridges over fast-moving water. Fast-moving water can wash bridges away without warning. Tropical Storm Lorenzo forms Tropical Storm #Lorenzo expected to stay out to sea. Visit https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb for updates. pic.twitter.com/jFu0hIWw8D National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 13, 2025 Tropical Storm Lorenzo has formed in the Atlantic Ocean Oct. 13. The storm is 1,095 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. The storm has winds speeds of 45 mph and is moving northwest at 17 mph. The storm is expected to shift from a northwest movement to a northeast movement over the next three days. The storm is not forecasted to become a hurricane, nor will it make landfall in the United States. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Nor'easter continues to hit Delaware; tropical storm forms The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas, has arrived in Kyiv on Monday, October 13, for a visit. "Ukrainians inspire the world with their courage. Their resilience calls for our full support. I am in Kyiv today for talks on financial and military support, the security of Ukraines energy sector, and holding Russia accountable for its war crimes," Kallas said on X on Monday morning. Despite US-led efforts and Saudi investments, normalization with Israel faces challenges. Saudi concerns over Palestinian statehood and regional stability continue to shape diplomatic paths. Oct. 12As far as the terrorist organization Hamas is concerned, the October 7 massacre was aimed, among other things, at thwarting the prospect of a normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, an aim that, for the time being, has been achieved. In the past few months, together with France, the Saudis have been energetically promoting unilateral international recognition of a Palestinian state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the Saudi royal house continues to enjoy flourishing ties with the US, to strengthen its status as an AI power with huge investment by Nvidia and Amazon in constructing server farms in the kingdom, and to engage in joint ventures with people close to US President Donald Trump. The latest such venture highlights the scale of the trend: one of the biggest leveraged deals ever for the acquisition of US gaming giant Electronic Arts at a valuation of $55 billion. The Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF, together with Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners (in which the main investment is Saudi money) and Silver Lake, which is connected to the UAE, will finance a substantial part of the acquisition, the aim of which is to make Saudi Arabia a power in gaming and sport. An illustrative image of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. (credit: BANDAR ALGALOUD/COURTESY OF SAUDI ROYAL COURT/REUTERS/Liri Agami/Flash90) At such an early stage of negotiations between Israel and Hamas, can a normalization agreement be discerned on the horizon? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hadas Lorber, head of the project on US-Israeli relations at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, and founder and head of the Institute for Responsible AI, HIT, sees the growing involvement of Kushner and of former UK prime minister Tony Blair in the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip and shaping government there after the war as a good sign for the process vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia. "The Saudis and the Emirates want to participate in the plans for rehabilitating the Gaza Strip. Besides demilitarization and the establishment of a technocratic administration based on local forces with Arab backing, Gaza City, according to Blair and Kushner, is supposed to become a tax-free city of startups, with server farms for processing cloud computing and AI, and a Tesla factory employing cheap local labor. The plan has drawn support from several billionaires, such as Peter Thiel and Larry Ellison, who are looking for additional tax-free zones with simple regulations. Ellison is prepared to invest $350 million in the project." Trump seeks to promote regional stability, but full normalization with Saudi Arabia is still subject to political constraints and to Palestinian demands, Lorber says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The solution at the moment is therefore a gradual model, postponing any immediate decision on issues such as the two-state solution. Under the plan, Israel will or will not recognize the aspiration of the Palestinian people to self-determination in the future, after certain conditions materialize, but the bottom line is that, in the Trump era, normalization with Israel is seen as part of a model whereby the US administration 'rules' the Middle East through the lever of local money." Lorber sees normalization with Saudi Arabia as part of a general move that will also include normalization with countries such as Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon, and Muslim countries in Africa. The big landmine While Lorber believes that the strategic achievements by Israel and the US in Lebanon, Iran, and Syria, and Trump's unreserved support for Israel during the war, have enhanced Israel's status in the eyes of de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, other experts say that Israel has not yet succeeded in rehabilitating its status, and that normalization is still not on the horizon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher and head of the Gulf Program at INSS, believes that such an agreement is still a long way off. " Israel has not recovered the status it had before the war, and as long as we are only in the first hours of a hostage deal, not to speak of the day after, we are still not there. Even if Hamas agrees to being disarmed and to the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, we are still after two years of war, during which the entire Arab world looked on Israel negatively. Discussion on normalization will encounter many questions," Guzansky says. " Saudi Arabia is working intensely to promote relations between all Arab countries and Israel, the main condition remaining the establishment of a Palestinian state, insistence on which stems not just from Saudi sentiment towards their Palestinian brethren, but from the fundamental assumption that without a solution to the Palestinian problem, or at least the start of a diplomatic process that will lower the flames of the confrontation, the region will continue to be mired in wars, and its economic and security interests will continue to be harmed as a result of that," says Dr. Michal Yaari, a researcher and lecturer on the Gulf States at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Open University. Foreign investors and tourists will not come. "Foreign investors and tourists will not come if they fear for their personal safety and their money. We as Israelis are happy that we have struck a critical blow at our enemies, but in the Gulf, they know that together with the blow to our joint enemies, hatred of Israel that fuels Islamic jihadi organizations has risen considerably. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not only that, but if we look at the assassination attempt in Doha as far as the Gulf States are concerned, and Saudi Arabia among them, there is a substantial fear that Israel might decide to eliminate its enemies on their soil, as it did in Qatar and the UAE." Despite the achievements on the Lebanese, Syrian, and Iranian fronts, Yaari believes that Israel's standing in Saudi Arabian eyes has been damaged. "If, before October 7, Israel was a military, economic, diplomatic, and technological power, today it looks like a country that has been exposed in its weakness, and that is ruled by an extreme faction that is not restrained by the leadership. The public in the Gulf States, which in the past was not very concerned aboutr the Palestinian issue, has been exposed by the Arab media to the scenes from the Gaza Strip, and sees Israel as a belligerent and violent country," she says, but adds, "It attributes that to the leadership, and even today the public in the kingdom does not rule out an agreement with Israel on condition that the war ends and progress is made on the diplomatic track between Israel and the Palestinian leadership." Guzansky says that, at this stage, Saudi Arabia sees Syria as its main sphere of influence. "In Syria, there is a new regime that is very close to the Saudis, and opposed to Iran, and part of regional competition over spheres of influence between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement " Saudi Arabia will become involved in the Gaza Strip to the extent that it sees Hamas really being disarmed, and that there are US guarantees and that the situation is stabilizing." Published by Globes, Israel business news en.globes.co.il on October 12, 2025. A recent announcement of canceled sailings will impact many Norwegian Cruise Line vacationers. The cruise line shared the news in a statement published by USA Today on October 1. In an email, the company explained that its Norwegian Gem and Norwegian Dawn vessels will swap homeports for the four months between November 2026 and March 2027. Additionally, some scheduled sailings on the Norwegian Getaway between November 2026 and December 2026, and during December 2026 on the Norwegian Joy, are also canceled. The cruise allegedly cited port availability as the reason for the late 2026 cancellations of cruises on the latter two vessels. Norwegian Gem will sail Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from Tampa, Fla., ranging from four to 11-day itineraries offering a wider variety of options for guests, said the cruise line. Norwegian Dawn will sail shorter voyages to the Bahamas from Jacksonville, Fla. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new sailings will feature more immersive itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas for guests looking for longer cruises during the holiday season, Norwegian Cruise Line added. What Else Is There To Know About Norwegian Cruise Lines Canceled Sailings? The cruise lines parent company is Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. The latter also oversees Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Those impacted by the latest Norwegian Cruise Line canceled sailings should know that the brand will provide a full refund of their cruise fare. Theyll also reportedly receive a 10% credit toward a future cruise. The new modified and enhanced itineraries will be available to book in the near future. However, the cruise line didnt disclose exactly when. Cruise Fever reported that over 50 cruises have been canceled in total. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are committed to providing exceptional vacation experiences, both aboard our ships and by taking our guests to some of the most sought-out destinations around the world, stated the cruise line. While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, at times modifications are made to optimize voyages to meet guest demand or due to changing port availability. The post Norwegian Cruise Line Just Canceled A Slew Of Sailings Between Late 2026 And Early 2027 What To Know appeared first on Travel Noire. A suspected member of an organized theft ring charged with committing burglaries in the Stamford area two years ago was arrested after police in Nassau County, N.Y., revealed they had been closely tracking the group at the time the break-ins were committed. The man, Yefferson Estiwar Camero-Alzate, 31,was arrested last month by Stamford and Darien police. He is facing charges in three separate burglaries: One that occurred in Darien on Jan. 28, 2023, and two break-ins that occurred in Stamford on Feb. 1, 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arrest warrant affidavits said Nassau County police identified Camero-Alzate to Stamford and Darien police as one of five known members of a "South American theft group" suspected of committing burglaries throughout the tri-state area. The five known members were each identified by Nassau police prior to the burglaries with the assistance of ICE agents, a Nassau county detective sergeant told Connecticut investigators, the affidavits said. The affidavits noted that the victims targeted by the group were often of Asian descent. The court filings don't indicate why the group may have been targeting people of Asian descent specifically. The group appears to have employed some sophisticated methods to avoid being caught. The warrants detail how one of the group would pose as a delivery worker holding a package to case a burglary target, before striking. In the Darien burglary, which occurred on Maple Street, investigators believe the group posted a person to serve as a lookout while Camero-Alzate and a second suspect broke into the home through a window. The thieves in that break-in made off with a safe containing $8,000, the affidavit said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The affidavits said a black Hyundai SUV used by the group was affixed with Connecticut plates stolen off another vehicle registered in Bridgeport. Nassau County police told Stamford and Darien investigators they had a GPS tracking device on the car and had tracked the group at the Darien burglary and the two burglary incidents in Stamford. The Nassau County police detective sergeant told Darien police that Nassau police had also been "physically tracking" the suspects as well, and that members of his burglary squad were in Darien during the robbery. Wifi signal jammer used, police say The Nassau County detective sergeant told Stamford police the GPS tracker they used on the Hyundai is "Live Time," but that there were occasional small gaps, the Stamford affidavits said. That was because the group "were using a 'WiFi' signal jammer inside the car," which is illegal to possess, an affidavit said. The Stamford arrest warrants tie Camero-Alzate to burglaries reported at a two-family home on Beal Street around 3:35 p.m. on Feb.1, 2023, and to a condo complex burglary on Bouton Street just after 7 p.m. that same day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The owner of the Beal Street residence told police she'd noticed the front door of the home was broken and that she heard Spanish-speaking individuals inside while she was on the phone with her husband, the affidavit said. She hung up and called 911. At that point, two male intruders ran out of the home and jumped into a black Hyundai SUV and took off, the affidavit said. The affidavit from the burglary on Bouton Sreet said two units at the condo complex were broken into during the incident reported hours later. Police found the bedroom of one of the units "ransacked," an affidavit said, after the rear sliding glass door of the home had been smashed. The owner reported several pieces of jewelry, collectible coins and multiple two dollar bills were taken, all totaling about $5,000 in value. Nassau County police apprehended four members of the group after the burglary on Bouton Street at a home in Queens investigators had under surveillance, the affidavit said. The court filing said investigators followed the vehicle on GPS right from the Bouton street site and arrived at the home in Queens, which no one else had entered or left. The four members of the group - Camero-Alzate, Hotsyn Barrera-Perico, Ana Ortiz-Zamaro and Edinson Henao-Vera - got out of the car and went inside the home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police swooped in. "Upon entry they found the four suspects inside the home dividing up several pieces of jewelry," the affidavit said. This article originally published at NY police were tracking suspects during 2023 burglaries in Darien, Stamford, cops say. Two brothers have been accused of murdering a Lyft driver in Louisiana before joyriding in her car to Texas, according to a press release from the local sheriffs office. Ethan Bush, 23, and Tristan Bush, 26, were found in Harris County before the younger man died in an attempt to evade arrest. The investigation began on Friday, when the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana responded to a call after a woman was found dead in a ditch with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as 62-year-old Lawanna J. Lewis, according to a CPSO press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The car was spotted hours later in the Houston area, where the brothers were driving it. This prompted a high-speed pursuit involving the Harris County Sheriffs Office. Tristan Bush has been accused of killing a 62-year-old Lyft driver (Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office) Eventually, the pair sprang from the car and tried to make their escape on foot, with Ethan leaping onto a nearby highway. According to a traffic release record from the Harris County Sheriffs Office, he was fatally struck by a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado. dead. The driver of the that car was cooperative with police and did not display any signs of intoxication, according to the traffic release. Tristan was later found hiding in a backyard two hours later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The elder Bush brother now awaits extradition to Louisiana and has been charged with second-degree murder, according to the Calcasieu press release. His bail bond has been set at $2.5 million by Judge Bobby Holmes. The investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely, the press release read. According to arrest records released by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office and seen by KPLC, Tristan had been arrested several times by police in the past. Ethan Bush was killed when he jumped onto a beltway to try and escape the police (Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office) In 2022, he was arrested for entry or remaining after being forbidden and resisting an officer. Tristan was arrested in Lafayette a year later for resisting an officer with force or violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His younger brother had no existing criminal history. A fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe to help Lewis family with their relatives funeral costs. Help Lay LaWanna Lewis to Rest After a Senseless Act of Violence, the description of the fundraiser read. We are heartbroken to share that our beloved LaWanna Lewis has tragically passed away as the result of a senseless act of crime. Her loss has left our hearts shattered and our community in grief. We are raising funds to help cover LaWannas burial and final expenses, including funeral services, burial plot, and related costs. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help ease the financial burden on her family as they navigate this unimaginable tragedy. The Independent has contacted Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office for comment. When CSX expanded its operations in Worcester, it caused a great deal of disruption on the East Side, including construction and road redesigns. Neighborhoods were rightly concerned about the increase in freight traffic. I can remember sitting in packed neighborhood meetings at the Brown Square Civic Club, with former City Manager Mike OBrien. District 2 residents had many concerns, including the hundreds of freight trains carrying fuel, chemicals and trash rolling in and out of the city. Despite residents concerns, the project pushed forward with the promise that CSX would invest in District 2 neighborhoods. The CSX Community Investment Fund was established in 2010 as a result of memorandum of agreement among the City of Worcester, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and CSX Corp. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The memorandum of agreement created a neighborhood improvement fund to foster economic development in the Worcester Facility area of the City. The fund was seeded with a $4 million contribution from CSX, as well as annual gate fee payments made by CSX equaling $1 for each loaded revenue container or trailer that enters or leaves the facility. Of the original $4 million contribution, $3 million was allocated to "aquatics, namely the spray park at East Park and to playground improvements at Holmes Field on Plantation Street. The remaining $1 million was to be divided equally between the Shrewsbury Street, Grafton Street and Canal District neighborhoods, which abutted the CSX expansion. While this original $1 million allocation would provide $333,333 per neighborhood, former City Manager OBrien also agreed to forward-fund $1 million in gate fee contributions, thereby increasing each neighborhood's allocation to $666,666. A neighborhood advisory committee was established in 2013 to review and recommend projects. Between 2010 and 2015, this money was used for several neighborhood projects, from pedestrian crossing beacons on Shrewsbury Street to playground improvements at Grafton Street Elementary School. Fifty thousand dollars was allocated toward the EcoTarium west project, which purchased and preserved a 12-acre parcel of land on the west side of Harrington Way. North High received a new passenger van. And each of the three funds contributed $144,666, a third of their total, toward the Worcester Police Departments ShotSpotter program, recommended by neighborhood improvement committees, and completed before District 2 City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson was elected. However, according to a recent report from City Manager Eric Batista, the CSX neighborhood improvement funds have sat unused and untouched for the past seven years. The report, requested by City Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King, first appeared on the May 6 City Council agenda. It was then held under privilege by Councilor Mero-Carlson for two weeks in a row. After two weeks of budget hearings, the report was finally discussed at the June 17 City Council meeting, six weeks later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a report dated June 10, the three neighborhood funds have a combined total of $647,327 and there is over $1 million in the gate fee account. No projects have been recommended by Councilor Mero-Carlson over the past eight years. In fact, before the recent report, the last time the CSX neighborhood improvement funding was even discussed on the council floor was in August 2018. Money intended for these District 2 neighborhoods has been left on the table for nearly a decade. Sidewalks and parks need repairs; neighborhood organizations like Friendly House, which runs youth sports, and food programs have yet to receive a penny. Last summer, following a string of terrible pedestrian accidents on Belmont and Shrewsbury streets, CSX neighborhood improvement funds could have been utilized to install rapid flashing crossing walk signals. Councilor Mero-Carlson has failed to recognize this funding resource and use it to respond to the needs of District 2 neighborhoods. Constituents deserve responsive government and proactive city councilors. When it comes to any municipal project, its funding that often extends timelines. The CSX neighborhood improvement funds offer an opportunity to fund projects in a timely manner. I am running for District 2 City Council, and I am committed to working with residents, small businesses and organizations, to identify and meet community needs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CSX neighborhood funds continue to sit in waiting in the Economic Development Committee, which is chaired by Councilor Mero-Carlson. How much more time will the City Council waste? Robert A. Bilotta is a candidate for District 2 city councilor. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Opinion/Guest column: Put CSX funds to work for District 2 residents In a recent meeting with the Deseret News editorial board, Aaron Starks, the chief executive officer of Utahs own 47G, provided a troubling picture of world affairs. We tend to think of defense as hardware, he said, noting this is no longer accurate. We may never live in a day where Russian artillery rolls onto U.S. soil, but we go to war via our cyber networks every day of the week. 47G is a consortium of aerospace and defense industries with more than 250 members, and growing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starks said this invisible-but-damaging war is against the usual suspects Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. But its also against some frenemies. The world is indeed becoming complicated, he said. Its also becoming increasingly dangerous, and the United States and its allies are falling behind. Europe is jittery Certainly, the people of Denmark dont have to be told this. They are waging cyberwar as well as a possible hardware war. Recently, drones were spotted flying over Copenhagen. NPR reports that peoples nerves are frayed. Buzzing noises there keep them awake at night. City dwellers are stocking up on supplies and making plans to flee to friends and relatives in the country, or to leave Denmark entirely, if necessary. The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, called this the most difficult and dangerous situation since the end of the Second World War. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danes, like Swedes and Finns to their north, are becoming jittery about the prospects of a Russian invasion. Some in Denmark wish their government would shoot down the drones. Germans are not as hesitant. Their government has given the OK to do just that after drones recently buzzed around the Munich airport. On Oct. 2, so many unidentified drones entered Munich airspace that 17 flights were canceled and 15 others were diverted, inconveniencing about 3,000 passengers. The next day, more drones came, forcing the airport to close for a while. Were they Russian, or did someone else stage this just to cause mischief? Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any intention of attacking NATO countries. Much of Europe is unconvinced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Estonia isnt taking any chances. The Associated Press reports it is building a fence along its border with Russia, as well as ditches meant to deter tanks. But these wont stop drones or cyber attacks. In September, about 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace; Polish forces opened fire. The French news organization Le Monde said this incursion was immediately followed by a massive internet disinformation campaign, pushing the Russian narrative that Ukraine had instigated the attack in an effort to draw Poland into the war. A few days later, Romania scrambled fighter jets to intercept drones crossing into its airspace. Is the U.S. behind? Meanwhile, in the United States, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, chair of the Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee, told a hearing in May, Its time to stop talking about preparing for conflict because we are already in one. I, for one, believe that its now time that we start acting like it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He went on to express concerns about how far behind the United States is in this war. The concern, he said, is heightened because our adversaries are clearly not deterred from acting against us, and we are clearly not meeting our potential in developing the cyber capability, capacity and posture that is commensurate with the threat. Thats from the military side. The civilian side seems even less prepared, particularly when it comes to battling foreign disinformation campaigns carefully designed to appeal to the biases of one side or the other in petty culture-war disputes. Utah becomes a leader in defense Officials at 47G say aerospace and defense industries now make up 20% of the states economy. The group is planning a Zero Gravity Summit next month that is expected to draw up to 3,000 industry professionals, public sector leaders and innovators. It is good for the state to become a leader in such a rapidly growing and important industry. And its not all gloom and warfare. Utah is poised to become a leader in air taxis and similar transportation by the time the 2034 Olympics are staged here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A year or so ago, some pundits speculated that World War III had already begun. They pointed to parallels between today and the late 1930s. And yet, its as hard now to say this with any certainty as it was then. But as our visitors from 47G went on to describe vulnerable and antiquated U.S. energy infrastructure and the dangers from artificial intelligence and nanotechnologies, it became clear that, whether it has begun or not, a modern global war wont look like anything from the past. At least 314 Belarusian citizens have been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, according to a report published on Oct. 13 by the Ukrainian project "I Want to Live." Belarus remains one of Russia's closest allies in the war against Ukraine. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian authorities have reportedly been recruiting Belarusians through draft commissions operating inside Belarus. Earlier, the "I Want to Live" project published the names of 1,338 Belarusian nationals who have fought or are still fighting on Russia's side. The organization estimated that roughly one in four of them has died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet, the group noted that this list is incomplete, and the actual death toll may be significantly higher. "The Russian authorities are concealing both their own casualties and the deaths of foreign fighters and mercenaries," the report read. "Even so, the 314 deaths we have documented represent a staggering loss for any country. For comparison, 723 Belarusians died over the entire ten-year duration of the Soviet-Afghan War." According to the data, the oldest confirmed Belarusian casualty was 63 years old and died four months after signing a military contract. The youngest was just 18 and is currently listed as missing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Belarusian recruits are reported dead approximately 6.5 months on average after signing contracts with the Russian military. Most of the deceased served in the 150th Motorized Rifle Division, and a significant number were reportedly recruited from Russian prisons. The project also highlighted that Belarusian special forces personnel are among those serving in the Russian army, particularly members of the 5th Separate Special Forces Brigade based in the Belarusian city of Maryina Horka. However, the project did not specify how many are involved or the circumstances of their deployment. In July, Polish Radio reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense has been recruiting Belarusian citizens via social media platforms and job search websites. Many of these individuals are drawn not only by financial incentives but also by the opportunity to obtain Russian citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, is widely seen as a close ally of Putin. He allowed Russian forces to use Belarusian territory to launch attacks on Ukraine at the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. Read also: At least 5 tanks hit Ukrainian drones spark massive blaze at Russias largest oil terminal in occupied Crimea, source confirms Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. PESHAWAR, Pakistan/KABUL (Reuters) -Pakistani troops were on high alert on the country's border with Afghanistan on Monday after fierce weekend fighting between the two sides left dozens dead and drew the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he could help end the conflict. Border trade between the neighbours came to a halt as Pakistan closed crossings along the 2,600-km (1,600-mile) frontier, stranding scores of loaded goods vehicles on either side, a Pakistani industry representative said. Dozens of fighters were killed in border clashes that began on Saturday night in the most deadly conflict between the neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tensions between the two sides, who were once allies, broke out after Islamabad demanded the Taliban take action against militants who have stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operate from havens in Afghanistan. The Taliban denies that Pakistani militants are present on its soil. "All entry points are closed since Saturday following unprovoked attacks by the Afghan Taliban forces," a senior Pakistani security official told Reuters. A second security official said there were a few incidents of exchange of small arms fire on Sunday night but the overall situation was calm. The Pakistani military spokesperson's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Enayatullah Khowarazmi, Afghanistan's defence ministry spokesperson, told Reuters that the "current situation" on the border was normal but did not share details. With border crossings for vehicles and pedestrians closed, all Pakistani government offices on the border dealing with trade and other administrative issues had been shut, a senior Pakistani government official said. "Loaded vehicles, including containers and trucks, are stuck on both sides of the border," said Zia Ul Haq Sarhadi, senior vice president of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "Besides fresh fruit and vegetables, they are carrying imports and exports and transit trade goods and causing millions of rupees of losses to the two countries as well as traders," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan is the main source of goods and food supplies for landlocked, impoverished Afghanistan. The fighting has drawn the attention of Trump, who said he would focus on it soon. "I hear there's a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew from Washington to Israel on Sunday. "I said, I'll have to wait till I get back. You know, I'm doing another one, because I'm good at solving wars, I'm good at making peace," Trump said. The Pakistan military said that 23 of its soldiers were killed in the weekend clashes. The Taliban said nine of its fighters were killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, both claim they inflicted far higher casualties on the other side, without providing evidence. Pakistan said it had killed more than 200 Afghan Taliban and allied fighters, while Afghanistan said that it had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers. Kabul said on Sunday that it had halted attacks at the request of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. (Reporting by Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Mohammad Yunush Yawar in Kabul; Additional reporting by Asif Shahzad and Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Writing by YP Rajesh) BEITUNIA, West Bank (AP) Cheers erupted among Palestinians on Monday as Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners under a Gaza ceasefire agreement that saw them exchanged for Israeli hostages freed by Hamas. Large crowds greeted the freed prisoners in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza, flashing V-for-victory signs as they descended from International Committee of the Red Cross buses. In Beitunia, they were given traditional keffiyeh scarves as a show of nationalist pride. Some were lifted onto people's shoulders. Others sank into chairs, exhausted. It was an indescribable journey of suffering hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses more than anything you could imagine, said Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old from the West Bank town of Tulkarem who was released after more than 18 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His face was gaunt. He said he lost 139 pounds (59 kilograms) in prison. We dont recognize him. Hes not the person we knew. Our uncle doesnt look like our uncle, said his niece, Farah Abu Shanab. A military court in 2007 convicted Abu Shanab of military trainings, voluntary manslaughter and membership in an unrecognized organization, according to Israels list of exchanged prisoners. He was arrested that year during an Israeli raid targeting members of the armed wing of Fatah, the political party that runs the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Those freed include around 1,700 of the several thousand Palestinians that Israeli troops seized from Gaza during the two-year war and have held without charge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also among those released were 250 Palestinians sentenced to prison terms, most of them convicted for deadly attacks on Israelis dating back decades, as well as others convicted on lesser charges, according to Israels Justice Ministry. Of those, Israel exiled 154, sending them to neighboring Egypt, where officials said they will be sent to third countries. The rest were returning to homes in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. A profound moment The releases have powerful resonance on both sides. For Israelis, they're deeply painful, since some of those released were convicted over attacks that killed civilians and soldiers. For Palestinians, the issue of prisoners is politically charged. Nearly everyone has a friend or family member who has been jailed by Israel, particularly young men. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Israel views the prisoners as terrorists, many Palestinians consider them as freedom fighters resisting a decades-long Israeli military occupation. Reports from the U.N., rights groups and detainees detailing conditions while held including isolation, beatings, insufficient food and illness have made prisoners prominent symbols of their peoples political struggle. Israel says it adheres to its prison standards under law and investigates any reports of violations. In Khan Younis, thousands of people cheered and celebratory gunfire rang in the air. The freed Palestinians filed out wearing gray jumpsuits and entered the hospital for medical examinations. Israeli forces detained thousands of Palestinians during the war in raids on shelters and hospitals and at checkpoints stopping families as they fled their homes amid military operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Families often had no idea their relatives had been detained, and it often took months to determine if they were in Israeli custody, if confirmation came at all. Most were held under laws passed in Israel at the start of the war that allowed Palestinians to be detained for months as unlawful combatants without judicial review or access to lawyers. Mondays release still leaves about 1,300 Palestinians from Gaza in Israeli custody, according to a count of detainees in September by the Israeli human rights group HaMoked. Warnings not to celebrate Celebrations in the West Bank occurred despite Israeli warnings against doing so. A flier circulated saying anyone supporting what it called terrorist organizations risked arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palestinians gathered on hills overlooking Ofer Prison. An armored Israeli vehicle drove up and fired tear gas and rubber bullets. As drones buzzed overhead, the crowd scattered. Israels military did not respond to questions. Who is on the list According to a list issued by Hamas, the Gaza detainees freed include two women, six teenagers under 18 and around 30 men over 60. The list of 250 convicted prisoners freed, ranging in age from 19 to 64, includes 159 affiliated with Fatah, and 63 associated with Hamas. The remainder are unaffiliated or belong to other groups. Many were arrested in the early 2000s, which saw the Second Intifada break out, a Palestinian uprising fueled by anger over continued Israeli occupation despite years of peace talks. Palestinian armed groups carried out attacks that killed hundreds of Israelis, and the Israeli military killed several thousand Palestinians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some were convicted in military trials that rights advocates say often lack due process. Others have been incarcerated for months or years without trial in what is known as administrative detention. Israel says the practice, widely criticized by Palestinians and human rights groups, is needed to prevent attacks and avoid sharing sensitive intelligence. The Hamas list did not include roughly half a dozen highest-profile prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, Hassan Salameh, Ahmed Saadat and Abbas Al-Sayyed. Barghouti is widely seen as a potential successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. A list of released prisoners issued by Israel includes the following: Raed Sheikh Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 51-year-old Palestinian police officer and Fatah member, Sheikh was sentenced to multiple life terms in 2000 for his role in the killing of two Israeli soldiers who were attacked by a mob at a West Bank police station, including one thrown from the station's window. Mahmoud Issa A 57-year-old Hamas commander imprisoned for life in 1993 before the Oslo interim peace accords Issa was among those convicted of kidnapping and killing a 29-year-old Israeli border police officer that year. Much of his more than three decades behind bars were spent in solitary confinement, conditions that have made him a symbol among prisoners rights advocates. Shamasneh brothers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two brothers 56-year-old Mohammed and 62-year-old Abdel Jawad Shamasneh were sentenced in 1993 to multiple life terms for their role in a stabbing attack that killed Israeli hitchhikers whose bodies were later found in a Jerusalem riverbed in 1990 during the first Palestinian intifada. Iyad Fatafta A 47-year-old Fatah member serving a life sentence, Fatafta was one of two men convicted of murder for stabbing American tourist Kristine Luken and a friend who was hiking with her and survived. ___ Associated Press writer Lee Keath in Cairo contributed to this report. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) rapid response team, together with the White Angels police evacuation group, has evacuated two families from the frontline Druzhkivka (Donetsk region). "Evacuation from settlements in the Donetsk region continues. This week, the URCS rapid response team in the Donetsk region, together with the White Angels, evacuated two families from Druzhkivka to the Cherkasy region. Among the evacuees are five children," the URCS said on Facebook on Sunday. UPDATE: The roadway is now clear to traffic. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) The Florida Highway Patrol responded to a crash that resulted in one person killed early Sunday morning. According to a news release, at 2:19 p.m., a 22-year-old woman from Panama City, driving an SUV, was traveling north on SR 77 in the inside lane of travel. A 23-year-old woman from Panama City, driving a pickup truck with a 16-year-old male passenger, was traveling north on SR 77 ahead of the SUV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pickup truck turned into a left turn lane, as the SUV was traveling at a fast speed, partially traveling into the same left turn. This action caused the left front of the SUV to collide with the right rear of the pickup truck, troopers said. After the collision, troopers said the SUV rotated counterclockwise and overturned several times, ejecting the driver from the vehicle. The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead; the driver and passenger of the pickup truck were not injured, officials confirmed. The Lynn Haven Police Department and Lynn Haven Fire Department assisted on scene. Original Story LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB) A fatal crash has shut down part of Highway 77 in Lynn Haven earlier Sunday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened around 1 p.m. in the northbound lanes near East 24th Street and Peachtree Drive. Troopers said multiple vehicles were involved, and one car ended up upside down. Lynn Haven police and fire responded quickly and closed the road as they worked to clear the scene. We reached out to the Lynn Haven Police Department, and they told us the crash is still under investigation. As of now, FHP confirms northbound lanes around the impacted area are still closed. News 13 will provide updates as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 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 mypanhandle.com. Peace Week Delaware is running through Oct. 19 and offers a series of more than 30 events centered on community, justice and nonviolence. This years schedule includes discussions, community gatherings and family-friendly activities in every county. On Sunday, the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington will host a community event exploring how food choices affect the planet, animals and human health. Attendees are invited to bring a vegan, nut-free dish to share as part of the celebration of peaceful eating. The First Unitarian Church of Wilmington presented "Memorial to the Lost," in 2014 . The display of more than forty t-shirts included the names of those killed by gun violence. The Delaware Poor Peoples Campaign will host a virtual gathering of community advocates focused on justice, peace and dignity for all Delawareans. Participants will discuss systems that perpetuate poverty and hear updates on local abolition efforts. The session will also feature a conversation about Reverend Dr. William J. Barber IIs recent book, "White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Newark, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will present a program featuring Braver Angels, a national volunteer organization working to bridge partisan divides and restore trust in elections. The hybrid event will be open both in person and online. NEED HELP? Delaware Online launches interactive map of statewide support services Peace Week reaches libraries and classrooms Later in the week, Delaware libraries will host a range of programs promoting understanding and connection. Preschoolers can enjoy stories, songs and fingerplays at library story times, while the Lewes Public Library will hold a Peace Circle, offering residents a chance to discuss local and national issues in a respectful setting. The Woodlawn Library in Wilmington will host a community pizza party with Wilmington Police. Lewes Public Library Youth creativity will also take center stage as Pacem in Terris hosts its 10th Annual Visionary Peace Youth Art Exhibition at the Wilmington Library. Selected student artworks will become part of the Traveling Peace Youth Art Exhibition, to be displayed at more than two dozen locations throughout Delaware. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Founded in 2016 by members of the Movement for a Culture of Peace, the all-volunteer initiative brings together faith organizations, nonprofits and grassroots groups working to address violence and promote unity in Delaware. Early organizers saw the need to coordinate efforts among groups such as Pacem in Terris, the Delaware Center for Justice, the YWCA Delaware, and the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence to amplify their shared message of peace. Although the official observance runs through Oct. 19, Peace Week Delaware supports events and conversations throughout the year. For a full schedule of activities and participating organizations, visit peaceweekdelaware.org. To share your community news and activities with our audience, join Delaware Voices Uplifted on Facebook. Nonprofits, community groups and service providers are welcome to submit their information to be added to our Community Resources Map. Contact staff reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Peace Week Delaware expands message of nonviolence UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (WTAJ) A new deal to help save Penn States public radio and television station has been approved following a Board of Trustees vote Monday. According to the trustees, they approved the material terms of a proposed transaction that would allow the university to transfer the operating assets of WPSU to WHYY, a Philadelphia-based media organization. The deal authorizes Penn State to negotiate and execute a transaction with WHYY. The proposed plan is subject to approval by WHYYs board and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) before it can be finalized. We know what WPSU means to its listeners and viewers and the vital role public radio and television plays in Central Pennsylvania, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business/Treasurer Sara Thorndike said. So, we continued to explore opportunities with WHYY with the goal of keeping WPSU operational while reducing the Universitys financial commitment to the station. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed deal will not require Penn State to pay a $17 million subsidy, but WHYY will instead have a 30-day Exclusivity Period after the vote to find a minimum of $8.36 million in financing commitments. Both parties must agree in writing to extend the Exclusivity Period, the trustees noted. This is a preferred outcome to what was presented previously, and we want to extend our gratitude to WHYYs leadership and team for their collaboration and shared commitment to ensuring that WPSU continues to serve the people of Central Pennsylvania, Chair of the PSU Board of Trustees David Kleppinger said. Greg Petersen, immediate past chair of the WPSU Board of Representatives, said the proposed deal is a much better outcome than what they had a month ago. He also thinks the communitys public outcry of support played a role in the decision. I think there was enough public outcry that the university said, Well, maybe we should take another look at this, which is uncharacteristic of the board, Petersen said. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. Although the deal is not set in stone at this time, Petersen is still hopeful for the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Things have to be done. Things have to be raised. Theres a lot of work to be done, but I think we all want to roll up our sleeves and make it happen, he said. Thorndike said the sale is expected to close by June 30, 2026. Copyright 2025 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 WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WJW) A Pennsylvania doctor is facing felony charges after he allegedly traveled to Ohio to engage in sex with a minor, officials announced Monday. Dr. Robert Zewe, Jr., 50, of Erie, Pennsylvania, was arrested Friday following an undercover operation by the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. Scratch-off sold at local grocery store wins top prize According to the Ohio Attorney Generals office, Zewe was arrested in the Youngstown area after he allegedly agreed to pay for sex with a fictitious underage girl and her mother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zewe is charged with compelling prostitution, a third-degree felony; possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony; and engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Oct. 13GRAND FORKS A North Dakota state librarian said library workers nationwide are leaving the profession amid what she believes is a decrease in public trust. Mary Soucie said policies nationwide that aim to put restrictions on books have caused some people to view libraries and the people who run them as increasingly politicized. Soucie said that for many in the field, such questioning of their profession can take a toll. "We are neutral. We do not let our own personal beliefs drive what materials we have in the library. We truly attempt to meet the needs of the community," she said. "I think having our professionalism and our qualifications questioned can be frustrating." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April, Gov. Kelly Armstrong vetoed SB 2307 , which passed both the North Dakota Senate and House and aimed to keep "obscene material" out of library areas that are accessible to children. In a veto message , Armstrong called the bill "a misguided attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship." A similar bill passed the Legislature in 2023, and SB 2307 would have expanded the restrictions. Although SB 2307 was vetoed, Soucie said it still feels like there has been a decline in public trust in libraries and the work of librarians. She said it can be difficult for librarians to interpret content restriction laws because what is objectionable for one person isn't objectionable to another. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You don't want librarians picking books just based on what their interests are, what they want to read," she said. "And you definitely don't want librarians choosing materials for the collection based on their own personal philosophies, because we do our best to represent both sides of the issue, and we try very hard to have a balance in our collection that does show both sides." Soucie said that some librarians, particularly in rural areas, are leaving the profession due to these challenges. Andrea Placher, president of the North Dakota Library Association, said that for librarians in rural areas, it can be difficult to balance their role as a public servant and as a member of their community. "It's very challenging sometimes to be in these smaller communities where you're always on," Placher said. "You're on at the grocery store, you're on at the car wash, you're on because everybody knows who you are. ... It's hard to walk that line of wanting to do what you feel is right for the library, but still being a part of the community." To counteract the decline in public trust, Placher asks community members to tell stories of joy surrounding the institution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "One of our main missions this year was to get out to our communities and say, 'How much does your library mean to you? What does your library do for you? How does your library enhance your community?' " she said. "We need everyone to hear those stories of joy." Soucie said the shift to focusing on what libraries are, instead of what they are not, has been encouraging. Both Placher and Soucie emphasized the variety of goods and services local libraries can offer, and ask community members to take advantage of what they provide. "Librarians are educators, we are entertainers, we are confidants," Soucie said. "We don't advise. That's not our role, but we can connect you with community services when you need that advice. We're connectors." Observers are optimistic that China and Peru will be able to avoid a "Panama moment" over the joint Chancay Port project, despite further political turmoil in the Latin American country. Dina Boluarte's presidency came to an end after less than three years last week with a landslide 122-0 impeachment vote in the legislature, following public discontent over her handling of security and corruption scandals. Jose Jeri, former president of the Congress, will take over as interim president until a general election is held in six months but there have been concerns that the turbulence could be an opening for Washington to exert pressure on the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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. In Latin America, Peru is the second-biggest recipient of Chinese investment and China's fourth-largest trading partner. Chancay Port is a flagship project of Chinese investment. The US$3.5 billion deep-water facility north of Lima that is built and operated by China's state-owned Cosco Shipping and is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing's plan to grow global trade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The megaport is expected to become a centerpiece of global logistics, cutting shipping times across the Pacific Ocean and opening a gateway to South America. Chinese companies also operate major copper mines in Peru, one of the country's economic mainstays. Guo Cunhai, a research fellow at the Institute of Latin American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that despite Lima's continued political turmoil, its economic cooperation with China was likely to continue under future administrations. "Looking at the historical pattern, China has long been one of Peru's strategic partners. Successive administrations have maintained stable ties with Beijing despite political shifts, reflecting the deep economic forces that anchor the bilateral relationship," Guo said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2009, Peru became the first Latin American country to have a free-trade agreement with China, and economic ties have remained stable since then, despite Peru going through seven presidents in less than a decade. Evan Ellis, a research professor of Latin American studies at the US Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute, agreed that the next administration would maintain "key commitments" to China and other nations. "[The next administration] will pursue a path of continuity ... continuing key commitments and projects, both with respect to the port of Chancay, highways and other construction projects, and mining concessions [involving] China, as well as continued engagement with the US, Japan, and South Korea," Ellis said. While ties with China will remain a priority, Peru's leaders will face a broader test in managing rising tensions between Beijing and Washington over influence in Latin America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Latin America has long been characterised as the US' backyard, a position that US President Donald Trump underlined at the start of his second term. Trump declared in his inaugural address that China was "operating" the Panama Canal and "we're going to take it back". The US urged Panama to review Chinese-linked port contracts near the canal amid concerns over Beijing's growing footprint at one of the world's most strategic waterways. Hong Kong's Hutchison Ports, a CK Hutchison unit, continues to manage Panama's Balboa and Cristobal terminals at both ends of the canal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under pressure from Washington, Panama also announced earlier this year that it was withdrawing from the Belt and Road Initiative. Well before Boluarte's impeachment, there were already concerns in Peru and China that the Chancay Port could become the White House's next target, with fears that the US would exert pressure to challenge the Chinese company's stake in the operation. In November last year, Mauricio Claver-Carone, then an adviser in Trump's transition team, proposed imposing a 60 per cent tariff on all goods from the port. And earlier in 2024, lawyers for the Peruvian government filed a lawsuit to challenge Cosco's exclusive operator status, saying the facility should be available to other companies offering services such as loading and unloading shipping containers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That case was withdrawn before the port opened. Guo said the port's legal framework had already been established. "Previously, the project faced legal obstacles related to concession rights, but those issues were eventually resolved within the existing legal framework." Cynthia Sanborn, director of the Centre for China and Asia-Pacific Studies at the Universidad del Pacifico in Lima, said Peru's strong commitment to the project meant that it was unlikely to become the focus of another "Panama moment". "US policymakers know that trade and investment are fundamental to us and that the Chancay Port is widely supported here; so I don't think a 'Panama situation' will emerge," Sanborn said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that compared with some major strategic Latin American nations, such as Panama, Peru was receiving "less attention" from Washington. "In fact, the US does not even have an ambassador in place in Peru now," Sanborn said. Leolino Dourado, a researcher at the same centre, did not rule out the possibility of Washington exerting pressure over the port but said the country's strong economic reliance on Beijing could make Lima more determined to stay the course. "The Chancay Port, in particular, could become a target of pressure similar to the 'Panama situation'. The US could apply serious pressure if it hit Peru with higher tariffs or threatened the free-trade agreement - enough to extract some concessions," Dourado said. "But at the same time, any such pressure would be limited, since Peru would have to be cautious not to disrupt its relations with China, which, of course, remains such a critical economic partner." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 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 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. When Elida Castillo drives around Corpus Christi, she doesn't see a city about to run out of water. Instead, Castillo, who leads an environmental advocacy group called Chispa Texas, sees car washes opening; houses being built in new subdivisions; new refinery smokestacks sprouting along Corpus Christi Bay. But the city is running out of water. If nothing changes by late next year the city will begin curtailing usage by 25%, leaving both residents and the region's massive petrochemical industry to figure how to make do with a lot less. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: Lawmakers hope desalination can bring new water to Texas. Critics want protections for the coast. The situation became even more dire in September, when city council members abruptly voted to stop work on a controversial seawater desalination plant called Inner Harbor, alarmed by the plant's ballooning cost - estimated at $1.2 billion. Corpus Christi is a "microcosm of a bigger problem," said Drew Molly, who until recently was the chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water. As the state's water crisis deepens, cities and communities will be faced with difficult questions: How much water do we need? How much are we willing to pay? And who will foot the bill? Desalinating seawater is one solution, offering the promise of a limitless, drought-free water. But the costs are extraordinary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think the state leadership sees big, massive projects, and they look at local entities and go, why can't you guys build this?" Molly said. "And the answer is we can't do it because we can't afford it." Today, Corpus Christi relies entirely on surface water, mostly from the Nueces River. But years of drought coupled with industry growth have sucked most of the city's reservoirs dry. The city's main source of water, Choke Canyon Reservoir, is at 11% capacity. Farther downstream, Lake Corpus Christi is 15% full. A dashboard on the city's website displays the number of days until a water emergency: 416, 415, 414. RELATED: Corpus Christi countered Greg Abbott on a water plant. His office warns it could cost them funding Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Inner Harbor project would have been the state's first ocean-based desalination plant in over a half century. The first in the country opened in Freeport, Texas, in 1961, a demonstration plant funded by the federal Office of Saline Water. A postcard image of the first ocean-based desalination plant in the country, opened in Freeport, Texas, in 1961. (Courtesy of Robert Mace) "Today is an important step towards the achievement of one of man's oldest dreams: securing freshwater from saltwater," President John F. Kennedy said when the plant opened, speaking by phone at the dedication. But after only eight years, federal funding ran out and the plant shuttered; without subsidy, the water was too expensive. 'Tip of the iceburg' City leaders worried about the cost of water produced by the Inner Harbor project, especially after new estimates this year put the plant's cost at $1.2 billion, a huge jump from the $760 million price tag from a year before. Water from the plant would cost roughly twice as much per thousand gallons as existing sources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Environmentalists celebrated the council's about-face. For years, they'd pointed to studies that showed that discharging the plant's super-salty brine directly into the Corpus Christi Bay could raise salinity levels and harm marine life, threatening the region's coastal ecosystem and the tourism it supports. But for some, it was too late to cancel a project that had become pivotal to the region's future. Banking on the new supply, city leaders had already sold most of the city's surface water to industrial users, as the fracking boom in west Texas led to new refineries and chemical plants along the Gulf Coast. Shortly after the vote, Moody's announced it was reviewing the city's bond rating, triggered by an "unexpected acceleration of water depletion risk" due to "the recent cancellation of a long-term effort to enhance water supply without an adequate replacement." State leaders called the decision shortsighted and said it undermined the credibility of the city, which had already accepted $231 million in state loans for the project. The city is on the hook for that debt - plus $136 million in interest - whether or not the desalination plant is ever built. A sign sits in a residential yard on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in the Hillcrest neighborhood in Corpus Christi. (Jon Shapley/Staff photographer) That cost will get passed along to residential ratepayers through an $8 monthly charge, according to city documents. (Industrial users, which make up the bulk of the city's water supply, will skirt the cost because they are outside city limits.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Building the plant would have cost residential users only slightly more - around $11 a month. State leaders recognize that they will have to help foot the bill for large-scale water projects. Earlier this year, lawmakers agreed to carve out $1 billion from the state's tax revenue annually for 20 years to fund those efforts. But even that is "the tip of the iceberg of what's needed," said state Rep. Cody Harris, a Palestine Republican who authored the legislation for dedicated water funding. "In order to bring economies of scale into the picture and start to lower the cost of desalination, the state will have to play a large role in funding some of these projects very heavily up front." Growing industrial demand Industry leaders have been talking about desalinating seawater for 30 years, said Errol Summerlin, a retired lawyer who co-founded the Coastal Alliance to Protect our Environment, an alliance of grassroots groups and nonprofits, to fight the Inner Harbor plant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You can't help but look out over the bay and say, man, there's got to be a way we can use that water," he said. It wasn't until the 2011 drought forced petrochemical plants to curtail water usage that the conversation got serious, he said. In 2018, industrial users agreed to pay an ongoing surcharge of $0.25 for every 1,000 gallons consumed in order to avoid having their water use restricted during future droughts. That surcharge, which was eventually raised to $0.31, was intended to fund new water projects, like desalination. "Part of how they came up with 31 cents was that they were going to pay for 100% of the costs of the new water supply project," said Molly, who now works as the chief water officer at Houston Public Works. Renoir LeMarcus Knox gets into his truck Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in the Hillcrest neighborhood in Corpus Christi. The neighborhood is mostly made of empty lots. "This is what the social injustice of petroleum looks like," he said. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle) That hasn't happened. To date, industrial users have paid just $31.5 million in surcharges, a fraction of even the Inner Harbor's initial price tag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Molly said large-volume users should be paying more to fund new water projects. "The industry uses most of our water, and they should pay probably a little bit more than what they've been paying in the past," he said. "Why is that not the case? I think it falls on the elected officials [and] staff." Roughly half of the water sold by Corpus Christi Water goes to petrochemical companies and refineries, which use that water for cleaning, generating steam and cooling, said Bob Paulison, the executive director of the Coastal Bend Industry Association, a trade group. If water use is restricted, many plants will stop operating altogether or significantly scale back operations, he said, noting the industry had already made a "substantial contribution" to the water utility through its rates and the $0.31 surcharge. The council's vote has created "a lot of uncertainty" for businesses, he said. "The question that's on everybody's mind is: What's the plan?" Scrambling for alternatives The city council is still considering several options to resurrect the Inner Harbor project, including turning it over to the second-place bidder. The Gulf Coast Authority, a state entity based in Houston, has expressed interest in taking over the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We must do something," Mayor Paulette Guajardo said during a water workshop in early October. "The clock is ticking." In the meantime, the city has started pumping groundwater from the Evangeline Aquifer into the Nueces River. And city manager Peter Zanoni reported that the city planned to buy the rights to pump nearly 23,000 acre feet of fresh groundwater from the Evangeline in nearby San Patricio County, which would be added to an existing pipeline carrying surface water to the city's water treatment facility. But even under the "best possible timeline," Molly told council members in September, that water wouldn't arrive in Corpus Christi until early 2029. Residents and farmers who already use that groundwater are fiercely opposed to the deal. While most of San Patricio County - which includes the petrochemical complex clustered on the northern side of the bay - buys water from Corpus Christi, the city of Sinton relies entirely on groundwater. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We're going to contest every permit they try to get," Sinton's city manager, John Hobson, said in an interview, noting that Corpus Christi planned to pump 65% of the groundwater district's available water. "If they would have approved desal, there's no reason for them to come and take groundwater," he said. "They would have the water they needed." Environmental activists who have been critical of the desalination project see it as supporting the growth of an unsustainable industry that has only brought more pollution and inequality to Corpus Christi. "We are being forced into this idea that we need this desal plant because we're not going to have water," Castillo said. "Well, y'all are still talking about bringing on large-volume water users. You haven't had the industry curtail their usage." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Summerlin agreed, saying the city should put a moratorium on new industrial growth while it secures its water supply. "As long as the city is promoting industrial development, we're going to continually dig ourselves in a hole," he said. "No sooner do we get a new supply in place when a large industrial user comes calling for that water." But others see that growth as fundamental to the identity of the city - and state. "You just have to decide what kind of community you want to be," said Roland Barrera, a city council member who supports the Inner Harbor project. "Do we want to foster economic growth and foster industry and do so responsibly or [just say] don't come to Corpus Christi, don't come to the coast? Because the demand for the product is still going to be there." Many water experts are still bullish on seawater desalination. "There's a realization out there that these projects are getting really large and cost prohibitive, but they're not really optional at some point," said Perry Fowler, the executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network. About a half dozen seawater desalination projects are in some stage of development along the Gulf Coast, from Brownsville to Freeport. Last week, an Arizona-based company called EPCOR filed permits with the state to build a seawater desalination plant in Texas City that would provide fresh drinking water to Harris and Galveston counties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of these projects are being developed by private companies, which aim to sell the water to public utilities. "Water is the new oil and gas," Molly said. "You have private sector companies that are coming in and trying to figure out how to have real space in this industry." Those companies can shoulder risk for longer - but ratepayers lose the transparency and accountability that come with public projects, Molly said. "Hopefully the lesson [from Corpus Christi] isn't that it's going to be politically impossible to get a seawater desal plant through a publicly elected body," said Robert Mace, the executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. But, he said, it would likely "put a damper" on similar efforts. "People are very focused on the here and now - what's happening with this water cost, how this affects my water bill," he said. "We live in a dry state and we face droughts. And these droughts are probably gonna get worse." This article originally published at After pivotal vote, Corpus Christi is on the brink of a water shortage: The clock is ticking'. A 33-year-old man fatally shot in Wilmington's Browntown neighborhood has been identified by city police as Desmond Scott. Scott was in the first block of Stroud Street when he was shot about 2:35 p.m. on Oct. 11, police said. After being found, police said Scott was taken to an area hospital where he died. Wilmington shootings Despite this being the 14th person killed in Wilmington this year, the number of people shot in Delaware's largest city is down from previous years for the same time period, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal shooting database. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far this year, 67 people have been shot, 14 fatally. There were 80 people shot, 14 fatally, last year at the same time. The last time Wilmington saw fewer people shot by Oct. 11 was in 2018, when 61 people were hit by gunfire (15 fatally). The last time the city saw fewer people killed by gunfire this far into the year was in 2023, when 11 people were fatally wounded (91 people had been shot during that period). No other details were provided in Scott's weekend killing. Police ask that anyone with information about the Browntown fatal shooting to contact Detective Joseph Wicks at (302) 576-3654. People can also provide information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington police ID man killed in Browntown weekend shooting QUITO, Ecuador Crowds protesting a spike in fuel prices spilled into the streets of Ecuadors capital of Quito Sunday, burning tires, blocking roads and facing off against police officers who responded with volleys of tear gas. It was the latest confrontation in a series of nationwide demonstrations testing President Daniel Noboa. Protesters on Sunday whistled and chanted Noboa out, out! as they marched from southern Quito toward a park further north. Before they could reach the plaza, police officers on motorbikes dispersed the rally, firing tear gas into the crowd. No injuries were immediately reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ecuadors largest Indigenous organization called the strikes 21 days ago in response to the removal of a fuel subsidy that raised the price of diesel from $1.80 per gallon to $2.80. The protests have frequently turned violent, with one civilian reported killed so far, dozens injured and over a hundred arrested in clashes with police. Noboa has imposed a state of emergency in 10 provinces, restricting public gatherings in Quito and other areas. Last week, protesters attacked Noboas motorcade with rocks in a major escalation. As the protests have been largely concentrated in the countrys northern provinces, Sundays rally in Quito put authorities on high alert. Thousands of police in riot gear streamed into the capital in recent days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest demonstration coincided with the Day of Interculturality and Plurinationality, Ecuadors replacement for Columbus Day that recognizes its Indigenous population rather than the Italian explorers arrival in the Americas in 1492. The hike in fuel prices particularly affects Indigenous people who work in Ecuadors crucial agricultural, fishing and transport sectors. President Noboa argues that the government needed to slash the $1.1 billion subsidy to shore up the countrys finances and combat rampant fuel smuggling across Ecuadors borders into Colombia and Peru. The gorgeous weather that graced much of California this weekend will soon be gone. A potent Pacific storm, the first truly statewide system of the new season, will sweep across the state Monday and Tuesday, unleashing heavy rain, thunderstorms and feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada. Winter storm warnings and flood watches now cover a large part of the state, and the National Weather Service puts a large portion of coastal California and the Central Valley foothills under a marginal risk for excessive rainfall on Monday and Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upward of 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain will fall from San Francisco to Los Angeles by Tuesday evening, with 2 to 4 inches of rain possible in coastal ranges and Sierra foothills. The higher Sierra could see up to 3 feet of snow by Wednesday morning. Here are the details. A soaking in the Bay Area A strong low pressure system will spin up Sunday off the Pacific Northwest and drift south along the California coast, positioning itself just offshore of the Bay Area by Monday morning and crossing inland by afternoon. The low-pressure system will be carrying an unusually cold pocket of air aloft, with temperatures near freezing at 5,000 feet, remarkable for mid-October. The resulting instability will prime the region for scattered thunderstorms from late Monday morning through evening, producing downpours, lightning, small hail and perhaps an isolated waterspout or weak tornado just offshore and in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Storm Prediction Center has a good portion of the state under a general risk of thunderstorms on Monday, with a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms along the Central Coast. Beatrix Seidenberg walks with her dogs, Clifford and Tug, in the rain at Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco in 2023. More rain is on the way for the Bay Area this week. (Bronte Wittpenn/S.F. Chronicle) Steady rain will develop around 11 a.m. Monday in the Bay Area and persist through early evening. Heavier bursts of rain will develop in some of the stronger pockets. Scattered thunderstorms are likely to pop up in the afternoon, especially along the west slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Diablo Range, Berkeley hills and Peninsula's coastal ridges. Some of these storms will slip into the lower elevations of the Bay Area as well, including the big metro areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the rest of the region, rainfall totals will range from 0.5 to 1 inch by Tuesday evening, including in San Francisco, the Peninsula, Oakland, the Tri-Valley, San Jose and Silicon Valley. In a bit of a reversal from the usual trend with these types of storms, the valleys of the North Bay will see a bit less accumulation, but some of the typical jackpot spots such as Mount Tamalpais will probably end up with more than 3 inches of rain by Tuesday evening. Around a 0.5 of an inch to 1 inch of rain is forecast to fall around the Bay Area by Tuesday morning, with more showers expected on Tuesday afternoon. (Baron/Lynx ) The falling rain will mix the cold upper-level air down to the surface, keeping daytime high temperatures in the low to mid-60s everywhere, roughly 5 to 15 degrees below normal for this time of the year. The combination of the cool temperatures and rain will probably make it feel even colder for most people. Steady rain will taper off by Monday evening, but the rain threat continues through much of Tuesday as the upper-level low lingers near the region, sparking scattered showers and maybe an isolated thunderstorm or two into Tuesday evening. Temperatures will continue to be quite cool, with highs in the 50s and 60s region wide. San Jose's forecast high temperature of 63 Tuesday would be close to a daily record for coldest maximum temperature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Temperatures will fall off even more Tuesday night, with some interior valley locations dropping into the 40s, while San Francisco and Oakland bottom out around 50 degrees. Sierra snow and debris flow concerns This won't be a storm just for the Bay Area. The Sierra is in line for a fairly significant early season snowstorm from this system. Snow will break out in the Northern Sierra by Monday evening, with snowfall levels initially above 7,500 feet but dropping to around 5,000 feet by Tuesday. Winter storm warnings extend from Shasta County through the Sequoia National Forest, in effect Monday night through Wednesday. Light snow will start to pile up around Donner Pass by Monday evening, probably resulting in the first winter season travel restrictions along Interstate 80. As snow levels drop during the day Tuesday, light snow will spread to Truckee and eventually South Lake Tahoe, where 1 to 2 inches of snow is expected by Tuesday afternoon before the precipitation tails off. The exact track of the low pressure is still a bit uncertain, but it appears that Mono County and the Central Sierra will win the jackpot of snow totals. That includes Mammoth, where several rounds of heavy snowfall bands are likely to develop Tuesday, ultimately dropping 1 to 1.5 feet of snow. Tioga Pass is likely to be shut down for a period of time Monday evening and Tuesday, with up to a foot of snow in the forecast. However, should the storm system track farther to the south, something not in the current forecast, these areas would see much less snowfall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Upward of 2 to 3 feet will fall across the High Sierra in elevations above 8,000 feet through Wednesday afternoon, a significant early season haul. One to 2 feet of snow is expected down to about 6,000 feet through the Central and Southern Sierra over the same timeframe. Heavy snow will fall across the Central and Southern Sierra, especially across higher elevations where 2 to feet could be on the ground by Wednesday. (Baron/Lynx ) On the western slopes of the Sierra in the foothills, the concern will be flooding from heavy rainfall. Thunderstorms with pockets of heavy rain will develop on Monday, first in the Sierra foothills to the east of Sacramento, where 1 to 3 inches could fall in Sacramento, Placerville (El Dorado County), Modesto and Yosemite. By Monday evening and especially Tuesday, rain and thunderstorms will move farther south, bringing upward of 2 to 3 inches of rain in the foothills in Mariposa, Fresno and Tulare counties. Flood watches are in place through Tuesday evening for much of the Sierra foothills as thunderstorms with heavy rain are likely to trigger debris flows in some of recent wildfire burn scars, particularly around the Garnet Fire scar. Heavy rain in Southern California This storm won't leave any part of the state untouched. Flood watches stretch from the Central Coast through Los Angeles from Monday evening to Tuesday night. The hills and mountains east of Santa Barbara and Ventura are at a slightly higher risk of excessive rainfall Tuesday as thunderstorms with heavy rainfall develop across the Southern California Transverse Ranges, dropping upward of 1 to 4 inches of rain. Latest storm update for our slice of #SoCal: * Rain totals 0.75"-1.50" most areas with up to around 3.50" aross the mountains * Flood Watch in effect for all burn scars - Due to rain rates possibly exceeding USGS thresholds * Snow above 6000 feet * Gusty S-SW winds#CAwx pic.twitter.com/Neup3pwSNu - NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) October 12, 2025 Flash flooding and debris flow are a big concern in the mountains and hills around Los Angeles, especially near the Palisades Fire burn scar. Los Angeles and the coastal valleys will see anywhere from 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain Tuesday evening, a good soaking by October standards. Even San Diego could see up to 0.25 of an inch of rain by Tuesday, which would be the city's wettest October day since 2021. This article originally published at California is about to be slammed with rain, thunder and snow. Here's what to expect. The level of trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has practically not changed compared to the first half of September 2025: currently 60% of Ukrainians trust him, 35% do not trust him, while in the first half of September the corresponding figures were 59% and 34%, according to the results of a study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from September 19 to October 5. It is noted that after a decrease in trust between the beginning of May and the beginning of August (initially from 74% to 65% in early June and then to 58% in early August), stabilization has occurred and over the past two months the level of trust in the president has fluctuated within the margin of error. At the same time, although the level of trust is now lower than it was in May, it is higher than in December 2024. At the same time, despite the fact that only 11% of Ukrainians believe that elections in Ukraine should be held now, that is, before the end of hostilities, only 41% of those surveyed believe that Zelenskyy should remain in politics after the war, and only 25% would like him to continue as president of Ukraine. In contrast, 36% of respondents expressed the opinion that it would be better for him to leave politics after the war. 14% want Zelenskyy to be prosecuted. Among those who now fully trust Zelenskyy, the vast majority would like to see him as president after the war as well 69%. Among those who rather trust, the figure is only 21%, and among those who do not trust at all or rather do not trust only 3% and 2%, respectively. "The share of those who see a given person as president after the war is not equivalent to an electoral rating. During elections, people choose between specific participants, so the composition of the candidates can determine the decision on who to vote for (for example, a certain person may not enjoy great trust, but be perceived as the best option among the available ones)," the press release on the results of the study notes. At the same time, even fewer respondents would like Petro Poroshenko, the peoples deputy, the leader of the largest opposition faction European Solidarity in the Verkhovna Rada, the fifth president of Ukraine (2014-19), who is currently actively investing in national defense, to remain in politics. In total, 23% of Ukrainians believe that he should remain in politics, and only 9% of Ukrainians would like Poroshenko to take the post of president or prime minister after the war. Instead, 46% would like him to leave politics. 23% of respondents want Poroshenko to be prosecuted. In total, 45% of respondents do not see either Zelenskyy or Poroshenko in politics after the war. Another 46% have a "polarizing" approach, when they see one person in politics, but would not like the other to remain in politics: 32% believe that Zelenskyy should remain in politics, but not Poroshenko, 14% would like the opposite. Only 9% answered that they would like both to remain in politics. Some 32% of all respondents would like criminal prosecution of either Zelenskyy or Poroshenko, in particular, 5% spoke about the prosecution of both figures. Executive Director of KIIS Anton Hrushetsky noted that Zelenskyy retains a fairly high level of trust in Ukrainian society and high legitimacy as the head of state for the period until the end of the war, but after that there is an expectation to see someone new in the position of president. "However, the request to see someone new in the position of president (or other top positions in the state) does not mean a desire for the current parliamentary opposition to come to power. During a full-scale war, many servicemen, volunteers, public figures, and central and local officials have proven themselves as true leaders and effective anti-crisis managers. A new generation of Ukrainian leaders is being tempered in the fire of war, and ordinary citizens are aware of this and are ready to give them a chance to prove themselves in politics after the war. Therefore, we see that in the case of both Zelenskyy (as a representative of the current government) and Poroshenko (as a representative of the opposition), many Ukrainians would like them to make way for new leaders," he commented. Hrushetsky also noted that quite a few Ukrainians demand public harsh punishment of politicians, which is a civilized approach that should be encouraged. "The current authorities need to understand that there is no demand among the public for the punishment of Poroshenko. At the same time, the ex-presidents team should also realize that there is no demand for the criminal prosecution of Zelenskyy," he stressed. The study was conducted using the method of telephone interviews (CATI) based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers in all government-controlled regions of Ukraine among 1,008 respondents aged 18 and over. Formally, under normal circumstances, the statistical error of such a sample (with a probability of 0.95 and taking into account the design effect of 1.3) did not exceed 4.1% for indicators close to 50% and 1.8% - for indicators close to 5%. Under war conditions, in addition to the specified formal error, a certain systematic deviation is added, but the results obtained still retain high representativeness. CAIRO (AP) Israel said Sunday it expected all living hostages held in Gaza to be released Monday in its breakthrough ceasefire deal with Hamas, as Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held in Israel and a surge of aid into the famine-stricken territory. In a few hours, we will all be reunited, Israels military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump planned to visit Israel and Egypt on Monday to celebrate the ceasefire announced last week in the two-year war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The war is over, Trump asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold. He said he would be proud to visit Gaza. Living hostages expected first Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said all 20 living hostages were expected to be released at one time to the Red Cross, then driven to a military base to reunite with families or, if needed, immediately to a hospital. After the hostages are freed, Israel was ready to release about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and receive the 28 hostages believed to be dead. An international task force will start working to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the hostages and the missing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reality is, some of the hostages we may never get back, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose name was booed repeatedly Saturday at a weekly rally for the hostages in Tel Aviv, said Monday would be a path of healing. Many Israelis have accused him of drawing out the war for political aims, which he has denied. Timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. A Palestinian official said a Hamas delegation was in Cairo speaking with mediators about the list of prisoners. The official said Hamas is pressing for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the most popular Palestinian leader and a potentially unifying figure, along with several others serving life sentences. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which views Barghouti as a terrorist leader. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after the releases, according to a prisoners family and a Palestinian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. Israels military did not immediately respond to questions. Preparing a surge of aid The United Nations late Sunday reported real progress on humanitarian aid in Gaza, saying it and partners distributed hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread. Cooking gas entered the territory for the first time since March, during the previous ceasefire. The U.N. said Israel has now approved 190,000 metric tons of aid to enter, up from 170,000. The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said the amount of aid entering was expected to increase to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Much of Gaza is a wasteland," U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told The Associated Press. He said the U.N. has a plan for the next two months to also restore basic medical and other services and remove rubble. Food distribution sites run by the controversial U.S. and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are being shut down, an Egyptian official and another official in the region told the AP. Preparations for Trump's visit Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, was expected to arrive Monday morning in Israel. He will meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament, according to the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump will continue to Egypt, where the office of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has said he will co-chair a peace summit Monday with regional and international leaders. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, Mahmoud al-Habbash, a judge and adviser to Abbas, told the AP. Key questions about governance of Gaza and the post-war fate of Hamas, including its proposed disarmament, have yet to be resolved. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that he had instructed the military to prepare to begin destroying the network of Hamas-built tunnels under Gaza through the international mechanism that will be established under the leadership and supervision of the U.S. once the hostages are released. How that will be achieved, as Israeli forces have pulled back within Gaza, was not immediately clear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gaza residents return to rubble Palestinians streamed back to areas vacated by Israeli forces. Satellite photos taken Saturday and analyzed by the AP showed a line of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City. Palestinian flags stood out against the dust-covered ruins. Mohamed Samy said he immediately went to check his home. It was flattened, just like everything else in Jabaliya, Samy said. It was an empty plot of land. It was like the building never even existed in that place. I questioned my sanity. Armed police in Gaza City and southern Gaza patrolled the streets and secured aid trucks in areas where Israel's military had withdrawn, residents said. The police force is part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ministry said it would allow members of armed gangs not involved in the killing of Palestinians to turn themselves in as early as Monday to repent and be pardoned. First responders searched previously inaccessible areas for bodies under rubble. Health officials said 233 had been brought to hospitals since Friday, when the truce went into effect. Some were only bones. Yasser el-Bureis, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, said his family had finally retrieved the remains of two cousins. For five months, we didnt manage to recover the bodies, he said. 2 years of war The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Israels ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies. ___ Lidman reported from Tel Aviv. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Cairo, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue in Beirut, and Jalal Bwaitel and Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Redding flight nurse Susan Suzie Smith who was critically injured a week ago in a medical helicopter crash in Sacramento has died. The family confirmed that Smith passed away at the hospital on Friday, Oct. 10. An honor procession for Smith took place Sunday afternoon as she was flown from Sacramento to Red Bluff, then taken by ambulance along Interstate 5 to Palo Cedro. The procession drew community members paying their respects to Smith and her family, according to video from KRCR TV. Suzie Smith, left, in Nicaragua where she has for years helped provide medical care to an orphanage in the Central American country. Smith was one of three people on board a REACH Air Medical Services helicopter that crashed on Highway 50 on Monday evening, Oct. 6. The copter was returning to the North State after it had transported a patient to UC Davis Medical Center. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read More: Redding nurse in helicopter crash has given years helping others Also injured in the crash was the pilot, Chad Millward, and the flight paramedic, Margaret "DeDe" Davis. Millward lives in Palo Cedro, and Davis is a resident of Sutter County. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. In a statement, Smiths family thanked the doctors, nurses and staff at UC Davis Medical Center, where Smith was taken after she was injured. The family also thanked REACH Air Medical Services. It is with deep sorrow, yet deeper hope, that we share the passing of our beloved Suzie Smith, who has gone from this life into the waiting arms of her Savior, Jesus Christ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suzies life was not wasted but poured out with purpose, courage, and deep intention. Her legacy reminds us to live boldly, love freely, and never hold back the good we can give when we follow Him. We are so thankful for the rainbow that stretched across Redding last night, reminding us that God has promised His presence, His peace, and His comfort. Our family is deeply grateful to the community for the love, support, and prayers that have carried us through this difficult week. Thank you for partnering with God to bring comfort to our hearts, Smiths family said. Friends and family have said that Smith dedicated her life to helping and caring for others. She and her husband, Rick RJ Smith, had been traveling to Nicaragua for years to help an orphanage in the Central American country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They have really poured their heart and lives into the place, and peoples lives are changing because of them, David Van Dyke, an elder at Valley Christian Family Church, where the Smiths attended, said last Wednesday. On its Facebook page, REACH Air Medical Services remembered Smith as a pillar of the EMS and healthcare community who saved countless lives by delivering compassionate care in their darkest hours. Smith worked for 50 years as a nurse that included more than 20 years with REACH, the company said. Her impact will be felt for years to come through the lives she touched, the teams she strengthened, and the compassion she embodied, the Facebook post said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement REACH said a memorial foundation has been established to honor Smith and her legacy. Donations can be made to "Our Angel That Flies Foundation", Plumas Bank, Attention Matt Moseley, 192 Hartnell Ave, Redding, CA 96002. David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. Hes part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding flight nurse injured in helicopter crash on Highway 50 dies The release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza has begun, with Israeli media reporting that seven abductees were handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday morning. In total, 20 living hostages are expected to be freed on Monday, including Alon Ohel, Rom Braslavski and twins Ziv and Gali Berman, who all hold both Israeli and German citizenship. According to media reports, three of the four German-Israelis were freed in the day's first handover. The hostages will be transferred to the Israeli military base of Re'im for medical checks, showers and clothing changes. Families will be reunited with their loved ones before the captives are flown to hospitals for further treatment. ZANESVILLE Muskingum County residents will have a time to remember and memorialize Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot Sept. 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. Rushing Wind Biker Church will host a candlelight vigil in honor of Kirk and his legacy from 8 to 9 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Muskingum County Courthouse. "Charlie wanted to be remembered for his courage and his faith. That was what I want to remember him for," said Heather Anders, the vigil's organizer. "It's extremely important to me. I don't want him to ever be forgotten." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirk, 31, was a Chrisitian evangelist, political activist, media personality and author who advocated for Christian traditions and conservative political views. He was the co-founder of nonprofit Turning Point USA. He was hosting a debate on the campus and was taking questions about mass shooting and gun violence when he was killed. "He wanted to help lost souls find their ways," Anders added. "He was a man of God. Most importantly, he was a father and a husband." The church will first hold a service at 6 p.m. at the church, 5715 East Pike, before departing for the courthouse at 7:15 p.m. Candles will be supplied for those who attend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For updates visit Rushing Wind Biker Church on Facebook. More: Muskingum County sheriff: Investigation into K-9 officer's death will be completed soon Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at sdigity@gannett.com or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Rushing Wind Biker Church plans vigil to honor Charlie Kirk The Rhode Island Press Association welcomes submissions for nominations to the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. Nominations are now open for candidates to be inducted into the Class of 2026 Rhode Island Press Association Hall of Fame. This lifetime achievement award honors those who have made a substantial impact on journalism in Rhode Island or Rhode Islanders who have made similar contributions to the field elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nominees must be at least 55 years old. Significant contributions to journalism could have been made through reporting, editing, photography, design, or education. Nominees may also be those who have led innovative changes within a news organization, or advocated for the First Amendment. To propose a Hall of Fame nominee, you must write a letter outlining the reasons why a person meets these criteria and their impact on journalism. Posthumous nominations are welcome. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2025. Please include the nominees name and current or, if retired, former position and news outlet or organizational affiliation, their contact information, including email, phone and mailing address. List any awards and achievements that have contributed to promoting the core principles of journalism: providing citizens with accurate and reliable information, holding public officials accountable, and acting in the publics interest. Specific examples of the impact of this persons work, including clips or letters of verification will strengthen the nomination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nominations will be reviewed by a committee of Rhode Island Press Association members. The class of inductees will be honored at a banquet in May 2026. Email nominations to Len Levin, chairman of the Rhode Island Press Association Hall of Fame Committee, at Lenlevin5@hotmail.com. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MANILA (Reuters) -Relations between Manila and Beijing have soured under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back towards the United States which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. Here is a timeline of key events this year and last year that have escalated tensions between the Philippines and China: 2024 JAN 3 Philippines, U.S. hold second joint patrol in South China Sea; China conducts similar naval and air drills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MAR 5 Manila accuses Chinese Coast Guard of "reckless" actions causing collision between their ships at Second Thomas Shoal; Beijing says Philippine vessels intruded. JUN 17 Philippine sailor loses a finger in alleged Chinese Coast Guard ramming near Second Thomas Shoal; China denies. JUL 8 Philippines, Japan sign landmark military pact allowing troop deployments on each other's soil. JUL 22 Manila, Beijing agree on "provisional resupply arrangement" for Second Thomas Shoal. AUG 2 Philippines, Japan hold first joint military drills in South China Sea. AUG 9 Philippines, Vietnam conduct first joint coast guard exercise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AUG 10 Philippines says Chinese jets dropped flares near its patrol aircraft over Scarborough Shoal. AUG 31 Manila, Beijing trade accusations over fifth ramming incident near Sabina Shoal. SEP 28 Philippines joins maritime drills with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, U.S.; China holds separate exercises. OCT 11 Manila says Chinese militia boat sideswiped fisheries vessel near Thitu Island. NOV 8 Philippines passes maritime laws defining sea zones and routes; Beijing protests. 2025 JAN 6 Philippines deploys ships, aircraft to monitor China's largest coast guard vessel in exclusive economic zone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FEB 18 Manila accuses Chinese navy of a dangerous flyby near Scarborough Shoal; Beijing disputes. MAR 28 China deploys two H-6 bombers around the Scarborough Shoal, satellite images show. APR 28 Manila denies reports China seized Sandy Cay reef. MAY 5 Philippines challenges Chinese research ship over conduct of illegal marine survey off Ilocos coast. JUL 18 China lodges protest over Philippines' "negative moves" on Taiwan, as well as maritime and security issues. AUG 4 Philippine, Indian navies sail together for first time in South China Sea. AUG 12 Manila slams Chinese "dangerous manoeuvres" at Scarborough Shoal; says it led to Chinese ship collision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AUG 13 China says it drove away U.S. destroyer that sailed near Scarborough Shoal; U.S. Navy says its action was in line with international law. SEP 10 China approves creation of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal. SEP 16 Chinese Coast Guard fires water cannon at Philippine ships near Scarborough Shoal; Philippines accuses Beijing of "aggressive" action that injured one person. OCT 12 Manila accuses Chinese Coast Guard of ramming and firing water cannon at Philippine fisheries vessels near Philippine-occupied Thitu Island. (Reporting by Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Rashmi Aich) Russia has likely provided technical assistance to North Korea in the development of submarines, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told the country's parliament on Oct. 13, Reuters reported. The news aligns with suspicions that Moscow is providing military technology to North Korea in exchange for arms, ammunition, and soldiers deployed in the war against Ukraine. The South Korean minister said Pyongyang has received "various technologies," but it remains unclear whether it was able to test launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Korea has long been developing submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles, as well as nuclear-powered vessels. The Asian country launched a new ballistic missile submarine, the Hero Kim Kun Ok, in September 2023. In March this year, Pyongyang unveiled for the first time what it claims was a "nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine." Russia and North Korea have deepened their cooperation in recent years, signing a strategic agreement in June 2024 that stipulates mutual support in the event of an attack on either country. North Korea subsequently dispatched around 11,000-12,000 troops to Russia in late 2024 to help fend off a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A senior Western diplomat previously told the Kyiv Independent that North Korea could have sent even more troops, with Ukrainian officials estimating Pyongyang's contribution to be between 20,000 and 30,000 soldiers. Kyiv has warned that the Russia-North Korea partnership poses a danger not only to Ukraine but also to the Asia-Pacific region and global security as a whole. During an Oct. 10 military parade, North Korea unveiled hypersonic medium-range ballistic missiles and Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in an event attended by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president. Read also: At least 5 tanks hit Ukrainian drones spark massive blaze at Russias largest oil depot in occupied Crimea, source confirms Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. During its ongoing fight against Russia, the First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine comes under constant drone attack. Usually, its from small, highly maneuverable first-person view (FPV) drones. Occasionally, however, Russia uses its Shahed long-range kamikaze drones against Azovs frontline positions, Lt. Col. Arsen Lemko Dmytryk recently told us in an exclusive interview. Though infrequently deployed against Azov, Shaheds are hitting other Ukrainian units near the front. There is additional evidence that points to these drones increasingly being modified to support closer-range use against targets of opportunity, even moving ones, near the heart of the fighting. This could become a major issue as production of the weapons, which have become Russias primary long-range strike capability against static targets, is set to explode. In March 2024, it became apparent that Russia installed cameras and cellular modems on a small number of Shaheds. That likely gave them aerial reconnaissance capability and the ability to send images back home, and possibly direct man-in-the-loop (MITL) control when connected opportunistically via Ukrainian wireless networks. Standard Shahed drones have no MITL control or autonomous targeting capabilities and can only strike static targets that are predetermined prior to launch. Russian Shahed-136/Geran-2 long-range attack drone makes an ultra low-pass over a residential area in Sumy Oblast of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/NPndYIXlw1 Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) October 21, 2024 Geranium drone goes into dive mode and hits the target pic.twitter.com/zzmX7gcdzF Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 24, 2025 As we previously reported, Russia is increasing the use of its main standoff weapon against dynamic targets like moving trains. This has been enabled by MITL control and/or autonomous targeting capabilities. MITL could be provided by leveraging cellular connectivity when available, a line-of-sight datalink when the target is in close enough proximity to the front lines and/or airborne relays are used, or even a micro beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) satellite communications system, which is less likely. Another example of the Chinese-made camera seen below, this time found on a Russian Geran-2 drone. The drone, controlled via radio modem, reportedly was attacking a substation 130 km from the launch point.https://t.co/GKNLFPhmGMhttps://t.co/sEKXy1Q4fw pic.twitter.com/jyZd0gCgOj John Hardie (@JohnH105) October 2, 2025 Russian Shahed-136/Geran-2 long-range OWA-UAV equipped with optical guidance system. pic.twitter.com/MNUqJ5NZQo Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) October 20, 2024 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Recently, Ukrainian electronic warfare specialist Serhiy Beskrestnov, known by his callsign Serhiy Flesh, noted that one of the Shaheds used in the train attack had an antenna on the tail and a camera in front. This is Shahed with online control whoattacked the railway, Flesh noted on Facebook. The operator walked on the target many times, trying to optimally strike. A large non-returnable FPV with a combat unit of 50 kilograms, controlled from the Russian Federation. A Russian Shahed drone seen before attacking a Ukrainian train. (Serhiy Beskrestnov Facebook) The Shahed at a radio antenna in the back and a camera in the front. (Serhiy Beskrestnov Facebook) As we have highlighted in detail, for Russia, having Shaheds that can dynamically seek out targets, even moving ones, inside Ukrainian territory would be a tremendous advantage. It would open up scores of potential targets that Russian airpower, with its lack of robust long-range kill chains and no air superiority over Ukraine, cannot currently address. Even being able to just hunt for and attack dynamic targets within a dozen or so miles from the front lines, using simple line-of-sight datalinks, would give Russia a weapon that can loiter for long periods and deliver a far heavier blow than current lower-end drone capabilities that also lack endurance. Shaheds pack around a 100lb warhead of increasing lethality, but if they are launched closer to the front and require far less fuel for these kind of strikes, that warhead size could potentially be increased, making it a very flexible and deadly weapon. It could be especially threatening to rear logistics chains, artillery emplacements, and air defenses. A new fragmentation warhead for the Russian Geran-2 (Shahed) strike UAV apparently has airburst capability. The ~50 kg warhead has a laser rangefinder for detonating at a specific height. Spherical fragmentation elements are concentrated at the front end. https://t.co/jO7W0PC16W pic.twitter.com/BpLZ9dguiY Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) October 7, 2025 Military analyst Rob Lee, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, also confirmed the use of Shaheds at or near the front, telling TWZ I heard from the commander of an artillery brigade and a marine brigade that Russia was using Shaheds to target artillery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why Russia may push Shaheds to attack near the front lines is likely more about logistics than technological capabilities. Russia is now building Shaheds at such a rate that they can use them for missions beyond their core deep strike against fixed targets repertoire. This includes expanded experimentation with new tactics and hardware configurations. We have already seen this with Shahed-136s being used even in more exotic new ways, like laying mines, which likely uses a similar MITL control, among other concepts. Russian drones dropping anti-tank mines on roads. pic.twitter.com/pnS5jacNC1 Clash Report (@clashreport) August 10, 2025 Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, head of Ukraines rail system recently told Reuters the huge uptick in rail system attacks is the result of Russias dramatic increase in the amount of long-range drones its military-industrial complex is producing. As we have previously reported, Russia is moving to produce about 5,000 Shaheds per month. Previously, they simply did not have sufficient resources for a single combat drone, such as a Shahed, to hunt down a locomotive, Pertsovskyi told the publication. Now they can afford to use Shaheds to hit individual locomotives rather than strategic targets. If Russia sees sustained results from using Shaheds turned into MITL-controlled strikers, we will see much more of them adapted to this role in the future, and this could prove to be a major problem for Ukraine. This will only become more dire as AI gets more deeply infused in lower-end drones, especially long-range kamikaze drones like the Shahed-136. With such a capability, it would be able to search for targets of opportunity autonomously hundreds of miles deep into Ukrainian-controlled territory without anyone at the controls. Contact the author: Howard@TWZ.com Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob has announced during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that his country has joined the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) initiative, under which allies jointly purchase US-made weapons for Ukraine. Source: Slovenian newspaper Dnevnik.si, as reported by European Pravda Details: Golob said that the amount Slovenia will allocate to the PURL programme is classified. However, he specified that the contribution will focus on air defence specifically surface-to-air missiles designed to protect civilian infrastructure, primarily energy facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Constant attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure have no military purpose; they merely aim to exhaust the civilian population," the Slovenian prime minister said. Rutte stated that the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Canada have already joined the PURL programme, and total funding has reached around 2 billion. Background: The US and NATO launched the PURL mechanism in early August, allowing Alliance members to fund American weapons for Ukraine. So far, 2 billion worth of weapons have been funded, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope for monthly deliveries totalling $1 billion. Kyiv has stressed that it particularly relies on the United States for the supply of critical air defence systems and long-range missiles amid intensified Russian bombardments of Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! European Foreign Minister Kaia Kallas has announced the allocation of the first EUR 10 million euros for the creation of a special tribunal to investigate Russian crimes, as well as another EUR 6 million to support Ukrainian children deported by Russia and victims of sexual violence. "Today I can also announce the allocation of the first EUR 10 million for the creation of a special tribunal to investigate Russian crimes," she said at a press conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha on Monday. Kallas recalled that in May a meeting of EU foreign ministers was held in Lviv to launch the work of this tribunal. "Russian leaders bear responsibility for this war, and if there had been no crime of aggression, there would have been no further crimes or atrocities. Therefore, no one should go unpunished for crimes committed," Kallas said. Separately, she noted that Russias deportation of Ukrainian children and sexual violence are "one of the darkest pages of the war unleashed by Russia." "Today we are allocating an additional EUR 6 million to support the care of children deported by Russia and victims of sexual violence. This will help ensure proper care for the victims of these crimes," Kallas said. Severe weather warnings remain in place across eastern Spain as Storm Alice continues to batter the Mediterranean coast. Heavy downpours triggered flash floods in Catalonia over the weekend, turning streets in some tourist destinations into rivers of mud. Videos shared online showed vehicles being swept away in torrents of brown water as emergency services rescued drivers trapped in submerged cars. The worst may not be over, either. Spains national weather agency, Aemet, issued a red alert for parts of Valencia today, warning that up to 100 millimetres of rain could fall within just one hour. Civil Protection officials urged residents to remain indoors, warning that conditions could worsen in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The situation is complicated, and more rain is forecast, Cristina Vicente, a senior official at Catalonias Civil Protection agency, told Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia on Sunday. Travel chaos continues across the Mediterranean coast So far, no fatalities have been reported, but 18 people have been injured including one seriously and the storm has caused significant travel disruption. Train services between Barcelona and Valencia were suspended along the Mediterranean corridor, affecting more than 3,000 passengers. The AP-7 motorway was closed between Freginals and Ulldecona, while a military emergency unit was deployed to assist with drainage and debris clearance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related In the Balearic Islands, heavy rain and wind have wreaked havoc on air travel. Ibiza Airport temporarily halted operations on Sunday evening after the runway and parts of the terminal flooded, forcing at least 24 flight cancellations and delays. Emergency crews also rescued several people trapped in vehicles on the island. Yellow and orange weather warnings remain in place for Ibiza and Formentera through Tuesday. Some areas could see up to 50 millimetres within an hour. More rain forecast for the rest of the week Aemet has warned that heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue through the week, with orange alerts for coastal areas in Alicante, Valencia and Castellon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some locations could see up to 300 millimetres of rain before the storm subsides, which is expected to occur Saturday, 18 October. Storm Alice has been classified as a DANA short for Depresion Aislada en Niveles Altos, or isolated depression in high levels. Related These unique weather systems form when a pocket of cold air breaks away from the polar jet stream and settles over the warm Mediterranean. Significant DANA events usually occur once or twice per decade, but the mix of extreme rain and flooding they create can be devastating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In October 2024, Valencia was hit by one of the most intense DANAs in modern times. Catastrophic flooding killed more than 200 people and caused widespread destruction, as well as nationwide anger toward officials blamed for fumbling the response. While this weeks storm has been less severe so far, authorities still urge caution as the combination of saturated earth and heavy rainfall raise the risk of flash floods and travel disruption across Spains eastern coast. A North East woman whom authorities said was once part-owner and chief financial officer for a family-owned welding company in Wesleyville is accused of moving money between the business and another family-owned business. The accused actions of 44-year-old Krista M. Stempka cost the welding company more than $58,000, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Stempka was released on unsecured bond following her arraignment by Lawrence Park Township District Judge Lisa Ferrick Oct. 9 on felony counts of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, theft by unlawful taking, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and access device fraud. She is additionally facing a misdemeanor count of misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or financial institutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the charges in a news release issued Oct. 9 following Stempka's arraignment. "It is disgraceful to see a local business taken advantage of by an employee motivated by personal greed," Sunday was quoted in the release. "Stealing from anyone is wrong, but it is especially painful when the victims are family. I commend our Financial Crimes Section for uncovering this scheme and bringing charges to hold the defendant accountable." A lawyer listed as representing Stempka on her criminal docket sheet could not be immediately reached for comment Oct. 10. More: State AG charges New York pair in Bath & Body Works thefts in Millcreek, other locations What is she accused of? State investigators accuse Stempka of transferring money between the accounts of Advanced Welding Technologies, owned by the uncle and brother of Stempka's husband and which investigators said she became a part-owner; and Stempka Cellars, a wine business owned by Stempka and two other relatives by marriage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to information in the affidavit of probable cause filed with the criminal complaint against Stempka, suspicions were first raised in July 2024, when one of the owners of the welding business found a letter indicating taxes for the welding company property had not been paid for three years. It was also learned that Stempka had not completed an important survey, and she was terminated for dereliction of duties, investigators wrote in the affidavit. An employee hired to replace Stempka flagged two large deposits from August 2024 totaling nearly $150,000 to the welding company's checking account, leading to a review of the company's two financial accounts. It revealed numerous transfers between the accounts and another account determined to be that of the wine business, according to information in the affidavit. The transfers between the accounts resulted in a net loss of $58,350 to the welding company, according to investigators. State investigators wrote in the affidavit that a review of the wine business's accounts showed numerous payments to five Visa accounts. Investigators served search warrants on the Visa accounts, and in reviewing the statements found that personal items were charged to the Stempka Cellars Visa accounts, including purchases made at Victoria's Secret, tire and collision businesses, gift stores, restaurants and gas stations, according to information in the affidavit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stempka is tentatively scheduled to appear in court for her preliminary hearing on Nov. 12. Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: North East woman accused of embezzling funds from family-owned company On Oct. 15, 2025, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in one of the most anticipated cases of the 2025-2026 term, Louisiana v. Callais, with major implications for the Voting Rights Act, racial representation and Democratic Party power in congress. The central question in the case is to what extent race can, or must, be used when congressional districts are redrawn. Plaintiffs are challenging whether the longstanding interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires protection of minority voting power in redistricting, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees that individuals should be treated the same by the law. In short, the plaintiffs argue that the state of Louisianas use of race to make a second Black-majority district is forbidden by the U.S. Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the second time that the court will hear oral arguments in Louisiana v. Callais after no decision was reached last term. From my perspective as a scholar of U.S. federal courts and electoral systems, this case represents the collision of decades of Supreme Court decisions on race, redistricting and the Voting Rights Act. Long legal battle To understand the stakes of the current case, its important to know what the Voting Rights Act does. Initially passed in 1965, the act helped end decades of racially discriminatory voting laws by providing federal enforcement of voting rights. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act forbids discrimination by states in relation to voting rights and has been used for decades to challenge redistricting plans. The current case has its roots in the redistricting of Louisianas congressional districts following the 2020 Census. States are required to redraw districts each decade based on new population data. Louisiana lawmakers redrew the states six congressional districts without major changes in 2022. State troopers in Selma, Ala., swing billy clubs on March 7, 1965, to break up a march by advocates for Black Americans voting rights. AP Photo, File Soon after the state redistricted, a group of Black voters challenged the map in federal court as a violation of the Voting Rights Act. The plaintiffs argued that the new map was discriminatory because the voting power of Black citizens in the state was being illegally diluted. The states population was 31% Black, but only one of the six districts featured a majority-Black population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal courts in 2022 sided with the plaintiffs claim that the plan did violate the Voting Rights Act and ordered the state legislature to redraw the congressional plan with a second Black-majority district. The judges relied on an interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act from a 1986 Supreme Court decision in the case known as Thornburg v. Gingles. Under this interpretation, Section 2s nondiscrimination requirement means that congressional districts must be drawn in a way that allows large, politically cohesive and compact racial minorities to be able to elect representatives of their choice. In 2023, the Supreme Court upheld a lower courts interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in a similar racial gerrymandering case in Alabama. Louisiana lawmakers redraw districts Following the court order, the Louisiana state legislature passed Senate Bill 8 in January 2024, redrawing the congressional map and creating two districts where Black voters composed a substantial portion of the electorate in compliance with the Gingles ruling. This map was used in the 2024 congressional election and both Black-majority districts elected Democrats, while the other four districts elected Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These new congressional districts from Senate Bill 8 were challenged by a group of white voters in 2024 in a set of cases that became Louisiana v. Callais. The plaintiffs argued that the Louisiana legislatures drawing of districts based on race in Senate Bill 8 was in violation of the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause, which requires equal treatment of individuals by the government, and the 15th Amendment, which forbids denying the right to vote based on race. Essentially, the plaintiffs claimed that the courts interpretation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional and that the use of race to create a majority-minority district is itself discriminatory. Similar arguments about the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause were also the basis of the Supreme Courts recent decisions striking down race-based affirmative action in college admissions. In 2024, a three-judge district court sided with the white plaintiffs in Louisiana v. Callais, with a 2-1 decision. The Black plaintiffs from the original case, and the state of Louisiana, appealed the case to the Supreme Court. The court originally heard the case at the end of the 2024-2025 term before ordering the case re-argued for 2025-2026. High stakes and significant precedent If the Supreme Court ultimately upholds the lower court decision in Louisiana v. Callais, deciding that Louisianas congressional districts are unconstitutional racial gerrymanders, it will have substantial impacts on minority representation. The decision would upend decades of precedent for Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For 39 years, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has required redistricting institutions to consider racial and ethnic minority representation when devising congressional districts. Majority-minority districting is required when a state has large, compact and cohesive minority communities. Historically, some states have redistricted minority communities in ways that dilute their voting power, such as cracking a community into multiple districts where they compose a small percentage of the electorate. Section 2 also provides voters and residents with a legal tool that has been used to challenge districts as discriminatory. Many voters and groups have used Section 2 successfully to challenge redistricting plans. Section 2 has been the main legal tool for challenging racial discrimination in redistricting for the past decade. In 2013, the Supreme Court effectively ended the other major component of the Voting Rights Act, the preclearance provision, which required certain states to have changes to their elections laws approved by the federal government, including redistricting. If the court overrules the current interpretation of Section 2, it would limit the legality of using race in redistricting, end requirements for majority-minority districts and eliminate the most common way to challenge discriminatory districting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, because of the strong relationship between many minority communities and the Democratic party, the courts decision has major implications for partisan control of the House of Representatives. If Section 2 no longer required majority-minority districts, then Republicans could use the ruling to redraw congressional districts across the country to benefit their party. Politico reported that Democrats could lose as many as 19 House seats if the Supreme Court sides with the lower court. Recent Supreme Court precedent gives conflicting signals as to how it will decide this case. In 2023, the court rejected a challenge to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act related to Alabamas congressional districts. In 2024, the court overruled a lower courts finding of racial vote dilution in South Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Sam D. Hayes, Simmons University Read more: Sam D. Hayes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Where is Gen Z looking to locate? A recent Corebridge Financial survey set out to rank the best cities for the generation of 13- to 28-year-olds, who continue to transition into the workforce and sway migrational patterns. Texas dominated the list, as the only state with more than one city ranked in the Top 10. Austin reigned over all other Texas cities, slotting in an eighth place ranking. San Antonio just missed the Top 10, coming in at No. 11. Houston, home to 2.3 million residents, ranked No. 9 on the list, by far surpassing the other cities on the list by population size. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The survey's findings, released Oct. 6, looked at U.S. cities with populations of over 400,000 people. The study then ranked cities using a variety of factors - like the population of young people, affordability, amount of green spaces and unemployment rate. "Our study ranks the large cities that are best equipped to provide Gen Z with their desired affordability and lifestyle amenities, which will also position these urban centers to reap the benefits of drawing in the nation's newest generation of professionals and taxpayers," the study said. READ MORE: Texas ranks near the bottom in study of U.S. safest states, WalletHub says The Midwest and South commanded the list, with the previous reigning city Atlanta being surpassed by Minneapolis, which ranked as the ideal location for Gen Z. With nearly 10% of its population between 20 and 24 years old, as well as having a low unemployment rate, Minneapolis secured the top spot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austin's place in the Top 10 is attributed to a high concentration of startups and an abundance of jobs for college graduates, making the city a hotbed for young professionals. The variety of recreational activities, like this month's Austin City Limits Music Festival, doesn't hurt either. "Austin has become eponymous with youth culture in Texas and the entire south, contributing to the city's growing innovation scene and its expanding population," the study said. Around 175,000 of Houston's population are around 20 to 24 years old. The advantages of a big city - like a robust rotation of restaurants, bars, stadiums and museums - helped the city lock in a Top 10 spot. ALSO READ: San Antonio-based Merit Coffee Co. to open first Houston locations in 2026 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Texas' rule over the list strengthened when it was narrowed to southern cities, with four Texas cities in the Top 10. With that filter, San Antonio's ample job opportunities and nearly 8% Gen Z population boosted the Alamo City to a sixth place position. The list explores how integral job opportunities are to where the Gen Z population decides to settle down, as they seek affordable and attractive lifestyles. "Gen Zers are proving themselves to be financially astute, community-oriented and cost-conscious," the survey said. "Their digital-native upbringing makes them uniquely positioned to leverage emerging technologies - particularly artificial intelligence - with unprecedented skill." This article originally published at Texas dominates in new ranking of U.S. cities that best suit Gen Z. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A ticket sold at Primm Valley Lotto near the Nevada-California border was one of the winners in Saturdays $50 million SuperLotto Plus drawing, according to the California Lottery. The winning numbers for the $50 million jackpot were 3, 13, 27, 32, 39, and Mega number 4. The jackpot-winning ticket was sold at the Village Spirit Shoppe in Westlake Village. Two other tickets matched five of the numbers, missing only the Mega number. Those tickets are worth $20,938 each, and one was sold in Chula Vista and the other from Primm Valley Lotto off of the I-15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The jackpot was the largest SuperLotto Plus jackpot hit so far in 2025 and the first time the top prize was won since the $30 million jackpot on March 5. The winners have 180days from the date of the draw to claim their prize. Nevadans must cross state lines to play the lottery, as the state constitution prohibits the sale of tickets within Nevada. Primm Valley Lotto is located just outside the Nevada-California border. Copyright 2025 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. Tommy Robinson was stopped by police officers at the border in a silver Bentley with thousands of pounds in cash, a court has heard. The far-Right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, allegedly told police officers you look like c---s after being detained at the Channel Tunnel in July 2024 under terrorism laws. Westminster Magistrates Court heard Robinson failed to provide the pin to his phone when officers asked for it, claiming he was entitled to journalistic exemptions and was protecting vulnerable girls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 42-year-old was charged after an incident in Folkestone in July last year after Kent Police officers stopped Robinson under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He has denied the charge and appeared in court this morning ahead of the hearing before District Judge Goozee. Officer concerned about his demeanour Opening the case against him, Jo Morris, prosecuting, said that on July 28 2024 officers stopped him in a silver Bentley at the Channel Tunnel. A silver Bentley drove into the outbound lane. Mr Lennon was the driver, she told the court. He handed over his passport for inspection. The officer inquired as to the reason for Mr Lennons travel and became concerned about his demeanour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You will hear the officer describe that Mr Lennon gave short vague replies. He had purchased this ticket on arrival at port rather than the advance booking system and [was] driving a high-value vehicle. She said that Robinson told the officer he was driving to Benidorm and the officer was also aware of the activists notoriety and that police were able to conduct searches based on anything unusual that could point to possible current or future terrorist activity. Ms Morris said that the sum of more than 13,000 and 1,900 were found and, after Robinson started filming, his phone was seized but the activist refused to provide the pin. Mr Lennon was warned he may be arrested for an offence if he persisted in his refusal. At 11.50am Mr Lennon explained he was happy to talk to officers but, again, not provide his phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Lennon was engaging with the examination process but still refused his pin. Mr Lennon then said that, even if his solicitor told him to provide it, he would not do so. Threatened with anti-terror law The court heard he was allowed a private consultation on the phone with his solicitor and it was explained that, if he failed to comply, he would be committing an offence under the Terrorism Act During the examination Mr Lennon complied with the biometrics, photographs and questioning. He was asked again to provide his pin number which he again refused. Robinson was arrested and cautioned and again asked to hand over his pin, at which point he told officers not a chance, bruv, the court was told. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robinson was later told that an independent expert could look at the journalistic material, to which he replied: You aint having it, you might as well charge me and take me to court. You look like c---s so you aint having it. Not being funny but, in every one of those grooming gangs, you lot were working on them. So the girls you know. You are going to charge me for a terrorist offence. Im not going to give you my pin code so you are going to charge me under the Terrorism Act. Robinson claimed to be a journalist He went on to say he was a journalist who worked for a company called Urban Scoop and that some of his sources had provided information on corrupt police officers, the court heard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court heard he lived in Spain and that he said the cash was for expenses for an event there. Robinson is said to have complained during the interview that he was detained the day after I put 50,000 people in Trafalgar Square over gangs on Telford. Every previous investigation, Rotherham, Telford and Manchester, there have now been proven police cover-ups, he told police. I do not trust the police and girls dont, thats why they talk to me. Journey to Benidorm was unusual The court later heard from one of the officers, Pc Mitchell Thorogood, who arrested Robinson. Pc Thorogood said he had stopped the car because its an unusual car to come through and a lone driver added to suspicions. He said: Before I stopped the vehicle I had a belief that it was Mr Lennon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pc Thorogood explained his reasons for detaining Robinson, having believed there were questions over his travel. He added: He was travelling a far distance in a vehicle that wasnt his. We checked the vehicle registration. It was a last-minute booking to travel a significant distance to Benidorm in Spain, which I thought was unusual. The trial continues. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire deal and Israel sent home busloads of Palestinian detainees, as U.S. President Donald Trump declared the end of the two-year long war that has upended the broader Middle East. Hours later, Trump convened Muslim and European leaders in Egypt to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip and the possibility of a wider regional peace, even as Hamas and Israel, both absent from the gathering, are yet to agree on the next steps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Israeli military said it had received all 20 hostages confirmed to be alive, after their transfer from Gaza by the Red Cross. The announcement prompted cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv. In Gaza, thousands of relatives, many weeping with joy, gathered at a hospital where buses brought home some of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees to be freed by Israel as part of the accord. "The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace," Trump told the Knesset, Israel's parliament, saying a "long nightmare" for both Israelis and Palestinians was over. The U.S., along with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, mediated what has been described as a first phase agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of hostages by Hamas and prisoners and detainees by Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh later on Monday, Trump and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hosted more than 20 world leaders for a summit intended to cement the truce. At the opening of the summit, Trump signed a document with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey's leaders welcoming the agreements on Gaza and pledging to "work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy." Egypt's presidency said that discussions included the governance, security and reconstruction of Gaza. "Now the rebuilding begins," Trump said at the summit, delivering an expansive speech where he described in grand terms the Gaza agreement he helped broker, saying it could be "the greatest deal of them all." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel and Hamas were not represented at the summit, while the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates did not attend. Trump at one point greeted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who spoke to the U.S. leader at length. The Palestinian Authority wants to play a significant role in the future administration of Gaza, despite objections from Israel. FORMIDABLE OBSTACLES REMAIN The Israeli hostages freed on Monday were the last still alive in captivity from 251 seized in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people and triggered the war. The ceasefire and partial Israeli withdrawal agreed last week halted one of Israel's biggest offensives of the war, an all-out assault on Gaza City that was killing scores of people per day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, huge numbers of Palestinians have been able to return to the ruins of homes in the Gaza Strip, swathes of which were reduced to a wasteland by Israeli bombardment that killed 68,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. Formidable obstacles remain, even to securing an enduring ceasefire, much less to bringing a wider, more durable peace. Among the immediate issues still to be resolved: recovering the remains of another 26 Israeli hostages believed to have died and two whose fates are unknown. Hamas says recovering the bodies could take time as not all burial sites are known. Israel's military said it had escorted four coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages to Israel and that those remains were being identified. Aid supplies must be rushed into the enclave, where hundreds of thousands of people face famine. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher underlined the need to "get shelter and fuel to people who desperately need it and to massively scale up the food and medicine and other supplies going in". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond that, crucial issues have yet to be resolved, including how to govern and police Gaza, and the ultimate future of Hamas, which still rejects Israel's demands to disarm. Hamas gunmen, seeking to assert their presence, launched a security crackdown in Gaza City after Israel's pullback, killing 32 members of a rival group, a Palestinian security source said. Tensions have also been rising in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Jewish settlements have expanded in land Palestinians envision as part of a future state. Trump, speaking on his flight to the region, said Hamas had been given a temporary green light for fighters to keep order: "They do want to stop the problems, and they've been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Gaza War has also reshaped the Middle East through spillover conflicts, with Israel imposing punishing damage in a 12-day war against Iran and campaigns against Tehran's regional allies, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthis. Trump, who has presented his plan to end the war in Gaza as the catalyst for a wide regional peace settlement, said more countries would join the Abraham Accords initiative and even floated the idea of a peace deal between arch Middle East enemies Iran and Israel, telling the Knesset he thought Iran wanted one: "Wouldn't it be nice?" JOY, RELIEF ON BOTH SIDES Beaming with relief and joy, two released hostages waved to cheering crowds from vans on the way to an Israeli hospital, one hoisting a large Israeli flag then forming a heart with his hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video footage captured emotional scenes of families receiving phone messages from their loved ones as they were being released, their faces lighting up with disbelief and hope after months of anguish. "I am so excited. I am full of happiness. It's hard to imagine how I feel this moment. I didn't sleep all night," said Viki Cohen, mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, as she travelled to Reim, an Israeli military camp where hostages were being transferred. Palestinians meanwhile rushed to embrace prisoners freed by Israel. Several thousand gathered inside and around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, some waving Palestinian flags, others holding photos of their relatives. "I am happy for our sons who are being freed, but we are still in pain for all those who have been killed by the occupation, and all the destruction that happened to our Gaza," a Gaza woman, Um Ahmed, told Reuters in a tearful voice message. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Freed prisoners arrived in buses, some of them posing from the windows, flashing V-for-Victory signs. The appearance of armed and masked Hamas fighters at the scene underscored the difficulty of resolving Israel's demand that they disarm. Israel was due to release 1,700 detainees it captured in Gaza, as well as 250 prisoners from its jails convicted or suspected of security offences, including attacks on Israelis. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell, Steven Scheer and Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem, Nidal al-Mughrabi, Menna Alaa El-Din and Jaidaa Taha in Cairo, Andrew Mills in Doha, Evelyn Hockstein aboard Air Force One, Jana Choukeir, Ahmed Elimam and Tala Ramadan in DubaiWriting by Howard Goller, Angus McDowall, Peter Graff and Simon LewisEditing by Lincoln Feast, Timothy Heritage, Mark Heinrich, Frances Kerry and Alistair Bell) President Donald Trump said the U.S. strike on key Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year spooked Hamas and accelerated the release of Israeli hostages. The president shared his assessment during an interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst on Outnumbered on Monday. Yingst asked Trump, When did you know Hamas was going to release the hostages? Well, I tell ya, I think it really started when we took out the nuclear capability of Iran, replied Trump. When you look at what they had, you couldnt have made this deal if somebody is sitting over there with a nuclear weapon over your head. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued: There were other obviously very war-like things that we did over the course of 4-5 years, you know, setting the table. But when we took away that destructive ability from Iran [I knew the hostages would be released]. The president was referring to Operation Midnight Hammer in June, when seven stealth bombers flew from Missouri to Iran and bombed three nuclear facilities. Trump did his interview with Yingst in Israel, where he arrived early on Monday for the release of 20 living hostages that were held by Hamas. Their release comes a little more than two years after Hamas terrorists broke into Israel and slaughtered 1,200 people, before taking hundreds of hostages back to Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president told Yingst that the ceasefire deal now presents a great opportunity to revamp Gaza. Even before the war, it was it was a hellhole, lets face it, Trump said. Before this, before the bombing and everything else. He added that when he sees pictures and video of Gazans, he sees good people, and that he hopes they can remain there as it is rebuilt. On a lighter note, Trump heaped praise on Yingst for his coverage of the Israel-Hamas War during an earlier segment, hailing him as a real professional. Trump also said, both on his way to Israel aboard Air Force One on Sunday and again on Monday, that he believed the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would hold and that peace would sweep the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its going to hold, Trump said on Sunday. I think people are a lot of reasons why its going to hold but I think people are tired of it. Its been centuries [of fighting], okay, not just recent. Its been centuries. I think people are tired of it. You can watch his interview with Yingst above, via Fox News. The post Trump Declares U.S. Strike on Irans Nuclear Facilities Turbocharged Israel-Hamas Truce first appeared on Mediaite. Until a few days ago, Katie Porter looked all but certain to claim the Democratic nomination for California governor, putting her odds-on to replace Gavin Newsom in the true blue state. Now her campaign is in free fall. A disastrous CBS interview, in which she fell apart over a question about Donald Trump, was the first of several on-camera meltdowns that have surfaced at the worst possible time. It was never meant to be this difficult for the former congresswoman. Her impeccable progressive credentials, as a protege of former vice-president Kamala Harris and ally of Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, enabled her to rise quickly to the top of a race lacking big-name contenders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But she has been described as a politician obsessed with her brand, who endlessly pushed for viral social media clips and TV appearances, and appeared to dislike the unglamorous work of representing ordinary Californians. Why the f would I help these kids? she allegedly berated one aide when they suggested she could visit a youth academy that was not in her district. Mr Newsom has his critics, chief among them the US president, but few would argue he has been anything but a polished governor, who has barely had a hair out of place over his two terms. By contrast, Ms Porter, his possible successor, is seen by her critics as brittle, impatient, and self-destructive. The former congresswoman has impeccable progressive credentials, but Porter has been described her as a politician obsessed with her brand - Allen J. Schaben/Getty Images It all started with an innocuous question posed by a local news reporter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The congresswoman, asked by CBS Julie Watts how she planned to win over Mr Trumps supporters, seemed incredulous, frowning, and then laughing openly at the camera. First, Ms Porter suggested she would win without their support, before seemingly reversing course and talking about how she had earned the votes of Republicans while representing Californias Orange County. She became steadily more frustrated as Ms Watts probed the apparent contradictions, before attempting to end the interview, complaining it had been unnecessarily argumentative and an unhappy experience. Credit: CBS News The damage might have ended there. But critics say it was entirely characteristic of Ms Porters years as a politician. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everybody watching this is going to be surprised, Sasha Georgiades, a former staffer, told The Telegraph. But thats who she is. Barring a select circle of aides, staff would have to walk on eggshells around Ms Porter while she was a congresswoman, Ms Georgiades said. You would go through a few months where it seemed like she was fine and everything was great in the office. Then, out of nowhere, somebody comes in and theyre like: Katie flipped out on me last night. Youre like, all right, thats par for the course. Ms Georgiades fell out with her former boss three years ago when Ms Porter berated her in text messages, later published on social media, for allegedly giving her Covid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Interviewed about claims of mistreating staff on a podcast in 2023, Ms Porter insisted she was really proud of her incredible aides. Of course, I want their best effort, of course I want my best effort... the American people deserve no less, she said, adding that she enjoyed working with Ms Georgiades. In response, the aide claims that she was made a black sheep and banished from the office for her final three weeks in the job. Ms Porter denies she took any action against Ms Georgiades for contracting Covid. At the time, a spokesman for the congresswoman said the text exchange showed Ms Georgiades being informed she would work from home for the remaining three weeks of her fellowship. Ms Porter and Mr Newsom are pictured together in November 2024 - Gina Ferazzi/Getty Images Staff would apparently spend time discussing ways to build up Ms Porters profile: Katies brand, as it was known in the office, while other issues rarely got a look in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Ms Georgiades suggested a visit to the Sunburst Youth Academy, attended by teenagers from across southern California, the response was blunt. Why the f would I help these kids? she claimed the congresswoman responded, in comments on an Excel sheet used by staff for pitching potential visits. Theyre not from my district. At the start of her time in Congress in 2019, Ms Porter joined the House of Representatives financial services committee: a perfect vantage point for an ambitious congresswoman. Armed with a whiteboard, which she used to jot down drug prices when facing off against big pharma executives, or bonus figures when grilling top bankers, it earned her a national profile and a steady stream of social media clips. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some admirers called her the whiteboard warrior. Others, referencing her background in academia, the progressive professor. Admirers described Ms Porter as the whiteboard warrior - Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg However, some sceptics, including fellow congressmen, were reportedly affronted by what they saw as her appetite for the spotlight. On Halloween in 2019, the then-45-year-old turned up in a Batgirl costume, complete with a mask, cape, and utility belt, which she wore to a committee meeting and around the halls of the Capitol. There were other ways Ms Porter made her mark. In 2020, shortly after entering Congress, Legistorm recorded she had the third-highest turnover of staff of all House members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A video from 2021, published by Politico on Wednesday, showed her berating an aide for accidentally stepping into her camera shot while the congresswoman attempted to speak during an energy department webinar. The first time the staffer, who has not been named, appeared at the corner of the frame, the smile was wiped from Ms Porters face. The second time, she lost her temper. Stay out of my fing shot, she snapped. Credit: Politico Ms Georgiades described the aide as the sweetest girl and one of the nicest people Ive ever met, accusing her former boss of targeting softer-spoken individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the publication of the video last Wednesday, Ms Porter said it was no secret that she holds herself and her staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress. She added that she was seeking to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work, in the statement to Politico. At another point during the call, Ms Porter complained to energy secretary Jennifer Granholm that she had never been invited to the White House despite raising a s ton of money for Joe Biden, then the US president. The comments were reportedly edited out of a video of the webinar before it was published online by the department of energy, according to Politico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In another video call the same year, Ms Porter complained to staff about the stark lighting, ordering them to turn these off. She then stared in exasperation as she was plunged into darkness. When she relocated to another room, an aide was accidentally caught once again in the camera shot. She quickly dived off-screen, seemingly plunging to the floor, apparently before Ms Porter could notice. Katie got big mad at her staff during a 2021 Zoom because they were struggling with the lighting. Instead of handling the moment gracefully, she suddenly cut audio and video after shooting her team a withering glare. https://t.co/YF3cveOBsz pic.twitter.com/1DktYWYaSt Torunn Sinclair (@TorunnSinclair) October 8, 2025 In other aides accounts, published on a social media account in December 2022, Ms Porter was accused of being arrogant, mean-spirited and petty. Following the publication of the videos, details about Ms Porters private life have re-emerged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Divorce documents filed by her ex-husband in 2013 allege Ms Porter dumped steaming hot potatoes on the head of her former husband, Matthew Hoffman, and berated him as a fing idiot who was too fing dumb to use a mobile phone, according to Fox News. Ms Porter claimed Mr Hoffman had squeezed her hands and elbowed her aside during confrontations. Both filed domestic violence restraining orders against the other. A representative for Ms Porter at the time told Fox that Mr Hoffman was trying to intimidate her and had retracted his statement. Mr Hoffman insisted he did not recant his allegations, according to Fox. Now rival Democrats smell blood and are moving in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Katie Porter is a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California. The stakes are simply too high for her to stay in this race, said Betty Yee, a former state controller. If she cant take the heat of a few simple questions, she wont be able to withstand the fire in a real crisis, she added, referring to the CBS meltdown. Its also not clear how many friends Ms Porter has left in the state. Figures like California senator Adam Schiff, who beat Ms Porter in a primary race last year before she claimed an onslaught of billionaires had rigged the election against her, will not be inclined to throw her a lifeline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When bullying allegations were raised against Ms Porter three years ago, one staffer said the claims were just the tip of the iceberg. The size of that iceberg is only just becoming clear, and her campaign looks like its heading straight for it. Ms Porters campaign has been approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. US President Donald Trump has called on Iran to make a fundamental change in its foreign policy. Nothing would be better for the region than for Iran to "renounce terrorists, stop threatening their neighbours, quit funding their militant proxies, and finally recognize Israel's right to existence," he said on Monday during his speech to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. He said he was not saying this from a position of weakness, but "we are ready when you are and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The "hand of friendship and cooperation is open," Trump said, addressing Tehran. Later, during his Middle East trip in Egypt, Trump added that he would lift sanctions against Iran if the country was willing to negotiate. Ultimately, an agreement with Iran will be reached, Trump said confidently, because the Iranian leadership wanted one. "I'm telling you, they want to make a deal." Neither the US nor Israel are hostile towards the Iranian people, he said, "we merely want to live in peace." In the Middle East, Iran is Israels principal rival. A few months ago, Trump ordered an airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities, claiming it had destroyed the countrys nuclear weapons programme. Experts, however, remain uncertain about how permanent the damage to the heavily fortified underground sites was. Vladimir Putin hopes to use terror to break Ukraines resistance regime, this cannot be allowed, a decision must be made on the supply of air defense systems and missiles in the coming weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. "Before winter, Putin hopes to use this terror to break our resistance regime. We cannot allow this. Therefore, I urge you to speak out in your parliaments and governments for strengthening air defense and missiles, which we need. And decisions on systems and missiles must be made in the coming weeks," Zelenskyy said during his address to the 71st annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Monday. He stressed that the Russian Federation must understand that it cannot terrorize any country with impunity. Zelenskyy also recalled that yesterday he discussed with US President Donald Trump the Patriot systems, Tomahawk missiles, the energy equipment needed by Ukraine and the need to stop partners who buy Russian oil. "Even if Hungarians claim that this helps their chances in the elections, in the long run it undermines the security of their country and Europe. For Putin, every billion matters. You cannot be part of the free world and at the same time support those who want to destroy it," the president said. US President Donald Trump has landed in Egypt following a brief visit to Israel where he addressed lawmakers in the country's parliament. Trump's government plane, Air Force One, landed on Monday in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea, pictures on Arab television channels showed. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Trump are co-chairing a "summit for peace" to formally seal a ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Egyptian hosts, there will be talks on consolidating the ceasefire between the warring parties and on rebuilding the Gaza Strip. Egypt's presidential office describes the summit as an "agreement on the end of the war in Gaza." Participants in the summit include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as well as Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. At short notice, Egypt also announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be attending, but his office then cancelled the visit. High-ranking Hamas representatives are also not expected to attend - a sign that the road to real peace is still a long one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because Trump's programme in Israel took considerably longer than planned, the other leaders in Egypt had to wait for hours. More than 20 leaders are expected to attend a signing ceremony to seal the agreement between Israel and Hamas, which was brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States. Donald Trump may be president, but that doesnt mean you want him as the navigator on a road trip. Thats because the president made a claim about the Middle East on Sunday not supported by any map and one that would get him a failing grade on a geography test. Politics: Trump Quietly Grants Defense Guarantee To Autocracy That Gave Him A Luxury Jet While talking with journalists on Air Force One, Trump praisedQatar for its role in the ceasefire and credited the tremendous help of the countrys emir, Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in mediating the peace deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump could have left it there, but he went on to make an embarrassing gaffe. They were very brave and their leader, the emir, was very brave, Trump said. His country is right in the middle of everything. More so than any other country. His country, you walk across a line, and youre there. He added: Other countries are there, but theyre an hour or an hour and a half away, a big difference. Theyre literally, you walk over from Iran to Qatar. You can walk it in one second. You go boom boom, and now youre in Qatar, thats tough territory. The thing is, if one merely looks at a map of the Middle East, Qatar and Iran do not share a land border. They are separated by the Persian Gulf, so they do share a maritime boundary, but theres no way one could be standing in Qatar and then, boom boom, be in Iran unless they can walk on water with the speed of The Flash. Partial map of the Middle East, with Iran and Qatar highlighted. Encyclopaedia Britannica via Getty Images It didnt take long for people on X to clock Trumps flub on Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of those odd moments where Trump offers highly specific & totally inaccurate info about something no one asked him about, tweeted John Hudson of The Washington Post, along with a map. CBS politics reporter Kathryn Watson also pointed out the mistake by also providing a map. This prompted other critics on X to share their two cents. Because you'd likely step on a land mine and have bits & pieces of you blown 500 miles away. Also, you'd have to swim most of the distance. If you take a gold plane, it might be faster. pic.twitter.com/fjLWCEDatO C H E E K Y (@andreagail_k) October 12, 2025 And MAGA wants to do away with public schools and they attack colleges and universities nonstop. MAGA wants all of us to be this dumb. pic.twitter.com/QjOvbK6MJp NW Pete (@ptv1024) October 13, 2025 Pretty sure the Persian Gulf is in between Michelle (@Michell71078349) October 12, 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He could walk 600 miles and he could walk 500 more, just to be the man who walked 1100 miles from Iran to Qatar! pic.twitter.com/MA79acJLWU HubCityOldMan(Marc Girard) (@coachG61) October 12, 2025 Earlier this month, Trump claimed that he brokered a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Albania, when it was really with Azerbaijan and Armenia, Politico reported. In August, the president claimed he was traveling to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin when he was actually going to Alaska. During a 2018 rally, Trump appeared not to know the difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England. Related... Read the original on HuffPost President Donald Trump is said to be moving heaven and earth to wrap up his business in the Middle East and get back to Washington, D.C., in time to honor the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Tuesday. Trump has arrived in Israel to celebrate the newly-agreed peace plan to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and will address the Knesset on Monday and meet with freed hostages before flying on to Egypt, where his fellow heads of state are meeting for a ceasefire summit in Sharm El-Sheik. He will then race back to the White House to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Americas highest civilian honor, on what would have been the Turning Point USA founders 32nd birthday. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Charlie Kirk at a White House summit in March 2018 (Getty) Kirk was fatally shot by a sniper while debating students on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew Kolvet, the executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, confirmed the presidents plan to return for the Kirk ceremony on X, writing: President Trump is moving heaven and earth to get back to D.C. to award Charlie the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would be his 32nd birthday. Thank you, Mr President. We see what it took to pull this off, and were incredibly grateful. Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump told the press: Im coming back, I believe its Tuesday night, for Charlie Kirk, a friend of mine, a friend of all of ours, a friend of a lot of the people right here. And were giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor you get outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor ones military, ones civilian but its its the greatest honor. And Erika, his beautiful wife, is going to be here, and a lot of people are going to be here. Trump comforts Kirks grieving widow Erika Kirk at a memorial event in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21 (Win McNamee/Getty) So its not easy for me to get back. Its a very quick trip, but Ill be making two major stops, and then Ill be on the plane trying to get back in time for Charlie. Theyre going to have a great celebration at the White House, in the East Room of the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirks murder has rocked Trumps MAGA movement and provoked his administration to pursue a clampdown on left-wing protest organizations it has accused of promoting domestic terrorism. While Erik Kirk said at her husbands memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, last month that she forgives his killer, Trump himself has continued to rebuke his political enemies in heated terms. The president has not ruled out honoring Kirk with a national holiday. At the same time, Florida GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has called for a statue to be erected in his memory at the U.S. Capitol in tribute. One has already been commissioned at the New College of Florida. In the same state, lawmakers are currently considering a bill to rename roads to honor Kirk near its universities and colleges. This would punish any institution that refuses to comply by cutting off public funding. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he may tell Russian President Vladimir Putin that he could supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles if the war is not settled. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Israel, Trump said he is looking to ensure Ukraine gets a fresh supply of weapons at the request of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "They'd like to have Tomahawks. That's a step up," Trump said. (Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by David Gregorio) By Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam (Reuters) -The United States is prepared to make a deal with Iran when Tehran is ready, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday. Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks, prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking key Iranian nuclear sites. The talks faced major stumbling blocks such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimise any risk of weaponisation, a plan that Tehran has rejected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are ready when you are and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made, and it's going to happen," Trump said, referring to a deal with Iran. "The hand of friendship and cooperation is open. I'm telling you, they (Iran) want to make a deal... it would be great if we could make a deal," Trump told the Israeli Knesset. On Saturday, Iran's foreign minister welcomed a potential "fair and balanced" U.S. proposal on its nuclear programme, but said Tehran has not received any starting points for negotiation. "If we receive a reasonable, balanced, and fair proposal from the Americans for negotiations, we will certainly consider it," Abbas Araqchi told state television on Saturday, adding that Tehran and Washington had been exchanging messages through mediators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was welcomed in Israel on Monday where he addressed the Knesset ahead of a planned trip to Egypt for a summit aimed at building conditions for a lasting peace in Gaza. Araqchi declined an Egyptian invitation to attend the summit in a post on X on Monday: "While favouring diplomatic engagement, neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian people and continue to threaten and sanction us." (Reporting Jana Choukeir and Ahmad Elimam; Writing by Elwely Elwelly;Editing by Alison Williams and Ros Russell) President Donald Trump continued to dwell on his loss of the Nobel Peace Prize in comments he made on Sunday. In a message on Truth Social, Trump shared a screenshot of an October post from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for the U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He deserves it! the post reads. News: Serena Williams Husband Confronts ESPN Host On-Air Over Remarks Hed Made About Her And in a press gaggle with reporters, Trump alluded to how the prize was awarded based on achievements in 2024, adding that the panel deciding the honor could have made an exception given what he said were his accomplishments this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In all fairness to the Nobel Committee it was for 2024, this was picked for 2024, he said while talking with reporters on Air Force One during a flight to Israel on Sunday. There are those who say you can make an exception because a lot of things happened during 25 that are done and complete and great. Trump was en route to Tel Aviv after he and his administration helped broker a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. He went on: I did this not for Nobel, I did this for saving lives. Politics: Listen To Nobel Peace Prize Winner's Emotional Response: 'I Do Not Deserve This' Trump has long griped about how former President Barack Obama was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize and groused that he deserves one as well. Hes also frequently bragged about solving multiple wars and clamored for recognition related to what he says hes achieved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of his administration and other allies disparaged the award and the Nobel committee following Trumps perceived snub. In a Friday post on X, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung suggested the Nobel Committee had placed politics over peace when it selected Maria Corina Machado, a leader of Venezuelas opposition, as the honoree this year. Machado was lauded for promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and countering the countrys authoritarian government. News: House Speaker Mike Johnson Has An Ominous Prediction About The Government Shutdown Machado also referenced Trump in a message she posted on X after the announcement, stressing that she appreciated his support in the bid to combat Venezuelas autocratic government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me and said, Im accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it, Trump told reporters on Friday. Related... Read the original on HuffPost The world on Monday celebrated the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, as the first phase in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan held in the shaken region. Twenty Israeli hostages in Gaza were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross and returned home, according to the Israeli military. Almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel as part of the ceasefire deal. Cheers, cries and Hebrew songs rang out in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, where thousands of Israelis had gathered to celebrate the homecoming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump traveled to the Middle East to greet the hostages as part of a whirlwind visit to Israel and Egypt while back home the U.S. government entered its 13th day in a shutdown. The ceasefire the United States helped broker continues to hold between Israel and Hamas. "This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East," Trump said in his remarks to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, declaring it at the start of a 65-minute speech a "day of profound joy." Later in the day, the second-term U.S. president traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt for what the White House described as a "Middle East Peace Ceremony." Fighting paused in Gaza for a third day on Sunday in advance of the expected release of the 20 Israeli hostages and 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of Trumps 20-point peace proposal intended to end the more than two-year-long Israel-Hamas war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is going to be a very special time," Trump told reporters Sunday in a drizzle at Joint Base Andrews, where his flight aboard Air Force One was departing. "Everybody is very excited about this moment in time." Trump called the trip a "special event" because Muslims and Arabs were joining in the celebration of the ceasefire, along with Israel. The United States, along with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, mediated the agreement between Israel and Hamas, following Trump's Sept. 29 unveiling of a ceasefire proposal alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Negotiators for Israel and Hamas later agreed to the deal last week, with Trump announcing it on social media. Trump heads back to US after historic trip to Middle East Trump boarded Air Force One on Monday shortly before 9 p.m. local time in Egypt about 2 p.m. Eastern Time to make his way back to Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is expected to arrive at the White House around midnight ET, capping his historic visit to Israel and Egypt. Pakistan prime minister nominates Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he plans to nominate Trump for next years Nobel Peace Prize after Trump was not named the winner last week. Sharif pointed to Trumps efforts in helping halt a brief military confrontation between Pakistan and India earlier this year in addition to the Israel-Hamas deal signed Monday. Today again, I would like to nominate this great president for the Nobel Peace Prize because I genuinely feel that hes the most genuine and wonderful candidate for the peace prize, Sharif said in Egypt alongside world leaders after Trump signed the Middle East ceasefire deal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pakistani prime minister earlier this year nominated Trump for the 2025 Nobel Peace prize. But despite Trumps lobbying for the award, the Nobel committee instead chose Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Sharif said Trump has brought peace to south Asia and saved millions of lives in the Middle East. Mr. President, I would like to salute you for your exemplary leadership visionary leadership and I think that you're the man this world needed most at this point in time, the Middle Eastern leader added. Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025. Released hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, gestures upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025. Released hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, gestures upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025. Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he is applauded at the Knesset on the day he addresses it, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, October 13, 2025. A helicopter, carrying released hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, lands at Sheba Medical Center, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Ramat Gan, Israel October 13, 2025. A helicopter, carrying released hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, lands at Sheba Medical Center, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Ramat Gan, Israel October 13, 2025. Freed Palestinian prisoner gestures in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 13, 2025. A freed Palestinian prisoner is greeted after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 13, 2025. Freed Palestinian prisoners react in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 13, 2025. Freed Palestinian prisoners look on in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 13, 2025. Relatives hug a freed Palestinian prisoner after he was released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 13, 2025. Palestinian security forces stand guard as families wait for freed Palestinian prisoners in a bus after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 13, 2025. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas talk before attending a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Frence's President Emmanuel Macron look on as they wait for the arrival of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, before attending a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Frence's President Emmanuel Macron talk before attending a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. People gather outside Sheba Medical Center on the day Israeli hostages, held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, are released as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramat Gan, Israel October 13, 2025. Women react at "Hostages Square" on the day Hamas releases hostages, who have been held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 13, 2025. People gather at "Hostages Square" in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2025, to await the expected return of Israeli hostages, who have been held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. A man wearing an Israeli flag with a yellow ribbon in the center looks at posters of hostages as people gather at "Hostages Square" to await the expected return of Israeli hostages, who have been held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. The hostages were freed as part of a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 13, 2025. A placard shows an image of slain hostage Idan Shtivi as people gather at "Hostages Square" amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 12, 2025. See the historic moment Israeli hostages, Palestinian prisoners are released 1 of 21 Released hostage Alon Ohel, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, reacts upon arrival at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, amid a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Petah Tikva, Israel October 13, 2025. 'Now the rebuilding begins,' Trump says after signing agreement In remarks after signing the Middle East ceasefire plan, Trump said a beautiful day is rising, and now the rebuilding begins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rebuilding is going to maybe be the easiest part, he said, speaking alongside other world leaders in Egypt. I think weve done a lot of the hardest part, because the rest comes together. We all know how to rebuild, and we know how to build better than anybody in the world. Trump said the ceasefire, which included the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, is the day that people across the region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping and praying for. With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered, Trump said. He added: Together, we have achieved what everybody said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East." Trump bestowed the 'Order of the Nile' Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced during the ceremony to celebrate the signing of the ceasefire agreement that he was awarding Trump the Order of the Nile, the highest state honor awarded by Egypt for exceptional public service to the nation or humanity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im deeply honored to receive from you Egypts highest state honor, said Trump. Iranians rally in Tehran on June 24, 2025. Three days prior, America dropped bunker-busting bombs on three of Iran's nuclear sites. President Donald Trump is trying to keep a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran in place as reports emerged indicating the U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities was not as successful as he initially claimed. Trump compliments Turkey's Erdogan: 'I like the tough people' Minutes before Trump signed the Middle East ceasefire plan in Egypt to end the war in Gaza, he complimented President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, calling him an "amazing" leader and a "tough cookie." "I don't know what it is. I like the tough people better than I like the soft, easy ones. I don't know what the hell that is," said Trump. "It's a personality problem I suspect." Trump said Turkey has one of the most powerful armies in the world. "He's a tough cookie," said Trump. "But he's been my friend and every time I've ever needed him, he's been there for me." Trump celebrates Gaza ceasefire plan with world leaders Sitting behind a large sign reading "peace 2025," Trump celebrated his Gaza plan with leaders from the Middle East and around the world during a summit in Egypt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Its going to hold up," Trump said of the deal, with the presidents of Egypt and Turkey sitting on either side of him and the leaders of France, Italy and other nations seated behind them. President Donald Trump poses with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport before boarding his plane to Sharm El-Sheikh, on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Trump looks ahead to the next phase of Gaza ceasefire deal With a ceasefire in place and the remaining living hostages released, Trump discussed the next steps in his ceasefire plan as he began a summit in Egypt with world leaders, saying hes already onto the second phase of the plan. The bodies of some deceased hostages still need to be returned, Trump noted as he took questions from reporters while meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh. Trump also discussed rebuilding Gaza after two years of war. Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio said Egypt will play a key role in the plans implementation, which Witkoff said has been the focus since Israel and Hamas agreed to the deal. Rubio described Oct. 13 as "one of the most important days for world peace in 50 years." More: How two years of grinding war have changed Gaza, Israel, and the world Read more: Two years of death and devastation in Gaza, visualized Trump gets red carpet treatment in Egypt With mountains and palm trees in the background, Trump departed Air Force One in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt and walked down a red carpet, where he was greeted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Air Force One arrived with an Egyptian Air Force F-16 escort, landing at 5:20 p.m. local time. Trump is holding a summit at Sharm el-Sheikh to continue discussions about his Gaza ceasefire plan. Trump lands in Egypt Air Force One touched down in Egypt for the second stop on Trumps Middle East trip. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is holding a summit at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to continue discussions about his Gaza ceasefire plan. He celebrated the deal earlier in the day during a speech to Israels Knesset. Hamas to release bodies of four hostages Hamas announced that on Monday, it will release the bodies of four of the 28 dead Israeli hostages held in Gaza. No other details were immediately available. This combination of undated handout pictures created on Oct. 13, 2025 and released the same day by the Israeli army identifies the twenty released Israeli hostages (L to R, top to bottom) Matan Angrest, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Elkana Bohbot, Rom Braslavski, Nimrod Cohen, Ariel Cunio, David Cunio, Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa Dalal, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Segev Kalfon, Bar Kuperstein, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, Yosef Haim Ohana, Alon Ohel, Avinatan Or, and Matan Zangauker, who were formerly held captive in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Palestinian militants and handed over in a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Some of the deceased hostages were killed during Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Others are believed to have died while in captivity. Trump departing Israel for summit in Egypt Trump is moving to the second leg of his Middle East trip, traveling to Egypt after delivering a speech at Israels Knesset. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump and his team boarded Air Force One at 4:13 p.m. local time in Israel. Trump is meeting with regional and world leaders at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to continue discussions about his Gaza ceasefire plan. Palestinian children celebrate at a camp for displaced people in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. President Donald Trump announced Oct. 8 that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a peace deal aimed to end the two-year conflict. The agreement comes after multiple failed attempts to defuse the two-year-old war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage. Israel's response to the attack has drawn increasing criticism worldwide, including a United Nations report issued in September that concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Israel's military campaign in response has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israelis react to the news of the Gaza peace deal at Hostage Square on October 9, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Palestinians celebrate outside Deir al-Balah's Shuhada al-Aqsa hospital in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinian children celebrate in Khan Yunis on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. People celebrate at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinians celebrate in Khan Yunis on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. People react at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinians celebrate in Khan Yunis on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinians celebrate in Khan Yunis on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinian children celebrate outside Deir al-Balah's Shuhada al-Aqsa hospital in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. A man distributes sweets at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinian youths celebrate outside Deir al-Balah's Shuhada al-Aqsa hospital in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Israelis celebrate as they react to the news of the Gaza peace deal at Hostages Square on October 9, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. = A man distributes sweets at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. A man distributes sweets at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. A man distributes sweets at a camp for displaced Palestinians in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinian youths celebrate near Deir al-Balah's Shuhada al-Aqsa hospital in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinians celebrate in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinian children celebrate at a camp for displaced people in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. Palestinians and Israelis celebrate peace deal: See the emotional moment 1 of 19 Palestinian children celebrate at a camp for displaced people in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal. President Donald Trump announced Oct. 8 that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a peace deal aimed to end the two-year conflict. The agreement comes after multiple failed attempts to defuse the two-year-old war that began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage. Israel's response to the attack has drawn increasing criticism worldwide, including a United Nations report issued in September that concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Israel's military campaign in response has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. 'Give him a pardon' - Trump touches on Netanyahu's criminal case President Trump diverged from his prepared remarks to the Knesset to call on Israels president to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister who faces three criminal charges. "Mr. President, why dont you give him a pardon?" Trump said to applause. "Give him a pardon. Come on." Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - the first time a sitting prime minister has faced a criminal case. The Jerusalem Post reported Netanyahu is scheduled to give testimony in the case on Oct. 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel-Hamas conflict: US preparing to deploy up to 200 troops to monitor Gaza ceasefire Trump slams Biden, Obama during Israel victory lap President Trump used his remarks to the Knesset to take a swipe at two former Democratic presidents, Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Trump called Biden, who defeated him in the 2020 election, the "worst president in the history of our country by far." Obama, he said, "was not far behind." Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to persuade Obama, who was Trumps predecessor, not to sign a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, "but it was like talking to a wall." "They chose Iran," he said. Trump to Iran: "We are ready when you are" Trump used his speech to the Knesset to speak directly to Iran, saying he wants a good relationship with the country after bombing its nuclear facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To Iran we are ready when you are and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made," Trump said. President Donald Trump addresses the Knesset, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, Oct. 13, 2025. UN agency says aid to Gaza increasing For the first time since March, cooking gas entered Gaza, according to a statement from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Sunday. The agency said the UN and its partners have also been able to distribute "hundreds of thousands" of hot meals and bread bundles in southern and northern Gaza, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continued to hold. "We also secured Israeli approval for more aid to move forward, bringing the amount in our cleared pipeline to 190,000 metric tons," the agency said. Aid shipments also included tents for displaced families, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour and medicines throughout the day. The World Food Program and the Egyptian Red Crescent have also begun scaling up their operations to send more aid into Gaza in recent days. Trump jokes hell be quite late to Egyptian summit as Knesset address continues Aside from a brief disruption from a member of the Knesset, Trumps visit to the Israeli parliament continued its triumphant and at times playful tone, with the president joking several times during his address. At one point Trump teased the lawmakers about the length of the now hour-plus-long parliamentary meeting, drawing laughs in the chamber and from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump mentioned his summit in Egypt later in the day, joking: "Ill be quite late, they might not be there by the time I get there." Trump: Iran nuclear deal would have prevented ceasefire President Trump said the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas would not have happened if the United States had not withdrawn from a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and other world powers. The Iran nuclear deal would have left "a dark cloud" over the ceasefire agreement, Trump said in remarks to Israels Knesset. Other Arab and Muslim countries would not have been comfortable with the ceasefire if the Iran nuclear deal had still been in place, Trump said. The Iran nuclear deal, negotiated by Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, sought to limit Irans nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of sanctions by the United States and other countries. Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018, saying it would not prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. Family and friends of Israeli hostage Eitan Horn react to the news of his release at their house in Rosh Haayin on Oct. 13, 2025. Trump talks about pressure on Israel to end the war The Gaza ceasefire deal came at a key moment when pressure was building on Israel, President Trump told the Knesset. "It was getting bad, it was getting heated," Trump said. "The timing of this is brilliant." The president alluded to the pressure he put on Netanyahu to agree to a deal, saying he told Israels leader: "Its now time." Palestinian prisoner release moves forward Buses carrying Palestinians released from Israeli prisons under a Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal with Palestinian factions, arrive outside the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, on Oct. 13, 2025. Israel has begun releasing Palestinian prisoners and detainees, in agreement with the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Following Hamas release of all 20 remaining Israeli hostages still alive after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees. Images and broadcast feeds showed Palestinian prisoners on buses exiting a prison in southern Israel, and of families reuniting in Ramallah in the West Bank. Most were detainees taken by Israeli forces during the war in Gaza, and the group of 250 prisoners were convicted of involvement in deadly attacks or were held under suspicion of such security offenses, according to Reuters. Trump celebrates release of hostages Trump celebrated the release of the 20 hostages held by Hamas during his speech before the Knesset. "The hostages are back," he said to applause. "It is a good feeling," Trump said. "Isnt that nice to say?" What are the Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah holidays? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined Trumps invitation to attend a summit in Egypt, citing the Jewish high holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are two related holidays that are celebrated together to mark the end of the harvest and the conclusion of the annual Torah reading cycle. This year, Shemini Atzeret begins at sundown on Oct. 13 and will be immediately followed Simchat Torah, which begins at sunrise Oct. 14 and ends after nightfall on Oct. 15. This handout picture released by the Israeli army shows released Israeli hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, one of the former captives in Gaza since the 2023 October 7 attacks by Palestinian militants, after being handed over in a prisoner-hostage swap and a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Israel on Oct. 13, 2025. Shemini Atzeret includes a prayer for rain and officially commemorates the start of the Israeli rainy season. Simchat Torah, which means "the joy of the Torah," celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a party holiday in which the Torah scrolls are unfurled to their full length, and Jews dance in the street. The Oct. 7, 2023, attacks took place during Simchat Torah. Most forms of work are prohibited during the holiday. Trump gives Rubio shoutout, recounts 'tough' 2016 GOP primary The 2016 presidential election got a mention in President Trumps speech to the Knesset, with the Republican recounting his primary battle with Marco Rubio. "He and I really fought it out," Trump said of Rubio. "He was tough. He was nasty." Despite their history, Trump made Rubio secretary of state. "I have a prediction that Marco will go down as the greatest secretary of state in the history of the United States," Trump said. Man expelled from Knesset during Trumps speech Trumps speech to the Knesset was interrupted when a man was expelled from the floor of the chamber. "That was very efficient," Trump said as the individual was quickly removed. 'A day of profound joy' - Trump to Knesset President Trump began his speech to the Knesset by declaring it a "day of profound joy" as the world celebrates a ceasefire deal brokered by the president that resulted in a Gaza ceasefire and the return of hostages. "This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East," Trump said. Israeli opposition leader pushes back against 'genocide' claim The claim that Israel committed genocide in Gaza is false, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in a speech to the Knesset. Speaking to those who have demonstrated against Israels actions in Gaza, Lapid said they were deceived. The truth is, there was no genocide, no intentional starvation, Lapid said, adding: The truth is there was an Army and country fighting in the most complicated conditions imaginable. A report released by the United Nations this year concluded Israel committed genocidal acts in Gaza. US President Donald Trump (R) listens to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he addresses the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. President Trump is visiting the country hours after Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023, part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. Netanyahu nominates Trump for Israels highest award, alludes to Nobel Peace Prize Trump could be the first non-Israeli to receive the nations highest award, the Israel Prize. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset he nominated Trump for the award, and alluded to the Nobel Peace Prize in saying theres another award he believes the president eventually will receive. Trump repeatedly has said he deserves the Nobel Peace prize. He missed out on the award this year, which went to Venezuelas opposition leader. Netanyahu will not attend Egyptian summit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend the summit in Egypt on ending the Gaza war, his office confirmed in a statement, after he was given an invitation from Trump. His office cited the proximity of the Simchat Torah Jewish holiday for not attending, which begins the evening of Oct. 13. The summit will take place in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where indirect talks on the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal took place over the last several days. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will also be at the summit. Netanyahu discusses 'high price' of war in speech to Knesset Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset that Israel has paid a high price for the war in Gaza but sent a message to the nations enemies in the process. They understand that Israel is strong and Israel is here to stay, he said. 'I am committed to this peace,' Netanyahu tells Knesset Netanyahu during his speech to the Knesset told President Trump that he has done more for Israel than any other president and thanked him for advancing the plan that resulted in a Gaza ceasefire and the return of hostages. I am committed to this peace and together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace, Netanyahu said. In his remarks, Netanyahu talked about learning that all 20 living hostages had been returned from Gaza to Israel. What excitement, he said, adding: How long weve waited for this moment. With Trump seated next to him, Netanyahu also told the U.S. president that he would be inscribed in the history of our nation. 'The world needs more Trumps' - Israeli speaker The speaker of the Israeli Parliament, Amir Ohana, introduced several dignitaries and visiting Americans as the Knesset convened, with Trump sitting to his right. The president and a procession of American officials, along with his daughter Ivanka Trump, received sustained applause from the room of Israeli lawmakers. Ohana praised Trump in parts of his address, which switched between Hebrew and English, saying the world needs more Trumps. Ivanka Trump arrives as U.S. President Donald Trump is due to address the Knesset, Israel's parliament, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. President Trump is visiting the country hours after Hamas released some of the remaining Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023, part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of years from now, Mr. President, the Jewish people will remember you, he said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine are among the American delegation, as is Israeli-American billionaire Miriam Adelson. Ohana also called out U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Trump extends olive branch to Iran in Knesset speech After bombing Irans nuclear sites, Trump plans to use his speech to the Knesset to call for cooperation with the country. Even to Iran, whose regime has inflicted so much death on the Middle East, the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open, Trump plans to say, according to excerpts released by the White House. Israel also fought with Iran during the course of the two-year war in Gaza, with the U.S. joining to bomb three nuclear sites. "Decades of fomenting terrorism and extremism, jihadism and anti-Semitism have not workedthey have backfired completely and totally, Trump plans to say. From Gaza to Iran, those bitter hatreds have delivered nothing but misery, suffering, and failure. 'A beautiful and much brighter future.' - Trumps Knesset speech excerpts Trump will declare in a speech to the Knesset that the moment will be remembered as a turning point for the region, according to excerpts from the speech released by the White House. As the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed, and the ashes clear from the air, the day breaks on a region TRANSFORMEDand a beautiful and much brighter future appears suddenly within our reach, Trump will say. What has Russia said about the Gaza deal? Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Trump's plan to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict only dealt with Gaza and was not specific enough on Palestinian statehood. "We have noted that Donald Trump's peace plan only addresses the Gaza Strip. It mentions statehood, but in rather general terms," Lavrov told reporters from Arab countries. "It's imperative to flesh out these approaches, including defining what will happen in the West Bank." It was Moscow's clearest statement so far that it does not see the Trump plan as sufficiently detailed and far-reaching - although Lavrov also said Russia hoped all the agreements reached between Israel and Hamas under the plan would be implemented. President Vladimir Putin said last week that Russia was ready to help peace efforts, using its contacts with all parties in the region. Reuters Hostages in custody of Israeli military The Israel Defense Forces said in a social media post that 13 more hostages are being accompanied by the military as they return to Israel. All 20 living hostages are now in the custody of the Israeli military, according to CNN. Twin brothers among group of Israeli hostages Nov 8, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Liran Berman holds a poster while speaking about his missing brothers, Gali and Ziv Berman, who were taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel. Among the 20 Israeli hostages returning to Israel are a pair of twin brothers, Gali Berman and Ziv Berman, both 28 years old. More: 'My community was butchered': An Israeli man's fight to liberate his brothers from Hamas The twins were taken from their home at the Kfar Aza kibbutz during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Their brother, Liran Berman, described them to USA TODAY in November 2023 as fun-loving twins who he said would brighten every room they entered, and traveled the world for their work in the music industry. Red Trump hats in Knesset A number of people in the audience for Trumps speech to the Knesset are wearing red, MAGA-style hats celebrating the president and the moment. The hats read Trump the peace president. 'A great and beautiful day,' Trump writes in Knesset guest book Trump greeted Israeli dignitaries and signed a guest book as he made his way into the Knesset to deliver remarks. This is my great honor. A great and beautiful day, Trump wrote in the guest book. The president was flanked by his daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he walked into the Knesset. Trump's address at the Knesset Trump will become only the fourth U.S. president to address the Knesset, Israels parliament, when he speaks Monday morning, scheduled for 4 a.m. ET. "The people of Israel regard you as the greatest friend and ally of the Jewish nation in modern history," Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana wrote in a letter with the formal invitation. Previously, Jimmy Carter addressed the Knesset in 1979, Bill Clinton in 1994, and George W. Bush in 2008. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday in a televised address that it was "the beginning of a new path." "A path of building, a path of healing, and I hope a path of uniting hearts," he said. Trump tells reporters: 'I'm good at making peace' Asked by reporters about how the agreement between Israel and Hamas fit into his legacy, Trump mentioned several international conflicts he claimed credit for resolving. "Im good at solving wars," Trump said. "Im good at making peace. Im saving lives." Trump had campaigned to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But the prize was awarded on Friday to Maria Corina Machado, an opposition leader in Venezuela. Trump said that "in fairness to the Nobel committee," the award was for activities in 2024. "I did this not for Nobel," Trump said. "I did this for saving lives." Warning: This gallery contains graphic images Smoke rises following explosions during the Israeli military offensive in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, Oct. 6, 2025. Children search for salvage items in a dumpster at the Qatari-built and now-damaged Hamad City residential complex in northwestern Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 6, 2025. Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on Saturday, on a house in the Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City Oct. 5, 2025. This picture taken during a media tour organized by the Israeli army on Oct. 3, 2025, shows Israeli army tanks in front of war-damaged buildings in the vicinity of the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City. Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, in the central Gaza Strip Oct. 1, 2025. A Palestinian girl sits amid debris at a United Nations school where displaced people were taking shelter, after it was hit in overnight Israeli strikes, amid an Israeli military operation, at Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City, Oct. 1, 2025. Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate, during an Israeli military operation, in the central Gaza Strip, Sept. 30, 2025. A Palestinian man carries his belongings during an Israeli military operation, after residents were ordered to evacuate Gaza City, Sept. 29, 2025. Palestinians children react, at the site of Israeli strikes on a house, in Gaza City, Sept. 26, 2025. Displaced Palestinians, fleeing northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, in the central Gaza Strip, Sept. 24, 2025. Palestinian father Dawoud Sukar embraces the body of his son Saker, 3, who was killed in Israeli strikes on houses at Shati (Beach) refugee camp, amid an Israeli military operation, in Gaza City Sept. 23, 2025. A woman reacts as Palestinians inspect the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a house in Gaza City, Sept. 16, 2025. A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded on Sept. 16 that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, according to Reuters. The U.N. report, issued as Israel announced the start of a ground operation in Gaza City, cites examples of the scale of the killings, aid blockages, forced displacement and the destruction of a fertility clinic to back up its genocide finding, adding its voice to a scholars' association and rights groups that have reached the same conclusion. Tanks stand on the Israeli side of the border, as destruction in Gaza is seen in the background, in Israel September 16, 2025. Displaced Palestinians, fleeing northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, in the central Gaza Strip September 16, 2025. This picture taken from a position at Israel's border with the Gaza Strip shows Israeli military vehicles by the border fence in the besieged Palestinian territory on September 16, 2025. Israel unleashed a massive new bombing campaign on Gaza City on September 16 after visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed the ally's goal of eradicating the Palestinian Hamas movement and warned that only days may be left for a diplomatic solution. The 15-story Mushtaha Tower collapses after being hit by an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City, Sept. 5, 2025. See the toll in Gaza after two years of war 1 of 17 Warning: This gallery contains graphic images Trump credits Turkey, Qatar for deal When asked about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that collapsed in March, Trump told reporters that the current agreement involving Arab and Muslim countries couldnt have happened back then. "Sometimes you have to go through some pain before it all happens," Trump said. He credited Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Indonesia each with being key to obtaining the current settlement. "We had tremendous help. This is an amazing thing," Trump said. "They all came together. Theyre all dancing in the streets, just like Israel. Its a unique point in time." "That wouldnt have happened back then," Trump added. Families of Israeli hostages celebrated news of the ceasefire agreement from Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump said announced Oct. 8, 2025 that Israel and Hamas had agreed to implement the first phased of a White House peace plan that would release the remaining 28 hostages. Families of Israeli hostages celebrated news of the ceasefire agreement from Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump said announced Oct. 8, 2025 that Israel and Hamas had agreed to implement the first phased of a White House peace plan that would release the remaining 28 hostages. Families of Israeli hostages celebrated news of the ceasefire agreement from Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump said announced Oct. 8, 2025 that Israel and Hamas had agreed to implement the first phased of a White House peace plan that would release the remaining 28 hostages. Families of Israeli hostages celebrated news of the ceasefire agreement from Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump said announced Oct. 8, 2025 that Israel and Hamas had agreed to implement the first phased of a White House peace plan that would release the remaining 28 hostages. Families of Israeli hostages celebrated news of the ceasefire agreement from Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump said announced Oct. 8, 2025 that Israel and Hamas had agreed to implement the first phased of a White House peace plan that would release the remaining 28 hostages. Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, reacts following news that Israel and Hamas have agreed on Wednesday to the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 9, 2025, in this still image taken from video. Families of Israeli hostages celebrate news of ceasefire between Israel and Hamas 1 of 6 Families of Israeli hostages celebrated news of the ceasefire agreement from Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump said announced Oct. 8, 2025 that Israel and Hamas had agreed to implement the first phased of a White House peace plan that would release the remaining 28 hostages. Trump on negotiating ceasefire deal: 'I think I'm not heaven-bound' Trump told Fox News in August that ending the war between Russia and Ukraine could get him into heaven. He told reporters Sunday he was "being a little cute" but that he doesnt expect to get into heaven after negotiating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. "I dont think theres anything gonna get me into heaven. I think Im not heaven-bound," Trump said. "Im not sure Ill be able to make heaven. But Ive made life better for a lot of people." Trump says Ukraine would 'like to have Tomahawks' Trump told reporters that he had a good conversation Sunday morning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who asked for additional weapons, and said he might eventually provide Tomahawk missiles. Trump said he would first call Russian President Vladimir Putin to warn him that if the war didnt end, he might provide the cruise missiles to NATO, which would pass them along to Ukraine. Trump called Tomahawks an escalation of weaponry in the three-year-old war. "They need patriots very badly," Trump said. "Theyd like to have Tomahawks. Thats a step up." Trump said he would talk to Putin first, because Tomahawks represent "a new step of aggression." "I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest with you, about Tomahawks," Trump said. "Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I dont think so." "I might say, 'Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I might send them Tomahawks," Trump added. "I may say that. We may not, but we may do it." Ukraine-Russia war: Trump warns Russia that US may provide Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine How did the Israel-Hamas war start? The ceasefire and expected release come more than two years after the conflict began. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel responded with a massive military offensive in Gaza, which has leveled large swaths of the enclave, displaced thousands, and killed more than 67,000 people. Most of those were civilians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. A placard shows an image of slain hostage Idan Shtivi as people gather at "Hostages Square" amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 12, 2025. Israel-Hamas conflict: Who are the hostages expected to be released in Gaza peace deal? Palestinian prisoner release: What we know Israel is to release 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, and 22 Palestinian minors, Reuters reports, along with the bodies of 360 militants. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that once the hostages were returned, the military would destroy underground tunnels in Gaza built by Hamas. Palestinians returning to northern Gaza have described widespread devastation. Rescue workers warned there could be unexploded ordnance and bombs in the area. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israeli hostages released by Hamas; ceasefire holds; Trump returns (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, during an address to the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem. During a more than one-hour speech, Trump said: "Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don't you give him a pardon? Cigars and some champagne who the hell cares?" referring to the fraud, bribery and breach of trust charges, which Netanyahu denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in three cases, one of which includes receiving almost 700,000 shekels ($210,000) in gifts from businessmen, including champagne and cigars. Israel's President holds a largely ceremonial role but he does have authority to pardon convicted criminal if there are unusual circumstances presented. However, there has been no ruling in Netanyahu's long-running trial which began in 2020 and has been interrupted frequently during two years of war and Middle East upheaval. He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. Trump in June called for Netanyahu's trial to be cancelled. Netanyahu has cast his legal ordeal as a left-wing witch-hunt aimed at toppling an elected right-wing leader. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Alison Williams, Maayan Lubell and Hugh Lawson) Some components for Russian missiles and drones are still supplied from European countries, and it is necessary not to ease sanctions against Russia that limit its military machine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. "We also need to put pressure on those in your countries who continue to supply critical components for Russian drones and missiles. No Russian missile or drone will fly without parts from other countries. It is not only China and Taiwan. Some components are still supplied from European countries and other countries of the world that continue to cooperate with Russian manufacturers of death," Zelenskyy said during his address to the 71st annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Monday. He noted that the Ukrainian team can provide all the facts and is ready to share any necessary information. The president also called on the participants of the session to raise this issue with their governments. "By stopping Russia now, you are not only helping us protect our lives, you are helping yourself. And you are saving your leaders from having to do what I am doing turn to the world for help if Russian drones, missiles and soldiers become a threat to you. Russia must lose," Zelenskyy said. According to him, on this basis it is necessary to build a real system of guaranteed security that does not depend on changing geopolitics or election sentiments. The President noted that the Coalition of the Willing includes 35 countries, and called for support for this at all levels: parliaments, the media and through "quiet" diplomacy. "Security must be guaranteed. And when it works for us, it will work for every country that needs protection," he said. Oct. 12GRAND FORKS When Carly Flaagan saw her alma mater, the University of North Dakota, was bringing back the music therapy program and was looking for a director, she jumped at the opportunity. Flaagan graduated from UND with a degree in music therapy a year before the program was removed, and spent eight years in Colorado earning a master's degree, practicing music therapy and running an internship program. Now the director of UND's returned music therapy program, she and her husband have come back to Grand Forks. "I had it on my radar," she said. "I had a wonderful experience here as an undergraduate music therapy major. I absolutely loved it and benefited so much from the education and clinical training that I received here at UND." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The music therapy program's return was first announced at the beginning of 2024 and was able to offer the Introduction to Music Therapy course before it was accredited. The program had majors start to come in before it was officially able to recruit, Flaagan said, and there are nine students enrolled so far four freshmen and three upperclassmen. The first few years of getting the program back in motion have been a good kind of intense, Flaagan said, and she looks to the future with a hope of 50 students in the next four years. Music therapy is an allied health care profession that is very variable and adaptable depending on the client, Flaagan said. It considers the whole person when it comes to treatment. It can be used in places like hospitals, hospice, older adult living facilities, weekly house visits, clinics and schools. Physiologically and psychologically, it promotes the increase of "good-for-us chemicals," she said, as well as decreases cortisol, increases oxygen saturation, decreases heart rate and control and steady breathing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Physiologically, it can help to regulate many different things in our bodies and our brains," Flaagan said. It can also help with cognitive skills, communication skills, motor skills, social skills and sensory processing and regulation skills, which is what Flaagan has dedicated the bulk of her work. She has worked with clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities to improve functional skills that help with day-to-day life. Music also helps create a mutual friendship with a client for the therapist, creating an opening for people to express themselves or connect with the therapist over a piece of music they both enjoy. It also gives people a safe place to emote and be heard, she said. In her experience, Flaagan has used music therapy to set up skill practice with a musical task, creating motivation and engagement with a multi-sensory source. Music therapy employs auditory, visual, kinesthetic and tactile cues to engage within the music-making process that captures the brain's attention, which can then be embedded with skill practice. It creates a route and access to work on and progress non-musical skills. The program itself has required competencies from the American Music Therapy Association that haven't changed much in the last decade, Flaagan said, but there were two key things she wanted to add a neuroscience and music class, and a music and entrepreneurship class. Though there was neuroscience research when she was an undergrad, there has been more research over the last 15 years. Flaagan said she wanted a neuroscience-specific class, as it had previously been covered in other classes. A basic awareness of how the brain works and how music can engage and change it is one of the professional competencies for a music therapist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flaagan has also seen a trend of more music therapists in America starting their own businesses, and so put music and entrepreneurship into the program to destigmatize the stresses and worries of opening a business. Some of the core classes students also take include anatomy, a number of psychology classes, statistics, interprofessional health care and various methods classes, techniques classes, music history and other music classes. "You have to develop strong enough music skills where you don't have to worry about your pitch or what chords you're playing when you're thinking clinically in a session and you're adapting to the client's needs," she said. "This is very much about being able to meet a client where they're at and then provide the best tailored therapeutic music experience to move through whatever stage in the session they're at. So there's a lot of on the spot clinical decision making." The departure of the music therapy program came in 2016 as one of the multiple budget and program cuts made by UND in the wake of then-Gov. Jack Dalrymple's decision for all state agencies to cut their budgets by 4%. The decision to remove music therapy received pushback from students and community members alike. Criticism of the decision included multiple letters to the Grand Forks Herald and a group of students protesting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement near then-interim President Ed Schafer 's home on campus. A more stable and sustainable budget situation sparked the conversation to bring the program back, said Brad Rundquist, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, in 2024. "I'm feeling good about it," he said. "We looked at the information we had and decided it was a good time to bring it back." President Andrew Armacost said it takes a number of factors to bring a new program to UND, or re-introduce one that has been absent. The cost of offering the program, the expected tuition revenue, number of students and attracting faculty members to teach are all part of it, but external advice also plays a part, he said. In music therapy's case, Music Department accreditors visiting the campus endorsed the idea of bringing it back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They said, 'you have a medical school, a nursing school, you have programs in social work and counseling, and these are exactly the types of places where music therapy programs succeed,'" Armacost said. "Plus, there's not a lot of music therapy programs regionally." Scott Sandberg, who was chair of the Music Department when it was announced music therapy would be coming back, said he's thrilled for the department, the School of Arts and Sciences, UND and the community. Music therapy rounds out what the department should be, he said. "You educate people through music, we entertain people through music," he said. "Now we can help people through music. It just comes full circle so that we can do everything that music does." The program has already drawn a visit from neuroscientist and best-selling author Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniel Levitin on Sept. 23. An author of more than 300 research articles and seven best-selling books, Levitin spoke about why music therapy is effective, connections to research and examples of different populations music therapy has served, such as for those with Parkinson's, traumatic brain injuries and Alzheimer's. Having somebody like Levitin come to campus and speak on a profession that has only existed as an organized profession since the 1940s, which people may have misconceptions about or haven't heard of, is something the program's staff is grateful for, Flaagan said. "We're really grateful when there's someone with an influential voice that advocates for music therapy," she said. Steam and water pipe at Hellisheii Power Station, Suurland, Iceland. (Photo by Feifei Cui-Paoluzzo/Getty Images) Neighboring an area thats becoming the heart of geothermal technology in Utah, a unique development is moving forward, seeking to produce 100 megawatts of energy without using water-based tools when fully operational. Last week Millard County commissioners gave an enthusiastic nod to Rodatherm, a Canada-based company, to resume construction of a generation facility partially sitting on federally-managed land in Beaver and Millard counties, near Utah FORGE, a laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that has been working on breakthroughs in geothermal technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The main difference between this technology and that of Utah FORGE is that Rodatherm doesnt stimulate the fracture of reservoirs to create energy, like other enhanced geothermal systems, but essentially, uses a closed-loop system with a heat pump at depth to achieve the same effect, Curtis Cook, founder and president of Rodatherm Energy Corporation said. It is a method by which we efficiently and at very low cost, convert heat to power, Cook said. The company uses a fully-isolated fluid directly in a power-generating turbine, a system thats 50% more efficient than water-based geothermal generation, according to a news release from the company. It also promises to be competitive in cost at early stages of the project, and to have a multiple-decade life span. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utah in general, is very favorable for geothermal given its high thermal gradients. What that practically means, it has much higher temperatures at shallower depth, so it is much more conducive for geothermal power generation, Cook said. And, the area is very well-studied attracting not only Utah FORGE but other geothermal competitors, he said. Rodatherms geothermal closed-loop system graphic. (Courtesy of Rodatherm) After initially losing funding for the project, Rodatherm has found opportunities with investors that highlighted their desire to partner with entrepreneurs looking for decarbonization solutions, according to the release. Current state and federal initiatives favoring geothermal investment have also played a role in the comeback. A year ago, it was very different in how geothermal was being assessed, so the economics were unclear, Cook said. Fast forward, now under the (big, beautiful bill), and the new administrations support for geothermal, the economics of the project now look very robust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michael Dabbs, vice president of corporate development at Rodatherm, said in a presentation to the Millard County Commission that the company is drilling down two miles, then two more miles horizontally in a loop crossing Millard and Beaver counties. Were looking to drill on Jan. 15. Were fully permitted. Weve already done some construction out there a couple years ago, but our financing didnt quite go through, Dabbs told commissioners. So now we have financing, and were hoping to start construction this month. A federal environmental review didnt find a significant impact, according to a 2023 news release from the Bureau of Land Management. The company is planning to generate about 3.6 megawatts in the BLM portion of the site for its pilot project. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE By Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam (Reuters) -The United States is prepared to make a deal with Iran when Tehran is ready, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday. Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks, prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking key Iranian nuclear sites. The talks faced major stumbling blocks such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which Western powers want to bring down to zero to minimise any risk of weaponisation, a plan that Tehran has rejected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are ready when you are and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made, and it's going to happen," Trump said, referring to a deal with Iran. "The hand of friendship and cooperation is open. I'm telling you, they (Iran) want to make a deal... it would be great if we could make a deal," Trump told the Israeli Knesset. On Saturday, Iran's foreign minister welcomed a potential "fair and balanced" U.S. proposal on its nuclear programme, but said Tehran has not received any starting points for negotiation. "If we receive a reasonable, balanced, and fair proposal from the Americans for negotiations, we will certainly consider it," Abbas Araqchi told state television on Saturday, adding that Tehran and Washington had been exchanging messages through mediators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump was welcomed in Israel on Monday where he addressed the Knesset ahead of a planned trip to Egypt for a summit aimed at building conditions for a lasting peace in Gaza. "There's nothing that would do more good for this part of the world than for Iran's leaders to renounce terrorists...and finally recognise Israel's right to existence," Trump said. But Araqchi said on Saturday the notion that Iran could normalise relations with Israel was "wishful thinking." "Iran will never recognise an occupying regime that has committed genocide and killed children," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Araqchi declined an Egyptian invitation to attend the summit in a post on X on Monday: "While favouring diplomatic engagement, neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian people and continue to threaten and sanction us." (Reporting Jana Choukeir and Ahmad Elimam; Writing by Elwely Elwelly;Editing by Alison Williams and Ros Russell) The U.S. State Department has issued a revised Level 2 travel advisory for the Republic of the Maldives. The department warns American citizens to exercise increased caution due to potential terrorist threats in the popular tourist destination. Released on October 7, 2025, the advisory explicitly states that terrorist groups may attack with little or no warning. It identifies multiple high-risk target areas, including tourist locations. It also names transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, and local government facilities as at risk. The timing of this advisory comes as the Maldives continues to attract millions of international visitors annually. Officials are particularly concerned about attacks on remote islands, where delayed emergency response could leave tourists vulnerable. Recommended Precautions For Travelers Visiting The Maldives In response to these security concerns, the State Department has outlined several recommendations for Americans with planned trips to the Maldives. Travelers should remain vigilant by monitoring local media for updates on the security situation. They must also be prepared to adjust their plans as needed. The advisory encourages visitors to maintain awareness of their surroundings at all times and advises explicitly against attending demonstrations and crowds that could become targets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, officials strongly recommend enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which helps the U.S. embassy contact travelers in emergencies, and purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that covers evacuation assistance, medical care, and trip cancellations. The United States is not alone in raising concerns about travel to the Maldives. According to The Economic Times, Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a similar Level 2 advisory earlier in June 2025 through its Smartraveller website. The Australian advisory cited both civil unrest and the ongoing threat of terrorism as reasons for increased caution. The Maldives now joins 76 other countries, including major destinations like the United Kingdom, France, India, and Kenya, on Australias list of locations experiencing elevated security risks. The post US Updates Travel Advisory For Maldives: Terrorist Groups May Attack appeared first on Travel Noire. A minor MAGA Republican uproar last week over news that the U.S. would host Qatari pilots at a U.S. military base in Idaho was not caused by the Pentagons misleading phrasing for the facility but, rather, a misreporting on the facts, according to Vice President Vance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that the U.S. would be signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatar Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho a location that is set to host a contingent of Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots. The news quickly sparked a backlash from several prominent figures in the GOPs MAGA base, who blasted the Trump administration for allowing what seemed to be, according to Hegseths phrasing, a Qatari military base on U.S. soil. Qatars media attache to the U.S. later clarified a stand-alone Qatari air base will not exist, but that the country had made a 10-year commitment to build and maintain a dedicated training facility within an existing U.S. air base. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking during on Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News, Vance called the furor a fake story. This is largely a fake story, Vance said. We continue to have, with countries that we work with, we have relationships where sometimes their pilots work on our bases, sometimes that we train together, sometimes we work together in other ways. The reporting that somehow theres going to be a Qatari base on United States soil, thats just not true. He added: Were not going to let a foreign country have an actual base on American soil. So theres a bit of misreporting on that, as there often is. Among those who reacted sharply to Fridays news was Laura Loomer, a far-right political activist and close ally to President Trump, who said she felt betrayed over the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over several social media posts Friday afternoon, Loomer stressed that no foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries. Never thought Id see Republicans give terror financing Muslims from Qatar a MILITARY BASE on US soil so they can murder Americans, Loomer posted to the social platform X. I dont think Ill be voting in 2026. I cannot in good conscience make any excuses for the harboring of jihadis. Loomer had previously called out Trump over his acceptance of a luxury Boeing jet from the Qatari government. She has frequently exposed her disdain for Qatar and other countries with a majority Muslim population. The Trump administration has had a steadily growing relationship with Qatar, which it has credited with helping secure the Gaza peace deal between Israel and Hamas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order to increase U.S. protection of Qatar following an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha that killed six people, including a Qatari security officer. Speaking Friday at the Pentagon alongside Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari defense minister, Hegseth said the agreement to house Qatari pilots in Idaho showcases the strength of the partnership between Doha and Washington. Were grateful for the strong partnership that we have, the way you support our troops at Al Udeid, your excellency, the line of communication weve had together, Hegseth said, referencing the U.S. military base in Qatar. Updated at 2:51 p.m. EDT Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 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. CARACAS/OSLO (Reuters) -Venezuela's government said on Monday it will close its embassies in Norway and Australia and open new ones in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe in a restructuring of its foreign service, after weeks of growing tensions with the U.S. The closures are part of the "strategic re-assignation of resources," President Nicolas Maduro's government said in a statement, adding that consular services to Venezuelans in Norway and Australia would be provided by diplomatic missions, with details to be shared in coming days. Norway's foreign ministry said it had received notice of the embassy closure but no reason for the decision. Norway does not have an embassy in Caracas, and handles local affairs through its embassy in the capital of neighboring Colombia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is regrettable. Despite the fact that we have different views on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will work towards that," a foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters. The announcement occurred just days after the Nobel Committee in Oslo announced that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for fighting for democracy in the South American country. Machado dedicated the prize to U.S. President Donald Trump. "The Nobel Prize is independent of the Norwegian government and when it comes to questions about the prize, we refer to the Nobel Committee," the Norwegian foreign ministry spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kristian Berg Harpviken, secretary of the award body, told Reuters the Venezuelan embassy's closure was not an issue for the committee. "For the committee, the task at hand is to select the right Nobel Peace Prize laureate," he said. "And Maria Corina Machado is certainly a worthy winner!" The Venezuelan embassy in Oslo did not immediately reply to an email request for comment. Phone calls to the two numbers listed on the Venezuelan embassy's website, made outside of normal business hours, did not ring and were not answered. STRATEGIC ALLIES Caracas said it was instead setting up new embassies in "two sister nations, strategic allies in the anti-colonial fight and in the resistance against hegemonic pressures." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It added that these new embassies would serve to launch joint projects involving agriculture, energy, education, mining and other common interests. The embassy closures with the two U.S. allies followed weeks of escalating tensions between Caracas and Washington. Venezuela has called on the United Nations for support over several deadly U.S. military strikes on vessels off its Caribbean coast, which Washington alleges were carrying drugs. Some U.S. allies on the U.N. Security Council called for de-escalation and dialogue. Venezuela has said it is in a situation where it is rational to expect an armed attack against the country in the short-term, and Maduro has alleged the U.S. is seeking a change in government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Washington has not responded to this accusation, but has called Venezuela's socialist leader the illegitimate head of a narco-state. The U.S. also has announced a new counter-narcotics task force in its Southern Command, a military branch that oversees Latin America. The governments of Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso are more aligned with that of Russia, which has supported Venezuela at the U.N. and accused the U.S. of acting according to "the cowboy principle of 'shoot first.'" (Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Deisy Buitrago in Caracas; Additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle, Paul Simao and Richard Chang) VERMONT (ABC22/FOX44) Vermont officials announced Monday that 11 projects across the state, from an affordable housing development in Hinesburg to a community-owned grocery store in St. Johnsbury, are receiving state funding. Essex rejects state proposal for womens prison The funds are part of the Community Development Block Grant and Recovery Housing Program. The projects funded include: St. Johnsbury: A renovation of a former Walgreens in St. Johnsbury to turn it into a community-owned, local and healthy foods-focused grocery retail store. Fairlee: Rehabilitating 11 affordable housing units in three buildings, and building eight new ones. Hinesburg: Building 36 mixed-income units in four buildings at Riggs Meadow. St. Albans: A transformation of an existing house into a recovery home for up to 6 women recovering from substance abuse. Marshfield: A grant to investigate the source of water entering into the Town Hall and develop mitigation plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The funds total more than $3.5 million. A complete list of projects given awards can be found at the link below; note that some award amounts differ from the final numbers. CD-VCDP-June-5-2025-Board-RecommendationsDownload From housing to much needed infrastructure and economic development, said Governor Phil Scott, these grants play an important role in helping to revitalize our communities. Copyright 2025 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. Hungarian EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi has denied any involvement in an alleged espionage affair in a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said on Monday. Von der Leyen met Varhelyi on Sunday and asked him whether he was aware of attempts by Hungarian intelligence services to recruit European Commission staff, the spokeswoman told journalists in Brussels. Varhelyi, who holds the office of European commissioner for health and animal welfare, replied that he knew nothing about such attempts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the reports by German news magazine Der Spiegel, the Belgian daily newspaper De Tijd and the Hungarian investigative media outlet Direkt36, the Hungarian government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban had assigned secret service agents to EU institutions. Between 2015 and 2017, three spies allegedly attempted to recruit employees of the commission or obtain information from them. One of them is said to have worked undercover as a diplomat for the then Hungarian EU ambassador, Varhelyi. Last week, the commission announced that it was taking the allegations very seriously and would set up an internal group to investigate the case. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that within the framework of the PURL initiative to supply Ukraine with the necessary American military equipment at the expense of allies, equipment worth $2 billion has already been delivered to Kyiv. He announced this on Monday in Ljubljana, speaking at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The PURL initiative - Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List - was established by the United States and other NATO members to supply Ukraine with weapons from a list of prioritized needs. The initiative allows NATO member states to finance the purchase of weapons from the United States for subsequent transfer to Ukraine. It is assumed that Ukraine will provide partners with requests, on the basis of which a prioritized list of weapons and ammunition will be formed. This list, after approval by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), is financed by NATO member states or other partners. Ghislaine Maxwells unexpected arrival at a cushy Texas prison this August has left other inmates unsettled, with some claiming it seems that she receives preferential treatment, according to a report. Maxwells arrival at Bryan Federal Prison Camp, a minimum-security facility known for its relatively relaxed environment, has drastically disrupted the daily lives of her fellow inmates, The Wall Street Journal reports. On a weekend in mid-August, not long after her arrival, inmates at the prison were forced to stay indoors during their usual outdoor time as Maxwell met with several visitors in the prison camps chapel, people familiar with the matter told the WSJ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The arrival of the 63-year-old former Jeffrey Epstein associate, who was convicted in 2021 of trafficking underage girls for the (by then deceased) financier, has led to more frequent lockdowns, more armed guards on campus, and other changes at the prison, according to the report. Current and former inmates at the usually docile prison also the home of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah said it seemed as though Maxwell had been receiving better treatment than other inmates. Ghislaine Maxwells arrival at the cushy Texas federal prison to which she was transferred in August reportedly disrupted the daily lives of other inmates, according to a report (Federal Bureau of Prisons) A majority of the inmates held there have committed white-collar crimes and face shorter sentences, or have served a larger portion of a longer sentence and are considered a low flight risk. Because of this, Federal Prison Camp Bryan is known as being relatively low-security, without any of the towering fences, barbed wire or high-security cells found at stricter facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bureau of Prisons typically prohibits sex offenders from serving time in such prisons, though they can be admitted under a special waiver, according to the report. Maxwell, who was handed down a 20-year sentence in 2022, has the fourth-longest remaining sentence out of the prisons 600 inmates. It was not known whom Maxwell met with in the chapel that day, though some of her fellow inmates heard rumors that the lockdown was meant to accommodate important visitors, according to the report. Later that day, one inmate said they saw Maxwell return to her dormitory with a smile on her face. When asked about her mysterious meeting, Maxwell said it went well, but didnt share any other information, according to the report. Meanwhile, less than a week later, the Department of Justice released a transcript of an interview Maxwell had had with senior official Todd Blanche weeks earlier in July. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the interview with Blanche, Maxwell said she had never seen President Donald Trump doing anything inappropriate or illegal with Epstein when they were friends. Soon after, she was transferred to Federal Prison Camp Bryan. Federal Prison Camp Bryan is a minimum-security prison in Texas, typically home to inmates who have committed white-collar crimes (Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle via AP) At the time, Maxwells lawyer, David Markus, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the transfer was for safety reasons and had come after she faced serious danger in Tallahassee. It was not immediately clear what kind of safety concerns she had faced at the higher-security prison. In addition to causing some minor inconveniences for the other inmates, Maxwell was also greeted with a wave of hostility from some. According to the report, fellow prisoners taunted her, calling her a pedophile and a chomo a prison slur meaning child molester. During one incident, Maxwell politely asked an inmate to leave her room, prompting the other woman to begin screaming at Maxwell that she didnt belong there. The inmate was then transferred to another dormitory, the report said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after, the warden organized a town hall and warned that if inmates made threats to Maxwell, put her in danger or talked to the press about her, they would be taken to a harsher facility, sources told the WSJ. Meanwhile, inmates told the WSJ that Maxwell mostly kept to herself, especially as there was a media frenzy soon after her transfer. Still, she reportedly received preferential treatment, as guards would bring her meals to her dormitory or escort her to the recreation area for late-night workouts. Maxwell was also allowed to shower after other inmates were confined to their bunks, according to the report. Soon after her arrival, the prison also stationed armed special operations response teams, known as SORT, at the camps entrance and rear gate, and kept them there around the clock. According to the inmates, once prison officials added a black tarp to block the view out of the camp, Maxwell went outside more. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in sex trafficking young women and girls to be abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein (US District Court for the Southern District of New York) With that addition, she also began getting her hair cut and colored at the prison-run salon, and visiting the cafeteria, though she would give away her vegetarian meals, claiming she couldnt eat the food, one inmate told the WSJ. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her lawyer, Markus, declined to comment to the WSJ on its report. A spokesperson for the Justice Department, which oversees the Bureau of Prisons, also declined to comment. News of Maxwells mysterious meeting comes as the Supreme Court on Monday denied her appeal after asking the nations highest court to review her case. After the ruling, Trump was asked if he would consider pardoning Maxwell, to which he replied: Id have to take a look at it. He then said he would have to speak to the DoJ and stressed that he did not know anything about the matter, despite the case having dominated headlines for months after a bipartisan effort to force the release of case files from the Justice Departments attempt to prosecute Epstein. A broken water pipe at Montana State Prison has limited water for prisoners and forced mobilization of the states National Guard in an issue inmates families are calling a crisis, according to the Department of Corrections and family members of people who are incarcerated. We havent had any showers since Thursday or even been able to wash our hands, said Josh McKnight, an inmate, in a phone call late Sunday afternoon with the Daily Montanan. Sunday, Department of Corrections Director Brian Gootkin said through a spokesperson the department was managing the situation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Montana Department of Corrections continues to work to maintain public safety for and provide resources to inmates at the Montana State Prison, Gootkin said in an email. The states Department of Corrections responded to a water pipe break at the Deer Lodge facility on Friday, an Oct. 10 press release from the agency said. The break was discovered at 6 a.m. and prisoners were notified about 30 minutes later, agency spokesperson Alex Klapmeier said in an email. The break occurred in the pipe carrying water from the well house to the main water tank, which supplies water to the secure compound, the state press release said. Sletten Construction is assisting the department in repair efforts by providing additional excavation equipment. This water outage affected the secure compound at MSP; the dairy and Work and Reentry Center were not impacted. On Sunday, Montana State Prisons population was 1,610, according to a Department of Corrections database. Its capacity is 1,551. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The source of the leak has not been found. Once it is found, agency staff expect it to take 24 hours to repair. Following that, the water will need to be tested by the Department of Environmental Quality before it can be used. The department continues to search diligently for the source of the leak and is exhausting all resources to find it, Klapmeier wrote on Sunday evening. Today, a water leak detection and mapping consultant out of Missoula was at the facility working to locate the leak. The news release said several agencies had come to assist, including the Montana National Guard, which delivered 15,000 gallons of water from Deer Lodge. The executive order to mobilize the Guard was signed on Friday by Gov. Greg Gianforte, Klapmeier said. The state also reported 30,000 water bottles were delivered on Friday. The Department is working as quickly as possible to find the break and restore all services to Montana State Prison, DOC Director Gootkin said in a Saturday news release. Were thankful for the long hours staff have already put in and to our partners who have stepped up to help out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Probation and parole officers from Missoula and Helena are also assisting with security at the facility. Klapmeier said correctional offers were not calling out of work and that they were there to help out the National Guard. The department has had a positive response from officers coming in this weekend to assist with the situation, Klapmeier said in an email. As one DOC, the department utilizes different personnel groups in our public safety division to assist each one another. Probation and Parole Officers are being used to help with additional security duties like escorting the Montana National Guard tankers to the MSP main water tank on the property. Additionally, the state said 50 portable toilets were delivered to MSP on Friday and that they were in the process of ordering showers. The state release also said meals, inmate services and recreation had not been impacted. However, McKnight told the Daily Montanan inmates have not been able to shower since Thursday, and they have been given just six bottles of water a day for all of their needs, including to drink and to clean themselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McKnight also said some people who are incarcerated and have medical issues need more fluids than they have access to. He said people who use wheelchairs have difficulties using the portable toilets, and one inmate has been declining food as a result. Klapmeier said Sunday there are 10 ADA accessible portable bathrooms out of the 78 total portable bathrooms on site. Those bathrooms are being pumped once per day, according to the DOC. McKnight said the man who declined food had open sores that were healing but ripped open after trying to use a portable toilet that didnt accommodate a chair he needs to use over the toilet seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the prison already is a breeding ground for conditions such as hepatitis, and overflowing toilets inside have exacerbated the problem. Its super unsanitary, McKnight said. For staff and inmates alike, it is a dangerous situation. Amanda McKnight, who runs a Facebook page called 406 Revolutionized, said her visit was canceled on Saturday, but she learned about it first from her husband, not the Department of Corrections. Josh McKnight said an agency official told the inmates that families didnt need to see the filth at the facility, and visitation had been canceled out of respect for families. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said corrections officers are doing their best to try to make sure people stay level-headed, but the situation is difficult for them too. I dont think they want to be here either, McKnight said. He said one officer told him, Theyre not going to want the public to see this. Amanda McKnight said her husband told her the handwashing stations have run out of water, and the portable toilets have been vandalized or are overflowing because there are not enough toilets to meet the use. Hand washing stations do rely on water, and if they are running out of water inmates are encouraged to contact correctional officers at their unit so they can be refilled, Klapmeier wrote in an email. When staff is notified, the hand washing stations are filled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amanda McKnight also said people who are incarcerated have not been able to go to the gym, and sewage at one point had backed up in the basement of the kitchen. Klapmeier said sewage was not backing up into the kitchen, but there had been a problem there. There was an issue with water and food waste that backed up in the basement of the low side kitchen basement, but it was not sewage, Klapmeier said. It was not related to the current issue, and it was cleaned up. On the gym issue, staffing is being surged to critical needs. Inmates on the high side had gym access today, Klapmeier said in a release. The DOC is doing its best to offer regular inmate activities as staffing allows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a follow-up call later Sunday, Amanda McKnight said her husband told her the prison had offered five-minute showers, but she said her husband reported water was trickling down the wall, and there was not enough pressure for a shower. Her husband told her inmates were told bacteria was not found in the water and it was available for limited use but not consumption, Amanda McKnight said. Josh McKnight said people in the prison are on edge because they have not been able to take showers and get clean, the prison stinks, and drinking water has been limited. Its a bad situation for a lot of people here right now, McKnight said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kenzie Lincoln, whose husband, Bryce Baltezar, is currently at the facility, said inmates are not currently allowed to do laundry nor are they allowed any outside time. Lincoln has spoken with her husband via phone for a few minutes at a time over the last few days, she said. Shes also a member of support groups for those with family members incarcerated at the facility. Lincoln, as well as other family members of those incarcerated, have painted a desperate picture for inmates over the past several days. Lincoln told the Daily Montanan that prisoners had been warned Wednesday evening that water may become an issue and to fill up containers. Inmates were later told not to drink that water, she said. Thursday brought sanitation issues, she said. Inmates were warned that flushing the toilets could make the water run out faster, Lincoln said. The toilets were getting clogged, they werent flushing, and they were actually forcing inmates, basically to pee and poop in water bottles and plastic bags, Lincoln said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phone service has been cut to 10 minutes, she added, and said an in-person visit with her husband was abruptly canceled as she was on the way to the prison on Friday. Inmates are also allowed one bottle of water per meal, Lincoln said. Bathrooms were cleaned and locked on Sunday morning, she added. Klapmeier said that wasnt true. Bathrooms in the units are not locked and portable toilets are not locked, Klapmeier said. This story has been updated with comments from the Montana Department of Corrections. A pair of construction projects slated for completion in San Antonio over the next two years highlights the growth and popularity of the city's Far Westside. In particular, one corridor is attracting the eyes of house hunters and, in turn, property developers. Texas-based firm and developer CBG Real Estate announced via a news release on Wednesday, October 8, a new shopping center is coming to the intersection of State Highway 211 and Lambda Drive. The one-story plaza, Lambda Crossing, will span approximately 41,800 square feet and introduce over a dozen fresh tenants to the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This pocket of West San Antonio has really come alive over the past few years. You can feel it," CBG Commercial Real Estate's Matt Abbott told MySA. "For us, it's not just about filling space. It's about creating a retail environment that adds value, feels connected to the neighborhood, and sets the tone for what thoughtful growth in San Antonio can look like." Folks living near the Laderas and Coolcrest neighborhoods will be the closest to the development, which plans to feature retail, food, and health services for residents. Pre-leasing is currently underway at the space, but property flyers shared with MySA show placeholders for a possible yogurt shop, salon, gym and bakery. These will likely be a mix of national and local businesses. Two shopping centers are coming to an area near State Highway 211 in San Antonio, Texas, indicating the growing popularity of the corridor. (Courtesy of CBG Commercial Real Estate) Two shopping centers are coming to an area near State Highway 211 in San Antonio, Texas, indicating the growing popularity of the corridor. (Courtesy of CBG Commercial Real Estate) "We've spoken with multiple homegrown concepts that see the same opportunity we do, to create something that genuinely serves the community and gives families more quality options close to home." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Big-name brands like Dutch Bros and H-E-B already anchor Highway 211, which sees 30,000 vehicles per day, according to CBG Commercial Real Estate. But the goal is to make daily travel easier for community members, noting that they will soon be able to avoid the congestion of Loop 1604 when running errands. The corridor's population has expanded following the opening of a new elementary school in 2021 and a Microsoft data center in 2023. Things are expected to slow down any time soon, according to the property developer. The surrounding area shows 13% annual household growth, CBG Commercial Real Estate cites. A construction start and end date were not readily available, but the firm expects the grand opening to come in the spring of 2027. Two shopping centers are coming to an area near State Highway 211 in San Antonio, Texas, indicating the growing popularity of the corridor. (Courtesy of CBG Commercial Real Estate) Just half a mile down the road from Lambda Crossing, another development will soon break ground at 2323 State Highway 211, near W. Grosenbacher Road. According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) filing, Sullivan Commercial Realty is investing $2.5 million into its own retail project, Shops at Ladera. The firm declined to provide details, but public records cite it taking up 25,000 square feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marketing posters from the company say it will sit near a 1,100-acre master planned community and 1,200 future Chesmar Homes lots. Construction is expected to begin on Thursday, October 30, 2025, according to the TDLR filing. The projected completion date is exactly one year later. Echoing a statement by surrounding developers, Sullivan Commercial Realty dubs the area "one of the fastest growing submarkets in San Antonio." This article originally published at Wave of retail growth set to transform San Antonio's hottest development corridor. A German woman who stole the top of an ancient column in Olympia over half a century ago has returned it to Greece, the Greek culture ministry said Saturday. The capital of the column, made of limestone and measuring nine inches high and 33.5 cm 13 inches wide, was taken from the Leonidaion, a 4th-century BC guesthouse. In a social media post, the Greek culture ministry praised the "sensitivity and courage" of the woman who returned the artifact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is the third artifact returned by the University of Muenster in recent years. The handover took place on Friday. "Motivated by the recent return of important antiquities from the University of Muenster to their countries of origin, she decided to hand it over to the university, with whose valuable contribution it returned to Greece and Ancient Olympia", the ministry said, hailing the "sensitivity and courage" of the woman. The capital of the column, made of limestone and measuring nine inches high and 33.5 cm 13 inches wide, was taken from the Leonidaion, a 4th-century BC guesthouse. / Credit: Greece Culture Ministry In 2019, the University of Muenster returned a twin-handled wine cup belonging to a champion from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. Then in 2024, it returned a Roman-era marble male head which came from a cemetery in Thessaloniki. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is a particularly moving moment. This act proves that culture and history know no borders but require cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect," Giorgios Didaskalou, a senior culture ministry official said. Torben Schreiber, curator of the University of Muenster's archaeological museum, added that: "It is never too late to do the right thing, the moral and the just." Athens has been trying for years to broker deals for the repatriation of antiquities without resorting to legal action. Its chief goal remains the return of the Parthenon Marbles, held by the British Museum since the 19th century. Several European governments have been pushing for the sculptures to be returned to Athens since the early 1980s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump delivers remarks after signing Gaza peace declaration with Middle East leaders Egyptian president reacts to peace deal during Trump visit Trump attends Israel-Hamas peace deal signing in Egypt | Special Report SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) The Egyptian president told a summit of world leaders Monday that U.S. President Donald TrumpsMideast proposal represents the last chance for peace in the region and reiterated his call for a two-state solution, saying Palestinians have the right to an independent state. The summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh was aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza, ending the Israel-Hamas war and developing a long-term vision for governing and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory. The gathering appeared designed to rally international support behind the Trump vision for putting an end to the war. Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, the co-chair of the summit, told Trump only you can bring peace to the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps plan holds out the possibility of a Palestinian state, but only after a lengthy transition period in Gaza and a reform process by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence. Trump made no mention of a two-state solution at the summit. In his own address to the summit, Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East, saying that the region has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us. He urged leaders to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past. Israel and Hamas came under pressure from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey to agree on the first phase of the ceasefire deal negotiated in Qatar through mediators. It began Friday. On Monday, Trump, el-Sissi, the Qatari emir and the Turkish president signed a document. Trump said the document spelled out "a lot of rules and regulations and lots of other things, and its very comprehensive. The document was not shared with journalists in the room or made public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The summit unfolded soon after Hamas released 20 remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel started to free hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons, crucial steps under the ceasefire. But major questions remain over what happens next, raising the risk of a slide back into war. More than 20 world leaders attended the summit, including King Abdullah of Jordan, the French president and the British prime minister. A Turkish government official said Turkey launched a diplomatic initiative to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from attending the meeting, and after other countries backed the effort, Netanyahu decided not to come. The official would not confirm Turkish media reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's plane circled over the Red Sea as Erdogan threatened to boycott the meeting and that the plane landed only after it became clear that Netanyahu would not arrive. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had warned Egyptian and U.S. officials that he would withdraw from the summit if Netanyahu attended, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. Netanyahus office announced that he would not attend, citing a Jewish holiday. Israel has rejected any role in Gaza for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, whose leader, Mahmoud Abbas, was in Sharm el-Sheikh. A new page El-Sissis office said the summit aimed to end the war in Gaza and usher in a new page of peace and regional stability in line with Trumps vision. Directly tackling the issues in depth was unlikely at the gathering, which lasted only about three hours and was mostly ceremonial. During the summit, world leaders lined up one by one to have their photos taken with Trump, who smiled and gave a thumbs-up to photographers. Then el-Sissi welcomed Trump, invited him to the stage and asked him to join world leaders who love peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before Trump arrived in Egypt from Israel, Egyptian Air Force jets escorted Air Force One for a spin above the resort. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the success of Trumps vision for Mideast peace will depend on his continued commitment to the process, including applying pressure to the parties and deploying military forces as part of an international contingent expected to carry out peacekeeping duties in the next phase. We need American engagement, even deployment on the ground, to identify the mission, task and mandate of this force, Abdelatty told The Associated Press. Under the first phase, Israeli troops pulled back from some parts of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to return home from areas they were forced to evacuate. Aid groups are preparing to bring in large quantities of aid kept out of the territory for months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In separate remarks, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Trumps efforts to promote peace in several parts of the world. Pakistan, he said, had nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in helping ease tensions between India and Pakistan. Critical challenges ahead The next phase of the deal will have to tackle disarming Hamas, creating a post-war government for Gaza and handling the extent of Israel's withdrawal from the territory. Trumps plan also stipulates that regional and international partners will work to develop the core of a new Palestinian security force. Abdelatty said the international force needs a U.N. Security Council resolution to endorse its deployment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said Hamas will have no role in the transitional period in Gaza. A 15-member committee of Palestinian technocrats, with no affiliation with any Palestinian factions and vetted by Israel, will govern day to day affairs in Gaza. The committee would receive support and supervision from a Board of Peace proposed by Trump to oversee the implementation of the phases of his plan, Abdelatty said. We are counting on Trump to keep the implementation of this plan for all its phases, he told AP. Another major issue is raising funds for rebuilding Gaza. The World Bank, and Egypt's postwar plan, estimate reconstruction and recovery needs in Gaza at $53 billion. Egypt plans to host an early recovery and reconstruction conference for Gaza in November. Roles for other countries Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turkey, which hosted Hamas political leaders for years, played a key role in bringing about the ceasefire agreement. Jordan, alongside Egypt, will train the new Palestinian security force. Germany, one of Israels strongest international backers and top suppliers of military equipment, was represented by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He has expressed concern over Israel's conduct of the war and its plan for a military takeover of Gaza. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also attended, has he said will pledge 20 million British pounds ($27 million) to help provide water and sanitation for Gaza and that Britain will host a three-day conference on Gazas reconstruction and recovery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iran, a main backer of Hamas, did not attend. The Islamic Republic finds itself at one of its weakest moments since its 1979 revolution. Iranian officials have portrayed the ceasefire deal as a victory for Hamas. The deal, however, has underlined Irans waning influence in the region and revived concerns over possible renewed conflict with Israel as Iran struggles to recover from the 12-day war between the two countries in June. ___ El Deeb reported from Cairo. Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. By Yuliia Dysa, Steve Holland and Gram Slattery KYIV/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that he would meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, where the two would discuss Ukraine's air defence and long-range strike capabilities. The two leaders spoke on both Saturday and Sunday amid intensifying discussions about the potential provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, and a Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is slated to visit Washington before the Friday meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyiv has been lobbying Washington to supply the U.S.-produced missiles, which have the capacity to hit Moscow, but which Ukrainians say would be used only on military targets. Moscow has said such a move would represent a serious escalation. Zelenskiy said he had given Trump, who has increasingly signalled frustration with Russia in recent weeks, an idea of how many of the coveted Tomahawks Ukraine needs. "Frankly, I've already shared our vision with Trump... but some of these things are not for a phone conversation, so we'll meet," he told reporters in Kyiv. Trump has said he is considering sending the missiles to Ukraine, though he has also said he might talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine and the U.S. are also closing in on a landmark drone deal in which Ukraine would share drone technology with the United States. European diplomats see such a deal as an important tool for keeping the mercurial U.S. president engaged and supportive of Ukraine. Diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth year, have stalled as Russia steps up strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and presses forward with grinding gains on the battlefield. Zelenskiy said he will also meet with representatives of U.S. energy companies to discuss Ukraine's current needs amid what he described as shifting Russian tactics in strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Russian forces have recently targeted Ukrainian gas production and the country's power grid, with Zelenskiy adding that Kyiv could soon be forced to begin importing electricity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has also carried out strikes on Russian oil refineries, causing gasoline shortages. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Gram Slattery in Washington, Tom Balmforth in London and Yuliia Dysa in Kyiv; Editing by Jeff Mason, Matthew Lewis and Hugh Lawson) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has claims that Russia is conducting espionage operations on the territory of alliance member states, and said that the UK has exposed the use of spy software by Russian military intelligence. Speaking on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ljubljana on Monday, Rutte said this summer the UK exposed the use of sophisticated spy software by Russian military intelligence in the rear and on the front line. Rutte stated that this is why, within the framework of the Hague Defense Investment Plan, the allies decided to invest more in protecting critical infrastructure, defending networks, strengthening resilience and increasing civil preparedness. The NATO Secretary General noted that although Russia is not as strong as it would like to pretend, it remains extremely dangerous. He said it is crucial that NATO is prepared, because Russia is waging a covert campaign. According to the NATO Secretary General, the list of targets for sabotage that Russia is carrying out is not limited to critical infrastructure, defense industries and military facilities. The Secretary General recalled that NATO defense ministers will meet in Brussels on October 15 to discuss how best to strengthen deterrence and defense capabilities, particularly in light of recent incidents. Ukraine has granted Poland permission to conduct search works in the village of Uhly, Rivne region, reported the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Vasyl Bodnar. "I am starting this week with good news for our relations between Ukraine and Poland. I have just signed a note transferring permission from the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine to the Polish side to conduct search works in the village of Uhly, Rivne region. This permission was issued in response to the request of Karolina Romanovska," the ambassador wrote on Facebook. In this regard, he invited relevant representatives of the Polish side to participate in conducting relevant work on site. "I would like to emphasize once again: Ukraine and I are personally ready to continue cooperating with Polish partners in the historical field and on issues of conducting exhumations. We are open and honest. Only in this way will we be able to achieve real understanding. I hope that Polish partners will also be open to a real dialogue on complex issues of our common historical past," Bodnar added. As reported, in early May it became known that the remains of 42 people were discovered at the site of exhumation works in the former village of Puzhnyky in the Ternopil region. On September 6, the bodies were reburied. A joint Ukrainian-Polish expedition also carried out search and exhumation works in Lviv, during which a mass grave of victims of World War II was discovered. In addition, at the end of September, search works were carried out at the site of possible burials of soldiers of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in the village of Yurechkova, Podkarpacie Voivodeship, on the territory of Poland. No burials were discovered there. Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have exposed the deputy commander of one of the military units in the Lviv region, who instead of service sent servicemen to perform private work, the SBI reports. On Telegram on Monday, the Bureau notes that the soldiers laid paving stones, made repairs in the house of the deputy commander of the military unit and even installed monuments on graves. According to the investigation, the deputy commander "helped" an acquaintance of an entrepreneur who complained that there were no workers to lay paving stones. "At his request, the commander "allocated" several servicemen who actually worked for the entrepreneur. During March - September 2025, these servicemen, receiving financial support from the unit, laid paving stones at several sites within the Lviv region," the report says. The department emphasizes that the work was carried out on behalf of territorial communities with which the entrepreneur had concluded contracts. The amount of damage caused to the state budget due to the absence of military personnel on duty is currently being determined by forensic economic examinations. "It was also established that during his vacation, the deputy commander involved three subordinates in the repair of his own house in Vinnytsia region, and they also installed monuments on the graves of his parents," the SBI informs. In addition, according to preliminary information, the official obstructed the execution of the order of the higher command to send one of the servicemen to the combat zone, inciting him to leave the unit without permission. The deputy commander was notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - abuse of power or official authority by a military official. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The suspect was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of detention with the right to post bail in excess of UAH 1 million. He was also removed from his position. Procedural management is provided by the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Western Region. Photo: https://t.me/ermaka2022 A Ukrainian delegation headed by Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svirydenko is heading to Washington, where it is planned to discuss strengthening air defense, energy, and sanctions against Russia, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said. "Our delegation, headed by Prime Minister Yulia Svirydenko, together with the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, is heading to Washington. The week will be busy, there is a lot of work ahead," Yermak said on Telegram on Monday. According to him, the agenda includes strengthening Ukraine's air defense and strike capabilities, strengthening energy resilience before winter, and sanctions against the aggressor. "The ultimate goal is unchanged: a lasting and just peace for Ukraine by forcing Russia to end the war," he said. Defense support and financial assistance are focus of Stefanchuk's visit to Germany Photo: https://www.facebook.com/stefanchuk.official Strengthening defense cooperation is one of the topics of negotiations between the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, during his official visit to Germany. "An official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany has begun... Ahead is a busy program of meetings with German partners. We will talk about strengthening defense support, developing joint weapons production, strengthening Ukrainian air defense, long-term financial assistance to our state, and mechanisms for using frozen Russian assets," Stefanchuk said on Facebook on Monday. According to Stefanchuk, the first was a meeting with the President of the Bundestag, Yulia Klockner. "We agreed on a schedule for further negotiations and identified key topics of interparliamentary dialogue. We continue to work on deepening cooperation between Ukraine and Germany," Stefanchuk noted. He also said that, at the invitation of Klockner, he visited the Bundeswehr Artillery School, where Ukrainian servicemen are trained. "I inspected samples of equipment that Germany is transferring to Ukraine, as well as a modern training complex where Ukrainian artillerymen master new weapons systems. I talked with our military personnel undergoing training and with Ukrainian engineers engaged in the repair and maintenance of equipment. I was impressed by their motivation, high level of training, and professional dedication," said Stefanchuk. Photo: https://eurosolidarity.org/2025/10/13 On November 7, the Cassation Administrative Court panel of judges within the Supreme Court will resume consideration of MP and European Solidarity Party leader Petro Poroshenko's lawsuit to lift the sanctions decree imposed on him, politician's attorney-at-law Illia Novikov said. According to the European Solidarity website, the documents on which the sanctions were based have the "for official use only" stamp and require a closed hearing. "We just finished another closed meeting, and the next one may be too. I would like to remind you that we have been in this process for more than six months. In early March, we filed a lawsuit, and from April to October, at each meeting, we received the same answer to our questions: 'You will hear the answer to this question when we examine the for-official-use-only -stamped evidence in a closed session.' I can say that we have not heard this answer, and I think that we will not hear it. There is no good answer to this question," said Novikov. As reported, on February 13, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of February 12, 2025 on the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions). According to the appendix to the document, sanctions were imposed against five individuals: Poroshenko, Ihor Kolomoisky, former owner of the Finance and Credit bank Kostiantyn Zhevaho, former co-owner of PrivatBank Hennadiy Boholiubov, and former MP Viktor Medvedchuk. Poroshenko appealed the sanctions in the Supreme Court. According to lawyer Illia Novikov, the grounds for the sanctions were the so-called "coal case" and the Kharkiv accords. According to him, two versions of documents on the application of sanctions against Poroshenko were published on the websites of the President of Ukraine and the National Security and Defense Council, one of them with errors in personal data, and the second with corrections. Novikov claims that this is a sign of falsification of the decree. The United States has supported Ukraine's position in the case of PJSC Tatneft and called for limiting the disclosure of sensitive information, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine reports. "On Monday, the United States Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest with the District Court for the Southern District of New York regarding the lawsuit filed by PJSC Tatneft against the state of Ukraine," according to a statement on the department's website. The U.S. government opposes the excessive disclosure of information about Ukrainian assets and requests limitations on such disclosure at the stage of implementing the decision on Ukrainian property, as well as on a number of state-owned enterprises and banks. The American side emphasizes that PJSC Tatneft's requests pose a real threat to Ukraine's national security, as they concern sensitive defense, energy, transport, and nuclear facilities that are important targets for Russian intelligence. The statement emphasizes that, due to Tatnefts close ties to the Russian government, the obtained information could be used to assess defense capabilities, identify targets, plan attacks, and disrupt Ukraines economy and logistics. The Justice Department notes that the Tatneft lawsuit against Ukraine is a U.S. case seeking recognition and enforcement of a $172.9 million arbitration award against Ukraine. In 2021, the District Court for the District of Columbia recognized the arbitration award Tatneft received against Ukraine. Afterwards, Tatneft sought to disclose information in order to enforce the arbitration award against nineteen "state-controlled entities," which Tatneft claims represent the state of Ukraine for the purpose of enforcing the award. From 2021 to early 2022, PJSC Tatneft sent subpoenas to 77 financial institutions in New York, demanding the widest possible disclosure of information. Ukraine filed a motion with the District Court for the Southern District of New York to quash the subpoenas, objecting to them. On December 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest with the district court to dismiss Tatneft's motion to terminate the moratorium on disclosure of information, which has been in effect since 2022. The department also requested that the court resume proceedings in the case. Ukraine's interests in the case are represented by the international law firm Holland & Knight LLP and partner Robert Shaw. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk and German Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Barbel Bas discussed the issue of long-term financial support for Ukraine. "This conversation became an important part of my working visit to Berlin and confirmed that Ukraine and Germany remain reliable strategic partners. We discussed budget processes in both countries and the issue of long-term financial support for Ukraine. I emphasized the importance of consolidating the volume of aid from Germany for the next year, in particular in the defense and humanitarian spheres," Stefanchuk wrote on Facebook after meeting with Bas on Monday. According to the speaker, the issue also concerned Ukrainians who found temporary shelter in Germany due to the war. "I thanked the German government and society for their care and support. At the same time, I emphasized: we must counteract Russian information operations aimed at inciting hostility and discrediting Ukrainians abroad," Stefanchuk noted. Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official Presidents of Ukraine and the Czech Republic Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Petr Pavel discussed continued assistance from Prague, in particular within the framework of the initiative to supply artillery shells, and also exchanged new ideas that can strengthen Ukraine's defense "right now." "We discussed the Czech initiative to supply artillery shells. There are also other ideas that will help strengthen Ukraine and our defense right now. We agreed that our teams will work everything out quickly," Zelenskyy said, following the conversation with the President of the Czech Republic. Zelenskyy said "the Czech Republic has been very supportive of Ukraine and our people since the very beginning of this full-scale war. We appreciate all the assistance provided, and today we discussed its continuation." The Ukrainian leader also briefed his Czech counterpart about Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and communities. The Czech initiative, which has been implemented since April 2024, involves the purchase of shells in third countries and their delivery to Ukraine. The first batch of shells purchased in this way was delivered in June last year. According to plans previously announced by the Czech President, in 2025, the initiative is planned to provide Ukraine with at least 1.8 million shells. In February 2025, Czech President Pavel stated that the Czech initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine in third countries made it possible to deliver at least 1.6 million units of ammunition. In May, then-Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this year Ukraine would receive 400,000 artillery shells from the Czech Republic as part of a Czech initiative. U.S. President Donald Trump plans to receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington on October 17, Financial Times correspondent Christopher Miller has said. "President Trump plans to welcome President Zelenskyy in Washington on Friday, three people familiar with the plans tell me. This comes after two phone calls between the presidents over last weekend during which they discussed Tomahawk missile sales and how to end Russia's war, and as a Ukrainian delegation begins a week of discussions with US counterparts in Washington," he said on the X social network on Monday. The Cabinet of Ministers will approve a draft agreement between the governments of Ukraine and the Slovak Republic on technical and financial cooperation. According to order No. 1131 of October 10, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka is authorized to sign the said agreement. In addition, according to order No. 1131 of October 10, a draft agreement with the government of the Slovak Republic on mutual understanding regarding the location of the diplomatic mission of Ukraine in Slovakia and the diplomatic mission of Slovakia in Ukraine was approved. As reported, on September 5, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico proposed organizing the fourth meeting of the Ukraine-Slovakia intergovernmental commission on October 20. Photo: https://t.me/ministry_of_defense_ua Minister of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal held a meeting with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, during which they discussed, in particular, joint projects in the production of weapons, exchange of technology and participation in collective EU initiatives. "Strengthening the security of Ukraine and Europe was discussed during a meeting with High Representative of the EU Kaja Kallas. The European Union has become a powerful partner of Ukraine in the war with Russia. We discussed joint projects in the production of weapons, exchange of technology and participation in collective EU initiatives, in particular in the SAFE project. He stressed the need for closer integration of Ukraine into a common collective defense system," Shmyhal said on Telegram on Monday. The minister said Ukraine has proven to be an indispensable ally in the defense of Europe. "Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the EU and its member states have been providing military and technical assistance, training the Ukrainian military within the framework of the EUMAM Ukraine program, and have also introduced 18 packages of sanctions against the aggressor. We sincerely thank you for this unwavering support. I emphasized the need to further strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation," Shmyhal said. He briefed the parties coordinated Ukraine's priority financial needs for the next year. "It is important that Russian money continues to work for Ukraine. Our partnership is the basis of future security. Together, we are able to build a strong and united Europe capable of repelling any threats," Shmyhal said. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/MerzCDU German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz announced his intention to appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump with a request to help achieve peace in Ukraine and discuss with him Russia's war against Ukraine "on the sidelines" of the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. According to him, he wants to "take the opportunity this afternoon to talk again with the American president about what we can do together to end this war," the Bild newspaper said, citing Mertz. He noted that, in his opinion, Trump, who influenced politicians in the Middle East to resolve the conflict in Gaza, is able to exert the same influence on Moscow "together with us." "After all, we must not forget: just a few hours' flight from here, Russia is waging a war against Ukraine, which has been going on for three and a half years," Merz said. A summit on resolving the conflict in the Gaza Strip will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday evening. Leaders from over 20 countries will take part in it. Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be the co-chairs. In addition, a signing ceremony will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh to begin the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The opinion is growing stronger within the European Union that using frozen Russian assets is the only way to ensure stable financing for Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing sources. "The European Union is increasingly convinced that tapping around EUR 200 billion ($232 billion) in frozen Russian central bank assets is the only viable way to put funding for Ukraine on a sustainable footing as other sources of financing run dry," the agency informs. "The EU will aim to reach a political agreement to use the assets at a summit meeting of leaders in Brussels next week," according to people familiar with the matter. Once thats secured, the blocs executive would rapidly start work on a legal proposal for a mechanism to release money by the second quarter of next year, the people said. In addition, the EU intends to coordinate the use of Russian assets by the G7 members, including the UK and the US, which also hold some of Russias assets, the agency notes. According to Bloomberg, the G7 countries have frozen Russian assets totaling approximately $300 billion. According to Bloomberg, the G7 finance ministers will discuss the use of Russian funds, as well as sanctions against Russian energy resources, at a meeting next week. Earlier it was reported that the European Commission is considering the possibility of using Russian frozen assets worth about EUR 170 billion, which are currently stored in the Euroclear financial depository in Brussels. It is assumed that EUR 140 billion of these funds will go to a "reparation loan" to Ukraine. This issue is expected to be considered at the EU summit on October 23-24. Another young Ukrainian, who is currently 20 years old, was able to be returned to the government-controlled territory of Ukraine, Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said. "Another young Ukrainian managed to escape from occupation within the framework of the initiative of the President of Ukraine Bring Kids Back UA. He is 20. When Russia occupied Crimea, he was a child only 11. Since then, he has lived in a world where any manifestation of Ukrainian identity was punished," Yermak said in the Telegram channel on Monday evening. Yermak said that last year the occupation authorities began to put pressure on the boy: first they summoned him to a "medical commission," then they handed him a summons to the Russian army. Police officers came to his house, interrogated him, imposed fines and forced him to sign a "non-departure agreement." He was forced to work unofficially to support his family and at the same time avoid mobilization. A friend who lives in the territory controlled by Ukraine helped him escape. "She turned to specialists from the Ukrainian Network for Children's Rights with a request to help. Together with volunteers, we managed to organize a complex but successful operation to return him. Today, the boy is safe," Yermak said. He also thanked the partners of the Ukrainian Network for Children's Rights for their help in the rescue. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas in Kyiv, during which the parties discussed energy, the 19th package of EU sanctions against Russia, as well as frozen Russian assets. "First of all, we discussed energy... Second, we discussed the 19th package of sanctions, and here we will really also begin to approach a positive decision on the sanctions package... We also discussed frozen Russian assets there is progress here," Zelenskyy said during a press conference on Monday. He also discussed the SAFE program with Kallas and the opening of clusters on joining the EU. "I understand that there are some representatives who are still blocking, but this is a political blockage, and we need to work with this. We also expect additional artillery shells," the president added. In turn, Kallas said the EU is working on the 19th package of sanctions, as well as a package of support for Ukraine in the energy sector. She also called on other EU member states to join the financing of a special tribunal to consider crimes of Russian aggression. In addition, according to her, Ukraine has done a lot to fulfill the conditions necessary for joining the EU, and Europe is working to make progress on this issue. Kallas emphasized that it was also important that work was underway to use frozen assets through the reparations loan. She noted that it was clear Russia bore responsibility for the damage inflicted on Ukraine, which was why the reparations loan scheme had been developed. The official expressed hope that the plan would be approved, allowing Ukraine to use the funds for its needs. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/ Ukraine has synchronized its sanctions documents with Japan's in an effort to put pressure on the Russian Federation, the corresponding document was signed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "We continue our sanctions work and coordinate closely with our partners. We value that Ukrainian proposals regarding sanctions are taken into account by partners when they prepare their packages Today, we synchronized sanctions with JapanI signed the relevant decree. The sanctions list includes CEOs and companies that generate profits for Russias war machine, supply weapons, critical components, and equipment," he wrote on the Telegram channel on Saturday. According to him, since June of this year alone, "we have already implemented eight sanction packages within our jurisdiction, aligning sanctions with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and all EU sanction packages. In total, 281 individuals and 633 legal entities have been included, and they are significant actors." "We are also pushing for new sanction steps, in particular, the 19th EU sanction package," he added. "In fact, sanctions against Russia for this war have already become a global form of interaction that restores the real power of justice. The impact of these international sanctions is being felt in Russia and there will be even greater pressure over this war," President Zelenskyy noted. NATO Headquarters has released the programme for the meeting of defence ministers of the alliance's member countries, which will take place in Brussels on October 15. According to the program, the heads of defense departments will begin arriving at headquarters at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and a brief press statement from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected at 8:00 a.m. A joint statement by Rutte and US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. The 32-nation North Atlantic Council meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. The NATO-Ukraine Council will meet for lunch starting at 12:30 p.m. Secretary-General Rutte will hold a press conference at 2:15 p.m., followed by a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Coordination Group at 3:00 p.m., co-chaired by Germany and the United Kingdom and attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal. At 17:00, Shmyhal and Rutte will address the press, and a joint press conference will take place at 17:40. Photo: Raytheon Missiles & Defense Tomahawk missiles can be financed in three ways, including the PURL program, a major deal with the US, and the use of Russian frozen assets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. "One of the options is the NATO PURL program, through which we work, NATO works. NATO purchases weapons of various kinds from America with its own money, then they give us what we want. NATO can purchase its own solutions, but I think we can definitely use this tool," Zelenskyy said during a press conference with the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas on Monday. The president also said there is a possibility of financing the missiles through a "mega deal," a large agreement with the United States, but "it has yet to be reached" because there are no appropriate solutions. According to him, financing through Russian frozen assets is a "good option," but it is necessary to reach a solution. "So far, in principle, most people are positive about this mechanism, but this is if there is a political solution first, you know how it is solved first a political solution, and then loading all other mechanisms. And here we need to decide a little, in my opinion, faster," Zelenskyy said. He also said he shared his vision of Tomahawk missiles during a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, but it is too early to talk about their number and possibility. Photo: president.gov.ua Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, October 17. "I will meet with President Trump in Washington this week. I think we need to discuss the sequence of steps that I want to propose to the president," Zelenskyy said during a press conference with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas on Monday. Later, the president clarified that the meeting would take place on Friday. Zelenskyy said he discussed Ukraine's long-range capabilities with Trump on the phone, as well as other "sensitive" issues, and that one phone call was not enough for this. According to the head of state, the main topics of his meeting with the U.S. leader will be defense, as well as opportunities to put pressure on Russia in the long term. "So, the main topic is air defense, and I will also have a meeting with energy companies. I needed it, it was the president's proposal [Trump], because now there are certain needs due to various formats of attacks that Russia has already carried out," Zelenskyy said. One Ukrainian citizen known to have been injured in train accident in Slovakia Following the accident between two high-speed trains near Roznava (Slovakia), one Ukrainian citizen, born in 2005, is known to be injured and is receiving treatment at a local hospital, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry told reporters. The Ukrainian Embassy is in contact with the victim's mother. As of 6:00 p.m., according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 69 people are known to be injured, seven of whom are in serious condition, 14 with moderate injuries, and 48 with minor injuries. There are no fatalities. Slovak media previously reported that two high-speed trains collided on Monday near a tunnel near the village of Jablonov nad Turnou, not far from Roznava. The two oncoming trains were carrying more than 80 passengers and four employees of the Slovak Railway Company. Health Minister Kamil Sasko reported that rescuers treated a total of 91 people: seven were seriously injured, 14 were moderately injured, and 70 were slightly injured. Both train drivers survived the head-on collision; one of them, who jumped from the locomotive before the collision, is one of the two seriously injured. Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/ The Presidents of Ukraine and the Czech Republic, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Petr Pavel, discussed continued assistance from Prague, within the framework of the initiative to supply artillery shells, and also exchanged new ideas for building efforts protector of Ukraine "at once," "We discussed the Czech initiative to supply artillery shells. There are also other ideas that will help strengthen Ukraine and our defense right now. We agreed that our teams will work everything out quickly," Zelenskyy wrote following a conversation with Czech President Petr Pavel. Zelenskyy noted that "the Czech Republic has been very supportive of Ukraine, our people, since the very beginning of this full-scale war. We appreciate all the assistance provided, and today we discussed its continuation." The Ukrainian leader also informed his Czech counterpart about Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and communities. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. As it turns out, Twitter is not the town square. Someone might want to alert American political leaders. In the era of social media, Democratic and Republican politicians have grown hyper-sensitive, and responsive, to activists who seemingly live their lives online. Whether on X, formerly Twitter, where the right ruminates over every alleged infraction committed by the left and demands swift and often constitutionally questionable action; on Bluesky, where the echo-chamber boomerangs in the opposite direction; on Truth Social, where President Donald Trump ruminates over, well, everything; or on Facebook and TikTok, Democrats and Republicans appear only too eager to satisfy the digital mob, convinced that social media is simply a gathering place where constituents are communicating their priorities. They're wrong. I've long argued as much, based on years of traveling the country and talking to voters, including those interested enough in politics to attend campaign rallies or knock on doors for candidates. But fresh polling from the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group adds some data to bolster my conclusion. As pollster Angela Kuefler explained during a presentation for Third Way , the centrist Democratic think tank in Washington that commissioned the survey, just 37% of Democratic primary voters post on social media platforms weekly, with 33% posting less often and 31% never posting. That's nearly two-thirds of Democratic primary voters even at a moment of major political discontent and anxiety over Trump, to say nothing of the future of their party. "This is the most important slide," Kuefler declared, as she introduced these findings to reporters last week, during an expansive PowerPoint presentation. How so? Because Kuefler's (and Third Way's) goal ahead of the 2028 presidential contest is to convince Democrats to stop choosing rhetoric and policy proposals based on what they're hearing and reading from a minority of activist voters on social media. "People who post the most often," Kuefler added, "are fundamentally different than the vast majority of these Democratic primary voters," leading many elected Democrats to embrace "far left policies" that even most Democratic voters oppose, never mind the broader electorate. Kamala Harris , the former vice president and 2024 Democratic nominee, might wish she'd had this data, and heeded that advice, when seeking the White House in 2020. In 2024, Trump wouldn't have been able to run effective television spots against her like this one. But as mentioned, Democrats are hardly the lone offenders. Top GOP figures, too, often mistake the rantings of right-wing activists and influencers for political gospel. But only a minority of GOP voters and those who lean Republican "regularly" rely on social media for news. At 40%, Facebook is the most frequented social platform for news by Republicans and GOP leaners. At 14%, Elon Musk's X is among the least used for news, per a Pew Research Center poll conducted in late August. This survey data matches my experience with Republican voters. But to check my priors, I consulted with Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito , who lives just outside Pittsburgh and covers Republican voters in Rust Belt battlegrounds (and elsewhere) like a hawk, and keenly understands their connection to Trump. Zito's verdict? "It has been my experience as a reporter to take everything that I see online with a grain of salt. In other words, the audience tends to skew more toward people who are, what I call and what other people call the very online,'" said Zito, author of Butler; The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland. "What I see online rarely gives (an accurate view of) what I see with voters, in particular in the places that decide elections." "What happens on social media does not dictate how people are feeling. There's so much nuance that's missing," she added. "You really have to get on the ground and be much more granular with people as opposed to letting social media dictate how you think the country is feeling." American politics appears to be drowning in combative commentary and internet memes. Republicans revel in "owning the libs." Prominent Democrats, intent on proving to their activist base that they're fighting to stop Trump, have dialed up profanity in their rhetoric. And yet, none of this is how most voters, left or right, are living their lives day-to-day. Worried about the economy; illegal immigration; Trump's multifaceted executive overreach? Absolutely. Angry and rude to their neighbors while fearing the end of the republic? Hardly. During the final weekend before Election Day last year, my colleagues at The Dispatch and I fanned out across the swing states. At both Harris and Trump rallies, we asked supporters of each candidate how they would react, and what they would do, if the opposing White House contender won. They told us they would be disappointed and yes, worried, about the future. But virtually all voters we interviewed told us they would go about their everyday lives and hope for the best while looking ahead to the next election as they always have. Our leaders, and those interested in joining them in elected office, would do their political ambitions and the country well to realize that. (COMMENT, BELOW) David M. Drucker is columnist covering politics and policy. He is also a senior writer for The Dispatch and the author of "In Trump's Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP ." Photo: https://www.microsoft.com Microsoft has launched an open Lingua competition with funding of up to $50,000, which is aimed at solving the problem of underrepresentation of European languages in artificial intelligence (AI). According to the company, the competition involves nonprofits, universities, research institutes, startups, and cultural organizations to enhance resources for low-resource languages, including Ukrainian. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith noted in his blog that most web content the main source of training data for modern large language models (LLMs) is presented in English, so much of it reflects an American perspective. "As Europes leaders have recognized, without urgent action, this imbalance is not just a cultural concernits a commercial one. AI that doesnt understand Europes languages, histories, and values cant fully serve its people, its businesses, or its future," he wrote. It is noted that the selected projects will also receive Azure compute credits for up to two years to support data processing needs, technical support and opportunities to collaborate with the Microsoft AI for Good Lab, EPFL and ETH Zurich. In addition, media support is provided through the Microsoft AI for Good Lab ecosystem and partner networks. The company added that the initiative was launched in coordination with the Apertus project (led by EPFL and ETH Zurich) and in consultation with the Council of Europe. The application period started on September 26, 2025, and the deadline is November 11, 2025 (23:59 CET). The selected projects will be announced on January 20, 2026. Empowering women with more equality, resilience and hope Xinhua) 08:23, October 13, 2025 Mei Yao, director of the village's women's federation, talks with students who are in summer vacation at Shibadong Village in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Gender equality is not merely a women's issue but a matter essential to the sustainable development of humanity. While progress has been made, the struggle for gender equality is far from over. Women around the world continue to face significant challenges. China is to host the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women to reaffirm the spirit of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, to rally collective efforts, and to inject new energy into advancing equality and comprehensive development for more than 4 billion women worldwide. Over the past decades, Chinese women have achieved higher social status and personal fulfillment. They uphold half the sky, with their voices increasingly heard, their efforts recognized, and their opportunities secured. Today, Chinese women enjoy healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives. In China, women's life expectancy has risen to 80.9 years, and enrollment of girls in compulsory education exceeds 99.9 percent nationwide. Women now comprise over half of all higher education students and account for around 43 percent of the total workforce, with their influence growing across governance, science, business and sports. China has developed a model for advancing gender equality that is tailored to its national conditions and has proven effective. Gender equality is enshrined as a fundamental state policy, strengthening both legal protections and social awareness. Long Luying (2nd R) and her employees make embroidery at the workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 18, 2023. Over the past 17 years, Long Luying has provided free embroidery skills training to local women, creating job opportunities for more than 1,000 rural women in the village. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) For instance, through intensive training in microcredit and e-commerce, an increasing number of rural women are embracing the digital economy, closing the digital gap, and playing a unique role in China's poverty alleviation and rural revitalization efforts. As a responsible developing country with nearly 700 million women, China's efforts to advance women's empowerment provide valuable experience for the rest of the world, particularly for developing and underdeveloped nations. As an active supporter of global women's causes, China has contributed 20 million U.S. dollars to UN Women since 2015. In partnership with UNESCO, it established the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education and supported projects in Africa that promote digital and health education for girls. Through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has carried out women-focused projects valued at over 40 million U.S. dollars across more than 20 countries. Chinese women also actively engage with the global community in peacekeeping, climate action and humanitarian relief. To date, over 1,200 Chinese female peacekeepers and 100 female police officers have served in UN missions, while training programs in China have benefited hundreds of women officials and scholars from developing countries involved in climate change initiatives. With only five years left to meet the gender-related targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the global community must act with greater urgency. Closing the gender gap is not the responsibility of any one country alone; the international community must strengthen cooperation to advance the global cause of women. Thirty years after the 1995 Beijing conference, the upcoming event is expected to herald another milestone in the advancement of women since that landmark meeting. As women's growing presence reshapes the landscape of the modern world, it paves the way for a future defined by greater equality, resilience and hope. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) An open China, shared opportunities People's Daily Online) 08:37, October 13, 2025 In 2024, fruit imports from ASEAN countries through south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region reached a new high of nearly 2.5 million tonnes. As the first stop and major hub for ASEAN fruit entering the Chinese market, Guangxi is turning the vision of "ASEAN production, Guangxi distribution, and China sales" into reality. A trade pattern of "buying from ASEAN, selling nationwide; buying nationwide, selling to ASEAN" is steadily taking shape. In south China's Guangdong Province, the city of Shenzhen, a modern international metropolis, and Shanwei, an old revolutionary base in need of development, are over 100 kilometers apart. Stretching from Shenzhen to Shanwei, a "golden corridor" for the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has taken shape. Nearly 30 upstream and downstream enterprises have been connected like links in a chain, forming an NEV industrial cluster worth hundreds of billions of yuan. Through the Xiaomo International Logistics Port, which fosters port-industry integration, China's NEV exports are gaining strong momentum and accelerating their expansion in global markets. In just eight and a half hours, fresh Norwegian king crabs can arrive at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in central China's Henan Province, still covered with seawater at minus two degrees Celsius. Thanks to the ZhengzhouLuxembourg "Air Silk Road," European delicacies can now reach China within a single day. China is making steady efforts to build a new system for a higher-level open economy, with openness being a defining feature of Chinese modernization. The number of items on the foreign investment negative list has continued to shrink. All restrictions in the manufacturing sector have been lifted, and pilot programs to open up service sectors such as value-added telecommunications and biotechnology are progressing in an orderly manner. Over the past five years, China has been expanding its level of opening-up, with a series of major initiatives rolled out to share opportunities and pursue development with the rest of the world. Despite uncertainties in the global environment, China remains a key contributor to global economic growth and a stabilizing anchor for the world economy. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chengliang) Writing a new chapter in global women's development 11:18, October 13, 2025 By Wang Hui, Liu Lingling, Qu Pei ( People's Daily The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women is held in Beijing from Oct. 13 to 14. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. The international community views this gathering as an opportunity to uphold true multilateralism, pursue development-oriented cooperation, and accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting is expected to make tangible progress in safeguarding and advancing women's rights, setting a new milestone in the global cause of women's development. Remarkable progress of Chinese women Chinese women are achieving unprecedented success. According to a recent article published on the website of Brazil's Forum magazine, public policies, legal reforms, and social initiatives in recent years have profoundly transformed the lives of Chinese women in education, healthcare, employment, and political participation, reflecting China's remarkable progress in advancing women's development. A female worker manufactures electronic chips at a semiconductor company in Suqian, east China's Jiangsu province. (Photo/Xu Changliang) Since the beginning of the new era, China has pursued comprehensive development of endeavors concerning women. The living standards and overall well-being of women have risen significantly, with the country leading globally in poverty alleviation, education, science, and healthcare. China has achieved a significant milestone: 690 million women now share in the nation's moderately prosperous society. Females account for more than half of all students in higher education, 45.8 percent of sci-tech researchers, over half of entrepreneurs in the internet sector, and 42.3 percent of judges nationwide. Their average life expectancy exceeds 80 years, and the World Health Organization ranks China among the world's top 10 performers in maternal and child health outcomes. Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary General and UN Women Executive Director, commended China's remarkable achievements in gender equality and women's empowerment, expressing hope that China will share more of its valuable experience with the world. China's commitment to global cooperation China actively advances the global women's agenda through collaborative international engagement. The country champions multilateral frameworks, leading regional and global initiatives for women's development. China upholds the UN's central role and fulfills its obligations under international conventions such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Local women attend an agricultural machinery training session organized by China in Apodi, Brazil. (Photo/Andre R. P) Through sustained cooperation with UN agencies on gender equality, China has institutionalized women's issues within global governance platforms. Since 2012, China has convened nearly 30 women's conferences under frameworks including APEC, G20, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. A landmark achievement came in 2015 with the establishment of the UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education - a China-UNESCO joint initiative. To date, this award has honored 20 organizations and projects worldwide. In Tanzania, the prize has helped girls at risk of dropping out return to school; in Costa Rica, digital skills training has empowered women to access new opportunities. Empowering women through action China mobilizes resources and implements practical initiatives to advance women's empowerment in developing countries, significantly improving livelihoods. Through targeted public welfare programs addressing women and children's health, education, and water security, hundreds of millions of women globally have seen tangible improvements in quality of life. China has carried out women-focused projects worth $40 million across more than 20 countries, and organized over 100 training sessions for women and children from the Global South. The Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational training program, has trained 5,499 female students, helping them embark on new career paths. In Fiji, local woman Seruwaia Kabukabu transformed her community through Juncao cultivation, emerging as a local leader while driving shared prosperity. This poverty-alleviation model has earned the moniker "grass of happiness" across Global South countries. Students from Rwanda learn livestream e-commerce at Jinhua University of Vocational Technology in east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo/Hu Xiaofei) China actively shares its experience in advancing women's development and supports efforts to enhance women's status and participation across all sectors, helping address global challenges such as poverty, discrimination, and inequality. The story of Zhang Guimei - principal of Yunnan's Huaping Senior High School for Girls - has achieved global recognition. Her campaign educating thousands of impoverished mountain girls features prominently on UNESCO platforms and ranks among the most impactful "girls' education" case studies worldwide. Building a better future together History has shown that there can be no liberation and progress for humanity without the liberation and progress of women. According to reports by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, closing the gender digital divide could benefit 343 million women and girls globally and lift 30 million people out of poverty by 2050. At present, more than 600 million women and girls still face conflict and instability, and 2 billion lack access to social security. Building a world free from gender discrimination and inclusive of all remains an urgent global mission. Standing at a new historical starting point, China is ready to work hand in hand with all parties, take sustained and accelerated action, and make consistent efforts to advance global gender equality and women's well-rounded development, thus jointly building a better world for all women, and for all humankind. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming) Chinese flying vehicle conducts demo flight in UAE Xinhua) 14:30, October 13, 2025 People view a flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) DUBAI, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. The flight showcased the company's latest-generation model, the "Land Aircraft Carrier," which comprises a ground vehicle, referred to as the "mothership", and a detachable air module. The aircraft offers both automatic and manual flight operations. In automatic mode, pilots can plan routes, take off, and land with one touch, while in manual mode, a single-stick control system combines six operations into one joystick, allowing for one-handed control. During the flight, the full sequence of the air module's detachment and reattachment was demonstrated. XPENG AEROHT has secured orders of 600 flying cars in the region, the company's largest overseas bulk purchase to date. Chinese Consul General in Dubai Ou Boqian applauded the successful flight, emphasizing that both China and the UAE regard scientific and technological innovation as a core engine of economic development. The bilateral cooperation in this field provides a favorable environment for enterprises and the business community from both sides to work hand in hand in expanding cooperation in the future, she noted. Zhao Deli, founder of XPENG AEROHT, expressed strong confidence in the Middle East's future mobility market, highlighting Dubai's openness, robust market demand, and supportive government policies as key factors in selecting the city for the demonstration. The company plans to officially launch the product in the regional market by 2027, according to Zhao. XPENG AEROHT is the flying car affiliate of electric vehicle maker XPENG, headquartered in south China's Guangdong Province. Chinese Consul General in Dubai Ou Boqian (3rd, R) witnesses the demo flight of a flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) Zhao Deli (L), founder of XPENG AEROHT, opens the gate of a flying car developed by his company with a pilot in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) Zhao Deli, founder of XPENG AEROHT, receives an interview in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) A pilot waves to the audience after the demo flight of a flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT is seen during a demo flight in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) This photo taken on Oct. 12, 2025 shows a scene at a pre-order signing ceremony for the "Land Aircraft Carrier," developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Artisans in the Spotlight Watchmakers, engravers, guillocheurs, gem-setters, enamellers, and finishers, in short all those who sustain the Maisons centuries-old craft, welcomed guests in line. Some descended the atriums glass staircase in a slow, choreographed procession, an unexpected and enchanting enactment that took attendees by surprise. Later, under theatrical lighting and accompanied by live musicians, artisans demonstrated their precise gestures as yet another artistic performance, transforming their workshops into a theater while offering a glimpse into the metiers that have shaped Vacheron Constantin since its founding in 1755. Tonight we pay tribute to the true driving forces of the Maison, the women and men of the manufacture, said Laurent Perves, the companys chief executive, as he explained the evenings staging to a large audience of guests. They are the artisans. They are the watchmakers. They are the innovators. They are the guardians of our heritage. Carlos Alonso (Tiempo de Relojes, SIAR): "What stood out to me was the originality of the format and the connection between people the watchmakers, the artists, and us visitors as well as that little touch of luxury with the private dinner at the Louvre. They paid great attention to detail. It wasnt just marketing designed for social media and influencers, but for true connoisseurs and passionate followers of the brand, who understand its work and value human relationships. They created an incredible mix you could feel the heart behind it. Without a doubt, it was one of the best watch events Ive ever attended." Frederic Brun (Le Figaro): "I found the spirit of this celebration remarkable it wasnt self-congratulatory, but handled with subtlety and joy. Nothing felt stiff or formal, everything was done with great elegance. I particularly appreciated that this was a journey from Paris to Geneva, which I see as a generous gesture by the brand in offering a dual celebration. Even the astronomical clock, highly sophisticated, was presented at the Louvre with refinement and delicacy, not just as a feat of engineering. It was a great honor for both Vacheron Constantin and the Louvre." Marc-Andre Deschoux (Watches TV, Horodedia): "This event stands out for its complete coherence, and its extremely inspiring and powerful message a true testament to beauty and responsibility within the art of watchmaking. Simply magnificent." Nicholas Foulkes (Author, How to Spend It, Vanity Fair, President of the GPHG Jury): "In substance, theyve created a new milestone in haute horlogerie with this mechanical art piece, The Quest of Time, which is completely beyond anything thats ever been created by any brand before it's simply incomparable. In terms of form, they surprised us at every turn from the gala dinner inside the Louvre to our transfer between Paris and Geneva on a private TGV complete with Vacheron Constantin-themed entertainment. Their CEO, Laurent Perves, added a human dimension to the technical and artistic achievement, which was felt across all levels of the hierarchy and departments." It seems strange, after so many years of seeing her on screen and given that she rarely makes public appearances to suddenly be sharing physical space with Julia Roberts. After nearly four decades in film and more than 50 screen appearances, and with that aura of stardom that has surrounded her ever since Pretty Woman, 35 years ago, Roberts, now 57, is still that magnetic woman with the big smile who somehow makes everyone pay attention to whatever she does. In her latest role, she plays a philosophy professor, Alma Imhoff, under the direction of Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, with whom she is working for the first time. After the Hunt opens in theaters on Friday, October 17, following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The actress and director arrive together at the bar of a luxury Los Angeles hotel to talk about the film a professional challenge for Roberts, both because its hard to empathize with her cool, emotionally distant character and because the story delves into uncomfortable territory. When Maggie (Ayo Edebiri), one of Almas brightest students or perhaps not so bright confides that she has been abused by Almas favorite colleague at Yale, fellow professor Hank (Andrew Garfield), the protagonists professional, personal, and moral worlds begin to crumble. Alma starts questioning many things. So do the viewers. Roberts knows this and, with her thoughtful sense of humor, she enjoys the fact that the film provokes that kind of conversation. After the Hunt revolves around what happens when a case of abuse comes to light how each victim, and everyone around them, processes, experiences, and manages it. The nuances are endless. So many, in fact, that, as in real life, even the protagonists arent entirely sure whats going on. Do they, as actors, know exactly what happens in the film? For the director, that wasnt particularly important; in fact, what mattered was not to impose a point of view that is definitive letting the audience go out and see the movie and make up their mind. The Challengers and Call Me by Your Name director praises how great actors understand human behavior, almost like a psychoanalyst. Call it intuition, call it observation, call it life, call it art, but when you see an actor perform... Kind of layers and depths about human behavior, its amazing. Roberts believes that everyone will interpret the story through their own lens, as a reflection of our own life experience. Luca Guadagnino and Julia Roberts chat on the set of 'After the Hunt.' Yannis Drakoulidis (AP) Sitting side by side and and chatting conspiratorially at a roundtable with foreign media in which EL PAIS was the only Spanish outlet Roberts and Guadagnino listen intently to each other. They explain that their goal wasnt to take #MeToo out of Hollywood and transplant the conversation elsewhere, but rather to use the world of the academic elite as another setting. I dont compartmentalize the incidence of MeToo in that way, the actress says. Id say unfortunately were all too aware of incidents like this happening in this academic, university environment. The director agrees: The get-go wasnt to try to understand the concept of MeToo in academia. Its simply another stage on which to explore this universal struggle for power, for entitlement for imposing your own version of things on others without really listening to them. For Roberts, the fact that the film sparks that kind of conversation is a very positive thing. During her appearance at the Venice Film Festival, she lamented that the art of conversation is being lost. Faced with the lively discussion around the movie, she seems to have regained some faith. As someone who loves movies, I have a lot of confidence in the intellect of moviegoers. I think when you make that effort to go sit in the dark with people, youre making yourself completely available to what is then shared with you, she reflects. And she knew, too, in Lucas hands that it would be as it should be. Ayo Edebiri and Julia Roberts in 'After the Hunt,' directed by Luca Guadagnino. MGM/Amazon Studios That ultimate confidence is what drives her to leave the comfort of her home and support projects like this. We all have that voice, right, that little feeling somewhere in us that when we meet another person, we feel inherently drawn or something that makes you step away a little bit. And I have complete trust in my little voice inside of me; it has served me really beautifully in my life, she admits openly. And the first time I was really face to face with this man [Guadagnino], just every cell in my body was saying, yay! she adds, laughing. She admits that, in addition to the opportunity to work with Guadagnino, she was hooked on Nora Garretts script, helping her make some changes during filming. She also loved the atmosphere, the powder keg of this school, this really small town: I liked that setting, I thought it was really intriguing and had so much potential to it. And then really it was Luca and our conversations about what it could be, and Alma. From left, Luca Guadagnino, Julia Roberts, and Michael Stuhlbarg at the premiere screening of 'After the Hunt' in Los Angeles, California, on October 4, 2025. Mario Anzuoni (REUTERS) Alma is the center of the film. She found the character of the seemingly charming but internally cold professor, with a complex marriage, fascinating. I dont need to love her, but I do have a huge resource of empathy for her. I think she has so much damage that shes shouldering and shielding herself from all the time. And there was something really interesting about how to unravel her and when to let the light shine through the cracks a little bit. And it was definitely something very profound to explore for me because she has a completely different natural instinct to the world than I do. Thats what makes it fun to play, fun in a perverse way she says. In one scene, the academic appears on the floor of her home next to a framed poster of The Flower of My Secret. Alma loves that movie very much, Guadagnino explains of Pedro Almodovars 1995 film. She is very much in awe of the character of Leocadia. I think Alma might have got some sense of style from [Spanish actress] Marisa Paredes. And she loved the soundtrack. In another scene, she listened to Miles Davis Soleada [which also features in The Flower of My Secret]. She has a very vivid mind. Her husband is played by Michael Stuhlbarg, at times charming, at times unbearable. This duality is a constant in the characters in the film, played by an array of established and emerging talent. Roberts was particularly drawn to these colleagues. We put together this dream cast. Ive talked to one or more of them every week since we wrapped, she reveals. And was she really nervous about meeting Chloe Sevigny? Julia Roberts herself? And working with her, she admits. Theres loads of people that make me nervous, and I think its also excitement, someone about to walk into your house that youve never met before, that you admire. She was also excited to work with Ayo Edebiri, whom she describes as extraordinary. She is so thoughtful and innovative, I mean she really is a great representation of her generation. I just think shes so smart and we had such a beautiful time, you know, shes very serious about her work but also knows when she can put that down and just enjoy the space, the company and be happy, which is how I like to do it. You just dont want to sit in that serious space all day, every day. So I think shes very adept at that. Chloe Sevigny and Julia Roberts in 'After the Hunt.' MGM/Amazon Studios The star tries to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. Married for 23 years to Daniel Moder, with whom she has three children 20-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, and 18-year-old Henry she acknowledges that for her, privacy is a sacred right and that everyone is entitled to privacy, even people that have a public aspect to their life, and you just have to decide what levels of openness. I think it changes as you get older, she acknowledges. It has for me, certainly where I feel more comfortable with what I want to keep to myself and I dont feel like Im being insulting to the person to say Id rather keep that to myself, whereas as a younger person you feel like its bad manners not to answer all the questions that people are asking you. I realized its not about manners, its about what I want do with that information. Michael Stuhlbarg and Julia Roberts as Frederik and Alma in Luca Guadagnino's 'After the Hunt.' Amazon/MGM Studios Her children are already the same age as the protagonists of her film, in that complex university environment. How does she deal with issues of sexual violence, as the mother of a daughter and two sons? You do the best you can, but I also wouldnt want them or myself to live in a constant state of worry and fear because that diminishes the quality of life that youre living, she acknowledges. I worry about all my children equally, and about young people in general. Its a part of the world that Ive never been able to understand. You cant protect them, hopefully fill them up with enough knowledge and understanding and awareness and, as my daughter always says, head on a swivel, she says of Hazel, whom she describes as a pretty darn tough girl: I dont worry for her more because shes female. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The US president has threatened 100% additional duties, while Beijing says it is not afraid of a trade clash Just when the trade war between the worlds two largest economies, the United States and China, appeared to have cooled and was nearing a potential truce, Beijing emerged from its trench and fired a new salvo of measures. The restrictions on exports of rare earths and certain lithium battery components announced on Thursday have provoked the anger of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose additional 100% tariffs on China starting November 1. He has also threatened to cancel his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, scheduled to take place in South Korea at the end of the month. The situation is at risk of escalating. After several rounds of negotiations since May that seemed to have eased tensions, the tariff dispute is almost back to square one roughly to where it stood in April. For now, China has not announced new countermeasures following Trumps invective on Friday on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the afternoon, during a meeting with journalists, the U.S. president described the announcement as shocking and unexpected. Were going to have to see what happens. Thats why I made it November 1 he added. On Sunday, he took a slightly more conciliatory tone in a post on Truth Social, which still carried a hint of threat: Dont worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesnt want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!! he wrote. Chinas Ministry of Commerce defended the legitimacy of the new rare earth export restrictions on Sunday and blamed its U.S. counterpart for the sudden deterioration in relations. Since the talks in Madrid in mid-September, the U.S. has continuously introduced a series of new restrictive measures against China, a spokesperson said in a statement. They cited the recent inclusion of Chinese companies on the U.S. entity control list, Beijings addition to a blacklist for lack of tax transparency, and new port tariff surcharges on Chinese vessels. Threatening to impose high tariffs at every turn is not the right way to engage with China, said the spokesperson. Chinas position on tariff wars has been consistent: we do not want to fight, but we are not afraid to fight. The Chinese government urged Washington to promptly correct its wrongful practices, adhere to the important consensuses from the phone calls between the two heads of state, and manage differences properly through dialogue, based on mutual respect and consultation on an equal footing. If the United States insists on going the wrong way, China will surely take resolute measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests, it concluded. On Sunday, Vice President J. D. Vance told Fox News that Trump appreciates the friendship that hes developed with the Chinese president and that they have a good relationship, but claimed everyone was shocked by Chinas actions. If they respond in a highly aggressive manner, I guarantee you, the president of the United States has far more cards than the Peoples Republic of China, said Vance. According to the U.S. vice president, if China is willing to be reasonable, then Donald Trump is always willing to be a reasonable negotiator. Were going to find out a lot in the weeks to come about whether China wants to start a trade war with us or whether they actually want to be reasonable, Vance continued. I hope they choose the path of reason. The president of the United States is going to defend America regardless. Unexpected move Its true that Chinas sudden move was both unexpected and forceful. It came on Thursday, the first working day in the Peoples Republic following eight days of official closure for National Day. On that day, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs announced a flood of new measures that caught many off guard including the U.S. negotiators who had met their Chinese counterparts in several European cities and on three separate occasions. Among other actions, Beijing unveiled a new export control mechanism for rare earths and critical minerals that could disrupt the global trade of these key resources used in cutting-edge technology and defense industries. Under the new framework, companies will need official approval to export rare earth magnets and other derivative materials containing even minimal traces (less than 0.1% by value) of these elements, including when they originate from abroad. The rules will also apply to products manufactured overseas using Chinese technologies for extraction, refining, or magnet production. The mechanism is designed to control, beyond Chinas borders, the trade of 17 elements over which the country holds near-monopoly dominance in the global supply chain. The tool is almost identical to U.S. regulations used against China, which require other countries to comply with American export restrictions on chips, materials, and advanced equipment containing U.S. technology. The Americans are going to demand intellectual property rights, joked a European diplomat based in Beijing on Friday when commenting on the new mechanism. In Washington, however, analysts see China as leveraging its dominance over these valuable raw materials as a bargaining tool in ongoing trade negotiations. No one can be certain whether Trump will follow through on his November 1 threat; it would not be the first time the Republican has backed down from an aggressive trade stance. The move is also seen as Xi demonstrating to the world that China can strangle global trade to bend it to its interests. This is significant because the measure does not only affect the United States whose long-standing dependence on these materials presents another obstacle to Trumps isolationist America First ambitions but potentially the entire planet. While the U.S. controls the tech switch of the chips industry, China is asserting control over the critical material switch and it now has a new tool to hit back at firms that side with US tech restrictions or otherwise cross Chinas political red lines, Trivium China analysts wrote in a recent newsletter. This raises the risk of further disruptions for semiconductor supply chains and global business more broadly. The renewed tensions between the two powers already affected markets on Friday: the main New York Stock Exchange index, the S&P 500, dropped more than 2%, its worst session since April, when Trump launched his global trade war before backing down and granting a 90-day reprieve amid fears of the measures impact on the global economy. Details of Beijings new salvo include restrictions on new rare earth elements such as holmium (used in advanced lasers, magnets, and nuclear technology) and erbium (used in fiber optics); export controls on various lithium battery-related items; limits on so-called superhard materials like synthetic diamond powder with multiple industrial applications; and the inclusion of 14 foreign organizations mostly U.S. and defense-related on the unreliable entities list. These announcements carry the same forceful, targeted, and multi-domain tone as those made during the height of the trade war months ago. But for the first time, unlike before, China has acted without having been provoked by the White House. Chinese authorities have provided little explanation, limiting themselves to saying the measures are meant to prevent the dual civil-military use of resources and safeguard national security. These measures do not target any specific country or region, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said. The Chinese government is willing to work with all countries to maintain the stability and smooth operations of global industrial and supply chains. A show of force Chinas move can be seen as a show of force as the clock ticks down on trade negotiations with the United States. The pause granted by Trump expires on November 10. It also comes at a delicate moment, ahead of a meeting scheduled for later this month between Trump and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, intended to ease tensions between the worlds first and second-largest economies. The South Korean meeting was announced by the U.S. president following a phone call in mid-September, but Beijing has never confirmed it. After the call, Trump also stated that they had reached an agreement allowing the popular Chinese video app TikTok, which had faced a potential Congressional ban, to continue operating in the U.S. On Friday, Trump told reporters at the White House that he had not canceled the meeting with Xi for now. I havent canceled it, but I dont know if were going to keep it. However, Ill be there anyway, so I suppose it could happen, he said. Rare earth elements have been one of Beijings most effective tools since the start of the trade war against Trumps measures. Chinese authorities are aware of their negotiating power: in 2024, China accounted for 69% of the global mining and refining of the 17 chemical elements classified as rare earths, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. And it holds 40% of proven global reserves and controls, on average, 80% of the various links in the global supply chain, according to China Mining Magazine. After Washingtons tariff announcements, Beijing responded in April with export restrictions on seven of these elements, forcing the pause in tariffs, which remains in effect. Since then, China has pledged during successive negotiation rounds with the U.S., ongoing since May, to facilitate export licenses for these elements. When tariffs hit their peak in April, the U.S. imposed additional taxes of 145% on Chinese goods, to which Xi responded with 125% duties on U.S. products. With the pause, those rates were reduced to 30% and 10% respectively, where they remain today. The average tariff rate stands at 57.6% on U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and 32.6% on Chinese imports from the U.S., according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), a Washington-based think tank levels high enough in both cases to significantly affect bilateral trade. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Many of the bodies of the approximately 14,000 people buried under the ruins of the Strip will never be recovered A cruel twist of fate meant that Hussein Owdas children ran ahead to enter their home in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, on May 17. Barely having crossed the threshold, an Israeli airstrike destroyed the building. The man rushed inside. Screams could be heard. His wife, badly injured, was pulled out alive, but their son Mohamed, four years old, was dead in her arms. None of the three children survived. The parents were only able to bury the youngest. Jaled, 10, and Yusef, seven, remained trapped under the rubble. The bombings continued; Civil Defense rescuers, without excavators, could not lift the mountain of debris covering the two children with their bare hands. Sixty-five days later, Hussein Owda managed to recover Yusefs body but not Jaleds. His family had to flee the now-razed Jabalia, leaving their eldest child buried there. As soon as the ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday, residents like Owda began searching for their dead to do what until now they had been unable to: bury them and mourn in peace. In the first 24 hours alone, Gaza Civil Defense recovered 151 bodies. Some were decomposed and lying in the streets, reduced to skeletal remains. Another 116 had been trapped under rubble since the first Israeli bombings, which reached their two-year mark on October 7. No one knows exactly how many of these invisible dead are. They are not included in the official list of more than 67,000 fatalities, compiled by the Gaza health authorities. It is, however, assumed to be thousands. In April, the United Nations estimated that the remains of 11,000 people were still buried under Gazas rubble. Civil Defense believes the number exceeds 14,500, explains Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the body responsible for rescuing survivors and those less fortunate, by telephone. Many of these bodies will never be recovered. Civil Defense has repeatedly described how Israeli army bombs weighing up to a ton dropped on densely populated urban areas in Gaza simply pulverized buildings and people. Other Palestinians were buried under sites that were bombed repeatedly, and later leveled by military bulldozers, turning the land into a tabula rasa. In April, a preliminary United Nations assessment of damage in Gaza estimated that 92% of buildings about 175,000 structures were completely destroyed or damaged, leaving behind over 53 million tons of rubble, more than all the war debris generated by all conflicts worldwide since 2008. On average, each square meter of Gaza contains 383 kilograms of construction debris. Thousands of bodies lie beneath it. In Gaza, Israel has not only demolished buildings, but has also put up new structures sometimes using rubble from bombed sites that may have contained unrecovered bodies according to architect Eyal Weizman, speaking from London. The director of Forensic Architecture cites examples such as military bases and roads made from compacted debris. As if a metaphor for the dehumanization of Palestinians for that spilled blood that comes so cheap, as one crying Gazan said in a video circulated on social media these new Israeli constructions almost literally bury the bones of some Gazans. Many of the destroyed buildings were family homes. In traditional cultures like Palestines, especially during a military attack, women and children spend more time indoors. Half of Gazas population is under 14 years old. In the official lists of more than 67,000 deaths, more than half are women and children; that proportion rises to over 70% among those buried under the rubble, according to the Civil Defense spokesperson. In images of the more than 150 bodies recovered in the first hours of the ceasefire, there were bodies of young children. Without saying goodbye Hussein Owda, 33, lost his daughter Iman, who would now be nine, in an airstrike in October 2023, and in May he lost Mohamed, Yusef, and Jaled. If there is any hatred in him, its not noticeable. What is evident is a pain that is difficult to measure, especially for Jaled, the child buried beneath the rubble. I feel helpless and devastated, he says. I havent even been able to bury my son, who is still under the rubble. Its indescribable, a tragedy for which there are no words, mutters this father who, before the invasion, earned his living as a professional bodybuilder. Muslims believe that burying the dead is a sacred duty. Islamic rituals, like those of other religions, serve as a way to say goodbye; to symbolically close the passage of a person through the world and begin the grieving process, explains Palestinian psychologist Fidaa al Araj from Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza. The trauma suffered by tens of thousands who have been unable to say goodbye to their loved ones is compounded by the fact that many of the deceased were children, like Jaled Owda. This grief is further intensified by successive forced displacements, notes Al Araj. The Israeli attacks and bombings, which have now ceased, along with constant evacuation orders, forced people like Owda and his wife to leave their childrens bodies behind. This produces, according to the psychologist, a feeling of having abandoned them. Some Gazans already know it will be impossible to recover their dead, that even the rubble of their homes has been pulverized. Others are discovering this now as they return to their places of origin. The Jabalia refugee camp, where the Owda family lived, is one of those landscapes of absolute desolation left behind by the Israeli military. From left, Yara, Razan, and Lara Mushtaha, killed in an Israeli bombing raid. Only Yara, the eldest, was able to be buried. Her two siblings disappeared under the rubble. CEDIDA Nothing left to remember them by Yara, Yazan, and Lara Mushtaha smile, seemingly happy, in a family photograph one of the last selfies these three middle-class teenagers took together before an Israeli missile destroyed their home in Gaza City, killing them on November 5, 2023. Their family was only able to recover the body of Yara, 18, who was on the ground floor, recounts their aunt Malak, speaking from Granada in Spain, where she now lives. The two younger siblings, 15 and 14, were on the first floor and could not be found. With the ceasefire in place, their family will not search for them, Malak explains. They already know it is impossible to find them. After the first missile strike, the Israeli army bombed the Mushtaha home again. Still, the family searched for Yazan and Lara for months. When their mother, who survived the attack, was able to return one last time, she found a shapeless heap of rubble. She no longer even hoped to recover their childrens bodies; she only wanted a memory of them, a photo, a piece of clothing, writes Malak in a message. She found nothing. Ghada Rabah, a 27-year-old English teacher, survived the bombing of her home in Gaza City in September. Buried alive under the rubble, she called her relatives for help. Many desperate people phoned Civil Defense that day. Friends, neighbors, and family members, recalls the spokesperson: They told us that Ghada was alive under the rubble and that they were speaking to her on the phone. We asked permission [from the Israeli army] through the Red Cross and OCHA [the U.N. humanitarian coordination body] to reach the house [which was in an area declared off-limits by the military]. We had information that Ghada was with several children and another member of her family, Basal recalls. Israel took three days to authorize the rescue. By the time Civil Defense arrived, a second projectile had wiped the house off the map, says Basal. Bare hands Civil Defense also faces the daunting task of removing tons of rubble practically with its bare hands. Were talking, says Basal, about bombed multi-story buildings that trapped their inhabitants beneath them. Rescuing the living or recovering the dead requires heavy machinery and professional rescue teams. Civil Defense had 820 rescuers when the Israeli offensive began. Now, only about 500 remain, plus volunteers, after Israeli attacks killed 140 and injured several hundred, Basal explains. Until now, he explains, the occupation [Israel] had categorically refused to allow the entry of fuel or equipment [such as bulldozers] into Gaza. The result is that, instead of rescuing someone in 10 minutes, it took hours for Civil Defense to reach the victims of a bombing. Sometimes we heard the screams of living people, but by the time we got to them, they were already dead, the rescuer laments.Some of the people whose remains families are now searching for might have been saved, says Basal. During the previous ceasefire, between January and March, when the recovery of buried bodies began, only nine bulldozers obtained Israeli permission to enter the Gaza Strip, the spokesperson recalls. Afterward, Israel bombed and destroyed them all. Fuel began arriving in Gaza this weekend, but the territorys Civil Defense has no machinery, not even a single excavator, to try to recover the bodies. We are forced to work with our bare hands or with completely inadequate primitive tools, Basal says by phone. Last week, Egypt began pressuring Israel to allow excavators in. There are some in Gaza not belonging to Civil Defense but the priority right now is saving lives, and they are being used to clear roads of rubble to allow humanitarian aid trucks through. The grave of Yara Mushtaha in the Ali ibn Marwan cemetery. The tombstone includes the names of her two siblings, whose bodies were never found. CEDIDA In an almost desperate attempt to ensure that the memory of their loved ones did not vanish completely, before fleeing the bombings, many Gazans wrote the names of their dead on the walls of houses that had succumbed to the bombs. On February 19, the Mushtaha family exhumed Yaras body from a temporary burial. In her grave at the Ali ibn Marwan cemetery, only the young woman lies. A single tombstone bears three names: hers and those of her siblings, Yazan and Lara, who disappeared beneath the rubble. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Hamas completed the handover of the last 20 living captives on Monday, and world leaders signed the ceasefire deal at a summit in Egypt Israel began closing one of the most painful chapters of its short history on Monday, as Hamas completed the handover of the last 20 Israeli hostages still alive in the Gaza Strip. The release was broadcast on a giant screen to several thousand people in what has now been renamed Hostages Square in central Tel Aviv. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump presented his plan for Gaza to the Israeli Parliamentwhich gave him a bigger ovation than to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahunot as a fledgling initiative, but as an accomplished success that heralds the historic dawn of a new Middle East. In a hyperbolic and much-applauded speech, Trump spoke of his planwhich made possible the release of the last 20 living hostagesas the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. The U.S. president suggested that two years of bloody invasion, with more than 67,000 dead, Gaza in ruins, and children dying of hunger, had so tarnished the Israeli leaders reputation that the only option was to end it. Later in the day, representatives from the countries that mediated the peace agreement in Gazathe U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and Turkeysigned the pact at a summit held in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh, attended by some 20 world leaders and featuring Trump, who addressed attendees with words of praise: We have achieved together in recent days a change that really is historic. A historic day for the Middle East ended up becoming a day dedicated to the glory of Donald Trump. The peace conference in Sharm el-Sheikh quickly turned into a ceremony celebrating Trumps personal power. He was the omnipresent protagonist throughout the day, which was meticulously designed so that all the spotlight would be on him. One after another, all the leaders greeted an elated Trump, while another of the days key figures, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, told him: Only you could have achieved this peace. President Donald Trump poses with the signed agreement at a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Oct. 13, 2025. FOTO: Suzanne Plunkett (AP) Hostage release Amid tears of joy and shouts of excitement, the released Israelis watched the exchange unfold in two stages. In the first, shortly after 7:00 a.m. (GMT), the militia handed over the first seven hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross in northern Gaza; they are already in Israeli territory. The remaining 13 captives were released about three hours later in the south of the enclave and have been handed over to the Israeli Army by the Red Cross. In exchange, Israel will release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners throughout the day. The bodies of the 28 Israeli hostages who died in Gaza are also expected to be returned, though it is unclear whether this will happen simultaneously or immediately after the living hostages return to Israel. It is also unknown if all of the deceased have been located. The mourning for these dead captives is the only thing overshadowing the celebration of the return of the last hostages still alive. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated in a release that its struggle will not end until the bodies of the 28 hostages still in Gaza are located and returned for a proper burial: Only then will the people of Israel be complete, the organization said. Israeli Guy Gilboa-Dalal, kidnapped on October 7, 2023, waved on Monday after his release and transfer to an Israeli hospital. Stoyan Nenov (REUTERS) As the crowd erupted in cheers at the sight of the convoy carrying the first seven hostages traveling on an Israeli road, U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Israel. The giant screen in Hostages Square split in two: one half showed the cars transporting the released captives, while the other displayed Air Force One preparing to land in Tel Aviv. Thank you, Trump! Thank you, Mr. President! blared from the speakers, as many Israelis present some waving U.S. flags applauded and praised the American president. Many in the square described Trump as a savior or even the king of Israel, according to Guy, an Israeli who preferred to give only his first name, crediting him with a deal they said would not have been possible without his involvement. Trump was in Jerusalem, where he delivered a speech before the Knesset, Israels Parliament. The city had also been decorated in his honor, with large posters on buildings displaying his image alongside Israeli and U.S. flags. One even compared him to King Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid dynasty in ancient Persia, who freed the Jews from captivity by conquering Babylon and allowing their return to Jerusalem a symbolic reference to Trumps role in the hostages release. The president was greeted on the tarmac with a red carpet by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump reiterated that Hamas would be disarmed in accordance with the peace plan and that the war was over. In the afternoon, he will travel to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, where the peace agreement signing ceremony for Gaza will take place, attended by leaders from around 20 countries, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Netanyahu will not attend the Egyptian resort city ceremony, his office announced Monday, due to the ongoing celebrations for the release of the hostages. A Palestinian citizen imprisoned in an Israeli jail was welcomed in Ramallah (West Bank) on Monday after his release. Mussa Qawasma (REUTERS) Meanwhile, in Hostages Square which filled to capacity Ohad, a 27-year-old who preferred not to give his real name, said he believed Israel can now begin to heal from the wound left by the events of October 7. He personally knew none of the hostages, but he did know two of the 1,200 people killed in those attacks the deadliest in Israels history which triggered the subsequent offensive in Gaza. That campaign, until the ceasefire took effect last Friday, has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians. Mondays hostage release took place under the first phase of the agreement reached between Hamas and Israel. The family of Guy Gilboa-Dalal, one of the Israeli hostages freed alive, said they hoped all families would one day be reunited with their loved ones. We hope that every family will reach this longed-for moment and receive their loved one home, including all the deceased for burial in the land of Israel, the family said in a statement. At nearly the same time, buses carrying Palestinian prisoners began leaving Israeli jails late Monday morning. Nearly 2,000 detainees are being released. The majority 1,718 of them had been arrested in Gaza by Israeli forces during mass detentions over the two years of invasion, with an eye toward future prisoner exchanges. None, according to the Israeli government, took part in the October 7 attack that led to the war. They are being transported back to Gaza, where a welcoming committee awaits them in the southern city of Khan Yunis. Another 250 prisoners, whose release required more delicate negotiations, were serving long sentences in Israeli prisons most of them at least one life term for participating in or organizing attacks against Israelis. Of those, 154 will be deported, according to Minister of Prisoners Affairs Raed Abu al-Humus, who spoke to this newspaper from the Cultural Palace in the West Bank city of Ramallah before departing for Egypt. Eighty-eight others are being released into Ramallah, where hundreds of relatives and friends have been waiting since early morning many wearing traditional Palestinian clothing in celebration. The crowd grew so large that Palestinian authorities eventually closed the access gates. Journalists on the ground captured videos and photos showing military vehicles moving from Ofer Prison toward nearby Beitunia, where clashes were taking place. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition International organizations call on Benjamin Netanyahus government to open all border crossings with the Strip and accelerate the delivery of supplies A long line of trucks waited on the Egyptian side of the Gaza crossing Sunday, in Rafah, to head toward the only two border crossings Israel has opened for the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip: Kerem Shalom and Al Auja. Thanks to the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on Friday, 400 Egyptian Red Crescent trucks carrying supplies and another 50 carrying fuel began crossing the border by mid-afternoon. An unspecified number of vehicles from other humanitarian organizations, such as the U.N. World Food Program, also entered Gaza. Although the exact number of trucks that have entered the Gaza Strip is unknown, the figure is close to the number envisaged in the first phase of the agreement (600 per day and another 50 carrying fuel), but not quite reaching it. Images from Gaza today emerged of Gazans perched on aid trucks, celebrating their arrival with food packages in their hands. Although these heavy vehicles carrying supplies are far greater in volume than those arriving before the ceasefire came into effect, their contents remain insufficient, the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have warned. They believe a chasm separates the needs created by two years of the Israeli offensive with a declared famine in the north and 2.1 million people reduced to destitution from the aid that has begun to arrive. These supplies, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told the BBC, fell short of what is needed. Chris McIntosh, humanitarian response advisor for the NGO Oxfam in Gaza, noted that the influx of supplies must be a steady flow, which has not yet been achieved. A spokeswoman for the UN World Food Programme assured on Saturday that the promised increase in the number of trucks has not yet occurred. Humanitarian organizations have criticized, among other things, the fact that the Israeli authorities have not yet removed, or at least eased, several of the obstacles that slow down the process of bringing in aid. For example, the strict military inspection protocol for the contents of trucks. Benjamin Netanyahus government has also not ordered the opening of other border crossings especially in the particularly devastated north of the Strip that were previously used for the entry of goods and remain closed. This would facilitate the distribution of aid, as vehicles would not have to navigate the obstacle course of traveling across Gaza from south to north along its devastated roads. For the UNICEF spokesperson, what Israel needs to do is very simple: open five or six border crossings to allow up to 1,000 trucks a day to have multiple entry points into the Palestinian territory. The U.N. refugee agency (UNRWA) has also called for the opening of all border crossings into the Strip to allow a normal flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in need. Israel had authorized UN agencies on Friday to deliver aid to the Strip, starting this Sunday. At the same time that aid is increasing and steps are being taken to reestablish its traditional distribution system executed by U.N. agencies and NGOs coordinated by the United Nations the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) project, the shadowy organization created by Israel with U.S. support, appears to have begun its withdrawal from the enclave. Images circulated on social media this past weekend show the apparent dismantling of one of its distribution centers, while the other three are closed. They are located in an area from which the Israeli military has not yet withdrawn and where Palestinians are prohibited from entering. At these four food distribution sites, 2,500 Gazans were killed while seeking food, according to sources within the Gaza Strip government, which is controlled by Hamas. The GHF was precisely intended to become an alternative to the international aid system coordinated by the United Nations. Dozens of people surround one of the trucks carrying humanitarian aid that entered Gaza after the ceasefire was signed on Sunday in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) A group of Palestinians empties one of the trucks loaded with humanitarian aid in Khan Younis on Sunday. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) Dozens of people storm one of the trucks carrying humanitarian aid in Khan Younis on Sunday. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) Palestinians carry humanitarian aid packages that have entered Gaza following the signing of the ceasefire, this Sunday in Khan Younis. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) A group of Palestinians climb onto one of the trucks carrying humanitarian aid that entered Gaza after the ceasefire was signed on Sunday in Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) A humanitarian aid truck on Sunday in Khan Younis. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) Dozens of Palestinians collect humanitarian aid supplies from a truck in Khan Younis on Sunday. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) A girl after collecting food from a humanitarian aid truck on Sunday in Khan Younis. HAITHAM IMAD (EFE) Hundreds of people surround several trucks carrying humanitarian aid in Khan Younis on Sunday. Ramadan Abed (REUTERS) A question mark One of the lingering questions about the future of aid in Gaza is whether Israel will hinder UNRWAs participation in aid distribution. Israel has sought to exclude the agency from humanitarian aid, not only in Gaza but also in the other occupied Palestinian territories, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. After attempting to link UNRWA to Hamas, without providing evidence, Israel banned it from working in East Jerusalem in January and prohibited its officials from having any contact with it. Although its local employees continue to work in Gaza, the agency has yet to bring a single truck into the Strip during the three days of the ceasefire, according to spokesman Jonathan Fowler. Fowler explains by phone from one of its warehouses in Jordan that UNRWA is the humanitarian organization with the most extensive distribution network in the Gaza Strip, with 12,000 employees. The spokesperson claims that his organization has enough food to feed all Gazans for three months, which Israel has prevented UNRWA from bringing in. For decades, the agency has centralized humanitarian assistance to Gazans, more than 70% of whom are refugees. Fowler emphasizes that the U.N. Humanitarian Coordination agency (OCHA) which includes NGOs has not been directly involved in negotiating the humanitarian aspects of the ceasefire. The UN does know that an agreement has been reached to allow, in principle, the entry of 170,000 tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza, but its agencies are unaware of the details. Fowler also highlights another aspect: the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip doesnt tell the whole story. The 600 vehicles provided for in the agreement the text doesnt mention them, but refers to the minimum stipulated in the previous January ceasefire are roughly the number that entered the territory each day before the start of the Israeli offensive, which marked its second anniversary last Tuesday. The difference is that back then, the Gaza Strips agricultural fields were intact now 95% have been destroyed or are in areas occupied by the military there were herds of livestock, functioning farms, and its approximately 4,000 fishermen were working. Gaza was partially self-sufficient in terms of food. These trucks, explains the UNRWA spokesperson, would now provide the bare minimum necessary to ensure the survival of the population. In addition, he asserts, the criteria used by the Israeli authorities and the United Nations to count them are sometimes different. Israel often required that the vehicles be half-empty, to facilitate inspection of their cargo. If 100 trucks enter and Israel requires them to be half-empty, how many are counted? 100 or 50? the spokesperson asks. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition I paid a heavy price for participating in womens rights protests when the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, 2021. Months later, about 10 Taliban members surrounded my car. I was traveling with my mother, sister, brother-in-law, and nephews, ages six and 10. They beat my brother-in-law and took my 10-year-old nephew. They dragged me out of the car and hit me with their AK-47s and stun guns. They covered my eyes, put a gun to my head, and told me they would kill me if I moved. Then they locked me up. The woman speaking is the 22nd witness in the special session held this week by the Permanent Peoples Tribunal (PPT) in Madrid to document the gender apartheid imposed by the Taliban since their return to power on August 15, 2021. The preliminary verdict, based on the testimonies and evidence collected, finds the Talibans conduct constitutes crimes against humanity due to gender persecution, although the final decision of this peoples tribunal, which will be announced in December, is not binding. However, since the creation of this court in 1979 to address serious human rights violations ignored by states, its rulings have had great symbolic value and have been used to pressure parliaments and governments to promote specific political changes, Shaharzad Akbar, former president of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and director of the NGO Rawadari, one of the organizations promoting the process, told this newspaper. They dragged me out of the car and hit me with their AK-47s and stun guns. Witness 22 The voice of Witness 22, who testified in person, sometimes trembles but never breaks. She recounts with surgical precision, before the courts panel of experts, the suffering she endured during her imprisonment: the beatings, the electric shocks, and the psychological torture she was subjected to when she was forced to listen to the screams of her brother-in-law, who was also being abused in a nearby room. Her captors told her she had been sentenced to stoning. I tried to commit suicide because I thought it was better to die than to stay alive and be stoned, but I couldnt do it, she admits. She was released weeks later, forced to sign a confession and swear that she would not tell the press about her suffering. She still suffers from chronic headaches. But I want to tell my story, which is just one of thousands that women in Afghanistan have experienced and continue to experience, she tells this newspaper. Session of the Permanent People's Tribunal held in Madrid to document the gender persecution committed by the Taliban. Photo courtesy of the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS). Her testimony, along with that of dozens of other Afghan women, is part of the evidence presented by an international team of prosecutors to demonstrate that the Taliban have institutionalized the persecution of women. It is not just repression, but a crime against humanity, denounces prosecutor Benafsa Yaqoobi, a member of the group of lawyers who drafted the indictment against the 10 men who represent the core of the Talibans current power hierarchy, including its supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban as a whole, and the State of Afghanistan. No Taliban representative appeared to exercise their right to a defense. In addition to testimony, the evidence includes official documents and decrees that reflect a structure of control designed to reestablish mens absolute dominance over Afghan society. Decrees against women Since returning to power, the Taliban have issued at least 126 decrees that, according to Prosecutor Azadah Razmohammad, have deliberately stripped Afghan women and girls of their most fundamental rights. Of these, between 70 and 80 are explicitly gendered, imposing restrictions that prevent women from studying beyond primary education, working in most sectors, or traveling without a male escort. Those who dare to defy these rules, she adds, are arrested, tortured, disappeared, or even executed. The prosecutors Azadah Razmohammad and Moheb Mudessir (left) during the session of the Permanent People's Tribunal held in Madrid. Photo courtesy of Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS). I participated in many peaceful protests in Kabul demanding freedom, equality, and education for women. But during one of them, the Taliban opened fire to disperse us, witness number 21 stated, present but with her face covered. Shortly after participating in that demonstration, she was kidnapped from her workplace. They pointed their guns at me and ordered me to be silent. They covered my face and took me to an unknown location, she says. At the detention center, she was beaten, electrocuted, and subjected to psychological torture. They called me impure, told me I must repent and accept the Taliban leader as my guide or I would die like a pagan. They beat me until three of my ribs were broken. I couldnt breathe. Sometimes I thought about committing suicide because I saw no hope. Four minutes of torture left me with a wound that has been with me for four years, she says. After weeks in detention, she was released under threat: I was ordered to remain silent and obey the Talibans decrees. She eventually managed to escape to Pakistan through the Torkham border crossing. Four minutes of torture left me with a wound that Ive carried for four years. Witness 21 These acts are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a deliberate, systematic, and widespread state policy that seeks to erase women from the public sphere, Razmohammad asserts. Prosecutor Moheb Mudessir adds that the measures adopted by the Taliban meet the criteria established by the Rome Statute for crimes against humanity. The persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan is not a side effect of the regime, but its ideological core, he asserts. According to Mudessir, the strategy is so extensive that it is applied throughout Afghanistan, without exception of provinces or districts, through agencies such as the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice or the Directorate for the Supervision of Decrees, which are responsible for enforcing segregation rules. Furthermore, the repression particularly affects women from ethnic or religious minorities, victims of raids and arbitrary arrests. After an attack on a haara school, I was injured and most of my friends were killed. Testigo 11 Witness 11, an ethnic Hazara, has experienced three attacks on her school. In the last one, after the Taliban arrived, nearly 50 people were killed and she was seriously injured. It was just before the university entrance exam. I was about to take a very important step toward achieving my aspirations, but I was injured, and most of my friends were killed. After that, I couldnt continue my education because the Taliban banned us from attending university. I was forced to leave Afghanistan to survive and rebuild everything from scratch. But Im still receiving treatment as a result of that explosion and still suffer from headaches and insomnia, she says. In addition to barring their access to secondary and university education, the Taliban have banned women from working in most sectors and have restricted their access to healthcare to the point of being virtually eliminated. They can only go to clinics if accompanied by a man and only if there is a woman to assist them. Outside of Kabul, there are hardly any female doctors or nurses, says Prosecutor Yaqoobi. A doctor refused to treat me because he told me his clinic would be closed if he treated women. Witness 20 Witness 20 has been a victim of this healthcare exclusion. Getting medical care, even the most basic kind, is a challenge. During a protest I participated in after the Taliban arrived, I was stun-gunned in the arm, but a doctor refused to treat me because he told me his clinic would be closed if I treated women. Now we even have trouble going to the dentist, she says. As a result of the expulsion of women from all public, social, healthcare, and work spaces, the team of prosecutors denounces the lack of safe havens for Afghan women within their homeland. We are facing one of the most urgent and irreparable violations of international law in the world today, says Mudessir. They pointed their guns at me, hit me on the head, and didnt give me a drop of water. My children cried of thirst. Witness 3 Witness 3 confirms this with her testimony. After a life marked by physical and psychological abuse from her husband, she told the court that she decided to summon her courage and report him. I went to the police station, but the Taliban tore up my letters, beat me, and threw me out. They told me, You are a bad woman. They forced me to return to that house, which was hell for me, she testified in an audio recording. But before she could return, she was beaten and whipped in a detention center in front of her children. They pointed guns at me, hit me on the head, and didnt give me a drop of water. My children were crying of thirst, she recalls. After several attempts to escape, she managed to reach Kabul with the help of a relative who pretended to be her male guardian. A woman alone cannot travel; they asked me where my brother, my father, my uncle was I told them, They are dead. I had no one. She later managed to cross into Iran, but without her children, who were left in the care of her husband. Her latest news is that her daughter has been forced to marry an older man. I cry day and night, she sighs. And she wonders: Who listens to the voices of Afghan women? What crime have we committed? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition In his first public appearance since Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Prize, the Venezuelan president insists that Chavismo is ready to fight against the threats of imperialism Nicolas Maduro appeared at a public event on Sunday to mark October 12, a date that Chavismo the socialist movement founded by former president Hugo Chavez and continued by Maduro has renamed Indigenous Resistance Day. If you want peace, prepare to win it, declared the president, wearing a feathered headdress and carrying an Indigenous weapon on his shoulder. It was his first public statement since the announcement that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Maduro used the occasion to reiterate that the union of the military, police, and people would allow them, in his view, to defeat the threats of imperialism, referring to the U.S. military deployment off Venezuelas coasts. We dont want to be slaves of the gringos, he said. Speaking from Caracas, where he inaugurated two new statues honoring Indigenous heroes, he also called for the creation of Indigenous militias, even international ones involving other ethnic groups in the region that, he claimed, had expressed solidarity amid rising tensions with Washington. As is typical of Chavista rhetoric, Maduro did not mention Machado by name, instead referring to her through insults and avoiding any acknowledgment of the Nobel Committees decision. Ninety percent of the population rejects the demonic witch of La Sayona [a horror character from a Latin American folk legend], he said, citing a poll by Hinterlaces, a firm aligned with the government. We want peace, and we will have peace but peace with freedom, with sovereignty, independence, and equality. Not the peace of Gazas ruins or the peace of death, he added. The massive international impact of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Machado who has been in hiding for a year has been met with caution inside Venezuela. There have been no public celebrations, as the government increased repression after the July 28, 2024 elections, in which the opposition exposed alleged electoral fraud using voting records. Still, some Venezuelans say they hope the recognition will help push forward a democratic transition. Until last year, Machado was the most popular political leader Venezuela had seen in decades, with approval ratings above 80%, according to the countrys leading pollsters. She successfully transferred that support to her successor, Edmundo Gonzalez, in the presidential race from which Chavismo barred her, in violation of the Barbados Agreements and the Constitution. Her popularity mirrored the peoples strong desire for political change. She swept the opposition primaries, rising from single-digit support, and led a civic movement to obtain records of the paper vote tallies that she claims prove the oppositions victory. Despite the renewed stagnation of Venezuelas political crisis and the uncertainty following Maduros new term which he assumed without publishing the voting records Machado remains the countrys most influential opposition figure, even with diminished visibility. The Nobel Prize, awarded for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy, has given her a new boost of legitimacy and momentum. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Among voters of the mainstream conservative Popular Party (PP), more people believe the dictatorship was good than bad. And 61% of far-right Vox voters believe the democratic system is worse or much worse than Francoism ever was More than 21% of the Spanish population considers the years of Francisco Francos dictatorship (1939-1975) to have been good or very good, according to the latest CIS poll, compared to 65.5% of the population who says they were bad or very bad. Disapproval of the dictatorship is four percentage points higher among women, who needed a mans supervision to do things like open a bank account under Franco. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the dictators death, and the Spanish government has organized hundreds of events to celebrate the countrys significant transformation since then. By political sympathies, within the mainstream conservatives of the Popular Party (PP), a majority (35.4%) believes the years of the dictatorship were good, which is 4.5 percentage points more than those who believe they were bad. Among voters of the far-right Vox whose leader Santiago Abascal has stated in Congress that Spains current leftist administration is worse than the Franco dictatorship the percentage of those who believe those years were good rises to 42%. The perception about this historical period marked by a lack of freedoms changes radically depending on the voters political affiliation. Thus, the gap between Socialist voters and Vox voters who consider the Franco years to have been very bad is 58.2 points. By age, almost 20% of young people between 18 and 24 years old, who did not personally live through the dictatorship, believe it was good or very good. These percentages vary according to age: 15.9% in the 25-to-34 bracket view Francoism positively; so do 18.5% of those aged 35 to 44; 20.6% among those aged 45 to 54; 24.5% in the 55-to-64 group; 22.6% in the 65-to-74 group; and up to 25.8% of those over 75 rate it positively, although the majority overall believe it was bad or very bad. A Vox lawmaker,Manuel Mariscal, said in Congress in November that thanks to social media, a lot of youths are discovering that the period following the Civil War (1936-1939) was not one of darkness, but of progress and reconciliation to achieve national unity. Leading Spanish historians have warned about the media and political influence of authors who replicate Francoist theories in a society that has not been sufficiently taught in schools against so-called historical denialism or revisionism. Pro-Franco groups have flooded the courts with appeals against the application of Spains Historical Memory Law; they hold literary contests about Franco, and post denialist content online. On social platforms like YouTube and TikTok, videos distorting history and praising the Civil War and the dictatorship abound. A geopolitical balance of the diplomatic initiative with which the US president has scored another success after the bombing of Iran and the imposition of military and trade demands on Europe Trumps plan for Gaza faces an uncertain future, but its very inception is a significant event. Its importance lies, first and foremost, in the obvious relief it could provide to Gazan civilians subjected to a medieval siege that a United Nations commission of experts has deemed genocide on the part of Israel. But, on a second level, the plan has significant geopolitical consequences. Although its outcome is unclear, some of the dynamics crystallized by this initiative appear likely to reverberate over time. Below is a compilation of factors that should be taken into account when assessing what has happened. Donald Trump The plan contains multiple positive elements for the U.S. president. Despite deep perplexities surrounding the initiatives wording, it has garnered widespread international support not only in the region but also beyond, from Europe to Russia and India thus emerging as a diplomatic success. The process allows Trump to deflate the growing and enormous pressure that was building on the United States as a necessary accomplice to Israeli actions, which provoked enormous outrage. Furthermore, it guarantees a consolidation of relations with the Sunni authoritarian regimes in the region, furious with Israels actions, especially the bombing of Qatar. These countries are interesting allies in many ways. Economically, they possess extremely deep portfolios that can guarantee, for example, arms purchases that would have been severely affected had they not perceived Washington as putting a stop to Israel. The crisis will undoubtedly spur an instinct for diversification in these countries, but the plan contains underlying anxieties. The initiative must also be framed within the context of the U.S. attack on Iran the material outcome of which is difficult to clarify, but which in geopolitical terms has been a success, given the fluidity of the strike and the negligible Iranian reaction. Those outraged by Washingtons support for Israel will not forget it, but in geopolitical terms, the entire move reaffirms the centrality of the U.S. in the region and in the world. If we add to these achievements the agreement by NATO members to raise military spending to 5% of GDP, and the trade agreement imposed on the Europeans, Trump has notched considerable success in his first nine months as president. Benjamin Netanyahu For the Israeli prime minister, the plan has been a bitter pill to swallow, symbolized by the humiliating apology to Qatar from the White House for the attack on Hamas targets on its territory complete with a photograph of the forced contrition. The plan, on the other hand, contains some uncomfortable elements, such as the reference to two states and the rejection of ideas of annexation, colonization, or ethnic cleansing. But these annoyances are insubstantial or marginal. The substance is a plan that closely resembles what Netanyahu wanted: the return of the hostages, the capitulation of Hamas, no real obligation to withdraw completely from Gaza, and no commitment of any kind to Palestinian rights. Considering that the end of Israels legislative term is drawing near, 12 months away, its reasonable to assume that Netanyahu would have preferred to avoid starting the campaign with the hostages still in Gaza and amid an ongoing full-throttle military operation, which, in addition to consolidating his hold on power, is also causing fatigue in Israeli society. Netanyahu knows that the only thing standing between Israel and complete pariah status is U.S. support. He couldnt afford to take the excessive risk of angering Trump, and hes come up with a plan that commits him to little and offers him many possibilities. His record of broken commitments for example, the withdrawal from Lebanon, where Israeli forces remain ensconced in half a dozen locations leaves no doubt that he will maneuver to do only what is in his own best interest. Hamas The plan is essentially a diktat of capitulation. It demands the release of the hostages Hamas only asset the surrender of weapons, the renunciation of participation in political management, the acceptance of an international stabilization force, and international supervision of the day-to-day management of Gaza with colonial overtones. All this in exchange only for a promise that Israeli fire will cease. Hamas has emerged deeply wounded from this entire conflict. The human suffering has been immense. The so-called Axis of Resistance is on its knees. The collapse of the normalization process between the Sunni regimes and Israel has been far from definitive. Its leadership is headless and fragmented, internationally isolated. The plan is nothing more than a confirmation of Hamas absolute weakness. This does not preclude the possibility that, in the future, the hatred fueled by Israels abuses will breathe new life into the idea that Hamas represents, and that, in the immediate future, like Netanyahu, the party-militia will avoid unfavorable compromises. But there is no doubt that the plan is an affirmation of defeat. Palestinian Authority The Palestinian Authority is severely affected by the plan, as it is expressly excluded from the transitional governing body in Gaza. The agreement also contains no explicit reference to safeguards regarding the West Bank. That said, at the very least, the initiative represents an improvement over the past for all Palestinians, not only because it promotes a ceasefire, but because it crystallizes a shift away from the undisguised ethnic cleansing that was embedded in Trumps vision for the Riviera of the Middle East. Sunni Arabs For them, the plan contains some assets, and their support is based on these. First, because it puts a stop to a massacre that put them in a very uncomfortable position with their own citizens, who watched indignantly as their leaders did little or nothing. Second, although partial, Trumps pressure on Netanyahu after the Qatar attack represents a valuable reaffirmation of the U.S. commitment to regional alliances. The stabilization of the region is also a fundamental prerequisite for the development of the economic transformation plans upon which everyone and especially Saudi Arabia is relying to safeguard their future in the face of the likely decline in oil revenues. Their role in the crisis is seriously flawed, and exposed limitations and weaknesses. But the plan itself opens the way to a perspective that is probably more interesting for them than the critical phase of the last two years. The Axis of Resistance The plan is yet another humiliation for the Axis of Resistance. After the military defeats of Iran and Hezbollah, and the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, this diplomatic initiative, which overwhelms Hamas by failing to guarantee rights for Palestinians and uniting Sunni and European countries around it, is a true calamity for its geopolitical interests. Europe For the European Union, the plan is proof of its complete irrelevance in the region, after its inaction exposed it to criticism over its moral double standards. Some governments, especially those of Germany and Italy, may benefit from a pause in violence to gain respite from public opinion, which has been strongly mobilized against their passivity. But for Europe as a whole, the conflict represents an extremely unfortunate geopolitical period of impotence and paralysis. China For Beijing, the plan is not a favorable development either. Immersed in a zero-sum game with Washington, it reaped a certain geopolitical advantage from having the U.S. isolated in its staunch support for Israel and worn down by widespread international disdain for that stance. Trumps move alters that path and reaffirms its centrality in the region, which China has tried to challenge in recent years. For example, by mediating the thaw between Saudi Arabia and Iran. But the crisis and the plan have exposed the still significant limitations of its capacity and will to exert influence in the region. And if the region stabilizes, the U.S. will have greater room to pivot its attention toward the Asia-Pacific. UN The United Nations was unable to provide the place where the solution was developed. Previously, its agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) was the victim of a boycott fueled by unfounded accusations from Israel. The entire crisis, and now Trumps initiative, do not reflect well on the organization. At least despite the U.S. presidents usual diatribes the plan recognizes its role in the distribution of aid in Gaza and, although only occasionally, the General Assembly has been a space for facilitating diplomacy. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The plan to hasten the Venezuelan leaders downfall with a naval deployment in the Caribbean and a campaign of extrajudicial attacks on alleged drug boats has raised questions about what could come next Ten warships in total, including three destroyers, an amphibious assault ship, a missile cruiser, and a nuclear-powered submarine, along with around 10,000 troops. The U.S. Navy deployment, ordered in August by Donald Trump in the area under the U.S. Southern Commands influence, is almost unprecedented in the Caribbean and faces an equally unusual adversary: Venezuelan drug cartels. A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. president informed Congress without allowing for debate that the country has entered into a war against drug cartels. So far, the reported casualties are modest compared to what such a show of force mobilizing 14% of the U.S. Navy deployed worldwide might suggest: four boats allegedly sent by drug cartels, which Washington accuses of drug trafficking, were destroyed in separate extrajudicial operations, with authorities offering no evidence beyond videos showing the moments when the vessels were blown up. At least 21 people have been killed in these operations, four of whom Bogota claims as Colombian citizens. Trumps offensive in the Caribbean has raised tensions in the region and fueled suspicions that this is about more than just reviving the drug war that once defined Washingtons policy in Latin America. This isnt about ending drug trafficking, but rather about bringing about a change of regime a deeply corrupt and criminal regime and making sure the move costs Washington as little as possible, Christopher Sabatini, senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, explained in a telephone conversation on Friday. Sabatini described the White House strategy as gunboat diplomacy. The goal, he explained, is to intimidate the officials and military surrounding [Venezuelan President Nicolas] Maduro into letting him fall. It involves abandoning the same costly peaceful processes, that it should be noted earned [opposition leader] Maria Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize. Juan Gonzalez, the Biden administrations Latin America adviser, agreed with that assessment last week. The deployment is vastly disproportionate to any real counter-narcotics mission. So this really looks, walks and talks like a regime change preparation, he told CNN. Second phase The first phase of that offensive consists of the four extrajudicial military operations that Trump and his secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, announced on social media. For Sabatini, they are worrying for three reasons: They expand the presidents executive power by inventing a new threat narcoterrorism that requires an armed response; they ignore due process by blowing up boats without providing evidence of the identity of the crew or the cargo; and they exaggerate Venezuelas role in the flow of drugs to the United States, since there is no evidence fentanyl is produced there and, according to official statistics, only about 5% of cocaine comes from Venezuela, said the expert, who added that the destroyed boats do not have the range to reach the U.S. coast. They are probably heading to an intermediate point. Which one? We dont know, he said. Those uncertainties have not stopped the narrative promoted by Trump who in February included several cartels, among them the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua, on the State Departments list of terrorist organizations as a precursor to declaring war on them from spreading the claim in recent days that each of those boats carried enough drugs to kill 25,000 or 50,000 Americans. Theres a lot of theater in these attacks, and in the military deployment even a nuclear submarine! said Moises Naim, a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace and one of the most influential Venezuelans in Washington. Its like a staged scene, a context that serves to justify subsequent actions. Last Sunday, Trump himself admitted that the operation against alleged drug trafficking would enter phase two, arguing that the strikes had stopped boats carrying drugs. Well look at what phase two is, he said, later adding, for the sake of clarification, that it would continue on land. Its impossible to know what form [this operation] will take. It may focus on dismantling criminal networks and sites in Venezuela ports or airports involved in drug trafficking, said Sabatini. It wont be an armed invasion with thousands of soldiers, as some might wish, added Naim. It will be surgical, selective, precise, and technological. I just hope that Machados Nobel Prize makes [Trump and his team] rethink their approach. Venezuelan opposition leader Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela. She led a movement to collect the paper voter tallies from the 2024 election, which allegedly showed that the opposition had won the vote, contrary to Maduros claims allegations accepted by most of the international community. In an inteview with EL PAIS on Friday following the Nobel announcement, she said: We are facing the real possibility that Venezuela will truly free itself and move toward a transition that will be orderly, because 90% of the population wants the same thing. Dont tell us this could be Libya, Afghanistan, or Iraq this has nothing to do with those cases, she said, referring to other disastrous U.S. interventions abroad; a pattern that Trump promised during his campaign he would not repeat. Venezuelans attend a rally in support of Nicolas Maduro in Caracas Leonardo Fernandez Viloria (REUTERS) But experts consulted in Washington are less certain that there will be an orderly democratic trainsition. There is also the widespread belief that the Trump administration is trying to finish what it started in 2019. And its being carried out by almost the same actors. Besides the president, theres Marco Rubio, warned Alexander Main, director of international relations at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Back in 2019, Rubio was a senator able to whisper in Trumps ear about Latin America. Today, he has become one of the most powerful figures in the White House, serving both as secretary of state and national security adviser. The two were at odds during the 2016 campaign, but then reached a compromise: Rubio would help him mobilize Florida Republicans in exchange for support for his vision for [what in Washington is called] the Western Hemisphere, said Main. During Trumps first administration, pressure on Venezuela came first through sanctions, then with support for Juan Guaido, in what Sabatini calls that fanciful idea of setting up a legitimate parallel government. I think Trump is still embarrassed for having invited [Guaido] to the 2019 State of the Union address, he adds. At the time, Washingtons calculation that this would make the Chavista regime collapse like a house of cards failed. Main fears that the lessons from that experience were not learned. I think Rubio and Trump are once again confident that a brief military intervention will bring down Maduro, when the consequences of something like this are unpredictable. Most Venezuelans, even if they are fed up with their president, are not in favor of a U.S. intervention. Last week, Trump ordered, in another display of aggressive foreign policy that has produced uneven results in Gaza and Ukraine, the halt of all diplomatic contacts with Venezuela, after months in which Maduro facing his most difficult days tried unsuccessfully to appease Washington by offering dominant participation in the countrys oil and mineral resources, according to The New York Times on Friday. The Venezuelan president also promised to distance the country commercially from China, Russia, and Iran, his current partners, who had provided funds to mitigate the impact of international sanctions. The White House rejected the proposal. Moreover, in August, it doubled the bounty to $50 million for any information leading to Maduros capture, whom Washington considers the leader of a narco-state. The order to cut diplomatic ties was directed mainly at Richard Grenell, Trumps envoy in the region, who has some rapport with Jorge Rodriguez, Maduros top political operator. According to sources close to the Chavista leadership, the Venezuelan president was not as submissive as Washington would like to believe. In any case, the diplomatic channel is broken, except for the part in which Venezuela continues to receive flights returning deported migrants from the U.S. about 10,000 since February. On the streets of Caracas, accustomed to 25 years of Chavista uncertainty, the same doubts heard in Washington offices are echoed: no one knows what the extraordinary U.S. naval mobilization will bring. Or perhaps its that most people prefer not to comment on Machados Nobel Prize either. Better not to get into trouble. Pro-Maduro mural in Caracas. Ariana Cubillos (AP) Chavismo, for its part, is keeping the armed forces busy with almost weekly military exercises and has ordered all public institutions to decorate buildings and offices with Christmas ornaments, making it harder to define the mood in the country. Meanwhile, Maduro continues with his schedule of activities: inaugurating hospitals, signing a state of emergency decree for external unrest (granting him virtually unlimited powers that he already holds), and even receiving an honorary doctorate. Around public buildings, corners have been reinforced with pairs of soldiers equipped with riot gear. Security rings around the Miraflores Palace, the presidential residence, have been expanded, and concrete barriers have been placed at the main access road to the capital from Maiquetia International Airport, to be moved if needed to block the passage of enemies, according to a soldier who spoke to Venezuelan state media. The greatest military mobilization, however, is in the coastal areas. In Zulia and Sucre, which are home to key drug distribution hubs, fears of drone airstrikes are spreading. Theres fear in the streets; people are expecting something, said a resident of the Costa Oriental del Lago de Maracaibo. Panic buying (and stockpiling supplies) is the immediate reaction in Venezuela to the escalating political conflict a habit dating back to years when long lines were the norm for basic provisions. Despite the tension, given the rising cost and economic decline, most Venezuelans for now are just concerned with daily survival. Amid this scenario, there are no signs that Maduro is willing to relinquish power as part of negotiations, according to a source close to Chavismo. Resistance has become a way of life for a country that has endured devastating economic crises almost like a nation at war surviving as best it can under international sanctions. The U.S. fleet stationed in the Caribbean represents a real threat, but Maduro and his team appear prepared to push the situation to the limit, waiting to see if Trump dares to take a decisive step. Time, however, is not entirely on Trumps side, as critical voices about the U.S. presidents gunboat diplomacy grow in Washington. On Wednesday, the Senate narrowly rejected (48-51) an initiative by Democrats Adam Schiff and Tim Kaine that would have stopped Caribbean attacks before the 60-day deadline Trump set for himself under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. So by early November, he would have to halt these military operations. If he decides to continue attacking ships without congressional authorization, then he would be breaking the law, said Katherine Yon Ebright, from the Brennan Center for Justice, affiliated with New York University. Ebright adds that the law also allows the president to request an additional 30 days to withdraw U.S. forces from the conflict zone in other words, the waters that now host an extraordinary U.S. naval deployment, with few precedents in the recent history of the Caribbean. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Cameroonian President Paul Biya casts his ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Yaounde, Cameroon, Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. (Xinhua/Kepseu) YAOUNDE, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. Voting began at 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and will end at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT). Voters are choosing between incumbent President Paul Biya and nine opposition candidates. According to the country's Electoral Code, the results of the election will be proclaimed by the Constitutional Council within no more than 15 days after the close of the poll. The Electoral Code stipulates a single round of voting, where the candidate with the most votes wins, without the need for a majority. Voting is still up in the air in the restive Southwest and Northwest Anglophone regions, where armed separatists have vowed to disrupt the polls, an ELECAM official in the Southwest told Xinhua. A voter fills in his ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Buea, Cameroon, Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. (Photo by Muleng Timngum/Xinhua) A voter casts her ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Yaounde, Cameroon, Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. (Xinhua/Kepseu) Voters get ballots at a polling station during the presidential election in Yaounde, Cameroon, Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. (Xinhua/Kepseu) A voter casts his ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Yaounde, Cameroon, Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. (Xinhua/Kepseu) A voter puts a thumbprint on a document before casting a ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Yaounde, Cameroon, Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. (Xinhua/Kepseu) A voter casts his ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Buea, Cameroon, Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election started early on Sunday as voters queued up outside polling stations across the country. According to the Cameroonian electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), more than 8 million voters are set to cast their votes in over 31,000 polling stations. (Photo by Muleng Timngum/Xinhua) SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. President Donald J. Trump correctly designated Antifa a domestic-terrorist group. "Individuals associated with and acting on behalf of Antifa further coordinate with other organizations and entities for the purpose of spreading, fomenting, and advancing political violence," his September 22 executive order declared. "This organized effort designed to achieve policy objectives by coercion and intimidation is domestic terrorism." "Not so fast!" the Trump-hating Left responds. They consider Antifa, at worst, Boy Scouts in a bad mood. The Atlantic's Tom Nichols dismissed Antifa-led chaos in Portland, Oregon, as the work of "costumed pranksters." Elsewhere, an Atlantic headline giggled: "Portland's 'War Zone' Is Like Burning Man for the Terminally Online." "Antifa isn't an organization!" MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle insisted Wednesday. That night, CNN's Erin Burnett claimed that "Antifa-linked violence is rare and limited." Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (D - Oregon) denied the mayhem that ANTIFA currently perpetrates in Portland. "Many of my constituents have been engaged for quite a long time," Dexter shrugged. "Most of them are middle-aged women who are just trying to bear witness." "They're not bearing witness. They're bearing arms," Fox News' Jesse Watters observed Thursday evening. Citing a recent, locally shot video, he added: "This middle-aged woman's packing a machete." An October 8 White House fact sheet stripped the varnish that Left-wing apologists have slathered all over Antifa: "It's like a war zone. There are times I've had to have a gas mask on inside my own home," says a resident near the ICE facility under siege in south Portland. "I only come out during the day. You see all the black-covered Antifa people aren't here. They come with the night," says another Portland resident. Since early JuneThe terrorists have violently breached the facility by using a stop sign as a battering ram, hurled explosives and projectiles, burned American flags, viciously assaulted, attacked, and injured officers, doxed officers, berated neighbors, and even rolled out a guillotine. In May 2024, an "Antifa anarchist movement" took credit for burning more than a dozen Portland Police Bureau training vehicles. In May 2022, Antifa members deployed smoke grenades, paint-filled balloons, and fireworks to break up a campaign event for a Republican political candidate. In January 2021, more than 100 Antifa demonstrators attacked Portland police and vandalized property, with some armed with knives and long poles. In August 2020, a self-described Antifa militant shot and killed a Patriot Prayer supporter during a riot in Portland, then was later killed after he brandished a weapon while law enforcement attempted to apprehend him on murder charges. In 2020, Antifa terrorists led 100 days of carnage and violence in Portland in which they rioted, looted, burned buildings, bludgeoned officers, deployed power tools and commercial-grade fireworks as weapons, and attempted to destroy a local courthouse. "Rare and limited." Really? Also on Wednesday, President Trump, well, presided at a White House conference on Antifa. Independent journalists detailed the potentially fatal dangers of covering these bloodthirsty criminals. "I have been infiltrating Antifa cells in Seattle and Portland for the past decade," said The Post-Millennial's Katie Daviscourt. "Antifa uses extreme political violence to crush the civil rights of their political enemies." She added: "Today, I'm sitting here with a black eye and a concussion after being violently hit in the face with a metal pole while reporting outside the ICE facility." "I was ambushed in a mob beating," while scrutinizing Antifa in 2019, journalist Andy Ngo remembered. "I was bleeding out of my eyes and ears." He continued: "I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and CT scan, and I had subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is bleeding in the brain and nearly died." Antifa thugs typically wear black and don masks. They recall white-clad Klansmen with hooded faces. Coincidence? Nope. Just as the Ku Klux Klan was the post-bellum Democrat Party's ruthless enforcement arm, Antifa is today's neo-Marxist Democrat Party's militant wing. No wonder the Left treats these domestic terrorists so gingerly. 2025 Deroy Murdock A vendor waits for customers at a temporary market in southern Khartoum, Sudan, Oct. 11, 2025.(Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) KHARTOUM, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- In war-torn Khartoum, where traditional markets once bustled with life before being reduced to rubble, new temporary markets have emerged on the city's outskirts -- offering not just goods, but hope. After several major markets in the capital were destroyed in the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), traders relocated to the city's outskirts, creating what some call "shadow markets," while others refer to them as "markets of hope." In southern Khartoum, a temporary market has sprung up without electricity, storage facilities, or reliable scales, but the austere setup hasn't dampened people's enthusiasm for coming. "I lost everything, but I can't just sit and do nothing," Jadallah Ahmed Suleiman, a trader, told Xinhua. "Through these temporary markets, we're trying to restart our trade. From these worn-out tables, we will begin our lives anew," he added. Amina Mohamed, a widow and mother of five, describes the temporary market in southern Khartoum as more than just a source of income. "This market is not just a place to sell -- it's a center of small-scale economic life. Women sit on the ground selling vegetables, fruits, and spices, while young men hand out tissues and bottles of water to passersby. Even children sometimes take part in selling," she told Xinhua. "It gives meaning to everyone's life." Echoing the mother's sentiment, fruit and vegetable vendor Mohamed Ahmed Bashir said, "This market gave me back a sense of belonging. Despite the destruction that hit Khartoum, we are alive again." Under a worn-out canvas cover sits Haj Omer, a man in his sixties who once owned a large shop before it was consumed by fire in the early days of the war. Today, he lays out his goods on a small wooden table he built himself. "Money is important, but what's more important is the feeling that I still contribute to my life and to my family," he says with a tired smile. "Every bundle of onions I sell, every customer who walks by, is a small victory against the destruction. The market is my second home. The sounds of the weighing scale and the voices of customers tell us that Khartoum is rising again," he told Xinhua. In another corner of the temporary market, under a modest canopy, stands Mohamed Omer Abbakar, a university student working part-time selling juices and cold water. "This market is no longer just a place to sell -- it has become a school of life, where everyone cooperates, young and old, men and women, to share the resources left and to revive hope," he said. For Hassan Ali, a social activist, the temporary markets offer more than a means of survival -- they test the community's resilience. "If people here can endure, the entire city can rise again. These markets have become a living model of recovery," he said. "They may be temporary in form, but permanent in meaning. They reflect people's determination to restore daily life and redefine hope in a city learning to rebuild its future," Ali noted. Sudan remains gripped by a broader conflict between the SAF and paramilitary RSF, which erupted in April 2023. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, further deepening the country's humanitarian crisis. Vendors are seen at a temporary market in southern Khartoum, Sudan, Oct. 11, 2025.(Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) Vendors are seen at a temporary market in southern Khartoum, Sudan, Oct. 11, 2025.(Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) This photo shows a scene at a temporary market in southern Khartoum, Sudan, Oct. 11, 2025.(Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua) This photo released on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a hostage reception point set up by the Israeli military near the Gaza Border. (IDF/Handout via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. The prisoners were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross before being transferred to Israeli forces in Gaza. Seven hostages were freed in the initial group of the remaining 20 still held in Gaza, with the rest expected to be released later on Monday. The Israeli military said in a statement that it was prepared to receive the hostages. A military helicopter landed at a base near the Gaza border, from where the hostages will be taken for medical checkups at hospitals in central Israel. Red Cross vehicles arrived at the Ofer Prison near Ramallah, from where about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners would be released later on Monday as part of the swap. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. During his brief visit, he will address the Israeli parliament and meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hostage families. Following the visit, Trump is expected to depart for an international summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheik, which is set to start on Monday to consolidate the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and advance a broader Middle East process. This photo released on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a hostage reception point set up by the Israeli military near the Gaza Border. Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. (IDF/Handout via Xinhua) This photo released on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a hostage reception point set up by the Israeli military near the Gaza Border. Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. (IDF/Handout via Xinhua) People watch live broadcasting of the release of hostages on a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2025. Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) People watch live broadcasting of the release of hostages on a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2025. Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) People watch live broadcasting of the release of hostages on a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2025. Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua) U.S. President Donald Trump waves from his vehicle as he departs the White House for the Middle East, in Washington, D.C., the United States, Oct. 12, 2025. Trump is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. During his brief visit, he will address the Israeli parliament and meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hostage families. Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) U.S. President Donald Trump waves from his vehicle as he departs the White House for the Middle East, in Washington, D.C., the United States, Oct. 12, 2025. Trump is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. During his brief visit, he will address the Israeli parliament and meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hostage families. Hamas on Monday morning began releasing the first batch of hostages who had been held in Gaza for more than two years, as part of a major prisoner swap under a newly implemented ceasefire, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported. (Xinhua/Hu Yousong) Cambodian and Chinese officials attend a hand-over ceremony of dental treatment chairs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Oct. 13, 2025. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday donated two sets of state-of-the-art dental treatment chairs to Cambodia to help improve the quality of oral healthcare services for Cambodian children. The donation was from the Hainan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-Hainan) to the National Pediatric Hospital of Cambodia via the Doctor Alliance of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia. Heng Sokkung, secretary of state for Cambodia's Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, and head of the Doctor Alliance of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, said during a handover ceremony that the donation was a new testament to China's contribution to supporting the provision of quality oral care services to Cambodian children. "I'd like to express my profound thanks to CDC-Hainan, this is not the first time, for having made donation to support Cambodia's medical sector," he said. "Cambodia and China are 'iron-clad' friends. We are good friends, partners and brothers, who have always provided mutual support in all circumstances," he added. Sokkung said China's assistance has not only helped modernize the health sector, but also protected the well-being of the Cambodian people, contributing to building an all-weather Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era. Nhip Angkeabos, director of the National Pediatric Hospital of Cambodia, expressed his sincere thanks to China for always supporting the development of healthcare services in the Southeast Asian country. "This donation will contribute to improving the quality and effectiveness of dental care services for children," he said. Lin Yingzi, secretary of the Party Committee of the CDC-Hainan, and Chen Cong, minister-counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, attended the handover ceremony. Cambodian and Chinese officials attend a hand-over ceremony of dental treatment chairs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Oct. 13, 2025. China on Monday donated two sets of state-of-the-art dental treatment chairs to Cambodia to help improve the quality of oral healthcare services for Cambodian children. The donation was from the Hainan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-Hainan) to the National Pediatric Hospital of Cambodia via the Doctor Alliance of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) Cambodian and Chinese officials pose for photos during a hand-over ceremony of dental treatment chairs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Oct. 13, 2025. China on Monday donated two sets of state-of-the-art dental treatment chairs to Cambodia to help improve the quality of oral healthcare services for Cambodian children. The donation was from the Hainan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-Hainan) to the National Pediatric Hospital of Cambodia via the Doctor Alliance of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports logged a double-digit fall in the first 10 days of October owing to fewer business days, customs office data showed Monday. Exports ran to 12.97 billion U.S. dollars in the Oct. 1 to 10 period, down 15.2 percent compared to the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service. The double-digit reduction was attributed to a decrease in working days, which retreated by two days in the cited period on the back of the Chuseok holiday, the South Korean version of Thanksgiving Day. The daily average export jumped 33.2 percent to 3.70 billion dollars in the 10 days. Semiconductor export surged 47.0 percent to 4.51 billion dollars, and oil products shipment gained 6.2 percent to 1.21 billion dollars. Exports for ships, steel, cars, mobile devices, auto parts, computers, precision machinery and home appliances dipped in double figures. Imports plunged 22.8 percent from a year earlier to 13.49 billion dollars in the first 10 days of October, sending the trade deficit to 527 million dollars. Imports for crude oil and coal advanced in double figures, but those for natural gas, chips, semiconductor equipment, machinery, cars and mobile devices recorded a double-digit decrease in the cited period. by Xinhua writers Wu Yue, Chen Dongshu MALE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- From above, the new terminal building of Velana International Airport gleams like a flowing ribbon along the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Its wave-like facade and smooth, sand-colored tones echo the beaches and sea breeze of the Maldives, blending seamlessly with the island landscape. Nearby, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge extends gracefully across the channel, together forming a striking silhouette of the Maldivian capital. Built by China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC), the new terminal was officially inaugurated in July this year. On July 26 -- part of celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Maldives' independence -- President Mohamed Muizzu unveiled the terminal, calling it a "landmark achievement for the nation's future." For Maldivians, the project fulfills a long-cherished dream. "As an island nation, airports mean everything to us," said Ibrahim Ali Habeeb, deputy chief officer at the Projects Department of Maldives Airports Company Limited. "They connect us to the world -- to every corner of the globe. Many Maldivians see the airport as a symbol of our independence and freedom." Habeeb said that the old terminal, opened in 1981, had long fallen behind growing passenger demand. "For years, our people have hoped for a modern terminal. Now, with help from our Chinese friends, that dream has come true," he said. Li Xingfu, project manager from the CHEC, recalled that Maldivian people attach full expectations to the new airport building. "Whenever I took a taxi in Male, drivers would notice my uniform and ask, 'How's the new terminal going? Will it open soon?'" Li said with a smile. "Now, after it's opened, I ask them, 'Have you seen it yet?' And they often reply, 'Yes, it's beautiful! We're proud of it!'" The new terminal has greatly enhanced the Maldives' capacity as a global tourist destination. With its commissioning, Velana International Airport's annual passenger capacity has soared from 2 million to over 7 million. Equipped with an intelligent baggage handling system, streamlined customs clearance, and integrated counters for international-to-seaplane transfers, the terminal delivers a smoother and more efficient travel experience. According to Habeeb, the Maldives welcomed nearly 2 million international tourists in 2024, pushing the old terminal to its limits. "This year, arrivals are expected to grow by around 10 percent," he said. "The new terminal closes the gap that once held us back, enabling our tourism and our economy to grow faster and stronger." He added that many visitors have commented that the new terminal leaves a remarkable first impression of the Maldives. "It will play a key role in shaping and elevating the Maldivian tourism brand -- and I'm confident it will inspire pride across our country," Habeeb said. For Wassil Hanna, deputy project director of the airport expansion at Saudi Binladin Group, the project was his first collaboration with a Chinese company -- and an unforgettable one. "Professional, efficient, and reliable -- that's how I would describe the Chinese team," he said. "They bring together seasoned managers and young, creative engineers. That combination gives them incredible resilience in complex projects." Under the guidance of Chinese engineers, a host of advanced technologies were applied to the project. Low-emissivity glass walls reduce heat transfer while maintaining natural light, cutting building energy use. Jet-flow air outlets, optimized for the humid coastal climate, ensure stable air-conditioning performance and passenger comfort. An intelligent visual docking guidance system replaces manual marshaling, achieving fully automated aircraft guidance. "The materials we used meet the highest safety standards while lowering costs," Li noted. "This project carries the mark of Chinese standards, Chinese innovation, and Chinese efficiency -- all shared with the world." Habeeb emphasized that the new terminal combines technological sophistication with cultural respect. "Chinese engineering met Maldivian tradition -- from modern systems to locally inspired carvings, the new terminal stands as a perfect example of people-to-people connection and cultural convergence between China and the Maldives," he said. President Muizzu has repeatedly praised the project and the Chinese team behind it. At a recent National Day reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Maldives, he once again mentioned China's support for the country's development. The deep friendship between the two nations is built not only on concrete and steel, but on the bonds of mutual respect and solidarity between the peoples, Muizzu said. Women visit "Heritage Blossoms, Women Shine", a special exhibition celebrating the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun) A woman visits "Heritage Blossoms, Women Shine", a special exhibition celebrating the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) A female journalist records a video during "Heritage Blossoms, Women Shine", a special exhibition celebrating the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A woman views an exhibit during "Heritage Blossoms, Women Shine", a special exhibition celebrating the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Attendees of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women pose for a group photo at special exhibition "Heritage Blossoms, Women Shine" in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) "Dunhuang is one of the highest points of heritage protection for many years already." As the Global Mayors Dialogue was held in China's Dunhuang, representatives shared their impressions of the city and its cultural heritage. The accession ceremony of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts (Volumes II and III) is held at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) CHANGSHA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, with their return resulting from cooperation between Chinese and U.S. cultural institutions. The second and third volumes of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts, precious cultural artifacts dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), were on Monday officially repatriated to Hunan Province in central China. They will be permanently archived in the Hunan Museum in Changsha, the provincial capital. These manuscripts, which were taken from a Chu-state tomb by tomb raiders at the Zidanku site in Changsha in 1942, consist of three volumes: "Sishi Ling," "Wuxing Ling" and "Gongshou Zhan." They are a systematic record of astronomy, calendars, cosmology and military divination from China's pre-Qin period. The silk manuscripts are the earliest examples of silk text discovered to date and form the oldest classical Chinese book in the true sense. They were smuggled out of China in 1946. At the accession ceremony of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts (Volumes II and III) on Monday, National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) head Rao Quan said the return of the manuscripts is a significant achievement stemming from years of Sino-U.S. cultural and museum cooperation, and an example for international cooperation endeavors regarding artifact restitution. Rao said the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts serve as invaluable physical artifacts for the study of philology, bibliography, intellectual history and the history of calligraphy. They provide key documentary evidence for research into early Chinese civilization and cultural forms. Chase Robinson, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in the United States, said the transfer of these artifacts follows several months of thoughtful discussion. It also continues the century-long partnership between the museum and Chinese cultural institutions Through Sino-U.S. cooperation concerning the return of cultural property, the "Wuxing Ling" and "Gongshou Zhan" volumes were returned to China by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art this year, arriving in Beijing on May 18. Duan Xiaoming, curator of the Hunan Museum, said the return of the silk manuscripts will enable the Hunan Museum to integrate the returned volumes with its existing collection -- which includes the only original fragment of the Zidanku manuscripts, as well as a large number of other Chu-state cultural relics. "This will help us build a more systematic and in-depth research, interpretation and exhibition framework for Chu-state culture," he said. The owner of the tomb at the Zidanku site in Changsha is believed to have been a noble of the late Warring States period from the State of Chu. Other artifacts, including silk fabrics, pottery and jade objects were also found in the tomb. The only remaining fragment of the Zidanku manuscripts in China is housed at the Hunan Museum. The fragment measures 4.6 cm in length and 2.7 cm in width. It contains three lines of red boundary marks, with 17 visible black characters, 14 of which are legible. Yu Yanjiao, a researcher at the Hunan Museum, said the returned manuscripts consist of 132 pieces or sets and the contents include auspicious and inauspicious dates in four seasons and 12 months of a year, as well as directions, dates and hours for attacking and defending cities. The returned manuscripts underwent 14 days of environmental adaptation observation after their arrival at the Hunan Museum on Sept. 10. Following a non-destructive evaluation, they are now stored in a temperature-controlled and humidity-controlled environment. A team of experts is scientifically researching a microbial disinfection plan and conducting simulation experiments to ensure that the sterilization process does not damage the material or ink of these manuscripts. Hunan Museum has also completed standardized imaging of all the silk manuscripts, discovering over 40 previously imperceptible ink characters on one piece of silk that had not fully separated. Hunan Museum will conduct in-depth non-destructive testing, using techniques like hyperspectral imaging and X-ray fluorescence surface scanning to carry out scientific restoration and comprehensive digital archiving of the silk manuscripts to ensure full and sustainable protection of these relics. At the same time, via an improved collaboration mechanism, the museum will ensure that American scholars can receive timely updates on research progress, thus enabling them to explore paths of relic preservation and study. Additionally, Hunan Museum plans to curate a special exhibition, using digital technology, to present the intricate details of the silk manuscripts, the interpretation of the texts and their content, allowing visitors to gain a more direct and profound understanding. Rao said that China will continue to work with U.S. cultural and academic communities, deepening joint research, increasing cultural exchanges and enriching academic outcomes. Staff members prepare to conduct standardized image collection of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 11, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Staff members transfer a box containing the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at Changsha South Railway Station in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 10, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Experts verify the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 11, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Staff members open the boxes containing the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 11, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) The accession ceremony of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts (Volumes II and III) is held at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 13, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows part of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) Journalists take images of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 13, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows part of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows part of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) NANJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition on China's resumption of its sovereignty over Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao opened in east China on Monday, marking the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The exhibition in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, recounts the history of the two regions, including the fact that China's Qing Dynasty government ceded Taiwan to Japan under the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. It also highlights that China's resumption of its sovereignty over Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao -- known as the South China Sea islands in English -- after World War II, is an integral part of the post-war international order. Zhu Feng, executive director of Nanjing University's Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies, said that China has managed Taiwan and Nanhai Zhudao since ancient times, and the resumption of its sovereignty over the regions was in accordance with international legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation. Zhu called on all parties to respect and remember history, as certain countries deny China's sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and are attempting to occupy the region, and the United States is exploiting the South China Sea issue to contain China. "The exhibition aims to encourage more countries to draw experience from history, handle the complex South China Sea issue properly, and work together to promote peace, cooperation and development in Asia," he said. Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, said that countries bordering the South China Sea should work together to uphold the post-war international order, reject external interference, and advance consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC). The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which was signed by China and ASEAN member states in 2002, outlines the most important principles in the management of disputes related to the South China Sea. Consultations on the COC involving China and ASEAN member states were launched in 2013. Both the DOC and the COC are aimed at safeguarding peace and stability in the region. Organized by Nanjing University, the exhibition showcases maps, books, images and other historical materials. Nearly 100 experts and scholars attended its opening. The Global Leaders Meeting on Women is underway in Beijing from October 13 to 14, garnering widespread global attention. "The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted 30 years ago at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, have provided a roadmap for all countries. We appreciate China for initiating and consistently advancing relevant initiatives," said Amal Ammar, president of Egypt's National Council for Women, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua ahead of the meeting. She noted that China's achievements in women's causes serve as a model, expressing anticipation that "China's solutions" will help address the risks and challenges facing global women's causes. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. When I was a boy taking piano lessons, one thing above all was guaranteed to frustrate my teacher. My fingers would land on the same wrong keys for the seventh or eighth time in a row and Mrs. Feigenbaum would snap in exasperation: "Jeff Jacoby, make a different mistake for a change!" It isn't only music students in grade school who often seem unable to stop playing the same jarring tune. Whole societies do, too. Again and again they revert to mistakes they were supposed to have jettisoned long ago blunders and fallacies that they should know from painful experience are guaranteed to fail. Do nations ever permanently put a bad idea to rest? How many times do protectionism, Luddism, or censorship have to be exposed as destructive delusions before a stake driven through their ideological hearts finally stays there? How often do the most intellectually incoherent nostrums have to be demolished by reality before they stop being resurrected and given another chance? These ideological addictions are as old as society. In Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner's classic comedy sketch "The 2000 Year Old Man" in which a TV reporter interviews a man who has been around for millennia the ancient caveman played by Brooks reminisces about his cave's anthem: "Let them all go to hell, except Cave 76!" It's a perfect parody of blind nativism crude, funny, and depressingly recognizable. The satire works because, alas, the joke still lands. Some of the undead fallacies barely bother to change their wardrobe. Politicians in the 21st century still promise to generate prosperity by restricting imports, despite three centuries of evidence that trade barriers punish more than they protect. Modern-day Luddites may not smash looms but they do torch 5G cell towers and strike to keep driverless trucks off the highway even though technology has always created more jobs and wealth than it destroyed. And while the label "appeasement" is no longer fashionable, the practice of trying to placate tyrants into good behavior for example, by flying pallets loaded with cash to Tehran keeps making a comeback. Why do these spurious ideas and so many others, from racial determinism to government price controls, refuse to stay interred? The main reason, I think, is that they serve a useful purpose. Falsehoods can be emotionally reassuring even when they're materially harmful. Anti-immigrant nativism, for instance, offers a convenient target and a simple remedy: "Foreigners are stealing our jobs and debasing our culture, so stop letting them in." It's terrible economics but potent politics. The age-old suspicion of new technology appeals to people's hunger for stability, all the more so when unfamiliar machines threaten the livelihoods that give people their identity. Even policies that must fail in the end may nevertheless satisfy a yearning for control or the illusion of control. Bad ideas don't always rise from the grave on their own. Often they get pulled back into daylight by leaders who find them handy. Populists rebrand tariffs as "economic patriotism." Racial quotas in hiring and admissions are disguised as tools to ensure "diversity." Better to flatter foreign despots, political leaders insist, than to risk war or the loss of business. And because so many of these nostrums expand the reach of government, politicians find them doubly irresistible: Policies that fail the public can still succeed in concentrating power, which is the one currency no officeholder ever has enough of. Finally, bad ideas endure because human beings often are more attracted to stories and slogans than to facts. The 20th-century thinker Isaiah Berlin, in his famous essay on the hedgehog and the fox, described the "great chasm" separating those who relate everything to a single central vision from everyone else. It is these "hedgehogs" who become the demagogues and utopians, convinced they alone possess the master key. Their certainty and the charisma it frequently breeds is what keeps bad ideas alive long after facts should have killed them. Society will never banish bad ideas once and for all. (What would happen to opinion columnists if it did?) Sometimes a bad idea appears to be comprehensively discredited, as when the defeat of the Soviet Union in the Cold War seemed to spell extinction for communism until it returned after a cycle of dormancy, refurbished and rebranded, beckoning new believers. At best, the task of sober citizens is to shorten the half-life of bad ideas: to speak up, to puncture the slogans, to slow the damage until reason can reassert itself. Those are the times, as George Orwell said, when the restatement of the obvious becomes the first duty of honest men and women. My piano teacher wanted her pupil to at least make different mistakes. Humanity may never manage even that. But it can, with vigilance, do a better job of resisting the old ones. Jeff Jacoby is a columnist for The Boston Globe, from which this is reprinted with permission. (COMMENT, BELOW) People view a flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) DUBAI, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. The flight showcased the company's latest-generation model, the "Land Aircraft Carrier," which comprises a ground vehicle, referred to as the "mothership", and a detachable air module. The aircraft offers both automatic and manual flight operations. In automatic mode, pilots can plan routes, take off, and land with one touch, while in manual mode, a single-stick control system combines six operations into one joystick, allowing for one-handed control. During the flight, the full sequence of the air module's detachment and reattachment was demonstrated. XPENG AEROHT has secured orders of 600 flying cars in the region, the company's largest overseas bulk purchase to date. Chinese Consul General in Dubai Ou Boqian applauded the successful flight, emphasizing that both China and the UAE regard scientific and technological innovation as a core engine of economic development. The bilateral cooperation in this field provides a favorable environment for enterprises and the business community from both sides to work hand in hand in expanding cooperation in the future, she noted. Zhao Deli, founder of XPENG AEROHT, expressed strong confidence in the Middle East's future mobility market, highlighting Dubai's openness, robust market demand, and supportive government policies as key factors in selecting the city for the demonstration. The company plans to officially launch the product in the regional market by 2027, according to Zhao. XPENG AEROHT is the flying car affiliate of electric vehicle maker XPENG, headquartered in south China's Guangdong Province. Chinese Consul General in Dubai Ou Boqian (3rd, R) witnesses the demo flight of a flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) Zhao Deli (L), founder of XPENG AEROHT, opens the gate of a flying car developed by his company with a pilot in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) Zhao Deli, founder of XPENG AEROHT, receives an interview in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) A pilot waves to the audience after the demo flight of a flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT is seen during a demo flight in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2025. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) This photo taken on Oct. 12, 2025 shows a scene at a pre-order signing ceremony for the "Land Aircraft Carrier," developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. A flying car developed by Chinese company XPENG AEROHT on Sunday took to the skies over Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant step in the global reach of China's low-altitude aircraft technology. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) LILONGWE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 4,009,537 people, representing about 22 percent of the national population in Malawi, will not be able to meet their annual food requirement during the 2025/2026 lean period from October to March, authorities have reported. According to the latest food security vulnerability assessment conducted by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development through the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee, millions of Malawians are at risk of food shortages in the coming months. Released Sunday by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, the findings showed that among those to be affected, 64,138 people are residents in the four major Malawian cities, while about 3.9 million are rural residents. A statement, signed by Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha, said that the people will require urgent humanitarian action to reduce their food consumption gaps, protect and restore their livelihood, and prevent them from a high level of acute malnutrition. The required humanitarian food assistance has been estimated at 200,000 metric tonnes of maize, with an estimated cash value of 387.20 billion Malawi Kwacha (about 223.4 million U.S. dollars), according to the statement. The statement added that the food assistance is required for a period ranging from three to six months. The Malawian government has since appealed to humanitarian organisations and other partners to help address the situation. A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-31 test satellite blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 13, 2025. China successfully launched a new test satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Monday. The Shiyan-31 test satellite was launched at 6:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) JIUQUAN, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched a new test satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Monday. The Shiyan-31 test satellite was launched at 6:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered the preset orbit successfully. This satellite will be mainly used to verify new optical imaging technologies. This launch marked the 599th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-31 test satellite blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 13, 2025. China successfully launched a new test satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Monday. The Shiyan-31 test satellite was launched at 6:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-31 test satellite blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 13, 2025. China successfully launched a new test satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Monday. The Shiyan-31 test satellite was launched at 6:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-31 test satellite blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 13, 2025. China successfully launched a new test satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Monday. The Shiyan-31 test satellite was launched at 6:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua) BAGHDAD, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab said Sunday that Iraq has formally requested Turkiye to increase water releases into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to alleviate the country's critical water shortages. The request, made during his visit to Turkiye, specifies an increase of 500 cubic meters per second for both the Tigris River and the Euphrates River for October and November, according to a ministry statement. Stressing that this year is the most difficult and severe in Iraq's water shortage since 1933, Diab emphasized that the increase is critical for Iraq to improve its water reserves over the next 50 days, citing forecasts of a wet season beginning in December. The Turkish side acknowledged the request and expressed its readiness to assist Iraq, said the statement, noting that the two sides agreed on a draft framework agreement concerning water, which is slated to be signed in Baghdad. The talks in Ankara were part of ongoing efforts between the two neighboring countries to enhance cooperation and jointly manage water resources. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are a pair of large rivers in southwestern Asia, which originate in Turkiye and flow southeast through Syria and Iraq. CAIRO, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A group of 154 Palestinian prisoners who were released and deported by Israeli authorities on Monday arrived in Egypt, according to Egyptian sources. The anonymous sources confirmed to the Xinhua that the prisoners, who were freed as part of a prisoner-hostage swap deal, crossed into Egypt from the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing. Following their arrival, the Palestinian deportees were taken to Nasser Hospital in Cairo, the sources said, adding that preparations are now underway to facilitate their onward travel and deportation to several agreed-upon destinations, including Qatar, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, and Malaysia. The recently reached ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas stipulates the return of the last 20 surviving hostages from Gaza to Israel and the release of about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Hamas announced earlier in the day that it had handed over all 20 of the remaining live hostages, who had been captured during the attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel conditions the deportation of what it labels as high-profile prisoners to third-party nations, citing concerns over future security threats. Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, meets with Secretary General of the Federation of Cuban Women Teresa Amarelle, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin on Monday met separately with Teresa Amarelle, secretary general of the Federation of Cuban Women, and UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous. Amarelle and Bahous are in Beijing to attend the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. In the meeting with Amarelle, Shen, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, said that China is ready to work with Cuba to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen cooperation in various fields including women's affairs, and jointly promote the development of global women's cause. Amarelle, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, spoke highly of the achievements in China's women's cause and expressed active support for the implementation of the meeting's outcomes. When meeting with Bahous, Shen said that China is ready to work closely with UN Women to jointly implement the meeting's outcomes and promote global gender equality and the all-round development of women. Bahous said that UN Women is willing to deepen cooperation with China to turn the meeting's consensus into concrete actions and contribute to the all-round development of women worldwide. Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, meets with Secretary General of the Federation of Cuban Women Teresa Amarelle, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, meets with UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, also president of the All-China Women's Federation, meets with UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) TEHRAN, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Monday that Tehran will not attend an international summit in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh on an agreement to end the Gaza war. "While favoring diplomatic engagement, neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us," Araghchi said on social platform X. Iran welcomes any initiative that aims to end Israel's "genocide" in Gaza and ensure the expulsion of the Israeli "occupation forces," he said. Araghchi noted that Palestinians are "fully entitled to secure their fundamental right to self-determination, and all states remain obliged, more than ever, to assist them in their lawful and legitimate cause." He said Iran has always been, and will always remain, a "vital force" for peace in the region, adding that unlike Israel, Iran seeks no "forever wars" but lasting peace, prosperity and cooperation. Scheduled for Monday, the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh will be attended by leaders from more than 20 countries. This photo shows a painting on Xuan paper depicting a night view of Shanghai by Australian artist David Reid. (Xinhua) NANCHANG, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- At his solo exhibition in Jingdezhen, known as China's porcelain capital, Australian artist David Reid is proudly showcasing his artwork: Chinese window motifs painted on a porcelain bottle in the traditional blue-and-white style. "I love Chinese windows -- the sense of order and the infinite possibilities they create. I also like blue and white porcelain for its tremendous history," said Reid, who has lived in China for nearly 20 years. The exhibition, "From Here to Now, Intersection of Time and Place -- New Porcelain Ceramics and Ink Paintings," opened in September and will be on display until November. It features 41 works, ranging from ceramics to watercolor paintings, offering both a reflection of Reid's deep attachment to Jingdezhen and a personal gift from the artist to mark his 70th birthday. At the exhibition opening, Reid welcomed friends from overseas, many of whom were visiting Jingdezhen or China for the first time. In an interview with Xinhua, Reid said he had been eager to share the charm of Chinese culture with them. During the interview, Reid spoke of the admiration he has had for traditional Chinese ink art since 1985, when he saw ink paintings on rice paper at an exhibition organized between China and Australia. "At that time, rice paper was too expensive in Australia, which made me hesitant to fully experiment until I first came to China in 2005 to participate in the Shanghai Art Fair," Reid said. "I was presented with an amazing opportunity to display my work on Chinese rice paper." During the five years he spent in Shanghai, Reid enjoyed staying in hotels overlooking the Huangpu River, watching the procession of boats. To him, the preserved buildings of old Shanghai are like a living "encyclopedia of architectural heritage." After his time in Shanghai, Reid found a new home in Jingdezhen -- a city in east China's Jiangxi Province with an over-2,000-year history of ceramics -- where he was invited to create artworks in 2018. "In Jingdezhen, I feel at home," he said. Working with ceramics was a new and challenging experience for Reid. His brush didn't move on the clay when he made his first attempt, he recalled. "If you mess up a piece of paper, there's always another one. But you're much more reluctant to throw away something once it's applied to clay." "You really don't know how it's going to turn out until it comes out of the kiln, so there's always that tremendous anxiety," he said. "That's the charm." More recently, Reid has also been exploring painting on traditional Chinese silk. "I was eager to experiment more with these amazing traditional materials." "I'm a great fan of Chinese culture and civilization in all its forms," Reid told Xinhua, adding that he is working on creating more opportunities for exchange between Chinese and Australian artists. "I'm very keen to talk about culture and Chinese art history, and how much it's influenced me. I'm happy to be the bridge," he said. Australian artist David Reid participates in a public art course in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, Sept. 27, 2025. (Xinhua) This photo taken in 2018 shows Australian artist David Reid presenting his artwork in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua) NEW DELHI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- India's top court Monday ordered the country's premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to probe into last month's stampede that claimed 41 lives and injured dozens of others during a political party rally of a popular film star in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, officials said. The apex court said an independent investigation was necessary "to allay concerns and ensure impartiality." It also constituted a three-member monitoring committee, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to supervise the progress of the CBI probe. The stampede broke out last month during a political rally of actor-turned-politician Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar in Karur district, about 387 km southwest of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. Vijay was campaigning for his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party ahead of local elections scheduled early next year. Long Luying (2nd R) talks with tourists at the workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 10, 2025. In an embroidery workshop in Shibing County, Long Luying and her colleagues wield needles as pens and thread as ink to embroider motifs such as flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies, resulting in Miao embroidery works with vibrant and lifelike patterns. Long Luying is a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery, having learned the craft from her mother during her childhood. In 2006, she left her job at an embroidery workshop in Shenzhen and returned to her hometown in Shibing County where she launched her own business focused on handmade Miao embroidery. Over the years, Long Luying has provided free training in embroidery techniques to local women, creating job opportunities for more than 1,200 rural women in the village. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Long Luying (3rd L) makes embroidery at the workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 10, 2025. In an embroidery workshop in Shibing County, Long Luying and her colleagues wield needles as pens and thread as ink to embroider motifs such as flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies, resulting in Miao embroidery works with vibrant and lifelike patterns. Long Luying is a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery, having learned the craft from her mother during her childhood. In 2006, she left her job at an embroidery workshop in Shenzhen and returned to her hometown in Shibing County where she launched her own business focused on handmade Miao embroidery. Over the years, Long Luying has provided free training in embroidery techniques to local women, creating job opportunities for more than 1,200 rural women in the village. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Long Luying guides workers on how to operate the equipment at an intelligent embroidery workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 10, 2025. In an embroidery workshop in Shibing County, Long Luying and her colleagues wield needles as pens and thread as ink to embroider motifs such as flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies, resulting in Miao embroidery works with vibrant and lifelike patterns. Long Luying is a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery, having learned the craft from her mother during her childhood. In 2006, she left her job at an embroidery workshop in Shenzhen and returned to her hometown in Shibing County where she launched her own business focused on handmade Miao embroidery. Over the years, Long Luying has provided free training in embroidery techniques to local women, creating job opportunities for more than 1,200 rural women in the village. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Long Luying guides her employees in their embroidery creation at the workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 10, 2025. In an embroidery workshop in Shibing County, Long Luying and her colleagues wield needles as pens and thread as ink to embroider motifs such as flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies, resulting in Miao embroidery works with vibrant and lifelike patterns. Long Luying is a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery, having learned the craft from her mother during her childhood. In 2006, she left her job at an embroidery workshop in Shenzhen and returned to her hometown in Shibing County where she launched her own business focused on handmade Miao embroidery. Over the years, Long Luying has provided free training in embroidery techniques to local women, creating job opportunities for more than 1,200 rural women in the village. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Long Luying (C) makes embroidery at the workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 10, 2025. In an embroidery workshop in Shibing County, Long Luying and her colleagues wield needles as pens and thread as ink to embroider motifs such as flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies, resulting in Miao embroidery works with vibrant and lifelike patterns. Long Luying is a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery, having learned the craft from her mother during her childhood. In 2006, she left her job at an embroidery workshop in Shenzhen and returned to her hometown in Shibing County where she launched her own business focused on handmade Miao embroidery. Over the years, Long Luying has provided free training in embroidery techniques to local women, creating job opportunities for more than 1,200 rural women in the village. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Long Luying makes embroidery at the workshop in Shibing County of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 10, 2025. In an embroidery workshop in Shibing County, Long Luying and her colleagues wield needles as pens and thread as ink to embroider motifs such as flowers, birds, fish, and butterflies, resulting in Miao embroidery works with vibrant and lifelike patterns. Long Luying is a provincial-level inheritor of Miao embroidery, having learned the craft from her mother during her childhood. In 2006, she left her job at an embroidery workshop in Shenzhen and returned to her hometown in Shibing County where she launched her own business focused on handmade Miao embroidery. Over the years, Long Luying has provided free training in embroidery techniques to local women, creating job opportunities for more than 1,200 rural women in the village. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) The News in Brief Monday, October 13, 2025 The Special Representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for the South Caucasus, Luis Graca of Portugal, has voiced concern over recent unrest in Georgia following the October 4 local elections and the alleged attempts to overthrow the government. The remarks were released in a statement by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's press service."I am deeply concerned about the growing tension and violence that followed the local elections held in Georgia," Graca said.He called on the Georgian authorities to uphold democratic principles and protect civil liberties. "I urge the government to fully respect the rights to peaceful assembly and expression, and to ensure that civil society can operate freely and without fear," the statement reads.Graca emphasized that democratic governance must rest on the rule of law, accountability, and peaceful political dialogue. "At this critical time, I call on all stakeholders to refrain from any form of violence and urge all political forces to commit to working within the framework of legitimate political processes," he added.The Special Representative also reaffirmed the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's commitment to assisting Georgia in navigating the current crisis. "The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will continue to support political actors and civil society in reducing tensions, strengthening democratic institutions, restoring public trust through dialogue, and fulfilling OSCE commitments," Graca said.Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticized former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia after Akhalaia described the October 4 rally as a peaceful civil uprising, comparing it to the April 9 tragedy. Kobakhidze said such comments were not surprising coming from Akhalaia."Such a statement from a person with the moral character of Bacho Akhalaia is not surprising," the Prime Minister said. "As for their claims that there was no violence - I mean the Akhalaia family - it seems this violence is nothing to them compared to what they did in Gldani prison, where they directly tortured prisoners. For them, this is insignificant next to the violence they committed there."Kobakhidze added that the investigation into the October 4 events would continue, including possible links to foreign actors. "We are not surprised by statements from people with such morals. The rest will be determined by the investigation, including details related to foreign connections. I don't want to get ahead of events, but it's important that every detail be examined," he said.The Prime Minister also said the number of arrests related to the rally may rise. "It's likely to increase. We warned everyone about our identification capabilities and that we now have even greater resources to identify those involved," Kobakhidze noted."Everyone who is identified will be held accountable. The state cannot simply overlook violence of this scale against its institutions. A response is essential to protect the country from similar attempts in the future, and we will see this process through to the end," he added. KIEV, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Visiting EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Monday that the bloc is preparing to allocate additional funds to support Ukraine during the upcoming winter, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. "The EU has already mobilized 800 million euros (about 926 million U.S. dollars) to support Ukraine this winter. We are working to allocate an additional 100 million euros (about 115 million dollars)," Kallas told a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. The additional funds will be used to provide generators, shelters and weather protection equipment, she added. Kallas arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for discussions on the security of Ukraine's energy sector and other issues. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday met with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Li said that China and Ghana elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership last year, ushering in new opportunities for cooperation in various fields. China is ready to work with Ghana to expand practical cooperation and deepen the strategic partnership to bring more benefits to the people of both countries. China is willing to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Ghana, deepen cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure construction, agriculture, fisheries and energy, and promote exchanges in education, culture, tourism and health, the premier said. As major Global South countries, China and Ghana should work together to uphold multilateralism and free trade, Li added. Mahama congratulated China on the successful hosting of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, expressed sincere appreciation for China's long-term support and assistance to Ghana, and praised China's zero-tariff policy for African countries that have diplomatic ties with China. He said Ghana firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and stands ready to deepen cooperation with China in trade, investment, infrastructure construction, energy, agriculture and mining, while exploring new growth drivers in areas such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence. Mahama added that Ghana supports the Global Governance Initiative, and will continue to work with China to firmly uphold multilateralism and safeguard international fairness and justice. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) HANOI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The damage caused by Typhoon Matmo in Vietnam were estimated at over 8.7 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 330.3 million U.S. dollars) as of Monday morning, Vietnam News Agency reported, citing the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority. The northern province of Thai Nguyen suffered the heaviest losses, estimated at about 4 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 151.9 million dollars). Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday approved an additional emergency relief package worth 400 billion Vietnamese dong (about 15.2 million dollars) from the central budget reserve for four provinces -- Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Lang Son and Bac Ninh -- to help address the aftermath of recent floods, local daily VnEconomy reported. Last week, the prime minister had allocated 140 billion Vietnamese dong (about 5.3 million dollars) to the same localities. According to the latest update from the authority, floods triggered by Typhoon Matmo have so far left 16 people dead and injured 15 others. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Noting that China and Sri Lanka enjoy a deep traditional friendship, Li said China is ready to work with Sri Lanka in deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, striving to build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future and delivering more benefits to the two peoples. He said that China is willing to expand two-way trade and investment with Sri Lanka and enhance cooperation in fields such as green development, digital economy, modern agriculture, and marine economy in the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative. Expressing China's willingness to import more high-quality products from Sri Lanka, Li said the country will continue to encourage Chinese companies to invest in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka-China relations boast a long history, and bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results, said Amarasuriya. Noting that the Sri Lankan government attaches great importance to relations with China, she said Sri Lanka is looking forward to strengthening exchanges with China at all levels, and deepening cooperation in fields such as investment, ports, infrastructure, agriculture, textile industry, poverty reduction, and digital economy. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali described the 53 years of relationship between China and Guyana as "extraordinary." "Our relationship is cultural in nature, and it is also hereditary in nature," he said. #GLOBALink URUMQI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- As of Sunday, Alashankou Port, also known as Alataw Pass, a primary land port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, had handled more than 6,000 China-Europe freight train trips in 2025, according to the port. The port's customs have streamlined clearance procedures so that inbound cargo now moves through the port in less than 16 hours -- down from two to three days previously, and each return train can be reloaded within an average of just two hours. This year, Alashankou Port has seen over 21 China-Europe freight trains a day on average -- with a daily record of 30, the port noted. Currently, 127 China-Europe freight train routes pass through this port, reaching 26 Chinese provincial-level regions and 21 countries including Germany, Poland and Hungary. These trains carry over 200 categories of goods -- ranging from vehicles and vehicle parts to garments and electronics. SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's foreign exchange authorities on Monday issued a verbal intervention over excessive volatility in the foreign exchange market. The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Bank of Korea (BOK) said in a joint statement that the FX authorities are closely monitoring the possibility of herd behavior, with caution, in the process of the local currency's expanded volatility, caused by internal and external factors. It marked the first verbal intervention by the authorities in one and a half years since April last year when the won versus U.S. dollar exchange rate came closer to 1,400 won per dollar amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The won versus dollar exchange rate started at 1,430.0 won, up 9.0 won compared to the previous trading day. The rate soared to 1,434,0 won during market hours, recording the highest in five months since early May. BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- As the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women opens, Beijing witnesses a reunion with its legacy of gender equality and women's empowerment. Yet, another personal reunion is unfolding, one that began with a photo taken about three decades ago. Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women Gertrude Mongella, has been reunited with the little girl from the photo. Let's dive into their story. Gertrude Mongella, secretary-general of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in the Chinese capital Beijing in 1995, delivers a speech during the plenary meeting of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuewei) Gertrude Mongella, secretary-general of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in the Chinese capital Beijing in 1995, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sept. 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) LISBON, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's Social Democratic Party (PSD), running both independently and in coalition, won 136 mayoral races in Sunday's local elections, becoming the leading force in municipal government. The voter turnout, with the final count completed early Monday morning, marked the highest participation rate in local elections since 2005, with an abstention rate of 40.74 percent, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Internal Administration. The Socialist Party (PS) came in second with 128 municipal councils, including 126 won independently and two in coalition with the Livre and PAN parties. The PS, which had been the leading party in local government since 2021, lost its position in Sunday's vote. PSD-led coalitions, including partnerships with CDS-PP and other parties, secured leadership in six of Portugal's ten most populous municipalities -- Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Cascais, and Braga. The PS captured the remaining four -- Loures, Almada, Amadora, and Matosinhos. Sunday's elections allowed voters to choose leadership for Portugal's 308 municipalities, which manage local services such as education, healthcare, transportation, housing, and urban planning. Municipal elections are held every four years. The PSD's strong showing in local elections follows the party's formation of a national coalition government earlier this year under Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Monday met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state and deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Wang added that the National Committee of the CPPCC is willing to make active contributions to this end. Amarasuriya congratulated China on the successful hosting of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. She said Sri Lanka highly values its relations with China and is willing to work with China to deepen practical cooperation in economy, education, tourism and other fields, and elevate bilateral relations to new heights. Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), meets with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, addresses the opening ceremony of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations 2025 General Assembly and the Global Engineering Congress in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) SHANGHAI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The World Federation of Engineering Organizations 2025 General Assembly and the Global Engineering Congress, a high-profile international event in the field of engineering, opened in Shanghai on Monday. Ding Xuexiang, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony. Ding said that China has been earnestly implementing an innovation-driven development strategy, accelerating its efforts to develop as a strong country in the field of science and technology, and making major breakthroughs in key and core technologies, which have led to significant achievements in engineering sci-tech. While pursuing its own development, China has continued to deepen its international exchange and cooperation, boosting the development of global engineering sci-tech, he added. Ding noted that the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires the wisdom and strength of the global engineering community. He put forward proposals on enhancing openness and cooperation in the engineering sector, on strengthening research in frontier fields, on promoting the sharing of achievements, and on enhancing coordinated governance. Themed "Engineering Shapes a Green Future," the event was organized by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. ANKARA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend a Gaza peace summit to be held in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, according to his office on Sunday. "Our president is scheduled to address the summit and also hold consultations with the leaders of the participating countries," Burhanettin Duran, head of the Directorate of Communications at the Turkish presidency, said in a post on the social platform X. The Sharm El-Sheikh summit will finalize an agreement between Israel and Hamas, aimed at ending the war in Gaza, the Egyptian presidency announced in a statement on Saturday. The meeting will be co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump, with the participation of leaders from more than 20 countries, the statement said. The accession ceremony of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts (Volumes II and III) is held at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) CHANGSHA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. The second and third volumes of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts -- precious cultural artifacts dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) -- were on Monday officially repatriated to Hunan Province. They will be permanently archived in the Hunan Museum in Changsha, the provincial capital. The manuscripts, which were unearthed from a Chu-state tomb by tomb raiders at the Zidanku site in Changsha in 1942, consist of three volumes: "Sishi Ling," "Wuxing Ling" and "Gongshou Zhan." They are a systematic record of astronomy, calendars, cosmology and military divination from China's pre-Qin period. The silk manuscripts, are the earliest examples of silk text discovered to date and the oldest classical Chinese book in the true sense. They were smuggled out of China in 1946. At the accession ceremony of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts (Volumes II and III) on Monday, National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) head Rao Quan said that the return of the manuscripts is a significant achievement of years of Sino-U.S. cultural and museum cooperation, and an example for international cooperation on artifact restitution. Through Sino-U.S. cooperation on the return of cultural property, the "Wuxing Ling" and "Gongshou Zhan" volumes were returned to China by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Asian Art this year, arriving in Beijing on May 18. Duan Xiaoming, curator of the Hunan Museum, said the return of the silk manuscripts will enable the Hunan Museum to integrate the returned volumes with its existing collection, which includes the only original fragment of the Zidanku manuscripts, as well as other Chu-state artifacts. The returned manuscripts have undergone 14 days of environmental adaptation observation after their arrival in Hunan Museum on Sept. 10. Following a non-destructive evaluation, they are now stored in a temperature-controlled and humidity-controlled environment. A team of experts is scientifically researching a microbial disinfection plan and conducting simulation experiments to ensure that the sterilization process does not damage the material or ink of the manuscripts. The Hunan Museum has also completed standardized imaging of all the silk manuscripts, discovering over 40 previously imperceptible ink characters on one piece of silk that had not fully separated. Staff members prepare to conduct standardized image collection of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 11, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Staff members transfer a box containing the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at Changsha South Railway Station in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 10, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Experts verify the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 11, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) Staff members open the boxes containing the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 11, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2025 shows parts of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) The accession ceremony of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts (Volumes II and III) is held at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 13, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows part of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) Journalists take images of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 13, 2025. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows part of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows part of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. Two volumes of Chinese silk manuscripts dating back about 2,300 years have been returned to central China, 79 years after they were smuggled out of the country, through cooperation between Chinese and the U.S. cultural institutions. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai) KHARTOUM, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said on Sunday that more than 100 fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were killed in battles in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State in western Sudan. In a statement, the SAF's 6th Infantry Division said it had "successfully repelled a fierce attack launched by the militia on the city of El Fasher early Sunday." "Our forces bravely confronted the attackers, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment, with more than 100 militia fighters killed and others wounded," it added. According to the statement, the RSF launched the assault with infantry, combat vehicles, and two tanks, under cover of heavy weapons fire. On Saturday, Sudan's Foreign Ministry reported that drone strikes by the RSF killed 57 civilians at a temporary shelter in El Fasher. However, the RSF on Sunday denied responsibility for the bombing. In a statement, RSF spokesperson Al-Fateh Qurashi said, "We categorically deny the false claims being circulated regarding the deaths of civilians as a result of an air or artillery strike targeting a displacement shelter in the city of El Fasher." Denise Brown, UN resident coordinator in Sudan, on Sunday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" the repeated and deliberate targeting of civilians in North Darfur. "Hospitals, shelters, and places of refuge must not be targeted. I reiterate my previous appeal for respect for international humanitarian law and an immediate end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure," the UN official said in a statement. Violent clashes have been ongoing in El Fasher since May 2024, between the SAF and allied forces on one side and the RSF on the other, with fighting intensifying in recent days. The conflict between the SAF and RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, further deepening the country's humanitarian crisis. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Papua New Guinean Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday afternoon held separate meetings with Papua New Guinean Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso and Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova, who are in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. During his meeting with Rosso, Han said that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Papua New Guinea, and China is willing to work with Papua New Guinea to deliver on the important common understandings between the two countries' leaders and advance the China-Papua New Guinea comprehensive strategic partnership up to a new level. He said that China is ready to join hands with all other parties to promote global gender equality and women's all-round development to achieve new progress in the global women's cause. Rosso spoke highly of China's hosting of the meeting and its leading role in responding to global challenges. Rosso noted that Papua New Guinea will firmly abide by the one-China principle and expand cooperation with China across various fields to achieve greater development in bilateral relations. While meeting with Iotova, Han highlighted fruitful results in bilateral cooperation across various fields, which were boosted in the development of broader Belt and Road cooperation and the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries. He said China is willing to enhance friendly exchanges and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Bulgaria, and make joint contributions to the building of a more just and equitable global governance system. He expressed the hope that Bulgaria will actively promote the healthy development of China-Europe relations. Iotova said that Bulgaria is willing to maintain close bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation with China, and continue to jointly advance the Belt and Road cooperation. Bulgaria supports strengthened dialogue and cooperation between Europe and China, Iotova said. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Papua New Guinean Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) The Chinese Navy hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrives at Nuku'alofa Port in Tonga, Oct. 13, 2025. The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. (Photo by Wang Junchuan/Xinhua) SUVA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. This is the fourth visit to Tonga by a Chinese naval hospital ship on Mission Harmony. Tonga's acting Prime Minister Taniela Fusimalohi, along with military and political dignitaries, the Chinese ambassador to Tonga, local residents, representatives of overseas Chinese and Chinese enterprises, came to the pier to greet the vessel. During its visit to Tonga, the Silk Road Ark will provide medical services on the ship, conduct academic exchanges on war injury rescue with the Tongan Navy, hold medical forums with Tongan hospitals, dispatch an onboard helicopter and multiple medical teams for clinic programs in local communities and on outer islands, and send teams to local schools for cultural exchange. The navies of the two countries will also hold joint exercises in the waters off the port. In February 2022, a Chinese flotilla comprising two naval ships arrived in Tonga to deliver more than 1,400 tons of disaster relief supplies after the South Pacific island nation was devastated by a massive volcanic eruption and ensuing tsunami. The hospital ship Peace Ark visited Tonga in 2014, 2018, and 2023, providing over 15,000 medical services to the local residents. The Chinese Navy hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrives at Nuku'alofa Port in Tonga, Oct. 13, 2025. The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. (Photo by Cui Xiaoyang/Xinhua) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows the welcome ceremony for the Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, at Nuku'alofa Port in Tonga. The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. (Photo by Wang Junchuan/Xinhua) The Chinese Navy hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrives at Nuku'alofa Port in Tonga, Oct. 13, 2025. The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. (Photo by Cui Xiaoyang/Xinhua) People perform lion dance at the welcome ceremony for the Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, at Nuku'alofa Port in Tonga, Oct. 13, 2025. The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. (Photo by Cui Xiaoyang/Xinhua) The Chinese Navy hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrives at Nuku'alofa Port in Tonga, Oct. 13, 2025. The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, arrived at Nuku'alofa Port, Tonga, on Monday, starting a seven-day visit featuring medical services and cultural activities during its Mission Harmony 2025. (Photo by Cui Xiaoyang/Xinhua) ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake has displaced tens of thousands of people in Ethiopia's northeastern Afar region, with one confirmed death, according to local authorities. The state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported Sunday that the earthquake, which struck the region Saturday night, killed a 12-year-old boy, while six others also sustained injuries. According to authorities, more than 43,400 people had their homes destroyed and were left without shelter. Coordinated efforts are currently underway to deliver immediate humanitarian assistance to the affected communities. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 jolted Ethiopia at 16:18:27 GMT on Saturday, the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 13.77 degrees north latitude and 39.91 degrees east longitude. In January, recurring earthquakes across the eastern parts of Ethiopia sparked concern among the public. Experts and authorities called for calm and vigilance, especially in areas known for seismic activity, as the region is located within the tectonically active East African Rift system. CANBERRA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said on Monday that the federal government will use all available laws to deal with the Qantas data breach, involving the personal data of about 5.7 million customers. Burke told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Monday morning that Qantas has the obligation to provide cybersecurity, which doesn't just mean having the right technical measures in place but also means making sure that its staff are fully trained. The airline on Sunday confirmed that it was one of a number of companies globally to have had stolen data released by a hacker group that targeted customers of software giant Salesforce between April 2024 and September 2025. The personal data of 5.7 million Qantas customers, including names, frequent flyer numbers, contact details and birth dates, was stolen in the attack on June 30. Qantas said in July that the hacker group had targeted a third-party system used by an offshore Qantas call center. According to local industry publication Information & Data Manager, Qantas could face substantial penalties if the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) determines the breach constitutes a "serious interference with privacy." "You can outsource parts of your business, but you don't outsource the law," Burke said on Monday. In a statement on Sunday, Qantas said it has an ongoing injunction in place to prevent the stolen data from being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted, or published. Burke on Monday advised anyone who was affected by the breach to hang up and call back through official lines if they receive an unexpected call from someone claiming to be from Qantas. The opening ceremony of the Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang is held in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Oct. 13, 2025. A forum bringing together mayors or their representatives, diplomats and scholars from 10 countries opened on Monday in Dunhuang, a city along the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province. The forum aims to discuss opportunities and challenges in cultural urban governance. Themed "A Symphony of Civilizations, Resonance in Harmony," the Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang focuses on practical governance issues, including leveraging cultural resources, environmental protection, green development and smart city construction. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen) LANZHOU, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A forum bringing together mayors or their representatives, diplomats and scholars from 10 countries opened on Monday in Dunhuang, a city along the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province. The forum aims to discuss opportunities and challenges in cultural urban governance. Themed "A Symphony of Civilizations, Resonance in Harmony," the Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang focuses on practical governance issues, including leveraging cultural resources, environmental protection, green development and smart city construction. Against the backdrop of rapid global urbanization, attendees emphasize the growing importance of balancing cultural heritage conservation with urban growth. Notably, strengthening international cooperation is highlighted as a key response to these shared challenges. As the host city, Dunhuang -- home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites and over 260 cultural relic sites -- is showcasing its integrated approach in recent years to preserving cultural legacy while enhancing urban quality. Dunhuang's unique natural landscape, profound cultural heritage and long history are highly impressive features of this city. Dunhuang is not only a symbol of China but also demonstrates to the world how modern development can achieve harmony by respecting nature and preserving history, said Tigran Poghosyan, head of the Garni community in the Kotayk region of Armenia. Yu Chenghui, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People's Congress, said at the opening ceremony that through dialogue, participants will share experiences, expand cooperation and help cities find new solutions to issues such as cultural heritage protection, urban governance and sustainable development. The opening ceremony of the Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang is held in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Oct. 13, 2025. A forum bringing together mayors or their representatives, diplomats and scholars from 10 countries opened on Monday in Dunhuang, a city along the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province. The forum aims to discuss opportunities and challenges in cultural urban governance. Themed "A Symphony of Civilizations, Resonance in Harmony," the Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang focuses on practical governance issues, including leveraging cultural resources, environmental protection, green development and smart city construction. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen) Participants attend the opening ceremony of the Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang, in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Oct. 13, 2025. A forum bringing together mayors or their representatives, diplomats and scholars from 10 countries opened on Monday in Dunhuang, a city along the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province. The forum aims to discuss opportunities and challenges in cultural urban governance. Themed "A Symphony of Civilizations, Resonance in Harmony," the Global Mayors Dialogue Dunhuang focuses on practical governance issues, including leveraging cultural resources, environmental protection, green development and smart city construction. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen) SANYA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Three international air routes -- between Sanya and Minsk; Ulaanbaatar, Sanya and Ulan-Ude; and Sanya and Kuala Lumpur -- were opened between Oct. 8 and 11, marking a major expansion of Sanya's international air route network. The Sanya-Kuala Lumpur route is operated by Malaysia's Batik Air and runs twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, offering Southeast Asian travelers a more convenient option when visiting south China's island province of Hainan. The Ulaanbaatar-Sanya-Ulan-Ude route is operated by Mongolia's Hunnu Air while the Sanya-Minsk route, which is operated by Belavia-Belarusian Airlines, is the first-ever direct air link between Sanya and Belarus. To date, Sanya has established a total of 38 international air routes connecting 29 overseas destinations across key regions, including Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Europe. More routes, including one between Sanya and Cheongju, are expected to open soon. Currently, citizens of 86 countries can visit Hainan visa-free with ordinary passports. The combination of visa-free entry policies and direct flights has boosted the island's inbound tourism significantly. Sanya will leverage the expansion of its international air links to work with cities and counties in the Greater Sanya tourism economic circle to develop more diversified tourism routes and attract more overseas visitors, according to an official of the Sanya Tourism Board. By Akbar Novruz The long and bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas may finally see a turning point. Between the days of October 8 and 10, 2025, Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas reached an agreement on the first stage of a peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The negotiations, held in Egypts Sharm el-Sheikh, were mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye. The agreement, which took effect with a ceasefire on Friday, has already allowed humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza after months of blockade and devastation. As part of phase one, Hamas is set to release 20 surviving Israeli hostages and the remains of several others, while Israel will free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and an additional 1,700 detainees from Gaza. According to the plan, Israel will withdraw its forces to a designated line, retaining control over about half of Gaza, and a multinational monitoring force led by the United States will oversee the ceasefire. The force will include contingents from Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE, marking the first multinational peace monitoring presence in the Strip. President Trump described the development as a historic step toward lasting peace in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a great day for Israel and thanked Trump for his mediation efforts. Hamas also confirmed its commitment to the deal, emphasizing the ceasefire, humanitarian access, and prisoner exchanges as core components. While this agreement represents a significant diplomatic achievement, deep uncertainty remains over later stages of the plan. Israel insists that Hamas must disarm and renounce control of Gaza, while Hamas continues to demand the establishment of a Palestinian state before laying down its arms. The ambiguity over troop withdrawals and Gazas future governance raises the risk of renewed clashes if either side feels betrayed or cornered during upcoming negotiations, and simply raises the question, will the war really be over this time? Azerbaijans participation The South Caucasus, long seen as a crossroads between the Middle East and Central Asia, has often been relegated to the status of a periphery, a region on the margins of global power games. Whether viewed from Moscow, Brussels, Beijing, or Tehran, the South Caucasus is frequently cast in a supporting role. But perhaps its time to rethink this narrative. Rather than lament its peripheral status, the region could embrace its unique position as a bridge between worlds, one whose strategic value is only growing in todays complex geopolitical landscape. Since the early 1990s, the South Caucasus has witnessed a steady rise in engagement from Middle Eastern countries. Now, the region stands at a pivotal momentemerging as a key player in the wider Middle East, both politically and economically. High-profile meetings like the Abu Dhabi talks between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders, surging trade volumes, and a flurry of diplomatic visits all signal the South Caucasuss growing relevance. These developments challenge old assumptions and invite us to see the region not as a remote outpost, but as an increasingly vital hub at the heart of Eurasian affairs. Amid this shifting geopolitical landscape, Azerbaijans invitation to the upcoming Middle East Peace Plan summit, initiated by the United States, stands as an important diplomatic milestone. President Ilham Aliyevs current visit to Egypt coincides with the summits preparatory phase, underscoring Azerbaijans growing reputation as a credible and balanced actor in global affairs. This development might surprise some international observers, yet it aligns perfectly with Azerbaijans long-standing foreign policy, one built on pragmatism, neutrality, and constructive engagement. Over the years, Baku has managed to preserve strong relations with both Muslim and Western countries, including Israel, without compromising its principles or values. Although Azerbaijan has occasionally faced biased criticism due to its close cooperation with Israel, its position on Gaza has been transparent and consistent. At the extraordinary summit of Arab and Islamic countries held in Doha, Azerbaijan supported resolutions defending the people of Gaza and calling for a just and sustainable peace. This was not mere rhetoric but a reflection of Azerbaijans genuine commitment to Islamic solidarity and international law. Azerbaijans participation in this peace initiative further illustrates how its independent diplomacy has earned the trust of multiple power centers, Washington, Cairo, and Doha alike. By maintaining a delicate balance between East and West, between the Islamic world and its Western partners, Azerbaijan demonstrates that small states can exercise meaningful influence when guided by principle and foresight. Why Azerbaijan? Azerbaijan, as a secular state with a predominantly Muslim population, holds a unique position that makes its growing engagement with the Middle East particularly significant. This balanced presentation of its national identity and foreign policy serves as an important example for the wider region. Baku maintains constructive relations with all major actors across the Middle East. It enjoys a deep alliance with Turkiye, is developing strategic partnerships with Gulf states, and sustains diplomatic contacts with Iraq and Egypt. Baku also maintains multidirectional interactions with Iran while leveraging its own instruments of influence, and continues its strategic cooperation with Israel. The country's activity in Syria, meanwhile, opens a new chapter, providing the country with an opportunity to operate on the ground for the first time and to play the role of both mediator and active participant in emerging multilateral frameworks. The invitation itself is a signal of confidence from the international community, not only in Azerbaijans diplomatic professionalism but also in its ability to bridge divides. As President Aliyev has often underlined, Our foreign policy is based on balance and respect, not confrontation. The same approach that helped secure stability in the South Caucasus is now being recognized in the Middle East. For Washington, Azerbaijans involvement adds a layer of legitimacy to the process, particularly within the Muslim world, where skepticism toward U.S.-led initiatives remains strong. For the Islamic community, it highlights that a nation can be both a partner of the West and a defender of Muslim causes a stance that reflects the nuanced diplomacy Baku has cultivated. In essence, Azerbaijans growing diplomatic footprint symbolizes a new model of engagement: independent yet cooperative, principled yet pragmatic. At a time when polarization dominates global politics, Bakus ability to engage with diverse partners, from the United States to Israel, from Egypt to Qatar underscores the value of strategic flexibility and credibility. The coming days will reveal whether Trumps ambitious plan can deliver lasting peace or merely another temporary truce. But one fact is already clear, Azerbaijans presence at the table signals that its voice is now heard far beyond the borders of the South Caucasus. Ultimately, the priority for Azerbaijan is to minimize risks while capitalizing on new opportunities. If the course of history draws the country more deeply into the Middle Easts evolving dynamics, the most effective approach is a pragmatic one, to make the best use of its diplomatic flexibility and pursue policies grounded in national interest. Song Tingting from Kuaishou Technology speaks during an interview at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A journalist interviews a guest at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) Lu Yongli from Beijing No.2 Experimental Primary School speaks during an interview at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie) Anna Mutavati from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women speaks during an interview at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Xu Rui) Bibiana Aido Almagro from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women speaks during an interview at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) He Haiyan speaks during an interview at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Chang Nengjia) Fang Yan from Jincheng Tongda & Neal Law Firm speaks during an interview at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was held in Beijing on Monday. (Xinhua/Chang Nengjia) CARACAS, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States' military buildup in the Caribbean is a "revival of old colonial methods," Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Sunday. "The current deployment of U.S. warships in the Caribbean Sea is nothing more than a blatant example of the reedition of the old colonizing approach," Padrino Lopez said in a statement commemorating Venezuela's Indigenous Resistance Day, which honors the struggle of indigenous peoples against colonization. He accused Washington of seeking to "intimidate by force," adding that Venezuela's people and armed forces were "fully prepared and united" to defend national sovereignty. "The battle we are fighting today is the same as 500 years ago: the defense of self-determination and the right to define our own destiny," he said. The minister also criticized U.S. attempts to subdue sovereign nations through "economic blockades, unilateral coercive sanctions, hybrid warfare and constant threats of military intervention." Padrino Lopez said the Indigenous Resistance Day reaffirms Venezuela's "irrevocable anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist vocation." The Venezuelan government has repeatedly denounced the recent U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean as a threat to its sovereignty. MELBOURNE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A team of marine ecologists has completed a 12-day scientific expedition at the southernmost point of the Australian continent to document reef biodiversity. The expedition, conducted in March, was along the remote south coast of the Australian island state of Tasmania to Port Davey in the state's remote southwest at "the last climate refuge for species of the Great Southern Reef," according to a statement released Monday by the University of Tasmania (UTAS). The researchers surveyed biodiversity at remote, previously unsurveyed reefs off southern Tasmania, including Pedra Branca, Mewstone Rock, and Maatsuyker Island's remnant giant kelp forests, to record reference conditions for ongoing kelp forest restoration in eastern Tasmania, it said. They also revisited historical sites within the Port Davey marine protected area to monitor long-term trends in reef health, said Scott Bennett, a marine ecologist at the UTAS Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, who led the study. "The surveys at Pedra Branca and Mewstone reefs were highlights of the trip," Bennett said, adding, "Those reefs are immensely productive, with enormous forests of bull kelp down to 25-meter depths, and huge biomasses of bait fish, endemic reef fish and seals." However, the team was concerned to report the first sighting of the range-expanding Long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) at Pedra Branca, literally "the southernmost point that this species can reach in Australia," Bennett said. This urchin is known for its destructive overgrazing of kelp forests, turning vibrant habitats into barren rocky areas, which threatens biodiversity and the health of reef ecosystems in Tasmania, according to the Great Southern Reef Foundation. "Surveys from southern Tasmania provide critical information about what reef species are doing at the coolest edge of their distribution, and it's a vital reference point that will equip us to better understand how climate change is affecting reef species in Australia," Bennett said. BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, which will open in Beijing on Monday morning, and deliver a keynote speech. Dozens of heads of state, government leaders, parliamentary leaders, deputy prime ministers, ministerial officials, leaders of international organizations, and friendly personnel from various continents will attend the meeting. Nigeria's Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim receives an interview with Xinhua before traveling to the capital of China to attend the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Abuja, Nigeria, Oct. 10, 2025. (Photo by Olatunji Saliu/Xinhua) ABUJA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing represents a pivotal moment for international cooperation to accelerate the agenda for global gender equality, according to Nigeria's Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim. In a recent interview with Xinhua before traveling to the capital of China to attend the meeting, Sulaiman-Ibrahim underscored the historical significance of the event, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. "Eighty years of the United Nations General Assembly and 30 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action are a show of the enduring power of multilateralism and the international agreements between countries," the Nigerian official said. She said the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women presents an opportunity to strengthen ongoing efforts through continued collaboration. "I feel that it is an opportunity to collaborate so that we can achieve greater goals and more aspirations for women, for children, and for the vulnerable population." Describing the Nigeria-China bond as "partners in progress across various progressive efforts of development," the minister said this high-level engagement will serve as a critical opportunity for Nigeria to deepen its relations with China, focusing on scaling up women's development programs. Sulaiman-Ibrahim spoke highly of China's remarkable success in lifting its people out of poverty, saying, "China is one of the countries that have been able to empower their women in numbers, lifting women out of poverty in large numbers." Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is committed to learning this model to accelerate the rights, welfare, and economic empowerment of its women, which aligns directly with the priorities of President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, she said. "We can learn a lot from China on how we can scale up and accelerate actions in strengthening women across many sectors," the minister said, highlighting the need to bolster women's participation in the emerging blue, green, digital, and creative economies in Nigeria. She also articulated specific expectations for new areas of cooperation, notably in the energy sector, by seeking pathways to ensure "women lead the energy transition, not just as beneficiaries as it once was but as business owners." Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the core of her mission to Beijing is to secure a technical partnership that directly addresses the "systematic barriers" hindering Nigerian women, emphasizing that strengthening women's economic power is viewed as a prerequisite for Nigeria's national economic vision. "We can share experiences, we can exchange, do a transfer of culture, transfer of skills, and technical know-how," the official added. KINSHASA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 20 years ago, when Charlotte Songue first arrived in Kisangani, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern Tshopo province, she was a young Cameroonian lawyer driven by dreams of justice and solidarity. Today, as a senior women protection advisor and gender coordinator at the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC, her name has become synonymous with empathy, determination and quiet strength, qualities she embodies in one of the UN's most demanding humanitarian missions. "I was in my twenties when I began in 2006," she recalled in a recent interview with Xinhua in her office in Kinshasa. "The professional world was mostly male, but I quickly learned that professionalism has no gender." From her earliest days, Songue felt a calling to international service. "Since high school, I knew I wanted to work in international relations," she said. After studying law in Cameroon and human rights in France, she joined the UN system as a volunteer and was deployed to the DRC, a country emerging from war yet full of resilience. "As an African woman, I felt compelled to serve my brothers and sisters beyond my own borders," she said. "Working here offered the chance to make a real difference for survivors of gender-based violence and to help rebuild justice." Her office documents rights violations, assists victims, trains authorities and advocates for gender equality -- work she described as "collective and deeply human." "We partner with the Congolese government and civil society to make sure every person's rights are respected," she said. Those ideals have been tested in some of the country's most challenging regions. Songue still remembers the muddy tracks of Lemera, the dense forests of Shabunda and Baraka, and the burned villages of Enyele after inter-communal clashes. "Traveling there was both a logistical and emotional challenge," she said. "Yet I knew our presence meant hope." There were moments when the burden felt almost unbearable. "After listening to horrific testimonies or learning of a colleague's death, I sometimes felt powerless," she said. "At night, during field missions, I would lie in bed knowing that not far from where I slept, violence and bloodshed were still unfolding." "But my faith and my family gave me the strength to continue. My children remind me that perseverance matters," she said. What sustained her most was the tangible results: a survivor regaining dignity, or a wrongly detained prisoner set free. "Each of those small victories tells me that what we do here is not in vain," she said. Through years of fieldwork, Songue has coordinated projects to support victims and empower women economically. "What strikes me most is their ability to turn pain into power," she said. "One survivor told me, 'I can stand tall again.' Those words stay with you." She spoke with pride when talking about how she had helped women assume leadership roles in areas once closed to them. In South Kivu's Ruzizi region, 57 women were appointed neighborhood chiefs for the first time, thanks to a similar project. "When women join local governance, decisions reflect the needs of the whole community," she said. "Investing in women's leadership benefits everyone." In her eyes, fighting gender-based violence means engaging the entire society -- especially men and boys. "Men must move from words to action: report abuses, support survivors, and question harmful norms. This is not a war between sexes, but a collective effort for a fairer society," she said. As a woman herself, Songue said the issue of gender is "the very essence" of her mission. "How can one remain unmoved by the pain of a teenage girl assaulted by an armed group or a mother rejected after rape?" she asked. "What keeps me going is seeing them heal and lead again. Their victories are my greatest joy." Looking ahead, Songue envisions progress but also challenges: strengthening the rule of law, ending impunity and protecting civic freedoms. "Peace and justice must advance together," she said. As the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women is being held in China, her message would reach far beyond the DRC. "The world needs this feminine strength to build peace," she said. "Your light always ends up piercing through the darkness of war," she added, referring to her sisters in conflict-laden regions. Songue expressed hope that every girl in Africa can grow up in a world where gender is no obstacle. "I dream of an Africa where being a woman is a strength, not a risk. That a girl born tomorrow in Kinshasa or Yaounde has the same education, the same freedom, and the same opportunities as any boy." U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem during a brief visit as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered its fourth day, hailing an "end" to Israel's two-year war in Gaza, Oct. 13, 2025. Trump's speech was briefly interrupted when a Knesset member displayed a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine on Monday. (JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday during a brief visit as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered its fourth day, hailing an "end" to Israel's two-year war in Gaza. The visit coincides with the return of the last 20 surviving hostages from Gaza to Israel and the release of about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners from Israeli jails, a key step in the ceasefire agreement. Before entering the plenum hall of the Knesset, Trump briefly spoke with reporters, saying Israel's war in Gaza is over. "Now, at last, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others. The long and painful nightmare is finally over," Trump said in his speech at the Knesset. During the address, he noted that the United States has supplied Israel with extensive military aid. "So many that Israel became strong and powerful," he said. "You used them well." Regarding relations with Iran, Trump said he supports a deal with Iran but will prioritize addressing Russia first. "It would be great if we could make a peace deal with them (Iran)," he said. "I think they want to, I think they're tired," he said, adding later: "First we have to get Russia done." Trump's speech was briefly interrupted when a Knesset member displayed a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine. Ahead of Trump's speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Knesset, pledging he is "committed to this peace." From Israel, Trump will fly directly to Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh to co-chair an international summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Gaza's future. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem during a brief visit as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered its fourth day, hailing an "end" to Israel's two-year war in Gaza, Oct. 13, 2025. Trump's speech was briefly interrupted when a Knesset member displayed a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine on Monday. (JINI via Xinhua) An Israeli Knesset member displays a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine during Trump's speech in Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on Oct. 13, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday during a brief visit as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered its fourth day, hailing an "end" to Israel's two-year war in Gaza. Trump's speech was briefly interrupted when a Knesset member displayed a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine. (JINI via Xinhua) An Israeli Knesset member is taken away by security after displaying a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine during Trump's speech in Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on Oct. 13, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday during a brief visit as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered its fourth day, hailing an "end" to Israel's two-year war in Gaza. Trump's speech was briefly interrupted when a Knesset member displayed a sign calling for the recognition of Palestine. (JINI via Xinhua) BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 800 experts from China and around the world have convened at the 2025 World AgriFood Innovation Conference (WAFI 2025), advocating agricultural sci-tech innovation to promote sustainable agrifood systems. Held from Oct. 12 to 14 under the theme of "Resilient Food Supply for AgriFood Systems Transformation," the conference is underscoring the pressing need for transformative innovation in the agricultural sector. At the conference, China Agricultural University President Sun Qixin emphasized the need to accelerate the sustainable transformation of the global agrifood system in light of mounting uncertainties brought by climate change. He said that WAFI is committed to advancing cutting-edge innovation to drive the transition of agricultural systems worldwide, with the aim of maximizing impact through international exchange, global expertise aggregation and sustained industry-academia collaboration. In his opening ceremony address, Kenneth M. Quinn, president emeritus of the World Food Prize Foundation, highlighted three essential elements -- innovation, infrastructure and inspiration -- as foundational to building a sustainable future for agriculture. Quinn also stressed the importance of inspiring the next generation of scientists and leaders, citing the legacy of pioneers such as the late celebrated Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, who is known as the "father of hybrid rice," to ignite passion among youth. Acknowledging the numerous challenges facing the transformation of agrifood systems, experts at the conference urged global collaboration to share experience and results through ongoing dialogue. Huang Sanwen, president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), called on governments, research institutions and leading enterprises around the world to join forces in creating transnational and interdisciplinary platforms. "The goal is to accelerate breakthroughs in key core technologies that can expand the frontiers of our food supply," he said. The conference is slated to feature over 40 parallel sessions, fostering dialogue on international cooperation across a range of areas, including agricultural technology, trade, investment, policy and sustainable development, as well as dialogue on emerging topics such as novel proteins, AI-driven agriculture, climate change and smart breeding practices. During the opening ceremony, multiple organizations presented a series of relevant reports. The Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) released its 2025 Innovation Report. Sandra Milach, the institute's chief scientist, emphasized that innovation cannot succeed in isolation, and noted the long-standing collaborative history between CGIAR and China. The International Fund for Agricultural Development issued an innovation catalog aimed at promoting the application of research results in the fields of nutrition, sustainable agriculture and resilience-building. China Agricultural University also unveiled the Shennong Large Model 3.0, representing a major step forward in making AI more accessible and practical for agricultural use. Inaugurated in 2023, WAFI aims to be a world-class platform for the advancement of global agrifood innovation. It is organized by China Agricultural University, CAAS, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the local government of Beijing's Pinggu District and CGIAR. JERUSALEM, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said on Monday it was escorting into Israel the remains of four hostages handed over by Hamas in Gaza. The deceased were among 28 bodies of hostages held in Gaza that were to be returned under the ceasefire agreement by Monday. It was not immediately clear when the remaining bodies would be returned. "Four coffins of deceased hostages are currently being escorted by IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and Shin Bet forces on their way to Israel," the military said in a statement. Once in Israel, the bodies will be transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification. In a statement on Monday, Hamas's military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said it would hand over four bodies, three Israelis and a Nepali national. They were identified as: Daniel Perez, a platoon tank commander killed during the Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7, 2023; Bipin Joshi, a Nepali agricultural student previously listed by Israel as "at grave risk"; Guy Illouz, seized from the Nova music festival; and Yossi Sharabi, brother of freed hostage Eli Sharabi, abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be'eri. Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas should return the remains of all 28 deceased hostages by Monday. However, the group said it was facing difficulties locating the burial sites of all the bodies. An Israeli government spokeswoman said Sunday that an international task force would be established to assist in locating the missing remains. Israel had expected that not all the bodies would be transferred on Monday, yet the handover of only four triggered anger among families of the hostages. The Hostages Families Forum, which represents families of the hostages, issued a statement, calling for an "immediate suspension of all agreement implementation" until all the bodies are returned. The last 20 living hostages were returned from Gaza to Israel on Monday, as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, which also requires Israel to release nearly 2,000 Palestinians. LONDON, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Britain's major mobile service provider, Vodafone, suffered a major internet outage on Monday afternoon, according to web outage monitor Downdetector. By 3:18 p.m. local time, more than 130,000 users had reported service disruptions. Data from Downdetector indicated that about 62 percent of the complaints were related to fixed-line broadband issues. According to Vodafone's official webpage, the company provides mobile and fixed services to more than 330 million customers across 15 countries and operates partner networks in 45 others. As of 4:40 p.m. local time, the company's UK website remained inaccessible. Vodafone reportedly said in a statement that it was aware of a "major issue on our network affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services." The cause of the disruption has not yet been identified. Nell Chennault Calloway: Carrying forward the spirit of the Flying Tigers People's Daily Online) 16:42, October 11, 2025 (Photo provided by Meadows Robins) "It was a beautiful and powerful moment. Watching the doves soar into the sky was deeply symbolicit reminded me of the universal desire for peace," said Nell Chennault Calloway, granddaughter of U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault, and director of the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum. The Flying Tigers, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, was formed in 1941 by Chennault to help China in its fight against invading Japanese forces. More than 80 years later, this shared history remains deeply remembered by the peoples of both nations. Calloway was recently invited to China to attend the grand gathering commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. This marked her second time attending a ceremony on the Tian'anmen Rostrum. A decade earlier, she had participated in the commemoration of the 70th anniversary. Returning to the ceremony this time, she felt deeply moved. "The scale, precision, and symbolism of the event were striking," she said. She was especially moved when she saw the modern equipment on display, which reminded her that her grandfather once wrote in his book that the Chinese Air Force had only 91 flyable airplanes in 1937. Recalling the history General Chennault personally experienced, Calloway said, "I don't think he would have been surprised by how far China has come. He always believed in the strength, resilience, and potential of the Chinese people. That message is universal, and it continues to resonate across generations and borders." For Calloway, the commemoration is not only about looking back at history, but also about looking toward the future. "We have a responsibility to ensure that the truth is preserved and that the values they stood forcourage, sacrifice, unity, and resilienceare passed down to future generations," she said. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Du Mingming) By Qabil Ashirov The Afghanistan-Pakistan border has erupted into violent clashes over the past several days, marking a dangerous escalation in regional tensions. According to reports from both sides, casualties have already mounted. Pakistani officials claim that nearly 200 Afghan fighters were killed in retaliatory strikes, while the Taliban-led Afghan government asserts that 58 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives in the conflict. This flare-up comes at a time when global attention is already strained by ongoing crises, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the recent ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. The emergence of a new conflict in South Asia has sparked alarm across the international community, particularly given Pakistans status as a nuclear-armed state. The border, which spans over 2,600 kilometers, has been closed following the exchange of fire, halting trade and civilian movement. Analysts warn that this could trigger a humanitarian crisis in the region, especially for communities dependent on cross-border access. With tensions running high and diplomatic channels strained, international organizations and neighboring countries are urging both sides to exercise restraint and seek peaceful resolution. The prospect of a broader conflict looms large, threatening to destabilize an already volatile region. Speaking to Azernews, political analyst Imran Khalid, who is in Pakistan now emphasized that the clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan erupted over the weekend, stemming from long-simmering tensions along the Durand Line, the disputed border that has divided Pashtun communities for over a century. What started as isolated skirmishes escalated into heavy fighting when Afghan forces reportedly attacked Pakistani border posts in the Torkham and Spin Boldak areas. Pakistan responded with artillery, airstrikes, and ground operations, capturing at least 19 Afghan positions according to local reports. The trigger appears to be Pakistan's frustration with Kabul's alleged support for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group that has launched deadly attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan soil. Islamabad has long accused the Taliban regime of providing safe havens to TTP fighters, allowing them to orchestrate cross-border terrorism that has killed Pakistani soldiers and civilians. This isn't new; the TTP's resurgence since the Taliban's 2021 takeover has turned the border into a powder keg, Imran Khalid said. The political analyst detailed that the Afghan government's overconfidence played a big role in this flare-up. Their foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, spent eight days in India starting October 9, marking the first high-level Taliban visit to New Delhi since Kabul fell. During that trip, Muttaqi met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and issued a joint statement that irked Pakistan, including references to Kashmir that Islamabad saw as meddling. Bolstered by Indian diplomatic overtures and potential economic ties, the Taliban seemed emboldened, perhaps miscalculating that such backing would deter Pakistani retaliation. India has been engaging Kabul quietly, maintaining a technical mission there, but this visit felt like a green light for Afghan assertiveness. The timing is no coincidence - the clashes intensified right as Muttaqi wrapped up his tour, suggesting Kabul thought it could push boundaries without consequence, he said. Imran Khalid added that Pakistan's response has been swift and decisive, practically bulldozing Afghan checkpoints in retaliatory strikes. He noted that Pakistani forces used jets and tanks to overrun Taliban positions, claiming over 200 Afghan fighters killed while suffering 23 losses themselves. Afghanistan countered by saying it killed 58 Pakistani troops, but the asymmetry is clear: Kabul's forces, despite their bravado, are no match for Pakistan's conventional military edge in airpower, artillery, and logistics. The border crossings are now sealed, halting trade and stranding thousands, which hurts Afghanistan's fragile economy far more than Pakistan's. As for whether these clashes will end soon or spiral into full-scale war, I doubt we'll see a prolonged conflict, but a quick resolution seems unlikely without major concessions from Kabul. Muttaqi, fresh from India, is now calling for negotiations and a ceasefire in public briefings, urging de-escalation to avoid broader fallout. Even U.S. President Trump, en route to a Middle East summit, has offered to mediate, boasting about his track record in solving wars. But from Islamabad's perspective, talks are pointless until Afghanistan stops harboring TTP elements and expels them. Pakistan has conducted airstrikes targeting TTP leaders like Noor Wali Mehsud in Afghan provinces such as Paktika and Khost, underscoring that counter-terrorism is non-negotiable. Iran has voiced concerns too, stepping in to urge restraint amid fears of regional instability. If Kabul continues to play host to militants while courting external support, these skirmishes could drag on, eroding trust further. Yet a full war benefits no onePakistan holds the upper hand militarily, and Afghanistan can't afford another front. The ball is in Kabul's court: expel the TTP, and we might see borders reopen. Until then, expect more tension, not peace, Imran Khalid concluded. UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- To support the immediate scale-up of humanitarian operations, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher on Monday allocated an additional 11 million U.S. dollars in aid funds to the Gaza Strip. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), headed by Fletcher, said the amount was in addition to the 9 million dollars designated last week from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for Gaza. However, Fletcher warned that without fresh contributions to the CERF, critical aid cannot keep flowing to people who rely on it. OCHA said that under the humanitarian plan for the initial 60 days of the ceasefire, the United Nations and its partners will deliver life-saving assistance and services to people across the strip, wherever they need support. The aid will include food, water, health services, shelter supplies, hygiene items, protection support and other critical help, it said. The office said that the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza reported Israel's approval of additional aid, bringing the cleared pipeline to 190,000 tonnes as of Sunday. "These supplies are across the region -- in Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and the West Bank -- and are ready to move." The UN 2720 Mechanism enables humanitarian partners to register on an integrated application portal and database where all planned aid consignments intended for Gaza are tracked. For the first time since March, OCHA reported that cooking gas entered the strip on Sunday, and more tents for displaced families, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour and medicines also crossed into Gaza throughout the day. The office said that humanitarians can move more easily in many areas inside Gaza, and teams are reaching people in places that had been cut off for up to several months because of violence. From Friday to Sunday, partners monitoring displacements recorded almost 310,000 people moving from southern to northern Gaza and about 23,000 movements in other directions, said OCHA. PARIS, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been informed that he will begin serving his prison sentence on Oct. 21, following his conviction in the case concerning alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, French media reported Monday. Sarkozy was notified of the conditions of his incarceration at the request of the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF). For reasons of security and discretion, details regarding the arrangements will not be made public. According to a source close to the case cited by BFMTV, Sarkozy is expected to serve his sentence at La Sante Prison in Paris. The interval before Oct. 21 will allow him time to organize his personal and professional affairs. Once in custody, his defense team will be able to file a request for release before the Court of Appeals, which will have two months to issue a ruling. On Sept. 25, the Paris Criminal Court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 campaign. Although he has appealed, the judges ordered that the sentence be enforced immediately, citing the "exceptional seriousness" of the offenses. Sarkozy will become the first former French president in contemporary history to serve a prison sentence. SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A signing ceremony of the recently-reached ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was held here Monday. The ceremony fell within a summit co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, gathering leaders from more than 20 countries as well as regional and international organizations. The Israel-Hamas ceasefire went into effect on Friday, following more than two years of Israeli offensive that devastated the Gaza Strip and caused famine. MOGADISHU, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Senior al-Shabaab Commander Ali Ahmed Gure was killed on Monday by Ma'awisley, a pro-government clan-based militia, following an operation in the Hiran region of central Somalia, authorities confirmed. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, local forces backed by the Somali National Army carried out an overnight operation near Moqokori town. The ministry said the forces shot the commander dead while he sat at a tea shop, and an AK-47 rifle and a pistol were recovered. Gure was behind heinous attacks against officials and civilians in the Hiran region and was one of the group's most wanted senior leaders. Somalia's military court had sentenced Gure to death in absentia after he was found guilty of being behind the killing of a security officer of Mahas district in the same region. Security forces have vowed to intensify both air and ground operations to flush out al-Shabab militants in central and southern regions. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C) addresses the summit on ending the Gaza war in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. A summit on ending the Gaza war kicked off here Monday, which witnessed the signing of the recently-reached ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (Egyptian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A summit on ending the Gaza war kicked off here Monday, which witnessed the signing of the recently-reached ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Gathering leaders from more than 20 countries as well as regional and international organizations, the summit is co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. The summit will discuss ending the war in the Gaza Strip, enhancing efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and ushering in a new phase of regional security and stability, according to the Egyptian presidency. The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas entered into effect on Friday, following three days of intensive negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh between the two sides mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the United States. The first phase of the plan includes Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Younis, and the north, and the opening of five crossings for aid, and the exchange of hostages and prisoners. Hamas announced earlier in the day that it had handed over all 20 of the remaining live hostages, who were captured during the attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have begun releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange deal. More than two years of Israeli military operations have devastated Gaza, killing over 67,000 people and triggering famine, according to Gaza's health authorities and UN-backed food experts. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C) addresses the summit on ending the Gaza war in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. A summit on ending the Gaza war kicked off here Monday, which witnessed the signing of the recently-reached ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (Egyptian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) Leaders and officials pose for a group photo before the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. A summit on ending the Gaza war kicked off here Monday, which witnessed the signing of the recently-reached ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (Egyptian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) LJUBLJANA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday called for higher defense spending to ensure security, as the alliance moves toward a goal of increasing collective defense investment. Addressing the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ljubljana, Rutte said European allies and Canada "are now on a trajectory" to bring their defense spending closer to that of the United States. "This is necessary to keep the Atlantic, the Arctic, Europe and the United States safe," Rutte said, noting that member states have committed to investing 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2035, including 3.5 percent for core defense expenditure. At present, most of NATO's 32 members spend less than 3 percent of their GDP on defense. The four-day annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, a consultative body for lawmakers from members and partner countries, concluded on Monday in Ljubljana with 245 delegates in attendance. The assembly adopted six resolutions recommending stronger resilience against foreign interference, enhanced deterrence and defense, deeper transatlantic economic and security cooperation, greater stability in the Western Balkans, continued support for Ukraine, and readiness for future uncrewed warfare. Delegates urged more investment in air and missile defense capabilities, tougher sanctions on Russia, more funding for emerging technologies such as drones, and stronger action against hybrid threats. This drone photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows the aftermath after a landslide caused by the heavy rain in Huauchinango, Puebla state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) MEXICO CITY, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 64 people have died and dozens remain missing after days of torrential rains and flooding that hit central and eastern Mexico last week, authorities said Monday. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said national and local agencies are working together to assist affected communities and restore essential services. Laura Velazquez, national coordinator of civil protection, said rainfall between Oct. 6 and 9 reached record levels -- up to 286 millimeters in some areas -- causing rivers to overflow and triggering deadly landslides. Veracruz state reported 29 deaths and 18 missing, the highest toll among the affected states. The Defense Ministry said the Air Force has set up air bridges to deliver food and medicine to isolated communities in Veracruz, Puebla and Hidalgo, reaching 39 towns on Sunday. The Welfare Ministry has launched a door-to-door census to identify victims and distribute financial aid. Sheinbaum said preliminary estimates suggest around 100,000 homes were damaged. "In all cases, the government will provide support," she said. Authorities said efforts remain focused on providing shelter, food, clean water and medical care, while repairing roads, power lines and public services. This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows people watching search and rescue operation at a landslide site caused by the heavy rain in Huauchinango, Puebla state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a landslide caused by the heavy rain in Huauchinango, Puebla state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) This aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows rescue workers conducting a search in a landslide caused by the heavy rain in Huauchinango, Puebla state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a rescue worker conducts a search in a landslide caused by the heavy rain in Huauchinango, Puebla state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) This drone photo taken on Oct. 12, 2025 shows a vehicle stranded in a flooded area caused by the heavy rain in Poza Rica city, Veracruz state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) People push a washing machine through a street in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) A woman tries to clean a street flooded by the heavy rain in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) Mexican soldiers prepare to help people affected by the heavy rain in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) Mexican soldiers help to clean a street affected by the heavy rain in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) This drone photo taken on Oct. 12, 2025 shows the heavy rain aftermath in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) This drone photo taken on Oct. 12, 2025 shows people's belongings after the heavy rain in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) People affected by the heavy rain receive food at a shelter in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) A woman walks along a street affected by the heavy rain in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) Vehicles damaged by flood are seen on the street in Poza Rica city, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) A person walks along a street affected by the heavy rain in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) A woman receives medical treatment at a shelter for flood victims in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) People try to overturn a vehicle affected by the heavy rain in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) A woman hugs her children at a shelter for flood victims in the city of Poza Rica, Veracruz state, Mexico, Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Francisco Canedo/Xinhua) Shen Yueyue, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, meets with Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Zulaykho Makhkamova, who is here for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Shen Yueyue, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, on Monday met with Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Zulaykho Makhkamova, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women. Shen, also president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, exchanged views with Makhkamova on implementing the outcomes of the meeting and accelerating the process of women's all-round development. They also exchanged ideas on how to enhance China-Uzbekistan friendship, deepen cooperation in key areas, and expand people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in accordance with the important consensus reached between the two heads of state. This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a scene at the booth of Chinese tech company ZTE at the 45th edition of GITEX Global in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) DUBAI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 45th edition of GITEX Global, one of the world's most influential technology and artificial intelligence exhibitions, kicked off in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Monday, drawing over 6,800 tech companies and 2,000 startups from around 180 countries. Participants across fields such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data, and digital governance are showcasing their latest innovations at the event. Some 300 Chinese tech companies, including China Mobile, China Electronics Corporation, ZTE, H3C, iFlytek, and Xpeng AEROHT, have drawn significant attention during the event with their innovative advancements in AI robotics, intelligent solutions, and flying cars, highlighting China's rapid ascent in the global technology landscape. UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the exhibition, visiting pavilions of leading global companies including Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM, Microsoft, Huawei, and Xpeng AEROHT. "GITEX has evolved beyond being a gathering of technology leaders from East and West -- it has become a global movement that reflects the UAE's determination to lead change, turn challenges into opportunities, and create strategic partnerships that strengthen our position as a central hub of the global digital economy," Sheikh Mohammed said. The exhibition focuses on key themes such as AI infrastructure development, global innovation acceleration, and sustainable AI-driven economic growth. Through a series of conferences, expert panels, and interactive activities, it also aims to build a collaborative platform for cross-sector cooperation on a global scale. "GITEX GLOBAL stands as one of the most influential events in the Middle East and worldwide, serving as a barometer for global technological innovation," said Nadir Saleh Habib Al Batrani, an exhibitor from Oman. Batrani said he has observed a growing presence of Chinese companies at the exhibition. "Their advanced technologies, such as flying vehicles, AI robots, and AI solutions, have been very well-received. This demonstrates the global market's recognition and anticipation of Chinese technological advancements." The event is being held at the Dubai World Trade Center and will run through October 17. UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (C) attends the 45th edition of GITEX Global in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Oct. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a scene at a forum held during the 45th edition of GITEX Global in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a scene at the booth of Chinese tech company Xpeng AEROHT at the 45th edition of GITEX Global in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a scene at the booth of Chinese telecommunications carrier China Mobile at the 45th edition of GITEX Global in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) This photo taken on Oct. 13, 2025 shows a scene at the booth of Chinese tech company Huawei at the 45th edition of GITEX Global in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. (Xinhua/Wen Xinnian) Delegates listen as South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dion George (at the podium) delivers the opening remarks at the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, Oct. 13, 2025. (Photo by Shakirah Thebus/Xinhua) CAPE TOWN, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The third and final G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Technical and Ministerial Meetings kicked off on Monday in Cape Town. Opening the ECSWG meeting, South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dion George said the deliberations this week would lay the groundwork for the adoption of the ECSWG Ministerial Declaration, also to be known as the Cape Town Declaration. The declaration would represent the first G20 environmental outcome crafted on African soil and serve as "a blueprint for practical cooperation, rooted in evidence and focused on delivery," he said. According to the minister, the declaration would affirm three commitments: accelerating implementation of existing international agreements; deepening cooperation between developed and developing countries through finance, technology, and capacity support; and strengthening transparency and accountability across all areas of environmental action. Throughout the week, delegates will deliberate on six priority areas: biodiversity and conservation; land degradation, desertification, drought and water sustainability; chemicals and waste management; climate change; air quality; and oceans and coasts. The outcomes of the G20 ECSWG Meeting, which runs until Wednesday, will inform decisions at the G20 ECSWG Ministerial Meeting from Thursday to Friday and feed into the G20 Leaders' Summit late next month. However, the unity of purpose at the Cape Town meeting was tested following remarks from Usha-Maria Turner, head of the U.S. delegation who said her country did not support references in the draft declaration to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Turner said that such matters "should not be the responsibility of international organizations or the G20." The U.S. position follows its earlier decision under the Trump administration to formally reject the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. This stance has introduced a note of tension and could complicate efforts to achieve full consensus on the Cape Town Declaration, which aims to align G20 environmental cooperation with global development frameworks. By Nazrin Abdul At least 15 million tons of cargo are expected to be transported annually via railway through the territory of Azerbaijan in the coming years. Azernews reports that this was stated by Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev during a trilateral meeting with representatives from the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mustafayev recalled that in May 2023, an agreement was signed between the governments of Iran and Russia for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway segment on Iranian territory. Additionally, in December 2024, the governments of Azerbaijan and Russia signed a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing transit cargo transportation along the North-South International Transport Corridor. "According to the agreement, following the modernization of the relevant railway infrastructure, the guaranteed annual volume of cargo transported through Azerbaijan will reach at least 5 million tons starting from January 1, 2028. This volume is expected to increase to at least 15 million tons, subject to a joint decision by the participating parties," Mustafayev noted. Tanzanian dairy farmer Tahiya Bauso Massawe works in her Juncao grass field in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Sept. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) by Xinhua writers Hua Hongli, Lucas Liganga DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- In Zanzibar's Bumbisudi village, a lush carpet of green stretches under the morning sun as dairy farmer Tahiya Bauso Massawe moves between rows of Juncao grass, a Chinese agricultural innovation that has improved her livelihood and inspired women across her community. "This grass changed everything," Massawe said, watching her 30 dairy cows gather for their morning feed. "I have kept cows for 20 years, but the real change began when I started feeding them Juncao." Juncao, a term combining the Chinese words for "mushroom" and "grass," was introduced to Massawe through Tanzania's Ministry of Agriculture. Developed by researchers of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University of China, the technology is globally renowned for its versatility. Beyond animal feed, it can be used for mushroom cultivation and soil erosion control. Massawe's journey began modestly, from just a packet of seeds and a dose of skepticism. "It looked like sugarcane," she recalled. "We planted it, replanted the stalks, and slowly expanded. Eventually, we had enough to feed the cows." The results were remarkable. Milk yields doubled, with each cow now producing up to 30 liters a day, compared to the previous 15 to 20 liters. Her farm's total output surged from 90 liters to 150 liters daily, enabling her to purchase a feed-chopping machine and a transport truck worth 12 million Tanzanian shillings (about 4,600 U.S. dollars). But Massawe's success has rippled beyond her household. She now employs 16 workers, creating new opportunities for her community. "Women here have gained income and independence," she said. "They can support their families without relying on others." Eager to empower more women, Massawe distributes Juncao seeds free of charge. "Even if they do not own cows, they can grow the grass and sell it to livestock keepers," she said. "It is a path to income." With five hectares of Juncao now under cultivation, Massawe hopes to expand further, if irrigation support can be secured. "A water pump would allow me to grow more and help even more women," she said. Chinese researchers behind the project said Juncao helps communities adapt to climate change, restore degraded land and improve food security. Recognized by the United Nations as a sustainable development tool, Juncao technology has reached more than 100 countries since its inception in the 1980s. In Africa, where feed shortages and land degradation remain major challenges, the grass offers an affordable and eco-friendly solution. For Massawe, the impact is deeply personal. Her cows are healthier, need fewer supplements, and behave more calmly. "They eat less, drink more water, and rest better," she noted. "I commend the Chinese for this innovation. It has uplifted the poor." Her farm has since become a hub of learning and inspiration. Women from across Zanzibar visit to learn how to cultivate Juncao, and Massawe welcomes them warmly. "Prepare your farms," she told them. "Come to me, and I will give you the seeds." As workers load bundles of Juncao onto her truck, Massawe dreams of expanding her dairy operation to meet Zanzibar's growing demand. The once-skeptical farmer has become a champion of change, and the green Juncao grass continues to transform lives across the islands, one farm at a time. "I hope our government strengthens cooperation with China on agricultural technologies like Juncao," she said. "China has given us great support." BEIRUT, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday called for renewed negotiations with Israel, emphasizing that a cessation of military operations is necessary before dialogue can begin. "We hope to reach a time when Israel will stop its military actions against Lebanon so that the negotiation process can start," Aoun told the Association of Economic Journalists, according to a statement released by Lebanon's Presidency. Recalling Lebanon's previous negotiations with Israel, which produced a maritime border agreement, Aoun suggested that a similar approach could resolve remaining issues. Aoun also mentioned the country's engagements with Syria, including his meetings with Syrian leaders, emphasizing cooperation, mutual respect, and coordination on security and economic issues between the two sides. Since Nov. 27, 2024, a U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel has been in effect, largely halting the clashes triggered by the Gaza war. Despite the truce, the Israeli army continues to conduct occasional strikes in Lebanon, citing operations against Hezbollah "threats," while maintaining forces at five main positions along the Lebanese border. Amal Amaar, president of Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW), speaks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 7, 2025.(Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) CAIRO, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women in Beijing represents a golden opportunity for countries worldwide to exchange experience and advance women's empowerment, said an Egyptian official. Shortly before attending the meeting, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Amal Amaar, president of Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW), told Xinhua that the event would provide a valuable platform for participants to review achievements, share challenges and explore solutions. Amaar expressed high expectations for the Beijing gathering, hoping it will outline a new global agenda for promoting women's rights, similar to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted in 1995. "Thirty years have passed since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action laid the foundation for global legislative efforts to strengthen and protect women's rights," she said. The meeting, she added, comes at a time when the world is undergoing dramatic economic, political, digital and technological transformations. Amaar stressed that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action served as a roadmap guiding countries in their efforts to empower women. Highlighting the strong ties between Egypt and China, Amaar noted that bilateral cooperation has driven remarkable progress in Egypt's technical and vocational education sector. She said that Chinese vocational training programs for women have helped enhance their professional skills, improve employment prospects, and strengthen financial independence by better preparing them for the labor market. Amaar also praised China's economic development, saying it has significantly benefited women. "China has successfully broken educational stereotypes by opening technical schools in fields such as agriculture, construction and e-commerce to economically empower women," she added. Amaar affirmed that Egypt is now witnessing a "golden era" for women, supported by the 2014 Constitution, which established a strong legislative and legal framework to safeguard women's rights and achievements. She noted progress across various sectors, particularly in political participation. "Egypt has made remarkable advances in women's political empowerment, achieving an unprecedented 27 percent representation in parliament and 14 percent in the Senate," she said. The current parliament, she added, has passed several laws to uphold women's rights, including measures to prevent female circumcision, combat harassment and protect inheritance rights. In terms of economic empowerment, Amaar highlighted Egypt's significant progress in integrating women into small and medium-sized enterprises and preparing them to enter the formal labor market. She cited the "Tahwisha" program, a pioneering digital savings and lending initiative that enables women in remote and rural areas to open bank accounts, save money and access loans to start small businesses. "This program has greatly contributed to the economic empowerment of Egyptian women," she said. Amaar also expressed appreciation for the Global Governance Initiative, saying that "in a just world, women are the first to benefit," as they are often disproportionately affected by conflicts, disputes and economic crises. "If we live in a fairer world that upholds genuine values and rejects double standards, it will lead to global peace, which ultimately serves the interests of women," she added. Amal Amaar, president of Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW), speaks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 7, 2025.(Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) Amal Amaar, president of Egypt's National Council for Women (NCW), speaks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 7, 2025.(Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) An election official records ballot counts on a blackboard at a polling station in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, on Oct. 12, 2025. Voting for Cameroon's presidential election ended on Sunday evening, with ballot counting now underway across the country. Polling opened at 8:00 a.m. and closed at 6:00 p.m. local time, with more than eight million registered voters casting their ballots to choose the country's next president. According to Cameroon's Electoral Code, the Constitutional Council must announce the official results within 15 days. (Xinhua/Kepseu) YAOUNDE, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Voting in Cameroon's presidential election ended on Sunday evening, with ballot counting now underway across the country. Polling opened at 8:00 a.m. and closed at 6:00 p.m. local time, with more than eight million registered voters casting their ballots to choose the country's next president. Elections Cameroon, the national electoral body, said in an update that the voting process was generally peaceful, with no major incidents reported. In the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, additional troops were deployed to secure the vote after separatist groups seeking to form an independent state vowed to disrupt the election. The country now awaits the outcome of the single-round election, in which the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner. According to Cameroon's Electoral Code, the Constitutional Council must announce the official results within 15 days. An election official empties a ballot box for counting process at a polling station in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Kepseu) Election officials count and record ballots at a polling station in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Kepseu) An election official (R) records ballot counts on a blackboard at a polling station in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Kepseu) Election officials count ballots at a polling station in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Kepseu) KAMPALA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials from member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Monday began a meeting in Kampala ahead of a foreign ministers' conference to address challenges facing the movement amid rising geopolitical tensions. Ugandan Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo, who opened the NAM Midterm Ministerial Review Meeting held under the theme "Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence," called for collective effort and renewed commitment among member states. "It is only through unity, solidarity and a common purpose that we can project a clear, strong, and coordinated voice on the issues that affect our nations in today's increasingly complex and volatile global environment," Odongo said. "This environment continues to hinder our aspirations for economic development, social progress, peace, and the full enjoyment of human rights and the rule of law." Odongo urged NAM members to uphold the movement's long-standing position on the question of Palestine and to strengthen South-South cooperation to overcome persistent barriers to fair global markets. The officials' meeting precedes the foreign ministers' conference scheduled for Wednesday, which will review progress on the implementation of outcomes from the 19th summit held in Kampala in January last year. The Non-Aligned Movement, comprising 121 member states, is guided by the Bandung Principles, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, equality among nations, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. YAOUNDE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji issued a warning against falsifying results hours after polls closed in the country's presidential election on Sunday. According to Atanga Nji, intelligence services have identified "a platform" that wants to publish "fake" election results. "The government will put an end to this imposture that wants to falsify the results and publish them on illegal platforms. Those spearheading this will face the law, no matter their political or social status. Political parties need to use legal means to complain," Atanga Nji told a press conference in the capital, Yaounde, on Sunday night, without naming who was in charge of the platforms. Essosse Erik, director general of the country's electoral body Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), cited the Electoral Code, saying that the election results will be proclaimed by the Constitutional Council "no later than 15 days after the closing date of the polls." "The election results will be forwarded to the different competent electoral commissions and subsequently to the national commission for the final counting of votes," Erik told reporters. Polling in the election opened at 8:00 a.m. local time and ended at 6:00 p.m. local time. "The election took place under very acceptable conditions across the national territory and abroad. Election materials and documents were available. No major incidents were recorded throughout the voting operations," Erik said. Among the candidates, incumbent President Paul Biya cast his ballot at noon at the Government Primary School Bastos polling station in Yaounde, aiming for an eighth term in office since 1982. Speaking to reporters after voting, Biya said he was satisfied with how the election was proceeding in the country. "People need to show proof of maturity, and it will be a good thing if there are no injuries or fighting," Biya said. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Biya's main rival and former spokesperson, voted in the northern town of Garoua. "We hope that everything unfolds peacefully. People need to stay and count the votes when voting ends," Tchiroma said. Protests broke out in Garoua hours after the polls closed, following rumors that Tchiroma had been placed under house arrest. Calm returned after Tchiroma confirmed that he was "safe and in good health." Twelve candidates were initially confirmed to contest the election. Opposition candidates Akere Muna and Seta Caxton Ateki formed a coalition with Biya's former ally Bello Bouba Maigari, bringing the number of contenders down to 10. More than 8,000,000 people registered to vote in Sunday's election at over 31,000 polling stations, according to ELECAM. During interviews with Xinhua, several voters voiced their hope for peace and prosperity after voting. "We want development and employment opportunities. Whoever wins this election should usher in a new republic that responds to our needs," James Essomba, who voted in Yaounde, told Xinhua. "The next president should construct new roads, rehabilitate old ones, and provide a constant water supply and electricity. These are our major challenges," added Mohammed Daroua, another voter. In the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, additional troops were deployed to secure the vote after separatist groups seeking to form an independent state vowed to disrupt the election. Authorities said that voting went on hitch-free in the regions, although voters were afraid. "I pray for peace to reign in Cameroon because we in the Southwest and Northwest have suffered a lot. So we need peace," Tanyi Besem said after casting her ballot in Buea, the chief town of the Southwest region. The country now awaits the outcome of the single-round election, in which the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner. KIGALI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Delegates at the fourth edition of the Africa HealthTech Summit have urged more investment in digital health infrastructure and innovation to accelerate Africa's healthcare transformation and build resilient health systems. Opening the summit on Monday in the Rwandan capital Kigali, Raji Tajudeen, acting deputy director-general and head of the division of public health institute and research at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), emphasized the critical role of data and technology in improving healthcare delivery across the continent. Tajudeen called for investment in Africa's digital health infrastructure, the creation of a connected continental data ecosystem, and efforts to unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence and innovation. From drug discovery to pandemic preparedness, the future of health in Africa depends on shared data, bold partnerships and interoperable systems that enable collaboration across borders, he said. Rwandan Minister of Health Sabin Nsanzimana also addressed the summit, highlighting the urgent need for policies that keep pace with technological advancements and promote digital solutions in disease detection, control, and healthcare service delivery. He also underlined the importance of well-trained human capital, enabling policies, and strong collaboration to fully harness emerging technologies for improved health outcomes. Ozonnia Ojielo, UN resident coordinator to Rwanda, urged participants to move beyond dialogue and build actionable partnerships that deliver tangible results. He outlined five key focus areas shaping the UN's approach in Rwanda and across Africa, namely strengthening primary healthcare, building resilient health systems, scaling digital health records, advancing One Health surveillance, and promoting disability inclusion in health innovation. Held under the theme "Connected Care: Scaling Innovation Toward Universal Health Coverage", the summit has brought together over 2,500 health experts, technology enthusiasts, and policymakers to shape the future of healthcare in Africa. The event, which runs through Wednesday, will explore how emerging technologies can be harnessed to build resilient health systems, improve service delivery, and enhance individual well-being across the continent. COLOMBO, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- More than 17,000 children in Sri Lanka are living in vulnerable conditions, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala told the media on Monday. The minister said the figure was revealed through data collected in a recent study conducted by the Sri Lankan police. He noted that these children are at risk of becoming involved in criminal activities and are also more likely to fall victim to drug use. Wijepala added that steps are being taken to ensure these children receive the necessary protection and care. NEW DELHI, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A policeman was wounded when a pressure Improvised Explosive Device (IED), believed to be planted by Naxals, went off Monday in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said. The explosion took place in the forest area of Kandlaparti village of Bijapur district, about 495 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh. According to police, the wounded policeman was part of a government forces contingent that was out in the forest area on an anti-Naxal operation. "The policeman inadvertently came in contact with a pressure IED, triggering the blast and causing him wounds," an official said. Last week, a paramilitary trooper was killed and two others wounded in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in the adjacent state. Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India. The insurgency has reportedly claimed hundreds of lives besides rendering thousands of poor inhabitants homeless. By Qabil Ashirov Baku is hosting a high-level trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia, aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy, transport, logistics, energy, and customs. Azernews reports that Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said during the meeting that such trilateral dialogues play an important role in deepening collaboration in areas of mutual interest. The talks are co-chaired by Mustafayev, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Overchuk, and Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadeghi. The discussions we are holding in this trilateral format are of great importance for expanding trade, economic, transport, and energy ties among our countries, Mustafayev stated. I am confident that our constructive dialogue will further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation among Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia. He stressed that Azerbaijan remains committed to the principles of good-neighborliness, mutual understanding, and equal partnership with both Iran and Russia, expressing confidence that relations with both countries would continue to develop in the spirit of friendship and cooperation. Highlighting the need to enhance interstate relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, Mustafayev emphasized the importance of peace, stability, and prosperity for regional collaboration. He noted the growing relevance of the 3+3 regional consultation platform, initiated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which complements existing bilateral and trilateral mechanisms, strengthens regional security, and opens new opportunities for economic growth. Mustafayev recalled that the trilateral cooperation format was also established at the initiative of President Aliyev. The first AzerbaijanIranRussia Summit was held in Baku on August 8, 2016, followed by the second summit in Tehran on November 1, 2017. Speaking about key areas of cooperation, the deputy prime minister underscored the strategic importance of the NorthSouth International Transport Corridor, which plays a vital role in boosting trade between the three nations. He noted that the volume of freight transported along the corridor grew significantly in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year. As the only country with land borders with both Iran and Russia, Azerbaijan occupies a strategic position on the western segment of the corridor. This geographic advantage allows our nation to play a central role in enhancing the corridors efficiency and regional transport connectivity, he said, adding that joint efforts are underway to increase the corridors capacity and transit potential. Mustafayev recalled that the Baku Declaration, adopted after the 2022 trilateral meeting, envisions raising the corridors freight capacity to 15 million tons. He also referred to bilateral agreements signed among the three sides to further improve infrastructure and connectivity. The deputy prime minister pointed out that an agreement between the governments of Iran and Russia on the construction of the RashtAstara railway was signed in May 2023, while another agreement between Azerbaijan and Russia was concluded in December 2024 to enhance cooperation in freight transit along the NorthSouth corridor. He added that construction of the South Cargo Terminal in Irans Astara city, owned by Azerbaijan Railways and considered a key component of the NorthSouth Corridor, is nearing completion. Mustafayev further reminded that in December 2023, a new automobile bridge and border checkpoint over the Astarachay River on the AzerbaijanIran border were commissioned. Meanwhile, construction of the AgbandKalaleh Bridge over the Araz River continues under an intergovernmental memorandum signed between Azerbaijan and Iran in March 2022. The bridge, part of the Araz Corridor, is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with associated customs infrastructure to follow in the first quarter of next year. The HoradizAgband highway and railway projects are also expected to be finalized next year, creating a new segment that will connect both the EastWest and NorthSouth transport corridors. This crucial infrastructure will not only serve as a new link between the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea but also enhance Azerbaijans role as a vital transit hub in the region, Mustafayev concluded. ISTANBUL, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Monday that security forces had detained 106 suspects connected to a major organized criminal group in a large-scale operation across 10 provinces, including Adana, Izmir, Antalya, and Istanbul. Yerlikaya noted in a post on X that the simultaneous raids, launched Monday morning and coordinated by the Adana Provincial Police Department's anti-smuggling and organized crime branch, targeted 403 addresses and involved 2,000 officers. The operation targeted a network allegedly led by Ramazan Baygara, a 1998-born fugitive from Adana who is currently wanted internationally, according to the minister. Ramazan Baygara, who was arrested in Greece in 2024 under an Interpol red notice, has not yet been extradited to Turkiye. The gang has over 270 members and expanded its illegal activities beyond Adana to provinces such as Sanliurfa, Kirklareli, Batman, Izmir, Ankara, and Istanbul. Investigations revealed that the Baygara group had been involved in 54 separate criminal cases, including premeditated murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, armed threats, extortion, property damage, and violations of privacy. During the operation, police seized four handmade explosives, 27 unlicensed pistols, three AK-47 rifles, two automatic weapons, 38,915 drug pills, and various digital materials, according to the minister. The criminal group is notorious for its violent feuds with the other gangs in Adana. Ramazan Baygara's brother, Bedirhan Baygara, was reportedly killed by members of another gang. Syrians are seen at the Onder neighborhood in Ankara, Turkiye, on Oct. 13, 2025. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) by Burak Akinci ANKARA, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- After eight years in Turkiye, 35-year-old Syrian lawyer Hasan Alissa is preparing to return to his hometown of Aleppo in the coming weeks, joining a growing wave of Syrians making the journey home to help rebuild their war-torn country. Since late last year, following the downfall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, over half a million Syrians have returned from Turkiye to their homeland, according to recent Turkish official figures. "I am returning because my country needs me and the experiences that I have gained in Turkiye for its future," Alissa told Xinhua. Alissa completed his law degree in Syria and fled to Turkiye amid the country's civil war. In Gaziantep, southeastern Turkiye, he worked for an international relief agency specializing in child protection and refugee law. Now, he hopes to apply his expertise to help his country recover from more than a decade of conflict. "Syria has lost a precious generation to the civil war," he said. "Now it's time to rebuild despite many challenges on the ground. We have to make this happen." Turkiye has hosted over 3 million Syrians at the height of the Syrian crisis, making it home to one of the world's largest refugee communities. Over the years, many Syrians have integrated into local communities, learned new professions, and acquired language and technical skills. While seasoned professionals like Alissa bring their knowledge and expertise, younger Syrians are returning with practical skills they gained abroad. Twenty-five-year-old Ahmed Khaled, who has lived since 2015 in Gaziantep, is preparing to return to Damascus later this month. Working as an air-conditioning technician over the past five years, he has mastered technical skills that he believes will be useful in his homeland. "When I first arrived in Turkiye, I didn't know anything about this profession," Khaled recalled. "But I learned step by step, and now I can install, repair, and maintain systems on my own. I want to use these skills in my country," he said. Khaled said some of his friends had already returned to Syria, and he wants to be part of the reconstruction phase. "We've spent years abroad. It's time to go back and help create better living conditions there." While they are full of anticipation about returning home, the returnees acknowledge that Syria still faces enormous challenges ahead. Years of war have left infrastructure severely damaged, and economic difficulties persist. Yet for many, the decision to go back is rooted in a sense of responsibility. "Rebuilding Syria will not be easy. But it is our country. If we don't go back, who will build it?" Khaled said. Syrians are seen at the Onder neighborhood in Ankara, Turkiye, on Oct. 13, 2025. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) Syrians are seen at the Onder neighborhood in Ankara, Turkiye, on Oct. 13, 2025.(Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua) BELGRADE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony of Serbia's 39th International Festival of Innovation, Knowledge, and Creativity, "TESLA FEST 2025," was held in Novi Sad on Sunday, featuring Chinese products during the event. Running from Oct. 12 to 15, the event is sponsored by the Association of Inventors of Vojvodina and licensed by the World Intellectual Property Organization. It includes exhibitors from countries such as Romania and China. "We brought 28 projects to this exhibition, including innovations from universities and research institutes, enterprises, hospitals, and even young inventors," said He Zhenfu, vice chairman of the China Association of Inventions (CAI). The CAI participates in over 20 international invention exhibitions annually, with a particular focus this year on expanding cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe, he said. "The Serbian and Chinese sides are highly complementary in this regard." Feng Jikai, founder and CEO of Beijing Gene Key Life Technology Co., Ltd., told Xinhua that his company presented the "GKL-006 injection," a treatment for irregular primary liver cell carcinoma. "Taking Serbia as a gateway to the European market, we aim to promote Chinese technology globally, contributing to the health of people worldwide through Chinese innovation," said Feng. Andjelko Glavasevic, president of the Association of Inventors of Vojvodina, shared with Xinhua that he has been closely following China's technological development for the past 30 to 40 years and holds a very positive impression of Chinese innovations. "Today, Chinese tech products are embedded in nearly every aspect of daily life in Serbia," he noted, adding that he "looks forward to further collaboration with China in this field in the future." On-chain investigator EyeOnChain has allegedly identified the mysterious Hyperliquid whale controlling over 100,000 BTC as Garrett Jin, former CEO of collapsed exchange BitForex, which conducted a suspected $56.5 million exit scam in February 2024. The investigation traced the whales wallet addresses back to Jin through ENS domains ereignis.eth and garrettjin.eth, connecting funds withdrawn from exchanges like HTX and Binance seven to eight years ago to his tenure at Huobi and the BitForex collapse. Former Exchange CEO Denies Ownership as CZ Questions Validity Jin, who graduated from Boston University in 2008 with a degree in economics, served as the CEO of BitForex from 2017 to 2020, before the exchange was accused of falsifying trading volumes and operating without registration in Japan. BitForex froze withdrawals in February 2024 after approximately $57 million was withdrawn from hot wallets without explanation, with CEO Jason Luo resigning just days before the platform became inaccessible. Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission issued fraud warnings as users lost access to their assets. The whale recently sold over $4.23 billion in BTC to acquire ETH and opened a $735 million BTC short position on Hyperliquid, timing the trade just before President Trumps tariff announcement that crashed markets. Jin responded to the allegations by stating, The fund isnt mine its my clients and claiming he runs nodes providing in-house insights. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao shared EyeOnChains investigation thread, adding, not sure of validity, hope someone can cross check. EyeOnChains investigation revealed that Jin currently holds 46,295 BTC, valued at approximately $5.19 billion, across eight wallet addresses. During August and September, he sold over 35,000 BTC for ETH using both spot and perpetual contracts via Hyperliquid, employing a series of BTC wallets that received over 570,000 ETH, which were subsequently deposited into Ethereums Beacon Deposit Contract for staking through his company, XHash. Trail of Evidence Links Wallets to BitForex Collapse The investigation identified that an ETH staking contract deployed by Jins linked address was initially funded by ereignis.eth on Binance Smart Chain. The very first wallet to interact with the staking contract was ereignis.eth, which deposited 32 ETH. Analysis of the wallet that opened the $735 million BTC short position revealed that it received funds for fees from an address that had deposited $4.1 million in USDC to a Binance deposit address shortly before. ABB has announced that it is selling this business to SoftBank a Japanese financial holding company with a heavy emphasis in technology. SoftBank owns significant stakes in major companies like Nvidia and T-Mobile, and recent reports have suggested that the firm is carving out a strategic growth plan specific to AI. And thats likely where ABB comes in . Most Read on IEN: In a statement, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son called physical AI his companys next frontier, adding that together with ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent under our shared vision to fuse Artificial Super Intelligence and robotics driving a groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward. Sons reference to Artificial Super Intelligence or, ASI is a theory the company head has espoused in the past. He describes ASI as a type of AI that is 10,000 times smarter than any human genius, and Son believes this technology is about ten years away. Of course, such lofty ambitions also come with a massive price tag: the deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, will cost SoftBank roughly $5.4 billion. This deal marks a strategy shift for ABB as well. The company that had earlier hinted at spinning off its robotics division into a separately listed company. Company chairman Peter Voser said the divestment will create immediate value to ABB shareholders. Voser added, however, that ABBs overall ambitions are unchanged and that the company will continue to focus on [its] long-term strategy, building on [its] leading positions in electrification and automation. By Tim Hepher and Joanna Plucinska PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) -Global airlines face more than $11 billion in extra costs from supply chain disruption this year, a leading industry group said on Monday, in a report likely to rekindle debate over competition in the $250-billion aerospace industry. The study by the International Air Transport Association, produced with consultants Oliver Wyman, marks the first attempt to quantify the impact of a five-year supply chain crisis that has driven up fares and led to flight cancellations. IATA Director General Willie Walsh said he was surprised by the extent of the findings and told Reuters there may be grounds to revisit whether airlines are being subjected to anti-competitive practices by suppliers, after dropping a previous complaint in 2018. "Even if you halve the number, it's still a massive drag on the industry," Walsh said in an interview. REPORT DETAILS COST OF BOTTLENECKS Researchers found the largest impact stems from $4.2 billion in extra fuel as airlines keep older planes in service. Additional maintenance is expected to cost $3.1 billion, while leasing engines to replace those stuck in queues for maintenance adds another $2.6 billion. Holding more spare parts to cushion delays is projected to cost airlines $1.4 billion. Planemakers and their suppliers have waded through a mire of setbacks, from shortages of labour, materials and parts to mounting delays at repair shops, particularly for engines. There is also a growing tug of war with the defence industry for capacity as governments increase military spending. "There's now going to be continuing competition for the limited supply that is there," Walsh said, adding that supply chains would be an issue for the rest of the decade. He questioned the influence suppliers exert over parts pricing and called for additional competition in the aftermarket, which clearly has seen significant consolidation. PROFIT GAP IATA has previously called for greater competition in maintenance, including improved access to independent parts known as PMA. In 2016, it filed a complaint with the European Union against CFM International but withdrew it two years later after the engine maker agreed to maintain an open and competitive market. A similar agreement was reached with Rolls-Royce in 2021. Walsh said there were no plans to launch any new challenge, but did not rule it out. "We have been evaluating it, but we'd have to do a lot more work," he said, noting that airlines have confidential agreements, so digging deeper involves teams of lawyers. Another big concern among the Americans surveyed is how to best take distributions from their retirement savings when they do retire, with 45% revealing theyre unsure of the best method. This question is best answered with the help of a financial advisor, and it will largely depend on the type of accounts that you have. Even if youre confident in the amount youve saved for your retirement, LaVigne insists it is critical to understand how those assets will be able to fund your life after you retire. Thats why individuals with higher [net worths should also consider consulting a professional to make the most of their nest egg and the rest of their assets and portfolio. You can view advisor profiles, read past client reviews, and schedule an initial consultation for free with no obligation to hire. FinancialAdvisor.net is a free online service that helps you find a financial advisor who can help you create a plan to reach your financial goals . Just answer a few questions and their extensive online database will match you with a few vetted advisors based on your answers. With the help of a qualified professional, like those found through FinancialAdvisor.net , you can easily plan when, where, and how you want to retire. Research from T. Rowe Price found that individuals with a formal financial plan had two to four times more wealth when entering retirement compared to those without one. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to give yourself and your family peace of mind. Unfortunately, without a plan, you risk joining the 31% of Americans who are overspending in retirement, according to a report from retirement magazine 401(k) Specialist. Having the right retirement strategy for how and when youll spend your income is key to reducing the decisions youll need to make once you reach retirement age. Allianzs Vice President of Consumer Insights, Kelly LaVigne, commented if you dont know how you will draw from your retirement assets for income, then you arent ready to retire. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake heres what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Without a well-defined plan for spending in retirement, Americans could be facing unexpected and unnecessary stress. Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Story Continues With most IRA accounts, you will pay taxes on the funds you take out. So, the timing of these withdrawals really matters for the potential income tax youll incur. However, with a Roth IRA, you are contributing to your account with after-tax income, which means your withdrawals at retirement age wont be taxed. This is why financial guru Suze Orman wrote that Americans should be putting every single cent into a Roth account in her book, The Ultimate Retirement Guide For 50 Plus. And if you have a gold IRA, youll want to plan for whether youd like your withdrawals to be as income, or as the physical asset. One way to invest in a gold IRA is with the help of Thor Metals. Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases. Read more: Warren Buffett says you cant buy time but landlords are finding a way. Heres how savvy real estate investors are avoiding 12 hours a month in tedious admin (for free) Make sure your family is secure Finally, a plan is important because it provides your loved ones with security, too. For workers, an emergency fund doesnt just safeguard against a job loss. It can also be the ticket to covering surprise expenses without going into debt. And being retired doesnt make you immune from surprises. For instance, if youre concerned that Medicare might not cover all your health care expenses or that you want a little more financial security in retirement, there are other insurance options you can consider If youre concerned that Medicare might not cover your expenses, there are other insurance options you can consider. Without proper planning, paying for long-term care could deplete your retirement fund. In many cases, the burden of paying for care often falls on family members potentially straining their finances. Long-term care insurance offers coverage for the costs of in-home assistance, nursing homes or assisted living facilities. While traditional health insurance covers certain medical needs in old age, such as prescriptions and doctor visits, long term care insurance covers health needs specific to the needs of seniors. Another option that can help your family in the event of your death is term life insurance. This is a type of life insurance that offers coverage for a predetermined period, known as the "term," that typically ranges from 10 to 30 years. Term insurance is usually a less expensive and more flexible option. If the insured individual dies during this term, the policy pays a death benefit to the designated beneficiaries. Young families and busy professionals looking for fast and affordable insurance can easily connect with Ethos and get term life insurance in 5 minutes, with no medical exams or blood tests. With Ethos Insurance, you get a policy with up to $2 million in coverage, starting at just $2/day. Ethos application process ensures you get flexible coverage options quickly and transparently, allowing you to focus on what matters most. Enjoying life on a fixed income Having a suitable retirement plan isnt only important for your financial goals, its just as critical for your peace of mind. Of those surveyed by Allianz Life, 48% worried about living too frugally and not enjoying retirement as much as they should. Without a clear set of steps for how you want to prepare for and live in retirement, youre subjecting yourself to unnecessary uncertainty. You may be spending more frugally than necessary, or you might not be frugal enough to make those savings last. Once you have your plan, investing while you spend is another way to double down on savings for the future. Acorns automates investing and saving to simplify the process of setting aside extra funds. When you make a purchase on your credit or debit card, they will automatically round up the price to the nearest dollar and place the excess cash into a smart investment portfolio. This way, even the most essential spending translates to money saved for the future. You can also open an IRA account with Acorns Later, and get potential tax benefits. With the Acorns Gold plan, you can get a 3% match on new IRA contributions, as well as customize your portfolio by choosing individual stocks. You can also opt for the Acorns Silver plan, which offers a 1% match on new IRA contributions. When you sign up now, youll get a $20 bonus investment, too. You May Also Like Join 200,000+ readers and get Moneywises best stories and exclusive interviews first clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Crowe, an audit, tax, advisory and consulting firm, has promoted three of its senior team members to partner roles. Hayley Ives, Matthew Howard, and Marc Newman are the professionals stepping into these leadership positions. Hayley Ives brings a wealth of expertise in tax resolutions to her new role, with a career spanning more than 18 years. Her work involves guiding clients through intricate dealings with HMRC, including fraud investigations and various disputes. Ives' clientele includes a spectrum of individuals and entities across the nation, addressing issues such as tax residence and domicile, with a particular focus on offshore matters. Matthew Howard's journey with Crowe began in 2007 as a trainee. Howard's specialisation lies in statutory audit, and he possesses additional experience in HFI audits for companies approaching public listings, as well as in the examination of acquisition balance sheets. Marc Newman, who has been with Crowe since 2006, will take on the role of Corporate Audit Partner. He has 19 years of audit experience with understanding in both UK GAAP and IFRS. Newman's client base includes businesses ranging from privately-owned to AIM-listed groups, and he has a history of involvement in several AIM listings, covering industries like manufacturing and international trade. Crowe UK chief executive Nigel Bostock said: It gives me great pleasure to welcome Hayley, Matthew and Marc to the partnership. As we continue to grow our teams and capabilities across the firm, each of them will play an important role in further building on our expertise and the support we offer to our clients. In August 2025 , Crowe expanded by opening of a new office in Birmingham's One Colmore Row building, where it now occupies the entire 8th floor. "Audit firm Crowe announces promotions of three partners " was originally created and published by International Accounting Bulletin, a GlobalData owned brand. Key Points Over the past 90 days, Ethereum has significantly outperformed Bitcoin. New digital-asset treasury companies continue to accumulate Ethereum at a brisk clip. Institutional investors continue to plow money into spot Ethereum ETFs. 10 stocks we like better than Ethereum The top-performing major cryptocurrency during the past 90 days is Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH). During that time, it is up 29%. By comparison, market bellwether Bitcoin is down 4% (as of Oct. 11). So if you're looking to invest $500 into crypto right now, it's worth taking a closer look at Ethereum. Although it has historically played second fiddle to Bitcoin when it comes to performance, it now has considerably more momentum than Bitcoin headed into the final months of the year. The merger of traditional finance and decentralized finance There are several factors propelling Ethereum right now. One is the rapidly intensifying merger of traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi). Financial market participants on Wall Street are looking for new ways to integrate blockchain technology into the modern global markets, and Ethereum is at the center of everything interesting happening there. Image source: Getty Images. Take stablecoins, for example. These are simply digital dollars -- cryptocurrencies pegged 1-to-1 to the value of the U.S. dollar. But they represent an important on-ramp for Wall Street investors to the world of decentralized finance. To put real-world dollars to work on the blockchain, you first need to convert them into digital dollars. So, the rapid growth of stablecoins during the past 12 months can be taken as a useful proxy for just how much interest there is in combining the worlds of traditional finance and blockchain finance. That's important because Ethereum remains the top blockchain for stablecoins and the top blockchain for DeFi. This summer, adoption of the Genius Act (which provides a legal framework for stablecoins) was taken as a huge vote of confidence for everything blockchain- and DeFi-related. Thus, it's perhaps no surprise that the spectacular rise of Ethereum during the past three months coincided with the onset of a stablecoin summer. The rise of Ethereum treasury companies At the same time, digital-asset treasury companies are starting to accumulate Ethereum rapidly. There are now more than a dozen publicly traded companies that do nothing other than invest in it. They raise capital from outside investors, and then immediately plow that money back into the crypto. This creates a virtuous circle. Buying by Ethereum treasury companies helps to push up the price of the coin. This, in turn, makes the treasury companies more valuable, making it easier for them to borrow money from outside investors. And the cycle begins anew. United States President Donald Trump said that he would be ready to send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if the war with Russia remained unresolved, Azernews reports. While boarding Air Force One on his way to the Gaza peace conference, Trump said that he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would tell Russian President Vladimir Putin that he would supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles if the war remained unresolved. Writing on X, the Ukrainian president called his latest conversation with Trump very productive, noting that they had discussed strengthening his countrys air defence, resilience, and long-range capabilities. It was the second time the pair had spoken in as many days. On Monday, Trump said he would only agree to provide Kyiv with Tomahawks if he knew what it planned to do with them. He added, without giving further details, that he had sort of made a decision over the issue. Given that their range is 2,500km (1,550 miles), Ukraine could use the weapons to strike deep inside Russia. In comments published on Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the topic was of extreme concern to Russia. Now is really a very dramatic moment in terms of the fact that tensions are escalating from all sides, he told Russian state television reporter Pavel Zarubin. Peskov said Moscow would have to bear in mind that some versions of the missile are able to carry nuclear warheads. The Kremlin spokespersons remarks came as French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the latest Russian strikes on Ukraines energy infrastructure. After speaking with Zelenskyy on Sunday, Macron said: As the agreement reached in Gaza offers a glimmer of hope for peace in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine too must come to an end. If Russia persists in its obstinate warmongering and its refusal to come to the negotiating table, it will have to pay the price, he said. Key Points Alibaba ranks first among seven AI stocks in Tepper's top 10 holdings. Tepper built a big position in the stock largely because of the Chinese government's economic stimulus. Alibaba isn't as great a pick as it once was, but it should still be a winner over the long run. 10 stocks we like better than Alibaba Group Billionaire David Tepper bought shares of Nvidia hand over fist in the second quarter of 2025. His Appaloosa Management hedge fund increased its stake in the stock by a whopping 483%. However, Nvidia is emphatically not Tepper's biggest artificial intelligence (AI) bet. Which stock holds that honor? Look across the Pacific. The top AI stock in Appaloosa's portfolio (and the biggest holding, period) is none other than Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE: BABA). Image source: Alibaba Group Holding. Standing above the rest There's no doubt that Tepper likes AI stocks. Of Appaloosa's top 10 holdings, seven fit squarely in the category -- including Alibaba and Nvidia. Three of the top 10 are AI hyperscalers. Amazon ranks as Tepper's third-largest position. Google Cloud parent Alphabet is his eighth-largest holding. Microsoft, whose Azure platform trails only Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the cloud market, rounds out the billionaire's top 10. Meta Platforms and Uber Technologies aren't hyperscalers. However, they're both big players in the AI space. Meta uses AI extensively in its social media platforms. It's also the leader in the AI glasses market. Uber has referred to itself as an "AI-first" company for years, with AI integrated throughout its business. Two other members of Appaloosa's 10 biggest positions have deep AI ties. Vistra and NRG Energy provide electric power that is critical for running many data centers that host AI applications. Only Alibaba stands at the top of Tepper's portfolio, though. The stock makes up 12.4% of his total holdings. His stake in the Chinese company was valued at $801.5 million as of June 30, 2025. Why Tepper likes Alibaba We don't have to guess why Tepper likes Alibaba. He told CNBC in an interview in September 2024 that he would buy "everything" in China after the country announced a huge economic stimulus. That stimulus wasn't the only thing Tepper liked about Chinese stocks, though. He also told CNBC that many Chinese stocks offered attractive valuations and solid growth prospects. Alibaba checked off both boxes. Granted, Alibaba's valuation isn't as attractive now as it once was. That's because the stock has more than doubled in 2025. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio now stands at 23.3. The multiple was below 10 at the beginning of the year. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has once again reiterated cautious approval of crypto investments and walked back previous comments he made in October 2017 about Bitcoin being an index of money laundering. Speaking with CBS on Sunday, Fink said that I did say Bitcoin, because we were talking about Bitcoin then, was the domain of money launderers and thieves. But you know, the markets teach you, you have to always relook at your assumptions. There is a role for crypto in the same way there is a role for gold, that is, its an alternative, he said. In his latest comments, however, Fink also urged caution. For those looking to diversify, it is not a bad asset, but I dont believe that it should be a large component of your portfolio, he added. BlackRock, the worlds largest money manager, oversees roughly $12.5 trillion in assets. It launched one of the first U.S. crypto spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 following regulatory approval from the SEC. Its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF is the largest crypto ETF with more than $93.9 billion assets under management. Finks shift in tone over the years is in line with a broader softening of Wall Streets stance on cryptocurrencies. He was part of a cohort of CEOs who once dismissed Bitcoin outright. In 2017, he called it an index of money laundering, while JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon described it as a fraud and said people who owned it were stupid, likening the asset to the Dutch tulip mania in the 1630s. Since then, the mood has changed, with Fink taking a more conciliatory tone from 2023 onwards. Major financial firms, from asset managers to investment banks, are gradually moving into the crypto sector, drawn by investor demand even as they warn of volatility and regulatory risk. In a letter to investors earlier this year, Fink himself noted that half of the demand for BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF has been "from retail investors, and three-quarters of those investors had never owned an iShares product before." BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Is Already Its Most Profitable, Surpassing Older ETFs Chief Investment Officer at Sygnum Fabian Dori told Decrypt that particularly since the re-election of U.S. President Donald Trump, the embrace of crypto assets has moved from institutional involvement to institutional adoption. If there was any need for further confirmation of the increasing institutional adoption, it has probably been provided by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink flagging Bitcoin as a potential replacement of the U.S. dollar as a global reserve currency in case the U.S. debt situation would spiral out of control," he said. "These developments have driven Bitcoin dominance, the share of Bitcoins market cap relative to the total crypto asset market cap, to a level not seen for years." Algi Febri Sugita / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images OpenAI is considered the world's most valuable startup. Key Takeaways News involving OpenAI has a tendency to move the shares of companies involved. Today's example is Broadcom, which saw its stock jump on news of a deal with the ChatGPT maker. OpenAI isn't publicly traded. But when it acts, stocks often move. On Monday, it was Broadcom's (AVGO) turn. Shares of the chipmaker were recently up nearly 10%, approaching 2025 highs, following an announcement that the ChatGPT maker would team with the chipmaker to co-develop AI systems for delivery from 2026 to 2029. Today's climb in Broadcom shares is another example of the sustained popularity of the news-driven AI trade, which continues amid concerns about whether there's a bubble in the sector. It also highlights the power of OpenAI, considered the world's most valuable startup at about half a trillion dollars. Why This Matters to Investors One way for a stock to get a lift these days: land a mention in a press release or news report involving OpenAI, the company known for ChatGPT. Shares of Broadcom jumped Monday on just such an announcement, the latest to involve a major tech company. The deal is "a pivotal moment in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence," Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said in a statement. OpenAI chief Sam Altman called it "a critical step in building the infrastructure needed to unlock AIs potential." The Broadcom news follows a raft of other OpenAI announcements in recent weeks. News about a partnership with AMD (AMD) powered that chip maker's shares higher in early October. And Nvidia's (NVDA) stock rose last month after it announced plans to invest as much as $100 billion in OpenAI. (September reports also highlighted a multiyear Oracle (ORCL)-OpenAI deal worth hundreds of billions of dollars.) And when OpenAI had a "DevDay" event earlier this month, shares of a range of companies that were mentionedincluding Figma (FIG) and Expedia (EXPE)also got lifts. As for Broadcom specifically, its shares recently changed hands at about $356, roughly 9% off the Visible Alpha mean of Wall Street analysts near $389. The stock has gained 54% since the start of 2025. Read the original article on Investopedia BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB) is one of the best penny stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On October 3, CIBC analyst Todd Coupland reiterated a bullish stance on BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB), giving the stock a buy rating with a $6.00 price target. BlackBerry (BB) Soars 12.47% on Earnings, Optimistic Outlook BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB) reported in its fiscal Q2 2026 results that the total company revenue for the quarter surpassed prior guidance at $129.6 million, reflecting a growth of 3% year-over-year. Management further reported that total company GAAP and adjusted gross margin rose by 4 percentage points year-over-year to 75%. QNX revenue for the quarter also exceeded guidance, achieving a 15% year-over-year growth to $63.1 million. BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB) provides intelligent security software and services. The companys operations are divided into the following segments: Cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), and Licensing and Other. While we acknowledge the potential of BB as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. The share price of Civitas Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CIVI) fell by 15.46% between October 3 and October 10, 2025, putting it among the Energy Stocks that Lost the Most This Week. Civitas Resources (CIVI) Falls Amid a Plunge in Oil Prices Civitas Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CIVI) plummeted following the recent escalation in the trade war between the United States and China, with the latter putting curbs on the export of its rare-earth minerals and the White House responding with threats of aggressive tariffs on Chinese imports. The tensions have naturally led to a drop in global crude oil prices, with WTI crude tumbling below the critical $60 per barrel mark for the first time since May. A recent report from Bloomberg has indicated that Civitas Resources is considering a merger with fellow Permian producer SM Energy. Once combined, the new company would be worth around $14 billion in enterprise value, making it one of the biggest deals of the year in the oil and gas sector. Following the recent downturn, the share price of Civitas Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CIVI) has fallen by over 38% since the beginning of 2025. The company has been selling assets, including a package of lower-margin assets in the Denver-Jules, to reduce its debt load. While we acknowledge the potential of CIVI as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 13 Best Nuclear Power Stocks to Buy According to Analysts and 12 Best LNG Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. Disclosure: None. Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) is one of the best penny stocks to buy according to hedge funds. CLSA analyst Sumeet Jain maintained a Buy on the stock with a price target of INR265, on October 3. Is Wipro Ltd. (WIT) the Best Technology Penny Stock to Buy Right Now? In other news, Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) announced on September 15 that it entered into an expanded partnership with CrowdStrike for the launch of Wipro CyberShield MDR, which is an AI-powered unified managed security service (MSS) that simplifies and strengthens enterprise security operations. Management stated that CyberShield MDR employs a modern SOC to deliver industry-leading capabilities, providing AI-driven automation, enhanced visibility, and higher efficiency. Wipro Limited (NYSE:WIT) is a global information technology, consulting, and outsourcing company involved in the development and integration of solutions. The companys operations are divided into the following segments: Information Technology Services, India State Run Enterprise Services, and Information Technology Products. While we acknowledge the potential of WIT as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Markets were in disarray on Friday after Trump threatened to impose additional tarrifs. Credit: Scott Heins/Getty Images. Key Takeaways Circle, Figure, and Gemini have joined Coinbase on U.S. stock exchanges in 2025. The spell of IPO optimism was struck down on Friday when Trump threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports. For listed crypto firms, the broader market downturn was compounded by a partisan clash over DeFi regulation. It has been a strong year for crypto IPOs. Circle, Figure, and Gemini are the three largest digital asset companies to go public since Coinbase in 2021. But the political and economic tailwinds that propelled listed crypto firms to new heights in 2025 may have finally run their course. Crypto stocks plummeted across the board on Friday, when Coinbase (COIN), Circle (CRCL), Figure (FIGR), and Gemini (GEMI) fell between five and 12 percent. A broad market selloff was fuelled by heightened trade tensions between the U.S. and China, with President Trump threatening to unleash yet more tariffs on Chinese imports. For digital asset companies, the downturn was further compounded by plummeting crypto prices and a standoff in the Senate over DeFi regulation. U.S.-China Trade War Heats Up After Beijing introduced fresh restrictions on rare earth mineral exports, Trump responded by threatening to impose a 100% tariff on all products from China. The move represents the latest escalation in a trade war that has rocked global markets throughout 2025. Each time the President threatens new tariffs, stock indices decline. For example, by the time markets closed on Friday, the S&P 500 was down 2.96% from its morning high. Impact on Crypto Stocks Fridays selloff had a pronounced effect on American crypto companies. Coinbase stock started the day strong, with the news that it is in talks to acquire stablecoin startup BVNK propelling COIN above $400. However, the company wasnt immune to broader market sentiment, plummeting more than 16% on Trumps tariff threat before bouncing back to close at $357. Among the IPO class of 2025, Circle, Figure, and Gemini followed a similar pattern, declining sharply throughout as Wall Street anticipated a fresh round of tariffs before making a modest rebound late in the day. At the closing bell, CRCL was down 11.66%, FGR 12.20%, and GEMI 8.30%. Senate Stalemate Fuels Uncertainty for US Crypto Beyond escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, the crypto industry was further rocked by a leaked proposal from Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee. The proposal, which would severely restrict DeFi in the U.S., sparked an immediate backlash from the crypto sector and exposed a bipartisan rift threatening to derail eagerly anticipated crypto regulation. (Reuters) -Insiders at dating app Grindr are discussing taking it private after a share slump put its top owners in a tight personal financial position, Semafor reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Grindr (GRND)shares jumped more than 10% following the report. They have lost about 26% so far this year. Raymond Zage and James Lu, who control majority of Grindr, are in talks to secure debt financing from Fortress Investment Group to acquire the dating app, the report said. Zage and Lu have discussed a buyout price of around $15 per share, the report said, adding that the number could change. A deal at that price would value Grindr at around $3 billion. The talks have accelerated after a unit of Temasek, having extended personal loans to at least one of Grindr's owners secured by their holdings, seized some of those shares last week and sold them, Semafor reported. Both Grindr and Fortress Investment Group declined to comment on Reuters' requests. Originally owned by Beijing Kunlun Tech, Grindr was sold to San Vicente Acquisition LLC for more than $600 million in 2020 after the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment raised national security concerns. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar) Across the channel European Union law makers have made a concerted effort to distance their own business ecosystems from the auspices of US Big Tech companies. France and Norway are developing their own sovereign clouds and are involving local partners in the endeavour. But above all, these private investments by private companies with global market dominance raise questions around data sovereignty, geopolitical tensions and UK tech increasing becoming a satellite arm of the US rather than a sovereign tech power in its own right. Most of the investment focuses on data centre buildouts, with the majority of jobs created during the construction and build out phase as data centre management is not job intensive. The huge infrastructure investment also raises the question of UK energy and water supply being diverted away from local populations in order to facilitate such levels of compute power. While policy makers and tech titans alike touted the deals mutual benefits there was some scepticism that the US may have more to gain the UKs cheap land and labour some even likening the agreement to a Western multinational exploiting developing world resources (with the view that the UK has been much relegated by its economic misfortunes to low value investment location). The deal was accompanied by a raft of US Big Tech investment announcements in the UKs AI infrastructure. These included a $30bn investment by Microsoft which includes includes building the countrys largest supercomputer in partnership with British company Nscale, a $5bn investment by Google including the opening of a data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, a $1.5bn investment by US datacentre company CoreWeave in Scotland and the establishment of Stargate UK in a collaboration between Nscale, OpenAI and US chipmaker Nvidia. The deal aims to give the UKs tech ecosystem access to US datasets, infrastructure and compute power, as well as collaborative R&D and shared research funding opportunities on quantum, nuclear and AI. It also signals greater collaboration on regulation, national security and the skills needed to advance the UKs technology sector, according to the official memorandum of understanding. The highlight of the trip, on the 18th September, saw Trump and UK Prime Minister Starmer announce the UK US Tech Prosperity Deal, an historic accord for deeper cooperation between the two countries technology innovation efforts and a much-needed boost for a UK Labour government failing to deliver on its promise of economic growth. US President Trumps UK state visit in September was marked by a host of accompanying US tech titans, some of whom helped elect him. The chief executives of Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple and OpenAI treated the US President to a show of fealty worthy of a royal entourage. Story Continues Indeed, some of the Tech Prosperity Deal's raft of US digital infrastructure investment did include a local partner Nscale, a company seemly sprung from nowhere in 2024. Little is known about this relatively recent newcomer. Nscale chief commercial officer, Karl Havard, has publicly stated that the company is the the UKs only full-stack, sovereign AI infrastructure provider, telling Capacity in July 2025 that: This reflects our belief that control over local AI infrastructure and compute is essential to national resilience, economic growth, and global competitiveness. Digital sovereignty becomes a business priority Sovereignty has become an increasingly important issue within the digital economy evinced by the then Conservative UK governments decision to classify data centres as critical national infrastructure in September 2024. However, economic imperatives mean that the UK government welcomes foreign direct investment in UK digital infrastructure. But are UK businesses concerned whether their data is being stored, processed and managed over US run infrastructure? Claudio Corbetta, CEO of team.blue says it absolutely makes a difference for SMEs. The companys own research found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of SMEs across the UK and Ireland are concerned about their data being stored in the US. This is also happening in Europe, with 72% of SMEs worried about their data being stored in the US. This anxiety is tied to frameworks like the US Cloud Act and continuing debates over the adequacy of the EUUS and UKUS data transfer arrangements, explains Corbetta. The US Cloud Act gives US law enforcement the power to demand electronic data stored overseas by US companies. The sovereignty question for SMEs goes beyond infrastructure capacity. It is about whether they trust that the data falls under either EU and/or UK jurisdiction, or not. What were hearing from customers across Europe is that this distinction has direct implications on their ability to adhere to regulations, as well as maintaining and building on consumer trust, says Corbetta. Corbetta says that SMEs increasingly see confidence in data sovereignty as a business differentiator, as its shaping procurement decisions and customer relationships. If we take a step back and look at the wider European context, while Big Tech plays a huge role in AI and cloud infrastructure, were seeing a shift that provides opportunities for European tech companies. Europe-based providers can compete on capability while offering the certainty that data remains protected under local laws. For many SMEs, that combination of sovereignty and trust is now just as important as performance or price, says Corbetta. From what were hearing, company directors and customers are increasingly raising questions about data location, and that pressure is shaping real business decisions. For tech leaders, the takeaway is that digital sovereignty is not just a compliance topic, its a strategic one. Providers that can combine transparency, guidance, and local hosting solutions are increasingly seen as true partners. Sovereignty isnt an add-on, but the foundation for sustainable digital growth, he adds. UK opportunity for sovereign AI infrastructure Many British business leaders like Mahdi Yahya, founder and CEO at UK AI specialist data centre provider Ori, sees a clear opportunity arising from the fact that digital sovereignty is increasingly becoming a boardroom priority for UK businesses. The infrastructure funding announcements in the UK [US UK Prosperity Deal] mark an exciting time for the space, says Yahya, though its still a niche market to some extent. And the market potential for a largely UK owned and run AI infrastructure does exist. While the incumbent Big Tech cloud providers dominate, the price point, the fact that Oris infrastructure is built ground up specifically for AI and the data sovereignty proposition of using a UK company is what has allowed the company and other players in the space to build successful UK businesses on the back of this demand for specialist AI infrastructure. Yahya doesnt see the demand opportunity decreasing any time soon. The big buying factor for a lot of enterprises, especially in Europe and Middle East, is around the sovereignty of infrastructure, he says. AI will have access to and will be interacting with all the data that you have. And so, whether you're a government entity, or an enterprise in a regulated sector, or operating in compliance heavy sector, it becomes extremely important to know where the infrastructure is and what control there is over the infrastructure. "And many governments in Europe, specifically, and enterprises in Europe now have mandates that they need to be working with cloud providers that are local or sovereign for this precise reasons, adds Yahya. How would a smaller UK industry compete with big US cloud players on AI infrastructure? Its impossible for them to overcome the sovereignty issue, because obviously they're US controlled, he says. Some customers we talk to are adamant that they don't want to be working with a provider that is subject to the US cloud act, for example, and the US cloud players are still subject to that. So that removes that portion of the market for them, he explains. And then the other big differentiator, or opportunity, is around performance specialisation of a company like Ori that was built from the ground up with AI in mind. Like any industry, you have incumbents, and then a new technology that comes to light, and along with that come new players with a more differentiated offering, with a more performant offering, a more cost-effective offering, and that's where we are at the moment, he says. Build British Big Tech British veteran entrepreneur and CEO of AI research engine Corpora.ai, Mel Morris, sees the UKs massive investment focus on AI infrastructure as "a wakeup call in terms of what we spend our money on". In Morriss view, UK investment patterns are simply following prevailing trends and lack innovative foresight. The money is following the fashion. The fashion says, get Jensen Huang over here, let's put $5bn to get some GPUs in place and build a big data centre. Meanwhile, were seeing small entrepreneurial startups, with game changing technology that potentially could double the gross domestic product of this country, struggling to get heard and to get financed." Morriss call to action is to reframe the UK's focus on AI infrastructure to encompass a wider, more innovation first approach. Forget the amount of GPUs. In three years they'll be worth nothing, because youll need them to be ten times faster and a tenth of the price. Let's focus on what are small amounts of money, relatively speaking, that we could spend to build sovereignty, to build the technologies that allow us to compete, because at the moment, we're [the UK] a net importer of AI tech, and I think that's a dangerous place to be. "Does the UKs focus on AI infrastructure risk the chance of building its own British Big Tech?" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. Investing can feel out of reach for anyone without a big salary, but Gen Z is keen to get involved and show that early investing habits matter more than a six-figure income. Discover More: How To Start Investing With Less Than $1,000 Try This: 5 Cities You Need To Consider If You're Retiring in 2025 A study from J.P. Morgan Chase found that in 2015, only 6% of 25-year-olds had investment accounts. By 2024, that number had grown to 37%, showing younger adults these days are prioritizing financial independence and long-term growth. Research from John Stevenson reinforces this, sharing that 32% of Gen Zers expect to be saving for retirement or investing by the time theyre 30. To find out more about Gen Z and investing, GOBankingRates spoke with two financial experts about smart first steps. Make an Early Start Starting may seem obvious, but for many, the hardest part of investing is taking that first step. While saving is an important part of building wealth, it doesnt come with the potential for higher returns that investing does. Ive seen countless instances where people start saving but never knew they needed to invest the funds, said Adam Vega, a wealth advisor at Avance Private Wealth. One of the simplest ways to make a start is through low-cost index funds or ETFs. Theyre popular for a reason, offering diversification across hundreds of companies and a track record of delivering steady, long-term results without the need to pick individual stocks. For You: Most Experts Say Buy Index Funds. Charles Payne Says Do This Instead Take Advantage of Tax-Advantaged Accounts Investing through accounts with tax benefits can make money grow faster. Contributions can be put into stocks, bonds or ETFs, letting compounding work over time. Chad Gammon, a financial advisor and founder of Custom Fit Financial, explained that automation makes it easier to grow contributions. Many automation tools allow for yearly increases, he said. This could be in your employers 401(k) account, an IRA or even a brokerage account. Starting small and letting contributions rise gradually keeps investing consistent without adding extra stress. Pay Down Debt To Boost Investing Power Its smart to use any extra money to pay off high-interest debt rather than putting it all in investment accounts. The money saved on interest will mean more money to invest later. Its nearly impossible to invest and save if you have high-interest debt, as the debt increases faster than your savings and investments, said Gammon. Paying down credit cards, personal loans or other costly debt first ensures future contributions to retirement accounts or brokerage investments have more impact. Key Points Viking Therapeutics is nearing the finish line with a candidate for weight loss -- to potentially enter a drug market thats approaching $100 billion. This biotech has candidates in phase 2 and phase 3 trials, and data so far are promising. 10 stocks we like better than Viking Therapeutics Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) soared to the forefront almost two years ago when it announced data on an investigational drug to serve an area of high need: weight loss. The biotech's candidate met the goals of its phase 2 trial, bringing it a step closer to entering this market that analysts say may approach $100 billion by the end of this decade. Viking's stock surged more than 100% in one trading session after announcing its clinical trial progress and as investors speculated that it would be the next to challenge weight loss market leaders Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly -- or be acquired by a company eager to get into this lucrative space. Since, though, the stock progressively has lost those gains, and over the past year, it's declined 44%. Meanwhile, Viking's weight loss program -- the injectable I mentioned above and an oral version -- continues to deliver promising results, keeping the company on track to commercialization. Does this make Viking a buy on the dip? Let's find out. Image source: Getty Images. GLP-1 drugs Viking's candidates are part of classes of drugs that have everyone talking these days -- GLP-1 agonists and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs interact with hormonal pathways involved in the control of appetite and the management of blood sugar levels. Today's commercialized products, from Novo Nordisk's semaglutide to Lilly's tirzepatide, originally were developed for type 2 diabetes but since have shown themselves to excel -- in clinical trials and then in the real world -- as a weight loss treatment too. So, these current drugs are approved under one name for type 2 diabetes and another name for weight management -- in the case of Lilly, these are Mounjaro and Zepbound, respectively. Viking is developing VK2735, its dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, in injectable form -- like current marketed weight treatments -- and it's also working on an oral version. The former is involved in a phase 3 trial right now and the latter is in phase 2. It's difficult to directly compare VK2735's performance to today's commercialized products since trial parameters and the real-world context don't offer us an "apples to apples" sort of view. But the candidate's performance so far has been promising: In the phase 2 study, participants achieved average weight loss of as much as 14.7% after 13 weeks of dosing. And in the phase 2 dosing trial of the oral candidate, weight loss averaged up to 12.2% after 13 weeks. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a financial boost for Albania's financial sector, with a package of up to 10m ($11.6m) for Tirana Bank to expand its trade operations. This collaboration represents the EBRD's inaugural partnership with Tirana Bank, focusing on green financing and trade finance facilities to help local businesses and stimulate regional trade. The financial package includes a 5m senior loan to the bank under the SME Reboot Programme to support green investments in Albania's micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Local MSMEs will be eligible for cashback of up to 10% of the loan amount to make these green investments more accessible. This grant incentive is supported by contributions from Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the US through the EBRDs Small Business Impact Fund, with additional support from Denmark. Additionally, Tirana Bank will receive up to 5m under the EBRD's Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) to support trade between countries where the EBRD operates. It includes guarantee provisions to international confirming banks, mitigating the risks associated with Tirana Bank's transactions. The TFP will also provide short-term loans to facilitate various stages of foreign-trade transactions. EBRD Central and South-Eastern Europe managing director Charlotte Ruhe said: This collaboration is important for fostering sustainable growth, enhancing regional competitiveness and helping local businesses align with international standards. By combining financial tools with technical assistance, we are unlocking new opportunities for innovation and resilience in Albanias private sector. Tirana Bank has a history dating back to 1996, when it was established as the first private bank in Albania, offering financial services to both individual and corporate clients. The EBRD has been active in Albania for over three decades, with investments exceeding 2.3bn in multiple sectors. In July 2025, PBZ Leasing secured a 25m loan agreement with the EBRD aimed at enhancing leasing options for Croatian MSMEs. "EBRD grants 10m to enhance Tirana Banks trade finance services " was originally created and published by Leasing Life, a GlobalData owned brand. The true engine of Americas economy might surprise you. Its not tech. Its not artificial intelligence, finance, or manufacturing. Its energy. Energy accounts for just 7% of Americas gross domestic product (GDP), but, as former FERC Chair Mark Christie put it, its the foundational 7% ... everything else in our economy and lifestyle flows from it. Christie, recently named the founding director of William & Mary Law Schools new Center for Energy Law & Policy, has placed a spotlight on the often-overlooked but indispensable role of energy in our economy and national security. Energy powers every aspect of American life, from our digital infrastructure and healthcare to manufacturing and daily commutes. From the appliances running in every home to the streaming services Americans watch every night. Energys influence is all around us. Any future growth, whether it be reshoring manufacturing, expanding AI, or vehicle electrification, cannot exist without an increase in energy. Former FERC Chair Mark Christie will open POWER's newest event, Data Center POWER eXchange (DPX 2025), with a keynote discussion about the $2-trillion infrastructure challenges at the intersection of power and digital growth. As AI-driven power demand is straining infrastructure, Christie will lay out the reliability, market design, and cost-allocation stakes for utilities, hyperscalers, and regulators. Register today to attend DPX 2025, set for Oct. 28 in Denver, Colorado. Although energy accounts for a relatively modest share of our GDP, that number undervalues its contribution. Contemporary life depends on an uninterrupted flow of affordable, reliable power. Without it, finance, commerce, communications, healthcare, transportation, and every other sector would grind to a halt. In other words, the other 93% of our GDP wouldnt exist without energy. Its the precondition for modern society. Outsourcing Grid Components is Too Big a Risk For decades, the U.S. has outsourced everything from steel to semiconductors and batteries to keep costs down. Today, much of the U.S. electric grid relies on transformers, capacitors, and other hardware manufactured overseas, mostly in China. The energy supply chain is uniquely vulnerable to disruptions. When supply is curtailed or compromised, we lose access to specialized components like large power transformers, which can take years to acquire or build. China now supplies most of the transformers essential to the national grid. American grid resilience, and by extension the broader economy, hinges on suppliers at the far end of increasingly complex global supply chains. The American Society of Civil Engineers downgraded U.S. energy infrastructure to a D+ in the group's 2025 report card. Aging grid systems and transformer shortages were key concerns, underscoring the urgency of reshoring these components. Italys Eni and Argentina's state-owned YPF have finalised an agreement to advance a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the Vaca Muerta field in northern Patagonia, Argentina. The agreement was formalised after Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi met with Argentina's President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires to discuss existing and future projects. After the meeting, Descalzi and YPF's president and CEO, Horacio Marin, signed the final technical project description for the LNG phase of the Argentina LNG project. They also signed a preliminary agreement to reach a final investment decision for the project. The Argentina LNG project encompasses the development of the Vaca Muerta gas field. Argentina LNG is an integrated project focused on upstream and midstream gas development, aimed at harnessing the onshore Vaca Muerta gas field. This project is designed to cater to international markets, with plans to export up to 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG in several independent phases. The project comprises gas production, processing, transportation and liquefaction for export through two floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) units. Each of the FLNG units has a capacity of 6mtpa, which translates to around nine billion cubic metres of gas annually. In addition, the project also includes the export of associated liquids. Claudio Descalzi said: Today we had the opportunity to showcase the progress of our joint projects and Eni's prospects in Argentina to President Milei. We are proud to have been chosen for such an important project and to contribute to the development of Argentine LNG, which will represent a significant source of supply for international markets. The specific and distinctive expertise we have developed in the FLNG projects in Congo and Mozambique makes us an ideal partner for implementing this type of project. Eni said the project is in line with its strategy to support the energy transition by prioritising gas production, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. The agreement follows a heads of agreement signed by Eni and YPF in June. Eni will leverage its expertise in speeding up the implementation of development projects using FLNG units, while YPF will bring its experience in managing upstream operations. YPF CEO Horacio Marin stated that the project would necessitate the drilling of 800 new wells, and revealed plans to double the company's gas production by 2024, reported Reuters. Marin also projected that the project would require $25bn in infrastructure investment and $15bn for upstream development. (Reuters) -Microsoft and Nvidia are planning to invest up to $15 billion in total in Anthropic, in the latest AI-driven tie-up that also includes a $30 billion commitment by the Claude maker to use Microsoft's cloud services. The announcement highlights the AI sector's relentless demand for computing power as firms race to build systems rivaling or surpassing human intelligence. Here is a list of multi-billion-dollar AI, cloud and chip deals signed recently: MICROSOFT, NVIDIA, AND ANTHROPIC Microsoft will invest up to $5 billion and Nvidia up to $10 billion in Anthropic, while the Claude maker will pledge $30 billion to run its workloads on Microsoft's cloud. Under the agreement, Anthropic will commit up to 1 gigawatt of compute, powered by Nvidia's advanced Grace Blackwell and Vera Rubin hardware. The company will also team up with Nvidia to improve chips and AI models for better performance. NVIDIA-BACKED GROUP AND ALIGNED DATA CENTERS An investor group including BlackRock , Microsoft and Nvidia is buying U.S.-based Aligned Data Centers, one of the world's biggest data center operators with nearly 80 facilities, in a deal worth $40 billion. GOOGLE AND TEXAS Google will invest $40 billion in three new data centers in Texas through 2027. One of the data centers will be in Armstrong County, in the Texas Panhandle, and the other two in Haskell County, a stretch of West Texas near Abilene. The company is also continuing to invest in its existing Midlothian campus and Dallas cloud region, part of the company's global network of 42 cloud regions. BROADCOM AND OPENAI OpenAI has partnered with Broadcom to produce its first in-house artificial intelligence processors, the latest tie-up for the world's most valuable startup for computing power amid surging demand for its services. AMD AND OPENAI AMD agreed to supply artificial intelligence chips to OpenAI in a multi-year deal that would also give the ChatGPT creator the option to buy up to roughly 10% of the chipmaker. NVIDIA AND OPENAI Nvidia is set to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply it with data center chips, in a deal giving the chipmaker a financial stake in OpenAI. OpenAI is already an important customer for Nvidia. META AND COREWEAVE CoreWeave has signed a $14 billion agreement with Meta to supply computing power to the Facebook parent. NVIDIA AND INTEL Nvidia will invest $5 billion in Intel, giving it roughly 4% of the company after new shares are issued. ORACLE AND META Oracle is in talks with Meta for a multi-year cloud computing deal worth about $20 billion, underscoring the social media giant's drive to secure faster access to computing power. Britains Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it is closely monitoring the fallout from the collapse of US auto parts maker First Brands Group, warning that the case underscores growing risks in the rapidly expanding private credit market and its potential implications for the UKs financial system. The FCA described First Brands implosion, alongside the bankruptcy of subprime auto lender Tricolor, as interesting case studies in how unregulated private markets can amplify financial instability. Both companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in recent weeks, unsettling investors and raising fresh concerns over opaque lending structures in the US auto sector. First Brands, which makes spark plugs, brake calipers, wiper blades and other car components, listed more than $10 billion in liabilities in its bankruptcy filings, according to Reuters. The companys downfall followed revelations about its use of off-balance-sheet financing, including invoice and inventory-backed debt, that masked the true extent of its borrowings. Auto industry roots, financial-market contagion Founded by Malaysian-born businessman Patrick James, First Brands grew rapidly through a string of debt-fuelled acquisitions across the US and Europe, eventually controlling more than two dozen auto-parts brands. But as The Guardian reported, the companys opaque off-balance-sheet financing spooked creditors, revealing a debt mountain stretching far beyond what had appeared in its accounts. The crisis has unnerved Wall Street, with The Guardian noting that as ever in finance, its what investors dont know that scares the most. The unraveling has drawn comparisons to Greensill Capitals 2021 collapse, which exposed widespread weaknesses in supply-chain and receivables finance, and to Carillions 2018 implosion in the UK. The BBC reported that private credit, sometimes called shadow banking, has ballooned since the 2008 financial crisis as traditional banks pulled back from lending. The private credit market now is about the same size as the entire UK GDP, according to Edi Truell, chair of Disruptive Capital, in an interview with the broadcaster. My concern is that you have a blow-up like First Brands, which is in many ways the US equivalent of Greensill - opaque, under-disclosed and over-leveraged. Private credits role under scrutiny Private credit funds, investment vehicles that lend directly to companies outside the regulated banking system, are at the heart of the current debate. These funds have grown to manage more than $2 trillion globally, often marketing themselves as flexible alternatives to bank loans. Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried says his single biggest mistake was handing the company over to restructuring officers as part of bankruptcy proceedings. The single biggest mistake I made by far was handing the company over, Bankman-Fried told the magazine Mother Jones in an interview published last week. Bankman-Fried is appealing his 25-year prison sentence for defrauding FTX investors and customers. The cryptocurrency exchange collapsed in November 2022 after a rush of withdrawals revealed an $8 billion hole in its balance sheet. Don't Miss: Amazon and NVIDIA Partnered With This Robot Chef Now Individual Investors Can Too Accredited Investors Can Now Tap Into the $36 Trillion Home Equity Market Without Buying a Single Property A significant portion of the deficit was the result of a concealed credit line to sister trading company Alameda Research, court proceedings later revealed. The so-called backdoor provided Alameda with unfettered access to FTX customer funds for speculative bets, without the knowledge or consent of investors and users. Unable to secure a deal to plug the hole and meet withdrawal demands, Bankman-Fried yielded to pressure from his law firm, Sullivan & Cromwell, to hand over the company to bankruptcy expert John J. Ray III on Nov. 11, 2022. Bankman-Fried told Mother Jones that minutes after signing FTX over, he received a call that sparked hope of a potential investment that could save the company and he tried to revoke his signature. However, it was too late, and Ray immediately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, hiring Sullivan & Cromwell to oversee the process. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Bankman-Fried said that he could have salvaged the situation given the opportunity to be involved in the bankruptcy process. However, Ray refused to engage with Bankman-Fried after taking over, according to a January 2023 court filing. Bankman-Fried, who maintains that he did not defraud anyone, told Mother Jones that FTX was solvent when he handed it over to Ray, referring to illiquid investments Alameda made with FTX customer funds. The funds were always sitting there, in the company, he said. We always had more value in assets than we had in liabilities, he said. But when youre talking the billions, you cant just go sell off everything in a matter of 20 minutes. Ray said in a March 2024 letter that Bankman-Frieds claims that FTX was solvent were categorically, callously and demonstrably false. Fyffes has agreed to sell its Sol Group melon growing and distribution business to US-based Martori Farms. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction. Sol Group comprises Fyffes melon production in Honduras and Guatemala, as well as a distribution operation in Miami, Florida. In a joint statement, the companies said the deal creates one of the worlds largest year-round melon producers. Sol Group is described by the parties as the largest supplier of winter melons to customers in North America. Dublin-based Fyffes said the sale would allow it to sharpen its focus on core perennial categories bananas and pineapples by dedicating resources and expertise to their continued growth and market leadership. Martori Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned grower founded in 1913 with roots in Arizona and California, is known for its Kandy brand melons, including cantaloupe, watermelon, and lemon drop melon. Fyffes said the combined companys farming and distribution footprint across the US, Central America and South America creates the worlds most reliable and diversified melon supply chain. Steve Martori III, CEO of Martori Farms, said: Our goal has always been to deliver melons that exceed consumer expectations melons that delight with flavour, appearance, and quality. The acquisition of Sol Group allows us to extend that promise across all 12 months of the year, while working with an extraordinary team of professionals who share our dedication to quality and sustainability. In March, Martori Farms acquired the assets of VH Azhderian & Co., expanding in Californias San Joaquin Valley. At the time, Martori Farms said it intended to use the Los Banos facility to bolster production, cooling, storage and distribution nationwide. "Fyffes offloads Sol Group melon unit to Martori Farms " was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. Heartland Advisors, an investment management company, released its Heartland Value Plus Fund third-quarter 2025 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The third quarter proved to be robust for small caps, signaling improved demand dynamics. The Russell 2000 Index was up 12.39% in the quarter, outperforming the S&P 500 Index, which rose 8.12%. The fund returned 8.51% in the third quarter compared to a 12.60% gain for the Russell 2000 Value Index. In addition, you can check the funds top 5 holdings to determine its best picks for 2025. In its third-quarter 2025 investor letter, Heartland Value Plus Fund highlighted stocks such as Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH). Headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells pharmaceutical drugs and consumer products. The one-month return of Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) was -3.13%, and its shares lost 12.96% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On October 10, 2025, Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) stock closed at $61.00 per share, with a market capitalization of $3.002 billion. Heartland Value Plus Fund stated the following regarding Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) in its third quarter 2025 investor letter: "Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) the company behind familiar over-the-counter medical products such as Dramamine, Ludens cough drops, and Clear Eyes eye drops was the biggest detractor to our Strategys performance during the quarter. Thats in part because PBH missed earnings forecasts and took down its full fiscal year EPS estimates due to supply chain issues related to its eye care business. Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. According to our database, 19 hedge fund portfolios held Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) at the end of the second quarter, compared to 23 in the previous quarter. In the fiscal first quarter of 2026, Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) reported revenue of $249.5 million compared to $267.1 million in the prior year. While we acknowledge the potential of Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:PBH) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. Indian tax authorities have launched an investigation into over 400 high-net-worth traders using Binance, suspecting large-scale crypto tax evasion, according to a report from The Economic Times. Key Takeaways: Indias tax authority is investigating over 400 Binance traders for allegedly evading the countrys steep crypto taxes. The probe focuses on activity from 2022 to 2025 and includes scrutiny of peer-to-peer trades. Binance, previously banned and later reinstated after paying a fine, now faces heightened regulatory pressure. The probe, led by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), targets activity between 2022-23 and 2024-25 and instructs regional offices to submit findings by October 17. Indias Crypto Tax Burden Reaches 42.7% for Top Earners, Probe Targets Evasion The traders under scrutiny allegedly avoided paying Indias steep crypto taxes, which include a 1% withholding tax on every transaction and a 30% tax on profits. When combined with surcharges and a 4% cess, the effective rate can reach 42.7% for top earners. The government has maintained its tough stance on digital assets, with Union Minister Piyush Goyal recently reaffirming Indias commitment to expanding its central bank digital currency (CBDC) while continuing to heavily tax private cryptocurrencies. Binance was banned from operating in India in late 2023, along with eight other offshore exchanges, after the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) accused them of violating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The company later paid a $2.25 million fine and re-entered the Indian market in August 2024 after registering as a reporting entity, a move that reportedly enabled authorities to access data for the ongoing tax probe. Investigators are also looking into peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions carried out through Binance that were settled using local bank accounts, Google Pay, or cash, the report said. While cash settlements have since been discontinued, authorities believe these methods may have been used to conceal taxable income. The investigation adds to the growing regulatory challenges facing Binance, which is also handling fallout from token depegs and system failures in other markets. The exchange recently pledged to compensate affected traders, as the broader crypto industry continues to grapple with record liquidations and increased government scrutiny worldwide. 14 Sentenced to Life in India for Kidnapping Crypto Investor In August, an Indian anti-corruption court sentenced 14 men, including 11 serving and former police officers and ex-legislator Nalin Kotadiya, to life imprisonment for the 2018 kidnapping and extortion of businessman Shailesh Bhatt over his cryptocurrency holdings. Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY) is one of the best growth stocks to buy now. On October 3, Infosys announced its collaboration with Telenor Shared Services/TSS to modernize TSSs Human Resources/HR operations. TSS is a global business services organization that provides systems, services, and support to Telenor Group. The core of this collaboration is the implementation of a new Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management/HCM solution to standardize HR processes and enhance both employee productivity and experience for TSS. Infosys Collaborates with Telenor Shared Services to Modernize HR Operations with Oracle Cloud HCM The project uses Infosys deep expertise in Oracle Cloud HCM implementations. HCM cloud solution will help TSS standardize and streamline processes, improve employee productivity, and harness the potential of embedded AI and cloud technology. Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY), together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, technology, outsourcing, and digital services in North America, Europe, India, and internationally. While we acknowledge the potential of INFY as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has reportedly initiated development work at the recently discovered Pazan oil and gas field. NIOC Exploration director Mohieddin Jafari said that a private investor has been contracted to drill several wells under a 40month development programme, reported the Islamic Republic News Agency via the Tehran Times. Jafari said: The Pazan discovery is one of the countrys most significant new oil and gas finds, achieved after years of geological surveys and seismic studies. The plan includes drilling several wells across the field and tying these wells into gas separation and sweetening hubs for delivery to the national grid. Preliminary work in the area commenced in 2015 with a 4,000m well that identified a single gas horizon. 2D and 3D seismic surveys were subsequently carried out, prompting a second drilling phase. The campaign revealed two further hydrocarbon layers, an oil-bearing interval and another gas zone, and showed the original gas horizon to be larger than expected. The capacity of the field is roughly ten trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas, equivalent to around one billion cubic feet per day (approximately 28.5 million cubic metres). This volume is likely to fulfil the everyday gas requirements of the Ilam, Bushehr, North Khorasan and Masjed Soleyman regions. Jafari said: Its importance lies in its ability to reduce winter gas shortages. Preliminary assessments indicate a minimum of 200 million barrels of oil in the field, Jafari said, adding that definitive figures await the outcome of a third well. He added: This will give us a clearer picture of the Pazan fields long-term production capacity. NIOC is also carrying out 2D and 3D seismic surveys in multiple regions including Kermanshah, Ilam, Khuzestan, Bushehr and Ardabil. Plans are also advancing to hire survey contractors for South Khorasan, North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, Golestan and Gorgan by the end of this year. Jafari said: Our simultaneous operations across Irans vast onshore regions aim to deliver new discoveries to the Iranian people and strengthen the countrys energy balance. "Irans NIOC begins development work at Pazan field under 40month programme" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. By Nupur Anand NEW YORK (Reuters) -JPMorgan Chase on Monday unveiled a plan to hire more bankers and invest up to $10 billion in U.S. companies considered critical to U.S. national security and economic resilience. The move is part of a broader 10-year $1.5 trillion initiative to facilitate, finance and invest in industries central to the growth of the American economy, including defense, energy and advanced manufacturing. Shares of the largest U.S. bank were last up 1.1% before the bell. JPMorgan said it will deploy the $10 billion through direct equity and venture capital investments. The announcement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration looks to modernize infrastructure and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, particularly in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, clean energy and rare earths. "It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing all of which are essential for our national security," JPMorgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon said. Trump revived the trade war against Beijing on Friday, ending an uneasy truce between the two largest economies with promises to sharply hike tariffs in a reprisal against China curbing its rare earths exports. JPMorgan said its new "security and resiliency initiative" would facilitate financing and investment across four strategic sectors: supply chain and manufacturing; defense and aerospace; energy independence; and frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The firm said it had already planned to facilitate and finance about $1 trillion over the next decade in support of clients in these important industries, according to previously undisclosed internal figures, but it would be increasing the size by 50%. The U.S. government is pursuing deals across up to 30 industries, involving dozens of companies deemed critical to national or economic security, Reuters reported this month. JPMorgan, which helped put together the government's deal with U.S. rare earths mining company MP Materials, said in a recent company podcast that the bank was working with the Trump administration to explore more such opportunities. We've had no less than 100 calls with clients to talk about the MP transaction as well as what this means for other industries, said Andrew Castaldo, JPMorgans co-head of mid-cap mergers and acquisitions. And we've had numerous trips down to Washington to explore those opportunities with the government. By Nupur Anand NEW YORK (Reuters) -JPMorgan Chase unveiled a plan on Monday to hire bankers and invest up to $10 billion in U.S. companies considered critical to national security and economic resilience, part of a broader $1.5 trillion pledge. The move is part of a 10-year initiative to facilitate, finance and invest in industries central to the growth of the U.S. economy, including defense, energy and manufacturing. Shares of the largest U.S. bank rose 1.4% before the bell. JPMorgan said it will deploy the $10 billion through direct equity and venture capital investments. The announcement comes as the Trump administration looks to modernize infrastructure and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, particularly in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, clean energy and rare earths. It also follows U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of JPMorgan and its rivals for so-called "debanking" clients for their political or religious beliefs. "It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing all of which are essential for our national security," JPMorgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon said. Trump revived a trade war against Beijing on Friday, ending an uneasy truce between the two largest economies with promises to sharply hike tariffs in a reprisal against China curbing its rare earths exports. JPMorgan said its new "security and resiliency initiative" would facilitate financing and investment across four strategic sectors: supply chain and manufacturing; defense and aerospace; energy independence; and frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The firm said it had already planned to facilitate and finance about $1 trillion over the next decade in support of clients in these industries, according to previously undisclosed internal figures, but it would increase the size by 50%. US PURSUING DEALS INVOLVING DOZENS OF COMPANIES The U.S. government is pursuing deals across up to 30 industries, involving dozens of companies deemed critical to national or economic security, Reuters reported this month. JPMorgan, which helped put together the government's deal with U.S. rare earths mining company MP Materials, said in a recent company podcast that the bank was working with the Trump administration to explore more such opportunities. We've had no less than 100 calls with clients to talk about the MP transaction as well as what this means for other industries, said Andrew Castaldo, JPMorgan co-head of mid-cap mergers and acquisitions. And we've had numerous trips down to Washington to explore those opportunities with the government. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) said on Monday it plans to invest as much as $10 billion in direct equity and venture capital stakes in companies operating within key industries such as artificial intelligence, mineral producers, and defense. The strategy is part of a wider "security and resiliency" plan by the countrys largest bank to commit $1.5 trillion in future financing and spending on industries critical to national and economic security in the US and allied nations, according to a press release. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said that the plan is aimed at speeding up investments in these critical industries where the US and its allies have become hampered domestically and overly reliant on foreign supply chains. "It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing all of which are essential for our national security, Dimon said in the press release. Our security is predicated on the strength and resiliency of Americas economy. America needs more speed and investment, Dimon added, noting that excessive regulations, partisan gridlock and the education system have all hampered such efforts. Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co, speaks Sept. 9 during an event honoring local construction workers who helped build the firms new Manhattan headquarters. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Reuters / Reuters JPMorgan had already planned to commit $1 trillion over the next decade to such areas as aerospace, defense, energy, manufacturing, and emerging technology. This initiative adds another $500 million including the $10 billion worth of investments. During a call with reporters Monday morning, Mary Erdoes, CEO of JPMorgan's asset and wealth management division, left the door open for the bank to go higher than the $10 billion in investments depending on the initiative's results. "Up to 10 billion is where we're going to get focused and get going, and we'll review it as times passes, and we see how successful we are," Erdoes said. JPMorgan said it will hire more bankers, investment professionals, and other experts while leaning on research efforts from its asset and wealth management division, as well as its newly formed geopolitics advisory service. Doug Petno, JPMorgan's co-head of the bank's commercial and investment banking division, said "the most immediate" hiring for the initiative will be aimed at building out the team tasked with deploying the $10 billion worth of investments while the rest of the hiring will take place within the commercial and investment bank. The Trump administration has been ramping up efforts to secure these same industries in the US as it spars with China over trade negotiations. In recent months, the government has taken equity stakes in public companies like semiconductor giant Intel (INTC), rare earth producer MP Materials (MP), and Canada-based mining company Trilogy Metals (TMQ). By Nupur Anand NEW YORK (Reuters) -JPMorgan Chase launched a $1.5 trillion plan on Monday to facilitate, finance and invest in industries deemed critical to the U.S. national security and economic resilience, including defense, energy and advanced manufacturing. As part of the 10-year initiative, the largest U.S. lender also plans to hire more bankers and invest up to $10 billion into U.S. companies through direct equity and venture capital investments, focusing on fast-growing businesses and key manufacturers. The announcement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration looks to modernize infrastructure and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, particularly in sectors like pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, clean energy and rare earths. It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing all of which are essential for our national security," JPMorgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon said. Trump revived the trade war against Beijing on Friday, ending an uneasy truce between the two largest economies with promises to sharply hike tariffs in a reprisal against China curbing its rare earths exports. JPMorgan said its new "security and resiliency initiative" would facilitate financing and investment across four strategic sectors: supply chain and manufacturing; defense and aerospace; energy independence; and frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The firm said it had already planned to facilitate and finance about $1 trillion over the next decade in support of clients in these important industries, according to previously undisclosed internal figures, but it would be increasing the size by 50%. The U.S. government is pursuing deals across up to 30 industries, involving dozens of companies deemed critical to national or economic security, Reuters reported this month. JPMorgan, which helped put together the government's deal with U.S. rare earths mining company MP Materials, said in a recent company podcast that the bank was working with the Trump administration to explore more such opportunities. We've had no less than 100 calls with clients to talk about the MP transaction as well as what this means for other industries, said Andrew Castaldo, JPMorgans co-head of mid-cap mergers and acquisitions. And we've had numerous trips down to Washington to explore those opportunities with the government. Dimon also emphasized the need for policy reform to accelerate progress, citing regulatory delays and workforce challenges. Canadas Linamar has agreed to acquire select North American assets of auto parts company Aludyne, in a deal valued at $300m. The deal encompasses substantially all of Aludyne's precision casting, machining solutions, and manufacturing operations within North America. It is set to significantly enhance Linamar's manufacturing presence across the continent, particularly in the US, according to a statement from the Canadian manufacturer. Aludyne, based in Southfield, Michigan, is recognised as a Tier 1 automotive supplier, focusing on lightweight aluminium chassis and structural technologies. The company operates across six countries, comprising 20 manufacturing facilities and five technical centres in North America, Europe, and Asia. Once the deal is finalised, the North American assets of Aludyne will be incorporated into Linamar's Structures Group, which forms part of the firm's wider Mobility Segment. Linamar executive chair Linda Hasenfratz said: We are thrilled to welcome the Aludyne teams into the Linamar family. This acquisition enhances our leadership in propulsion-agnostic, lightweight aluminum casting and machining technologies. Aludynes proprietary light metal casting technology offers great growth opportunity to our structural casting business and further strengthens our Mobility business. Linamar called this acquisition "highly complementary" to its existing Structures and Chassis business, and believes it will add capabilities in aluminium casting, precision machining, as well as product design. Aludynes product range includes knuckles, subframes, control arms, and axle housings. This is said to conform to Linamar's emphasis on propulsion-agnostic structural components. Linamar anticipates that the acquisition will be accretive shortly after completion, bolstering its capacity to support local customers. The deal is slated for completion within 30 days, pending regulatory approvals and the fulfilment of other standard closing conditions. Linamar plans to finance the acquisition through its existing credit facilities and available cash reserves. Aludyne's international operations in Europe and Asia will remain unaffected by the deal. Aludyne president and CEO Eric Showalter said: With a streamlined portfolio upon the close of the transaction, we will be better positioned to execute on our initiatives and sharpen our focus on delivering for our customers throughout Europe and Asia. "Linamar seals $300m deal to buy Aludynes North American assets" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. Petronas, Malaysias state-owned oil and gas company, will reduce its dividend payment to the government by 38% in 2026 due to declining oil prices, according to Malaysia's Finance Ministry. The company is projected to contribute RM20bn next year, a reduction from this years RM32bn. This is said to be the state-owned companys lowest payout since 2017. According to the Finance Ministry's reports, released alongside Malaysia's 2026 budget plan, Brent crude oil prices are expected to average between $60 and $65 per barrel (bbl) in 2026. This represents a decrease from the current year's estimated $70/bbl. Malaysia is reducing its dependency on oil revenue, which accounted for more than 40% of its income in 2009. Its petroleum-related revenue is expected to decline to RM43bn, making up 12.5% of the total revenue, reported Bloomberg. The government is also focusing on improving tax collection and reducing subsidies to decrease the budget deficit to 3.5% of gross domestic product by 2026 from 3.8% this year. In a fiscal outlook report accompanying the budget, the government indicated a 9.9% drop in non-tax revenue to RM72.7bn, primarily due to lower dividends from Petronas. In addition, non-petroleum revenue is expected to increase by 8.1% to RM300.1bn. The natural gas sector is expected to face a downturn due to reduced production in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, as well as lower demand from major importers such as Japan, China and South Korea, reported Reuters. In August, the company announced a strategic transformation to address operational challenges, following a 19% decline in after-tax profit to RM26.2bn for the first half of the year. Last month, Petronas, through its subsidiary Petronas LNG, finalised an agreement with Woodside Energy Trading Singapore to procure one million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas. "Malaysias Petronas to reduce dividend payment to government by 38% in 2026 " was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. Mark Cuban says that companies should offer employees the same kind of stock incentives they give CEOs. Cuban has long been a fan of companies sharing the spoils with employees. The wage gap between CEOs and workers has widened significantly in the past few decades. Mark Cuban said on Sunday that employees, not just CEOs, should receive a proportional cut of their companies' success in the form of stock options. Cuban was responding to several posts on X that criticized the growing wealth of top business executives compared to the average worker. He said the real issue wasn't the ever-increasing net worth of billionaires but how companies reward employees. In his X post, Cuban wrote that billionaire wealth levels are soaring "because the stock market has gone straight up." "You know who is funding the increase, particularly lately? Retail investors. 401ks," Cuban said. "The better question is why are we not giving incentives to companies to require them to give shares in their companies to all employees, at the same percentage of cash earnings as the CEO?" he added. Cuban did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Cuban said in an earlier post that successful entrepreneurs derive less satisfaction from money "once your LIQUID net worth becomes high enough." "The value of those dollars becomes much greater, to you, and so many others, when you use your business or other expertise to help others. That is the greater reward," Cuban wrote. "Compassion and capitalism, not greed, are what can make this country far greater," he added. Cuban has long espoused the importance of companies divvying up the spoils with their rank-and-file employees. In 2020, Cuban said on the "This is Working" podcast that companies looking to emerge stronger after the COVID-19 pandemic should give their employees stock. "You will get more from your employees, and they will be more committed if you share equity immediately in a meaningful way, so that everybody rises up," Cuban said. "No entrepreneur can do this alone. You need every single employee committed to helping you get through this, so recognize that. Reward them for it," he added. Last year, Cuban said in an X post that "300 out of 330 employees" at his streaming company, Broadcast.com, became millionaires after he sold it to Yahoo for $5.7 billion. He also shared profits with his employees at his first business, Microsolutions, a software company. After selling the company for $6 million to CompuServe, Cuban said he shared 20% of the sales proceeds with 80 employees. Mark Cuban has a simple message for young people who want to make serious money: Forget trying to get hired at Google or Microsoft. Instead, learn how to bring artificial intelligence (AI) to regular businesses that have no clue what theyre doing. The billionaire investor and former Shark Tank star explained his reasoning during a recent livestream interview. Cuban thinks the real opportunity isnt at big tech companies, but at the millions of small and medium-sized businesses that desperately need AI help but dont know where to start. Check Out: Mark Cuban Reveals His Formula for Side Hustle Success Read Next: Boomers Are Facing a New Retirement Problem -- Here's How To Deal With It The Skill That Could Make You Rich Cuban wants college students to become AI integrators. These are people who can walk into any company and figure out exactly how artificial intelligence can improve their operations. Every single company needs professionals with AI implementation skills, Cuban said during the TBPN interview. The problem is that most companies have no idea how to actually use AI in their day-to-day work. Cuban pointed out that there are 33 million companies in America, but only a tiny fraction have dedicated AI budgets or keep AI experts on staff. Yet all of these businesses will need to adapt to survive in an AI-driven economy. See More: Mark Cuban Warns of Red Rural Recession 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard Why This Reminds Cuban of His Own Success Story The comparison Cuban made to his early career is telling. When he was 24 years old, he walked into companies that had never seen a personal computer and explained how the technology could transform their business. I was walking into companies who had never seen a PC before in their lives and explaining to them the value, Cuban said. He would meet with business owners and create customized plans showing exactly how computers could solve their specific problems. That experience taught Cuban something important: Theres massive money to be made by bringing new technology to businesses that dont understand it yet. He thinks AI represents the same kind of opportunity that personal computers did in the 1980s. What Students Should Actually Learn Cuban got specific about what skills matter most. He wants students spending their senior year learning the difference between Sora and Veo (two popular AI video-generation tools) and figuring out how to customize AI models for different business needs. The key is understanding how AI works in practice, not just in theory. Students who master these integration skills will be able to walk into any business and immediately spot clear opportunities where AI could make a meaningful difference. (Reuters) -British autonomous driving technology group Wayve is in talks with Microsoft (MSFT) and SoftBank (9434.T, 9984.T, SFTBY) to raise up to $2 billion in funding, which could value the firm at about $8 billion, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing sources. This comes after Nvidia had signed a letter of intent in September for a potential $500 million investment in London-based Wayve, as investors globally pour billions into fast-growing AI start-ups. Wayve currently operates in Britain and the U.S. and has been expanding its testing and development operations to markets, including Germany and Japan. The firm declined to comment on the report, while Microsoft and SoftBank did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for a comment. Sign up for the Yahoo Finance Morning Brief By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy Subscribe Founded in 2017, Wayve raised over $1 billion last year, led by SoftBank and supported by Nvidia. Ride-hailing platform Uber also made an undisclosed investment in the firm in 2024. (Reporting by DhanushVignesh Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid) Just how much will you need to save every month to afford a comfortable 20-year retirement spanning from ages 65 to 85 in America? Thats a question GOBankingRates recently sought to answer, breaking it down on a state-by-state basis. The reason for a 50-state breakdown is simple: Cost of living varies wildly from one state to another. A 20-year retirement in one state could require a savings of less than $800,000; meanwhile, another state could require well over $2 million. Thats a vast difference. Also See: How Long $1 Million in Retirement Will Last in Every State Learn More: How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region To find how much money each states comfortable retirement would require, GOBankingRates first discerned the average cost of living for a household in each state via such sources as the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Missouri Economic and Research Information Center and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for Retired Consumer Units. To those cost-of-living numbers, GOBankingRates then added an additional 20% buffer of additional savings requirements, all as a means to help craft a more comfortable retirement package than the state-by-state cost of necessities. With that amount decided, GOBankingRates calculated how much you would need to save each month (starting at age 30) to reach the point where you would enjoy a comfortable 20-year retirement in each state. pinkomelet / Getty Images/iStockphoto Key Findings Hawaii retirement costs more than any other. In order to settle down for a comfy retirement in the Aloha State, be prepared to spend just over $2.3 million, thanks to the states high cost of living. A retiree looking to comfortably live out their golden years in Americas most tropical state needs to save about $5,500 a month from age 30. West Virginia offers the most affordable retirement. The state requires roughly $770,000 to retire in comfort across two decades thats three times less than Hawaii. That means saving $1,833 a month starting at age 30. Youll need to save more than $3,000 per month in 15 states. The most expensive after Hawaii are California and Massachusetts, which both require over $4,000 per month. The other states requiring more than $3,000 a month are Washington, New Jersey, Colorado, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, New York, Connecticut, Alaska, Maryland and Idaho. See how much savings you will need to accrue on average every month to retire comfortably in each state. Also see how much those amounts have changed over the past year. OpenAI said Monday it is working with chipmaker Broadcom to design its own artificial intelligence computer chips. The two California companies didn't disclose the financial terms of the deal but said they will start deploying the new racks of customized AI accelerators late next year. It's the latest big deal between OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, and the companies building the chips and data centers required to power AI. OpenAI in recent weeks has announced partnerships with chipmakers Nvidia and AMD that will supply the AI startup with specialized chips for running its artificial intelligence. OpenAI has also made big deals with Oracle, CoreWeave and other companies developing the data centers where those chips are housed. Many of the deals rely on circular financing, in which the companies are both investing in OpenAI and supplying the world's most valuable startup with technology, fueling concerns about an AI bubble. OpenAI doesn't yet turn a profit but says its products now have more than 800 million weekly users. Whats real about this announcement is OpenAIs intention of having its own custom chips, said analyst Gil Luria, head of technology research at D.A. Davidson. The rest is fantastical. OpenAI has made, at this point, approaching $1 trillion of commitments, and its a company that only has $15 billion of revenue. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the work with Broadcom to develop a custom chip began about 18 months ago. Broadcom also works with other leading AI developers, including tech giants Amazon and Google. Altman said on a podcast announcing the deal that the computing power made possible through the Broadcom partnership will amount to 10 gigawatts, which he described as a gigantic amount of computing infrastructure to serve the needs of the world to use advanced intelligence. Broadcom shares surged more than 9% on Monday. Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said on the same podcast that OpenAI needs more computing capacity as it progresses toward a better and better frontier model and towards superintelligence. If you do your own chips, you control your destiny, he added. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) is one of the cheap stocks to buy for the next 5 years. On October 7, Petrobras and Pluspetrol announced the completion of the first-ever import of unconventional natural gas from Argentinas Vaca Muerta shale play into Brazil. This pilot shipment totaled 100,000 cubic meters and was completed on October 3, under an agreement between the two companies and their subsidiaries, Petrobras Operaciones/POSA and Gas Bridge Comercializadora. The gas was produced by POSA and Pluspetrol in Argentinas Neuquen Basin. It was transported by pipeline that traveled through Bolivia before finally entering Brazil. Petrobras Completes First Import of Unconventional Gas from Argentina's Vaca Muerta Petrobras upstream operations in Argentina are managed by POSA and include a 33.6% non-operated interest in the Rio Neuquen field, where production comes from tight gas reservoirs in the Punta Rosada and Lajas formations. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) explores, produces, and sells oil & gas in Brazil and internationally. It has three segments: Exploration & Production; Refining, Transportation & Marketing; and Gas & Low Carbon Energies. While we acknowledge the potential of PBR as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Norwegian industrial investment firm Pangea has purchased seafood processor Milarex from private-equity group Summa Equity. Financial terms were not disclosed. Norway-headquartered Milarex, established in 2016, sold a stake to Summa Equity a year later. Announcing the sale to Pangea, Summa Equity said Milarex has rapidly scaled into one of the most advanced players in secondary seafood processing. The company, which markets smoked, fresh and frozen salmon, has a processing site in Poland. Summa Equity said revenues at Milarex had increased five-fold under its ownership. The company had been "profitable since inception", the private-equity firm added, although it did not provide figures. Milarex CEO Thomas Farstad, who has led the business since 2017, said: With Summas support, we have built a high-performing organisation that combines technological and market-driven innovation with environmental responsibility. As we enter our next chapter, we shall build on the established platform and continue to deliver value to our customers, employees, and communities. In a separate statement on the Milarex website, the company added: "There are no planned changes to our day-to-day operations, and the current management team will remain in place. All business contacts and service levels are unchanged." The group has a presence in more than 30 markets worldwide and expanded into the North American market in 2021 through the acquisition of California-based seafood company Ultco. Ultco, headquartered in San Diego with processing in Iceland and Norway, is a seafood supplier to retail, foodservice and airline customers, as well as private-label clients in the US and Canada. Its range includes fresh, frozen and value-added Norwegian and Icelandic salmon, alongside trout and halibut. "Seafood group Milarex sold to Norwegian investor Pangea " was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. Securitize, a blockchain firm specializing in tokenizing traditional investments, is in discussions to go public through a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II Inc., a blank-check company sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald LP. Key Takeaways: Securitize is in talks to go public through a $1B merger with Cantor Fitzgeralds SPAC. Backed by BlackRock and Morgan Stanley, the firm leads the real-world asset tokenization space. A potential listing would make Securitize one of the first blockchain-native firms to go public. The deal would reportedly value Securitize at over $1 billion, marking a potential milestone for the fast-growing real-world asset (RWA) tokenization sector, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Securitize Weighs Going Public but May Stay Private, Sources Say Sources told Bloomberg that talks are still ongoing and Securitize may ultimately decide to remain private. Representatives for both companies declined to comment on the discussions. If completed, the merger would make Securitize one of the few blockchain-native firms to go public via a SPAC (special-purpose acquisition company) during a period of renewed institutional interest in tokenized finance. Backed by BlackRock, Morgan Stanley, and ARK Venture Fund, Securitize operates a regulated platform that converts exposure to traditional assets, such as S&P indices, US Treasuries, and real estate, into digital tokens. Its platform also supports BlackRocks BUIDL fund, the largest onchain U.S. Treasuries vehicle, with over $2.8 billion in tokenized assets. By comparison, the Franklin OnChain US Government Money Fund (BENJI) holds around $861 million, about a third of BUIDLs size. Securitize is registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a transfer agent and holds operational licenses in parts of Europe and Japan. The company recently expanded its infrastructure by adding offramps for BUIDL and VanEcks VBILL tokenized funds using Ripples RLUSD stablecoin, aiming to streamline redemptions and settlements. Cantor Equity Partners II, which raised $240 million in its May IPO, is led by Brandon Lutnick, chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald. A successful merger could position Securitize as a public leader in bridging traditional capital markets with blockchain-based financial products. Tokenized Real-World Assets May Unlock $400T TradFi Market In a recent research, Web3 digital property firm Animoca Brands said that tokenization of RWAs could unlock a $400 trillion traditional finance market. Animoca researchers Andrew Ho and Ming Ruan said the global market for private credit, treasury debt, commodities, stocks, alternative funds, and bonds represents a vast runway for growth. South Korean investors turned their Chuseok holiday into a week of aggressive risk-taking, funneling $1.24 billion into US tech and crypto-linked assets while domestic markets were closed between October 3 and 9. Key Takeaways: South Korean investors poured $1.24 billion into US tech and crypto-linked assets during the Chuseok holiday week. Top buys included Tesla, Meta, and Bitcoin mining stocks, with leveraged ETFs leading the surge. The buying spree ended abruptly as USChina trade tensions triggered a global market pullback. Instead of taking time off during the countrys Thanksgiving break, retail investors piled into leveraged ETFs and high-growth stocks, according to data from the Korea Securities Depository. Korean Investors Flock to Tesla, Meta, and Bitcoin Miner Stocks The most popular target was the Direxion Daily Tesla Bull 2X ETF, a leveraged fund that amplifies Teslas stock movements, with net purchases totaling $151 million. Other top buys included $105 million in Iris Energy, an Australian Bitcoin mining firm; $100 million in Meta Platforms, and $96 million in Tesla shares themselves. Another leveraged crypto play, the T-REX 2X Long BMNR Daily Target ETF, which tracks Bitmine Immersion Technologies with double exposure, ranked fifth among foreign purchases at around $95 million. The spree followed a strong rally in Seoul, where the Kospi Index hit new highs before the holiday amid optimism over US tech resilience and local stimulus plans. With Korean exchanges closed, that bullish sentiment appeared to spill overseas as investors chased Wall Streets momentum. But timing may have worked against them. The surge in cross-border buying came just days before global markets tumbled on renewed USChina trade tensions, erasing part of the previous weeks gains. Analysts say it remains to be seen whether Korean retail traders, known for their risk appetite and agility, will maintain such aggressive exposure. The Kospi reopened 1.7% lower on Monday, slipping back below the 3,600 level and hinting that the Chuseok rally may have been short-lived. South Korea Orders Crypto Exchanges to Halt Lending Services In August, South Koreas financial regulator moved to rein in risky lending practices in the digital asset sector, ordering local exchanges to suspend all crypto lending services until a proper regulatory framework is established. The crackdown came amid South Koreas broader pivot toward regulated crypto adoption. Authorities are lifting restrictions on institutional trading and preparing to approve the countrys first spot crypto ETFs. But over the following years, its same-store sales growth dropped to the single digits. Its new store openings slowed down, its AUV flatlined, and its ratio of digital orders declined. On the bright side, its restaurant-level profit margins still expanded as its growth cooled off. When Sweetgreen went public, its same-store sales were surging, it was opening dozens of new stores each year, and its average unit volume (AUV) -- or the average annual revenue at its stores open for at least 12 months -- was climbing by the double digits. Its high ratio of digital orders also put it ahead of other restaurants, which were scrambling to upgrade their apps. Sweetgreen carved out its niche by selling a broader range of salads and healthier foods than other fast-casual chains. At the time of its IPO , it was serving 1.35 million customers across 130 locations in 13 U.S. states. More than two-thirds of its sales were coming from digital channels. Like Chipotle, it owns and operates all of its stores instead of franchising them. That business model is more capital-intensive, but it gives the company a tighter grip on its brand and operations. But today, Sweetgreen's stock trades at about $8. Its valuations wilted as its same-store sales growth cooled off, inflation boosted its labor and commodity costs, and it faced tougher competitors. Should investors buy the dip and expect a recovery over the next 12 months? At the time, the bulls were impressed by Sweetgreen's strong same-store sales growth and ambitious expansion plans, and it was frequently called the "next Chipotle (NYSE: CMG)." The buying frenzy in growth stocks further amplified its gains and inflated its valuations. Sweetgreen (NYSE: SG), a fast-casual restaurant specializing in salads and grain bowls, attracted a lot of attention when it went public on Nov. 18, 2021. Its stock surged from its IPO price of $28 to $52 on its opening trade, and it closed at its record high of $53 a day later. Story Continues Why did Sweetgreen's growth cool off? Sweetgreen's initial growth was driven by its popularity among office workers in dense urban areas. After the pandemic's height, many of those workers pivoted toward remote work and visited its stores less frequently. It tried to offset that slowdown by expanding into suburbs and smaller cities, but its brand wasn't well-known, and it struggled to grow its sales. As Sweetgreen's top-line growth decelerated, rising labor and commodity costs -- and a higher mix of lower-margin deliveries -- squeezed its restaurant-level profit margins. However, it offset that pressure by raising its prices and automating its stores with its "Infinite Kitchen" dispensers. It also directly sourced more of its ingredients instead of going through intermediaries, and it improved the efficiency of its mobile app -- even as its total ratio of digital orders declined. (As it lapped the pandemic, more people returned to its stores, and it expanded into the suburbs, which favored dine-in visits.) Those improvements boosted its restaurant-level profit margins, and its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) turned positive in 2024. Will Sweetgreen's business keep growing? For 2025, Sweetgreen expects its total revenue to rise 3% to 6%. However, it expects that growth to be entirely driven by "at least" 40 new restaurant openings (with 20 Infinite Kitchen locations) instead of rising same-store sales and AUV at its existing locations. For the full year, it expects its same-store sales to decline 4% to 6%, its restaurant-level profit margin to dip to 17.5%, and its adjusted EBITDA to drop 20% to 47%. That grim outlook suggests it could fall into the trap of opening new stores to grow its near-term revenue. If those stores don't grow after the first year, they'll continue to reduce its same-store sales. The company attributed that slowdown to macro and competitive headwinds, a difficult comparison to the launch of its popular steak menu last year, and the replacement of its Sweetpath subscriptions with its new SG Rewards loyalty program. Should you expect Sweetgreen's stock to recover? With an enterprise value of $803.5 million, Sweetgreen still isn't cheap at 73 times this year's adjusted EBITDA. Chipotle, which anticipates roughly flat same-store sales growth this year as it opens 315 to 345 new locations, trades at just 22 times this year's adjusted EBITDA. For now, I wouldn't touch Sweetgreen's stock unless it proves its newly opened stores can grow their same-store sales and AUV. If not, the company will get trapped in a nasty cycle of closing its underperforming stores and cutting costs to resize its business -- and its stock could sink even lower before it's considered a bargain. Should you buy stock 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 Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $657,979!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,122,746!* Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 1,060% a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of October 7, 2025 Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool recommends Sweetgreen and recommends the following options: short December 2025 $45 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Sweetgreen Stock Sell-Off: Should You Buy the Dip? was originally published by The Motley Fool Toubani Resources has announced securing a A$395m package to fully fund the construction of its Kobada gold project in Mali. The package includes a A$242m gold stream agreement with Eagle Eye Asset Holdings (EEA), a major existing shareholder. Additionally, it involves raising A$26m through the accelerated exercise of existing options held by EEA and a A$125m multi-tranche equity placement to institutional, sophisticated and professional investors at a price of A$0.40 per share. The financing comes in the wake of Toubani's successful definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the Kobada project. The DFS revealed a cost-effective, high-profit operation that is expected to yield 162,000oz of gold annually during the initial seven years, all sourced from high-margin oxide ore. At a gold price set at $2,200/oz, the DFS yielded a post-tax net present value (NPV) of $500m, applying an 8% discount rate, and achieved an internal rate of return (IRR) of 50%. If the gold price increases to $3,000/oz, these figures would rise to an NPV of $951m and a IRR of 79%. Toubani managing director Phil Russo said: Todays funding package marks a company-defining milestone for Toubani Resources, enabling us to advance the Kobada Gold Project and move decisively toward becoming the next West African gold producer. Successfully de-risking Kobada to this pivotal point is the culmination of several years of disciplined execution against our strategy. This achievement is underpinned by the strength of the Kobada Project and the invaluable support of our partners in particular, Eagle Eye Asset Holdings whom I wish to acknowledge. They share our conviction in the significant value of Kobada and have played a fundamental role in unlocking this outcome in Mali today. We believe Kobada is a project of genuine regional significance technically simple, oxide-dominant and highly compelling. The recognition from both long-term shareholders and several new high-calibre institutional investors reflects the clear re-rating potential we offer relative to our producing peers, and the defined pathway we have now set to realise that value. EEA has committed to investing $160m in exchange for an 11.1% share of the gold production. The purchase price for this gold is set at 20% of the current market spot price. The A$125m placement will be carried out in three phases, with A$45m coming from EEA, pending approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board and shareholders. The placement price represents a 5.9% discount compared to Toubani's most recent trading price of A$0.425. Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has scrapped its fiscal 2026 earnings guidance, citing an "uncertain outlook" for Penfolds and its Treasury Americas business. As a result of the uncertain outlook in relation to Penfolds and Treasury Americas, TWE has formed the view that it is no longer appropriate to retain its guidance for EBITS growth at a group level in F26, the Lindemans brand owner said in a trade update today (13 October). The companys update today has prompted a sharp market reaction, with the value of its shares falling more than 15% to A$5.93 ($3.87), their lowest level in more than a decade. While first-quarter shipments for its fiscal 2026 met group expectations in "key markets", TWE said it was seeing soft Penfolds sales in China. If the performance trends indicated by the preliminary data continue through F26, Penfolds depletions targets for F26 in China are unlikely to be achieved," the group said. "Given the uncertainty that remains as to the outlook, TWE is not in a position to provide revised guidance at this point in time", it added. For its 2026 fiscal year, TWE had anticipated low to mid double-digit EBITS growth for Penfolds but has now scrapped this forecast. It has also withdrawn its 15% EBITS growth expectation for the brand in fiscal 2027. TWE re-entered China last year following Beijings removal of tariffs on Australian wine, which had been imposed in 2020. In the US, the group said shipments of its Treasury Americas business in its first quarter of 2026 had been hit by the impact of US distributor RNDC's exit from California, which became effective in September. The company appointed Breakthru Beverage Group as its new distributor for the US state in July. In its fiscal 2025 results released in August, TWE said that modest EBITS growth in F26 for Treasury Americas was dependent on offsetting the effect of lower shipments in California through talks with RNDC. At the time, the company said it expected a A$50m hit to net sales revenue of its Treasury Americas business in its fiscal 2026 from changing distributors in California. In its note today, TWE said talks were ongoing with RNDC "with both parties seeking a practical solution". "While optionality exists regarding the management of this inventory, there may be an additional impact to TWEs F26 shipments and operating plan NSR, depending on what is ultimately agreed between TWE and RNDC," the Melbourne-headquartered business said. The group added it has also paused its on-market share buy-back programme until there is greater clarity around trading conditions and expectations. (Corrects to remove extraneous hyphen in headline, no other changes to text) By Christine Chen and Shivangi Lahiri SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's Treasury Wine Estates on Monday pulled its earnings guidance for 2026 and paused an A$200 million ($130 million) share buyback, citing weak sales of its flagship Penfolds wines in China and distribution challenges in the U.S. The announcement sent shares of Treasury, one of the world's top five winemakers by volume, down 14% to A$5.99, their lowest point in more than 10 years. Treasury said sales of Penfolds in China had been weaker than expected due to changing alcohol consumption habits, including fewer large-scale banqueting occasions. China has been central to the Melbourne-based winemakers growth since Beijing lifted steep import tariffs that had kept the iconic label off shelves for more than three years. "If the performance trends indicated by the preliminary data continue through F26, Penfolds depletions targets for F26 in China are unlikely to be achieved," the company said. As a result, it said it was no longer appropriate to retain Penfolds guidance for low- to mid-double-digit earnings growth in 2026 and 15% earnings growth in fiscal 2027. "The complete withdrawal of guidance for Penfolds in FY26 and FY27 speaks to the high level of uncertainty caused by evolving consumption dynamics in the Chinese market," RBC Capital Markets analyst Michael Toner said. In the U.S., Treasury said its operations had been disrupted by the exit of its distributor in California, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC). The transition to new partner Breakthru Beverage Group would cost around A$50 million in sales, it said, with negotiations continuing over roughly A$100 million of inventory held by RNDC. The setbacks led Treasury to withdraw its group-wide earnings forecast for the 2026 fiscal year and pause a planned A$200 million share buyback programme announced in August. It already repurchased about A$30 million of shares. RBCs Toner said the pause on the remainder of the buyback was "unexpected" but "prudent in our view in the context of near-term trading uncertainty". The winemaker said several initiatives were being implemented to mitigate the impacts of a weaker Chinese market in the year to June 2026, including pursuing opportunities to re-allocate product to select customers in other key markets. Treasury will hold its annual general meeting on Thursday. ($1 = 1.5333 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney and Shivangi Lahiri in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio, Diane Craft, Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Sonali Paul) Zcash (ZEC) price surged by 30% on Saturday, October 11, hitting a four-year high of $284, even as the broader crypto market erased more than $19 billion in derivatives positions within 24 hours. While Bitcoin and Ethereum plunged below key technical supports, Zcash emerged as the highest gainer among top-50 ranked assets on Saturday. Zcash Sees Double-Digit Gains in 4 Consecutive Days as Markets React to Trump Tariffs on China Zcashs latest leg higher to $284 coincides with renewed geopolitical tension after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs on Chinese imports. Zcash, which enables privacy-resistant peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, benefited from reignited discussions around neutral and privacy-oriented assets, as well as strategic investors seeking out profitable assets amid the ensuing crypto market downturn. The ZEC price surge came after a week-long buildup of leveraged short positions, which culminated in a massive short squeeze once prices broke above the $250 resistance zone. This breakout triggered forced covering and large-scale ZEC short liquidations clustered around key resistance levels. Supporting this narrative, Coinglass data reveals that of the $5.75 million in ZEC liquidations over the past 24 hours, $4.01 million were short positions, while only $1.74 million came from longs. The imbalance highlights how aggressive short bets caught unawares by the unexpected breakout above $250 propelled Zcashs price rally into double-digits for the fourth day running. As panic selling cooled on Saturday, traders began positioning for continued upside, with Zcashs Long/Short ratio recovering to 1.05 at press time, indicating that new long entries have outpaced short positions, nullifying the initial impact of the Trump-China-induced market turbulence. Roger Ver Settlement Signals Easing U.S. Crypto Pressure Earlier this week, Roger Ver, the early Bitcoin investor and Bitcoin Cash advocate, often called Bitcoin Jesus, reportedly reached a $48 million tentative settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve criminal tax fraud charges filed in 2024. Notably, US authorities accuse Ver, extradited from Spain in 2024, of concealing his Bitcoin holdings before renouncing U.S. citizenship in 2014. The news raises discussions around privacy-resistance and anonymity features of assets like Zcash. The timely combination of 4-year peak rally, Trump trade policies, and Roger Vers settlement, making a case for privacy coins, all make Zcash an attractive hedge against current political uncertainty and market risks. With a gold IRA through Thor Metals , you can invest directly in physical precious metals, like gold, rather than stocks and bonds. For instance, gold is often viewed as an alternative asset that can offer your portfolio greater stability if stocks are shaky. The precious yellow metal is also on a historic bull run, with the spot price breaching $4,000 per ounce in early October. (4) Some advisors even say that the traditional 60/40 mix of stocks and bonds should be revised to 50/30/20, with the 20% being made up of alternative assets. The idea is that alternative assets provide a little bit of resilience against market upheaval, which stocks and bonds can be more susceptible to. The most common reason was diversification. Many investors want to move beyond traditional stocks and bonds in pursuit of higher returns. However, the alternative asset landscape has changed over the years. And retail investors are showing growing interest in these investments. A survey by market research firm Opinium found that 21% of retail investors have considered alternative assets, and another 5% plan to invest in them. (3) Traditionally, some alternative assets such as private equity and hedge funds were restricted to "accredited investors who either had a net worth of more than $1 million (excluding their primary residence) or annual income exceeding $200,000, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). (2) Heres how Americas retirement landscape could change and how to protect your own portfolio from unnecessary risk. Proponents say this shift could democratize access to investment opportunities traditionally reserved for institutions and the wealthy. Critics warn that these assets carry complex risks that may not be properly understood by the average investor. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake heres what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how An executive order signed by President Donald Trump (1) has opened the door for certain alternative assets like private credit, private equity and cryptocurrencies to be included in 401(k)s. New rules could expand what Americans hold in their 401(k)s and other tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. Weiterlesen Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties. To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $20,000 in free metals on qualifying purchases. Another popular alternative asset is real estate. But you dont have to buy property outright to benefit from the real estate market. One option is tapping into this market by investing in shares of vacation homes or rental properties through Arrived. Backed by world-class investors including Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties, earning a passive income stream without the extra work that comes with being a landlord of your own rental property. Start by browsing through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for their potential appreciation and income generation. Once you choose a property, you can start investing with as little as $100, potentially earning quarterly dividends. If investing in real estate through rentals doesnt appeal to you, another alternative asset avenue is commercial real estate. For years, direct access to the $22.5 trillion commercial real estate sector was limited to a select group of elite investors until now. First National Realty Partners (FNRP) allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties, without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord. With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to triple net leases, accredited investors are able to invest in these properties without worrying about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns. Simply answer a few questions including how much you would like to invest to start browsing their full list of available properties. Read more: Warren Buffett says you cant buy time but landlords are finding a way. Heres how savvy real estate investors are avoiding 12 hours a month in tedious admin (for free) Hidden risks Private market funds, which pool money from investors into assets that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange, are another alternative asset class. Private market funds often advertise higher return potential than traditional stocks and bonds. But in practice, those lofty targets can obscure high fees, limited liquidity and inconsistent performance. As of May 2025, only two of the 14 private equity and venture capital funds tracked by Morningstar had outperformed the S&P 500 since inception. (5) Meanwhile, typical private equity fees include 1% to 2.5% in annual management fees plus 20% or more in performance fees, according to Hamilton Lane. (6) Unlike public markets, private assets lack a deep secondary market, making it difficult to exit investments. If theres a desire to pull out of private equity, there isnt a way to actually sell that company or sell shares theres just no market for it, said Charles Rotblut, vice president of the American Association of Individual Investors, in an interview with CNBC. (7) The risks of alternative assets go beyond their impact on individual portfolios. A report from the Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) warned that broad retail access to illiquid and opaque assets could create a systemic risk machine, increasing the likelihood of financial instability in future downturns. (8) What can you do? For most investors, sticking with low-cost index funds will remain a sound strategy. However, if youre keen on exploring private assets, its worth consulting with a financial advisor to ensure they fit within your overall financial plan. Lisa Kirchenbauer, founding partner and senior advisor at Omega Wealth Management, told NPR (9) a sensible approach is to allocate a small portion around 5% to 10% of your portfolio to these asset classes. This allows you to pursue diversification benefits while limiting potential risks to your retirement savings. For more personalized advice on whether alternative assets are right for you, try the Advisor.com team. They can connect you with a financial advisor suited to your needs and based in your area. All of their advisors are pre-vetted fiduciaries, meaning that they have a legal obligation to act in your best interest. After inputting your ZIP code to find a nearby financial professional, you can set up a free call with no obligation to hire to make sure theyre a good fit for you. You May Also Like Join 200,000+ readers and get Moneywises best stories and exclusive interviews first clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now. Article sources We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines. The White House (1); SEC (2); Opinium (3); APMEX (4); Morningstar (5); Hamilton Lane (6); CNBC (7); Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) (8); NPR (9) This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. TAIPEI (Reuters) -TSMC (TSM), the world's largest manufacturer of advanced artificial intelligence chips, is expected to post a 28% jump in third-quarter profit to a record due to the insatiable demand for AI infrastructure, though U.S. tariffs could impact its outlook. TSMC's US-listed stock rose almost 5% before the bell on Monday. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world's No. 1 contract chipmaker and a key supplier to Nvidia (NVDA) and Apple (AAPL), is forecast to report a net profit of T$415.4 billion ($13.55 billion) for the three months through September 30, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 20 analysts. SmartEstimates place greater weight on forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate. TSMC has already flagged a market-forecast-beating rise in third-quarter revenue of 30%. Any profit result above T$398.3 billion would mark the company's highest-ever quarterly net income and its seventh consecutive quarter of profit growth. Mario Morales, group vice president at research firm IDC, said he expects TSMC's revenue to grow at least 30% to 35% this year. "I am expecting that TSMC will continue to outperform its peers given the ongoing exponential growth of AI infrastructure investments and that the leading chip suppliers such as Nvidia and AMD have only one place to go - TSMC," he said. Morales said that even as tariffs and trade disputes add uncertainty, AI infrastructure remains a "strategic land grab" for cloud-service providers, manufacturers and companies, ensuring investment continues to concentrate in that space. TSMC, Asia's most valuable listed company with a market capitalisation of around $1.22 trillion - nearly three times that of South Korean rival Samsung Electronics - is due to report on Thursday and will provide fourth-quarter guidance in an earnings call scheduled for 0600 GMT. It remains unclear how much U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs will affect TSMC. Taiwan's exports to the United States are currently subject to a 20% tariff, but that excludes chips. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick proposed last month that Taiwanese companies split their production of chips 50-50 between Taiwan and the U.S., compared to the current setup where the vast majority of the production is on the island. Sign up for Yahoo Finance Breaking News By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy Subscribe Taiwan has rejected that idea, and TSMC is already investing $165 billion building factories in the U.S. in the state of Arizona. Shares in TSMC have gained 30% so far this year on optimism over AI, largely brushing off tariff concerns. The heavyweight's rise has powered the benchmark Taiwanese index's 16.9% advance over the same period. Smarter Web Company, the UKs largest publicly traded Bitcoin holder, has purchased another 100 BTC valued at $12.1 million, paying an average price of $120,480 per coin. The companys press release confirms that the latest purchases have boosted the total holdings to 2,650 BTC, currently valued at $219.5 million. The Bristol-based firm acknowledged that it remains committed to long-term value creation through its 10 Year Plan by converting treasury assets into Bitcoin while tapping capital markets for additional funding when conditions are favorable. We believe that Bitcoin is the best asset the world has ever seen, said Andrew Webley, CEO of Smarter Web Company. As a public company, SWC can use capital markets to raise funds and strengthen its balance sheet by accumulating Bitcoin, he added The company reports generating a BTC yield of 57,718% year-to-date, with net asset value growth of 50%. Source: Smarter Web Company UK-listed Smarter Web Company Hunt for Distressed Bitcoin Holdings The company shows no signs of slowing down. In September, CryptoNews reported that the UK-listed company is considering acquisitions of struggling competitors to acquire their Bitcoin at discounted prices. Founder Andrew Webley told the Financial Times that the firm would certainly consider buying other companies for their Bitcoin at a discount, noting that some crypto treasury companies now trade below the value of their Bitcoin reserves. Webley acknowledged the sharp valuation swings, telling the publication that we probably got overvalued and now were almost certainly undervalued, while expressing concern for shareholders who have experienced the volatility. Despite the share price correction, the company briefly achieved a 1 billion market capitalization over the summer and has gained approximately 150% year-to-date, outperforming all but one company in the FTSE 350. Following a Proven Playbook The Smarter Web company is following a proven treasury strategy that has helped other public companies transform their financial narratives. In 2020, Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) adopted Bitcoin as its primary treasury asset in the US. Since then, other companies have followed, including Metaplanet in Japan and Capital B in France. Today, over 100 public companies hold Bitcoin as a treasury asset. When executed properly, this strategy has delivered strong results in major capital markets worldwide. According to Bitcoin Treasuries, Smarter Web Company now ranks 30th among the top 100 public BTC treasury companies, ahead of American Bitcoin Corp, Microcloud Hologram, and HIVE Digital Technologies. Volkswagen Group has reported a 1% increase in worldwide deliveries to 2.19 million for the third quarter (Q3) 2025. Stronger demand in parts of Europe and South America offset weaker results in China and the US, the group said. According to Volkswagen Group sales extended executive committee member Marco Schubert, new model launches supported sales in Western Europe. Deliveries to China fell by 7.2% in the quarter to 660,300. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) performance showed pronounced regional variation. Overall, BEV deliveries by the group rose 33.1% yearonyear to 252,100 vehicles in JulySeptember. However, BEV sales in China plunged by 55.2% in the quarter, while North America recorded a 213.5% increase and Europe a 60% rise. Schubert said: We were able to compensate for the challenging conditions in China and the US with partly significant increases in South America and Europe. In our home region of Europe, we grew by 8% in the third quarter alone. Our all-electric models are a key driver of this positive development. By the end of September, we have delivered around 80% more of these models in Europe than in the same period last year, and worldwide we were up around 40%. Porsche, part of the Volkswagen Group, recorded a 26% decline in deliveries to China in the first nine months of the year, with volumes falling to 32,195 cars from 43,280 in the same period of the previous year. In September, Volkswagen reduced its financial guidance for 2025 and disclosed it would take a 5.1bn ($5.9bn) hit linked to Porsches decision to delay the rollout of allelectric models. Recently, the group also announced an investment plan at the IAA Mobility trade fair in Munich, Germany, committing up to 1bn for AI expansion through 2030. "Volkswagen posts marginal rise in thirdquarter deliveries" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. When selecting a place to cut your teeth, Sarah Naylor, who works in investment-grade bond sales at Citadel Securities, suggests progress and growth over prestige. Instead of taking the same classes as peers, finance hopefuls should instead pursue the "skills you want to build and what kind of function you want to be performing on a day-to-day basis," he said. "Think about what you're genuinely interested in and passionate about," Woo, a quant strategist, said. Christian Woo, a managing director at Bank of America, said students should look inward, too. "It's hard sometimes to get the attention of people in my role, given how busy things are day to day," he said. When looking for a connection, JPMorgan' s Jack Levendoski said a little creativity and hustle can go a long way. He had a college sophomore send him a handwritten note with a reference to an "overlapping experience" they had in life. It's "the little things you learn from those conversations and research that really do clue you in as to what you like and what you don't like," the infrastructure investor told Business Insider. "To the extent that you can, narrow down the field. It just gets you closer to where you ultimately want to be." Networking is important to any career, but in finance, it can pay to begin early. Mohini Chakravorty, a principal at private equity behemoth Blackstone , suggested starting in college, taking advantage of free time and a built-in network of alums, clubs, and career connectors. We broke their advice into five key themes plus tips on how to stand out once you land the job. Business Insider asked its 2025 Rising Stars of Wall Street , all at the top of their game at 35 or younger, what advice they'd give students who want to follow in their footsteps. They told us that for those who dream of M&A or making big investment bets, curiosity, persistence, and mentorship can make all the difference. The path to Wall Street has always been competitive but these days it can be brutal. Aspiring finance pros are preparing as early as their first year in college to secure the internships that open the right doors. Here's what they said, from networking early to mentorship following your own path. We asked them to share their best advice for college students trying to break into the industry. Story Continues "Make sure that you are always somewhere where you are being challenged," she said. "Especially early in your career. Things like job title and pay can seem shiny and exciting at the time, but your knowledge is your biggest asset." Find your people Finance "is really a team sport," JPMorgan's Florian Plath said, so it's important to be around colleagues you like working with. "Meet as many people as possible because that's the only way where you can double-click and find that out," the M&A banker told Business Insider. "Everyone needs to find whatever fits best to their unique personality, their interests, and their strengths." Jake Woodson, Goldman Sachs' US head of distressed trading, agrees. "To get to the next level and perform at a high level for a decade or decades is hard to fake," the managing director said. "You need to be intellectually curious and passionate about it and the people." Meet mentors Finding the right crowd doesn't just help you land the job it can shape your entire trajectory. An upperclassman on Alex Park's Columbia University squash team who was heading into investment banking became a major influence on his career journey. "He was instrumental in my ending up being able to get a banking job my senior year," said Park, a principal at Miami-based private equity firm Thoma Bravo. That experience, he added, shaped his belief that the easiest way to grow is to find someone you admire and emulate them. "When you see somebody who is doing what you want to do, who you really respect and look up to, and you can form a real relationship with them and they're able to pour things into you," he said. Madelaine O'Connell is key to HPS' $25 billion private high-grade business. HPS Persistence & focus Nikunj Jain believes that his persistence, tenacity, and determination are what have differentiated him on his way to becoming head of Asia research at the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates. "The biggest thing that's paid off for me personally has been just picking a thing and giving it your all," he said. "That mindset served me really well," Jain said, even when things don't work out as planned. "It's underrated, the ability to just show up every single day and take another swing in life and do it with consistency." Visualizing the big picture is also key to finding focus. Blue Owl's Lamar Cardinez suggests imagining the most exciting thing you could do at the peak of your career, and "then work backwards and really ask yourself if you currently have the skillset." It's that "critical" self-assessment that helped Cardinez who started his career in business development at the National Football League realize he wanted to move into sports investing. He's now doing that on Blue Owl's HomeCourt Partners Fund, which invests in National Basketball Association's franchises. Advice for once you've secured a spot Once you're in the door is when the real work begins. One of the most repeated pieces of advice given by the rising stars we interviewed was to "be a sponge," as Natalie Lamberton, a director at Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR, said. For Patrick Kearney, a principal at private equity giant Apollo, said he's big on keeping a "learning mentality, being curious, and, at the right times, being skeptical. That means knowing how to ask the right questions." Aman Mittal, an investment banker at Moelis & Company, and Catherine Kress, chief of staff to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, suggested getting the basics down. Know "the actual content of whatever you're doing," Mittal, a managing director, said. "Make sure that you know that very in and out." "If you do the really, really little things well, people will continue to trust you with the big things," said Kress, who took her new post in September. Madelaine O'Connell, a managing director at private credit firm HPS, a part of BlackRock, encouraged fresh recruits to focus on the task at hand and try not to "look around too much." Post-college, many, especially in investment banking, are already looking for the next job. This is especially common for those trying to get into private equity. "There's a lot within the four walls of investment banking or an asset manager, and a lot of mobility opportunities that if you work hard, you excel, you can do everything." Read the original article on Business Insider Western Alliance Bank has launched a new business division, Western Alliance Private Client Group, which offers concierge banking and mortgage services to high-net-worth (HNW) individuals and their advisors. The new division, based in Beverly Hills, California, will be led by John Maguire and Dean Indot, who bring extensive industry experience to their roles. It aims to extend services beyond the bank's existing clientele by collaborating with other advisors in wealth management, accounting, and legal service sectors. According to Western Alliance Bank, the Private Client Banking team is already experiencing success with its Private Client Mortgage product, which was introduced in early 2025, and now this full-service banking approach will offer high-net-worth (HNW) clients a range of customised products designed to meet their specific needs. Western Alliance Bank regional banking chief banking officer Tim Bruckner said: Western Alliance is a top-performing, $85+ billion national bank that is known for our outstanding, personalised service and tailored solutions. Our new Private Client Group takes this commitment to the next level, bringing HNW customers and their other trusted advisors a banking group dedicated to elevating their experience. This is concierge banking for affluent clients who prize access, exclusivity and ease in banking and all areas of their lives. Western Alliance Bancorporation holds assets exceeding $85bn. Its primary subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank, provides a range of commercial and consumer banking services. The bank has expanded significantly from its Western regional roots, now operating 17 national business lines with 56 offices and over 3,500 employees in the US. Western Alliance Bank market banking head and San Diego Market head John Maguire said: Our value proposition to advisors is clear: This is an opportunity to extend your standard of care by offering an exceptional banking and mortgage experience to your clients. Importantly, Western Alliance offers customised solutions without competing on investment advice because we do not provide asset allocation or financial planning. Our focus remains solely on delivering top-tier banking products and services, including cash management, credit, lending and other banking solutions. In July this year, the bank announced its plans to consolidate its divisions under the Western Alliance Bank brand. By the end of the year, six division bank brands, including Alliance Association Bank and Bank of Nevada, will adopt the Western Alliance Bank name. The crypto market is up today following the weekends correction, with the cryptocurrency market capitalization rising by 4.4%, going back to $4 trillion. 97 of the top 100 coins have appreciated over the past 24 hours. At the same time, the total crypto trading volume is at $270 billion. TLDR: The crypto market capitalization is up by 4.4% on Monday morning (UTC); 97 of the top 100 coins are up, as are all the top 10 coins; BTC rose 2.9% to $115,097, and ETH is up 8.7% to $4,152; The weekend drop cleaned out the excessive leverage and reset the risk in the market; Now that the dust has settled, many blue-chip tokens have seen a strong rebound; The arrival of spot crypto ETFs and institutional interest has lulled investors into a false sense of security; US BTC and ETH spot ETFs saw outflows on Friday: $4.5 million and $174.83 million, respectively; MARA Holdings purchased an additional 400 BTC on Monday; Crypto market sentiment had dropped into the negative zone, before climbing to the verge of the neutral zone. Crypto Winners & Losers At the time of writing, all top 10 coins per market capitalization have seen their prices increase over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin (BTC) appreciated 2.9%, currently trading at $115,097. Its the second-lowest rise of the category. Bitcoin (BTC)24h7d30d1yAll time Ethereum (ETH) is up by 8.7%, now changing hands at $4,152. This is the third-highest increase in the category. The highest one is Binance Coin (BNB)s 14.9% to $1,318. Its followed by 10% by Dogecoin (DOGE), now trading at $0.2087. The lowest increase is Tron (TRX)s 2.2% to $0.3227. When it comes to the top 100 coins, 97 have seen an increase, the highest of which is 51.1% by ChainOpera AI (COAI), followed by Bittensor (TAO)s 32.1% to $402. A dozen more coins have recorded price increases. On the other hand, MemeCore (M) fell the most: 7.7% to $2.05. Now That the Dust Has Settled, Many Blue-Chip Tokens Have Seen a Strong Rebound Nick Forster, Founder at onchain options platform Derive.xyz, commented that we saw an unprecedented market meltdown on Friday, as well as $19 billion in liquidations across the industry. The crash was triggered by renewed fears of a U.S.-China trade war, after Donald Trump threatened an additional 100% tariff on Chinese imports, Forster says. This came on the heels of China announcing new restrictions on rare earth element exports, escalating tensions between the two economies. Moreover, with order books thinned out, forced liquidations and panic selling had an outsized impact on price, fueling a self-reinforcing cascade of liquidations and accelerating the flash crash. Key Points China warns it will restrict rare-earth exports to the U.S. President Trump says it "will all be fine." But the Defense Department and JPMorgan are both upping investments in rare earths. 10 stocks we like better than MP Materials MP Materials (NYSE: MP) stock soared 18.7% through 9:55 a.m. ET Monday after China threatened to throttle rare-earth exports to the United States -- making developing a domestic rare-earth mining and refining industry more urgent than ever. President Donald Trump tried to reassure investors that China isn't serious about its rare-earth threats, and that everything "will all be fine." But just in case it isn't, investors are bidding up shares of MP and similar start-ups. Image source: Getty Images. Bad news is good news Stock market investors aren't the only ones uncertain the trade war will end in unicorns and rainbows. Whether or not China tightens the screws on rare-earth exports, the U.S. Defense Department wants to be prepared for the worst, and is building a $1 billion stockpile of critical minerals, as London's Financial Times reports. Investment bank JPMorgan Chase may be getting into the rare-earths game as well. In comments Monday, CEO Jamie Dimon said it's "painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing -- all of which are essential for our national security." To help fix this (and earn some profit), JPMorgan aims to invest $10 billion over the next decade in several critical sectors. These include defense and aerospace, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, energy technology, and supply chain and advanced manufacturing. Is MP Materials stock a buy? Rare earths necessary for many of the other sectors also fall under the "supply chain" sector, giving JP two great reasons to invest in rare earths. While I admit I'm not thrilled with the valuation on MP Materials stock -- nearly 140 times forward earnings -- it's pretty clear how a vote of confidence from Dimon could help to drive this stock higher. Should you buy stock in MP Materials right now? Before you buy stock in MP Materials, 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 MP Materials wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $657,979!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,122,746!* The Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, took part in the World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), held in Abu Dhabi from 9 to 15 October 2025. The Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Serge Wilmes, took part in the World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), held in Abu Dhabi from 9 to 15 October 2025. The IUCN Congress takes place every four years and brings together ministers, researchers, businesses, and NGOs from all over the world. The 2025 edition focused on five central themes: strengthening resilient conservation actions, reducing the risks of climate overshoot, promoting equity, transitioning to nature-positive economies and societies, and fostering innovation. On this occasion, Minister Serge Wilmes participated in several events, including the high-level session "Nature-Positive Future: Turning Pledges into Investments, the presentation of the Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), and the discussion "Financing the Future: Unlocking Private Capital for a Thriving Planet organized by Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg (RLL). Moreover, Serge Wilmes attended a special high-level session "Nature's Promise for Climate and People - A Call and Commitment from the Conservation Community to Belem and Beyond, organized by IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak, and met with Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN, for a constructive bilateral exchange that further strengthened Luxembourg's relationship with the IUCN. During the plenary session "Nature-Positive Future: Turning Pledges into Investments, Minister Serge Wilmes opened the discussion on a crucial issue: how to turn commitments into concrete investments for a nature-positive economy. "Aligning the economy and ecology is essential. To build a sustainable future for nature, we must transform our economic models, mobilize responsible financing, and make nature a strategic priority not an externality. Luxembourg is committed to showing that this transition is not only possible but indispensable, declared the Minister. Furthermore, during an event organized by the Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), Minister Serge Wilmes officially launched Phase 3 of the project, which aims to develop nature-based solutions to restore and protect coastal ecosystems while generating sustainable economic returns. This support helps translate scientific and scalable solutions into action for climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development of local communities. Funded by Luxembourg's Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity (MECB), the BNCFF has since 2018 supported 21 high-impact projects, leveraged over 17 million in additional financing, and contributed to the protection of 2.6 million hectares of marine and coastal ecosystems. However, the highlight of the mission to Abu Dhabi was the "Rio Changemakers meeting an innovative Luxembourg initiative designed to connect projects, funds, and investors. "Rio Changemakers aims to facilitate the financing and implementation of projects that have a real impact on communities and the planet. Around thirty representatives from the financial sector, national governments, civil society, international organizations, and local initiatives responded to this call to action. This first gathering in Abu Dhabi provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, identify potential barriers, and design realistic solution pathways. In his remarks during the dynamic discussion "Financing the Future: Unlocking Private Capital for a Thriving Planet, organized by Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg (RLL), the Minister highlighted the positive results and innovative nature of RLL - an initiative that advances high-quality, scientifically sound, and financially viable nature-based solutions. Finally, Serge Wilmes and Grethel Aguilar welcomed the strong partnership between the IUCN and the MECB during a bilateral meeting. The quality of this collaboration is reflected in Luxembourg's catalytic and ongoing support for strengthening biodiversity finance and nature-based solutions, while also benefiting from the depth of IUCN's expertise in these areas. Luxembourg's global leadership in sustainable finance and its expertise in climate financing represent a significant asset in fostering more sustainable investments in natural capital. Press release by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity In an international context marked by multiple and interconnected crises, Prime Minister Luc Frieden presented the National Resilience Strategy (SNR). This ambitious strategic framework is aimed at strengthening the country's capacity to anticipate, absorb and overcome major disruptions and to build a more robust and cohesive society. Coordinated by the High Commission for National Protection (HCPN), this government-wide effort is based on an integrated, all-risk, pan-societal and pan-governmental approach, in line with the guidelines of the European Union and NATO. "A prepared society is a resilient society. This strategy is our collective response to the challenges of tomorrow," the Prime Minister emphasised. The key objectives of the strategy are to: Ensure the continuity of vital state and societal functions. Strengthen civil-military cooperation and public-private partnerships. Protect critical infrastructure and essential services. Develop cyber resilience and civil defence. Promote a culture of preparedness at all levels of society. A strategy structured around eight pillars This strategy reflects the mutual interdependence of civil and military preparedness, and is based on eight pillars that form the basis of the concept of national resilience: Defence of democracy, the rule of law and government A resilient society Essential goods and services and critical infrastructure and entities A resilient economy Integrated management of strategic and logistical resources Cyber resilience Civil defence Protection and defence of the national territory and that of allies. The SNR sets out almost 150 specific actions to be implemented at a national level. Some of these are already being carried out by the relevant institutions and public authorities or are in the process of being implemented. Examples include strengthening the LU-Alert information and warning system and communication infrastructures, establishing the National Procurement and Logistics Centre (CNAL), and deploying the RESC-LU national reserve for emergency response. A long-term vision The strategy aims to bring together and coordinate all sectoral policies that contribute to Luxembourg's resilience, ensuring consistency at both national and international levels. It also seeks to raise awareness and mobilise society as a whole in areas where Luxembourg needs to strengthen its preparedness for potential crises, disasters and conflicts. The strategy emphasises the importance of solidarity and individual responsibility. It strengthens the capacity of each citizen, and of society as a whole, to cope with crises. This is why Luxembourg has adopted the slogan: "Zesumme, fir eng staark a resilient Gesellschaft! Letz prepare!" Press release by the Ministry of State and the High Commission for National Protection (HCPN) " " Japan's healthcare system facilitates life expectancies that exceed the global average. Jackyenjoyphotography / Getty Images Whether you're thinking about moving to one of the countries with the best healthcare or just curious how other nations handle health services, there's a lot to consider. A country's healthcare system can shape everything from life expectancy to how easily you can get preventive care or schedule doctor visits. Advertisement Weve rounded up nations that consistently rank high for health outcomes, healthcare access, and overall health system strength. These countries invest in healthcare professionals, keep healthcare costs in check, and offer both public healthcare and private health insurance options. From universal coverage to personalized care, here are some of the best healthcare systems in the world. Mimecast, a human risk management platform, has revealed details of a sophisticated callback scam where criminals are impersonating Australian Big Four banks in an attempt to extract money from unsuspecting Australian companies in the education, legal, and insurance sectors. According to Mimecast, during July 2025 alone, over 70,000 attempts were detected, with many more possibly going undetected, and the attacks are continuing. Mimecasts Threat Research Team identified that scammers are impersonating major Australian banks including Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, and Macquarie, with hyper-realistic notifications in an attempt to trick unsuspecting victims into calling fraudulent support numbers - and the criminals, from undisclosed locations, are targeting high-value institutions, the majority being in the education sector, but also the legal and insurance sectors. These attacks stand out from the rest because of the precision by the attackers towards high-value targets such as large universities and top law firms. Also, because of the attention to detail by the scammers when creating the fraudulent bank notifications, said Garrett OHara, Senior Director, Solutions Engineering at Mimecast. Mimecast reveals that the attack methodology centred on sophisticated email templates designed to mimic legitimate bank account statements - and recipients receive professionally crafted emails showing unauthorised transactions of around $1,500, creating immediate urgency and concern. The emails contain specific transaction details including the fake merchant names of Infinite Holdings or Smart Apps, or Victorian locations such as Lockington and Pomonal, along with authentic-looking reference codes. The emails prompt recipients to call phone numbers that were controlled by scammers, who then impersonate bank representatives to extract personal financial details or direct victims to make fraudulent transfers, comments Mimecast. This campaign is particularly concerning because it blends two powerful tactics the trust Australians place in their banks and the urgency created by fraudulent transaction alerts, said Garrett OHara. The impersonation of Australian banks combined with a callback request makes this a highly effective and worrying evolution of social engineering scams. Mimecast also notes that while callback scams are not new, they have traditionally involved fake subscription notifications from services like PayPal - and its latest threat intelligence indicates a significant shift towards bank impersonations as emails, and the notifications becoming increasingly realistic. We see this threat evolving to target a much larger number of Australians, so awareness about it is very important, Garrett added. The warning signs and common traits of this scam include the subject lines of Alert Completed Details Enclosed, Financial Summary Sent Recently, Invoice Completed Recently, or Your Recent Payment: Summary Notification. The fraudulent contact numbers used by scammers include 03 8256 7521, 02 5621 1059, and 1800 458 259. Legitimate banks will not request urgent callbacks via email, Garrett added. Organisations should require staff to independently verify banking communications through official bank channels and ensure that any phone numbers are checked against legitimate banking contact details. The scale of the attack we have detected demonstrates that Australian businesses are firmly in the sights of scammers. Organisations that proactively train staff and put in place strong verification processes will be far better placed to avoid falling victim. Anyone who believes theyve been targeted should contact police, report it to ScamWatch.gov.au, or call the national cyber security hotline at 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371). Reports can also be made at cyber.gov.au. NiCE has announced that Brennan, Australias largest Systems Integrator, has successfully implemented NiCE CXone Mpower to modernise its customer service capabilities, transitioning from legacy on-premises telephony to an advanced cloud-native solution. Brennan has also partnered with NiCE as a reseller, offering a joint solution to its customers as part of its managed services portfolio. The partnership and implementation are key milestones in Brennans broader strategy to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and futureproof its contact centre offerings from end to end. Brennan recognised there was room to improve its service delivery by implementing a more feature rich and reliable solution. The company went to market, selecting NiCE CXone Mpower for its cloud-native innovation, scalability, and ability to support a growing hybrid workforce. The implementation began with an extensive six-month pilot in early 2023, followed by a phased rollout across all business units beginning in September 2023. John OConnor, Director of Managed Operations and Technology, Brennan, said, Migrating to NiCE CXone Mpower was a game-changer for Brennans contact centre operations. With our exponential business growth, we recognised the need for a system that would ensure we would continue to offer first-class customer service. Transitioning to NiCE CXone Mpower has enhanced platform stability, and agent productivity, and unlocked new capabilities like artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automation and workforce optimisation. The transition was seamless, thanks to the expertise of the NiCE team and the structured change management process followed. Brennan has seen tangible benefits across its operations since implementation, including greater platform availability, reduced average handle times (AHT), and increased efficiency for agents and customers alike. The solutions analytics capabilities also let Brennan proactively identify and resolve customer issues faster. Rod Lester, Managing Director, NiCE Australia and New Zealand, said, Brennans journey with NiCE CXone Mpower showcases the force of a modern cloud-native contact centre solution. A well-executed implementation empowered Brennan to enhance its own operations and better support customers with an advanced, scalable platform. This collaboration showcases how businesses can harness AI, automation, and intelligent analytics to drive measurable improvements in customer engagement. NiCE CXone Mpowers scalability has been critical for Brennans rapid expansion. The platform now supports over 220 agents, with additional teams and acquired businesses migrating to NiCE CXone Mpower following the initial pilot program deployment for 60 agents. Brennan continues to activate new features to enhance agent efficiency and customer response times, such as auto-summarisation. John OConnor said, One of NiCE CXone Mpowers key advantages is its scalability. The solution has seamlessly integrated new teams into a unified platform as Brennan has expanded both organically and through acquisitions. This is crucial for consistency in service delivery across all locations, keeping customer satisfaction levels while improving operational efficiency. Brennan has expanded beyond its own use of NiCE CXone Mpower to partner with NiCE as a reseller, offering the solution to its customers as part of its managed services portfolio. This strategic collaboration lets Brennan leverage its deep expertise in implementation and support while helping other organisations modernise their contact centre operations. Rod Lester said, NiCEs partnership with Brennan is built on shared goals of delivering world-class customer engagement solutions. Brennans dual role as both a NiCE CXone Mpower customer and reseller reinforces its commitment to innovation. Combining NiCEs technology with Brennans expertise in managed services gives customers a seamless path to cloud transformation and enhanced contact centre performance. Brennans approach to contact centre transformation emphasises both technology and people. The company has invested heavily in training programs, using NiCEs Dojo training platform to equip agents with the knowledge to maximise CXone Mpowers capabilities. Customer feedback on the transition has been overwhelmingly positive, with many citing the improved experience and streamlined interactions as key benefits. John OConnor said, Working closely with NiCE has been instrumental in Brennans successful cloud transition. The level of support received from implementation to training has been exceptional. NiCEs commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement has made this partnership invaluable. The Brennan team looks forward to continuing to explore new ways to leverage NiCE CXone Mpower to deliver even greater customer value. About Brennan Founded in 1997 on the belief that how technology is delivered is every bit as important as what the technology is, Brennan is focussed on creating real and relevant value for customers and their users. Now serving more than 1700 business, enterprise, and government customers from offices across Australia, India, and Sri Lanka, Brennan designs, procures, maintains, and enhances technology solutions that deliver true performance, consistently earning 80+ NPS. www.brennanit.com.au About NiCE NiCE is transforming the world with AI that puts people first. Our purpose-built AI-powered platforms automate engagements into proactive, safe, intelligent actions, empowering individuals and organisations to innovate and act, from interaction to resolution. Trusted by organisations throughout 150+ countries worldwide, NiCEs platforms are widely adopted across industries connecting people, systems, and workflows to work smarter at scale, elevating performance across the organisation, delivering proven measurable outcomes. https://www.nice.com/ Every October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it is a reminder about the importance of safeguarding our digital livesat work, in the classroom, and at home. Robert Marolda, Director of Enterprise & Public Sector Sales ANZ, CyberArk As we enter Cyber Security Awareness Month, enterprise risk is at an all-time high. The rapid rise of machine identities driven by AI, cloud and automation is creating an ungoverned identity attack surface that most organisations are not prepared for. Fragmented strategies and siloed tools are compounding the problem, making it harder for security teams to see and control who or what has access. Too often, business priorities tilt toward efficiency at the expense of resilience, even as identity-related breaches continue to rise, leaving critical assets exposed. With a third of machine identities holding privileged or sensitive access, even something as simple as an expired TLS certificate can cause major business disruption. To stay ahead of escalating threats, organisations must treat machine identities with the same urgency as human ones by embedding privileged access management into an integrated identity security strategy that spans the entire business ensuring visibility, reducing risk and maintaining operational efficiency. Sam Salehi, Managing Director ANZ at Qualys Every Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are reminded of the basics dont click suspicious links, update your software, use strong passwords. Valuable advice, but in 2025 its no longer enough. The real challenge for organisations isnt defending every corner of the attack surface, but understanding which risks actually matter to the business. Recent research shows that while almost half of organisations now have a formal cyber risk program, only a fraction align those programs with business objectives. That gap explains why, despite rising investment, most still see their overall risk levels increasing. In fact, too often security teams spread resources thin across thousands of vulnerabilities, treating them in isolation without considering business impact. We need to shift our conversation from attack surfaces to risk surfaces. Not every vulnerability is equal: a seemingly low-level issue on a mission-critical system can be far more dangerous than a high-severity issue on a peripheral asset. The way forward is moving from detection to direction. Cybersecurity must evolve from an IT function to a business function one that quantifies potential loss, models realistic scenarios, and prioritises decisions based on asset criticality, financial exposure and business outcomes. To close the maturity gap, security leaders need to move beyond legacy metrics like CVSS scores and adopt unified risk frameworks such as a Risk Operations Center (ROC). By continuously correlating vulnerability data, asset context, and threat exposure, a ROC enables smarter prioritisation and faster, more meaningful remediation. So this year, my message to Australian and New Zealand organisations is simple: dont just manage vulnerabilities, manage risk. Embedding business context into every security decision is the only way to build resilience that truly matters. Nigel Tan, APAC SE Director, Delinea The attack surface is changing, and the rise of machine identities is at the centre of it. From chatbots to APIs and autonomous agents, they already outnumber humans 46 to 1 - yet theyre too often overlooked. Securing these identities is now just as critical as protecting human ones. The recent Salesloft breach proved the risk. Attackers didnt go after staff logins - they exploited an AI-powered chatbots privileged access, moving into systems like AWS and Slack. With only 28% of Australian organisations ready to secure AI, compared to 44% globally, the gap is clear. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the moment to act. As machine identities increasingly become entry points for attackers, start with visibility into where they are and what they can access. Then shorten credential lifespans so stolen details quickly expire and restrict each identitys access to only what it truly needs. Treating machine identities with the same priority as human ones is essential to business resilience. Xiplomacy: How China helps empower women from Asia to Africa Xinhua) 08:02, October 13, 2025 Street banners for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women are pictured in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) China has joined hands with countries worldwide to empower women. From Asia to Africa, inspiring stories of shared efforts toward building a better world have accelerated the global advancement of the cause of women. BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- "Women are creators of material and spiritual wealth, and represent an important force driving social development and progress," Chinese President Xi Jinping once said. Xi made the observation while chairing the Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment at the UN Headquarters in New York on Sept. 27, 2015, where he outlined China's commitment to advancing women's development and international cooperation. Over the past decade, China has made significant strides in promoting the all-round development of women. Countless Chinese women are excelling in different domains, contributing their strength and wisdom to global peace and development, as well as to the better protection of women and children. At the same time, China has joined hands with countries worldwide to empower women. From Asia to Africa, inspiring stories of shared efforts toward building a better world have accelerated the global advancement of the cause of women. SAFEGUARDING HER WELL-BEING In late September, 14-year-old Alifa Chin from Bangladesh visited China for the third time. She toured universities and exchanged ideas with her Chinese peers, gathering inspiration and energy to pursue her dreams. When Chin was born in 2010, her mother suffered a difficult delivery due to a severe heart problem. At that time, the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark was in Bangladesh as part of a multiple-country mission to provide free medical services to local people. Upon learning of the emergency, Chinese doctors aboard the ship rushed to the local hospital to perform a cesarean section on her mother. Both mother and daughter were saved. The child's father, Anwar Hossen, named his daughter "Chin," meaning "China" in Bengali. In 2017, Chin met Dr. Sheng Ruifang, a Chinese female doctor who had performed the surgery. As they embraced warmly, the young girl called out "Chinese mother" in English. From that moment, the dream of becoming a doctor took root. Dr. Sheng encouraged her, saying, "I am willing to share all my experience with you." Alifa Chin reads a reply letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 29, 2023. (Xinhua) In 2023, Chin wrote a letter to Xi, sharing her special connection with China and her dream. The president responded, encouraging her to study hard to make her dream come true, give back to her family, contribute to society and serve her country. Chin framed Xi's letter, and displayed it on her desk. "I want to tell dear Grandpa Xi that I have always remembered your advice and am studying hard to achieve my dreams," she said. "My 'Chinese mother' gave me both life and inspiration, and I hope to follow her example by using my abilities to help and save others." On a global scale, China's initiatives demonstrate its commitment to women's welfare. It has helped developing countries implement 100 "health projects for women and children" and 100 "happy campus projects," providing educational support to disadvantaged girls. Irina Bokova, former director-general of UNESCO, spoke highly of the Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, jointly established by China and UNESCO in 2015. The award has supported 20 projects across 19 countries, raising global awareness about the importance of education for women's well-being and empowerment. HELPING HER SHINE IN LIFE Tahiya Bauso Massawe, a female cattle keeper from Tanzania, has benefited greatly from China's Juncao technology. At first, she was skeptical about this new type of forage introduced by Chinese experts. "It looks like sugarcane. Would the cattle actually eat it?" She wondered. Yet the cows love it, and the milk production nearly doubled. Rising income has allowed Massawe to buy new equipment and a vehicle, and hired 16 employees -- half of them women. She encouraged other women to grow Juncao as well, helping many earn their income for the first time and enabling them to support their families and children's education. For Massawe, Juncao symbolizes equality, hope and opportunity. She said that this technology brought by Chinese experts has gradually improved their lives and transformed the role of local women. Chinese Juncao expert Lin Hui explains to trainees at the China-Rwanda Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center in Huye District, Rwanda, on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua) Xi has emphasized on multiple international occasions the vital role of women's development in achieving common progress. "Development cannot be achieved without women, and the benefits it brings must be shared by all," he said at the 2015 UN meeting. Today, the Juncao technology has provided employment opportunities for women in 106 countries worldwide. The Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic Initiative, jointly launched by China and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, has improved the lives of women in many African countries. Additionally, Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational training program, has trained nearly 6,000 female students. For Gertrude Mongella, secretary-general of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995, in some developing countries, women continue to lag behind men in many fields due to a lack of funding, knowledge and skills. In a recent interview with Xinhua, she expressed her hope for China to continue sharing its experiences and strengthening cooperation with more countries, including African nations, to promote the continuous development of global women's affairs. GREATER HER EMPOWERMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES In late September, over 40 female officials from Pakistan and the Central African Republic visited China to participate in capacity-building workshops organized by the newly established Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women. In cities and towns like Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Yiwu, they studied China's grassroots governance, researched cases related to women's entrepreneurship, digital villages and cross-border e-commerce. The visit helped them gain firsthand insight into how China leverages digital technologies to empower women, boosting both women's self-development and their social contribution. To deepen cooperation in capacity-building for women in developing countries, China has initiated over 100 training projects focused on women and children in developing countries since 2018, training nearly 4,000 talents in the field of women's empowerment. Additionally, China has established a global training base for women's development cooperation and exchange, designing tailored empowerment programs for developing countries. Collaborative training and exchange centers have been set up in partnership with 15 countries. Leveraging the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, China has also implemented women-focused projects in more than 20 countries, with total funding exceeding 40 million U.S. dollars. Women take a poultry farming training class after the launch ceremony of a poultry farming training program in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt, on Aug. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai) For Bokova, the former UNESCO head, one of China's most impressive recent achievements is how Chinese women are "riding the wave" of the digital economy. "We know all too well that this is the economy of the future," Bokova observed. "If we want to support women's empowerment, we should equip women with digital skills so they can participate flexibly and fully in the growing digital economy. That is exactly what China is doing today." Monica Monteiro, chairperson of the Brazilian Chapter of BRICS Women's Business Alliance, said that while women in developing countries still face certain obstacles, digitalization and the knowledge economy are creating new opportunities and opening new pathways for women's development. China has achieved remarkable success in promoting women's employment and entrepreneurship in the digital technology sector, providing valuable references and examples for Global South countries, she said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Sydney-headquartered customer experience and digital transformation company, Customer Science, has announced the appointment of Chris Borg as the companys inaugural Partner Manager. Based in Sydney, Borg will be responsible for extending the companys partner program in alignment with its strategy for growth and bolstering mutually successful relationships between Customer Science and its broad ecosystem of alliance partners to help them support customers with transformative CX outcomes while navigating todays challenges and preparing for the future. Borg joins Customer Science with more than ten years experience across business development, client management, consulting and sales enablement programs within the contact centre, digital transformation and customer experience space. Most recently, Borg was CEO of Arinum Solutions, a provider of customer experience solutions. During his time with the company he successfully built and drove strategic transformation ultimately lifting business growth and sustainable performance. Prior, he held several channel and account management positions, including Senior Channel Manager APAC at TalkDesk, Channel & Customer Success Manager at 8x8 and Senior Account Manager at Interactive Intelligence. Within these roles, Borg drew on his diverse, hands-on experience across technology, strategy, and operations to deliver measurable growth, enhance partner performance, and ensure successful execution of complex customer and transformation initiatives. Borg also previously worked at Somerville as General Manager Cloud Services and commenced his career in the education sector working for Brightstars Education as General Manager before being appointed Chief Executive at Brent Street. Todd Gorsuch, CEO, Customer Science, said, Chris Borg has a standout track record of building win, win partner relationships and growing companies through a practical partner network. He has an inherent, deep understanding of the CX industry which will further enable Customer Science to create high value integrated solutions for our clients and deliver industry best practices for partners ensuring we continue to have a reputation for delivering on our promises and achieving positive outcomes. Customer Sciences unique position is to achieve customer results by building all the CX and digital capabilities needed by organisations. We want to continue to build out these capabilities in a blue ocean, being the only organisation fully equipped to provide advice and professional services across people, process, technology, data, AI, automation, management and product. Partners are critical to achieving outcomes and we look forward to the positive impact which Chris Borgs skills and experience can bring to bolstering our partners capabilities and creating more value for both our partners and our joint, mutual customers. Borg added: "Im honoured to join Customer Science at such a pivotal time. The companys compelling vision and accelerating AI-driven momentum in CX transformation are unmatched. I look forward to working with our partners to achieving their full potential with our solutions and service in driving meaningful outcomes for joint customers and supporting Customer Science through its next phase of growth and innovation." About Customer Science Customer Science helps you deliver world leading services by bringing to life your vision for Customer and Digital Experience. Powered by a team of practitioners each with award winning deep experience, passionate about making a difference. They can take your vision & its benefits from idea, market research and service design through to operational delivery where we can lock in performance through management, people, process, and technology consulting & professional services. With our client commitment to delivering measurable results at a rapid return on investment and sustainability of solution, our clients enjoy great customer satisfaction levels that support their organisational objectives. For further information, please visit: https://customerscience.com.au > < 23:54 Maulana jailed for Bareilly violence clears three-decade-old loan Maulana Tauqeer Raza, who is currently lodged at the Fatehgarh Central Jail in connection with the September 26 violence in Bareilly, on Monday repaid his nearly three-decade-old loan he owed to a cooperative society in Budaun district.According to officials, Raza had borrowed Rs 5,055 from the... Read more > 23:44 Karisma Kapoor's children question late father's purported will Actor Karisma Kapoor's children on Monday questioned the authenticity of the purported will of their late father Sunjay Kapur before the Delhi high court, claiming there were glaring errors in the document and it could not have been prepared by him.The counsel appearing for Samaira and Kiaan Raj... Read more > 23:08 Unfazed by seat-sharing woes, Lalu starts giving away RJD tickets Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday gave away party tickets to candidates favoured by him, unfazed by inability of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), helmed in Bihar by the RJD, to formally announce a plan for seat-sharing.A stampede-like... Read more > 22:55 IRCTC scam: Tejashwi's plea of being minor rejected While framing charges in a corruption case connected to alleged irregularities in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Delhi court on Monday rejected the argument of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav that he was a minor on the date of purchase of land... Read more > 21:56 Popular YouTuber, teenage son arrested for raping minor A popular YouTuber and his teenage son were arrested for allegedly raping a girl in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, a police officer said Monday.YouTuber Arabinda Mandal, who has millions of followers, was arrested along with his teenage son on Sunday for allegedly raping the... Read more > 21:50 Bengal ruled by Aurangzeb: Durgapur survivor's dad The father of the MBBS student who was allegedly gang-raped near a private medical college in West Bengal's Durgapur on Monday said he wanted to take his daughter back to Odisha, citing safety concerns, and criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks on the incident.He said he no longer... Read more > 21:45 Classroom kiss goes viral, Vadodara varsity orders probe A video showing two students allegedly kissing inside a classroom at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) in Vadodara city has gone viral on social media platforms, prompting varsity authorities to order a probe on Monday.A preliminary probe suggests the video was purportedly... Read more > 20:56 Live-in relationships threat to Indian culture: UP Guv Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Monday described live-in relationships as a 'threat to India's ancient culture' and urged the youth to stay away from such 'decadent trends' that put families and especially young women at risk.Speaking at the 30th convocation ceremony of Dr Ram Manohar... Read more > 20:38 Tej Pratap to contest Bihar polls from Mahua Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav will contest the Bihar elections from Mahua as his newly-floated party, Janshakti Janta Dal (JJD), announced candidates for 21 seats on Monday. Yadav, a former minister in the state government, floated the party after... Read more > 20:21 Rupee rises 5 paise to close at 88.67 against US dollar The rupee appreciated five paise to close at 88.67 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, supported by suspected RBI intervention and fresh foreign fund inflows.Forex traders said the domestic unit faced some resistance as renewed trade war tensions between the US and China led to risk... Read more > 20:19 Modi hails Trump's 'sincere efforts to bring peace' With all 20 remaining living hostages held by Hamas back in Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed their release after over two years of captivity and said India supports US President Donald Trump's 'sincere efforts' to bring peace to the region.Hamas released the hostages as... Read more > 19:36 Tharoor questions sending MoS to Gaza summit Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday said India's presence at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, at the level of a Minister of State, was in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there, and wondered whether the decision reflects 'strategic restraint' or 'missed... Read more > 19:31 SC extends stay on trial against Rahul Gandhi The Supreme Court on Monday extended till November 20 its interim order staying proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a Lucknow court in a case related to his alleged derogatory remarks about the Indian Army during his 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra.The matter came up for hearing before a... Read more > 18:59 Chaitanyanand Saraswati is not a sanyasi: Delhi Police Delhi Police on Monday said that Chaitanyanand Saraswati is not a sanyasi. This is stated in a reply by the Police on the plea of Chaitanyanand Saraswati in Patiala House Court.He has sought a direction from jail authorities to allow him to wear a sanyasi robe and to keep religious books in... Read more > 18:39 NDA puts off Bihar candidate list amid discontent Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Bihar's ruling National Democratic Alliance on Monday postponed the release of its first list of candidates for the upcoming assembly polls, reportedly at the last minute. Sources within the NDA indicated that the announcement of the candidate list was deferred due to growing discontent... Read more > 18:26 Pakistan Stock Exchange crashes amid Afghanistan conflict The Pakistan Stock Exchange crashed on Monday in the wake of military action in Afghanistan and countrywide protests by an extremist religious party, creating uncertainty among investors.The KSE-100 index plunged nearly 3,000 points at the opening, falling to 160,126 from Friday's close of... Read more > 18:13 Achieved our objective against Pakistan: Afghan FM Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Monday said Afghanistan achieved its objective in the border skirmish against Pakistan, and stopped the attack at the request of Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Replying to media queries, the visiting minister said Afghanistan... Read more > 17:14 SC to hear Sahara firm's plea on sale of assets to Adani Properties tomorrow The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Tuesday a plea of Sahara India Commercial Corporation Ltd (SICCL) seeking its nod to sell various properties, including Amby Valley in Maharashtra and Shahara Saher in Lucknow, to Adani Properties Private Limited. As per the apex court website, a... Read more > 17:03 Netanyahu to skip Gaza Summit due to 'time constraints' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday stated that he wouldn't be travelling to Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh to attend the Gaza Peace Summit with global leaders, citing time constraints ahead of the start of the Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah holiday, which begins tonight.According to The... Read more > 16:47 After 2 harrowing years hostages embracing families: Trump US President Donald Trump delivers remarks to The Knesset in Israel's Jerusalem. After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the embrace of their families. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu opened his address to the Knesset in Hebrew by... Read more > 16:42 Stock markets decline over fresh tariffs on China Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty fell on Monday due to selling in IT and FMCG shares and a weak trend in global markets after US President Donald Trump announced an additional 100 per cent tariff on Chinese goods from November 1. The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 173.77 points or 0.21 per... Read more > 16:40 Nobody moves the world as much as Trump: Netanyahu Speaking in Israeli Parliament, PM Benjamin Netanyahu says, I have seen many a lot of US presidents, but I have never seen anyone move the world so quickly and decisively as our friend President Donald J Trump.Netanyahu says he is committed to this peace following the release of the living... Read more > 16:19 Trump is the greatest friend of Israel: Netanyahu Speaking in the Israeli Parliament, PM Benjamin Netanyahu says, Donald Trump is the greatest friend Israel has had in the White House. President Trump, we welcome you here to thank you for your pivotal leadership for the proposal that got the backing of the entire world. A proposal that brings... Read more > 16:03 Israel endorses Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 Israel endorses US President Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize next year: There is no one more deserving than you, Mr President. Nobel Peace Prize winner Mara Corina Machado has said she is grateful for what US President Donald Trump is doing around the world for peace.Machado, Venezuela's... Read more > 15:57 Should we not meet?: Siddaramaiah denies meet for cabinet rejig Rejecting the buzz that his scheduled dinner meeting for cabinet colleagues was linked to the proposed cabinet reshuffle, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the banquet has nothing to do with the rejig.The meeting gains significance amid speculations about a change of guard and... Read more > 15:54 Netanyahu to attend Gaza peace summit with Trump Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump in the Knesset Chamber on Monday and spoke to Egyptian President Al Sisi as he accepted the invitation to join the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el Sheikh, Israeli media reported citing Channel 12 news. While at the... Read more > 15:38 Three share Economics Nobel for 'growth theory' The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt for having explained innovation-driven economic growth with one half to Mokyr for having identified the... Read more > 15:23 Jan Suraaj Party names candidate for 65 Bihar seats, Raghopur goes to... The Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party on Monday announced its second list of candidates for 65 seats for the Bihar elections. However, Kishor's name, who is expected to contest the polls from the Raghopur seat against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, was missing from the list. Addressing a... Read more > 15:18 Canadian FM calls on Modi Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Monday. Modi said her visit to India would impart new momentum to the bilateral partnership. Prime Minister welcomed Foreign Minister Anand and conveyed that her visit would contribute to ongoing efforts to impart... Read more > 14:51 13 more hostages released, no more alive hostages in Gaza Another group of 13 Israeli hostages has been handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza, shortly after Hamas released the first six hostages earlier on Monday, according to Israeli media i24.The bodies of 28 other hostages remain in the terror group's hands, with plans to transfer most of them to... Read more > 14:38 CPI(ML)L to give Sushant Singh Rajput's sister ticket Sushant Singh Rajput died in 2020 The CPI (ML)L -- a constituent of the Opposition Mahagathbandan -- will field Divya Gautam, the sister of the late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, from the Digha assembly constituency in Patna district.Divya, an activist associated with the AISA, the CPI(ML)L's student wing, has confirmed... Read more > 14:33 Pakistan PM arrives for Gaza peace meet, lauds Trump Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif arrives for the Gaza peace meet: Alhamdolillah, arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh this morning to attend the signing ceremony of the landmark Gaza peace plan -- a crucial step towards lasting peace in the Middle East. Grateful to our co-hosts, President El Sisi and President... Read more > 14:18 First seven freed Israeli hostages reunited with families Women react at 'Hostages Square'. Pic: Reuters/Shir Torem The first seven Israeli hostages freed from Hamas captivity have safely crossed into Israel and are now being reunited with their families, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Personnel from the IDF Manpower Directorate and medical teams are accompanying the seven hostages, Eitan... Read more > 14:00 Durgapur medical student rape: Two more held, total 5 Two more persons were arrested by police in connection with the alleged gang rape of a private medical college student at Durgapur in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, a police officer said on Monday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate,... Read more > 13:17 TN govt revokes licence, shuts down cough syrup firm Update: The manufacturing licence of Tamil Nadu based Sresan Pharmaceutical company involved in making the adulterated cough syrup Coldrif has completely been revoked, and the company has been ordered to shut down, the state government informed on Monday. The state Drug Control Department... Read more > 13:02 TN govt shuts down manufacturing of deadly cough syrup Coldrif The manufacturing licence for making cough syrup Coldrif has been completely revoked and the firm has been shut down says the Tamil Nadu government. The ED on Monday raided premises linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup linked to the deaths of children in... Read more > 12:57 US tariffs severely hit India's textile exporters India's textile and apparel exporters are facing severe disruptions following the United States' imposition of a 50 per cent additional tariff, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI).The survey revealed that the US, which accounts for... Read more > 12:53 Trump and Netanyahu ride together Pic: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding along with US President Donald Trump in the presidential limousine as they head now to the Knesset building in Jerusalem, reports CNN. The two men were seen speaking inside the vehicle before it departed the airport tarmac.Trump... Read more > 12:43 Trump greeted with fanfare as he arrives in Israel US President Donald Trump arrives at the Ben Gurion Airport, Israel to trumpet fanfare. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and PM Benjamin Netanyahu receive him. The US President touched down in the country as the first set of hostages has been received by Israel Defense Forces. Trump... Read more > 12:37 It was Ms Moitra's birthday yesterday and this is what she did... TMC MP Mahua Moitra shares this picture on X and writes, Having a super birthday - already cut 2 cakes:-) . Thank you everyone for the love and good wishes. God bless. With her is her husband, BJD ex-MP Pinaki Misra. Read more > 12:11 Committed to ceasefire: Hamas after handing over 7hostages Soon after handing over seven hostages out of 20, Hamas's military wing issued a statement claiming that it remains committed to the ongoing ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner deal with Israel.According to Times of Israel, Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, issued a statement shortly... Read more > 11:59 Zubeen Garg death case: 3 more Assamese expats from Singapore arrive in Guwahati for probe Three more Assamese expats, who witnessed cultural icon Zubeen Garg's dying moments in Singapore, on Monday appeared before the police in Guwahati in response to the second notice against them, a top official said. Within the next two days, a few more Assamese NRIs living in Singapore are... Read more > 11:35 IRCTC case: Court frames charges against Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi A court in New Delhi on Monday framed charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the state, in the alleged IRCTC scam case, setting the stage for a trial ahead of polls in Bihar.Special Judge Vishal... Read more > 11:32 7/20 hostages from Gaza handed over to Israeli forces A Red Cross vehicle in Gaza to handover the hostages. Reuters/Ramadan Abed The first seven hostages of the twenty hostages alive in Gaza, have been handed over by the Red Cross to Israeli forces in Northern Gaza, I24 News Israel has reported. According to Times of Israel, crowds erupted in loud cheers upon hearing the news at the Hostages Square. The seven... Read more > 11:22 SC transfers Karur stampede case to CBI The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, which took place during TVK chief and actor Vijay's rally on September 27, leaving 41 persons dead and many others injured.A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also ordered a three-member committee to be... Read more > 11:05 Naveen Jindal slams IndiGo for bending daughter's wheelchair Sminu Jindal Naveen Jindal, chairman of Jindal Group and BJP MP from Kurukshetra, has criticised IndiGo after the airline allegedly returned a dented wheelchair to his daughter after a Goa-Delhi flight on October 10. His daughter, Sminu Jindal, who is an industrialist and disability rights advocate, was... Read more > 10:54 Been waiting for you: Netanyahu, wife pen welcome note The welcome kit prepared for the hostages As the moment of the arrival of hostages comes closer, Israeli Prime Minister's Office shared on Monday the personal message written by PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, for the returning hostages. Hebrew media also reported the names of the initial six hostages set to be released,... Read more > 10:35 West Bengal Police arrest fourth accused in Durgapur gangrape case West Bengal Police have arrested the fourth accused in connection with the alleged Durgapur gang rape case, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate said. The police had earlier arrested three individuals in connection with the alleged gangrape.Earlier on Sunday, the three accused arrested... Read more > 10:26 Red Cross vehicles enter Gaza ahead of release of hostages Red Cross vehicles have begun their movement in central Gaza in preparation of the release of hostages, Saudi media reported on Monday.According to i24 News, Hamas has released the list of 20 names of Israeli hostages, who are set to be released today and Hamas sources informed A-Sharq news that... Read more > 10:10 20 Israeli hostages in Gaza likely to be released today Nearly 80% of Gaza is destroyed in Israeli bombing The 20 Israeli hostages thought to be alive in Gaza are expected to be freed within hours. Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel will also be freed as part of the first crucial phase of the US-brokered ceasefire deal.US President Donald Trump is heading to Israel, where... Read more > 10:02 Will Mamata say the same for men? CPI-M on gangrape CPI(M) West Bengal State Secretary, Mohammed Salim, launched a sharp attack against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her girls should not be allowed to go out at night remarks after a medical student was allegedly gangraped in Durgapur.Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Salim asked if Mamata Banerjee... Read more > 09:48 Deplorable! Odisha Dy CM on Mamata's remarks on gangrape Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Monday strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's girls should not be allowed to go out at night remark after a medical student hailing from Odisha was allegedly gangraped in Durgapur. Terming the remark an insult to women... Read more > 09:39 Firefighter among three dead while rescuing woman who jumped into well in Kerala Representational image Three people, including a firefighter, died while attempting to rescue a woman who jumped into a well at Neduvathur near Kollam early Monday, police said. The deceased were identified as Archana of Neduvathur, her friend Shivakrishnan, and Soni S Kumar, an official with the Fire and Rescue... Read more > 09:23 ED raids deadly cough syrup manufacturer, TN FDA The ED on Monday raided premises linked to Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Coldrif cough syrup linked to the deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and top officials of the Tamil Nadu FDA as part of a money laundering investigation, official sources said. At least... Read more > 09:00 Space Kidz May Tap Japanese Major For Lunar Mission Chennai-based space startup Space Kidz is expected to tap Japanese lunar exploration company iSpace to launch its ambitious moon project, ShakthiSAT, built by 108 girls from across the world, in 2027.The Hakuto-R Mission by the Japanese major is likely to carry a payload of an official mascot of... Read more > 08:59 Massive fire erupts at several auto parts shops in Mumbai's Kurla area A major fire broke out in several automobile spare parts and scrap material shops in Mumbai's Kurla area in the early hours of Monday, officials said. No casualty was reported so far, they said. The blaze was reported at 2.42 am in 15 to 20 shops located near a gurdwara on CST Road in... Read more > 08:46 GalaxEye To Launch World's 1st Multi-Sensor EO Satellite Space-tech startup GalaxEye has announced that it is planning to launch its maiden 'Mission Drishti' in the first quarter of calendar year 2026. The launch will also mark the beginning of GalaxEye's satellite constellation programme, comprising 8 to 12 satellites to be launched successively until... Read more > The current Secretary for Administration and Justice, Andre Cheong, will transition to a member of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, having presided over his final press conference as Executive Council spokesperson last Friday, where he stressed the legal obligation for civil servants to participate in the Legislative Assembly elections. Cheong will be sworn in this week as a member of the eighth-term Legislative Assembly, officially appointed by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai. His position as Secretary for Administration and Justice will be filled by the current Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak. At last Fridays Executive Council (ExCo) press conference, Cheong, as spokesperson, noted that the transition with Wong is progressing smoothly in terms of work plans and personnel arrangements, describing the process as very smooth. He also expressed confidence in the future performance of the Secretary for Administration and Justices portfolio under Wongs leadership, specifically highlighting Wongs management during Typhoon Ragasa. Everyone knows that Secretary Wong possesses extensive administrative experience, profound legal expertise, and outstanding leadership and coordination abilities, Cheong stated. His coordination of the civil protection management team during Typhoon Ragasa is a prime example. I am confident that under Secretary Wongs leadership, the portfolio of the Secretary for Administration and Justice will achieve even greater success. Breaking from the precedent set by the previous four administrations, where non-official members held the position, Cheong was formally appointed as the ExCo spokesperson in 2020 by former Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng. He was reappointed by current Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai in January this year, having served as spokesperson for over five years. During his tenure, he introduced or reviewed more than 350 bills and draft administrative regulations in ExCo meetings. Reflecting on his experience, Cheong stated, The role of Executive Council spokesperson has been extremely important to me and has left a profound impression. Expressing gratitude for the trust placed in him by the two chief executives in appointing and reappointing him to the role of Executive Council spokesperson, Cheong emphasized that major policies of the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government are often advanced through legislative amendments or the enactment of new laws and communicated to the public through the Executive Council spokesperson. Later this week, Cheong will officially transition to his role in the Legislative Assembly. He reaffirmed his commitment, stating, I hope to fully leverage my work experience within the SAR government whether in administrative management, legal coordination, or other areas to better facilitate constructive interaction between the executive and legislative branches, thereby continuously improving Macaus legal system. Cheong also emphasized his intention to maintain close communication with the SAR government through the Legislative Assembly, ensuring he promptly understands the governments legislative planning, projects, and direction, while diligently deliberating on bills submitted by the government. Meanwhile, at Fridays press conference, Cheong addressed media inquiries regarding the governments involvement in the mid-September Legislative Assembly elections. He criticized the outlet for failing to adhere to established protocols by raising questions unrelated to the drafted bills introduced during the ExCo press conference. Nevertheless, he cited the relevant election law to emphasize that all voters exercise their civic rights and fulfill their civic duties through voting. Cheong further emphasized that, in accordance with the provisions of Macaus Legislative Assembly Election Law and the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Elections guidance, the SAR government and the Chief Executives advocacy for civil servants voting participation are lawful actions. He said that, as citizens and voters, civil servants should actively exercise their rights and fulfill their obligations as stipulated by law. Like this: Like Loading... A Chinese coast guard ship used a powerful water cannon yesterday then rammed and slightly damaged an anchored Philippine government vessel off an island inhabited by Filipinos in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard said. There were no injuries among Filipino crewmen of the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, part of the fisheries fleet that provides support to Filipino fishermen. The Chinese coast guard targeted Pagbuaya off the Philippines-occupied Thitu island in the latest flare-up of the long-simmering territorial disputes involving Manila, Beijing and four other governments. The Chinese coast guard accused the Philippine vessels of illegally entering what it called Chinese waters near a cluster of sandbars known as Sandy Cay, which lies between Thitu and Chinas artificial island base called Subi and ignoring repeated stern warnings from the Chinese side. It said it took control measures against the Philippine vessels in accordance with the law and resolutely drove them away. Pagbuaya and two other Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels were anchored in the territorial waters off Thitu, called Pag-asa by the Philippines, when Chinese coast guard and suspected militia ships suddenly approached and staged dangerous and provocative maneuvers, the Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement. He added that such aggression would not prompt Manila to surrender a square inch of our territory to any foreign power. A Chinese coast guard ship with bow number 21559 fired its water cannon directly at the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, hitting the vessel, then rammed the stern of the Philippine fisheries vessel three minutes later, causing minor structural damage but no injuries to the crew. Video issued by the Philippine coast guard shows a Chinese coast guard ship firing a water cannon, hitting the vessel and its two Philippine flags. The Filipino-manned ship is seen moving away from the Chinese coast guard ship. Despite these bullying tactics and aggressive actions, the Philippine coast guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources remain resolute, Tarriela said. We will not be intimidated or driven away. In Beijing, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun said in a statement the two Philippine vessels illegally entered waters near Sandy Cay, which China calls Tiexian Reef, without the permission of the Chinese government. One dangerously approached the Chinese Coast Guard vessel, causing a scrape, he said. The responsibility rests entirely with the Philippine side, Liu said, accusing the Philippines of undermining the peace and stability in the South China Sea and sternly warned the Southeast Asian country to immediately stop infringement and harassment. The harassment we faced today only strengthens our resolve, Philippine coast guard commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said. Filipino fisherfolk depend on these waters and neither water cannons nor ramming will deter us from fulfilling our commitment to Pres. Ferdinand Marcos to not surrender a square inch of our territory to any foreign power. Thitu is the largest of nine islands, islets and reefs inhabited by Philippine forces and also has a fishing community in the Spratlys archipelago, the most fiercely disputed region of the South China Sea, where China turned seven barren reefs into island bases protected by a missile system. JIM GOMEZ, MANILA, MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... Macao Union Hospital, in partnership with Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), has completed 14 complex ophthalmology surgeries, according to a statement. Led by PUMCH cataract expert Professor Zhang Shunhua, the procedures addressed severe cases such as total white and rock-hard nuclear cataracts, as well as conditions complicated by high myopia or low corneal transparency. All surgeries including one on an 84-year-old patient under general anesthesia were completed in under 30 minutes, according to authorities. Like this: Like Loading... MGM continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to nurturing local talent development by building an industry-leading platform for its team members continuous learning and career advancement. Earlier, the Company hosted the MGM Graduation Ceremony 2025 at MGM Theater, celebrating the milestone achievement of the graduation of 2,500 team members. During the ceremony, MGM also announced the launch of three new talent development programs focused on Hengqin-Macaos new quality productivity, leadership enhancement, and youth docent training. These initiatives align with the national strategy to foster high-quality productive forces in the cultural and tourism sectors, and support Macaos vision of becoming a talent hub in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Upgraded Leadership Symposium Series to Enhance Strategic Execution The MGM Leadership Symposium has been upgraded into a comprehensive learning platform. Leveraging the resources and brand networks of its parent company, MGM Resorts International, as well as Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality in mainland China, and with the support of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), MGM will collaborate with renowned academic institutions and enterprises both locally and internationally. By integrating academic theory with industry practice, the program aims to help management gain insights into the latest market trends, strengthen leadership capabilities, and align more closely with government development strategies. Government-Enterprise-School Collaboration to Cultivate Youth Docents MGM has also partnered with DSEDJ to launch the MGM Youth Docent Development Program, extending its cultural and artistic resources to local primary and secondary school students. Through hands-on experiences at MGMs art spaces and the POLY MGM MUSEUM, the program aims to develop students public speaking skills, deepen their cultural awareness, and foster greater confidence and appreciation for traditional heritage among young people. Joint Efforts to Drive New Quality Productivity in Tourism and Culture In partnership with the Labour Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, MGM launched the Hengqin-Macao Cultural Tourism New Quality, New Productivity Training. Through seminars on smart tourism, technology applications, and other emerging fields, the program encourages team members to stay abreast of technological innovations and market dynamics. By integrating the tourism strengths of both Hengqin and Macao, the program aims to enhance cross-border synergy across cultural and tourism resources and inject fresh momentum into the development of Macaos tourism industry. MGM Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen, NAPE, Macau E info@mgmchina.com.mo W http://www.mgm.mo/ Like this: Like Loading... In his Policy Address earlier this year, Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai announced the governments orderly restructuring of departmental functions, culminating in Fridays unveiling of draft amendments that abolish the Municipal Affairs Bureaus (IAM) special personnel regulations, requiring over a thousand personnel to sign new administrative appointment contracts. Sams Policy Address emphasizes that deepening public administration reform will be a key priority for the current government, with a comprehensive review of the IAM organizational structure and relevant laws and regulations expected this year, and the second phase of restructuring scheduled to be completed next year. On Friday, the drafted bill was announced at an Executive Council press conference proposing to abolish the special personnel rules applicable to the IAM and replace them with general employment contracts specifically, administrative appointment contracts impacting over 1,600 individuals. This proposal is set to take effect in June next year. Authorities have stressed that the transition will not reduce the bureaus personnel numbers or lead to staff dismissals, affirming that the workforce will be preserved, though a slight decrease may occur due to functional transfers and natural attrition over time. To ensure a smooth transition for personnel, the bill proposes that after the new law takes effect, administrative appointment contracts will be re-signed with the relevant staff. Previously accrued service time will continue to be recognized, and the validity of training courses attended will be maintained, said Executive Council spokesperson Andre Cheong while introducing the bill to the media. The bill also proposes transferring the bureaus current responsibilities for street naming, address numbering, and maintenance of road and drainage networks to the Secretariat for Transport and Public Works. Approximately 150 staff members are expected to be reassigned to this portfolio. Two bureaus merged into one Meanwhile, the Executive Council has also completed discussions on a draft regulation proposing to merge the Printing Bureau (IO) with the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ), reorganizing and streamlining the structures of both entities. Authorities stated that the new Legal Affairs Bureau will inherit the original functions of both bureaus. The current structure, which includes six senior officials and 14 divisions across two bureaus, will be consolidated into one bureau chief and two deputy chiefs, overseeing five divisions and four sections. The regulation is expected to take effect on October 31, with the combined staff totaling 460 personnel after the merger. New regulations for public sector organization structure In a significant revision of the public sector organization structure that has been in place for over 40 years, draft administrative regulations have been proposed to establish upper limits on the number of leadership positions and internal subordinate units within bureaus. Unless special circumstances are approved by the Chief Executive, bureaus will be required to adhere to these limits based on their functions and personnel size. Bureaus with 200 or fewer personnel will be allowed two leadership positions, two department-level subordinate units, and four division-level subordinate units. Those with 200 to 1,000 personnel will have limits of three leadership positions, six department-level subordinate units, and twelve division-level subordinate units. For bureaus with 1,000 or more personnel, the regulation permits four leadership positions, eight department-level subordinate units, and sixteen division-level subordinate units. Additionally, the regulation stipulates that new bureaus may only be established when new functions emerge that cannot be adequately addressed through adjustments to the existing organizational structure. This regulation is set to take effect the day after it is promulgated. Like this: Like Loading... Preparations were underway yesterday to ramp up aid entering the war-battered Gaza Strip under a new ceasefire deal that many are hoping will signal an end to the devastating 2-year-long war. The Israeli defense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, said the amount of aid entering the Palestinian territoryis expected to increase on Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement. Egypt said it was sending 400 aid trucks into Gaza yesterday. The trucks will have to be inspected by Israeli forces before being allowed in. Associated Press footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. The Egyptian Red Crescent said they carried medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel. The trucks will head to the inspection area in the Kerem Shalom crossing for screening by Israeli troops. Expanding Israeli offensives and restrictions on humanitarian aidhave triggered a hunger crisis, including famine in parts of the territory. The United Nations has said it has about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine and other humanitarian aid ready to enter once Israel gives the green light. Abeer Etifa, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program, said workers were clearing and repairing roads inside Gaza on Sunday to facilitate delivery. Gaza Humanitarian Funds future in question The fate of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and U.S.-backed contractor that replaced the U.N. aid operation in May as the primary food supplier in Gaza, remains unclear. Food distribution sites operated by the group in the southernmost city of Rafah and central Gaza were dismantled following the ceasefire deal, several Palestinians said Sunday. GHF had been touted by Israel and the United States as an alternative system to prevent Hamas from taking over aid. However, its operations were mired in chaos and hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire while heading to its four sites. The Israeli military has said its troops fired warning shots to control crowds. A GHF representative said in a statement that there might be tactical changes in GHF operations and temporary closures of some distribution sites during the transfer of hostages to Israel but there is no change to our long-term plan. Preparations for hostage, prisoner release, Trump visit Preparations were also underway Sunday for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. A message sent Saturday from Gal Hirsch, Israels coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing and obtained by the AP, told hostage families to prepare for the release of their loved ones, starting on Monday morning. One of the families of the hostages confirmed the notes authenticity. Hirsch said preparations in hospitals and in Reiim camp were complete to receive the live hostages, while the dead will be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification. An international task force will start working to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within the 72-hour period, said Hirsch. Officials have said the search for the bodies of the dead, some of whom may be buried under rubble, could take time. Israeli officials believe about 20 of the hostages out of 48 held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza are still alive. All of the living hostages are expected to be released today. U.S. President Donald Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, is expected to arrive in Israel this morning. He will meet with families of hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israels parliament, according to a schedule released by the White House. Trump will then continue on to Egypt, where the office of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has said he will co-chair a peace summit on Monday with attendance by regional and international leaders. Timing has not yet been announced for the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel who are to be freed under the deal. They include 250 people serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 people seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. Health authorities in Gaza are preparing for the return of 1,900 Palestinian prisoners many of whom are expected to require urgent treatment and dead bodies taken by Israels military from the strip, Dr. Mounir al-Boursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in the enclave, said in a statement. Gaza residents return home Palestinians continued to move back to areas vacated by Israeli forces Sunday, although many were returning to homes reduced to rubble. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed a line of vehicles traveling north to Gaza City. The photos taken Saturday showed a line of vehicles on Al Rashid Street, which runs north-south along the Gaza Strips coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. Tents along the coast also could be seen near Gaza Citys marina. Many people have been living along the sea to avoid being targeted in Israeli bombardment of the city. Armed police were seen in Gaza City and southern Gaza patrolling the streets and securing aid trucks driving through areas from which the Israeli military had withdrawn, according to residents. The police force is part of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. The pause in fighting allowed first responders and residents to search previously inaccessible areas for bodies buried under rubble. Health officials said more than 100 bodies were recovered and brought to hospitals between Friday and Saturday. Yasser el-Bureis, who was at the morgue in Nasser hospital in Khan Younis Sunday, said he and his relatives had finally retrieved the bodies of his two cousins killed months earlier when they were trying to flee their homes. For five months, we didnt manage to recover the bodies, he said. SAMY MAGDY, SARAH EL DEEB & MELANIE LIDMAN, CAIRO, MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... Iga Swiatek was knocked out of the Wuhan Open on Friday in a straight-set defeat to Jasmine Paolini a player the Wimbledon champion had never previously lost against. Paolini powered her way to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over the second-ranked Swiatek in a quarterfinal that was over in 65 minutes. It was the Italians first victory over Swiatek in their seventh meeting with Paolini having previously won only one set and secured her a semifinal spot against the third-ranked Coco Gauff. Finally I won a match, the seventh-seeded Paolini said. Im super happy about my level. Just feels amazing. Paolini has a much better record against Gauff, having triumphed over the American in their past three meetings. Gauff cruised into a second straight semifinal with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Laura Siegemund. She lost to eventual champion Amanda Anisimova in the final four at the China Open last week. The top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka will face Jessica Pegula in the other semifinal. Sabalenka extended her winning streak at Wuhan to 20 matches with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over eighth-seeded Elena Rybakina. The U.S. Open champion won the WTA 1000-level tournament in 2018, 19 and again last year on her return to the Chinese city. Sabalenka broke Rybakinas serve three times in the 1-hour, 25-minute match to advance into the semifinals for the 11th time this season, and then waved and blew kisses to the crowd. Earlier Friday, Pegula went to a third set for a seventh consecutive match. The sixth seed dropped the first set against Katerina Siniakova before reeling through the next two for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory. Pegula is coming off wins over No. 9 Ekaterina Alexandrova and fellow American Hailey Baptiste, when she needed seven match points to clinch the win. MDT/AP Like this: Like Loading... Boracay, Palawan and Siargao in the Philippines were named among the Top 10 Islands in Asia in the 2025 Readers Choice Awards by US-based luxury and lifestyle magazine Conde Nast Traveler (CNT). Boracay ranked fourth in the latest results with 90.54 points, followed by Palawan in fifth place with 90.23 and Siargao in seventh with 85.49. The annual survey drew votes from more than 700,000 travelers worldwide. - Advertisement - The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the recognition, with Secretary Christina Frasco calling the distinction a living testament to the beauty, resilience, and stewardship of our island communities. To see Boracay, Palawan, and Siargao once again among Asias top islands reaffirms our commitment to preserving their natural wonders, advancing sustainable tourism, and ensuring that the prosperity these destinations bring reaches every Filipino, she said. The islands joined other top Asian destinations on CNTs list, including Phu Quoc, Vietnam; Langkawi, Malaysia; Koh Samui, Thailand; Bali, Indonesia; Andaman Islands, India; Phuket, Thailand; and Phi Phi Islands, Thailand. In 2024, the Philippines had four islandsBoracay, Palawan, Cebu and Siargaolisted among Asias Top 10, making it the ASEAN country with the most entries that year. The country has also been consistently recognized by the World Travel Awards (WTA) as Asias Leading Beach Destination and Asias Leading Dive Destination. Frasco invited travelers to help protect the islands by practicing responsible tourism and supporting local communities. 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 Investigators led by LMU University Hospital report a higher-than-expected one-year incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting, paired with very low burden beyond 30 days. Postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) ranks among the most frequent early complications after cardiac surgery with reported incidence near 30%, tying into longer hospital stays, higher costs, discomfort, and observational links to thromboembolic stroke, heart failure, and recurrence. North American guidelines state that 60 days of oral anticoagulation is reasonable with later reassessment, and European guidance advises that long-term anticoagulation should be considered in patients with new-onset AF after cardiac surgery. Previous large cohort studies leaned on brief in-hospital telemetry and intermittent checks after discharge, leaving incidence, burden, and recurrence insufficiently characterized and prompting calls for long-term continuous monitoring. In the study, "Long-Term Continuous Monitoring of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting," published in JAMA, researchers conducted a prospective multicenter cohort study to test whether one-year AF incidence after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) exceeds prior literature and to assess AF burden. Enrollment involved 198 adults at two academic cardiac surgery centers in Germany, all undergoing first-time isolated CABG for three-vessel or left main disease, without prior arrhythmias, monitored for one year after implant of a device during surgery. Patients were followed through continuous rhythm surveillance using an insertable cardiac monitor placed at skin closure. AF was defined as device-detected and adjudicated episodes lasting at least two minutes. Within one year, 95 of 198 patients developed new-onset AF, yielding a cumulative incidence of 48% with a 95% CI of 41%55%. Standard monitoring identified a 34% cumulative incidence with a 95% CI of 27%41% and Gray's test P = .01 versus continuous monitoring. Sensitivity analyses using longer episode thresholds produced cumulative incidences of 46% at four minutes, 45% at six minutes, and 44% at 12 minutes. Across the cohort with new-onset AF, median AF burden over the first year measured 0.07%, corresponding to 370 minutes. Early postoperative days carried the most arrhythmia time, with median burden of 3.65% on days 17, 0.04% on days 830, and 0% on days 31365. A total of 2,053 episodes, accounting for 2,522 hours, were recorded, with a median episode length of six minutes and a median time-to-incident episode of 3.3 days. Asymptomatic presentations comprised 63% of episodes, and 67% were not captured by standard monitoring. Among 95 patients with AF, 73 patients had incident episodes within seven days and 90 within 30 days, and 45% of accumulated AF time occurred within the first seven days and 77% within 30 days. Recurrent AF later than 30 days appeared in 19 of 90 patients with incident episodes prior to 30 days, totaling 554 episodes with a median length of four minutes. Asymptomatic recurrences comprised 43% of these later episodes, and 3% were detected by standard monitoring. The authors conclude that continuous monitoring uncovers substantially more AF than standard surveillance, while measured burden remains very low after 30 days. Their findings question routine long-term oral anticoagulation after new-onset AF following CABG and support reassessment at 30 days when treatment is initiated. Written for you by our author Justin Jackson, edited by Sadie Harley, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Eganthis article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. More information: Florian E. M. Herrmann et al, Long-Term Continuous Monitoring of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, JAMA (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.14891 Gregory M. Marcus, Is There Really Something Different About Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery?, JAMA (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.15275 Journal information: Journal of the American Medical Association 2025 Science X Network 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 Our genitals are such an important and sensitive part of our bodies. So it's not surprising that keeping them healthy was as important in antiquity as it is today. Some ancient ideas about our genitals, and ways of caring for them, may make us wince, and certainly wouldn't be recommended today. But one attitude remains. At least one ancient doctor stressed the importance of people overcoming any embarrassment talking about their genitals to seek medical attention for any concerns. But medical writers, especially doctors, didn't hold back. They had plenty to say about how genitals work and how to care for them. Here are their top five topics and tips. 1. How do genitals work? Doctors explained The Greek physician Soranus (2nd century AD) wrote the book "Gynaecology" in which he described diseases and their treatment. He wrote: "The vagina [] is a sinewy membrane, almost as round as the intestine, comparatively wide inside, comparatively narrow at the external end; and it is in the vagina that intercourse takes place [] those parts which lie outside of it and are visible are called 'labia,' situated as if they were the lips of the vagina. They are thick and fleshy []" Writers also tried to explain how the genitals worked. For example, the unknown author of the treatise On Generation (perhaps late 5th century BC) explained the function of the penis, and semen production: "Vessels and cords from the whole body lead to the penis, and these, as they are gently rubbed, warmed, and filled, are befallen by a kind of tickling sensation, and from this pleasure and warmth arise in the whole body. As the penis is rubbed and the man moves, the moisture in his body is warmed, turns to liquid, is agitated by his movement, and foams up []" 2. How to manage periods? Avoid gymnastics Ancient physicians said much more about everyday care of women's genitals than men's. This seems to be because they understood the physical difficulties caused by the menstrual cycle and childbirth. Soranus believed women should rest or do moderate activities during their periods: "It is safer to rest and not to bathe, especially on the first day." Doctors also recognized women needed special attention at different stages of their lives. For instance, Soranus recommended girls expecting their first period should take slow walks, avoid gymnastics, have massages, take a daily bath, and divert their minds through activities such as reading. Women entering menopause should, Soranus suggested, take measures to ensure that menstruation doesn't cease suddenly. For this Soranus recommends the same activities as he does for girls expecting their first period. An abrupt change would, he thought, cause harm. On the question of sexual intercourse, Soranus believed it was healthiest to avoid having sex unless a man and woman want to make a baby. Sex, he thought, was no danger to a man's health whereas it may endanger a woman. 3. Don't be embarrassed. See a doctor The Greek writer Plutarch (46119 AD) recognized it's necessary for people to face up to some awkward conversations about their genitals to get any treatment they need. For example, he said many people would rather "die than reveal to physicians some hidden malady." He was referring to situations where patients had to show their doctors their genitals. The example he gave was when "a man had an abscess in the anus or a woman a cancer in the womb!" 4. Try a laxative or a suppository Ancient medical texts are full of descriptions of how to treat various conditions that affect the genitals. The physician Galen (129216 AD) talked about how he treated priapism, which he described as a condition where the penis "is erect against the person's will" and won't become flaccid. He said he cured these patients by giving them laxatives, and making them take baths and fasts. The woman medical writer Aspasia (date uncertain) also wrote about how to treat various problems affecting women. For example, she said that tears of the uterus were caused by "violent births owing to the large size of the fetal head." For treating tears of the uterus, she recommended avoiding surgery or drugs "which lead to inflammation and cramps." Instead, she told patients to use sitz baths (a warm, shallow bath to relieve discomfort), and metallic medications made from ashes, antimony or burned lead delivered via suppository. Some ancient treatments must have been derived from folk medicine. Pliny the Elder (23 or 2479AD), for instance, was probably referring to a folk remedy when he talked about how "pounded goat's-milk cheese" was a good remedy for "carbuncles of the genitals." 5. Surgery was an option for men and women Ancient physicians also provided detailed instructions about surgery. For example, the Roman medical writer Celsus offered a guide for surgery to fix phimosis of the penis, when someone can't pull back the foreskin: "Underneath the foreskin is to be divided from its free margin in a straight line back as far as the frenum, and thus the skin above is relaxed and can be retracted. But if this is not successful [] a triangular piece of the foreskin is cut out from underneath []" Medical writer Paulus of Aegina (7th century AD) described an operation for an abscess of the mouth of the womb: "In operating, the woman should be placed on a seat in a supine posture, having her legs drawn up to the belly, and her thighs separated from one another [] When the abscess is exposed, if it be soft and thin [] it is to be divided at the top by a scalpel or needle, and after the discharge of the pus, a soft oblong bandage well smeared with rose-oil is to be introduced into the incision []" Please don't try this at home Modern doctors would not condone most, if not all, of what ancient medical writers said about genitals. For instance, it's unlikely people will be rushing out to smear cheese on their genitals any time soon. But in contrast to their patients, who felt awkward talking about their genitals, ancient doctors had plenty to say. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Alterations in the thickness of the cortex in several regions of the braindarker colors indicate a greater reduction in cortical thickness, linked to inequality. Credit: King's College London. The distribution of wealth between different people living in specific geographical regions has changed substantially over the past decades, with some segments of the population benefiting most from economic growth than others. In some parts of the United States, the United Kingdom and various European countries, the distribution of wealth has become increasingly uneven. An uneven wealth distribution essentially means that there is significant disparity in the income and resources of the general population, with some people earning good salaries and others living in the same place struggling to meet their basic needs. This inequality is typically measured with a value ranging from 0 to 1, known as the Gini coefficient, where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 extreme inequality. Researchers at King's College London, Harvard University and the University of York recently carried out a study aimed at exploring the possible impact of living in a society where wealth is unevenly distributed on the brain's development in late childhood and pre-adolescence. Their findings, published in Nature Mental Health, suggest that living in places with a high income inequality is associated with differences in the structure of some brain regions, which could in turn predict the emergence of mental health disorders. "We wrote a recent conceptual review on how inequality may influence mental health," Divyangana Rakesh, first author of the recent paper and lecturer at King's College London, told Medical Xpress. "As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist, that made me curious about the neurobiological pathways underlying this link. With the advent of datasets like ABCD, it has become possible to test this sort of a question." As part of their study, Rakesh and her colleagues analyzed data from the ABCD dataset, which was collected from over 8,000 910-year-old children living across 17 U.S. states, along with Gini coefficients for these states. The data they analyzed included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans showing the thickness, surface area and volume of specific regions of the children's brain, as well as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans showing the connections between 12 key regions in their brains. Alterations in the surface area of the cortexdarker areas indicate a greater reduction in surface area, linked to inequality. Credit: King's College London. In their analyses, the researchers controlled for other factors that might be influencing the development of the children's brains, such as their family's income, education, health care access and incarceration rates in their home state. In addition, they looked at the children's reported mental health 18 months after the brain scans were collected. "While numerous studies have examined links between individual dimensions of social economic status (e.g., family income or parent education), ours is an important contribution, as it links a structural characteristic of a society to children's brain structure and function," said Rakesh. "Our findings highlight that structural inequality, over and above family income, is associated with children's brains." The results of the analyses performed by Rakesh and her colleagues suggest that living in an unequal society is associated with a thinner cortex (i.e., the brain's outer layer), as well as significant differences in the surface area of various brain regions. In addition, the communication between some brain networks appeared to be altered in children living in places marked by higher income inequality. The differences observed by the researchers could partly explain the relationship they found between state-wide inequality and children's mental health, particularly the emergence of disorders in children living in unequal environments. In the future, the findings of this study could inform the development of interventions aimed at promoting greater equality or promoting the healthy development of children living in unequal societies. "In future studies, I would like to replicate these findings using data collected in the UK as well as international data, if possible," added Rakesh. "Moreover, I plan to test associations with longitudinal brain development." Written for you by our author Ingrid Fadelli, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Eganthis article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. More information: Divyangana Rakesh et al, Macroeconomic income inequality, brain structure and function, and mental health, Nature Mental Health (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00508-1. Journal information: Nature Mental Health 2025 Science X Network 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: Location of amygdala and prefrontal cortex in the brain. Credit: Lydia Fortew Around 70% of women who suffer a sexual assault develop PTSD. Now, scientists have shown that many of these women show a marked reduction in the usual communication between two important brain areas involved in processing and control of emotions, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. In some women, synchronization between these areas can drop to near zero. This work was presented at the ECNP conference in Amsterdam. Worldwide, between 17% and 25% of women undergo a sexual assault, with around 70% subsequently developing PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Previous PTSD studies, after natural disasters, accidents or war, have revealed changes in how the brain communicates. Now a group of Spanish scientists have shown that sexual assault can lead to similar brain changes. The researchers studied 40 women with PTSD as a result of recent sexual assault trauma (within the past year), recruited from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, along with a matched control group. All underwent brain scans (via resting-state functional MRI) to look at brain connectivity, and how they relate to depressive and PTSD symptoms. Resting-state fMRI measures how different brain areas communicate with each other. Lead researcher, Dr. Lydia Fortea (of the Hospital Clinic, Barcelona) said, "PTSD following sexual assault tends to be especially severe and is often accompanied by higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Despite sexual violence being one of the most widespread forms of trauma affecting women, most research on PTSD has focused on other types of trauma, such as war. This is one of the first, and certainly the largest, connectivity studies to look at PTSD in sexual assault in teenagers and adult women. "We looked at how key brain regions involved in fear and emotion regulation synchronize with the rest of the brain in women with PTSD following sexual assault. We focused on the fronto-limbic system, which plays a crucial role in regulating emotions and responding to threats. "We found that in 22 of the 40 women with PTSD following a recent sexual assault, communication between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex was effectively lost, dropping to zero or near zero. The amygdala helps process emotions like fear, and the prefrontal cortex helps control and regulate those emotions. When this connection weakens, the brain might struggle to manage fear responses or regulate emotions, which could explain why people with PTSD often experience intense fear and mood changes. "However, we didn't find that this brain change was directly linked to how severe their PTSD and depressive symptoms were. This suggests that while this brain difference might be a feature of the disorder itself, it's not necessarily a sign of how bad the symptoms are; this is probably dependent on other factors. "This supports the idea that PTSD after sexual assault is linked to problems in brain circuits that regulate emotion and fear. One of the things we will do now is to see if these connectivity disruptions following a sexual assault could help to predict response to PTSD treatment. "If so, we would be able to identify early which patients are at risk of worse outcomes and intensify clinical efforts to help them recover. So far, this is a study of 40 women, but the work is ongoing. We need more studies to confirm the findings." Commenting, Dr. Marin Jukic (from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, and the University of Belgrade, Serbia) said, "This study demonstrates profound fronto-limbic dysconnectivity in women with PTSD following sexual assault, a population historically underrepresented in brain connectivity research. "The finding that amygdalaprefrontal communication can drop to near zero underscores the severity of circuit-level disruptions in emotional regulation networks after trauma. Notably, the absence of a direct correlation with symptom severity suggests that these connectivity deficits may serve more as a biological signature of the disorder rather than a state-dependent marker. "This raises the possibility that such disruptions could become predictive biomarkers for treatment response, guiding personalized interventions. However, larger longitudinal studies are needed to determine how these neural patterns evolve and whether targeted therapies can ameliorate connectivity." This is an independent comment, Dr. Jukic was not involved in this work. More information: Conference abstract: Disrupted fronto-limbic connectivity in posttraumatic stress disorder secondary to a recent sexual assault NEW YORK (AP) New York Attorney General Letitia James struck a defiant tone Monday during her first public appearance since being indicted on federal fraud charges related to her purchase of a home in Virginia. The Democrat took the stage to thunderous and sustained applause and chants of We love Tish during a boisterous rally for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in the citys Washington Heights neighborhood. James warned of powerful voices trying to silence truth and punish dissent and weaponize justice for political gain, though she stopped short of naming President Donald Trump, who had pushed for months for Justice Department officials to bring charges against her. We are witnessing the fraying of our democracy, the erosion of our system of government, James said. This, my friends, is a defining moment in our history. She called on supporters to protect every norm and every rule of law as she vowed she will not capitulate. You come for me, you got to come though all of us!, James roared, to loud cheers. Every single one of us! The event, which also included remarks from New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud and the television personality and podcaster known as The Kid Mero, kicked off the final stretch of Mamdanis campaign ahead of the Nov. 4 election. The 33-year-old state lawmaker faces former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the race to succeed Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who abandoned his reelection bid in recent days. Mamdani has been a vocal supporter of James, a longtime political nemesis of Trump. On Friday, he joined other local Democrats in denouncing the federal charges the citys former public advocate now faces, calling the indictment a shameless act of political retribution by Trump. Last week, James was charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution stemming from a house she bought in Norfolk, Virginia, for $137,000 in 2020. Federal prosecutors say the mortgage James obtained for the purchase required the house to be primarily for her personal use for one year. They say James broke that rule by renting the house out to a family of three. James and her lawyers havent answered questions about the home purchase, but in a video statement last week she dismissed the charges as baseless. She also decried the federal indictment as nothing more than a continuation of the presidents desperate weaponization of our justice system. James is expected to make her initial appearance in a federal court in Virginia on Oct. 24. If convicted of the felony charges, she would automatically relinquish her office under New York law. Still, James has been fundraising off the indictment as she looks to reelection next year. As attorney general, James sued Trump and his administration dozens of times. She won a large judgment against Trump and his companies last year in a suit alleging he defrauded banks by overstating the value of his real estate holdings on financial statements. An appeals court overturned the fine but upheld a lower courts finding that Trump had committed fraud. Mamdani, a democratic socialist who would be the citys first Muslim mayor if elected, has campaigned on making the city more affordable for everyday residents. Trump has repeatedly railed against Mamdani, labeling him as a communist, while Mamdani has cast himself as Donald Trumps worst nightmare. ___ Associated Press reporter Anthony Izaguirre in Albany contributed to this story. By PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) The Dutch government took effective control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia in what it said was a highly exceptional move over worries that corporate governance shortcomings pose a potential risk to European economic security. In a statement late Sunday, the Dutch ministry of economic affairs said it had invoked the rarely used Goods Availability Act to intervene in the business of Nexperia, which makes semiconductors used in the automotive and consumer technology industries. Nexperia is based in the Dutch city of Nijmegen but its owned by Chinas Wingtech Technology. Concerns about Nexperias governance posed a threat to the continuity and safeguarding on Dutch and European soil of crucial technological knowledge and capabilities, the ministry said. Losing these capabilities could pose a risk to Dutch and European economic security, it said, without elaborating. The government provided few details about its decision to invoke the act, but the maneuver underscores wider geopolitical tensions between China and the West over the development and mastery of advanced technologies like computer chips. Nexperia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wingtech said in a social media post that it firmly opposes the politicization of commercial matters. Wingtech called the Dutch governments action an excessive intervention based on geopolitical bias rather than a fact-based risk assessment thats based on the unfounded pretext of national security. Wingtech shares slumped 10% the daily limit on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Wingtech told the exchange that the decision temporarily restricts its control over Nexperia. The Dutch government said it wanted to prevent a situation in which Nexperias chips would become unavailable in an emergency. Nexperias regular production process can continue, it added. The company said it would pursue legal remedies, vowed to protect the rights and interests of the company and its shareholders; and is actively contacting relevant government departments to seek support. The Dutch government said its decision to exert control means company decisions may be blocked or reversed by the Minister of Economic Affairs if they are (potentially) harmful to the interests of the company, to its future as a Dutch and European enterprise, and/or to the preservation of this critical value chain for Europe. Nexperia was spun off from Phillips Semiconductors two decades ago and then purchased in 2018 by Wingtech. In 2023, the British government blocked Nexperias bid to acquire Wales-based chipmaker Newport Wafer Fab, citing national security risks. Late last year, the U.S. Commerce Department included Wingtech in an expanded list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the decision was intended to impair Chinas ability to use advanced technologies that pose a risk to our national security. China consistently opposes the overstretching of national security concepts and discriminatory practices targeting companies from specific countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian said Monday when asked about the issue. Relevant countries should genuinely uphold market principles and avoid politicizing economic and trade issues. The European Union has been in close contact with Dutch authorities and will now work with the Netherlands on next steps over securing crucial technological capabilities on the continent, European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said. ___ AP researcher Chen Shihuan in Beijing, AP Business Writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong and AP Writer Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed. Kelvin Chan reported from London. By MIKE CORDER and KELVIN CHAN Associated Press PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) The closure of border crossings for bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan entered a second day Monday after deadly weekend clashes between the countries spiked tensions and left hundreds of people stranded, officials said. The fighting began Saturday night, when Afghan forces struck multiple Pakistani military posts. Afghanistan officials claimed to have killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in response to what they said were repeated violations of Afghan territory and airspace. Pakistans military gave lower figures, saying it lost 23 soldiers and killed more than 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists during retaliatory fire along the border. Foreign governments, including Saudi Arabia, urged restraint. A ceasefire appeared to be holding. Pakistans Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif, the countrys powerful army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and other officials attended a mass funeral for the killed soldiers in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Monday, according to a military statement. Asif said the people of Pakistan were indebted to the ultimate sacrifice of these heroes who laid down their lives while defending the territorial integrity of Pakistan against the cowardly and treacherous aggression of the Taliban regime and Indian sponsored terrorist proxies operating from inside Afghan soil, according to the statement. The statement also quoted him as saying that the armed forces of Pakistan remain resolute to thwart any aggression and conspiracy against Pakistan with full support of the nation. Authorities said no new exchange of fire had been reported since Sunday along the 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) long border known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan has never recognized. In Afghanistan, Abidullah Uqab, a spokesperson for the border police, confirmed that all the border crossings with Pakistan remained shut for trade and movement of people on Monday. It was not clear when the border might reopen. Though the southwestern Chaman border crossing was closed for trade, authorities briefly allowed about 1,500 Afghan nationals stranded there since Sunday to return home on foot, government officer Imtiaz Ali said. A key northwestern crossing in Torkham, Pakistan, remained closed Monday to all travel and trade. The closure was confirmed by Mujib Ullah, a representative for local traders. Afghan refugees, including many who were waiting to leave Pakistan because of a crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, said they had been waiting at the Torkham crossing since Sunday. Gul Rahman, a refugee, said he waited through Sunday at Torkham before returning with his family to the northwestern city of Peshawar. Hundreds of others people like me have moved to nearby areas or coming back to Peshawar, he said, adding that he will wait there for Torkham to reopen. Tensions have been high since last week when Afghanistans Taliban government accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in the Afghan capital Kabul and in a market in eastern Afghanistan. Pakistan did not claim responsibility. Pakistans government in Islamabad has previously launched strikes inside Afghanistan targeting what it says are militant hideouts. The countries have skirmished along the border in the past, but the latest fighting has been the deadliest so far and underscored their deepening hostility. Pakistan has long accused Kabul of sheltering members of the banned Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which Islamabad blames for deadly attacks inside the country. Kabul denies the allegation, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other nations. By RIAZ KHAN Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he will travel to the United States this week for talks on the potential U.S. provision of long-range weapons, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia he may send Kyiv long-range Tomahawk missiles A meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump could take place as early as Friday, the Ukrainian president said, adding that he also would meet with defense and energy companies and members of Congress. The main topics will be air defense and our long-range capabilities, to maintain pressure on Russia, Zelenskyy said. He spoke at a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas. He said he also would seek further U.S. assistance to protect Ukraines electricity and gas networks, which have faced relentless Russian bombardment. The U.S. visit follows what Zelenskyy described as a very productive phone call with Trump on Sunday. Trump later warned Russia that he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesnt settle its war there soon. The missiles would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory. Moscow has expressed extreme concern over the U.S. potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has previously suggested that the U.S. supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington. Zelenskyy will join a Ukrainian delegation already in the U.S. for preliminary talks, led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Russia has stepped up attacks in recent weeks targeting electricity and gas infrastructure ahead of winter, in an effort to cripple Ukraines power grid ahead of freezing temperatures to erode public morale. Ukraines State Emergency Service said the worst attacks early Monday using drones and missiles occurred around the Black Sea port of Odesa and in the northern Chernihiv region, where one person was killed. Kallas, the EUs top diplomat, pledged continued pressure on Moscow. She also expressed confidence that objections led by Hungary to a new Russia sanctions package would be overcome, even if the process drags on past a meeting of EU leaders next week. On funding, the needs are enormous. We must help Ukraine defend itself so we dont later spend even more repairing destroyed infrastructure, Kallas said. We are 27 member states, and 27 democracies, so debates take time Im positive that, as before, well achieve a decision. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine By HANNA ARHIROVA and DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press SMPL Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], October 13: In a bold move that's set to redefine how Indian students approach their international education, Edugo Abroad, pioneer of Europe education in India, proudly announces the launch of Aspiria.ai - the first AI-powered platform dedicated to helping students study in Europe, the UK, and Dubai. With over a decade of experience guiding 75,000+ students to top universities across Europe, Edugo Abroad is now going AI-first with Aspiria.ai, making quality guidance scalable, personalised, and available at students' fingertips, completely free of cost.. "Aspiria is not just another chatbot or tool," says Mr. Chintan Modi, Director of Edugo Abroad. "It's a culmination of 15+ years of insights, conversations, and real challenges students face when planning their Europe education journey." Aspiria.ai leverages AI to offer end-to-end support to aspiring international students,from choosing the right course and country to writing SOPs, discovering scholarships, understanding visa processes, and booking accommodation. It's trained on years of actual queries, success stories, and processes followed by Edugo's expert counsellors. The platform features: * AI Profile Evaluation instantly assesses academics, budget, language scores, and goals to suggest the best-fit countries, courses, and universities. * AI SOP Writers trained on winning formats * Country Comparison side-by-side clarity for Indian students exploring Europe, the UK, and Dubai. * Course Finder & University Matching based on academic, budget, and PR goals * Visa Interview Preparation and Forex, Loan & Accommodation Support * Aspy, an intelligent AI guide modeled as a wise owl, offering warm, accurate, and proactive advice 24/7 "We've always been ahead in the Europe segment, whether it's building relationships with 500+ European universities or organizing Europe-only education fairs across India," shares Mr. Bhargav Modi, Director at Edugo Abroad. "But we asked ourselves: how do we take this deep expertise and make it available to every student in India, even those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities who may not walk into our offices?" That question led to the vision of Aspiria.ai, a platform that could democratize access to high-quality study abroad support. Built in-house by a team of engineers, AI trainers, and counsellors dedicated for education in Europe, the UK, & Dubai. "We've seen students struggle with vague advice on YouTube/Reels, unqualified consultants, or incomplete information on generic AI platforms. With Aspiria, we bring verified, university-backed, and experience-driven answers, instantly and at scale," added Mr. Bhargav Modi. And perhaps most importantly, this is not a startup by an IITian or IIM graduate. It has been built by people who've done the real donkey work in European education, been on the ground with students, and faced the reality first-hand. With around 2.5 lakh Indian students heading to Europe, UK & Dubai every year, Aspiria.ai is designed to make that journey seamless and trustworthy. About Aspiria.ai For most Indian students, studying abroad feels exciting at first, but quickly turns overwhelming.Which course should I choose? Which university will accept my profile? How do I write a strong SOP or find the right scholarship? And the biggest stress of all is the visa process. That's exactly the problem Aspiria.ai was built to solve. Created by Edugo Abroad, Aspiria is India's first AI-powered platform dedicated to helping students study in Europe, the UK, and Dubai. It gives personalized, step-by-step guidance to students for everything a student needs to study abroad; from matching them with the right course and university, to writing SOP, discovering scholarships, and preparing for admission & visa, that too free of cost. With Aspiria, students don't have to rely only on guesswork or expensive unqualified consultants. They get expert-backed, AI-powered support designed to make studying abroad simpler, smarter, and accessible to everyone on fingertip. Aspiria.ai is made available for students at www.aspiria.ai (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) VMPL New Delhi [India], October 13: Tim Hortons India proudly announces the opening of its 41st outlet at the Arrivals area of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, Hyderabad, marking its third store in the Hyderabad region. This launch represents another significant milestone in the brand's swift expansion across India's high-footfall transit hubs. Strategically positioned to cater to domestic and international arrivals, meeters and greeters, and airline personnel, the new outlet will serve the complete range of Tim Hortons signature beverages, fresh food options, and baked favourites -- available round the clock. As part of its ongoing growth strategy, Tim Hortons continues to expand its presence across major airports and metropolitan hubs in India. Since its debut in 2022, the brand has rapidly grown, establishing a strong footprint in key cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chandigarh, and Ludhiana. With an existing store at Hyderabad Airport Departures, Tim Hortons now extends its reach to the Arrivals terminal as well. Marking a proud milestone with a total of seven airport stores nationwide, Tim Hortons celebrates this continued journey of growth and connection. Tarun Jain, CEO of Tim Hortons India, said, "We're excited to strengthen our presence at RGIA, Hyderabad, with the launch of our new store in the Arrivals area. This 41st store in India brings the Tim Hortons experience to even more travelers and marks another important milestone in our journey of connecting with guests across key travel and urban destinations. Airports are vital touchpoints for our brand, allowing us to deliver comfort and quality to guests on the move. With our freshly brewed coffee, signature beverages, and handcrafted food options, we aim to create a welcoming space where travellers can pause, refresh, and enjoy a taste of Tim Hortons' warm hospitality. The love and enthusiasm from our customers across India continue to inspire our expansion plans, and we look forward to reaching many more destinations in the near future." Globally, Tim Hortons continues to be celebrated for its iconic coffee blends, signature baked goods, and community spirit. Founded in 1964 in Canada, the brand operates over 5,100 restaurants across 15 countries. In India, Tim Hortons has rapidly emerged as a beloved coffee destination, blending its international heritage with local tastes. The launch of the Hyderabad Airport outlet marks yet another step toward realizing the brand's vision of becoming an integral part of India's thriving cafe culture. About Tim Hortons India: Tim Hortons is Canada's iconic coffee house, known globally for its freshly brewed coffee, signature Timbits, and innovative beverages. Since it entered India, Tim Hortons has carved a niche for its globally inspired yet locally loved offerings, redefining the coffee culture for the modern Indian consumer. Connect with Us: Website: https://timhortonsindia.com/ Instagram: @timhortonsindia (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) The much-awaited high-speed bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is steadily moving forward, with the first section between Surat and Bilimora set to open in 2027, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday. He said the work on this 50-kilometre stretch is progressing well and marks an important milestone in India's first bullet train corridor. Speaking to ANI at Bilimora station here, Vaishnaw said, "The high-speed bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is progressing very well. We are right now here at Bilimora Station, which is the starting station for the first section. The first section will be Surat to Bilimora, 50 kms, and it will be opened in 2027." The minister explained that the civil construction work for this section has already been completed, and track-laying is now underway. The Surat-Bilimora stretch is part of the larger Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, a flagship infrastructure project being developed in collaboration with Japan. Vaishnaw highlighted that the design of the station and the rail system follows Japanese engineering standards to ensure safety and efficiency. "The station is designed in a very unique way because when the train passes at 320 kmph, a huge pressure builds up around the train. This is a Japanese design; there is an open space kept so that the pressure doesn't get built up around the station. Many special precautions have been taken," he said. He also pointed out that structural reinforcements and sound barriers have been put in place to reduce disturbance to nearby residents. "The sheet has extra thickness compared to all other stations. Sound barriers have been installed to prevent disturbance to people residing in nearby areas," the minister noted. The bullet train, once fully operational, will significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. "When this project gets fully commissioned in 2027, we'll have the first section between Surat and Bilimora. By 2028, we will have completed the entire Gujarat section. The Maharashtra section is expected to be completed by 2029. Once this project is completed, the Mumbai to Ahmedabad journey, which is today about 7-8 hours by car, will be just two hours and seven minutes," Vaishnaw said. The project is expected to set the foundation for similar high-speed rail corridors across the country in the coming years. (ANI) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Monday said it expects global crude oil prices to stay between USD 60 and USD 65 per barrel in the current market situation. The company stated that it is preparing for a steady phase of operations in a USD 60-per-barrel environment and does not anticipate any major decline in prices below this level. Speaking at a press conference held by ONGC's senior management on Monday, officials said the company is aligning its operations and financial planning with this price outlook. "We are expecting crude oil prices to remain in the range of USD 60-USD 65 per barrel in the current scenario," the management stated, adding that ONGC is actively working on cost optimisation measures to ensure stability and growth even in this environment. Ajay Singh, Chief of Corporate Planning at ONGC, stated that the company is focusing on maintaining profitability despite fluctuations in prices. Singh explained that ONGC is working closely with international partners to strengthen production capabilities and efficiency. The company is also in discussions with BP to achieve a production target of 19 million tonnes, reflecting a strong push towards expanding capacity and technological collaboration. He highlighted that ONGC's efforts include improving field development projects such as the Mumbai High field, which remains central to India's domestic production. Singh noted that cost-saving initiatives, including optimising port operations and logistics, are being implemented to support long-term sustainability. The company, however, confirmed it does not plan to cut jobs and will rely on internal resource generation rather than seeking external capital to fund exploration and production (E&P) projects. Pankaj Kumar, Director (Production) at ONGC, added that the company is not seeking government relief despite the low price environment. "We have not sought any tax-related relief. The government is already supporting the E&P sector in other ways," Kumar said. His remarks underlined ONGC's self-reliant approach to navigating market challenges through internal efficiencies and operational discipline. The company reiterated that it does not foresee the need to approach the market to raise funds for its exploration and production projects. Instead, ONGC aims to sustain investments through its own revenue streams while continuing to modernise operations and improve production efficiency. (ANI) Discussions with Canada's Foreign Minister focused on exploring areas of cooperation in energy, technology, and food security, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday, reiterating India's readiness to reinvigorate "mutually beneficial" trade and investment ties based on "trust and respect." Goyal shared the update on the social media platform X, following a meeting with Anita Anand, who is on her first official visit to India after taking charge as Canada's new Foreign Minister. "Welcomed Minister @AnitaAnandMP at Vanijya Bhawan today. Delighted to know her commitment towards strengthening people-to-people connections between our two countries. Our discussions focused on exploring areas of cooperation in the field of energy, technology, and food security. Also, reiterated India's readiness to reinvigorate mutually beneficial trade, investment, and economic ties based on trust and respect," Goyal said. The meeting marks a positive step in the ongoing dialogue between India and Canada, especially as both sides seek to move forward on shared goals in trade, investment, and regional cooperation. The discussions reflected a mutual interest in building a stronger foundation after a period of strained relations. Earlier in the day, Anand expressed gratitude for the warm welcome received in India and affirmed that Canada stands committed, along with India, to advance the relationship further, both in the present and the long term, especially when it comes to the mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific. "Both of our governments agree on the importance of elevating the relationship going further. So the joint statement will discuss our mutual plans for re-engagement. It will inform Canadians and Indians alike that we are collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly when it comes to our mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific," she said. She highlighted several areas of the relationship and underscored the importance of the dialogue between India and Canada. (ANI) Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen paid tribute to Hollywood legend Diane Keaton, who died at the age of 79. "It's grammatically incorrect to say 'most unique,' but all rules of grammar, and I guess anything else, are suspended when talking about Diane Keaton," writes Allen about the Oscar-winning actress and style icon. "Unlike anyone the planet has experienced or is unlikely to ever see again, her face and laugh illuminated any space she entered," as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Allen recalled his meeting with Keaton while they were working on the 1969 play 'Play it Again, Sam'. "She was shy, I was shy, and with two shy people, things can get pretty dull," said Allen. They shared lunch during a break in rehearsals. He added, "That was our first moment of personal contact. The upshot is that she was so charming, so beautiful, so magical, that I questioned my sanity. I thought: Could I be in love so quickly?" The two quickly became a couple, and Keaton was the first person Allen would show his work to, with her opinion the only one that mattered. "I never read a single review of my work and cared only what Keaton had to say about it. If she liked it, I counted the film as an artistic success. If she was less than enthusiastic, I tried to use her criticism to reedit and come away with something she felt better about," he wrote, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Allen praised her, saying, she "also wrote books and did photography, made collages, decorated homes, and directed films," as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. For many years, Keaton was Allen's artistic muse, appearing in several of his films, including her titular, Oscar-winning turn in Annie Hall, which won her the Oscar. She starred in a total of 8 of Allen's films, including the film version Play It Again, Sam (1972), Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), Interiors (1978), Manhattan (1979), Radio Days (1987) and Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993). Allen presented Keaton with the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2017, saying, "Much of what I've accomplished in my life I owe, for sure, to her. Seeing life through her eyes. She really is astonishing. This is a woman who is great at everything she does," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, Keaton was the oldest of four children. Her father was a civil engineer, and her mother, who stayed at home, inspired Keaton's creative side. "She sang. She played the piano. She was beautiful. She was my advocate," Keaton once told People. Keaton started acting in school plays and later studied drama in college before dropping out to move to New York. She adopted her mother's maiden name, Keaton, when she began her career in theatre. Her first major break came with 'The Godfather' (1972), in which she played Kay Adams opposite Al Pacino. She went on to reprise the role in 'The Godfather Part II' and 'The Godfather Part III.' In 1977, Keaton won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's Annie Hall. Over the decades, she became one of Hollywood's most respected stars, appearing in beloved films like 'The First Wives Club,' 'Father of the Bride,' 'Baby Boom,' and 'Something's Gotta Give,' which earned her another Oscar nomination. She often worked with directors Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, and Nancy Meyers.Keaton also directed several projects, including the 1987 documentary 'Heaven' and the feature film 'Hanging Up' in 2000. In recent years, she appeared in 'Book Club' and its sequel, as well as Justin Bieber's 2021 music video for 'Ghost.' Though she never married, Keaton was romantically linked to Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, and Woody Allen. She adopted two children, daughter Dexter in 1996 and son Duke in 2001, who survive her. (ANI) Reacting to Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanding to ban RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that restricting RSS entry in certain places won't result much change because majority of MLAs, and MPs belong to this ideology. Speaking to media, Pralhad Joshi said, "Previous Congress presidents, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, everybody tried, but they were unable to defend their actions. RSS is the only organisation I believe in the entire world that is free from factionalism and division; it has grown to this level. Restricting entry in certain places won't change much because most states, ministers, the majority of the MLAs, and MPs belong to this ideology. From minister to prime minister to chief minister, many people are active members of the RSS." "The Muslim League was responsible for the division of the nation. People should understand the level of appeasement. They (Congress leaders) are sympathetic to the Muslim League, support PFI and SFI, and oppose nationalist forces because Congress never believes in nationalist ideology," he further added. Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to bar RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples, accusing the organisation of "brainwashing young minds" and promoting a "philosophy against the Constitution". He criticised the RSS, saying, "'Hindu khatre me hai, bacha zyaada paida karo,' yet its members remain bachelors. Why can't they marry and practice what they preach?" Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, "I have requested the CM that RSS activities should not be allowed in government schools and colleges... RSS's activities brainwash young minds, which is not helping the nation or society. I've written to the CM to not allow RSS activities or their 'Baithaks', even in archaeological temples or state-owned temples. Let them do it in private homes... We have no problem with that but you can't use government grounds for their mass brainwashing... If this philosophy were so good, why aren't the BJP leaders' children involved in it? How many BJP leaders' children have taken Trishul Diksha? How many BJP leaders' children are Gaurakshaks and Dharam Rakshaks? How many BJP leaders' children come out in the open during any communal disturbance? RSS philosophy is only for the poor." He added further criticism of the organization's practices, saying, "The RSS people say 'Hindu khatre me hai, bacha zyaada paida karo', but they remain bachelors. Why can't they marry? Why can't they practice what they preach? This entire philosophy is against the Constitution. They are the ones who refused the Constitution and who want Manusmriti as the Constitution. How many BJP leaders practice the Manusmriti in their homes? Let them practice in their homes and then come and preach to others..." Earlier today, Kharge raised a strong objection to holding Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) programmes in government premises in Karnataka. Priyank Kharge has written a letter to the Chief Secretary, urging that permission should not be granted for RSS programs to be conducted in government school and college grounds. He has also appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, requesting that RSS programs should not be allowed in public parks and Muzrai (endowment) temples as well. Priyank Kharge wrote, "An organisation called the Rashtriya Dasteyamsevaka Sangh is using government schools and public government grounds to organise demonstrations and hurl slogans, instilling negative thoughts in the minds of children." "The police are carrying out unauthorised demonstrations with sticks and are having a negative impact on the minds of innocent children and youth," the letter added. "In the interest of the children, youth, public and the well-being of the society, I request you to ban all kinds of activities conducted by the RSS organization in the name of a branch, Sanghik or Baithak in government schools and government-aided schools and any government places including grounds, parks, temples of the Muzrai Department, places of the Archaeological Department," the Congress leader said. (ANI) Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) national president Upendra Kushwaha said the party's allotment of six seats in the upcoming Bihar elections may disappoint many. Kushwaha said that the decision "this decision will sadden thousands and millions of people," including colleagues who aspired to contest. He asked for an understanding of the party's constraints and circumstances that led to the decision. In a post on X on Sunday, Upendra Kushwaha wrote, "I seek your forgiveness. The number of seats could not be as per your expectations. "I seek forgiveness from all of you. The number of seats hasn't met your expectations. I understand that this decision will sadden thousands and millions of people, including colleagues who aspired to be candidates for our party. Today, in many homes, food might not have been cooked. However, I am sure you all understand the constraints and limitations of both me and the party." https://x.com/UpendraKushRLM/status/1977436467619311759 "Behind every decision, there are some circumstances that are visible from the outside, but there are also some that are not visible from the outside. We know that due to ignorance of the internal circumstances, there may be anger in your hearts towards me, which is also natural. I humbly request you to let the anger subside, and then you will yourself realize how appropriate or inappropriate the decision is. Time will tell the rest. For now, that is all," the post read. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday announced seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Bihar elections, with the BJP and JDU to contest on 101 seats each, the LJP (Ram Vilas) on 29 seats, the Rashtriya Lok Morcha on six seats, and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) on six seats. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United) (JDU), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha. This announcement was made by Bihar BJP in-charge Vinod Tawde in a social media post on X. Polls for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly are scheduled to take place on November 6 and November 11, and votes will be counted on November 14. (ANI) Eight people were injured on Sunday evening at Bardhaman railway station after a woman lost her balance on the footoverbridge and fell down the stairs, officials said. According to Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Howrah, Vishal Kapoor, the incident occurred around 5:30 pm between platforms 4 and 5. He said the eight injured include five women and three men, all of whom have been admitted to Bardhaman Medical College for treatment. Kapoor added that the railways are providing full support to the affected passengers. Speaking to the reporters on Sunday, Vishal Kapoor said, "Around 5.30 pm, when a lady was coming down at the platform numbers 4 and 5. She lost her balance and after the woman fell, her weight impacted other passengers sitting on the footoverbridge stairs, causing them to lose their balance and fall...Eight people got injured, five females and three males...They have been admitted to the hospital...Railways is extending all support to the injured..." Earlier, Indian Railways also issued a statement, stating that the Railway Protection Force and staff immediately attended to the injured, who were taken to Bardhaman Medical College for treatment. The statement also clarified that there was no stampede, the crowd remained normal, and no casualties occurred. "This evening, a woman travelling from the footoverbridge at Bardhaman station lost her balance and fell on the footoverbridge stairs. After the woman fell, her weight impacted other passengers sitting on the footoverbridge stairs, causing them to lose their balance and fall. RPF and railway staff deployed on the platform immediately attended to them. Railway doctors were also present. The three injured have been sent to Bardhaman Medical College for treatment. It is clarified that there was no stampede, and the crowd was normal. Furthermore, there were no casualties. The three injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment," as per the statement from Indian Railways. Further information on the incident is still awaited. (ANI) The Chief Minister also extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for their strength during this difficult time. In a post on X on Sunday, Nitish Kumar wrote, "The boat accident in the Sikrahna River in the Lakhaura police station area of East Champaran district, resulting in the death of 3 people, is tragic." https://x.com/NitishKumar/status/1977415633697636419 "Deep condolences to the bereaved families. I pray to God to grant the families of the deceased the strength to bear this sorrowful moment," the post read. A tragic incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in East Champaran district, Bihar, where three passengers lost their lives after a boat overturned in the Sikrahna River near the Lakhaura police station area. Earlier, on October 3, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed condolences after four people lost their lives after being hit by a Vande Bharat Express near Kasba Jawanpur on the Katihar-Jogbani rail section. The Chief Minister also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. In a social media post on X, the Chief Minister wrote, "The incident of four people their lives after being hit by Vande Bharat train at Purnia Junction is tragic. Wishing for the speedy recovery of the person injured in this accident. Praying to God to grant strength to the bereaved families to bear this hour of grief with patience." Tragedy struck in Purnia district on Friday morning when four people lost their lives after being hit by a Vande Bharat Express near Kasba Jawanpur on the Katihar-Jogbani rail section, while many others sustained injuries and have been admitted to GMCH for treatment. Soon after receiving information about the incident, officials from the Bihar Police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) immediately reached the scene. The injured were admitted to a hospital. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shankar Lalwani condemned the alleged gangrape of a second-year medical student from Odisha in Durgapur, West Bengal, calling the incident "very shameful". He also criticised the state government for a lack of law and order. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Shankar Lalwani said, "The incident that happened in West Bengal is very shameful. These kinds of incidents have occurred in the state earlier as well. There is no law and order in the state...I condemn the incident" A second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped in Durgapur. The victim, a medical student, is from Jaleswar, Odisha. According to the victim's father, a medical student was taken by one of her classmates under the pretence of going to get something to eat. However, two or three other men arrived and raped her. The classmate abandoned her and fled. Meanwhile, on Sunday, three persons arrested for allegedly raping a medical student in West Bengal's Durgapur were remanded to 10 days' police custody by a local court here. The gangrape has sparked massive outrage, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of failing to protect women, while the ruling TMC slammed the BJP for allegedly politicising the incident. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a controversial remark advising colleges not to allow girls to go outside at night. "I'm shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also should take care of their students, and especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people," Banerjee said. Banerjee condemned the incident and assured that strong action would be taken against the perpetrators. "Nobody will be excused. Whoever is guilty will be punished strictly. Three people have already been arrested. We will take stringent action... When it happens in other states, it is also condemnable," she said. (ANI) Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Bahraich, Ram Singh Yadav said that since September 9, six people have died and 25-26 others have been injured in wolf attacks in the Majhara Tokli area of Kaisarganj Tehsil in Bahraich district. Yadav added that the forest department and local administration are actively trying to capture the wolves, with one wolf killed, another injured, and two still missing. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Ram Singh Yadav said, "In the Majhara Tokli area of Kaisarganj Tehsil, wolf attack incidents have been reported since September 9. Since then, six people have died, and 25-26 others have been injured. The forest department and local administration have been actively working to rescue and capture the wolves. During this effort, one wolf was shot and killed on September 28, another was injured after being shot in the leg, and a third was targeted but remains missing. We are currently trying to locate the two missing wolves." Yadav said that forest officials are conducting search operations and working with local representatives to ensure people's safety. He added that 30 teams, including 4 drone teams equipped with six thermal drones, have been deployed to monitor the situation. "Our teams and officials are conducting search operations and holding meetings with local representatives and residents to advise them to keep children safe at home, exercise caution outdoors, and share relevant information. Currently, 30 teams, including 4 drone teams with 6 thermal drones and five operators, are monitoring the situation. Additionally, 4 cages and 20 CCTV cameras, along with an equal number of thermal CCTV cameras, have been installed. Local groups have been formed to facilitate quick information sharing," Yadav said. Earlier, on September 27, the Uttar Pradesh government classified human-wildlife conflict as a disaster, ensuring financial assistance of up to Rs 5 lakh for families of deceased victims and support for the injured. (ANI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma inspected preparations in Jaipur ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to attend the inauguration programme of the exhibition on new criminal laws. The exhibition, set to open today, marks one year since the implementation of the new criminal laws--the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam--which came into effect on July 1, 2024. The exhibition will run from October 13 to 18. Speaking to the reporters, Director General of Police (DGP) of Rajasthan, Rajeev Sharma, urged the public to visit the upcoming exhibition on India's new criminal laws. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the inauguration program of the exhibition on new criminal laws. The public should visit the exhibition to get information regarding them," DGP Sharma said. The three new criminal laws were conceptualised with the vision of the Prime Minister to replace colonial-era laws that persisted post-independence and to reform the judicial system by shifting the focus from punishment to justice. The theme of the program is "Secure Society, Developed India- From Punishment to Justice". New Criminal Laws replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act. According to PMO's statement, "The new criminal laws, which were implemented nationwide on July 1, 2024, aim to make India's legal system more transparent, efficient, and adaptable to the needs of contemporary society. These landmark reforms mark a historic overhaul of India's criminal justice system, bringing in new frameworks to tackle modern-day challenges such as cybercrime, organised crime and ensuring justice for victims of various offences." Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the three new criminal laws that came into force on July 1, 2024, as a landmark in India's legal history, calling them the "biggest reform of the 21st century." Speaking at an event in Kurukshetra, Shah stated that the laws were framed in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guiding principles of "Citizen First, Dignity First, and Justice First." "We have introduced various provisions. Narendra Modi said: Citizen First, Dignity First, and Justice First. These laws were enacted based on these three principles, and I can undoubtedly say that PM Modi has made improvements in many areas," Shah said. "However, the most significant reform of the 21st century is these three laws of our criminal justice system. Instead of using force, our police now operate on data, and instead of using third-degree torture, they rely on scientific evidence. Through these laws, the 5 pillars of police, prisons, judiciary, prosecution, and forensics have been integrated online," he added. (ANI) Sovana Mohanty, Chairperson of the Odisha State Commission for Women has criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her "girls should not be allowed to go out at night" remarks ahead of the commission's visit to Durgapur on Monday to meet the family of the medical student who was allegedly gangraped. Mohanty said that Banerjee does not feel the pain of the survivor and urged her to ensure safety for women in West Bengal. "Let her speak. She does not feel the pain. We will hold counselling with the medical student. It is incorrect to say 'Women should not go out at night.' You should assure women (of safety)," Shovana Mohanty told ANI. Mamata Banerjee made a shocking statement on Sunday, advising colleges not to allow girls to go outside at night after the alleged gangrape in Durgapur. "I'm shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also should take care of their students, and especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people," Mamata Banerjee said. A second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped in Durgapur. The survivor hails from Odisha. As a three-member team of Odisha State Commission for Women left for Durgapur, the chairperson said that they will submit a report to the Odisha government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment and the ongoing probe in the case. She said, "We will check on her health and meet her parents. We will submit our recommendations to the State government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment, her mental health and whether a proper investigation is being conducted. It is a 3-member team. We will also inquire about fast-tracking the case and regarding another accused who has not been arrested yet." "Odisha CM talked to the girl's father and the administration," the Odisha Women Commission chairperson added. Senior Field Officer and Consultant for Odisha State Commission for Women, Bijiyani Singh, said that the three-member team may also meet police officers investigating the case and will try to ensure justice for the medical student. "We will inquire about her health and the ongoing investigation. We will ensure that she gets proper medical treatment. We may also meet West Bengal Police officers. We will try to ensure that she gets justice, and no one is above the law," Singh said. Earlier on Sunday, National Commission for Women (NCW) member Archana Majumdar strongly criticised CM Banerjee's statement, calling it "absurd" and urged the Chief Minister to focus on strengthening law and order. Majumdar emphasised that women are excelling in various fields, including hospitals, IT, and sports, and should not be confined to their homes. "How can we say that in the evening, that is 12 hours a day, a girl should stay locked in a room. Women are working in hospitals, the IT sector and everywhere equally to men. Today's Indian girls are winning gold medals in weightlifting at the Olympics. They are going to space and we say that girls should stay inside the house after 9 or 8 pm... They have the power, capacity and knowledge to work.... It is the responsibility of the chief minister to stand beside women and to make laws to secure women... This is absurd, I cannot support her statement that girls should stay at home... This is not correct," she said. (ANI) Assam Governor Lakshman Acharya praised the dedication and sacrifices of India's armed forces at the Veterans Swabhiman Rally 2025 and said that those who moved forward with the resolve to sacrifice everything for the country and society deserve our most profound respect. Addressing the gathering at the Narangi Military Station in Guwahati on Sunday, Governor Acharya said, "This is a very sacred event. Gratitude is part of our culture. Those who moved forward with the resolve to sacrifice everything for the country and society deserve our deepest respect. Bringing them all together, expressing gratitude to them, understanding their needs, and fulfilling them is a tremendous feat." Furthermore, Governor Acharya saluted the "spirit of all soldiers and ex-servicemen" present in large numbers. He also praised the Indian Army for organising the event, which featured multiple initiatives centred on veterans' welfare, self-reliance, and health awareness. "I am pleased that the Indian Army has organised various events focused on their well-being, self-reliance, and overall health," he said. Meanwhile, organised under the aegis of Headquarters 51 Sub Area, the rally was a tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of India's armed forces veterans, while also reaffirming the nation's solidarity with the families of fallen heroes, a press release stated. Speaking on the occasion, Governor Acharya described the event as a moment of pride and reflection. He praised the spirit of the soldiers who have served the nation selflessly across generations. The Governor observed that a soldier never truly retires but instead begins a new journey from defending the nation to contributing towards nation-building. He further emphasised that honouring those who defend the country is not merely a responsibility but a part of India's cultural ethos. During his address, the Governor outlined various landmark welfare initiatives undertaken by the government for veterans and their families. He cited schemes such as the One Rank One Pension (OROP), the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme, and a host of programmes aimed at promoting skill development and supporting self-employment among ex-servicemen. He also acknowledged Assam's leadership in ex-servicemen welfare, noting the state's provision of a two per cent job reservation for ex-servicemen in Grade I and II government posts, the increase in medical college seats for veterans' children from three to nine, and the effective implementation of welfare policies through the State Managing Committee of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare. Governor Acharya further highlighted Raj Bhavan Assam's own initiative, namely "Rajyapal Assam Rashtriya Kritagyata Aur Jagrookta Yojana", which seeks to bring the inspiring stories of veterans into schools and colleges across the state, instilling in the younger generation a sense of national pride and gratitude. The Governor, on the occasion, also congratulated the Rajyik Sainik Board, Assam, for receiving a national award from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in recognition of its outstanding contributions to veteran welfare. (ANI) Major General AK Sharma, VSM, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 51 Sub Area, said that the Veterans Swabhiman Rally 2025 was held on Sunday to address the concerns of the veteran community and strengthen connections with them. Addressing the gathering at the Narangi Military Station in Guwahati on Sunday, Major General Sharma said, "Today we organised this veterans rally. We named it the Swabhimaan Rally. It was primarily to meet our veteran community." He added that many veterans had travelled from remote areas to attend. "They come from many remote locations. We have tried to provide them with all the facilities and address all the issues that they may have. We have tried to address all of them here," Sharma said. Earlier, Assam Governor Lakshman Acharya praised the dedication and sacrifices of India's armed forces at the Veterans Swabhiman Rally 2025 and said that those who moved forward with the resolve to sacrifice everything for the country and society deserve our most profound respect. Addressing the gathering on Sunday, Governor Acharya said, "This is a very sacred event. Gratitude is part of our culture. Those who moved forward with the resolve to sacrifice everything for the country and society deserve our deepest respect. Bringing them all together, expressing gratitude to them, understanding their needs, and fulfilling them is a tremendous feat." Furthermore, Governor Acharya saluted the "spirit of all soldiers and ex-servicemen" present in large numbers. He also praised the Indian Army for organising the event, which featured multiple initiatives centred on veterans' welfare, self-reliance, and health awareness. "I am pleased that the Indian Army has organised various events focused on their well-being, self-reliance, and overall health," he said. Meanwhile, organised under the aegis of Headquarters 51 Sub Area, the rally was a tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of India's armed forces veterans, while also reaffirming the nation's solidarity with the families of fallen heroes, a press release stated. Speaking on the occasion, Governor Acharya described the event as a moment of pride and reflection. He praised the spirit of the soldiers who have served the nation selflessly across generations. The Governor observed that a soldier never truly retires but instead begins a new journey from defending the nation to contributing towards nation-building. He further emphasised that honouring those who defend the country is not merely a responsibility but a part of India's cultural ethos. During his address, the Governor outlined various landmark welfare initiatives undertaken by the government for veterans and their families. He cited schemes such as the One Rank One Pension (OROP), the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme, and a host of programmes aimed at promoting skill development and supporting self-employment among ex-servicemen. He also acknowledged Assam's leadership in ex-servicemen welfare, noting the state's provision of a two per cent job reservation for ex-servicemen in Grade I and II government posts, the increase in medical college seats for veterans' children from three to nine, and the effective implementation of welfare policies through the State Managing Committee of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare. Governor Acharya further highlighted Raj Bhavan Assam's own initiative, namely "Rajyapal Assam Rashtriya Kritagyata Aur Jagrookta Yojana", which seeks to bring the inspiring stories of veterans into schools and colleges across the state, instilling in the younger generation a sense of national pride and gratitude. The Governor, on the occasion, also congratulated the Rajyik Sainik Board, Assam, for receiving a national award from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in recognition of its outstanding contributions to veteran welfare. (ANI) China defends rare earth export controls, urges U.S. to manage differences through dialogue Xinhua) 08:10, October 13, 2025 An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 19, 2025 shows a cargo ship at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's commerce ministry on Sunday defended the country's export control measures on rare earths and related items as a legitimate action, while urging the United States to properly manage differences through dialogues and on the basis of mutual respect and equal-footed consultation. China, as a responsible major country, employs export controls on related items according to the law, in order to better defend world peace and regional stability, and to fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations, a spokesperson for the ministry said in response to media inquiries, noting that China has taken note of the important uses of medium and heavy rare earths and related items in the military field. China had made a thorough assessment of the measures' possible impact on industrial and supply chains in advance and is certain that related impact is very limited, the spokesperson said, noting that before the measures were announced, China had already notified relevant countries and regions through bilateral export control dialogue mechanisms. "China's export controls are not export bans," said the spokesperson. "All applications of compliant export for civil use can get approval, so that relevant businesses have no need to worry." China stands ready to work with the rest of the world to step up export control dialogue and exchange, so as to better safeguard the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, according to the spokesperson. Going forward, the Chinese government will conduct reviews in accordance with laws and regulations, grant licenses to eligible applications, as well as actively consider the applicability of facilitation measures such as general licenses and license exemptions to effectively promote legitimate trade, according to the spokesperson. In response to a question regarding the U.S. announcement of imposing a tariff of 100 percent on China and export control on all critical software, the spokesperson said China always takes a just and reasonable principled position and implements export control measures in a prudential and moderate manner, while the U.S. remarks reflect textbook "double standard." For a long time, the United States has been overstretching the concept of national security, abusing export control, taking discriminatory actions against China, and imposing unilateral long-arm jurisdiction measures on various products including semiconductor equipment and chips, said the spokesperson. The U.S. Commerce Control List covers over 3,000 items, whereas China's Export Control List of Dual-use Items only covers about 900, the spokesperson said, noting that the United States has long imposed the "de minimis" rule for export controls, with a lowest threshold of 0 percent. These measures by the U.S. side have seriously harmed the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of companies, severely disrupted the international economic and trade order, and gravely undermined the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, said the spokesperson. Particularly since the China-U.S. economic and trade talks in Madrid in September, the United States, in just 20 days, has introduced a string of new restrictive measures targeting China, the spokesperson noted. The United States has put multiple Chinese entities on the Entity List and Special Designated National List, arbitrarily expanded the scope of control over businesses with the Affiliates Rule that affects thousands of Chinese companies, and persisted with the implementation of Section 301 measures targeting China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries in disregard of China's concerns and goodwill, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson stressed that the U.S. actions have severely harmed China's interests and undermined the atmosphere of bilateral economic and trade talks, and China is resolutely opposed to them. "Willful threats of high tariffs are not the right way to get along with China," the spokesperson emphasized. "China's position on the trade war is consistent: we do not want it, but we are not afraid of it." China urges the U.S. to promptly correct its wrong practices, adhere to the important consensuses of the phone calls between the two heads of state, protect the hard-won outcomes of consultations, continue to use the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, and address respective concerns and properly manage differences through dialogues and on the basis of mutual respect and equal-footed consultation, so as to ensure the stable, sound and sustainable development of the China-U.S. economic and trade relationship, the spokesperson said. "If the United States insists on going the wrong way, China will surely take resolute measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests," the spokesperson added. In response to a question regarding China's countermeasures against U.S. imposition of port fees on related Chinese vessels on Oct. 14, the spokesperson said the U.S. practice severely violates the World Trade Organization rules and breaches the principle of equality and mutual benefit of the China-U.S. Maritime Transport Agreement, and is a typical act of unilateralism. Since the economic and trade talks in London, China has engaged in consultations and communications with the United States on the matter, provided a written reply to the groundless accusations against China in the Section 301 investigation report, and made recommendations of potential bilateral cooperation in related industries, the spokesperson said. However, the United States has shown a negative attitude and willfully persists in implementing those measures, the spokesperson added. China's countermeasures are necessary acts of passive defense and are aimed at maintaining the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese industries and enterprises, as well as the level playing-field of the international shipping and shipbuilding markets, the spokesperson stressed. It is hoped the U.S. will face up to its mistake, move with China in the same direction, and return to the right track of dialogue and consultation, said the spokesperson. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, which took place during TVK chief and actor Vijay's rally on September 27, leaving 41 persons dead and many others injured. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also ordered a three-member committee to be headed by a former Supreme Court judge, Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the CBI probe for a fair and impartial investigation into the tragedy. Earlier, the Supreme Court had reserved its order on various pleas filed by parties, including Vijay's TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam), two families of deceased victims and other parties with respect to the investigation into the Karur stampede. After hearing detailed submissions made by all parties before it, a bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria asked the Tamil Nadu government to file a counter affidavit in response to pleas filed on behalf of the deceased victim seeking a probe by a central agency, before reserving its decision. TVK's plea, moved through its General Secretary, Aadhav Arjuna, had challenged the Madras High Court's decision to order a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Karur Stampede, despite raising doubts over the independence of the state police regarding the investigation. The plea has also challenged certain adverse observations made by the High Court against the TVK leadership and office bearers regarding their alleged conduct of having abandoned the public and failing to rescue them from the tragic stampede, which killed at least 41 people and left many others injured. Senior Advocates Gopal Subramaniam and Aryama Sundaram, appearing for TVK, argued that the manner in which the High Court ordered the SIT was based on unverified allegations made by the Additional Advocate General of Tamil Nadu against TVK and its chief, Vijay. Along with the senior counsels, Advocates Dixita Gohil, Pranjal Agarwal, Rupali Samuel and Yash S Vijay also appeared on behalf of TVK. The Madras High Court had on October 3 ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Inspector General of Police to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the tragic stampede. The High Court strongly criticised TVK party workers for failing to rescue the public who were left for dead during the incident, while also questioning the State government for its lenient approach in holding the event organisers liable. (ANI) A criminal having cases against him, including rape, loot and attempt to murder, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh police in Meerut district, officials said on Monday. According to the police, the accused, Shehzad alias Nikki, was shot dead in the encounter that took place in the Sarurpur police station limits early in the morning. Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police, Vipin Tada, told ANI, "In Sarurpur PS limits, an encounter between Police and a criminal broke out this morning...The criminal has 7 cases against him, including rape, loot and attempt to murder. He was jailed in the past for 5 years in connection with the rape of a minor girl. After he came out, he committed a crime against a 7-year-old girl, in which she suffered grievous injuries. Rs 25,000, leading to his arrest, was announced." "He was taken to a nearby medical center and then transferred to the district hospital, where he was declared critical by doctors and subsequently died," the SSP said. Earlier, an accused in the alleged gangrape case of a teenage girl in Banthra in Lucknow sustained injuries in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police, while another accused was arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nipun Agrawal said. The police were informed about the incident on Saturday evening, and an FIR was registered against the accused in connection with the alleged gangrape. The accused injured in the encounter was identified as Lalit Kashyap. DCP South Nipun Agrawal said, "At around 5 PM yesterday, Banthra Police was informed that a gangrape had taken place. FIR was registered against the accused on the complaint of the father of the victim, and teams were formed to arrest them. Late last night, when the Police were conducting checks at Harauni Railway Station, two bike-borne men were asked to stop, but they tried to flee from the spot and opened fire on the Police. In retaliation, when the Police opened fire, one person was injured." (ANI) The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Scheme (PMGSY) has been providing a major relief to far-flung villages in Rajouri. Engineer Mohd Ashrif, of the PMGSY, explained that the project is 12 km long and is currently in its second phase. It should be completed before winters reach its peak and the temperature drops significantly. "The total length of the road is 12 km with an estimated cost of Rs 10.98 crore," he told ANI. Ashrif further recalls the problems the team faced when first reaching the area due to poor road infrastructure and states that the project will improve transportation in the region upon completion. "It will approximately take a month to be completed...We will complete it before the temperature drops...It will bring development to the area in terms of transportation facilities...I can now see school buses here, which was previously not possible," he said. A local resident, Mohd Aatif, said, "I am very thankful for the road work being done here...It has eased our lives, previously we had to walk 12-13 km for everything...our children used to walk 12-13 km daily to go to school, now the school buses come to our doorsteps to pick them." Another local shared, "The road has benefited a lot. Previously, we used to carry patients on a bedstead to transport them to a hospital, even in emergency cases. Now, we can call an ambulance, and it can arrive quickly." Further talking about the road, he said that it is a saviour to the sick, elderly, school children, and businessmen to establish themselves and grow a wide client base." The Rs 10.98 crore project from Dhangri to Gunni Road improves access to schools and hospitals, and brings new economic opportunities for the locals of the area. It aims to upgrade and build rural roads in the region. (ANI) Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief and Cabinet Minister in Uttar Pradesh government, Om Prakash Rajbhar, demanded "4-5 seats" from NDA or warned to break away from the alliance and contest on all seats in the Bihar Assembly elections. Speaking with ANI, the UP Minister expressed dissatisfaction with the NDA after his party wasn't offered a single seat to contest from in Bihar. He alleged that the BJP did not uphold "Gathbndhan Dharma." Rajhbhar further said that SBSP will form a front in Bihar and contest on all the seats. "Now, SBSP is contemplating contesting Bihar election on its own...We will form a Front and contest the election there. So far, the party has decided the names of candidates for 52 seats in the first phase. The nomination procedure will begin today. We will contest on 153 seats...People of Bihar, you do not know how to uphold 'Gathbandhan Dharm', you gave wrong feedback to your leadership. We are ready to abide by our 'Gathbandhan Dharma," he said. "There is still some time, if you want to keep us with you, give us 4-5 seats..," says UP Minister and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar after NDA announced seat-sharing formula for Bihar polls 2025," he added. The NDA on Sunday officially announced its seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Under the arrangement, the BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each, while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats. The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will contest six seats each. The 243 Assembly seats will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting of votes to be held on November 14. This upcoming electoral contest will be between the NDA, led by the BJP, and Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), and the INDIA bloc, led by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The INDIA bloc also includes the Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). Additionally, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state. (ANI) Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on Monday strongly criticised Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's demand to ban RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples, and asked on what basis such things are being said. Speaking to ANI, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM said, "If people of an organisation that allowed the partition of India on religious lines say such things... Kisan Sangh and ABVP are two of the biggest organisations in the world. There is a complete chain of the biggest organisations in the world. On what basis are such things being said?" Earlier, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, reacting to Kharge's remark, said that restricting RSS entry in certain places won't result in much change because the majority of MLAs and MPs belong to this ideology. Speaking to media, Pralhad Joshi said, "Previous Congress presidents, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, everybody tried, but they were unable to defend their actions. RSS is the only organisation I believe in the entire world that is free from factionalism and division; it has grown to this level. Restricting entry in certain places won't change much because most states, ministers, the majority of the MLAs, and MPs belong to this ideology. From minister to prime minister to chief minister, many people are active members of the RSS." "The Muslim League was responsible for the division of the nation. People should understand the level of appeasement. They (Congress leaders) are sympathetic to the Muslim League, support PFI and SFI, and oppose nationalist forces because Congress never believes in nationalist ideology," he further added. Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to bar RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples, accusing the organisation of "brainwashing young minds" and promoting a "philosophy against the Constitution". He criticised the RSS, saying, "'Hindu khatre me hai, bacha zyaada paida karo,' yet its members remain bachelors. Why can't they marry and practice what they preach?" Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, "I have requested the CM that RSS activities should not be allowed in government schools and colleges... RSS's activities brainwash young minds, which is not helping the nation or society. I've written to the CM to not allow RSS activities or their 'Baithaks', even in archaeological temples or state-owned temples. Let them do it in private homes... We have no problem with that but you can't use government grounds for their mass brainwashing... If this philosophy were so good, why aren't the BJP leaders' children involved in it? How many BJP leaders' children have taken Trishul Diksha? How many BJP leaders' children are Gaurakshaks and Dharam Rakshaks? How many BJP leaders' children come out in the open during any communal disturbance? RSS philosophy is only for the poor." He added further criticism of the organisation's practices, saying, "The RSS people say 'Hindu khatre me hai, bacha zyaada paida karo', but they remain bachelors. Why can't they marry? Why can't they practice what they preach? This entire philosophy is against the Constitution. They are the ones who refused the Constitution and who want Manusmriti as the Constitution. How many BJP leaders practice the Manusmriti in their homes? Let them practice in their homes and then come and preach to others..." (ANI) The joint operation, conducted by BSF troops along with NCB Agartala on the intervening night of October 12th and 13th, led to the recovery of 16 packets wrapped in brown tape, suspected to contain Yaba tablets. The packets were found buried inside the kitchen area. Upon opening, the packets were found to contain approximately 16 kilograms of Yaba tablets (around 1,60,000 tablets) with an estimated market value of Rs16 crores, the press release stated. Based on specific information regarding the stocking of Yaba tablets at the residence of Lipiyara Khatun (33), the wife of Amal Hussain, a resident of Madhya Boxanagar, Police Station Kalamchoura, District Sepahijala, a special joint operation was planned by the BSF, the press release said. During the operation, the house owner, Lipiyara Khatun, was detained for further questioning and legal action. The seized narcotics, along with the detained individual, were handed over to NCB Agartala for further legal proceedings. This successful joint operation once again underscores BSF's firm commitment to curbing cross-border smuggling and drug trafficking in the state of Tripura in coordination with sister agencies. Earlier, Assam Police, in a joint operation with Assam Rifles, recovered and seized 10,000 Yaba tablets and 1.25 lakh packets of cigarettes worth Rs eight crore in Assam's Cachar district, officials said. Numal Mahatta, Senior Superintendent of Police of Cachar district, said that, based on a reliable intelligence, Cachar Police on October 11 conducted a riverine operation against the transportation of narcotic substances along the Assam-Manipur border under the jurisdiction of Lakhipur Police Station.(ANI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several major development projects on Monday across the state through a video conference meeting from the Secretariat in Chennai. These projects mark a significant step forward in infrastructure, tourism, education, and welfare development. Under the Department of Law, the CM unveiled the newly built academic and administrative blocks constructed at the Government Law College in Madurai. It is built within the cost of Rs 48.20 crore. The library building has been constructed with ground plus two floors at the Government Law College, Vellore, worth Rs 6.46 crore. He also inaugurated four completed tourism development projects worth Rs 7.46 crore at Jawadhu Hills (Tiruvannamalai District), Ponnaniyar Dam (Karur District), and Kolli Hills (Namakkal District), aimed at upgrading these tourist destinations to international standards under the Department of Tourism, Culture, and Religious Endowments. Furthermore, he laid the foundation stone for five new tourism spots estimated at Rs 16.30 crore. He inaugurated "Aran" shelter homes for transgender persons at Senai Nagar in Chennai and Anna Nagar in Madurai, with a total cost of Rs 43.88 lakh, under the Department of Welfare and Women's Rights. For the Department of Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce, CM Stalin unveiled 16 new childcare centres in SIPCOT industrial parks, and two major food processing projects, namely, the "Tindivanam Mega Food Park" in Villupuram District developed at a cost of Rs 120 crore, and the "Theni Mega Food Park" in Theni District for Rs 70 crore. Along with this, under the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stones for four new temple development projects and an Assistant Commissioner's office with a total cost of Rs 43.20 crore. He also inaugurated 13 completed renovation works in seven temples and many offices worth Rs 48.81 crore. Moreover, the CM also handed out offer letters to 16-83 candidates selected by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) for the posts of Assistant Engineer (Electrical), Junior Draughting Officer, and Assistant. (ANI) Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Monday took a dig at the Centre over the demand of including Ladakh into the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, ahead of President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa's visit to India from October 13-16. Recounting the role of 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, a Buddhist lama and India's ambassador to Mongolia, in strengthening ties between the two nations, Ramesh alleged that the ruling party is refusing to fulfil the promise for the Sixth Schedule. Sharing an X post, the Congress leader wrote, "The President of Mongolia arrives in New Delhi today, accompanied by a high-powered delegation... The 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche's Ladakh now desperately awaits a healing touch from the nation, but most of all by the leadership of a party that promised Sixth Schedule Constitutional protection in its manifesto for the local hill council elections in 2020, but is now, as the ruling party, refusing to fulfil that promise." He said that the appointment of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche in 1989 as India's Ambassador to Mongolia marked a "turning point" in the diplomatic relations between the two nations. "Diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia go back to December 1955. India played an important role in Mongolia's joining the UN in October 1961. The turning point in the relationship was Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's inspired appointment of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche in October 1989 as India's Ambassador to Mongolia. He took over in January 1990. He was a highly revered Buddhist monk and public figure of Ladakh and served for an unusual ten years as Ambassador," he wrote. He recalled that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh renamed the Leh Airport after the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche in 2005. "He played a key role in helping Mongolia rediscover and celebrate its Buddhist heritage after the collapse of communism there in 1990 itself. He remains an iconic figure in Mongolia. On June 10, 2005, the Leh Airport was renamed after the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who hailed him as the 'architect of modern Ladakh.' The revival of Buddhism - not just in Mongolia and the erstwhile USSR - but also in India itself owes much to him," the X post read. President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa will pay a state visit to India from October 13 to 16 at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu, , a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said. Ukhnaa will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior officials, business leaders, and cultural representatives. This will be Ukhnaa's first visit to India in his capacity as Head of State of Mongolia, as per MEA. Meanwhile, there have been protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, which turned violent on September 24, leading to police action killing four individuals. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike, has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) following the violence. (ANI) The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday framed charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others in criminal Conspiracy and sections related to other offences in the IRCTC hotel corruption case. This case pertains to alleged corruption in the tender of two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav as Railway Minister. Special judge (CBI) framed charges against Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and other Accused persons. They appeared physically before the court. The court has framed charges under different sections for cheating, conspiracy and offences related to corruption. However, all the accused are charged with criminal conspiracy. The order was pronounced in open court, and the court will upload a detailed order. The court said that there is sufficient ground to frame charges against all 14 accused persons. Lalu Prasad Yadav has pleaded not guilty, and he said he will face the trial. Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav are charged with Section 420, 120B of IPC for the offence of cheating and conspiracy. They denied the charge and said they will face the trial. On September 24, the court had directed all the accused persons to appear in person. This case pertains to allegations of corruption in the allotment of maintenance work of IRCTC hotel tenders during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Court had reserved the order on May 29 after hearing submissions by the counsel for the Investigation Agency and for the accused persons on a day-to-day basis. On March 1, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had concluded its arguments on charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, former Minister Prem Chand Gupta and other accused persons. There are 14 accused in this case. The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) for CBI had argued that there was Corruption and conspiracy on the part of the accused persons in the allotment of two IRCTC hotel maintenance contracts. SPP DP Singh, along with Advocate Manu Mishra, had argued that there was Corruption and conspiracy in the allotment of maintenance contracts for two hotels of IRCTC to a private company. There is sufficient material to frame a charge against all accused persons, the CBI said. This case is connected with a period when Lalu Prasad Yadav was Railway Minister during 2004-2009. It is alleged that the maintenance contract of two IRCTC hotels, namely BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri, was transferred to Sujata Hotel, a private firm owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochar. The CBI has alleged that in return for this deal, Lalu Prasad Yadav got three acres of prime land through a benami company. On July 7, 2017, the CBI filed an FIR against Lalu. The agency also raided 12 locations linked to Lalu and his family members in Patna, New Delhi, Ranchi and Gurgaon. On the other hand, it was submitted on behalf of Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav that there is no material to frame charges against him in the IRCTC corruption case, and he deserves discharge in this case. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, counsel for Lalu Prasad Yadav, argued that there are no irregularities on the part of Lalu Prasad Yadav. The tender was awarded in a fair manner. There is no sufficient material to frame charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav. He deserved to be discharged of the charges. The CBI had lodged an FIR on July 5, 2017. A charge sheet was filed in April 2018. CBI had invoked section 120B read with 420 of IPC, section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. (ANI) Former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who resigned from service in 2019 as a mark of protest against the "shutdown" of Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, joined Congress on Monday. Kannan Gopinathan joined the party in the presence of Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal and party leader Pawan Khera. Kannan Gopinathan reasoned that his decision to join the party came after he realised that Congress could make the right decision. "I resigned (as an officer) in 2019. One thing was clear at that time: the direction in which the Government wants to take the country is not right. It was clear that I had to fight against the wrong...I travelled across 80-90 districts and spoke with the people; I met several leaders. Then it became clear that only the Congress party can take the country in the direction in which it should go," he said. Gopinathan further opposed the government's action to "shut down" Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370. "Abrogating Article 370 might be a decision of the Government. But if you decide to shut down an entire state, jail all journalists, MPs and former CMs, shut down transportation, communication and internet, then is it right? This is a question not just for me but for all of us. Can this be right in a democratic nation? Should voices not have been raised against this? I raised that question and I stand by it even today," Kannan Gopinathan said. In August 2019, the Central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, repealed Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, effectively ending the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The restoration of statehood remains a key demand from the regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019. (ANI) Two persons, including a woman, have been arrested, while a hunt is on for the main accused, in connection with a case involving the theft of a 'Kalash' (urn) from the top of a Jain temple near Durga Puri Chowk, Delhi Police said on Monday. An operation conducted by the Jyoti Nagar Police Station team successfully recovered the stolen religious artefact from the possession of the two arrested individuals. The police received intel regarding the theft on Saturday, and a case was registered under the relevant sections of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). After the complaint was made, an investigation was initiated, supervised by Inspector Ved Prakash, SHO, Jyoti Nagar Police Station who led multiple teams to catch the culprits. The teams developed leads based on collected evidence. A 42-year-old female scrap dealer was arrested in Sundar Nagri, with parts of the stolen Kalash recovered from her possession. Upon interrogation, she confessed that the crime was conducted on her instance, leading to the recovery of the remaining parts of the Kalash from another scrap dealer, identified as Danish (24), resident of New Mustafabad in the national capital. Both individuals were identified as the receivers of the sacred item, who bought it for the scrap value. The authorities are searching for the absconding burglar, police said. Meanwhile, in the case related to the theft of a Golden Kalash from the 15 August Park near the Red Fort, the Delhi Crime Branch recovered the stolen item from the arrested man named Bhushan Verma. Delhi Joint Commissioner of Police Surender Kumar said that the melted gold in possession of Verma's two associates, Ankit and Gaurav, was also seized. Speaking to ANI on Monday, Joint Police Commissioner Kumar said, "On September 3, a theft incident occurred in 15 August Park. During which, members of the Jain community were performing worship, and it was reported that a kalash (urn) was stolen. The Delhi Police Crime Branch took action and arrested a man named Bhushan Verma. The stolen kalash has also been recovered. Additionally, the melted gold in the possession of his two associates, Ankit and Gaurav, has been recovered. On August 7, a theft incident during the Jain community's worship in Rishabh Vihar was confessed to, and the investigation is ongoing...". (ANI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday, a press release by the CMO said. The meeting is scheduled for 4:45 pm today. During the meeting, the Chief Minister will extend an invitation to the Prime Minister to attend two key upcoming events, including the 'Super GST - Super Savings' programme proposed to be held in Kurnool, which aims to highlight the union and state governments' initiatives in promoting the latest next-gen GST reform and the 'CII Partnership Summit 2025', scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam on November 14 and 15. The summit is expected to bring together industry leaders, investors, and policymakers from across the globe to explore new avenues of collaboration and investment in Andhra Pradesh, the CMO said. As part of his Delhi visit, CM Naidu will also sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Department and Google. The event will take place in Delhi on Tuesday. This landmark agreement pertains to the establishment of Asia's first Google Data Centre in Visakhapatnam, marking a significant milestone in Andhra Pradesh's journey towards digital transformation and technological excellence. The Chief Minister is expected to attend the MoU event between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. IT Minister Nara Lokesh, senior Google representatives, and Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Ashwini Vaishnaw will also be present at the event. Meanwhile, on Saturday, PM Modi congratulated CM N Chandrababu Naidu on completing 15 years as Chief Minister. PM Modi extended his best wishes, saying that Naidu's futuristic vision and commitment to good governance have remained constant throughout his political career. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Spoke to Chandrababu Naidu Garu and congratulated him on completing 15 years as Chief Minister. His futuristic vision and commitment to good governance have remained constant through his political career." "I have worked closely with Chandrababu Garu on numerous occasions, starting from the time we both were Chief Ministers in the early 2000s. Wishing him the very best as he passionately works for the welfare of Andhra Pradesh," he added. (ANI) Responding to Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's letter urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ban RSS programmes in government schools and colleges, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said that the decision rests with the government, not individual ministers. While speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Monday, Parameshwara said, "I have seen in the media that a letter has been written saying that the program should not be allowed in government premises. I don't know, will they discuss it with the Chief Minister or will they also tell the Chief Secretary to take action and check it? If it comes to our department, we will check it. There is no room for suo motu now; let's check it after the bandh. Why should my personal stand be asked? This is not a question of my opinion; the government should decide." Addressing criticism over his past presence at an ABVP event, the Minister clarified, "I was not involved in the ABVP program. Who said that a procession was going on? Was it wrong to have your hands crossed at that time? Was it wrong to bow to freedom fighter Abbakka Devi? I don't know what to say if it is wrong. The BJP should say something -- I had given a clarification then." Dr. Parameshwara emphasised that any request for event permission would be evaluated within the legal framework. "If we ask for permission, we will give it after looking into the legal system. If the government bans us from giving permission, we will go accordingly. We have not made any law that permission should be taken before proceeding. We will tell you all this when you write a letter to us and forward it," he said. On speculation about leadership changes, Siddaramaiah said, "I have said this casually. Anyone can become one. There are many aspirants, we all say Jai to whoever the high command decides for." Earlier today, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma strongly criticised Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's demand to ban RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples, and asked on what basis such things are being said. Speaking to ANI, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM said, "If people of an organisation that allowed the partition of India on religious lines say such things... Kisan Sangh and ABVP are two of the biggest organisations in the world. There is a complete chain of the biggest organisations in the world. On what basis are such things being said?" Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to bar RSS activities in government schools, colleges, and state-owned temples, accusing the organisation of "brainwashing young minds" and promoting a "philosophy against the Constitution". He criticised the RSS, saying, "'Hindu khatre me hai, bacha zyaada paida karo,' yet its members remain bachelors. Why can't they marry and practice what they preach?" Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, "I have requested the CM that RSS activities should not be allowed in government schools and colleges... RSS's activities brainwash young minds, which is not helping the nation or society. I've written to the CM to not allow RSS activities or their 'Baithaks', even in archaeological temples or state-owned temples. Let them do it in private homes... We have no problem with that but you can't use government grounds for their mass brainwashing... If this philosophy were so good, why aren't the BJP leaders' children involved in it? How many BJP leaders' children have taken Trishul Diksha? How many BJP leaders' children are Gaurakshaks and Dharam Rakshaks? How many BJP leaders' children come out in the open during any communal disturbance? RSS philosophy is only for the poor." He added further criticism of the organisation's practices, saying, "The RSS people say 'Hindu khatre me hai, bacha zyaada paida karo', but they remain bachelors. Why can't they marry? Why can't they practice what they preach? This entire philosophy is against the Constitution. They are the ones who refused the Constitution and who want Manusmriti as the Constitution. How many BJP leaders practice the Manusmriti in their homes? Let them practice in their homes and then come and preach to others..." (ANI) BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo slammed the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav after, a Delhi court has framed charges against him and his family members included wife, son Tejashwi Yadav and others in criminal Conspiracy and sections related to other offences in the IRCTC hotel corruption case. Speaking with ANI, BJP Pratul Deo said, "it's a rare instance where a former chief minister and a chief ministerial candidate face criminal charges. The Yadav family has pleaded not guilty and will face trial for the corruption they done." "Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family have a dubious distinction of indulging in all kinds of scams that were unheard of in our country. Who could have thought that a fodder scam could happen where the food for the animals was stolen away, and thousands of crores of scam were committed," he stated. "Then there was a land for job scam. And now in the IRCTC scam, two prime properties belonging to the railways in Ranchi and Puri were handed over to private parties at a throwaway price, all in connivance with the Lalu family," he told ANI. "Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family are notorious for various scams, including the fodder scam, land-for-job scam, and now the IRCTC scam, where prime railway properties were allegedly handed over to private parties at low prices in collusion with the Lalu family," he said. "Former CM and CM in waiting both are facing trial now and this development exposes the main opposition party in Bihar that indulged in corruption, though it is unlikely to garner sympathy from voters who remember past corruption scandals. This is purely a corruption case and people don't want to bring them back in power," he said. Earlier, The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday framed charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others in criminal Conspiracy and sections related to other offences in the IRCTC hotel corruption case. This case pertains to alleged corruption in the tender of two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav as Railway Minister.Special judge (CBI) framed charges against Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and other Accused persons. They appeared physically before the court. The court has framed charges under different sections for cheating, conspiracy and offences related to corruption. However, all the accused are charged with criminal conspiracy. The order was pronounced in open court, and the court will upload a detailed order. The court said that there is sufficient ground to frame charges against all 14 accused persons. Lalu Prasad Yadav has pleaded not guilty, and he said he will face the trial. Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav are charged with Section 420, 120B of IPC for the offence of cheating and conspiracy. They denied the charge and said they will face the trial. (ANI) BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Monday strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her 'girls should not be allowed to go outside at night' remark after the recent Durgapur rape case, terming it "painful, unfortunate, and insulting." Chugh accused the Mamata-led government of failing to ensure the safety of women and alleged Bengal has become the most unsafe state in the country. "Mamata Banerjee's statement is painful, unfortunate and insulting. Instead of ensuring the safety of girls, the Mamata government is giving protection to the criminals. Be it Sandeshkhali, RG Kar and now Durgapur...Bengal has become the most unsafe state in the country," he said. On Sunday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a controversial statement as she advised colleges not to allow girls to go outside at night after the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur. "I'm shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also should take care of their students, and especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people," Mamata Banerjee said. The second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped on Friday night. The survivor hails from Odisha. Meanwhile, earlier today, West Bengal Police arrested the two more accused in connection with the alleged Durgapur gang rape case, Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate said on Monday. On Sunday, the three accused initially arrested in connection with the alleged gangrape were remanded to 10 days' police custody by a local court. A three-member team of the Odisha State Commission for Women, led by chairperson Sovana Mohanty, will visit Durgapur and meet the survivor's family on Monday. (ANI) Congress MP and Chairman of the party's Media and Publicity department, Pawan Khera, on Monday called for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to be thoroughly investigated after a purported suicide note by a 26-year-old engineer alleged decades of sexual abuse by members of the organisation. "A 26-year-old engineer Anandu Aji took his own life, and Anandu was forced into this act. Anandu's story is a 'tragedy.' An Instagram post by Anandu Aji has also come to light, in which he expressed his pain. This last post by Anandu is his final cry. I believe it is very important to make society hear Anandu's final cry. If we do not do this, it will be considered a sin", Khera alleged during a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in New Delhi. While condoling the death of the youth, identified as Anandu Aji, Khera repeated the claims that abuse of multiple other children is happening at the 'shakhas' of the organisation. "A father of a 4-year-old child started sending him to an RSS branch, trusting that he would learn something good. But inside the RSS branch, the innocent 4-year-old child is being sexually abused; he is being raped. Nothing can be more heartbreaking than this. He has written one name, but he is saying that there were many others like this where sexual abuse happens at their OTC camps. This is not just about Anandu Aji. According to Anandu, sexual abuse of many children is happening in RSS training camps", the Congress leader alleged. Hitting out at the organisation, the Congress leader said that while the RSS is a "self-appointed contractor for reforming society" but doesn't get itself registered or keeps a membership register too. "RSS positions itself as a self-appointed contractor for reforming society. RSS doesn't even get itself registered RSS doesn't even have a membership register. In such a situation, when examples like Anandu come to light, it becomes clear that behind the curtain is a rotten organisation named RSS", he said. The Congress MP further claimed that while the purported suicide note of Anandu mentioned RSS members and the organisation at large, there was no mention of RSS in the First Information Report (FIR). Earlier, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also called for a thorough investigation into "allegations of sexual abuse" against the RSS. In a post on X, the Congress MP, citing his reported suicide message, claimed that the victim was abused by multiple members of the RSS and said that the leadership of the RSS must take immediate action on these allegations. The Kerala Police on October 10 registered an FIR under section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Nyay Sanhita (BNSS) in connection with the incident. Anandu Aji was found dead in his room in Sagaram Tourist Home in Tamil Nadu's Thiruvananthapuram district a few days ago. Further investigation into the incident is ongoing. (ANI) "I am grateful to my leadership, Prime Minister Modi, National President JP Nadda, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah... This responsibility has been given to a small worker like me. I am fully confident that we will win all three seats," Mahajan told reporters. "Today is the nomination, after that, the further strategy will be planned. We will definitely win," he added. Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Pal Sharma had said earlier that the party will "make history in these elections". BJP on Sunday announced the names of three candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in the Union Territory, naming Gulam Mohammad Mir, Rakesh Mahajan and Sat Pal Sharma as its candidates. Sat Pal Sharma is serving his second term as the BJP's Jammu and Kashmir President. His first term as the party's state chief lasted from 2015 to 2018. He was also part of the cabinet of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in 2018. Rakesh Mahajan is vice-president of the state's BJP unit. Gulam Mohammad Mir was the BJP candidate from the Handwara Assembly constituency in last year's Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. He lost to People's Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone. The ruling National Conference has also announced its candidates, naming Chowdry Mohamad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, and Shammi Oberoi The polls for four Rajya Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on October 24. (ANI) The father of the survivor in the alleged Durgapur gang rape on Monday urged the West Bengal government to ensure the strictest possible punishment under the law for the culprits. He said the action is necessary to make girls in the State feel safe. He also said that he had not received a call from anyone in the State government. "...I have not got any phone call from anyone (in the West Bengal Govt). I did get a phone call from the Odisha Women's Commission," the victim's father told ANI. "Mamata Banerjee should understand this pain. I urge the Bengal Government to give the strictest punishment. Girls in the state will then feel safer...My daughter is recovering; it will take a few more days," he added. The West Bengal Police have arrested five people so far in connection with the case. The second-year student of a private medical college was allegedly gangraped on Friday night. The survivor hails from Odisha. Meanwhile, a three-member team of the Odisha State Commission for Women, led by chairperson Sovana Mohanty, will visit Durgapur and meet the survivor's family today. The three-member team will submit a report to the Odisha government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment and the ongoing probe in the case. Mohanty told ANI, "We will check on her health and meet her parents. We will submit our recommendations to the State government after inquiring about West Bengal's medical treatment, her mental health and whether a proper investigation is being conducted. It is a 3-member team. We will also inquire about fast-tracking the case and regarding another accused who has not been arrested yet." "Odisha CM talked to the girl's father and the administration," the Odisha Women Commission chairperson added. Senior Field Officer and Consultant for Odisha State Commission for Women, Bijiyani Singh, said that the three-member team may also meet police officers investigating the case and will try to ensure justice for the medical student. "We will inquire about her health and the ongoing investigation. We will ensure that she gets proper medical treatment. We may also meet West Bengal Police officers. We will try to ensure that she gets justice, and no one is above the law," Singh said. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj on Monday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her "girls should not be allowed to go out at night" remarks after a medical student was allegedly gangraped in Durgapur. Speaking to ANI, Swaraj said that the CM justified the rape, further stating that Trinamool Congress (TMC) had become synonymous with a "regressive mindset." "...CM Mamata Banerjee justifies that rape. She says that women should not go out late at night...TMC has become synonymous with a regressive mindset." Swaraj said while addressing the media. West Bengal CM's remarks have sparked a row across India, with several political leaders criticising her. (ANI) The process to procure 1,000 electric buses for Pune city has gathered momentum, following a meeting between Union Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol and Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy in New Delhi on Monday. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding the proposal submitted by the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) to the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries for the procurement of 1,000 e-buses aimed at strengthening the city's public transport network. Union MoS Mohol informed that the proposal from PMPML has already been submitted to the Ministry and urged that the process be expedited. Union Minister Kumaraswamy responded positively and assured that necessary steps would be taken promptly to move the proposal forward. Highlighting the importance of sustainable urban mobility, Mohol said that while the city's metro network continues to expand, empowering PMPML with electric buses remains a key priority to improve public transport accessibility and reduce pollution. Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had directed the State Government to forward the required proposal to the Reserve Bank of India, which has already been sent. The submission of PMPML's official proposal to the Ministry of Heavy Industries marks the next step in this process. With these developments, the initiative to provide 1,000 e-buses to Pune has gained significant traction, and officials expressed optimism that the project will move ahead swiftly to strengthen the city's eco-friendly transport infrastructure. (ANI) A Special Investigation Team (SIT) from Kerala arrived in Chennai on Monday to intensify its probe into alleged irregularities in the gold-plating restoration of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, focusing on Chennai-based firm Smart Creations. According to sources, the SIT team from Kerala questioned the company's CEO, Pangej Bandari, at the firm's head office in Ambattur in connection with the missing gold reportedly linked to the temple's restoration work. Bandari and other key officials of the firm were queried on the reported shortfall of approximately 4.54 kg of gold linked to the 2019 electroplating work on the idols' copper coverings, sources said The missing gold has sparked a political row in Kerala, where the BJP is accusing the state government of corruption. In 2019, during repairs, Devaswom records listed the removed panels as copper sheets. When the replated panels were returned, records showed a reduction of 4.41 kg. Unnikrishnan Potty testified that the sheets given to him were copper-based with residual gold, which had been later replated at a Chennai firm. At the time, KS Baiju served as Thiruvabharanam Commissioner before retiring, and was succeeded by R.G. Radhakrishnan, under whose supervision the work was carried out. Then Devaswom Board President A Padmakumar. Unnikrishnan Potty, along with his associates from Bengaluru, sponsored the 2019 replating. Meanwhile, the Travancore Devaswom Vigilance, in a detailed report submitted to the Kerala High Court, has exposed a web of serious procedural violations, unauthorised interventions, and suspicious financial dealings surrounding the gold plating of the Dwarapalaka idols and copper panels at the Sabarimala Sreekovil temple. According to the report, Unnikrishnan Potti, who has no stable income or declared business background, acted as an intermediary in several renovation and offering-related works at Sabarimala, despite not being the actual sponsor for many of them. The vigilance findings make it clear that several temple works attributed to Potti were in fact financed by other private individuals, including businessmen from Bellary and Bengaluru. The report states that the gold plating of the damaged main door of the Sreekovil was sponsored by one Govardhan, a businessman from Bellary, while the plating of the copper sheets on the roof (Kattilla) was funded by Aji Kumar, a Malayali entrepreneur settled in Bengaluru. "Potti acted merely as a middleman, facilitating the deals and using his proximity to the Devaswom administration to exercise undue influence," the report stated. The controversy pertains to alleged irregularities in the gold plating work at the Sabarimala temple, which involved 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998 for cladding the sanctum sanctorum and wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala. (ANI) A Manipuri woman was found dead, and a man was critically injured in an apparent case of domestic violence that turned fatal in South Delhi's Munirka area on Sunday, said the Police. The incident came to light after the Delhi Police received a PCR call regarding a quarrel between a couple at a residence in Gali No. 01, Munirka. Upon receiving the information, the beat staff from Police Station Kishangarh immediately arrived at the spot. The police team found the main door of the house locked from the inside. After repeated knocking failed to elicit a response, they forced the door open. When the police gained access to the bathroom, they found both individuals lying on the floor in a pool of blood. A knife was also recovered from the scene. The lady was reported to have a deep cut on the back of her neck, which led to profuse bleeding. The man also sustained a cut on his neck. Both individuals were rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where the woman was declared "brought dead." The male individual remains under treatment. The deceased has been identified as Thempi Khongsai, a resident of Munirka Village, New Delhi, originally from Senapati, Manipur. She worked as a beautician. The injured man has been identified as Thangjam Viney Meitei, also a resident of Munirka Village. His permanent address is in Moirang Sub-Division, Bishnupur, Manipur. He runs a grocery store near Baba Bakery in Munirka Village. Preliminary local enquiries revealed that the couple had been living together for approximately three years. The incident reportedly occurred after a quarrel between them on Saturday. During the altercation, the deceased lady called her father and informed him about the fight. Concerned, her father immediately contacted their landlady to check on the situation. The landlady's daughter subsequently made the emergency call to 112. The Crime Team and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team were called to the spot to conduct an inspection and collect evidence. The police have stated that legal action has been initiated in the case. (ANI) Even as the ruling National Democratic Alliance has announced seat distribution among its constituents and the Jan Suraaj party has declared its second list of candidates for the Bihar polls, discussions continue among Mahagathbandhan partners to finalise seats and break the stalemate over competing claims. Meetings are being held among Mahagathbandhan partners to reach a mutually acceptable formula for seat distribution. Mahagathbandhan includes Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party and Left parties. Discussions have been been held by Congress leadership with leaders of its Bihar unit. Meetings have been held at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Congress Party Parliamentary Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi. Earlier today, AICC in-charge for Bihar, Krishna Allavaru, said that the candidate's list will come out after the seat sharing is finalised. "List will come out after finalisation of the seat-sharing...Our effort is to ensure a good Government for the people of Bihar. So the alliance should not suffer a loss and Bihar should benefit", Allavaru told ANI here. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced its seat sharing arrangement on Sunday. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) will contest 101 seats each while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats. The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will contest six seats each. Earlier today, Congress leader Manoj Kumar requested the top leadership of the Mahagathbandhan to announce the seat-sharing arrangement soon. "We have full faith in our leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. We request that they finalise and announce the seat-sharing arrangement as soon as possible", he said. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari took a dig at Nitish Kumar over seat distribution in National Democratic Alliance. "I sympathise with Nitish Kumar; he was not supposed to become the Chief Minister, and now he will not even be able to become an LoP either... They gave 101 seats to Nitish Kumar. He will not become the CM; the CM will definitely be from the Mahagathbandhan," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told ANI. Bihar will go the polls on November 6 and 11 and results will be declared on November 14. The Election Commission on Monday issued a notification for the second phase of the Bihar polls. The Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, announced its second list of candidates for 65 assembly seats in Bihar on Monday. The list includes candidates for 19 reserved seats (18 SC and 1 ST) and 46 general seats. (ANI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi today. During the meeting, the Chief Minister discussed the need to increase the ceiling limit for Externally Aided Projects (EAPs). In the meeting, the Chief Minister also highlighted that several crucial projects under the Urban Development Department, Tourism Department, and Agartala Municipal Corporation are currently awaiting progress due to the existing ceiling restriction. The Chief Minister also urged the Union Finance Minister to consider releasing additional funds to help reduce the gap in Dearness Allowance (DA) between state government and central government employees. Earlier, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha stated on Saturday that the North Tripura district has been among the 100 districts selected nationwide for agricultural development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three important schemes to increase the access of farmers in these selected districts to both long-term and short-term credit. CM Manik Saha stated that the primary objective of the initiative is to enhance agricultural productivity, diversify crop production, and promote sustainable farming practices. He made this statement while attending the statewide live broadcast of the launch of three agricultural welfare schemes by Prime Minister Modi. CM Manik Saha said that the Prime Minister launched this program on a historic day. "Today is the birth anniversary of our two Bharat Ratnas, Jai Prakash Narayan and Nanaji Deshmukh. We should learn from our esteemed Prime Minister how to respect people. He is working tirelessly to improve the quality of life of farmers. Today, the Prime Minister inaugurated three schemes: PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana, National Mission on Pulses, and National Mission on Natural Farming. These schemes will bring new momentum to the agricultural and allied sectors, helping to build a developed India and improve the quality of life for our brothers and sisters involved in agriculture. For this, I thank the Prime Minister on behalf of the people of Tripura and the state government," CM Manik Saha said. He also mentioned that earlier GST had 4-5 stages, which have now been reduced to 5 per cent and 18 per cent. "As a result, the prices of various agricultural products have come down. Our crop production has increased by about 40%. One hundred districts across the country have been selected for the implementation of these projects, and among them, the North Tripura district has also been included. These districts have been chosen for development in areas such as productivity, irrigation systems, and the provision of agricultural credit. This project will run from 2025-26 to 2030-31," he said. CM informed that under this project, special emphasis has been placed on subsidies, infrastructure, agricultural loans, training facilities, and crop marketing. (ANI) The woman, identified as Louis Nigat Akhtar Baano, alias Nigat Bano, wife of Md. Gul Faraj, from the Sheikhupura district in Punjab province, Pakistan, was apprehended by the Government Railway Police (GRP) after she arrived on the Kanchanjunga Express from Siliguri. During questioning, the woman reportedly gave multiple false identities before finally confessing that she is a Pakistani national who had entered India without valid travel documents. She further revealed that she had previously been imprisoned in Nepal for drug trafficking and had escaped from a Kathmandu jail during recent unrest there. Police recovered a mobile phone and papers containing several foreign contact numbers, including Pakistani numbers, from her possession. Authorities suspect her involvement in international criminal networks possibly connected to drug smuggling or human trafficking. A case has been registered at Sabroom Police Station under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Passport (Entry into India) Act, and the Foreigners Act, 1946. An investigation is underway to identify her local and cross-border associates. (ANI) Following farmer protests in Gujarat, demanding fair prices, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal will hold a Mahapanchayat on October 31, said the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday. According to an official release from the Aam Aadmi Party, AAP Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai stated that on Sunday, farmers gathered at the Botad Mandi to demand fair prices for their crops but were denied permission by the police. According to Rai, when farmers shifted their assembly to Hadad village, the police, acting on the BJP's directions, lathi-charged them, arrested over 250 people, and even stormed into homes, misbehaving with women and treating villagers like enemies. The AAP Gujarat Prabhari said that in protest against this crackdown, AAP and farmers across Gujarat observed a Black Day on Monday. He warned that if the BJP government fails to grant farmers dignity, justice, and fair crop prices, AAP will launch a statewide movement. Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters on Monday, senior AAP leader and Gujarat Prabhari Gopal Rai claimed that the BJP government in Gujarat did lathi charge, fired tear gas shells, and carried out mass arrests through the night. "It appears as if the BJP government has become the enemy of farmers. The way farmers in Hadad village, Botad Assembly, Bhavnagar district, were attacked is reminiscent of an assault on an enemy. The village was surrounded from all sides, and repression was unleashed even as farmers were holding a peaceful Mahapanchayat. This cycle of suppression continues," alleged Gopal Rai. Explaining the incident, the AAP Gujarat Prabhari said, "This issue began at the Botad marketing yard. The cotton and groundnut crops in Gujarat are ready for sale. When farmers bring their produce to the markets, the BJP government and BJP-appointed chairmen have imposed an exploitative system called Karda Pratha. Under this system, only a portion of the crop is purchased at a fixed price, while the rest is declared substandard, and farmers are forced either to sell it at a much lower price or take it back home. To protest this injustice, the farmers had peacefully raised their voice at the Botad Mandi on October 10." He added, "Under the leadership of AAP farmer leader Rajubhai Karpada, the farmers and local leaders presented their grievances before the Mandi Committee and its Chairman. However, the BJP-backed committee refused to listen. Instead, the committee conspired to suppress the protest by posting a notice in the evening declaring the market closed indefinitely. Farmers stayed overnight, but the BJP government refused to engage with them. Around 4 AM, the police surrounded Rajubhai Karpada and other farmer leaders, arresting them. They were taken around all day while the Mandi was locked down, pressuring farmers to leave." According to AAP, Gopal Rai stated that the farmers had declared they would continue their movement until their demands were met. "A 'kisan panchayat' was called at Botad Mandi on Sunday, but the BJP government converted the area into a police camp, deploying personnel at every corner. Dozens of farmer leaders, including AAP Gujarat President Isudan Gadhvi and Youth Wing President Brijraj Solanki, were arrested on the way. When permission for the panchayat was denied, farmers peacefully gathered in Hadad village, about 3-4 km from Botad, to continue their meeting." He alleged that the BJP government then ordered the police to surround Hadad village from all sides and claimed that such cruelty was not witnessed even in British times. "Some policemen were sent secretly into the assembly. As the peaceful meeting continued, the police first began pelting stones and then launched a lathi charge, followed by tear gas. The scenes that unfolded were so painful that perhaps even during British rule such cruelty wasn't witnessed. Every door in Hadad village was broken down. Police forcibly entered homes without permission, where mothers and daughters were present. Over 250 young men were detained, though the police admit to only 20. Those detained were denied food and water. The rest are missing, and the police refuse to provide any information. The BJP government has blindfolded itself while the farmers are left helpless," said Gopal Rai. The AAP leader declared that the party will observe Black Day across Gujarat in protest against the BJP government's alleged atrocities against farmers. "The BJP government has effectively declared the entire village an enemy territory. But this repression cannot silence the farmers' voice. The Aam Aadmi Party has decided to observe a Black Day across Gujarat on Monday in protest against the BJP government's alleged atrocities. Women in Hadad have been humiliated, and this will be resisted across the state. The message of Hadad will reach all of Gujarat's 400 marketing yards, 200 large and 200 small. AAP leaders and farmer representatives will hold public hearings in every yard to listen to farmers' pain," alleged Rai. (ANI) The Samajwadi Party on Monday demanded the withdrawal of the Election Commission's guidelines about Anganwadi workers "identifying burqa-clad women voters" on polling stations before they cast their vote in Bihar elections, saying that the move is against "transparent, free, and fair polls". In a memorandum to the Election Commission, Shyam Lal Pal, president of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, said that the directive has not only been issued for the Bihar elections but will also be implemented in future assembly and Lok Sabha polls. He said the BJP and its allies had demanded identification of burqa-clad women. Pal said that the "directive of the Chief Election Commissioner" is against the rules of the Election Commission. He also cited a para from 'Hand Book of Returning Officer' "The Samajwadi Party demands that the instructions issued by the Election Commission, requiring the identification of women voters wearing burqas to be verified by Anganwadi workers and allowing such voters to cast their votes only after verification, be withdrawn to ensure free and fair elections," said the memorandum, submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh. The memorandum alleged that the "instructions target voters from a specific community" and said it is raising questions on the poll panel's independence and transparency. The Samajwadi Party said the "directive is unconstitutional and anti-democracy". Election Commission had earlier said that Aanganwadi workers will be present at polling booths during Bihar polls to help verify the identity of burqa-clad voters. (ANI) West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Monday met the Durgapur rape victim and her parents at the IQ City Medical College Hospital, where the victim is undergoing treatment. He expressed his outrage over the incident and stated that a second renaissance was required in the state. Speaking to reporters, Governor CV Ananda Bose said, "What has happened is outrageous. It's shocking to the public conscience. It is high time that all of us stand together and say, 'stop or we will make it stop'. We will do everything to give justice to the family. I talked to the victim and her parents. What we discussed will remain confidential. Do everything possible to bring justice to the victim and to ensure that such things do not repeat in Bengal society in future. This is not the first of its kind. In the recent past, we had similar experiences. Bengal society led to the renaissance of this nation. We want a second renaissance here." He asserted that strong steps would be taken to ensure justice, and it would not be repeated in future. "Bengal should be made safe for the girl child. I cannot say with confidence that Bengal is safe. We have to own up to responsibility and see that justice is given to the victim. I'll get the report, but I did not want to go by the report. I wanted to come to ground zero and understand for myself the feelings of the people who are affected. Now I have an idea of what exactly happened and how it should be tackled. We will take all steps to ensure that justice is done, and this is not repeated in future," he further said. Earlier, CM Mamata Banerjee advised colleges not to allow girls to go outside at night after the alleged gangrape of a second-year private medical student in Durgapur. The survivor is from Jaleswar, Odisha. "I'm shocked to see the incident, but private medical colleges also should take care of their students, and especially girls. The girls should not be allowed to go outside (college) at night. They have to protect themselves also. There is a forest area. Police are searching all the people," Mamata Banerjee said. The remarks sparked a huge backlash, with BJP workers staging a protest against the state government over the Durgapur rape case in North 24 Parganas on Sunday. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that the Trinamool Congress leadership were repeatedly making such statements on women and asked if the Chief Minister wanted all women to wear burqas and stay at home. Majumdar said, "Earlier, when the RG Kar Medical College incident occurred, a notification was issued that private companies should give fewer night shifts to women. Now the Chief Minister is saying that women should not go out at night. Does she want all women to wear burqas and stay at home?" Meanwhile, three accused have been arrested in the gangrape case of a medical student in West Bengal's Durgapur. They were presented before the court today. Speaking to reporters, Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate DCP Abhishek Gupta said, "Three persons have been arrested so far. They have been forwarded to the Court today. Further investigation is ongoing, and everything is going according to the protocol. All investigation is taking place..." According to the medical student's father, she stepped out with a classmate to get something to eat. However, two or three other men arrived and raped her. The classmate, he said, "abandoned her and fled." "At 10 PM, her friend called us and said that your daughter had been raped. We live in Jaleshwar. My daughter was studying here. Yesterday, one of her classmates took her out on the pretext of getting something to eat, but when two or three other men arrived, he abandoned her and fled. They raped her. This incident occurred between 8:00 and 9:00 PM. The hostel was far away, and she had come here to eat. The security arrangements are not sufficient. Such a serious incident occurred, but no action has been taken. There is no system here, no response..." the student's father told reporters. (ANI) Union Minister and BJP leader Nityanand Rai on Monday accused the former Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, of hampering Bihar's development and alleged that during the fifteen years of "Jungle Raj", numerous other scams occurred. While interacting with reporters, BJP leader Nityanand Rai commented on Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court framing charges against Bihar's former CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and others in the IRCTC hotels corruption case. While speaking to the media, Rai said, "The court will certainly file charges against anyone who commits corruption, scams, or fraud. It will certainly deliver the appropriate verdict. The law is supreme in this country... During the 15 years of that 'jungle raj', numerous other scams occurred in Bihar, resulting in thousands of crores of rupees in scam money going to the Lalu-Rabri family, hampering Bihar's development and defaming it in the country..." Earlier, BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo slammed the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav after a Delhi court framed charges against him and his family members, including his wife, son Tejashwi Yadav and others, in criminal Conspiracy and sections related to other offences in the IRCTC hotel corruption case. Speaking with ANI, BJP Pratul Deo said, "It's a rare instance where a former chief minister and a chief ministerial candidate face criminal charges. The Yadav family has pleaded not guilty and will face trial for the corruption they done." Earlier, The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday framed charges against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and others in criminal Conspiracy and sections related to other offences in the IRCTC hotel corruption case. This case pertains to alleged corruption in the tender of two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav as Railway Minister. Special judge (CBI) framed charges against Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and other Accused persons. They appeared physically before the court. The court has framed charges under different sections for cheating, conspiracy and offences related to corruption. However, all the accused are charged with criminal conspiracy. The order was pronounced in open court, and the court will upload a detailed order. The court said that there is sufficient ground to frame charges against all 14 accused persons. Lalu Prasad Yadav has pleaded not guilty, and he said he will face the trial. Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav are charged with Section 420, 120B of IPC for the offence of cheating and conspiracy. They denied the charge and said they will face the trial. (ANI) Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Monday announced that a nine-day, 1,500-kilometre Nagar Kirtan will be organised to ceremoniously carry the holy 'Jore Sahib', the sacred footwear of Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj and Mata Sahib Kaur, from Delhi to Gurudwara Patna Sahib in Bihar. The Gurudwara, one of the five Takhts of Sikhism, is recognised as the birthplace and final resting place of Guru Gobind Singh. The announcement was made at a press conference in New Delhi, which was attended by members of the committee constituted to decide the final resting place of the revered relics. Those present included Professor Simrit Kaur, Principal, Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi and Convenor of the Committee; Justice (Shri) G. S. Sistani, Former Judge, High Court of Delhi; S. P. Singh Oberoi, Managing Trustee, Sarbat Da Bhala Charitable Trust; and Gurveer Singh Brar, MLA, Ganganagar, Rajasthan. Puri stated that the decision to place the Jore Sahib at Gurudwara Patna Sahib marks a full spiritual circle, as it is deeply symbolic for the sacred footwear of Guru Gobind Singh Ji to be preserved at the site where he took his first steps as a child. He said the Jore Sahib consists of a single piece of footwear each - Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj's right shoe measuring approximately 11 inches by 3 1/2 inches, and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji's left shoe measuring about 9 inches by 3 inches. The Minister informed that the relics, of immense reverence to the Sikh community, have been in the safe custody of the Puri family for nearly 300 years. He said that the decision to place the Jore Sahib at Patna Sahib was taken after detailed consultations with Sikh scholars, historians, leaders, and members of the community. According to him, Patna Sahib, being the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, is the most appropriate and sanctified location for preserving the sacred relics, allowing lakhs of devotees from India and abroad to offer their obeisance. Puri mentioned that a Nagar Kirtan is being planned to carry the Jore Sahib to Patna Sahib after Diwali. The nine-day journey will traverse four states, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, covering around 1500 kilometres. The procession is expected to halt at important locations, including Faridabad, Agra, Bareilly, Madnapur, Lakhimpur, Kanpur, and Prayagraj, before culminating at Gurudwara Patna Sahib. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Shri Harmeet Singh Kalka informed that the Nagar Kirtan is likely to commence on 23 or 24 October. He also said that the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has been invited to participate in the Yatra. Professor Simrit Kaur, Principal of Shri Ram College of Commerce and Convenor of the Committee, stated that while deciding the final resting place for the relic, two major Gurudwaras, Harimandir Patna Sahib and Anandpur Sahib, were considered. She said that after detailed deliberations, the committee concluded that since Guru Gobind Singh Ji was born and began his spiritual journey in Patna Sahib, it was only appropriate for the relic to be placed there, symbolising the completion of a spiritual circle. The 'Jore Sahib', comprising the right shoe of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the left shoe of Mata Sahib Kaur Ji, is a holy relic of immense reverence to the Sikh community. It has been preserved within the Puri family for over three centuries. The last custodian of the relic was Sardar Jasmeet Singh Puri, who resided in Karol Bagh, Delhi. The street leading to his residence was named 'Guru Gobind Singh Marg' in recognition of the sanctity of the place. After his demise, his wife, Manpreet Singh Puri, requested Hardeep Singh Puri, as the eldest male member of the family, to facilitate the safekeeping and public display of the Jore Sahib. The relics were subsequently examined by experts under the Ministry of Culture and authenticated through historical and scientific analysis. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) conducted carbon dating tests and issued its report in April 2024, confirming their authenticity. Following this, a committee of eminent Sikhs was constituted under the convenorship of Professor Simrit Kaur to recommend the future course of action. The committee deliberated extensively and submitted its recommendations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that the sacred Jore Sahib be permanently placed at Gurudwara Patna Sahib for public obeisance. Puri expressed his gratitude to all members of the committee, the experts from IGNCA, and Sikh institutions for their contribution to this effort. He said the proposed Nagar Kirtan and the eventual installation of the Jore Sahib at Patna Sahib will mark a moment of profound spiritual significance, reflecting the values of devotion, unity, and service that Guru Gobind Singh Ji embodied. (ANI) Delhi's Karkardooma Court on Monday granted interim bail to 2020 northeast Delhi riots accused Abdul Khalid Saifi for 10 days to attend the marriage of his niece and to take care of his aged mother. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai granted interim bail to Abdul Khalid Saifi after considering the facts and submissions. Saifi has been granted interim bail for 10 days from October 14 to 23. The court has clarified that he will surrender before the concerned jail authorities after the expiry of the interim bail. The court has granted the relief subject to furnishing a bail bond and a personal bond of Rs 20,000. Saifi had moved an application through Advocate, seeking interim bail for 15 days. While granting the interim bail the court noted, "Although, as per the prosecution, the bride is not the closest relative of the applicant (Saifi), but as verified, she is in relation to the applicant, and the fact regarding her marriage has also been verified." The court further noted that Saifi's mother is around 85 years of age and was suffering from old age illness. "Thus, keeping in view both the facts, the court finds it justified to grant the desired relief to the accused to attend the marriage and more importantly to be with the old-aged mother," ASJ Bajpai ordered on Monday. Saifi is one of the 18 accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, which erupted during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The violence left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. Other accused in the case include Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Tahir Hussain, Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, Gulfisha Fatima, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Safoora Jargar, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Athar Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman and others. Earlier today, former JNU student leader Sharjeel Imam, also an accused in the case a Delhi court seeking interim bail for 14 days to file his nomination and campaign for the Bihar Assembly Elections. The application, filed under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, read with Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, seeks interim release from October 15 to October 29. Imam has been in custody since August 25, 2020, and has requested bail to contest as an independent candidate from the Bahadurganj constituency in Bihar. (ANI) Uma Anandan, the petitioner who had filed a plea in the Madras High Court seeking a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede, has come forward to clarify that she did not file any petition in the Supreme Court. Anandan stated that she had filed a case in the Chennai High Court. Anandan claimed that despite not authorising any advocate to file a case on his behalf in the Supreme Court, news emerged last week stating that she had filed a petition in the apex court. "On 3rd October, I left Chennai for this Char Dham tour. I filed a case in the Chennai High Court. I don't know why, but there was news all over last week that I had filed a case in the Supreme Court. I had not authorised any advocate on my behalf to file the case in the Supreme Court... I had filed a case (in Chennai High Court) requesting a CBI enquiry because I had serious doubts about whether the probe would be fair," she said, while speaking to ANI. Earlier today, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, which took place during TVK chief and actor Vijay's rally on September 27, leaving 41 persons dead and many others injured. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also ordered a three-member committee to be headed by a former Supreme Court judge, Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the CBI probe for a fair and impartial investigation into the tragedy. On September 27, during a public meeting organised by the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam in Karur, a stampede occurred in which 41 people lost their lives and more than 100 sustained injuries. Several of the injured have returned home after receiving medical treatment. Among the deceased are 18 women, 15 men, five young girls, and five young boys, bringing the total to 41. So far, 34 victims are from the Karur district, two each from the Erode, Tiruppur, and Dindigul districts, and one from the Salem district. (ANI) BJP leader K Annamalai on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to order a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede that occurred during a rally held by actor and TVK chief Vijay on September 27. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 41 people and left many others injured. Speaking to mediapersons, the BJP leader stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party in Tamil Nadu has consistently called for a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede. He expressed confidence that the CBI will conduct a thorough forensic investigation. Additionally, he described the judgment as a positive outcome for justice. "We welcome the Supreme Court's direction and judgment today. Supreme Court has asked a lot of pertinent questions today. Tamil Nadu BJP, right from the day of the stampede in Karur have been consistently asking for a CBI probe. Two BJP workers of Tamil Nadu, in their own capacity have also filed an individual petition in the Supreme Court asking for a CBI inquiry. Today, Supreme Court has ordered for a CBI investigation into the Karur stampede issue because it said it's a national level disaster in which unfortunately 41 lives are lost... It is a good day for justice and we are very confident and sure the CBI will do a thorough forensic investigation and whoever is behind this incident, they will book them and charge them. We are waiting for that day..." said Annamalai. The Supreme Court also ordered a three-member committee, headed by former SC judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the CBI probe for a fair and impartial investigation into the tragedy. Following the Supreme Court's order directing a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, Thamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna dismissed claims that party chief Vijay arrived late at the campaign site in Karur and accused the DMK government of fabricating charges against the party. He also alleged a deliberate conspiracy behind the tragedy that occurred during the party rally on September 27, which left 41 people dead. Speaking to the media in Delhi, Arjuna said, "Allegations that Vijay arrived late are completely baseless. The police assaulted TVK members as if they were terrorists. The DMK made efforts to suppress the TVK. Vijay arrived between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m., the exact time permitted by the police. We clearly realised that the DMK was trying to paralyse our entire party. The government had planned to falsely implicate the TVK with fabricated charges. There is indeed a conspiracy behind the Karur crowd crush incident." He also described the aftermath of the tragedy, stating that TVK members were required to remain at the Karur district border. According to Arjuna, the police warned that entering the area could lead to chaos and accused the DMK of targeting the party's district secretaries and other leaders in an attempt to suppress TVK's activities. "After the crowd crush incident, we stayed at the Karur district border. The police told us that if we entered, there would be chaos, so we left. The DMK is trying to paralyse the party by arresting district secretaries and others," he said. Furthermore, he expressed shock at the Madras High Court raising questions about Vijay's leadership. "After a one-man commission was set up, government officials started coming one by one to give interviews. It was shocking that the Madras High Court raised questions about Vijay's leadership qualities," he said. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, during his visit to Haldwani on Monday, met Gangolihat MLA Fakir Ram, who is admitted in a hospital in Haldwani for treatment. The Chief Minister reached the hospital, inquired about MLA Fakir Ram's health, and wished him a speedy recovery. During the visit, he also discussed the progress of treatment with the doctors and gave necessary instructions. He directed the hospital administration to ensure all required arrangements for the best possible care of MLA Fakir Ram. Dhami attended the Diwali Fair organised by the International Vaishya Mahasammelan at GMS Road, Dehradun, on Sunday and extended his warm greetings to all present on the festival of lights, according to a release. The Chief Minister paid homage to Maharaja Agrasen and extended his heartfelt advance greetings and best wishes for Diwali to everyone present. He stated that the festival of Diwali serves as a unique medium to infuse positive energy into our lives, inspiring us to transition from darkness to light and from evil to goodness. The Chief Minister said that the Vaishya community has, for centuries, served as a torchbearer of Sanatan culture, spreading the light of cooperation, harmony and development throughout society. "The community stands as a symbol of our nation's economic, social and cultural strength and has always extended generous support for the protection of Sanatan Dharma and the promotion of social welfare," Dhami said. He further stated that through this fair, the International Vaishya Mahasammelan is not only promoting trade but also contributing to social unity, encouraging indigenous products, and preserving folk culture. The Chief Minister added that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, efforts are being made to preserve and promote our cultural traditions. At the same time, initiatives like 'Vocal for Local', 'Make in India', 'Made in India' and 'Startup India' are taking concrete steps towards realising the vision of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. (ANI) Constituents of Mahagathbandhan continued their deliberations and consultations to resolve the stalemate over seat distribution on Monday, with the NDA constituents, BJP and JD-U, gearing up to release their list of candidates. Jan Suraaj Party, which was the first to declare its list of candidates, declared its second list of candidates for the Bihar polls on Monday. The last day of filing nominations for the first phase of assembly polls in Bihar is October 17. Meetings are being held among Mahagathbandhan partners to reach a mutually acceptable formula for seat distribution. Mahagathbandhan includes Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party and Left parties. Discussions have been been held by Congress leadership with leaders of its Bihar unit. Meetings have been held at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Congress Party Parliamentary Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi. Earlier in the day, AICC in-charge for Bihar, Krishna Allavaru, said that the candidate's list will come out after the seat sharing is finalised. "List will come out after finalisation of the seat-sharing...Our effort is to ensure a good Government for the people of Bihar. So the alliance should not suffer a loss and Bihar should benefit", Allavaru told ANI here. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) announced its seat-sharing arrangement on Sunday. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (United) will contest 101 seats each while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats. The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will contest six seats each. Congress leader Manoj Kumar requested the top leadership of the Mahagathbandhan to announce the seat-sharing arrangement soon."We have full faith in our leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. We request that they finalise and announce the seat-sharing arrangement as soon as possible", he said. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari took a dig at Nitish Kumar over seat distribution in National Democratic Alliance. "I sympathise with Nitish Kumar; he was not supposed to become the Chief Minister, and now he will not even be able to become an LoP either... They gave 101 seats to Nitish Kumar. He will not become the CM; the CM will definitely be from the Mahagathbandhan," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told ANI. Bihar will go to the polls on November 6 and 11, and the results will be declared on November 14. The Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, announced its second list of candidates for 65 assembly seats in Bihar on Monday. The list includes candidates for 19 reserved seats (18 SC and 1 ST) and 46 general seats. The Samajwadi Party on Monday demanded the withdrawal of the Election Commission's guidelines about Anganwadi workers "identifying burqa-clad women voters" on polling stations before they cast their vote in Bihar elections, saying that the move is against "transparent, free, and fair polls". In a memorandum to the Election Commission, Shyam Lal Pal, president of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, said that the directive has not only been issued for the Bihar elections but will also be implemented in future assembly and Lok Sabha polls. He said the BJP and its allies had demanded the identification of burqa-clad women. Pal said that the "directive of the Chief Election Commissioner" is against the rules of the Election Commission. He also cited a para from 'Hand Book of Returning Officer' "The Samajwadi Party demands that the instructions issued by the Election Commission, requiring the identification of women voters wearing burqas to be verified by Anganwadi workers and allowing such voters to cast their votes only after verification, be withdrawn to ensure free and fair elections," said the memorandum, submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh. The memorandum alleged that the "instructions target voters from a specific community" and said it is raising questions on the poll panel's independence and transparency.The Samajwadi Party said the "directive is unconstitutional and anti-democracy". Election Commission had earlier said that Aanganwadi workers will be present at polling booths during Bihar polls to help verify the identity of burqa-clad voters. Election Commission on Monday issued notification for the second phase of assembly polls in Bihar. (ANI) The "Good Governance Dialogue" was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the fifth-floor auditorium of the Mantralaya (Mahanadi Bhavan). On this occasion, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap, School Education Minister Gajendra Yadav, Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Subodh Kumar Singh, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rahul Bhagat, Departmental Secretaries, Collectors, Superintendents of Police, DFOs, and other senior officials were present. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that innovations should be practical, sustainable, and enhance citizen convenience while complementing the government's flagship schemes. The State Government welcomes innovations, but basic administrative work must not be compromised. He emphasised that "Innovations should not turn into whimsical experiments, but rather become instruments for simplifying citizens' lives." The Chief Minister directed Collectors to ensure that every innovation includes people's participation and is regularly reviewed through feedback. He noted that often innovations introduced in districts lose relevance after administrative transfers, hence the focus should be on continuity and usability. He emphasised that the primary objective of innovation must always be to enhance transparency and improve public service delivery. Chief Minister Sai described the Public Service Guarantee Act as one of the most important initiatives of his government. He directed that all services must be delivered within stipulated timelines and of assured quality. "If there is any delay, officers will be held accountable under the provisions of the Act," he said, adding that the next review meeting will examine how many cases were resolved on time and how many officers faced action. Praising the initiative "Purge Old Records" launched by the Department of Good Governance and Convergence, the Chief Minister said that heaps of outdated files in offices not only consume unnecessary space but also create a poor public impression. He instructed Collectors to ensure that government offices remain clean, organised, and efficient to strengthen transparency and administrative credibility. The Chief Minister described the E-Office system as a cornerstone of good governance. He directed all departments to achieve full implementation within the prescribed deadline. Reducing dependence on manual processes, he said, is crucial to ensure accountability. All pending files must be transitioned to a digital format to bring speed, transparency, and better tracking into administration. Chief Minister Sai said, "This is the era of digital governance." He instructed Collectors to ensure that the e-District portal provides maximum citizen services online. He called for special awareness campaigns to inform citizens about these digital facilities. "Digitising every public service is the biggest step toward a transparent and efficient government," he asserted. The Chief Minister stated that the prompt and transparent resolution of public grievances is a fundamental administrative responsibility. He directed Collectors to categorise complaints based on priority and display their resolution status on digital platforms accessible to citizens. "Under the previous government, manual governance led to corruption and public dissatisfaction, but digital systems ensure accountability and integrity," he added. Chief Minister Sai said that the administration cannot improve merely through surprise inspections. Field visits must become a continuous and institutional process. "Just as one cannot gauge the depth of water without diving in, one cannot understand the ground reality of schemes without visiting the field," he remarked. Regular field visits, he added, prevent data manipulation and strengthen ground-level performance. Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel said that it is time to transform the bureaucracy by adopting a new work culture and technology. "Good governance is impossible without embracing change," he noted. He added that leadership must set examples for others to follow. "When senior officers arrive at offices on time, punctuality naturally percolates down the hierarchy," he said. During the event, innovations from Raipur, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Jashpur, and Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary were showcased through presentations. Chief Minister Sai released a Coffee Table Book on district-level innovations and appreciated the efforts of officers who have implemented impactful, result-oriented initiatives at the grassroots level. The success of the 'JashPure' brand, known for its nutritious products, was highlighted during the event. Jashpur hosts India's first Mahua Centre of Excellence, which has positioned mahua as a superfood and created awareness about its nutritional value. JashPure products are now sold across five states, recording a 300% increase in sales. Chief Minister Sai also praised Narayanpur's 'Data Platform', which effectively tracks Naxal activities, and Dantewada's blockchain-based digitisation of seven lakh land records, ensuring transparency and faster resolution. He lauded the Hi-Tech administrative systems in Abujhmad and Dantewada, calling them models for "Modern Chhattisgarh." In the Good Governance Dialogue, a presentation was given on 'Team Prahari', a joint initiative of the Raipur District Administration, Municipal Corporation, and Police. The initiative focuses on removing illegal encroachments, improving traffic flow, and ensuring the prompt resolution of public grievances through effective coordination. Narayanpur's 'Intify Data Management Platform' was also showcased, which consolidates data from various government schemes and effectively tracks Naxal activities. In Dantewada, the blockchain-based digitisation of seven lakh land records has enhanced transparency and accelerated land-related services. Concluding the dialogue, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, "Good governance is not a one-day goal but a continuous process of improvement. Every officer must bring change from within." He added, "Our small steps today will shape the larger picture of a developed Chhattisgarh." The Chief Minister urged Collectors to personally assess the on-ground impact of government schemes, make technology and discipline integral to administration, and position Chhattisgarh among the leading developed states of India by Vision 2047. (ANI) Subramanyam emphasised full cooperation with the CBI, noting that the legal team had specifically requested an SIT led by a retired Supreme Court judge and was pleased with the decision. "We are very grateful for the order...We are willing to render all cooperation with the CBI...They have also appointed a 3-member SIT led by former Justice Rastogi and 2 Tamil Nadu cadre officers...We will cooperate in every single way possible...We had requested the SIT and that it be led by a retired Supreme Court judge...As the legal team, we are very happy," she said on Monday. On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, which took place during TVK chief and actor Vijay's rally on September 27, leaving 41 persons dead and many others injured. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and N.V. Anjaria also ordered a three-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ajay Rastogi, to monitor the CBI probe for a fair and impartial investigation into the tragedy. On September 27, during a rally organised by the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) in Karur, a stampede occurred in which 41 people lost their lives and more than 100 sustained injuries. Among the 41 deceased 18 were women, 15 men, five young girls, and five boys, while.34 victims were from the Karur district, two each from the Erode, Tiruppur, and Dindigul districts, and one from the Salem district. (ANI) The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said it is investigating a shooting incident in which four people were killed and several others injured on St. Helena Island. In a post on X, the Sheriff's Office stated, "Sheriff's Office Investigating shooting that injured multiple people on St. Helena." https://x.com/bcsopio/status/1977359357789573274 According to officials, shortly before 1 a.m. on October 12, 2025, the Communications Center received multiple reports of a shooting that occurred at Willie's Bar and Grill, located at 7 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on St. Helena Island. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies found a large crowd, with several individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. It was learned that hundreds of people had gathered at the location when the shooting took place. Multiple victims and witnesses reportedly ran to nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter from the gunfire. Several victims were transported by Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to hospitals, while others continued to arrive at area hospitals seeking medical attention for injuries sustained during the incident. As per the Sheriff's Office, the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. At this time, at least 20 people were injured, four were transported to hospitals in critical condition, and four victims were pronounced deceased at the scene. The names of the victims have not been released. The Beaufort County Coroner's Office is expected to share additional information once the next of kin have been notified. "This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone. We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their loved ones," the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The Sheriff's Office further noted that it is investigating persons of interest and expressed appreciation for the assistance of multiple law enforcement agencies, area fire departments, and Beaufort County EMS personnel who worked at the scene to aid those injured. Anyone with information about the incident has been urged to contact Investigator Master Sergeant Duncan at 843-255-3418. The Sheriff's Office also encouraged residents to report suspicious or criminal activity through the non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777. Those wishing to remain anonymous can submit tips to Crime Stoppers of Beaufort County via the P3 Tips app, online at tipsbft.com, or by calling 844-TIPS-BFT (844-847-7238). (ANI) US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, remarked that his upcoming visit to the Middle East aims to bring together leaders from across the region in support of ongoing peace efforts. "We are gonna make everybody happy... Everybody is happy, whether it's Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries," Trump said. The President added that following his stop in Israel, he would travel to Egypt to continue discussions with regional leaders. "We are going to Egypt after Israel and we are going to meet all of the leaders of the very powerful and big countries and very rich countries and others and they're all into this deal," he said. US President Trump departed for Israel on Sunday aboard Air Force One, marking the beginning of a high-stakes diplomatic visit focused on advancing peace in the Middle East. The President will arrive in Tel Aviv early Monday morning local time. His tightly scheduled visit, which he described as "a very special time," includes a private meeting with families of hostages at the Knesset, followed by a public address to Israeli lawmakers. This marks Trump's first visit to Israel since he announced the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The trip coincides with the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza Peace Plan, underlining its significance in the ongoing peace efforts. Following his engagements in Israel, Trump will travel to Egypt, which hosted negotiations between Israel and Hamas after he unveiled the 21-point Gaza Peace Plan that includes the disarmament of the Hamas group. The centrepiece of his visit will be a peace ceremony in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon. Trump had earlier announced plans to travel to Egypt for the official signing of the ceasefire deal, although specific details about the agreement have not yet been disclosed in the official schedule. According to the itinerary, the President will spend less than seven hours on the ground in Israel before departing for Egypt, where he is expected to remain for approximately three hours before beginning his return journey to Washington. The visit comes after the initiation of phase one of the Israel-Gaza deal, which reportedly saw the arrival of 200 US troops to establish a coordination centre. Trump's decision to address the Knesset highlights the importance Washington places on its partnership with Jerusalem during this critical stage of the peace process. The meeting with hostage families, scheduled as a closed-press event, is expected to be among the most sensitive moments of the visit. The President is set to return to the White House shortly after midnight on Tuesday. This trip marks Trump's latest engagement in Middle East diplomacy, following his visit to Gulf states earlier this year. The compressed timeline reflects the urgency shared by Washington and regional capitals to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. Officials have not provided additional details regarding attendance at the Sharm el-Sheikh ceremony or the specific agreements that may be formalised during the event. (ANI) US President Donald Trump claimed that he utilised tariffs as a tool to resolve several international conflicts, including the tensions between India and Pakistan. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One. "...I settled a few of the wars just based on tariffs. For example, between India and Pakistan, I said, if you guys want to fight a war and you have nuclear weapons. I am going to put big tariffs on you both, like 100 per cent, 150 per cent, and 200 per cent..." Trump said. The President explained that his threat to impose steep tariffs on both countries brought the situation under control swiftly. "I said I am putting tariffs. I had that thing settled in 24 hours. If I didn't have tariffs, you could have never settled that war," he added. Trump again reiterated his claims of brokering peace between India and Pakistan during the conflict in May, which he said was resolved through his intervention. He made similar remarks during an interview with Fox News on October 9, linking the resolution of the conflict to his tariff strategy. While responding to a question on how he brought countries to the talking table, Trump had said, "Having the ability to use tariffs have brought peace to the world... You know I made seven peace deals." Expanding on his claim, he said countries had been fighting for several years with heavy casualties and insisted that his use of trade leverage helped end hostilities. "Not in all cases but probably at least five of the seven (peace deals) we've done so far were by trade, that we are not going to deal with people who fight and we're going to put tariffs on you," Trump said. Citing India and Pakistan as an example, he added, "You look at India and Pakistan, I said well we are not going to do business with either of you if you don't put it together. These are two nuclear nations. Seven planes were shot down as you know and they were really at it... I said we are not going to do any business with you, we are not going to have anything to do with you, we are going to put massive tariffs on you and in both cases they said, well we're going to start talking about it. There is tremendous amounts of money and power that we are dealing with and within 24 hours I had a peace deal that they stopped the fighting." Trump has time and again repeated these claims of mediating peace between India and Pakistan, asserting that his administration's trade pressure brought stability between the two countries following heightened tensions earlier this year. On September 21, Trump made a similar statement, saying he should be honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize for "ending seven wars." Speaking at the American Cornerstone Institute Founder's Dinner, he said, "We are forging peace agreements, and we are stopping wars. So we stopped wars between India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia." "Think of India and Pakistan. Think of that. And you know how I stopped that -- with trade. They want to trade. And I have great respect for both leaders. But when you take a look at all of these wars that we've stopped," he added. However, India has time and again refuted the claims made by the US President, reiterating its policy that India and Pakistan bilaterally address any matter related to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI) US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas will hold, saying that people are "tired of war" after centuries of conflict. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, shortly after emplaning for Israel. On being asked whether the war between Israel and Hamas is over, Trump responded, "The war is over..." When asked if he believed the ceasefire deal would hold, the President replied, "I think it is going to hold. There are a lot of reasons why it's going to hold. But I think people are tired of it. It's been centuries... I think people are tired of it." Before boarding his flight, Trump described the upcoming visit as "a very special time," calling it a moment filled with excitement and unity. "This is going to be a very special time... Everybody's very excited about this moment in time," Trump said. He went on to call the visit a remarkable occasion, stating, "This is a very special event... Everybody's cheering at one time. That's never happened before. Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn't. The other is the opposite." Reflecting on the rare sense of collective enthusiasm, Trump added, "This is the first time everybody is amazed and they're thrilled, and it's an honour to be involved." "We're going to have an amazing time, and it's going to be something that's never happened before," he said. According to the White House itinerary, the President will arrive in Tel Aviv early Monday morning local time. His tightly scheduled visit, which he described as "a very special time," includes a private meeting with families of hostages at the Knesset, followed by a public address to Israeli lawmakers. This marks Trump's first visit to Israel since he announced the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The trip coincides with the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza Peace Plan, underlining its significance in the ongoing peace efforts. Following his engagements in Israel, Trump will travel to Egypt, which hosted negotiations between Israel and Hamas after he unveiled the 21-point Gaza Peace Plan that includes the disarmament of the Hamas group. The centrepiece of his visit will be a peace ceremony in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon. Trump had earlier announced plans to travel to Egypt for the official signing of the ceasefire deal, although specific details about the agreement have not yet been disclosed in the official schedule. According to the itinerary, the President will spend less than seven hours on the ground in Israel before departing for Egypt, where he is expected to remain for approximately three hours before beginning his return journey to Washington. The visit comes after the initiation of phase one of the Israel-Gaza deal, which reportedly saw the arrival of 200 US troops to establish a coordination centre. Trump's decision to address the Knesset highlights the importance Washington places on its partnership with Jerusalem during this critical stage of the peace process. The meeting with hostage families, scheduled as a closed-press event, is expected to be among the most sensitive moments of the visit. The President is set to return to the White House shortly after midnight on Tuesday. This trip marks Trump's latest engagement in Middle East diplomacy, following his visit to Gulf states earlier this year. The compressed timeline reflects the urgency shared by Washington and regional capitals to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. Officials have not provided additional details regarding attendance at the Sharm el-Sheikh ceremony or the specific agreements that may be formalised during the event. (ANI) US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) reiterated that he has been instrumental in resolving several long-standing global conflicts. During an interaction with reporters aboard Air Force One while travelling to the Middle East, Trump also mentioned the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, suggesting that he could take up the matter upon his return, expressing confidence in his ability at "solving wars". He further claimed that the Gaza ceasefire would mark the eighth conflict he has successfully brought to an end. "This will be my eighth war that I have solved, and I hear there is a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I said, I'll have to wait till I get back. I am doing another one. Because I am good at solving wars," Trump said. He reflected on his previous efforts to resolve long-standing disputes, including between India and Pakistan, claiming that multiple wars had been settled under his leadership. "Think about India, Pakistan. Think about some of the wars that were going on for years. We had one going for 31, one going for 32, one going for 37 years, with millions of people being killed in every country and I got every one of those done, for the most part, within a day. It's pretty good," he remarked. Trump said it was an "honour" to have played a role in saving lives through his peace initiatives, adding that his actions were not driven by personal recognition or awards. "It's an honour to do it. I saved millions of lives. In all fairness to the Nobel Committee, it was for 2024. This (Nobel Peace Prize) was picked for 2024. But there are those who say you could make an exception because a lot of things happened during 2025 that are done and complete and great. But I did not do this for the Nobel. I did this for saving lives," he said. His comments came amid renewed attention surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize. Two days earlier, on October 11, Trump had reacted to not receiving the award, claiming that he had extended help to the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, on multiple occasions. Trump said Machado had personally reached out to him after receiving the award and dedicated it to him in recognition of his support. "The person who got the Nobel Prize called me today and said, 'I am accepting this in honour of you because you really deserved it'... I didn't say, 'Give it to me', though. I think she might have... I've been helping her along the way. They needed a lot of help in Venezuela during the disaster. I am happy because I saved millions of lives..." Trump said while speaking to reporters at the White House. Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. Trump, who said he expected to receive the prize for his efforts to "end seven wars," also linked the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict to his broader record of peacemaking. "I said, 'Well, what about the seven others? I should get a Nobel Prize for each one.' So they said, 'But if you stop Russia and Ukraine, sir, you should be able to get the Nobel.' I said I stopped seven wars. That's one war, and that's a big one," Trump said, citing conflicts he claimed were resolved under his leadership, including "Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Congo." Amid these remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his support for Trump's peace initiatives. In a post on X, Netanyahu wrote, "Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize -- he deserves it!" (ANI) As the moment of the arrival of hostages comes closer, Israeli Prime Minister's Office shared on Monday the personal message written by PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, for the returning hostages. Hebrew media also reported the names of the initial six hostages set to be released, and said that the remaining 14 will be released later this morning from different areas of Gaza. The welcome kit for the hostages includes clothing, personal equipment, laptop, cellphone and a tablet. The PMO shared on X, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara added a personal message for the returning hostages to the welcome kits prepared for them by the Prime Minister's Office Hostages Authority and include clothing and personal equipment, a laptop computer, a cellphone and a tablet" https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/1977595955110453456 The message said, "On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome back! We have been waiting for you. We embrace you. Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu" https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/1977595958063145201 Citing Hebrew media, Times of Israel reported that the hostages set to be freed by Hamas first from the northern Gaza Strip are Matan Angrest, brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor and Omri Miran. Their families have been informed. It noted that other 14 living hostages will be released later this morning from different areas of Gaza. The Israeli Defence Forces shared that it has received the information of Red Cross being on its way to a meeting point in northern Gaza where several hostages will be transferred into their custody and said that it is ready to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on. https://x.com/IDF/status/1977597121852547406 The Times of Israel reported that the Red Cross will bring the hostages to IDF troops inside Gaza, who will then be escorted out of the Strip to an army facility near Re'im, where they will undergo an initial physical and mental checkup and meet their families. As crowds swell at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a group participated in special prayers in a Hoshana Rabba service while awaiting the release of the hostages. As part of the deal outlined by US President Donald Trump, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli hostages and allow the immediate provision of "full aid" to Gaza, which has faced severe food shortages and famine in some regions. (ANI) Crowds gathered across Israel on Monday morning as Hamas prepared to release a group of 20 living hostages after two years in captivity, Times of Israel reported. Families, friends and supporters lined streets, public squares and military bases, awaiting the emotional homecoming of their loved ones. In Tel Aviv's Hostages Square and along roads in southern Israel near the Gaza border, hundreds of people assembled, waving flags and holding photos of the captives. The atmosphere was a mix of emotions as news spread that the first group of hostages would soon be handed over to the Red Cross in northern Gaza. The Times of Israel, citing Channel 12, reported that friends of Evyatar David, one of the hostages to be released today, marked the moment by wearing shirts printed with his image and taking shots of liquor. In the Haifa suburbs, friends of another hostage, Matan Angrest, and his family also gathered in anticipation. "When we heard the news, we got the shirts ready, we got everything ready to greet Matan, finally!" said one friend of the family member of hostages. Hagai Angrest, Matan's father, told Channel 12 before driving to the Re'im military base, "We will continue fighting until all the hostages, alive and dead, are home, " Times of Israel reported. Galit Kalfon, mother of hostage Segev Kalfon, said she still could not believe her son was returning. "I woke up happy and I hope to remain so until I see Segev," she said. "I keep imagining the moment I tell him that everything is okay and he is with us." The family of hostage Eitan Mor also said they were uncertain about his condition. His grandmother, Peskia, told Channel 12 from her home that the family was filled with "great joy and gratitude to the Holy One Blessed be He." "For two years, the army has told us that he is alive; this is what we have known," she said. "One hostage who came back from captivity said he saw him, but it was a long time ago, and after that, we only know what the army intelligence told us." An Israeli defence official said that the handover of the hostages by Hamas to the Red Cross was expected to begin at 8 am local time in northern Gaza, though possible delays could occur. Details about other handover sites were still being finalised. Meanwhile, Hamas's military wing released the names of the 20 living hostages to be freed today, confirming that the list matched the names already shared with Israel earlier during negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, have left handwritten notes welcoming the return of the hostages expected to be released this morning, in addition to reception kits prepared for them by the Hostages Directorate in the Prime Minister's Office, the Israeli PMO said in a statement. "On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome back! We've been waiting for you, and we embrace you," the notes read. The kits include clothing and personal items, a laptop, a cellphone and a tablet, among other items, the PMO adds Meanwhile, Times of Israel reported that a massive sign thanking US President Donald Trump is on display on the Tel Aviv beach, footage aired by Channel 12 showed. "Thank you," the sign read, featuring a silhouette of Trump's head. The writing also includes the word "home" in English and Hebrew. Trump is set to land in Israel in the coming hours to celebrate the deal between Israel and Hamas to return the remaining 48 hostages and end the war. Furthermore, the historic Gaza peace ceremony is set to take place in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday announced the launch of Operation "Returning Home," aimed at bringing back hostages held by Hamas. In a post on X, the IDF stated, "The IDF is now launching Operation 'Returning Home' to return our hostages from Hamas captivity. In a few hours, we will all be reunited, one people, embraced and united."Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said the operation marks a significant achievement for Israel following sustained military and diplomatic efforts. "The military pressure we applied over the past two years, together with the complementary diplomatic measures, constitutes a victory over Hamas," Zamir said. He added that Israel would continue working to ensure the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to the state and its civilians. Amid these ongoing efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel is ready to receive its hostages "immediately," signalling the government's preparedness to act swiftly in coordination with the military's new operation. As part of the deal outlined by US President Donald Trump, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli hostages and allow the immediate provision of "full aid" to Gaza, which has faced severe food shortages and famine in some regions.(ANI) US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday as the exchange of hostages continues. He was welcomed by the top brass of Israel, and upon entry into the Israeli airspace, the Air Control thanked Trump, saying that his visit carries a deep meaning for the people. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu, Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump, Ambassador Mike Huckabee and US Special Envoy for Middle East Steve Witkoff were among those at the airport to welcome the US President. Air Force One was welcomed by the Ben Gurion Airport Control Tower with a message thanking Trump for his friendship and the unbreakable bond between the two nations, Rapid Response reported. "Welcome to the state of Israel, Mr. President. Your visit carries deep meaning for people in this time. Thank you for your friendship and unbreakable bond between our nations. God bless America and God bless Israel." https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977625758244696202 Ahead of Trump's arrival, a drone shot showed the depiction of Trump's silhouette on the Tel Aviv beachfront with the words "thank you". Meanwhile, Israel's military confirmed on Monday that seven hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have been handed over to the Red Cross and are now safely escorted to Israeli territory, marking the first phase of a long-awaited release under the ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner deal. The release marks a breakthrough in the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas. It follows a ceasefire and exchange agreement brokered with international mediation involving Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. The seven hostages handed over include Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor and Guy Gilboa-Dallal, according to reports. As per Hebrew Media the group will undergo a brief psychological evaluation. Crowds gathered across Israel on Monday morning as Hamas prepared to release a group of 20 living hostages after two years in captivity, Times of Israel reported. Families, friends and supporters lined streets, public squares and military bases, awaiting the emotional homecoming of their loved ones. (ANI) Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chriss Bowen will travel to India this week for portfolio meetings, as shared by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of Australia. As per the official statement, Bowen will travel to India and China this week. In New Delhi, he will have a range of meetings with Indian and Australian representatives and meet Pralhad Joshi, Minister of New and Renewable Energy and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, to convene the first Renewable Energy Partnership Ministers Meeting. As per the statement, he will also meet Minister Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, for the 5th India-Australia Energy Dialogue. The high-level visit comes shortly after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was in Australia and met the top brass of the country- PM Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Assistant Minister of Defence Peter Khalil. Singh said this during his bilateral meeting with Australia's Assistant Minister of Defence Peter Khalil, while co-chairing the maiden India-Australia Defence Industry Business Round Table in Sydney, reaffirming the growing synergy between the two nations across strategic, industrial, and technological domains. India and Australia inked key defence agreements during the visit of the Defence Minister. Marles has described the newly signed defence agreement with India as a "hugely significant step" in strengthening the operational partnership between the two nations' armed forces. Speaking exclusively to ANI, Marles said, "I think the significance of today is that what we are seeing in terms of deep trust and strategic alignment is now being expressed in a much deeper operational level of engagement between our two defence forces. The Agreement that we have signed in terms of staff talks between our operational commands is hugely significant... We are very excited about that." In one of the several interactions in Australia, Singh has hailed the India-Australia ties and said that the countries are standing at a "pivotal juncture" to reposition their defence relations "not merely as partners but as co-creators of a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific." (ANI) Another group of 13 Israeli hostages has been handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza, shortly after Hamas released the first six hostages earlier on Monday, according to Israeli media i24. The bodies of 28 other hostages remain in the terror group's hands, with plans to transfer most of them to Israel later in the day. Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that seven hostages had already been transferred to the Red Cross and were on their way to Israeli forces waiting inside Gaza. The IDF said the first group of seven, identified as Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal, was safely escorted out of the Gaza Strip by special Israeli forces. All seven hostages released in the first batch arrived at an IDF facility near the border community of Re'im for a physical and mental checkup. Then they will meet thier families, as per Times of Israel. Emotional footage emerged showing Israeli families speaking with their loved ones. Avishai David, the father of hostage Evyatar David, told Channel 12 that he and his family are waiting to "hug, smell, and breathe" their son upon his release, after speaking with him in a video call while he remains in Hamas captivity. In a video, Avi Ohana, the father of hostage Yosef Haim Ohana, is seen speaking with his son, telling him that "everyone is waiting" for the hostages' return. The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that all families of the seven hostages had been informed that their loved ones were now in the care of IDF forces and would soon arrive in Israel. "The Government of Israel is committed to the return of all hostages held by the enemy and will pursue this mission with determination and persistence," the statement said, adding that the government "embraces our hostages returning home." The release took place as US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel. According to the White House, Trump watched the first moments of the hostage handover from aboard Air Force One en route to Tel Aviv. The White House called the development "history in the making." Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the release of the first hostages and expressed hope that it could open the door to peace in the region. "I share the joy of the families and of the Israeli people as seven hostages have just been handed over to the Red Cross," Macron wrote on X. https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1977618114175996019 "With their release and that of the thirteen other hostages expected this morning peace becomes possible for Israel, for Gaza, and for the region." Macron is scheduled to attend the Sharm El-Sheikh summit in Egypt, where world leaders are expected to discuss the US-led peace initiative aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. He added that "France will be involved in every stage of President Donald Trump's plan, alongside the Arab partners it helped mobilise." The ongoing releases are part of the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner exchange agreement reached between Israel and Hamas last week. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting on Monday with his Canadian counterpart, Anita Anand, who is on her first official visit to India after taking charge as Canada's new Foreign Minister. Jaishankar underlined that New Delhi and Ottawa should forge stronger ties across length and breadth, not only to de-risk the international economy but also to shepherd the process of rebuilding bilateral cooperation. He made the remarks during the bilateral talks with the Canadian Foreign Minister Anand. Jaishankar said, "We seek to de-risk the international economy today by forging strong partnerships of growing range and depth. Your visit, Ms. Anand, affords an opportunity to review the global scenario and exchange perspectives." He highlighted how India and Canada have had a long tradition of being active in world affairs, through bring members of the G20 and the Commonwealth. "Our convergences in the Indo-Pacific are notable. We are strong proponents of effective multilateralism, climate action and SDG Agenda 2030", he added. Jaishankar noted that both sides had prepared a comprehensive plan to enhance collaboration in key areas. These include domains such as trade, investment, agriculture, science and technology, civil nuclear collaboration, AI, critical minerals, and energy. Addressing mediapersons after their talks, Jaishankar highlighted that India-Canada relations have seen steady progress in recent months. "We are working to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership," he said, pointing to a series of high-level engagements in recent weeks, including meetings between national security advisers, trade ministers, and senior foreign ministry officials. The visit comes against the backdrop of improving diplomatic ties and a mutual push to rebuild trust following recent tensions. "As Prime Minister Modi noted during his meeting with Prime Minister Carney in Kananaskis, India's approach is to move forward with a positive mindset," Jaishankar said, referring to the meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 summit in June this year. He also welcomed the appointment of new High Commissioners in both countries, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic continuity. "Our responsibility as Foreign Ministers is to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation and to ensure that it delivers on the expectations of our Prime Ministers and the interests of our people," he stated. Jaishankar also underscored the importance of shared values and geopolitical convergence between the two democracies. "When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, another open society, and a partner that shares India's values of diversity and pluralism," he said. Foreign Minister Anand's visit, Jaishankar noted, offers a timely opportunity to review the evolving global landscape and strengthen India-Canada ties with a forward-looking agenda. (ANI) Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand expressed gratitude for the warm welcome received in India spoke about affirmed that Canada stands committed along with India to further advance the relationship, both in present and the long term, especially when it comes to the mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific. Anand made the remarks on Monday during her first official visit to India after taking charge as Canada's new Foreign Minister. During the bilateral meeting on Monday, she affirmed, "Both of our governments agree on the importance of elevating the relationship going further. So the joint statement will discuss our mutual plans for re-engagement. It will inform Canadians and Indians alike that we are collectively committed to advancing this relationship now and in the long term, particularly when it comes to our mutual priorities in the Indo-Pacific." Anand in her talks with Jaishankar highlighted how the conversation between PM Modi and Canadian PM Carney laid the groundwork for the conversation presently between the two foreign ministers. She welcomed the cooperation and said, "Prime Minister Carney was pleased to welcome Prime Minister Modi to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, where they had a productive bilateral engagement, which very much informs the conversation that we are having here today. I want to suggest that the cooperation that we have seen from your side and is certainly very welcome. Today we'll be discussing the India Canada Joint Statement, which is comprehensive and covers a number of issues that will allow us to continue the work to elevate the bilateral relationship." She highlighted the several areas of the relationship and underscored the importance of the dialogue between India and Canada. "I appreciate the words you spoke relating to the security dialogue, which while we elevate the relationship in areas of critical minerals, energy, AI, and climate, to name a few, will continue. The meeting that our officials had relating to security and law enforcement just a few weeks ago here was very productive and that dialogue will continue. Both of our governments agree on the importance of those dialogues." S Jaishankar in his remarks during the meeting underlined that New Delhi and Ottawa should forge stronger ties across length and breadth, not only to de-risk the international economy but also to shepherd the process of rebuilding bilateral cooperation. He also underscored the importance of shared values and geopolitical convergence between the two democracies. "When we look at Canada, we see a complementary economy, another open society, and a partner that shares India's values of diversity and pluralism," he said.Foreign Minister Anand's visit, Jaishankar noted, offers a timely opportunity to review the evolving global landscape and strengthen India-Canada ties with a forward-looking agenda. (ANI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump in the Knesset Chamber on Monday and spoke to Egyptian President Al Sisi as he accepted the invitation to join the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el Sheikh, Israeli media reported citing Channel 12 news. While at the Knesset, Trump signed the guest book and wrote, "This is my great honor - A great and beautiful day. A new beginning." https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1977660861625090263 https://x.com/IsraeliPM/status/1977664235141492964 Meanwhile, Times of Israel reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sissi, as US President Donald Trump listens in, Channel 12 news reported. Times of Israel added that in the call, apparently brokered by Trump at the Knesset, Netanyahu accepted an invitation by the Egyptian leader to join the international summit on Trump's Gaza peace plan in Sharm El-Sheikh today, according to the report. US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday as the exchange of hostages continues. He was welcomed by the top brass of Israel, and upon entry into the Israeli airspace, the Air Control thanked Trump, saying that his visit carries a deep meaning for the people. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that 13 more hostages freed by Hamas are on their way back to Israel after being handed over to the Red Cross in southern Gaza's Khan Younis. According to the IDF, the hostages are being accompanied by personnel from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) as they make their way to Israel for an initial medical assessment. "The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement, welcoming the group after two years in captivity. The Red Cross informed Israeli authorities earlier that the 13 hostages had been collected from Hamas custody in southern Gaza and were en route to Israeli territory. Crowds gathered across Israel on Monday morning as Hamas prepared to release a group of 20 living hostages after two years in captivity, Times of Israel reported. Families, friends and supporters lined streets, public squares and military bases, awaiting the emotional homecoming of their loved ones. (ANI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday stated that he wouldn't be travelling to Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh to attend the Gaza Peace Summit with global leaders, citing "time constraints" ahead of the start of the Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah holiday, which begins tonight. According to The Times of Israel, following reports that Netanyahu had accepted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's invitation to join the summit, his office announced that he would not be making the trip. Netanyahu was with US President Donald Trump in the Knesset Chamber when he spoke to the Egyptian President. In a post on X, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel stated that Trump also invited Netanyahu for the summit, but he stated that he "will be unable to attend due to time constraints ahead of the start of the holiday." "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited by US President Donald Trump to attend today's conference in Egypt. The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for the invitation but said he will be unable to attend due to time constraints ahead of the start of the holiday," the post read. As per the Times of Israel, Israeli leaders traditionally refrain from travelling on Jewish holidays and the Sabbath, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Notably, Netanyahu made no mention of Sisi, who personally extended an invitation by phone earlier today. Netanyahu also thanked the US President for "his efforts to expand the circle of peace - peace through strength." Israel also endorsed the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize next year, saying, "There is no one more deserving than you, Mr President." The announcement was made ahead of Trump's address at the Knesset after all 20 living hostages were released by Hamas earlier today. Trump arrived in Israel on Monday as the exchange of hostages continued. He was welcomed by the top brass of Israel, and upon entering Israeli airspace, the Air Control thanked Trump, saying that his visit carries deep meaning for the people. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that the remaining 13 hostages freed by Hamas are on their way back to Israel after being handed over to the Red Cross in southern Gaza's Khan Younis. According to the IDF, the hostages are being accompanied by personnel from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) as they make their way to Israel for an initial medical assessment.The freed hostages have been identified as Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio, and Ariel Cunio. "The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement. Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that seven hostages had already been transferred to the Red Cross and were on their way to Israeli forces waiting inside Gaza. The IDF said the first group of seven, identified as Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal, was safely escorted out of the Gaza Strip by special Israeli forces. All seven hostages released in the first batch had arrived at an IDF facility near the border community of Re'im for a physical and mental checkup. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met visiting Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand and discussed the significance of enhanced cooperation between the two countries in trade, energy, technology, agriculture, and people-to-people ties. According to a release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), during the meeting, PM Modi also conveyed warm wishes to his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney and expressed eagerness for future engagements. "Prime Minister noted the significance of enhanced cooperation between the two countries in trade, energy, technology, agriculture and people-to-people ties. Prime Minister conveyed his warm wishes to Prime Minister Mark Carney and said that he looked forward to their upcoming engagements," the release read. Welcoming Anand, the Prime Minister highlighted that her visit would inject "new momentum" into the India-Canada bilateral partnership. He further recalled his June 2025 visit to Canada for the G7 Summit, where he held an "extremely productive meeting" with PM Carney, laying the foundation for expanded collaboration. "Prime Minister welcomed Foreign Minister Anand and conveyed that her visit would contribute to ongoing efforts to impart new momentum to the India-Canada bilateral partnership. Prime Minister recalled his visit to Canada in June this year for G7 Summit during which he held an extremely productive meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney," the release added. PM Modi also took to X, announcing his meeting with the Canadian Foreign Minister. "Welcomed Canada's Foreign Minister, Ms. Anita Anand. Discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, technology, energy, agriculture and people-to-people exchanges for mutual growth and prosperity," the post read. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with the Canadian Foreign Minister, during which both leaders had "constructive discussions to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership." Both leaders also agreed on a comprehensive plan for cooperation and guided the process of re-establishing collaboration between the two nations. "Delighted to welcome FM Anita Anand of Canada today in New Delhi. Had constructive discussions to restore and reinvigorate the mechanisms necessary to advance our partnership. Also exchanged views on global developments and our responses to shared challenges. We also agreed on an ambitious cooperation roadmap. And to shepherd the process of rebuilding our cooperation so that it delivers on the expectation of our leaders and the interests of our people," the EAM stated in a post on X. Anand is on a diplomatic visit to India, Singapore, and China from October 12 to October 17 to advance bilateral relations and cooperation with these countries as part of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Canadian government said in a release. She arrived in India on Sunday. (ANI) China's expanding digital interference campaign has now reached into Taiwan's opposition politics, weaponising artificial intelligence and online disinformation to fracture the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and test Taiwan's democratic resilience, as reported by the Taipei Times. According to the Taipei Times, experts believe the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) aim is not to openly support any specific KMT chair candidate but to generate internal suspicion and dependence within the party. This covert manipulation is part of Beijing's long-term effort to infiltrate Taiwan's political landscape through "cognitive warfare". Former Taipei mayor and KMT chair contender Hau Lung-bin said on Facebook that he was being targeted by "external cyber forces" spreading fabricated rumours. Another contender, former Broadcasting Corp. of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong, alleged that the interference originated from China and urged authorities to treat it as a national security concern. Hung Pu-chao, deputy director of Tunghai University's Center for Mainland China and Regional Development Research, stated that the wave of "online troll activity" marks a dangerous escalation of China's cognitive warfare. He said China is using AI-generated videos, fake social media accounts, and coordinated digital networks to manipulate narratives and simulate public consensus. Hung warned that this manipulation goes beyond disinformation; it creates confusion about what is real. China, he said, employs "decentralised control" strategies that aim not to convince people of Beijing's views but to make them question the very concept of truth. "When KMT members begin accusing each other of being influenced by China," he said, "that means China's experiment is succeeding." National security officials confirmed that Taiwanese authorities are monitoring cases of Chinese interference in the KMT leadership race. They said China's hybrid tactics, combining AI tools, cyberattacks, and digital propaganda, seek to provoke discord and weaken democratic institutions, as cited by Taipei Times. Investigators said the fake originated from a foreign IP address. Jaw called the act "vile political warfare", emphasising that digital freedom cannot be used as a shield for Chinese subversion. "If this doesn't count as a national security threat," he said, "then what does?" as reported by Taipei Times. (ANI) China's communist authorities have launched a sweeping campaign against one of the country's largest unregistered Christian congregations, Zion Church, detaining or disappearing more than 30 pastors and members across multiple provinces. The operation has sparked outrage among international human rights advocates and top US officials, as reported by The Epoch Times. According to The Epoch Times, a statement released by Zion Church and shared by the Texas-based human rights group ChinaAid, Chinese authorities carried out simultaneous raids across five provinces, as well as Beijing and Shanghai. The church stated that its worship halls were sealed, property seized, and families of members harassed. "Our detained pastors and believers are innocent Christians whose only act is worshipping God, preaching the Gospel, and serving their communities," the church said in its statement. The group condemned these arrests as blatant violations of both China's constitution and international human rights law. Among those detained was Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, Zion's head pastor, who was taken from his home in Beihai, Guangxi Province, on October 10. His daughter, Grace Jin, from the United States, stated that her father's detention likely stemmed from the church's rapid growth after COVID-19 restrictions pushed many believers online. "Zion expanded quickly after the pandemic, and that made the authorities nervous," she said. "He always knew this could happen but believed his duty was to stay with his congregation." Since the 2018 government crackdown that forced the closure of Zion Church's main sanctuary, its membership has grown from roughly 1,500 to more than 5,000 people across 40 cities, meeting in small venues such as homes and restaurants, as cited by The Epoch Times. US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have condemned the CCP's repression of independent churches. Rubio called the arrests "further evidence of Beijing's hostility toward Christians who reject Party control." Pence demanded the immediate release of Pastor Jin, while Pompeo called China "the greatest threat to religious freedom worldwide." The case highlights the CCP's continued campaign to suppress religious expression beyond state oversight, a war on faith that shows no sign of relenting, as reported by The Epoch Times. (ANI) The fourth episode of the Silk Way Star international vocal competition concluded in the Kazakhstan capital of Astana with stunning cross-cultural performances, as contestants took on songs from other countries in their original languages, a round designed to celebrate global musical diversity. According to a release, the standout moment came from South Korea's group Kandis, who delivered an emotional performance of the Kazakh ballad Dem Alam, earning praise from both judges and the audience for their heartfelt rendition. In a surprise outcome, Michelle Joseph from Mongolia and Yazmin Aziz from Malaysia shared the top spot this week, each earning a perfect score of 120 points. Their performances were lauded for their technical precision and emotional depth. After four episodes, the host country, Kazakhstan, leads the overall competition with 470 points, followed closely by Mongolia and Malaysia, both with 450 points. Georgia and Uzbekistan trail closely behind at 448 points each. Other countries in the rankings include Armenia (444), China (442), Tajikistan (438), Kyrgyzstan (424), and South Korea (416). No eliminations occurred this round, keeping the tension high as the competition nears its final stages. In contrast, Turkmenistan's Dovran Shammyyev was eliminated after the third episode, which featured contestants performing iconic Kazakh hits in their own languages. The Silk Way Star is the first major pan-Asian vocal competition of its kind, featuring contestants from 12 countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and South Korea. The show comprises 10 episodes, each running over 100 minutes, and is broadcast in Kazakh, Chinese, and English. The grand finale is scheduled for November 22 and will be broadcast live on Jibek Joly and Silk Way TV channels, as well as other major networks in participating nations. The winner will be determined through a hybrid voting system with 50 per cent jury and 50 per cent online audience votes. With an expected viewership of over 1 billion people, the Silk Way Star continues to grow as a significant platform for showcasing Asian talent and cultural exchange. The competition is being held under the framework of the Agreement on the Creation of the International Project Silk Way Star, signed between the TV and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan and China Media Group. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed the release of "all hostages by Hamas after over two years of captivity", saying it is a tribute to the courage of families, the peace efforts of US President Donald Trump and the resolve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. India has backed President Trump's efforts to bring peace in the Middle East. "We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity. Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu. We support President Trump's sincere efforts to bring peace to the region," PM Modi said a post on X. PM Modi had earlier said that India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards durable and just peace. "We welcome President Trump's leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress. Indications of the release of hostages mark a significant step forward. India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace," he said in a post on October 4. All 20 living hostages were released by Hamas earlier in the day as part of the Gaza peace plan. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that the remaining 13 hostages were freed by Hamas and were on their way back to Israel after being handed over to the Red Cross in southern Gaza's Khan Younis. According to the IDF, the hostages are being accompanied by personnel from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) as they make their way to Israel for an initial medical assessment. IDF stated earlier that seven hostages had already been transferred to the Red Cross and were on their way to Israeli forces waiting inside Gaza. As per the IDF, the hostages were identified as Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio, Ariel Cunio, Gali, Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal and were safely escorted out of the Gaza Strip by special Israeli forces after they were transferred to the Red Cross by Hamas. According to the Times of Israel, Monday marked the end of the two-year war, which began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that claimed over 1,200 Israeli lives and resulted in the abduction of 251 people. Netanyahu on Monday nominated President Trump for the Israel Prize, the country's highest civilian honour, hailing him as "the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House. The announcement came during a historic session of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, where Trump was welcomed with a prolonged standing ovation and honoured for his leadership in brokering a peace deal that has led to the release of all 20 living hostages and an end to the two-year war with Hamas. "I have seen many US presidents, but I have never seen anyone move the world so quickly and decisively as our friend President Donald J Trump," Netanyahu said during his address. Netanyahu also praised Trump's record on Israel, including his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the relocation of the US embassy, acknowledgement of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, support at the United Nations, and his role in initiating the Abraham Accords. (ANI) Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa arrived in Delhi on Monday for a four-day State Visit. He was received at the airport by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, Murlidhar Mohol. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that President Ukhnaa was accorded a Guard of Honour and a ceremonial welcome at the airport. In a post on X, Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal said, "Reinforcing the deep civilizational bonds between our countries. President Mr. Khurelsukh Ukhnaa of Mongolia has arrived in New Delhi on a State Visit to India. He was accorded a Guard of Honour and ceremonial welcome at the airport. Warmly received by MoS Civil Aviation Mr. Murlidhar Mohol." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1977712099817070822 At the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu, President Ukhnaa is visiting India from October 13 to 16, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. President Ukhnaa will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior officials, business leaders, and cultural representatives. This will be Ukhnaa's first visit to India in his capacity as Head of State of Mongolia, as per MEA. During the visit, Rashtrapatiji will meet with President Ukhnaa and host a banquet in his honour. President Ukhnaa will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and review the entire gamut of bilateral relations. Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are expected to call on the visiting dignitary. Diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia were established in 1955. Over the past seven decades, the two countries have developed a close and multifaceted partnership, anchored in shared cultural and spiritual links and democratic values. The partnership spans across sectors such as defence and security, parliamentary exchanges, development partnership, energy, mining, information technology, education, healthcare, and cultural cooperation, the MEA statement said. The forthcoming State Visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of India and Mongolia to review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the strategic partnership, and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. (ANI) Calling the Gaza ceasefire "the historic dawn of a new Middle East," US President Donald Trump on Monday said the forces of "chaos, terror, and ruin" have been defeated, and the "long and painful nightmare" is finally over not only for Israelis but also for Palestinians. Hailing the US-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, Trump said now it will be the "Golden Age" of Israel and the Middle East. Addressing the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Trump said that the entire region endorsed the plan of demilitarising Gaza and disarming Hamas. "It is not only the End of a war--it is the END of an age of terror and death." https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1977715486621085731 In the first US presidential address to the Israeli parliament, since 2008, Trump said, "This long and difficult war has ended. In an unprecedented achievement, virtually the entire region has endorsed the plan that Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will be disarmed, and Israel's security will not be threatened." Trump said that Israel won all that it could with arms, and now there will be peace in the entire Middle East. "Israel has won all that they can by force of arms. Now, it's time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of PEACE and PROSPERITY for the entire Middle East. Across the Middle East, the forces of chaos, terror, and ruin that have plagued the region for decades now stand weakened... defeated. A new coalition of proud and responsible nations is emerging--and because of us, the enemies of all civilisation are in retreat", he said. He further said that there is peace at last for Israelis and Palestinians. "For so many families across this land, it has been years since you have known a single day of true peace. But now, at last--not only for Israelis but also for Palestinians and for many others--the long and painful nightmare is finally OVER," he said. Trump said that after thousands of Israeli civilians were attacked two years ago on October 7, 2003, there would be everlasting peace. Hamas attacks claimed over 1,200 Israeli lives and resulted in the abduction of 251 people. "Two years ago... thousands of innocent Israeli civilians were attacked by terrorists in one of the most evil and heinous desecrations of innocent life the world has ever seen... please know that America joins you in those two everlasting vows--NEVER FORGET, and NEVER AGAIN. Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change... Like the USA right now, it will be the GOLDEN AGE of Israel and the Golden Age of the Middle East." Trump then said that for the Middle East, this is the end of terror, and a new beginning. "This is not only the End of a war--it is the END of an age of terror and death, and the BEGINNING of the age of faith, hope, and of God... This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East. After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families... And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is FINALLY AT PEACE--a land and a region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity," he said. Trump, without elaborating much, said that in his tenure, he "settled eight wars". "If we go into a war, we are going to win it like nobody ever has won it before...We will not be politically correct. We have settled 8 wars in 8 months, including this one,' he said. Trump then said that now, "productive and responsible nations" of the Middle East region should not be adversaries, but friends. "It's more obvious than ever that the productive and responsible nations of this region should not be enemies or adversaries, you should be partners -- and eventually even friends. The choice for Palestinians could not be more clear. This is their chance to turn forever from the path of terror and violence... The total focus of Gazans must be on restoring the fundamentals... so they can finally have the better life their children deserve," he said. Trump called for an end to extremism and anti-Semitism. "It should now be clear to everyone throughout the region that decades of fomenting terrorism and extremism, jihadism and anti-Semitism, have not worked... From Gaza to Iran, those bitter hatreds have delivered nothing but misery, suffering, failure, and death," he said. Earlier in the day, Trump listened to all the hostages narrating their ordeals. https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/1977678775619088792 https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/1977668287258595604 Israel's Ambassador to the United States Yechiel (Michael) Leiter welcomed Trump to the airport, and highlighted their heartfelt conversation. https://x.com/yechielleiter/status/1977641026241048924 Speaker of The Knesset, Amir Ohana shared glimpses of Trump's arrival at the Israeli Parliament. https://x.com/AmirOhana/status/1977654953239052796 For the first time in over two years, Hamas held no living hostages in its captivity. https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/1977651161496010835 "This is my great honor -- a great and beautiful day. A new beginning," Trump said earlier while signing the guestbook at the Knesset in Jerusalem. https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1977660861625090263 https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1977471285551841782 https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1977647911149461813 Air Force One was welcomed to Israeli airspace by Ben Gurion Airport control tower: "Welcome to the state of Israel, Mr. President. Your visit carries deep meaning for people in this time. Thank you for your friendship and unbreakable bond between our nations. God bless America and God bless Israel." https://x.com/Isaac_Herzog/status/1977638220486623739 https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1977644076271816911 https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/1977636818066788576 https://x.com/Scavino47/status/1977638529577705969 https://x.com/PressSec/status/1977601732353077378 https://x.com/Scavino47/status/1977625249811509636 https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/1977627149625614783 https://x.com/MargoMartin47/status/1977632503499538619 US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in a post on X, "I wondered if I would ever see this day. It's deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home. Today, twenty families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again. But even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever. I can't help but feel the presence of my son Andrew at this moment. I am profoundly grateful for the indomitable spirit of President Trump. This day would not have been possible without him." https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1977644076271816911 Release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails began after Hamas freed all 20 living Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip as part of the ceasefire deal. Trump will be heading to Egypt to co-chair an international summit on the deal, Al Jazeera reported. The Israel-Hamas conflict has killed at least 67,869 people and wounded 170,105 since October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and over 250 were taken captive. (ANI) The 78th session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Committee began on Monday in Sri Lanka's Colombo, with health leaders from across the region reaffirming their commitment to building a healthier, more equitable and resilient region amid ongoing global health challenges. As per an official release, the three-day session, hosted by Sri Lanka this year, serves as the governing body meeting of the WHO in the region. The event was inaugurated by the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Jagath Wickramaratne. Key speakers at the opening session included WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Sri Lanka's Minister of Health and Mass Media, Nalinda Jayatissa. Ministers of Health and senior officials from the region's member states, as well as global health partners, are participating in the high-level discussions. Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge of WHO South-East Asia, underscored the urgency of strengthening global health security and regional collaboration. Highlighting WHO's revised International Health Regulations and the historic Pandemic Agreement, Dr. Boehme said the organisation is restructuring to become "leaner, more agile and responsive" to the evolving health needs of countries. "In a world of complex crises, shifting global health dynamics, and tightening fiscal space, WHO is aiming at being more focused, effective, and accountable to the people we serve... We will harness innovation, strengthen leadership, and deliver measurable outcomes -- guided by one principle: health for all, by all," she stated. A ministerial round table on healthy ageing is a key highlight of the session. With projections that by 2050, one in five people in the region will be over 60 years of age, Dr. Boehme called it both "a triumph of development and a challenge" that requires reimagining health systems, especially at the primary care level. The Committee will also address the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases, with particular emphasis on combating tobacco use, the leading cause of preventable death in the region. With over 280 million adult smokeless tobacco users and around 11 million adolescent tobacco users in the Region, discussions will include regulatory measures against smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes, nicotine pouches and areca nuts, as per the release. Another key agenda item is the expansion of the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF), a regional funding mechanism that has supported 49 emergencies in 10 Member States since 2008. The Fund's mandate has been broadened to include emergency preparedness. Antimicrobial resistance will also be a major focus, as Member States are expected to align regional policy actions with global strategies to curb the growing threat. "Our systems must be ready--not just to treat illness, but to accompany people through life - with prevention, with continuity, and with care that starts in the community," Dr Boehme said, thanking Member States for their ongoing commitment to health promotion, provision, and protection across the Region. The WHO South-East Asia Region comprises 10 countries, which include Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. (ANI) Jaishankar expressed confidence that the talks between Ukhnaa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday will chart a forward-looking course for the next decade of bilateral friendship. "An honour to call on President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa of Mongolia as he begins his State visit to India. Appreciate his warm sentiments on advancing, as spiritual neighbours and Global South members, our strategic partnership. Confident that his talks with PM Narendra Modi tomorrow will chart a forward-looking course for the next decade of our friendship," Jaishankar said in a post on X. Earlier in the day, Ukhnaa arrived in Delhi on a four-day state visit. He was received at the airport by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol. "Reinforcing the deep civilizational bonds between our countries. President Mr. Khurelsukh Ukhnaa of Mongolia has arrived in New Delhi on a State Visit to India. He was accorded a Guard of Honour and ceremonial welcome at the airport. Warmly received by MoS Civil Aviation Mr. Murlidhar Mohol," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. Ukhnaa is being accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior officials, business leaders, and cultural representatives. This is Ukhnaa's first visit to India in his capacity as Head of State of Mongolia. Diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia were established in 1955. Over the past seven decades, the two countries have developed a close and multifaceted partnership, anchored in shared cultural and spiritual links and democratic values. The partnership spans across sectors such as defence and security, parliamentary exchanges, development partnership, energy, mining, information technology, education, healthcare, and cultural cooperation. (ANI) Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, as the special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm El-Sheikh, co-hosted by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "MoS @KVSinghMPGonda, as special representative of PM @narendramodi, attended the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh co-hosted by Presidents @realDonaldTrump and @AlsisiOfficial." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/1977795302309470497 "India welcomes the signing of the landmark Peace Agreement and hopes that this will lead to lasting peace in the region," he added. Jaiswal further said, "This is a reflection of India's longstanding commitment to dialogue & diplomacy." During the summit, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh. Singh said that the summit underscored the global commitment to peace and dialogue. In a post on X, Singh stated, "It was a privilege to meet with His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh. Egypt and India share a significant and vibrant strategic partnership. The Summit underscored the global commitment to peace and dialogue. India reaffirms its unwavering dedication to peace, stability, and enduring security within the Middle East." Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi extended thanks to US President Donald Trump, as well as to the leaders of Qatar and Turkiye, for their roles in advancing the Gaza Peace Plan. Al-Sisi reiterated his support for the plan, expressing hope that it would create the political horizon necessary for implementing a two-state solution to the conflict, according to translated remarks cited by Al Jazeera. US President Donald Trump, addressing the summit, declared that "after years of suffering and bloodshed, the war in Gaza is over." He said, "Humanitarian aid is now pouring in, including hundreds of truckloads of food, medical equipment and other supplies, much of it paid by people in this room. Civilians are returning to their homes, the hostages are reuniting [with their families]." "A new and beautiful day is rising and now the rebuilding begins," Trump added, expressing his "tremendous gratitude to the Arab and Muslim nations who helped make this incredible breakthrough possible," as quoted by Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said his country and Israel should engage in negotiations to resolve remaining issues since the Lebanon war ended with a ceasefire in November, as per Al Jazeera. "Lebanon negotiated in the past with Israel with mediation by the United States and the United Nations," Aoun said, referring to the 2022 agreement between the two countries over their maritime border. "What prevents repeating the same thing to find solutions to pending matters, especially because war did not lead to results?" he added. Aoun noted that the current atmosphere in the Middle East is one of diplomacy, deals, and dialogue, suggesting that the timing and framework for negotiations could be determined as discussions progress. His comments came days after the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brought an end to the two-year war in Gaza, which had sparked other conflicts in the region, including the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war, as per Al Jazeera. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, announced that he would not be travelling to Sharm El-Sheikh to attend the Gaza Peace Summit with global leaders, citing "time constraints" ahead of the Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah holiday. (ANI) Australia's Minister for Small Business, International Development and Multicultural Affairs, Anne Aly, will visit India and Bangladesh this week as part of the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Government's efforts to deepen ties across the Indian Ocean region. According to a release by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Monday, in India, Aly is set to engage with senior political figures and multi-faith leaders to reinforce Australia's growing people-to-people connections with the country. With nearly one million Australians of Indian ancestry now residing in Australia, she said these community linkages remain a vital pillar of the bilateral relationship. During her visit, Aly will also deliver a keynote address at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, focusing on the significant contributions of Indian-Australian communities to shaping Australia's multicultural identity and strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations. The Minister's visit is seen as an extension of Australia's broader strategy to build meaningful partnerships with key players in the Indian Ocean region, anchored in mutual respect, shared values, and inclusive development. Before arriving in India, Minister Aly will travel to Bangladesh to launch the new Australia-Bangladesh Development Partnership Plan 2025-2030. The plan reflects Australia's ongoing commitment to supporting Bangladesh's transition to a democratic and inclusive future. While in Bangladesh, Aly will also visit the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, home to over 1.1 million displaced Rohingya people in what is the largest and most complex humanitarian crisis in the region. She will witness firsthand the ongoing efforts supported by Australia to assist both the displaced communities and their Bangladeshi hosts. Reaffirming Australia's commitment to the humanitarian response, Aly announced that the Australian Government will provide an additional USD 370 million over the next three years for assistance to Myanmar and displaced Rohingya communities. This takes Australia's total support to over USD 1.26 billion since 2017. "These visits are a demonstration of the Albanese Government's commitment to working with our Indian Ocean partners to shape a peaceful, stable and prosperous region," Minister Aly said in the statement. (ANI) US President Donald Trump on Monday called the landmark agreement of the Gaza ceasefire deal a turning point, describing it as ushering in "a new beginning for an entire, beautiful Middle East." Addressing world leaders during a peace summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, Trump celebrated the treaty as an answer to the prayers of millions and declared that peace in the region had at last been achieved. "With the historic agreement we've just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered... Together, we have achieved what everybody said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East," he stated. Highlighting the scale of the breakthrough, Trump said that beyond ending the war in Gaza, the agreement offers a fresh start for regional stability and unity against terror. "The momentous breakthrough that we're here to celebrate tonight is more than the end of the war in Gaza--with God's help, it will be a new beginning for an entire, beautiful Middle East... we can build a region that's strong, and stable, and prosperous, and united in rejecting the path of terror once and for all," the US President said. Emphasising the need for reconstruction in Gaza, Trump stated that rebuilding efforts must support civilians while avoiding funds tied to violence, adding that Gaza's reconstruction must go hand in hand with demilitarisation. "We've all agreed that supporting Gaza must be done to lift up the people themselves, but we don't want to fund anything having to do with bloodshed, hatred, and terror... For this same reason, we also agreed that Gaza's reconstruction requires that it be demilitarised," he added. Trump also called on Middle Eastern nations to seize a historic opportunity to end decades of conflict and division, declaring that the region stands at the threshold of "a once-in-a-lifetime chance" for lasting peace and prosperity. "Today, for the first time anyone can remember, we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us," Trump said, addressing a packed summit hall of regional and global leaders. "If we do, together, we will reach the Middle East's incredible destiny--a safe, and prosperous, and beautiful crossroads of culture and commerce, faith and humanity," the US President stated. The international summit was held in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday and was co-chaired by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Trump, with the participation of leaders from more than 20 countries. President Trump also expressed humility at being conferred Egypt's highest state honour, the Order of the Nile. "I'm deeply honoured to receive... the Order of the Nile," he stated. Earlier today, Hamas released all 20 living hostages as part of the ceasefire agreement. Trump also visited Israel and met with the country's top brass on Monday as the exchange of hostages continued, ahead of the summit. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated the US President for the Israel Prize, the country's highest civilian honour, hailing him as "the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House." The announcement came during a historic session of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, where Trump was welcomed with a prolonged standing ovation and honoured for his leadership in brokering a peace deal that has led to the release of all 20 living hostages from Hamas. (ANI) Normalcy returned to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Monday evening, with traffic flow restored after an early morning operation by law enforcement agencies against Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters who had camped at Muridke, according to Dawn. A Dawn correspondent reported that only the Faizabad Interchange remained closed while the rest of the intersections between Rawalpindi and Islamabad were open for traffic. He added that the situation was returning to normal and there was no serious reaction from the religious party, noting that overall traffic remained thin on major thoroughfares. Mobile data services, disrupted since the start of the protest, were also restored in most areas of the twin cities. Earlier in the day, authorities had moved to close roads and motorways again in and around Lahore and Islamabad after the operation began, as panic spread among citizens about the potential outcome of the clash. Some schools in Islamabad also closed earlier than usual. The TLP, which began its protest march in Lahore on Friday, had planned to reach Islamabad and stage a demonstration outside the US Embassy in support of Gaza and Palestine. On Sunday, law enforcement agencies, including Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) and large contingents of police from five districts, surrounded the TLP protest camp in Muridke in what appeared to be preparations for a large-scale operation, Dawn reported. A senior police official said on condition of anonymity that police action to disperse the protesters started at 3 am and lasted for six hours. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar confirmed to Dawn that TLP chief Saad Rizvi had neither been arrested nor injured in the clash. Punjab police spokesperson Mubashir Hussain said a Station House Officer (SHO) was martyred during the confrontation and three TLP workers were killed. Separately, Punjab police posted on X that Sheikhupura Factory Area SHO Shehzad Nawaz lost his life in the line of duty "while trying to maintain order and protecting peoples' lives and properties." Hussain said 48 law enforcement personnel were injured, 17 of them with bullet wounds, while eight civilians were also hurt. He added that a passerby was killed in the incident. Punjab police later said the injured officers were being provided medical treatment. According to Hussain, as law enforcement personnel moved to disperse the protesters, TLP members attacked them with stones, batons with nails, and "petrol bombs," and later opened fire. "Law enforcement personnel had to initiate limited action in their defence," he said, further accusing the protesters of setting 40 government and private vehicles on fire. Police also arrested several protesters, and authorities have been detaining TLP activists since Friday. Lahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran told media earlier that 112 police personnel had been injured since the start of the protest. Videos circulating on social media earlier in the day showed burnt vehicles and smoke filling the air amid clashes between the TLP and police. Dawn reported that talks were ongoing between the government and the TLP on Sunday. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, speaking on Geo News' 'Capital Talk', denied reports of formal negotiations. "There were no negotiations with the TLP though contact was made from both sides," he said. "There were no demands. They only wanted to do a long march, come to Islamabad and present themselves in front of a foreign embassy which was not acceptable for the government." Meanwhile, in Karachi, the TLP staged demonstrations against police action in Muridke. Sindh Police resorted to tear gas shelling and arrested five workers after clashes in North Karachi and New Karachi, where protesters allegedly blocked roads and pelted stones at police. "The police resorted to tear gas shelling and arrested five of them," West-Zone DIG Irfan Ali Baloch told Dawn, adding that roads were later cleared for traffic. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar urged citizens to "ignore rumours about chaos" and directed police to remain alert, saying, "Those who violate the writ of law should be dealt with as per Section 144." An anti-terrorism court remanded over 100 TLP activists for 11 days on charges of vandalism and assaulting police, according to Dawn. The hearing, presided over by ATC judge Manzar Ali Gul, saw 100 activists presented before the court, with multiple cases lodged against them at various police stations. Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari, addressing a press conference, said the government had a duty to protect citizens and property. "Blocking roads and creating inconvenience for citizens, especially when peace has been restored in Gaza and people are happy there, trying to bring the country to a halt and taking the law into one's hand is unacceptable," she said. In a post on X, the Punjab government said: "Attacking the state, firing at and inflicting violence on police, destroying properties and looting and plundering do not qualify as protest but open treason and terrorism. The armed mobs of the TLP are not above the law." The Lahore Bar Association announced a strike from 11am onward and boycotted court proceedings in protest against the alleged firing and arrests of TLP workers. "Unarmed TLP leadership and protesters had sustained injuries in alleged firing by police and the Rangers in Muridke," it said, calling for legal action against those responsible. The Lahore High Court Bar Association also issued a statement, saying that "the way peaceful citizens and [political] workers were being fired at and blood was being shed at the behest of the Pakistan government, it doesn't suit a democratic country." Road closures persisted intermittently through the day. A Dawn correspondent in Islamabad reported that while blockades around the Faizabad Interchange were initially removed, they were later reinstated as panic spread. Only the Islamabad Expressway remained open at Faizabad. In Lahore, authorities closed the M-2, M-3, and M-11 motorways connecting Lahore with Islamabad, Khanewal, and Sialkot respectively, as security remained heightened following the Muridke clashes, according to Dawn. (ANI) Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh met Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El Sheikh. Singh said that the Summit underscored the global commitment to peace and dialogue. In a post on X, Singh said, "It was a privilege to meet with His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El Sheikh. Egypt and India share a significant and vibrant strategic partnership. The Summit underscored the global commitment to peace and dialogue. India reaffirms its unwavering dedication to peace, stability, and enduring security within the Middle East." https://x.com/KVSinghMPGonda/status/1977741731220066332 El-Sisi extended thanks to US President Donald Trump, as well as the leaders of Qatar and Turkiye. The Egyptian president reiterated his support for the Gaza plan with the hope of creating the political horizon for the implementation of the two-state solution in the conflict, according to translated remarks, as per Al Jazeera. Trump said that "after years of suffering and bloodshed the war in Gaza is over. Humanitarian aid is now pouring in, including hundreds of truckloads of food, medical equipment and other supplies, much of it paid by people in this room. Civilians are returning to their homes, the hostages are reuniting [with their families]." "A new and beautiful day is rising and now the rebuilding begins," he added, expressing his "tremendous gratitude to the Arab and Muslim nations who helped make this incredible breakthrough possible," as quoted by Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said his country and Israel should negotiate to resolve problems remaining since the war in Lebanon ended with a ceasefire in November, as per Al Jazeera. "Lebanon negotiated in the past with Israel with mediation by the United States and the United Nations," Aoun said, adding that talks led to a 2022 agreement between the two countries over their maritime border. "What prevents repeating the same thing to find solutions to pending matters, especially because war did not lead to results?" Aoun asked. The atmosphere in the Middle East now is one of deals and agreements, and how negotiations could take place can be decided at the time, the Lebanese president said. Aoun's comments came days after his US counterpart brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end the two-year war in Gaza. The Israel-Hamas fighting led to other conflicts in the region, including the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war, as per Al Jazeera. Netanyahu on Monday stated that he wouldn't be travelling to Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh to attend the Gaza Peace Summit with global leaders, citing "time constraints" ahead of the start of the Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah holiday. (ANI) US President Donald Trump, while addressing the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt on Monday, expressed optimism that India and Pakistan "are going to live very nicely together," as he spoke about regional peace and cooperation. Highlighting his rapport with India's leadership, Trump said, "India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top and he has done a fantastic job. I think that Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together," while addressing global leaders during the summit. His remarks came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the two neighbours earlier this year. Twenty-six tourists, including 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen, were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists on April 22. In response, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror camps operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) through precision strikes. India also repelled subsequent Pakistani escalation and pounded its airbases. Trump's remarks at the summit followed his statement a day earlier aboard Air Force One, where he said he had used tariffs as a tool to resolve several international conflicts, including tensions between India and Pakistan. "...I settled a few of the wars just based on tariffs. For example, between India and Pakistan, I said, if you guys want to fight a war and you have nuclear weapons. I am going to put big tariffs on you both, like 100 per cent, 150 per cent, and 200 per cent..." Trump said. The President added that his threat to impose steep tariffs on both countries had brought the situation under control swiftly. "I said I am putting tariffs. I had that thing settled in 24 hours. If I didn't have tariffs, you could have never settled that war," he said. Trump reiterated his claims of brokering peace between India and Pakistan during the conflict in May, which he said was resolved through his intervention. He made similar remarks during an interview with Fox News on October 9, linking the resolution of the conflict to his tariff strategy. While responding to a question on how he brought countries to the talking table, Trump had said, "Having the ability to use tariffs have brought peace to the world... You know I made seven peace deals." Expanding on his claim, he said, "Not in all cases but probably at least five of the seven we've done so far were by trade, that we are not going to deal with people who fight and we're going to put tariffs on you." Citing India and Pakistan as an example, Trump said, "You look at India and Pakistan, I said well we are not going to do business with either of you if you don't put it together. These are two nuclear nations. Seven planes were shot down as you know and they were really at it... I said we are not going to do any business with you, we are going to put massive tariffs on you and in both cases they said, well we're going to start talking about it. There is tremendous amounts of money and power that we are dealing with and within 24 hours I had a peace deal that they stopped the fighting." Trump has repeatedly made similar claims of mediating peace between India and Pakistan, asserting that his administration's trade pressure brought stability between the two countries following heightened tensions earlier this year. On September 21, Trump said at the American Cornerstone Institute Founder's Dinner that he should be honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize for "ending seven wars." "We are forging peace agreements, and we are stopping wars. So we stopped wars between India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia," he said. "Think of India and Pakistan. Think of that. And you know how I stopped that -- with trade. They want to trade. And I have great respect for both leaders. But when you take a look at all of these wars that we've stopped," he added. However, India has consistently refuted the claims made by the US President, reiterating its long-standing position that any issues with Pakistan, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, are to be resolved bilaterally between the two countries. (ANI) UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday expressed relief at the release of hostages from Hamas' captivity. Starmer called for the immediate implementation of US President Donald Trump's peace plan in Gaza. "I share the deep feeling of relief as Avinatan Or and other hostages are released today. But this is also a stark reminder of the treatment that he has been subject to at the hands of Hamas, and the atrocities that shook the world two years ago. Having met his family, I know that no one can truly understand the torture and agony they suffered for two drawn out years and my thoughts are with them. My thoughts are also with the family of Yossi Sharabi, who are still waiting for news," his statement read. https://x.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1977682277011427739 "I reiterate my thanks for the tireless diplomatic efforts of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye. It is now crucial that we work together to implement President Trump's peace plan for Gaza, and that will be my focus in Egypt today. Commitment to this plan from all parties will be essential to ending the war and building the foundations for a sustainable path to a long-term peace. The UK will support the crucial next stage of talks to ensure the implementation of the peace plan," the statement added. Trump said that mediators' shared commitment to the 20-point peace plan he outlined for Gaza will be the "crucial foundation" for a "great, glorious and lasting peace". He said efforts are already underway to agree on how to implement the later stages of that plan, which calls for Israel to withdraw from Gaza in stages and for Hamas to hand over its weapons. He said the focus in Gaza must now be on "restoring the basics of a good life" through massive reconstruction, which "a lot of money" has been committed towards, Al Jazeera reported. But he said "Gaza's reconstruction also requires that it be demilitarised and that a new, honest police force... be allowed to create a safe condition for the people" there. (ANI) Addressing world leaders at the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, US President Donald Trump described the outcome as "a monumental moment in the history of the world beyond the Middle East," highlighting a shared commitment among participating nations to rebuild Gaza and secure a peaceful future for its people. Emphasising the need for a constructive and humanitarian approach to Gaza's recovery, Trump said, "We have all agreed that supporting Gaza must be done to lift up the people themselves. But we don't want to fund anything having to do with the bloodshed, hatred or terror as has happened in the past." He noted that the consensus reached at the summit centred on ensuring long-term peace through structural and social rebuilding. "We have also agreed that Gaza's reconstruction requires that it be demilitarised and that a new honest civilian police force must be allowed to create a safe condition for the people in Gaza," Trump stated. Reflecting on the broader implications of the peace agreement, the US President reaffirmed his commitment to stability and cooperation. "I intend to be a partner in securing a better future... There won't be World War III, hopefully. But it's not going to start in the Middle East. We're not going to have a World War III," he said. Calling the landmark ceasefire agreement a turning point, Trump described it as ushering in "a new beginning for an entire, beautiful Middle East." He celebrated the treaty as an answer to the prayers of millions, declaring that peace in the region had finally been achieved. "With the historic agreement we've just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered... Together, we have achieved what everybody said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East," he stated. Highlighting the scale of the breakthrough, Trump said that beyond ending the war in Gaza, the agreement offers a fresh start for regional stability and unity against terror. "The momentous breakthrough that we're here to celebrate tonight is more than the end of the war in Gaza--with God's help, it will be a new beginning for an entire, beautiful Middle East... we can build a region that's strong, and stable, and prosperous, and united in rejecting the path of terror once and for all," he said. Reiterating the need for Gaza's reconstruction to focus on its people, not on militarisation, Trump added, "We've all agreed that supporting Gaza must be done to lift up the people themselves, but we don't want to fund anything having to do with bloodshed, hatred, and terror... For this same reason, we also agreed that Gaza's reconstruction requires that it be demilitarised." Urging regional leaders to seize the moment, Trump said the Middle East now stands at the threshold of peace and prosperity. "Today, for the first time anyone can remember, we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us. If we do, together, we will reach the Middle East's incredible destiny--a safe, and prosperous, and beautiful crossroads of culture and commerce, faith and humanity," he stated. The international summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, brought together leaders from over 20 nations to mark the end of hostilities and chart a roadmap for lasting peace and reconstruction in Gaza. During the event, Trump was conferred Egypt's highest state honour, the Order of the Nile. "I'm deeply honoured to receive... the Order of the Nile," he said. Earlier on October 13, Hamas released all 20 living hostages as part of the ceasefire agreement. Before the summit, Trump had visited Israel and met with the country's top leadership as the exchange of hostages was underway. In a gesture of gratitude, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated Trump for the Israel Prize, the nation's highest civilian honour, calling him "the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House." The announcement came during a historic session of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, where Trump received a prolonged standing ovation for his role in brokering the peace deal that led to the release of the hostages and the end of the Gaza conflict. (ANI) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated economist Philippe Aghion on receiving the Nobel Prize in Economics, calling it a proud moment for Europe and a testament to the continent's values of innovation and openness. In a post on X, von der Leyen wrote, "Congratulations to Philippe Aghion on receiving the Nobel Prize in economics. A proud moment for Europe and a strong reminder that innovation and openness are the foundations of our shared prosperity." https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/1977716590977171626 She further highlighted Aghion's influential role in shaping key European economic ideas, noting that "Philippe's contributions helped shape Mario Draghi's vision for European competitiveness. And Europe continues to benefit from his insights." Von der Leyen also mentioned that Aghion had recently engaged with the EU leadership on economic matters. "Last month, we had the pleasure of hosting Philippe at @EU_Commission headquarters to discuss the future of our competitiveness policy," she added. Her remarks came shortly after the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Monday that it has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Economics 2025 to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt "for having explained innovation-driven economic growth." According to the Academy, the 2025 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel will go to the trio, with one half awarded to Mokyr "for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress" and the other half jointly to Aghion and Howitt "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction." In essence, the committee said, their work demonstrates how new technology can drive sustained growth. The Prize committee noted that over the last two centuries, for the first time in history, the world has seen sustained economic growth, lifting vast numbers of people out of poverty and laying the foundation of modern prosperity. This year's laureates, the committee said, explain how innovation provides the impetus for further progress. They further observed that the laureates studied the mechanisms behind sustained growth. "The laureates' work shows that economic growth cannot be taken for granted. We must uphold the mechanisms that underly creative destruction, so that we do not fall back into stagnation," said John Hassler, Chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences. Aghion and Howitt's landmark article from 1992 constructed a mathematical model for what is called creative destruction: when a new and better product enters the market, companies selling older products lose out. The innovation is creative, as it brings something new, but also destructive, as it displaces outdated technologies and firms. Their model shows that powerful forces pull in different directions when it comes to investment in research and development (R&D) and economic growth. Depending on factors such as market conditions and time periods, the need to subsidise R&D may vary. The committee explained that rapid technological advancement affects everyone, with new products and production methods constantly replacing old ones in a cycle that sustains growth. This process, it said, forms the foundation of rising living standards, better health, and improved quality of life worldwide. However, the committee added, this was not always the case. For most of human history, stagnation was the norm, and despite periodic breakthroughs, growth would eventually level off. Joel Mokyr's work focused on uncovering why sustained growth became possible. Using historical sources, he demonstrated that for innovation to be self-sustaining, societies must not only know that something works but also why it works. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, this scientific understanding was often lacking, making it difficult to build upon new discoveries. Mokyr also stressed the importance of societies being open to new ideas and embracing change. Mokyr, born in 1946 in the Netherlands, holds a PhD from Yale University and is a Professor at Northwestern University in the US. Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt also examined the mechanisms behind sustained growth. Their 1992 model of creative destruction showed how innovation simultaneously drives progress and disrupts existing industries. The Nobel Prize money of 11 million Swedish kronor will be divided among the three winners, with one half going to Joel Mokyr and the other half jointly to Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt. Aghion, born in 1956 in Paris, holds a PhD from Harvard University and serves as a Professor at Collge de France and INSEAD in Paris, as well as at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK. Peter Howitt, born in 1946 in Canada, has a PhD from Northwestern University and is a Professor at Brown University in the US. (ANI) China has firmly rejected the recent US restrictions and sanctions imposed on it, vowing to take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. In a post on X, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said, "China firmly rejects the recent U.S. restrictions and sanctions on China, and will do what is necessary to protect its legitimate rights and interests." https://x.com/MFA_China/status/1977750816611250641 He emphasised that "threatening high tariffs is not the right way to deal with China," urging Washington to "correct its approach and act on the common understandings the two presidents reached in their phone calls." Lin further underlined that "the two sides can and should address each other's concerns through dialogue and manage differences on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit to keep bilateral ties on a steady, sound and sustainable track." The remarks came as US President Donald Trump sought to ease tensions with Beijing, saying Chinese President Xi Jinping was "highly respected" and expressing optimism about bilateral ties. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Don't worry about China, it will all be fine! Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesn't want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!! President DJT." The White House also posted on X, stating, "It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The exchange followed renewed strain between Washington and Beijing after Trump's threat to impose new 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports. In response, China vowed countermeasures if the US president makes good on his warning, CNN reported. Trump's latest threat came after China announced a raft of export restrictions on rare earth minerals last week, a move that has escalated trade tensions and threatened to derail months of progress in negotiations between the two economic powers. Reacting to the development, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said, "Resorting to threats of high tariffs is not the right way to engage with China." The spokesperson added, "If the US persists in acting unilaterally, China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. Our position on a tariff war remains consistent -- we do not want one, but we are not afraid of one." According to CNN, the rapid escalation of the dispute between the world's two largest economies has rattled global markets, sinking stocks and reigniting fears of a repeat of the tit-for-tat tariff war earlier this year, when duties on Chinese and American imports soared to around 145 per cent and 120 per cent respectively. The rising tensions have also cast a shadow over the planned meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, expected to take place in South Korea in two weeks' time. However, citing the rare earths issue, Trump has now expressed doubt over whether the meeting will go ahead, CNN reported. (ANI) Several security sources have reported the presence of foreign military advisers in the Polisario camps in Tindouf, Algeria, as well as in other secret Algerian military bases. According to these sources, quoted by the Paris-based news outlet Sahel Intelligence, the foreigners include instructors linked to networks close to Hamas and Iranian advisers operating in the Sahel-Saharan region. These reports, confirmed by intelligence services, echo revelations from Algerian officers regarding ties with Tehran, accusing it of allowing Hezbollah and Hamas to supply weapons and military assistance to the Polisario. Experts in Maghreb security believe that Irans support for the Polisario fits into a broader strategy in North Africa and the Sahel, similar to the approach used in the Middle East with Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah, the news outlet said. These claims, cited in several reports, fuel concerns about tactical cooperation between the Polisario and militants affiliated with the Iranian-Islamist axis. In recent years, the international community has observed the transformation of the Polisario Fronta separatist movement based in the Tindouf camps in Algeriainto a structure that is increasingly militarized and ideologically radicalized. While the Algerian military regime continues to present the Polisario as a liberation movement, several diplomatic and security sources now consider that it aligns itself with the methods and networks of organizations classified as terrorist, such as Hamas and other groups that share a rhetoric based on armed violence. According to confidential notes, Iran has sought to expand its influence in North Africa by supporting the Polisario in Tindouf in the same way it supports Hamas in Gazathrough the supply of weapons and military training provided by Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, and militias of Irans Revolutionary Guards. Hamas and the Polisario embody two facets of the same regional strategy: destabilizing states in favor of revolutionary ideologies backed by Tehran and its partners. Western analysts warn of the growing blurring between political action and a drift toward terrorism. There has been a resurgence of incidents along the Mauritanian border, in the Sahel region north of Mali, and in Libya, as well as the emergence of sleeper cells in the Tindouf camps, accompanied by an increase in suspicious financial flows going through certain local NGOs. Madagascar faces its most severe political crisis in over a decade as a wave of Gen Z-led protests has escalated into what President Andry Rajoelina describes as an attempted coup. The unrest intensified after CAPSAT, the elite military unit that helped install Rajoelina in power in 2009, declared its allegiance to the protesters and announced it had taken control of the armed forces. The youth-led movement, Gen Z Madagascar, began on 25 September in response to chronic water and electricity shortages. But the protests have since evolved into broader demands for government accountability, economic justice, and democratic reform. Organized online and decentralized in leadership, the demonstrators have drawn comparisons to similar Gen Z uprisings in Nepal, Kenya, and Bangladesh. As CAPSAT troops joined demonstrators in the capital Antananarivo over the weekend, Rajoelinas government condemned the move as an illegal seizure of power. A video message from CAPSAT officers claimed they now direct all branches of the military, but other units have yet to confirm alignment. With at least 22 deaths reported and the Senate, business elite, and cabinet increasingly under fire, Rajoelinas grip appears to be weakening. His recent appointment of a military general as prime minister failed to quell public anger. We, who wear the uniform, are rising for the people, said a CAPSAT colonel. As the protests grow and the armys stance remains uncertain, the nation watches anxiously, unsure whether it stands on the brink of reform or repeat revolution. Eighteen years since the Dziekanski tragedy By Mark Wegierski web posted October 13, 2025 Eighteen years ago, on October 14, 2007, Robert Dziekanski, a forty-year-old Polish immigrant to Canada, met a tragic death at Vancouver Airport. Having arrived at the airport, he waited in the airport's enclosed baggage area. His mother was in another part of the airport, and was erroneously told that he hadn't arrived, and she then left the airport. After waiting for over ten hours, Robert understandably became angry, and started to make a ruckus. The over-zealous RCMP airport police rushed in and Tasered him a number of times, resulting in his death from a heart attack. One is struck how pointless his death was. This tragic death of Robert Dziekanski, which is still sometimes under sporadic discussion in the Canadian media, leads the author to certain uneasy thoughts about the place and future of the Polish-Canadian community in Canada, as well as about the allegedly "compassionate" Canada. The tragedy brings into high relief the curiously uneven nature of Canadian "compassion". While the launching of various investigations and inquiries is appreciated, it is comparatively easy for various officials to express sympathy after the fact, without asking some hard questions about the societal context that led to such a grave injustice. English-Canadians in government posts are usually interested in being manifestly compassionate towards "officially-recognized" minorities. "White ethnics" like Poles are not numbered in this group. Indeed, most "white ethnic" groups in Canada and the U.S., have encountered discrimination in North America. When they arrived in great numbers in the mid to late nineteenth century, and early twentieth century, there was disdain for the Irish as well as for Eastern and Southern Europeans. Today, however, this history has been mostly forgotten, and "white ethnics" have been ranked with the "oppressor" white majority. Polish-Canadian and Polish-American communities typify this pattern of treatment. For example, in the North American (U.S. and Canadian) media there are considerable negative stereotypes about Poles. Arguably, the more the Poles are habitually derided in the mass media by the so-called opinion-forming elites, the less consideration they will receive from lower-level functionaries in the system. Let's cite a concrete example of negative stereotyping. A few, mainly Polish-American critics, have said that that first Borat movie is nothing but one long, ugly "Polack joke". Interestingly enough, Sacha Baron Cohen as "Borat" sprinkles his dialogue with a few Polish expressions something that Polish-speakers immediately notice. The movie is full of anti-Slavic and anti-East European stereotypes, which have been applied to, among others, Poles. This negative view of Poles goes back a long time. In his magisterial but depressing book, Polish-American professor M.B.B. Biskupski documents Hollywood's War with Poland, 1939-1945 (University Press of Kentucky, 2010). Incredible as it may seem -- during this time of unbelievable agony for Poland "Hollywood presented a fundamentally distorted and negative portrayal of Poland and the Poles during the Second World War" (p. ix). This negative depiction indeed continued over the succeeding decades misportrayals that are, indeed, accepted as facts by the captive American and Canadian audience that has only limited knowledge about World War II. Indeed, there is a history of literary bestsellers and Hollywood blockbusters misportraying Poles. Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird, with its highly negative portrayal of Polish peasants, has now been conclusively demonstrated to be a work of fiction, but it continues to appear on recommended reading lists. William Styron's Sophie's Choice (made into a spectacular film in 1982, for which Meryl Streep won the Best Actress Oscar) is full of slander against Poles. The idea that someone with the very high prestige of a professor of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow would call for the "extermination of the Jews" is a profound lie. Even the most fringe Far Right Polish parties in pre-war Poland did not advocate genocide against the Jews. The Holocaust mini-series (1977) was also full of historical inaccuracies, for example, showing auxiliary Nazi units suppressing the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, dressed in Polish army uniforms. Indeed, there is a climate in North America today where the vast extent of Nazi Germany's evil against Slavic countries and peoples is curiously de-emphasized. One example of the end-result of all this, is President Obama casually uttering the phrase "Polish death camps". The tragedy in Vancouver also calls to mind the pointed criticism of the current-day system as an "anarcho-tyranny" in which, it is said, that the state and the police typically treat real criminals with kid-gloves, but are often considerably indifferent and exacting towards ordinary people. The term "anarcho-tyranny" was first conceptualized by the controversial paleoconservative theorist Sam Francis, but the term is certainly descriptive and explanatory of many current-day realities. The provenance of the term should not be held against it. One notices, for example, that there are frequently various highly dubious elements streaming unimpeded through Canada's airports whereas it is one honest, unassuming man with a poor knowledge of English that gets fatally caught in the gears of "security". Despite over a million persons of Polish descent in Canada today (according to the official Canada Census numbers) the register of Polish-Canadians on the Canadian political and cultural scene seems to be very low indeed. In Toronto, there appears to have been little but an accelerating decline in the community's vibrancy since the 1970s, when the multiculturalism policy had been welcomed with such great expectations. The original definition of "multiculturalism" in Canada which has been totally eclipsed today was the recognition of European groups other than the English and French especially Eastern and Southern Europeans. Indeed, the term "multiculturalism" was initially taken up with particular enthusiasm by the Ukrainian-Canadians, who clamored for more recognition in the Canadian polity. Although the initial trajectories of the Polish and Ukrainian groups in Canada were similar, they have significantly diverged with the Ukrainians able to build up far more significant infrastructures (politicians, judges, academics, writers, artists, media-people) in the Canadian polity, and to successfully ensure the persistence of the Ukrainian language from generation to generation. There have been several waves of Polish immigrants to Canada, from at least four, distinctly different Polish societies -- including that of the Partition Period, 1795-1918, when Poland was under harsh foreign occupation -- as well as their generations of offspring. The post-World War II wave of Polish immigration to Canada consisted mostly of Polish soldiers who had fought at the side of the Western Allies -- and were unable and unwilling to return to a Sovietized satellite Poland -- some who came to Canada directly, and others who moved to Canada after settling in Britain. Those Polish soldiers who came directly were, as the price of their admission, required to work for two full years on remote farms. Conditions there were sometimes none too pleasant. It could be argued that the situation of Polish-Canadians -- and, indeed, of other "white ethnic" groups such as Ukrainian-, Italian-, and Portuguese-Canadians -- points to a dilemma in current-day Canada. How are persons who are often "Old World" in their social and cultural outlooks to be assimilated into the prevalent system of social liberalism and antinomian pop-culture, when they are often inimical to it, and such assimilation is virtually equivalent to the annihilation of their cultural and spiritual identity? (While a stated purpose of official multicultural policy is ethnic cultural preservation.) Indeed, the "North American" future for "white ethnics" like Polish-Canadians appears increasingly problematic. The contributions of Polish professionals, especially architects, engineers, technicians, and research scientists to post-war Canada have been remarkable and far out of proportion to their numbers while remaining little-known by most Canadians. The current definition of "multiculturalism" in Canada has become virtually equivalent to that in the United States where it is a recognition of so-called "visible minorities" (an official term of usage in Canada) rather than of "white ethnics". Some articles have recently appeared in the Canadian press suggesting that if current immigration trends continue -- within less than a hundred years, whites in Canada will number no more than twenty percent of the population. The stewardship of Canadian society by its mostly WASP elites might be seen as being increasingly deleterious to a society where all whites were once an overwhelming majority. On the one hand, Canada promotes multiculturalism. On the other, Canadians of Polish descent are being massively assimilated to a broader liberal culture. Canada promotes official multiculturalism and claims that all cultures are equal and welcome. But what they don't say is that "culture" is a complex phenomenon, comprised of, among other things, a political and moral culture, on the one hand, and folk mannerisms and appearances, on the other. The former matter tremendously, because they affect one's sense of justice and one's ability to integrate into Canada's late-modern liberal order. The latter comprise dress, food, home language, etc. The latter expressions of ethnic identity are promoted by Canada's multiculturalism policies as a way of helping to transition immigrants into the so-called Canadian mainstream. The former are suppressed quietly, but continuously and persistently, as a threat to Canada. Over many years, many Poles have come to Canada and seen their "conservatism of the heart" ignored and squashed by a late-modern liberal elite, the same elite that claims support for multiculturalism. In short, multiculturalism in Canada is for cultural expressions that don't matter. But to traditional Poles, their moral culture matters. And when they resist what the elites want, they are derided as backwards, regressive, etc. The immigrants have mostly co-operated with this approach of Canada. But Canada has finally encountered an immigrant group for which this doesn't work Muslims. They take their religion very seriously, and they won't be deterred from it by attempts to integrate them. Meanwhile, the liberal elite has lost confidence in itself, in its treatment of Muslims, seeing them as victims of an extremely powerful West. In short, the elites have guilty consciences concerning their treatment of Muslims, and most visible minorities but not their treatment of Poles and other "white ethnics". Important issues of so-called "white ethnic" identity in general, and of Polish-Canadian identity in particular -- and of its multifarious dimensions and possible place in the Canadian future should be discussed more in Canada today. They should also be matters of interest in America with its large Polish-American population, especially in cities like Chicago. The fact is that "white ethnics" might increasingly become the focus for a white American identity that has been largely abandoned by America's self-hating WASP elites. Ironically, Polish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, and similar groups, may have a greater self-regard and sense of identity, than the now-fading WASPs. Mark Wegierski is a Toronto-based writer and historical researcher. He was born in Toronto of Polish immigrant parents. Home The European Unions decision to impose 50% tariffs on steel imports beyond a reduced quota has sent ripples through global markets and Africa is bracing for the fallout. While most African countries are technically exempt from the EUs new tariff regime under WTO rules, the continent may still face serious indirect consequences. With major steel producers like China, India, and Turkey now locked out of European markets, surplus steel is expected to be redirected to developing regions, turning Africa into a potential dumping ground. Countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, and Algeria, which have recently ramped up domestic steel production to fuel infrastructure development and industrialization, now face a looming threat: cheap, redirected imports could undercut local industries and stall progress. The EU says the tariffs are necessary to combat global overcapacity and defend its steel sector, which has shed nearly 100,000 jobs over the past 15 years. The new quota system allows 18.3 million tonnes of tariff-free steel down 47% from prior levels targeting unsustainable imports. While African exporters such as South Africa and Egypt remain below the EUs penalty threshold of 3% of total imports, the broader shift in trade flows presents a structural risk. Without a coordinated African response, experts warn, Europes protectionist pivot could undermine the continents ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and stifle industrial growth. Moroccan technology companies joined global innovators at Dubais Expand North Star 2025, the worlds premier startup and investment platform that opened Sunday as part of GITEX Global. The four-day event, organized by Dubais Digital Chamber, brings together approximately 2,000 startups and over 1,000 investors from more than 100 countries, collectively managing assets exceeding one trillion dollars. Moroccos participation spans artificial intelligence, modern technologies, and digital solutions across multiple sectors including mobility, healthcare, logistics, and financial services. The kingdoms startups are actively seeking partnerships and funding opportunities while demonstrating their innovative capabilities to international audiences. The Bayt Mal Al Qods Acharif Agency, operating under the Al-Qods Committee chaired by King Mohammed VI, maintains a prominent presence through its institutional pavilion and BMAQ Innovation Hub. The incubator showcases six Palestinian startups, providing growth platforms and funding access while supporting global digital economy development and promoting international innovation initiatives. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, this edition introduces ambitious new initiatives enriching the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The ScaleX platform highlights 50 of the worlds fastest-growing technology companies, while North Star Green Impact focuses on startups addressing climate and environmental challenges through innovation. Additional programs include the Deeptech MEA Summit, stimulating innovation in artificial intelligence and robotics, and the Digital Assets Forum, examining structural questions shaping the emerging global financial system. These specialized tracks reflect the events evolution beyond traditional technology showcases toward comprehensive ecosystem development. The parallel GITEX Global 2025 exhibition, launched Monday, will spotlight innovations in artificial intelligence, financial technologies, healthcare solutions, and smart city implementations. Moroccos participation demonstrates its growing integration into global technology networks and commitment to fostering innovation-driven economic development through international collaboration. Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, met on Sunday, 12 October 2025, with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, to discuss enhancing the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza as the enclaves crisis deepens. Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypts full support for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and its mission to safeguard Palestinian civilians and ensure the smooth delivery of relief supplies. He also surveyed Egypts efforts to implement the initial phase of the newly reached Gaza agreement, highlighting OCHAs critical role in facilitating the expanded entry of medical and relief assistance. The Egyptian foreign minister further announced preparations for the upcoming International Conference on Early Recovery and Reconstruction in Gaza, to be hosted in Cairo in partnership with international stakeholders. Fletcher affirmed OCHAs readiness to participate actively in the reconstruction conference, underscoring the UNs collaboration with Egypt in addressing Gazas urgent humanitarian and recovery needs. Libyas Minister of Economy and Trade, Mohamed Al-Huwaij, has directed the Commercial Registry Authority to tighten control over company registration renewals in line with the countrys Commercial Code. Speaking during a meeting on Sunday, 12 October 2025, at the ministrys headquarters, Al-Huwaij underscored the importance of enforcing the 2010 Commercial Law to ensure transparency and accountability in business operations. The minister further called for greater oversight of insurance companies to ensure full adherence to legal and regulatory frameworks governing the industry. He instructed senior officials to develop a unified institutional structure for the ministry and its affiliated bodies, aimed at improving coordination and efficiency. According to a statement from the Ministry of Economy and Trade, these reforms form part of broader efforts by the Government of National Unity to modernize Libyas commercial and financial systems and strengthen confidence in the national economy. The meeting brought together undersecretaries, department heads, and directors of affiliated entities to discuss measures for enhancing regulatory compliance across the commercial sector. The United Nations has issued a stern condemnation of what it described as repeated and deliberate attacks on civilians in El Fasher, North Darfur, allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) detailed, in a statement released on Sunday, October 12, a series of assaults that claimed at least 110 civilian lives, including strikes on a displacement shelter and the citys last remaining major hospital. These incidents demand thorough, impartial investigations, and those responsible must be held accountable, the statement declared, denouncing the attacks in the strongest possible terms. According to OCHA, drone strikes on October 10 and 11 targeted a shelter for internally displaced persons in the Daraja Oula neighborhood, killing at least 57 civilians, among them women and children. Earlier, between October 5 and 8, similar attacks attributed to the RSF left 53 civilians dead and more than 60 others injured, including at the Saudi Hospital a vital lifeline for trapped residents. Reaffirming that civilian infrastructure is protected under international law, the UN stressed that hospitals, shelters, and places of refuge must not be targeted. The organization called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and unhindered humanitarian access, urging all parties to prioritize civilian safety. The people of Sudan need the violence to stop, OCHA concluded. Morocco is set to start extracting uranium from its huge phosphate deposits, enabling the country to position itself as a key player in the global Uranium industry, according to press reports. Uranium is primarily used as fuel in nuclear reactors, where its atoms are split to produce vast amounts of energy. Extracted from phosphoric acid, Uranium is gaining renewed importance as nuclear energy emerges as a sustainable and efficient option for electricity generation. As the global demand for clean and secure energy sources increases, Morocco will start producing uranium to strengthen its energy sovereignty and contribute to diversifying international Uranium supply chains. According to the geological data, Moroccan Phosphate deposits contain massive quantities of extractable Uranium. This places the Kingdom in a strategic position to meet the growing global demand. Moroccos emergence as a reliable supplier will reshape the global energy landscape as geopolitical tensions and instability disrupt traditional Uranium supply chains. With 50 billion tons of phosphate reserves containing 6.9 million tons of uranium, Morocco holds the largest unconventional uranium resource, offering a sustainable uranium supply. In recent years, Morocco has strengthened its cooperation with the IAEA in various fields, including nuclear medicine, food security, and water resource management, reflecting its commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Experts believe that Moroccos entry into the uranium production market will have significant geopolitical and economic implications, as it will enhance global supply and reduce reliance on regions experiencing political tension. It will also open the door to new strategic partnerships, particularly with Europe and Africa. The United States is forging ahead with a bold strategy to encourage private investment in Moroccos southern provinces, a move that starkly contrasts with the European Unions fragmented stance, a Carnegie Endowment For International Peace analyst said. While Washington seeks tangible economic returns and a clear diplomatic signal, Brussels remains entangled in internal divisions over the status of the Sahara, Sarah Yerkes of the Washington-based Think Tank told Moroccan daily Assabah. The American decision reflects a pragmatic effort to translate the Trump administrations 2020 recognition of Moroccan sovereignty into economic action, Yerkes said in the interview with Assabah. She explained that the US favors private sector engagement over traditional aid or diplomacy, using investment as a tool to reinforce its political position. Its a practical strategy aimed at benefiting American investors, she noted. Meanwhile, the EUs multilateral nature complicates its response. Member states hold differing views on the Sahara, which forces the Union to adopt a more restrained and consensus-driven approach, Yerkes said. The EUs heavy weights including Spain, Germany, the Netherlands in addition to Portugal, Hungary and a growing number of European nations back Moroccos autonomy plan. France, The EUs second largest economy, recognizes the Sahara as Moroccan. Morocco and the EU have renewed their agricultural trade deal which includes products from the Sahara territory, dealing a blow to pro-separatist groups who have challenged the deals. In 2023, the UKs judiciary has dismissed a case brought by lobbyists in favor of the Polisario and Algeria who wanted to exclude Sahara products from a trade deal with Morocco. Washington State Issues Tree Trimming Hazard Alert Following Spike in Worker Fatalities A new alert from Washington States Department of Labor & Industries urges employers to strengthen fall protection, supervision, and rigging practices after multiple fatal tree trimming incidents. Washington State safety officials are warning employers and workers in the tree care and landscaping industry to strengthen fall protection and rigging practices following a recent increase in worker deaths. A new hazard alert issued by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) reports that eleven landscaping workers in the state died between 2020 and 2024, most while performing tree trimming tasks. Nationwide, 228 landscaping workers were killed in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, underscoring the high-risk nature of the industry. The Tree Trimmer Hazard Alert outlines several fatal incidents and identifies recurring safety failures that contributed to the deaths. Among them were climbers who accidentally cut their lifelines, workers struck by falling branches, and rigging failures during lowering operations. In one case, a worker climbing a 120-foot Douglas fir inadvertently severed his flip line while cutting limbs and fell to the ground. In another, a trimmer was fatally struck by a suspended branch that broke unexpectedly. A third incident involved a shock load when a crew wrapped a lowering rope directly around a tree instead of using proper rigging equipment, causing the rope to whip upward and pull the climber from the trunk. According to the alert, these tragedies highlight the need for pre-job hazard assessments, qualified supervision, and the exclusive use of arborist-grade ropes, harnesses, and rigging systems. L&I recommends that all tree work be overseen by a Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) or ISA Certified Arborist who can evaluate jobsite hazards and ensure compliance with ANSI Z133-2017 safety standards. Workers should receive training on safe climbing techniques, emergency descent procedures, communication protocols, and rescue planning. Employers are also encouraged to conduct post-incident reviews to identify root causes and improve safety practices. State safety officials stress that proper planning and equipment selection can prevent future fatalities. Even experienced climbers, they note, can make critical errors under pressure if protocols are not followed or equipment is improperly used. The hazard alert urges companies to treat tree trimming as a highly technical operation requiring formal safety management and supervision, not as routine groundskeeping work. Tree trimming remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, combining fall hazards, struck-by risks, and electrical exposure. L&Is latest alert serves as a reminder that comprehensive safety planningsupported by qualified leadership and continuous trainingis the most effective defense against deadly incidents in the field. For more information, view the full alert here: Preventing Tree Trimmer Deaths (PDF) Milton Friedman on the decriminalization of drugs: Did his theories stand the test of time? By Kathryn Haggart web posted October 13, 2025 If you turn on the TV to watch the news or walk downtown in your local metropolitan area you will almost certainly see and hear issues related to the drug crisis that permeates our culture and world. It is such a huge issue that international trade wars have erupted, much in part due to drugs. One question that is often debated in the discussion about drugs is whether drugs should be legalized or not. Milton Freidman, a Nobel prize winning economist wrote about the issue in his joint book with Thomas Szasz titled On Liberty and Drugs. The free market enthusiast and freedom warrior strongly argued for less laws surrounding drugs, especially concerning the decriminalization of drugs. In his short book, written at the dawn of the 1990s, he asserted that "Had drugs been decriminalized Crack would never have been invented There would be fewer addicts The lives of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of innocent victims would have been saved Fewer people would be in jails and fewer jails would have been built" Friedman wrote this in a time when the decriminalization of drugs was a novel idea, one that hadn't been explored. Today, this is no longer a novel concept. In British Columbia, Canada we have a perfect example of what happens when a government decriminalizes hard drugs. Marijuana has been decriminalized in places like Colorado, Minnesota and Canada. What happens is not what Friedman believed would happen. To paraphrase the immortal words of Inigo Montoyo, "I do not think that 'idea' means what you think it means." In this case, Frieman's ideas were idealistic and impractical. With the knowledge and experience that comes after seven years of fully legalized marijuana in Canada and hard drugs such as crystal meth and "crack" legalized in British Columbia for close to three years, data clearly shows that decriminalizing drugs is not the answer to solve the drug crisis our world is facing. Friedman's idealized beliefs have not stood the test of time. The decriminalization of drugs has not reduced the number of addicts, instead the number of people addicted to drugs has increased, the number of fatalities due to drugs has increased greatly and governments have spent millions upon millions of dollars providing safe injection sites and even supplying the public with drugs and drug paraphernalia. Friedman believed that by decriminalizing drugs there will end up being less addicts. He likened the decriminalization of drugs to the end of the prohibition of alcohol, claiming that after the prohibition ended the number of those addicted to alcohol dropped. In Canada, in 2018 (the year that marijuana was legalized) 22% of the population used marijuana. In 2024, in the same graph the number of marijuana users in Canada had jumped to 26%. To have 26% of a population using a drug does not support Friedman's view that drug addictions will decrease after legalization. An estimated 9% of marijuana users will become addicted to marijuana. This may not seem like a large number of addicts, but based on this estimate, about 908 000 people in Canada (a population of 38.8 million) will be addicted to marijuana. The second claim Friedman made was that the decriminalization of drugs would save lives. Narrowing our focus on British Columbia, a province of about five million people, which three years ago legalized the use of small amounts of hard drugs, it is easily discoverable that Friedman's claim is yet again debunked. In 2019, before the legalization of drugs, the number of people in British Columbia who died from drug toxicity averaged out to about 3 deaths per day. That number more than doubled in 2023 when the British Columbia government reported an average of 6.9 deaths per day due to drug toxicity. This jump in drug toxicity deaths proves that under the decriminalization of drugs, drug toxicity deaths did not fall, yet again refuting Frieman's argument. What about the costs associated with substances and the decriminalization of drugs? This is a question that is always near the economist's brain. Thinking like an economist we must consider what is the cost right now (or in the past how much it cost) to enforce the prohibition of drugs. We must also consider how much it would cost to legalize drugs and weigh the benefits of legalizing against the negative effects. What is our opportunity cost? Would it be more useful, profitable and helpful if instead of enforcing the prohibition of drugs we allocated our resources elsewhere? This is the concept of scarcity. We only have so many resources, is it really in our best interest for our society as a whole to allocate them to the decriminalization of drugs? Friedman believed that the decriminalization of drugs would create an effect that lessens the number of criminals in the judicial system and lower the number of jails needed. Unfortunately no data has been released in order to single handedly declare Friedman's theory correct or incorrect, however the number of lives lost should be considered. We have plenty of other information that will help decide whether the decriminalization of drugs is cost effective. Some of the concepts that may not be considered but are factors of the decriminalization of drugs are: the cost to keep other citizens safe from those experiencing drug addictions and violent acts while on drugs, the cost to the medical system to treat those who have overdosed or have developed long term illness from their drug use, the cost of safe injection sites for those using drugs, and thousands of other costs that are directly incurred and related to drug use. For example, in Toronto, Canada, (where hard drugs are not legal) The city spent over $33 000 of tax payer money on branded stickers to place on "safe" drug kits. Note that the aforementioned $33 000 did not include any of the actual drugs or equipment that was also included in the kit, it simply covered the cost of the stickers that went on the kit. Jumping back to British Columbia, in 2020, before drugs were decriminalized, paramedics responded to an average of 74 drug overdose calls per day. That number soared in 2024 when they responded to an average of 111 drug overdose calls each day! It is very costly to respond to these calls! Weighing the opportunity cost to legalize drugs it appears that it would be more valuable to allocate those resources elsewhere in a sector that would be beneficial to more tax payers, rather than just those who choose to use drugs. Milton Friedman was an economist who was well esteemed for his economic contributions. Many of his theories have withstood the scrutiny of the past decades. The hypothesis Friedman put forth in regards to the decriminalization of drugs however is not such an issue. These hypotheses are idealist and have been proved to be false in the case of British Columbia and Canada as a whole. Friedman made his claim in an era when these theories were a novelty, having never been tested. If we considered the data from the past three to eight years as "experimental", the experiment would have failed. Frieman's theories are no longer novel. They are the reality, but not the whole reality. Friedman's theories are what would ideally happen if drugs were decriminalized. They are not what actually happens when drugs are decriminalized. In this case Friedman's predictions over promised and under delivered. Kathryn Haggart is an economics student and this is her first contribution to Enter Stage Right. (c) 2025 Kathryn Haggart Home Uncertainty remains the defining theme in global energy circles this week, heightened by the political volatility now emanating from the United States. Earlier this month, a top Shell executive warned that the Trump administrations animosity toward offshore wind risks complicating investment decisions for oil and gas as well, pointing to a regulatory pendulum swing that has created a highly unpredictable environment. This sentiment is now pervasive: the industry is grappling with fundamental questions about the viability and execution of the energy transition. This uncertainty is not only political but is increasingly technical, driven by real-world grid challenges that are forcing a reckoning between ambitious climate targets and practical energy security. Speaking to the Financial Times, Shells Hirstius said that I think uncertainty in the regulatory environment is very damaging. However far the pendulum swings one way, its likely that its going to swing just as far the other way. This is an apt observation, only it could be argued that Trumps policy towards wind, and to a lesser extent solar, is also an example of the pendulum swinging back, after billions of dollars were spent on developing technologies that, contrary to predictions, did not bring electricity prices down. It is this failure of the transition promises to materialize that is changing sentiment in global energy. Spain is a case in point. This spring, both Spain and Portugal suffered a devastating blackout that authorities and grid operators at the time refused to link to the amount of solar generation at the time. Now, Spains grid operator is warning that it could happen again because there are wild swings in voltage. The warning comes days after the European Unions ENTSO-Ethe blocs grid operators networkpublished its report on the April blackout, pointing to excessive voltage as the cause. Related: Exxon Restarts Key Gasoline Unit After Brief Beaumont Refinery Outage Excessive voltage is not something caused by gas, nuclear, or coal power plants. Swings in voltage are one of the less publicized properties of wind and solar installations, and the thing that forces curtailment during demand troughs, precisely to avoid blackouts. So, grid operators are essentially saying there is a problem with uncontrolled wind and solar, and it could be a serious problem. Facts like this tend to undermine the reputation of the energy transition as the only way forward, with a net zero of acceptable alternatives. So do facts like Germanys vulnerability to energy price shocks as a result of insufficient gas reserves for the winter season. Gas major Uniper warned this week that the country could face a bill of 40 billion euros, which is about $46.6 billion, if it failed to keep its gas reserve 90% fullsomething rather unlikely for peak demand season. Germany has been at the forefront of the energy transition, with massive wind and solar capacity, and yet it needs a lot of gas to survive the winter. Something clearly does not add up, widening the divide between what politicians want to have as an energy system and what is possible to have as an energy systemwithout blackouts. This is clearly affecting investment decisions both in the wind and solar sectors, and in oil and gas. Caution is the new black in both parts of the energy world because this pendulum keeps swinging. The International Energy Agency recently issued a Renewables 2025 report, in which it predicted a 50% slump in wind, solar, EV and similar investments in the United States because of the Trump administrations policies. But it also noted it had revised its growth numbers because of policy changes in China. China has led the world in both oil and gas demand, and wind and solar installations for years now. China has been used both as an example of how to do an energy transition and as a demonstration that whatever the EU or, say, the UK does about its emissions, Chinas emissions continue to grow, and quite significantly, offsetting any decline elsewhere and then some. Yet now China is building additional oil storage capacity while reining in its solar industries to put an end to what has become popular as a race to the bottom. China, then, this transition leader, is effectively admitting that the subsidy-driven industry growth model does not work over the longer term. All it does is spur a race to the bottom, meaning intense competition, a downward spiral for prices and the resulting proliferation of negative bottom lines and ultimately company failures. Yet governments in European countries, Canada, and Australia are trying to replicate the Chinese model of subsidized transition. OilPrice.com as a preferred source in Google Setas a preferred source in Google here While expecting this model to prompt the twofold increase in wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal capacity by 2030, the International Energy Agency warned the world needs to invest more in oil and gas because field depletion was happening faster than previously assumed. The warning came soon after the U.S. Energy Secretary suggested the IEA remember what it was set up to dofocus on energy securityand stop playing cheerleader for the energy transition. Big Oil, meanwhile, is doubling down on its recent shift from low-carbon investments to core business, despite all the political uncertainty and complicatedness. Per its own admissions, the industry is doing what makes moneyeven without all the subsidies that wind and solar have enjoyed in the EU for years and enjoyed in the U.S. for quite a while as well. Some say the world is bifurcating into those who know the energy transition could never work, so they are securing their future supply of hydrocarbons, and those who choose to ignore evidence of the above and continue to pursue decarbonization policies that only lead to more expensive and less reliable energy. They may well be right. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The signing of heads of agreement last week between U.S. energy supermajor ExxonMobil and Iraqs Oil Ministry is perhaps the most significant of the recent deals between firms from the West and Baghdad. It is true that several others have been with similarly-high-powered global energy giants including Chevron, BP, and TotalEnergies and have involved multi-billion-dollar deals. But it is also the case that ExxonMobils exit from Iraq a few years ago was the most high-profile exit of any Western firm during that era for two reasons. First, it involved the withdrawal from two of Iraqs most crucial developments: its cornerstone oil infrastructure development project (the Common Seawater Supply Project, CSSP) and its supergiant West Qurna 1 oil field. Second, the real reasons behind the withdrawal analysed in full in my latest book on the new global oil market order were symptomatic of the broader malaise in Iraqs oil and gas sector that had stymied the realisation of its true potential for decades. As these were also the fundamental reasons for the subsequent withdrawal from Iraq of all other Western firms at that time, the fact that ExxonMobil is back is a clear signal that the West is moving to reassert its influence over Iraq, and the rest of the Middle East too. The key question for the West and the global oil markets, is how long can this rapprochement last? Related: OPEC+ Oil Production Jumped by 630,000 Bpd in September The real reason why it broke down last time for ExxonMobil (and for every other Western firm that followed the U.S. oil giant out of the door) was alluded to in the official comments from the firm that it was over a dispute over the tendering process connected to the CSSP. However, a senior source who worked very closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry at the time exclusively told OilPrice.com at that point that it resulted from a critical breakdown in trust between the U.S. firm and Iraqs Oil Ministry over the risk/reward balance of the project, as highlighted in the tendering process, among many others. Specifically, this was to do with the widespread practice of commission payments in the country, which could well be characterised in Western countries as bribery and corruption, and these payments pertained to the gamut of large and small contracts connected to the project. The same elements at play prompted ExxonMobils withdrawal from the West Qurna 1 oil field later, according to the Iraq source. There were three key elements that formed the basis of these negotiations [between ExxonMobil and Iraqs Oil Ministry for the U.S.s continuation in other projects in the country] -- cohesion, security and streamlining, said the Baghdad-based source. Cohesion related to ensuring that building the facilities connected to projects were completed in full and in order. Security related to the on-the-ground security of personnel and to the soundness of the basic business and legal practices involved in the agreement. Streamlining meant that any deal should continue as had been laid out in the agreement, regardless of any future changes to the government of Iraq. Given the questionable commission practices and extreme legal opacity involved in these projects, the potential damage to the reputation of ExxonMobil (and of the U.S.) was considered simply too great. Subsequent to this, a senior legal source in Washington exclusively told OilPrice.com, it was decided by U.S. firms (with governmental input) that any major agreements signed by big U.S. oil and gas companies in Iraq would have to be agreed in full by U.S. lawyers, all accounts will have to be checked by U.S. accounting firms, working processes will have to be checked by U.S. project consultancy firms, and security issues of any nature will have to be worked through and then monitored on an ongoing basis with U.S. security organisations. These concerns were not without foundation, as they had been meticulously observed and reported on for years by the highly-respected independent non-governmental organisation Transparency International (TI) in its Corruption Perceptions Index. The publication produced around the time that ExxonMobil was in Iraq described Iraq as being: Among the worst countries on corruption and governance indicators, with corruption risks exacerbated by lack of experience in the public administration, weak capacity to absorb the influx of aid money, sectarian issues and lack of political will for anti-corruption efforts. TI added: Massive embezzlement, procurement scams, money laundering, oil smuggling and widespread bureaucratic bribery that have led the country to the bottom of international corruption rankings, fuelled political violence and hampered effective state-building and service delivery. It concluded: Political interference in anti-corruption bodies and politicization of corruption issues, weak civil society, insecurity, lack of resources and incomplete legal provisions severely limit the governments capacity to efficiently curb soaring corruption. It is safe to say three things at this point. First, ExxonMobil will have received high-level assurances not just from the most senior people in Iraqs Oil Ministry, but from those holding the highest positions in government that all three elements that the U.S. firm wanted to see during its first period in Iraq are now in place. Second, every element of these assurances will have been thoroughly checked by the best U.S. lawyers and accountants that money can buy, to make sure they are legally and computationally watertight. And third, elements of the U.S. government will have communicated to their counterparts in Iraq that they do not expect to see any rowing back on any of these conditions for participation, and if they do then there will be broader political and economic ramifications for Iraq than just the withdrawal of U.S. firms from Iraq again in the future. It is apposite to recall at this point that prior to this sudden influx of U.S. companies in Iraq, U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the significant ramping up of sanctions against Iraq as an accomplice of neighbouring Iran, as also detailed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. As it stands, the CSSP is now one part of the US$27 billion four-pronged deal being run by Frances TotalEnergies (which also made it clear to Iraq that it will tolerate no nonsense), so there is no opportunity there for the time being for ExxonMobil. However, its new starting point in Iraq will be the development of the supergiant Majnoon oil field. This choice of field is interesting from three perspectives. First, it is one of the five southern oil fields involved in the gas capture project of TotalEnergies four-pronged deal, along with West Qurna 2, Tuba, Luhais, and Ratawi. This means there would be further collaborative opportunities between the two Western energy giants here, and elsewhere across the south. Second, Majnoon is one of Iraqs Big Four oilfields the others being West Qurna (1 and 2), Rumaila, and Zubair which have been prioritised for development to enable Iraq to hit its longer-term 7 million barrels per day oil output target, but with a view to conserving the longevity of production from them. Third, it is one of Iraqs biggest shared fields with Iran Tehrans part being the huge Azadegan field -- which means that it has long featured as part of Irans ability to keep avoiding international sanctions by passing its oil off as Iraqi oil instead. ExxonMobils presence as developer on the site would clearly deter such supplies from this field. The Majnoon site (Majnoon means insane in Arabic, although the field acquired the name from its possessing an insanely large amount of oil) itself is located around 60 kilometres to the northeast of the main southern export terminal of Basra and remains one of the largest in the world, with an estimated 38 billion barrels of oil in place. Since its discovery in 1975 by Brazils Braspetro (now part of Petrobras), it has been subject to a microcosm of the troubles that have affected the Iraq oil industry as a whole, with two U.S.-led wars, the war against Iran, ongoing domestic security issues, and endemic corruption leading to the cancellation of various deals with international oil companies over the past 30 years or so. The initial development licence was awarded by the Oil Ministry on 11 December 2009 to Shell Iraq Petroleum Development (SIPD) in conjunction with its Malaysian partner, Petronas -- fixed under the terms of a Technical Service Contract at a relatively tight per barrel fee of US$1.39. Nonetheless, within a very short timeframe, the consortium had managed to boost output to the 175,000 barrels per day (bpd) first commercial production target (the threshold for cost-recovery payments for Shell). By the end of Q1 2014, the field was churning out an average of 210,000 bpd. Production has not increased much since then, with the current output hovering around the 245,000-bpd level, according to the Iraq source. However, there is plenty of scope for a massive increase, as the original plateau production commitment for the field by Shells consortium was 1.8 million bpd. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Algerian state oil and gas firm Sonatrach has signed a $5.4-billion exploration and production agreement with Saudi Arabian firm Midad Energy, Algerian news outlet Ennahar TV reported on Monday, citing a statement from Sonatrach. The 30-year contract in the form of a production sharing agreement is for exploration and production in the Illizi Basin in eastern Algeria. The contract can be extended by another 10 years. The deal between Sonatrach and the Saudi firm includes an exploration period of up to seven years and total investments estimated at about $5.4 billion, according to Ennahar TV. OPEC producer Algeria is nearing the finalization of agreements with U.S. supermajors Exxon and Chevron to explore and invest in its shale gas resources as the North African country bets big on boosting its gas pipeline and LNG exports. Most of Algerias gas exports are heading to Europe, which is increasingly betting on Africa to import large volumes of pipeline gas and LNG to replace pipeline gas supply from Russia, which was Europes top gas supplier before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Algeria holds huge conventional natural gas reserves, and it is also estimated to have the thirdlargest shale gas reserves in the world after China and Argentina. Apart from Saudi Arabias Midad Energy, other non-U.S. firms are vying to explore and operate blocks in Algeria. Earlier this year, Zhongman Petroleum and Natural Gas Group (ZPEC), an independent Shanghai-listed Chinese oil and gas company, won a licensing contract to explore a natural gas block in central Algeria. Algerias National Agency for the Valorization of Hydrocarbon Resources, ALNAFT, has awarded the Chinese firm an exploration contract for the Zerafa II gas block. ZPEC won the block in competition with French supermajor TotalEnergies and a consortium of two other European oil firms, Italian Eni and Norways Equinor, the Chinese company said, as quoted by Reuters. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Chinese coal imports surged in September to the highest level in nine months and the highest for 2025 amid falling output and rising prices within China, official data showed on Monday. The worlds top coal consumer, China, imported 46 million tons of coal in September, the highest level so far this year, according to figures by the General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. The imports in September were below last years level for the same month, when shipments into China soared amid plunging international coal prices. Chinese coal production has declined in recent weeks amid government measures to curb oversupply and support coal prices. Earlier this year, China reportedly asked its coal-fired power plants to boost stockpiles with domestic supply as authorities aimed to push up local demand and prices. Domestic coal prices have firmed up in the second half of the year, prompting increased imports. After months of declining coal imports earlier this year, with July arrivals down by 23% from a year earlier, Chinas coal imports strengthened in August and were set to remain at high levels in September, too. Related: Oil Prices Rebound After a Sharp Selloff A drop in domestic production and soaring demand for power generation during the heat waves in August also contributed to the high imports of coal into China in September. The rapid rebound in domestic prices in the second half of the year has further widened the price gap between domestic and imported coal, making imported coal more competitive, Feng Dongbin, vice general manager at consultancy Fenwei Digital Information Technology, told Reuters. Amid oversupply, China was cutting imports and growing coal exports for most months until July. But now imports have rebounded, and the market waits to see if the rebound will be just a blip during the summer power generation or a sustained recovery as Chinese authorities clamp down on excess capacity and oversupply in key industries. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Crude oil imports into China last month went up by 3.9% on September 2024, flowing at an average daily rate of some 11.5 million barrels, Reuters calculated, citing official customs data from Beijing. The rise in crude imports was accompanied by an increase in refinery processing rates to 81.05%, which was the highest since the start of the year for state refiners. Independents, commonly called teapots by the media, also raised their utilization rate, to some 62%. Yet import rates were lower on the month, by 4.5%, Reuters noted in its report, citing data from energy analytics provider Kpler. The decline was especially pronounced in shipments from Iran, the publication said. However, the reason for the dip was not directly related to changes in demand. Rather, it reflected quota exhaustion. The month-on-month decline mainly reflected tight import quotas for independent refineries, which curbed purchases of Russian and Iranian barrels, while narrower arbitrage in June also reduced inflows from Brazil and West Africa, which were loaded in July and August, Kpler analyst Muyu Xu said, as quoted by Reuters. Flows from Iran may remain subdued after the United States last week slapped new sanctions on a Chinese independent refiner, an import terminal, and a host of individuals and vessels for participating in the trade with Iranian crude. Chinas crude oil imports got off to a slow start this year but picked up in the spring, to remain robust as the country stocked up on discounted Russian and Iranian crude. China is even building new storage capacity at the moment, to keep stockpiling the commodity, despite forecasts that demand growth is about to peak in a couple of years. The average rate of stockpiling since the start of 2025 has been estimated at around 990,000 barrels daily. The new storage capacity will add 169 million barrels to the countrys current total. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil prices rebounded in early Asian trading on Monday, recovering from sharp losses in the previous session as investors grew cautiously optimistic that potential talks between President Trump and President Xi could ease tensions between the worlds two largest economies and oil consumers. At the time of writing, Brent was up 1.64% at $63.76, while WTI had risen 1.73% to $59.92. This rebound came after oil prices tumbled by more than 4% on Friday and hit their lowest level since early May. The rebound follows a week of heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Last Thursday, China expanded its export controls on rare earths, a move widely interpreted as a counter to Washingtons trade measures. In response, Trump announced plans to impose 100% tariffs on all Chinese exports bound for the United States and to introduce new export controls on any and all critical software by November 1. The escalation rattled global markets and sent oil prices tumbling, but traders now appear to be betting that both sides will look for a diplomatic off-ramp at the upcoming APEC summit in South Korea, where the two leaders are expected to meet later this month. Goldman Sachs analysts noted that the key question for markets is whether the new trade measures are ultimately implemented or if they remain negotiating tactics ahead of talks. The most likely scenario seems to be that both sides pull back on the most aggressive policies and that talks lead to a furtherand possibly indefiniteextension of the tariff escalation pause reached in May, the bank wrote in a note. Beyond the geopolitical headlines, Mondays gains also reflect technical factors. Crude prices were deeply oversold after Fridays selloff, prompting a wave of bargain-hunting among traders who viewed the drop as excessive. The bounce is more likely a sign investors are positioning for short-term stability rather than a sustained rally, with fundamentals still clouded by mixed signals from both demand and supply sides. OPEC+ continues to follow a cautious production strategy, gradually unwinding voluntary cuts to prevent renewed oversupply. The groups restraint has helped steady the market in recent weeks, even as global demand growth remains uncertain. For now, oil markets remain delicately balanced between the hope of a diplomatic breakthrough and the risk of deeper economic fragmentation. If trade tensions ease and demand indicators stabilize, crude could find a firmer footing, but volatility will likely continue in the coming weeks. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Serica Energy plc has signed a preliminary deal to buy a 32% non-operated interest in the UKs top producing gas field from the supermajor BP, the independent UK oil and gas producer said on Monday. Serica has signed an agreement to buy BPs stake in the Culzean gas condensate field in the UK Central North Sea and an exploration license adjacent to the license containing the Culzean field. Culzean, operated by TotalEnergies, came on stream in 2019 and is currently the largest single producing gas field in the UK North Sea. However, the proposed acquisition of BPs stake by Serica is subject to a pre-emption period, per the terms of the joint operating agreement between the Culzean field partners. The pre-emption period will run for 30 days, with each of the Culzean field partners (TotalEnergies, 49.99%, and NEO NEXT, 18.01%) having the option to acquire BPs stake in the licenses on the same terms as those agreed by Serica. The transaction proposed by Serica would have an economic date of September 1, 2025 and an upfront cash consideration of $232 million. Should this transaction complete, it would deliver a step-change for Serica, adding material production and cash flows from the largest producing gas field in the UK, Sericas CEO, Chris Cox, said in a statement. Culzean is currently the largest gas field on the UK Continental Shelf by production, with production net to BP of about 25,500 boepd in the first half of 2025. Set OilPrice.com as a preferred source in Google here Serica has been expanding its footprint in the UK North Sea with the recent acquisition of assets from Prax Group that would give it stakes and operatorships of additional oil and gas fields. Following the deal with Prax, Serica will have a 40% operated interest in the Greater Laggan Area (GLA), a 10% interest in the Catcher Field, a 5.21% interest in the Golden Eagle Area Development (GEAD), and a 100% interest in the Lancaster field. BP, for its part, started up last week the Murlach oil and gas field in the UK North Sea, the sixth major project the supermajor has launched so far this year, as part of its goal to have ten new oil and gas fields operational globally by 2027. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A Very Large Crude Carrier heading for the Chinese port of Rizhao has been diverted to another port, after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on the Rizhao oil terminal as part of a new pressure campaign on China for its purchases of Iranian crude. Washington announced the new sanctions at the end of last week, targeting more than 100 individuals, tankers, and an independent refiner, along with the Rizhao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal. The Treasury Department is degrading Iran's cash flow by dismantling key elements of Iran's energy export machine, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. President Trump, on the other hand, said that Tehran had signaled it was in favor of the ceasefire deal brokered by him between the Netanyahu government and Hamas, and signaled willingness to work with the Iranian government, within limits. We'd like to see them be able to rebuild their country too, but they can't have a nuclear weapon, Trump said, as quoted by Reuters. Meanwhile, the latest sanctions are seen affecting state oil major Sinopec, which receives 20% of its crude oil exports at the Rizhao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal, Reuters reported separately. The oil major owns 50% of the facility and handles most of the incoming crude oil flows at the terminal. Related: Oil Prices Rebound After a Sharp Selloff The U.S. sanction move followed China's tightening export controls on rare earths that angered Washington and reversed a slide in oil prices that saw Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate end the week to October 10 with a loss. Trumps immediate response to the new controls was the announcement of new tariffs of 100% on top of previously implemented import levies. The U.S. president also said the U.S. will be announcing export controls on any and all critical software, CNBC reported. China argues the new export controls are not punitive action against the U.S. but a regulatory push. Per the new rules, foreign companies exporting rare earths from China would have to apply for a license to do so. Companies linked to foreign armies will not be granted such licenses, the Chinese trade ministry said. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China's top market regulator says probe into Qualcomm a routine law enforcement activity Xinhua) 08:12, October 13, 2025 BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's top market regulator has described its investigation into Qualcomm's unapproved acquisition of Autotalks as a routine law enforcement activity conducted under the country's anti-monopoly law. According to an official with the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the authority intervened although the deal fell below standard notification thresholds, as it had evidence the merger could have an anti-competitive effect. SAMR notified Qualcomm in writing on March 12, 2024, to file the concentration for review and not to proceed with the transaction until it was cleared. Qualcomm stated in a letter two days later that it would abandon the transaction, but proceeded to complete the acquisition in June 2025 without any filing or communication with the regulator, said the official. Following new complaints, SAMR verified the facts, which Qualcomm acknowledged, leading the regulator to formally open a case for the illegal implementation of a concentration of undertakings. SAMR will continue to advance the investigation in an objective and impartial manner in accordance with laws and regulations, the official added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Trump's DC takeover is working in fact, it has already worked By Craig DeLuz web posted October 13, 2025 President Trump's action this summer asserting federal control of the District of Columbia police force was a bold and necessary step toward confronting the rampant crime that has plagued our nation's capital for years. This decision resonates strongly, especially in light of the crime data in the District. The persistent narratives attempting to downplay the crime crisis in D.C. needed be challenged. Trump recognized this and took action. At the conclusion of the first month in this extensive experiment, the data already revealed a striking narrative: The relentless tide of crime can be stemmed, wherever the will exists to do so. Living in crime and danger is a choice, not an inevitability. Crime rates across all seven police districts of Washington have shown a significant downturn since the federal takeover. This change is not limited by economic strata both affluent neighborhoods and those less fortunate have benefited from this decline. Homicides, a tragic barometer of societal health, plummeted by more than 60 percent in the first month. Property crimes, too, saw notable reductions: burglary and theft from vehicles decreased by more than 40 percent, and motor vehicle thefts fell by approximately 35 percent. Incidents of robbery declined by 19 percent. The crucial question is whether the District's leaders will summon the discipline to sustain this progress or simply relapse into the entrenched patterns of dysfunction that have long defined the city's governance. For years, D.C. has wrestled with a heinous crime rate. In 2023, the city recorded 274 murders, three times as many as it had in 2012. The pace at which it reached 200 homicides that year was the fastest in 26 years. The District's murder rate that year surpassed that of cities like Bogota and Mexico City, which are notorious for their violence. The statistics are damning: Prior to the federal takeover, the number of car thefts had doubled and carjackings had more than tripled in just five years. These figures paint a plain picture of reality, contradicting misleading, bogus, and fallacious claims from local officials who have, time and again, insisted that everything is "just fine," that crime is "actually decreasing" just because it isn't quite as high as it was during the massive spike of 2023. Their level of denial, akin to sticking one's head in the sand, does not pave a path to real solutions; it only fosters a dangerous environment in which citizens feel less secure. Trump invoked the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, asserting his constitutional authority something very much in line with the founding principles that establish congressional oversight over the nation's capital. By mobilizing the National Guard to rein in crime, Trump not only prioritized public safety but also challenged the status quo that has allowed D.C. to spiral into lawlessness. This concern for safety was echoed in a recent Washington Post poll, which revealed that Black and low-income residents of D.C. have been particularly alarmed about the rising crime rates, highlighting a troubling disconnect between prevailing political narratives and the lived experiences of vulnerable communities. The D.C. police union voiced unanimous support for federal intervention, acknowledging that crime is out of control and that local policies have hindered effective law enforcement. This underscores a crucial truth: When local governments opt for self-interested narratives such as blaming lack of statehood or historical injustices instead of addressing crime directly they only exacerbate public fear. It is not leadership to ignore worsening conditions while simultaneously manipulating crime statistics in order to paint a rosy picture. Rather, that is a betrayal of public trust. Trump's strategy of increasing police presence and reshaping law enforcement authority is reminiscent of practical measures that stemmed from the "Broken Windows Theory" of policing. The basic idea is that addressing small problems can prevent larger ones from manifesting. If the community can see that law enforcement is actively engaged, the likelihood of crime decreases. This concept has been proven time and again in other cities, where policing strategies that insist on accountability and visible enforcement lead to substantial drops in criminal behavior. Critics, particularly from the political left, have decried these measures as heavy-handed or racially motivated. Yet, to claim that the administration's focus on cracking down on crime is rooted in racism is to sidestep the issue. Crime should be colorblind in its consequences; it is not. People of color are vastly disproportionately the victims of violent crime in D.C., as well as nationwide. There is a clear expectation across all demographics that communities should be safe, and that regardless of one's political beliefs, no one wants to fall victim to crime as Trump put it, "Even if you're a liberal, you might not want people to be murdered on the streets." This acknowledgment transcends politics and strikes at the heart of what many citizens desire: safety, order, and the opportunity to thrive without fear. As support swells for Trump's tough-on-crime approach, it underscores a critical realization: that effective governance demands a firm hand when dealing with the chaos that unchecked crime brings to our communities. Trump's decisive action to reclaim control over the policing of Washington, D.C. deserves acknowledgment. As he suggested, "We want our Capitol back," and that means refusing to accept a narrative of complacency when real-world dangers lurk just outside our doors. Craig J. DeLuz is a Project 21 ambassador. He has almost 30 years of experience in public policy and advocacy and hosts a daily news and commentary show called "The RUNDOWN." This was first published at The Hill. By John A. Charles, Jr. In September, the Portland Public Schools Board voted unanimously to approve the purchase and sale agreement (PSA) for an 80,000 square foot building, which would serve as the home of the Center for Black Student Excellence, (CBSE). The sale price is $16 million. The vote triggered a 90-day due diligence period to be conducted by the PPS Facilities Improvement and Oversight Committee (FIOC). The committee met on October 8 and will meet again November 3. The full Board will vote on December 2. Portland voters approved the CBSE concept in 2020 as part of a $1.25 billion construction bond (Measure 26-215) which included $60 million for the CBSE, though design plans for a building did not exist. In the five years since, none of the $60 million has been spent because no facility has been built. Advocates cannot explain what the Center will be, who it will serve, what it will cost to run, how to fund its operations, or its methods for improving the academic performance of PPS students. The school boards FIOC committee held a work session October 8 to discuss the first due diligence report on the One North Building in the Albina neighborhood. The Staff Memo identified standard tasks such as a title search and environmental liabilities, but the staff is not addressing critically important issues. First is the fact that the One North building will not be used as a school site, but as a youth community center. The 194-page CBSE vision published two years ago casts the center as a hub for community organizations who are advancing a culture of black excellence. However, PPS is a school district whose primary mission is classroom education. The District has never operated a community center with classroom dollars and buying a commercial building for non-school programming will be difficult to justify. A second issue is the questionable legality of a race-based student program. The landscape has changed since the summer of 2020. Recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court have made it clear that race-based programs in public education are unconstitutional and violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Already a complaint has been filed against PPS in the Office of Civil Rights for The districts decision to allocate resources to black students, and not students of other racial backgrounds. The Trump administration has made it clear they will withhold federal funding from state and local governments who discriminate on the basis of race or sex. The Port of Portland, Washington County, and the City of Portland have all changed policies to align with federal directives. Is the PPS Board willing to risk $70 million in budgeted federal revenue to spend $16 million on an undefined, non-school, race-based program? Buying the One North building is a bad idea for a tax-supported school district, but that does not mean its a bad idea. Portland has many private organizations serving the Black community who offer programs, services, and after-school activities with experienced staff and robust programming. The CBSE would be an imaginative project for these groups to sponsor. The Center for Black Student Excellence should be a private venture. Perhaps the best fit would be the 1803 Fund, established by Rukaiyah Adams with a $400 million donation from Phil Knight in 2022. Not only is education one of the Funds three priorities, Ms. Adams was the first person to cast a vision for the CBSE in June 2020. Ms. Adams could use this opportunity to implement the vision without the legal restrictions and challenges sure to be imposed on a tax-supported entity like Portland Public Schools. John A. Charles, Jr. is the President and CEO of Cascade Policy Institute, Oregons free market public policy research organization. By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Oregon Senate President Rob Wagner has officially removed fellow Oregon State Senator Mark Meek (D-Gladstone) as Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue as noted by Willamette Week. Senator Meek has even been removed as a member from the Committee. The Senate President, Rob Wagner, has been battling Senator Meek on the gas tax something that Meek has mostly opposed for most of the year until the final vote on September 30th. At the same time, the face of the Oregon Legislature is undergoing a big shake-up. Oregon State Representative Hoa Nguyen has passed away (D-Portland area) this last week. Sadly, she was only 41. There will be an appointment for a new lawmaker. Oregon State Senator and Republican Senate Leader Daniel Bonham (R- Hood River) has been appointed to the Trump administrations Department of Labor. His senate seat is being vacated. State Representative Christine Drazan (R-Canby) is running to be appointed to his vacant seat which means her State Representative seat will be open and create a new appointment process. State Representative Greg Smith is under a fourth investigation. The Houses longest serving member is facing an embattled year. Oregon State Representative Annessa Hartman was the only Democrat House Member to vote no on the $4.3 billion gas tax package. She is deciding not to run for re-election in this competitive seat. This has been a big shake-up over the past 30 days. There maybe more Was this helpful? If so, contribute online at OregonWatchdog.com (learn about a Charitable Tax Deduction or Political Tax Credit options to promote liberty). Astoria Resident Christian Honl Announces Candidacy for Oregon House District 32 By Christian Honl campaign, Astoria, OR Today Christian Honl filed to run for the Oregon House of Representatives in District 32 as a Republican. A lifelong Oregonian and advocate for our coastal communities, Honls priorities include restoring public safety, rebuilding infrastructure, creating opportunity, tax relief, and holding Salem accountable to the people of the North Coast and State of Oregon. He will bring a lifetime of accountable leadership and real world experience as the House District 32 Representative. Our friends and neighbors are dealing with illegal encampments, illicit drug use, unaffordable rent, bad roads and the loss of family wage jobs while Salem and Portland politicians keep making excuses and throwing good money after bad, said Honl. Our current state representative has chosen to trust those who created this mess and not the people who put him in office, abandoning his promise to vote no on more taxes on the North Coast. Its time for common-sense leadership that actually puts North Coast families first. Christian is running on a platform that highlights: Safe & Clean Streets. Our citizens deserve neighborhoods free of open drug use, illegal encampments, and crime. Christian supports treatment and recovery programs while insisting on accountability and putting an end to policies that enable permanent tent camps in our parks and downtowns. Public health and safety must come first, with laws enforced and communities protected if we want to build stronger communities. Job Retention and Growth. A Future for the Coast. The politicians treat the North Coast like Oregons vacation home, forgetting that real people live and work here. We must strengthen our economy by supporting not just tourism but fishing, forestry, trade, and other critical jobs that sustain families and give young people a reason to stay, grow a family and thrive. Lower Costs. Safer Communities. Better Roads. Families are struggling with rising costs of housing, groceries, and gas. Our coastal roads and bridges continue to crumble. But every time we hand over more of our money to Salem we see waste and excuses, not results. Christian will fight for tax relief, affordable housing options, and real investments in our rural infrastructure to improve our lives here on the North Coast. Accountability in Salem. Opportunity on the Coast. Too often, our coastal communities are forgotten while tax dollars flow to Portland. Christian will hold Salem accountable. He will demand transparency and effectiveness in spending. He will work to bring resources back to District 32 for our most needed services like schools and health care as well as deregulation and support for local businesses to foster flourishing local economies. Honls campaign comes after State Representative Cyrus Javadi switched parties from Republican to Democrat on the day of the deadline for an incumbent legislator to do so, betraying promises he made to voters about his platform from taxes to standing with law enforcement. Critically, his vote was the deciding one to pass billions in new gas and payroll taxes and fees as part of the Democrats 2025 infrastructure package. Whether you agree or disagree with me on every issue, you know Im a lifelong Republican and I will always be open and consistent about who I am, said Christian Honl. My campaign is about restoring vibrance to our communities where streets are safe, families can afford to live, and young people see opportunity here at home. With your support, together we can build a safer, stronger, more prosperous future for the North Coast. Christian Honl was born and raised in Astoria and worked at Intel for 27 years before retiring and moving back to his home town with his wife, Tracy. He currently serves on the Clatsop County Care Health Board. Christian plans to ensure District 32 has a strong voice in Salem who will fight for safety, affordability, and opportunity for every family. Learn more at www.votehonl.com. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new update to an influential economic theory called "Doughnut Economics" shows a global economy on a collision course with nature. The influential book by Kate Raworth, "Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist," was first published in 2017. It was lauded for its ability to convey the complexity of global social and environmental issues in a single, easy-to-understand diagram. The doughnut shape represents the safe and just operating space for humanity. The hole at the center of the doughnut represents a shortfall in the social foundations necessary for people to live safe and just lives. The area outside the doughnut shows ecological overshoot across a range of domains, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and ocean acidification. Now, Andrew Fanning and Kate Raworth have published the first update to the Doughnut Economics framework since 2017 in Nature. The update should prompt us to ask serious questions about our society, economy and notions of progress. A global movement Since the book was published, doughnut economics has evolved into something of a global movement, at the center of which is the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL). Many places, including Melbourne, are using the framework to assess their social and ecological condition and trajectory. Doughnut economic thinking also aligns with Australian First Nations' view of Countrythe economy, society and environment all as a single, inseparable thing. An Indigenous consultancy, Dinadj, is working to develop an Indigenous doughnut for Australia. The original global doughnut portrait was a static picture at a single point in time. The recently published update turns this into an annual time series spanning from 2000 to 2022. This means we can now monitor trends in global social and ecological health over time. What these trends show is alarming. While global gross domestic product (GDP) has more than doubled, progress on meeting social foundations has slowed and ecological overshoot has accelerated. In other words, we are damaging critical biophysical processes at a faster rate than we're improving people's lives. The update shows an overshoot on six of the nine critical global planetary boundaries. Separate published research indicates we've since crossed a seventh boundary, ocean acidification. Rich nations dominate the damage to the environment The other important change in this update is the breakdown of data by nation, allowing comparison between groups of countries. This illustrates the unequal nature of economic development and the trade-off between social foundations and ecological overshoot that the current economic system creates. The richest 20% of nations, home to 15% of the global population, are responsible for 44% of the global ecological overshoot (going beyond the safe space for humanity). But they have only a 2% share of the shortfall in social foundations, in areas such as food insecurity, health and education. Meanwhile, the poorest 40% of countries, with 43% of the population, account for only 4% of the ecological overshoot but 63% of the social shortfall. While progress has been made across a range of social domains, shortfalls remain alarming. About 75% of the global population say they perceive widespread corruption in government and business. Some indicators are going backwards, most notably a rise in autocratic regimes and food security. What does progress really mean? The updated doughnut framework adds to the weight of evidence that the dominant economic narrativewhich equates economic growth with progressis leading us towards multiple environmental crises. And it's falling short on delivering social progress. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. In Australia, a recently released report, Growth Mindset from the Productivity Commission, is a clear illustration of this disconnect between economic goals and social and environmental health. The commission chair, Danielle Wood, told the National Press Club: "Governments must bake in the process of asking themselves: what have you done for growth today?" Tellingly, the report barely touches on poverty, inequality, biodiversity or the environment. It makes no mention of the impact that growth (particularly from rich countries like Australia) is having on critical planetary boundaries. However, there are many initiatives emerging from governments, businesses and civil society around the world and in Australia that reflect the need for different definitions of progress. At the national level, we have Measuring What Matters. This framework was developed by Treasury at the request of Treasurer Jim Chalmers and "will track progress towards a more healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive and prosperous Australia." The Australian Capital Territory has a well-developed well-being framework that provides a holistic guide to government decision-making. Every state government is also engaging with these questions, with an explicit well-being focus in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. It's early days for all of these government initiatives, but it's a good sign so many are starting to take these challenges seriously. The Melbourne Doughnut city portrait was adapted for Australia by community organization Regen Melbourne and featured as one of two examples in the Nature article. It confirms our place in the global distribution with relatively low levels of social deprivation and very high levels of ecological overshoot. The doughnut economics image illustrates with great clarity the complex challenges faced by human society in the 21st century. The recent update shows it's more important than ever that we think carefully about what progress means and we repurpose our economy away from its destructive focus on growth at all costs and towards human and environmental flourishing. More information: Andrew L. Fanning et al, Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries monitors a world out of balance, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09385-1 Journal information: Nature This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Katy Perry has reportedly been "constantly in contact" with Justin Trudeau since the summer. Katy Perry has reportedly been in regular contact with Justin Trudeau since the summer The 40-year-old pop star was first linked to the former Canadian Prime Minister, 53, since July when they were seen enjoying a meal together in Montreal and now they have fuelled rumours of a blossoming romance after new pictures seemingly showed them embracing onboard a yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Now a source has told The Sun newspaper the pair have stayed in touch even though Katy has been away on tour. The insider said: "They havent been able to spend a lot of time together as shes on tour, but theyre constantly in contact - always FaceTiming and messaging each other." The source added: "Hes a bit of a geek and cant believe someone as famous and glamorous as Katy is interested in him, whereas shes flattered such a respected politician wants to date her." The pictures which appear to show the pair together on a yacht are said to have been taken by a passenger on a tourist boat who is believed to have recognised the politician from the tattoo on his arm. The snaps seemingly showed Katy in a bikini embracing shirtless Justin. Katy split from her husband Orlando Bloom - father of her young daughter Daisy - earlier this year while Justin has been single since his marriage to Sophie Gregoire - with whom he shares three children - ended in 2023 after 18 years. A source previously told PEOPLE magazine: "They are interested in each other, but it will take a while to see where this goes. "She is traveling around the world, and he is figuring out his life now that he is no longer prime minister of Canada, but there is an attraction. They have a lot in common." The insider added: "Their own personal responsibilities could make this relationship move slower than it would, but there are ways to see the other and still fulfil their parenting responsibilities. "For one thing, they each have an ex. So, duties are split in half. And long-distance relationships, while still hard, are possible for these two." 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: Schematic illustration of the role of PIRET in photochemically enhancing polymer growth on single AuNRs, mainly involving singlet 1O 2 generation and tetroxide decomposition. Credit: Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady7016 Scientists are exploring many ways to use light rather than heat to drive chemical reactions more efficiently, which could significantly reduce waste, energy consumption, and reliance on nonrenewable resources. A team of chemistry researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been studying plasmon-induced resonance energy transfer (PIRET)conveying energy from a tiny metal particle to a semiconductor or molecule without the need for any physical contact. "If you'd like to do chemistry with light, then your first step would be to use that light as efficiently as possible," said Illinois chemistry professor Christy Landes, who co-leads the research team exploring this innovative research. "And one of the most efficient ways to use light is to use plasmonic metal nanoparticles, because they are better than just about any other material at absorbing and scattering light." In a paper published in Science Advances, the research team demonstrates how this resonant transfer of energy from a gold nanorod to a molecule, in this case a synthetic blue dye, can efficiently convert light energy into different forms until it becomes part of the final product of the reaction, in this case, a polymer hybrid. Their proof-of-concept study shows PIRET's potential for reshaping the future of light-driven chemical reactions and its potential as an energy-efficient way to do new chemical reactions while allowing the creation of advanced hybrid nanomaterials in a way that is distinct from traditional charge-transfer catalysis. "We can do a new type of polymerization chemistry that goes through a completely different intermediate route than the bulk polymerization reaction," Landes said. "It doesn't happen at all the same way that a heat or pressure-initiated reaction would go. And that's a really special part of this work." Illinois chemistry professor Stephan Link, co-leader of the research team, said the potential of this method in creating new reactions and different materials is equally exciting. "We're learning the mechanisms behind it so that potentially we could design reactions that are otherwise not possible," Link said. Several challenges have limited the practical application of PIRET, including maximizing the efficiency of the energy transfer and clearly understanding how it works. Another challenge is whether it can initiate a light-driven reaction. The research team shed new light on those questions by applying a variety of methods to deeply explore their specific PIRET-assisted polymerization reaction and confirm their conclusions. They used in-operando single-particle spectroelectrochemistry, a cutting-edge technique that allowed for the real-time observation of energy transfer at the nanoscale. Their conclusions are supported by spectroscopic data, electrochemistry, and density functional theory calculations. Through that combination of data, the researchers detailed in their study a cascading energy transfer process from photon to plasmon to exciton that culminated in a unique, light-initiated chemical transformation. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. "We basically showed all pieces of that chainour particles can absorb light very strongly; the energy can be transferred out very efficiently into molecules that are outside the nanoparticle; and we can do a new type of polymerization chemistry," Landes explained. According to the study, the PIRET-assisted reaction demonstrated energetic spontaneity, and started working at a lower energy than bulk electropolymerization, the typical method of making polymers with electricity. They also report that their reaction achieved a maximum PIRET efficiency of 40%, a benchmark that underscores the potential of PIRET in next-generation photocatalytic systems. "The route is different, the mechanism is different, but also the reason why we know it's different is that in the bulk process we have to apply a much larger electrochemical potential, but with the nanoparticles and the light, we have to only apply a very small potential," Link said. "I think that was a very important demonstration that we've gone with a reaction that's known, but shown how this gives us a different, in a way, non-equilibrium route by taking out the energy from the particles through energy transfer to do the chemistry." Link and Landes said this paper evolved from previous work by Hyuncheol Oh, a postdoctoral researcher in the Landes research group, who was initially studying energy transfer between the nanoparticle and methylene blue, the molecule, when he found that he could initiate oligomerization, the first step towards a polymer. "That was the first exciting momentobserving optical signals that revealed photon energy extraction and its storage in the oligomer structures through PIRET, and at the same time, we recognized an opportunity to increase the energy conversion efficiency and drive a larger scale chemical transformation into polymer hybrids," Oh said. "He really dug into the chemistry and the mechanism of this reaction, and I think a bunch of credit needs to go to him. He's been very passionate about this," Link said. Since then, Link said he has made a polymer, figured out the chemistry, and put it all together, showing how the light is the critical factor and showing that singlet oxygen is a reactive intermediate that is very important. According to the researchers, this work not only deepens the understanding of PIRET mechanisms but also opens new avenues for designing efficient, light-driven materials and reactions. Link said those potential avenues are exciting. "I think that could really open up the idea of using photons for catalysis and for different ways of doing chemistry. To me that's something that could open up possibilities that we're not even thinking about yet," Link said. Going forward, the researchers would like to explore doing other polymerization reactions with this approach. "This is a polymerization reaction that happens by this super complicated multi-step process, so this demonstrates that you can do really complicated chemistry using nanoparticles as light harvesters and for antennas to do the reactions. So definitely we'd like to try some more complicated polymerization reactions," Landes said. Researchers in the Landes and Link groups who also contributed to this work include postdoctoral researcher Subhojyoti Chatterjee; Zhenyang Jia, a graduate student in chemical and biomolecular engineering; Eric Gomez, a graduate student in chemistry; former postdoctoral researcher Stephen A. Lee; and Jiamu Lin and Ojasvi Verma, graduate students in chemistry. More information: Hyuncheol Oh et al, Plasmonic pathway to hybrid nanomaterials through energy transfer, Science Advances (2025). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ady7016 Journal information: Science Advances This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Grey Glacier in the southern Andes. Credit: Liam Quinn, CC BY-SA 2.0 An international research team led by the University of Bremen has investigated what influenced the expansion of the Patagonian ice sheet during the last ice age. The scientists found evidence that the advances and retreats of glaciers in South America over the past 120,000 years were primarily influenced by changes in summer solar radiation and the duration of the summers. These energy fluctuations followed a regular cycle similar to changes in the Earth's tilt angle, but were additionally amplified or suppressed by short-term climate variations over thousands of years. The results of the study have been published in Nature Communications. Patagonia is an impressively diverse region with a wide variety of landscapes. Expansive forests, open grasslands, arid deserts and imposing mountain ranges characterize the region. But it was not always so diverse, and even today the relics of a completely different landscape can be found: the Patagonian ice fields. In the western part of the region, compact glacier areas stretch for hundreds of kilometers along the Andes in Chile and Argentina. The northern and southern Patagonian ice fields are remnants of a much larger ice cover that reached its maximum extent around 35,000 years ago. At that time the central Andes Mountain chain was covered with ice between 38 and 55 degrees southern latitude. "The aim of our study was to investigate the spatial-temporal history of the Patagonian ice sheet during the entire last glacial cyclefrom around 120,000 years ago until todayand thus to gain a better understanding of the causes of the temporal sequences and dynamics of the advances and retreats of the glaciers," explains Dr. Andres Castillo-Llarena, first author of the study. Castillo-Llarena is an Earth-system modeler at MARUMCenter for Marine Environmental Sciences, and the Geosciences Department of the University of Bremen. A primary focus of the international team was the role of climate variability on a millennial timescale as a driving mechanism for changes in the Patagonian ice sheet. The last ice age had an impact on environmental conditions and landscapes around the world. North America, northern Europe and Patagonia in particular were heavily covered by gigantic ice sheets that subsequently disappeared after the ice age. Because the growth and shrinking of the ice masses was largely controlled by fluctuations of temperature and precipitation, the ice sheets of the past provide important information about past climate changes. The present paleoclimatic findings from Patagonia and New Zealand indicate that the maximum glacier expansion in the middle latitudes of the southern hemisphere occurred almost simultaneously, but was not synchronous with the glacial history of the northern hemisphere. In order to study this more closely, Castillo-Llarena's team carried out computer simulations. Their results indicate that the ice cover of the Patagonian ice sheet underwent periods of expansion and contraction rather than having a uniform ice-age history, which is contrary to earlier assumptions that were based on geological reconstructions. They further show that the Patagonian ice sheet underwent two main periods of glacial advance during the last ice-age cycle: At the beginning of marine isotope stage (MIS) 4 about 71,000 years ago and at the end of MIS 3 around 35,000 years ago. Between these there was a temporary shrinking of the ice sheet at about 60,000 years ago. The team of researchers was able to identify the driving force for the long-term fluctuations as the combination of changes in the duration of summer seasons with the intensity of summer solar radiation, which is known as "integrated summer energy." This fluctuates with changes in the Earth's tilt on a time scale of around 40,000 years. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. "We suspect that the integrated summer energy modulated not only the behavior of the Patagonian ice sheet, but also that of the other ice masses throughout the mid-latitudes of the southern hemisphere," said Castillo-Llarena. In addition, the team discovered that, superimposed upon the long-term fluctuations, there were short-term variations in the Patagonian ice sheet at millennial time scales that can be linked to abrupt climate changes in the northern hemisphere. "These findings are of particular significance because there are relatively few data on past climate fluctuations from the southern hemisphere. For a better understanding of future climate change, however, it is important to understand how the northern and southern hemispheres interact with one another," explains MARUM scientist Dr. Matthias Prange, a co-author of the study. More information: Andres Castillo-Llarena et al, Orbital and millennial-scale forcing of the Patagonian Ice Sheet throughout the Last Glacial Cycle, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64614-5 Journal information: Nature Communications This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The "nano-artificial bone material," which closely resembles human bone, exhibits exceptional elasticity, toughness and strength. It can provide stability and promote bone healing. Credit: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59662-w A research team from the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the University of Hong Kong's LKS Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) has successfully developed a novel elastic calcium phosphate material that mimics the structure of human bone. The material, dubbed "nano bone cement," offers a promising alternative to traditional bone grafts in orthopedic surgeries, which typically rely on harvesting tissue from the patient or a donor. Research and experimental results show that this innovative bone material provides robust mechanical support and accelerates healing in bone-defect cases. The team plans to apply this technology to repair large segmental bone defects, potentially speeding up patient recovery and achieving optimal outcomes. The research findings are published in the journal Nature Communications. Current challenges in large segmental bone defect surgery Professor Kelvin Yeung Wai-kwok, Ng Chun-man Professor in Orthopedic Bioengineering, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed, and project leader of the research, said treating large segmental bone defects typically requires bone grafting, which often involves autografts (from the patient's own bone) or allografts (donated bone), which are scarce and carry significant risks. Autografts may lead to complications and collapse at the donor site, while allografts carry the risk of infection and immune rejection. Traditional calcium phosphate bone materials are formed by mixing powders containing calcium and phosphorus with a liquid solution, resulting in a hardened solid through a self-setting reaction. Dr. Wu Jun of the Orthopedic Medical Center at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital explained, "This material closely resembles the composition of natural bone, offering excellent safety and biocompatibility. Moreover, it can be freely shaped before hardening, making it one of the most promising options for bone repair." While traditional calcium phosphate artificial bone materials provide rigidity, their compressive strength falls short of that of human cortical bone. Their lack of elasticity makes them prone to fracturing in clinical use, and they struggle to adapt to minor deformations during daily activities, potentially leading to structural collapse and treatment failure. These limitations restrict the effectiveness and safety of existing bone graft technologies, underscoring the need to develop elastic bone materials to improve the success rate of large segmental bone repair. Triple 'high performance' nano material To address the shortcomings of existing calcium phosphate bone materials, the research team utilized nano-cluster anchoring technology to successfully integrate the mechanical properties of organic flexible materials and inorganic rigid materials. This breakthrough resulted in a new "nano-artificial bone material" (calcium phosphate cement (CPC)) that exhibits exceptional elasticity, toughness and strength. Professor Yeung stated, "Our goal is to mimic the structure of natural bone, and this innovative nanomaterial closely resembles human bone. Its mechanical properties are closer to those of natural bone, thus enhancing patient comfort and mobility. It can be shaped into any form before the hardening stage, making it particularly suitable for repairing irregularly shaped or complex bone defects." Leveraging the material's capacity to expand in volume after absorbing water, the team developed a new type of elastic microsphere capable of automatically filling bone defects. This innovation streamlines surgical procedures and improves treatment efficiency. "The new nanomaterial maintains maximum compressive strength after absorbing water and exhibits excellent elasticity, a property not found in current bone material. It forms a porous structure that promotes cell adhesion and integration with the material, supporting bone tissue regeneration. This advancement will benefit more patients, offering them new hope for returning to a normal life," added Professor Yeung. Professor Wong Tak-man, clinical professor, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed, believes this groundbreaking material innovation will have multiple benefits for orthopedic treatment. He said, "The new technology significantly simplifies surgical procedures and reduces overall operation time. The material demonstrates exceptional strength, toughness and superior biocompatible properties. "Apart from filling defects in complex orthopedic surgeries, it can provide stability and promote bone healing. It offers a more flexible, safe and efficient solution for orthopedic and reconstructive surgery. Last but not least, we can expand its application in neurosurgery and dentistry in the near future." More information: Feihong Liu et al, Inorganic-organic hybrid metamaterials with switchable high stiffness and elasticity, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59662-w Journal information: Nature Communications This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Nobel committee Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt won the Nobel memorial prize in economics Monday for their research into the impact of innovation on economic growth and how new technologies replace older ones, a key economic concept known as "creative destruction." The winners represent contrasting but complementary approaches to economics. Mokyr is an economic historian who delved into long-term trends using historical sources, while Howitt and Aghion relied on mathematics to explain how creative destruction works. Dutch-born Mokyr, 79, is from Northwestern University; Aghion, 69, from the College de France and the London School of Economics; and Canadian-born Howitt, 79, from Brown University. Mokyr was still trying to get his morning coffee when he was reached on the phone by an AP reporter, and said he was shocked to win the prize. "People always say this, but in this case I am being truthfulI had no clue that anything like this was going to happen," he said. His students had asked him about the possibility he would win the Nobel, he said. "I told them that I was more likely to be elected Pope than to win the Nobel Prize in economicsand I am Jewish, by the way." Mokyr will turn 80 next summer but said he has no plans to retire. "This is the type of job that I dreamed about my entire life," he said. Like fellow laureate Mokyr, Aghion also expressed surprise at the honor. "I can't find the words to express what I feel," he said by phone to the press conference in Stockholm. He said he would invest his prize money in his research laboratory. Asked about current trade wars and protectionism in the world, Aghion said that: "I am not welcoming the protectionist way in the US. That is not good for ... world growth and innovation." The winners were credited with better explaining and quantifying "creative destruction," a key concept in economics that refers to the process in which beneficial new innovations replaceand thus destroyolder technologies and businesses. The concept is usually associated with economist Joseph Schumpeter, who outlined it in his 1942 book "Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy." The Nobel committee said Mokyr "demonstrated that if innovations are to succeed one another in a self-generating process, we not only need to know that something works, but we also need to have scientific explanations for why." Mokyr has long been known as an optimist about the positive effects of technological innovation. In an interview with the AP in 2015, he cited the music streaming service Spotify as an example of an "absolutely astonishing" innovation that economists had difficulty measuring. Mokyr noted he once owned more than 1,000 CDs and, before that, "I spent a large amount of my graduate student budget on vinyl records." But now he could access a huge music library for a small monthly fee. Aghion and Howitt studied the mechanisms behind sustained growth, including in a 1992 article in which they constructed a mathematical model for creative destruction. Aghion helped shape French President Emmanuel Macron's economic program during his 2017 election campaign. More recently, Aghion co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Commission, which in 2024 submitted a report to Macron outlining 25 recommendations to position France as a leading force in the field of AI. "The laureates' work shows that economic growth cannot be taken for granted. We must uphold the mechanisms that underlie creative destruction, so that we do not fall back into stagnation," said John Hassler, chair of the committee for the prize in economic sciences. One half of the 11 million Swedish kronor (nearly $1.2 million) prize goes to Mokyr and the other half is shared by Aghion and Howitt. Winners also receive an 18-carat gold medal and a diploma. The economics prize is formally known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The central bank established it in 1968 as a memorial to Nobel, the 19th-century Swedish businessman and chemist who invented dynamite and established the five Nobel Prizes. Since then, it has been awarded 57 times to a total of 99 laureates. Only three of the winners have been women. Nobel purists stress that the economics prize is technically not a Nobel Prize, but it is always presented together with the others on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death in 1896. Nobel honors were announced last week in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Nobel committee announcement: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2025 to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt "for having explained innovation-driven economic growth" with one half to Joel Mokyr, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, U.S. "for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress" and the other half jointly to Philippe Aghion, College de France and INSEAD, Paris, France, The London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Peter Howitt, Brown University, Providence, RI, U.S. "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction" They show how new technology can drive sustained growth Over the last two centuries, for the first time in history, the world has seen sustained economic growth. This has lifted vast numbers of people out of poverty and laid the foundation of our prosperity. This year's laureates in economic sciences, Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt, explain how innovation provides the impetus for further progress. Technology advances rapidly and affects us all, with new products and production methods replacing old ones in a never-ending cycle. This is the basis for sustained economic growth, which results in a better standard of living, health and quality of life for people around the globe. However, this was not always the case. Quite the oppositestagnation was the norm throughout most of human history. Despite important discoveries now and again, which sometimes led to improved living conditions and higher incomes, growth always eventually levelled off. Joel Mokyr used historical sources as one means to uncover the causes of sustained growth becoming the new normal. He demonstrated that if innovations are to succeed one another in a self-generating process, we not only need to know that something works, but we also need to have scientific explanations for why. The latter was often lacking prior to the industrial revolution, which made it difficult to build upon new discoveries and inventions. He also emphasised the importance of society being open to new ideas and allowing change. Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt also studied the mechanisms behind sustained growth. In an article from 1992, they constructed a mathematical model for what is called creative destruction: when a new and better product enters the market, the companies selling the older products lose out. The innovation represents something new and is thus creative. However, it is also destructive, as the company whose technology becomes passe is outcompeted. In different ways, the laureates show how creative destruction creates conflicts that must be managed in a constructive manner. Otherwise, innovation will be blocked by established companies and interest groups that risk being put at a disadvantage. "The laureates' work shows that economic growth cannot be taken for granted. We must uphold the mechanisms that underly creative destruction, so that we do not fall back into stagnation," says John Hassler, Chair of the Committee for the prize in economic sciences. 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain It is well documented that women small-scale farmers are hard done by in an environment where they farm without security of tenure, which inhibits their ability to raise finance with which to grow their businesses. Recent research adds another dimension to the challenges facing women small-scale farmers. Rural entrepreneurship researchers Sive Zintle Mbangiswano and Zamagebe Siphokazi Vuthela, with independent researcher and their mentor, Dr. Elona Ndlovu, have found that even well-intentioned farming projects can leave women behind if they aren't structured specifically to accommodate women. In their study of a citrus fruit projecta public-private partnership in the Eastern Cape province of South Africathey found that women farmers did not benefit from the project as much as their male counterparts. The lead researcher, Sive Zintle Mbangiswano, explains. What problems do Black rural women farmers face in the Eastern Cape? Rural women small-scale farmers keep households and local markets going, yet many structural barriers limit their participation and growth. Insecure land rights and gender-blind institutions that treat everyone the same on paper but overlook women's circumstances end up excluding them from the agriculture industry. In many communal areas, women lack title deeds or joint ownership, so they can't pledge land as collateral. Because of this, banks often assess women smallholders as "high risk," and formal credit remains out of reach. Cooperative boards and agriculture program committees are largely run by men. This reduces women's voices in strategic decisions on inputs, pricing, training, and market access. Information about extension and training services doesn't always reach small-scale women farmers. When it does, training is typically once-off with little follow-up mentoring to apply new skills. Small-scale women farmers don't always hear about grants either, and many rely on informal savings groups (stokvels) to finance their farms. This can be useful for liquidity but is not enough for larger investments. In South Africa, a stokvel borrowing history also doesn't contribute to the women farmer's credit profileand this is what formal financial institutions review during a loan evaluation process. These problems interact: weak land tenure blocks finance; limited finance prevents women from growing their farms, and exclusion from leadership prevents women from making reforms that would fix both. The net effect is a structural glass ceiling that keeps women-run agribusinesses small and their voices quiet. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. What did the citrus project aim to achieve and did it succeed? One of the ways that the government has tried to help small-scale women farmers solve these problems is by partnering them with commercial farms. For example, on some farms, former farm workers are given 75% of the shares of a new farm, with the other 25% held by citrus companies who then transfer their skills. We studied an Eastern Cape citrus-sector publicprivate partnership. Its aim was to support emerging citrus farmers to sell their oranges commercially, and provide them with packhouses to use for storing and packing their fruit. It didn't look at securing title deeds to land for women or helping them put up collateral. We interviewed women farmers who were part of the citrus partnership and compared the project's official reports with six years of research into what was actually happening on the ground. Our research found that the project helped both men and women farmers to develop better technical skills in growing citrus. The farmers also said they received more support on their farmsbefore and after harvesting. Some managed to export citrus, boosting their incomes. However, the women farmers did not benefit as much as men. For example, the women farmers had no real influence, because they weren't chosen to take up voting seats on co-op boards or the public private partnership steering group. They had no authority over budgets and procurement. They didn't get to choose trainees or play a role in negotiating supply contracts. Our research found that the gains women farmers made in training didn't translate into equal control over resources or markets. This means that even well-intentioned programs can miss the mark if they are designed as gender neutral, overlooking the specific problems affecting women. How does this match up to the global promises made to women farmers? We looked at the G20 Women's Empowerment track and the private-sector Women's Empowerment Principles. We also studied the G20 Development agenda. We found a disconnect between high-level policy and on-the-ground reality. For example, the G20's Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion has issued concrete guidance for supporting women, youth and small businesses. Yet for this to happen on the ground requires improved internet connectivity, trusted local agents who know how to support women farmers, providing loans that don't require land deeds, and reporting the results for women and men separately. These support measures aren't always in place. What needs to happen next? Making sure that rural women, small scale Eastern Cape farmers have equal access to finance isn't just about fairnessit's key to household welfare and rural prosperity. When women gain financial tools and assets, families benefit through better food security and well-being. In the Eastern Cape, where poverty and food insecurity are high, empowering women agripreneurs could significantly boost local development and food supply. There's a gap between a woman tending her field in a small Eastern Cape village like Lusikisiki and policymakers drafting G20 communiques. Closing this gap is challenging but achievable. Government agriculture programs must have targets and quotas for how many women they will empower, data showing how the different genders are doing and women must have decision-making roles. The government must track how many women get loans, training, and leadership posts. The results must be published, and steps taken to improve support for women. Improving laws helps women farmers get more access to finance. South Africa should lead by example within the G20 and match strong approaches in the rest of the world. These include India's self-help groups, where women pool their finances. Today there are 14 of these groups in every village, with 100 million women in India as members. Indonesia's women-centered group lending, and Brazil's program for strengthening family farming could also work in South Africa. West Africa also has successful women-led cooperatives, savings groups and group-guarantee finance. South Africa's policies for women in agriculture must align with the G20's guidelines on financially including women small-scale farmers. Encouraging women's leadership is very important. It helps dismantle stereotypes, and in patriarchal rural settings this shifts norms, inspires younger women, and improves decisions that benefit whole agricultural value chains. More information: Sive Zintle Mbangiswano et al, Empowering Rural Women Agripreneurs Through Financial Inclusion: Lessons from South Africa for the G20 Development Agenda, Administrative Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.3390/admsci15090340 This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: SpaceX's Starship rocket lifts off from Starbase, Texas, as seen from South Padre Island on August 26, 2025, for its tenth test flight. SpaceX is set to attempt the next test flight of its massive Starship rocket on Monday, as concerns grow that Elon Musk has overpromised his company's ability to deliver NASA's lunar projects and fulfill his own Mars ambitions. The US space agency plans to use the mammoth Starshipthe world's largest and most powerful rocketin its efforts to return astronauts to the moon. It is also key to Musk's zealous vision to take humans to Mars. And while its last test mission in August was chalked up as a success, that followed a series of spectacular explosions that raised eyebrows among critics that Starship might not live up to its promisesat least not on the timeline lawmakers and the scientific community had hoped for. The US space agency's Artemis program hopes to return humans to the moon as China forges ahead with a rival effort that's targeting 2030 at the latest for its first crewed mission. US President Donald Trump's second term in the White House has seen the administration pile pressure on NASA to accelerate its progressefforts Starship is key to. Musk's company has a multibillion-dollar federal contract to develop a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander. The manned Artemis III mission is intended for mid-2027but a NASA safety advisory panel has warned it could be "years late," according to Space Policy Online. 'Second space race' NASA's acting administrator Sean Duffy has insisted the US will still win the "second space race," telling reporters last month that "America has led in space in the past, and we are going to continue to lead in space in the future" while dismissing the notion that China could get there first. Starship's 11th test flight window is slated to open at 6:15 pm local time (1115 GMT) from the company's launch facilities in southern Texas. Previous tests of the enormous rocket have resulted in explosions of the upper stage, including twice over the Caribbean and once after reaching space. In June, the upper stage blew up during a ground test. But in August's successful flight SpaceX for the first time managed to deploy eight dummy Starlink internet satellites, with onboard cameras beaming back live views of a robotic mechanism pushing each out one by one. Musk has identified developing a fully reusable orbital heat shield as the toughest task, noting it took nine months to refurnish the Space Shuttle's heat shield between flights. Another hurdle is proving Starship can be refueled in orbit with super-cooled propellantan essential but untested step for the vehicle to carry out deep-space missions. NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has emphasized "threats" related to ensuring that vital transfer can be carried out, with member Paul Hill saying the timeline is "significantly challenged." 2025 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: Poggio Tre Cancelli (Tuscany, Italy) is one of the first strict reserve to be established in the coastal area of Mediterranean. It is managed by the Carabinieri Forestali Biodiversity Group that ensures its protection since 1961. Credit: Gianluca Piovesan According to new research, Mediterranean forests that are allowed to grow naturally within strictly protected areas can stay up to 2C cooler during summer heat waves compared to actively managed woodlands. This suggests that passive forest restoration could be a key strategy for mitigating the impacts of rising temperatures and climate extremes throughout southern Europe. The study, published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology by a joint collaboration between researchers from the Universities of Tuscia, Bologna, Messina, Milano, and the Carabinieri Forestali corp examined how different management regimes influence forest surface temperature across a coastal landscape in Tuscany, Italy. Using satellite observations collected between 2013 and 2023, the team compared canopy temperatures in three types of forest: a strictly protected reserve, a nearby natural park, and productive coppice forests managed for wood production. Forests that cool themselves Forests are known to moderate local climates by releasing moisture through evapotranspiration. However, until now, little was known about how management intensity affects this cooling effect in the Mediterraneana hotspot region expected to warm 40% faster than the global average. "Strictly protected forests act like natural air conditioners," said lead author Dr. Francesco Solano. "Their taller, complex canopies store more moisture and create stable microclimates that help reduce the impact of heat waves." Prof. Alessandro Chiarucci, University of Bologna, added, "This cooling effect can provide fundamental support for components of biodiversity which are more sensitive to climate warning, making these sites true climatic refugia." The researchers used satellite-derived land surface temperature data from NASA's Landsat 8 mission to map canopy-level temperatures across the landscape. They combined these measurements with information on forest structure, canopy height, vegetation moisture, and topography. Statistical models then identified which factors most strongly influenced temperature differences between sites. Prof. Giuseppe Modica, University of Messina, highlights how "remote sensing technologies combined with on-field measurements represent a crucial asset in defining effective sustainable forest management strategies." The results showed a clear gradient: average maximum summer canopy temperatures reached about 33.3 C in the strictly protected area, 34.2 C in the surrounding natural park, and 35.4 C in the managed coppice forests. Even after accounting for terrain, vegetation, and moisture levels, the productive forests remained roughly 1 C warmer than the strictly protected site. Cooling rooted in structure and moisture The analysis revealed that forest structure and canopy moisture were the main drivers of cooling. Taller trees, higher canopy density, and greater water content were all associated with lower surface temperatures. In contrast, forests closer to edgeswhere trees are more exposed to sunlight and windshowed warmer conditions extending up to several hundred meters into the stand. "This study confirms that forest structure matters," said Prof. Gianluca Piovesan, University of Tuscia. "The more complex the canopy, the greater its ability to buffer against heat waves." The strictly protected site, Poggio Tre Cancelli Reserve, has been free from logging since 1961. Over more than six decades, its unmanaged holm oak forest has developed into a multi-layered canopy that shades the ground and maintains higher humidity. In comparison, the surrounding productive forestsregularly coppiced for firewoodhave shorter trees and more fragmented cover, allowing greater heat penetration. Implications for a warming Mediterranean The research highlights how forest protection and restoration can serve as effective nature-based solutions for climate adaptation in one of the world's most vulnerable regions. The Mediterranean basin is already facing more frequent heat waves, more prolonged droughts, and accelerating biodiversity loss. Maintaining or restoring intact forests could help moderate local temperatures and safeguard species that depend on cooler, stable conditions. According to the authors, the findings also emphasize the importance of expanding strictly protected areas and allowing natural regeneration to proceed. "State forests like Poggio Tre Cancelli have shown that allowing some spaces to support natural processes can create the old-growth forests of tomorrow," said Colonel Giovanni Quilghini of the Carabinieri Biodiversity Unit in Follonica. "Today, additional state-owned woodlands are being designated for rewilding to lay the foundations for the future," added General Raffaele Manicone, head of the Carabinieri Forestali Biodiversity Group. The study suggests that unmanaged forests not only store more carbon but also create self-regulating microclimates that enhance their own resilience to heat and drought. These effects can reduce the risk of vegetation stress, soil drying, and fire susceptibilitycritical issues for Mediterranean ecosystems. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. A natural ally for climate resilience The authors argue that strict protection, rewilding, and sustainable landscape management should be central to European climate and biodiversity strategies. While the European Union has proposed protecting 10% of its land under strict conservation by 2030, much of this area is currently concentrated in mountain regions. Extending protection to lowland and coastal Mediterranean forests could yield significant local cooling benefits. "This study proves that strict protection, as promoted by the EU Green Deal, is vital for restoring degraded Mediterranean forests," said Piovesan. "They provide a living example of how forest rewilding can effectively support the EU Nature Restoration Regulation's goals for recovering degraded forest habitats." The study highlights that Mediterranean forests, which have been shaped by centuries of human use, still have the potential to recover their ecological functions when management pressures are reduced or removed. As the climate warms, these resilient forest refuges may become increasingly important not just for wildlife, but also for human well-being in heat-stressed landscapes. More information: Francesco Solano et al, Mediterranean strictly protected forests are cooler, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110858 Journal information: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 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: Green turtle hatchlings. Credit: Vasco Pissarra / Fundacao Principe Green turtles are officially out of danger, according to the latest update to the IUCN Red List, the definitive authority on the conservation status of the world's species. Global populations of this iconic marine reptile have increased by around 28% in the past 50 years. As a result, the species has been downlisted dramaticallyfrom Endangered to Least Concern. With global biodiversity in such steep decline, it's gratifying to see that some species are bucking the downward trend. And it vindicates the tireless efforts of Fauna & Flora and our local partners to tackle the threats to green turtles at key project sites worldwide. The green turtle has long been on our priority listand was one of ten species featured in Fauna & Flora's 2024 "Species to watch"'. Our global efforts to save green turtles Cambodia Several years ago, in partnership with Wildlife Alliance, Fauna & Flora conducted well over 100 surveys at markets and landing sites in Phnom Penh and Cambodia's four coastal provinces to gather data on illegal trade in sea turtles. We have continued to work with government agencies to strengthen monitoring and law enforcement and develop crime prevention strategies. After an alarmingly long wait, during which no turtle nesting beaches were identified in nearly a decade, we witnessed a remarkable turnaround in 2022 and 2023, with the discovery of multiple green turtle nests. Fauna & Flora team tagging a green turtle, Myanmar. Credit: Salai Mon Nyi Nyi Lin / Fauna & Flora Cabo Verde The remote archipelago nation of Cabo Verde is arguably among the least well-known of the world's marine biodiversity hotspots. Five of the world's most threatened sea turtle species, including the green turtle, forage in its coastal waters. This wildlife has faced increasing pressure from boat traffic and coastal habitat destruction, as well as unsustainable and illegal fishing activities. Thanks to the efforts of Fundacao Maio Biodiversidade (FMB), with whom Fauna & Flora has partnered since 2012, the island of Maioa crucial turtle havenwas officially designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The additional protection afforded to sea turtles and the rest of Maio's unique biodiversity has helped safeguard them against the growing threats to their survival. Fauna & Flora engages with Cambodian naval personnel stationed on a remote island, training volunteers in turtle identification and explaining the importance and rarity of these marine reptiles. The volunteers conduct daily patrols, searching for signs of turtles and their nests. In late 2023, they found nine sea turtle nests within just a few days. Myanmar Fauna & Flora's sea turtle team in Myanmar carries out regular nest monitoring, beach cleanups and hatchling releases, as well as conducting surveys on accidental by-catch and organizing other community awareness activities, all to support the establishment of a sea turtle conservation zone. In August 2025, we reached an important milestone with the establishment and inaugural meeting of Myanmar's first community-led sea turtle conservation zone committeeincluding a youth conservation groupin Kyarkan Village. Together with community members, volunteers, students and the youth group, our turtle team removed over 75 kilos of potentially harmful marine debris, helping to create cleaner and safer nesting beaches for sea turtles. Since 2018, the team has safely released well over 40,000 turtle hatchlings into the sea and removed over two tons of marine debris from turtle nesting beaches in the project area. Kenya In Kenya, increased patrolling has resulted in the highest number of sea turtles ever recorded in a single location by Fauna & Flora's local partner in Kenya, with very few incidences of poaching recorded. A sign of hope for sea turtles All these green turtle conservation initiatives are finally paying dividends. There's still a long way to go for other sea turtlesthe hawksbill and leatherback turtle are both still critically endangeredbut the improvement in fortunes for at least one of their kind is a tremendous boost for turtle conservation efforts everywhere and demonstrates what can be achieved when people come together for nature. 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 You might think honeybees are thrivingafter all, the honey industry is growing and its bees are well looked after by beekeepers. But not all honeybees live in hives. Across Europe, colonies still live in the wild, nesting in tree cavities and other natural spaces, just as their ancestors did for millions of years. Now, for the first time, these wild honeybee populations have been officially categorized as endangered within the European Union. That's according to the latest update to the IUCN Red List, the world's official database of species conservation statuses. The western honeybee has a long history with humans. People have kept honeybee colonies for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians who kept them in rudimentary hives to harvest honey. But it's modern beekeeping, with its mobile hives and commercial pollination, that has had the widest impact on the species. Because of that, today the western honeybee exists in two forms: the managed colonies kept in hives, and the wild ones that live independently of people. Both belong to the same species, Apis mellifera, but their lives and their prospects are radically different. Managed honeybees have faced widely reported crises since the 2000s, when beekeepers around the world started noticing alarming losses in their hives. Since then, scientists have been working with beekeepers to investigate the causes and reduce colony mortality. Because of this, the species as a whole is generally perceived as being under threat. But the reality is more complex than that. While it is true that managed colonies continue to suffer high losses, they are actively cared for by beekeepers and studied by researchers. The same cannot be said for their wild counterparts, which, until recently were relatively unstudied, especially in Europe. The gap in knowledge led several European researchers to start investigating honeybees living freely in the wild. Such colonies have now been documented throughout Ireland and the UK, in national parks in France, the forests of Germany, Switzerland, and Poland, up and down Italy, and even in cities such as Belgrade in Serbia. These are now under study to understand if they can form self-sustaining populations capable of living without human help. Tracking bees across Europe To connect these independent research projects, a global initiative called Honey Bee Watch was formed in 2020. Its goal: to better understand how honeybees live in the wild. Under this coalition, I have been part of a team of 14 scientists and experts, who have worked with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to reassess the conservation status of wild A. mellifera populations. This formed part of a monumental effort to update the European Red List of Bees, led by researchers at the University of Mons in Belgium, which examined the conservation status of almost 2,000 speciesmany for the first time. Back in 2014, wild A. mellifera populations had been listed as "data deficient" in Europe because there wasn't enough information to answer a question that seemed simple enough: if a colony is found living in a tree, how can we tell whether it's truly wild or has escaped from a managed hive? A new definition of 'wild' Our new assessment took a different approach. Honeybees are not truly domesticated, since beekeepers have never been able to completely prevent them from breeding with other colonies, whether wild or managed. This means genetic differences between managed and wild colonies are often blurred. Instead of trying to draw a genetic line separating the two, we adapted the IUCN's definition of "wild" as it relates to honeybees. This meant we defined wild honeybee populations based on two criteria: First, they live freely without management. And second, they can sustain their numbers independently without relying on the introduction of new colonies, such as those that escaped from managed hives. Using ecology rather than genetics to define wild honeybees meant we could better evaluate their conservation status. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Endangered in the EU Europe has the lowest density of free-living colonies in the world, as managed hives far outnumber wild ones. And, thanks to a recent analysis provided by our fellow assessors, we know that their numbers are declining. Combined with evidence of habitat loss, invasive parasites, diseases, and human-mediated hybridization, the picture that emerged was clear: wild honeybees are indeed in trouble. That's why their Red List status has now been updated to "endangered within the European Union." However, for the wider pan-European region, they remain "data deficient" due to scarce data for areas such as the Balkans, the Baltics, Scandinavia and eastern Europe. Protecting wild honeybees isn't just about saving an iconic speciesit's about safeguarding our food security, biodiversity and ecosystems for the future. Populations surviving in the wild are those that naturally evolved the ability to cope with parasites, diseases and other harsh conditions that can devastate managed hives. They represent a vital genetic reservoir that could help make both wild and managed bees more resilient to future threats. The new endangered assessment is a formal recognition that wild honeybees are native wildlife in need of conservation. We can no longer afford to leave them understudied and unprotected. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain After centuries of near-extinction, Europe's wolves have made a remarkable comeback. Over the past decade, wolf populations have surged, increasing by nearly 60%. In 2022, more than 21,500 wolves were recorded across the continent. Countries that have long been wolf-free are now home to thriving packs. Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Romania each have more than 1,000 wolves. For scientists, this is a rare conservation success story: a large predator reclaiming landscapes dominated by human activity. Where we live in Denmark, the comeback has been more modest. Wolves disappeared from Danish forests in 1813, when they were hunted to extinctionremembered only in stories and fairytales. Then, in 2012, a lone male wolf crossed the border from Germany into Jutland, Denmark's peninsula bordering Germany. More followed. By 2017, Denmark celebrated its first confirmed breeding pack in more than 200 years. Today, Denmark's wolf population is estimated to be just over 40 wolves, with at least seven breeding pairs known to have produced cubs. Yet even this small number has sparked fierce debates over livestock and public safety in one of Europe's most intensively farmed countries, with views on wolves seeming to reflect wider political divides across Denmark. The EU recently downgraded the protection status of wolves, moving them from "strictly protected" to simply "protected." This change makes it easier for member states to authorize local culling. Earlier this spring, the Danish government announced that "problem wolves" can be legally shot if they repeatedly stray into towns or attack livestock behind secure fencing. And the first legal license to shoot a wolf guilty of several attacks was handed out in September. Experts have already suggested that mysteriously high mortality rates and "disappearing" wolves are most likely the result of illegal hunting. And it's feared by conservationists that quotas on wolf numbers could be introduced, as is the case in neighboring Sweden. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. As political scientists, we wanted to understand how Danes feel about the return of wolves. This summer, we included a question on wolves in a YouGov survey on climate and the environment. We asked: "Do you agree with the statement that breeding wolf packs are beneficial for Danish nature?" Of the 2,172 respondents, 43% disagreed, 30% agreed and 27% were neutral or unsure. Breaking the results down by politics reveals clear patterns. Supporters of left-leaning and green parties were the most positive, with nearly 45% agreeing that wolves are good for nature. Right-leaning voters were far more skeptical, with almost half of the supporters of new rightwing parties fully disagreeing. Even many Social Democrats voters (generally considered center-left) leant toward disagreement, showing how this issue has become integrated into traditional political divides. People in Copenhagen and other large cities were slightly more positive about the return of wolves than those in smaller towns or rural areas, but attitudes remain mixed everywhere. Living in the countryside does not automatically make someone a wolf skeptic, nor does city life guarantee support. Age, however, was the strongest predictor of support. Young Danes (1834) were overwhelmingly supportive, with over 50% agreeing that wolves benefit nature. Support declines steadily with age, however, with the majority of those over 55and nearly 60% of those over 73expressing outright disagreement. We have spent more than a decade looking into more traditional political issues and have never seen age differences like these. In this way, the resurgence of wolves seems to have become more than just a wildlife issue. Wolves, myths and reality Few animals stir the imagination like wolves. They appear as villains in fairytales, sacred protectors as well as harbingers of apocalypse in Norse myths, and ecological superheroes in biology textbooks. Some wolves became intimately involved with humans as "mans best friend," while others became our worst enemysee the big bad wolf. Conservationists call wolves a "keystone species." This means that because they naturally control numbers of deer and other prey, their presence can allow forests and grasslands to recover. Yellowstone Park in the US is a prime example: after wolves were reintroduced, aspen and willow trees flourished for the first time in decades. But Denmark is not Yellowstone. Its countryside is a patchwork of farms, towns and highways with small, heavily managed nature reserves. Whether wolves can restore "wild balance" here is uncertainand Danes' views reflect that uncertainty. Indeed, for some farmers and rural residents, wolves are not symbols of rewildingthey are real predators, threatening livestock and livelihoods. Fear also plays a role: parents worry about children walking in the forest, and dog owners worry about their pets. Statistically,wolf attacks on humans are extremely rare, yet perception often outweighs facts. Incidents in neighboring countries can add to the unease. Earlier this year, a wolf attacked a 6-year-old boy in the Netherlands. And in Denmark this summer, two young boys spent hours up a tree after thinking an "aggressive wolf" was nearby. The story grabbed headlines, only for it to turn out that the animal was actually a large cat. It's a reminder of how quickly fear spreads, whether the danger is real or not. Our findings suggest that fears and myths about wolves are not mere folklore. They are expressed in real attitudes, reflecting deeply held values and cultural identities. Wolves have come to represent much more than just wildlife. They are potent symbols of environmental ideals and societal perspectiveswith attitudes toward them shaped less by geography and more by political beliefs and generational outlooks. For policymakers and conservationists, understanding these perceptions is essential to navigating the delicate balance between species recovery and public acceptance. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Matthew Rhys is "terrified" about playing Richard Burton on stage in a new one-man play. Matthew Rhys is scared of playing Richard Burton in a one-man show The Americans star has taken on his first stage role in 13 years by signing up for the lead in Playing Burton - which opens at The Old Vic in London on Sunday (16.10.25) - and he now admits he's fretting about forgetting his words and worrying about whether to imitate the late actor's voice. Rhys told The Times newspaper: "Yup, Im terrified. And the fact that I will be entirely by myself on stage makes it even more daunting. "If I forget my words I will be truly at sea. But this is what I originally trained to do, so I guess its like giving my acting technique a kind of MoT. "You know, how are the old muscles working after all these years?" He went on to admit playing Cleopatra star Burton is an incredibly daunting feat. Rhys said: "Im still wrestling with how much I should try to imitate his voice. "When you listen to him you think: 'God, even attempting to come close to that incredible baritone will do him a disservice.' It was a unique instrument ... "On the other hand, I think we have to make some kind of nod towards the voice - a flavour of it anyway." The play - written by Mark Jenkins - charts Burton's life from growing up in the Welsh valleys to Hollywood superstardom - touching on his marriages to fellow screen star Dame Elizabeth Taylor as well as his battle with alcohol. It's being made by the Welsh National Theatre - the company set up by fellow Welshman Michael Sheen - and speaking at the time of the announcement, Rhys insisted he felt it was his time to "step up". He said in a statement: "Michael Sheen has been putting all us Welsh actors to shame by setting up Welsh National Theatre so, when a space appeared in my schedule, I felt it was my time to step up! "The Old Vic meant a lot to Burtons early days, as it did to mine, playing Nick in Samuel Adamsons Grace Note there in 1997. "Its going to be really something to be back on that stage, playing an actor who ignited my love for the craft. "When Covid hit, I prepared a production of Playing Burton but have never had the chance to perform it on stage. "With 2025 being both Burtons centenary year and the first year of the Welsh National Theatre, it felt right to return to the London and Welsh stage for the first time in 20-plus years. "The reason I wanted to act was because of Richard Burton. Since first seeing his incredible performance in Look Back in Anger to still listening to his audio of Hamlet and Under Milk Wood. He blazed the trail for us all and showed us it was possible. Rhys made his last stage appearance back in 2012 when he appeared in Look Back in Anger at the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York. 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: John Clarke sits in his Berkeley, Calif., home after becoming one of the three scientists to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger The announcement Monday that three laureates will share the Nobel memorial prize in economics for explaining innovation-driven growth brings this year's Nobel awards to a close. All but the Nobel Peace Prize, which was announced on Friday in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, are announced in Stockholm. The award ceremonies will be held on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, who founded the prizes. Here are this year's winners: Medicine On Oct. 6, the Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to three scientists for their work on the immune system. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi uncovered a key pathway the body uses to keep the immune system in check, viewed as critical to understanding autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. In separate projects, the trio identified the importance of what are now called regulatory T cells. Scientists are using those findings in a variety of ways: to discover better treatments for autoimmune diseases, to improve organ transplant success and to enhance the body's own fight against cancer, among others. Brunkow, 64, is now a senior program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. Ramsdell, 64, is a scientific adviser for San Francisco-based Sonoma Biotherapeutics. Sakaguchi, 74, is a distinguished professor at the Immunology Frontier Research Center at Osaka University in Japan. Maria Corina Machado leads a protest against the reelection of President Nicolas Maduro one month after the disputed presidential vote which she claims the opposition won by a landslide, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez, File Physics On Oct. 7, the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to another trio of scientists for their research on the "weirdness" of subatomic particles called quantum tunneling. That has enabled the ultrasensitive measurements achieved by MRI machines and laid the groundwork for better cellphones and faster computers. The work by John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis took the seeming contradictions of the subatomic worldwhere light can be both a wave and a particle, and parts of atoms can tunnel through seemingly impenetrable barriersand applied them in the more traditional physics of digital devices. The results of their findings are just starting to appear in advanced technology and could pave the way for the development of supercharged computing. Clarke, 83, conducted his research at the University of California, Berkeley; Martinis, 67, at the University of California, Santa Barbara; and Devoret, 72, is at Yale and also at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Clarke spearheaded the project. Chemistry On Oct. 8, another scientific trio won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their development of new molecular structures that can trap vast quantities of gas inside. Experts say the work lays the groundwork to potentially suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere or harvest moisture from desert environments. Experts say the work of Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi "may contribute to solving some of humankind's greatest challenges." Kitagawa, 74, is with Japan's Kyoto University, while Robson, 88, is affiliated with the University of Melbourne in Australia. Yaghi, 60, is with the University of California, Berkeley. Hungary's Laszlo Krasznahorkai poses for photographers in London, Tuesday, May 19, 2015. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matterdaily or weekly. Literature On Oct. 9, Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the Nobel Prize in literature for work the judges said upholds the power of art in the midst of "apocalyptic terror." His surreal and anarchic novels combine a bleak world view with mordant humor. Krasznahorkai, 71, has written more than 20 books, including "The Melancholy of Resistance," a surreal, disturbing tale involving a traveling circus and a stuffed whale, and "Baron Wenckheim's Homecoming," the sprawling saga of a gambling-addicted aristocrat. Krasznahorkai has been a vocal critic of autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, especially his government's lack of support for Ukraine after Russia launched an all-out war. Peace On Oct. 10, Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela won the Nobel Peace Prize, and was lauded for being a "key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided." Machado, who turned 58 this week, was set to run against President Nicolas Maduro in last year's presidential election, but the government disqualified her. The lead-up to the election saw widespread repression, including disqualifications, arrests and human rights violations. Maduro's government has routinely targeted its real or perceived opponents. Professofr Susumu Kitagawa speaks at a press conference at Kyoto University in Kyoto, western Japan Thrusday, Oct. 9, 2025, a day after he was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Credit: Kai Naito/Kyodo News via AP Machado went into hiding and hasn't been seen in public since January, and as a result it's unclear whether she will attend the awards ceremony in Stockholm in December. Machado becomes the 20th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, of the 112 individuals who have been honored. Economics On Oct. 13, Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt won the Nobel memorial prize in economics. They were honored for their research into the impact of innovation on economic growth and how new technologies replace older ones, a key economic concept known as "creative destruction." The winners represent contrasting but complementary approaches to economics. Mokyr is an economic historian who delved into long-term trends using historical sources, while Howitt and Aghion relied on mathematics to explain how creative destruction works. Dutch-born Mokyr, 79, is from Northwestern University; Aghion, 69, from the College de France and the London School of Economics; and Canadian-born Howitt, 79, from Brown University. 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Paris Jackson is "learning to navigate life on life's terms". Paris Jackson has opened up about her journey The 27-year-old star has previously battled drug and alcohol addiction, but Paris managed to get her life back on track after getting sober. Speaking at the annual Friendly House Awards Luncheon in Los Angeles, Paris - who was awarded the Shining Star Award for her work with the organisation - explained: "Most of the service work I do is one-on-one. I don't typically make a spectacle of it because my life simply depends on it and because it is also part of my spiritual foundation. "That being said, I'm really grateful to be a part of a movement that aligns so much with my higher purpose and the essence of my daily reprieve. Getting someone to develop conscious contact has easily been the greatest action I've ever taken and I pray that I can continue to help others." Paris - who is the daughter of pop icon Michael Jackson - subsequently opened up about her own struggles, explaining ow sobriety has changed her life. She said: "I didn't just get my life back. I got a better one. "I say it's funny, I feel like getting sober was kind of like getting into a car accident because everything I shoved in the back seat moved forward on impact and today I'm learning to navigate life on life's terms. "And along with those things that flew forward, I support any and all programs and foundations and organisations that work towards helping other women do the same." In January, Paris took to social media to celebrate five years of sobriety. The actress wrote on Instagram at the time: "Today marks five years clean and sober from all drugs and alcohol, to say that Im thankful would be a poor euphemism. "Gratitude hardly scratches the surface. Its because Im sober that I get to smile today. I get to make music. I get to experience the joy of loving my dogs and cat. I get to feel heartbreak in all its glory. I get to grieve. I get to laugh. I get to dance. I get to trust." More than 40 killed from two tropical storms that devastated four states Mexico More than 40 have been killed due to flooding, landslides and river overflows. Torrential rains from two tropical storms Raymond and Priscilla are responsible. At least 48 have been killed in Hidalgo, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi and Veracruz due to the torrential rains. Thousands of others remain affected by the water that left homes in ruins, some of which were buried in mudslides. President Sheinbaum, center, toured the damaged states Sunday. The death tolls have been reported as 22 in Hidalgo, 15 in Veracruz, 10 in Puebla and one in Queretaro. On Sunday, President Claudia Sheinbaum toured the heavily damaged areas where Marina and National Guard personnel are arriving with aid. In compliance with the Government of Mexicos National Security Strategy, the National Guard continues the relief phase of Plan DN-III-E in the states of Hidalgo, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi and Veracruz due to flooding, landslides and river overflows caused by torrential rains from tropical storms Raymond and Priscilla. In Hidalgo, heavy rainfall caused damage to homes and roads, where personnel are helping remove debris, mud and fallen trees. They are also supporting the relocation of affected families to temporary shelter, in coordination with authorities. In Queretaro, in municipalities such as Jalpan de Serra, Landa de Matamoros, Arroyo Seco, Pinal de Amoles, Penamiller, San Joaquin, and Toliman, National Guard troops are conducting patrols in the affected areas to assist families trapped inside their flooded homes. In San Luis Potosi, troops are responding to municipalities in the Huasteca region, where the Axtla and Moctezuma rivers have overflowed. Homes are being evacuated and families are being relocated to temporary shelters, in addition to delivering food supplies and cleaning kits. In Veracruz, together with Civil Protection personnel, assistance continues to be provided to the population of 14 municipalities affected by flooding following the intense rains. Members of the National Guard are helping families leave their flooded homes and moving them to temporary shelters. The Secretariat of the Navy reports that following the humanitarian actions deployed in areas affected by the rain, naval personnel have intensified assistance efforts to benefit the population in the affected municipalities. Within the state of Veracruz, in the municipalities of Poza Rica and Alamo, more than 3,400 people have received warm food through mobile kitchens. Medical personnel are visiting homes to provide services. Water and food aid are being distributed. Bilge pumps are being used to drain neighborhoods Two dozen access roads have been cleared by collecting three tons of garbage and removing 26 structures between trees and billboards that affected land communications. In the state of Puebla, in the municipality of Huachinango, 535 people were evacuated. Similar actions are being implemented there with a water treatment plant, the distribution of food supplies and cooked food via a mobile kitchen. Authorirties say 585 trees and billboards were removed, two tons of garbage was cleared and work is underway to dredge 13 communication routes. Meanwhile, in the municipality of Tamazunchale, San Luis Potosi, a mobile kitchen is also in place. So far, 127 people have been evacuated. Medical services are being provided and four access roads have been cleared. In Metztitlan, Hidalgo, 200 naval personnel have been made available to support the clearing of access roads, along with 10 vehicles and four Zodiac-type boats. President Claudia Sheinbaum led meetings Sunday with the governors of the affected states. Our solidarity and support go out to all those who lost a family member. The affected population will lack nothing. Members and teams from the Mexican government are deployed to open roads and assist the communities, she reported. The National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC), an agency of the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, indicated that the DN-III-E plans of the Ministry of National Defense (Defense), the Navy Plan of the Ministry of the Navy (Semar), as well as state and municipal emergency plans were activated. The agency reported that from October 6 to 9, heavy rains were recorded in Veracruz (540 millimeters), Puebla (487 mm), San Luis Potosi (298 mm), Hidalgo (245 mm) and Queretaro (232 mm). Veracruz was drenched after 540 mms of rain fell. The DN-III-E Plan has 5,400 personnel deployed around the affected states to provide disaster relief. The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reported that 320,386 users were affected in the five states. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) reported that 1,056 kilometers of federal highway network were affected due to flooding and landslides. One of Europes Most Wanted arrested and returned to Sweden from Cancun Cancun, Q.R. A criminal leader listed as a most wanted in Europe was tracked down living in Cancun. A second person, a man considered his main logistical and financial operator, was also arrested. Authorities reported on the weekend arrest of Mikael N, a Swedish criminal leader wanted across Europe for arms trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering. Police say he is considered a generator of violence in Europe. Authorities also reported on the arrest of a second man, Tomas Alejandro N, a subject considered his main logistical and financial operator. Mexico City authorities reported that following a request for cooperation from the Swedish Police, a search was launched for Mikael N. He is wanted by Europol with an outstanding arrest warrant and had a red notice with Interpol for his involvement in arms trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering. With this information, contact was established with international security agencies to exchange information and identify his potential areas of activity, government authorities reported Saturday. Fixed and mobile surveillance was implemented at various locations in Yucatan and Quintana Roo where ground patrols were conducted and technological tools were used to locate the addresses where he was staying. Based on intelligence, the targets presence was confirmed in Cancun where he was found driving with one of his main financial agents. Police said a security operation was implemented on the Cancun-Merida highway from where they were stopped and detained. During the inspection, various doses of drugs were seized, they reported. Mikael Michalis N, alias El Griego, was taken to the appropriate immigration station for transfer to Europe under custody and later handed over to the Swedish police. The other individual in his company, Tomas Alejandro N, was placed at the disposal of the corresponding Public Prosecutors Office who will determine his legal status and continue with the corresponding proceedings. On Saturday, Omar Garcia Harfuch, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico said as a result of an investigation by the National Intelligence Center, officers arrested Mikael Michalis N, alias El Griego, in Quintana Roo. He is wanted for arms trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering. Mikael Michalis N, alias El Griego He has a red card and an arrest warrant in Sweden, identified as the leader of the Dalen criminal group. Also arrested was Tomas Alejandro N, who is being investigated for operations involving illicit proceeds. The Security Cabinet institutions reaffirm their commitment to working in coordination with international security agencies to stop the perpetrators of violence that affect society, government authorities reported. As part of the inter-institutional collaboration with international security agencies in Quintana Roo, elements of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Secretariat of National Defense (Defense), Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) and National Guard (GN), together with the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) of Quintana Roo, the National Migration Institute (INM) and Interpol, participated authorities said. Tulum begins poor pole verification for replacement by public companies Tulum, Q.R. The municipality of Tulum has started a verification process to identify poles and ground registers in poor condition. Within coming days, the municipality will begin the formal notification process to the CFE. The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) will be notified of the municipalitys findings and expected to correct improperly connected cables or remove them. Other companies including telephone and Internet will also be notified. Tulum Civil Protection will begin the formal notification process to various telecommunications companies for the detection of wiring, manholes and poles that pose a risk to the safety of the population. Sergio Canto Contreras, the Tulum Director General de Proteccion Civil and Bomberos, said that recent inspections in various areas of the municipality found both poorly connected cables and improperly removed cables. If cables are detected as being improperly connected or removed, the companies responsible will have to be sanctioned because they put the civilian population at risk, he warned noting that these cables can be the cause of a fire. Canto Contreras stated that a formal report is already being prepared for the CFE in requesting support in removing electrified or medium-voltage cables that are located at low heights and those found touching the ground. He said that in parallel, they are also preparing letters to Telmex and Internet companies to remove damaged poles made of wood and concrete poles with a high degree of wear. To date, Civil Protection has documented at least nine utility poles in poor condition in different neighborhoods. The companies responsible for the poles will be informed of their precise location so they can make the necessary repair or removal. If there is no response, fines will be imposed by the municipality. We cannot allow these structures to continue to pose a danger, he said. Civil Protection seeks to prevent accidents and strengthen urban safety in Tulum where rapid growth has increased the presence of electrical and telecommunications infrastructure in irregular conditions. Earlier this year, a similar project to remove damaged and / or unused overhead wiring from telecommunication poles was started in both Cancun and Playa del Carmen. In Playa del Carmen, companies were given 15 days to address the issues. In Cancun, the project was started along Luis Donaldo Colosio Boulevard where companies CFE, Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex), Axtel, GIGNET, Izzi, GTAC, Abix Telecomunicaciones and Mega Cable, among others, removed unused overhead wiring and then buried 12 kilometers of overhead lines in an underground system. US President Donald Trump is "not sure [he's] going to be able to make heaven". US President Donald Trump joked he 'don't think there's anything going to get me in heaven' The 79-year-old Commander-in-Chief made the remark in response to a question from the press about his attempt to strike a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine - who have been at war since the Russian invasion in February 2022 - during a flight on Air Force One on Sunday (12.10.25). He said: "If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think thats pretty - I want to try to get to heaven if possible. I'm being a little cute." The Republican Party politician then quipped to journalists: "I don't think there's anything going to get me in heaven. "I really don't. I think I'm not maybe heaven-bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. "I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make heaven, but I've made life a lot better for a lot of people." President Trump was en route to Israel to witness the release of hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners, who will be freed as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas - and the politician told reporters the deal was "much harder" to broker because of the actions of his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden. He said: "And by the way, the Israeli thing was much harder to get settled because of the past administration." After visiting Israel, Trump will then head to Egypt for a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh which will be attended by Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as well as UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. During the flight on Air Force One, Trump was asked if he thinks the ceasefire deal will hold and he told the BBC: "Everybody is happy, and I think it's going to stay that way ... I'm good at solving wars. I'm good at making peace." In August, President Trump took part in a phone interview with Fox and Friends, and he told the show's hosts about how he could end the war in Ukraine. As well as mentioning he could become a mediator between Russian President Vladimir Putin, 73, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 47, President Trump joked he is "not doing well" with his mission to get to heaven. The politician quipped at the time: "If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think thats pretty - I want to try to get to heaven if possible. "Im hearing that Im not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole ... But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons." Six new bus services will be launched across Singapore over the next two months, improving transport links for residents in areas such as Bukit Panjang, Punggol, and Tengah. In addition, five new City Direct Services express buses that connect housing estates directly to the city will be introduced in the north-eastern region by the end of 2025. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also announced that two existing routes, services 114 and 146, will be extended to better serve commuters. These enhancements are part of the LTAs $900 million Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme, an eight-year initiative designed to strengthen the islands public transport network, particularly in newer housing estates. Pop superstar Katy Perry and former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau were spotted getting cozy aboard a yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara, according to photos obtained by the Daily Mail on 12 Oct. The images show the pair kissing, embracing, and even cuddling as they enjoyed the ocean breeze with one shot capturing Trudeau cradling Perrys backside while they rode the waves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perry shares 5-year-old daughter Daisy Dove Bloom with ex-fiance Orlando Bloom. Meanwhile, Trudeau shares three children with his ex-wife Sophie Gregoire, whom he split with in 2023 after 18 years of marriage. Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. At the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain Jose Manuel Albares Bueno will pay an official visit to China from October 14 to 15. CCTV: The Global Leaders Meeting on Women opened in Beijing this morning. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote address. Can you share more information on that? Lin Jian: This morning, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders Meeting on Women in Beijing and delivered a keynote address. President Xi noted that thirty years ago, the Fourth World Conference on Women adopted the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Gender equality has been etched in the agenda of our times. Over the past 30 years, guided by the spirit of the Beijing World Conference on Women, the cause of women has been thriving around the world. Equality between men and women is now a universal consensus of the international community. The environment for womens livelihood and development has been improving steadily. Prominent progress has been achieved in womens empowerment. President Xi stressed that at present, complex challenges still hamper womens all-round development. Equality between men and women remains a lofty yet arduous task. We should rededicate ourselves to the purpose of the Beijing World Conference on Women, and build greater consensus, broaden the paths forward, and take more concrete actions to accelerate the new process of womens all-round development. We should jointly foster an enabling environment for womens growth and development. We should jointly cultivate powerful momentum for the high-quality development of womens cause. We should jointly develop governance frameworks to protect womens rights and interests. We should jointly write a new chapter in promoting global cooperation on women. President Xi pointed out that in China, the cause of women has always been an integral part of the epic Chinese modernization endeavors. China actively provides opportunities and support for global womens cause through its development. In the next five years, China will donate another US$10 million to UN Women; earmark a quota of US$100 million in Chinas Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund for implementing development cooperation projects for women and girls in collaboration with international organizations; launch 1,000 small and beautiful livelihood programs with Chinese assistance that take women and girls as priority beneficiaries; invite 50,000 women to China for exchange and training programs; and establish a Global Center for Womens Capacity Building, which is aimed at conducting cooperation to train more female talent. Over 800 Chinese and foreign guests from more than 110 countries, regions and international organizations across the world gathered in Beijing, including 20 heads of state and government, parliament leaders, deputy-prime-minister-level officials and heads of international organizations. They had discussions and made plans for the future under the theme One Shared Future: New and Accelerated Process for Womens All-round Development. Various parties spoke highly of President Xis important address, noting that the four proposals made by President Xi are in line with the trend of our times and represent Chinas plans to advance the global womens cause, and that the five concrete measures announced by President Xi to support the global cause of women fully demonstrate Chinas sense of responsibility as a major country in the new era. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN and the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. China convened the Global Leaders Meeting on Women, supported by UN Women, to build up consensus for solidarity and cooperation and pool strength to respond to challenges. This will surely provide new, strong impetus for the development of the global cause of women. China hopes that this meeting will be a new starting point, from which we will work together with various parties to carry forward the spirit of the Fourth World Conference on Women, strive to build a community with a shared future for humanity, accelerate the new process for womens all-round development, and create a better future for humanity. AFP: President Trump said Friday that the United States would impose additional tariffs of 100 percent on China from November 1. He said this move was in retaliation for Chinas recently announced export controls in the rare earth sector. So first, what is the Foreign Ministrys comment on this? And also does China plan to impose its own high tariffs on goods from the United States if Trumps announcement is carried out? Lin Jian: The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce has made clear Chinas position on that. Let me stress that China firmly rejects the recent U.S. restrictions and sanctions on China, and will do what is necessary to protect its legitimate rights and interests. Threatening high tariffs is not the right way to deal with China. The U.S. should correct its approach and act on the common understandings the two presidents reached in their phone calls. The two sides can and should address each others concerns through dialogue and manage differences on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit to keep bilateral ties on a steady, sound and sustainable track. If the U.S. keeps refusing to change course, China will be firmly resolved in taking measures to safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests. CCTV: To follow up on Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares Buenos visit to China, how does China view its current relations with Spain? What does China expect to achieve through the visit? Lin Jian: Spain is Chinas important strategic partner in Europe. In recent years, the two countries have maintained close high-level interactions, consolidated political mutual trust, and had fruitful results-oriented cooperation. This has given a boost to economic growth and peoples livelihood in the two countries. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership. During the Foreign Ministers visit, the two sides will have in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. We believe this visit will play an important role in deepening mutual understanding and trust between the two countries and elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership. Beijing Daily: Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently traveled to Switzerland and held the 4th round of China-Switzerland Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue. Can you share more information on that? Lin Jian: On October 10 local time, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis jointly held the 4th round of China-Switzerland Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue and met the press in Bellinzona. After the dialogue, the two sides issued the Joint Document of the 4th Round of Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue between the Peoples Republic of China and the Swiss Confederation. As China and Switzerland mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the two sides had in-depth communication and reached extensive consensus on deepening strategic mutual trust, expanding practical cooperation, and safeguarding the international trade order and reforming and improving global governance under the current circumstances. The trip deepened the high-level political mutual trust and valuable friendship between China and Switzerland. The two sides reviewed the highlight moments China and Switzerland experienced together and the fruitful outcomes achieved over the past 75 years. They spoke highly of the high-level exchanges and the series of events marking the 75th anniversary. They agreed to carry forward the cooperation spirit featuring equality, innovation and win-win results, respect each others core interests, remain committed to dialogue, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation. Foreign Minister Wang stressed that China and Switzerland should stay true to the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic relations and continue to be a model of friendly cooperation. The trip highlighted that striving for win-win results and keeping pace with the times are the distinctive features of China-Switzerland cooperation. The two sides agreed to speed up talks on upgrading the free trade agreement and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in such fields as AI, green development, digital economy, finance and trade in services. The two sides will further dovetail Chinas mega-sized market and Switzerlands innovation capabilities, which will inject stronger impetus to the development of the two countries. China welcomes more Swiss companies and products to the Chinese market. China will continue extending its visa-free policy to Switzerland and deepening sub-national and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The trip deepened strategic common understandings between China and Switzerland on international affairs. The two sides agreed to improve global governance, strengthen communication on multilateral affairs, safeguard the UN-centered international system and the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and make new contribution to global peace, stability, prosperity and development. The Swiss side stated that it will stay steadily committed to the one-China policy and stands ready to deepen cooperation with China in various fields as the two countries mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership next year. The Swiss side spoke highly of Chinas policy of promoting green development and opening up, applauded Chinas important and positive role in international affairs, welcomed President Xi Jinpings proposal of the Global Governance Initiative and expressed readiness to continue supporting the work of the International Organization for Mediation established under Chinas initiative. AFP: The Israeli military and security services said today that seven Israeli hostages were transferred to the Red Cross. This is the first group of what is expected to be 20 survivors. How does China view these developments? Lin Jian: China welcomes and supports all efforts conducive to restoring peace and easing the humanitarian crisis. The pressing task now is to realize a full and lasting ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, effectively alleviate the humanitarian crisis and restore regional stability. The principle of the Palestinians governing Palestine should be upheld in the post-conflict governance of Gaza and any arrangements for the future of Gaza need to respect the will of the Palestinian people and dovetail with the two-State solution. China will, as always, play its role as a responsible major country, and continue to work with the international community to make relentless effort for a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question at an early date. Bloomberg: The Dutch government has moved to exert control over Nexperia, which is a Chinese semiconductor maker. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment on the situation? Lin Jian: Id refer you to competent authorities for anything specific. Let me stress that China always opposes overstretching the concept of national security and taking discriminatory moves that target companies from certain countries. The relevant country should uphold market principles and refrain from politicizing trade issues. China is firmly resolved in defending its own legitimate and lawful rights and interests. Financial Times: Wingtech, the owner of Nexperia, said it has asked the Chinese government to help deal with the situation. Has China reached out to the Netherlands? What help does China give to Wingtech? Lin Jian: Id refer you to competent authorities for anything specific. Bloomberg: The Philippines said over the weekend a Chinese ship deliberately rammed a government vessel in the South China Sea. The Philippines said the vessel suffered structural damage, but the crew was uninjured. The Chinese coast guard said that it expelled ships that had entered waters near the Spratly Islands. Would the Foreign Ministry like to comment on the situation? Lin Jian: China Coast Guard has released a statement and on-site video footage on the incident. The facts speak for themselves and the merits are very clear, which brook no distortion. Zhongye Dao, Tiexian Jiao and Zhubi Jiao are part of Chinas Nansha Qundao, which are Chinas territory. Recently, the Philippines has taken organized and orchestrated moves to send a large number of ships to make provocations and create trouble in relevant waters of Chinas Nansha Qundao. Philippine official vessels sailed dangerously more than once and some of them intruded into the waters off Zhubi Jiao, which resulted in the collision between the vessels of the two sides. The Philippines moves severely violate Chinas sovereignty and rights and interests, threaten the safety and security of Chinese vessels and personnel, and undermine peace and stability at sea. They are the provocateur responsible for the situation at sea. Chinas measures to safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests are necessary, legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. What happened shows once again that the Philippines deliberate infringement and provocations are the root cause behind the tensions. China urges the Philippines to immediately stop its infringement, provocations and vilification, and refrain from challenging Chinas firm resolve to safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Hubei Media Group: It was reported that armed clashes broke out recently between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the border areas, resulting in dozens of casualties. Does China have any comment on that? Lin Jian: China is closely following and concerned about the recent clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan and tensions in their relations. Pakistan and Afghanistan are both friendly neighbors of China. The two countries are and will always be neighbors of each other. Upholding good-neighborliness and the friendly ties, pursuing economic and social development and jointly combating terrorism serve the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides. China sincerely hopes that the two countries will, in light of the larger interests, stay cool-headed and exercise restraint, properly address each others concerns through dialogue and consultation, avoid any escalation, and together work for the peace and stability of the countries and the wider region. China stands ready to continue playing a constructive role for the improvement and development of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. We have requested both sides to take concrete measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions there. Global Times: Its been reported that Pakistan took advantage of Chinese equipment and technology to export rare earth to the U.S., which resulted in Chinas strict export control measures on rare earth-related technologies. Some we-media accounts said in videos and articles that Pakistan sent rare earth samples to the U.S. and agreed on rare earth cooperation, and China took countermeasures against Pakistans rare earth exports to the U.S. Whats your comment? Lin Jian: China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. Our iron-clad friendship has stood the test of time. The two countries have maintained high-level strategic mutual trust and close communication on major issues concerning each others common interests. From what Ive learned, the two countries have been in communication on Pakistan-U.S. mining cooperation. Pakistan stressed that its interactions with the U.S. will never harm Chinas interests or its cooperation with China. The samples that the Pakistani leaders showed and gave to the U.S. leader are gem ores purchased by staff in Pakistan. The reported stories that you mentioned are either misinformed or invented, or even designed to drive a wedge between China and Pakistan. They are just baseless. Chinas recently released export control measures on related rare earth items have nothing to do with Pakistan. It is a legitimate action by the Chinese government to refine its export control system in accordance with laws and regulations. It aims to better defend world peace and regional stability and to fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations. Our advice columnists have heard it all over the yearsso were diving into the Dear Prudence archives to share classic letters with our readers. Submit your own questions to Prudie here. Dear Prudence, I have been mostly happily married for 13 years. My husband and I get along really well, and I love him very much. That being said, he is not the most affectionate person anymore. We used to cuddle a lot when we were first married and I have told him how much I miss it. He says he doesnt enjoy it because its too hot. Hell make an effort to snuggle while watching TV sometimes if I ask, but I can tell while were doing it that he is counting the minutes until he can stop. About a month ago, I was having a very bad day at work and a male co-worker/friend told me I looked like I could use a hug. Prudie, I did need a hug and he gave me one and I started crying because I couldnt remember the last time I had received nonsexual affection from someone without begging. My co-worker asked why I was crying and when I told him he said he loved his wife very much, but she wasnt affectionate either and he knew exactly how I was feeling. Since that day weve been meeting in his or my office after work a couple of times a week to hug each other. And thats all we dothere is no groping or kissing or even talking going on, we just hold each other for five to 10 minutes and then we go home. I like having a hug buddy and Ive found my relationship with my husband is actually getting stronger because I am not so needy for affection from him. Of course, I have not told him about hugging my co-worker and Im sure if I did hed be upset, but I dont feel like what Im doing is cheating. Is it? Is This Cheating? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Cheating, Ah, Hug Buddies! Forget whether this is cheating, I see the possibility for a fantastic franchise opportunity ahead. Unless you are married to someone who is insanely jealous over totally normal interactions with members of the opposite sex, a good rule of thumb about cheating is that if you wonder about the propriety of what youre doing, and if you know your spouse would object, then youve entered dangerous territory. Additionally, your after-hours body contact at the office may be therapeutic for the two of you, but you have the makings of a Feydeau-esque farce when someone walks in to discuss the quarterly sales figures. Of course, if you decide to take the hugs off-premises, you know it wont be long before you realize neither of you get kissed very often by your spouses, and youll add that to the repertoire. Then it will be a short trip to horizontal affection and you two can be buddies of a more vernacular sort. The fact that you have found such release and comfort from your colleagues hug tells you what a trough your marriage has fallen into. Your husbands excuse for not touching you is that its too hot. Unless you live in a tropical climate and the air conditioner is broken, this explanation is absurd. You dont need to tell your husband about your hug buddy, although I think you need to let go of said buddy. You need to address something thats become a crisis in your marriage. Tell your husband you are withering from a lack of affection. It would be one thing if you married someone who couldnt stand touching you, but when you got together there was plenty of nonsexual touching. Say that if he wont go to a counselor with you, youll go alone, because while you love him very much, you feel hes set you adrift. Emily Yoffe Advertisement Advertisement From: Embraceable Me. (June 4, 2013). Dear Prudence, I am currently in marriage counseling with my wife after she discovered my three-year-long relationship with another woman. After a lot of soul-searching, I truly want to make the marriage work and ended my affair with Sandy for good. The problem we have is Sandys son, John. Sandy has been a single mother most of her life and I am the only father figure hes known. John and I developed a bond over the years and I feel as though it would be cruel to cut him out of my life because I am no longer in a relationship with his mother. My wife is adamant that she wont stay in the marriage if I maintain any ties with either John or Sandy. I feel disappointed in her for not having the compassion to see John is the innocent victim here who needs my ongoing support. Ive previously promised John I would always be a part of his life and I dont want to go back on that. Shouldnt my wife be more understanding of a childs needs? Former Mistress Son Advertisement Dear Former, I wonder if you and Sandy thought about how cruel it was to John to lead him to think that all of you were a happy (if strangely occasional) family during the years you were illicitly getting together. So now John is collateral damage. Heres a rule for cheating: Have sex with your lover, and leave the kids out of it. Instead, Sandy allowed you to be a surrogate father for her son, all the while surely thinking your emotional tie to him would draw you closer to her. You apparently were unable to imagine the likely scenario that your wife would stumble on your secret, and so promised John you would always care for him. Poor John that two such deluded people are his mother and father. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now you say your wife is the villain in this drama because her terms for continuing the marriage include severing all relations with Sandy and her son. You say your wife has no compassion for the boy, so Ill take your word that she hasnt expressed sorrow for him and doesnt seem to care that your disappearance will be a devastating blow. You need to understand that upon discovering the depths of your perfidy, your wife understandably is not feeling that expansive toward Sandy and her child. You dont mention whether you have children of your own, but if you do, even if theyre grown, she may be more concerned about her own family. But youre in counseling, and these kinds of dilemmas are what this forum is for. You may have done a lot of soul-searching and realized you would prefer to stay with your wife. But if her terms for repairing your marriage are unacceptable to you, then youve got a serious dilemma. I can see both your and her points of view here, and no matter what happens John gets hurt. You seem naive in the extreme if you are planning to have a continuing relationship with John and none with Sandy. But you need to explore in therapy how you do the least damage to John, who is a wholly innocent party. If your wife says any contact at all would end your marriage, then you have to figure out if disappearing forever from Johns life is a condition youre not willing to meet. E. Y. Advertisement From: I Will Be Your Father Figure. (Nov. 11, 2013). Dear Prudence, Lately my boyfriend has taken to texting and calling my best friend for advice about me when we get in arguments. I know there is nothing suspicious going on, and their conversations are mostly brief, but I cant help but be hurt by the idea of them talking about me in such a context. I love both of them but am jealous that he feels so comfortable talking to her when we have so many communication issues ourselves. We have a son together and lots of financial stressors, so communicating is not always easy. Advertisement Im especially upset because now the person that I vent to is coming back at me with her own opinion, when it used to be nice to just have someone whod listen. I told my boyfriend how I felt and he took it badly, saying that he had no one else to talk to who understands me. He basically threw his hands up and said, Fine! Ill keep everything inside then. I wont talk to her since its obviously a problem. This just made me feel worse. Im happy that my boyfriend and best friend get along so well, but I wish hed find his own friends to talk to. Am I right or should I just be grateful that he is seeking out advice about how to better our relationship? Jealous of Boyfriend and Best Friend Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Jealous, You need a couple of professionals in your life. First a gynecologist who can get you on a very reliable form of birth control, because you dont want to be bringing any more children into such a volatile situation. Next, you need short-term couples counseling. I know youve got financial stress, but Im hoping one of you has insurance that might cover say four sessions with a counselor. Someone with a masters in social work often charges less than a psychologist and can be just as helpful. Think of it as investment in your future together as a family. You two need ways to talk things out together and to respect each others boundaries. I agree he is violating yours and playing with some pretty volatile substances here. You also need to tell your friend that for the sake of your friendship she needs to stop being referee for your relationship because its hurting everyones trust. E. Y. Advertisement Advertisement From: Parent Trap. (July 23, 2013). Classic Prudie My husband is the best, except for a few small things. Whenever I ask him to do something for me, he responds with a heavy sigh or roll of the eyes as if he is extremely put-out, before he agrees to do it. I swear I am not being unreasonable in my requests, although I have needed more help than usual lately since Ive been sick a lot with my pregnancy. He tells me that I should just ignore it, because he does generally do the favor for me, and he doesnt always mind as much as he looks like he minds. But I cant help the fact that it gets to me sometimesI wish he would just do these things without making me feel like a nag all the time. But I dont want to police his facial expressions either. Any advice? Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. In 2018, a letter landed on Robert Chambers cell bars in a New York prison. It was from Ricki Stern, someone he knew from his prep school years on the Upper East Side. She was now a filmmaker and writing to ask if hed participate in a docuseries she was making about the 1980s. He never replied. In 1986, at 19, Chambers had strangled 18-year-old Jennifer Levin, an occasional lover, under an oak tree in Central Park. It was one of New York Citys most sensational cases, and Chambers would never shake the name tabloids gave him: Preppy Killer. He wasnt surprised when, about a year after he received Sterns letter, a trailer for a show about him appeared on the TV in the cell block. In early 2020, The Preppy Murder: Death in Central Park, a limited series, aired on A&E for three nights, and men congregated in the common area of the block to watch each episode. The series explored if the press would have covered the case so salaciously in the post-#MeToo era. It also suggested that Chambers may have been sexually abused by Theodore McCarrick, a cardinal who was defrocked for molesting altar boys around the time Chambers was one. I cant imagine how uncomfortable it was, having a cell block of convicts wondering if he was a victim of childhood sexual abuse. During commercial breaks, guys stood at his cell and asked if certain things were true. Eventually, he hung a sheet across his bars, which meant Do not disturb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chambers recounted all this to me when I landed in his cell block that summer. I told him I had watched the series about him and that my case had also been rehashed on a true crime show. He told me he hated the whole genre. But I tell true crime stories from an unusual and unfortunate point of view. Advertisement In 2001, when I was a 24-year-old drug dealer, I shot and killed a friend turned rival in Brooklyn and wound up with 28 years to life. A creative writing workshop showed me good writing, I took to personal journalism, and by 2018, I was publishing magazine stories about life in prison. That fall, HLN producers contacted me about participating in a series, supposedly about redemption, called Inside With Chris Cuomo. Schmoozing me, they left out a key word in the title: evil. True crime is everywhere, but how true is it, really? An accurate portrayal of my life should include the darkness. But was it fair for the producers to approach subjects in the series with the themeevilalready predetermined? I was taught that journalists should come to a story with an open mind and discover the heart of it in the material itself, in the characters. And if creators can get their subjects to participate only by obfuscating what they intend to do, the end result cannot be totally true. Advertisement Advertisement Who can most honestly tell our stories? I live with the men I write about. We share the same label, and, regretfully, I have more of an understanding of what they did than any other true crime storyteller does. The cultural power of the genre cannot be understated. Americans younger than 55 have never lived in a safer time. Despite the deep decline in homicides in U.S. cities, a recent poll found that more than half (54 percent) of Americans believe the opposite. Perhaps this is because 56 percent of the country watches true crime shows about murder. I have a hunch that the content increases the publics thirst for punishment. Advertisement Robert Chambers is one of the men I profile in my new book, The Tragedy of True Crime. When reporting out his story, I contacted Stern, the filmmaker and old prep school chum who made The Preppy Murder. In that initial letter she sent Chambers, I asked, why didnt she just tell him she was looking to do a documentary about him that reexamined the medias role in his case. Why be vague? Advertisement I did write him a letter but I truly dont remember what I wrote, Stern replied in an email. To answer your question specifically, if I had reached out to Rob and was vague, then it was probably to see if I could have a chance to speak with him. But if he agreed to speak, then I would have explained the nature of the series. Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate With One Damning Question, Ketanji Brown Jackson Defined the Supreme Courts New Term Read More To be fair, I believe that Sterns body of documentary work is impressive, but I dont know what to make of her comments. Others in the business are pretty clear that they dont care about being honest. Take Claire St. Amant, a former field producer for 48 Hours, who reveals the mindset of the true crime creator in her recent memoir, Killer Story. I didnt imagine Id end up buddying up to murderers, she writes. But I must admit, it gave me a thrill to think Id fooled a master manipulator into believing I actually liked him. Killers didnt deserve my honesty, and the last thing Id feel was any guilt for playing them. Advertisement In hindsight, I was naive to trust those HLN producers. I was proud of the recognition my reporting had earned me, and I thought the show would document my comeback. They did, but not to prove that redemption is possiblethey did it to antagonize the family of the man I murdered. I realized this when I watched the episode, Killer Writing, on the TV in my cell. The camera cut to his sister, her face stained with tears, expressing disapproval of my writing, right before a clip of me boasting about my career. It made for good TV. But it made me feel terribleand I imagine she did too. Advertisement Theres a profound responsibility that comes with telling someone elses story. Our perspectives, lived experiences, and biases all shape and color how we craft a narrative. You can distort a timeline, smudge the facts, and leave others out to pursue one angle in favor of another, depending on your agenda. Its hard to leave all that at the door and give your subject as fair a shake as possiblebut its necessary. The stakes are only heightened, and more complicated, when you deal with people who have committed horrible crimes, people who at first glance seem to be nothing but evil. True crimes not going anywhere. The reason these stories are so popular is because they are supposedly true: They reveal the dark side of human nature. But creators come to these stories with agendas, not open minds. They manipulate and exploit both the victim and the convicted to fit the narratives they want to create. Im a murderer and a journalist, and I know thats complex, but at least Im telling the truth. Sam Asghari wishes "the happiest" for Britney Spears. Sam Asghari was previously married to Britney Spears The 31-year-old actor was married to Britney, 43, between 2022 and 2024, and Sam insists that he still has fond memories of their time together, in spite of their eventual break-up. Sam - who is currently dating Los Angeles real estate agent Brooke Irvine - told Us Weekly: "I just hope the happiest for her. And like I said before that, I celebrate the past, and its a big part of me, so I think everything should go well for her." Sam and Brooke went Instagram official in January, after first being spotted together in November 2024. And the actor admits that their relationship has been "amazing" so far. Earlier this year, Sam revealed that he wanted to sign a prenuptial agreement before marrying Britney. The actor urged his former spouse to agree a prenup so that she would be financially "protected". Sam - who ultimately signed a prenup before tying the knot - said on the Trading Secrets podcast: "I wanted her to have a prenup. "I wanted to make sure shes protected, because throughout her life, everybody I dont know one person thats ever been in her life that didnt take advantage of her. So its very sad. I wanted to make sure that Im the person that [didnt] do that." Sam also rubbished the suggestion that he tried to take advantage of Britney's fame and success. The actor - who met Britney on the set of her Slumber Party music video back in 2016 - said: "I never get mad at the general public or fans or people that are seeing your life from a distance, especially now that Im not in a relationship for over two years or a year and something. "Looking from an outside perspective, I see theres an age difference, theres a fame difference, theres this, theres that. But realistically, we met as co-stars." Despite this, Sam insists he's not worried about the opinions of fans. He explained: "Its all for me. So its not really focused on the fans or whoever My career is always going to be, Im always going to do things thats going to benefit the fans and people that are watching me. And I want to be a good example. But at the same time, its because that makes me feel better." 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 City University London spoke to Professor Rajarajan about his mission to protect us all from the threat of international cyber criminality. Professor Raj Rajarajan is an academic at City St George's, University of London whose research focuses on cybersecurity and security engineering. With a distinguished career spanning over two decades in cybersecurity, Raj has played a pivotal role in mentoring students and professionals while bridging the industry-academia gap. His expertise in ethical hacking, cyber risk management, and education has made him a highly influential figure in the field. Professor Rajarajan recently sat down with our Research Spotlight team to talk about his research and wider work to protect us all from cyber criminality. In 2024, Raj co-founded Cyber London, one of a number of regional "Cyber Clusters" which are playing a vital role in supporting the growth of the cybersecurity ecosystem in the UK and beyond, and which is recognized by government as the Cyber Cluster for London. Cyber Clusters are uniquely positioned with regional focus and presence, and actively engage with their communities, fostering relationships on the ground. As co-director, Raj also established the Centre for Online Safety, Safeguarding, Privacy and Identity (COSPI) at City, St George's with Professor Carrie-Ann Myers of the School of Policy & Global Affairs, which develops world-class research and insights on issues affecting the cyber security industry and society more widely. Raj is a leading voice in the call for corporations to increase their investment in cybersecurity to mitigate the risk of attack from a growing global network of organized cybercriminals. He reminds us that cybercriminals are not the lone wolves of twenty years ago, but can lurk deep within the dark web, making tools for others to commit cyberattacks. To this point, Raj predicts that cybercrime will cost the global economy 1 trillion over the next five years, and that 80% of small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) will fall victim to cyberattacks. Credit: City University London He says, "The biggest vulnerabilities that happen are from small-to-medium-sized enterprises, because they may not have the resources, have the funding, or take cybersecurity seriously. Which means most of the cyberattacks now happen through these suppliers to the larger organizations." One way Raj is helping address this risk is through Armorex, a new, innovative cyber security solution startup company, spun out from City St George's, of which he is co-founder, alongside Veniamin Boiarkin, its Project Lead and Doctoral Researcher at the School of Science & Technology. Armorex aims to address the urgent issue by equipping SMEs with tools to clearly understand and significantly improve their "cyber posture." Through intelligent assessments and AI-driven analytics, ARMOREX aims to empower SMEs to proactively manage risks, thereby ensuring they meet cyber insurance eligibility requirements with confidence. The platform not only aims to simplify the cybersecurity landscape for SMEs but also significantly streamline underwriting processes for insurers. Its mission directly supports critical UK government cybersecurity and AI initiatives, aligning closely with government recommendations such as CyberEssentials certification and the proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. By empowering SMEs to adopt stronger cybersecurity controls, Armorex aims to enhance national resilience in line with the UK National Cyber Strategy. Its contribution to SMEs and the broader economy could be significant, targeting businesses across critical sectors such as Healthcare, IT and Telecoms, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and Finance. 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: Schematic illustration of a spin-orbit torque MRAM cell, where a tungsten layer generates spin currents to switch the magnetic state. Credit: Yen-Lin Huang, NYCU. The ability to reliably switch the direction of magnetic alignment in materials, a process known as magnetization switching, is known to be central to the functioning of most memory devices. One known strategy to achieve entails the creation of a rotational force (i.e., torque) on electron spins via an electric current; a physical effect known as spin-orbit torque (SOT). Information storage devices that rely on this effect are called spin-orbit torque magnetic random-access memories (SOT-MRAMs). These memory systems have been found to have various notable advantages, such as the ability to retain data even when their electrical power is turned off, fast switching compared to other various existing memory solutions and low power consumption. Researchers at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the Industrial Technology Research Institute and other institutes recently developed a new SOT-MRAM based on composite materials that contain the heavy metal tungsten, which is known for its strong spin-orbit coupling. Their memory device, introduced in a paper published in Nature Electronics, could be fabricated via existing processes for the large-scale production of semiconductors. "Our motivation came from the need for truly low-power, high-speed, and reliable memory to support next-generation computing," Yen-Lin Huang, first author of the paper, told Tech Xplore. "While spin-orbit torque MRAM had long been proposed, the challenge was to demonstrate nanosecond switching, long retention, and large-scale integration under semiconductor industry-compatible processes." The main objective of the recent study by Huang and his colleagues was to develop a MRAM that can simultaneously achieve speed and endurance, but that can also be manufactured using processes that are widely employed within the electronics industry. The memory device they created stores information in a thin ferromagnetic layer's direction of magnetization. The research team from Prof. Huang at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Credit: Yen-Lin Huang, NYCU. "Instead of using a magnetic field, we employ spin-orbit torquea current through a tungsten layer generates spins that flip the magnetization within ~1 ns," explained Huang. "Compared to DRAM and Flash, our MRAM combines non-volatility (like Flash) with nanosecond speed (like DRAM), but with much lower power and no need for refresh cycles. The unique aspect here is stabilizing the tungsten phase to deliver both high spin efficiency and industry-ready integration." The researchers realized a prototype of their memory, with a 64 kilobit (kb) array, then assessed its performance in conditions aligned with real-world applications. The SOT-MRAM was found to achieve a remarkable switching speed of 1ns and a retention time above 10 years. "We stabilized a phase of tungsten that is usually difficult to control but crucial for spin efficiency up to 700 C," said Huang. "Our study shows that SOT-MRAM can be scaled toward on-chip cache and embedded memory, enabling energy-efficient AI and edge computing where both speed and non-volatility matter." The recent work by Huang and his colleagues could open new possibilities for the scalable and large-scale fabrication of highly performing SOT-MRAMs based on -phase tungsten. In the future, other research teams could build on this study to develop other memory systems that are fast, stable and compatible with existing manufacturing processes. "We now aim to move beyond proof-of-concept arrays toward megabit-class integration, while further reducing the write current to below sub-picojoule/bit levels," added Huang. "On the physics side, we are exploring new oxide and 2D interfaces to push efficiency and reliability even further. Another direction is system-level demonstrationsshowing how MRAM can cut total power in AI accelerators and mobile devices." Written for you by our author Ingrid Fadelli, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Eganthis article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. More information: Yen-Lin Huang et al, A 64-kilobit spinorbit torque magnetic random-access memory based on back-end-of-line-compatible -tungsten, Nature Electronics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-025-01434-x. Journal information: Nature Electronics 2025 Science X Network 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 Around 5 million children across western Europe report having been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 18, according to the latest data gathered by Childlight, the Global Child Safety Institute. That's about 7% of the child population. In south Asia, data for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka suggests the figure rises to 12% of childrenmore than 50 million young people in those three countries alone. The online picture is equally alarming. In western Europe alone, one in five children (19.6%) say they have faced unwanted or pressured sexual interactions online before adulthood. The data also reveals that over 60% of all child sexual abuse material in western Europe (and 30% globally) is hosted in the Netherlands. These shocking figures come from Childlight's latest Into the Light index. As Childlight's director of data, and as a professor of international child protection research, I have spent nearly 20 years studying the patterns of child sexual exploitation and abuse worldwide. What our data shows is both deeply troubling and a call to urgent action. How we measure the scale In 2024, we launched the inaugural Into the Light indexthe first comprehensive global report of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It introduced a new framework, the first regional prevalence estimates and indicators of child sexual abuse material. The 2025 edition goes further. It covers both online and offline abuse and country-level data for 41 countries in western Europe and south Asia, incorporating the analysis of: 89 studies which used survey methods to identify victims of rape and sexual assault crime statistics and child helpline data global child sexual abuse material trends, including AI-generated imagery and hosting patterns. For western Europe, we reviewed 48 studies from 19 countries, finding that between 3.7% and 9.6% of children reported being raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 18. For south Asia, representative data from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka shows around 12% of children were raped or sexually assaulted by 1814.5% of girls and 11.5% of boys. What the data reveals Our research points to widespread abuse and some key issues emerged. AI-generated child sexual abuse material is rising: reports rose 1,325% between 2023 and 2024, amid growing concerns about deepfake images placing children's faces onto sexual material. This rise was seen in reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which rose to over 67,000 in 2024, from 4,700 reports logged in 2023. Meanwhile, familial abuse is leading to the creation of new child sexual abuse material, with a large proportion of identified material depicting immediate family members. Behind these numbers are real children, millions who stay silent out of fear, guilt or loyalty to family members. Yet the consequences are lifelong, affecting mental health, physical health and even life expectancy. Using data to fight child abuse Childlight, hosted by the University of Edinburgh and the University of New South Wales, is the world's first independent global data institute dedicated to protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse. As I have written before, the fight to keep young people safe from harm has been hampered by how data differs in quality and consistency around the world. Our aim is to work in partnership with many other organizations to help join up the system and close the data gaps. What can be done The good news is that solutions exist and momentum is building, with 30 governments globally pledging action to improve online safety for children since an intergovernmental summit in Colombia last November. The legislation is showing promising signs. The EU Digital Services Act and the UK Online Safety Act now require platforms to assess child risk, report incidents and publish transparency data. Australia's eSafety Commissioner has also compelled firms to publish reports revealing how they are failing to track the problem. Enforcement is having an impact. In April 2025, Kidflix, one of the largest pedophile platforms in the world, was shut down through an international Europol-backed operation, with servers seized and perpetrators arrested. Prevention is working too. The Barnahus model in Europe, for example, brings together police, health and social services to support children in a child-friendly environment. It has been linked to more perpetrators being charged and convicted. In addition, "blocklist" technology which acts as a virtual shield is thwarting 3 million attempts to view illegal sexual images of children online every week. Lists of known online addresses which host child sexual abuse material are compiled and shared by organizations including Internet Watch Foundation, so they can be blocked by major internet service providers, shutting down access to harmful images. Urgency matters The law must require proactive detection and removal of child sexual abuse material. Education and open conversations that empower children and families must be supported and encouraged. And finally we must invest in prevention models that work. In the UK, that could mean extending the law on criminalizing pedophile manuals to include material generated by AI. It could mean a Barnahus expansion, and it certainly should mean reforming the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme so all victims of child sexual abuse (including those harmed "virtually" through technology) are recognized and supported. Child sexual exploitation and abuse is not inevitable. Like other public health crises, it is preventable and can prevent a lifetime of trauma with benefits for children, families, communities and economies. But prevention depends on first understanding the true scale and nature of the problem. Our data is a spotlight, exposing what too often remains hidden in the shadows. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Naomi Watts suffers from "all kinds of imposter syndrome". Naomi Watts suffers from imposter syndrome The 57-year-old actress has admitted that she actually struggles to comprehend having her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She told Variety: "I cant even believe it. "Its interesting, because I have all kinds of imposter syndrome. Ive always felt like Im supposed to struggle, Im supposed to keep proving myself, and this sort of just came out of the blue. Its really lovely." Naomi has been nominated for numerous accolades during her career, including two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. But the actress initially struggled to find success in Hollywood. She said: "I pretty much was deemed as unhireable. I was flunking auditions over and over again, or Id get in a movie and it would get cut down or out. It was just bad luck." Naomi admits that her early struggles have actually made her recent success - including receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - even more meaningful. The actress - who has starred in films such as St. Vincent, Birdman and While We're Young - explained: "I struggled for so long. Im so familiar with that side of things more than this incredible good fortune, celebrations like this. Its wonderful." Meanwhile, Naomi previously admitted that she took a big risk by making the switch to Hollywood. The movie star - who was born in the UK, before moving to Australia in her teens - told the Guardian newspaper: "I had $2,000 to my name and one phone number belonging to a friend of my mothers. And I was friendly but not yet besties with Nicole Kidman. Wed worked together on Flirting, and we knew each other peripherally from back home in Australia. We became much better acquainted once I moved here. And over time I made more friends and built a community. "The point is: I was brave back then. So I can be brave now when it comes to taking risks in life." Naomi also stressed the importance of working with talented directors who share similar values. She said: "Working with people whose values you share makes everything so much easier. "I believe that film is ultimately a directors medium, so Ive always done my best to find directors I trust and to put myself in their capable hands. Of course, its a collaborative experience, but the director is the main storyteller. As an actor, you have to give yourself over to their point of view as much as possible. "You dont always have that luxury when the A-list directors stop calling which has been my experience for years at a time. Maybe thats because Ive had a few bombs along the way. More than a handful!" 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: R3V Tech is scaling its electrochemical reactor and plans to develop a self-contained, modular unit housing the reactor and supporting components for commercial application. (AI-generated concept image). Credit: Loughborough University An electrochemical process developed by scientists at a Loughborough University spin-out company enables biodiesel producers to turn waste into profitwhile slashing emissions and energy use. The R3V Tech team, headed by chemistry experts Dr. Adriano Randi (CEO) and Professor Benjamin Buckley (CSO), have developed a process that converts crude glycerola low-value by-product of the biodiesel industryinto a high-value bio-derived solvent that is commonly used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial sectors and as a fuel additive. The company is currently scaling its laboratory-based process from gram-scale experiments to kilogram-per-hour production and has recently been awarded a grant to build and trial a pilot demonstrator at a biodiesel plant within the next five months. "I saw this project as a big opportunity to work on something that can make a difference to the planet, the environment, and society," said Dr. Randi, CEO and co-founder of R3V Tech. "I'd like to see every biodiesel company using this process one dayand to leave behind a legacy that helps the next generation." Main video: introducing the electrochemical process that enables biodiesel producers to transform waste into planet-friendly profit. Credit: Loughborough University What currently happens to crude glycerol Biodiesel, a renewable fuel made from plant oils, animal fats, and recycled cooking oils, offers a greener alternative to petroleum diesel as it is biodegradable, produces significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions when burned, and can be made from waste materials rather than crude oil (a non-renewable "fossil fuel" resource). However, for every ton of biodiesel produced, about 100 kilograms of crude glycerol is generated. Because it is contaminated with leftover chemicals and impurities from fuel production, crude glycerol is difficult to recycle. As a result, most biodiesel producers sell it cheaply to companies that refine it and often use the refined material to produce solketala bio-derived solvent and fuel additive with an estimated global market value of $78 billion. Not only does this come at a cost to biodiesel producers, but it also comes at a cost to the planet, as it involves shipping crude glyceroloften overseaswhich generates emissions, and current refining methods are highly energy-intensive, requiring high temperatures and pressures. R3V Tech's electrochemical process will enable biodiesel producers to convert crude glycerol directly into high-value solketal on site, eliminating refining costs, even at small scale, and allowing them to use it or sell it for profit. It removes the need to transport the by-product to other facilities, reducing transport emissions, and the Loughborough team's process operates at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, cutting both energy consumption and operational costs. The process also utilizes waste carbon dioxide, further reducing the environmental impact of refining crude glycerol. How R3V Tech's process works The conversion process begins by filtering crude glycerol and mixing it into a prepared solution, which is then saturated with carbon dioxide. This mixture is drawn through an electrochemical reactor, where electricity drives a chemical reaction that transforms the waste material into solketal, which is then collected in liquid form. How R3V Tech's process works. Credit: Loughborough University The R3V Tech company and process was developed through the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account and the ICURe programan initiative designed to accelerate the commercialization of university research by supporting the creation of spin-out companies. The team's long-term goal is to deliver a self-contained, modular unit housing the electrochemical reactor and its supporting componentsresulting in a plug-in system that allows biodiesel producers to easily start converting crude glycerol into solketal on site. To enable rapid development to market, R3V Tech was selected in 2025 to be part of the Shell Start-Up Engine and the Royal Society of Chemistry Change Makers program. "By integrating this new system, biodiesel producers can create a new revenue stream, reduce waste transport and processing emissions, and make their operations more sustainable," said Dr. Randi. "R3V Tech's motto is 'Reduce, Reuse, Revalue' and this captures the spirit of the innovation: empowering producers to refine their own by-products and boost profitability while contributing to a circular, low-carbon economy." Further information, can be found on the R3V Tech website. 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 graded lattice with soft and rigid parts. University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a new open-source tool that enables engineers to design multi-material 3D-printed objects like this more efficiently. Credit: University of Colorado Boulder A new open-source tool is reshaping how engineers design multi-material objects. Charles Wade, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, has created a design system software package that uses functions and code to map not just shapes but also where different materials belong in a 3D object. The project, called OpenVCAD, was developed in the Matter Assembly Computation Lab led by Assistant Professor Robert MacCurdy of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. A new paper, published in the journal Additive Manufacturing, highlights the design tool and its potential to transform 3D printing by enabling engineers to design multi-material objects more efficiently. "There's certainly a history of multi-material design study and practice that existed well before OpenVCAD," said MacCurdy, who is also affiliated with computer science and the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering. "But we believe the overhead of writing specific code for specific projects every single time prevents engineers from doing as much design as they could. "With OpenVCAD, we're doing all of that work at onceand doing it really wellso that people have built-in infrastructure to represent these spatially varying multi-material designs." A threecomponent gradient Utah teapot. University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a new open-source tool that enables engineers to design multi-material 3D-printed objects like this more efficiently. Credit: University of Colorado Boulder Pushing the limits of multi-material design Designing objects with multiple materials has long pushed the limits of conventional computer-aided design (CAD) software. According to Wade and MacCurdy, traditional design tools tend to represent objects as boundary surfaces only. This means they operate with an implicit assumption that everything inside of a boundary surface is all made up of the same material. One of the major areas of interest in mechanics is something called gradient design, in which two materials are gradually blended together from one to anotherlike a shoe sole that shifts from firm at the bottom to soft at the top. But without a powerful design tool, translating rough steps into smooth transitions can be overwhelmingly difficult. That's why Wade developed OpenVCAD. The software package acts almost as a set of convenience tools that allow people not only to easily compose complex functions, but also to assign them as materials to objects in a 3D printer. "This is the first multi-material, code-based design tool that is widely available," Wade said. "It allows for good complexity when printing objects, it's accessible and it's intuitive to write and design. Unlike traditional CAD software, where you're forced to sketch everything out for each change and you cannot represent graded materials, our tool allows users to change one small variable and watch the whole design update in an easy way." A broad impact for all to explore The team's new paper explores OpenVCAD's capability across a variety of 3D printers, including one available to MacCurdy's lab group that allows for object printing with up to five materials at a time. However, it's the project's potential impact for the entire engineering community that excites them. According to MacCurdy and his team, the OpenVCAD software can be used to help researchers design objects relevant to just about any industry and field. A scantoprint medical model. University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a new open-source tool that enables engineers to design multi-material 3D-printed objects like this more efficiently. Credit: University of Colorado Boulder Surgeons in need of realistic planning models to practice on can take advantage of the tool's gradient mixing properties. Soft robotics experts can use it to create flexible actuators that bend in one direction but remain straight and stiff in another. Engineers who need to simulate complex multimaterial objects can design in OpenVCAD and easily export a simulation-ready file. OpenVCAD can even apply specific mechanical properties to specific parts of lattice structures, which are often used for impact-absorbing capabilities to achieve more complicated designs. "We're able to rely on OpenVCAD's core capabilities to represent multi-material objects in a bunch of different domains," said MacCurdy. "But there is a lot more coming in certain areas that we are excited about and we're really hoping this approach to multi-material design takes off." OpenVCAD is a completely open-source tool, meaning it is widely available for engineers around the world to use. It even comes equipped with a Python implementation so that any user can easily import the team's repository and get to work with just a single line of code. "We want this to be widely available to people," Wade said. "We have a growing base of external researchers from other institutions who are using this tool and we hope to enable that community to do their best work." More information: Implicit Toolpath Generation for Functionally Graded Additive Manufacturing via Gradient-Informed Slicing, Additive Manufacturing (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2025.104963 You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). British Airways is planning to increase its services to India. British Airways wants to expand in India The UK flag carrier currently operates 56 flights a week to five Indian cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai but the airline looks to capitalise on closer trade and business ties between the two countries. Chief executive Sean Doyle said: "India is not just another market. It is one of the fastest-growing major economies, the worlds most populous democracy and a tech and innovation hub." The BA boss is travelling with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to Bangalore and Mumbai this week to meet Indian government representatives and business leaders following a free trade deal signed in July by the Labour leader and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Writing in The Sunday Times, Doyle said the new deal would "expand our flying network in the country" and highlighted Indias growing importance to British Airways long-term plans. He said: "Few international relationships hold as much promise for the future as the one between the United Kingdom and India. Forging stronger links with India is not only logical its essential. We have ambition to expand our flying network in the country. There are many other cities that could benefit from our presence, given the unique position we hold in offering daily direct services with seamless onward connections across Europe, North America and beyond." Doyle said British Airways aimed to play a key role in supporting UK-India trade. He added: "Every day, our aircraft carry not just passengers, but high-value cargo: from life-saving pharmaceuticals and specialist machinery to fashion, fresh produce, and cutting-edge electronic." The executive also noted that investment through the airlines parent company, International Airlines Group, was helping deliver a new fleet of quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft tailored for Indian travellers. Jeremy Clarkson was rushed to hospital earlier this month for "urgent treatment". Jeremy Clarkson was rushed to hospital for urgent treatment The Clarkson's Farm star, 65, has revealed he became very "poorly" on October 5 and he headed to an NHS hospital because the nearest private doctor was two hours away in London with the TV presenter explaining he underwent a treatment which was "Defcon 1 painful" and was then "forced to stay the night". In his column for The Sunday Times newspaper, Clarkson explained he felt bad about his hospital trip because it came just hours after he criticised the NHS in his previous offering for the publication. He wrote: "Last weekend, my column in this newspaper was about how all the fun in our lives, and most of the money, was being sucked into the bottomless abyss that is the NHS. I said it was a creaking monster, past its sell-by date ... "And then, nine hours after that piece appeared on the nations kitchen tables, I needed to go to hospital in something of a hurry. Oh s***. "Im not going to tell you what was wrong, because thats none of your business." He went on to add: "I was poorly and I needed urgent hospital treatment and the NHS was my only option ... I had a very hot neck when I realised this and wondered if I should maybe tiptoe into the hospital in a Piers Morgan facemask. I didnt think theyd kill me. "Theyre not allowed to do that. But they would probably urinate in my tea." However, despite undergoing a painful treatment, Clarkson admitted he had a positive experience at the NHS hospital. He wrote: "The treatment was Defcon 1 painful. They had to chisel me off the ceiling with a spatula afterwards and I was forced to stay the night, but it was OK. Ive slept in way worse hotels ... "I genuinely couldnt find anything to moan about at all. The doctors, the nurses and everyone I met were kind. It was all spotless. Lunch was kids food -brilliant, and they even made me better - for which I shall be eternally grateful." Clarkson underwent life-saving heart surgery in October 2024 to have two stents fitted and he previously admitted he "had no idea" he had come to close to death last year as he was so busy filming the latest series of Clarkson's Farm and launching his pub The Farmer's Dog. Asked if he realised he was at death's door, he told The Sun newspaper: I had no idea, no idea at all. I just thought, Well, I am working very hard. But it was very tricky. "The rest [of the series] is, Oh, here he is farming and Kaleb and Charlie and Gerald and Lisa - all the usual suspects. "Then suddenly, in the last two programmes, it just goes off like a bomb. "You can see me becoming more and more ill as the days go on, because I just lose my sense of humour, lose my ability to stay calm. "I get in a proper old panic. I didnt know at the time. I knew I wasnt being me. I was trying to get the pub open for the August Bank Holiday weekend and, at the same time, doing the harvest on the farm. And its very well documented I ended up in hospital with a heart problem. " The former Top Gear host admitted it was an "incredibly stressful" time and not the best idea trying to launch the pub at harvest time. He added: When you see how stressful it was trying to do those two things ... theres simply no sleep. "I was coming back knackered from a day trying to get the pub open, and having to get straight into the tractor to do grain carting through the night. "You cant make the harvest wait. If its dry, ready and fit, as they say in farming - if the wheat and barley are fit - youve got to get out there. God, it was knackering. "And the amount of things that went wrong in the two days in the opening weekend ... I know everyones going to say: You made that up, it cant possibly be that disastrous. "But it was. It was one thing after another after another. It was incredibly stressful. That was idiotic to try and do what I tried to do over those weekends." HCM CITY Saigon Co.op has officially inaugurated Co.opmart Pro Vu Yen at Vincom Mega Mall Vu Yen in Thuy Nguyen Ward, Hai Phong, marking its first premium supermarket model within the Co.opmart system and a new step in expanding its modern retail network in the northern region. With a total investment of VN50 billion (US$1.9 million) and covering 3,200sq.m, the new supermarket features advanced technologies and convenient services, including self-checkout counters, smart lockers, automated service robots, and an instant electronic invoicing system. Co.opmart Pro Vu Yen offers more than 30,000 products, including fresh food, dry goods, cosmetics, household items, fashion, and premium imported products from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the US, and Europe. About 80 per cent of its shelves are dedicated to high-quality Vietnamese goods, One Commune - One Product (OCOP) items, and Saigon Co.ops private labels, reflecting the retailers commitment to supporting domestic producers and promoting sustainable consumption. Customers can easily place orders through Zalo, Facebook, the Co.op Online app, or by phone, with free delivery within six kilometres for purchases worth VN200,000 or more. A Saigon Co.op representative said: More than just a supermarket, Co.opmart Pro Vu Yen aims to serve as a community space that fosters a modern, high-quality lifestyle while elevating Vietnamese products and cultural values. He added that its opening marked a strategic step in Saigon Co.ops journey to expand its modern retail model in the northern region, especially in a promising market like Hai Phong. With the combination of technology, quality, and service, Co.opmart Pro Vu Yen is expected to become an attractive destination for local residents, tourists, and new urban communities on Vu Yen Island, contributing to Hai Phongs commercial and service development. To mark its opening, the supermarket has launched a Best Seller promotional programme offering discounts of up to 50 per cent on popular Vietnamese products and special incentives for loyal customers. From October 3 to 31, customers can also join a lucky draw featuring prizes such as a VinFast Theon S electric scooter, an LG four-door refrigerator, FujiE air purifiers, and shopping vouchers worth VN5 million each. VNS HA NOI Contributing to the Government's goal of making Viet Nam a new transnational education destination in Southeast Asia, British University Vietnam (BUV) has identified the extension of tier 1 UK university partnerships as an ongoing strategic priority. As a result, BUV is expanding its academic portfolio with five new programmes beginning in 2026, all of which will award degrees directly from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. Manchester Metropolitan is one of the largest, oldest, and most dynamic universities in the United Kingdom. The universitys over 200-year history is inextricably linked to the quantum leaps of Manchester, the nations locomotive of innovation, industry, and education. Since the nineteenth century, Manchester Metropolitan Universitys predecessor has made significant contributions to training an elite workforce to serve Manchesters Industrial Revolution. This golden century earned Manchester the moniker "shock city" of the British Isles. For teaching quality, Manchester Metropolitan was awarded Gold in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) the highest level of recognition for teaching quality in UK higher education. Within this, Manchester Metropolitans Business School holds the prestigious Triple Crown Accreditation a distinction possessed by only about 1 per cent of the worlds leading business schools after meeting three rigorous international accreditation standards. This accreditation ensures three core strengths for students: First, a solid academic foundation accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB United States). Second, practical skills recognised by the Association of MBAs (AMBA United Kingdom), aligned with global business needs. Third, international networking and business collaboration opportunities meeting the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) standards. Additionally, Manchester School of Art, under Manchester Metropolitan, ranks in the Top 51-100 globally in Art and Design according to the QS World University Rankings. With 187 years of history, it is one of the UKs pioneering institutions in art and design education. Manchester Metropolitans reputation for world-class education has drawn over 44,000 students from 100+ countries, creating a global alumni network of 350,000 worldwide. Two International Degree Options, One "Gold" Quality Taking the long-standing collaborative relationship between BUV and Manchester Metropolitan to new heights, Manchester Metropolitan will officially become BUVs awarding body partner from 2026, providing five programmes subject to validation from its most prestigious constituent schools, including: Bachelors Degrees: BA (Hons) Banking and Finance BA (Hons) Graphic Design BA (Hons) Digital Business and Technology Innovation BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation Masters Degree: MSc International Business Management These five programmes address the urgent needs of the global labour market by combining Manchester Metropolitans rigorous academic standards with BUVs 5-star learning environment. All offer a balance of strong academic foundations and practical skills. This synergy prepares students not only to become experts but also to think critically and creatively in order to advance to leadership positions in their chosen fields. Notably, the programmes are designed as a dual-degree model, offering students the flexibility to choose the pathway that best suits their financial circumstances and career aspirations. The BUV degree provides British-standard education with QAA quality assurance, a distinction unique to BUV in Viet Nam, alongside recognition by Viet Nams Ministry of Education and Training. The dual-degree option awards qualifications from both BUV and Manchester Metropolitan, recognised in over 100 countries. This enhances opportunities for international employment and postgraduate study in the UK, Europe, the United States, and beyond. Students also gain access to a global alumni network of over 350,000 Manchester Metropolitan graduates worldwide. Regardless of the pathway chosen, all students receive the same world-class education from Manchester Metropolitan, delivered in BUVs internationally acclaimed QS 5-Star learning environment. Outstanding Partner "Manchester Metropolitan looks for exceptional partners around the world. BUV stood out for its aligned values. We maintain academic standards at the highest level. Programmes taught in Viet Nam will be the same system, the same setup that we have in Manchester for our students. This really offers an absolutely fantastic opportunity for students to get that British experience right at home," said Matt Dean Director of International Relations, Manchester Metropolitan University. According to Dean, Viet Nam in particular is a country in which Manchester Metropolitan is very excited to start offering its degrees, marking the next important destination in the globalisation roadmap. Besides Viet Nams dynamic growth as one of the fastest-growing countries, the very close relationship between the Vietnamese Government and the British Government is also a favourable factor. Manchester Metropolitan hopes the BUV partnership will support the development of the bilateral relationship between the two governments. Professor Rick Bennett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President of BUV, said: "As the first university in Viet Nam to achieve a QS 5-star rating and QAA quality assurance, BUV has always placed excellence at the foundation of everything we do. Partnering with Manchester Metropolitan University is a natural progression in BUVs strategy to expand our portfolio of high-quality programmes from leading UK universities." Professor Bennett added that Manchester Metropolitan, with its history linked to the legendary 'Cottonopolis', delivers programmes that not only have solid academic foundations but are also grounded in innovation and real-world practice. Manchester Scholarship In celebration of this milestone, BUV and Manchester Metropolitan have jointly established the Manchester Scholarship scheme, offering 50 per cent tuition support to all students enrolling in the five new programmes in the inaugural year. The scholarship applies to both single and dual-degree pathways. The Manchester Scholarship complements BUVs comprehensive scholarship portfolio for the 2026 academic year. BUVs scholarship framework is built on the philosophy of "Empowering the Next Generation of the Lionhearted," anchored by three core values constituting the ACE Model: Aspiration nurturing every passion; Commitment advancing social mobility; and Empowerment nurturing both practical skills and resilience alongside academic excellence. The portfolio comprises twelve scholarship categories, creating opportunities for talented students nationwide, regardless of background, circumstances, or geographic location. Generations of BUV scholarship recipients have exemplified the "lionhearted spirit" through outstanding contributions to society, from successful entrepreneurship and organisational leadership to community-driven initiatives. The 2026 scholarship fund, worth millions of USD, continues BUVs commitment to Viet Nams future and stands as one of the most socially impactful scholarship programmes. With its expanding portfolio of programmes and ongoing investments in facilities, technology, and international partnerships, BUV continues to develop kind, confident, and highly employable graduates who impact society positively, making BUV the best place to study, work, and grow./. BUV is the first university in Viet Nam to earn a 5-star rating from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and the first in Viet Nam and ASEAN to achieve global accreditation from the UK's Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)two of the world's most prestigious education quality organizations. BUV's curriculum is carefully designed and regularly updated to reflect the latest industry trends, emphasizing the seamless integration of theory and practice. 100 per cent of BUV graduates secure employment or continue higher education within three months of graduation. Learn more about the new programmes at: https://www.buv.edu.vn/undergraduate/ HA NOI Viet Nams seafood industry is casting its net closer to home after decades of chasing export markets. Rising trade barriers and falling global demand have prompted companies to reel in new growth from the domestic market. Though Viet Nams seafood is found on tables in more than 170 countries and meets the worlds toughest quality standards, it has struggled to hook the attention of its own 100 million-strong population. Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade show the domestic seafood market is valued at around US$1 billion, yet imports still make up 40 per cent of consumption. With annual seafood consumption at 35-38 kg per person, Viet Nam is seen as a forgotten gold mine, according to the Viet Nam Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), as exporters have long focused on overseas markets, leaving local demand largely untapped. However, things are changing. Global headwinds, including rising trade barriers and shrinking demand, are forcing exporters to seek growth in the home market, where a rising middle class is driving demand for high-quality products. VASEP Deputy General Secretary To Tuong Lan said seafood exports are expected to reach US$10 billion this year, a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent, which is considered a positive result amid global trade uncertainties. However, pressure on seafood exports is intensifying, including US tariffs and the impact of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which the US says Viet Nam has yet to fully align with in 12 fisheries, anti-dumping and countervailing duties on shrimp, and the EUs yellow card for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Tapping the domestic market is not easy. Many Vietnamese exporters with strong footholds overseas find it difficult to compete at home because their products, which meet export standards, often cost more than 20 per cent above local alternatives, especially in traditional wet markets. Lan pointed out that consumer awareness of food safety remains limited while the market is price-sensitive, adding that buyers often prioritise low prices over quality. In addition, the domestic distribution network is completely different from traditional export models, she added. According to VASEP, the domestic supply chain operates differently, meaning companies must adopt different strategies to expand in the domestic market. VASEP has launched a domestic market club with about 30 members. However, most face difficulties in the domestic market, including weak branding and limited communication strategies, with overreliance on traditional distribution channels. Only 20-25 per cent of seafood companies are using e-commerce to promote sales domestically. The lack of data on consumer buying behaviour also makes it difficult for companies to connect effectively with domestic distribution networks. The biggest obstacle, however, is consumer habits, with VASEP pointing out that people are used to fresh seafood. Unlocking market potential To gain a foothold at home, seafood companies need a clear strategy built on market research and product development, expanding distribution networks with stronger use of digital tools, VASEP said. The association said companies should focus on major urban markets such as Ha Noi, HCM City, a Nang and Can Tho, as well as industrial zones and middle- to high-income residential areas. Key target groups include young families seeking convenient, easy-to-cook products available online, office workers with ready-made meal combos, and hotels and restaurants. The domestic strategy must focus on branding and traceability. While cheaper products remain popular, an increasing number of consumers are willing to pay for high-quality products with a clear story and transparent origin. The Government has tasked the Ministry of Industry and Trade with developing a project to stimulate domestic consumption, focusing on boosting the share of Vietnamese goods, including seafood products, in retail and distribution channels. VNS A NANG The Italian Days in a Nang & Italian Expo a NangViet Nam 2025 will take place at the citys APEC Park from November 6 to 8, featuring business matching events and cultural exchanges aimed at strengthening ties and trade between Italian and a Nang partners. At a press conference, Alessandra Tognonato, head of the Consulate General of Italy in HCM City, said the three-day showcase would be "a great opportunity to present the best of Italian products and technology in a Nang for the first time, adding that the city serves as an ideal hub linking Italy with central Viet Nam. Michele dErcole, chairman of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (ICHAM), said the expo would help Italian businesses gain greater access to Viet Nams market. He affirmed that ICHAM would provide full support to Italian and Vietnamese enterprises operating in both countries. He noted that ICHAM, which has more than 100 membersaround 65 per cent based in HCM Citysees the event as a key forum for collaboration in culture, education and academia between Italian and a Nang partners. Around 40 Italian companies from Viet Nam and across ASEAN are expected to join the expo, participating in business-to-business meetings, networking and partnership activities. Italian Days in a Nang is a flagship event celebrating Italian culture, lifestyle and industry while deepening ItalyViet Nam relations in the central region. a Nang and Italy have shared growing co-operation in recent years. The central city and Genoa officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding on friendship and collaboration, while Italian teams have repeatedly competed in the a Nang International Fireworks Festival, with Parente Fireworks winning twice in 2011 and 2012 and Martarello taking the title in 2017 and 2018. Italy, in co-operation with Belgium and Germany, launched a joint visa application centre in a Nang in 2019 to facilitate applications for tourism and investment visas from tourists and residents of Viet Nam and the three European countries. Director of the citys Department of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Xuan Binh said a Nang would create the best conditions and provide full support to help Italian businesses hosting the Italian Expo 2025 and Italian Days in a Nang. He expressed hope that the event would open new opportunities for business communities from cities in Italy and a Nang to strengthen links and promote greater trade and investment. In early 2025, the cruise ship MSC Poesia brought the first visitors from Italy and Europe to explore destinations in a Nang and the ancient town of Hoi An. Looking back at history, the first charity cargo shipment departed from the port of Genoa to support the Vietnamese people 50 years ago. VNS Compiled by Ly Ly Cao HA NOI Viet Nams gold market has entered a pivotal phase of reform as new regulations come into force that both liberalise production and tighten trading oversight. The twin policy changes lifting the States long-standing monopoly over bullion operations and mandating electronic payments for high-value gold transactions mark the most significant structural shift in the industry in over a decade. Effective on October 10, Decree No. 232/2025/N-CP officially ended the States exclusive control over the production, import and export of gold bullion. Qualified commercial banks and enterprises are now permitted to participate in these activities, provided they meet strict financial and regulatory requirements. Accordingly, licensed companies must possess a charter capital of at least VN1 trillion (US$38 million) and hold a valid business certificate in gold trading, while banks must have charter capital of no less than VN50 trillion and comply fully with prudential regulations set by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV). Chairman of SBLAW Nguyen Thanh Ha said these measures are designed to ensure that only financially sound and transparent players enter the sector. Opening up the market to new participants can help diversify supply, narrow the price gap between domestic and global gold, and limit speculative distortions, he said. The reform has already drawn strong interest from commercial banks. Techcombank, for instance, has announced plans to expand into bullion operations, including refining and storage, distribution and digital trading. We have been preparing to engage in bullion activities and will also develop online channels to improve accessibility and compliance for customers, said the banks Deputy CEO Pham Quang Thang. His comments underscore a broader trend towards digitisation and institutional participation in Viet Nams traditionally fragmented gold trade. The entry of banks could transform the competitive landscape. With their vast branch networks, capital reserves and technology infrastructure, banks may offer more stable pricing, enhanced security and professionalised storage compared to traditional gold dealers. However, experts believe the transition also brings challenges. Delays in licensing, gaps in oversight, or uneven regulatory enforcement could create uncertainty. Maintaining transparency and preventing manipulation will be critical if the market is to function smoothly under the new regime. Alongside liberalisation, the government has also introduced measures to improve traceability in gold transactions, further aiming to strengthen oversight and market confidence. Starting October 10, any purchase or sale of gold totalling more than VN20 million per day must be conducted via bank transfer. The new rule aims to reduce cash-based trading and strengthen anti-money-laundering controls. For smaller transactions, customers may still pay in cash, but once the daily threshold is exceeded, electronic payment becomes mandatory. Both individual buyers and gold retailers are required to comply, with banks playing a central role in verifying and recording these transactions. Major gold companies such as DOJI, PNJ and Bao Tin Minh Chau have already begun adjusting their payment systems and educating customers on the new requirements. Dealers are also upgrading their internal software to track cumulative daily purchases and ensure compliance. The shift is expected to increase administrative costs in the short term but could ultimately enhance transparency and align Viet Nams gold trade with international standards. Analysts believe that these two reforms market liberalisation and transaction digitalisation are strategically complementary. The former encourages competition and supply diversification, while the latter promotes transparency and financial discipline. Together, they aim to stabilise a market that has long been prone to price volatility and speculative trading. By bringing gold flows under electronic scrutiny, authorities can better monitor transactions, limit illicit activities and generate more reliable data for policy-making. Still, the road ahead may be uneven. Retail investors accustomed to informal cash trades could hesitate to shift to bank-based payments, particularly in rural areas where access to digital banking remains limited. Smaller gold shops may also face higher compliance costs or lose competitiveness to banks and larger jewellers with modern infrastructure. Regulators, for their part, must ensure that enforcement remains consistent, avoiding both regulatory gaps and overreach that could stifle legitimate trade. Despite these hurdles, most experts view the reform as a necessary and overdue step towards modernising Viet Nams gold sector. For years, the domestic market has operated in partial isolation, with prices for SJC-branded bullion frequently diverging from global benchmarks. The SJC gold bar was last traded at VN140.8 million per tael for sellers and VN142.8 million per tael for buyers. On the global market, the spot gold price closed last week at $4,016.4 per ounce, equivalent to VN126.4 million per tael. As a result, the difference between domestic and international gold prices is over VN16 million per tael. Allowing more producers and distributors to participate could help narrow those gaps, improve liquidity and curb hoarding behaviour among retail investors. "The effectiveness of these policies will depend on implementation," lawyer Ha cautioned. "Early detection of risks, proactive supervision and swift handling of violations will determine whether the new framework truly delivers its intended benefits." BIZHUB/VNS HA NOI In an era defined by shifting supply chains, rising geopolitical tensions and accelerating digitalisation, Viet Nam is stepping into the spotlight as a potential hub for the next generation of economic and logistics corridors. Once seen simply as transport links that connect markets, these corridors are now being reimagined as complex ecosystems where infrastructure, finance, digital technology and harmonised regulation must work together. Experts argue that the transformation of trade routes is no longer optional but inevitable. Turgut Erkeskin, president of FIATA, told a panel discussion last week during the FIATA World Congress 2025: "These corridors are not about pitting routes against each other but about mutual reinforcement. "For global supply chains to work seamlessly, we need the entire network to operate in concert." The shift reflects a recognition that today's supply chains cannot be sustained by concrete and steel alone. They must be made resilient, transparent and technologically advanced. One of the most significant breakthroughs lies in the digital domain. Zhanar Bagasharova, head of Programme Development at Global DTC (PSA Group), highlighted the Digital Trade Corridor platform that now links ports, railways, customs and logistics systems across 12 countries. This platform has reduced customs transit times from eight hours to just 30 minutes while enabling real-time cargo tracking. "Digital transformation not only brings efficiency but also builds trust through transparency and reliability," Bagasharova said. Technologies such as blockchain and AI are increasingly seen as indispensable tools to secure the 'smart, green and low-risk' logistics networks demanded by global trade. Soft infrastructure But technology alone cannot remove the frictions that slow cross-border movement. Experts emphasised the need for legal harmonisation, a "soft infrastructure" that standardises regulations, customs procedures and data protocols across borders. Fedor Kormilitsyn, an economic affairs officer in transport division of ESCAP, warned that gaps in legislation and technical standards still hinder corridor efficiency. "Asymmetries in digital maturity and environmental regulations can slow down the benefits of connectivity," he said. Drawing from Europes Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), Francesco Parisi, chairman of Francesco Parisi Group, stressed the importance of aligning rules and procedures before investing heavily in physical works. He also noted that a network of smaller, parallel corridors may be more resilient than a single large one, since redundancy helps cushion against disruptions. Beyond the legal framework, funding models and incentives play a decisive role. Dr Nguyen Ba Hung from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Viet Nam said that infrastructure projects cannot stand alone. They need public-private partnerships (PPPs), supply chain finance and trade policy tools such as free trade zones to become fully operational. "A corridor can't run on concrete and steel alone," he said, calling for mechanisms that allow small and medium-sized enterprises to access financing and plug into the global value chain. Viet Nam's pivotal role Viet Nam, with its expanding role in Southeast Asian logistics, is positioned as a central hub in this emerging corridor map. a Nang, especially after its merger with Quang Nam Province, has become a city-region with nearly 12,000 square kilometres of land and over three million residents, primed for industrial and logistics development. The city already hosts two international ports, two airports and a railroad system linking it to Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. Construction is underway at the Lien Chieu deep-sea port, designed to handle 100,000 DWT vessels, alongside a 19,000-hectare free trade zone. "a Nang is ready to be a strategic transit point on the regions logistics map and a trusted partner for global investors," said Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of a Nang Peoples Committee. Yet challenges remain. Delays in customs clearance, sometimes up to two weeks, have raised concerns among international players. The ADB noted that Viet Nam is pursuing broad logistics reforms but urged businesses to share more data to help shape effective policy. The future of economic corridors in Southeast Asia will depend on whether countries like Viet Nam can synchronise infrastructure, policy, finance, and technology. If they succeed, trade routes will evolve from simple connectors of markets into dynamic systems - sustainable, digital and resilient - capable of anchoring the regions integration into global supply chains. BIZHUB/VNS HA NOI Ghana became Viet Nams largest rice buyer in September, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of total exports after the Philippines temporarily suspended imports. Viet Nam exported 6.83 million tonnes of rice in the first nine months, earning US$3.49 billion, down 2.05 per cent in volume and 19.98 per cent in value year-on-year. In September alone, the country shipped 466,800 tonnes of rice worth over $232.38 million, down sharply by 43.27 per cent in volume and 54.73 per cent in value compared to the same period last year. Following Ghana, Cote dIvoire and Malaysia were the second- and third-largest importers of Vietnamese rice, with market shares of over 21 per cent and nearly 10 per cent, respectively. In early August, the Philippine government announced a two-month suspension of rice imports from September 1 amidst falling domestic rice prices. However, market analysts predict that overall exports will remain robust thanks to growing demand in other regions. In 60 days, the Philippines one of Viet Nams main buyers, will review the situation before deciding whether to reopen imports, giving Viet Nam ample time to adjust the export pace. Despite a temporary halt in rice imports from the Philippines, Viet Nams export is expected to exceed 8.2 million tonnes for the whole year, bolstered by rising shipments to such markets as Bangladesh, China, and South Africa. VNS HCM CITY HCM City authorities have pledged to listen to and respond to businesses feedback, advance administrative reforms and place enterprises at the centre of public services. Nguyen Loc Ha, vice chairman of the city Peoples Committee, made the promise while speaking at a ceremony held by the HCM City Union of Business Associations (HUBA) last weekend to mark the 21st anniversary of Viet Nam Entrepreneurs Day and HUBAs 50th founding anniversary, and to honour enterprises with outstanding products and services in 2025. He said amid global economic fluctuations 2025 had been designated as a year of acceleration for laying the foundation for a breakthrough period from 2026 to 2030. The city aimed for economic growth of 8.5 per cent or higher this year, focusing on boosting public investment, mobilising social resources and promoting the digital economy and innovation. To achieve this goal, the city had identified three key solutions, with the business community playing a pivotal role. First, the city would continue to effectively implement the Politburos Resolution 68/2025 on private economic development, improve the investment and business environment, enhance competitiveness index, increase transparency, and reduce informal costs and administrative processing time for enterprises. Second, it would focus on reviewing and resolving long-delayed projects, particularly large ones, hindered by procedures related to fire prevention and control, land, investment, and construction. The city would apply special mechanisms under National Assembly Resolution 98/2023 to comprehensively address development bottlenecks. Third, it would step up the mobilisation of social resources for development investment, with accelerated public investment disbursement paving the way for stronger participation by enterprises. Ha also called on HUBA to uphold its key role in representing and guiding the business community in the new era of integration, contribute to policymaking based on practical business insights, and effectively organise trade and investment promotion programmes. These efforts would help city-based enterprises expand globally while attracting international investors to HCM City. HUBA Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Hoa said that over the past two decades HCM Citys enterprises and entrepreneurs had consistently advanced, demonstrating creativity, adaptability and leadership in a number of industries. Its business community had actively contributed to unlocking resources, promoting the social division of labour, driving economic restructuring, and advancing industrialisation and modernisation towards sustainable development and competitiveness. Through nearly seven terms of operation, HUBA has grown steadily, becoming home to 58 member business associations and over 17,000 member enterprises, 99 per cent of them privately owned, according to Hoa. This community accounts for more than 51 per cent of the citys economy, creates millions of jobs and donates tens of billions of ong annually to social welfare programmes. New growth momentum The merger of the former Binh Duong and Ba Ria Vung Tau provinces with HCM City has created a new development space with unprecedented scale and influence. The mega-city now integrates all key elements: the commercial, financial and technological core of the erstwhile city, the industrial hub of Binh Duong and the strategic logistics and seaport infrastructure of Ba Ria Vung Tau. The synergy between these three economic zones will provide a major boost to the private sector and the citys overall economy. According to Hoa, Resolution 68 and Resolution 98 together form a dual launchpad enabling local enterprises to reach regional stature, access greater resources, and participate more deeply in global value chains. HUBA is also in the process of merging the business associations of HCM City, Binh Duong and Ba Ria Vung Tau to create a unified representative body, strengthening collective power and a common voice for the business community in the southern key economic region. In the past private enterprises were confined to the citys inner areas. Now they can build factories in Binh Duong, export goods through Ba Ria Vung Tau ports, while keeping their branding, finance and design centres in HCM City. At the ceremony, HUBA recognised 109 products and 56 services made by 105 enterprises as Outstanding Products and Services of HCM City 2025 under the theme Green Products Digital Services Smart Solutions: Elevating Vietnamese Brands. On the occasion the city Peoples Committee also presented Certificates of Merit to 41 enterprises and 49 entrepreneurs who repeatedly won the titles of Outstanding Enterprise and Outstanding Entrepreneur of HCM City in recent years. Vice Chairman Nguyen Loc Ha praised the 105 enterprises and commended exemplary businesses and entrepreneurs for their effective, sustainable performance. They represented the core force contributing to the socio-economic development of both the city and the country, he added. VNS MOSCOW A fully booked aircraft carrying 281 passengers operated by Belavia Belarusian Airlines safely landed at Phu Quoc International Airport on October 12, marking the carriers inaugural direct flight connecting Minsk (Belarus) with Phu Quoc island. According to the schedule, the charter flights on the Minsk Phu Quoc route will operate once every 11 days. A representative of AeroBel Service, the tour operator that chartered the flights, said that all tickets have been sold out until March 2026, with the number of Belarusian visitors to Viet Nam during the 2025-26 tourist season expected to reach nearly 10,000. Speaking at a press conference announcing the new route, Belarusian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lukashevich affirmed that the new flight represents the first concrete outcome of the Strategic Partnership established between Belarus and Viet Nam during Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lams state visit to Belarus in May this year. He noted that bilateral relations are flourishing across political and economic fields, with tourism seen as a promising area of cooperation. The MinskPhu Quoc route will help realise this potential, he added. Lukashevich also highlighted that Viet Nams visa exemption policy, which allows Belarusian citizens to stay up to 30 days, creates excellent opportunities for Belarusians to explore a beautiful and hospitable country. Also at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belarus Nguyen Van Trung stressed that Viet Nam highly values the development of tourism cooperation with Belarus, as it will help strengthen people-to-people exchanges and foster solidarity between the two nations. For his part, Gleb Parkhamovich, First Deputy Director General at Belavia, said that flights to Viet Nam are among the airlines top priorities. He noted that Belavia plans to expand operations beyond Phu Quoc, exploring other Vietnamese resort destinations for future charter flights, especially as it has recently added several modern Airbus A330-200 aircraft to its fleet. VNA/VNS Erika Kirk, widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is speaking out after facing online backlash over how she has publicly mourned her husband's tragic death. In an emotional Instagram post shared Saturday, October 11, Erika, 36, opened up about her grief and addressed the criticism she's received. "...there is no linear blueprint for grief," she wrote. "One day you're collapsed on the floor crying out the name Jesus... the next you're playing with your children in the living room, surrounded by family photos, and feeling a rush of... bittersweet joy." Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. A 22-year-old suspect turned himself in after a 33-hour manhunt, US MAgazine said. He is currently in custody and could face the death penalty if convicted. Since Charlie's death, Erika has remained in the public eye, speaking at his large-scale memorial service, taking over his non-profit, and appearing on "The Charlie Kirk Show." Some social media users have criticized these moves, accusing her of not appearing "grief-stricken enough." Others have defended her, saying grief looks different for everyone. there is no linear blueprint for grief. One day youre collapsed on the floor crying out the name Jesus in between labored breaths. The next youre playing with your children in the living room, surrounded by family photos, and feeling a rush of something you can only attempt pic.twitter.com/kzW5cCPQTA Erika Kirk (@MrsErikaKirk) October 10, 2025 Erika Kirk Shares Message on Grieving Love In her post, Erika responded directly to those questioning her emotions. "They say time heals. But love doesn't ask to be healed. Love asks to be remembered," she wrote. "It's humbling to realize that this magnitude of suffering didn't steal my love for my husband. It amplified it." She continued, "I carry my Charlie in every breath, in every ache, and in every quiet act of day to day living... I have never loved him more than I do now." The post included a video montage of Charlie's life, along with moments from his September 21 memorial, held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. According to Parade, the event reportedly drew 90,000 people and featured appearances from political figures like President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Speaking to The New York Times, Erika shared that she is grieving without the use of medication or alcohol, leaning on her faith for strength. "The Lord is giving me discernment," she said. Charlie and Erika met in 2018 at a Turning Point USA event and shared two young children. Originally published on Enstarz HA NOI Northern Viet Nam is grappling with the aftermath of severe flooding that has left tens of thousands without power and caused billions in damage, even as major national highways and key rail lines reopen. The Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority confirmed that all national highways are now passable, and the Ha Noi Thai Nguyen railway line resumed service at 6.30pm on Sunday. Yet in Bac Ninh Province, nearly 29,500 households remain without electricity, a stark reminder of the storms lingering impact. By Monday morning, floodwaters had affected over 12,230 homes across the region 10,073 in Bac Ninh and 2,161 in Ha Noi an increase of 1,273 households compared with the previous day. In Thai Nguyen, power outages disrupted parts of the provincial-to-commune data network, while public communications were fully restored in Trung Gia and a Phuc communes. Across Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang and Lang Son, a total of 550,805 customers lost electricity, of which 502,636 have been restored, leaving 48,169 households still in the dark. Authorities are monitoring 59 dyke-related incidents and continuing emergency response efforts. Preliminary estimates put total damage at over VN8.72 trillion ($367.5 million), with the heaviest losses in Thai Nguyen (VN4 trillion), followed by Cao Bang (VN2 trillion), Bac Ninh (VN1.67 trillion) and Lang Son (VN1.05 trillion). Local officials continue assessing the destruction and coordinating recovery. By 5pm Sunday, the Central Relief Board under the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee had received more than VN922 billion ($39.1 million) in donations for recovery from Typhoons Bualoi and Matmo (Typhoons No 10 and 11), with around VN470 billion already allocated. On the same day, the Prime Minister approved an additional VN400 billion in aid, distributed to Thai Nguyen (VN250 billion), Cao Bang (VN50 billion), Lang Son (VN50 billion) and Bac Ninh (VN50 billion). Meanwhile, central provinces including ak Lak and Lam ong are facing continued heavy rainfall, heightening risks of flash floods, landslides and soil erosion. Accumulated rainfall ranges from 1020mm, with some areas exceeding 50mm, affecting numerous communes. Authorities have issued warnings for flash floods, landslides and ground subsidence, emphasising threats to life, transport disruption and damage to homes and businesses. Meteorological agencies urged local authorities to inspect vulnerable areas, including blocked waterways and unstable terrain, and take preventive measures to reduce the risk of further disaster. VNA/VNS HA NOI An artwork titled President Ho Chi Minh Proclaiming the Declaration of Independence by artist Chu Nhat Quang has officially been recognised by the Guinness World Records as the worlds largest single-piece son mai (lacquer) painting. At a ceremony to welcome the accolade held at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ha Noi on October 11, Standing Vice President of the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh said this marks the first time a Vietnamese lacquer painting has been acknowledged by Guinness World Records, and indeed the first time the organisation has established a record for lacquer art. She emphasised that the honour belongs not only to the artist and the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association but to the entire nation. Son mai, a uniquely Vietnamese art form, embodies the patience, precision, and creativity of the Vietnamese people, she stated, underscoring beyond a size record, the Guinness recognition represents a milestone for the Vietnamese lacquer art, helping promote the national artistic values globally while encouraging artists creativity to spread the Vietnamese culture to the world. A representative from the Guinness World Records affirmed that Quang was recognised as the creator of the worlds largest single-panel son mai painting, following a precise verification process by independent experts. Measurements confirmed the artworks total area as the largest ever created in this art form. The artwork measures 2.4m by 7.2m, spanning over 17 sq.m, weighing three tonnes, and was completed on a single double-sided panel without joins. The front face recreates the historic moment at Ba inh Square on September 2, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence that gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam. The reverse side, titled Mua Xuan Dan Toc (Spring of The Nation), symbolises the jubilation, peace aspirations, and happiness of the Vietnamese nation. According to Quang, he began working on the piece in 2019 with support from his family. Over six years, he studied historical documents and collaborated with experts to combine both traditional and recycled materials in his artwork which required technical precision in every architectural, spatial, and symbolic detail. The work was completed in time for the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). Quang introduced the painting at the Mua Xuan oc Lap (Spring of Independence) exhibition at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Ha Noi alongside 16 other son mai paintings. The masterpiece remains on display at the museum. VNA/VNS HCM CITY Lai Mai Hoa, 20, from Ha Noi, was named the winner of Vietnams Next Top Model 2025 at the finale in HCM City on Sunday night. Hoa, a student at the University of Economics and Business of the Viet Nam National University, defeated three other finalists in challenges that included a catwalk and a photoshoot on a high glass-sloping platform. The model impressed audiences with her height of 1.84m and her vital statistics of 83-65-96. Hoa received praise for improvement through weekly challenges of commercial video and photo shoots, and runway shows from the jury. She won in two weekly challenges. She was also the winner of the Top Model Online 2024, a preliminary event for Vietnams Next Top Model 2025, and appeared at the Viet Nam International Fashion Week in 2024 and 2025. Another Ha Noi model, Giang Phung, 20, received the title of Favourite Model. Phung was eliminated from the eighth week and returned to the finale due to the audiences votes. Le Thi Quynh Trang, CEO of Multimedia JSC and the shows general director, commented that: Im so happy at finding top models for the Vietnamese fashion industry. It motivates me to produce more seasons. As the competitions winner, Hoa will be sent to the worlds most prestigious fashion weeks in Milan, Paris, London, New York, and Tokyo. She will be the cover face of a prestigious fashion magazine in Viet Nam. Phung will join Hoa on a trip to Paris. Vietnams Next Top Model, the Vietnamese version of the US reality television show Americas Next Top Model created by Tyra Banks, was first produced in 2010. It offers an opportunity for young models to develop their careers in the modelling industry. Trang said, The programme brings a classy platform for the young generation of models, connecting fashion, art and their desire to reach out to the world. Vietnams Next Top Model 2025 began on Viet Nam Televisions VTV 9 on August 3. It attracted 15 models and celebrated model Thanh Hang as the host and mentor. VNS SA PA A special gastronomic event celebrating Sa Pas rich local produce has taken place in the famous tourist town of Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province, showcasing the talents of distinguished chefs from the Escoffier culinary tradition. Hosted by Hotel de la Coupole MGallery, recipient of the Michelin One Key 2025, the eight-hands gala dinner Les Saveurs de France (The Flavour of France) brought together four acclaimed chefs. Leading the team was Oliver Mette, Director of Culinary at Hotel de la Coupole, whose approach to cuisine blends heritage, creativity and emotion principles embodied by the Michelin-recognised property. Joining him were Chef Thierry Fischer, President of Disciples Escoffier Switzerland, celebrated for his dedication to classical French technique; Chef Olivier Genique, Vice President of Disciples Escoffier North Viet Nam, who has played a key role in advancing French gastronomy across Asia; and Chef Matthieu Lagarrigue, a pastry specialist admired for his precision and artistic flair. The evening paid tribute to the legacy of Auguste Escoffier, often referred to as the 'King of Chefs and Chef of Kings,' while showcasing the depth and quality of Sa Pas ingredients, most notably the locally sourced sturgeon, prized for its delicate flavour and firm texture. It was an honour to pay tribute to Escoffiers legacy. For this gala, we wanted to highlight Sa Pas exceptional produce. The sturgeon allowed us to craft a dish that stays true to the region while being refined through classic French technique, said Mette. Presented under the patronage of Disciples Escoffier International a respected culinary association founded in France in 1954 the dinner guided guests through a six-course experience that balanced tradition with innovation. The menu began with a trio of amuse-bouches, followed by Ocean Pearls, a seafood dish combining freshness and subtlety with elegant presentation. At the centre of the meal was the Sa Pa sturgeon, prepared using French methods to enhance its natural qualities. This was followed by a head-to-tail duck course, where every part of the bird was thoughtfully used, promoting sustainable dining and reducing waste, complemented by seasonal vegetables and delicate sauces. Guests were then served the Escoffier Legacy Sorbet, leading into Beef Rossini a confit beef cheek paired with foie gras espuma and Perigueux sauce, each element carefully balanced to create a memorable dish. The evening concluded with a rum baba, soft and aromatic, offering a satisfying finish. Peter Neto, General Manager of Hotel de la Coupole, reflected on the event. This gala was a celebration not only of French culinary heritage but also of the remarkable natural bounty of Sa Pa," he said. "Watching our guests enjoy these dishes, crafted with such care, reminds us why our Michelin One Key recognition reflects both our culinary and hospitality standards. VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence stands ready to support and facilitate Turkiye's defence industry enterprises to introduce their products and explore areas of cooperation suitable to the needs and capabilities of both countries. That was the message from General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defence during talks with Secretary of Turkish Defence Industries Haluk Gorgun, who is paying a two-day visit to Viet Nam. During the discussions, General Giang emphasised that the visit held great significance, representing a positive and effective step in implementing the commitment to strengthening defence industry cooperation, as agreed upon by the high-level leaders of the two countries in the Viet NamTurkiye Joint Statement, issued during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs official visit to Turkiye in November 2023. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on global and regional situations and issues of mutual concern. General Giang reaffirmed that Viet Nam consistently adhered to its 'Four Nos' national defence policy. The minister also noted that Viet Nam wished to expand both bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation based on equality and mutual respect, for common interests, contributing to maintaining regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development. Minister Giang stressed that Viet Nam pursued a policy of diversification and multilateralisation of external relations and promoted equal and mutually-beneficial cooperation with all partners, including Turkiye. He underlined that Viet Nams procurement of defence equipment from any partner including Turkiye was aimed solely at strengthening the countrys self-defence capability and safeguarding national peace. Viet Nam is keen on international cooperation in the defence industry, heading toward the goal of achieving self-reliance in the production of military equipment, according to the minister. The two leaders were told that both sides had made concerted efforts to develop and sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Industry Cooperation in July 2025, which provided a framework for further strengthening cooperation in this field, in line with the needs and capabilities of both countries. High-level delegation exchanges between the two Ministries of National Defence had been enhanced, contributing to promoting defence and defence industry cooperation. Both countries had also supported and actively participated in defence industry exhibitions and fairs organised by each country. Regarding future cooperation, based on the MoU, General Giang proposed continued coordination to make defence industry cooperation more intensive and substantive. He said the focus should be on strengthening delegation exchanges at all levels; sharing and updating information, laws, and procurement policies related to defence products of each side as well as supporting and participating in defence exhibitions. General Giang thanked Secretary Haluk Gorgun for twice sending representatives from the Turkish Defence Industries and defence companies to attend the Viet Nam International Defence Expo in 2022 and 2024. Secretary Haluk Gorgun emphasised that defence industry cooperation would play an important role in bilateral relations and expressed his hope that in the future, both countries would further consolidate bilateral defence cooperation while actively exploring potential areas for collaboration. He noted that the MoU served as an important foundation for implementing joint projects between the two countries, fostering trust and ensuring safety in cooperation. VNS HA NOI The leaders of Western Australia have expressed appreciation for and commitment to strengthening cooperation with Viet Nam, highlighting shared opportunities in trade, education, tourism, and energy. From October 911, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam paid an official visit to Western Australia at the invitation of the states leaders. During the visit, Tam met with Governor Christopher John Dawson, Premier Roger Cook, and Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett, as well as local businesses and representatives of the Vietnamese community. The ambassador noted that thanks to the active efforts of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Perth, ties between Western Australia and Viet Nam have grown steadily in parallel with the strong momentum of the Viet NamAustralia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. A key advantage in bilateral engagement is the direct flight connecting Perth, the capital of Western Australia, with HCM City, Viet Nams largest economic hub. The short flight time and competitive fares have helped boost tourism, cultural exchange, and business cooperation between the two sides. On education, the ambassador said Viet Nam and Australia have established a Joint Working Group on Transnational Education to foster collaboration in training and research. He suggested that the University of Western Australia consider opening a campus in Viet Nam, similar to the RMIT University model, and called on the state authorities to continue supporting more than 3,000 Vietnamese students studying there. Regarding trade and investment, the ambassador emphasised Viet Nams growing demand for raw materials from Australia, especially Western Australias iron ore. Viet Nam is currently one of the states top five iron ore importers and also has potential to export electronics, consumer goods, and construction materials to the Australian market. He also pointed out cooperation potential in skilled labor, given Western Australias need for construction workers and engineers. Tam proposed pursuing a government-level agreement on mutual recognition of professional qualifications of Vietnamese and Australian engineers and technicians. He also noted the strong two-way tourism flow, with more than 200,000 Vietnamese visiting Australia each year and about 500,000 Australians traveling to Viet Nam, helping deepen mutual understanding and people-to-people ties. Governor Dawson reaffirmed that the long-standing and effective relationship between Australia and Viet Nam continues to drive cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and tourism. Premier Cook expressed a desire to further strengthen economic relations with Viet Nam, particularly in energy, and revealed plans for a state delegation to visit Viet Nam to explore opportunities in renewable energy collaboration. The Premier also supported establishing a sister relationship between Western Australia and HCM City, given that the states previous partnership with Ba RiaVung Tau Province is now administratively part of the southern metropolis. Cockburn Mayor Howlett highlighted his citys strengths in maritime, shipbuilding, healthcare, and heavy industry, noting that it houses a submarine maintenance facility under the AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) security partnership. With future shipbuilding projects and the University of Western Australias planned research centre on sustainable ocean technology, he said Cockburn will create thousands of new jobs presenting opportunities for international students, including those from Viet Nam. During the trip, Tam also met Vietnamese businesses and community representatives in Western Australia, encouraging stronger business networks and support for bilateral economic and investment cooperation. Earlier, from October 68, the ambassador visited Darwin in the Northern Territory, where he met with Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations Robyn Cahill and discussed potential projects involving Vietnamese enterprises, including those of Vingroup and the Viet NamNorthern Australia Business Council. VNA/VNS HA NOI The National Assembly (NA)s Standing Committee continued its 50th session on Monday afternoon to deliberate the revised bills on personal income tax and tax administration, highlighting comprehensive digital transformation in tax management. Presenting the draft Law on Personal Income Tax, Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan said the bill focuses on several major revisions, including taxable income categories and calculation methods, tax exemption, personal income tax for individual business owners, deductions based on family circumstances and charitable contributions, and adjustments to the minimum taxable amount for lottery winnings, copyright royalties, franchise, inheritances, and gifts, raising it from VN10 million (nearly US$380) to VN20 million. He added that the bill also introduces new taxable income groups such as earnings from transferring Vietnamese national domain names (.vn), carbon credits, vehicle licence plates obtained via auction, and digital asset transactions such as virtual goods or gold bars. The Government will detail other taxable categories to ensure flexibility and alignment realities. Presenting the preliminary verification report, Chairman of the NAs Economic and Financial Committee Phan Van Mai agreed with the scope and structure of the draft law. He underscored the need to evaluate the laws budgetary impacts, particularly regarding changing tax obligations for household and individual businesses. Concluding the discussion, NA Vice Chairman Nguyen uc Hai requested the Government to fully incorporate the opinions from the NAs Standing Committee and verification agency into tax law reforms, ensuring constitutional compliance and consistency across legal frameworks. He stressed that personal income tax must serve as an effective tool for income redistribution, toward social equity. Later the same afternoon, the session turned to the draft Law on Tax Administration, which, the Deputy Minister of Finance said, aims to drive comprehensive digital transformation across the tax sector through three pillars of facilitating taxpayers, enhancing management efficiency, and digitising operational processes. Besides, the law is expected to cut administrative procedures and reduce compliance costs, while promoting data sharing and inter-sectorial coordination. The bill introduces a chapter on digital transformation, risk management, and compliance monitoring, with clear principles for applying advanced technologies such as big data and AI in tax administration. Accordingly, taxpayers will be no longer required to present paper-based documents if their data already exists in national databases. The Ministry of Finance will establish a set of technical and IT infrastructure standards and develop a tax database to national systems, with tax authorities allowed to access, use, and purchase commercial data for risk analysis and revenue forecasting. According to Tuan, the draft plans to cut 96 administrative procedures, or 44 per cent of the current total, and simplify 63 others. It spotlights a clear direction toward completely abolishing lump-sum taxation for household and individual businesses from 2026, while creating a favourable legal framework for these entities to transition into enterprises. NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man underscored the need to shift from a control-based model to a service-oriented tax administration, leveraging digital technologies and AI to enhance efficacy and fairness. He noted several crucial innovations in the draft law, including classifying taxpayers by risk and industry sectors to enable AI-powered automated assessments, eliminating lump-sum taxation for household businesses from 2026, building an electronic tax ecosystem with data connectivity, and strengthening international cooperation, particularly in combating transfer pricing. VNA/VNS HA NOI The Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations under the Ministry of National Defence, in coordination with the New Zealand Embassy in Viet Nam, held an exchange in Ha Noi on Monday to share experience between the two countries on psychological support for military personnel participating in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions. Speaking at the event, Colonel Nguyen Nhu Canh, Deputy Director of the department, said the programme focused on members of Engineering Unit Rotation 3 and Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 6, who recently completed a one-year mission in Abyei and South Sudan. Post-deployment psychological support, he noted, plays a vital role in helping the personnel reintegrate smoothly with their families, comrades, and communities after serving in the challenging conditions of Africa. During the exchange, participants visited the departments training centre. Experts from New Zealand shared their experience and engaged with members of the Vietnamese engineering and medical units to collect data and design a psychological support programme tailored for Vietnamese peacekeepers. The event also served as an opportunity to explore the adaptation of the New Zealand Defence Forces Psychological Support to Deployment Programme for application to Vietnams peacekeeping operations, as well as to develop psychological assistance measures for personnel working in conflict areas. Members of the Vietnamese units also exchanged lessons on mental and physical preparation for deployment and reintegration, and discussed experiences with the New Zealand side. Group Captain Shauna Graham, New Zealand Defence Attache to Viet Nam, expressed admiration for the professionalism and compassion shown by Vietnamese peacekeepers, and affirmed her countrys willingness to contribute to supporting them in future missions. The exchange marked a practical contribution from New Zealand to Viet Nams efforts in establishing a comprehensive framework for psychological support throughout the entire peacekeeping process from training and preparation to deployment and reintegration. This comes as Viet Nam continues to expand its participation in UN peacekeeping operations in terms of scale, mission types, and areas of engagement. In recent years, the two countries defence ministries have signed and implemented a memorandum of understanding on peacekeeping training cooperation. Moving forward, both sides will enhance exchanges of delegations and expertise, and jointly organise conferences, workshops, and forums on UN peacekeeping. VNA/VNS HA NOI Nearly 50 professors, scientists, young researchers, and students from France, the Philippines, and Viet Nam gathered on Monday to study, exchange, and practise advanced techniques in the field of Earth observation at the 5th Vietnam School on Earth Observation (VSEO-5), with the theme: Monitoring the ocean colour using remote sensing data. The event took place on the morning of October 13, 2025, organised by the Rencontres du Vietnam (Meeting Vietnam) and the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), in collaboration with the French Embassy in Viet Nam, the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), and the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (USTH). Ocean colour (or water colour) reflects the interaction between sunlight and particulate matter in the marine environment, such as phytoplankton, suspended solids, and organic and inorganic carbon. Phytoplankton play a fundamental role in the food chain and account for approximately 50 per cent of the Earth's biomass. Observing ocean colour from satellites allows for the estimation of optical-biological and biogeochemical parameters, reflecting species characteristics, phytoplankton morphology, and seawater quality. This is particularly important for coastal areas. In this context, VSEO-5 aims to introduce and provide in-depth training on technology for measuring ocean colour radiance from space, in order to monitor the spatio-temporal variations of ocean color characteristics, focusing on coastal regions and practical applications in Viet Nam. "The main goal of ICISE is to bring international scientists to Viet Nam, so they can share the latest discoveries with Vietnamese colleagues in a friendly and open atmosphere. This creates opportunities for meeting, working together, and generating new ideas," said Prof. Tran Thanh Van, founder of the Rencontres du Vietnam and ICISE. "This year is a special year for Vietnamese science," he said, "Last December, the Party General Secretary [To Lam] launched a reform, making science and technology the foundation for national development with the Resolution 57. Viet Nam will invest strongly in science and attract overseas Vietnamese talents to return, and invite leading scientists from around the world to come and contribute." This year's school is honoured to have the participation of many reputable scientists in the field, including: Prof. Cedric Jamet and Prof. Hubert Loisel from the Laboratory of Oceanography and Earth Sciences, University of Littoral Cote d'Opale (France); Prof. Sylvain Ouillon, Head of the representative office of the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) in Viet Nam; Remote Sensing Expert from GFD Company inh Ngoc at; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha from the University of Science, Vietnam National University. The programme combines theoretical lectures, guided sessions, and practical field exercises. Additionally, the programme includes specialised reports by Vietnamese scientists presenting practical applications relevant to Viet Nam. Delivering remarks at the opening ceremony, Attache for University Scientific Cooperation at French Embassy in Ha Noi, Denis Fourmeau said "At a time when we are witnessing a rise in global tensions and conflicts, we must never forget that there can be no peace without science. Because science is a powerful catalyst for international exchange and for the sharing of common values such as excellence, integrity, openness, and the creation of societal and economic value it is, above all, an extraordinary and irreplaceable force for peace. "By promoting meaningful mobility, science enriches our collective understanding of the world something we need now more than ever. We need it especially at a time when science is increasingly being instrumentalised or even questioned by some major countries, both developed and emerging, particularly regarding its crucial role in multilateral environmental action." The school is intended for researchers and data users, including postgraduate students, doctoral candidates, and young scientists interested in applying satellite data on ocean color and environmental changes in their research and professional activities. Besides academic activities, the school also provides opportunities to establish research collaborations between reputable scientists and participants, as well as to exchange ideas and discuss new research topics in the field. The school has been annually organised since 2017, aiming to build a community of young researchers and promote international scientific cooperation applying space technology for sustainable development in Viet Nam. VNS HA NOI In response to an urgent request from the Government of Viet Nam, the Government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), decided to provide emergency relief supplies to support affected communities. The Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) goods arrived at Noi Bai International Airport on Monday, including essential items such as water purifiers, blankets, plastic sheets, and jerry cans, aimed at helping people A handover ceremony was held on the same day where the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, officially received the supplies. VDDMA will coordinate the distribution of the supplies to Bac Ninh Province, one of the provinces most severely affected. Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office Kobayashi Yosuke, said We are committed to supporting the Vietnamese people during this difficult time. We hope that this emergency assistance will reach those in need as quickly as possible and contribute to their recovery. According to VDDMA, after just five days of appeals, numerous international organisations have delivered relief supplies and pledged support to help Viet Nam recover from recent natural disasters. Samaritans Purse provided household items, kitchen supplies, and personal hygiene kits to 1,500 families in Ha Tinh and 800 families in Tuyen Quang. The organisation also donated 4,000 boxes of instant noodles, 4,000 boxes of bottled water, and 4,000 cans of sausages to flood-affected communities in Lang Son. UNICEF plans to send 4,500 boxes of bottled drinking water and 600 plastic water tanks to either Lang Son or Cao Bang. Save the Children contributed VN500 million (US$19,000) to support families with children in Ha Tinh. The International Organization for Migration assisted Ha Tinh with 4,000 bottles of water and 350 essential supply kits. Australia donated 756 personal hygiene kits, 320 kitchen kits, 30 blankets, and 756 home repair kits to Bac Ninh Province. These supplies are expected to arrive at Noi Bai airport on Tuesday. ActionAid is currently processing a support package worth VN480 million (nearly $18,300) for Tuyen Quang Province. Additionally, relief supplies from Russia are en route to Noi Bai, while Canada has pledged $50,000 through a non-governmental organization. The US embassy, the European Union, and Meta (Facebook) are also expected to provide disaster assistance via NGO channels. Since the beginning of the year, Viet Nam has experienced 11 storms, six of which directly impacted the mainland, and four tropical depressions, resulting in 238 deaths and nearly 400 injuries. Hundreds of thousands of homes have collapsed, vast areas of crops have been swept away, and landslides have disrupted transportation networks. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, natural disasters have caused an estimated economic loss of VN35 trillion (over $1.3 billion), reducing GDP by 0.2 per cent. VNS Chinese Coast Guard expels Philippine vessel illegally entering waters near Tiexian Jiao Xinhua) 08:26, October 13, 2025 Philippine public vessel 3003 illegally intrudes into the waters near Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea on Oct. 12, 2025. (CCG/Handout via Xinhua) BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) lawfully expelled Philippine official vessels that illegally intruded into the waters near Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea on Sunday, according to a CCG spokesperson. Philippine official vessels with the hull number of 3002 and 3003 illegally entered the waters near Tiexian Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao without the permission of the Chinese government, said CCG spokesperson Liu Dejun. Liu added that, at 9:19 a.m., Philippine public vessel 3003 ignored multiple warnings from the Chinese side and dangerously approached CCG vessel 21559, which was conducting normal law enforcement activities for rights protection, resulting in a collision. "The full responsibility lies with the Philippine side," Liu stressed. The CCG took control measures according to law against the Philippine vessels and resolutely expelled them. The operations were professional, standardized, reasonable and lawful, Liu said. China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Qundao, including Tiexian Jiao and the adjacent waters. The Philippine side's actions have seriously violated China's territorial sovereignty, breached the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea, the spokesperson stressed. "We sternly warn the Philippines to immediately cease its infringements and provocative acts. The CCG will conduct law enforcement activities for rights protection in China's jurisdiction waters in accordance with the law," Liu said. Philippine public vessel 3003 illegally intrudes into the waters near Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea on Oct. 12, 2025. (CCG/Handout via Xinhua) Philippine public vessel 3003 illegally intrudes into the waters near Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea on Oct. 12, 2025. (CCG/Handout via Xinhua) Philippine public vessel 3003 illegally intrudes into the waters near Tiexian Jiao in the South China Sea on Oct. 12, 2025. (CCG/Handout via Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Former member of Shinhwa and actor Lee Min-woo, has made the affectionate choice to legally adopt his fiancee's six-year-old daughter, proving his devotion to building a whole family. As reported by K-ennews on October 11, the KBS 2TV episode of "Mr. House Husband Season 2" reported that the couple started conducting the process of marriage registration. Lee was spotted going to a regional community center with his fiancee and her daughter in order to process official documents. Read more: Lee Minwoo Praised for Marrying Single Mom Despite Public Backlash Staff at the center told Lee that, in the meantime, the staff explained the legal process to Lee. "Currently, the child is your wife's daughter and not Lee Min-woo's," the official explained. "In that case, you will need to go through the adoption process for the child." The staff further said that once the marriage and the adoption are registered, the family would be listed collectively on a family relation certificate. Seeking guidance from a professional, Lee interviewed Lee In-chul, an attorney who specializes in family law. Prior to the meeting, Lee disclosed a heartwarming aspect of his home life. "My daughter has a bit of separation anxiety," he explained, catching everyone off guard. The child eventually consented to stay in the adjacent room following assurances from her mother. During the consultation, the attorney clarified the distinction of adoption types. "he most definite way to become a family with your daughter is through adoption," he clarified. "General adoption establishes a new legal relationship between you and the child. Full Adoption, on the other hand, means the legal relationship with the biological father is severed and a new father is recognized." After much deliberation, Lee Min-woo opted for Full Adoption. According to the Maeil Business Newspaper, the lawyer told him the process entailed the approval of the biological father and inquired if there had been child support or visitation. In response, Lee's fiancee responded softly, "No." Upon hearing this, the attorney assured her that "there are special instances where Full Adoption can be granted without the consent of the biological father," and he recommended that she have a written statement. Overwhelmed with emotion, the fiancee started to cry a moment that had great resonance with viewers who saw her weakness and strength. Lee Min-woo's bride is a third-generation Korean immigrant in Japan, who has a six-year-old daughter. It has also been confirmed that she is pregnant with her second child with Lee Min-woo, starting a new chapter in their expanding family. NEW DELHI/HONG KONG New Delhis announcement to resume direct flight services between India and the Chinese mainland later this month is expected to benefit businesses, academic exchanges, and tourism between the two countries and boost neighboring economies, according to industry veterans. On October 2, India announced the resumption of direct air services with the Chinese mainland for late October. This is the second significant move taken by India to facilitate regular exchanges between the two countries, following Indias resumption of tourist visas for Chinese nationals in July. Indias Ministry of External Affairs stated that direct air services connecting designated points in India and China can resume by late this month. The agreement between the civil aviation authorities will further facilitate people-to-people contact between India and China, contributing to the gradual normalization of bilateral exchanges and economic cooperation, the statement said. Shortly after the statement, Indias budget airline IndiGo announced a new daily non-stop route between Kolkata, an eastern Indian city, and Guangzhou, Guangdong province. A statement by the airline said the flight services would begin on October 26. Indian media, including The Economic Times, reported that IndiGo flight tickets between Guangzhou and Kolkata went on sale on October 3 via the airline company website or its mobile app. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said in the statement that IndiGo had been operating flights between the countries before the COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud to be among the first to resume direct connectivity to China from two points in India, he said in the statement. Various stakeholders from the Indian tourism industry have welcomed the announcement. Restarting direct flights is part of rebuilding bilateral ties across sectors between China and India. The rebuilding of commercial and diplomatic relations offers significant medium-term opportunities for airlines, said Gary Bowerman, co-founder of the High-Yield Tourism consultancy and managing director of weekly industry newsletter Asia Travel Re: Set. Tourism flows would develop in phases and depend on factors such as flight availability, cost, and related travel products customised for each visitor market, Bowerman predicted, adding that step by step, we will see greater coordination. Tourism industry veterans noted that both countries tourism industries are expected to gain. Overall, it will foster economic growth, cultural exchange, and tourism industry development, making it a step toward strengthening the bilateral relationship, according to Jyoti Mayal, chairman of the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council and former president of the Travel Agents Association of India. The councils CEO, Rajan Bahadur, said: I think this will increase, not just trade, but also tourism between the two countries, because both have so much to offer. This renewed link presents a strong opportunity to enhance people-to-people ties and mutual growth in tourism, said Anil Punjabi from the Travel Agents Federation of Indias eastern region. Himadrish Suwan, chairman of the Confederation of Young Leaders of India, said: It is a welcome and timely development This move will serve as a significant step in strengthening the fabric of our bilateral relations. Direct flights are not only a convenience and reduce business costs, but also an important confidence-building measure, said Executive Vice-Chairman of the India China Trade Centre Vijay K. Mishra. Amid the turmoil of trade tariffs, direct flights are a long-term strategic measure taken by both governments to improve the trade and business atmosphere, Mishra added. Direct flight services between the Chinese mainland and India were suspended in March 2020 due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Indian travelers had to travel to the Chinese mainland through Singapore, Bangkok, or Hong Kong. China Daily/ANN On October 13, more than 100 participants attended the international dialogue on AI in auditing, including senior leaders from the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), domestic and international auditing firms, banks, and professional associations. The event focused on leveraging technology, particularly AI, to improve public audit efficiency and modernise public financial management. In his opening remarks, Bui Quoc Dung, SAVs deputy auditor general, declared that AI is fundamentally transforming the way the auditing sector operates. I believe the strength of the auditing profession does not come from individual nations, but from the connection of knowledge, data, and international standards. AI requires not just a change in tools, but also a transformation in thinking, from examining what has happened to analysing what is happening and forecasting what will happen; from auditing documents to auditing data; and from reporting results to providing value-driven recommendations for public policy, said Dung. This means that auditors in the new era must embody three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and responsibility, all in service of citizens and sustainable development, he added. Bui Quoc Dung, SAVs deputy auditor general at the international dialogue. Photo: ACCA Vietnam Dung revelaed that the SAV has begun developing a large data platform, selecting appropriate technological architecture, and establishing data connectivity and sharing mechanisms with the Ministry of Finance, Vietnam Social Security, and the State Bank of Vietnam, creating a data warehouse of over 100 million records to support audit analytics. We have developed an auditing technology ecosystem implementing six AI and data-driven applications, covering budget data analysis, risk assessment, financial transaction verification, public investment monitoring, and green expenditure evaluation. Early results indicate that AI does not replace auditors it empowers them, making their work more accurate and insightful, said Dung. From a public governance perspective, AI helps detect irregularities more quickly and enables risk forecasting, policy recommendations, and decision support in public financial management, fully supporting the shift from post-audit to proactive, intelligent, real-time auditing, he added. Representing ACCA, Global president Ayla Majid expressed deep appreciation for the strategic partnership with SAV in reforming public sector auditing. The SAV is uniquely positioned to guide this journey. By embedding AI responsibly into audit processes, and by developing frameworks to scrutinise AI systems themselves, it can help ensure that the promise of AI translates into lasting public value, said Ayla. AI will not replace the professional auditor, but it will reshape the way assurance is delivered. For the public sector, the challenge is to capture efficiency gains while safeguarding accountability. ACCAs research and recommendations show that this balance is achievable, she added. Majid also shared that ACCA launched a redesigned global qualification initiative in June to prepare finance professionals for the complex challenges of todays world, from economic volatility and climate change to geopolitical tensions. This is the core of our new curriculum, preparing professionals to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world, she said. Sharing insights from ACCAs global research, including the AI Monitor series, Majid noted that while 85 per cent of finance professionals believe AI will transform their roles, fewer than one-third currently have access to structured upskilling opportunities. This gap highlights the need for investment in technology, without ignoring human capabilities, added Majid. We believe that public finance professionals must be equipped not just with technical proficiency, but with ethical reasoning and critical thinking. They must understand how AI models are trained, what biases may exist, and how outputs should be interpreted. They dont need to be data scientists, but they must be able to collaborate with them. ACCA's Global president, Ayla Majid. Photo: ACCA Vietnam 2025 marks a deepening collaboration between SAV and ACCA, with a series of notable initiatives: an AI-focused symposium in May, International Financial Reporting Standards training for public auditors, and continuing professional development activities for banking sector personnel. These efforts enhance technical capabilities while promoting the integration of Vietnams public audit practices with global standards. The event reaffirmed the strategic partnership between SAV and ACCA as a cornerstone in strengthening public audit capacity, boosting transparency, and ensuring accountability in the digital age. As part of the international dialogue event, two thematic panel discussions offered multidimensional and practical insights from leading financial, auditing, and technology organisations, helping to shape a comprehensive picture of the evolving role of AI in the modern accounting and auditing profession. The first session was moderated by To Quoc Hung, country manager of ACCA Vietnam, and brought together speakers including Nguyen Ngoc Lan Anh, head of Technology and Operations at Standard Chartered Vietnam; Phan Ngoc Anh, deputy general director of Audit Services at Deloitte Vietnam; and Dr. Pham Huy Thong, deputy director general of the SAV's IT Department. The discussion highlighted emerging trends in integrating AI into business and audit strategies in Vietnam, responsible AI governance within the finance and banking sectors, and the challenges related to infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital ethics. Speakers also shared real-world examples of AI implementation across major audit firms, offering valuable lessons on how to deploy AI effectively while ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining transparency, particularly in multinational operational environments. The second session was moderated by Dam Xuan Lam, partner at KPMG Vietnam, and focused on the pivotal role of public auditing in encouraging transparency and accountability. Among the distinguished speakers were ACCAs global president Ayla Majid, Hoang Van Luong from the SAV, and Ngo Hoang Ha from Techcom Securities, who shared insights into AI policy frameworks in the public sector. The session examined the application of AI, big data, and digital technologies in public financial oversight, alongside emerging models of public-private collaboration between the SAV and private audit firms to enhance audit capacity for complex national projects. Experts at the event agreed that AI implementation is not merely a technical issue, but a matter of governance, ethics, and accountability. Public-private partnerships, such as the one between SAV and ACCA, are seen as key to enhancing audit capacity for large-scale projects, optimising resources, and ensuring transparency in public investment. Photo: ACCA Vietnam AI reshapes accounting from automation to human strategic influence The latest report from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants points out that accountants can thrive in an AI-dominated workplace, just as they have done in other tech revolutions. Vietnam advances in ASEAN sustainability reporting shift Vietnam is taking deliberate action to align its corporate sustainability reporting practices with international frameworks, as regional momentum builds to meet investor expectations, manage climate risks, and strengthen corporate transparency. Alexander Ziehe, chairman of GBA Vietnam (left) How does the success of GBA Oktoberfest 2025 reflect the strengthening relationship between Vietnam and Germany? For more than three decades, the GBA Oktoberfest has been a success story that connects Vietnamese and German people, celebrating our friendships and different cultures. This year was a particular success as we hit a new attendance record with 2,000 people in Hanoi, double-digit growth in Danang, and full capacity in Ho Chi Minh City. The GBA Oktoberfest in Vietnam is, therefore, one of the most successful German cultural events in Asia. This years success was a fitting tribute to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Germany and Vietnam. How would you reflect on the GBA's achievements and contributions over the past three decades? The GBA is the largest European business community in Vietnam, with over 400 members covering almost every industry. Through our business meetings, awards, and workshops, we help members learn from one another and expand their operations in Vietnam. After 30 years, we are proud to be a trusted voice and partner for Vietnamese authorities, German institutions, and the wider business community to support our common vision of working together to improve the business environment for foreign investors. Over the years, the GBA has contributed to numerous high-level engagements, from hosting Germanys Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in 2024 to meeting with national and provincial leaders across Vietnam. Our Oktoberfest celebrations have also become one of the largest outside Germany, symbolising not just cultural exchange but strong bilateral friendship. Above all, our strength lies in our members, whose continued engagement through sponsorships, partnerships, and volunteer efforts has kept the GBA dynamic and forward-looking. After three decades, we remain a united community committed to shaping a prosperous future for both Vietnam and Germany. What are the GBAs priorities and upcoming plans to support the expansion of German businesses in Vietnam? Weve strengthened our office team to provide the highest level of support to members and ensure the quality and consistency of our events and services. Our goal is to deliver real value through well-curated workshops, business roundtables, and networking opportunities that address emerging trends such as AI, Vietnams growing middle class, and global trade shifts. Looking ahead, we plan to help our members leverage Vietnam as a regional hub. Following our successful 2024 business delegation to Cambodia, well continue to expand our outreach with new overseas missions in 2025. Partnerships remain central to our approach. Well continue engaging closely with local authorities and deepening cooperation with EuroCham and other international business associations. Were organising our first cross-chamber business event with the Japanese and Taiwanese business communities a milestone that reflects our commitment to innovation, inclusiveness, and stronger regional collaboration. Vietnam-GBA forum spotlights tech and manufacturing partnerships The Vietnam and The Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area Business and Investment Partnership Forum took place in Hanoi on June 13, with more than 250 delegates from government bodies, business groups, investors, and leading finance, tech, manufacturing, and service firms. GBA marks 30 years with 2025 Business Awards in Ho Chi Minh City The German Business Association in Vietnam (GBA) has celebrated excellence in innovation, sustainability, and community engagement at its 2025 Business Awards. According to the Vietnam F&B Market Report for the first half of 2025, released on October 10 by iPOS.vn in collaboration with Nestle Vietnam, more than 50,000 food and beverage outlets shuttered, marking the second major shakeout since early 2024. The report highlights the challenging and unpredictable conditions facing the industry. The report estimates total industry revenue at around $16.2 billion in the first six months of this year, only slightly higher than the $16.1 billion recorded in the same period of 2024. This performance is well below expectations, as surveys at the end of last year projected a growth rate of around 10 per cent for 2025. Once again, the industry failed to deliver, with rising input costs continuing to erode margins. Rental, raw materials, and labour costs all climbed, with pork prices up 12.75 per cent, food up 4.15 per cent, and housing, electricity, water, and fuel up 5.7 per cent. Under these pressures, many outlets limited promotional activities and discounts, stalling overall revenue growth. At the business level, performance was uneven. While almost 35 per cent of enterprises reported stable revenue and close to one fifth achieved growth above 5 per cent, 18 per cent saw serious declines, up from 14.3 per cent a year earlier. A positive signal, however, is that Vietnamese consumers have not drastically cut back on dining. A mid-year survey found that more than 54 per cent intend to maintain their food and beverage budgets, while 38 per cent plan to reduce spending. This has supported operator confidence, with just under 68 per cent planning expansion in the second half of the year, compared to 32 per cent taking a cautious approach. Still, given current consumption inertia, researchers forecast that growth in the latter half of 2025 will likely peak at around 9.6 per cent compared to the first half. One of the most striking findings is the scale of closures. By June 30, the country counted just under 300,000 active F&B outlets, down 7.1 per cent from 2024, meaning more than 50,000 outlets had disappeared. The steepest contractions occurred in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, both recording declines of more than 11 per cent. This wave far exceeds that of mid-2024, when about 30,000 outlets closed, equivalent to a 4 per cent reduction. By the end of that year, however, new openings offset the loss, lifting the total to over 323,000 outlets. The latest contraction underscores the 'open fast close fast learn fast' phenomenon that has swept through small businesses, with many experimental models lasting only two or three months before shutting down due to limited financial capacity or insufficient market potential. According to Nguyen Do Anh Quan, brand director of iPOS.vn, "The first half of the year is often a period of natural filtering for the sector, before a new wave of openings and restructuring emerges later on. While smaller outlets have borne the brunt, larger chains have focused on restructuring their portfolios, closing underperforming sites while repositioning in iconic locations and upgrading customer experience." Another notable trend has been widespread price hikes. Some 45 per cent of businesses increased prices in the first half of 2025, particularly in the mass and mid-tier segments, where adjustments risk customer loss. Among them, almost a third raised prices by less than 5 per cent, just over a tenth by 510 per cent, and just over 1 per cent by more than 10 per cent. Rising input costs were cited as the main driver, with more than 35 per cent pointing to more expensive raw materials, 21 per cent to regulatory changes such as e-invoices and taxation, and 20 per cent to higher labour costs. Rent was also a factor, with almost 14 per cent attributing price increases to rental pressures, while only 3.6 per cent followed pre-set adjustment schedules. Industry experts stressed that nearly half of operators raising prices in just six months signals a sector-wide trend, not isolated cases. "The F&B sector is entering a stage where pricing power is becoming a measure of adaptability. Companies with strong brands, differentiated products, and loyal customers will find room to increase prices, while those relying heavily on price-sensitive consumers risk losing revenue if they fail to align pricing with strategy," added Quan. Under Official Dispatch No. 194/CD-TTg, issued on October 10, the directive calls for stronger state management of investment activities and measures to foster a more favourable business environment. The move aims to fully disburse assigned capital, sustain growth of over 8 per cent this year, and lay the groundwork for rapid progress in the 20262030 period, particularly in digital, green, and circular economy development. The prime minister instructed ministers, heads of government agencies, and chairpersons of provincial and municipal Peoples Committees to focus on several key tasks. Contractors work on the construction of Hoa River Bridge. Photo: MoC First, they must effectively implement government resolutions and the prime ministers directives on state management of investment, reform the public service system, and strengthen administrative discipline. Authorities are urged to shorten processing times for investment procedures, ensuring that individuals and enterprises remain at the centre of public service. Second, ministries and localities should direct subordinate agencies to accelerate the handling of investment-related documents at all levels in a professional, transparent, and efficient manner. Third, they are required to promote digitalisation, automation, and data connectivity, while enhancing management capacity and labour productivity to reduce costs and processing time. Specifically, he asked the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to study, develop content, forms, information, and data for reporting investment results for the first nine months of 2025 according to the provisions of Articles 69, 70, and 72 of the Investment Law to ensure consistency, enough information, ease of implementation, and convenience of use. The MoF needs to urgently issue documents to guide ministries, central and local agencies to report investment results in a unified manner according to the established form, and completed before October 12. It must also synthesise the reporting results of ministries, agencies and localities and report to the prime minister before October 20. The prime minister also requested ministries, agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to base on their assigned functions, tasks, authorities, and instructions of the MoF to promptly prepare a report on investment results for the first nine months of 2025 and report to the prime minister before October 15, 2025. The PM assigned Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc to monitor, direct, handle and resolve difficulties and problems of agencies, units and localities according to his authority, and report to him if beyond his authority. The Government Office monitors and urges ministries, agencies and localities to urgently implement this official dispatch. According to the MoF, more than VND440 trillion (US$17.6 billion) in public investment was disbursed in the first nine months of 2025 equivalent to half of the target set by the prime minister for authorities at all levels. During this period, nine ministries and central agencies, along with 17 localities, achieved disbursement rates at or above the national average. However, 29 ministries, central agencies, and 15 localities reported rates below the national average. More finished public plans in the works Progress has been made in the disbursement of public investment in Vietnam, with the Ministry of Finance taking the lead in working with peers and localities to reach the desired goal. Minister of Finance proposes 'seed money' strategy to unlock disbursement At the question-and-answer session on June 19, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang outlined strategies to ensure full disbursement of public investment funds, including using state budget capital as 'seed money' to leverage additional funding sources. Legislative overhaul aims to boost public investment and efficiency The National Assembly approved a comprehensive legislative act amending eight major laws on June 25 in a concerted effort to remove legal bottlenecks, enhance governance flexibility, and accelerate project implementation across critical sectors. Jump in infrastructure spending offers bright prospects for contractors The transport infrastructure boom is unlocking strong growth prospects for major construction contractors as massive public investment fuels long-term demand. Housing affordability in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has reached a critical point, prompting a generational shift in attitudes towards owning a home. Traditionally viewed as essential for stability and social status, homeownership is increasingly unreachable as prices soar faster than incomes. According to the Vietnam Association of Real Estate Brokers, apartment prices in Hanoi have climbed more than 72 per cent over the past five years, while in Ho Chi Minh City, they have risen nearly 30 per cent. Rocketing house price in major cities force young generation to lease instead of buying. Photo: Le Toan For decades, buying a home has been seen as essential to stability and social status. Yet, as prices continue to rise far faster than incomes evolve, long-term renting has become an alternative option and a popular lifestyle choice. Further compounding the difficulty, while prices have risen, average incomes have grown only 6-10 per cent annually over the same period, leaving a widening gap between what people earn and what they need to buy a home. In the first eight months of 2025, Savills Vietnam reported that the average primary apartment price in Hanoi stood at about $3,500 per square metre, an increase of 40 per cent on-year. In Tay Ho and My Dinh areas, new projects are marketed at around $4,600-6,000 per sq.m. Even areas further from the centre, such as Gia Lam or Dong Anh located near Long Bien bridge, are no longer considered affordable, with developments priced at $2,700-5,400 per sq.m. In practice, this places the typical two-bedroom apartment firmly out of reach for most young professionals. A mid-level office worker with a monthly income of $960-1,150 is confronted with prices of $154,000-192,000 for an average unit, a level that far exceeds any sustainable mortgage ratio. If I tried to buy now, my mortgage repayments would consume most of my income for decades, said Nguyen Thu Ha, 30, a financial analyst in Hanoi. Renting is the only way I can maintain a reasonable quality of life. Duong Thuy Dung, executive director of CBRE Vietnam, said this has led to a visible shift in behaviour. Many young professionals moving to Ho Chi Minh City initially want to live in what was called District 1, but prices there are unaffordable. Even renting in the former District 1 is difficult, so they often move to surrounding wards. Young families also tend to rent first to see which neighbourhood best suits their long-term needs, Dung added. For some, renting is not merely a temporary compromise but a deliberate financial strategy. Le Quang Huy, 27 and a software engineer living in Ho Chi Minh City, said that he would rather rent and use savings to invest in skills and opportunities. Owning a home now would only tie me down. Renting gives me flexibility to change jobs or even more cities if better opportunities come along, Huy said. This shift illustrates a deeper cultural transformation. While older generations equated stability with property ownership, younger people increasingly value flexibility, mobility, and financial freedom. Many have been exposed to international rental cultures in Europe and United States, where renting is viewed as a normal, long-term option. However, the supply side of Vietnams rental market tells a different story. A professional build-to-rent sector is almost non-existent, and most tenants lease from private individuals who bought units to let, creating a fragmented and often inconsistent market. On September 25, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting to review a draft decree on pilot mechanisms for developing social housing. Under the proposal, a fund would focus on investing in and creating homes for rent. Its financing would come from the state budget, alongside voluntary contributions, donations from domestic and international organisations and individual, and other lawful sources. This initiative addresses a fundamental structural problem in Vietnam's housing market. In developed countries, developers build residential projects specifically for rental, often with government support, ensuring a stable supply, Dung from CBRE further explained. In Vietnam, developers build to sell, and renters depend on individual landlords. That means fewer options, higher costs, and little professional management. Dung added that opportunities are emerging for developers and investors to respond. Rising demand for potentially rent-to-own schemes points to new market potential. But without supportive policies, such as tax incentives, deferred land-use fees, or legal frameworks for long-term leases, developers will continue to prioritise sales. If developers are not given incentives, they will always choose to sell, Dung from CBRE said. Limiting speculative activity in the ownership market could also help, encouraging developers to create housing that meets real demand, whether for ownership or for rental. Vu Thi Thuong, lecturer at Vietnam National University Hanoi, said the movement from buying to renting is a rational adjustment to market realities. Housing prices in major cities have risen to the point where many young people simply cannot buy. Renting is a necessary solution, allowing them to continue living and working in urban centres. It shows a structural mismatch between supply and affordability, Thuong said. VIB launches loan package to refinace existing loans for townhouses and apartments Vietnam International Bank (VIB) is offering a loan package for customers looking to refinance existing loans from other banks to buy townhouses and apartments. Hanoi to speed up renovation efforts for old apartments Hanoi People's Committee is focussed on speeding up the renovation of old apartments and the construction of resettlement housing to improve peoples lives, according to Duong Duc Tuan, Deputy Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee and deputy head of the Steering Committee for the renovation of old apartment buildings in Hanoi. Held on October 12 in Hanoi, the event brought together representatives from 46 New Zealand educational institutions, showcasing new academic programmes and scholarship options. Beyond recruitment, the fair reaffirmed New Zealands enduring partnership with Vietnam in education a sector often described as the heart of their bilateral ties. At the event, Ben Burrowes, regional director for Asia at Education New Zealand (ENZ), said Vietnam is now one of New Zealands key education markets. "A growing number of New Zealand universities and institutes of technology and polytechnics are now admitting Vietnamese high-school graduates directly into undergraduate programmes, without the need for a foundation year or vocational certificate," said Burrowes. "This change reflects the strong academic performance of Vietnamese students and allows them to begin their studies sooner and reduce costs." He added that the direct-entry scheme forms part of New Zealands broader effort to make higher education more accessible and attractive to Vietnamese learners, who are among a select group of students worldwide eligible for this opportunity. Most participating institutions now base admissions on high school academic results, applying equally to graduates from both specialised and non-specialised schools. The initiative is supported by New Zealands compact higher education system, comprising eight universities and 16 institutes and polytechnics Participants explore study opportunities and scholarship options at the 2025 New Zealand Education Fair in Hanoi Alongside direct admission, New Zealand continues to expand support policies for international students, particularly from Vietnam. From November, international students holding New Zealand student visas will be allowed to work up to 25 hours per week during term time five hours more than the current limit. In addition, graduates can stay and work for up to three years after completing their studies, providing valuable opportunities for professional development and global career experience. The New Zealand governments scholarship system is becoming increasingly diverse. Following the launch of the New Zealand University Awards for Vietnamese undergraduates, worth nearly $132,000, the government has expanded its support with 45 New Zealand Schools Scholarships (NZSS) for secondary students and 39 Manaaki Scholarships for postgraduate studies in 2025. Administered by ENZ, the NZSS offers a 50 per cent tuition fee reduction for Vietnamese students in grades 8-10 at participating New Zealand secondary schools, while the awards target undergraduates who meet the academic and English entry requirements of New Zealand universities. While both initiatives share the goal of encouraging Vietnamese students to pursue quality education in New Zealand, they are distinct programmes targeting different study levels. These are also the first institution-level scholarship schemes in the world to be directly managed by ENZ, underscoring New Zealands strong and long-term commitment to Vietnamese learners. According to Burrowes, the number of Vietnamese students in New Zealand rose by 12 per cent in 2024, reaching 1,935 students, with growth recorded across all study levels. University enrolments have surpassed pre-pandemic figures, while secondary school enrolments climbed by around 10 per cent on-year. This has probably been ENZs busiest year in Vietnam, he remarked, noting the strong rebound in demand for overseas study and the deepening educational ties between the two nations. Burrowes also revealed that ENZ is building a New Zealand Alumni Network in Vietnam to foster connections, mentorship, and collaboration among past and future students. The New Zealand Education Fair 2025 in Hanoi served not only as a platform for information exchange but also as a symbol of enduring, people-centred cooperation between New Zealand and Vietnam, where education continues to act as a bridge of understanding and opportunity between the two cultures. On October 10, the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) reported that combined sales from its five members Honda, Yamaha, Piaggio, Suzuki, and SYM totalled just under 622,000 units between July and September 2025, down almost 9.4 per cent on-year. Despite Vietnam remaining one of Southeast Asias largest motorcycle markets, the decline signals a pause after two decades of strong growth. With around 80 per cent of market share, Honda continues to dominate, but has not been spared from the downturn. In September alone, Honda sold almost 164,000 motorcycles, down 11.4 per cent on-year. From April to September, its total sales amounted to just over 1 million units, a slight fall compared with the previous year. Dealers report sharper drops in recent months, particularly in mid-range scooters, as consumers adopt a wait-and-see approach. People are wondering whether buying a petrol bike now could restrict them later, or if its better to wait until EVs become more affordable. This hesitation is putting the entire market on pause, a major distributor explained. In contrast, non-VAMM players such as VinFast, Yadea, and Dat Bike are gaining traction in the two-wheeler EV segment, forcing traditional giants like Honda and Yamaha to accelerate their electrification strategies. The policy landscape is also reshaping expectations. Under a directive issued by the Prime Minister in July, Hanoi authorities must implement measures to restrict fossil-fuelled motorbikes from operating within Ring Road 1 by July 2026. The following stages will limit petrol-powered private cars inside Ring Roads 1 and 2 by 2028, extending to Ring Road 3 by 2030. In response, VAMM has petitioned the government, warning that the 2026 restrictions in Hanoi could impose significant burdens on both consumers and industry. The association argues that low-income households and families reliant on multiple petrol bikes would face steep costs in switching vehicles. For businesses, the abrupt shift risks disrupting the entire motorcycle ecosystem from production and distribution to after-sales services. Manufacturers will be forced to make substantial investments in restructuring production lines, upgrading technology, and developing new products, without sufficient time or financial support. This could result in heavy losses, production disruptions, and even bankruptcies, VAMM noted. Nearly 2,000 dealerships and 200 component suppliers tied to internal combustion engines are expected to bear the brunt of declining revenues, with supply chain fractures a likely consequence. VAMM also pointed out that companies have already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in new technology and equipment to meet forthcoming regulations effective from 2027, such as EURO4 emission standards and fuel consumption limits. A sudden pivot to EVs could render these efforts wasteful and undermine the effectiveness of recently enacted environmental policies. To avoid a disorderly transition, VAMM has proposed a more phased approach with a minimum preparation window of two to three years, giving households, businesses, and regulators time to adapt and mitigate risks. The association further explained that infrastructure remains a critical barrier. Public charging stations are still insufficient, while concerns over fire safety particularly in ageing apartment buildings with degraded electrical systems are rising. Addressing these issues is essential for consumer confidence, business investment, and the safe, effective rollout of electric mobility, the association stressed. In addition, VAMM urged policymakers to introduce supportive incentives, such as tax breaks and preferential credit, to encourage consumer adoption of electric two-wheelers. The motorcycle market is shifting from sheer volume growth to structural transformation. While 2025 has been a challenging year, analysts predict stabilisation from the second half of 2026 as economic growth resumes, incomes rise, and the green consumption trend strengthens. The interplay of electrification, technological renewal, and consumer appetite for sustainable mobility is expected to shape the next growth cycle. In the long term, Vietnam will remain a pivotal two-wheeler market in ASEAN, not only for domestic consumption but also for its export potential. The Vietnamese Women Entrepreneurs Forum gathered more than 180 delegates Held on October 10 at the National Convention Centre as part of the Vietnam Private Economic Landscape (ViPEL 2025), the forum welcomed more than 180 delegates, including representatives from ministries, local associations, and large-scale enterprises. The event, an initiative of the Private Economic Development Research Board (Board IV), aims to promote the governments consideration of a specialised resolution to pilot a 'Public - Private Nation Building' cooperation model. The ViPEL initiative, launched by Board IV in collaboration with leading entrepreneurs, has received backing from the Prime Minister and relevant ministries. The model seeks to translate the goals of Resolution 68-NQ/TW and other key strategies on private-sector growth into action enhancing governance, boosting productivity, and driving green, sustainable development to help Vietnam reach high-income status and meet its Net Zero 2045 target. ViPEL has introduced a new model of cooperation in which the public and private sectors work hand in hand, sharing responsibility and fostering meaningful connections to create fresh value for national development. The initiative is structured with an Executive Board and four specialised committees, including the Committee on Resource and Service Development one of ViPELs four key pillars where women entrepreneurs play a central role. Throughout the many shifts in the economy, Vietnamese women business leaders have continued to demonstrate resilience, perseverance, and a spirit of constant innovation. Speaking at the opening of the forum, Truong Gia Binh, head of Board IV and representative of ViPELs leadership, explained that the perseverance and innovative spirit of Vietnamese women entrepreneurs would be a driving force for the ViPEL model. Their determination to overcome challenges and push boundaries will be key to ensuring ViPELs strong and meaningful growth, reinforcing its impact in advancing Vietnams private sector, especially private businesses owned by women entrepreneurs, he said. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, vice chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE), said, "The important role of women entrepreneurs in the new era, which is demonstrated by four values: persistence in the face of challenges, breakthroughs in innovation, delicacy and humanity in management, and perseverance." At the event, a representative of Phu Nhuan Jewelry JSC (PNJ) shared the story of the company's female entrepreneurs' persistence. "PNJ has been implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for about five years, but the journey was extremely challenging. Operating an ERP system is complex at times, our leaders and tax consultants had to pause to review and adjust our approach. Through close collaboration, we eventually achieved full ERP implementation, a critical requirement for any business aiming to pursue mergers and acquisitions," said Tran Phuong Ngoc Thao, deputy chairman of the board of directors of PNJ. "The persistence of any business, including those led by women, comes from the determination of the board of directors and the efforts of all employees," she added. One of the key highlights of the forum was the announcement of major projects led by women entrepreneurs, featuring initiatives from Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, and Danang. The Vietnam Association for Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE) proposed an initiative to train 1,000 next-generation female entrepreneurs over the next five years. The initiative aims to enhance leadership skills, strategic thinking, and global adaptability, marking the first step in nurturing a generation of female leaders capable of driving development and reinforcing the role of Vietnamese women entrepreneurs as a cornerstone of the ViPEL model. The event signalled a new phase in VAWEs collaboration with ViPEL, underscoring the commitment of Vietnamese female entrepreneurs to enhancing national competitiveness and fostering a dynamic, creative, and sustainable private sector. The forum also highlighted womens contributions to the economy and introduced practical initiatives to advance the goal of building a strong and prosperous nation through public-private collaboration. More Vietnamese businesswomen going digital Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh, chairwoman of the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council (VWEC) talked with VIRs Thai An about the growth of the community, as well as the necessary support required for female entrepreneurs to start and develop businesses successfully in the digital age. Women entrepreneurs become inspiration for business community Many female Vietnamese entrepreneurs are being proactive in community activity and considered an inspiration to the next generation, demonstrating that women can confidently build businesses and overcome difficulties to take their businesses to the next level. Women entrepreneurs of Dak Lak, RoKs North Gyeonggi province foster cooperation Representatives of the Vietnam Association of Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE)s chapter in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association (KWEA) in North Gyeonggi province signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation at in Buon Ma Thuot city of Dak Lak on August 26. Investing in Women and Beacon Fund to help women entrepreneurs An Australian government initiative, focusing on accelerating womens economic empowerment across Southeast Asia, has joined forces with Beacon Fund in mid-September to pilot innovative financing solutions that address the persistent funding gap for female-led businesses in Vietnam. Scheduled for October 15, the programme will examine the overall relationship between Vietnam and Japan, which recently marked the 52nd anniversary of diplomatic ties. Built on strong economic links and significant collaboration in education and healthcare, the partnership has also deepened through cultural exchanges, people-to-people connections, and active cooperation between localities. The talk show will offer a comprehensive overview of Vietnam-Japan bilateral ties, examining emerging strategic pillars, the critical role of key organisations, and the contributions of businesses in strengthening the partnership. High-level speakers joining the discussion include Ito Naoki, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam; Dr. Dang Quang Tan, director general of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Health; Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy director general of the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF); and Benjamin Ping, general manager of Takeda Vietnam Pharmaceuticals. According to the FIA, economic, trade, and investment cooperation remains a key pillar and a prominent highlight in the bilateral relationship. Japan has consistently been one of Vietnams leading economic partners the largest provider of official development assistance (ODA) and labour cooperation, the third-largest foreign investor, and the fourth-largest trading and tourism partner of Vietnam. Japan has provided Vietnam with over $20 billion in ODA loans, nearly $750 million in non-refundable aid, and around $1.3 billion in technical cooperation assistance. At present, Japan has more than 5,600 ventures in Vietnam, with total registered capital approaching $80 billion. Specifically, bilateral ties in health are also highly effective and comprehensive, as a bright spot in the overall picture of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. They contribute to improving the quality of healthcare and protection for people, strengthening hospital infrastructure, and enhancing prevention capacity, treatment, and hospital management. According to the Ministry of Health, Japan has been a major ODA donor for Vietnams healthcare sector, with bilateral cooperation recognised as a strategic, long-term partnership. This foundation was further reinforced by the 2019 Memorandum of Cooperation in healthcare, signed between Vietnams Ministry of Health and Japanese counterparts, including the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Over the past years, the business community, stakeholders, and organisations from both countries have played a key role in deepening bilateral partnerships. In healthcare specifically, Japanese stakeholders have collaborated to expand access to medical services for local populations, further strengthening ties between the two nations. Among these contributors, Takeda, a global research and development-driven biopharmaceutical company with a 244-year history, has made notable efforts to improve community health in Vietnam. For instance, the Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) Capability Building Project, launched in 2021 in partnership with the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine and the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, helps enhance local capacity to diagnose and treat HAE. In addition, Takedas first approved dengue vaccine in Vietnam was launched in September last year, providing an additional proactive solution for protecting public health against the disease. The vaccine has received approval in 41 countries, with more than 20 million doses distributed globally. The talk show will be broadcast on October 15 and widely covered across VIR's print and digital platforms. We warmly invite our readers to tune in. New York, US (PANA) - There is now real hope for a ceasefire which would pave the way for a lasting and definitive settlement of the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Huang Xia, told the Security Council on Monday Parents in West Texas are expressing their outrage over alleged child abuse at a special education school in Midland. The case started in early September, when Midland Independent School District's Special Education Director Lynda Rhodes called parents Daniela and Alfredo Santos. The director said they were investigating reports of abuse at the school that involved the couple's four-year-old daughter and her classmates. Texas Parents Outraged Over Alleged Child Abuse All of the students in question were said to have special needs and are known to live with disabilities. The young children's instructors allegedly restrained the students in their chairs for longer than they should have been. The parents noted that the troubling scenes were captured on video footage and showcased details that district officials previously omitted in earlier phone calls. The couple declined to comment further on the matter due to a non-disclosure agreement that they made with the district before being allowed to watch the videos, according to My San Antonio. In a statement, Daniela said that she saw her child "screaming like crazy, crying. You can tell she needed help." However, the parent said that despite the young girl's pleas, the instructors at the school provided no assistance. Following the official investigation into the case, six teachers have already resigned, and the school board also fired Cynthia Rodriguez earlier this week. Rodriguez is the school's principal, who faced abuse allegations as well. District officials maintained their stance that they took the appropriate steps after learning about the incidents in reporting the issue to the state. On the other hand, advocates for students with disabilities argue that the decade-old law that puts cameras in classrooms with special needs should be revisited by officials, LMT Online reported. Filing a Lawsuit against the School District Many of the families whose children were involved in the latest incident are demanding that the teachers responsible for the abuse be prosecuted. However, the district's attorney told them that there was not enough evidence to criminally charge them of a crime. Now, 15 families are making the effort themselves by suing the district for $500,000 for each student affected by the alleged abuse. The lawsuit argues that district officials ignored "evidence of abuse" captured by cameras inside the classroom, noting they "knowingly failed to report this abuse and neglect." It also says that the Midland Independent School District placed vulnerable children in the hands of predators, looked away as abuse happened, and betrayed every parent who trusted it with their kids, as per the Texas Tribune. Trump said that if the President of Russia doesnt resolve the Ukrainian conflict, it is not going to be good for him. So just another one of his endless threats. If the business peacemaker is talking about Tomahawks, then that statement is wrong. The delivery of those missiles would not be good for anyone. First and foremost, it will end badly for Trump himself. It has already been said a hundred times, in terms even star-spangled Uncle Sam could understand: its impossible to tell whether a Tomahawk carries a nuclear or conventional warhead while its in flight. Their launch wouldnt originate from Banderite Kiev, it would be controlled by the United States. In other words, by Trump. So how is Russia supposed to respond? Exactly. Lets just hope this is another empty threat, brought on by long talks with the cocaine-fueled clown. Sort of like sending nuclear submarines closer to Russia. You know how it goes a submarine suddenly surfaces somewhere in the steppes of Ukraine. Medvedev https://t.me/medvedev_telegramE/100 WtR Archives Monthly Archives Monthly Select Month December 2025 (12) November 2025 (45) October 2025 (43) September 2025 (47) August 2025 (59) July 2025 (69) June 2025 (74) May 2025 (68) April 2025 (65) March 2025 (60) February 2025 (55) January 2025 (79) December 2024 (70) November 2024 (78) October 2024 (105) September 2024 (87) August 2024 (92) July 2024 (114) June 2024 (133) May 2024 (121) April 2024 (166) March 2024 (164) February 2024 (167) January 2024 (159) December 2023 (133) November 2023 (119) October 2023 (145) September 2023 (114) August 2023 (114) July 2023 (132) June 2023 (151) May 2023 (152) April 2023 (202) March 2023 (158) February 2023 (104) January 2023 (88) December 2022 (130) November 2022 (158) October 2022 (235) September 2022 (160) August 2022 (146) July 2022 (119) June 2022 (222) May 2022 (427) April 2022 (235) March 2022 (95) February 2022 (58) January 2022 (47) December 2021 (56) November 2021 (38) October 2021 (58) September 2021 (44) August 2021 (40) July 2021 (37) June 2021 (38) May 2021 (35) April 2021 (40) March 2021 (59) February 2021 (50) January 2021 (47) December 2020 (43) November 2020 (42) October 2020 (48) September 2020 (27) August 2020 (41) July 2020 (36) June 2020 (40) May 2020 (39) April 2020 (48) March 2020 (54) February 2020 (43) January 2020 (56) December 2019 (36) November 2019 (39) October 2019 (30) September 2019 (37) August 2019 (22) July 2019 (23) June 2019 (37) May 2019 (36) April 2019 (61) March 2019 (51) February 2019 (44) January 2019 (49) December 2018 (46) November 2018 (46) October 2018 (25) September 2018 (37) August 2018 (37) July 2018 (46) June 2018 (45) May 2018 (77) April 2018 (70) March 2018 (55) February 2018 (52) January 2018 (68) December 2017 (65) November 2017 (51) October 2017 (42) September 2017 (53) August 2017 (53) July 2017 (45) June 2017 (36) May 2017 (48) April 2017 (42) March 2017 (27) February 2017 (33) January 2017 (36) December 2016 (37) November 2016 (38) October 2016 (36) September 2016 (35) August 2016 (42) July 2016 (48) June 2016 (39) May 2016 (33) April 2016 (47) March 2016 (42) February 2016 (43) January 2016 (52) December 2015 (45) November 2015 (42) October 2015 (30) September 2015 (47) August 2015 (53) July 2015 (48) June 2015 (49) May 2015 (47) April 2015 (36) March 2015 (43) February 2015 (41) January 2015 (38) December 2014 (47) November 2014 (40) October 2014 (26) September 2014 (52) August 2014 (50) July 2014 (52) June 2014 (35) May 2014 (33) April 2014 (38) March 2014 (45) February 2014 (32) January 2014 (35) December 2013 (39) November 2013 (25) October 2013 (13) September 2013 (26) August 2013 (31) July 2013 (29) June 2013 (48) May 2013 (41) April 2013 (53) March 2013 (43) February 2013 (38) January 2013 (47) December 2012 (44) November 2012 (26) October 2012 (21) September 2012 (47) August 2012 (52) July 2012 (47) June 2012 (41) May 2012 (63) April 2012 (41) March 2012 (52) February 2012 (63) January 2012 (60) December 2011 (61) November 2011 (53) October 2011 (57) September 2011 (71) August 2011 (57) July 2011 (42) June 2011 (82) May 2011 (68) April 2011 (93) March 2011 (158) February 2011 (53) January 2011 (58) December 2010 (85) November 2010 (60) October 2010 (51) September 2010 (79) August 2010 (84) July 2010 (88) June 2010 (85) May 2010 (30) April 2010 (52) March 2010 (63) February 2010 (48) January 2010 (33) December 2009 (62) November 2009 (26) October 2009 (64) September 2009 (47) August 2009 (42) July 2009 (45) June 2009 (47) May 2009 (58) April 2009 (44) March 2009 (58) February 2009 (42) January 2009 (45) December 2008 (50) November 2008 (56) October 2008 (17) September 2008 (57) August 2008 (119) July 2008 (55) June 2008 (38) May 2008 (60) April 2008 (17) March 2008 (43) February 2008 (42) January 2008 (37) December 2007 (39) November 2007 (39) October 2007 (1) September 2007 (18) August 2007 (25) July 2007 (28) June 2007 (19) May 2007 (6) April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1) February 2007 (1) January 2007 (1) December 2006 (1) November 2006 (2) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (2) August 2006 (1) July 2006 (1) June 2006 (6) May 2006 (4) April 2006 (3) March 2006 (1) February 2006 (11) January 2006 (2) or Grab a Year 2025 (676) 2024 (1456) 2023 (1612) 2022 (2032) 2021 (542) 2020 (517) 2019 (465) 2018 (604) 2017 (531) 2016 (492) 2015 (519) 2014 (485) 2013 (433) 2012 (557) 2011 (853) 2010 (758) 2009 (580) 2008 (591) 2007 (179) 2006 (35) This article is old - Published: Monday, Oct 13th, 2025 Wrexham.com has invited local Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home you can find them all here. In his monthly column for Wrexham.com, Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP Steve Witherden writes: Here are a few casework issues I have been dealing with in the Wrexham area over the past few weeks. Ongoing complaints about Kronospan in Chirk Firstly, constituents in Chirk may have seen that a legal action seeking damages from Kronospan has failed. Around 150 residents brought a claim alleging the dust, noise, and odour emissions from the plant amounted to a legal nuisance. The High Court judge found the emissions not to reach the criteria for this, while accepting that emissions have occurred. I understand many constituents will be disappointed. I know there are concerns about the ability of Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to deal with this issue, as well as the possibility of PCBs in the ground in Cefn Mawr, the Hafod Landfill odour, and the safety of sewage infrastructure on the Ceiriog River at Dolywern. Having met with them very recently, however, I can report back that they are hopeful of getting Kronospan in communication with the community, either through community engagement events or a direct meeting. I encourage constituents to keep an eye out for these. I last visited the plant in person on 18 September, asking for an update on efforts to minimise dust, as I do every time I meet with the companys representatives. I will continue to liaise between Kronospan, NRW, and affected constituents, pushing for a solution. Since the NRWs last visit, a dust management plan has been approved and equipment has been brought onto site to be installed in the areas of concern. A visit to Glyn Ceiriog When I was elected, I promised to bring politics closer to people, which is why I spend a lot of my time driving up and down the constituency meeting residents in their own communities. Last month, I embarked on a villages tour, spending five days on the trot visiting some of the smaller settlements that too often get overlooked. On 25 September I went to Glyn Ceiriog, home turf for me having grown up just on the other side of Vivod, facing Llangollen. We started off in Dolywern, meeting with a constituent who wanted to speak about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, so we discussed everything I have been doing to lobby the UK Government to suspend the sale of arms to Israel for use in Gaza. The biggest issue in Glyn itself was the state of the roads. The infamous Potholeland has closed since it made national headlines, but there are still lots of potholes, even in the larger villages in the valley. While many were very pleased about the resurfacing of the road down by Chirk Fisheries, there is much work to be done. Thankfully, earlier this year the Welsh Government did announce an extra 120m that is going to local councils to fix potholes, so that money should make a difference around the Ceiriog Valley. Another big issue raised by many constituents was motorcyclists riding down public footpaths. I have already been in contact with Councillor Trevor Bates to set up a meeting to discuss this and see if it is an issue for the police. Keeping Railway Terrace safe Last but not least, we had a major success with Railway Terrace in Ruabon. It has been the focus of one of the longest pieces of casework since my election. There are many trees adjacent to the street that are deemed unsafe and at risk of falling on residential properties there. Lots of branches and foliage started coming down during Storms Eowyn, Bert, and Darragh over the past 12 months. Scottish Power had already removed some of the trees that were at risk of falling on cables. My office has now obtained confirmation from Wrexham County Borough Council that they will be removing the trees this month in a big win for the residents of Railway Terrace. If there is anything I can do to assist you, please get in touch with my office by emailing steve.witherden.mp@parliament.uk, or calling me on 01938 739305. To keep up to date with what Im up to, you can sign up to my newsletter here: https://stevewitherden.wales/newsletter/ Made-in-Wales investment model avoids crippling PFI trap, says Drakeford A creative workaround to limited borrowing powers has delivered an extra 1.1bn for Wales while avoiding the same crippling pitfalls as PFI, the finance secretary has claimed. Speaking in the Senedd, Mark Drakeford explained 1.14bn for projects including the new Velindre cancer centre and A465 works simply would not have happened otherwise. The Welsh Government designed the mutual investment model (MIM) an alternative to the controversial UK private finance initiative (PFI) policy as a way to leverage private finance due to a scarcity of funding for longer-term infrastructure. Prof Drakeford told Senedd members the Welsh Governments capital budget has totalled around 15bn this term, so the model has bolstered spending by 7.5%. Arguing the governments decision to reject PFI has been vindicated, he said: Wales suffers neither from the stranded assets that have occurred in England nor do we face the ongoing disputes that surround the return to public ownership of facilities from PFI stewardship. Most of all, we have not faced the crippling impacts on resource budgets that PFI repayments have caused and continue to cause elsewhere. Made in Wales Prof Drakeford said the additional 1.14bn includes 590m to complete the dualling of the A465 and 312m for 21st-century cancer care at the Velindre NHS trust. He told the Senedd the made-in-Wales approach is different from earlier PFI models because the Welsh Government takes a stake of up to 20% in each MIM scheme. This ensures the public interest is represented on boards and enables the public sector to earn a return on investment in infrastructure that can be recycled, he said. Addressing concerns about long-term costs, the former first minister explained repayments will equate to a manageable 0.4% of the day-to-day budget even at the peak. He said: In this year, we are providing 50m in revenue to support the borrowing through the mutual investment model. At the moment, that will rise to 100m in the most expensive year of the scheme and thats in 2028/29. During Tuesdays (October 7) statement, he added that modelling suggests every 1 invested as public equity in a MIM project will earn more than 3 in return. PFI-lite? The Conservatives Sam Rowlands supported the innovative way of investing in modern schools, hospitals and roads though he pointed out that public bodies in Wales did use PFI. He warned that PFI models were supercharged under Tony Blairs UK Government after being launched by John Major, saddling future taxpayers with a 215bn commitment. Plaid Cymrus Heledd Fychan expressed concerns about constraints on Welsh Government borrowing, with councils having greater flexibility, leading to the creative workaround. Rhys ab Owen, who sits as an independent, similarly criticised pitiful borrowing limitations, with Cardiff and Swansea councils combined powers exceeding the Welsh Governments. Labours Mike Hedges asked: Is the mutual investment model PFI-lite? While the worst excesses of PFI such as the 20 to change a light bulb will not occur, it is still a long-term commitment that will have an effect on revenue budgets for a long time. Prof Drakeford said the Welsh Government always seeks to exhaust the cheapest money first and MIM is the last form of borrowing ministers turn to. But he stressed: This is a choice between using this form of investment or not being able to invest at all. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter No place for hate in North Wales, says Police Commissioner North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin has pledged to step up efforts to tackle hate crime as part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week. Mr Dunbobbin said the campaign, which runs until October 18, was an important reminder of the need to challenge hate and support affected communities. National Hate Crime Awareness Week, established in 2009, brings together police, councils and community groups to tackle hate incidents across the UK. The importance of the week has been brought into even sharper focus by recent events that have been fuelled by hate, such as the attack on a Jewish congregation in Manchester. The commissioner will attend events throughout the week to engage with communities affected by hate crime, including one organised by Bawso, in Colwyn Bay. Bawso provides practical and emotional prevention, protection and support services to Black Minority Ethnic (BME) and migrant victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, modern slavery and other crimes and marks its 30th anniversary this year. The event aims to inform people about the work they do to create a Wales where all people live free from abuse, violence and are free from exploitation. The PCCs office will also join North Wales Polices race stakeholder group to discuss community experiences and how the police can better respond to hate crime incidents. Mr Dunbobbin said: Every year Hate Crime Awareness Week marks an important time to take stock and reflect on the impact of hate crime within our communities. Over the past few years nationally we have seen a concerning rise in political narratives designed to provoke and stoke community tensions. This often becomes open hostility and leads to hate crime. The recent antisemitic terrorist attack in Manchester shows us only too clearly the increasing tensions that are being caused by rising hostility and conflict elsewhere in the world and the potential for this to impact us at home. But communities mired by tensions and hate crime cannot thrive. My goal is to promote cohesion and understanding among communities and to build trust in policing. I want people to know that they can and should report hate crime. Do not stay silent, the police are here to help, call out the hate. He added: Nobody should live in fear of verbal and physical attack because of who they are. Every persons story matters, and nobody should have to accept hateful words and actions as part of their lives. There is no room in the communities of North Wales for hate and hate crime will not be tolerated. We will stand up and challenge hate together. I would encourage anyone who has suffered Hate Crime to report it, so the police can act on it. Hate incidents can be motivated by prejudice against race, religion, sexuality, disability or gender identity. Incidents can be reported to North Wales Police on 101, or for information on other ways to report (including third party and anonymous reporting) go to the North Wales Police website. Further information about hate crime can be found on the Advice and Information section of the Force website. Reports can be made to police via third party reporting agencies like Victim Support. These agencies assist those who would prefer not to deal directly with police. Pete Tong and Billy Ocean announced as Live at Llangollen Pavilion headliners! Dance music pioneer Pete Tong and global music icon Billy Ocean, together with very special guest Marti Pellow, will bring unmissable headline shows to the Llangollen Pavilion next summer. Pete and his world-renowned Ibiza Classics show featuring The Essential Orchestra will play TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Thursday June 25. On Saturday June 27 Billy Ocean, the chart-topping legend behind such classic hits as Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) and Red Light Spells Danger, will headline the iconic Welsh venue with special guest and former Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. From the sun-soaked shores of Ibiza to the worlds biggest stages, Pete Tong has redefined live dance music. Earlier this year, he celebrated the 10th anniversary of Ibiza Classics with four sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall alongside The Essential Orchestra and such greats as Becky Hill, Barbara Tucker, Damian Lazarus, David Morales, Paul Oakenfold, and Seth Troxler. Throughout his remarkable 30-plus year career, Pete has championed dance music on a global scale, constantly pushing boundaries and supporting new talent. His contributions were formally recognised with the prestigious Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS) in 2021, honouring his outstanding impact on music and broadcasting. Born in Trinidad and raised in Londons East End, Billy Ocean is one of the UKs most enduring and successful artists. He has sold more than 30 million records worldwide, received GRAMMY and Ivor Novello Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, a MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award and an MBE for services to music. Billys breakthrough came with Love Really Hurts Without You in 1976, followed by a string of global hits including Red Light Spells Danger, When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going, Loverboy, Suddenly, Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car, and the GRAMMY Award-winning Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) attracting millions of streams worldwide. With more than 15 million albums sold, multiple Number One singles, and iconic hits like Sweet Little Mystery, Goodnight Girl, Love Is All Around, and Angel Eyes, Marti Pellow is one of the UKs most loved and versatile vocalists. Alongside a successful solo career spanning pop, jazz, and soul hes also earned acclaim on the musical theatre stage, starring in Chicago (West End and Broadway), Evita, Jekyll & Hyde, Blood Brothers, and Chess. Billy Ocean and Pete Tong join David Gray among the first headline announcements for TK Maxx presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion 2026, which is presented as part of an ongoing partnership with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor. Artistic Director of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod Dave Danford said: Weve welcomed some legendary artists to Llangollen over the last two summers, and next years proving to be no exception. Were particularly proud of the range of different genres this time around there really is something for everyone at Llangollen Pavilion next summer. The Pavilions stunning setting, surrounded by the beautiful Welsh hills and the River Dee, makes it a truly special place to experience live music. The two shows were announcing today promise to be nothing short of spectacular: the soulful sounds of Billy Ocean with very special guest Marti Pellow, and the euphoric energy of Pete Tongs Ibiza Classics. Two incredible nights of world-class live music from some of the biggest names in the business. For more information go to llangollen.net. Tickets go on sale at 10am Friday via llangollen.net and ticketmaster.co.uk Welsh Government warned of piggybacking on UK laws Senedd members have warned a continued reliance on UK laws in devolved areas is eroding the Welsh Parliaments crucial role in scrutinising legislation. Labours Mike Hedges reiterated concerns about the Welsh Government regularly relying on UK bills to make laws in devolved areas rather than introducing bills in the Senedd. Mr Hedges, who chairs the cross-party legislation committee, made the comments as Senedd members signalled consent for the UK mental health bill on October 7. The Senedd is asked to consent to UK laws, though it is not binding, rather than being able to scrutinise and amend a bill line-by-line as it would with Welsh legislation. Mr Hedges told the debating chamber: The committee believes that a democratic deficit is emerging as a result of the governments approach in this area. We consider that the use of this bill to make provisions in the area of mental health which is a devolved policy area contributes to that unwelcome deficit. Designed for England He added: The approach taken by the Welsh Government has the effect of sidelining the Senedd as a legislature and preventing elected members from having an opportunity to scrutinise the detail of the legislation. Questioning why Welsh and UK ministers could not legislate in parallel, Mr Hedges said: The committee considers that the best way to achieve outcomes that are in the best interests of Wales is to legislate by means of a Welsh Government bill in the Senedd. It is unclear to the committee how the approach taken by the Welsh Government of piggybacking on legislation designed for England respects devolution to Wales. While concerns were raised about Westminster legislating on Wales behalf, the Senedd ultimately supported consent concluding the bills content was too important to reject. James Evans, the Conservatives shadow health secretary, said: This legislation is needed and its going to make a real difference to many people right the way across the country. And his Plaid Cymru counterpart Mabon ap Gwynfor similarly recognised an urgent need to grasp a long-overdue opportunity to strengthen mental health law. Once in a generation The Welsh Government defended its approach, recommending consent to the bill on the basis that Westminster would provide an estimated 425m to cover the costs. Sarah Murphy described the bill as a once-in-a-generation chance to bring the Mental Health Act 1983 into the 21st century, with a focus on inequalities and autonomy. Pointing to constitutional safeguards, Wales mental health minister said: The provisions in this bill, and indeed in the 1983 Act, relate to both reserved and devolved areas. The interface for example between the criminal justice system and health services means the UK bill is the appropriate mechanism to deliver these policy changes. She apologised for a lack of time for scrutiny due to key documents being published at short notice, explaining the timing was out of Welsh ministers hands. Ms Murphy, who briefly chaired the legislation committee, recognised concerns about relying on UK bills but emphasised her belief that providing consent was in Wales best interests. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter Officials working under United States President Donald Trump's administration said that the Republican leader is considering selling student loan debts to private investors. The potential development would sell off portions of the federal government's $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio. Experts argue that this kind of decision carries risks for both taxpayers and borrowers, as it could reshape the student loan landscape in very unpredictable ways. Student Loan Portfolio Senior officials at the education and treasury departments have reportedly been part of internal conversations about the idea. This is the proposal of offloading select, high-performing segments of the government's student debt holdings. These loans are currently part of the larger portfolio that is owed by roughly 45 million borrowers across the U.S. Additionally, officials have reportedly reached out to figures in the financial industry, including potential buyers of the student loans, to talk about the proposal, according to The Guardian. These deliberations, which reportedly started earlier this year, initially included "department of government efficiency" (DOGE) officials stationed at the education department. However, they are now being guided primarily by senior political appointees. Read more: DHS To Allow Teenagers To Become ICE Agents by Removing Age Restrictions for Prospective Officers It is currently unclear how far the Trump administration will take the idea of selling student loan debts to private investors. Additionally, it has not been said which parts of the $1.6 billion portfolio could be put on the market and be placed for sale. One question a lot of borrowers have is what would happen to them and their student loans if the debts are sold to private investors. Experts warned that student loans are not the same as other loans, as the U.S. government provides protections that private companies may not give, USA Today reported. Selling Debts to Private Investors The head of the non-partisan research group Penn Wharton Budget Model, Kent Smetters, gave one example. This is because by selling off loans, it would reduce the ability for future administrations to try and create "loan pauses." Amid all of the concerns, a senior administration official said that the current government is committed to "analyzing all aspects of the federal student loan portfolio." They noted that, unlike the previous administration, they prioritize ensuring the long-term health of the portfolio for the benefit of both students and taxpayers. The talks also include the idea of bringing in a third-party consulting firm or bank, which will be responsible for analyzing the student loan programs. They will also be the ones to assess how the private market would value parts of the portfolio, as per Politico. Staffordshire police arrested a 43-year-old woman in connection with the deaths of two children, a girl and a boy aged two and three, who were pronounced dead on Sunday morning. The younger child, Meraj Ul Zahra, was found alongside Abdul Momin Alfaateh at a home located on Corporation Street at around 7:30 a.m. NST. The suspect was said to be from the Stafford area and is being accused of murder. Woman Arrested After Two Children Found Dead The victims' next of kin have already been informed of the situation and are receiving support from specially trained officers. The force released a statement saying that the incident had already been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). A spokesperson for the IOPC said that the Staffordshire Police notified them of the death of two young children in Stafford on Oct. 12, where there was recent police contact prior to the victims' deaths, according to BBC. The spokesperson added that they will assess before deciding whether or not further action may be required of them in the case. Det. Insp. Kirsty Oldfield said they are working to understand more about the situation and what happened to lead up to the tragic deaths of the two young children. Read more: Charges Dropped Against Massachusetts Teen Arrested for Plotting School Shooting Oldfield added that they are asking people not to speculate at this stage of the investigation, as it is distressing for the family and friends of the victims. Additionally, such efforts could hinder the agency's inquiries. She said that they are aware that the deaths of the children may cause concern in the local community, but she reassured that they believe there is no wider threat to the public at this point in time, Yahoo News reported. A Similar Incident There was a separate incident earlier this month in Texas where a mother was charged in the fatal shooting of two of her children. The suspect is believed to have shot her four kids, fatally striking two and injuring the other two while inside a vehicle. The mother was identified as 31-year-old Oninda Romelus of Montgomery County, Texas, who has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and is now being held on $14 million bond. Details of the incident, including the suspect's motive and the events leading up to the shooting, are still under investigation. Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman said the tragic incident has shaken the entire community, as per the New York Times. LOCKSLEY QUALIFIES FOR TRADING ON AMERICAN OTCQX MARKET Locksley Qualifies for Trading on U.S. OTCQX Market Perth, Oct 13, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - OTC Markets Group Inc. ( OTCM:OTCMKTS ), operator of regulated markets for 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced that Locksley Resources Ltd ( ASX:LKY ) ( X5L:FRA ) ( LKYRF:OTCMKTS ), an exploration and development company focused on rare earths and antimony critical minerals, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Highlights - Locksley Resources Limited has qualified to trade on the OTCQX(R) Best Market, upgrading from the OTCQB(R) Venture Market - Trading on OTCQX enhances Locksley's visibility and accessibility to U.S. investors, supporting its U.S. focused critical minerals strategy - Locksley's flagship Mojave Project in California is strategically located adjacent to MP Materials' Mountain Pass Mine, targeting rare earth elements (REEs) and antimony as part of a fully integrated mine-tomarket strategy - The Company's downstream technology partnerships underpin its role in re-establishing U.S. domestic supply chains for critical materials, with a particular focus on antimony - Rare earths and Antimony are front and center in the global race to secure critical materials, with Locksley's Mojave Project positioned at the heart of America's efforts to restore domestic supply independence through a 100% U.S. mine-to-market strategy Locksley has upgraded to OTCQX from the OTCQB Venture Market, and the symbol remains as "LKYRF." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com. The OTCQX Market is designed for established, investor focused U.S. and international companies. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors. Rare Earths & Antimony - Front and Centre in a Shifting Global Landscape Locksley's progression to the OTCQX comes amid escalating global focus on rare earth security, following new export restrictions and rising trade tensions. As nations move to safeguard access to critical materials, Locksley's Mojave Project stands at the center of America's effort to restore domestic supply independence. With a fully integrated mine-to-market strategy across antimony and rare earths, the Company is advancing a 100% American made approach that aligns directly with U.S. national policy priorities and the reshoring of strategic materials. Nathan Lude - Head of Strategy, Capital Markets & Commercialisation commented "Graduating to the OTCQX Market in record time since our initial listing just over three months ago, is a significant milestone for Locksley as we broaden our visibility and accessibility to U.S. investors. Our Mojave Rare Earths and Antimony Critical Minerals Project are strategically located in a tier-one jurisdiction adjacent to MP Materials' Mountain Pass Mine. Locksley is positioned to play a pivotal role in re-establishing domestic supply chains through its mine-to-market strategy for critical materials, with a particular focus on antimony." About Locksley Resources Limited Locksley Resources Limited (ASX:LKY) (FRA:X5L) (OTCMKTS:LKYRF) is an ASX listed explorer focused on critical minerals in the United States of America. The Company is actively advancing exploration across two key assets: the Mojave Project in California, targeting rare earth elements (REEs) and antimony. Locksley Resources aims to generate shareholder value through strategic exploration, discovery and development in this highly prospective mineral region. Mojave Project Located in the Mojave Desert, California, the Mojave Project comprises over 250 claims across two contiguous prospect areas, namely, the North Block/Northeast Block and the El Campo Prospect. The North Block directly abuts claims held by MP Materials, while El Campo lies along strike of the Mountain Pass Mine and is enveloped by MP Materials' claims, highlighting the strong geological continuity and exploration potential of the project area. In addition to rare earths, the Mojave Project hosts the historic "Desert Antimony Mine", which last operated in 1937. Despite the United States currently having no domestic antimony production, demand for the metal remains high due to its essential role in defense systems, semiconductors, and metal alloys. With significant surface sample results, the Desert Mine prospect represents one of the highest-grade known antimony occurrences in the U.S. Locksley's North American position is further strengthened by rising geopolitical urgency to diversify supply chains away from China, the global leader in both REE & antimony production. With its maiden drilling program planned, the Mojave Project is uniquely positioned to align with U.S. strategic objectives around critical mineral independence and economic security. Tottenham Project Locksley's Australian portfolio comprises the advanced Tottenham Copper-Gold Project in New South Wales, focused on VMS-style mineralisation in a well established mining region. Locksley is committed to delivering value through discovery, development, and strategic partnerships, with a focus on securing access to U.S. aligned funding and downstream collaborations. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX:OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our public markets: OTCQX(R) Best Market, OTCQB(R) Venture Market, OTCID(TM) Basic Market and Pink Limited(TM) Market. Our OTC Link(R) Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets. OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS(TM) are each SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC. Related Companies Reflecting these challenges, the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA) commemorated the sudden and early death of its former chair, Patrick Bloomfield, by establishing the annual Bloomfield Lecture. The inaugural 2024 lecture was given by James Smith AIA, C.Act, pensions actuary and financial wellbeing consultant and Alexandra Miles FIA, investment actuary and DC pension fund manager and its theme was Retirement reimagined: Securing lifelong financial independence for all The report based on the lecture was published by the two lecturers proposing: A restructured State Pension with means-tested later-life supplements, potentially saving up to 34bn a year. HM Treasury please note! A Universal Employment Pension (UEP), alongside a reformed State Pension, to guarantee a basic income indexed to the Minimum Income Standard (MIS). Use of existing infrastructure and evolving regulation like the National Wealth Fund and multi-employer Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) rules to align pensions with UK growth, unlocking up to 25bn a year. Default sidecar saving to boost todays resilience and tomorrows security, without harming retirement outcomes. The case studies the report explores, alongside existing data, reveals what it says is a stark truth: those who need most often get least. Homeownership now drives financial security more than income. Renters and women face significantly higher retirement shortfalls in order to meet the same objective of dignity in retirement. James Smith said: Our retirement system remains tied to rigid thresholds and averages, failing to reflect real lives. This report reimagines retirement across four phases: the phase-in, the white-linen years, the television years, and the increased dependency years. Each builds on the last and is rooted in delivering financial security before enabling financial ability, flexibility and contingency. Alexandra Miles added: The recommendations in our report are focussed on securing dignity for all in retirement, and preparing for 100-year lives. But we are clear that achieving reform cannot rest solely with individuals. Employers and the state must step up, with systems fit for modern life, not Victorian ideals. Lifelong financial independence shouldnt be a privilege. It should be a right, Welcoming the report, ACA Chair Stewart Hastie added: Both the lecture and the report look to the huge challenges we face as a society both today and more so in the years ahead. Unrestrained by the kind of restrictions Government tends to apply to reviews, whilst the reports proposals are not ACA policy, we warmly welcome the refreshing ideas that have emerged. Alexandra Miles and James Smith will be hosting a Chatham House-style event in mid-November in central London, where theyre keen to continue the conversation and build on the ideas set out in the report. Whether you agree with their conclusions or have a different perspective, this is a chance to shape collectively what comes next. Theyre looking to spark thoughtful debate, challenge assumptions, and build consensus around what might be practically possible and what should be prioritised so that we might all reimagine retirement. If youd like to register your interest and contribute to this event you can do so here. ACA report - Retirement Reimagined Bihar Polls 2025: BJP, JD(U) to Contest 101 Seats Each as NDA Finalises Seat-Sharing Deal 2 After days of intense negotiations in Delhi, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday finalised its seat-sharing formula for the Bihar assembly elections, with the BJP and Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) set to contest 101 constituencies each out of the total 243 seats. The remaining seats have been distributed among smaller allies. This marks the first time that the two major NDA partners in Bihar will fight an equal number of seats. The announcement comes less than a week before the filing of nominations for the first phase of the elections. Under the deal, Union Minister Chirag Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will field candidates in 29 constituencies, while the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) led by Jitan Ram Manjhi and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha headed by Upendra Kushwaha will contest six seats each. Though Manjhi had earlier demanded at least 15 seats, he refrained from rebelling against the alliance. We have accepted the high commands decision, but giving us just six seats underestimates our strength. It may cost the NDA in the elections, he said after arriving in Patna. Meanwhile, seat-sharing talks within the opposition INDIA bloc remain unresolved. RJD chief Lalu Prasad, along with his family, left for Delhi amid reports of internal friction over seat distribution. Sources said the RJD is insisting on contesting no fewer than 120 seats, while allies like the Congress and Left parties continue to push for more. The Congress, buoyed by Rahul Gandhis recent Voter Adhikar Yatra covering 25 districts, is reportedly holding firm in negotiations. However, party leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh dismissed speculation about tensions, saying an announcement would be made soon. Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. As the state heads into one of its most competitive elections in years, the NDAs new power equationwith BJP and JD(U) on equal footingsets the stage for a closely watched political battle. Trump Declares 'The War Is Over', Heads to Egypt for Landmark Gaza Peace Summit 2 Declaring The war is over, US President Donald Trump announced the end of the two-year Gaza conflict as he headed to Egypt for a landmark peace summit with world leaders. The summit, to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, will mark the first major diplomatic breakthrough of Trumps second term, following his successful mediation between Israel and Hamas over a 20-point peace plan. Before arriving in Egypt, Trump will stop in Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and address the Knesset. The ceasefire, which halted fighting in Gaza on Friday, includes a commitment from Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages on Monday via the Red Cross. The war, which began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants stormed Israel killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, has left around 67,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza officials. The peace deal was brokered with help from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, along with Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner. The upcoming summit will be attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and leaders from Qatar and the UAE. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited by Trump and el-Sisi but will not attend; Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh will represent India. It remains unclear whether Israel will participate in the summit or at what level. Trump expressed optimism about the peace deal, citing celebrations across Israel and the Arab world. Everyone was cheering at one time thats never happened before, he said before boarding Air Force One. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also voiced confidence, revealing that Egypt and Jordan are planning to train and deploy a 5,000-member Palestinian force to maintain security in Gaza. Under Trumps plan, Hamas will be excluded from governance in Gaza, which will instead be managed by qualified Palestinians and international experts. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will head the Board of Peace overseeing Gazas reconstruction. Trump said humanitarian aid had already begun flowing into Gaza as Israel lifted restrictions on relief supplies. You have to get people taken care of first and its going to start immediately, he said, marking what could be the dawn of a new chapter in Middle East peace. Wellborn Cabinet celebrated the opening of a new, $28 million manufacturing facility in Calhoun County that will eventually employ 400 people. Wellborn Cabinet A new $28 million cabinet factory in Calhoun County could eventually employ more than 400 people. Wellborn Cabinets new First Haven Cabinetry facility currently employs about 85 people, but the 250,000-square-foot factory, once fully operational, could be turning out as many as 2,000 cabinets a day in Oxford West Industrial Park. The company recently celebrated the factorys opening on its 60-acre complex. The project was announced in 2022. Wellborn Cabinet CEO Johnny Simpson said the company will benefit from the Trump Administrations tariffs on imported kitchen cabinets and vanities. We commend this bold and necessary action, which will help ensure that this facility and others like it across the nation reach their full potential, Simpson said. The companys First Haven product line features laminated cabinetry designed for entry-level remodeling and new-construction markets. This is a big day for Oxford, Mayor Alton Craft said. This is something I have wanted for a long, long time. At an Oct. 13, 2025, ceremony celebrating work to enlarge the Mobile Ship Channel, passengers on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat pull apart a large ribbon. Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com A large contingent of local, state and federal officials gathered Monday on the Mobile waterfront to celebrate the completion of a project they said would benefit the entire state for years to come. The Port of Mobile, truly unlike any other facility in the state, is the economic engine for the state of Alabama, said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. And now that we can truly declare that we are the deepest container port on the Gulf of Mexico, it is certainly something to celebrate. Six years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was cleared to enlarge the Mobile Ship Channel connecting the Port of Mobile to the open waters of the Gulf. The plan called for portions of the channel to be widened and for its depth to be increased from 45 feet to 50 feet, at a cost of more than $350 million. Port officials announced Oct. 3 that the port authority, corps of engineers, and shipping pilot agency Mobile Bar Pilots had agreed the channel was ready for ships with a draft of up to 50 feet. A vessel with a draft of 48.4 feet departed Friday afternoon. The channel expansion ties into years of work to expand the capacity of APM Terminals Mobile. Several phases of work, funded primarily by the Port Authority and APM, have added cranes that can handle the largest container ships in the world, acres of additional land to store those containers, and new facilities to transfer them to and from railcars. Given that the entire channel project was underwater, the logistics of a ribbon-cutting were a little tricky. At the end of Mondays ceremony, the assembled dignitaries looked to a Corps of Engineers workboat in the Mobile River. People on the boat cut a banner-like ribbon as tugboats sprayed fountains of water into the air. The setting fully illustrated the working nature of Mobiles waterfront. Directly to the south, huge rows of stacked shipping containers formed corridors on the grounds of the ports APM container terminal. A short way to the north, the hulk of the SS United States, soon to become an offshore fishing reef, could be seen. Behind the boat with the ribbon, cranes at the Pinto Island steel terminal lifted slabs from a ship named the Panther Max. The days speakers singled out former Sen. Richard Shelby as the man of the hour. Shelby, who received multiple rounds of applause and at least one full standing ovation, was given credit both for the vision of deepening the channel and for bringing home the federal dollars to make it happen. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and former Sen. Richard Shelby speak Oct. 13, 2025, at a ribbon-cutting event celebrating work to enlarge the Mobile Ship Channel. Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com Shelby said it went back to a visit to Singapore about 20 years ago, when officials there told him that they were deepening their channel to 50 feet because they reckoned their port would become irrelevant if they didnt. Shelby said he had that in mind the next time he had dinner with longtime port director Jimmy Lyons. (Lyons, who retired in 2020, was on hand for Mondays ceremony.) I told him about my trip, and I said, we need to dig the port deeper, to 50 feet, Shelby said. He said, That will cost a lot of money. A lot of money, and so forth and a lot of help and everything. I said, But we have to do it. It took a long time. We finally got it done. Thats why were here today. Katie Britt, who previously served on Shelbys staff and now represents Alabama in the U.S. Senate, For those of you who dont know, this was Richard Shelbys top priority, she said. When I was his chief of staff, people would ask me, you know, What is his priority, one through three? And I would say, The port, the port and the port. And theyd say, What about four and five? Im like, The port and the port. Speakers also credited Gov. Kay Ivey with providing critical funding via a gas tax increase passed in 2019. In a video message, Ivey said it hadnt been easy. I faced two major hurdles with this effort though, she said. First, being that Im a conservative Republican asking a conservative Republican legislature to vote for an increase to our gas tax. The second being that I had to ask legislators in north Alabama to vote for part of their proceeds to go to a big project in Mobile. Well y, all, here we are today. Youve heard me say the port of Mobile is really the Port of Alabama, and our legislators recognize that, Ivey said. Our companies and therefore Alabama families all across the state will benefit from this investment in our port. It will mean lower shipping costs, more efficient trade and strong economy for Alabama. From our defense companies in Huntsville to Mercedes Benz in West Alabama, from Hyundai and Montgomery to Novelis in Baldwin county, from Warrior Met Coal and Airbus, from our foresters and farmers and to every industry in between, all of these folks will now have an even greater gateway to the Gulf of America and to the world. The project generated environmental concerns from the beginning, and those have hardly dissipated. On Monday, Mobile Baykeeper released a statement from its executive director, William Strickland. We are grateful that the deepening and widening is finished, said Strickland. We are hopeful it brings economic benefits. We are now starting the 20-year period where the Corps plans to dump 90 million cubic yards of mud into the bay to keep the channel maintained, a practice done no where else in the country. There is a win-win solution on the table to keep the channel open, using federal money to do it, along with more restoration and stopping the harm to Mobile Bay. Over 30,000 letters have been written by citizens asking for this. Its time to end to end the mud dumping. Though Britt made a reference to promoting beneficial use of dredge spoil and preserving the habitat and beautiful natural resources that we have here on the coast, Mondays speakers generally focused on the economic side. Alabama has always been a state of builders and producers, said U.S. Rep. Barry Moore. Whether its our farmers exporting peanuts, poultry, our manufacturers sending our steel, our cars, aerospace products and even the energy sector supply the nation. Now with this deeper channel, we have the infrastructure to connect Alabamas goods to markets around the world faster, more reliably than ever before. This investment is infrastructure is also an investment in people. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong speaks Oct. 13, 2025, at a ribbon-cutting event celebrating work to enlarge the Mobile Ship Channel. Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com This crucial investment is our states future impact to our entire region, said U.S. Rep. Dale Strong. From right here in the Gulf coast all the way back to my neck of the woods in the Tennessee Valley in North Alabama, our economy depends on this port. From Redstone Arsenal and our defense industry base to our auto industry and advanced manufacturers, each of these industries rely on this port to ship and receive materials quickly and affordably. When ships can carry more cargo at lower cost, our defense suppliers can deliver critical components faster and make our automotives even better. Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Adam R. Telle speaks Oct. 13, 2025, at a ribbon-cutting event celebrating work to enlarge the Mobile Ship Channel. Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com Adam R. Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) said the ribbon-cutting represents not only a major engineering success, but a strong reflection of President Trumps leadership and vision for rebuilding Americas infrastructure and restoring our nations maritime strength. This is what you call a game plan right here, said U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville. I didnt have anything to do with it. Senator Shelby, Port Authority, Gov. Ivey, Mayor [Stimpson], Bradley Byrne, people that were here put this game plan together. Im going to be your next governor, said Tuberville. Were going to enhance what Senator Shelby and Governor Ivey have done, [and the] Port Authority. Were going to take it and run with it. Thats what we have to do. This will be a big part of the GDP of the state of Alabama. You got to take what you have and run with it. this will touch every life in the state of Alabama. The port right here, it will pay for education, itll pay for transportation, itll pay for energy, itll pay for things that are going on infrastructure-wise. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville speaks Oct. 13, 2025, at a ribbon-cutting event celebrating work to enlarge the Mobile Ship Channel. Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com U.S. Rep Shomari Figures, like Tuberville, looked to the future. Figures, who also worked it a dig at the Auburn Tigers misfortunes, said it was no accident hed become the only Alabama representative on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Sen. Shelby, we will not let this dream die, said Figures. We will continue to fight, we will continue to go to bat for the funding, for the resources, for the planning, for the development, for the investment so that we can continue moving forward, [in order for the port] to actually realize its fullest capacity to be the best port that it can be. The Port Authority said on Oct. 3 that while the channel is open, work to widen a turning basin is ongoing. This phase of the project is taking longer to complete because dredged material is being beneficially used for shoreline restoration on Dauphin Island, underscoring both the economic and environmental benefits of the project, said a Port Authority statement. A search is underway for the suspect in Sundays barbershop shootout inside an Alabama mall. Sharier AlQuan Caesar, 25, of North Carolina, is charged with attempted murder and shooting into an occupied building, Dothan police announced Monday. Caesar remains at large. He has ties to Greenville, N.C., and Atlanta. The gunfire critically injured 20-year-old Korlon Michael Salter, who police said could also be charged with a crime, said Lt. Scott Owens. The ordeal began just before 4 p.m. Sunday inside the Not Just Cuts barbershop in the Wiregrass Commons Mall. The barbershop is next to Spirit of Halloween in the mall. Police said a man was getting a haircut when three people entered the barbershop. Salter was one of those men, Owens said, and began making threats and brandished a gun. The customer then pulled out a gun as well and a shootout ensued. During exchange of gunfire, Salter was struck multiple times. Caesar, police said, also fired rounds at the customer. Some witnesses reported hearing as many as 50 shots. The customer, who was not injured, hid in a back room of the barbershop and waited for police to arrive. He is cooperating with the investigation. Multiple law enforcement officers responded to the chaotic scene. They carried out three separate searches of the mall to safely evacuate employees and visitors. Dothan Fire and Rescue transported Salter to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition. News reports say that the shooting was related to the death of 23-year-old Bobby Lee David Miracle Lucas, who was killed Oct. 5 at a 300-person gathering outside of Troy. Dothan police did not explicitly reference Lucas killing but said in a statement they believed the shooting stemmed from past incidents. It was confirmed quickly this was an altercation between individuals stemming from past incidents who began shooting, Owens said in a statement. Gun violence is unacceptable in Dothan, Alabama and anywhere else, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba said Monday. Our citizens deserve to be safe when shopping at our retail establishments and everywhere else in this city. We cannot live in fear of these senseless acts. Dothan Police Chief William Benny said officers and investigators immediately made a commitment to each other and to the community. That commitment was to find those responsible and get them off the streets of the City of Dothan, the chief said. This type of violence will not be tolerated. It is time for the violence to stop, Benny said. We encourage everyone to debate with words, not bullets. Disagree verbally, not violently, he said. The impact of this incident cannot be estimated in just those who received physical injuries but mental injuries as well. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the departments Tip Line at 334-215-STOP or go to www.215STOP.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward up to $1,000. The allergic rhino-conjunctivitis market is experiencing steady growth, driven by the rising prevalence of allergic conditions and increased awareness of effective management options. Advances in treatment, including allergen immunotherapy and targeted biologics, are expanding therapeutic choices and improving patient outcomes. Additionally, the ongoing research and development of novel therapies, such as Immunotek's MM09, MG01 + T517, and MG56, are expected to sustain long-term market expansion. LAS VEGAS, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Insights report includes a comprehensive understanding of current treatment practices, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis emerging drugs, market share of individual therapies, and current and forecasted market size from 2020 to 2034, segmented into leading markets (the US, EU4, UK, and Japan). Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Summary The market size for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis in the leading markets is expected to grow significantly by 2034. The United States accounted for the highest allergic rhino-conjunctivitis treatment market size in 7MM in 2024, in comparison to the other major markets, i.e., EU4 countries, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, a common chronic inflammatory condition encompassing both allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis, affects approximately 20% of the global population. of the global population. Leading allergic rhino-conjunctivitis companies, such as Immunotek, Merck, ALK-Abello, and others, are active in the allergic rhino-conjunctivitis market. and others, are active in the allergic rhino-conjunctivitis market. The promising allergic rhino-conjunctivitis therapies in clinical trials include MM09, MG01 + T517, MG56, and others. Discover the allergic rhino-conjunctivitis new treatment @ New Treatments for Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Key Factors Driving the Growth of the Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Rising Prevalence of Allergic Conditions The global incidence of allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis is on the rise, influenced by factors such as increased pollution, urbanization, and environmental allergens. These conditions are now more prevalent in both adults and children, leading to a higher demand for effective treatments. Technological Integration in Treatment Delivery Innovations in drug delivery systems, such as advanced nasal sprays and ophthalmic formulations, have improved the efficacy and convenience of ARC treatments. These technological advancements enhance patient compliance and satisfaction. Emergence of Novel Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Drugs The allergic rhino-conjunctivitis clinical trial landscape is not very robust; only a few drugs are included, such as Immunotek's MM09, MG01 + T517, and MG56, among others. Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Analysis For many patients suffering from allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, allergen immunotherapy (AIT) continues to be the standard treatment. While numerous studies have shown that AIT improves symptom control and overall quality of life compared to placebo, new therapeutic approaches are now exploring targeted biologics, including monoclonal antibodies, which offer greater treatment precision and efficacy. Within the limited pipeline, Immunotek is the most active player, with ongoing trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, despite a lack of recent updates on its website or official pipeline disclosures. Blueprint Medicines is also evaluating BLU-808 for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis in Canada; however, the company's current focus on securing regulatory approval for BLU-808 in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) in the US suggests that a US Investigational New Drug (IND) filing for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis may follow. Overall, the relatively sparse pipeline for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis indicates significant potential for innovation and market entry. As new therapies gradually emerge, the treatment landscape is expected to shift, creating opportunities for companies to address the substantial unmet medical needespecially given the high rate of treatment switching and reliance on multi-drug regimens. Physicians' interest in more effective novel therapies is likely to drive demand further, making this a strategically attractive area for pipeline development and investment. To know more about allergic rhino-conjunctivitis treatment options, visit @ Approved Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Drugs Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Competitive Landscape The emerging drug pipeline for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis is not very robust; only a few drugs are included, such as Immunotek's MM09, MG01 + T517, and MG56, among others. Immunotek is actively conducting multiple trials involving MM09, a purified allergenic extract. MM09 is adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide and polymerized with glutaraldehyde, combining a mite mixture of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae, for the treatment of mild to moderate asthma and rhinitis/rhino-conjunctivitis. Administered subcutaneously, MM09 consists of allergoid-mannan conjugates. The company is currently planning a Phase III clinical trial (NCT05400811), which is not yet recruiting, to assess the efficacy and safety of this therapy for HDM-induced allergic asthma and rhinitis/rhino-conjunctivitis. Additionally, Immunotek has previously initiated another Phase III trial (NCT04435990) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy in patients with rhinitis/rhinoconjunctivitis, with or without asthma, who are sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and/or Dermatophagoides farinae. Immunotek is also developing MG56, an immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis caused by grass pollens. This product contains allergen extracts from Phleum (timothy grass) and Dactylis pollens. It has progressed through clinical trials, including a Phase III study, to establish its efficacy and safety for patients with grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis. The anticipated launch of these emerging therapies are poised to transform the allergic rhino-conjunctivitis market landscape in the coming years. As these cutting-edge therapies continue to mature and gain regulatory approval, they are expected to reshape the allergic rhino-conjunctivitis market landscape, offering new standards of care and unlocking opportunities for medical innovation and economic growth. Discover more about therapy for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis @ Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Clinical Trials What is Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis? Allergic rhino-conjunctivitis is an inflammatory condition triggered by allergens. It arises from an IgE-mediated immune response, leading to inflammation of the nasal mucosa. IgE antibodies are produced in lymphoid tissues as well as locally in response to common environmental allergens. When these allergens bind to IgE on mast cells, they trigger the degranulation of mast cells and the release of numerous biochemical mediators. Histamine plays a central role in the acute allergic reaction. The condition commonly presents as either seasonal allergic rhino-conjunctivitis (SAR) or perennial allergic rhino-conjunctivitis (PAR). While histamine is a primary mediator responsible for SAR symptoms, other mediators such as leukotrienes and prostaglandin D2 also contribute. Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Epidemiology Segmentation The allergic rhino-conjunctivitis epidemiology section provides insights into the historical and current allergic rhino-conjunctivitis patient pool and forecasted trends for the leading markets. According to our secondary research, it was estimated that the prevalence of rhino-conjunctivitis symptoms was 14.6% among 1314-year-olds (range, 145.1%), and for 67-year-old patients, the prevalence was 8.5%, along with a wide geographic variation. The allergic rhino-conjunctivitis market report proffers epidemiological analysis for the study period 20202034 in the leading markets, segmented into: Total Prevalent Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Diagnosed Prevalent Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Age-specific Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Treatable Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Report Metrics Details Study Period 20202034 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Report Coverage 7MM [The United States, the EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) the United Kingdom, and Japan]. Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Epidemiology Segmentation Total Prevalent Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis, Diagnosed Prevalent Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis, Age-specific Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis, and Treatable Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Key Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Companies Immunotek, Merck, ALK-Abello, and others Key Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Therapies MM09, MG01 + T517, MG56, GRASTEK, RAGWITEK, ODACTRA, and others Scope of the Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Report Therapeutic Assessment: Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis current marketed and emerging therapies Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis current marketed and emerging therapies Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Dynamics: Key Market Forecast Assumptions of Emerging Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Drugs and Market Outlook Key Market Forecast Assumptions of Emerging Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Drugs and Market Outlook Competitive Intelligence Analysis: SWOT analysis and Market entry strategies SWOT analysis and Market entry strategies Unmet Needs, KOL's views, Analyst's views, Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Access and Reimbursement Download the report to understand which factors are driving allergic rhino-conjunctivitis therapeutics market trends @ Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Trends Table of Contents 1 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Key Insights 2 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Report Introduction 3 Executive Summary of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 4 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Overview at a Glance 4.1 Market Share Distribution (%) by Therapies in 2024 in the 7MM 4.2 Market Share Distribution (%) by Therapies in 2034 in the 7MM 5 Key Events 6 Epidemiology and Market Methodology of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 7 Disease Background and Overview of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Signs and Symptoms 7.3 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Classification 7.4 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Risk Factors 7.5 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Diagnosis 8 Treatment of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 9 Epidemiology and Patient Population: The 7MM Analysis of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 9.1 Key Findings 9.2 Assumptions and Rationale 9.3 Total Prevalent Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis in the 7MM 9.4 The United States 9.4.1 Total Prevalent Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis in the United States 9.4.2 Diagnosed Prevalent Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis in the United States 9.4.3 Age-specific Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis in the United States 9.4.4 Treatable Cases of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis in the United States 9.5 EU4 and the UK 9.6 Japan 10 Patient Journey of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 11 Marketed Drugs for Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 11.1 Key Competitors 11.2 ODACTRA: ALK-Abello 11.2.1 Product Description 11.2.2 Regulatory Milestones 11.2.3 Other Developmental Activities 11.2.4 Clinical Development 11.2.4.1 Clinical Trials Information 11.2.5 Safety and Efficacy 11.3 GRASTEK: ALK-Abello 11.4 RAGWITEK: Merck and ALK-Abello List to be continued in report. 12 Emerging Drugs for Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 12.1 Key Competitors 12.2 MM09: Immunotek 12.2.1 Product Description 12.2.2 Other Developmental Activities 12.2.3 Clinical Development 12.2.3.1 Clinical Trial Information 12.2.4 Safety and Efficacy 12.2.5 Analyst Views List to be continued in report. 13 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market: 7MM Analysis 13.1 Key Findings 13.2 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Outlook 13.3 Conjoint Analysis 13.4 Key Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Forecast Assumptions 13.5 Total Market Size of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis in the 7MM 13.6 The United States Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Size 13.6.1 Total Market Size Of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis in the United States 13.6.2 Market Size of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis by Therapies in the United States 13.7 EU4 and the UK Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Size 13.8 Japan Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Size 14 Unmet Needs Related to Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 15 SWOT Analysis Related to Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 16 KOL Views Related to Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 17 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Access and Reimbursement 17.1 The United States 17.2 EU4 and the UK 17.3 Japan 17.4 Market Access and Reimbursement of Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis 18 Bibliography 19 Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Market Report Methodology Related Reports Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Clinical Trial Analysis Allergic Rhino-Conjunctivitis Pipeline Insight 2025 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key allergic rhino-conjunctivitis companies, including Marinomed Biotech AG, ILTOO Pharma, Emergo Therapeutics, Immunotek SL, Roxall Medicina Espana S.A, Biomay AG, among others. Allergic Conjunctivitis Market Allergic Conjunctivitis Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2034 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key allergic conjunctivitis companies, including Ocular Therapeutix, Santen Pharmaceutical, Aldeyra Therapeutics, among others. Allergic Conjunctivitis Clinical Trial Analysis Allergic Conjunctivitis Pipeline Insight 2025 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key allergic conjunctivitis companies, including Aldeyra Therapeutics, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Noveome Biotherapeutics, Allakos, Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Marinomed Biotech AG, Eleusis Holdings Ltd, IACTA Pharmaceuticals, JW Pharmaceutical, Nanomerics, OKYO Pharma, RAPT Therapeutics, Allakos, Sylentis, Postbiotica, Stuart Therapeutics, Oyster Point Pharma, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Marinomed Biotech AG, ILTOO Pharma, Emergo Therapeutics, Immunotek SL, Roxall Medicina Espana S.A, Biomay AG, among others. Hay Fever Conjunctivitis Market Hay Fever Conjunctivitis Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2034 report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key hay fever conjunctivitis companies, including Novartis, Alcon Research, Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, Aldeyra Therapeutics Inc, Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, among others. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Contact Us : Shruti Thakur [email protected] +14699457679 www.delveinsight.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/DelveInsight_Logo.jpg SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP People console each other during a candlelight vigil honoring the victims of a blast at an explosives plant, Accurate Energetic Systems, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Waverly, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) AP Authorities on Monday identified the 16 people killed in a devastating blast at a rural Tennessee explosives plant last week, as investigators promised a painstaking process to figure out what happened by finding pieces of evidence that may now be miles apart. At a news conference, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said people in the tight-knit community probably at least knew relatives of the victims killed in the explosion Friday at the plant owned by Accurate Energetic Systems. The company supplies and researches explosives for the military and is a well-known employer in the area. Its just small county, rural America, where everybody knows each other and everybodys gonna take care of each other, Davis said. Even as people turned to Sunday worship services to process their grief, one congregation was mourning the loss of their pastor in the explosion. Trent Stewart was the pastor at The Log Church in Waverly, where Sunday school and worship was canceled this weekend and replaced with a time of prayer in the sanctuary, the churchs associate pastor, Charlie Musick, posted on social media. The church hosted a packed out house Sunday, Stewarts fiance, Katy Stover, said on social media. I know this would have absolutely thrilled Trent, she wrote. We appreciate everyone who came and we hope everyone will join us again next Sunday. It brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes to see how many people showed up to honor Trent and all the other families. She wrote in a prior post that Stewart made her laugh until I couldnt breathe and he was truly my best friend, my soulmate, and my person. Reyna Gillahan, another victim, had dreamed of paying off her home and keeping it in the family, so her daughter, Rosalina Gillahan, began fundraising after the explosion. It was one of several fundraisers for families who lost loved ones. She was a beautiful soul loving, strong, and always thinking of others before herself, Rosalina Gillahan posted on social media about her mother. The sheriffs of Humphreys and Hickman counties read off the names of the victims at Mondays news conference. The others were: Jason Adams; Billy Baker; Christopher Clark; James Cook; LaTeisha Mays; Melinda Rainey; Steven Wright; Erick Anderson; Adam Boatman; Mindy Clifton; Jeremy Moore; Melissa Stafford; Rachel Woodall; and Donald Yowell. The initial blast was felt for more than 20 miles (32 kilometers), leaving a smoldering wreck of twisted and charred metal and burned-out vehicles at the plant. Authorities said there were no survivors. Authorities said they are working to clear the area of hazards, including explosives, and to identify remains. Once the area is clear, authorities can start investigating what caused the explosion, said Matthew Belew, acting special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Some of the relevant evidence is spread out over miles, Belew said. Its almost like putting a puzzle back together, Belew said. We have worked closely with AES to know to look at pictures, look at blueprints, any of the identifying things that were in the building. And then we slowly methodically start to put some of that stuff together. The plant is in a heavily wooded area of middle Tennessee. The 1,300-acre (526- hectare) complex is made up of eight different specialized production buildings and a lab. It straddles the Hickman and Humphreys county line in unincorporated Bucksnort, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. On its website, the company says it adheres to rigorous safety and security standards. An entry level job at Accurate Energetic Systems pays between $19 and $21 an hour depending on which shift a worker is on, according to a job ad the company posted last month. The jobs require only a high school diploma and some mechanical aptitude, making them better paid than jobs with similar education requirements. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said being able to avoid a long commute to a larger city would have made the job more attractive. Dickson is half an hour away and Nashville an hour away for work. Plus the pay may have been higher because of the nature of the work. When you put it all together, those jobs were pretty desirable in the sense that those workers should have been compensated for the danger there, Goss said. Alabama added nearly 50,000 people in the last year and out-of-state transplants are driving much of the growth, new Census data shows. Madison County in north Alabama continues to boom, adding an average of 10,000 people each year since 2019. And down south, Baldwin County welcomed a new high of just over 8,000 residents last year. Nyesha Black, at the University of Alabamas Center for Business and Economics Research, said both of those areas are attracting new residents for different reasons: Economic development in Huntsville is bringing in new workers, while Baldwin Countys beaches are attracting a growing population of retirees. RELATED: Alabama is home to two of the fastest growing metros in the U.S. Meanwhile, metros in Jefferson County, Montgomery and Mobile are slowly climbing back after losing population during 2020 and 2021. I think thats a good story, said Black, who attributed some of that uptick to diversifying job markets. A lot of areas use population growth as a mark of success but sometimes being stable should be seen as a win. AL.com analyzed data released last month from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey, which includes areas with populations greater than 65,000. Over the past decade, the states larger counties have experienced a wide range of population change. View 10-year trends for each of those areas in the chart below. Cant see the chart? View it here. Whos coming and whos going? Alabama grew by about 1% from 2023 to 2024, up from about 0.7% in previous years. Overall, the state added 49,231 people, growing to 5.16 million in 2024. So whats driving the increase? The answer is complicated, experts say. Deaths have outpaced births in Alabama since the pandemic, Black said, leaving the state to rely on migration for all of its population growth in recent years. Just under 58,000 babies were born in Alabama in 2024, similar to the CDCs 2023 numbers. Annual mortality data is not yet available for 2024, but the state reported just over 59,000 deaths in 2023. Meanwhile, more immigrants are calling Alabama home. Foreign-born populations increased by 13%, or just over 27,000 people, in 2024, now accounting for 4.5% of the states population. But net migration in and out of the state remains fairly low, Black said. Out-of-state transplants moving to Alabama, mostly in metropolitan areas, account for much of the growth, she said. The state gained around 26,000 people through domestic migration, and another 16,000 from international migration last year. If it were not for migration, the state of Alabama would not be growing, Black said. Jefferson County welcomed the largest number of out-of-state residents this year, at about 3,300 people, followed by Baldwin County and Montgomery County. RELATED: These were Alabamas fastest growing counties in 2024 As the state adds more people, its population is getting more diverse, the numbers show. A large reason for that, Black said, is because more white residents make up the states aging population, while other minority groups skew younger. Cant see the chart? View it here. Nearly 315,000 people in Alabama identify as multiracial, up 30,000 from 2023. The state also saw an increase of about 16,000 Hispanic and Latino residents, as well as 3,000 Black residents and 2,000 Asian residents. Alabamas white population has decreased by about 2,000 in that same time period. Looking forward Migration is shaped by a lot of factors, Black said, but strong local economies are key to attracting new residents. But as immigrant populations shrink largely due to policy shifts and declining birth rates she said Alabama will have to work harder to attract workers from other states. Alabama will have to compete to remain an attractive place for people to want to migrate here, she said. It just always goes back to the economy. Tony Mitchell was at the Walker County Jail for two weeks before he died of hypothermia and sepsis on Jan. 26, 2023. Mitchell was arrested on Jan. 12, 2023 during a mental health welfare check. Family members feared the 33-year-old was a danger, as hed sprayed his face and body with black paint and claimed to have a portal to hell. After Walker County deputies arrived, Mitchell fired a gun, authorities said. At the jail, authorities placed him in Cell BK5, a booking cell that was designated as suicide watch and nicknamed the Freezer, according to a lawsuit filed by Mitchells family. He was allegedly left naked, wet and covered in feces on the concrete floor. The feds came to town to investigate and indicted 25 people, including a jail captain, over a dozen corrections officers, a couple of deputies and a handful of jail nurses. A memorial tribute to Tony Mitchell, who died in the Walker County Jail, stands on a billboard near courthouse square in Jasper. (Photo by Greg Garrison/AL.com) ggarrison@al.com The probe into the bizarre and brutal death has led to 25 people being indicted 24 of those in connection with Mitchells death. The other was a jail officer who has pleaded guilty in falsifying records in an unrelated 2022 case of an inmate assault. Of the 24 charged in the Mitchell case, five have already formally entered guilty pleas but have not yet been sentenced. Eight more have agreed to plead guilty but have not yet officially done so. Twelve defendants have pleaded not guilty. Nick Smith, who has been the sheriff of Walker County since 2019, has not been charged in Mitchells death. Hes running for a third term. Heres where the federal cases stand against those who were indicted: Jail Corrections Officer Joshua Connor Jones agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law in Mitchells death. In August of 2024, he was the first person charged in Mitchells death. The 25-year-old Jones formally entered his plea one month later to deprivation of civil rights under the color of law and conspiracy. As of October 2025, a sentencing date had not yet been set. He also pleaded guilty to the assault of another inmate that happened in 2022. Jones 18-page plea agreement revealed weeks of inhumane treatment that Mitchell endured and said Jones admitted that collectively we did it. We killed him. Jones remains free on bond until sentencing, with conditions that include electronic monitoring and home confinement, except for work, education, religious, medical or legal reasons. Jail Corrections Officer Karen Kim Elsie Kelly in August 2024 agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights on the color of law. She was the initial whistleblower that linked jail surveillance video of Tony Mitchells treatment. She has not yet formally pleaded guilty, and a status conference is set for later this month. Jail Corrections Officer Bailey Clark Ganey was indicted in October 2024 and pleaded a month later to conspiracy against rights. He has not yet been sentenced. Authorities said Ganey knew Mitchell suffered from cruel jail conditions but did not alert appropriate authorities. Jail Corrections Officer Heather Lasha Craig was indicted and agreed to plead guilty in October 2024 on misdemeanor deprivation of rights under the color of law. She has not yet formally entered her guilty plea before a judge, and a status conference is set for later this month. Authorities said Craig knew Mitchell suffered from cruel jail conditions but did not alert appropriate authorities, Jail Corrections Officer Grayson Colin Woods was indicted and agreed to plead guilty in October 2024 to misdemeanor deprivation of rights under the color of law. He has not yet formally pleaded guilty and a status conference is set for November. Woods, who believed Mitchell wasnt in his right mind because the inmate wasnt lucid, wasnt eating and regularly appeared to be covered in feces while in the jail, approached an unnamed nurse and other jailers about the conditions of Mitchells cell. The nurse told him, according to the agreement, that the jails command staff ordered Mitchell to be in a cell described in court filings as essentially a cement box with a small grate on the floor that opens into a hole for fluids to drain from the cell. Woods should have done more, authorities said. Jail Corrections Officer Betty Joe Cooley was not charged in the Mitchell case. But during their investigation, the feds charged her in an unrelated incident. In October 2024 she agreed to plead guilty to falsifying records that covered up the assault of a jail inmate in 2022. Her plea agreement called for a 10-month sentence but a judge earlier this year rejected that sentence. The case is still pending. Nurse practitioner Daniel Wyers agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor deprivation of rights under color of law. He has not yet formally entered his guilty plea and a status conference is set for later this month. The federal complaint states that Wyers saw the Walker County Sheriffs Office Facebook post of Mitchells arrest which showed his face covered in blue paint and was also put on notice of Mitchells need of a psychiatric consult but did not conduct a mental health screening. On Jan. 24, 2023, records state, a jailer offered to escort Mitchell to the medical unit for Wyers to conduct an examination. But Wyers refused to provided care to Mitchell, records state, because he had no interest in providing care to someone he thought was unworthy of it and because he feared job ramifications if he offered care against the perceived prevailing culture. Tony Mitchell was arrested on Jan. 12, 2023 and died two weeks later. (Walker County Sheriff's Office) Jail Corrections Officer Daniel Lee Allen Brown agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor deprivation of rights under color of law in November 2024. He has not yet officially pleaded guilty, and a status conference is set for later this month. The criminal complaint states Brown watched Mitchells mental and physical health deteriorate and notified his lieutenant but did not further pursue help for the inmate. Instead, he sought to avoid scrutiny from Jail managers by joining others in the jail who permitted (Mitchell) to suffer from the cruel conditions under which (Mitchell) was housed. Jail Corrections Officer Megan Johnson was indicted in November 2024 and pleaded guilty in February 2025 to conspiracy against rights. She has not yet been sentenced. According to court records, Johnson denied a nurse access to Mitchell, claiming he was too combative to perform a mental health screening while knowing he was not a threat. Records state she knew Mitchell was being mistreated but she did not want to be mocked by other employees. Jail Corrections Officer Benjamin Daniel Shoemaker was indicted in January 2025 on charges of conspiracy against rights and deprivation of rights under the color of law. He formally entered a guilty plea in April. He has not yet been sentenced. Court records show he and another officer planned to use their harsh treatment of Mitchell for personal gain. On the morning of Jan. 24, 2023, a Walker County Commissioner was scheduled to visit to observe jail conditions. The officers wanted a pay raise, said they planned to show Mitchell to the commissioner as an example of how crazy and disgusting some of the detainees were and the amount of work required to manage them. Deputy Carl Lofton Carpenter was indicted in February 2025 on deprivation of rights. He pleaded guilty in July, and remains out of jail on bond. He has not yet been sentenced. In pleading guilty, records state, Carpenter stipulated to the governments claims that he stomped on (the inmates) genitals with a shod foot while Mitchell lay face up on the ground, handcuffed behind his back and that he rammed the inmate into the exterior of a patrol vehicle and kicked his legs. The plea agreement states Carpenter stomped on Mitchells genitals out of anger because he had become accustomed to harming arrestees unnecessarily consistent with the culture of the Walker County Sheriffs Office. Deputy James Matthew Matt Handley was indicted in February on charges of deprivation of rights and witness tampering. Handley has pleaded not guilty to the charge and has asked a judge to dismiss the case. A status conference is set for December. The indictment also alleges Handley and Carpenter rammed the inmate into the exterior of a patrol vehicle and kicked his legs. Additionally, Handley is accused of giving false testimony to federal grand jury. Specifically, the indictment says, Handley testified that the suspect - believed to be Mitchell - walked to the patrol vehicle when, in fact, he was dragged to the vehicle. Jail Corrections Officer Trina Lou Blackmon Phillips was indicted in April 2025 on a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights and filed an agreement to plead guilty. She has not yet officially pleaded guilty. A status conference is set for November. Phillips, according to court records, did approach members of the jails medical team with concern about Mitchell but did not take those concerns to jail leadership because she thought they already knew about. Knowing the cruel treatment was harmful to Mitchell, she should have done more to intervene, authorities said. The Walker County jail in Jasper (Joe Songer | AL.com). Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com Jail Corrections Officer Braxton Chase Kee was indicted in June on a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights. He has not yet formally entered a guilty plea. A status conference is set for later this month. Records state Kee, from his earliest interactions with Mitchell, believed that Mitchell was mentally unwell because he frequently wasnt lucid, often didnt eat his food and regularly appeared to be covered in feces. Kee, according to his plea agreement, became sufficiently concerned about Mitchells condition and raised the issue with the captain and others, but said the medical staff appeared to be avoiding Mitchell because the treatment did not change. On Jan. 19, 2023 a week before Mitchells death Kee and another unnamed jailer took Mitchell a cup of water. As they were leaving, Mitchell reached his arm out of the cell. Kee repeatedly kicked at Mitchells arm to move it. A supervisor then tried to move Mitchell out of the way. Jail Corrections Capt. Arcelia Jottie Tidwell was one of six people indicted on July 28. They were charged in connection with Mitchells death and the alleged assaults on five other inmates. The six-count indictment accused the jail employees of a range of crimes from deprivation of rights to conspiracy against rights to obstruction of justice. All of the defendants in August entered not guilty pleas. The other five are: Jail Corrections Officer Dayton Layne Wakefield is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy against rights. Jail Corrections Officer Robert Morgan Madison is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy against rights. Jail Corrections Officer Daniel Eugene Vickery is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy against rights. Jail Corrections Officer Richard Douglas Holtzman is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law, conspiracy against rights and obstruction of justice. Jail Corrections Officer Jacob Dlee Edwards is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy against rights. Nurse Practitioner Aleisha Michelle Herron was one of five people indicted in the most recent round of charges brought against jail medical workers on July 29. Herron was responsible for supervising the jails medical services during the time Mitchell was incarcerated. She is charged with deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy against rights. A status conference on the case is set for December. The medical workers, who all entered not guilty pleas, are accused of failing to provide Mitchell with constitutional conditions of confinement, including adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, sanitation and medical and mental health care. They are all charged with deprivation of rights under color of law and conspiracy against rights and have status conferences set for December. The other four medical workers are: Customers of Birminghams regional water system are likely to get a price break with no planned rate increase in 2026. Central Alabama Water leaders met in a work session Monday to go over details of the utilitys proposed 2026 budget. A major highlight is that the utility does not anticipate a rate increase for the 770,000 customers in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair and Walker Counties. The budget has not been approved and remains under consideration. General Manager Mac Underwood explained that officials cut some items, including merit and cost of living raises for employees and zeroed out unfilled positions to make up some of the difference. Employees did receive increases last year. Without the rate increase, it made the debt service number a little bit tighter, Underwood said during the boards first work session. Critics of the water works, who have long called for major changes, cited year-over-year increases in customer rates as a major concern. However, utility leaders over the years have countered those arguments, saying that those annual increases are partially dictated by bond debt and the utilitys long-term repayment plan. Now in their first budget, the new regional board has waived increases and instead has chosen to find cuts elsewhere. While customers are expected to receive a break and employee pay will remain frozen, the cost for outside lawyers remains a contentious issue that is expected to increase. The utility has spent $1.1 million in legal fees so far this year out of its budget of $1.2 million. Officials expect to end the fiscal year spending $1.5 million for legal fees. The 2026 budget anticipates spending even more at $1.9 million. Legal spending for years has been a point of criticism and scrutiny from both board members and outside observers. Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, a board member from Birmingham, asked Underwood for ways to cut legal spending. Both Tyson and Jarvis Patton, a fellow recent Birmingham appointee, are vocal critics of the utilitys legal spending. Underwood said cuts were up to the board, since it was the board who hires the lawyers. Thats going to be a board decision, Underwood said. The rates did change for the legal cost. He noted that a factor in increased spending comes from higher hourly rates charged by lawyers. What had been $300 an hour is up to $400 an hour, Underwood said. Patton said costs could be dramatically reduced if the agency formed its own legal department. He again pressed the proposal. It looks like nobodys looking at my suggestion, Patton said. Im willing to push it. The water works briefly had an in-house lawyer when the former board approved a long-term contract to make Mark Parnell, its longtime outside lawyer, the agencys general counsel. That contract was awarded just a day before Governor Kay Ivey signed the law that changed the water works boards composition and kicked the old board out of office.The new regional board soon after unanimously voted to cancel the contract and ended its relationship with Parnell. In Parnells place, the board hired three outside firms, Porter, Porter and Hassenger, Paden and Paden and attorney Reginald D. McDaniel. The utility pays $400 an hour for Jim Porter and $300 an hour for an associate. Lawyers for Paden and Paden, led by former Bessemer city attorney Shan Paden, will also be paid $400 an hour. McDaniel also receives $400 an hour. The boards zero-rate increase meets at least one of Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfins conditions before he supports the utilitys application for $183 million in infrastructure loans. The utility needs the citys ok before it can complete the federal low-interest and partially forgivable loan to replace old lead pipes. Woodfin listed his conditions in a recent letter to the utility. Woodfin wants guarantees that the board wont raise rates for customers, creates an in-house law department and promises that the utility will set goals for minority participation in construction projects. Current water board leaders might find Woodfins conditions hard to swallow. Woodfins terms likely set up the seven-member board for another ideological split largely based on political party and geography - the norm since the new board was put in place. The five-member majority is appointed by Republican authorities and come from outside Birminghams city limits. Patton and Tyson were appointed by Birminghams mayor and city council in a largely Democratic city. Mayor Randall Woodfin sets three conditions including a rate freeze, minority participation and an in-house legal department before supporting the water board's $183 million federal funding application. (Photo illustration/Tamika Moore, AL.com) Tamika Moore Birminghams regional water system could get more than $183 million for replacing old lead pipes and other projects, but only if its leaders can find common ground with their current political and legal adversary the city of Birmingham. In order to apply for a package of low-interest and forgivable loans, the water board needs the support of Mayor Randall Woodfin. But in a recent letter to the board, Woodfin said he wants guarantees that the board wont raise rates for customers, an inhouse law department and a promise that the utility will set goals for minority participation in construction projects. While we certainly recognize the benefits from these repairs to the affected citizens of the city, we also recognize that there are other considerations of great interest to all Birmingham citizens, Woodfin wrote in a letter Oct. 7 that was obtained by AL.com. These conditions and the citys commitment to the loan guaranty would be set forth in an agreement between the board and the city, Woodfin wrote. Once I have assurance that the board is willing to accept these conditions, I will instruct the citys legal team to draft the agreement. Water board members, who took power after sweeping legislation to revamp the states largest water works and shrink the citys influence on its board, are asking Woodfin to support a package of low-interest and forgivable infrastructure loans. The board has not yet met to discuss Woodfins terms. Current water board leaders might find Woodfins conditions hard to swallow. Woodfins terms likely set up the seven-member board for another ideological split largely based on political party and geography. The five-member majority is appointed by Republican authorities and come from outside Birminghams city limits. Jarvis Patton and Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson were appointed by Birminghams mayor and city council in a largely Democratic city. State lawmakers earlier this year took control of the utility and created a new board dominated by members from suburban areas and surrounding counties. Birmingham now appoints just two members of the seven-member board. General Manager Mac Underwood said the city of Birminghams approval is needed because of the pending federal lawsuit from the city against the utility that is related to the state law that changed the boards configuration. Underwood said the Alabama Drinking Water Authority, which administers the loan from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, wants guarantees from the city that it will honor terms of the loan agreement if the city wins its case and again regains control of the utility. Therefore, we will not be able to issue debt until the lawsuit is resolved, Underwood explained. Woodfins proposal to create an in-house law department for the water utility mirrors an earlier proposal from Jarvis Patton, one of the two water board members from the city of Birmingham. Patton, who was appointed by Woodfin, recently met with the mayor to discuss the loan and the citys commitment to backing it. Patton, along with Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, the other Birmingham member on the seven-member board, have criticized their colleagues over increased legal spending at the same time the board has railed against spending elsewhere. Snce June, Patton has said, outside lawyer fees, long a source of scrutiny and controversy, could be dramatically reduced if the agency formed its own legal department. A lot of your major organizations, big businesses, have law departments, and it cuts down tremendously on expenses, said Patton in June. Maybe we can cut back on some of the other expenses and let some of our other attorneys be free to have other things to do. The selection of lawyers and their hefty legal fees have long been the subject of contention by past board members and observers of the former Birmingham Water Works Board. The water works has traditionally used one firm to lead the legal team of several other lawyers. Patton said continuing outside legal bills illustrate the need to have internal lawyers. The water works last fiscal year spent $1.7 million in legal fees from several attorneys and firms. More is expected in the 2026 fiscal year. Tyson has also criticized the rising legal fees, and has called her colleagues less than honest for claiming to seek to cut costs but at the same time hiring teams of costly additional lawyers. The water works briefly had an in-house lawyer when the former board approved a long-term contract to make Mark Parnell, its longtime outside lawyer, the agencys general counsel. The move was made by the previous board just a day before the governor signed into law a new bill that made them defunct and ushered in new leadership. The new regional board later unanimously voted to cancel the contract and end its relationship with Parnell. Parnell then shot back by suing the utility to pay him out of the contract with a value exceeding $3 million. The pending case has also recently generated a war of words between Parnell and his former employer. In Parnells place, the board hired three outside firms, Porter, Porter and Hassenger, Paden and Paden and attorney Reginald D. McDaniel. The utility now pays those new lawyers hundreds of dollars per hour for each of the attorneys handling the utilitys business. Several other board members said they were interested in Pattons idea but declined to act before the utility hires a CEO. Currently, Underwood, the general manager, handles daily operations. Woodfins request to establish minority participation goals might also be a point of contention among board members. The former board hired Birmingham Business Resource Center, a non-profit small business development agency, to help increase minority vendor participation in the water works. By law, minority participation rates are not binding, but are goals. However, current board leadership questioned the action and moved to end the consultant contract. Also, the board agendas no longer include details on what companies and vendors are minority or the percentage of minority participation rates on projects from the utility. Support to retain the Birmingham Business Resource Center and for creating a law department fell along the usual geographic and political lines. Birminghams two Democratic appointed members pressed to keep the Resource Center and open an in-house legal department, while the majority Republican-appointed members from the Birmingham suburbs and surrounding counties rejected the moves. The board will hold a budget workshop this afternoon followed by a special called meeting Tuesday evening. One person was killed and another injured, after their vehicle rolled off the road. Michael McClellan, 27, was killed just after midnight on Sunday, Oct. 12, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Sierra Vickers, 32, was a passenger in the vehicle. She was injured and transported to University of Alabama at Birmingham hospital for treatment. State troopers say McClellan was driving a 1999 Ford F-250 pickup truck when the car left the roadway, hit a tree and then an embankment. McClellan was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and was ejected from the vehicle, state troopers say. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred in Cullman County, around six miles north of Cullman. It occurred on U.S. Highway 31 around mile marker 331. State troopers continue to investigate, according to a news release from ALEA. There is no further information available. President Donald Trump has been obsessed with heaven lately. On Monday, Trump, 79, joked he might not see the pearly gates even after helping broker the peace deal between Israel and Hamas. You know, Im being a little cute: I dont think theres anything thats going to get me into heaven. I think Im not maybe heaven-bound, Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he headed toward the Middle East. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. Im not sure Im going to be able to make heaven, Trump said. The presidents latest reflection on heaven came two months after he told Fox & Friends that negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine could get him there. I want to try and get to heaven, if possible, he said, according to The New York Times. Im hearing Im not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons. Hamas released all 20 of the last living hostages on Monday, the Israeli military said. It is part of a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip. While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. The Associated Press contributed to this report. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. The popular crime drama series FBI returns to CBS with its season eight premiere Monday, Oct. 13 at 9/8c. During this weeks new episode, a federal judge mysteriously disappears, and though it appears to be a routine investigation, things soon take a turn for the worse. How to watch FBI season 8 Cord cutters eager to catch the return of the hit CBS series can stream the upcoming season through Fubo, DirecTV and Paramount+. All three streaming services offer free trials for new subscribers to enjoy. Fubo is one of the most popular live TV streaming service that appeals to cord cutters. Starting at $84.99 a month after its free trial, this popular streaming service offers users over 100 live TV channels through its base package and includes helpful features like unlimited DVR. Streaming Platform Promotion Price Fubo Free trial $84.99/month DirecTV 5-day free trial $86.99/month Paramount+ 7-day free trial $7.99/month DirecTV is one of the leading streaming platforms taking the industry by storm. With plans starting at $86.99 after its 5-day free trial, DirecTV offers a plethora of live TV channels, tailor-made genre packs to slim down filler overload, and a load of other appealing features. Paramount+ is one of the most popular live streaming services on the market now. Through Paramount+, subscribers can access exclusive originals, movies and documentaries all in one place. As of now, Paramount+ offers two plans to new subscribers, and both come with a week-long free trial. Plans start at just $7.99 a month. More about this weeks new episode While investigating the federal judges disappearance, the team uncovers the judge has been searching for his missing son on a secluded island. Meanwhile, reality weighs heavy on Jubal as he takes on a new leadership role. What is FBI about? For those who have yet to check out the long-running CBS series, FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. First-class agentsincluding Maggie Bell and Omar Adom OA Zidanbring all of their talents, intellect and technical expertise to tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime and counterintelligence, to keep New York and the country safe. Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki, Jeremy Sisto, Alana De La Garza and more star. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. The brand new Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings special, Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings: The Great Eight, premieres on the Discovery Channel Monday, Oct. 13 at 8/7c. During the special, fans of the original series will be introduced to the eight captains, all vying for a chance to win the grand $200,000 cash prize. How to watch Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings: The Great Eight Cord cutters looking to catch the live premiere of the special can find the Discovery Channel available for streaming through Philo, DirecTV and Sling. Out of the three streaming services that carry the Discovery Channel, Philo is the cheapest option at just $33 a month after its free trial concludes. Philo is considered one of the most affordable traditional cable alternatives out there. At just $33 a month after a 7-day free trial, subscribers can enjoy over 70 top-rated TV channels such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, Investigation Discovery and more. Subscribers can also access HBO Max and discovery+ content with a Philo subscription. Streaming Platform Promotion Price Philo 7-day free trial $28/month for existing users, $33/month for new users DirecTV 5-day free trial $86.99/month after free trial Sling No active promotions $45.99/month DirecTV is one of the leading streaming platforms taking the industry by storm. With plans starting at $86.99 after its 5-day free trial, DirecTV offers a plethora of live TV channels, tailor-made genre packs to slim down filler overload, and a load of other appealing features. Sling is another great streaming platform replacing basic cable. By offering users a stellar selection of popular TV channels, Sling is a great alternative to the hassle of traditional cable. Sling is also introducing day, week and weekend passes which allow users to choose how long they can access the platform. Plans start at just $45.99 a month after the first month and the new passes start at $4.99. More about the special Following the recent season premiere of Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings, its time to meet the eight captains leading the teams. During the special, fans will be introduced to the captainsRyan Martin, Murder Nova, Kye Kelley, Mike Murillo, Boddie, Disco Dean, Justin Swanstrom, and Daddy Daveas they gear up to compete against each other for $200,000. If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. The popular comedy series The Neighborhood returns to CBS with its season eight premiere Monday, Oct. 13 at 8/7c. During this weeks brand new episode, fans tuning in will learn about the big changes and the unexpected challenges the Johnsons and Butlers now face. How to watch The Neighborhood season 8 Cord cutters hoping to catch the highly anticipated return of the hit CBS comedy can stream the upcoming season through Fubo, DirecTV and Paramount+. All three streaming services that carry CBS offer free trial for new subscribers to enjoy. Fubo is one of the most popular live TV streaming service that appeals to cord cutters. Starting at $84.99 a month after its free trial, this popular streaming service offers users over 100 live TV channels through its base package and includes helpful features like unlimited DVR. Streaming Platform Promotion Price Fubo Free trial $84.99/month DirecTV 5-day free trial $86.99/month Paramount+ 7-day free trial $7.99/month DirecTV is one of the leading streaming platforms taking the industry by storm. With plans starting at $86.99 after its 5-day free trial, DirecTV offers a plethora of live TV channels, tailor-made genre packs to slim down filler overload, and a load of other appealing features. Paramount+ is one of the most popular live streaming services on the market now. Through Paramount+, subscribers can access exclusive originals, movies and documentaries all in one place. As of now, Paramount+ offers two plans to new subscribers, and both come with a week-long free trial. Plans start at just $7.99 a month. More about this weeks new episode This week, fans catch a glimpse at some of the unexpected challenges the shows characters are set to face throughout this season. Meanwhile, this weeks episode showcases Tina discovering a new passion, Malcolm navigating work and family boundaries, Courtney taking a major step with Marty and Dave work through a tough experiment. What is The Neighborhood about? The Neighborhood follows Dave Johnson and his family as they arrive from Michigan to move into their new dream home, which happens to be located in a community quite different than their previous small town. However, their opinionated next-door neighbor Calivin Butler is wary of newcomers, certain that they will disrupt the culture of the block. Dave realizes that fitting in with the new community is more complex than he had expected, but if he can find a way to connect with his new neighbors, theres a chance of making the neighborhood a great place to live. Cedric The Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Tichina Arnold, Sheaun McKinney, Marcel Spears and more star. LONDON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kirill Dmitriev, General Director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), has been appointed as Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Investment and Economic Cooperation. In his new role, he will oversee the attraction of foreign investment and the development of trade and economic ties, underscoring the importance of investment diplomacy for the country's long-term development. Appointment of Kirill Dmitriev as Special Representative of the President of Russia for Investment Cooperation | Instagram @kadmitriev (PRNewsfoto/Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)) "Building strong and mutually beneficial partnerships is at the core of RDIF's mission. This new role allows us to elevate this work to a higher level, fostering cooperation that delivers results for our partners and contributes to balanced global economic growth," noted Kirill Dmitriev. Professional Background: From Stanford and Harvard to International Recognition Kirill Dmitriev's career combines unique international experience gained at the world's leading financial and academic institutions. A graduate of Stanford University (BA in Economics) and Harvard Business School (MBA with distinction), he held key positions at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Company. This experience laid the foundation for his successful tenure as CEO of RDIF, which he has led since 2011. The RDIF Success Strategy: Co-investment and Tangible Results Under Dmitriev's leadership, RDIF has developed one of the world's most effective co-investment models, establishing strategic alliances with leading sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors from more than 15 countries. The Fund has implemented over 100 projects with a total value exceeding RUB 2.3 trillion, with contributions from international partners amounting to more than RUB 1.9 trillion. The portfolio includes key assets in healthcare, technology, retail, and infrastructure. Crisis Management and International Acclaim During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dmitriev led the large-scale international promotion project for the Sputnik V vaccine. Under his management, production was established in 18 countries, and the vaccine was registered in 71 states. This success demonstrated his competence in managing highly complex projects at the intersection of logistics, innovation, and diplomacy. Dmitriev's contribution to the development of international economic relations has been recognized with state awards, including the French Legion of Honour and the Saudi Order of King Abdulaziz (Second Class). Concluding Press Commentary "In his new role, Kirill Dmitriev remains a key advocate for Russia's business interests. His approach, based on transparent rules, mutual benefit, and impeccable execution, has proven its effectiveness. His extensive international experience and deep understanding of global capital make him an ideal partner for dialogue aimed at achieving concrete economic results," a spokesperson for RDIF noted. About RDIF: The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund, established in 2011 to co-invest with leading international financial institutions in high-growth sectors of the Russian economy. The total volume of projects in RDIF's portfolio exceeds RUB 2.3 trillion, and key sectors include energy, healthcare, infrastructure, and IT. Up-to-date information is available on the website: www.rdif.ru Media Contact: RDIF Press Service [email protected] www.rdif.ru Contact Russian Direct Investment Fund [email protected] Instagram @kadmitriev Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794795/RDIF.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794793/RDIF_Logo.jpg SOURCE Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Governments around the world are increasingly recognizing the importance of integrating buildings into the broader energy grid to improve efficiency, enhance grid reliability, and accelerate the transition to clean energy. Building-to-Grid (B2G) technologies play a crucial role in enabling demand-side management (DSM) demand response strategies by allowing buildings to automatically adjust energy consumption in response to signals from the grid. WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, 'Building-to-Grid Technology Market by Platform (Smart Sensing, Smart Metering, Control Technology, Energy Storage, Others), by Component (Hardware, Software, Service), by End-Use (Commercial, Industrial, Residential): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2034'. According to the report, the 'building-to-grid technology market' was valued at $54.9 billion in 2024, and is estimated to reach $147.8 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 10.5% from 2025 to 2034. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A244989 Rising Electricity Demand & Peak Load Management Building-to-grid technology systems enable demand response (DR) capabilities, allowing buildings to adjust or shift their electricity consumption in real time based on signals from grid operators. For instance, during peak demand periods, a smart building equipped with B2G technology can temporarily reduce HVAC usage, dim lighting, or draw from on-site energy storage systems instead of the grid. This coordinated response reduces stress on the grid and minimizes the need for additional power generation, resulting in both enhanced grid stability and lower operational costs for utilities. According to the IEA, global electricity consumption increased by nearly 1,100 TWh in 2024 alone, surpassing Japan's annual usage. This marks a significant acceleration compared to the average annual increase over the past decade. Moreover, in India, the government directed power distribution companies to prepare for a record-breaking electricity demand of 9,000 MW in the summer of 2025. Measures include demand estimation, supply arrangements, fault handling, and the use of redundancy systems. B2G integration helps utilities avoid costly infrastructure upgrades by leveraging flexible loads and distributed resources already present in the built environment. Government Incentives & Regulatory Push Government policies and regulatory frameworks are playing a crucial role in accelerating the adoption of Building-to-Grid (B2G) technologies. As countries strive to meet climate goals, reduce carbon emissions, and modernize their energy infrastructure, policymakers are introducing a range of incentives and mandates aimed at promoting smarter and more flexible energy systems. India has demonstrated a robust regulatory and financial push for B2G and smart grid technologies. The Union Budget allocations for the solar power (grid) segment have increased dramatically, from $285.4 million (2,369 crore) in 2021-22 to over $963.86 million (8,000 crore) in 2024, with $180.7 million (1,500 crore) allocated in 2025. This funding supports the manufacturing of solar PV cells, electrolysers, and grid-scale batteries, key components for Building-to-Grid (B2G) technologies. The 2025-26 budget also allocated $19.30 million (160.21 crore) to the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and $24.1 million (200 crore) to the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, aiming to solarize 10 million households and achieve 30 GW of rooftop solar by 2027. All these factors drive the growth of the building-to-grid (B2G) technology market. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20252034 Base Year 2024 Market Size in 2024 $54.9 billion Market Size in 2034 $147.8 billion CAGR 10.5 % No. of Pages in Report 373 Segments Covered Platform, Component, End-Use, and Region Drivers Advancements in Smart Building Technologies Growth in Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) Opportunity Expansion in Smart Cities Restraint Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Risks High initial investment for building-to-grid technology Rising Investments in Green Building Materials Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and smart sensors are foundational technologies that enable buildings to become active and flexible participants in the modern energy grid. AMI refers to a system of smart meters, communication networks, and data management tools that provide detailed, real-time information about electricity consumption. Smart sensors complement AMI by capturing additional data on environmental conditions, equipment status, and energy usage within buildings. These sensors monitor parameters such as temperature, occupancy, lighting levels, and appliance performance, providing a comprehensive picture of building operations. In February 2024, the Indian government launched the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), aiming to install 250 million smart meters by 2025. However, less than 3% of this goal had been achieved. Procure Complete Report (373 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/building-to-grid-technology-market Increasing Demand for Building-to-Grid (B2G) Technology in Asia-Pacific Countries The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a significant surge in demand for Building-to-Grid (B2G) technology, driven by rapid urbanization, growing energy consumption, and a strong push toward sustainable development. As cities expand and industrial activities intensify, electricity demand in the region is rising sharply, placing considerable stress on existing power grids. In 2024, Singapore's Energy Market Authority launched a VPP pilot to aggregate distributed energy resources, including EVs and solar panels, to provide grid services. Moreover, in May 2024, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited partnered with the India Smart Grid Forum to deploy a V2G technology demonstration project in North Delhi, aiming to enhance grid stability and EV utility. Increase in Smart Cities and Digital Twins Building-to-grid technology is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of smart city development, fundamentally transforming how urban energy systems operate. Smart cities aim to integrate information and communication technologies to improve the quality of life, sustainability, and efficiency of urban environments. Within this context, B2G enables buildings to become interactive energy nodes that communicate with the wider grid, allowing cities to better manage energy demand, reduce waste, and incorporate renewable energy sources more effectively. In March 2025, Evanston's Healthy Buildings Ordinance implemented a building performance standard mandating zero on-site emissions and 100% renewable electricity procurement for large buildings by 2050. This ordinance emphasizes equity and community accountability in its implementation. Trump's Tariff Impact on Building-to-Grid Technology The tariff hike has negatively impacted the commercial and municipal projects. According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the number of B2G projects initiated in Q1 2025 dropped by 12% compared to the same period in 2024. Notably, this contraction comes despite rising demand for building electrification and distributed energy resources (DERs), which are central to net-zero building strategies. Large-scale developments in states like California, New York, and Illinois have slowed or downsized their smart infrastructure plans due to cost overruns tied to imported control systems and battery storage modules. Moreover, U.S.-based B2G firms are experiencing a competitiveness squeeze. Many rely on lithium-ion batteries, inverters, and advanced control systems from China or Southeast Asia, where technological capabilities and economies of scale offer lower costs. With these tariffs in place, domestic alternatives are still ramping up production and lack the price parity and proven scalability. As a result, a survey conducted by the Building Grid Alliance in April 2025 found that 64% of U.S. B2G companies expect to delay expansion plans or restructure their product offerings if the tariffs remain through 2026. Connect To Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/A244989 Key Players: - Siemens AG Schneider Electric ABB Ltd. General Electric Honeywell International Inc. Landis+Gyr Group AG Enphase Energy S&C Electric Company Itron Inc Oracle The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global building-to-grid technology industry. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, and agreements to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to highlight the competitive scenario. Recent Key Developments In May 2023, Siemens acquired the EV division of Mass-Tech Controls to enhance its capabilities in India's growing EV charging infrastructure market. This move supports Siemens' efforts to integrate EVs into the grid, promoting efficient energy distribution construction buildings. In March 2024, Schneider Electric partnered with Mainspring Energy to deliver a hybrid energy technology combining microgrid solutions with linear generators, enhancing energy resilience for commercial and industrial customers. Trending Reports in Energy & Power Industry: UK Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) Market Size, Share, Competitive Forecast 2025-2034 Smart Electricity Meter Market Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024 - 2033 Building Energy Management Systems Market Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022 - 2032 Smart Homes, Buildings (Energy Efficient, Automated) Market Analysis and Forecast, 2020-2030 Smart Solar Power Market: Global Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021 - 2031 Power Grid Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022 - 2032 About us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of 'Market Research Reports' and 'Business Intelligence Solutions'. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Contact Us: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/energy-and-power Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research Travel days are complicated enough without wrestling a tiny PDF or a grainy screenshot into submission at the gate. For years, Android users flying American Airlines felt a specific kind of digital friction. While rivals like Delta and United fully supported Google Wallet, AA insisted its mobile boarding passes remain outside Googles ecosystem, forcing travelers to rely on clumsy screenshots. Fortunately, the new support for American Airlines boarding passes in Google Wallet fixes this problem. American Airlines itself just officially confirmed the good news. This update brings the airline in line with most major U.S. carriers, ensuring travelers on both Android and iOS have access to instant, dynamic passes. Why screenshots just dont cut it The biggest benefit of using a digital wallet pass lies in its active nature. This is something a simple screenshot cannot replicate. When you save a boarding pass directly to Google Wallet, that file becomes a live, connected document. If your gate changes last minute, or if your flight faces a delay and the departure time shifts, the pass in your Google Wallet updates automatically. You get the correct information instantly, without needing to refresh a web page or frantically search through the AA app while standing in line. Furthermore, the pass often pops up on your lock screen when you arrive at the airport. This dynamic behavior makes the transition from security to the boarding line seamless. For a long time, American Airlines primarily focused its digital wallet support on Apple Wallet. The new integration ensures Android users are no longer treated as an afterthought in the airport experience. Joining Google Wallet is a crucial step toward ecosystem parity. How to add your American Airlines boarding pass to Google Wallet Adding your pass is simple. Once you check in online, you will find the Add to Google Wallet button either in your flight confirmation email or on the mobile web version of the boarding pass. One quick tap secures the pass, ensuring its ready to goautomatically updatedfrom the moment you head to the terminal until you step onto the plane. And thats basically all, the next step will be to enjoy your trip. Apple Intelligence is honestly a joke when you compare it against the competition. Its features are extremely basic, and sometimes it even gets it wrong. At this point, Apple is lagging terribly behind the rest. However, given Apples vast resources, it looks like the company could be buying its way back to the top. According to a recent CNBC report, Apple is nearing a deal to acquire an AI company, potentially beating out Elon Musk. Apple beats out Elon Musk in AI deal The report reveals that Apple is in late stage talks to acquire talent from a computer vision startup called Prompt AI, as well as buying the companys technology. Whats interesting about this acquisition is that in addition to Apple, Prompt AI is facing suitors from other companies, such as xAI by Elon Musk and Neuralink. However, the report suggests that the company is close to inking a deal with Apple. If that is the case, it should give Apple a much-needed boost in the AI space. Apple is known to acquire companies just for their technology. This makes sense as Apple wants to use the tech for itself and integrate it into its own products. The report also reveals that in an audio clip heard by the publication, it said that those who dont end up joining Apple will receive a reduced pay. They are also encouraged to apply for open positions at Apple. What is Prompt AI, and why does Apple want them? For those unfamiliar with Prompt AI, the companys flagship product is Seemour. This is an home AI platform that enhances home security cameras with advanced visual intelligence capabilities. This means that it allows cameras to analyze what it sees in real time. It can also help cameras understand and describe what it sees. Now, we know that Apple doesnt make home security devices. This begs the question of, why would Apple want Prompt AI and its Seemour platform? For starters, it could help Apple boost its HomeKit ecosystem by giving connected smart home cameras better AI capabilities. However, this seems like a rather niche goal. In reality, it feels more like Seemours capabilities could be applied to iPhone cameras, making them smarter at seeing things, understanding them, and describing them. We also wouldnt be surprised if Apple were to apply this tech to its Vision Pro or its rumored smart glasses. Lastly, weve already seen how Apple has lost some of its AI talent to competitors. Apples former head of AI models left the company earlier this year ago to join Meta. So, acquiring Prompt AIs talent could help the company replenish its ranks. If youve ever scrolled through your camera roll and wished you could quickly zap a blemish or brighten a smile on a photo you already took, youre in luck. Google Photos is preparing to roll out a suite of powerful face retouching tools directly into its editor, moving these adjustments from the moment you hit the shutter to a refined post-processing step. For years, Google offered limited face touch-ups only inside the phones Camera app. Plus, they have been typically confined to selfie or portrait modes. That system forced you to commit to an edit before you even took the shot. Now, code hidden within a recent Google Photos update suggests the company is moving these capabilitiesand expanding theminto the main editing stack. Why is this shift important? It changes retouching from a fixed, moment-of-capture decision into a conscious editing choice. After all, the best photo you took might be a group shot or a picture where you didnt have the face retouching setting turned on. Evidence found in the apps code points to tools that target the most common portrait corrections. Were talking about search terms like acne, pimple, dark circles, and whiten teeth. This suggests the new tool wont just be a generic beauty slider. Instead, it will be context-aware, prompting users to try the feature when they search for specific fixes like remove blemish or whiten teeth in the editor (spotted by Android Authority). The power of post-processing Moving these controls into Google Photos also paves the way for advanced features. Imagine cleaning up several photos from a family gathering all at once or tweaking a group shot where heavy-handed presets might not look right on every persons face. The new face tools will likely join Googles AI-powered editing stackalongside features like Magic Editor and Magic Eraser. They will probably use precise, non-destructive, point adjustments, focusing on localized fixes like teeth luminance and smoothing small areas without washing out skin texture. The sweet spot for these features is speed and subtlety: quick enough to be part of your normal workflow, but subtle enough to ensure your photos still look like you. The code isnt fully active yet in the Google Photos app. This means we still dont know if well have individual controlslike the ability to clean up acne without touching teethor if it will be a single intensity slider. However, Google has a history with layered editing controls. So, users can remain optimistic that these new face tools will offer granular control over the touch-ups. It appears that Samsung hasnt given up on Bixby just yet, as a revamp could be in the offing. For context, the Galaxy S25 series marked the end of Bixby as the default voice assistant, as Google Gemini took over on the flagship models. Though it pushed some Bixby-related improvements, it barely saw any traction. However, a new development suggests a turnaround of things. Samsung may be working on a new Bixby overlay screen with One UI 8.5. Samsung may introduce a new Bixby overlay with One UI 8.5 SamMobile has uncovered what looks like a redesigned Bixby overlay. The images offer a close look at the revamp in both dark and light themes. Weve come across One UI 8.5s revamped Quick Settings panel in action recently with a similar design. The new Bixy pop-up aligns with the other design elements of One UI 8.5. The new Bixby pop-up resembles the Gemini onscreen overlay. Though were all in for a new design, the leak doesnt specify whether the One UI 8.5 upgrade would bring any performance upgrades to Bixby. One UI 8.5 will debut with the Galaxy S26 series next year A recent report about potential Bixby enhancements with One UI 8.5 claimed that the upcoming software may bring improved Bixby integration with Modes and Routines. Nothing beyond this is known at the moment about any Bixby improvements. Well have a better picture of Samsungs plans with Bixby when One UI 8.5 beta makes its way, possibly in November. Bixby is capable of handling on-device tasks, but Gemini is far superior in everything with its AI smarts. This integration (Gemini) runs deep with core apps like Reminders, Calendar, and Notes on the Galaxy S25 series and newer models. One UI 8.5, based on Android 16, will officially debut with the Galaxy S26 series early next year. We can expect Samsung to make big announcements about Bixby, considering there are enough upgrades. BOSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Complete Genomics, a leading innovator in genomic sequencing, today announced at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting that it has added Houston-based Gene by Gene, a leading genetics laboratory, to its Sequencing Service Provider Program. The Complete Genomics Service Provider Program connects its customers to a network of service providers, offering access to high-quality sequencing services using Complete Genomics DNBSEQ sequencing platforms. "We're excited about partnering with Complete Genomics, which we believe will contribute to the growth of the sequencing market in the U.S.," said Josh Wittner, president of Gene by Gene. Having already processed more than 40,000 genomes using Complete Genomics' DNBSEQ technology, Gene by Gene is performing a wide array of sequencing applications. Over the last two years, Gene by Gene has been integral in providing feedback to the ongoing development of Complete Genomics' technology, leading not only to chemistry improvements but also to product launches such as the recently announced T7+. As part of this next phase, Gene by Gene will be early adopters of multiple T7+ units to further enable their consistent new customer adoption and continued revenue growth. "We continue to grow our Sequencing Service Provider Program, which enables customers to utilize DNBSEQ technology and receive accurate, cost-effective data quickly via our experienced partners," said Rob Tarbox, vice president of product and marketing at Complete Genomics. About Complete Genomics Complete Genomics is a pioneering life sciences company that provides novel, complete sequencing solutions including sample and library preparation, lab automation, sequencing, and data analysis. The sequencing portfolio offers a full lineup of sequencers ranging from low, medium, and high throughput capacities, all powered by its proprietary DNBSEQ technology. More than 10,900 publications are based on DNBSEQ technology across a wide array of applications. To learn more, visit completegenomics.com. * For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. About Gene by Gene Gene by Gene is a world leader in genetic testing services with over 20 years of experience. Our laboratory holds accreditation from multiple agencies, including CAP, CLIA, New York State Department of Health, California Department of Public Health, and AABB. With a cutting-edge laboratory and highly trained team of experts, we are committed to excellence in the field of genetic analysis. To learn more about Gene by Gene, visit genebygene.com . SOURCE Complete Genomics Its scary to think how much time we spend on social media. You sit down, open Facebook or Instagram, and scroll for a bit, and before you know it, an hour has flown by. Not only is social media a timesink, but it also has the ability to warp our perception of the real world. This is why over in Denmark, the government is planning on banning users under 15 from social media, claiming these platforms are stealing childhood. Is social media stealing childhood? Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the upcoming ban, citing growing concerns about mental health among young people. Frederiksen pointed to increasing rates of anxiety and depression, along with difficulties children face with reading and maintaining focus. Frederiksen was quoted as saying, We have said yes to mobile phones in our childrens lives in the best sense. So they can call home and communicate with their friends. But the reality is that we have let a monster loose. Never before have so many children and young people suffered from anxiety and depression. According to a statistic highlighted by the government, it shows that many boys aged 11 to 19 do not meet friends in person during their free time. This raises serious questions about whether smartphones and social media are contributing to social isolation rather than connection. The Prime Minister emphasized that mobile phones and social media are stealing childhood from kids, robbing them of real-world experiences and face-to-face interactions. The ban will allow parents to grant permission for children aged 13 and above to use social media if they choose. Social media children ban: A growing global movement Denmark isnt alone in taking action against social media access for minors. Australia banned social media for users under 16 last year. It also required tech firms to actively prevent access by minors under that age or face hefty fines. Norway is also considering similar restrictions for those under 15. This growing movement reflects mounting evidence about the harmful effects of social media on young minds. While tech companies have introduced parental controls and age verification systems, some argue these measures arent enough. Governments are stepping in with stricter regulations, prioritizing child welfare over platform growth and engagement metrics. The effectiveness of these bans remains to be seen, as enforcement poses significant challenges. However, these recent developments signal a shift in how we as a society view social media, especially its role in childhood development and mental health. Online forum 4Chan has been fined 20,000 by Ofcom for ignoring requests to share information about the risk of illegal content on its platform, as the watchdog raises pressure on the US firm to meet its online safety rules. The communication regulator said 4Chan failed to provide a copy of its illegal harms risk assessment or information relating to its qualifying worldwide revenue. Ofcom said it was therefore imposing a 20,000 penalty on 4Chan for breaching its requirements. The watchdog will also impose a daily penalty of 100 a day, for either 60 days or until 4Chan provides it with the information it requires. Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom, said: Today sends a clear message that any service which flagrantly fails to engage with Ofcom and their duties under the Online Safety Act can expect to face robust enforcement action. New online safety protections for children and adults came into force on July 25 under the UKs Online Safety Act, which puts new duties on platforms to take down illegal and harmful content. In August, 4Chan launched a legal case against Ofcom in the US over claims it attempted to censor the website. In a legal complaint, representatives for the website said the Online Safety Act was being used to target the free speech rights of American citizens and the lawsuit aimed to restrain Ofcoms conduct and its continuing egregious violations of Americans civil rights. It comes after the regulator began an investigation into 4Chan in June after receiving complaints about illegal activity on the site. Ofcom says that any service with links to the UK has duties to protect UK users under the new rules, regardless of where in the world it is based. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: The Online Safety Act is not just law, its a lifeline. Today weve seen it in action, holding platforms to account so we can protect people across the UK. Services can no longer ignore illegal content, like encouraging self-harm or suicide, circulating online which can devastate young lives and leave families shattered. This fine is a clear warning to those who fail to remove illegal content or protect children from harmful material. We fully back the regulator in taking action against all platforms that do not protect users from the darkest corners of the internet. A Las Vegas man with a prosthetic leg is suing his former employer after being forced back to work under a strict return-to-office policy he claims violated his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Even though John Waudby, 54, had requested an ADA accommodation, and could do his work sufficiently from home, he was instructed by a supervisor to get his a** on-site or find another job, according to a federal discrimination lawsuit obtained by The Independent. It was further communicated to [Waudby] by his training director, [T]he company does not care about your ADA accommodation. Either come on-site or find another job, Waudbys complaint states. Waudby, an animal lover who in July helped launch a state registry of abusive pet owners, says being made to show up physically each day caused him to suffer severe pain, according to the complaint. When he pushed back against the requirement, however, it says he was soon fired. Foundever, formerly known as Sitel, provides customer experience services to some 800 companies across the globe, operating call centers, running chatbots, tech support and social media moderation teams, and other back-office functions that most industries today largely outsource. The Luxembourg-based firm offers fully remote, hybrid, and on-site work. Avoiding a frustrating commute is one reason employees enjoy remote work, but a strict RTO mandate now has John Waudby, who has a prosthetic leg, suing his former employer (Getty Images) Speaking on Monday to The Independent, Waudby described the experience as a total freaking disaster. Im missing a leg, Waudby said, emphasizing that his disability is obvious to all. I came in on crutches on multiple occasions because my leg was swollen and I couldnt get [my prosthesis] on, and my manager was like, Shake it off. The aftermath has been especially difficult for Waudby, who ran out of money as a result of losing his job. I had to file bankruptcy this year because I lost so much income because of this, he said. This has really destroyed me. In an email, Rebecca Sanders, Foundevers head of corporate communications, pushed back on Waudbys claims, telling The Independent that his firing was not related to any disability or accommodation request. She said the organization never implemented a company-wide return-to-office mandate, and that Foundever maintains a comprehensive ADA accommodation process administered by a trusted third-party partner and routinely provides reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. Foundever is committed to maintaining an inclusive and supportive workplace, Sanders said. The company provides ongoing training and has clear policies in place to ensure equitable treatment for all employees. Remote work or so-called hybrid schedules, with a mixture of in-office and work-from-home, can offer significant productivity gains and make for happier workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But, bosses such as JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon argue that being on-site is crucial for collaboration and in maintaining company culture. (An internal memo obtained by Barrons showed employee morale dropped sharply following Dimons five-day-a-week in-office mandate, which began last March.) RTO mandates have also led to other lawsuits, such as a complaint filed by a former Tesla executive who said he agreed to take a job working remotely for the electric carmaker, which then almost immediately went back on its word and threatened to fire him if he didnt relocate allegedly prompting the recurrence of an agonizing medical condition and nearly destroying the mans marriage. John Waudby, a call center worker with one leg, says being forced to return to the office left him with significant physical and emotional pain, according to a federal discrimination lawsuit (AFP via Getty Images) Waudby took the job at Foundever on October 1, 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic, according to his complaint, which was initially filed last month in Clark County, Nevada, District Court and removed to Las Vegas federal court on October 8. At the time, 100 percent of the workforce was remote due to the nationwide quarantine, it explains. Waudby started as a customer service agent, fielding inquiries from consumers, and was later promoted twice, to learning specialist and senior learning specialist, training new hires and providing ongoing training to existing employees, according to the complaint. Prior to [Waudbys] onboarding, [he] made [Foundever] aware of his disability due to issues with his prosthetic leg, the complaint states. ... [Foundever] was aware of [Waudbys] physical impairment(s) which substantially limited [Waudbys] major life activities, [Waudby] provided records of such impairment(s) to [Foundever], and [Waudby] was regarded as having such impairment(s). In October 2023, three years after Waudby joined Foundever, the company notified all employees that on-site work would resume in January 2024, the complaint continues. It says Waudby then reminded [his bosses] of his accommodation request to continue working from home and provided the necessary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paperwork advising of such. The setup would not have affected his job performance, as evidenced by his having worked remotely at that point for 36 months straight, according to the complaint. My doctor basically said, This guy cant come to site, he cant walk long distances, he has trouble standing. He has to work from home, Waudy told The Independent, noting, Id been remote since the day I started. When management allegedly failed to follow up with Waudby, he sent emails on October 17, 2023, October 30, 2023, and November 16, 2023, to try and get a supervisor to approve a continuing remote work arrangement under the ADA, the complaint adds. Still, Waudbys entreaties went ignored, and he was forced back on-site, returning to the office on January 7, 2024, while under considerable pain, the complaint states. Yet, Waudbys complaint alleges that others with the same job description had in fact been allowed to continue working from home, notwithstanding the purported requirement to return to on-site work by the stated deadline. However, Waudbys concerns about this, which he brought up to his superiors, were left unanswered, the complaint maintains. Waudby finally got an answer from his training director, who, according to the complaint, told him to get his a** on-site or find another job, and that the company does not care about his ADA claims. No other communications or meetings were held to attempt to engage in good faith with [Waudby] to find a suitable accommodation, the complaint states. On January 15, 2024, it says Waudby emailed Foundever management to inform them of the training directors alleged threats, but never heard back. Over the next few months, Waudby kept on contacting company officials to inquire about working remotely, but they still failed, without reason or good cause, to respond, according to the complaint. On April 1, 2024, [Waudby] received a letter informing him that his employment had been terminated, without any reason provided for the termination, the complaint states. Waudby believes his firing was pretextual, the complaint contends, and that he was actually let go due to unlawful discrimination on the basis of his disability and/or retaliation for his repeated requests for reasonable accommodations under the ADA. Waudby, who is disabled, says others were permitted to continue working remotely, while he was forced to return to the office (US District Court for the District of Nevada) The experience caused [Waudby] to suffer severe pain during his last months of employment with Foundever, and has left him enduring severe emotional distress and financial hardship, according to the complaint. Foundever and its subsidiaries have paid out more than $16 million in penalties since 2000 over wage-and-hour violations and discrimination complaints, according to data from nonprofit economic justice watchdog Good Jobs First. Employee reviews on Glassdoor are mixed, but of 18,310 respondents, 79 percent still say they would recommend a job at Foundever to a friend. Waudbys lawsuit accuses Foundever of disability discrimination; retaliation; intentional infliction of mental and emotional distress; and negligent hiring, training, and supervision. It says that as a disabled person, Waudby received adverse treatment from [Foundever] compared to his similarly situated, non-disabled co-workers, and that it was done willfully, oppressively, maliciously and in callous indifference to [Waudbys] rights which subjected him to mental and emotional suffering in the form of worry, fear, anguish, shock, nervousness, stress and anxiety in an amount subject to proof at trial. The suit also deems Foundevers conduct extreme, outrageous, and egregious under the circumstances, and that instead of taking Waudbys grievances seriously, the company simply let him go. Further, it alleges, Foundever failed to adequately train and supervise its employees, managers, supervisors and/or agents regarding discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Waudby is now seeking a money judgment plus punitive and exemplary damages to be determined in court, as well as court costs and attorneys fees, plus interest. Foundever has not yet filed a formal response to Waudbys claims. A Houston mother says shes been separated from her 15-year-old autistic son after he went missing last weekend and was later detained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Emmanuel Gonzalez Garcia was reported missing by his mother, Maria, on October 4. He was found the next day, when Houston Police Department officers responded to a welfare check with the local fire department, a police spokesperson told The Independent. When officers responded to the welfare check, they found a 15-year-old boy later revealed to be Emmanuel who couldnt give them any contact information for his family and told them he was homeless, and from another country, the police department spokesperson said. After exhausting all options, officers contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement for help, the spokesperson said. An ICE spokesperson told The Independent the agency worked with local police, but noted Emmanuel was never in ICE custody. ICE worked with HPD to see if they could identify the minor or any of the minors family members living in the U.S, the ICE spokesperson said. When no family could be identified, ICE helped HPD place the minor with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. At no point was the minor in ICE custody. Emmanuel went missing last Saturday and was found by Houston police officers the next day (Cesar Espinosa) Emmanuel is now in an Office of Refugee Resettlement center where they detain unaccompanied youth, even though he is not unaccompanied, according to Cesar Espinosa, executive director of the immigrant rights group FIEL Houston. The organization has been advocating for Maria, who was notified that her son was at the center on Friday, Espinosa told The Independent. She had been searching for him for days, and FIEL Houston had been distributing missing person flyers while he was detained, the organization said. The Independent has contacted ICE and the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, which houses the Office of Refugee Resettlement, for comment. Maria and her son are from Nicaragua and undocumented, Espinosa said. Because Maria isnt a U.S. citizen, she cant currently regain custody of Emmanuel and has been told shell need a sponsor to claim him, a process which could take weeks, if not months, according to Espinosa. Maria was able to FaceTime Emmanuel for 30 minutes on Friday after proving her identity, according to Espinosa. Emmanuel's mom, Maria, is worried he's 'afraid or unsure what's happening,' according to FIEL Houston Executive Director Cesar Espinosa (Cesar Espinosa) There are no visible signs of trauma or anything like that, but his mom, who knows him best, says that he usually is a little bit more talkative than he is, Espinosa said. She thinks that he's afraid or unsure what's happening. It was surprising to hear Emmanuel told police he was homeless and from another country, because he doesnt really know those kinds of things, Espinosa said. Emmanuel is totally nonverbal in English and can only say his name, birthdate and the country hes from, according to Espinosa. Hes also sometimes nonverbal in Spanish, Espinosa noted. Espinosa says Maria still doesnt know Emmanuels exact location or if has access to any assistance or therapy. She asked Emmanuel on the call, Espinosa said, but he wasnt able to tell her. Right now, we are focused on getting Emmanuel and his mom the correct legal help that they need to try to reunite them, Espinosa said. That's our priority. FIEL Houston will be demanding answers about how this happened at Tuesdays City Hall meeting, Espinosa said. He also wants to know why Houston police officers couldnt identify Emmanuel after he was reported missing just a day prior. One of the other notions that we want to push back on is, the [Houston Police Department] says that they spent about four hours with Emmanuel, Espinosa said. How could they not radio their Missing Persons Unit, who had the report? A border agent in Chicago last week. Photograph: Octavio Jones/AFP/Getty Images Border patrol officers have become ubiquitous footsoldiers in Donald Trumps mass deportation plan, and lawyers and human rights advocates worry that the agency is expanding its aggressive tactics into cities far from its conventional range. Led by Gregory Bovino, a particularly hardline Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sector chief from southern California, border patrol agents have become a daily presence in several major cities across the US. Earlier this month in Chicagos Southwest Side, a border patrol shot a woman multiple times amid protests against the Trump administrations militarized immigration raids in the city. Related: Who is Greg Bovino, the official spearheading Trumps immigration crackdown? This summer in Los Angeles, border agents on horseback swept through a public park riding alongside national guard troops and other agents in military vehicles. In southern California, videos of border patrol agents pinning down and beating 48-year-old landscaper Narciso Barranco went viral. Agents have also made arrests in Californias agricultural Central Valley and at New York immigration courthouses. They have set up immigration checkpoints in Washington DC. Lawyers and human rights advocates say the agents, who are trained to block illegal entries, drug smugglers and human traffickers at the countrys borders, may be ill-suited to conduct civil immigration enforcement in urban communities. The border patrol is certainly quite cavalier, and has been very aggressive historically as it goes about its enforcement responsibilities, said Cesar Cuauhtemoc Garcia Hernandez, a law professor at Ohio State University. They tend to do their work in rural places and isolated parts of the United States. And they generally are not trained in community interactions and policing. Until recently, the agency usually worked close to the southern US border especially along the south-western border though the department has long had the authority to conduct patrols more inland. Under a 1946 statute, Border Patrol agents have the ability to conduct warrantless searches within a reasonable distance or up to 100 miles from any international boundaries. Those boundaries include international land borders as well as coastlines so in effect, their range encapsulates most US major cities including LA, New York and Washington DC. Chicago falls within this 100-mile zone, because the Great Lakes are considered a maritime boundary. Nearly two-thirds of the US population lives within the zone. Still, Garcia Hernandez said, until recently, it was highly uncommon to see border patrol agents stray far from the south-western border. But now illegal border crossings are at a historic low, and the administration has deployed thousands of military personnel to the southern border, freeing up the Border Patrol, he said ready and available as force multipliers in the administrations deportation mission. The department currently has about 19,000 agents. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which encompasses the Border Patrol, is about 60,000 strong making it the largest law enforcement agency in the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), meanwhile, has about 5,500 immigration enforcement officers, plus an additional 7,000 agents tasked with investigating cross-border criminal activities. Though the agency is making a massive push to hire 10,000 more agents, that process is expected to take some time. Its unclear exactly how many Border Patrol agents have joined up with Ice and other federal agents in raids targeting Chicago, Los Angeles and other big cities. DHS did not immediately respond to the Guardians query. As border agents stray away from their original mission, legal experts have raised concerns that they are bringing along with them a culture of combative enforcement. CBP has a history of problematic treatment of people, in my opinion, perhaps worse than any other law enforcement agency, said Deborah Anthony, a professor of legal studies at University of Illinois Springfield with an expertise in constitutional law and the legality of Border Patrol operations. The Border Patrol has long had more leeway with the US constitutions fourth amendments protections against random and arbitrary stops and searches, Anthony said. They are able to set up checkpoints and, in some cases, roving patrols, she said but these authorities are limited by law. Agents cannot pull people over without reasonable suspicion of an immigration violation, or search homes or vehicles without a warrant or probable cause. In recent deployments, however, agents appear to be flouting these restrictions. Earlier this month, Border Patrol agents, along with other federal agents, conducted a military-style immigration raid of an apartment complex in Chicago. Video evidence showed agents indiscriminately bursting through front doors. All the evidence suggests there were egregious violations of rights, both in the treatment of people, in the lack of a warrant, in the breaking down of peoples doors, in what seems to be almost indiscriminate targeting of almost everyone in the building, Anthony said. Immigrant advocates have had limited success in opposing this type of indiscriminate enforcement. In a January operation that took place shortly before Trump took office, plainclothes border agents poured into Californias Central Valley region, conducting random stops along the highway. In response, the ACLU sued the Border Patrol on behalf of the United Farm Workers union and a federal district court found that the operation violated the fourth amendment. And in July a federal lawsuit from advocacy groups accused the Border Patrol, Ice and other agencies of violating rights by profiling street vendors, car-wash workers, day laborers and others, and making arrests without adequate cause resulting in a temporary restriction against such enforcement in California. But proving such fourth amendment violations can be a big burden on advocates, said Anthony. And Border Patrol has a long history of aggressive enforcement tactics. Theres evidence of everything from legal and constitutional violations to physical and sexual abuse and mistreatment, and very little recourse or accountability, Anthony said. Internal discipline within [the] Border Patrol is very problematic and that has been systematically the case for a long time now. A 2023 report by the Washington Office on Latin America (Wola) and the Kino Border Initiative (KBI), migrant rights advocacy groups, detailed persistent human rights abuses without accountability within the agency. This article was amended on 13 October 2025. An earlier version said a federal lawsuit from advocacy groups was filed in June; in fact, it was July. Also, the temporary restriction against immigration enforcement was only in California, not the wider west coast area. The death of school teacher Ellen Greenberg, who suffered 20 stab wounds, has been ruled a suicide, again, causing fresh agony for her family. Greenberg was 27 years old when her fiance, Sam Goldberg, found her bloody body on the kitchen floor of their Manayunk apartment on the night of January 26, 2011, as a noreaster brought snow to Philadelphia. She had 20 stab wounds, including multiple in the back of her neck and head. A 10-inch knife was sticking out of her chest. She fell on a knife! Goldberg told a 911 operator in audio used in the recently released Hulu docuseries Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? Her knife is sticking out. Theres a knife sticking out of her heart. Dr. Marlon Osbourne, a Philadelphia medical examiner who performed Greenbergs original autopsy, initially ruled her death a homicide. But days later, Osbourne changed his ruling to suicide. Since the apartment was not treated as a crime scene it was quickly cleaned by a professional crew. The death of school teacher Ellen Greenberg has been ruled a suicide, again, causing fresh agony for her family (Change.org) For more than a decade, Greenbergs parents, Joshua Greenberg and his wife, Sandra Greenberg, have been fighting to change the ruling back to homicide or at least undetermined, as they believe the investigation into their daughters death was botched. In February, the city of Philadelphia settled two lawsuits from Greenbergs parents, agreeing to pay the family $600,000 and agreeing to expeditiously review the teachers cause of death. After months of waiting and a scolding from a Philadelphia judge on the slow pace of the review, one was performed. The new review, which was conducted by Philadelphia's Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon, has again confirmed Greenberg died by suicide. For more than a decade, Greenbergs parents, Joshua Greenberg and his wife, Sandra Greenberg, have been fighting to change their daughters autopsy ruling to homicide or undetermined (Facebook/Justice for Ellen) While the distribution of injuries is admittedly unusual, the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself, Simon wrote, according to the review, which was obtained by the Daily Mail. Simon said many of the wounds could be classified as hesitation wounds and that there were no signs of a struggle or defensive wounds. The head medical examiner also said no one elses DNA was on the knife used in the stabbing, and there was a lack of evidence of domestic abuse in Greenbergs relationship with Goldberg. Greenbergs mother said she now believes her daughter was being abused before her death, telling the Daily Mail in February, I knew she was struggling with something. But I didn't know what. The Greenbergs attorney, Joseph Podraza Jr., lambasted Simons findings, calling them deeply flawed. Greenberg was 27 years old when her fiance, Sam Goldberg, found her bloody body on the kitchen floor of their Manayunk apartment in January 2011 (Justice for Ellen Facebook page) By ignoring key evidence that contradicts suicidethe extensive 3D photogrammetry, a recreation which proves Ellen could not self-inflict all of the wounds, unexplained bruises, missing surveillance footage, an intact lock, accounts of a toxic relationship, etc.Simon builds a flimsy case on distorted portrayals of Ellen's mental health, propped up by cynical distortions of Ellen's managed anxiety, a condition widely experienced daily by over 40 million Americans, Podraza told CBS News Philadelphia. Greenberg was struggling with anxiety at the time of her death and had recently changed medications to help with her insomnia, which Simon concluded meant she had an increase in energy to act on her anxious thoughts. This report is tripe, an embarrassment to the City, and an insult to Ellen and her family, Podraza said. Though Ellen's city turned its back on her, we will continue through other avenues to get justice for her murder, by any means necessary." On the day of Greenbergs death, Goldberg had gone to the gym in their apartment complex before returning to their unit to find the door locked from the inside. He eventually broke down the latched door, walking into a horrific scene. The Greenbergs attorney, Joseph Podraza Jr., lambasted the new review findings, calling them deeply flawed (Tom Brennan, Greenberg family) During the 911 call that followed, the operator told Goldberg she would walk him through how to administer CPR, to which he replied, I have to, right? The man that was going to marry my daughter, have children with her when he is asked to do CPR and says I have to, right. I couldnt believe my ears, Greenbergs mother recently told Variety. Goldberg has since moved on with his life. He has settled in New York and is married with two children, according to the Daily Mail. In November 2024, Goldberg told CNN, When Ellen took her own life it left me bewildered. She was a wonderful and a kind person who had everything to live for. When she died a part of me died with her. Greenberg was stabbed 20 times, including multiple times in the back of her neck and head (Facebook/Justice for Ellen) Unimaginably, in the years that have passed I have had to endure the unimaginable passing of my future wife and the pathetic and despicable attempts to desecrate my reputation and her privacy by creating a narrative that embraces lies, distortions and falsehoods in order to avoid the truth. Mental illness is very real and has many victims, he added. Outside of court in December 2024, Greenbergs father told reporters, Thats what this is all about: Justice for Ellen. Were not trying to do anything else. Not trying to hurt anyone else. Theyre lying. Theyve done a lot of lying throughout this whole thing. In January, shortly before the city of Philadelphia reached its settlement with the Greenbergs, Osbourne changed his mind about Greenbergs death, saying in a court document it should be designated as something other than suicide, as he had become aware of additional information, 6abc Action News reported. The Independent has reached out to the Greenbergs attorney and the Philadelphia's Medical Examiner's Office for additional comment. HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dahua Technology, a world-leading video-centric AIoT solution and service provider, has been awarded the prestigious Silver Medal by EcoVadis, a global leader in business sustainability assessments. This recognition places Dahua among the top 15% of companies assessed globally, reflecting the company's continuous progress in advancing environmental, social, and ethical practices across its operations. ecovadis EcoVadis is one of the world's most trusted providers of business sustainability ratings. It evaluates more than 130,000 companies worldwide across 21 sustainability criteria into four core themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. The evaluation is based on international sustainability standards, including the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, and ISO 26000. "Our journey toward sustainability is continuous and deeply embedded in everything we do," said Mr. Xu Zhicheng, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Compliance Management Office at Dahua. "Achieving the EcoVadis Silver Medal is a testament to the collective efforts of our teams worldwide. It aligns with our mission of 'Enabling a smarter society and better living', creating lasting value for our communities, stakeholders, and the environment." As part of its ongoing commitment to transparency, responsible business practices, and continuous ESG improvement, Dahua has been establishing a robust sustainability performance and governance framework. In recent years, the company has obtained multiple internationally recognized certifications, including ISO 37301:2021 (Compliance Management System Certification), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), ISO 27001 (Information Security) and ISO 27701 (Privacy Information Management). In addition to its EcoVadis recognition, Dahua also became a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in 2023, further demonstrating its dedication to responsible and sustainable business practices. Over the years, Dahua has taken significant steps to reduce its environmental footprint and promote responsible innovation. The company continues to enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and develop eco-friendly products that contribute to a smarter and greener society. At the same time, Dahua upholds fair labor standards, fosters an inclusive workplace, and collaborates closely with partners and suppliers to promote sustainable development throughout the value chain. Looking ahead, Dahua remains steadfast in driving sustainability through innovation fostering a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through responsible technology and collaborative ecosystems. For more information about Dahua's sustainability initiatives, please visit: dahuasecurity.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2794455/ecovadis.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2074657/Dahua_LOGO_Logo.jpg Thousands of passengers had their flying plans disrupted on Sunday afternoon when two of the UKs busiest airports were hit by separate problems. At Heathrow, Europes biggest airport, operations were disrupted due to a spectacular tail strike involving a freight plane. No one was hurt. At 5.13pm a DHL Airbus A300 cargo aircraft was landing from Leipzig when the tail struck the northern runway. According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft was travelling at 170mph when the incident happened. Jerry Dyer, who runs the YouTube channel Big Jet TV, was commentating at the time. He later said: If you look, at around 40ft [above the ground], theres a gust, which destabilises them, which leads to the left side touching first, then they correct it to the right side, then it really starts going wrong, almost into oscillation. The engines were retarded and spoilers were up. Tail down: Moment the tail of the DHL Airbus A300 struck the northern runway at London Heathrow airport (Big Jet TV) Looks like they tried to save the nose slamming into the runway, which resulted in the sharp nose-up pitch. Based on the high angle of pitch, seems they were looking to go around at touchdown but had to wait for the engines to spool full power. The pilots then took off again to perform a go-around, landing safely 20 minutes later on the southern runway. A spokesperson for DHL UK told The Independent: We are pleased to report that the crew are all safe. We will be investigating the circumstances around this incident in cooperation with the respective aviation authorities. Until that investigation is completed, we are unable to provide any further information." Heathrows northern runway was closed for an inspection after the incident. While the closure was for 10 minutes or less, a number of aircraft had to perform go-arounds, adding to pressure on air-traffic controllers. More than 20 departing flights were delayed by an hour or more including at least seven transatlantic departures. At around the same time, Manchester airport was hit by fog, which led to many delays, diversions and cancellations. An easyJet flight from Istanbul to Manchester spent half an hour circling south of the airport before attempting an approach and then diverting to East Midlands airport. The passengers on the Airbus A320 operating flight 2152 spent over two hours on the ground at the airport before departing for Manchester. Once again, the plane had to fly a holding pattern before landing safely, three and a half hours late. Circle game: Path of easyJet flight from Istanbul to Manchester which diverted to East Midlands airport (Flightradar24) Due to the delays at Manchester, easyJet grounded a total of 16 arrivals and departures, affecting around 2,500 passengers. Links to and from Venice, Berlin and Dalaman in Turkey were among the cancellations. A spokesperson for easyJet said: Due to the impact of adverse weather conditions in Manchester yesterday resulting in air traffic control restrictions, some flights were unable to operate. While this was outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused and provided customers with options to rebook or receive a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJets highest priority. Dozens of the Palestinian prisoners released on Monday are aged between 16 and 20, with at least two in their 70s, new data shows. Buses carrying the freed prisoners arrived in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. They are the first of 1,968 prisoners released by Israel after a ceasefire deal was struck with Hamas. New data assessed by Sky News, from Palestinian Authorities, has revealed the age range of those released. Of the 1,718 arrested after the war began, it shows two are in their 70s, 20 in their 60s, 67 in their 50s and 226 in their 40s. Three hundred and 83 are in their 30s, 383 in their 20s and 40 are aged between 16 and 20. At least five of those released have birthdays on Monday. There are also 250 Palestinians who were serving life sentences, long sentences or expected to be sentenced to life imprisonment. Of these, 157 belonged to Fatah, 65 to Hamas, 16 to Islamic Jihad, 11 to Popular Front and one to Democratic Front. Three were arrested in the 1980s, with the most recent arrest on 11 March. At least 154 of the Palestinians will be deported to Egypt from the West Bank as part of the deal. Many are members of Hamas and the Fatah faction, who were imprisoned over shootings, bombings or other attacks that killed or attempted to kill Israelis, along with others convicted on lesser charges. They will return to the West Bank, Gaza or be deported elsewhere. It follows the agreement of a new peace plan struck between Israel and Hamas following more than two years of war. As part of the deal, 20 Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released. Coffins of dead hostages were also handed over. US President Donald Trump, who signed the agreement on Monday, told Israel's parliament: "The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace." A report by the prison inspectorate for England and Wales found that 94 of 104 closed prisons inspected before the cuts came into effect this month were rated poor or not sufficiently good for purposeful activity. Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images Cuts to education in prisons are derailing offenders work and training and ultimately endangering the public, the prisons watchdog has warned. Repeat offenders cause mayhem in their communities because of the failure of prisons to provide education, training and work that could help to break the cycle of offending, the chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said. A thematic report from the inspectorate said this already unacceptable situation was only likely to get worse as real-terms cuts began to eat into already stretched education provision. The Guardian disclosed last month that prisons were cutting frontline spending on education by up to 50%, despite promises from Keir Starmer to improve access to learning in last years general election manifesto. The spending cuts are being introduced as the government rolls out new education contracts across prisons in England and Wales. While the overall education budget has remained the same, the cost of course contracts has soared, governors claim. Taylor said: I have serious concerns about the impact of real-terms education budget cuts on already inadequate provision and about the lack of real appetite and ambition for improvement that this represents. The Prison Service has a duty to protect the public by making prisoners less likely to reoffend when they are released, but too often it is failing to fulfil this responsibility. There is little doubt that many prisoners already leave jail and return to criminality, creating more victims of crime. These devastating cuts are likely to make this situation worse. The best governors know that jails, and ultimately our communities, are safer if prisoners are purposefully occupied, and that education, training and work play a vital role in motivating prisoners to turn their lives around. Until leaders in the Prison Service take the provision of high-quality education and training more seriously, it is hard to see how appallingly high reoffending rates can be reduced. Labour promised to reduce reoffending in its manifesto and work with prisons to improve prisoners access to purposeful activity such as learning. The cuts would also hinder Labours efforts to introduce a new incentive-based prison regime that would allow inmates to earn time off their sentence by completing work, training and education courses. A report by the prison inspectorate found that 94 of 104 closed prisons inspected before the cuts came into effect this month were rated poor or not sufficiently good for purposeful activity. Just 31% of prison leavers are in employment six months after release, according to Ministry of Justice figures. The overall amount of money handed to education and training providers has not fallen but rising employment costs has forced them to cut provision of services. The review, which took place alongside inspections of 11 mens and two womens prisons, showed too many prisoners spent their days locked in their cells, and overcrowding, a lack of workshop space and instructors, equipment failures and ageing infrastructure had compounded the situation. Many prisoners waited weeks to be allocated an activity space and were often given what was available, the report said, rather than training relevant to their career prospects on release. For those who did gain a space, there was no guarantee they would be able to attend, the report said. Regime curtailments, security lockdowns and staff indifference about unlocking prisoners meant average attendance was just 67% in the prisons visited for the review. Even when work went ahead, full-time jobs generally occupied prisoners for just five hours a day, with many roles split into part-time places to stretch meagre provision further, inspectors found. Lord Timpson, the prisons minister, said: I welcome this report and the challenges it brings. We inherited a crisis, and it is our job to not just sort the problem, but to create a justice system that is both sustainable and does its job of reducing reoffending. I have been involved in employing prisoners for over 20 years, and can confirm that we need prisons that work in giving offenders the tools they need, so when they are out of prison they stay out. We have already done a lot to improve our prisons, but given the scale of the crisis we inherited, there is clearly an awful lot more that still needs to be done. Timpson has repeatedly emphasised the importance of prison education and training. In July, he wrote: We know that purposeful activity can help to enable safe and decent prisons and have a transformative effect on reoffending rates This is why the government committed to working with prisons to improve access to purposeful activity in its manifesto and is actively exploring the best approaches to do so. Elon Musk demands Trump send US troops to San Francisco for war on drugs: Its the only solution Elon Musk has backed the deployment of federal troops to San Francisco, claiming in a gung-ho post that it is the only solution to the citys drug problem. Musk, who spearheaded mass layoffs through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency before he exited the White House in May, said downtown San Francisco is a drug zombie apocalypse. His remarks follow his departure from the Trump administration following a public feud with President Donald Trump and allegations that Musk himself was using drugs when he was funneling millions into the Republicans 2024 presidential campaign. He denied the allegations and said they were lies. As the president continues to target Democratic strongholds and is currently locked in a court battle over sending troops into Chicago and Portland, attention has turned to the bohemian California city following recent comments by Marc Benioff, the CEO of software giant Salesforce. In an interview published Friday, the San Francisco-native told The New York Times that he supported sending in federal troops to help tackle crime. Elon Musk has backed the deployment of federal troops to San Francisco, claiming it is the only solution to the citys drug problem (AFP/Getty) We dont have enough cops, so if they can be cops, Im all for it, he told the outlet from his private jet. While San Francisco officials and some residents are vehemently against the idea, Musk is all for it. Its the only solution at this point, Musk said Sunday in a post on X. Nothing else has or will work. Musk was responding to a social media post shared by Tom Wolf, a former homeless San Francisco resident and recovering heroin addict, who cited a survey that found 61 percent of voters in the city support federal intervention to deport undocumented fentanyl dealers. Including voters who somewhat agree with the sentiment, the number rose to 83 percent. That's how insane it's been here, Wolf said. Look, nobody really wants troops on our streets, Wolf added in another post. But this evolution of Benioff is a direct result of San Francisco continuing to allow (yes, allow) an organized drug dealing network of 500-1k dealers operate unabated in broad daylight for the past decade, Wolf claimed in another post. Musk said that downtown San Francisco, pictured here in 2023, is a drug zombie apocalypse (AFP via Getty Images) Benioff has donated more than $1 billion to Bay Area causes in the last 25 years, including toward homelessness initiatives, schools, and hospitals. While Musk appeared to agree with Benioff about deploying federal troops, he also criticized the fellow billionaire for supporting a 2018 tax measure that raised money for homelessness services in the city via large corporations. Benioff needs to repeal the catastrophic Prop C that he pushed, Musk said, referring to the tax measure Proposition C. In August, Trump said he was considering deploying federal troops to San Francisco, which he claimed had been destroyed by Democrats. In a message directed at Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins warned she would retaliate should they target the city. If you come to San Francisco and illegally harass our residents, use excessive force or cross any other boundaries that the law proscribes, I will not hesitate to do my job and hold you accountable just like I do other violators of the law every single day, Jenkins said Saturday in a post on Instagram. Meanwhile, the Oregonian city of Portland is awaiting the ruling of an appeals court panel on whether the president can send in federalized troops after a judge ordered a temporary hold on deployment. The European Unions ambassador to the UK has defended planned hikes in steel tariffs as officials in Whitehall attempted to limit the potentially catastrophic impact on British workers. The European Commission has disclosed plans to impose 50% tariffs on steel, double the current level of 25%, while cutting tariff-free import volumes to 18.3 million tons a year a 47% reduction. The EUs ambassador Pedro Serrano said official-level contacts had already been made between Whitehall and Brussels about the proposals but he stressed the need for Brussels to defend the blocs steel industry. Talks between the UK and the EU are expected to cover issues including how much steel the UK will be allowed to export tariff-free into the bloc. The measures are aimed at protecting the EUs steelworkers from competition from cut-price products especially from China being dumped in European markets after Donald Trumps tariffs made the US a less attractive destination. The proposed new EU regime, which has not yet been adopted, is intended to replace existing safeguards which expire in June next year. Mr Serrano said: Its an important proposal. It has to replace the system of safeguards that exist currently, that will expire in June 26, and we need to have a system of safeguards, because theres an overcapacity of steel production, as you will know, worldwide. And in addition, there are countries that are increasing their protectionist measures also in steel. So we have to protect the steel industry in the European Union. Pedro Serrano, the European Union ambassador to the UK (Liam McBurney/PA) But he said talks would take place with states like the UK which have a trade deal with the EU which would consider country-specific allocation of the tariff-free quota. He said contacts have already taken place with UK officials and discussions will continue. Sir Keir Starmer has previously said the UK was in discussions with the EU about the proposals, which have sounded alarm bells within the beleaguered British steel industry. The UK Steel trade association warned that access to Britains most important export market, which is currently the destination for 78% of British steel, could be severely curtailed by the move. Gareth Stace, director-general at UK Steel, said: This is perhaps the biggest crisis the UK steel industry has ever faced. Officials were alerted to concerns about Leonard Farrukus mental health but no assessment was conducted before he was moved to the Bibby Stockholm barge. Photograph: Family handout/PA Media The family of an asylum seeker who died on the Bibby Stockholm believe he would still be alive today had he been properly assessed and treated before being placed on the barge. Leonard Farruku, 27, died in the bathroom of his shared cabin onboard the barge on 12 December 2023. He had been moved there weeks earlier, after the then Conservative government began using the Bibby Stockholm to house asylum seekers. At an inquest in Bournemouth this month, the senior coroner Rachael Griffin concluded that he died as a result of suicide. Farrukus sisters Marsida Keci and Jola Dushku said in a statement on Monday: After listening to all the inquest evidence we firmly believe that Leonard was severely mentally unwell between July and December 2023 and in need of urgent assessment and treatment. Instead of being helped by the English authorities, he was placed in the hostile and completely unsuitable environment of the barge. We believe that if Leonard had received proper assessment and treatment in August 2023, he would still be alive today. We miss him every day. Farruku sought asylum in the UK in August 2022, and in March 2023 was placed in the Esplanade hotel in Paignton. Staff there raised the alarm because they were concerned he seemed mentally unwell. He had been referred to a local mental health service in Devon for an assessment of his mental state, scheduled for 12 August, but did not attend and the assessment was not rescheduled. The Home Office was alerted to concerns about his mental health but no assessment was conducted before he was moved to the barge. Between July and November 2023 Home Office contractors at the hotel submitted 11 incident reports about Farrukus disturbed behaviour, at least three stating that staff believed him to have mental health problems. Ten of these reports were sent to the Home Office. Farrukus sisters said although the coroner found there was insufficient evidence that Farruku was suffering from low mood or a mental disorder, which contributed to his decision to take his life, they believed there was evidence their brother was mentally unwell before he killed himself. The hotel staff who saw Leonard every day knew that something was seriously wrong with his mental state, they said. They added that Dr Dinesh Maganty, a consultant forensic psychiatrist who provided expert evidence to the inquest, concluded there was sufficient evidence that Farruku was likely to be suffering with a combination of a psychotic mental illness with an affective mood component. It seems that everyone who had repeated contact with Leonard at that time knew that he was really unwell, said Farrukus sisters. On 3 November, the day Farruku was transferred to the barge, moored in Portland, Dorset, the local authority raised an urgent concern about the move on the basis of what they had been told about his mental health. This was relayed to the Home Office but officials took no action in response. The coroner identified this as a missed opportunity. Farrukus sisters said: We are shocked that when deciding whether it was safe to move Leonard to the barge, the Home Office did not look at their own safeguarding database, even after an email raising concerns about Leonards suitability from the local authority. It seems obvious to us that a man presenting the way he was should never have been placed on the barge. Christina Bodenes, the solicitor for the family, said: Leonards case is a tragic example of the dangers of the Home Offices policy of placing vulnerable asylum seekers in unsuitable accommodation without having a proper system in place to assess their vulnerability and risk. The Home Office had a wealth of information indicating that Leonard was seriously unwell at the time they made the decision to place him on the barge, but took none of this into account. Given the current governments commitment to expanding the use of large scale sites to accommodate asylum seekers, it is extremely concerning that the Home Office still refused to accept at Leonards inquest that they should have been concerned about Leonards mental health when he was transferred to the barge. A Home Office spokesperson said: This was a tragic incident and our thoughts remain with Leonards family and everyone affected. The coroner has delivered their findings and we are now carefully considering them. The famous European attraction free of scaffolding for first time in decades Visitors to Athens are now being treated to a sight not witnessed in decades: an unobstructed, scaffolding-free view of the iconic Parthenon temple. Strolling along the broad pedestrian street at the base of the famed Acropolis Hill, tourists can finally appreciate the 5th century B.C. UNESCO World Heritage site without the visual clutter that has marred its western facade for approximately 20 years. The removal of the conservation scaffolding from the Parthenons western side, completed in late September, is particularly significant. This elevation offers the most prominent street-level perspective, making its newfound clarity especially noticeable. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni highlighted that this moment also marks the first time in around 200 years that the Parthenons entire exterior is completely free of any kind of scaffolding. Speaking on Skai radio on Friday, Ms Mendoni remarked that for visitors, "it is like they are seeing a different, a completely different monument." The removal of the conservation scaffolding from the Parthenons western side, completed in late September, is particularly significant (Associated Press) However, this rare period of unblemished viewing will be temporary, as essential conservation efforts are set to continue. New scaffolding is to be erected along the Parthenons western side in about one months time, but it will be lighter and aesthetically much closer to the logic of the monument, Mendoni said. The renewed conservation work is expected to last until early summer in 2026. The minister said: The Parthenon will be completely freed of this scaffolding too, and people will be able to see it truly free. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni remarked that for visitors, it is like they are seeing a different, a completely different monument (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The Acropolis is by far Greeces most popular tourist site, with 4.5 million people visiting in 2024, according to the countrys statistical authority. The marble temple was built in the mid-5th century B.C. to honor the citys patron goddess, Athena. Stars of stage and screen and movie directors are lined up for an annual film festival starting this week. Academy Award-winning director Sir Sam Mendes has accepted an invitation to be the newest patron of Purbeck Film Festival, saying he is delighted to be involved. Members of the Fox acting family will share stories and discuss performances, while a number of other special guests will appear during the two-week event. Die Before You Die director Dan Pringle and French actor Laurent Lucas will take part in a question and answer session after the film is shown in the grounds of Durlston Castle in Dorset, while War Paint: Women At War director Margy Kinmonth will be a special guest at the showing of the film. Andrea Etherington, who chairs the festival, said: Welcoming Sir Sam Mendes as patron is a great honour. His support feels especially meaningful as the festival continues to thrive. The festival runs from October 17 to November 2 across more than 30 venues. Florida grandma sobs and swears her innocence in court as she faces life in prison for son-in-laws murder plot Donna Adelson, the matriarch of a wealthy Florida family, who was convicted last month for her role in the 2014 murder-for-hire plot of her son-in-law Dan Markel, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Adelson, who is soon to be 76, kept a blank expression on her face as she learned her fate in a Tallahassee courtroom on Monday. Judge Stephen Everett ordered she spend the remainder of her life in prison for the first-degree murder charge. He sentenced her to another 30 years each on the conspiracy and solicitation to commit first-degree murder charges, saying they would run concurrent with each other but consecutive to the murder sentence, guaranteeing she will die behind bars. Before Adelson was sentenced, she could not hold back her tears as she pleaded with the judge, insisting she was innocent of any involvement in Markels murder. The plot was allegedly to settle her daughter Wendi Adelsons bitter custody battle with Markel. What happened to Danny is unforgivable but I am an innocent woman convicted of this terrible crime without evidence, she said as she sobbed in court. Before Donna Adelson was sentenced, she sobbed as she insisted that she was innocent (Court TV) She added that Markel, who was a law professor, would have been appalled by the lack of justice at her trial. For two weeks in August, jurors at Adelsons trial listened to sordid details about a messy divorce, tensions with wealthy in-laws and custody battles that culminated in the murder. Prosecutors painted the grandmother as the domineering mastermind who helped fund the hit and conspired with her son, Charlie Adelson, to cover it up for years. Adelsons defense team argued there was no direct evidence that Adelson planned or funded the killing, pointing instead to her son Charlie, who was convicted of murder in Markels death in November 2023. In a recorded jail call, Adelson told Charlie that she was getting things in order and that she was making sure her grandchildren would be taken care of. A few days later, she was arrested at Miami International Airport while attempting to board a one-way flight to Vietnam, along with her husband Harvey. Four others, including Charlie, his then-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua, and hitmen Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, are already serving time in prison for their roles in the murder. Adelsons husband Harvey, and daughter, Wendi Adelson, have denied involvement in the murder and have not been charged. Donna Adelson (left) and Charlie Adelson (right) are now both in prison for the 2014 murder of Dan Markel (center) (AP) Adelson did not testify in her defense during her trial, but often had to be reprimanded by the judge when she had outbursts in reaction to testimony. But on Monday, Adelson took the chance to speak, sobbing as she replayed Markels final hours before he died, and said that he was hunted by vicious killers. She claimed that she had no knowledge of the plan to kill Markel and that if she would have known, then I would have stopped it, she said. Despite the judge warning her that she was showing an utter lack of remorse, he allowed her to continue. This is a lifetime of loss for those children, she said in closing, referring to Markels two children, now without a father. They didnt deserve this. His family didnt deserve this. Danny didnt deserve this, she cried. I promise to you with all my whole heart, I swear to you on my life, I was not involved in any way with Danny's murder. Today marks another holiday in the U.S: Veterans Day. Every year on November 11, Veterans Day honors those who serve and have served in the United States Armed Forces. First proclaimed by President Wilson in November 1919, the holiday was initially called Armistice Day to honor those who served in World War I. Building upon that, the Act of 1938 then recognized each November 11 as a legal holiday. However, in 1954, the United States Congress replaced the word Armistice with Veterans, moving to honor veterans of all wars. Federal Veterans Day observances were briefly moved to October in the early 1970s as a result of the Uniform Holiday Bill, which confused some states that continued to celebrate the holiday on November 11th, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. However, in 1975, former President Gerald Ford signed a law moving the Veterans Day federal observance back to November 11 as of 1978. Communities around the U.S. have held parades celebrating war veterans on this holiday, dating back to the first Armistice Day in 1919. The nations largest Veterans Day parade is held in New York, with a procession along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Veterans Day is observed each November 11 (Getty Images) Since Veterans Day is a federal holiday, all banks will be closed today. Online banking and ATMs will be accessible. The stock market and the United States Postal Service will also be closed. However, the holiday doesnt guarantee that all workers around the U.S. will get the day off. It is up to individual employers to decide whether they offer time off or additional pay for work on federal holidays. Find the list in full below: New Years Day: Wednesday, January 1 Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Monday, January 20 Inauguration Day: Monday, January 20 Presidents Day: Monday, February 17 Memorial Day: Monday, May 26 Juneteenth National Independence Day: Thursday, June 19 Independence Day: Friday, July 4 Labor Day: Monday, September 1 Indigenous Peoples Day (also observed as Columbus Day): Monday, October 13 Veterans Day: Tuesday, November 11 Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 27 Christmas Day: Thursday, December 25 Other important days to note: Valentines Day: Friday, February 14 St. Patricks Day: Monday, March 17 April Fools Day: Tuesday, April 1 Good Friday: Friday, April 18 Easter: Sunday, April 20